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Arnav pressed the breaks hard right outside of the Mandir, he violently tugged at his seatbelt before he went around the car and swung open Khushi's door. She looked up at him, even though she didn't say a word her eyes simply begged him not to do this to her but Arnav's ignorance and tolerance levels were sitting in cloud nine right now. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the car, dragging her up the stairs of the lonely Mandir, not a single person was around to witness it because of the peculiar hour Arnav had chosen to do this. Still holding Khushi's hand Arnav approached the fire that was lit in the middle of the Mandir, Khushi stared at the flame questioningly. Had Arnav come here earlier and set this all up? Did he plan this so long ago?
Arnav came to a halt right before the preparation and viciously threw away Khushi's hand as it swung to her side. He picked up the long heavy dupatta and placed it round his neck before he walked over to Khushi and tied it with her own. Khushi's horrified gaze was fixed on him as she drew in a breath.
'Arnav, you don't know what you're doing. Please listen to me this is wrong I-' Arnav had no patience in him to hear out her explanation, its not like he was going to listen to what she had to say anyway. Arnav held out his palm in front of him as a gesture of silencing Khushi, it worked. He grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her closer towards the flame to begin the seven rounds. As Arnav marched around the flame Khushi struggled to free her wrist from his grasp but he was way to strong for her being, as every round went by she rebelled harder. He couldn't do this with her. Even though the rounds had no significance for him he was indirectly vowing to be with her for seven lifetimes, Khushi stopped struggling as Arnav came to a stop, he had successfully completed the seven rounds with Khushi and she was clearly terrified. As a stressfull gesture Khushi undid the knot bonding her dupatta and life with his, her head was spinning as the last 5 minutes kept repeating itself in her head.
'You cant make me do this!' Khushi yelled she turned and began to run but she knew she didn't stand a chance now that he had grabbed her wrist again. He spun her around and pinned her against him, locking her hand behind her back. Khushi squeezed her eyes shut as Arnav brought up his other hand holding the sindoor strongly between his finger and thumb. He embellished the tip of her forehead with something that just looked like a red powder to him. Khushi could feel the new fullness of the vermillion beginning on her forehead continuing to the parting of her hair. She opened her eyes and gazed at the very man who had just completely made Khushi in belonging of him by doing what he had just done. The vermilion had now marked Khushi as a married woman or more specifically as Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada. Before Khushi even had time to inhale the essence of the situation that had just been composed Arnav picked up the mungalsutra and placed it around Khushi's slender neck bringing her into a trauma.
'That's it, your married to me and we're stuck with each other until this whole crisis blows over' Arnav said dispassionately. He still hadn't realized the consequence nor the importance of the actions he had just taken, instead he had just gone ahead and completed three of the most life changing rituals a woman and man can face absent mindedly. All emotion and colour had swept of of Khushi's face as an empty tear rolled down her cheek
'Yo-You just married me' Khushi realized; her eyes red with tears
'Relax, its not going to last. As soon as everything blows over and sorts itself out we will divorce each other. Its only a matter of four five months' Arnav said flatly to his new bride. If Arnav was in any way affected by their marriage Khushi sure couldn't see it. Arnav Singh Raizada was as emotionless as a brick and for the first time ever that annoyed Khushi. She had just been provoked into changing her whole life for someone who didn't even let his mind read the feelings in his heart.
'So you think you've married me and everything is okay now? What will everyone say! No one is going to accept our marriage. Amma and Babu Ji they... Amma and Babu ji will be so disappointed in me' Khushi said beginning to sob. Arnav gulped and noted how selfless she was. It was only right to assure her that he will handle the situation but something stopped him. She brought this on herself didn't she? If she had kept her mouth shut then none of this would have been happening right now. Arnav turned around clenching both his jaw and fists.
'I'll handle it, just get in the car' He spat at her coldly. Khushi's face lifted from her hands as she looked at him in disbelief. She had just sacrificed everything for his future's sake and in return she was treated with utter rudeness and coldness. Khushi shook her head as she pitied herself before she ran down the steps of the Mandir beginning to sob again. Arnav followed her, he was a businessman who lived on structure and planning, he knew very well how to handle the situation that would most definitely occur as a dramatic response to his doings. But as always, he wouldn't be Arnav Singh Raizada if he didn't know how to manipulate the situation till it fell in his favor.
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Anjali limped over to the doors that had just been knocked; she slowly opened it to find a newly wed couple standing hand in hand. Anjali blinked twice because it didn't quite catch it the first time. Her brother was standing in front of her, now married to his once employee who looked down at the floor nervously
'What the hell?' Was all she could manage
Every member of the Raizada family and now all the members of the Gupta family sat in the living room inhaling everything Arnav had just told them. So he decided to get over Lavanya and that too by marrying someone who was not only Nani's favourite but also the woman who despised and was despised by her very own husband. Nothing made sense to anyone at that moment, they were disappointed but at the same time understanding.
'Why did you have to do this all in secret Khushi?' Garima asked her softly, even though the pain was clearly etched on her and Shashi Ji's face. Khushi didn't know how to answer the questions that were thrown at her. She had never deceived her parents like this and she didn't like the guilty vibes that began immerging into her innocent aura. Arnav cleared his throat to indicate, once again, that he'd take over.
'Aunty, I demanded for her to keep this quiet because I don't really believe in these rituals and I wasn't keen on making a big deal out of it. I'm to blame in this. I'm sorry everyone for having to do this in hiding but I would much appreciate for everyone to accept us rather then question our relationship. It would only make life simpler for all of us' Arnav said simply as he slyly shielded his new bride. Was it a natural reflex to be protective when you're a husband? He shifted the thought away. Anjali knew there was no point in mentally undoing their marriage and acting it out the right away because her brother wasn't that kind of person to do the rituals any bigger then he had already managed. Anjali glanced over to Nani and Garima who both gave her a sad but assuring look to indicate their acceptance. Maybe deep down this is exactly what they wanted so why create a fuss in the first place? Anjali looked at the couple and softly smiled
"Okay Arnav, we accept and respect the step you have taken. Even though you did the rituals in secret and didn't quite enlarge the situation to such marital situations. We still expect you to do the final rasams that are presented when the bride first enters the home. We would like you to at least fulfill this wish of ours' Anjali said, more demand then plead in her voice, Arnav nodded in a compromising gesture, before him and a very lost Khushi headed back to take their positions in the door again. Anjali hurried into the kitchen and brought out a pot of rice and a red liquidy substance sliding left and right in the taal as she marched down to the door, Anjali didn't have all the preparations but this was the most she could fix up right now.
Firtsly Khushi knocked over the pot of rice by flicking it with her foot, Arnav noted how sadness was imprinted on her face. Next she placed her feet in the red liquidy substance before stepping onto the cold marble tiles, taking small stable steps. Arnav ignored her in her efforts as he began to walk in front of her when Anjali stopped him.
'Arnav, you should at least remember the family parampara' Anjali said pointing her gaze in Khushi's direction, Arnav frowned as he realized what she had meant.
'Di its not important' Arnav said looking away. There was not going to be any intimacy in their relationship and he wouldn't touch her, forget lifting her into his arms.
'Arnav, it is the house tradition. You know if Ma was her-'
'Okay fine' Arnav interrupted, he despised it when Anjali used his mother against him she very well knew Arnav's weaknesses. Arnav gulped and turned sideways fixing his gaze on his wife, he strode over to her before he swiftly lifted her into his arms. Despite her heavy suite she was still as light as a feather. Khushi held onto Arnav's collar but she didn't once look up at him, fear and pain shutting her down. Arnav understood that she wasn't going to settle with this provoked decision so easily. Arnav's ignorance crept into him again as he looked up and walked down the halls with his new bride in his arms. When the were finally out of sight Arnav harshly threw her to her feet, the bad vibes bouncing off the new couple was very well noticeable, but their family had failed to realize anything going on between them and Arnav was thankful for that. Anjali soon came around from the main doors and grabbed Khushi's shoulder
'Shall we go?' She asked and Khushi weakly nodded
'Where are you taking her?' He asked more possessively then he had planned, Anjali smirked
'To her room, you can follow us up in ten minutes' Anjali explained before she led Khushi away from the scene. Arnav paced around the lobby waiting for ten minutes to be up so he could go, the family members smirked and giggled at how impatient Arnav was to get to his wife.
'Poor guy, can't even wait ten minutes away from his wife' NK began mockingly, Arnav looked up and glared at him causing NK to bite back anything else he was planning on saying. Exactly ten minutes later, not a second more or less Arnav walked up the stairs to see the lights were out. He opened the doors to his room and flicked on the lights. The bed had been adorned with roses and petals as they hung down from the ceiling. In the center of the bed Khushi sat nervously picking at the embroidery of her suite. Di had managed to change her into a simple but gorgeous red lengha that sat perfectly around her bare waist as it finished scattering on the bed just like the rose petals, her dupatta had been carefully placed over half of her head intentionally so the vermillion in her forehead stood out to him. Arnav gulped hard and looked away when he realized he had been staring for longer then he should have. Khushi quickly unsettled and got off of the bed in case he would shout at her for even touching it.
'Go and get changed' Arnav ordered weakly, still not facing her.
'I don't have any other clothes to wear' Khushi pointed out awkwardly, Arnav didn't bother arguing before he pulled out a set of clothes from his wardrobe and handed them to Khushi
'We'll sort it out tomorrow, for now just take this and go freshen up' Arnav said Khushi was confused at his behavior, so now he wasn't even going to look at her when they spoke? Was even that too intimate for him? Khushi silently mocked him.
Khushi walked out wearing what couldn't even be classed as clothes for her because of how big they were, She looked around for Arnav but he wasn't in the room, where did he go? Khushi went over and sat down on the green recliner thinking he'd probably show up any minute, little did she know that he had just left Khushi stranded to go and meet Lavanya.
The hours of the night were moving into the day as Khushi crashed on the recliner in wait for Arnav, he hadn't showed up.
