Here goes the epilogue for SAY. Enjoy!
Epilogue
Happiness. Is it a state of well-being or a perception of well-being? Is someone happier when there is just cause to be happy, or is he happier when nothing worthy of being happy has occurred, but he's just having a good day? Philosophers often define happiness in terms of living a good life, or an accomplished or flourishing life, rather than simply as an emotion. Intriguingly, happiness can be derived from pleasure of enjoying some comfort or excitement. It can be derived from engaging in challenging activities that gave one an adrenaline rush. It could be found in relationships that made one feel complete. It could be experienced when one found the true meaning of his life or his being. & it could definitely be felt through accomplishments. But for Arnav Singh Raizada, happiness simply meant happiness. Khushi.
Nothing gave him more pleasure than having her all to him, alone, out of the sight of their innumerable family members. Nothing had ever challenged him as much as spending a day with Khushi Kumari Gupta did. Khushi had made him reconnect with all the relationships that he already had. She had made him realize that the true meaning of life was living & loving, not binding himself with guilt & hatred. Getting her to be with him, now & forever, was the biggest accomplishment of his life. & so, Arnav Singh Raizada, without a doubt, was happy, & happiness for him, literally & metaphorically, meant Khushi.
As soon as Arnav stepped inside Shantivan, he saw that even for his family members, Khushi meant an inexhaustible bundle of joy. She was standing in the middle of the hall & frantically gesturing as she was describing something to his smitten Nani, excited Mami, a very happy & very pregnant Di, & a skeptical Dadi, who was looking critically at the expanse of leg Khushi was showing. Arnav chuckled with his tongue in cheek at his Dadi's displeasure as he himself took in Khushi's appearance. It was typical Khushi. With her pink & white short floral printed dress cinched at the waist with a belt, her adorable pink esparadillas, & her gorgeous hair flowing all over her back, she reminded Arnav of the day he had spotted her in her campus, exactly like this from behind, walking with friends, & he marveled at the fact that the electrifying heat running through him at the moment was exactly the same as it had been that day.
Khushi was excitedly explaining to everyone the program schedules for NK & Samiya's upcoming engagement function, when she felt it. The hairs on her nape suddenly stood up on attention, & she felt as if a breeze just went over her body, caressing her wherever it touched, & Khushi knew no breeze had the power to make her feel this tingly. Only one person & his insolent eyes could do so. She abruptly stopped in her narration, & clutching the side of her dress, she went & silently sat beside Anjali & wondered why it was still so arresting & magical whenever Arnav Singh Raizada looked at her in that shameless way that he did.
It was not like she & Arnav were new to each other or like they had been together for a short time. It had been almost 9 months since that incident with Karan & Shyam. So much had happened since then. Khushi had moved out of Nikunja to their new house with her family 7 months ago. Anjali is almost 7 & a half months' pregnant. Payal had started helping out Akaash at the office with bookkeeping for the last 3 months. & most excitedly, NK & Samiya had announced they were in love & wanted to get married a couple of months ago. & Khushi had been excitedly helping Manorama with preparations of NK's marriage ever since.
Sometimes, while preparing for NK's marriage, she felt a small burst of excitement inside her, when she thought that, the next such preparations would be done for Arnav & her wedding. But, she knew how differently Arnav felt about these preparations going on for NK's wedding instead of his own, as he never left an opportunity to taunt her that because of her, his wedding got delayed. Actually, Shashi & Garima had been adamant about not even talking about Khushi's wedding before she recuperated fully & got over the shock of the abduction smoothly, & they had respectfully conveyed as much to Nani when she had broached the subject to them once, while visiting Khushi in Nikunja. & Khushi knew in her heart, that behind this reluctance, as well as her vulnerable state, her parents' skepticism about Arnav had played a key part. They had practically treated Khushi as a princess all her life, & neither Arnav's past, nor his behavior to Khushi in the past, qualified him as a prince befitting their Chhutki.
But as the days had passed, both Shashi & Garima had had the opportunity to see Arnav with Khushi. & they had had the astonishing experience of seeing how much Arnav really meant to their daughter. It was their same cheerful Chhutki, & she was still very much attached to him, & in all honesty, at least in front of others, Arnav & Khushi still fought as if it was a world war for them. But more than anything else, they had noticed the way Khushi wandered around all listless & lost, the moment Arnav would take his leave for the day. She would almost resemble a wilting flower, as Shashi had one day exclaimed to his wife when he couldn't hold it in any longer, "She almost looks like a dried flower, & the only water that seems to liven her up seems to be him!" & that had been the day Garima had called Devyani Raizada up to say, it was time they talked about Arnav & Khushi's future. & although Arnav had been ecstatic with the news, his excitement had been short-lived.
Shashi Gupta had given way where he had felt his daughter's heart was concerned, but as a very protective father he hadn't been able to give way where he had felt he needed to be a selfish father, rather than a doting one. His Khushi had always been very good in studies, & recognizing the potential in her, despite his financial constraints; Shashi had never let their circumstances restrict Khushi's talent or dedication. & he had been pretty adamant about the fact that, he wasn't marrying his youngest one off till she finished her studies. When Naniji had promptly stated that she too wanted Khushi to continue with her studies, & she can easily do so even after she was married, Shashi had given his unwavering reasoning.
Khushi was all of their pampered darling, & the way she could continue her studies at home: the all nighters & then the sleeping till noon, the scattered books & notes all over the house which every other member gathered up & brought up to her room whenever they would find them lying around, the irregular meals when the pressure got too much & then only eating when Garima or Payal force fed her.. Shashi had doubted this way could be continued in one's in-law's, no matter how nice or liberal the in-law's were.
So, Nani had had to agree to set the wedding date of Arnav & Khushi to somewhere very far along, after almost 10 months, after which Khushi's graduation was supposed to be completed. A chill still went down Khushi's spine as she remembered Arnav's reaction after that. After Nani had conveyed the decisions elders had taken to him, he had immediately called her up & had simply asked Khushi in a tight voice, "Tell me you don't want this." But Khushi had said nothing like that, & that was the longest Arnav had been furious with her.. For almost 1 & a half day! He only came around after some much zealous & much bold persuasion by Khushi, after she had dragged him to a date. But still afterwards, Khushi had gently said 'no' to his offer of just saying the word & seeing him make their wedding happen in a week.
It had been tough for her too, especially when Arnav tried his best to change her mind inside the car a couple of blocks away from Nikunja, putting on his most charming & steaming techniques. But Khushi hadn't conceded as she knew why her Babuji had really postponed the wedding. She knew Shashi was giving time to himself & Garima to try to accept Arnav & see him in the light that their children obviously did. Plus, he had wanted to give Khushi some time to recover emotionally & mentally from the memories of the abduction, & Khushi had felt that, she indeed needed the time. But obviously she hadn't divulged this reason to Arnav.
& she had actually come above those dark memories in the following months for real. At least for the most part. & Arnav had been so quietly, but constantly there for when they had shifted from Nikunja, that Khushi had been almost tempted to ask Shashi to give her her 'Bidaai' from Nikunja itself. But then, the thought of her parents feeling sad, in a new home, without her, had dissuaded her.
Khushi was just thinking all of this over as she picked up the large bowl of pistachio kulfi, that Nani claimed she had HP make only for Khushi. Khushi had been down with fever a week back & some of the cough was still there, & as she coughed a little & then tried to clear her throat, the bowl of kulfi was abruptly snatched away from her hand & she looked up startled, straight into Arnav's admonishing eyes. As Khushi just looked at him with her mouth open in an indignant gasp, he almost gritted his teeth as he bit out, "Itni thand hain, toh thandi cheeze matt khao na! & what are you doing coughing up all over Di? Go upstairs right now! Main nahi chahta Di ya unke bachche ko kuchh ho jayee!(If you have a cold, then don't eat cold things na! I don't want anything to happen to Di or her baby!)" Khushi said nothing courtesy of the elders sitting around, who were watching this interaction with too curious eyes, but the flash of fire in her eyes, & the thinning of her lips told Arnav the volcano would erupt soon enough. He stepped back & started going towards the staircase to go up to his room, while he hoped with all his heart she would listen to him & go away from Di & come upstairs to him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Khushi knew exactly what he wanted, but his crude behavior had really angered her, so she avoided going upstairs for as long as she could. It was not like they didn't fight anymore. They did & more so in front of others. Their families were so used to them being nasty to each other, that whenever anyone would catch even a glimpse of them together & not fighting, they'd start teasing the two mercilessly. In the end, Arnav & Khushi had both admitted to each other that, instead of going through these teasings, it was easier to just fight with each other in front of everyone else, until they all got used to their togetherness. But what Khushi had a problem with was these unnecessary rude behaviors of Arnav, & she was adamant to let him suffer by not going to him easily this time. So, she took a detour & was going towards Nani's room, completely avoiding the path of Arnav's room once she was on the 2nd floor, when suddenly Arnav came & stood in front of her out of the 2nd floor living room as if he was just lurking inside the door waiting for her.
Khushi stopped short in her track, but as she was walking pretty fast to begin with, she stumbled sideways, & instantly Arnav's arms were around her waist, & due to the surprising circumstances, Khushi forgot her earlier resolution to not speak to him for the day & exclaimed, "Sambhaliye!" Arnav gathered her in his arms so snuggly that she actually felt her feet dangling up in the air, as he swiftly turned & said with a fire burning in his eyes, "Hamesha sambhalta rahoonga!" Then he made his way inside the living room again, effortlessly carrying Khushi in his arms all the while. & he didn't even get inside the room properly, when he gently pushed Khushi against the door itself & turning her chin up with his right hand under her jaw, he abruptly took her lips in a brief, but blazing kiss.
& it amazed Khushi how even after being his, truly his, for almost a year, her heart could still go off in that mad, crazy offbeat track whenever he gathered her close to himself like this. As she felt Arnav's lips teasing hers, demanding a response from her, she sighed languorously against him & slowly wounded her arms around his neck. She pulled Arnav closer by holding his nape with one hand, while the other got lost in the short hair above his neck as she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. & just as she felt Arnav's hand fumbling at her back over the clasp of her bra, she heard NK calling her urgently from somewhere outside. She immediately let go off Arnav's head with a jerk & tried to jump backwards as she wrenched her lips apart from him. But pulling back from Arnav's arm wasn't as easy as breaking off the kiss, because apart from letting her draw her head back, Arnav didn't move an inch & just looked at her slightly accusingly.
Khushi ignored his irritated looks & tried to free herself by pushing at his forearms as she said, "Let me go. NK is calling-" But she had to break off as Arnav asked nastily, "Did you adopt him? Because, I don't remember being consulted on the matter!" Khushi immediately pouted at his tone & couldn't help the complaints that broke out from her lips, "Why do you have to be so nasty? We fight all the time, & I am not talking about that! When we fight for real, between ourselves, we both give as good as we get! & I know, we decided, fighting is easier in front of our family members as they behave very weirdly in the face of our proximity, but do you have to be so nasty?! & I have noticed, you only behave that way in front of the others!" Arnav too looked very annoyed as he pursed his lips & then he also burst out as if despite himself, "Because all you guys do now-a-days is plan for NK's wedding, whereas I don't see you becoming mine anytime soon..! I have to roam around my sister's in-laws' house & stalk your campus just to get to spend some time with you! & it's all because of you & your Babuji!"
Khushi gasped & looked at him astonishingly. She was not surprised at his outburst, which was the only familiar aspect of this situation, but she was dumbstruck by the irony that Arnav Singh Raizada was complaining about the delay in his wedding! & that thought made a giggle escape her lips as Khushi impulsively leaned over to kiss him briefly on the mouth & then she hugged him tightly as she whispered shyly, "It's just a few more months, Arnavji! We'll make it through! Just let Bhaiya & Bhaabi becoem parents once!"& she felt Arnav arms going tightly about her as she said soothingly, "Waise bhi.. When are we really apart from each other? We're always around.. we meet daily.. frequently.. more frequently than even the families knew.." & she felt Arnav sigh & his body relaxed at her soothing tone & just then, Khushi again felt his hands struggling with the clasp of her bra. She abruptly pulled back & asked him wondrously, "Just what are you trying to accomplish.. here.. 15 feet away from Naniji's room?!" Arnav didn't answer her question as he just looked intently at her breasts & then complained sulkily, "This bra is like an iron safe! It's that white matronly one, isn't it?"
& Khushi laughed out loudly at his sour expression & bitter tone. Arnav's dislike of this particular white bra had been a bone of contention between them. But her laughter stuck in her throat as Arnav head swooped down as he placed an open mouthed kiss at the crook of her neck, & Khushi hissed as desire shot through her, fast & hard. But she hadn't forgotten her placement so she clutched at his shoulders & tried to push him back a little as she stumbled out, "Arnavji.. NK wapas aa jayega.." Arnav's lips just trailed upwards, leaving kisses on their way as he said absent-mindedly, "Aane do.." Khushi gulped laboriously against the temptation to do the same to him as she whispered, "Da- Dadi aa jayengi.." & she got the same offhand response as Arnav's lips now traced her jaw line, "Aane do.." Khushi felt herself starting to quiver with the kind of passion he was evoking in her with his adventurous caresses, & she tried again, but this time feebler than before, "Na- Naniji.." & Arnav this time bit her jaw briefly before he dismissed her with another, "Aane do.."
Khushi felt her knew would give in with the way her stomach was quivering, so she hastily clutched onto the lapels of Arnav, & as she felt Arnav smirking against her skin as he could feel her surrendering, she mumbled out weakly, "Amanji ka phone aa gaya toh?" & she felt Arnav's lips traveling towards her own as if she had said nothing.. just for a second, before he jerked his head back & asked her in a shocked half-yell, "What?!? Aman ka phone aa jayega?" Khushi blinked rapidly to ward off the spell of his seduction as she tried to concentrate & said stumblingly, "Haan...woh.. apne Bhaabi se neeche kaha tha na, ke Amanji ka koi jaroori phone aane wala hain aapko?" & she watched fascinated as Arnav's eyes suddenly began twinkling as he pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth & seemed to regard her with supreme amusement & then he announced sarcastically as if making fun of her, "Red, tumhe na ek kitaab likhni chahiye.. Romantic moments bigaadne ke sau tareeke.. By.."
& before Arnav could finish the sentence, Khushi stopped him with her right hand softly over his lips, & whispered proudly, "Red!" & as she saw the surprise come in Arnav's eyes, she hugged him tightly & explained shyly, "When it's only you & I.. I am only Red! Your Red!" & than as she Arnav again gathering her snuggly to his chest, she pulled away hastily as her eyes fell on the wall clock, & she hurried Arnav, "Quick, Arnavji! Tell Bhaabi you'll drop me off, otherwise, like yesterday, Bhaiya would come to see Bhaabi & will take me home with him!" This promptly got Arnav's attention as he consulted his wristwatch & seeing it was almost 6pm & time for his brother-in-law to drop in & possibly cut off his precious alone time with his Red, he unceremoniously pushed Khushi towards the door & saying, "Go say 'goodbye' to everyone within 2 minutes.. I am coming down with the car keys.", he was arrogantly striding towards his own room, leaving a thoroughly disheveled Khushi frantically straightening her clothes & hair in his wake.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Arnav turned sharply towards Khushi as she gasped really loudly & then issued a series of curses, "By Devi Maiyya's grace, they'll be floored within a month! Their roofs would get holes the size of manholes &.. & ghosts! Ghosts would dance on their perfectly laid out new lawn!" As Arnav followed her narrowed gaze out of the yet-slowly-going Audi as they were still inside their housing society, he saw the beautiful fence & over it the polished, pristine white top of Nikunja. Although, nothing could be seen beyond the wrought-iron grills topped with finials & alternated with elegant stone columns in between, as the whole fence was covered in very pretty white & pale-yellow Lady Banks Roses' sprawling, vine-like shrubs. There were also clay pots filled with Pink Rose blooms on top of the stone columns that made the view all the more pleasant, so Arnav was about to ask Khushi what her problem was, when she herself muttered it out.
Khushi shot daggers from her eyes & said caustically, "Throwing money around like dry leaves & beautifying someone else's home.. Everything that I imagined Nikunja to be! Arnavji, do you remember how I was telling you about the wrought-iron fence & Rose bush while we were decorating the new house..? & here! They have it all!.. They'll never be able to enjoy it! Everything will be blown away by a dust storm! & they'll fall off the roof.. & didn't the contractor come to Shantivan to take pictures of your bedroom & poolside? HP told me they were gonna make a similar one in our- Nikunja's right wing! I am telling you, they'll drown in the pool &-" Khushi's rant was cut off as Arnav halted the car in front of Nikunja by applying such a hard pressure on the brakes, that Khushi would have been thrown over the dashboard through the windshield had it not been for the seatbelt Arnav had earlier secured around her. & as she settled back in her seat, clutching the side of the passenger door for support, she heard with disbelief as Arnav bit out snappily, "Get out!" Khushi just stared at him as if she couldn't understand his meaning, but he spit it out again, this time more forcefully, "Get out!"
Khushi looked over at him, shocked to her core for a second & then she forcefully flung off the seatbelt & got off the car as she suddenly remembered that the new owner of Nikunja was Arnav's friend & assumed that's why he had taken an offense at her abuses. & she was about to walk off to Shantivan again to find Rohan, but Arnav was too quick for her. He too got off the car & came around in lighting speed to grab onto her elbow & then he steered her towards the new, huge, ornate wrought-iron double gates in front of Nikunja. & then to Khushi's supreme astonishment, he produced a keyset out of his pocket & then unlocked the heavy iron gate using one of the keys. & this was just too much for Khushi & she looked at Arnav angrily as she spat, "Really? You're even playing the role of a caretaker now? You have a key to Nikunja?! & you're angry at me as I cursed you friends?! Why can't you be at my side? I am the one who's out of her childhood home-"
Her words got stuck in her throat as she suddenly looked past Arnav & her eyes fell on the swing set on the right side of the spacious front lawn of Nikunja. It was a large, sofa-type, wooden swing with plush light-green velvet mattress & tiny white cushions lying around, & there was also a light-green shade of tent-material over the swing-set. Arnav's eyes followed her line of vision, & seeing the swing-set, he turned back at her & asked almost nervously, "Do you like it?" Khushi looked back at Arnav & pursed her lips annoyingly before she answered shrewdly, "Of course, I like it! I've always wanted a swing-set.. Oh, I wish, they'd never have children to ride that swing!" & immediately Arnav took a step towards her & pulled her up to his body by grabbing her elbow & shook her a little, "What the-? Red! Do you even know what you're saying?! Don't curse-" Then he suddenly took a calming gulp of breath to reign in his harsh words & then spoke almost tentatively, but forcefully, "The renovation will be done in another month!.. & that swing-set is like the one you wanted to sit on.. on our first date.. at Magique, remember? & there's also a gazebo being built on the back lawn, as you liked the one at the farmhouse.. & beside it, a lily pond.. You know, like the one by the clearing where we first kissed? & on the back of the ground floor, a bedroom & a poolside similar to mine is being constructed.. where you came out in the rain to tell me, you wanted to be with me on my terms because there was something about me, remember?"
Khushi's mouth kept parting while she registered all these information & as soon as he had stopped, she almost yelled accusingly, "Why are they doing this?! & how do they know all these?!.. Did you tell your friends-?" But she broke off as Arnav suddenly closed the gap between then & cupped her cheek with his right hand & asked gently, "Red, what is my friend's name? The one who bought Nikunja?" Khushi looked at him uncertainly, confused at the sudden turn the conversation had taken & said unsurely, "Mr.. Sagar? Sagar Ahluwalia?" & she saw Arnav biting on his bottom lip anxiously, & as she distractingly thought how much that made her want to do the same to his lips, she heard him say slowly, "Sagar Raj Ahluwalia.. SAR. An anagram for ASR.. It's a name I used.. to write reviews in the fashion journals.. to stay anonymous while at Harvard. So I figured, I'd use it here too.."
& the implications of what he was saying was so enormous, that Khushi just looked at him with her mouth gaping wide. Was he saying he was the one-? & did he actually keep that in all this time?! Could anyone have so much control over themselves as that?! & then she heard him speak up again & his eyes were wide, almost round & his pupils light caramel as he looked almost like a pleading kid, "Red.. You forbid me to do this, remember? When we had just gotten together? I guess in that cafe in that mall.. the day I bought your ring for you? & then.. I wasn't sure just when to tell you that.. Nikunja is yours! Everything is as you wanted it to be! & I haven't let them even enter your parents' & you bedroom! Even your Devi Maiyya's room is untouched!.. I was just afraid.. if you heard about me buying your home.. & knowing how you felt about it.. I feared you'd hate me again like you used to!" & it was this last sentence of his that brought Khushi out of her stunned silence as she asked incredulously, "I hated you? When?!" & when Arnav's expression told her that, it was something he knew & so, she shouldn't deny it, Khushi pursed her lips, & grabbing his hand, she started walking towards the front door of the house.
She halted right before the locked front door, & then with a jerk of her head asked Arnav to open it for her. Arnav looked at her unsurely for a long moment, & he almost looked worried for a second, & then he proceeded to unlock the door, but in his heart now he was even more apprehensive about Khushi's reaction to his buying Nikunja than he was before. But Khushi didn't say anything to him to give any indication of how she was feeling & as soon as the door was open, she clutched at his hand again & dragged him behind her inside the house. The passage leading to the main hall was empty except for a few tool boxes & some wood planks left by the workers, & Arnav immediately clutched Khushi on both sides of her waist when she stumbled while trying to go over some planks. & his heart lifted a little when she didn't pull away, but just continued walking & then she started climbing the stairs leading to the 1st floor.
Khushi didn't halt until she was right outside her own room & then she halted briefly to ask him curtly, "You said, my room has been left as it was?" Arnav nodded instantly, not knowing what else to do or where it was all going. Khushi pushed open the door & walked inside, leaving him no choice but to follow her. She went straight ahead & stood in front of the closed doors of a wall cup-board that used to house some of her wardrobe. She waited till Arnav joined her side, & looking at him steadily, she asked him softly, "You thought if I knew about this, I'd hate you.. like you thought I once did?" Arnav shook his head absentmindedly at how she was concentrating on something so trivial right now & said impatiently, "You did, Khushi! & it doesn't matter now! We were kid then-" But he stopped when Khushi dismissed him as if he hadn't spoken at all, & turning the key that was hanging from the lock, opened the left jamb of the cup-board door, keeping the other still shut. There was a medium sized Salman Khan poster hanging on the inside of the door.
Khushi looked over at him & asked cryptically, "Do you remember when you were first called ASR by the media?" Arnav furrowed his brows at her sudden question, but he answered instantly, "It was 2004. I participated in a free-lance young designers' competition. I didn't win, but my designs got praised.. I submitted the designs under the label ASR Designs.. Later we changed it to AR Designs. But I have been called ASR by the media since." Khushi didn't say anything, & just ripped the poster off by the edges, & before Arnav could ask her what she was doing, he saw it. It was curved on the wooden door with something sharp. KKG + ASR = KKGSR (2004).
Arnav stared at the curving for several long seconds, & then looked back at Khushi incredulously, & a confession got out of him despite himself, "KKGSR? & I was so obsessed with making myself someone worthwhile.. I never even thought about you back then! & you!.. Tabse?!" Khushi laughed ruefully at his admission & instead of answering him, asked a question of her own, "& do you remember when you first called me Red?" & in the next instant, they both said in unison, "On our first date!" & without a word, Khushi turned & pulled open the right jamb of the cupboard door & then she ripped off another Salmaan Khan poster that was hanging on it to reveal a writing with white fluid. Rakshas + Red (2013).
As Arnav just looked on at the writing, Khushi started gently, "Tabse.. lekar ab tak! Hamesha! Hate was a word we used to love throwing at each other, Aranvji, as it was safer than love. But was there ever any real hatred between us?" Arnav suddenly pulled her hard against his chest by snaking his left arm around her waist, & as she looked up at him, wide eyed, he said almost against her lips, "Yes! Like right now! I hate you so much right now! This was supposed to be my surprising revelation to you, & not the other way round!" Khushi giggled happily as she wound her arms around his neck & said mock-seriously, "Yes, I can feel the hatred very much right below your belt!" Then she pressed a quick kiss on Arnav's lips, & continued seriously, "I could never hate you & I certainly don't hate you now!.. Yes, neither I, nor anyone in my family wanted any help from you regarding Nikunja.. But that was when you & I were not you & I! I was still commuting between being Baby Gupta & your Red.. Then if you had bought Nikunja & gave it to us or let us live on here, it'd be like taking a favor, don't you see? But now, you've taken a house, which happens to be my childhood home, & you're turning it into a home.. for us! A home.. for our children to come into. How could I hate you for that?!"
Arnav didn't answer, but just pulled her in for a soul-sucking kiss, & Khushi pulled him in tighter in response & reciprocated passionately. But before either of them had their fill, Arnav suddenly drew back & said accusingly to tease her, "& you should really pray to your Devi Maiyya for our kids to come safely, because the curses I have heard you mutter against the 'new owner' of Nikunja really has me worried!" Khushi colored violently as she remembered how she actually had turned quite bitter against whoever owned Nikunja after them & would issue a random, Bollywood brand of curses whenever she would pass the house on her way. But before she could lament on that, she heard Arnav speaking more teasingly, "& speaking of Baby Gupta.. I think she was in this very room, when she once offered me a vocabulary lesson on what comes after 'What the-?', wasn't she? & as the lesson has been very much delayed, I think now I am entitled to a demo version, don't you think?"
Khushi instantly blushed, & without giving him any chance to work upon his words, she grabbed his hand & started pulling him towards the door as she also teased him dryly, "You do realize, you sound like a dirty, dirty old man, lusting after some underage phone-sex provider named Baby Gupta, don't you?" Arnav pulled her back by holding his ground just when she stepped outside the door & when Khushi looked back at him, she saw that challenging glint in his eyes that she so loved, as he quirked his left eyebrow up daringly & gave her a half-smirk so sexy that Khushi gulped noisily, as Arnav said, "Half an hour!.. & I'll show you who's an old man.. & I am sure, baby, you'll prove again that you're no baby! Now, your old bed is off at the new house.. but they've installed our new bed in our new bedroom last week.. What say, we inaugurate that.. & test out its sturdiness?"
Khushi left his hand & ran off to go & stand just above the stairs going down, & then she turned towards him, & then she wound her hands up to the middle of her back & after a couple of seconds of provocative wiggling, she said, smiling at him challengingly, "The iron safe is open.. Now that the hard part is done, could my Laad Governor possibly manage the rest on his own?" & as Arnav walked towards the angelically smiling nymph in front him, he suspected he would roll off the stairs while climbing down, because his head spinned crazily at the sight in front of him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
An hour later..
Arnav came up to the roof in search of Khushi, bare-chested, with only his pants on. He had gone to drink some water & when he had come back, she was gone along with his shirt. & as soon as he stepped on the roof, he located both. Khushi was standing leaning over the railing of the roof, wearing Arnav's white shirt. Arnav wordlessly went & put his arms over the ledge on both sides of her, effectively circling his arms snuggly around her. But Khushi wasn't really startled, as she had felt his presence the moment he had stepped onto the roof. Arnav's breath tickled her ear as he asked her with laughter in his voice, "Aaj yehi pehen na hain? (Wanna wear only this today?)" & when Khushi only giggled in response, he gently adjusted the collars & rolled up the sleeves neatly which were too large for her, as he teased her, "Tumhe toh theek se shirt pehen ni bhi nahi aati! (You can't even put a shirt on properly!)"
Khushi entwined his fingers with her own & then tightly wrapped both their arms around herself in a hug. Then she brought his fingers up to her lips to press butterfly kisses on them before she said laughingly, "You know, I was thinking of honoring you with a lifelong coupon of unlimited KPs, but now I think it's better for your humongous ego if I make you work for it every day!" & then she immediately sobered up & said slowly, "I missed this the most. This view. You don't know how many afternoons I have spent here, standing like this.. talking to myself!" Arnav pressed a kiss to her temple & said laughingly, "Although only crazy peoples talk to themselves, on you it is oddly endearing! Paagal ho.. par cute ho!" & then he suddenly said in a grave voice, "Khushi?.. I want.. You wanted your Doli to go off from Nikunja, right? & I want you to be received as my bride in Shantivan.. Nani would really like that.. & I think Mamma would have liked that too. Is it OK if I talk to your Babuji about.. you know.. just as you guys stayed at the Guesthouse during the double weddings, couldn't you guys stay over at Nikunja for a week or so during our wedding? We could move in here after some time.."
Khushi sighed happily & turned towards Arnav, & he could see in her eyes that her answer was positive, but when she spoke, she said something different, "You know, since I came to know about my parents.. so much has happened.. so much could go wrong! My life could have been so different.. so dark! But you were always there.. Like my own, personal Sun.. shining down only on me.. watching over me-" But she broke off as Arnav spoke in the same tone, "& what about you? My life was dark.. without any moon or stars to ever shine their lights down on me.. & you almost fought with them to change their direction.. You filled my skies with so many stars, that now I am almost blinded by their brilliance! There is that something about you, Red!.. That like the moon, wherever I go, wherever I look, I see only your light surrounding me."
Khushi kept her head over Arnav's shoulder, & said with a sudden jovialness, "Ek saal pehle agar kisine humse kaha hota.. ki ek din Arnav Singh Raizada humare liye humara ghar khareedenge.. hum bilkul vishwas nahi karte.. Shayad hans hans ke paagal ho jaate.. (If someone told me a year ago that.. one day Arnav Singh Raizada would buy my house for me.. I'd never believe it.. Maybe I'd go crazy from laughing..) & actually you had said something like this to me at your 1st party on the Farmhouse, that I should find some rich gullible husband to buy me Nikunja-" But she was cut-off as Arnav suddenly fiercely clutched her waist & cupping her right cheek possessively, he said with a sudden fire in his eyes, "Red, jab jo bura kaha, uska koi matlab nahi.. Jab jo bura kiya, uska koi matlab nahi.. Iss pyaar mein, sahi aur ghalat ka koi matlab nahi.. Bas matlab hain toh sirf iss baat ka, ki main hamesha, hamesha tumse- (Red, any ill words ever spoken, means nothing.. Any wrong actions ever done, means nothing.. In this love, right & wrong means nothing.. Just one thing matters, that I, always & forever-)" But he broke off as he felt Khushi's lips suddenly a breath away from his own as she whispered, letting her lips brush against his, "Hum jaante hain! Hamesha na? (I know! Forever & always, right?)"
& as Arnav nodded, he sealed the promise off with a kiss.. A kiss that was long due.. A kiss that was a regular.. A kiss that was a promise.. A kiss that was a caress.. A kiss that spelled Arnav-Khushi.. A kiss that was spell-binding.
SAY OS
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Edited by farah53 - 11 years ago
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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