Hate That I Love You #4 epilog Pg.61 06/07 - Page 28

Harshu!!! I just managed to read this from chap one YET AGAIN !!!:)

such a long wait for the next part ??

:) when are u updating

Sista! Could u believe this? 6 days gone already updated!!

Where is my sincere Sista..? Who are u have taken over her and made her a lazy bug?? 😆

Tomorrow u would??

Make it better...I do not want to cry anymore

Oh no! They're going to have a terrible fight and break up aren't they?!!! The good times never last!!! Boo hoo hoo!!

Originally posted by: nanz_2211

wat happened 2 her???

Aliens attacked!! (Credit for this answer goes to my Rae! 😆 )

No offense meant! Was just kidding. . .

In case I did not make myself clear, she met with an accident and now she's fine. Fine in the sense that she faces no fatality. . . 😃

Harshu! I thought u updated ! :(

Originally posted by: Psychedelic

Harshu! I thought u updated ! :(

Aww. . . . 🤗

And I shall!

In a while. . . . 😃

Part 27:

Your task is not to seek for love,

But merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

~Rumi

Arnav had fought. Very hard. To stay away. But he had been unable to stop himself when Akash had told him that he was taking all of their family members, back to home, and Payal was the only one with Khushi. He MUST go! He had thought and had found himself driving towards the hospital. Payal, on seeing Arnav, had excused herself to go to the cafeteria, giving them both the time which she knew Khushi had wanted to spend with Arnav, since she had woken up.

One look at her, and it took all of his self control NOT to go and hug her tight, for she looked so fragile. Holding her against him; reassuring himself that she had not left him. Not sharing her with anybody else. He had been too shaken when he had seen her lie lifeless in the operation theatre. And seeing her like that he had felt the same way too. Lifeless.

He saw her trying to sit up. And he gently pushed her back onto the bed, and pulled back, feeling her fingers skim his forearm. And when he stood straight and looked back at her, her eyes had started to fill with the moisture Arnav hated to see.

Oh, no! She was crying! This is not supposed to be so! She mustn't hurt. She mustn't cry! Were the thoughts that crossed Arnav's mind when he saw her start crying. "Khushi, please!!" he murmured, his resolve of staying detached from her dying then and there. Khushi refused to acknowledge his plea and continued to bawl. Yes. The intensity of her sobs was that of a woman who had lost her love. In a sense, had not Arnav made her feel the exact same way? Staying away from her when she had needed him more than anything else?

The first thing he did after taking her in his arms, and noticing how her sobs lessened immediately, was to curse himself, hoping he would find solace only in death. But Khushi needed him. So he could die later. "Why did you not come to see me?!" Khushi asked; her voice accusing and petulant. He pulled back to see the pout on her lips that he knew would be there. And sure enough, her lower lip had jutted out in defiance. "Do you have ANY idea of what you put me through -- Khushi?? I wish somehow I was the one lying there instead of you. I wish I could put you through the same hell that you made me go through. But then, you'd cry and I'd hate myself for doing it to you." he wanted to say, but all he said was, "You will not be riding a two-wheeler anymore." And he watched her, a little of hurt flash in her eyes before her shoulders stooped in defeat.

Khushi had actually counted on Arnav for getting a new bike. Because it was most definitely not her fault that she was lying here, with a broken limb. And she had wanted to voice her thoughts too. But the finality in his voice, had made her relent. She had seen in his eyes, what he had failed to tell her. And if not riding a vehicle would ease his tension, then she would do just that.

Arnav recognized the disappointment in her eyes too, and he knew that she really enjoyed driving a bike. But Arnav Singh Raizada was a selfish man, and was almost proud about it. At least when Khushi was involved. He could get all the love and care from Khushi and he would still crave for some more of her. And like hell he would sit back and let her harm herself again! Arnav thought, making a mental note to buy a bike for himself so that he could take her on the drives that she craved for. She bent her gaze for a second before she leaned forward and laid her forehead on the strong wall of his chest, wincing a little. Arnav moved nearer so that she did not have to lean too much, and held her even more gently than he usually did.

Sometime like that and he felt Khushi relax in his arms, and her breathing turn deep and slow. He gently laid her back, adjusted her pillows and pulled a sheet on top of her, and only then did he let his fears take over control. Suddenly he was the same man, who had feared Khushi's exit from his life. Would he be able to handle that when just that thought was enough to make him shudder? He pulled a chair next to her, and held her hand, his eyes never leaving her face, lost in all the thoughts that had clawed at his heart since that morning. He did not know for how long he sat there in that manner, but he was soon given a sense of propriety when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to see a smiling Payal behind him, and he attempted to lift the ends of his lips, hoping that it would pass as a reciprocating smile. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. I know my sister. She would never let you go that easily!" Payal said, hoping to ease Arnav a little. He gave a sad smile at that, and turned back to her. Payal, not really wanting to disturb him, came out of the ward and called Akash, who had just fallen asleep. She told him how Arnav would not probably leave Khushi's side anytime soon, and that she was missing him. Akash chuckled and told her that he would be right there.

Arriving to the hospital, he hugged Payal and peered into the ward where Arnav still sat holding Khushi's hand, not showing any sign of leaving it anytime soon. Seeing his Bhai like this made him wonder how he would have been had something like this had happened to Payal. His breath hitched, and his grip on Payal's waist tightened at the thought, before he shook his head to clear those negative thoughts. They sat down on the waiting chairs just outside the ward, and talked for a while, before Payal dozed off, laying her head on Akash's shoulder, and Akash's head on hers. Not long after that, Arnav had unwillingly let sleep take over too, as he laid his head on Khushi's hand, which rested on the bed.

Khushi woke in the middle of the night, her throat feeling too parched. She felt a pricking on the back of her hand and saw how Arnav had fallen asleep, his cheek pressed onto the back of her hand. She freed her hand gently, and ran her fingers through his hair. He frowned and mumbled her name in so disturbed a fashion, it made Khushi's eyes to tear up. She knew her accident had shaken him more than he showed. And she would have done everything in her control to stop it, if only she had known that such a thing were to happen. She called his name and he woke up, at once alert, and started to fret on her, noticing her glistening eyes. "Khushi! What happened?! Are you under pain?? Shall I call the doctor??"

Khushi smiled, and said, "Water. . ." He nodded seriously, filled up a glass, helped her to sit up, and made her sip the water. After quenching her thirst, she tried to move aside, trying to make room for him on the bed too, but winced in pain.

Arnav watched in horror, as she tried to move on the bed, and wince in pain. "Khushi! What on earth are you trying to do??" Khushi told what she had been trying to do, and he glanced at the spare bed in the ward, as if suggesting that he could sleep there. Khushi pouted and turning petulant, she said, "I want you here, next to me." Arnav felt something in his chest expand and he was apprehensive for a second, that he might accidentally hurt her or something, before he bent and picked her up gingerly and laid her back, making a little room for himself. He laid down facing her, and she tried to snuggle into him, as much as she could.

She told him what all had happened since she left AR, how her experience had been, and how she had wanted him to be there. He listened to it all, as patiently as she had expected him to. "Speak Arnav!" Khushi ordered, unable to take his silence anymore. "You will not be riding a two-wheeler anymore." Arnav repeated his statement from early that evening. Khushi sighed once before she started whining about it, "But why?! This was not my mistake! And I love riding!!"

Arnav easily ignored the suggestive voice she used when she said she loves riding. In such a situation, a turn-on was the last thing he wanted for himself. "Exactly! I trust you. It's the other people on the streets, whom I do not trust. And you will not argue anymore regarding this." Khushi huffed, and turned her head away, making him relax a little before he wrapped an arm across her waist, and kissed her cheek. An excuse of an apology - which Khushi recognized and sighed once in acceptance. As much as she wanted to stay up, she could not. Her body was simply too tired, after it had faced so much of injury and pain that day. And Arnav was tired too. After facing such an emotionally turbulent and draining day. And hence they slipped into a fitful sleep.

---

Khushi, with the help of Payal and Lavanya, dressed for her fashion show. It had been two months since her accident, and she could walk, but with a slight limp, so as to conform the cast. (Luckily the cast would be dropped in a week too!) She had actually insisted on the fashion show going on without any glitch due to her accident. But Arnav would not hear the end of it. He had finally agreed to arrange for the fashion show after two months. That is, Khushi had made him agree, taking a lot of patience and persistence on her behalf. She would not be able to take care of the fashion show, Arnav had argued, and Lavanya had agreed to take care of the backstage, knowing how desperately Khushi wanted the show to happen. Anjali had agreed with Khushi too. And hence Khushi and the sisterhood had managed to make Arnav change his decision.

Arnav's behaviour had not changed. He had been a little detached over the past month. She had caught him staring at her longingly. Not the desire filled looks that she was used from him. No. She had started to practically burn for him. His touch. Him. Inside her. And he had managed to keep physical intimacy totally away from them. She had decided that she would have to talk with him after the show. Why was he behaving this way? Didn't he want her anymore?

That was crap, and she knew it.

He loved her and she knew it too.

But she would be damned if she simply sat back and saw their relationship fall into an abyss.

She held on to the edge of the dressing table and stood up gingerly; wanting to look at herself and make sure she looked alright. She had wanted to dress herself in one of the gowns that she had designed. But the cast needed to be covered and hence she had to settle for a saree. It was a simple one, though it did not lack in elegance.

She saw Arnav enter her room, a bunch of her favourite red roses in his hand. He handed them over to her, unwilling to meet her gaze, and Khushi all but threw the flowers away in frustration. She wanted him, and all these things did not matter anymore. She ambled towards him with determined steps and he caught her midway. She put her arms around his neck, and pulled his head down for a kiss. And he came without a fight. But his kiss was too tense. Almost as if he was nervous about something. Again, all Khushi wanted to do was to laugh away. Nervousness and Arnav Singh Raizada in the same sentence seemed silly.

'What is he nervous about?!' Khushi wondered as she broke the kiss and tried to look into his eyes, seeking a few answers. He again averted her gaze and informed her that all the arrangements were done and that she did not have to worry about a thing. At the end of the show, she just had to walk down the ramp and take credit. Khushi had, in every difficulty, denied to Arnav that she would not go there on the wheel chair as he had suggested. Imagine the horror!

He guided her out of the house and into the car. The fashion show was organized at . One of the most posh hotel in Delhi. And when they reached the venue, she was similarly guided to a comfortable chair in the backstage where she could watch all the models, modelling her creations, but would be quite away from the entire bustle. She sighed and nodded at him when he said that he would go and sit with their families. Yes. He had made sure the Guptas were there too. To watch their Khushi grow into the Khushi Kumari Gupta. She had expected him to be there with her for each second of her first show. And this came as quite a surprise.

She watched with the eyes of a proud parent as each of her creations was adorned by the skinny models. And I will not even ask you to guess the show stopper. Sana Banerjee. Khushi laughed at the whole irony of it. She would remain ever grateful of this particular skinny model. After all she had discovered a good measure of her love just because of her!

And then it was time to go and walk with Sana. Sana had been informed very strictly by Arnav that if Khushi tripped on her own feet, he would hold Sana responsible and that he would make sure that Sana's career as a model would end at the earliest. So she held on tight to Khushi's right hand as Khushi's left hand held a microphone, and they walked, Khushi's limp visible only under a very keen scrutiny. She came to the end of the ramp, and bent her head in a very traditional Namaste, when it happened. One second, there were these copious flash lights of the cameras and the vivid limelight focussing on her, and the next all else was dark, except a single limelight which still focussed on her and one or two flashes of cameras in the middle.

She turned to the front row, where she had seen and smiled to all her family members, both Guptas and the Raizadas, and Arnav had sat with them too. His eyes easily displaying the pride he felt for her. His Khushi.

But she could not actually see a thing, for it was completely dark. She was straining her eyes and even asked Sana what this was all about and found that Sana was no longer standing next to her! She was about to walk back when another limelight came on and it showed a particular Raizada who was standing with a sheepish grin on his face. Khushi looked at him questioningly and his grin widened even more. He took all the possible time to walk towards Khushi and stopped only when he directly stood in front of her.

He knelt in front of her and Khushi's breathing stopped altogether. What was he up to? Khushi's mind answered her question even as she thought about it. He silently held up his hand and showed her the ring which he held in his hand. Her eyes glistened with tears of joy. And the look in his eyes. He was looking at her with so much joy, so much expectation that she almost bobbed her head up and down with joy. But then she remembered her parents who sat there, and looked at them once, seeking their permission. The lights were on now, and she saw her parents nodding their head and urging her to let Arnav put the ring on her finger.

She turned back to Arnav, and had given her hand to him, her grin symbolic of the happiness she was feeling at the moment. And just when he was about to deposit the ring on the prescribed finger, she pulled it back, her eyes gleaming with naughtiness. Arnav frowned slightly as he stood up. He knew it would be something silly with just a look at her mischievous smile. She turned on the mic and spoke just one word into it. "Why?"

Arnav narrowed his eyes at her. So this was the way of her getting back at him. He knew that she had hated every moment of the past month, where he had kept himself away from her. When Khushi and his relationship had left the avenue of hate, and had started to step towards love, Arnav had unknowingly bent his own rule of not falling in love around Khushi. And Khushi's love had been so damn intoxicating that he had not realized that he had forgotten his own rule. (At the moment though, it should be known that he did not have any qualms regarding that!)

Her accident had slapped him in the face and brought him out of his intoxication that Khushi was for him. He now had a clearer perspective on things. And he had heard Khushi's father talk to Nani that Khushi should not be staying in their place while it was teeming with bachelors. He had immediately protested and had hence come to a decision. It was a universally accepted fact by now, that Khushi should be by his side and he could probably never want her away. Not even for a day. So Arnav had asked Khushi's hand in marriage, surprising the Guptas and shocking the Raizadas. And finally it was decided that he should make her his in every sense and her parents had agreed whole-heartedly too. And hence he had chosen her big day to make her even happier, both the families helping him in planning the surprise for Khushi.

And now, here she stood, challenging him to proclaim his feelings for her. Any normal day, we would have seen a visibly awkward Arnav. But right now, he was Arnav Singh Raizada. Of the famous AR Designs. He took the microphone from her and simply answered, "Because I hate you."

The people who did not know of the lovers on the stage, gasped at such a reply. Thinking that Khushi Kumari Gupta had missed the only chance that Arnav Singh Raizada had offered her. In fact, even their families looked with a decent amount of shock. But then they clearly did not Khushi. For if they had, they would have known that Khushi would mainly seek the answer to her question from Arnav's eyes and not his mouth. And his eyes had blatantly displayed the opposite of his answer. They watched in wonder as she smiled and offered him her hand, and he slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her to his embrace.

"So you hate me, eh?" Khushi asked; her lips against his ear.

Arnav answered her query in her ear too, and watched in awe as Khushi threw her head back and laughed.

And there should not be a doubt as to what he had said to her.

"I hate that I love you. . . ."

That's how much I love you
That's how much I need you
And I can't stand ya
Most everything you do make me wanna smile
Can I not like it for a while?

No, but you won't let me
You upset me, girl, and then you kiss my lips
All of a sudden I forget that I was upset
Can't remember what you did

But I hate it
You know exactly what to do
So that I can't stay mad at you
For too long, that's wrong

But, I hate it
You know exactly how to touch
So that I don't wanna fuss and fight no more
Said, I despise that I adore you

And you completely know the power that you have
The only one that makes me laugh
Sad and it's not fair how you take advantage of the fact
That I love you beyond the reason why
And it just ain't right

And I hate how much I love you, girl
I can't stand how much I need you
And I hate how much I love you, girl
But I just can't let you go
But I hate that I love you so

One of these days, maybe your magic won't affect me
And your kiss won't make me weak
But no one in this world knows me the way you know me
So you'll probably always have a spell on me. . . . .

--THE END--

Yes. You read it right. And there is definitely no mistake. I will be ending this here. And "Never gone, never far" very soon too. . . .

Thanks for the love y'all gave to me for this FF! You know you are all most welcome to read my other FFs. . . .

But if you ain't interested, please do remove HarshuSmilesfrom your buddy list! I won't feel bad, let me assure you that! 😃