"Bhai!" Kabir snatched the book out of Arnav's hand. "Where were you all morning? No one knew where you were! What if Khush needed you for something? And how can you lie down so coolly reading—" He frowned at the title of the book and shook his head. "— God, I can't even pronounce that damn name – that whatever book?"
Arnav's startled eyes threw him an annoyed look. Muttering something under his breath, he released a long sigh staring at his brother. "What do you want me to do, Chhotu?" Locking his hands behind his head, crossing one leg over the other on his bed. "Hmm?"
"What do you mean what do you want me to do?" Kabir blew out a breath called frustration. "Udhar Baba ji paagal hogaye hain, and here you are, lazying around like nothing has rocked your world!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "Poor Khush, I have no clue what she must be going through right now! Do something!"
"Baba ji?" A smile spread across Arnav's face. "Now that's unique. Until yesterday he was Kaka, wasn't he?"
"Until yesterday, he was a sensible man!"
"Well, we haven't been on our best behaviour." Arnav grimaced, pushing himself upright on the bed. "What did you expect him to do? Bring mithhai to our house after he saw us?" He paused, "Chhotu, if it had been my daughter or yours, main toh saale ko thhok deta!" He added with a wink. "So let's just thank god Kaka hasn't thrashed me to a pulp yet."
Kabir was still staring at him, a look of disbelief still stuck on his face. "You think this is funny? How can you be this —are you not worried about Khush at all? Bechari!" A look of irritation crossed his face.
"Kaun bechari? Meri biwi?" Arnav's laugh was low and deep, a sound of a very confident man who knew his woman well. "You know she would swallow the likes of Baba ji and Amma ji for breakfast and not even spit the bones, right?"
Kabir stared at his brother in dismay. "I don't believe you are saying this! She must be in tears. I am sure he must have given her some grief. At least call her and ask her what's going on!"
Arnav picked up the book lying at his feet. "My tigress is okay, Chhotu, or I would have known about it by now. There must be tension in the house because Kaka is angry, but he loves her a lot. And she won't say a thing to him because she loves and respects him too. Also, you forget that Kaki is there with her. Everything is alright, relax. I am seeing her today evening anyway." He said with a smile. "And about the call, I can't call and get her into trouble if Kaka is in this mood. She will call me, Chhotu. Most probably around his nap time, which should be—" He glanced at his watch, "—anytime now."
"Waah! Look at that confidence! Show off!" Kabir grinned. "I know you know your Khush well, but this is taking it to another level, Bhai! Won't you want to assure her that you are there for her and she doesn't have to worry about anything?"
"You mean.. tell her something she knows already?" Arching a brow and smiling smugly, he turned his head to the book again. He kept flipping through the pages of the book to find the one he had been on with a slight frown on his face. "And next time you want to snatch a book, bookmark the damn page!" He paused, "And no! Bookmarking doesn't mean dog-earing! In fact, don't do anything. Just stay away from my books."
"Fine." Kabir shook his head. "I don't understand you, and I don't understand her either. Majnu is reading some finance-related bullshit, and Laila is not in an emotional mess crying day and night for him! What kind of love story is this?" He threw up his hands in the air in sheer exasperation. "But on a serious note, Bhai, if push comes to shove, all Khush has to do is step out of the house for two minutes, and I can take her off wherever you want me to, and no one will find her. You can do a court marriage and — in fact, leave all the arrangements to me. I'll handle everything."
Kabir's words pulled at his brow. "Wow. Perfect. And thank you. What would I do without you and your bright ideas, Chhotu?"
"Aur nahi toh kya!" Kabir finally turned away from the bed. "I am not the DDLJ Shahrukh Khan who will waste time wooing the father instead of the girl! What rubbish was that anyway? Uthha ke le jaaneka, bas."
Arnav tilted his head back and laughed. "Please don't dare utter these words in front of Khush. You know she will have your hide for this."
"Of course, I won't say that to her. I want to live! But the sad truth is Amrish Puri was the heroine of the film. Shahrukh spent his entire energy wooing him, not Kajol." He winked at Arnav and picked up his guitar. "But here, in real life, my brother is the true hero. Whenever he manages to put his book down, I am sure he does think about his heroine. Hain na, Bhai?"
"Abey! Teri toh main—" Arnav was about to get off the bed when the phone rang. He grabbed the cordless lying next to him instantly.
"Arnav?"
"Khush." Intense relief ripped through him and showed on his face. "Are you okay?"
"Mujhe kya hoga?"
He smiled, shaking his head as he watched Kabir leave the room, closing the door after him. "How about saying – I am okay – for this poor man sitting at the end of the line who has been a bit worried since yesterday night, not being able to speak to you, see you-"
"I am sorry." Her voice came out weak and strained, tugging at his heartstrings. "I am alright. Just a bit restless, that's all. And how is my man at the other end of the line doing?"
"He is okay now." He smiled. "Nap time?"
"Yes. I think I have ten minutes. Fingers crossed. Anything more is a bonus. I wanted to come over but will refrain. I don't want to invite unnecessary trouble. Is that okay?"
"I wouldn't want you to, sweetheart." Arnav felt the muscle around his heart tighten, hearing the turmoil in her voice. "Although I wouldn't have minded, just a minute or two, maybe? Want to hold you close to me right now."
Despite her mood, a smile tilted the corner of her lips. "Me too."
"How bad is it?"
"Maun vrat. But Aai has filled me in about what has happened."
"Anything to worry about?"
"I don't think so."
"Good. Did you try to speak to him?"
"A few times. But he gets weird when he is in a bad mood. You know how it is."
He released a sigh and leaned back against the wall of his bed. "Hmm."
"I am sorry, Arnav. Baba is messing it all up."
"No. We messed it up, Khush. We should have been more careful and should be apologising for putting him through this. And I should be whacked for my carelessness—"
"I wanted to hold you too, Arnav." A short silence followed when neither of them spoke. "Well, I guess nothing else can be done now besides apologising. And I — I guess Baba wants to talk about—"
"Marriage. Engagement?"
"I guess. I know he will force you to consider—" She hesitated "— consider it when you might not be — I am worried he might push you to—"
"Push?" His reaction was instant. "You think he will have to push me to—" He drew in a deep breath. "Every time we look at each other now, we are demanding from the other that we go to any lengths necessary to be together, Khush. There is a promise to hold your hand for life every time I take your hand in mine. So why should it seem like pushing or cornering or forcing hand?"
Khushi winced, knowing she had hurt him unintentionally. "I said that because we just got back together, Arnav. I don't know if you or we are ready for this. We never had time to discuss our future because we were busy dissecting our past like idiots." She snorted. "You know, that's why they say, don't spend time in either! Live in the present moment."
Arnav huffed out a breath. "I think we were living in the moment in style in a very public place, and you know what happened after that!"
"I know." She smiled. "I am so glad Baba didn't see us on our way back from Lonavala!" Colour rose over her cheeks. "He would have killed me by now."
"Koi haath toh lagaa ke dikhaaye tum ko."
"Haaye, my hero!" She giggled and heard a soft chuckle at the other end of the line. She waited for him to say something for a few impatient seconds, but when he didn't, she frowned. "Arnav?"
"I love you, Khush."
Her heart stopped beating with a violent thump, then set going like a hammer drill against her ribcage. She was too stunned to speak and too overwhelmed to think. Holding back the tears that stung her eyes unexpectedly, she decided to concentrate on the painting of Raja Ravi Varma hung on one of the walls in front of her. And something about the poise of the Maharashtrian bride in the painting made her heart flutter even more in her chest.
"—And just so you know—" Arnav continued in the same hoarse voice. "—I am willing to kneel in front of your father, closing my eyes, folding my hands together, and singing twinkle twinkle little stars like the Prem of your Maine Pyaar Kiya if he comes to hit me — which I think he will, after what he saw yesterday."
Something burst inside her heart, drawing out a laugh and tears simultaneously. "The image that has conjured up in front of my eyes is adorable, Saaheb! And I know you wanted to make me laugh, so mission accomplished." And she stopped laughing. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her heart squeezed in her chest as the words uttered in the past came back to her. "I love you too, Arnav. More than you can ever imagine."
His chest expanded on a tense draw of air, and his eyes closed when his mind replayed the moment when she had uttered those words to him for the first time. "Wish I could see you right now." He whispered hoarsely.
"I wish too. But you will, in a few hours."
"I most definitely will." He said, clearing his throat. "Oh, by the way," He changed the tone of his voice to chase away the cheerless feeling that had seeped into their hearts. "Kabir is worried about you. He can see you as Meena Kumari, crying a river lying on your bed right now. And he has big plans to help you elope in case you run out of ideas. Just saying."
Khushi chuckled. "No matter how exciting all this sounds, tell him I would want things done the right way so that I get to return to my maikaa whenever I fight with you."
Arnav went silent for a moment. "Did you just mention return and maikaa in the same sentence?"
She bit her tongue. "Of course not!"
"Good girl. So what exactly were you saying then?"
"That Baba might demand a commitment from you with violins, thunder, lightning and rains as background music." She said quickly. "The timing might be a bummer, but well— life is unpredictable."
"It is indeed." He took a few moments to mull over what she had said. "Okay, time to get a little serious before you hang up on me suddenly." He said in a soft yet serious tone. "Whatever happens tonight, we will try not to stir the boiling pot, okay? We need to think about it from his point of view too, Khush. Also, he is angry right now, but we are not. And I would want to put that down as an advantage." He paused, "I know what you are going through, don't get me wrong. You are hurt because you would have wanted him to talk to you first. I know you are feeling guilty too, because of what he has witnessed, and so am I. But staying calm, if possible, is the key. We don't want to take any chances, Khush. I cannot dream of risking—"
"I wouldn't dream of risking it. This is as precious to me as it is to you, Arnav."
"Well, that settles it then." He said with a smile.
"And on a completely different note," She said, looking at the dress lying in front of her on her bed. "—what should I wear tonight?"
"Your beautiful smile?"
"And?"
"You know." He said with a smile and hung up after saying bye to her.
****
When Arnav stood in a crisp white full-sleeve shirt and charcoal black trousers just behind his parents at Khushi's doorstep while his father rang their doorbell, his heart was beating restlessly in his chest. Every moment spent with Khushi, from the moment he had felt the first flutters of love for her in his heart until he dropped her at her doorstep after their trip to Lonavala, rushed through his mind in a burning bright kaleidoscope of images and feelings. It overwhelmed him. This was it, his heart whispered to him. The most important few minutes of his life were about to happen.
Avinash opened the door and smiled as he welcomed them into the house. He threw a quick glance at Arnav and nodded for him to take a seat. Arnav was about to turn towards the sofa when he saw Anagha enter the living room, followed by Khushi, and he stood rooted to the spot.
Khushi stood before him clad in an exquisite dark aubergine shalwar kameez with a thin gold embroidery border and a long soft net golden dupatta, her hair bound in a French plait, and her wrists adorned with a mix of aubergine and gold colour bangles. But what took his breath away were the two tiny dots of black bindi stuck one above the other on her forehead. It was criminal to look so beautiful, his heart screamed, unable to cope with the speed at which it was galloping.
This was it, Khushi said to herself as she saw Arnav in front of her. The moment she had been waiting for a very long time. A tight and tingling breathtaking anticipation sent her still, which made him send her a sharp questioning look at her.
When she shook her head with a smile, his breath scored his throat as passion, love, and desire colluded into a heady concoction, distracting him for a few moments, making him miss the way his mother cleared her throat to gain his attention. A sudden wave of mortification hit him as he looked away for a moment to round up his senses. And then he glanced back at her as she stood next to her mother, her right earring twinkling at him. A beautiful dark blush stained her cheeks and made his heart beat faster than ever before. Risking the attention of all the family members, he strode towards her, a hand thrust in his pocket and a smile playing on his lips. Her eyes were wide open as he pulled his hand out of his pocket and bent in front of her as if picking something up from the soft rug under their feet.
Anagha threw a startled look at Khushi and watched everyone's eyes fixed on him. Straightening up to his full height, Arnav held his palm open towards Khushi, and their eyes met in complete understanding.
"I think you dropped your earring." He said huskily, finally handing over the single earring he had been carrying in his heart and a small box all these years.
"Oh." Khushi touched her left ear and took the earring from him. "Thank you. Didn't realise it had fallen off." She said with a cheeky smile.
She wore the earring, making a production of it, smiling at him and watched him walk back to the sofa where his family was seated. Anagha and Khushi sat on the two chairs next to Avinash and smiled at Shaila, who looked at Khushi with all the love she had always felt for her.
"What can I offer you, Shekhar? And you, Arnav? Whiskey, Rum or –" Avinash glanced at Shaila. "What about you, Shaila?"
"Avi, we will get to the drinks once things have resolved. Let's get this issue sorted out first." Shekhar proposed and saw Avinash nod at him. He cleared his throat and quickly glanced at everyone sitting in the room. "I don't know what to say. It is upsetting what these two have been up to, but at the same time, a little embarrassing for me to realise that I have been oblivious to what has been brewing right under my nose all this time." He glanced at Shaila and then at Arnav. "Ideally, I would have liked us to meet in better circumstances, in a more relaxed frame of mind than what we all are now."
"I agree, Shekhar," Avinash said with a curt nod. "But as we discussed on the phone, this had to be done as soon as possible."
"I understand."
"Coming straight to the point then, Shekhar, I have only two things to discuss," Avinash said in a tone that demanded instant obedience. "Firstly, I am not impressed with how the kids have handled this delicate issue. And I have to say that I would have appreciated and respected Arnav more if he had made his intentions towards Khushi clear to me from the moment he had decided to take advantage of my trust in him." He censured in a cold voice, his jaw clenching as he flicked a quick implacable glance at Arnav before returning it to Shekhar. "I hold that against him because I have always allowed Khushi to go out with him in the past without a doubt or hesitation in my heart. I have trusted him. Not once has the thought crossed my mind that he would go behind my back and misuse that trust to the point of my public embarrassment or humiliation."
Arnav flinched at the directness of his words, and his lashes lowered in guilt and partly in shame. "I am sorry, Kaka." The words leapt out of his mouth instantly. "I am extremely sorry. I should have been more sensible about this. I realise what I have done, and I apologise from the bottom of my heart."
Avinash threw a stern glance at him and nodded as if accepting the apology. His eyes then found Khushi's, which lowered the moment they met his. "I don't mean to offend anyone, but I need to speak my mind to justify my stand in this situation." Releasing a deep breath, he turned to face Shekhar once again. "As a father of the girl, what compounded the issue for me is the fact that yesterday was not the only time I have seen a girl with Arnav on his bike, perhaps not in the same demonstrative manner as my daughter has been—" A nerve ticked in his jaw as his muscles on the face pulled taut against the skin. "—but yes, I have witnessed it on several occasions. And so my first response to see them out there has been nothing but disappointment and anger."
Khushi shifted restlessly in her seat, her body clenching across the rush of anger that hit her after feeling the hostility in her father's words directed towards Arnav. She stared at her father with her teeth locked together and tried to keep her mouth sealed with all her might, but a stifled plea escaped her lips. "Baba.."
Silencing her with a stern glare, Avinash continued. "I have never understood or believed in this dating culture, Shekhar. And I still don't. So pardon me for I mean no offence when I mention his female friends in this manner. But the fact that he has had a few — let's call them friendships — made me wonder if he will follow the same pattern with my daughter as well."
Arnav felt his courage tumble like a house of cards, and a cold sweat broke over his forehead instantly. His face paled, and his eyes met Khushi's instinctively. Panic seized his heart seeing her eyes where a volcano was bubbling, waiting to erupt. And so with a quick shake of his head, he pleaded her to stay quiet.
"I—" Khushi cleared her throat while her heart lodged itself into her throat. "—I had boyfriends too." She had ignored Arnav's plea and silenced everyone and everything in the room.
It was as if the air around them had stilled, and the second hand of the cuckoo clock had stopped ticking altogether.
Shock and disbelief had frozen Avinash's face. "I want you to think very carefully before you speak, Khushi." He sneered at her. "If you have said this out of spite because the ongoing conversation is not to your liking, you may leave the room for some time. I will understand." Avinash glared at his daughter, his eyes so dark that Khushi felt a warning chill run down her spine.
Arnav closed his eyes with a sigh, and his fingers rolled into fists. He was fighting a hard battle with himself, trying to tamp down the strong instinct to defend her and say something, but at the same time, realising that one word from him right now would blow up the situation completely. The conversation was clearly going downhill, and though his heart was swelling up with love for the woman who didn't care about anything or anyone when it came to him, he sent a small prayer to the heavens hoping that things didn't get out of hands completely. When he opened his eyes again, he flicked a nervous glance at his father and found him staring at him, a trace of anger now evident in his eyes.
"I would ignore what Khushi said right now, Avi." Shekhar intervened with an edge in his voice. "There might be no truth in what she is saying, for it's quite evident she has said that to defend my son." He added smoothly. "What I would like to assure you though is, knowing what is at stake here; our family relationships, our friendship of years along with theirs, the traditions and culture of both our families, my son wouldn't have taken a single step towards your daughter unless he was willing to take on the full responsibility of his actions."
"I understand, Shekhar." Avinash sighed, his shoulders slumping wearily. "And that is the only assurance I need from you. As you can understand, my daughter's reputation is at stake, regardless of the fact that she seems to have no concern for it. I apologise for bringing this up right now. My heart was in turmoil."
"I can understand, Avi. And I assure you that you don't need to worry about his intentions. I know my son well enough to say on his behalf that his intentions towards your daughter are not at all dishonest or immoral. I am quite sure both of them have discussed marriage already."
Avinash nodded. "I appreciate that. In which case, I would like to say that what I saw yesterday has no bearing on what I have always felt for Arnav. I have always loved him as my son, which is why trusting him has been so easy. I've never hesitated in handing over Khushi's responsibility to him in the past, knowing well that he is more than capable of taking care of her. He has grown up to be a fine young man, very responsible and mature for his age, and I have never once doubted his potential. Nothing would make me happier than knowing they wish to be together for life."
There were smiles from Anagha and Shaila as they exchanged a look of pure relief. "I think we should do a small roka between us to acknowledge this relationship, shouldn't we, Shekhar?" Shaila suggested quickly.
"That's the next thing I wanted to talk to Shekhar about, Shaila." Avinash turned to Shekhar again. "Considering the current circumstances, I would like to propose marriage without an engagement as soon as possible if you all are okay with it."
Anagha held his arm lightly, and nodding at her, Avinash turned his attention back to Shekhar and Shaila. "A ring does not assure anyone that any man or woman will stay true to the commitment. A broken engagement is hard to deal with in your family and society. Also, I know that the kids will meet once they fly out of India, Shekhar. And people will talk." He glanced at Arnav once before continuing. "Spending time together before getting married will not be acceptable to me, nor will I support this arrangement. God forbid, if things don't work out between them tomorrow, we will pay a very high price for this being a girl's parents." He turned to address Shekhar once again. "As unreasonable as this proposal might sound, it is made only because our society will not accept such liaisons before tying the knot. I hope you understand the delicate position we are in right now."
Shaila breathed out a heavy sigh and nodded her head looking at Anagha and Avinash. "I think I agree with you, Avinash and Anu. As parents of a girl, you have every right to demand this in the given circumstances when both are our kids are going to be on their own for a while. And I am more than happy to proceed with this if the kids agree." She glanced at Arnav. "What are your thoughts about this, Arnav?"
Arnav's heart was thumping in his chest. The racing of his pulse had more to do with how the tense conversation had fluidly turned its direction towards the altar, and he felt he was suddenly put on a spot. "Ma, if you all don't mind, I would like to discuss this with Khushi before I—"
"I would not consider that important, Arnav." Avinash cut in quickly, sounding annoyed and almost offended.
"Kaka, please. I need to know if she is—"
"Arnav, I will not negotiate on this."
"Sir —" The tableau shifted when Arnav's voice came out firmer than before. It almost startled Avinash and made him look into his eyes directly. "Pardon me if I sound disrespectful to you. It is not my intention to do so. But I will not rush Khushi into anything she is not ready for. Her opinion matters the most to me. This is about our life together, and I think she should have an equal say in this matter."
"Khushi and I might not share the same perspective on this particular suggestion, Arnav."
"Then I would like to know her reasons for the disagreement, Kaka." Arnav countered swiftly. "In either case, I would like to discuss it with her before I give you my word."
"Very well." Avinash gritted and turned to face Khushi. His lips thinned as his fiery eyes held her captive in his gaze. "What do you think about it, Khushi?"
Heart racing in her chest, Khushi quickly glanced at Arnav and found strength in his reassuring nod. "I would like to discuss a few things with him before I commit to anything, Baba."
The room fell silent, and Anagha placed her arm over Avinash's forearm once again as if it were a plea. Avinash nodded at her and addressed Arnav. "Fair enough. Tell me, what would you like to do, Arnav?"
Getting a nod from his father, Arnav looked at Avinash. "If it's okay for us to skip dinner here, with your permission, I would like to take Khushi out for dinner right now. I promise to bring her back in a couple of hours, by which time we hopefully will have agreed to your suggestion or would have thought about a workaround which will suit us and make all of us happy."
A glint of surprise and admiration flared in Avinash's eyes. Taking a few moments to think about Arnav's suggestion, he finally lifted his head and smiled. "Okay. If that is what you both want, I am okay with it. I guess that will also give us some time to talk over a few important things. I hope to see you both soon."
"Thank you, Kaka." Arnav finally smiled for the first time in the evening. Excusing himself, he got to his feet and left the room to get the keys to his bike from his apartment.
**
When Khushi went to grab a cardigan and her handbag, Avinash followed her. She forced a smile on her lips when she saw him enter the room but could not disguise the strained pallor on her face. The look on her face melted the ice in his heart.
"Do you think I am being unfair to you, Mithhoo?" His face had lost the harshness as he stood before her, and a thin sheen of tears covered his eyes suddenly. "I don't want you to hate me, and never want to see you unhappy. I understand this is a bit too much for you to handle now. But hopefully, someday in the future, when you have a daughter to think about, you will be able to put yourself in my shoes and will understand what giving away the biggest piece of your heart to someone else is all about, no matter how ideal and flawless the other person is." His voice grew thicker with every word he uttered. "Perhaps then you would realise why everything becomes so sensitive and crucial, and why you would go out of your way to ensure that anything less than perfect just would not do before you hand over the most beautiful blessing of your life to someone—" He swallowed the rest of the words and turned away to face the window.
Khushi could see his throat working, and she lost the fight to control her tears as they finally rolled down her cheeks. Watching his fingers clutch the chair in a tight grip trying to control his emotions, she ran towards him and hugged him. "You've never been unfair to me, Baba. I am sorry. I am sorry I let you down in such a big way. I am really—"
She sobbed in his arms as Avinash held her against his chest like a delicate flower. "Bas." Avinash shook his head as he gently lifted her head and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "I want you to be happy, Mithhoo. Maybe this is just your paranoid father asking for assurance that nothing will come in the way of your future happiness. Because when it comes to you, I trust nobody."
"I will never make a decision which does not involve your happiness, Baba."
Avinash nodded with a smile. "Now go. He is waiting for you outside."
Something cracked open in her heart when he uttered those words, and she looked into his eyes as if in panic. Sucking in a breath of air, she felt her heartbeat beginning to pound inside her head. She tried to walk away from him, but her feet wouldn't move. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes as she stared at her father's face. And then she glanced at her mother, who had followed her father into the room. She also had tears in her eyes and a sob built inside Khushi's chest. "Aai—"
"Don't think, Mithhoo. You are running late. Just go."
Torn. Khushi felt so torn that she couldn't bear the pain in her heart anymore. She had no clue what was happening to her as she took those few steps towards her bedroom door. Her feet halted, and she turned back to face her parents again. She saw them as a unit, her life source. Her guardians. Her angels. The two people in her world who would always stand by her and love her unconditionally and endlessly, no matter what happened in her life. She swallowed the hard lump inside her aching throat and nodded at their wet eyes and smiling faces.
When she stepped out into the living room with them, she found Arnav talking to someone on his phone, pacing the living room floor in his house. When he saw her, he disconnected the call and switched the lights off. Locking the door to his house, he came to stand by her doorstep and smiled. Her heart flipped inside her chest, looking at him. Her man. Her love. Her future. Her everything.
The pull from both directions was so strong she couldn't move from her place, unable to bear the ache inside her heart. Finally, her mother let go of her hand slowly which she had clutched onto unknowingly. Khushi glanced at her for a moment before her feet turned towards Arnav automatically, tears in her eyes and a smile slowly beginning to curve her lips. With a final glance at both parents, she waved at them and stepped out of the house with Arnav.
***
The moon gleamed brightly in a clear sky when they reached the parking area. Walking towards his bike, Arnav kept stealing glances at Khushi while she brushed away the last tears with her palm.
"Are you okay?" He asked her in his husky voice, his hands itching to hold her. "Should I get some water?"
She smiled and shook her head. "It's — this is a strange feeling, Arnav. I don't know what triggered it. Sorry."
Arnav mounted his bike and waited for her to sit behind him. "Don't apologise, please. It's been— what should I call it — an emotionally trying evening on many levels. And I want to get out of here quickly so that I can—" He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go but had to settle for a smile instead. "And I—I cannot begin to understand what you are going through right now, Khush—" He paused to look into her eyes, "—but then, you cannot begin to understand what I am going through either."
Something within her melted with those words and a warm smile touched her mouth. "You can try telling me on the way. You never know, I just might."
"I will keep trying for the rest of my life." He said huskily, a charming smile playing on his lips as he tapped the earring in her right ear and left it swinging in the cool breeze. "And let me just say it right now in case I forget later — thank you, Khush, for wearing this tonight, for being with me and filling my life with beautiful dreams and happiness, for making everything so magical... for everything." He smiled. "And tonight, when I look at you, you look truly and completely—" His voice trailed off as he looked at her flushed face because once again, she had taken his breath away. "—mine."
One of my most favourite songs ever.. a tear-jerker, felt like penning down the lyrics...
Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each other's face
So much in love, you're alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one, she told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything, life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way
I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first...
How could that beautiful woman with you
Be that same freckled face kid that I knew?
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time
I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first..
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
Yeah, I loved her first. :)