Arshi TS - Queen

Part 3 - B

A few hours later,

Nestled amidst lush greenery, Shantivan stands with elegance, decorated like a bride. Its walls are draped with flowers and fairy lights. As guests arrive, they pass beneath a floral archway that seems to hold its breath. Roses, lilies, and jasmine entwine, creating a fragrant tunnel. Petals cascade like confetti, welcoming all who cross the threshold.

The heart of Shantivan, the main hall, is a vision. Crystal chandeliers hang like frozen rainbows, casting prismatic light on the polished marble floor. Silk drapes in white, fairy lights, and the color of moonlight, frame the grand windows.

Beneath the intricately carved mandap, the couple is exchanging vows, with their families beside. The pillars are adorned with jasmine garlands echoing the promise of eternity. The sacred fire awaits its promises to be fulfilled as the couple walks around it.

Arnav dressed in a grey suit is numbly looking at everything happening in front of him while his mind is lost in the other thoughts amidst the wedding of NK and Sheetal. His family members including his Di were on the other side showering blessings on the new couple who had stood up from their place as Pandit announced them as Husband and Wife. But he wasn't in this world, yes his body was present in the wedding but his mind was somewhere else.

A week ago,

Mumbai

Khushi's revelation has left him utterly perplexed. If Khushi left him and he was fully dressed then, how by the time he woke up he was naked? It doesn't make any sense to him. The timeline doesn't align—she left him while he was fully dressed, yet somehow, when he regained consciousness, he found himself naked. It defies logic, and he's certain he didn't hallucinate waking up in such a vulnerable state. His mind churns, replaying the events in that hotel room. Only that he couldn't remember much. How could he? He was fully drunk the night before. He was in no such state to remember everything. What transpired during those missing moments? The uncertainty gnaws at him.

All answers to his questions lie in the hotel room. He thought deciding in an instant to travel to Nainital and he did, he needed to prove to himself and Khushi that he wasn't making up things.

The Naini Retreat, he read the hotel name as he entered. Transporting back to the night three years ago.

Devastation clung to him like a shadow since Khushi's departure. He ceased caring for himself, and the world faded into hallow in his eyes. If he was ASR before — Arnav Singh Raizada, the formidable tycoon — he now embodied a darker version of himself. The sharp retorts and the number of times he'd be irritated by insignificant things — all abandoned. Life reduced him to a single sentence: he stopped living.

Yet, amidst the wreckage of his heart, he clung to one responsibility — the empire he had built, AR. It wasn't just a company; it was his baby and a lifeline for countless employees. Their livelihoods depended on its success, their dreams woven into its profit and loss statements. Arnav understood this unwaveringly. Personal turmoil couldn't dismantle the professional fortress he'd erected.

It was yet another day when duty called — an important client he had a deal with — he stepped into the opulence of the party. After which the next morning he'd have a conference meeting with them. His second shot warmed his throat, but it was something else that set his pulse racing. A familiar scent, elusive yet unmistakable. Khushi. His wife. No one else could stir his heartbeats like her, no other perfume could weave his memories so vividly.

He abandoned the wine, his chocolate-brown eyes scanning the room. Legs moved of their own accord, guided by an ache that transcended reason. Amidst the sea of faces, he sought her — the woman who held his past, present, and perhaps even his future. His wife. His Khushi. Without whom he ceases to exist and without him he can never find his happiness.