FF- Sparkling Dreams (COMPLETED) epilogue pg 43 - Page 9

Khushi arrived after meeting her parents at the hotel, Mama ji and Jiya's father were still at the hotel to provide directions to their guests and make sure they are comfortably accommodated before the wedding.

It was just 7; she decided to take a small nap. It had been a noisy day. Sameer Bhai and Yash had arrived and the house was instantly filled with loud laughter and sound, her heart had warmed to see the bond between Arnav and his family, she felt content watching him hug Sameer Bhai and pick up Yash lovingly while the child laughed in glee and tugged at his uncles ears, he had lost so much and it made her feel happy that there were people who filled a part of the wide gaping hole left from everything that he had been through.

She was shaken from sleep as a pair of tiny hands tugged at her hair, she looked up with wide scared eyes to find a mischievous pair staring back at her. Soon she heard footsteps and noticed that her door was wide ajar, Yash held his fingers to his lips with wide eyes and signaled Khushi to keep his secret. Khushi looked confused, her mind still a mush from the short nap she had taken, she sat up in bed rubbing her eyes to find that the boy had slid underneath the covers right beside her, within moments she heard someone's footsteps still outside her door.

Arnav looked puzzled at the wide open door, peaking in to find Khushi rubbing her eyes, "Did you see Yash?" he asked her as she simply shrugged in reply and began to yawn. Nodding his head, he closed the door before walking away, his eyes too focused on her sleepy face, failing to notice the tiny bundle beneath the sheets partly shielded by Khushi's body.

She heard giggles as Yash sat up, his light brown hair disheveled and his eyes shining with mirth. "Silly Andy, I wonder how he missed me, he usually has eyes at the back of his head" he said with wide eyes filled with pride at his accomplishment as Khushi laughed and ruffled his hair before listening to endless tales that only children can imagine and expertly narrate. Yash as a baby had heard everyone call his uncle "Arnav" when he had come home, and one fine day he decided to try out the new word, instead the name came out as "Andy" and it had stuck, Arnav never bothered correcting him, it was better than the horrifying title "mama" that made him feel ten years older.

Khushi had suddenly earned the position of his partner in crime by hiding him from the careful eyes of Arnav and the little boy had taken to calling her Dorry since he had recently watched Finding Nemo and imagined Khushi to be the little blue trustworthy fish with wide eyes.

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Dinner had been a hearty affair, bursts of laughter and endless stories. Sameer Bhai was the kind of person you instantly liked with brown intelligent eyes, a gentle face holding bursting humour and a silly smile. Khushi was seated between a sleepy Yash who had refused to let her go and a grinning Jiya who couldn't contain the happiness of having her whole family together.

Glad that everything had been arranged, Khushi climbed upstairs to her room, as she turned to close the door she watched Arnav carry a sleepy Yash to Anjali's room, the little boy wrapped up in his arms as his brown head leaned cozily over his shoulder. With a smile on her face she shut the door. Sending a silent prayer for the wedding to go well she let herself float to sleep.

The wedding was a screaming success. Both Dhruv and Jiya looking red with exhilaration as the traditional ceremony ended with them finally becoming man and wife.

Khushi observed the entire ceremony with a glowing heart, unlike most brides Jiya sat there grinning at Dhruv, her skin sparkling against the beautiful lehenga. Khushi  was distracted only for a few seconds as NK arrived and declared that he needed more flowers to throw, Khushi pointed at Anjali and told him that she had the flowers. Her eyes snapped back to Jiya and Dhruv but not before falling over Arnav who stood quietly near one of the pillars wearing a dark brown kurta, a slight smile on his face. Khushi drew in a deep sigh and looked away from him, being anywhere near him during a wedding was not ideal for her, as difficult as it was to accept, it was true that when she had fallen head over heels in love with him all those years back, she had allowed certain dreams to breed in her mind, a girl hardly ever loves without imagining a tomorrow, Khushi tried forgetting the tomorrow and all those dreams she had foolishly held close so many years ago, here they were after all this time, close yet so far apart. She distracted herself watching Dhruv confused over the number of pheras that were over, while Mamiji sternly gestured and guided him.

Arnav watched the ceremony unfold before his eyes, he did not believe in all these traditions but he did not scorn at them either, especially since he had watched Dhruv's eyes smile in fulfillment and utter joy ever since he had met Jiya, he watched them and remembered what it had been like to be in love. An emotion that felt so alien and unknown to him presently. He refused to let what had been lost trouble him, so what if he no longer knew what it meant to share your heart, love was for the untarnished soul and his had been troubled and blemished by sorrows too deep.

He stirred from his thoughts as he watched someone whiz by suddenly, leaving behind a trail of something that smelt like mandarins and lemon. Looking to his right, he noticed Khushi heaving a deep breath and talking animatedly to Jiya's mother. Her hands adorned in dark blue bangles, the deep shade of henna peeking out clandestinely, while her lehenga painted her skin with something beautiful in the deep blue-green peacock colours. His eyes noticed the way her opal earrings swayed hypnotically; drawing attention to her elegant collar bone while she spoke with wide eyes darkened artistically, her face highlighted by a natural blush and her lips the most wonderful shade of pink. He felt drawn to her by some powerful, invisible chords, unable to keep his eyes away as he covertly glanced at her each time he could, not realizing the havoc running wild somewhere deep within him.

The wedding had ended with smiles and barely any tears, Jiya and Dhruv would be moving into an apartment in Delhi since Dhruv had received a transfer to the Delhi branch along with a promotion, so Jiya knew she would be near her family and Mamaji was also planning on retiring and moving back to their ancestral home on the outskirts of Delhi. So there was a happy assurance that they wouldn't be too far away from family.

During dinner, NK turned off the music, drawing everyone's attention as he cleared his throat and spoke, "Dhruv has always been the responsible elder brother, for all those times you've had my back, for each time you've been a best friend more than a brother and for all those times you've set an example, thank you Dhruv, and Jiya you are a lucky lady, take care of this old fool' NK said before adding very seriously "And now since the customary good wishes are done, I hope you both pay me for all these kind words I was forced to say' he sniggered as everyone else laughed and Dhruv wondered how more pathetic could his little brothers sense of humour get. "Now let's hear some rare words from our very own Nanav' NK declared as Arnav glanced up at him and glared, "What the hell is this, NK?' he grit out quietly with a tepid smile, NK looked down at him curiously and whispered "I asked you yesterday and you agreed, now stand up, everyone is watching' he said before sitting down next to him.

Arnav found all eyes trained on him, he slowly got up and looked at Dhruv, "Dhruv and I, we did not grow up together' Arnav began gradually "Yet over the previous years he has created a precious bond by being an unquestioning friend and a truly faithful brother, this wedding is special and a truly happy one as it has brought back something missing' he said as his eyes flitted over Khushi who was intently looking at him. "Jiya and Dhruv, I hope you find happiness during the darkest times and may you always cherish the love you have that is so hard to find and difficult to know" he said as he raised his glass in a toast, while everyone looked at him with utmost admiration, Khushi's mind wandered to the way he had looked at her, pain gripping her heart for being an important part of his life yet being so distant in so many ways.

While clicking the family photo, Jiya called out to Khushi who was speaking to one of the guests, she  asked her to hurry, Khushi told her to carry on but then she had a bunch of people yelling at her to join. "There would be no wedding without you' Anjali said as she purposely moved aside, ensuring that Khushi was standing right next to Arnav. Anjali smiled as she held Yash in her arms, the little ruffian looking at his Andy and Dorry before whispering into his mothers ears Andy is holding Dorry's hand' he said and broke out into one of those heartbreakingly innocent smiles.

The party was over, the music had faded and the night air had slowly washed over the grounds as all the guests had left, it was decided that the traditional games and aarti would be conducted later in Delhi at Jiya and Dhruv's apartment. Everyone had gone to bed, too tired to even properly tease Dhruv and Jiya before sending them to their room adorned with flowers, the past few days had taken a toll on them.

Khushi strolled through the garden lazily, unable to fall asleep. Dressed in loose pink pajamas and a thick blue sweater she walked with a smile as she recollected the events of the past few days. She sat on the swing, her eyes gazing up at the moon lovingly, relieved at being able to indulge in such a peaceful moment after so long. For someone who loved blaring sounds and liveliness, she enveloped silence and tranquility with open arms at this moment.

She turned as she felt someone sit beside her; she looked at Arnav holding out two mugs of coffee. "I was making myself some coffee and I saw you sitting out here" he explained as she took the mug from him, the warmth feeling extremely pleasant against her red, cold fingers and her glasses fogging up from the condensation, she had removed her contacts earlier. He looked fresh and smelt of lime as he sat beside her in a dark green sweatshirt and he sipped his coffee silently.

Arnav saw Khushi from the kitchen window and decided to make her a cup of coffee too. He watched her staring at the moon, a relieved smile on her face, her thick glasses adorably reminding him of her during school when she blatantly refused to wear glasses except to read the black board and of course watch movies. She seemed startled to find him sitting next to her but her face settled down into calmness once again as she took the mug from him. "Jiya and Dhruv are so lucky right, did you see how happy they looked today?" Khushi said softly as she looked up at the sky, Arnav watched her dreamy eyes which seemed to be lost elsewhere."Why is a romantic like you still unmarried?' Arnav asked with genuine curiosity and mild mischief, his eyes trained at the sky now, missing the way those hazel eyes slowly clouded with something as tearing as pain. "Not many good men out there, and the right one still hasn't made an entry" he heard her reply in a casual voice, failing to notice the slight tremble and forced nonchalance. "What about you?" he heard her enquire softly. Shrugging his shoulders and he told her what he had learnt to accept long ago, "I'm not capable of loving anyone, Khushi, everything that has happened, it has brought in disbelief and pain so extravagant that I think my heart has shrunk' , "We are always capable of love' he heard her whisper. "No, not always, love is for the unbroken' he said with a sad laugh, "Mom and dad had a love marriage, I have myself seen the stacks of  lengthy letters, till death do us part' he said sarcastically, "yet he chose to flee the moment he found out she was ill, destroying everything and not even bothering to glance at her lifeless corpse" he whispered with anguish while his eyes stared angrily ahead. "Love grows cold, it slowly dies away and I don't think it's worth my time, why would I build something that is bound to come tumbling down' he said. He felt her cold hands upon his, her eyes looking at him with softness so alarming as she said in a quiet voice "You are not your father, Arnav'. Unable to meet her eyes, fearing that looking into her eyes would open certain floodgates that he had banished from his life, he stared at the ground while he steadily spoke "I had loved Naina, so much, yet when bitterness crept in and I was neck deep in sorrow, I could not reciprocate the concern she had for me as she steadily stood by me patiently, I realized, Khushi, I realized the moment I found it impossible to share my heart, impossible to let her in, I was a changed man, how else can you explain being unable to feel for someone you had cared so deeply for, she walked away and I felt nothing, not even an inkling of pain' he said, if he had looked up he would have seen a pair of broken eyes staring back at him with unshed tears. "All I would do is inflict my blemishes onto a spotless heart, making it as hard as mine, she left and I did not even ponder over it, days passed, so did months and yet I felt no sorrow, I knew then that something inside me was dead' he said in a slow whisper almost impossible to hear. They sat there bathed in dismal moonlight, words unspoken and burdens buried carefully. Lifting her fingers away from his hands after several profound moments, "Goodnight, go get some sleep" she said and walked back in, his hands suddenly feeling bereft of the previous warmth.

Khushi clutched her sweater tightly to herself, struggling to hold in sobs, the moment she was outside his vicinity. She did not know how she had sat there without breaking down. Sinking to the floor, she threw her glasses on the bed, she cried painfully, crying those tears that he was unable to. Crying as realization dawned, hearing things she had failed to acknowledge. "You knew this all along, stop crying' she mumbled, holding her knees to her chest and pleading with her throbbing heart. 

His heart had belonged to someone else before and now after all these years he stood before her without one.

 Phewww...so tell me folks, what do you think?😊