FF : Start Of Something Good ~ Ch.10 Pg.117 08/06 - Page 8

Looking into his eyes, Khushi had the opportunity of seeing the plethora of emotions that flitted through his eyes - uncensored & unedited! She felt it was an honour because Arnav was known to hide his emotions behind the fortress of his indifferent face and to see the intensity of his emotions was... overwhelming! In a good way, of course!!

"Come." Arnav said, tugging at her hand and they left Shantivan, uncaring about anybody seeing them like that. And the mad house that Raizada mansion was, that day, no one noticed either. (For hosting a marriage can be very tedious. Especially if it's a wedding ceremony of a Raizada!) He drove silently, thoughtful and calculating. Khushi silently sitting next to him, holding her hands on her lap, busy with her own thoughts. "I'll be back in a minute." Arnav said to her, kissed her cheek, and got out of the car and climbed two steps at a time. And Khushi for the first time saw that they had stopped in front of a mandir and he was going into it. Arnav Singh Raizada and mandir? That made no sense now, did it?!

She saw him come down the flight of stairs with equal zeal, and open her door for her. He took her hand and urged her to come with him with his expressive eyes. When he had made her climb the few steps that led to the reclusive, small mandir, he pointed forward with his chin and Khushi - very reluctantly - peeled her gaze off him and saw the sacred fire that burned in front of them. "Aap vadhu ho, beta?" A pundit asked, and it was then that Khushi realized that she was about to be married to the man holding her hand! She was getting married to Arnav Singh Raizada!! She felt giddy with this information. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada! Khushi wrinkled her nose, not liking her new long-ish name!

"What?" Arnav asked, and it was then that Khushi realized that she had been under his scrutiny all this time. He must have mistaken that she was having second thoughts about their... impending wedding. Though why she was not having any such thoughts, she knew not! "I'll change my name to Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada. Not Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada!! It's too... mouthful." Khushi said, her eyes sheepish, and saw Arnav leave his breath in a small sigh, before he grinned boyishly, making him look years younger. "Only you could think that when I practically dragged you here to make you my wife without warning you about it!" Arnav said, shaking his head and an incredulous expression in his eyes.

"Muhurat nikla jaa raha hai..." the pundit warned them, and they were driven out of their own world. The godly man instructed them to exchange the flower garlands, and amidst the holy chanting, made Arnav fill Khushi's parting on her forehead with sindoor. Their eyes connected as Arnav did it, and they made an unspoken promise to each other - a promise to stay together through whatever their lives had to offer. Arnav tied the mangalsutra around her neck and she touched it, to make sure that she was not dreaming it all. Her vulnerable gaze next turned to look into Arnav's eyes and he smiled reassuringly, grazing his thumb against the back of her neck, once he had secured the mangalsutra.

They stood up to take the saath phere, and Arnav, for the first time started to understand the importance of these rituals. This ritual, especially, which bound Khushi to him. It, in all authenticity made her, his Khushi! How could he not believe in this ritual now?! Did that mean that he had now believed in the divinity? One step at a time, he told himself, and gazed at Khushi as she led the last few pheres.

"Vivaah sampann hua. Bhagwan tum donon ko sada khush rakhe." The pundit announced, as Khushi touched the elderly man's feet and took his blessing, and Arnav was made to do the same too. Arnav gave him some money, and the pundit left them alone. They both stared at each other, the enormity of their action dawning on them now. Khushi was the first who realized that there were things to do. Firstly, they had to attend the wedding of their siblings! How could she have forgotten that?! But before she entered full-on panic mode, she felt her hand being enveloped in the warmth of Arnav's - her husband's. All logic went out of her mind, as he effortlessly became the axis of her being and gained her undivided attention.

"I would have preferred something more legal for our unplanned wedding. But it would take at least a day to get the papers ready. So I thought you would be happier if we did this first." Arnav explained his decision, and Khushi nodded, grateful that he had considered her likes first. "Do you want to tell this to our families today?" Arnav asked, deciding that he really did not mind about the specifics, now that Khushi was truly his. The smug smile on her face vanished, and she frowned for a minute. When she raised her eyes to look into his, he saw the decision had been made. "Today was supposed to be about Jiji and Jijaji. Let it remain so. Let's not steal their day. We can say it anytime after their wedding. Whatever time you decide is okay with me." Arnav nodded, and was finding the perfect time and way to divulge this fact to their families when Khushi started to move away.

"Where are you going?" he asked, holding a fistful of hair to stop her from moving forward. She winced as she came back to stand in her original position, and Arnav immediately reminded himself to polish his caveman behaviour. At least when he was dealing with his delicate wife! "You have to learn to be a tad gentler with me, Arnavji!" Khushi chided and continued, "And we have to go and attend a wedding. Our siblings' wedding!" Khushi reminded him and he looked surprised at how easily he had forgotten that. Some brother you are, Arnav Singh Raizada! He thought to himself and allowed Khushi to pull him towards his car. They removed the garlands and put it on the backseat. He wiped the tika on his forehead, which the pundit had applied, with a tissue and handed another to Khushi so that she could remove her sindoor too. Khushi looked at it ominously, as her lips fell at the tips, and her eyes shimmered with additional moisture.

"Khushi?! Kya hua??" Arnav asked, pulling her closer to him.

"I don't want to remove your sindoor." Khushi declared, pouting.

"So, don't remove it." Arnav's blunt answer made her almost smile. Almost!

"But we cannot go like this!" Khushi exclaimed as she looked down, and she felt his finger tip her chin up so that he could look into her eyes.

"Even though I believe the ritual that got us married, Khushi, I still believe our feelings are more important. We're married and that is all that matters. Whether there is sindoor or not, I will always be your husband. And you, my wife." Arnav explained, and Khushi nodded, a small, understanding smile on her face. "Give me a few days more and I will give you the chance to flaunt my sindoor." Arnav promised, adding a proud smile by the end of his declaration, and made Khushi sigh in acceptance, paired with an indulgent smile.

When they stepped out of the car after reaching Raizada mansion, ironically, it was Shyam who saw them first. He stared at them with doubtful eyes and within the blink of the eye, changed his expression into a patronizing one, as he addressed Arnav. "Saale saahab, Khushiji? Kaha the aap donon? Akash aur Payalji tho aapke intezaar main bina shaadi kiye baithe hai!"

If Arnav's anger had levitated unimaginably just at the sight of him, he felt his hands curling into fists at the sound of his greasy voice, complete with a sickly sweet smile. Khushi, who had seen it all, slipped both her hands around one of his tightly balled fist and when he looked down at her, she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. "Jiji aur jijaji humara intezaar kar rahe hai..." She reminded him once more, and he removed his anger with a huge sigh, as he pinched the bridge of his aristocratic nose with his free hand, for a second. Looking up at her when he felt that he was under control, he walked behind her, ignoring Shyam, not wanting to risk another slip in his barely-there-control.

Questions were shot from all sides, and Khushi easily handled them all, by saying that she had been about to faint and Arnavji had seen it and taken her to a doctor. Arnav, being the beautiful liar that he was, backed her up without batting an eyelid, saying that there was nothing to worry about. Khushi had just worn herself with the excitement of her jiji's wedding. Remarks were made about sanka devi's sanak - credit to the Guptas. Remarks about Arnav's thoughtfulness were made by the Raizadas - especially by Anjali and Nani. Arnav would have shied away if he were being teased about him and Khushi. But not anymore! Not after he had become Khushi's husband. Now, he just aimed an indulgent smile at the new Mrs. Raizada. Looking at that smile, Di and Nani inferred that they should not stall over Arnav and Khushi anymore. Arnav seemed to be openly mooning on Khushi and what was that saying? Jab loha garam ho, tab hathoda maarni chaahiye!

Urging that Payal and Akash's wedding must resume immediately, they both saw to it that the ceremony went ahead without any other hitches. With each of the ritual, Arnav and Khushi remembered their own, and Arnav put his arm around her waist in a discreet manner - discreet because his arm was under the layers of her open hair and the dupatta of her lehenga-choli. When all the guests left and it was just the Raizadas and Guptas, relaxing after so many days filled with the hustle of hosting a wedding, Buaji gave a speech of thanks to her extended family, the Raizadas, and continued, "Bas ab hamri titaliya ko bhi aisan hi ek achcha ghar miljaaye, Nandkisore."

Khushi's eyes met Arnav's. The time had arrived.

The family had to be brought into their secret.