Never Say Goodbye Final Part and Link to New SS - Page 54

He did not know what to expect when he came back home, as they had parted after a fight. But, he had certainly not expected Khushi to give him the silent treatment.

She had opened the door silently, without the trace of a smile and stomped off to the kitchen, where she deliberately banged a lot of vessels, knowing it annoyed him.

She was in the kitchen for a good 45 minutes,. And just when he thought he would explode, she placed a place full of food before him, making a loud clinking noise against the table to emphasize food was served.

He began to feel his temper rise. He had not expected a warm welcome, but he hadn't expected her to treat him like a piece of furniture.

Khushi knew he would explore any minute. Good! She wanted that.

May be she would get some truth out of him.

And she was genuinely miffed at him for not even calling her once when he had been away.

She could have called too, she admitted.

But then, he had been the one doing the yelling.

And he had sneaked up behind her back.

Two reasons, why he owed her an apology, she thought, continuing to ignore him, as he darted glances at her.

If they had not been sulking, it would have actually been funny, the way he was almost waiting for her to talk to him, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

It was nearing bed time. Khushi cleaned up the dinner plates and as she was walking right past him into the bedroom, she felt herself yanked down and toppled on the couch, with Arnav lying right on top of her in a moment by toppling her.

His eyes were blazing with anger and his lips were a thin line.

'Going somewhere Khushi Kumari Gupta?" he asked.

''Arnav get off me. I was going to sleep,' she said.

'Like I am going to let you. You have been ignoring me for close 2 hours,' he said angrily.

'And you went off for a whole day without a single phone call,' she glared back. He had the grace to look a little ashamed but he got back to his high horse with 'You could have called too.'

'Why should I when you were the one who yelled at me?' she asked defiantly.

'And with good reason. You always suspect my intentions. It is maddening,' he said.

'You can't just make an appearance after 7 years and just after a week or two demand that I forget everything and jump with joy that you decided to make a comeback,' she said angrily. Oh God! This is not what she wanted. She wanted nothing better than to hug him and tell him she had missed him.

'So would you rather I did not come back or did not want you in my life?' he asked.

She was silent.

'Answer me,' he bellowed, his eyes brooding into hers 'Do you want me to go away?' he asked..

She was silent, flooding with tears at his anger and the fact that they were fighting again.

Her tears completely, took the anger out of him, as always. Bending down, he kissed away her tears as he murmured, 'I am sorry baby. I missed you. I was angry that you did not seem to miss me,' he said.

She took the lead and kissed his full on the moth as she murmured 'I went mad without you.'

Arnav smiled against her lips as he heard her confession. So, this is how their marital discords would be? He wasn't at all averse to fights after they got married, if he could experience the joy of making up.

That reminded him he had to propose marriage to her. He was sure she wouldn't refuse, as she had already committed to his father.

But he was going to approach the topic slowly.

'So you missed me,' he said nuzzling her neck.

'Yes,' she admitted and then asked 'And you?'

'Like hell. I almost broke records to get home to you,' he confessed honestly.

She smiled at that, giving him free access to the slender column of the throat.

'It was just a day. We must be crazy,' she laughed.

'I know. But it felt weird without you. Now that I have found you, I am not letting you go Khushi. Got that?' he asked her, with an air of complete authority.

'Who said anything about letting you go?' she asked, kissing him all over his face.

This was the right moment, he thought, to pop the question.

And there is only one way to ensure we are never apart, marry me Khushi,' he said followed by a passionate kiss on her lips which made her breathless.

Khushi was stunned. She knew he would ask, after his father's visit. But what about love? She knew they were just words. But it was important to her. She had waited 8 years to hear it. She also wanted him to her the truth about his father.

So she asked him, 'Suddenly? You know about my parents right?' she asked.

'Oh come on Khushi. Are you going to hold on to that forever. Your parents too would have wanted you to move on. I thought you had already---'he stopped himself just in time to remember he could not tell Khushi, she had promised his father.

Khushi was desperately hoping he would confess, 'Already what Arnav?' she asked.

'I mean already knew we can't live without each other,' he said, not wanting her to know that he had arm twisted her.

'Yes we can't,' she agreed quietly, 'But doesn't mean we should jump into marriage. I think we should think about it. We need to give it time. You need to think why you want to marry me. Is it only because you can't be without me? And if so why can't you be without me?'

'What kind of a crazy riddle is this?

I want you.

You want me.

We absolutely love to be with each other.

What else do you want?

I don't get you,' he said frustrated as he moved away from her and ran his hand through his hair,' You are saying you don't want marriage with me?' he asked.

'No. I am saying you need to give it a little time. Our marriage should be built on firmer grounds, not just a burning need to be with each other,' she said.

'Are you out of your mind? Why else would people get married? Of course they get married because they can't live each other,' he said.

'But marriage also means trust, honestly, love-everything which we still have to build. We have just met after 7 long years and we need time to see if we have these elements,' she insisted, all the while hope he would tell her he loved her and about the part his Dad played.

'I don't understand Khushi,' he said holding her by the arms and shaking her,' Why are you playing hard to get? Are you trying to be a tease? Is this payback time for what I put you through all those years ago? I don't believe you want revenge' he asked said angrily.

'You don't understand me at all and all and you want to marry me? ,' she said looking at him, 'May be, when you do, we can get married,' she said and dashed across to her room and locked it.

Why?

Why did words not matter to him?

Why couldn't he be honest with her and ask her directly?

She wasn't asking for much was she?

8 years she had waited to hear 'I love you Khushi'.

At least when he proposed she had expected it.

She had expected honesty about what he had done by sending his Dad.

Was she expecting too much?

What the hell! Arnav thought.

What was the problem with women?

Hot one minute and cold the very next.

Why couldn't they just recognize a simple, straightforward emotion like need to be with each other?

What is it she wanted?

What else did she expect from him?

He had left his home.

His work.

His ego, just to woo her.

And she wasn't even accepting his proposal?

And what if she said no?

His mind clouded with anxiety and fear at the thought.

He could not imagine a day without her.

7 years he had lived in hell.

He would not risk losing her again, giving her time to indulge her whims and fancies.

He had a life to get back to.

He had a business to run.

He wanted her in his life.

She wanted it too, he reasoned.

And for both of them, he was going to make it happen, even if it took some more devious methods.

He would have her, by hook or by crook.

And so he made up his mind-he would put Plan B in action.