IPKKND SS: Their Khushi (UPDT: Chapter 7 = page 8) - Page 5

Chapter 6: A dancing vision

Arnav Singh Raizada had never felt such a confused mix of wretchedness, dreadful anticipation and fear as he did now. All he could think about, as he stood idly, on this beautiful night, in the brightly lit and festively decorated lawns of the Kapoor's Delhi town house, was to run as far away from this accursed area. However, he knew that he could not do so, that he couldn't go on pretending blissful ignorance for the rest of his life. It was time to face reality; he had always prided himself on being a straightforward guy and yet, for the past week, he had been avoiding facing the truth.

It had been a week since Aman had communicated to him the results of the investigation. It had taken Arnav a week to finally give into the pleading, insistent cries of his family and finally seek her out, to meet her, to see her, to confront her. He did not want to see her and he had told them so plainly. He had added that he wanted to forget her and they should all do the same since it was clear from her actions that SHE had forgotten all about them and did not want to see them. She had moved on with her life and that they should do the same. It wouldn't be hard since she had been dead for them for the past 4 years, all they had to do was to keep on thinking as such and to forget that they had ever saw her on that fateful day at the mandir. But he knew, even as he had spoken, that these were empty words. He would not be able to forget and to move one, especially now that he knew that she breathed and walked and laughed.

However, neither could he deny the fact that the happiness he felt at her being safe and sound was intermingled and often eclipsed by the anger and hurt he felt at her unfaithfulness. Which, during his darkest moment, made him wish that she had died 5 years ago because then she would have died while she was HIS. Because in his twisted heart, he couldn't help but believe that a world where she wasn't next to him but had given herself to only him was much more bearable than one where she was alive but not his. But now, he would have to live in a world where his Khushi wasn't his anymore; the reality being that she had given herself thoroughly to someone else, in more ways then she had ever yielded to him, and had completely forgotten about them, about him.

He had relented to his family wishes only when Akash had come to him and literally begged him to allow them to seek out Khushi. Akash had done it for Payal because Payal wanted to see her sister and because all this stress was not good for her or the baby. They had already gone through 2 miscarriages and Akash didn't believe that their marriage could take another. Neither did Arnav. And so, Arnav Singh Raizada had relented.

And hence, here he stood, amidst the crowd that had been invited to the engagement party for Mr. Raj Kapoor and his soon to be fianc Miss Simran Pashti, a glass of chilled wine held loosely in his hand, making idle conversation with Mr. Singhania. When he had asked Aman to somehow arrange a meeting with Khushi, his oh-so-efficient PA had suggested that he should simply go to the engagement ceremony tonight since the girl's family had invited the Raizada family. His family, or rather the womenfolk in his family, was acquainted with the Pashtis.

As he made small talk with fellow businessmen of his acquaintance, his face betraying nothing about the emotions that rolled within him, Arnav let his eyes wander over the crowds, searching for the owner of that perfectly oval face with its large doe-shaped eyes and those perfectly bow shaped luscious lips that had haunted his dreams for so long.

Wondering if Di and Nani, whom he had accompanied tonight, had had more luck, he excused himself from the group and was about to go in search of them when he finally saw her.

She was quite far away from him, on the stage that had been erected within the vast lawns of the house for the engagement ceremony, but it was undeniably her. She was dancing – a choreographed ode to the couple. And she was as beautiful as he remembered her to be. Her deep-blue coloured lengha was swaying around her legs. Her long jet-black hair, that he knew from experience smelled like jasmine and felt like silk, was open and was modestly covering her back that her pristine white choli refused to cover. Even from his distant spot, he imagined he could see her smile and feel her joy. Just like before.

- Chotte.

And it was like a spell had been broken. He looked down at his Di. He hadn't realised that she – as well as Nani - had joined him. They both looked at him and then back at the stage, their eyes reflecting their delight at what they had witnessed. He wondered if, like him, it had taken them back in time, to happier times.

Arnav's eyes moved back to the ethereal dancing figure unable to look away for long. And it seemed neither could he stay away from her because his feet started to move in the direction of the stage even before he knew what he was doing. However, as they approached the stage, he knew something was happening. Her movements were suddenly less fast, her moves less fluid. And then, she suddenly stopped dancing and headed towards the edge of the stage. However, with a wave of her hand, she encouraged the rest of the dancers to carry on before she started descending from the stage with the help of a young boy who had appeared at her side. And then they couldn't see her anymore.

Arnav wanted to speed up to see what had happened but he knew his sister wouldn't be able to keep up with a faster pace. So he gritted his teeth and tried to maneuverer as quickly and as patiently as he could through the gathered spectators and guests. There was no sign of Khushi. And then they finally saw her again. Or rather they saw her retreating back. Her companions were leading her slowly away from the stage towards the house: a man, on whom, Arnav noticed, she was leaning heavily and a woman. The boy who had helped her off the stage was following the trio, silently holding up the sheer dupatta that was trailing unknowingly from Khushi's shoulder. Arnav followed them from a distance with his Di and Nani.

When the little group reached the house, Khushi slowly removed her arm from that of the man's and then interlinked it with the woman's. And then the two women and the boy stepped inside while the man stayed behind.

And then the man turned around, clearly heading back to re-join the party, when his eyes met the chocolate brown stare of Arnav Singh Raizada. Recognition flashed within the eyes of both men even though they were meeting each other for the first time.