Shhh...
"Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence."
The above lines of Longfellow's poem almost came true in the case of Arnav & Khushi... But aren't we glad & thankful that they didn't.
As you rightly said...
"Who could have imagined that a chance encounter at an airport would turn into a journey of a life time? Who could have imagined that two ships passing in the night would one day find their paths converged and leading to the same common destination." -- Simply poetic! But this is what I call destiny. :) When things are meant to be, the chips just fall in line. Thus, two souls, being complete strangers, came together at the most unexpected yet opportune times, not once, not twice, but thrice in a row!! Serendipity certainly wasn't leaving anything to chance for them to meet. LOL And forced Dr. Raizada to acknowledge even through a thick haze of pain & alcohol induced numbness, that there was indeed something rather special about this certain Dr. Gupta. ;) Something that even Arnav acknowledged once to Aastha, that he did not go looking for Khushi, rather serendipity brought her to him... And Arnav being the smart guy that he is, did not waste any time on following up on his instincts... His instincts guided him correctly to believe,"It has to be love, what else could it be... ??"
Once he was able to detect his feelings for the lovely Dr. Khushi Gupta, there was no looking back... He realized soon that his life suddenly did not seem all that bleak anymore. There was definitely a silver lining to the heavy dark clouds looming upon his horribly messed up life. There was indeed a faint light at the end of long dark tunnel...
Khushi, on the other hand, was ecstatic to again run into the extraordinarily handsome hunk whose aesthetically chiseled profile had reminded her of Roman Emperors seen on ancient coins and had dazzled her once. She could not believe her luck, at having run into him again at the airport, but was soon left feeling peeved at his total lack of interest in her... Not only disinterest but also slight disdain of her & her motives when she like a good Samaritan had gone to return his book to him... His cold voice & suspicious looks had more than hurt her tender heart...
But his slightly friendly overtures at Security, had again made her heart soar & forgiven him for his earlier aloofness... Not seeing him upon landing at Delhi airport had made her wonder about the famous lines above of two ships passing in the night...
But luckily for them both, serendipity wasn't about to give up on the brusque, uncommunicative, and unyielding Dr. Raizada so easily... It dropped the lovely Dr. Gupta right into his lap practically from where there was no choice for him to but notice & be enthralled by the charming, vivacious, beautiful & compassionate girl that Khushi is... He was a goner before he even knew it...
Though their love story was hardly a walk in the park, they both endured through the numerous ups & downs, twists & turns, heart breaks & bittersweet reconciliation and reaffirmed their desire & vows to spend the rest of their lives together rather than apart.
Finally, after numerous struggles, Khushi found herself just where she wanted to be, that is, right beside Dr. Raizada as his partner for life. Although, the lack of communication from her stubborn mother did bring out the odd frown every now & then and marred her otherwise perfect day... But then, life is never a bed of roses, it comes, perfectly equipped with all the thorns for us to cherish & feel blessed about the things we do have.
Even though, "Her life seemed to be thundering ahead with twists, turns and occurrences completely out of line with what she'd previously imagined or dreamed about. However, her heart was at peace hearing the familiar cadence of his voice, feeling his warm presence beside her and listening to him discussing the day's plans with Mr. Bhat."
Relaxing in the company of the beloved & sharing a joke with them after all the trials & tribulations that life has dealt him Arnav cannot help but appreciate his stroke of good fortune of having Khushi as his soon-to-be-bride...
Arnav turned to look at her. Their gazes dissolved and blended into a contiguous warmth. Mirth slowly melted into a simmering awareness of the present moment, a gentle savoring of their togetherness. A warm breeze to chase the last vestiges of winter away from their souls.
"Is that what love does to you?, Arnav wondered... Hallelujah! Yes! Dr. Raizada, most definitely so...
Love not only makes one benevolent, but it also empowers one with deep insight about one's beloved... Although, Khushi had never voiced her guilt to Arnav again, he knew instinctively, that in one tiny corner of Khushi's compassionate heart rested a teeny weeny guilt about Lavanya... Perhaps, it was something he too could now feel towards Lavanya just by feeling so blessed to be so happy in love... It was a stroke of luck to find Lavanya's news on his FB page... Sharing the piece of news put their guilt ridden hearts to rest to let go of the last vestiges of guilt residing in their compassionate hearts.
"What he was about to share with her, he realized instinctively, would release her happiness from the last shackles holding it back. And just because she was the person she was, it would make her happiness more complete.
They looked at the picture together, their eyes glowing with satisfaction, their hearts expanding with benevolence."
"A thought crossed Khushi's mind but she decided to save it for a later day..." Hmmm, I wonder what that is??? 🤔
Reaching their destination, Arnav welcomed Khushi to his home & hearth with a loving gesture & words...
"Arnav picked Khushi's hand from her lap and pressed his lips against it's knuckles.
"Welcome home, Khushi", he said huskily, his eyes conveying the implicit import of his words."
The wedding was surreal to say the least... A private ceremony during the twilight hours with the majestic Pir Panjal range as the backdrop in a beautiful valley described by many as heaven on earth, lent a splendid aura to an otherwise ethereal setting. A perfect locale for a perfect union of two souls who were joined together in holy matrimony for this life & seven more lives to come...
"Khushi's head was covered and bowed as she kept her eyes fixed on the fire, it's glow accentuating the silent, deep emotions that played on her face.
And Arnav kept his gaze on her, unable to veer it away, a million unadorned vows and promises erupting from the depth of his soul."
What seemed like a simple act to Arnav, held an ocean of meaning for Khushi... Proud to be wearing the sacred red powder in Arnav's name is an honor only a married woman knows & appreciates. Arnav realizing the depth of her feelings for this simple ritual performed it with the just right reverence...
"Reminded of his mother's memorable words about blue ink and vermillion, his mouth quirked with humor. However, when he met Khushi's eyes and saw them swimming with tears, he realized the depth of meaning this simple moment held for her. It was with tender eyes that he performed the last rite."
Sealing the deal completely, Arnav tied the necklace around her slender neck that will pronounce to the world that Khushi belongs to him from now until eternity...
"With both drenched in the gold of dusk and their eyes lambent with a sublime sheen, he clasped the mangalsutra around her neck with gentle fingers."
Finally, reaching home & being welcomed by Om Prakash, was really sweet, although, I wish he had addressed Khushi as "Bhabhi" and not didi as that is what she really is to him... The ever thoughtful husband, cognizant about his new bride's sugar levels had the presence of mind to feed her before ravishing her himself... It would really do no good, if she were to pass out on him while having his wicked ways with her... 😉
But as the bride promised her brand new husband, we'll just have to see, who ravishes whom, won't we? 😉
Arnav carrying his bride in his arms as he crossed the threshold of his private lair set the tone for a dreamy & seductive night of pleasures. Arnav was completely intoxicated by his beautiful bride, she was finally his. And he ain't letting her out of his sight anytime soon. 😳
Do I really have to say now Jenny, how much I loved this update?? I leave that for you to decide... 😊
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Anupamaa
