SS: Keeping Khushi 3: Part 31 on Thread 4

She trembled at this unexpected proximity and the rush of his hot breath against her neck, and tightened her arms around him, resting against him.

Haldi on her arms stained his kurta. Haldi on his face stained the side of her neck. But they remained oblivious, caught in the heady delight of being in loving arms.

Finally Arnav whispered, "Khushi, I hurried you and all the others through the rituals." He sighed. "We never even talked about your future plans."

Khushi looked into his eyes.

"What do you really want to do?"

"I would like to spend some part of the day with my Baba and children.", she said quietly.

He nodded.

"Sing."

He nodded, smiling.

"Teach music."

He nodded again.

"Spend my life with you...", she whispered, the molten depths of his gaze stealing the strength in her legs.

"I wouldn't have it any other way.", he said. "Khushi, Baba, the children, your music, and me... You will have all these all your life. I promise."

She nodded, smiling tenderly at him, believing him.

Arnav struggled to find words to express his thoughts. "Khushi, your Baba... He is no ordinary man." He cupped Khushi's cheeks. "He loves you as much as you love him. He won't be able to manage without you, and you will never be happy without him."

Khushi nodded.

"The children... Khushi, you are Di and Amma to them. Everything to them. You are their security... Khushi, I don't want them to spend a single day as we did in the past, lost, helpless, alone... I don't want them to go a single day without seeing you."

Khushi smiled at him, marvelling at the depth of his understanding.

"Visit Omkar daily. But get two permanent staff, 2 ladies for the kitchen. They can help in the cooking."

Khushi could not help but agree with him.

"Khushi, about your music... I have made a lot of money from music, Khushi. But I never realised the power of it till the day I listened to you."

Khushi frowned lightly.

"That day, when you sang to the students at the University College... It was like someone had opened a door to another world... Khushi, Khushi, I can't explain this... I am bad at this... But... it is just that you are not leaving music and music is not leaving you. Not as long as I am alive."

Khushi hugged him tight. She had never dreamt, never, that she would meet a man who would understand her so well.

They stood, silent, lost in each other's arms, till a knock sounded on the door.

"Chotey, Khushi Bitiyaa, is haldi over?", Nani teased through the closed door.

Khushi jumped in shock, and tried to leave Arnav's arms, but he caught hold of her, and pressed her against him for one moment, savouring that stolen moment. Then he flicked a finger against her red cheek, led her to the door, and opened it.

It was a strange wedding.

The Raizadas had no other relations. And the inmates of Omkar had no one with them, except Devi Maiyya. Nani, Mami, Anjali, Arnav, Akash, NK, Baba, Khushi, and the children ran around doing all the work and making all the arrangements for the wedding till an hour before the actual function. Then they went to change.

Baba, dressed in his usual attire of a white kurta and dhoti, came down to Khushi's room. Her red and gold apparel was spread over her bed. Flowers, bangles, boxes and boxes of jewellery that the Raizadas had showered on her, all filled the room.

Baba knocked.

Khushi opened the door.

He came in, and held out a big antique jewellery box.

Khushi frowned at him, and slowly took it. She opened it to find the jewels of Baba's wife. Her maang tikka, her bangles studded with precious gems, glinting at having light fall on them, many short and long necklaces, her waist band, her payal that made a jingling sound as she touched them...

She looked at Baba with shocked eyes. "Baba?"

"It is yours."

Tears filled Khushi's eyes as she refused his gift. "No, Baba. It is yours. Please keep it with you."

"There is no yours and mine, Taarva. Wear them. Keep them safe for your children. They have remained in this box for too long, for fifteen years... It is time."

"Baba?"

He nodded.

Khushi laid the box on her bed, and touched his feet and kissed his fingers.

Anjali came to help Khushi dress. The choli, for once, had sleeves only up to her elbows.

Khushi removed her clothes reluctantly, feeling ashamed to expose the scars that she had shown only Arnavji, feeling terrible to show Anjali the damage her father had caused, anxious about her reaction...Her heart beat fast and furious.

Anjali helped her undress, closing her eyes in pain and regret at the sight of the marks of pain on Khushi's skin. If only her father were alive today! She would have killed him with her bare hands. To hurt a small child like this... The pain she must have endured... Tears fell from her eyes, despite all her attempts to control them.

Khushi saw her tears in the mirror. She remained silent, helpless. Maybe Anjali had hoped that her brother would marry a perfect, beautiful girl without scars, someone with a large family... Maybe she was crying for her poor brother who would have to live with these scars all day, every day, all his life... She lowered her eyes, not knowing what to do or say to relieve Anjali's heart.

"Khushiji!", Anjali called softly.

She lifted her head to look at Anjali in the mirror.

"Do you know how proud I am of Chotey today?"

Khushi frowned at her.

Anjali put her arms around Khushi.

"He was a boy, trapped in the terrible incidents of the past till recently. He is a man now. It is all because of you."

Khushi looked at the image in the mirror of Anjali standing behind her, hugging her, smiling in the midst of tears.

"You brought back laughter in his life. You taught him to love."

A tear trailed down Khushi's cheek. Anjali wiped it off.

"You love him a lot, don't you?"

Khushi nodded, unable to make a sound.

"He is a very fortunate man to win your love." Anjali kissed her cheek. "And we are blessed to have you, Baba, and the children in our family."

The wedding passed in a haze. All Khushi could remember was the look in Arnavji's eyes as he first laid eyes on her, the happy tears in Baba's eyes as he performed the kanyadaan, the pride and love in Arnavji's eyes as he tied the mangalsutra around her neck and filled her maang with sindoor, the smile on his face as they completed their saath phere, NK Bhai recording the sweet moments, the smiles on the faces of Nani, Anjali, Akash Bhai, & Mami, the children in their best clothes, Chotu smiling, Nidhi eating laddoo, Akansha teasing her, Vivek and Arnavji helping her stand up for the rituals, the feast, Akshaya and Varun laughing, Simi smiling as Chotu described the rituals happening in front of her blind eyes...

It was time to leave Omkar and go to Arnavji's house. The actual distance between Omkar and RM was neglible. Any moment of the night or the day, she could catch a rickshaw and reach Omkar under 30 minutes, but... But one phase of her life was coming to an end, and another was starting.

Till a few minutes back, she had been Baba's daughter and the mother of 20 children only. Now she was both Baba's daughter and Arnavji's wife... and the mother of 20 children... and the bahuriyaa of Nani and Mami...and the Bhabhi of Anjali, NK, and Akash...

Arnav and Khushi touched Baba's feet and sought his blessings. He hugged both of them, unable to hide the tears in his eyes. They then hugged and bid farewell to all 20 of their children.

Nani caught hold of Baba's hand, and promised him, "Sasiji, we will look after her very well. I promise. She will never be alone. She will never be unhappy. I promise."

Baba nodded.

"We will be there with her all her life, Baba.", Anjali promised him. "She will never be helpless again."

"Hamre Arnav Bitwaa is a good boy.", Mami promised him. "He does not speak much, laugh much... So people misunderstanding karat he. They call him Akhdoo Singh Raijjada... Khadoos..." She told Baba earnestly, "Oo running race ma, people in short chaddis jaamp (jump) over frames. Bhat is it called? Anjali Bitiyaa, bhat is it called?"

"Hurdles, Mami.", said Anjali, a small smile on her face.

"Haan, haan, Hurdlewaa. When you jaamp over his ghusa hurdlewaa and his silence hurdlewaa and know him better, you will have to aagree (agree) with me that he is a paarfect (perfect) damad."

Baba nodded, smiling.

"Oo log kaa kahat he, barking kutta seldom baite (bite). That is our Arnav Bitwaa. A barking kutta who never kaats.", she comforted Baba.

Baba smiled at her.

It was time for Khushi's bidai.

There was not a dry eye as Khushi bid farewell to her family and got into Arnavji's car to leave for her new home. She twisted in her seat to wave at her Baba and children as the car moved away from her home.

Part 23: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3259956/ss-keeping-khushi-3-part-31-on-thread-4?pn=14

Edited by smitar - 12 years ago

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Sharmila

@spsharmila

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+ 3

Posted: 12 years ago

Brilliant 👏 👏

Edited by spsharmila - 12 years ago

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IPKlover

@IPKlover

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Posted: 12 years ago

Thank you so much for the pm!!!! I am drooling over the caring Arnav!!!! ❤️
You made my day!!!!! 😃

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nina282

@nina282

Explorer

Posted: 12 years ago

just read it one go. perfect!!

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Midnight

@Midnightsorrow

Trailblazer

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

Congrats on the new thread, Love the update.

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-Anu13-

@-Anu13-

Dazzler

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

I am loving the caring Arnav and finally Marriage is done

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samster03

@samster03

Voyager

Posted: 12 years ago

Congrats on thread three buddy..!!! It was an emotional update..!!! Khushi is very lucky to get arnav who understand her in every single way possible..!!!! :)

Edited by samster03 - 12 years ago