After Shashi returned from the States, he sat down with the Raizadas and decided a right date and time for all the rituals to take place and the Raizadas right to their word, didn't reveal anything about the so-called affair in between Lavanya and Arnav as per Arnav's request.
The engagement was decided to be after 2 days after the meeting happened, and there was no talk in between Arnav and Khushi even after multiple tries from Arnav's side.
" Please forgive me, Khushi. It is all happening due to me." Lavanya held Khushi's shoulder affectionately while the latter let out muffled sobs with eyes burning with pain, as she sat facing her dress to be worn today, for it was her engagement with Arnav.
Khushi held Lavanya's hand, controlling the rage of emotions conflicting in her heart and killing her grey cells and letting in the sisterly emotions flow into her soul, with a hope that they would soothe her while soothing her sister's pain with her words,
" No, Lav. There is absolutely no fault of yours in whatever that eventuated. In fact, your rejection of NK wasn't wrong too because it is just your choice. Sometimes when there is a fault in our stars, even the right things we do lead to wrong consequences which we don't deserve, Lav. And I myself chose this destiny, didn't I? I don't have any complaints, Lav, so please stop holding yourself accountable for all this."
" Khushi Bete, get ready fast, bete. Arnav's family would be here anytime." Shashi's voice fell on their ears before Lavanya could contradict Khushi and Khushi signed with her eyes to let her change into her engagement dress and do the necessary makeup to show to her father that she was happy with the alliance.
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Engagement Venue,
Amid of those claps which resonated in the living room of Shantivan, Arnav and Khushi mechanically exchanged the rings, as if they were programmed to do so. There was no enthusiasm in their eyes, no glow on their face, infact their faces were pale and lifeless, as if something very dear to them was snatched.
Everyone got busy with the talks and mingled with their own groups, while Arnav's eyes were all for Khushi. The usual cheeriness in her was lost somewhere as she accepted the wishes of the guests with a fake smile.
" Khushi..."
" Don't speak, Mr.Raizada. Please don't. I cannot bear to listen any more taunts or sign any more deals with you. You won and I lost, Mr.Raizada." Khushi's words burned Arnav's soul, while that burning made tears well up in his eyes as he looked at Khushi with pain.
" Excuse me." Khushi excused herself unable to control those dams which threatened to break as the wall erected behind her eyes broke, to let the streams of tears to flow carelessly.
Candles burn themselves to give others light, without thinking that they would end up as a deformed solid to which no one would pay any heed. Arnav and Khushi were two burning candles who had placed their siblings above themselves. The flame of love was still alive, and was still making them lose their identity into the darkness of their own shadow, their alter-ego as they were becoming something, which was opposite of their own identity.
But somewhere deep in their hearts, they wanted to unite even after being deformed completely as their hearts craved for each other after the long struggle of hate and love. Their hearts didn't care for the reason they were uniting, all they cared for was that, they had the company of the person, their broken pieces of hearts were in possession of.
" If you want to punish me, do it, Khushi. But please don't cry like this. I cannot see you cry." Arnav held her shoulder while Khushi jerked his hand away and spoke in low and dangerous voice,
" Did you leave me with an option other than crying over my fate, Mr.Raizada? If you cannot see me crying, then why did you place this proposition in front of the Guptas? The fact is that every tear of mine carries your name on it, Mr.Raizada. You are the reason of every tear of mine."
Khushi moved back, while her expressions softened and merged with those that of sheer pain, excruciating and devastating pain.
" You see this ring, Mr.Raizada? Just like this ring which doesn't have an end, you have trapped me and my sister into an unending vortex of pain. This ring doesn't just bind me to you, Mr.Raizada. It binds me to pain, which kills me from within. I still don't understand which lover would want to see the person whom they claimed to love in pain. Great is your brother's love for Lavanya and your love for your brother, Mr.Raizada. I just have no words for that. I am ashamed of myself and my choice that I was attracted to a person, who was in a want of a heart, for he lacked one."
As the realization struck that she had let out the truth that she was attracted to Arnav, Khushi stumbled back as she covered her mouth, widely opened due to shock. For a painstruck Arnav, Khushi's partial confession was like a boon. So what if she didn't want to say and was ashamed of it, still she was attracted to him or probably loves him.
Khushi turned out without uttering another word and staged a firm walkout while Arnav stood flabbergasted. His heart wanted to rejoice. That heart which Khushi claimed that he didn't possess want to rejoice. The heart which was cold, emotionless and ruthless wanted to rejoice, not for his engagement but because the constrained reciprocation of his deep and genuine feelings.
Will this confession relieve at least a part of the pain in which Arnav and Khushi were being tormented in?
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" Aunty Ji, I have actually observed something in this party. If you allow me, I would like to place my observations in front of you." Shashi smiled warmly while his courtesy and respect made Devyani's heart fill with pride that Arnav had chosen a fine family for his in-laws.
" Ji Samdhi Ji. Avashya. You don't need to ask my permission for that. Please tell everything your heart wants to." Devyani's affectionate voice, reminded Shashi of his own mother, as few unshed tears accumulated in his eyes.
" I have noticed your grandson Nand Kishore looking at Lavanya with admiration in his eyes and I know for sure that he will be a gem of a person for sure like Arnav Bitua. So if I have your's and NK's consent along with Lavanya's, we can be related through one more marriage." Devyani was pleasantly surprised to listen to Shashi while she felt happy for NK that finally he got a girl for him from the right family and she was sure that NK's family wanted girls who are fashionable and modern just like Lavanya. Though the fact that Lavanya and Arnav were associated before came in front of her eyes, she chose to ignore it for the sake of NK, as she too had noticed attraction in his eyes.
" This will be our pleasure, Samdhi Ji. I will surely speak to NK about this."
A smile broke out on Shashi's face but what changes will this alliance lead to?
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Edited by .MereRangMein. - 10 years ago
Cricket
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