Last Part
Pyaar hua, ikraar hua
Arnav watched from afar as the throng of people around Khushi kept getting bigger and bigger. He felt an immense amount of pride swell within him, at seeing her receive praise and adulation for her performance, but also a niggling sense of desperation.
He yearned to talk to her, to share with her how moved he had been as he watched her perform... to try to gauge if she was only pretending to be okay with waiting for him. A part of him wanted to take that leap of faith that his Di had told him about. But there was something that still held him back, that made his mind swing back and forth between doubt and certainty, fear and love.
Her eyes met his, and her lips curved into a small smile, and he felt himself fall in love once again.
He smiled back and nodded in the direction of the green room.
Had anyone else been in Khushi's place, they might not have understood that he meant that he would wait for her there. But Khushi was a distinct cut above the rest.
After half an hour she joined him in the green room. She immediately ran towards him to embrace him, causing him to stagger backwards slightly, and knocking the air out of his lungs. He hugged her back tightly, feeling a warm happy glow course through every pore of his body.
"I'm so happy you came," Khushi said, almost laughing with glee.
"You were beyond brilliant," Arnav replied, "I was... I was... just spellbound."
"Really?" she said excitedly, letting go of him and stepping back slightly.
Her face was positively radiating with happiness. Her dazzling smile and sparkling eyes were so captivating that they seemed to cause the entire world to stand still, breathlessly. She drew him to her, like an irresistible magnet. And in that moment, it struck him - how could he even think about being away a person as perfect as her?
He was about to blurt out that he had made up his mind, that he would get married to her and do all those cheesy things that were expected of him, if it meant that he could be by her side, always. But just then, his damned phone buzzed.
"Sorry," he muttered, as he reached for his phone to reject the call.
"It's okay," she said, "You can check who it is. It might be important."
"It's just Aman," he said, reading the name off the screen.
"You can take the call, Arnav, it's okay. It could be important."
Arnav let out a small sigh and answered the call.
As Khushi watched him speak and caught snippets of his side of the conversation, she felt something sink within her. The conversation seemed normal enough. Arnav seemed excited about something, but then began instructing Aman to cancel something, that he had changed his mind. And, for some reason, she felt, inexplicably, as though his voice was becoming fainter and fainter... as though something was taking him away from her.
"What happened?" she asked softly, when Arnav had cut the call.
"Oh nothing. I had booked my place for a hike some time back. The confirmation came today. No big deal."
"You're not going? Why?"
"Because I... why are we talking about that anyway? I want to tell you something. You had said that I should take the time to decide if I want to be with you. I have made up my mind, I -"
"Where were you going to go?" Khushi interrupted.
"Why are you going on about that bloody trip?" Arnav snapped irritably, "I want to talk to you, dammit!"
"Tell me about the trip," she insisted.
Arnav sighed.
"I was going to go to Machu Pichhu, an ancient Inca city in Peru - a historical and archeological marvel. I was planning to go trekking along the Inca trail, which is a really popular trek, so one has to book in advance. That's it."
"So why aren't you going?"
"Because I don't want to be away for three months. In the same trip, I would have taken a road trip across South America."
"You should go," Khushi said simply.
"Why are you so fixated on my trip?"
"Because I don't want you to regret anything. I don't want you to stay with me out of guilt or whatever it is."
Arnav cupped his hands around her face, and whispered, "It's love."
"Go for the trip, Arnav," Khushi said, attempting a small smile, "Do everything that you have ever wanted to do. I know you will regret it otherwise, and I would not want that."
"What are you doing in May?" Arnav asked, smiling.
Khushi looked at him, her brows knit in confusion.
"Nothing. Unless a bigshot producer offers me a role in a bisghot move, that is."
"Okay, then if your schedule permits it, Ms Superstar, will you please come with me? Not for the Inca trail, because that is fully booked, I guess. But for the rest of the trip across South America, I would love to have you with me."
"I would love to... but why?"
"Because I don't think I'll have fun crossing things off my bucket list without you. Everything has changed, Khushi. You have become an integral part of my life, and no happiness, no achievement, no dream, can be complete without you. I love you dammit."
She stared at him, nonplussed, not knowing what to say, but she was saved the trouble of doing so, as Arnav gently bridged the gap between their lips. She smiled into the kiss, as happiness leaked out of her eyes with free abandon. He was perfect.
...
A few days later, Khushi, Arnav, the Guptas, the Kashyaps and the Raizadas were gathered at Shantivan to celebrate Lakshmi's birthday, when Arnav cleared his throat and announced,
"Khushi and I want to get married."
The announcement did not have quite the effect that he might have expected.
Akash and Lavanya, who were still sulking at each other, shrugged, no doubt thinking that Arnav was merely keeping up with their former pretence, while most of the other family members exchanged confused looks with each other.
"We know that, Arnav bitwa," Khushi's Amma ventured.
Only Anjali seemed to understand as she beamed at Arnav proudly, her eyes glazed with tears of joy.
"No, I mean, we want to get married soon, in a few months' time."
Akash nearly spat out his drink.
"Arnav Bhai?"
"I love her," Arnav said, "I know I was against the whole idea of marriage earlier, but I literally cannot imagine my life without Khushi anymore. And I can do anything just to be with her."
"Ahaa!" Arnav's Nani exclaimed triumphantly, and began laughing softly.
Everyone turned to stare at her.
"Hello hi bye bye," Manorama Mami said dramatically, "Could it be - has she finally gone senile?"
Only Akash understood, and soon, he was laughing too. Who would have thought - the crafty old woman's plan had worked after all.
"Are you okay?" Lavanya asked him, forgetting momentarily that she was upset with him.
"I'm sorry, Lav," he said softly, turning to look at her, "You're right, I've been a wuss. I've missed you yaar."
"Hello hi bye bye," his mother interrupted, looking at him and Lavanya curiously, "What is this wuss miss business?"
Akash took a deep breath, and said, "Lavanya is my girlfriend, Maa. Arnav Bhai is right. When you really like someone, nothing else should matter."
Mr Kashyap smiled at him in approval, but Manorama's eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets.
"Achha?" came the overbearing mother's expected response, "And what about you promising that you will get married to a girl of my choice? Has my importance in your life diminished so much that only this girlfriend of yours matters now?"
"Manorama," Nani interrupted, "Do you think this is the time and place for all this family drama? Right now we should be focusing on -"
"It's okay, Nani," Arnav said, "I don't mind. We can sort out Akash's issue first, and then discuss my wedding with Khushi. Frankly, Mami, I don't think -"
"Chupp," Nani shushed him, "We'll find a date for your wedding, and I'll speak to Manorama about Lavanya bitya, okay? I just don't understand why everyone is so hell-bent on stealing the limelight from Lakshmi on her birthday?"
Lakshmi bleated out her appreciation.
Arnav turned to Khushi, "Welcome to my crazy family."
Edited by whimsical - 9 years ago
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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