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Lucknow,
" Lavanya? You here?" Arnav's expressions were that of happiness but his eyes were black-holes which just had sorrow in them, just had pain glistening in them.
"Hello Arnav. I just returned from Delhi so I thought to meet you, after all it has been a long time." Lavanya came up with an excuse which came to her mind, while her expressions had sort of revealed that she was lying.
" Anyways, how was it in Delhi? You had gone there for an internship right? How did it go?" Arnav seated himself on the sofa while Lavanya took the seat opposite to him.
" It was good, thank you. I also got a chance to meet Khushi after a long time there." Lavanya brought up the topic of Khushi intentionally while Arnav's expressions changed suddenly from that of fake-happiness to that of curiosity to pain.
" Oh! How is she?" His mind wanted him to not ask the question but his heart which was madly in love with Khushi couldn't control its concern and compelled Arnav to question Lavanya.
Arnav's concern for Khushi had touched Lavanya's heart. She didn't want to lie being Arnav's best friend and a human but she couldn't break the promise which she made to Khushi, could she?
" Oh, she is extremely happy. After all, she is going to get married right? And also J--J--e--ejaji is completely into her, so why wouldn't she be happy?" Lavanya couldn't even bring herself to call that nincompoop as her brother-in-law after what he tried to do with her sister-like friend. For her only person was eligible to be Khushi's husband and that is Arnav Singh Raizada.
"That's great!" It seemed that Arnav was going to break anytime soon with the feelings flooding in his eyes and his shaky voice, while Lavanya felt extremely remorseful for hurting Arnav.
" Achcha Arnav, I think I should leave now. See you later. Take care." Lavanya got up from the seat and almost ran out of Arnav's house, unable to see his pain which was indirectly due to her.
Brine fell through the windows to his soul, which Arnav sat numb and lifeless. His Khushi was happy with someone else in her life? And why was he calling her as 'his'? He lost that right, didn't he?
The flashes of their marriage, which Khushi deemed as an act, appeared in front of his eyes while leaving him more in pain, despair and consternation.
--FLASHBACK--
|| Tadeva Lagnam Sudinam Tadeva, Tara Balam, Chandra Balam Tadeva||
|| Vidya Balam, Daiva Balam Tadeva Lakshmi Pateh Teghri Yugam Smarami||
The sacred mantra which was quintessential to begin any sacred event, especially marriage was resonating in their ears. They had rehearsed for it without the vermilion and the marital chain and they knew that acting with them was definitely not going to be easy.
Being the best actors the university had ever seen, Arnav and Khushi were taken to act for the play, where a marriage of Shiv-Parvati was shown, without even an audition. Bedecked with ornaments, Khushi was looking absolutely ravishing while Arnav was looking as handsome as he always was in the Chandra Shekar avatar of Lord Shiva.
It was true that they were actors but their hearts were entangled in a complex knot as if they were really getting married. They were known to be extremely professional but acting with your best friend with whom you were already in platonic love was definitely not easy.
The Var Mala, had made them feel that they belonged to each other.
The Phere, had made them feel tied to each other in a sacred bond while the promises they had made to each other sounded more true than anything in the world.
Finally, when it was the time to tie the marital chain around Khushi's neck, the coy face of her with a crimson color, coloring her cheeks had made Arnav lose his heart at once to her. Yet again, it felt like a real marriage not a reel scene.
The charming smile which played on her lips had infectiously swept on his lips. For others it was sizzling chemistry but for them it was just bliss as they lost themselves to the person in front of them.
He picked up the vermilion from the ceremonial plate while his eyes got locked with hers. There were unknown feelings swimming in those eyes. A pair of eyes was filled with just love while the other was filled with passion, raw passion.
As he filled her partition with the vermilion, his heart jumped in joy as if she was drenched in his color of love.
" Aaj Se Aap Vidhi Vat Pati Aur Patni Huye." The person acting as the priest had delivered his dialogues while for Arnav and Khushi it was real priest establishing their relationship as that of husband and wife.
In a society as that of ours, even an act which has marriage becomes real after all we all have been taught khel khel ki shaadi ho ya phir majaak main hui shaadi, shaadi to shaadi hoti hai aur pati tho parmeshwar hi hai.
( Be it an act or a prank or a play, marriage is a marriage and husband is GOD)
And also, vermilion which is a color, a sign of marriage doesn't go off for 3 days if once used then somewhere emotions had to get struck, even if it was just an act.
--FLASHBACK ENDS--
An act had changed their lives. They had acted before that and had acted after that but probably the towing moment of their life was captured in that act only.
Will Arnav see Khushi's love behind her actions?
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Gupta Mansion, Delhi
" Sudhakar Ji, Rahul Bitua's parents are asking for 50 Lakhs, Khushi ke Ghar Basane Ke Liye." Suhasini spoke in a meek tone while she looked at the ground, not even looking at her husband after all blind respect she had for him would not let her even see him.
" 50 Lakhs Only? Arre, we will give more because ultimately the more the money we give, the happier our daughter will be and we will also be respected more in the society." Sudhakar had loved Khushi more than anyone else, even than his son because Khushi never left an opportunity to make him proud but his love was going in the wrong direction, and Khushi realized it.
" They are giving dowry? But that is illegal right? How can Mumma and Papa do this? If anyone has to give the dowry it should be the groom's side, because a girl leaves her house, her title as a Miss, her surname and her everything for an institution called marriage. Why can't Mumma and Papa see this? I am not going to let them do something as wrong as this." Khushi decided as she slid along the wall with her tears sliding down her cheeks.
Will Khushi's pain ever fade?
---
Veer Hanuman
Anupamaa
703