#2 ArHi SS: Is This Love? (Clarification: Page 46) (7/11) - Page 10

Khushi ran as fast as she could until her feet gave up ad she fell to the ground, sobbing, her face hid in her palms. She kept crying her heart out for hours and hours until she felt that all the tears in her body had drained. She felt empty! Completely empty!

She had never felt this way before but without Arnav she was feeling empty. She clasped her hand together and prayed loudly, "HEY DEVI MAIYYA!! WHY ME? WHY ME?"

She cried, "At first you snatched my parents from me, I didn't complain. *sob*. Then you snatched my house from me and I was sent to an orphanage, I didn't complain. *sob*. You snatched all the friends that I had because I was treated as inauspicious, I didn't complain. *sob*. Now you are snatching my love from me! *cries bitterly*. Why devi maiyya! Why?????"

Khushi didn't know for how long she had been sitting on the ground in that park and she had finally fallen tired and kept her head on the bench and drifted off to sleep when suddenly she was woken up by a hand tapping on her shoulder and before she could open her eyes she was delicately wound with a shawl.

"Khushi! What are you doing here in this cold??" Payal asked. Her voice trembling with concern and Khushi made Payal sit on the bench and placed her head on Payal's lap, making Payal scared because Khushi was never like this. "Khushi what happened?" Payal asked, her voice shaky.

"Jiji...why does love hurt so much?" Khushi asked in a low tone.

"What do you mean Khushi?"

And Khushi told Payal the whole story, making Payal cry along with Khushi. Payal scolded Khushi for hiding this from her and taking all the pain alone and if she would have told her earlier then Payal would have been able to talk to Amma and Bauji. She was angry with Khushi because Khushi's thinking that she could handle everything on her won has lead to so many problems now. Payal told Khushi that she will try her best to make her parents understand about Khushi's love as they slowly walked back home.

Khushi woke up late as it was Sunday and found a really upset Payal sitting beside her and she instantly sat up and held Payal by the shoulders, "Kya hua jiji?"

Payal didn't look at her and replied staring into space, "I tried... many times since the morning but they are so happy for the wedding. Babuji has already done the cards for the double wedding and he started showing it to me when I went to talk to him... when I went to amma she started to show me all the jewelry she wishes to give us on our wedding... when I went to Buaji she started to show me the decorations that she wants for your wedding..." a tear slipped her eyes as she continued, "Why.. why didn't you tell me earlier... I don't.. I don't know how to..." and Khushi hugged her as Payal sobbed for her sister. Khushi tried to calm Payal down. "Khushi what will I do now? I cant let you marry someone you don't love... I can't..." she sobbed.

Khushi smiled thinking that Payal still loved Khushi more than she actually loved herself and Khushi could remember Payal had not cried like this when her marriage had been arranged, she had sobbed all night and the next day she was ready to face the world. Sometimes Khushi wished she was as brave as Payal. Just as Khushi was thinking about Payal sitting in her cabin there was a knock on the door. The knock made Khushi look up and she saw Aman come in without a file or paper in his hand which he only did when he wanted information... to be specific information for Arnav.

Khushi smiled at him and he sat down.

"Hey Khushi what's up?" he smiled at her.

"Nothing much Amanji. I was just figuring out what to wear for Lavanya's wedding." Khushi replied being as casual as possible, not letting her tone tell her state.

"Oh well I was observing that you are really quiet from a few days. Is something wrong?" he asked and Khushi could judge a serious concern in his voice.

"Oh no its just that since you are a bit busy with Anjali ji and Arnav ji too is busy with the wedding preparations so I have bit of work load on your behalf," she said pouting making Aman smile and hold his ears and Khushi chuckled as she continued, "plus I am Lavanya's best friend I have to be with her throughout her wedding shopping and stuff and even jiji's shaadi is coming up so I have a lot to do at home as well.." Khushi said earnestly because what she said was correct, she indeed was busy with all that stuff but her main reason was something she couldn't tell Aman right now.

"How is Anjali ji now?" Khushi asked trying to change the topic.

"She is really okay now but still having a bit difficulty in walking so I try to be with her all the time." He replied.

"Waise you look very happy?" Khushi said in her jovial tone.

"Oh yes! Because mom and dad are coming next week and I am crossing my fingers that our wedding gets finalized." He paused for a while smiling in his own thoughts and then replied, "I can't live without her anymore..."

Khushi felt like crying now. She felt cursed. She felt as if devi maiyya was angry with her and was punishing her by separating the love of her life from her. She tried to smile and quickly excused herself and went to the washroom and unfortunately Aman was so happy for his marriage that he didn't see the grief in Khushi's eyes.

Aman called Arnav who was at home because NK had taken a promise that Arnav would commit all his time to NK's wedding. As Arnav picked up Aman informed him that he found nothing suspicious about Khushi's behavior and gave him all the details of their conversation but Arnav being Arnav knew that something was definitely wrong with Khushi and he would find it out himself. And he smiled as a good idea struck his mind.

Khushi re-entered her cabin after lunch and was surprised to see a gift-wrapped box, a small note and a rose on her table. Khushi walked towards it slowly and lifted the note with trembling hands.

Wear this for the wedding, baby.

For a moment Khushi's heartbeat stopped! The way he had written it, it was as if he was asking her to wear that for their wedding. Khushi hugged the note and as she opened the box she found a beautiful pink and white colored sari and Khushi instantly knew that the saree was a designer piece because Khushi herself had taken the design from Arnav to the production department and on the way she admired the simplicity and beauty of the design. Had he seen her admiring it? Or did he think it would suit her?

Arnav was signing some papers sitting on the recliner when the previous nights activities came to his mind. Why had Khushi said that she didn't love him? Why did she lie? Did she actually mean it? Was someone pressurizing her? Did she love someone else???

Just the thought of it made Arnav so angry that he broke the vase on the table. Listening to the noise Anjali came up to check on Arnav. As she entered the room her gaze fell on the broken vase and then an angry and extremely furious Arnav.

"Chotey..." she asked in a very concerned voice, "What happened?" she walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder breaking him out of his angry mode.

"Dii... Tum kab aayi?"he asked.

"Just now, when I heard you break the vase..."

"Who actually I was just angry...nothing else..."he said so that Anjali doesn't ask him anything.

"Chotey do you actually think that I will believe you?" Anjali asked him and then she sat beside him, cupping his face making Arnav look at her innocently.

"Dii.. woh I ..."he tried to make a sentence to fit his emotions.

"Bolo Chotey..." she tried encouraging him.

"Dii yesterday Khushi... she... she said that she doesn't love me.." he said making Anjali gasp.

"Kya?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes dii... and then she asked me if I loved her and I didn't say yes... because... Because..."

"Because you wanted to give her a grand proposal?" Anjali completed the sentence for him and Arnav nodded.

"Chotey..." Anjali said holding Arnav's chin and making him look at her, "I think that she was lying because you know she might be thinking that you don't love her..."

"Can't she see it?"he asked her angry yet hurt.

"Chotey sometimes a girl needs re-assurance." She smiled at him, "You should tell her the truth or else it might be too late..."

"Really?"

"Yes..." she replied and hugged Arnav.

Khushi sat o the chair looking at the saree blankly, it was as if all her tears had dried up. Devi maiyya was being very cruel with her. She looked in the mirror and her face had lost its charm, her smile. She was looking pale and lifeless. What had love done to her?

She asked Devi maiyya, "If you had written my destiny with someone else then why did you make me fall in love with Arnavji?"her face expressionless.

Khushi looked the saree again and got up. She opened the cupboard and placed the saree inside, taking out a plain green saree. Khushi wore the saree and sat down for make-up! She needed to hide the dark circles, she needed to hide her pale cheeks under the fake blush, she needed to line her eyes with dark eye-liner to hide her red puffy eyes, she needed lipstick to hide the bruise she had made while biting her lips the previous night in order to silence her sobs.

Khushi wore small diamond earrings that Payal had gifted her on her birthday and not the ones Arnav had given her with the saree. It was high time she became strong!

This was the first time that Khushi had denied wearing something that Arnav had gifted her. She sighed thinking that she has to start now or she will regret later.

Arnav was wearing his black blazer and was o the phone, "Yes. I have done the arrangements just make sure that nothing spoils it. Keep the security tight."

Just then NK entered, "Hey Nannav, all set?"he asked smiling at Arnav.

"Yes, I guess." Arnav replied nervously.

"Oh wow! Nannav this is the first time in my life that I am seeing the great Arnav Singh Raizada nervous..." he laughed.

"She will like it na?"he asked like a small child.

"Ofcourse she will. You have done everything with your own hands and this time you haven't used your power or money, just your heart..." NK told him honestly.

"Thanks." Arnav smiled and the he realized something, "NK! Moments ago did you just say Arnav Sigh Raizada?"

"Yeah..why?"

"You said Arnav...not Nannav!"he exclaimed.

NK scratched his head and smiled, "Umm Arnav, confession time. I have no problems in pronouncing your name. I just used to say that to irritate you."

Khushi stood outside Raizada mansion. She was unsure how will Arnav react when he sees her wearing something else. Khushi looked at the plastic she was holding, she had brought the saree along to return it to Arnav. Khushi exhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves ad walked inside the house.

As Khushi walked inside, Arnav was coming down from the stairs. He stopped suddenly as he knew she was around before seeing her. His eyes searched for her and finally he found her. His gaze fell on Khushi and his eyes traveled on her body looking at the green saree she was wearing, leaving Arnav shocked!