Special Dedication on Last chapyy:
To someone, is has been the reason for me to be here... quite oblivious to herself.
To someone, who had introduced me to this wonderful world of FF's, as I spent my times right after the show of a life time ended, reading, re-reading her work, reliving the magic right through her words in a whole lot different way,
Rejuvenating, the association with the names called Arnav&Khushi in such a dreamy way, that the dreams seemed as close to reality as it could get, and I couldn't ask for more.
Her words, took to a new place, where I found myself growing as a mere imaginator if I may say...
Her thoughts introduced to new provoking aspects of my own mind..
And her portrayal of my beloved Arshi, made it quite possible to be able to imagine my SArun in whatever form I want...her writings paved way to open my mind to discover the potential of great amount of talent around here...
Meera! You are a true inspiration, not just as writer but for the person you are! I really do admire you in every possible way, this story, now that I have been able to successfully complete it, would like to personally present to you... truly and completely. Thank you for being whatever you have been, in this Arshi world until now!
***
Entwined
Chapter-45
& Epilogue:

As he looked on at the events happening on the stage in that vast auditorium, his glance quite often falling on the students dressed in their long black coats and brown academic hats, his eyes smiling each time Khushi looked back at him and waved in almost every next minute, he found himself wondering, what had he ever done in the whole of his life, to deserve this time with her.
He remembered the time a few years ago, where they both have pretty much been in this same kind of environment, their roles reversed and while she had been right with him back then, although unintentionally, he was instead sitting at the back, waiting along with a lot of other parents and guardians or companions. He looked on as she joked laughing out loud in her own group, as she talked animatedly entertaining almost the whole of her vicinity and his heart swelled up with such joy witnessing the Khushi he had always known was there right inside, even all those days while she was fighting with her own demons internally.
He now realized what it meant when someone waited for you to appreciate your success and when there is someone to feel proud about you in your very big moment. Back then, when it had been his turn and his moment, he had always managed to brush away his loved ones to attend one such event, however, today he realized the mere joy of it all. Even as his mind registered this fact, he knew internally that she had been with him, back then, let alone unintentionally she was there, and it felt good to think of it that way. During his post graduation convocation even, as he was sitting alone among quite a lot of Harvard post-graduates, he did relive his graduation day in Delhi university and the little weird conversation they have had, he now recalled; and he can now accept this instinctive self reckoning as well, without any more self denial.
**
He caught her right in his hands, as she came running towards him, lifted her off the feet, placed her form above his head up in the air, twirling her around even, as they laughed out together, and the happiness filling itself around them. She was definitely surprised by his act, he can see it in her eyes; He had never been the public display of affection person, but today the joy combined with pride inside him was such and he couldn't help it. And if his little act could earn him such a surprised look on her face, who was he to complain?
"Congratulations!" he placed a light peck on her lips and rested his head with that of hers.
"I'm a Graphical Design Engineer now!!" she squealed with complete excitement.
"It looks like you are!" he laughed along with her. "Ready to head back home kiddo?"
"Absolutely!"
**
The door of his flat was rushed open with a banging sound as two bodies entwined with each other twirled around, forcing it back shut, enthralled in a steamy lip-lock as their hands roamed all over each other, urgently caressing, stroking, embracing, bridging the air between them more and more even if that is possible. The softness is being molded into the hard form earnestly and with mounting need. He then pinned her to the wall gently cupped her neck in one swift moment and kissed her intently wrapping his free hand around her waist, thrusting her more into him. "You have developed your own way of literally asking for this now..."
"----the sexy formal skirt you mean?"
"uh"uh..."
"If you would put it that way..."
His jacket was thrown, her shit was buttoned open, and the remains of their clothes flew across the living room as they both made their way up towards his room, stumbling, panting, lifting and finally collapsing on the bed both covered with nothing but steaming sweat. The room illuminated with the slight lightening from the moon, the night falling off, the rain echoing in the exteriors, their moans hummed along with the distant thunder, the occasional lightening making their blended forms glow in the darkness as the two set into their own journey of ecstasy.
In the wee hours of the morning, as they lay with their naked bodies tugged under the white duvet, their arms exposed, her head was rested against his chest and her eyes were peacefully closed letting him know that she had long drifted away into a deep slumber. He caressed her hair back behind her ears, dropping a feathery kiss on the side of her head, as his mind took him back to the weird thought process he have had earlier. Something that hit struck a chord in his thoughts back then, and he really didn't have time to think it through.
"And if not for the girl in me who have been falling and falling really hard all these days for you, I really want to say it out and loud, at least for the girl who waited outside the Delhi University all those years ago on that lone night, for you to turn around one last time..."
It's weird how a lot of what she speaks, remains in his subconscious memory before deciding to suddenly make sense to his own self rather, in times like this. It always happened with him and even today, as he found himself thinking of the very same graduation day where they once parted all those years ago, these words that she once spoke came rushing back right into his mind. And just like that, how and why she had remained with him virtually even for years after that day, completely made sense to him, not that it didn't before but somehow he always ends up acknowledging such facts a little late, let alone his mind might have acknowledged long before.
He is quite aware of the certain decision hanging in between them all these days, unlike what she thought about him. He smirked looked down at her. He had just been waiting until her graduation, and another formal proposal was definitely something in his agenda right after this visit. They were heading back to Delhi the following day and having just revisited a certain memory if their times, he suddenly knew what he had to do, this time around.
**
Landing in Delhi a couple of days later, Khushi was warmly welcomed by the whole family. Her post graduation was definitely being made a big deal and big enough for Anjali to throw a surprise party in their very mansion, much to Khushi's surprise. But the biggest surprise or amusement for her was to be finally able to meet little Asha, an almost clone of Anjali, bright and expressive. Having heard about her so much and having seen her quite often through video calling, khushi adapted to her almost immediately and spent most of her time with her, before the actual party had began.
Dressed in a typical black cock-tail dress, pulling a swig of her wine seated at the little bar set-up, khushi looked around her taking in the complete view of the Raizada mansion, as her mind started working up with quick plan about something she had decided back in New-York, taking the much needed time away for herself. She glanced around the hall, looking at the perfect family image of the Jha couple, with the newest edition to their family, beaming up at her from across the room; Sheethal and NK, still working their way into discovering their relation, and finally at Arnav, who have come quite a long way in socializing in family parties and even warming up more to his Nani than ever before. Just as she stared at him a bit longer than needed, he chose the exact moment to look right back at her flashing that ever so warm smile, twitching his eyes and somehow she just knew that this was the moment, to put her thoughts into action.
Keeping her eyes on him, she walked towards the DJ, turned down the music, fetched the mike into her hands while clearing her throat and all Arnav did was look at her puzzled.
"Hello Everyone, thank you for joining us today, I, uh, have to make an announcement..."
"--------This is what happens with an overdose of Anjali Jha's company.."
"Shut up Shyam, there isn't any threat this time, is there?"
The couple laughed, standing together looking up at the stage with genuine smiles adoring their faces.
"My besty is the charmer I tell you..."
"I know right!"
Sheethal gave Nk a pointed look, before bursting out into a comfortable peal of laughter as they walked together joining beside Shyam and Anjali waiting along with them, for the moment.
"Arnav, this one is for you, simple and no-nonsense..."
She spoke into the mike even as his stance seemed quite alarmed, yet his eyes emotional, his lips parted processing what she was about to do, and he gulped down the lump formed in his throat as she held his eyes and started walking right towards him.
Amidst the dead silence of the whole vicinity, with almost everyone holding their breathes, Khushi smiled into the mike, her eyes suddenly turning wet, and she held the object close to her lips, pausing and closing her eyes, she started speaking, as nothing but just her voice echoed around, like harmony to his ears.
"I dint know why was I the only one who could gather up courage to ask you out for a coffee, I dint realize why did you ever drive along that way in that lonely night and end up giving me a ride back home, I never understood why did I have to choose that exact time to stand on that terrace while you were driving by and despite my reluctance, I never understood why did you have to accompany my friend, to come for a coffee to the exact place where I work...
I was really thinking of all theses why's as you call it my favorite question, but nothing made sense at all. Now that we have come such long way after all that, and since we cannot go back and correct any of it all..." she shrugged, bringing in her humor making everyone around laugh and Arnav just remained in his alarmed stance.
"Why not let's just name it as something as cheesy as destiny and you know, we, we can just get married, do you have a ring by the way?"
"Khushi...?" He finally spoke just as she reached him, only to be stumped even more when instead of stopping after reaching him, she went ahead to sit on her one knee, resulting in loud gasps to echo around everything of which happening so suddenly that Arnav just couldn't acknowledge his own reactions.
"Will you marry me Arnav?"
"Khus..."
"Please?" she made her puppy dog eyes causing him to be stumped again.
"What the?! Why do you always have to outdo me in such things?" he spat suddenly finding himself furious in a whole lot weird way.
"Arnav, in case you haven't noticed, I'm on my knees, will you please answer me and help me get up?" she said awkwardly.
"Well, I didn't ask you to go on your knees, just get up, get up right now!'
"Arnav! That's rude! Say yes dammit.." Anjali spat at his brother. "Di please, let me just..."
"And you, get up!" he spat again causing Khushi to instantly stand on her feet. He wasn't really ferociously angry, but he seemed angry in a funny way, to which khushi didn't quite understand how to react.
"Arna---------"
"Come with me..."
"But..."
"I said come with me, right now!"
He held her hand at her elbow and walked her out of the mansion along with him and all that the family did after coming out of that small reverie was to crack up into peals of laughter.
**
As the car screeched to a halt outside a very familiar gate, it was khushi's turn to stay alarmed or rather confused. He hopped out of his car, walked around, opened the door for her and even walked her out of the car. He remained occupied and in a mission all through the way as they walked along the outer gate of Delhi University, towards the long path leading inside. He stopped amidst the long path, and turned her around swiftly, causing them to crisscross their positions.
"Now, do what I say, yeah?"
She just nodded not finding anything in her mind to respond. "I'll start walking out, and you will have to stop me..."
"What?"
"I.will.start walking.outside.you.will. stop.me..."
"Oh..."
True to his words, when he turned around starting to walk outside, Khushi was too much perplexed to process anything and she just did as he asked her to do.. "Uh stop!"
"Take my name khushi!" he yelled without turning around.
"Okay, uh, Arnav?"
He stopped letting out a deep breath and turned around, completely oblivious to Khushi's puzzled expression. He then patted his jeans pockets before fetching out a small piece of paper, and started reading from it.
"Uh, good that you have called out to me this time, because if you wouldn't, I would have spent the rest of my life wishing that you would; uh, because I remember myself wishing the same back then, all those years ago and uh, for that and for every other time that I have walked away, I would like to spend the rest of my life, walking along with you and, reaching out to you even before you could, uh, ask for it
So, will you Marry me Khushi?"
He looked up reading all that sheepishly only to find her looking at him, her eyes filling her face, her mouth wide open and her stance bewildered. He cleared his throat but yet she had remained glued.
"See, this is what happens. Why did you have to do that in the party, couldn't you have waited until evening? There were flowers planned along this path, lightening, and a situation where in you would call me back yourself and I didn't have to impose it on you, there was a bloody date planned Khushi! But no! You had to come in between and ruin everything for me! This looks so so lam-----------------------"
In his blabber, he hadn't realized, when had she come out of her little reverie, when had she started walking close to him, so close that when he turned his head to face her, his lips were right away captured by hers, all in sudden random seconds. It took a moment for him process what was happening and just as he did, he gripped her at her waist crushing her closer, allowing her to completely take the lead in this for once, as she pressed, sucked, nibbled, bit and tangled her tongue along with his all too passionately.
"I will..." She said against his lips.
"Huh?"
"I will marry you Arnav..."
"Good"
He bent down again capturing her lips, savoring the feeling of her completely, crushing her more into his arms, as she tangled her arms around his neck, her fingers trailing deep into the strands of his hair.
"Did you, really wish back then..."
"For you to call out to me? Uh, I didn't see that coming, well, honestly no, I was too occupied to run away into an uncertain future back then, so uh... I just thought it would be a nice thing to say, because you know... you..."
She just hugged him tighter, completely content with what they have today, finding it completely pointless to dig out a far away past.
"But I promise you something today..." he said bringing her head away from his shoulder, in order to look at her.
"Promise?" she raised her eye-brows.
"Yes, I'm not going to travel any longer from now on, you choose a place and we will you know, settle down there, where ever you want..."
"Really?"
"Literally!"
"Arnav!! I love you!" she said hugging her as tight as she can, his hands caressing her hair, adoringly. "You know what Khushi? I guess I love you too..."
She laughed out at that, her inducing laughter causing him to chuckle, as he brought her closer even if that was possible, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, embracing her completely inside his arms.
**
True to his words, and according to her choice, the newly wedded Arnav and khushi moved down to Goa right on their wedding night, making their own house in the same Raizada mansion, with him deciding to set up a his new branch out there, with her joining him in his work, and as they walked along that very sea-shore on a sunny evening, playing along with the waves, he looked to his side, at their entwined hands causing her smile looking up at him. She blushed more often than ever, his newly wedded wife, he had noticed perfectly liking the sound of it.
"Mrs Raizada?"
She looked up her cheeks completely taking a deep color of saffron, causing him to smirk profusely and not being able to keep the distance any longer he bent down, lifting her up in his arms and walked the rest of the distance towards their mansion completely drugged by her spell all over again.
Behind them trailed their long pair of foot-prints that was finally narrowed down to one, on that thick sand imprinting the journey of their life, for now and forever.
"When you see only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you"

@$%----The End----%$@
Edited by dedeepyalove - 11 years ago
6