Arshi FF: Love Me Forever LINK #2 pg 153 dt. 21.5.15 - Page 19

Chapter 5

Since childhood khushi loved the festival of ganesh chaturthi. Those 10 - 11 days were pure bliss for her, she would visit each and every temple in her town where lord ganesha's idol was placed and would not miss attending the evening aarti each single day and on the final day her father would carry baby khushi on his shoulders to show her the immersion of the idol.

So today too she couldn't stop herself from visiting the nearby temple. She wanted to take daadi's permission before leaving with payal but she was sleeping so didn't feel right to disturb her.

Arnav came back after attending his meeting in the evening and found her missing. It was already 8 and she hadn't returned on top of that she had gone alone with payal without taking the guards along. He walked up and down the room restlessly, he tried calling payal on her cell but it wasn't reachable this was making him more furious. He had countless enemies who would never leave an opportunity to harm him and his family, how could she be so careless? He didn't even know which temple to go and look for her, with each passing minute his temper was rising one notch up. He threw the cell phone on the couch in anger as he couldn't get through payal.

As the clock struck 9 she entered the room excitedly with the Prasad for him. His back was facing her so she called him out " Arnav ji ! Prasad." He turned around and peered at her hand that had come forward to give him the sweet, he crossed his arms around his chest and glared at her. She moved her hand back slowly, " do you have any idea what time is it?" he asked bitterly.

She swallowed her lump in the throat and replied lowering her eyes " it's nine ..i know it's quite late..but the queue in the temple was too long. We had to wait for more than two hours for our turn." He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw firmly " you're my wife, what was the need for you to stand in the queue?" she lifted her lowered head to defend herself " my maa says that the more effort you put in to seek bappa's, the more happy bappa gets."

He flared his nostrils and pressed his teeth hard " khushi, I really don't care what your mother says and you dare not step out of this house without security. Understood?."

She shivered at the way he was growling at her. Tears welled up in her eyes but she pushed them back thinking that behind all his anger his concern for her was hiding, she could sense that he was worried for her, after all she was not an ordinary girl anymore she was now Arnav Singh Raizada's wife. She had to act responsibly henceforth. She nodded her head and said " Next time I'll not forget to take the guards along when I visit the temple."

He raised his index finger to warn her " no, in such a crowded place not just the guards but I shall also accompany you." He was fiercely protective about his family and now she was part of it.

She blinked her eyes in acceptance then brought her hand back to give him the Prasad. He let out a deep sigh, in spite of all this she didn't forget to give him the Prasad.

He took it reluctantly.

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In the morning before leaving for work Daadi stopped Arnav and told him that pandit ji had come to invite them for ganesha puja at ganpati temple. Since she was keeping unwell she suggested that rest of the family should go and visit the temple. Khushi who was standing near the kitchen door got excited at the prospect of going to the temple, she looked at his back which was facing her with the hope that he would take her out but he had something else in mind when he replied " surely daadi, we will go to the temple. But what is the hurry, there are still quite a few days left for the puja to get over." Her face dropped on hearing his words and she went back to the kitchen in dismay.

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He moved his hand on to the other side of the bed and found it empty, he squinted his eyes and looked around she was nowhere, where had she gone in the middle of the night he wondered. He got up and went out of the room, he was about to climb down the stairs when he saw her coming up, he knotted his eye brows and asked hoarsely " where were you?"

She coiled the edge of her sari around her finger and answered ," I've lit akhand jyoth (a lamp which is kept illuminated for a certain period of time) and I'd gone to add ghee so that it doesn't extinguish ..my maa says.." she stopped in the middle thinking he didn't like to hear what her mother said.

She peered up at him he was waiting for her to complete what she was saying, she took a deep breath and continued " it's believed that if the lamp remains lit for 10 days continuously then bappa definitely fulfills your wish."

He was amused at her belief and wanted to ask what did she wish for but then it was her life, her wish thus he refrained himself from asking her and went back to the room quietly.

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Arnav was busy with his work and would come back home late, khushi didn't have the courage to ask him when he would take her out and slowly days went by. With each passing day she became restless and gloomy. Payal saw her sad face and one evening proposed to ask him on her behalf, she dialed his number and asked " bhai, do you have a moment to spare?"

Arnav closed his stressed eyes and rubbed his forehead with his left hand ," I'm in the middle of a very important meeting. Can it wait?" She bit the inside of her cheek and said " yeah bhai." And disconnected the call.

Khushi kept her hand on payal's shoulder and gave her a reassuring look " no problem. I understand."

An hour later Arnav called back home and informed khushi that tonight he would be late so no need to worry and wait for him.

After completing her daily chores khushi sat on the dining chair gazing at the door and the clock from time to time. Soon her eyes became heavy and she drifted off to sleep by resting her head on the table.

It was midnight when he came back with his hands deposited in his pockets thinking about his new dealer, something was not right about that man he thought and then he saw her sleeping figure. He went close to her and called her out but she didn't react, he went closer and stood next to her. He shook his head in annoyance, even after being informed she was waiting for him, there was no need for her to trouble herself for him like that.

She was sleeping in an uncomfortable position with her hair falling on her eyes, he raised his hand and moved her hair back fixing it behind her ear. His fingers brushed her soft skin making her murmur " Arnav ji", even in her sleep she could make out his touch and slowly she opened her eyes to find him gazing back at her. She stood up immediately and said " I'll get the food."

He pulled out another chair and sat there waiting , soon she came and served him then began pouring a glass of water for him. With his eyes on his plate he asked softly " you had?" She looked at him and said hesitantly " no", his eyes shot up at once, "what is this khushi?"

" I'm telling you clearly, I don't like your waiting and starving for me. You won't repeat this." He glanced at her expecting her to abide by what he said.

This was something she couldn't comply with nor did she want to argue with him so kept quiet and took out a plate for herself ,both shared a silent meal.

She went to the kitchen to wash the dishes and after some time came out to go to her room when she saw him filling the diya which she had lit with ghee. She smiled at his concern and went to him. He was dropping a huge chunk of half molten ghee on the diya from the top, fearing this might extinguish the flame she held his hand to reduce its quantity, " Arnav ji, not so much."

He raised his eye brow and said sheepishly " actually I've not done this before. During childhood, mummy used to do all the puja and stuff." She grinned and shook her head, " ah it's alright."

She took a step back and asked casually, "so as a young boy what would you do?" he frowned at her question for a moment, thought about it then smirked and replied ," me, nothing ..i used to just wait for the puja to get over so that I could gorge on the modaks (sweets) made by mummy ."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion when she saw him standing next to the plate where modaks were kept ," are you here by any chance for the modaks?"

He followed her gaze and saw the plate then began laughing " oh no, I was here just to add ghee to the lamp."

For the first time she saw him smiling and noticed a hint of gleam in his eyes as he spoke about his childhood.

She was pleased to see him like that ," Arnav ji, you have a wonderful smile. You should smile more."

He stopped smiling on hearing her and lowered his head," it's quite late. Let's go ." she turned to leave when he glanced at the plate and picked up two pieces of the sweet, popped one in his mouth immediately and slipped the other one in his pocket.

He was climbing the stairs behind her when she stopped and turned around suddenly, she pointed towards the corner of his mouth, he frowned at her ," there's some modak at the corner of your lips. Brush it off" And began climbing the stairs again.

He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and frowned.

How the hell did she come to know?

Thanks for reading

Rose