Arshi FF | Arshi's Saviour; Lavanya | Chap 24 p 128 May 9th - Page 31

A few days passed since Anjali and Vihaan had announced they were getting married. Since then Arnav had been trying to get as much work done so he could so he could leave worry free and without the tension of burdening the majority of the work on Akash and Dhruv. In fact Dhruv and Akash too were working back to back in order to be work free as Divali was coming up and the wedding too in a few weeks. Lavanya opted to remain at home instead of being at the office, so she could help out with the preparations for everything.

***

AR was calm after a hectic past week. Arnav stood in his office and looked below at the employees; everyone was getting ready to leave for their homes. Arnav called Dhruv and Akash and they walked downstairs. At the foot of the stairs Arnav spoke, "Congratulations to everyone, we've managed to bag some really important deals and that's all credit to everyone standing in front of me."

Akash continued, "Your dedication to your work shows; after you all even came in today on Divali. As such, effective from tomorrow everyone is granted a 2 day leave."

Dhruv finished off, "When you all come back out, Akash and I will be in charge as Arnav bhai is going to be out of the country. Have a good Divali. You all can leave now."

Arnav turned to Akash and Dhruv, "I'm leaving to pick up Buaji and the others, I'll meet you guys home." Akash and Dhruv nodded and Arnav left.

***

Deyas, fairy lights, rangolis and flowers decorated every corner of Shantivan. Divali was truly going to be celebrated grandly as it was a complete family again.

The doorbell rang and Sakshi wobbled towards the front door. The sound of her anklets made sweet music with her every step. Khushi gestured to Anjali -- who was just about to get up-- that she would open the door. Khushi opened the door and smiled widely when she saw her parents and her Buaji standing beside Arnav.

She greeted them and hugged her parents and her Buaji. On the other hand Sakshi clung onto Arnav's pants. Arnav scooped her up into his arms, "Missed me?" Sakshi patted his cheeks and nodded.

Garima, Shashi and Buaji followed Arnav, Sakshi and Khushi into the living room where the others were gathered. They all hugged and greeted each other. Garima took her granddaughter into her arms and kissed her.
Buaji smiled in glee, "Dekho she's getting so big." Shashi nodded in agreement.

Everyone got busy in the preparations for the puja. Khushi double checked that everything was ready for the puja and she then went upstairs with Sakshi. She got Sakshi ready and began feeding her. Sakshi fell asleep when she finished her bottle of milk. Khushi secured Sakshi with pillows on the bed and went out by the poolside.

Khushi lit the remaining deyas on the edge of the poolside. She picked up the colour and began making a small rangoli at the side of the pool. She patiently filled the colours in a flower pattern. She stepped back and smiled; proud of how it looked. She moved inside the washroom to rinse her hands and get ready for the puja.

She came out of the bathroom dressed in a red lengha choli. She put on her makeup and started brushing her hair. She looked up into the mirror and this time noticed Arnav staring at her keenly. She stopped brushing her hair and stared back at his reflection.

His eyes drank the sight of her still damp hair, her creamy white skin, her pink lips, her cute button nose, her hazel coloured eyes, her... She's looking straight at me. Dammit, she saw me looking. Arnav looked down and tried to make a quick escape but instead...

BANG...

Khushi spun around to see Arnav massaging his knee that had hit the edge of the table. She chuckled at Arnav's pained/oops i got caught expression. He behaved like such a child sometimes, she thought.

She shook her head and was about to turn back to the dresser when something caught her eyes. She widened her eyes at the sight in front of her. Half of the rangoli was ruined. Her nose turned red in anger, she put her hands on her hips and marched towards the poolside.

She's walking towards me with a serious face. Damn she's probably angry at me for looking at her... He started, "Khushi I..." He stopped short when Khushi walked straight past him. From behind him she spoke," Arnavji ye aapnay kya kiya... ohhfoo."
Arnav turned around, "What are you...?" He looked at the half ruined rangoli on the ground and then at his shoes. He bit his lower lip, "Ohh no... Khushi i didnt see."

Khushi fumed, "Arnavji its so colourful, how did you not see? What were you looking at? Your eyes were so fixed on the mirror that you..." She sealed her lips shut when she realised what she blurted out.

Arnav Singh Raizada looked truly embarrassed, to say the least. He was flustered and short for words for the first time, all due to his wife.
Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada was no less. Her cheeks and nose; the colour was as red like roses.

Arnav muttered, "Err... I should go get dressed, yeah I'm gonna change." He hurriedly took his towel and clothes, heading to the bathroom.
Khushi stood there gazing into the thin air replaying the conversation in her head and smiled sheepishly. She turned to the rangoli and pouted. Before she could stoop down to fix it, she heard the door knock. She moved towards the door and saw her mother standing there.

"Arre kitni pyaari lag rahi hai." Garima lovingly said.
"Thanks amma." Khushi smiled. "Come in na..."
Garima protested, "Nahin, woh the puja bas abhi shuru hone wali hai... I came to call you and damadji."
Khushi looked inside the room, "Ohh... woh Arnavji bathroom mein hai, hum bas abhi aati."
"Theek hai." Garima nodded and left for downstairs.

Arnav came out of the bathroom and moved towards the dresser. Khushi moved to her side of the dresser and quickly put on the remainder of her bangles, along with her necklace, maang tikka and earrings.
She shifted her maang tikka to the side and picked up her sindoor dabba. At the same time Arnav reached for his perfume bottle and his hand collided with Khushi's.
Arnav looked down to see some of the sindoor had fallen on his right thumb.
"Khushi..." Arnav indicated to his hand.
Khushi took her towel and was about to wipe it away when Arnav stopped her. "Can I?" He didnt have to say another word, Khushi understood and nodded.
She held out the sindoor dabba in her palm. Arnav took some more sindoor between his fingers and raised his hand to Khushi's head. Khushi closed her eyes as she felt him filling her maang with sindoor.

She opened her eyes to meet Arnav smiling at her. She mirrored his smile warmly.
She looked into the mirror at her sindoor filled maang, it was the first time she had sindoor on since she came out of coma. It felt even more special as Arnav had put it on for her.

She saw Arnav bend down and pick up the threaded black beaded chain from the dresser; her mangalsutra. Without saying a word, he shifted her hair onto her shoulder. He held the chain in front of her and clasped it around her neck. Goosebumps rose on the back of her neck when she felt his fingers brush past her skin.

She felt complete now. She looked complete today after so many days. She felt happy inside.

Her thoughts were broken by Arnav's voice asking, "Ready?"
She adjusted the maang tikka onto her sindoor and gave herself one look in the mirror. She nodded, "Ji." Arnav picked up Sakshi in his arms and moved downstairs along with Khushi.

***

Dhruv-Lavanya, Akash-Payal and Anjali-Vihaan sat in front for the puja, while Buaji, Shashi, Garima, Nani and Mami were all sitting behind the young couples.
When Arnav and Khushi came down, Arnav gave Sakshi to Garima as she was still asleep and the smoke would have been too much for her. He sat next to Khushi in front with the others. The pandit recited the mantras and the young couples performed the havan.

After the puja everyone took the offerings and Nani gave the pandit his dakshna and he left. Everyone moved to the living room afterwards where Dhruv, Vihaan, Akash all gave everyone presents. Lastly came Arnav's turn, he gave everyone his share of gifts; a shawl for Buaji and Nani each, a jewellery set for Garima, a benaras sari for Mami, for mamaji - he had kept aside his gift for when he returned from the US; it was a mouth organ, music was his mamaji's passion. - , the gifts went on... identical watches for Akash, Vihaan and Dhruv. Saris for Payal, Lavanya and his Di. For his little angel Sakshi he bought her tons of toys. Sakshi rubbed her still sleepy eyes while Arnav showed her the gifts he bought for her.

"Chotte aur Khushiji ki liye?" Anjali asked eagerly.
He smiled and gave Khushi her gift. "Happy Divali." They said in unison as they hugged each other.

"Open it..." Vihaan urged. Khushi nodded and opened the gift to see a photo album. She turned the pages to see it was a photo album filled with pictures of Sakshi. "This is beautiful, thank you." Khushi said to Arnav.

Lavanya asked, "Arnav when did you do this?"
Arnav explained that he had put together it from when Sakshi was a few months old till now.
Everyone aww'ed and went through the album alongside Khushi.

After a while everyone had their dinner. When dinner was over, everyone went outside in the garden. Arnav and Khushi held Sakshi's hand and played with the star lights with her. Sakshi jumped in excitement seeing all the lights. When the fireworks started to burst Sakshi covered her eyes in fright. Khushi picked her up and showed her the pretty patterns of the fireworks making Sakshi's fear vanish.

Arnav announced that he was going upstairs as he was feeling tired. Khushi was about to accompany him, but he declined her request, saying Sakshi wanted to play more as she had not too long woken up. Khushi nodded and resumed playing with Sakshi.

***

After an hour or so, Khushi made her way upstairs with Sakshi after bidding everyone a shubh ratri.

Khushi stifled a yawn and entered the room. She put Sakshi on the bed as she was already asleep. She kissed her head and pulled the blanket over her. Just as Khushi scanned the room for Arnav, she heard a sound from the poolside; she got up and moved to the sliding door.

"Arnavji..." She walked out to see Arnav hovering over the rangoli. Arnav looked up at her and asked, "How is it?" He shifted so she could see clearly.

Khushi moved closer and asked, "Is that what you came up to do?"

Before he could answer, she exclaimed, "Its lovely, thanks for re doing it."

"Sorry for ruining it." Arnav whispered.

"Arnavji its okay." Khushi smiled.

Arnav sat on the lounge chair and relaxed against the back rest while Khushi sat on the edge of the pool. She gazed at the twinkling lights from around the poolside that was reflecting inside the water. She dipped her hand into the water and swayed it side to side, causing the water to ripple. She turned her head sideways, "The night's beautiful isn't it?"

"Hmm..." that was all he uttered. She looked up to the dreamy sky and smiled, "There's some kind of peace here."

He nodded, "There was a time when I would sit here for hours thinking about life and I would talk to the stars, waiting for someone to listen to me."

"Who would you talk to? Your ma?"

"Sometimes, but I spoke to your parents too, even your devi maiya. I begged them to return you to me, Sakshi... to us."

Flashback; (from Chapter 9 )

Arnav looked up at the sky, "I need Khushi, Sakshi needs her, everything's incomplete without her" He pleaded; with whom, he was not sure of it himself. It was a plea to anyone who would listen from above; his parents, Khushi's parents, her Devi Maiya, he was fed up of pretending. He could not hide anymore, little by little each day Arnav Singh Raizada was dying. Despite being around so many people, he felt lonely. At the end of the day, he had no one to come home to and share a sweet word or two with. Every moment he spent with Sakshi, those were the moments that Khushi was missing out on. She would never be able to get back these moments and Sakshi' despite having Lavanya and Di; they would never be able to fill the void of Khushi.

He looked at her, "... Now you're here, everything's complete. Sakshi has her mother with her at every step of the way; I'm no longer alone in this big world. Someone; my parents, your parents, your devi maiya... they answered my pleas."

Arnav blinked away his tears but Khushi caught it. She stood up and sat next to him on the lounge chair. "I once told you speaking to tarahs were a matter of belief. If you believed it hard enough, it became true. Same way, you believed that I was coming back. That I was going to fight it. Truth is as much as you needed me, I needed you, I needed Sakshi...I needed us.' to be us' again."

She sniffled and buried her face into his chest. Arnav wound his protective arms around her, pulling her close.

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Minutes later as Arnav stroked her hair, he whispered, "Khushi?"

Khushi replied softly, "Ji."

"I've got something for you." Arnav whispered.

She raised her head off of his chest while he fished through his pocket.

He held out the box, "Happy Divali."

Khushi looked on confused, "Arnavji but you already..."

Arnav nodded, "I know... I got you this too... Khushi gifts arent measured, its the love behind it that counts... Open it!"

She smiled and opened the box to see what was in it, "Its a lovely ring."

"Khushi can I?" He gestured to her hand.

She nodded and he took the ring out and slid it onto her right hand.

She looked down at it, "Its beautiful. Thank you."

Arnav smiled and she wound her hands around him. He held her close just as before; their skin pressed against each other, her head against his chest, her ears hearing the erratic beat of his heart. She was at home.

Precap for Chapter 17 - Vacation in the Caribbean ❤️☺️

Next Chapter 17