Khushi Kumari Gupta was a simple girl with simple dreams, well, just two main dreams actually -
1. Work hard and provide a good life for her family.
2. Fall in love and marry the prince of her dreams.
All her life, she had been watching old school Bollywood romance movies and lived in a hope that when she did fall in love, her life will be just as sweet and simple as the movies showed.
Her ideal man, Khushi thought, would have the characteristics that resembled the main lead in a Sooraj Bharjatya film - Kind-hearted, Sweet, soft spoken and Compassionate.
But instead, her foolish heart had fallen for a man who could easily essay the leading role in an itv serial produced by Gul Khan - Rich, Rude, Arrogant and Egoistic - but hiding behind all that façade was a beautiful and damaged heart.
One wrong turn... Just one wrong turn, and her life was turned upside down. The fateful day when she her benevolent heart thought she could fix a problem in her sister's marriage, but instead she had fallen right into the arms of a broodingly handsome man.
The moment she caught sight of him, something snapped in her.. She didn't know what it was.. Nor was she in a position to analyse why her heart suddenly started to pound against her ribcage. In hindsight maybe it was because her heart recognised its mate residing within the man holding her in his arms.
She was confused with everything that happened, scared of what might happen, but at the same time she also felt very safe in his arms - weird, considering this was the first time she saw the man. She didn't even know his name.
A lot happened in her life after that incident, some memories she wanted to bury six feet deep under ground, while some - she cherished very close to her heart. She didn't know how and when, but she fell in love with him. Deeply and irrevocably in love with him.
Some days she had foolishly let her heart lead her to believe that he felt the same way for her, after all, It was there in his eyes, in his gestures, as clear as day. However a few days ago, reality had hit her like a ton of bricks - he had publicly announced that he was ready to get engaged to his long time girlfriend - Lavanya - who Khushi also considered as a very good friend.
It was then that she realised how wrong she had been for allowing those feelings to develop in her heart.. but it was not like she had purposely tried to ensnare her friend's beau, no, she had not. It just gradually happened without her knowledge, without any effort from him, without rhyme or reason. Khushi had vowed that day, that she would keep her distance, that was in everyone's best interest. But her best friend - her favorite Goddess i.e. Devi Maiya seemed to have other plans.
So here she was, yet again, standing in front of the man who owned her heart in its entirety - Arnav Singh Raizada.
Tears were stinging her eyes, tears which were a result of - the hurt she felt due to her aunts word's on the phone, the humiliation she felt because of Arnav's demand for an apology, the frustration she felt because the stupid ring simply wouldn't fit into her finger.
Arnav had taken the ring from her hand when he saw her struggling with it, he held her left hand up like it was a delicate ornament, his thumb gently caressing the scar on her ring finger. A scar left by the wound that he had inflicted on her by accident.
Her mind took her back a few days, she had come to his poolside to return the key she had been holding on to. Arnav was not in a mood to listen to anything she had to say, he just told her that he didn't want to see her face ever again, and pushed her away - literally. Yet he was the one who had come seeking her out, at the temple of all places, just so he could tend to her wound - a wound she got because he had pushed her away - the irony!
She remembered how he had tied the gauze around her finger in the temple just as the evening aarti was taking place. Her little heart, that was hopelessly in love with him, couldn't help but overly analyse what that actually meant - did it mean she belonged to him? Was that why she could feel his presence anywhere before her eyes actually saw him? Was that why her heart starts to beat erratically when ever he was close?
Coming back to the present, She watched as he brought his right hand up, holding the ring, he placed it on the edge of her finger, was that a smile on his face? She couldn't say for sure, because what ever it was, it disappeared as soon as it had appeared, before she could have a proper look.
She looked down at both their hands, it was like a movie playing in slow motion for her, he was sliding the ring onto her finger. Khushi closed her eyes automatically, for a moment, just for a fleeting moment, she let herself believe that this was all true, the man she loved was about to stake his claim on her.
She was painfully aware of the coolness of the metal, totally contrasting the warmth Arnav's fingers exuded, leaving a trail on her finger, as the ring slid over her knuckle, just a few centimetres more and..... Another man's face flashed in her mind and Khushi snapped her eyes open, no! this was wrong.
She snatched her hand from his hold, and Arnav who was almost in a lost state as he was sliding the ring onto her finger, looked up at her. She had taken a few steps back.. He was confused.. What just happened? He was about to question her but she looked away, he noticed that her breathing had become uneven "aap yeh angooti nai pehna sakte" (You can't put this ring on me) she said not looking into his eyes.
He waited for a few seconds, for her to look up, and she did, she could read the question in his eyes as if it were written in a book "yeh humaari sagai ki angooti hai" (This is my engagement ring) Her words reverberated in his ears, Arnav felt like someone knocked all the air out of his lungs, he couldn't breath. He felt the earth beneath him being pulled away, he looked at her, waiting for her to say that she misspoke, but she didn't.. NO! this couldn't be.. she .. she cannot be engaged to someone else.. "how could she do that to me?" he thought
Khushi looked away, unable to hold his accusatory gaze anymore, she didn't know why she felt like she had betrayed him, the hurt on his face made her feel like that. She watched, from below her lashes, as the ring slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground, it rolled away, she followed it with her gaze and it ended up right near Anajli's feet.
Anjali picked the ring up, looked at Khushi and playfully told her off for not taking care of the ring. Khushi explained to her that the ring was not fitting properly, Anjali smiled at her and asked her to give her hand, she slid the ring onto Khushi's finger as Arnav and Khushi watched on.. their hearts bleeding. "lagta hai yeh ring aapke liye bohot special hai.. hume bhi bataiye na iski khasiyat kya hai" (Looks like this ring is very special for you, tell me also what is its importance?) Khushi looked towards Arnav when Anjali said those words, and the man chose that particular moment to look directly at her. She felt guilt gnawing at her heart, she couldn't say those words again, she couldn't hurt him like that again.
Anjali tapped on her arm and urged her to give an answer, Khushi looked down, she wished Arnav would turn away, but the stubborn man did not. Reluctantly Khushi informed Anjali that it was her engagement ring. Anjali's face blossomed as happiness took over her.. then immediately she pouted and chided Khushi for not informing them earlier. "Lekin aap ke chehre kyun ukri ukri si hai Khushiji? Ab tho aapko muskuraana chahiye.. thoda sharmaana chahiye" (but why is there so much sadness on your face Khushiji? Now you must smile.. Even blush a little) Anjali poked at her cheek teasingly, then giggled. Khushi couldn't bring herself to even give a polite smile at Anjali's open tease. She was painfully aware of the fact that Arnav was watching everything from the corner of his eyes.
Blissfully unaware of the tension in the room, Anjali continued to smile "Hum aapke liye bohot khush hai" (I am very happy for you) She hugged Khushi, while the latter could not tear her eyes off Arnav as she returned Anjali's hug. He looked so hurt and she couldn't digest it. Anjali disentangled herself from the hug, she held Khushi's cheek lovingly "Mai baaki sabko yeh khabar sunaane jaa rahi hu.. aap bhi neeche aajaiye.. Pakka Naani yeh khabar sunke aapse milna chahegi" (I am going to give this news to the rest.. You also come downstairs, I am sure Naani will want to meet you once she hears about this)
Khushi looked at Arnav again, after Anjali had left the room, his eyes were questioning her, and she couldn't take it anymore, she was getting worked up, she thought it was better to leave the room. "Khushi" Arnav called out to her and thankfully her phone chose that exact moment to ring, she looked at the caller ID, seeing that it was her aunt she answered the call immediately, knowing full well that her behaviour would anger Arnav.
"KHUSHI!!" Arnav yelled out but she continued to ignore him, she replied to the questions that her aunt asked and tried to walk out of the room while still being on the line with her aunt, that was her plan to avoid confrontation with Arnav.
She had not expected him to walk upto her and snatch her phone, if that had not been rude enough, the man had the gall to cut the call. Khushi saw red, how dare he do that? "yeh aap kya kar rahe hai? Hum baat kar rahe the" (What are you doing? I was talking)
"Mai bhi baat kar raha tha!" (I was talking too!) he shouted back, she tired to take the phone from him saying she did not understand what he was saying. He held his hand far away from her reach, She looked at him, saw that his eyes were almost tearing up, she looked away as guilt gnawed at her heart again.
"Kya kar rahi ho tum?" (What are you doing?) he wasn't shouting anymore, his voice was laced with so much hurt that it made her look up at him again "Humne kya kiya hai?" (What did I do?) she feigned ignorance.
"Tumhari sagai hogayi.." (You got engaged) Khushi took a step back seeing the anger in his eyes "Kaise? tumne mujhe bataana zaroori nahi samjha?" (How? You didn't think it was necessary to let me know?) his question irked her
"Hum kyun bataye aapko? aap hai kaun humaare liye?" (Why should I tell you? Who are you to me?) She shouted in anger "humaari zindagi mai kuch bhi hojaiye.. aapko usse kya fark padta hai?" (anything can happen in my life.. what difference does it make to you?)
He leaned forward, held her by the shoulder and pulled her closer to him "Mujhe kya fark padta hai?" (What difference does it make to me?) his tone suggested that the words he actually wanted to say were 'How dare you ask me that?' "mujhe fark padta hai dammit kyun ki..." (It makes a difference dammit! because) he stopped himself, but the look in his eyes conveyed to her what his heart held.
"kyun ki kya Arnavji?" (because what Arnavji?) Khushi asked in a whisper, tears streaming down her cheeks, her voice held no anger.. just hurt. She didn't care if she came across as needy, she just wanted to hear in words what she saw in his eyes.
Arnav stood silent, his hold on her arms loosened, he didn't let go though, Anger resurfaced in Khushi, "'Mere liye Tumhari koi ehmiyat nahi hai' yehi kaha tha na aap uss raat? Tho ab aap ko kyun fark padta hai?" ('You don't matter to me' this is what you told me that night right? So now why does it make a difference to you?) Her voice was low enough that only he could hear her, but the anger in it was unmistakable.
Arnav let go of his hold on her arms.. Khushi saw the hurt in his eyes.. both of them turned away unable to face each other anymore, yet they were standing close enough for them to feel the warmth of the other person on their back.
Their broken hearts urged them to turn around and pull the other person into a bone crushing hug and spill everything held within it, while their bruised egos egged them on to keep up the act of nonchalance and wait for the other person to give in first.
In the end it was their ego that won, and the two of them took a few steps away from each other.
Khushi slowly walked out, once she was out of his room she leaned against the wall and let her tears fall free.. She looked at the ring on her finger, she almost wanted to pull it out and throw it away. She hated the feel of it on her finger and it was all because of that man who she left standing inside the room.
Why couldn't she stop feeling for him.. even after everything? Why was her heart still beating only for him? Why did she feel like she was betraying him when she told him about her engagement? Why did she have so much hope in her heart when she asked him "kyun fark padta hai?" (Why does it make a difference?)
Arnav stood still.. he couldn't get the hurt and hope he saw in her eyes out of his mind. Even after everything that transpired between them, she still had so much hope when she asked "kyun fark padta hai?" (Why does it make a difference?). He couldn't give her an answer.. he didn't know why, but he just couldn't.
He almost did.. but him leaving the answer incomplete had angered her, he knew. He saw the anger in her eyes when she repeated his own words back at him, verbatim. What a mess had he created? She was engaged.. His girl was engaged to another man... and his family were happily planning his engagement to another woman. What was he going to do now? What COULD he do now?