~OS- Thank You~

OS: Thank You

"Oh my god, Paridhi! You look gorgeous! Just like your mother," whispered Anjali as she fixed her niece's hair. Paridhi beamed at her aunt.

"Thank you, bua," said Paridhi. She watched as her aunt fixed her jewelry and tried to find the smallest flaws in her makeup.

"Bua?" she asked as she looked at her lengha. Anjali looked at her.

"Yes, beta?" she asked.

"Would maa be proud of me today?" she asked quietly. Anjali sighed and hugged Paridhi from the back.

"Yes, beta. Your mother would have been so proud of you today. And of chotte also," replied Anjali. She wiped the tears away from Paridhi's face.

"Shh…stop crying. Your makeup will get spoilt. You know how much work I spent on your face!" she exclaimed in mock anger. Paridhi laughed.

The door of the room opened and a man in his late fifties came in. Age had made his soft brown hair gray in places and small wrinkles were showing around his eyes, but he was still incredibly handsome. He wore a gray Armani.

"Di, stop crying today, atleast," said Arnav. Anjali wiped her tears away and smiled at her younger brother.

"Fine, Chotte. I won't cry today. Promise!" she exclaimed. Arnav managed a small crooked smile and looked at his daughter. Arnav couldn't help but feel astonished. She looked just like Khushi. Paridhi turned around in her chair and stood up.

"Dad? How do I look?" she asked. Arnav put a hand on his daughters head.

"Just like Khushi. An identical copy," he whispered. Paridhi smiled and hugged her father. Anjali beamed at both of them. The door opened again and a young girl appeared.

"Anjali didi. Manorma Mami is calling you," said the girl. Anjali nodded, wiped at her eyes again, and limped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Arnav let go of his daughter and removed a small red box from his pocket. Paridhi looked at him.

"Dad? What's that?" she asked. Arnav took her hand and placed the box in it.

"Open it," he said. Paridhi opened the box, her bangles tinkling. Inside was a pair of silver payals. Paridhi looked at her father.

"Dad…were these Maa's?" she whispered. Arnav smiled and nodded.

"Yes. These were your mother's payals. Her mother had given them to her. Remember, I had told you about them when you were small?"

Paridhi nodded. "I remember, Dad. I remember." Tears fell out of her eyes as she closed the box and hugged it to her chest. "If only Maa was here, Dad. She would have been so so so so SO happy." Arnav sighed.

"Khushi would have been happy. But she would also have been cursing me for not wearing a sherwaani today," he added, laughing. Paridhi laughed with him.

The door opened again and Payal, Manorma Mami, Garima, Buaji, and Anjali walked in. Payal smiled at both of them.

"Arnavji, they are calling the bride." Arnav nodded.

"Take her. I'll be down in a couple of minutes," he said. The women began to comment on how much Paridhi resembled her mother and began to take her downstairs. Before walking out the door, Paridhi turned her head.

"Thanks, Dad," she mouthed. Arnav nodded. The door closed and Arnav turned around to face the large picture of Khushi, hanging on the wall, a garland around it. She was smiling and was clad in a red saari, one of his favorites.

"Hey, Khushi. How are you?" asked Arnav as he touched the picture. Khushi seemed to smile at him. Arnav sighed.

"If you were here….you would be so happy to see her. She looks just like you. And Armaan? He is just like me," said Arnav, chuckling silently. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you, Khushi. Thank you so much for giving me Pari and Armaan. If they weren't here….I don't know what would have happened to me after you left. I would have turned back into ASR. I hope that…you are watching us. You know what? I hear Armaan telling Pari all the time, when she misses you, that you have turned into a star. I know that it is pretty ridiculous, but I also believe it. You're the star that shines the brightest in the sky, watching over us three, right? I miss you, Khushi, but I know that you must be happy there, with your Amma and Bapuji…and my mother. I love you Khushi….and I always will," he told the picture as his eyes became wet. Arnav cleared his throat and turned away from the picture. The door opened again and Armaan walked in wearing a black suit.

"Dad? Anjali Bua is calling you," he said. Arnav turned around and looked at his son, who resembeled Arnav when he was younger.

"Coming," he said. Armaan nodded and left. Arnav looked at the picture again and smiled.

"Bye, Khushi."

Authors Note:

If you are wondering how Khushi died...she died after giving birth to Paridhi. Please Like and Comment!!