ANYTHING FOR YOU
"What do you want?"
His heart rejoiced when he heard her voice. She had known that he was there without even turning back.
"You."
"Why don't you try to understand?" she asked in an exasperated voice. "You meet me here on this day every year and tell me the same thing. My reply hasn't changed either."
"Why not? Give me a valid reason. I will leave and never return."
"The distance between you and me is too much," she said with her back towards him.
"What distance?"
She stepped closer to the edge of the cliff and pushed a stone into the deep hole. The stone fell. For how long, she didn't know. She felt like that stone. Sinking into an abyss with darkness surrounding her. It had felt like that for the past three years. From the day she had lost her parents to a horrible accident.
"You are rich."
He pushed a few papers in her hand. "I have changed everything to your name. You just have to sign to make them yours. I am not rich anymore."
"Education?"
This time he pressed a book in her other hand. "That is the prospectus for the best architecture school in Delhi. I showed them your designs and they have accepted to take you in with scholarships."
"What about family? I have no one. Why do you want an orphan?"
He stepped closer to her and showed her his iPad. Video calling was on and she was able to see his nani, di, cousin and the others on the screen.
"They are waiting for you to accept them as your own."
"I am pregnant."
"I am okay with it as long as the baby calls me 'dada'."
She was shocked with his reply. "I'. was'.. just saying. Was not serious about it."
"But I am." There was sincerity in his voice.
A long pause later, she asked, "Why? Why are you doing this?"
"Because you taught me to live, Khushi. You taught me to fight back. If I hadn't met you four years back, I would have given up everything when my Uncle cheated me with my money and threw me on the street."
He stood on the same cliff with an 'everything-is-over' look on his face. A fourteen year old girl ran to him and held his hand.
"My name is Khushi. What is yours?"
What was the use in hiding a name? "Arnav."
She gave him a chocolate. "Have it."
That was when he noticed the bandage on her arm. It was soaked in blood.
"What happened?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I fell while learning to ride a scooty. You know what? Dad said he will teach me again tomorrow."
The wound seemed painful and it bled too much. "You want to try it again?"
"If I am frightened of the outcome, I will never learn to ride it. Just because I fell the first time does not mean that I will always fall."
Her innocent response shook him to the core. It was like she had told that for him. It made him realize that his Uncle was just a hurdle and he should not give up.
"I'll see you next year."
"Why next year?" he asked her.
"Because my parents come here every year. They met each other in the same spot on Valentine's day. This is their special place."
She kissed his cheek and his lips involuntarily curved into a smile.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Arnav! You should smile a lot. You look nice."
"From that day, I worked hard and reached this position. I am 26 and have earned a position that 99% of the people can't. That is because of you. Only you."
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
He touched her shoulder and made her face him.
He saw the same helplessness and the hopelessness that had been in his eyes four years back.
"Why, Khushi? Why have you lost the will to live again?" He wiped her tears and said, "Your parents have left Earth, not you. They are alive in your heart's every single beat."
Without looking at him, she said, "I love someone."
His heart shattered.
"He lives for me. He tries to make me laugh. He tries to be my father, mother, friend, everything'."
His shattered heart was beyond repair.
He gathered his strength for her sake. "But, what's wrong?"
A few more tears rolled down her cheek. "I am no match for him."
"You are not inferior to anybody, Khushi. Does he love you? Should I talk to him?"
"He loves me more than anything else."
"So what's stopping you?"
"I'm frightened."
"Tell me his name. I'll talk with him."
She raised her eyes to look into his. "Arnav Singh Raizada."
He stood like a statue.
Eons passed before tears dropped from his eyes.
"Do you trust me, Khushi?"
She nodded.
He carried her to his car. He drove for a while and stopped in front of a big house.
Khushi's eyes widened. It was her design. She had thrown away her designs while standing on the cliff during the first Valentine's Day after her parent's death.
"I saved every design of yours."
They walked in and found the house decorated like a wedding hall. Arnav's family welcomed them. He took her to a room which had a blown up photo of her parents.
He knelt in front of her and asked, "Will you marry me, Khushi?"
"Whose house is this?"
"Ours."
Tears leaked down her eyes and she hugged him. "I will marry you, Arnav."
They took their vows and became man and wife.
He kissed her forehead and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, jaan! The cliff is our special place from now. I love you."
"I love you too, Arnav. Happy Valentine's Day!"
Her heart beat only for him and his, only for her. Both were able to recognize each other's presence without even opening their eyes. If this isn't love, then what is?
~~~~~~
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Edited by adventure_roks - 12 years ago
Real Estate
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