Part 1 Wedding
Mumbai
Arnav was rushing inside the aerodrome to board a flight. He was working in a fashion house in Mumbai. He got a message from his father today morning. His mother slipped into the washroom and her condition was very critical. Arnav started immediately without thinking of anything.
Delhi
When Arnav entered his house, he frowned seeing his house being decorated. He saw a few relatives were sitting in the living room, having coffee, and a few looked hurry. Is not his mother serious? He rushed towards his mother's room and got collide with someone. The person was none other than his mother herself. Arnav looked at her bewildered.
*Mom... are you...*
Cutting him,
*I'm alright...*
*Then why would Dad lie to me? *
Clutching his hand, she dragged him to his room where his father Arvind was doing something. Arnav saw him keeping a box on his bed.
*What's all this Dad? * Arnav asked.
*Arrey, Chotte, you came...? Welcome back to Delhi* Arvind hugged him.
*Dad, why did you lie to me that Mom is in critical condition? *
*Of course, she is in critical condition...* they laughed.
Arnav rolled his eyes.
*What's happening here? *
*Going to happen...* Ratna said.
*What? *
*Your marriage*
*Whaaaaat! Mom, this is not funny*
*I'm also telling you the same... your life is not fun... you need a partner. We found one. You are going to marry her. that's final*
*Mom, don't do this to me*
*You don't do this to us, Chotte... you are our only son. How could we let you be single? *
*Mom, I like to be single... I want to be single*
*How long? *
*Until I want ...*
*No... you are already thirty... not anymore...*
*Mom, I will tell the bride that I'm not interested in marriage*
*Ok... go... go and tell her... as you come here, put fire to my dead body and go back to Mumbai to relish your loneliness*
*Stop it, Mom...*
*Why, Chotte? Have you ever cared about us? Go... but don't come again... ever...even I die...*
*Mom... I'm not ready for the marriage*
*Make yourself ready...if you want your mother to be alive*
She went to the bed and took the box which Arvind kept. She gave that to him.
*Get ready... the Bride is going to arrive* Ratna left the room.
Arnav looked at Arvind pleadingly.
*Get ready Chotte... we are your parents. We want your happiness*
*I'm already happy, Dad*
*But you can't give birth to a baby... you need a woman to get heir* Arvind teased.
Arnav rolled his eyes high.
*You no need to think of ourselves, Chotte. Just think of yourself. You can't be like this. YOU CAN'T GET SOME THINGS BACK IF YOU MISSED THEM ONCE. You may not understand that now... but in the future, my words will echo in your ear for sure* Arvind left the room.
Arnav threw the box on the bed irritatingly. Why his parents don't understand him? What's wrong if he wants to be alone? Is it a crime to like loneliness? How could they arrange his marriage without his acceptance? Of course, he won't have come to Delhi if they would have told him about the wedding arrangements. Don't they know their son? So, like every parent, they arranged his wedding and brought him to Delhi lying.
Now, after getting threat by his mother, Arnav didn't have the guts to deny them. They have arranged everything for the marriage. He just can't run away no matter what. But, how could he get married when he is not interested in marriage? How could he spoil a girl's life when he knew very well that he could not be a good husband?
But, he can do nothing now. The situation already slipped from his hands. He has no choice. he has to marry the girl... for his mother... to save her life...
The sound from outside told him that the Bride arrives.
The wedding rituals started. Arvind asked Arnav to go to the stage. Arnav went to the stage with the hung face. The Bride was called to the stage. She came and sat beside him. Arnav did everything robotically what Pandit asked him to do. He didn't even look at her face when tying mangal sutra and filled vermillion on her partition. Without his consent, without his acceptance, she became his wife... Khushi Singh Raizada...
Arnav looked rigid all the time which was not gone unnoticed by his parents. Khushi cried at the time of Bidhai... Arnav didn't react to anything.
Night
Khushi was already in his room. Arnav walked towards his room could do nothing about it. The girl entered not only in his room but also in his privacy zone which he didn't want... which he never allowed anyone in...
Arnav saw the girl, who was his wife sitting on the bed. He directly went to the cupboard and removed his dress without giving heed to her. Without talking to her anything, he went to the washroom to get changed. He came out in a few minutes and lay down on the bed silently. His wife saw him doing that and she didn't perplex. She got down form the bed slowly and removed her dress from her bag. She went to the washroom and get changed thinking about her husband who was laying down on the bed.
Arnav couldn't sleep. His life changed upside down... totally opposite to how he wanted to be. A girl entered his personal space which he couldn't allow. He was toasting on the bed. He saw her coming out of the washroom. He turned opposite to her and stayed without a movement. He closed his eyes to get some sleep as if he didn't get affected by the marriage. But he could not. He didn't sense any movement from behind his back. Did she sleep? he slowly turned behind and saw Khushi looking at him, sitting on the bed, circling her knees.
He sat on the bed baffled. She smiled at him.
*What are you looking at? * he asked perplexed.
*YOU...*
*Don't you sleep? *
She smiled and it made him gulp.
*Go to sleep* he again lay down, facing his back to her.
He didn't look at her again. Khushi lay down, looking at his back. Arnav's heart ran fast. What the hell... why did she look at him like that? Would she be looking at him now also? He didn't feel to look at her. why would he think of her? Ignoring her, he tried to sleep.
The next day/ Dinning
Khushi served keer to her in-laws and husband. Her hand stopped hearing Arnav's voice.
"Mom, I have to get back to work. I'm in just three days leave " he said
Khushi looked at Ratna to know what will her answer be.
"Ok... You can go..."
Khushi was disappointed. Ratna turned towards Arvind.
"Book OUR tickets... We will go with them and settle them down in Mumbai" Ratna said.
"Whaaat? But why Mom?" Arnav asked shockingly.
"Because you are married now. This is a formality to settle you down there. We have responsibilities"
"Mom, I'm not taking her with me," he said looking at his plate.
Ratna looked at Khushi whose face became sad hearing him.
"Khushi beta, don't mistake me. Could you give us a few minutes to talk to YOUR HUSBAND?" Ratna asked her permission.
Khushi nodded faking a smile and left the place.
Before Arnav said anything,
"What do you think of yourself? She is your wife now..." Ratna shouted.
"Did I ask you to get me married?" he asked annoyingly.
"But you got married to her"
"It was you who blackmailed me emotionally."
"So...? I can do that anytime... What's the point?"
"I'm not going to take her with me... I can't be a good husband to her Mom" he pleaded.
"You no need to think more... You just take her. She will have to be with you and that's final" Ratna said strictly.
"Chotte, try to understand. It sounds weird to hear that you want to be alone. Anyone needs someone, sometime in their life, Chotte. Life won't be like what we think. You can't be like this" Arvind said.
Arnav gulped down and stood leaving the breakfast unfinished. He walked towards his room.
"What a boy he is...? Even after getting a beautiful wife, he wants to be alone... Disgusting..." Ratna said and Arnav heard it. But he didn't react to it.
He saw Khushi sitting on the bed biting her nail. He rolled his eyes. Without saying anything, he started stuffing his things in the bag.
To be continued...
The next TWO updates are available on INKITT
She loves him
Khushi saw Arnav packing his stuff. She can't be like him... she didn't want to be like him.
*Shall I pack my stuff too? * she asked.
Arnav stopped packing and looked at Khushi. he didn't know what to answer her. Because of his mother, he got married to her. but he could not give her the same excuse to avoid her going to Mumbai alone.