#2 ArHi SS: Is This Love? (Clarification: Page 46) (7/11) - Page 19

Khushi could clearly see the storm in his eyes. But today she had to be strong. She will tell him today at any cost that she was getting married in three days. Now nothing could be done about it. She had given him so many chances to express his feelings towards her and now it was too late. She knew he was in her every breath but she had to do this. Khushi stood rooted at the spot as she remembered what happened earlier that day.

*FLASHBACK*

Khushi was sitting on her bed with some files of their new project and a coffee when Buaji informed Khushi that shashi wanted to see her immediately. Khushi was surprised at this because of the way shashi wanted to see her immediately'. She got up and followed Buaji to the living room. She was that amma and babuji were sitting on the sofa waiting for Khushi. Khushi could read nothing from their expression. Khushi tried to smile at amma but she hardly responded.

"Bitiya. Come. Sit" she heard babuji say to her and sat down beside him. "Bitiya. I know your marriage was supposed to be held a little later but just yesterday we found out that the auspicious date falls in three days and the next date is six months later. I'm afraid your in-laws are not willing to wait that long and so aren't Payal's in-laws. But the problem here is not Payal because she has no problem. We want to know if you are okay to get married in three days?" he told her calmly.

"Three days?" Khushi asked surprised.

"Khusi bitiya we know it's a little too early but you have to get married. So why wait for six months? Don't worry about the preparations. We will manage." Garima told Khushi.

Khushi didn't know how to react. She was a at loss of words. She didn't want to marry this guy whom her parents had selected because she loved Arnav, more than anything but he didn't love her. He himself had told her that he liked' and that too adding a maybe' to his sentence. She couldn't back out just for the sake of his like.

"Beta we have published the wedding cards already and distributed half of them already. We thought you would say yes." Garima said anxiously when shashi put his hand up in front of Garima to stop her from talking.

"Khushi," shashi said sweetly, "Bitiya don't worry about all that Garima has said. The question here is if you want to get married in three days or not. We will respect your decision because you have already done us a great favor by accepting this marriage." He told Khushi with a bright smile. Khushi looked up at her father's face which was swelled with pride because of her. This was the reason why she had agreed to the alliance, to see her parents happy. Today she knew she was successful in making those people happy who had always thought of her happiness in front of their own. She was proud that she was a good daughter despite being a foster one. She knew her real parents would be proud of her too. Khushi nodded her head in approval.

"Amma, babuji, I am ready to get married in three days..."

"Haye re sanka devi..." madhumati came up and kissed Khushi on her cheek while Garima sighed in relief ad flashed a smile. Shashi too smiled at Khushi and gave her a tight hug.

*FLASHBACK END*

Now her marriage was on the cards and now nothing could be done except she should tell Arnav about it. She has to tell him that now she is someone else's property and she cannot tell him that her heart still belongs to him and him only because now she couldn't afford to do so.

Arnav on the other hand walked up straight to his room and slammed the door tightly, running his hand through his hair roughly. What the hell was she trying to prove? What does she think of herself and why the hell was she playing with his feelings? First by letting him come closer and then telling him that she doesn't love him and now rejecting a gift he himself had designed for her even if designing that meant not being able to complete a new deal for the company. He loved her! He loved her so damn much and couldn't she see that? What was wrong with her? Arnav just couldn't find answers to his questions anymore and he felt like strangling someone right now. Life was making fun of him now. He had always kept things in control because he had shut himself from every feeling in life but now when he finally gave to one of the best feelings in the world all he was getting is pain. He sat down on the recliner breathing hard, he had to talk to her, right now!!

Khushi was just about to walk upto his room when Anjali found Khushi.

"Areh khushiji aap aa gayi?" she smiled and hugged Khushi. "Bohot sundar lag rahi ho aap..." Anjali complimented Khushi, hearing which reminded Khushi about Arnav. She felt guilty upon seeing him like that but there was nothing she could do about it.

After a while when finally Aman called Anjali, Khushi made her way upstairs to his room. She was feeling nervous as hell, Khushi clutched the bag tightly in which she brought the saree along.

As she reached the door, her hands were trembling to open it. She stopped for a second and breathed in deeply, it was time to face him Now!

She opened the door and walked in with slow measured steps, into the dark room when suddenly the lights came on and she saw the lion, all ready to pounce on her. She knew he needed explanations and that too immediately but she hardly knew where to begin. As she was trying to think of some appropriate words to say, Khushi didn't realize when Arnav had walked past her and locked the door.

Khushi looked up to see Arnav standing with his hands folded in front of his chest, his expressions stern and calm. This was definitely not a good sign for Khushi.

"Arnav i..." Khushi mumbled fidgeting with her dupatta looking at the floor when his slow footsteps made her look up at him and her eyes widened in horror for a while when she saw him open the buttons of his blazer. What was he doing?

Khushi tried to begin again, "I.. wanted to say..." she said in a shaky voice and yet was quieted when he started to open the buttons of his waist coat. He was dangerously silent but his eyes spoke volumes and from what she saw in his eyes, was making her fear rise to a level she could faint with.

"I just wanted to say...that i... don't love..." and Khushi gulped hard as she realized he was barely eight inches away from her and she instantly stepped back which made him step forward and this trend continued until her calves hit the bed and she had to stop.

"You don't love who?" asked Arnav smirking as his right hand slipped around her waist puling her closer.

"Y..you..." Khushi stammered.

"Really?" smirked Arnav, "Why do I feel you are lying?" he asked her slowly as his lips made its contact with her neck and Khushi pushed him! She pushed him away as hard as she could and Arnav stumbled. Enough was enough! In an instant Arnav was holding Khushi b her shoulder, tightly but not hurting her. "What the hell is wrong with you Khushi? Why the hell are you doing this damnit?" he clenched his teeth to restrain his anger while Khushi sobbed. For a moment Arnav forgot his anger and wanted to console her but today he needed answers. "Are you playing with my feelings?" he asked bluntly. Those words made Khushi look up in his eyes with hurt. Here she was in a condition where she felt like dying and he thought she was playing with him? She loved him so damn much that she didn't want to marry someone else and he thought she is playing?

Khushi jerked off his hand and shouted, "I AM PLAYING? HUH! Do you even know what I am going through damnit?? I am playing... I asked you..." she hit his chest with her hands, "I asked you if you loved me and you said you just liked me... I am playing with your feelings?" she sobbed.

Khushi sobbed loudly as Arnav mentally kicked himself. He was at fault, he was so late in proposing her and he didn't even tell her how he felt for her. She was a simple girl and she needed assurance but he didn't give her that so obviously she would say that. He hugged her lightly as she sobbed in his chest for they didn't know how long when Arnav suddenly whispered...

"Khushi I love you..."

That made Khushi break the hug and look at him. Arnav tried to hug her again but she nodded negatively and stepped back leaving Arnav confused.

"What happened Khushi?" he asked her.

"Arnav it's too late..." Khushi whispered as fresh tears made way to her cheeks.

"What? Why?" he asked hurt.

"I am getting married in three days..."

Arnav flinched hearing that as he got the shock of his life, Khushi closed her eyes tightly not wanting to see his reaction. For a moment Arnav could see his entire world crashing right in front of him! He just couldn't believe what he heard. Arnav stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating. It was as if someone was suffocating him to death. A pang of intense pain captured his heart. He was like in a flooded river at midnight during a storm with no chance of survival. It was as if he was standing in front of an empty ocean.

Did she just say she was getting married? To someone else? In three days? She will no longer be his? He was going to lose his love?

Darkness engulfed Arnav as he found his world spinning. Khushi's eyes widened as she leapt forward to help Arnav as she saw him fainting. She had expected an outrageous break-out from him, she had expected anger and she had expected him to shout but here he looked nothing but defeated. His face pale as Khushi helped him sit down on the recliner. He was losing consciousness and falling into the pit of darkness when Khushi shook him to get him back to reality.

"Arnav... Please talk to me!!!" she shook with fear, what was happening to him?

Finally after moments of calling out to Arnav, he steadied a bit. His voice was low and broken as he spoke, "Why are you marrying someone else?"

"It's an arranged marriage Arnav. Buaji has chosen the boy for me."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he questioned her in disbelief that she didn't even tell him.

"I... I don't know! I asked you so many times if you loved me but..."

"I never said yes." Arnav completed it. "But Khushi couldn't you see it in my eyes how much I love you?"

"Arnav you are a rich business tycoon and you had just told me that you liked me. I thought if I would tell you about my marriage then you will think that I am trying to force you to marry me. I didn't want you to think I am a gold digger." She told him honestly.

"Khushi!" he scolded her softly. "How can you even think that way? I will never misunderstand you damnit!" he sighed deeply shaking his head, "It's okay. I will talk to your parents and we will sort this out. Don't worry." He got up when Khushi held his hand.

"No Arnav. It's the matter of their reputation now. If my alliance breaks then their name will spoiled. It's too late." She whispered.

Arnav stared at Khushi blankly as if she was an alien. "Have you lost it? You will marry someone else Khushi?" he asked in utter disbelief.

"Yes, Arnav." She said slowly. She herself had promised babuji and had agreed to the marriage this morning itself. She couldn't back out now. He had asked her, and she herself had agreed.

"Khushi! NO!" he held her by the shoulders and pulled her up. "YOU WILL MARRY ME AND ME ONLY!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND??" he shouted.

"I can't!" she shouted back.

"I LOVE YOU Khushi!!" he tried to reason with her.

Khushi sobbed. "I can't! I can't!" she cried loudly as she sat down on the recliner. Arnav sat beside her, totally broken!

He placed his head in his palms and cried, he cried after 15 years. Fifteen years ago he had cried like this when he lost his mother and now he was crying when he was about to lose the love of his life.

"Khushi...*sob*...I love you...*sob*...I love you..." he chanted between his sobs and Khushi too cried like never before.

"I have to go now Arnav." Khushi was barely able to speak, her voice strained.

"Khushi..." Arnav whispered not knowing how to convince her.

Finally Khushi got up and started to leave, knowing if she stayed any longer she would not be able to leave him and marry someone else.

"Mat jao.." Arnav held her hand lightly still sitting on the recliner, his head bowed down.

"I have to..."

"Khushi, please!" he pleaded.

He stood up and faced her. She looked at him and nodded negatively asking him not to cry, "Arnav promise me that you too will marry a nice girl and have a happy life." Before Arnav could interrupt she placed her hand on his mouth, "Tumhe meri kasam."

"Don't go, Khushi. Please don't go!" he pleaded.

Just as Khushi was about to leave he stopped her again, "can I have one last kiss Khushi? I will cherish it all my life." He asked her, now he had lost all hopes of her marrying him. She was adamant and it was his entire fault. Tears flew freely and none of them tried to stop the tears as for the last time Khushi's lips met his. They kissed like their life depended on it.

As they broke the kiss, Arnav hugged Khushi tightly.

They finally broke apart and Khushi wiped her tears and left a totally broken Arnav.

Lavanya and NK exchanged garlands and began their pheras.

On one hand a couple was parting ways and on the other hand a couple was getting married to be together forever.