CHAP 20. THE CONFESSIONS AND THE PROPOSALS!
Khushi sighed dreamily as her eyes took in the beauty of the poolside. When she had entered the house for her sister's engagement, she had noticed how the whole house seemed to be decorated with fairy lights, the banisters and pillars wrapped with colourful and artistically placed flowers, curtains that gave the main hall a sense of grandeur and her mind immediately went to the one place in the whole house that seemed to be her favourite; the poolside. She wondered how it was decorated and if it look as pretty as the rest of the house. She would have eagerly gone to the poolside right away if it hadn't been for two factors; the first being her sister's tight grip on her arm which seemed to have manifested due to the combined emotions of excitement and nervousness regarding her upcoming engagement and the second being the said sister's engagement. In short, if her sister hadn't been the future bride, Khushi would have been heading towards the poolside the moment she entered the house.
So Khushi involved herself with the function, meeting the various guests that were introduced to her during the course of the evening, cheerfully greeting her Jiju and teasing the said Jiju and her Jiji and dancing on the dance floor when the singles were called by the DJ before the couples' dance. But the moment the engagement happened, Khushi's patience was gone. She wanted to see the poolside right away and she snuck away the moment the focus of everyone shifted to the couple who were just gotten engaged and needed to be blessed and wished. Khushi didn't notice that a certain someone had noticed her sneaky departure and had eagerly followed her. If she had, she would have returned right away or dragged someone with her as she would have loved to avoid this fellow. But she wasn't that lucky and Arnav had followed her.
Khushi didn't notice Arnav following her though. She was lost in the vision that was the poolside. She remembered the first time she saw it and how she wished she could live there forever. The wish came back again as she looked at the poolside. She was wrong, she realised. The poolside wasn't decorated as beautiful as the rest of the house; it was actually prettier. She stumbled down the stairs with wide eyes. The curtains surrounding the pool, the greenery emphasised due to the decorative but real flowers and the blue water reflecting the fairy lights made the whole place look ethereal and Khushi sank into the lawn chair in front of the pool, her eyes wide, still taking in the beauty.
If Khushi's eyes didn't move away from the pool, Arnav's eyes didn't move away from Khushi. She sat gracefully on the lawn chair, her hands placed artistically sideways, her curvy waist emphasised as she leaned a little on her hands, the lights giving her hair a halo, her face filled with wonder and her eyes twinkling. Arnav felt the moment was magical and Khushi was some mythical creature out of some fantasy world. Right at that moment, Arnav wanted her and he started to take steps towards her. As he stepped towards her, he realised that there was no use ignoring or avoiding his emotions. He couldn't do it anymore. He had to express his feelings. He had to let her know. He had to propose her and make her his wife, because he couldn't even imagine a life without her. He couldn't live without her anymore and that was the truth. He, the greatest businessman of the year, was made into just another hopeless romantic fool by none other than a simple silly girl.
Arnav felt a burst of frustration as he remembered that this chit of a girl brought down a top businessman to his knees. He was lost in her thoughts day and night, not seeing her had become a torture and even his work was not the solace it once was. She was the distraction who moved him even from his work. A spark of anger lit into him just as Khushi heard his footsteps and stood up in alarm.
The magic was broken and Arnav and Khushi were back at the poolside, both looking at each other with wide eyes, the pool being the only witness for their upcoming and inevitable confrontation. For a second, there was silence and then...
"Tum! Tumne meri zindagi barbaad kardi!
Khushi stared at him with wide eyes. Arnav's eyes were filled with fire. The sentence floated between them for a second and then Khushi took a step back as if the words hit her physically and she couldn't maintain her position. Hurt flickered in her eyes but it was just for a second and went unnoticed by Arnav.
Another second passed and silence reined. And then it exploded.
"You are looking beautiful today!
The words floated in the air as Geet turned to look at Maan in surprise. There was tenderness in his eyes as he continued to stare at her. She smiled softly but didn't say anything. She didn't know why but she felt there was something poignant going to happen next. She remembered the moment he had spoken to her in the hall. The request worded by Maan, the solemnness of his eyes, his firm looking jawline had told her that the next few moments were going to be very important in Maan's life. So she refrained from being perky and simply followed him out. The next few moments were quiet as they positioned themselves right in the middle of the garden, which adorned the area between the main gate of Shantivan and the house itself.
Geet was unable to look away from her surroundings. Her sister's rose garden on the left corner, her brother's special and exotic trees scattered around her and the twinkling of fairy lights made the moment more beautiful and she simply basked in their presence. She had almost forgotten Maan's presence till Maan commented on her beauty. But even his words didn't bring her out of the tranquillity that she felt in the garden. His words floated around her and she let them fade away as she continued to focus on the beauty that was her family's garden.
As Geet continued to look around, Maan remained staring at her. There was something about the moment that told him that he had made the right decision; this was the right moment to express his feelings. He took a deep breath and smiled as the fragrance of the rose garden reached him. It was the rose garden that his best friend had built as a teenager and he felt as if his Angel Dear was wishing him good luck and sending her support towards him.
Geet looked sideways as she heard the crunch of the leaves; Maan had taken a step towards her. She waited with bated breath for his words. She didn't know why she was waiting for it. It was as if something in this moment was telling her that while the moment would be the turning point for Maan, it wouldn't leave her life untouched either.
Maan flexed his fingers as he wondered how to start the conversation. What should he say first? But then he realised, his question was totally wrong. It was unnecessary! He was here to express his feelings, right? Then why think? He smiled and then...
"I love you Geet!
For a second, Geet thought she misheard and remained still. She heard him take a step ahead and then...
"I love you Geet!
She whirled around with wide eyes and open mouth to stare at the man standing few steps behind her as if he was a stranger and she was seeing him for the first time.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!
Khushi watched with jaw dropped open and wide eyes as her Jiji's Jethji went berserk in front of her. What was he talking about? How did she ruin his life? And how did he hate her? Is he crazy? She absently wondered how her sister will manage living under the same roof as this crazy man. She pushed the thought away as Arnav stormed towards her and grabbed her by her arms. For a second fear crept into her and she leaned a little back. His stormy eyes starred into her scared ones as he spoke, "You have no idea what you have done to me!
Finally Khushi gathered some courage and blurted out, "Humne kya kiya?
"Tumne kya kiya?, Arnav looked confused to Khushi, "Tumne kya kiya? He blinked and stumbled back, dropping her arms. She rubbed her arms absentmindedly as she stared at him. He stared at her for a second and then let out a laugh, "Meri duniya badal di aur pooch rahi ho kiya kya? he chuckled again. Khushi's eyes widened more once she realised that his laughter was genuine. He wasn't laughing at her mockingly. He was actually delighted. A soft smile drift up her lips as she noticed how different, how handsome he looked when he was happy. This was so better than his angry, rude version. She shook the thought away as she concentrated on the situation. How she did ruin his life? What is he talking about? She wanted to know.
Arnav looked away as he spoke, "Look what I was! And look what you have made me! Its so frustrating you know!, he looked at her with helplessness, "The Great ASR, for whom girls would do anything, who were dying to marry him or even to have a chance to spend time with him, is helpless against a simpleton of Lucknow!
"Aap kya bol rahe hain?, Khushi finally spoke up breaking his monologue.
He looked towards her and took few steps towards her. She once again leaned back a little at his invasion of her private space. His voice turned into whisper, "Tum? With your horrible English, your ridiculous manners and atrocious behaviour, stole my heart! Tumne mujhe apne pyaar mein deewana bana diya!
Khushi gasped at his words. Her hands slapped her mouth as she stared at him uncomprehendingly. Kya? Humne kya kiya? She couldn't believe it!
"Yeh aap kya keh rahe hain?
Maan watched at Geet looked at him in confusion. He smiled at her gently as his legs took him towards her. He looked down and she looked down too, her expression still showing confusion. He grabbed her hand and her eyes stared at the clasped hands for a second. Then she looked up at him, confusion still being the prominent emotion she was displaying. He pulled her hand close and placed them on his heart.
"Do you feel it? Mehsoos kar rahi ho tum?, he asked and she blinked. Yes! She felt his heartbeat. So? He seemed to understand her unasked question and replied, "Yeh jo dhadkane baj rahi hain, yeh tumhaare liye hain! Yeh jo dil dhadak raha hai, yeh tumhaara! Yeh dil jiske liye dhadak raha, mere iss jism ko zinda rakh raha hai, yeh jism, yeh insaan bhi tumhaara! Maan Singh Khurana tumhaara hai Geet aur tumhaare bina yeh Maan kuch bhi nahi! I love you! I am totally, madly, happily in love with you!
She stared at him with wide eyes, her hand still sensing his heartbeat but now it felt different to her. It was as if it was just beating for her. It was calling for her. It was hers to do whatever she wanted. The last thought shocked her and she pulled her hand from his. She looked away uncomfortably as she tried to formulate some response to Maan's words.
Maan realised that Geet had become uncomfortable by his words. Maybe he was too bold, too forward. Maybe! He gave her few seconds to compose herself. He stepped away from her to give her some physical space too. As he stood there, he felt a little lighter. He had done it. He had confessed his feelings for her. He never felt his confession as a burden on him till he confessed and felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He could surely breathe better and everything surely seemed brighter. He realised that he was scared till now. Subconsciously the fear of rejection had made his feelings seem like a burden. The uncertainty of the emotion called love, the way it had changed in the matter of weeks had him feeling unbalanced. Now he felt as if after ages he had stopped floating on some leaking boat in the middle of the sea and finally had his feet firmly on a land. He took a deep breath as smile graced his lips.
"Aapko humse pyaar...
Arnav watched as Khushi stumbled back. Was her reaction due to shock or bewilderment, Arnav couldn't discern. But he didn't care, he had to let it out. He had to let out all those feelings, the ones floating inside him, building inside him since the day he saw those eyes at Sheesh Mahal. They had started with a small spark that lit up when he saw her eyes for the first time and only built up as they met again and again. And now it was ready to burst out like Volcano. And Arnav let it. Every emotion he felt, love, lust, anger, fear, frustration, annoyance, hurt, anguish, happiness, delight; he let them all out and those emotions turned into words and started to pour out of his mouth.
"Haan! Yes! I love you!, he began his rant as he took few steps back and started to pace in front of her.
"I dont know how it happened. I mean tum, ek silly girl and I, a business tycoon! You, from the world of nowhere and I, the almost celebrity! Tum, ek idiotic girl from village who doesn't even know how to behave in society, and I, who rules the city and is a dream of every girl! You, so crazy and me, so disciplined! Aur humaari status difference ki toh baat hi mat karo!, he chuckled as he shook his head. "But it happened! He whirled around and stormed towards her again. He stood in front of her and smiled, "I am ignoring everything, humaari status difference, zindagi dekhne ka nazariya, hum alag soch, your silliness, I am ready to ignore everything because I love you! I love you so much that these worldly things stopped meaning anything to me! You see, you see how you changed me! His eyes, wide and pleading, wanting her to understand how she changed him.
Arnav took a step back and chuckled, as if surprised, "The great ASR, for whom his image was everything, doesn't give a damn about what the world thinks about him! And you did this! You! He shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. A smile graced his lips as he thought amusedly how much he had changed. Suddenly he looked up at her and Khushi was mesmerised as she noticed for the first time, the love in his eyes. He stepped towards her and went down on one knee, "I Love you! I can't live without you. I cannot even breathe without you! So will you marry me? Kya tum mujhse shaadi karogi?
"Par aapko pyaar... Kaise...
Maan turned around and took in the stupefied expression on Geet's face. He smiled gently, "Tumhein yaad hai hum kaise mile the?, despite asking a question, he didn't wait for an answer, "Tum meri Jeep ke saamne aake behosh hui thi! Uss din maine tumhaara chehra dekha and I got attracted to you. You looked so beautiful, so innocent, so lovely. Maan was lost in thoughts as if he was remembering that moment. Then his gaze sharpened and he focused on Geet again, "You know I met many girls in the city, elegant, poised, and sophisticated. Lekin tumhaari saadgi ke saamne woh sab pheeke the! I just couldn't look away from you!
Geet looked away and Maan realised he made her uncomfortable. And he was right. She was a bit uncomfortable. Guys had flirted with her in her old college. And she had been told she was beautiful by almost everyone. But the sincerity and honesty with which Maan conveyed his emotions left her feeling raw and exposed in front of him. Why? She wondered. He was the one exposing his feelings, then why do I feel vulnerable in front of him?
Maan moved on from that topic, "But mujhe laga you are a con artist so I tried my best to keep my distance from you. Isliye main thoda strict aur rude tha tumhaare saath uss din! Then we reached home and I came to know who you actually are. Sach bataaun toh I was relieved ki tum koi con artist nahi ho! Kyun relieved tha, yeh ab samajh aa raha hai! But then I was so confused. Why was I relieved that you are not a con girl? Ab sochta hun toh hasi aati hai!
Maan took a deep breath and noticed Geet looking around at the greenery around her. If it was anybody, he would have thought the person was not listening to him. But he knew that she was listening. Her tense posture and the way she was holding herself told him that it was the uncomfortableness of the situation that had her looking away. He ploughed on, "And I heard your tale! And it changed my life, Geet!
That statement got Geet's attention and she looked at him with wide eyes. He gave her a gentle smile, "Tumne mujhe sikhaaya Geet, ki bravery actual mein hota kya hai! Kisi ko insaaf dilaane ke liye apne hi parivaar ke khilaaf jaana? Iske liye himmat chaahiye, Geet! Aur unke laakh koshish ke bawajood apne iraadon pe atal rehna? Yeh toh bahut hi mushkil hai, Geet! Lekin tumne kar dikhaaya. And that's when I started to admire you, for your courage, your bravery and your sense of morality. Itna aasaan nahi hai, iss sabke baad chain se jeena. Lekin tum toh haste hue aage badi! Aur yeh dekh kar toh main aur tumhaare taraf khich gaya! You are mesmerizing, Geet! Your strength, your positivity, your determination, you amaze me, Geet! Aaj bhi I am in awe of you!
Geet once more looked away. Once again he was praising her and once again she felt uncomfortable. She didn't do all the things for praises. She did it because it was right. Her family was wrong and had committed a murder. They deserved to be punished. So why did that make her special? She didn't understand.
Maan noticed her looking away and smiled. This is what makes you special, Geet! You don't even realise that what you did was great because you just wanted justice for your friend. Your outlook of what is right and what is wrong, drove you to take the step, regardless of the fact that you were opposing your own family. Isliye mujhe tumse pyaar hua!
Maan continued with his narration, "And then I saw the mischievous part of you at the office. You were such a delightful creature. I couldn't look away from you. Tumhaare woh chamakti hui aankhein, woh khilkhilaati hui hasi, woh tumhaara mujhe Mr. Khurana bulaana, sabne mujhe tumhaari aur kheecha! I let my guard down around you. Days passed and you entered my heart with your charm, your sweet nature, your laughter and your determination. We met only few weeks back but I fell for you, deep and fast. I love you, Geet! You stole my heart and funnily, I don't want it back. I just want you, I want you in my life, Geet!
Maan took few steps ahead and placed his hand in front of her, "And today I ask you, will you marry me? Kya tum zindagi bhar ke liye meri banogi?
"NAHI! NAHI! KABHI NAHI!
Arnav stood up as he looked at Khushi with bewilderment. He didn't understand where he went wrong. Why is she saying no? Her outburst shocked him and he couldn't make a head or tail out of it.
"You are rejecting me?, Arnav gasped out.
"Haan! Hum aapko reject kar rahe hain!, Khushi spat as anger flared in her eyes.
Arnav blinked, "Par kyun?
"Hum nahi bata sakte!, Khushi looked away fiddling with her duppatta. She didn't want to be rude to her sister's in law.
"What?, Arnav stepped towards her, feeling more and more confused.
"Hum... Hum aate hain!, she mumbled as she looked anywhere but at his face. She turned around to walk away when Arnav surged forward and grabbed her arm.
"No! You cant leave like this! Not without answering me!, he snarled as he jerked her towards him and she slammed right into his chest.
"Humein chodiye!, she whispered.
"No! Tumhein bataana hoga!, he whispered back, his eyes looking vulnerable and pleading, "I won't let you leave till you tell me!
"Itna sunne ka shauk hai?, she wrenched her arms away from him and glared at him, "Toh suniye! Hum aapse kabhi shaadi nahi karegi! Aap iss duniya ke aakhri insaan hue toh bhi nahi! Kyunki hum uss insaan se shaadi kaise karein jo pyaar ka izhaar bhi beizzati se karta hai?
She looked at him with disgust, "Humaare baare mein itna bura bolne ke baad aap humse yeh ummeed rakhte hain ki hum aapse shaadi karein? Samajhte kya hain aap humein? Meherbaani kar rahe hain humse shaadi karke? Gaao ki ladki nikli, dhang se angrezi nahi bolti, chalo isse shaadi karke iski zindagi sudhaar dein, haina?
"Par maine aisa kab kahaa?, Arnav asked in confusion.
"Waah! Maanna padega aapko Arnav Singh Raizadaji! Kehte hain ki humne aapki zindagi barbaad kardi, humne aapko badal diya, aapko achcha nahi lagta ki aapko hum jaise insaan se pyaar hua! Toh bataayiye rishte ki shuruvaat hi tohmat aur ilzaamon se shuru hui toh aage kya hoga?, she looked at him with watery eyes.
Arnav felt irritated. What was wrong with what he said? He only told her the truth. She herself knows her flaws and that compared to a proper educated city girl, she is lacking in certain areas. Then why get agitated over it?
"Humein ghinn aati hai Arnavji, ki aap humaare rishtedaar hain!, Khushi snarled and Arnav looked at her with horror. The horror turned into anger and he surged towards her, once again grabbing her arms, "How dare you! How dare you reject me! Do you know who I am? Ladkiyaan marti hai mujhse shaadi karne ke liye!
She tugged her arms once again away from him, "Toh unhi se shaadi keejiye! Humaare paas kyun aaye hain? Jaayiye!
"Fine!, he snarled, "But remember, you lost your chance. Aur phir kabhi waapis nahi milega!
"Nahi chaahiye humein yeh mauka phir! Kyunki aap jaisa ghamandi, matlabi aur badtameez insaan nahi chaahiye humein pati ke taur par!, Khushi retorted.
They stared at each other with anger filled eyes for few seconds and then they turned around and stormed away, she to the stairs and he to his room.
"This wasn't what I expected!
Maan blinked in confusion at what Geet said.
"Excuse me?, he mumbled.
She pulled her hand away from his and shrugged, "This wasn't what... I can't... This is..., she stuttered trying to form a coherent sentence. She didn't know how to express what she wanted to convey in a manner that didn't create problems. But she realised that there is no gently way to do this. She had to rip it off like some band aid.
She took a deep breath and blurted out, "I don't love you Maan! Main aapse pyaar nahi karti!
Pin drop silence echoed after her confession as both stared at each other; her eyes showing compassion, his showing confusion.
"You mean..., he mumbled and she shrugged, "Maine aapko kabhi uss nazar se dekha hi nahi!
He blinked rapidly, "Matlab... Tumne kabhi mere liye kuch nahi...
Geet shook her head, "Never! Maine aapko humesha meri AD ke dost, mere boss aur ek family friend hi maana! Uske aage kabhi socha hi nahi!
Maan staggered back in shock. He looked away as he remembered her forcefully making him eat and her selecting his sherwani for him. He remembered all the other moments that they spent together and he took in a deep breath. He felt lost as he realised that all those moments meant nothing to her. It was his imagination that made him think that she liked him too. He was the fool here who read into things that were not even there.
"I am sorry, Maan!, he heard her speak and he looked at her.
She smiled at him sadly and he looked away again. He didn't want her pity.
She started to speak, "I wish things were different. I wish I was in love with you! Aap bahut achche insaan hain, Maan! You are noble, honest and have a heart of gold. I would have been the luckiest woman on earth if I had fallen in love with you. But I don't love you. Main aapse pyaar nahi karti. Aur pyaar bina kaisi shaadi... Nahi! Main aapse shaadi nahi kar sakti. I am sorry! She was about to say more when he cut her off.
"Don't say sorry!, he whispered, "And don't be!
She looked at him with wide eyes.
He smiled at her gently, "Its not your fault that you are not in love with me! Pyaar kiya nahi jaata, Geet! Pyaar ho jaata hai!
"See you tomorrow at work?, he asked after few minutes of silence.
Geet nodded.
He turned to walk away when she spoke up with concern colouring her voice, "Aap theek toh haina?
He turned around and shrugged, "Pata nahi! But you don't worry! I will be fine!
He gave her a smile and walked away and Geet just stared at his retreating back. Her mind went back to the tender look in his eyes, the way he described his feelings for her, the way he proposed and she took in a deep breath, "But I am still sorry, Maan! Kyunki mujhe aap jaise achche, seedhe aur nek insaan se pyaar nahi hua!
FOR THOSE WHO GOT CONFUSED THANKS TO THE DIALOGUE PING-PONG BETWEEN MAANEET AND ARSHI, CHECK OUT NEXT POST! I HAVE SEPARATED THE WHOLE CONVO, ARSHI IS BELOW AND AFTER THAT IS MAANEET.
Thank you, take care and have fun,
Kalpana
Edited by Kalpana_KaCy - 6 years ago
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