Catching her petite soft hand within his he asked her, "If forgetfulness is such a blessing, then why do you want my photo, Khushi? Won't it stop you from forgetting?" Khushi swallowed at his question.
"If he touches me, I will succumb. I know the power he wields over me and my traitorous body. I know"
~ E.L. James
His touch was causing havoc in her senses. She tried to free her hand from his grip,
but his grip was extremely firm. Seeing that she was unable to counter him feeling flustered she told him, "I need to go home." Arnav not letting her escape, holding her hand sat on the table by her side and whispered, "Later." Her attempt to pull her hand was in vain. Breathing out in a soft voice he said that she possessed a soft beautiful hand, raised it to his lips and planted a soft feathery kiss on it. Indignant Khushi who already had her senses reeling at his proximity, blurted out, "Don't touch me. I told you'" Arnav completed it saying, "That you know karate'. I remember." he went on to kiss her palm thoroughly this time.
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around"
~ Leo F. Buscaglia
Khushi unused to these feelings that were recklessly playing with her nerves when near Arnav, tried to get up from her chair, but Arnav pressing his palms on her shoulder made her sit.
At Khushi's stammer, "I..I have to..", Arnav with a soft squeeze on her shoulder asked, "You have to...?" His touch brought in a shiver in her. Feeling she was losing grip on herself she blurted out that she should head home.
Arnav told her that she could after answering his question truthfully.
"The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire"
~ Viktor E. Frankl
She agreed. But all her senses were attuned to his hands. His one hand was palming her and the other was resting on her shoulder exerting soft pressure. She bit her lips to control herself. When he asked, "Will you miss me, Khushi?" she echoed, "Miss you?" With all seriousness looking deep into her eyes, he asked, "Yes, miss me. Because I will miss you. Very much."
"Just when the caterpillar thought its world was over, it became a butterfly"
Hearing that he too would miss just like her, bobbing her head Khushi said. "Yes, I will miss you."
"The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected"
~ Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook
Releasing the much held breath, he confirmed with her saying, "The late night phone calls..", Khushi with a smile said, "Coming to your office to see you." Arnav with a smile continued, "The laughter.", and a relived Khushi beaming cheekily said, "The anger." Finally Arnav, in a soft voice, popped the question, "Will you marry me, Khushi?"
"They say time flies when we have fun,
That is how I know that you are the one;
You are the one that I adore,
Please marry me forever more"
~ Felicity Lucky
Momentarily stunned she touched his forehead and murmured, "It doesn't look like you have a fever..." Arnav waited patiently with a smile.
"Time felt slower when we do nothing but wait"
~ Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut
Looking at his determined face she told him of her drawbacks. "I am sanki." she said, and he said he knew it already. She continued to say that she was an orphan and her parents had passed away in an accident eight years back. Her mother's sister and her husband had adopted her and it is them she calls as her parents. Arnav, who had no clue about her past was overwhelmed! Seeing her vivacious nature nobody would have thought that she was the remains of such devastation. He felt a huge lump in his throat!
"You can't keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair"
~ Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons
He was overcome with emotion at realizing how similar their pasts were. Both had tragedies bringing havoc and changing the direction and shaping their life. He said that he was also an orphan. His mother took her life when she found his father in liaison with another woman. And when his father found her dead, he took his own life. They had cremated them together. Hearing the gory details of his past had Khushi gasping. Continuing his narration on the black day in his life, he said it was his Di's wedding day and the groom and his family had walked away
"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds"
~ Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistral's Kiss
Overcome by sadness at his suffering, Khushi pulling her hand from his grasp, standing up threw her arms around him and encompassing him in her warmth. She hugged him hard, giving him solace against his pain and nightmares. Accepting her warm gesture and soothing solace, Arnav, buried his face in the crook of her neck breathing in the scent of the Jasmine flowers. He blinked at the tears that had pooled in his eyes. "There you go... let it all slide out. Unhappiness can't stick in a person's soul when it's slick with tears"
~ Shannon Hale, Princess Academy
His whispered, "Don't leave me and go to Lucknow, Khushi.", had Khushi ask swallowing her tears, "What Lucknow?"
"It makes me . . . anxious . . . to be away from you"
~ Stephenie Meyer, Twilight
Her response brought in a chuckle from him amidst his tears.
He whispered in promise that he would take care of her and she would never be alone again. She too promised to be there for him always and never leave him.
"Everything that happens to you matters to me"
~ Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels
Now knowing that Khushi was with him, Arnav told her not to be scared of his anger. He told her that he never means it. Khushi who was beaming told him with a laugh that she was aware of it and she was not scared. She continued to tell him that he reminded her of Munnu, her Kamala Chachi's grandson! She continued to explain that Munnu, while crying in anger, scrunches his face into a red ball, all because he is hungry! While Arnav stared at her, she told him that Munnu would be two years old this September. Arnav though dismayed to be compared to a yet to be two year old, had a grudging smile appear on his lips as she had succeeded in lightening his mood. He who always felt lonely and had immersed in his work to get away from it now knew what it was to have a companion who would weather all that was dished out and still make his day pleasant. He felt he had something to look forward to.
"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks" ~ Charles Gordy
When he asked her, that he reminded her of a baby she said not any baby but a special one' Arnav reminded her that it was Munnu and then Mittu, the parrot, Khushi burst out laughing.
Enchanted by this laughing nymph who had the capacity to captivate all those who came across her with her exuberance told her with a smile, "Khushi, I will keep you laughing like this forever. I will make sure that you are happy. I will even take your family and mine on our honeymoon. Even Nani's pet goat, Laxmi..."
"When he smiles it's as if you'd just told him the first joke on earth."
~ Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie
Hearing about the honeymoon, Khushi had her cheeks vying with the colour of her Anarkali.
Cupping her cheeks he repeated the question,
"Marry me?" Unable to look at his eyes looking down she nodded. The bashfulness in Khushi enhanced her beauty tempting him to feel her soft plum cheeks with his lips. Her silence made him teasingly ask her, "What happened to my Jhansi Ki Rani? Are you shy?"
"The bashful are always aggressive at heart"
~ Charles Horton Cooley
Khushi Kumari Gupta was not made of stuff to be a shy maiden. Before long she looked at him with fake anger and said, "Don't think I will let you off so lightly, Mr. Raizada. I want you to take me out on dates, and do everything that girlfriends and baaifriends do. Before marriage."
Arnav Singh Raizada, who had wanted to woo her and get to know her shot up an eyebrow and asked, "Really?", in confirmation. Wiggling her eyebrows and in full pride she answered, "Aur nahin to kya? Why should I miss out on all the fun just because I am getting married?" It was a wish granted to him. Elated, with a laugh, quickly swooped down and smacked on her cheek.
"Is not a kiss the very autograph of love?"
~ Henry Finck
His action set in a reaction in her. Her eyes had rounded up like saucers. Smiling at her stunned countenance, he asked, "Dhak dhak?" Unable to trust her voice Khushi just bobbed her head. "It is OK.", was his comforting murmur and continued to tell her, "You will get used to it." Khushi in her innocence asked him, "Acha?" making Arnav extremely glad. Biting back a smile he said, "But you need to practice it a lot," and leaned forward towards her to give her the practice.
"Practice isn't the thing you do when you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good"
~ Malcolm Gladwell,
Outliers: The Story of Success
Alarmed that he would start giving her the lessons, she jumped away from him, raising an eyebrow in surprise, Khushi who was shyness personified, grabbed her clothbag and hung it around her neck. Arnav smiled and said that he would drop her home. When she objected to saying that people would stare, clasping her hand intertwining their fingers, dropping a kiss on it he told her that they could stare all they want and some more. But, "This badnam Munni is mine, & I want the whole world to know it."
"When you look into my eyes
And you see the crazy gypsy in my soul
It always comes as a surprise
When I feel my withered roots begin to grow
Well I never had a place that I could call my very own
That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home"
~ Billy Joel
In this update we see Arnav and Khushi getting to know their feelings. They open up to one another. Though hesitant at first, they probe, prod and persist and finally they see that both were hesitant to take the plunge first afraid of rejection. Arnav Singh Raizada who had decided overnight not to let Khushi Kumari Gupta go, wanted her with her full consent. He wanted to see that she was as willing as him.
"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun"
~ William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
While doing so he came across so many of her qualities that made him realize what a gem of a child-woman she was, meant just to be adored! She found an understanding person behind the mask, who was weary of the unwanted ways of the world. He was her Prince Charming!
Along with this they found that both were orphans, their present was shaped by their past. Their past had left deep impression on them. It was the link that helped them to understand what the other had gone through. It also helped Arnav realize why she valued being surrounded by her loved ones always.
Finally, both who had never had a proper feeling of a home anywhere had found a HOME in one another.
"For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home"
~ Stephanie Perkins,
Anna and the French Kiss
DENOUEMENT it is.
That's it from me. Hope you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the forbearance at my late post.
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