I really couldn't believe that I was standing here on this lush green and beautiful echoing mountain top with just her beside me. We had come to Shimla for a business project not that it actually mattered to me at this present moment as being alone with her did. How many times had we tried to move away from each other but destiny always had its last laugh.
After the guest house incident, she had resigned from her job. Much as I wanted to stop her from leaving me, my ego prevented me from doing so. Then both of us were swept off our feet by the huge whirlwind caused by the revelation of my brother-in-law, Shyam's dirty eye for her. I was very afraid whether things could ever be back to normal between us.
But no, I was wrong. Di had said that she could never forgive Shyam for what he did to her and Khushi. Wasn't I glad that my sister did not have to spend the rest of her life with such a cheat? Yes. Above all I was glad that she took everything in her stride, even the huge scandal caused by it, and came out unscathed. I really admired her for her courage and honesty. She was the one for me.
But how could I ever confess all this to her. More problems came our way. Her babuji's sweet shop was destroyed in an accident. It was at that point of time, I again offered her the job she had resigned at AR group of companies. I promised her that I would rebuild her babuji's shop if she worked here with me for a period of six months. I knew that she could do anything for her family.
How quickly the days sped. We had started working together and now in a few days, she would leave me again. I knew what I had to do to stop her from going. But could I really bring myself to do it. NO.
She was shouting "Khushi, Khushi" with childish joy atop the mountain. The whole place was echoing with her name. That's when she suggested that I, Arnav Singh Raizada do the same. "Is she mad? Does she expect me to behave like a school kid? I am ASR, the business tycoon. Could I ever do…."
"Arnav, Arnav" I didn't know what came upon me.
"Khushi, Khushi" She shouted with all the enthusiasm of a naughty kid.
The whole place was echoing with our names "Arnav, Khushi" as though it were meant to be like this. That is when she shouted "Sameer"
The discordant note had been struck. Could we go, I asked her. We had wasted enough time when we ought to have been dealing with business matters. She didn't know what had come upon me all of a sudden. But I knew very well what had happened.
Back in the car, I pressed my foot on the accelerator and was driving in an unconcerned manner, or so I thought. She had immediately detected like always that something was amiss. She questioned me what was the matter. I replied "Nothing". She kept quiet. "Who is this Sameer?" I asked
She started speaking in an effusive manner about how he was her childhood friend and how he had promised Babuji that he would marry her as soon as he found a suitable match for her elder sister Payal. She told "Babuji was very depressed about me and what would happen to me after the Shyam scandal. That's when Sameer came back to India. He had always been my true friend. He promised Babuji that he would support me no matter what came."
"How come you never told me about him all these months?" I asked.
"I never got the opportunity. Moreover I did not think that it mattered so much that I had to tell you about it." she replied.
"Yes it matters. And it matters the world to me because I LOVE YOU" I blurted out.
"I was waiting only for this, Arnav. I had refused to marry him because a marriage without love would never survive. And I never could love him because I LOVE YOU. He is and always was my best friend while you were my LOVE."
The unexpected had happened.
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