Their First Night...
After the mind numbing events of the day, both Arnav and Khushi were shaken up badly... He entered the room after putting Di to sleep... Khushi was already there... standing by the pool... looking at the stars with moist eyes... she felt his presence and turned around...
He was shaken to the core, more because of Anjali than so because of his own kidnapping and attempted murder. He looked like a broken man... she moved towards him to console him... but before she was able to say anything... he made her sit down on the couch and he himself sat on the table next to it (ideally I would want him to sit besides her on the floor... but I can't see ASR sitting on the floor)...
He took her hands in his...
"Khushi... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry !"
Khushi, with tears flowing out of her eyes'
"Nahi Arnav ji, aap humse maafi mat maangiye, isme aapki koi galti nahi thi"
"Shhh... Khushi, let me speak today... I'm sorry I didn't trust you earlier. I'm sorry, I believed Shyam over you... I'm sorry for forcing you to marry me.. I'm sor..."
"Nahi Arnav ji" cupping his face in her palms, Khushi went on, "jaane dijiye ab in sab baaton ko, jo hona tha ho gaya, is waqt humein sirf Di ke baare mein sochna hai"
Arnav looked at her with eyes filled with tears of love and pride...
"Par Khushi... let me..."
"Nahi Arnav ji, humne kaha na... bas... ab aur nahi"
She stood up... taking his hands with her... made him stand too...
"Chaliye ab aap jaaiye aur naha lijiye..." with a naughty smile on her face, remembering their time in Lakshmi Nagar and wanting to take his mind off of the events of the day... "aap ko nalka chalana to yaad hai na... ya phir hum..."
Smiling, he said... "Nahi... mujhe yaad nahi, bathroom mein chal ke tum sikha do"
"š³Arrey hum to keh rahe the ki, agar aapko yaad nahi hai, to hum buaji ko bula laate hain... yaad hai unhone kitne achche se sikhaya tha aapko"
"Khushi..." with mock anger and a beautiful smile !
"Chaliye, ab baaki baatein chhodiye... aap naha lijiye, hum aapke liye kuchh khaane ke liye laate hain, aapne dawai bhi to leni hogi phir"
She left the room... and he kept staring at the door... for a long time... before he went into the bathroom !!! (FINALLY)
***************
As she entered the room with the dinner tray in her hand, she heard him shout for her...
"Khushiii"
She quickly put the tray on the table besides the couch... ran to the bathroom door...
"Khushiii"
"Ji Arnav ji... kya hua, hum woh kitchen mein the..."
"Khushi... I forgot my towel... can u please pass me the towel"
She grabbed the towel and hands it to him...
"Lijiye"
He pulled out his hand, took the towel... and back inside !
She was about to turn when he grabbed her arm...
"Kya hua Arnav ji"
"Mere Kapde Khushi, I forgot my clothes too"
"Aap bhi na, ek minute rukiye..."
She took out his night clothes from the wardrobe and handed them to him...
"Andar aake de do..."
"š² Ji..."
He popped his head out... smirked... took the clothes from her and shut the door behind him.
Khushi feeling a little flushed, moved towards the couch... looked at the food...
"Ab jaldi aaiye bahar... humein bohot zor se bhookh lagi hai"
***************
Arnav entered the room... his eyes firmly set on Khushi who had her back towards him and was gazing at the stars again. He knew she was crying... He couldn't help but feel love for her. This girl... this girl whom he thought was a cheat, lusting after his money... this is the girl who at one point of time, he couldn't stand... she has turned his life upside down.. but only for the better ! He smiled sadly... thinking how meaningless his life was before Khushi came into it... and took over it by storm !
He remembered those moments between them just before Akash and Payal's wedding... the sangeet, those kisses, the ambulance... when he thought he had lost Khushi, the havan, those bangles... everything came flashing through his mind, and then the terrace scene ! Oh, how will he ever be able to face Khushi after thinking so low of her. And look at her big heart, she forgave him for everything... just like that ! How could he ever have been so wrong in judging someone ! He couldn't stand it, he couldn't stand himself ! He sat down on the bed... elbows on his knees... hiding his face in his palms... remembering it all !
She turned around, looked at him sitting like a defeated man... she thought... this is not right... he is Arnav Singh Raizada... how can he give up so easily !
She went straight to him, sat down on the floor in front of him... took his hands in hers and looked him the eyes' she wiped the tears off his cheeks and simply said...
"Arnav ji, hum jaante hain ke aap itna kyun dukhi hain"
He looked at her...
"Lekin aap bilkul fikar na karein... hum hain na ! Aap aur Hum... hum dono milke Di ko sambhaal lenge ! Agar aap is tarah se toot jayenge, to Di ko kaun dekhega'"
She is still thinking about his Di... Arnav looked at her with wonder ! He couldn't hold back anymore... he stood up, pulling her with him and hugged her tight... So tight that he'll never let her go ! And she hugged him back with equal intensity... as if he'll vanish if she held him even a little loose. How close she had come to lose him... She would never let him go, she promised herself.
She felt his body stiffen, she couldn't understand what was happening, but she knew she had to get away from him right now or else... she blushed even thinking about it !š³
"Chaliye... aaiye khana thanda ho raha hai, khana kha lijiye" she said trying to get some distance between them. "Humein to bohot zor se bhookh lagi hai... aap ko pata hai na Arnav ji, jab humein bhookh lagti hai, to hum kuchh bhi bardasht nahi kar sakte... aaiye baithiye yahan"
She laid his plate, and when she was about to pick hers... he stopped her...
"Khushi, wait"
"Kyun' hum kyun na khaayein, hume bhi bhookh lagi hai"
"I said wait, there's no need for the second plate"
He took a bite from his plate and made her eat from his hands... he could see the happiness in her eyes because of such a small act ! He was amazed at her simplicity... how could he never see it before. He mentally cursed himself again. Suddenly he saw her hand coming towards his mouth... she was returning his gesture... and he couldn't help but remember when she had fed him the golgappa at Buaji's house. A smile curved his mouth.
With her eyes, she asked him... what happened... and he shook his head, mutely telling her, nothing !
They sat next to each other, silently enjoying the others' company... their first meal together.
As the dinner came to an end, she stood up to clear the dishes...
"Give them to me"
"Aap...š² aap yeh rakh ke aayenge"
"Kyun main nahi kar sakta"
"Nahi mera matlab hai ke aap... aap rehne dijiye, hum rakh denge"
"Khushi"
"Arnav ji"
"Khushi... tum bhi bohot thak gayi hogi, tum fresh ho jao... main Hari Prakash se keh ke yeh bhijwa deta hun'"
"Hari Prakash" he shouted at the top of his lungs and as soon as the servant appeared' "Hari Prakash, yeh sab le kar jao yahan se"
When Khushi entered the bathroom, Arnav sat on the corner of his bed, spread his legs straight on the bed... closed his eyes... and the image of Khushi falling off the cliff came flashing in his mind... he re-lived the moment when he thought she was dead ! He suddenly opened his eyes and screamed her name...
"Khushi"
At that moment, she entered the room... looking at his pale face, she came running to his side of the bed... sat in front of him, saw him sweating, eyes looking at nothing...
"Arnav ji, Arnav ji' kya hua aapko... aap theek to hain? Arnav ji'"
He came back to present... looked at her... and hugged her once again !
"Khushi... I thought I had lost you today... why did you have to come there? Why did you risk your life, dammit !"
"Kyun, hum kyun nahi aa sakte?" She mockingly asked him.. trying her best to lighten the situation... "Agar aapki jagah hum hote, to kya aap nahi aate humein gundon se bachaane?"
"Aata'" Her lips began to curve into a smile when she saw a faint glint in his eyes as she heard him complete sentence... "Lekin main 15 din nahi lagata tumhe dhoondhne ke liye"
"Huh?š²"
"1 hi din mein dhoondh nikaalta"
"What the...š²"
Seeing her imitate him, he heartily laughed... Seeing him laughing, she was mesmerized !
She came back to her senses as she remembered something. Suddenly, she stood up...
"What the'"
"Ek minute'"
"What happened?"
She went to take something out of the bedside drawer, filled a glass of water and came back to him...
"Aapki dawai"
His smile melted her heart... as he took the medicine from her hands and gulped them down with water. Another thing started bothering her now...
"Arnav ji"
"Hmm'"
"Aap... woh... hum.."
"Khushi... kya hua"
"Arnav ji' who hum keh rahe the ki... aap bohot thake huye honge, aaj aap yahan bed pe so jaaiye... hum wahan sofe pe so jayenge"
"What??"
"Haan... aap itne din se..."
"Khushi... tum wahan nahi so-ogi"
"Lekin aap wahan kaise soyenge... humara matlab hai ke aap itne din se... aaj aap bed pe hi soyenge, bas !"
"Maine kab kaha ki main wahan so-unga"
"To phir'"
"Itna bada bed hai, hum dono aaram se so sakte hain"
"Huh !!"
"Jab hum Buaji ke chhote se bed pe saath so sakte hain, to mera... humara bed to kaafi bada hai... hum dono ek saath so sakte hain yahan par" he teased.
"Lekin aap... woh... hum'"
"Yeh kya aap hum laga rakha hai Khushi... kyun mere saath sone mein tumhe darr lagta hai?"
"Huh... nahi to... humein darr nahi lagta"
"To fir itni excuses kyun de rahi ho?"
"Nahi to.. hum kahan bahane bana rahe hain"
"To itna ghabra kyun rahi ho... main tumhe kha to nahi jaunga"
"Hum kahan darr rahe hain... abhi aa rahe hain na"
He saw her get up, go to the dresser... remove the bangles, earrings... her hands shaking a little... he smiled at her nervousness.
She knew he was noticing her every move... she became conscious, her hands started trembling while removing her earrings... suddenly she felt him right behind her... staring at her through the mirror...
He turned her around to face him, helped her with her earrings... took her to the bed, made her sit and then kissed her on the forehead...
"Khushi'"
Desire evident in his voice, his breathing ragged... his voice husky...
She blushed...
"Arnav ji"
"Shhh"
He sat next to her on the bed... put his arm around her shoulders, engulfing her in his embrace. With his free hand, he put her head on his shoulder and then took her hand and put their hands close to his heart'
They sat like that with hands on heart, feeling each others heartbeats, basking in the closeness of the other' just being with each other. No words needed... just loving the silence as sleep finally engulfed them both !
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This is my first attempt and I would really like to hear your comments... good or bad, both. If you enjoyed it, please press like.
Arjun
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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