So here it is, the sequel to my previous FF - Unanswered Questions. At its end, the love between Arnav and Khushi had gone beyond the mere physical attraction to understanding each other, opening up and communicating, showing their need for each other, trusting each other. But ofcourse Shaadi is a different ball game altogether. The Prologue is here, let's see if I have been able to put it right and you get the drift of things 😊
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Will love to read your comments and reviews
Sequel to "Unanswered Questions"
Band Baaja Baraat ' That's only the beginning
Prologue:
"I was right all those years ago. Marriage is an inconvenience!" Arnav said grimly giving Khushi a livid glare, "I don't know what made me fall for this wedding nonsense and the happily ever after!" he turned to leave for his office, very much aware of his wife's eyes ready to pop out of their sockets because she was glaring so hard at him. He knew she had her hands curled in a punch and she would agree to live without her pom poms if she could get a chance to punch him black and blue right then.
Anjali Singh Raizada looked up from the latest issue of "The Economist" she was reading, to see her brother descending the stairs. For anyone else, his gait would have appeared normal but as his sister she was always quick to pick up on any angry signals, he gave out, very quickly. Instincts forced her to inquire into the matter but her brain was quick enough to remind her to stay put.
"Both of them are adults, they can sort it out," she told herself, "This is what marriage is made up of!" she concluded looking at Arnav from the corner of her eye as he slumped down on the couch next to her.
The angry music of Khushi's payals soon followed. Unlike her husband, her descent was all but an announcement that all was not well in Arnav's lair.
"Hari Parakash! Why isn't the breakfast on table yet?" she demanded irritably to Mamiji's amusement.
"Hello, Hi bye bye, Arnav bitwa part 2! I like, I like!" Mamiji tittered, "Khushi I won't be surprised if one day you came down the stairs in suit shuit."
"Ofcourse I will, because shree Arnav Singh Raizada will one day drive me crazy enough!" Khushi made no attempt to contain her ire from showing.
Nani looked up to look from Khushi to Arnav and could just sigh for she had kept a Moun Varath and knew any effort to cajole Anjali to do something would be useless. Anjali had turned a new leaf, she kept away from her chotte's personal life until she was invited to interfere, she wanted them to deal with things on their own.
Arnav continued to read the paper silently, fuming inside at Khushi's blatant display of anger thanks to which everyone knew that a storm was brewing.
At the breakfast table, he took a few morsels before he gulped down his coffee in a couple of swigs and got up saying, "Okay, I am leaving. Will be late. Khushi."
That last bit was him asking her to see him off but Khushi was too annoyed and paid no heed and continued to grumble.
Khushi focused all her attention at Nani. "I don't know why people get married when they clearly don't want to. They can get into a live-in contract with some vagabond because it is too easy to walk out of. Chauvinist cowards! Women for them are disposable" Khushi finished while Nani could only stare angrily while Mamiji and Payal gasped in unison as Anjali stared at her with disbelief.
From the corner of her eyes she saw Arnav stop, turn around and start to walk towards her. For some strange reason, her heart started to beat furiously; she knew she had crossed some line but which one she frantically tried to figure out. Getting up with a start she almost ran for her room citing some incomprehensible reason for her sudden departure from the living room. Her heart sank as she realized that he was right behind her. Turning around the corner, Khushi sprinted as soon as she was out of sight of the people in the living room, but she had to stop dead as her wrist was caught in the vice like grip of her husband's hands.
"Where do you think you are running off to?" came a low growl like voice as he took her inside their bedroom locking the door behind him.
"One, I was not running away, two you shouldn't have jostled me in like this!" Khushi finished anger lacing each and every word.
"That!" he said pointing to somewhere outside the room, "was a low blow! You went too far! Not only did you ''.." he said with gritted teeth and didn't finish as he let go of her hands with a jerk and stomped out of the room.
-_-_-
Khushi slumped on the bed as soon as he was out of the room. She never liked fighting with him but could never figure out how they ended up like that. She started to trace the events from the beginning, broke down everything into smaller modules, a problem analysis tool she had learned from her husband. She smiled at the memory of that night when Arnav Singh Raizada was caught between wanting to spend time with his wife and preparing for a presentation next day. Like a true business man he came with a merger and gave the presentation to her, explaining in detail the tools he had used to make the whole thing.
And now, while she was convinced that he was responsible for the disturbance in their paradise, she realized she had really wronged him by referring to his live-in relationships in the front of the whole family. She knew what she had to do, so she got up and went about it.
-_-_-
Arnav knew he was being unreasonable, but for some unfathomable reason he had always wanted Khushi to stay with him in bed until he woke up. But she insisted on going for the early morning Puja. Although, he no longer denounced religion but he hadn't really started on the worshipping thing.
"Yes, He is there, I know but I don't really see the sense in such elaborate rituals," he used to say and wanted Khushi to adopt the same attitude.
And these days he had been really stressed and nothing de-stressed him better than the feel of his wife's body next to him, her arms on his as she lay in the circle of his embrace. So when Khushi would leave him these days his annoyance shot up to extra high levels while Khushi remained clueless about what was going on. For how could she? Arnav Singh Raizada wasn't that easy to read when he decided to close up. He knew he was being unreasonable in not sharing the stress he was going through but he wanted her to know without being told.
At 1 o' clock, Arnav saw Hari Parakash enter holding a big paper bag.
"Namaste sir, your lunch. Khushiji has sent it," he informed him as he emptied the content and served him lunch. A cursory glance was enough to tell him that great care had been taken to make sure the menu had all those things that he could only tolerate.
"Hmmm so the fight is still on!" he figured out, "then why the favor of lunch?" he wondered as his cell gave the text alert.
"I am sorry for saying what I did in the morning," said Khushi's message.
Sighing Arnav punched in a few keys and sent the sms.
A few seconds later Khushi read Arnav's brief message, "I am stressed these days and I need you to spend more time with me. Sorry for being an ass!"
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