ArShi OS || The Story Of US

*

That was the last of Khushi he saw that day or in the weeks that followed, she had very smartly set her routines which helped her ignore him just like she wanted to. He died to get a glimpse of her but his wish was never granted, he'd be alone in his room after he returned from work waiting his Khushi would walk in but she never came. The emptiness of the room haunted him whereas not seeing Khushi killed him every moment but then he knew he deserved that treatment, he tried consoling himself saying the same, if only heart listened to everything we say! Every night he dozed off with a hope of seeing her the next day and every morning he woke up with an aim of getting a peek of her before the day ends but nothing worked, three weeks passed yet there was no Khushi. I could feel her fragrance in the air, he could hear her payal tinkle, he could hear her laughter boom, he could hear her voice resonate through the walls, he could feel her everywhere like he lived her but he couldn't see her as a whole which killed a part of him everyday. Khushi on the other hand was feeling no different either, but unlike him she did get to see him, a lot of him which made her less restless but seeing him so distressed she didn't feel good. She wanted him to know what pain she had gone through when he had forcibly married her and had been all distant, she wanted him to feel that loneliness she felt when he was around yet not there for her, but in the process she was only bruising her already bruised heart even more. She hadn't ignored him intentionally in the beginning, she was just running away from him to get sometime for herself but later its turned into her routine. She would go to bed only after he'd fallen asleep and would leave the room before he gets up, she did noticed what effect it was having on him and how slowly he was loosing his charm because of all this but she kept her heart strong. She sometimes felt so alone and just wanted to run into his arms but she reminded how not having him around made her feel light, how avoiding his blank hurtful eyes made her feel somehow better. If she met his eyes she would melt in them at that very instant she knew and thus she avoided him the best she could..until she thought of something.

The next morning he woke up with the sound of tinkling anklets and he realized it had been long that his morning started with that sound. Was Khushi around he thought to himself as he got up rubbing his eyes and looking around. She was not there like always but what caught his attention was the room which seemed different. Well not different, this was how his room had always been but not from past few months. After their marriage Khushi had changed the room to her choice but now all the stuffs hanging here and there were gone, the room lacked her essence, in short the room lacked her. He scurried to the wardrobe just to see all her belongings were gone..

"What the f.. I can't believe this!" he muttered under his breath running a frustrated hand through his hair before sprinting out of the room hoping she was somewhere around.

He first checked the puja room and the kitchen but not seeing her there only cleared his doubt a bit more. She was gone, he said, she has gone leaving me. He wanted to go to Payal and ask her about Khushi but he realized it was early in the morning and nobody had come out of their room yet. He rushed outside frantically searching her everywhere but saw her nowhere, which made his breathing shallow. He felt a pang in his heart and emptiness enveloped him making him feel light headed. He couldn't believe Khushi had taken such a big step. Just then he heard soft sobs and silent muttering making him turn on his heels and walk towards the garden area. As he reached there he saw Khushi almost after a month and by her side was Laxmi, the goat who was listening to everything that Khushi said. Wait what, she was talking to the goat?? Unbelievable!

But he remembered what he was there for and from relief his expression changed into anger.

"What the hell is happening here?" he asked.

Startled by the sudden voice Khushi stood up, standing face to face with him.

She was looking at him this close after so long and its felt soo good, she thought but she held her flowing emotions and stood strong.

"Good that you woke up, I wanted to meet you once before leaving." she said.

"And you think I will let you leave?" he demanded.

"I don't just think that but I know it Arnav ji, there's nothing you can stop me with." she replied sadly.

"You're my wife Khushi and I don't think I am letting you go just like that." he said while she smirked at his reply.

"In case you've forgotten Mr. Raizada, I am your wife for just six months. You married me to keep your sister safe but now as you know I am no harm to her, I don't think there's any reason for you to stop me." she looked at him mockingly.

He was speechless because she was right, he actually had no reason to stop her. He had forced her into this marriage and now when he knows she is innocent he should let her go. But could he really let go of her? No!!

"The contract! Its..the... Y-you've signed it Khushi and it says you will have to stay in this house for six months and those sin months are not over yet." he said.

"And what if I don't? Aakash ji loves Jiji enough to never let her go so there's nothing now you can stop me with Arnav ji, nothing!"

"Like I said, the contract will stop you from leaving Khushi. I can file a case against you for going against the clauses of the contract. Think what your family will go through when they will get to know their Sankadevi is behind the bars for violating the contracts rules? Or even worse, what will they think when they'll know our marriage is just based on those papers and nothing else. They've just started to accept you back Khushi, think what will happen when they'll know this truth." Arnav said and cursed himself for saying so.

He saw Khushi's face fall hearing him and he knew what he said was just so wrong. He never meant to say those things but at that moment all he could think of was that to stop her from leaving.

"I hate you Arnav Singh Raizada, I hate you so damn much." Khushi cried out as she fled from there.

He numbly stood there, his heart breaking into pieces as her words rung in his ears again and again.

I hate you Arnav Singh Raizada, I hate you so damn much.

I hate you Arnav Singh Raizada.

I hate you so damn much.

I hate you Arnav Singh Raizada. I hate you so da..

Argh, stop! He shouted pulling out his hairs, yet that didn't stop. Her words kept playing on his mind killing him from within.

Khushi was in their room re-arranging her clothes back into the closet when she saw him coming there numbly. She felt bad for him, the thing which she said sometime back was anything but true. She could never hate him. Her hating him was just impossible! If nothing else, one thing she knew after three weeks of ignoring him was that he did have some feelings for her and her presence mattered to him as much as his mattered to her. She wanted to go away to give herself sometime so she could think what she needed from him, from herself and her life and she knew he would stop her anyway but wouldn't let her go and so happened but when he mentioned about the contact it did hurt her. She knew he didn't intend to say that yet her reaction was something she couldn't stop. She sighed, why cant her life be a little less complicated?

____

A few weeks had passed with them not talking with each other, Arnav was just very broken after hearing Khushi say she hated him and Khushi.. well she was just waiting for Arnav to speak up, for him to make a move and it happened! It was just another evening and Khushi was preparing for the dinner when HP came there saying Arnav bhaiyya wanted her to be in their room. Little surprised, she had immediately gone to check why she was called just to be greeted by Arnav who was waiting for her with bunch of red roses, a box full of jalebis and a sorry card. That was not at all ASR-ish, it was a sweet Arnav ji gesture and it had made her heart feel warm.

Standing before him she looked deep into his eyes to know what was going on in his mind when she saw him extend those stuffs towards her. She took them all and placed it on the side table.

"I know what all I have done deserves no forgiveness, I have hurt you a lot Khushi and I feel terrible for causing you so much of pain. But if possible, please forgive me. I cant live with this guilt anymore, its killing me from within. I am sorry for every pain I have given you, I really am." she heard him say, his voice a mixture of pain and tiredness.

It was not just an apology that she wanted to hear from him, there was something else too for which she had been waiting since long but maybe that needed a little more time. For now she would take that apology as seeing him going through more pain was the last thing she wanted.

"I believe we should live in our present, what you did was something from the past which is already done and dusted so lets not go there and think about it again. Yeah, you should have asked me for the matters related to me rather than just listening to other and coming to a conclusion but again that's already done so lets forget it all. I forgive you Arnav ji, you don't need to feel guilty, I understand it was your love for Anjali Di which made you do so." she said softly and he just nodded to it not having anything else to say.

"Also can we end this game of hatred here and start afresh? I understand if you don't want to continue this relation with me after the six months but till the time we are bound into this, we can at least be normal and try working this out right? " he said and walked to the washroom without waiting for her reply, for her expression already telling him what she thought about this whole thing.

Khushi happily fell into the bed remembering what Arnav had just said. She wanted to know what he actually felt for her and saying about giving their relation a chance somewhat said about his feelings which made her feel delighted. First the things he got for her and then his words.. Too much happiness at the same time!

*

Things between them had indeed been normal after his apology, if not a couple they were good friends now. They already knew a lot about each other but as they spent a lot of time together they started learning the smallest of things about the other. Sitting by the poolside they would talk for hours, no correct that, it was just Khushi who used to talk while Arnav just listened to her crazy talks and say few words in between or tease her for being childish making her whine. Their little eye locks, the erratic breathing whenever they were a little too close, his teasing and her blushing, the dhak dhaks, the playing of rabba ve somewhere in the background, everything was back again making him feel complete. Like this, the past three months had been a bliss for them and they never realized how quickly the days passed. But today both of them were in a fix, it was the last day of their contract marriage and they didn't know what tomorrow held for them.

That morning Arnav had left for work soon and it was already late evening but he still was not back. She was feeling restless, she didn't know what was to happen the next day over that Arnav's sudden disappearance was not making her feel any good. The three months had passed within the blink of an eye but he hadn't confessed his feelings yet and she was confused if he was ever doing that. She was upset thinking maybe he felt nothing like what she did and he was just being nice to her for the sake of their contract. She was confused and distressed, she was hurt, her heart was throbbing in anticipation of tomorrow, she had many things going within her when Payal called her into the kitchen asking for her help in preparing the evening meal, bringing her mixed feelings to halt.

*

"Khushi ji, Arnav bhaiyya aap ko dhoond rahe hai." she was blankly making her favorite jalebis when she heard HP's voice boom from behind making her jump out of her skin.

"Woh aa gaye?" she asked with glee.

"Woh toh dopahar ko hi aa gaye thye." HP said making Khushi all confused.

He had returned at noon itself? Then why hadn't she seen him or why didn't he call her before? Was he ig-ignoring her already? The thought itself made her heart pang.

Hey devi maiyya rakshya karna, she muttered under her breath and walked nervously to their room.

____

"You called?" she asked fidgeting with the end of her dupatta as she saw him stand there facing the pool.

"Yes, I have something to tell you but not here. Come with me." he said hurriedly as he led her to the terrace confusing her completely.

"Why did you bring me here, Arnav ji?"

"You'll know later."

"Do you want to talk about something important?" she asked now that they were on the terrace and he was standing a little away from her.

"Yeah, umm I wanted to talk about something. The contract will get over from tomorrow and you can decide what you want to but before that I wanted to say something which would maybe help you take a better decision." he said calmly, just opposite to her nervous and worked up form.

"What about it Arnav ji? What did you want to talk about?" she tried being patient but the edginess, the impatience in her form was easily noticeable.

"Khushi the last six months we had spent together was not easy and neither was all smooth, we had gone through a lots of ups and downs. I know I have hurt you and maybe that pain still remain somewhere deep inside you." he said.

" I had forced you into this relationship six months back and believe me I will not repeat that ever again, I would never ask you to do something which you don't want to." he continued after taking a deep breath.

"I know Arnav ji, you'll not do that. Now please come to the point." she whimpered feeling uneasy with his slow pace.

"I am aware of your feelings for me and I respect it. I am not an easy man, my temper is always high, I am not the romantic one like your Salman Khan who would say all the cheesy lines and make you feel happy. I am a complex man with a few words and not everyone can deal with me, still you chose me for your feelings. We are completely different from each other yet you fell for me but what would you get giving your everything to me?"

"For me love is a beautiful feeling, its selfless, I love somebody doesn't mean I will expect anything from them in return. They may or may not feel the same for me but my love will always remain the same. " she said confidently, surprising herself with her bold answer.

"You are right, love is selfless. Umm.. See after all these months, the time you waited for me to realize this, it has now come to this point. I want you to be happy, there's no doubt in that but.."

This was it now! Hearing him speak she somewhere felt this was the moment but after all this he again stooped at that frikkin but?? She had waited so many months for him to see her love and realize his own feeling but he still chose to leave her hanging with a but?

"But? There's still a but? You know what? This is it, I have had enough. In all these months, my devi maiyya knows that I have waited for you to realize my love, waited for your reaction, and was confused if you would even had one or not. But somewhere I felt you did feel the same but today all you have is but' as your answer? I know I am not as smart, classy, someone with a sense of high class fashion that you might have expected your partner to be, not even close maybe, but I love you alright? I love you like that smart, sassy, mannequin of your expectation can never do coz she'll be too busy staying in front of the mirror and decking up. I.."

Her rant was not completed and yet she was silenced as his lips on hers didn't let her complete all the unsaid feelings and emotions she had been fostering for all this time. She had a lots to say but his lips just felt so wonderful and she couldn't help but enjoy the softness of his lips against her own as he kissed her long and hard.

"Will you let me continue now?" he asked, after finally have pulled out of the kiss.

She nodded her head licking her now dry lips and waited for him to have his say.

"I want you to be happy, but I want to be the reason for it. I want to be there by your side forever and always, being a part of both your happiness and sorrows. I want to be the reason of your smile in the saddest of your days and I want to be the reason of those tears which would flow out of your eyes after having laughed hard. In short and simple words, I love you Khushi and would like to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you let me?"

She was shocked, happy but shocked, crazily excited yet shocked. He had said he couldn't say those cheesy romantic lines to make her feel good but what he just said was more romantic than any of the dialogues delivered by Salman and at the same time it was real. He was not saying it just to finish with the shot but he actually meant every words he said.

"I have delivered quite a speech Khushi and I suppose I do deserve an answer to it. Mind speaking up?" he asked, it was his turn to be impatient now.

Too delighted to say anything she just slammed her lips against his, giving her answer through that kiss. She had made the move but he surely had to make it more special and so he did as he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her more to himself and deepened the kiss, only to breakout of it after they were out of breath.

"I love you Arnav ji, I have waited so long for this." Khushi said.

She was now in his arms, her head rested against his chest hearing his steady heartbeat which matched her own as he rocked her in his arms.

"I know baby and I am sorry for making you wait. I just wanted to make this special." he said softly kissing the crown of the head.

"But why did you bring me here?" she asked after a long time.

"Oh I just wanted to end the contract marriage right from where it had all begun. You know that night I was about to tell you about my feelings but then I saw you with Shyaam and..."

"Shh, don't go into the past now. I got your point." she said. "It was actually a good thing to do, now this moment of ours will erase all those bitter memories from the past which this place held."

"That's exactly what I wanted to do. This story of us had to start from this place six months back par derr se hi sahi its starting from where I wanted it from." he said softly making her smile.

"I love you Khushi, I love you very much." he said again and took her lips for yet another kiss while she happily melted into his arms enjoying the assaults of his lips.

~~~~The new beginning~~~~

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Rhea