"Di this is not fair, who asked you to go alone? You took advantage of my absence, aren't you?" His irritated voice reached to Anjali over the phone.
"I am in important meeti... in important prayer chotte. Will see you at home. Bye" With that she ended the call in hurry leaving her brother's what the hang out in air.
***
"Where are we going? At least speak something naa..." Khushi asked and then pleaded for umpteenth time.
"Hey devimaaiyaa... Is this some kind of punishment for lying to my family" Pouted she getting his silence again. She lied to her family about some non existing work which has to be finished asap to accompany Arnav.
"Shut up Khushi"
"Why? I'll not. You know me very well, I can't sit quite for more than few minutes and here you're hell bent on irritating me with your silence"
"You also know that I am not a talkative person. So don't pester me.."
"Haww... How can you say that? See this is what I said we both are so different"
"So what you suggests now?"
"NOTHING"
She sat straight crossing her arms under her chest and turned her head aside. Arnav hid his smile after experiencing one of her childish antics.
The car stopped on some isolated place. Khushi noticed the surroundings yet didn't took initiative to question about her confusion. She sat firm on her place huffing in annoyance.
He step out from his seat and stretched his palm out for her to hold after opening her side of door.
She made faces and got down ignoring his extended arm. Soon her annoyed face changed giving way to astonishment to took it's place.
"Arnavji yeah..."
"Come..." Arnav held her small palm in his large one's and begin to walk slowly.
Khushi captured the serene nature of colourful flowers, greeny leaves and the floral scent soothed her nerves. She kept looking the small herbs, leaves from several vines that she didn't realise that they stopped walking.
"Do you like this place?"
"Like? I love this place arnavji" She glanced at him with her beaming smile. Arnav smiled in ease. He doesn't want anything other than this.
She detangles her palm from his hold and walked further to get close look at the flowers.
Her soft palm caressed a soft red rose which attracted her amidst of the all colourful flowers. Her heart started to flutter at the thought of him proposing her in this serene atmosphere. She thought he get her here to confess his feelings. She was waiting for a full packed proposal that she got annoyed when he decided to keep mum.
"This was special to me. I.. planted this and that tree with maa" He whispered groggily not averting his eyes from the rose.
Khushi looked at him in shock. She felt she doesn't know the man beside her earlier. Well, anyone in her place would think so. The man who hate the mere sight of her earlier was showing his precious and sharing his precious memories with her was just unbelievable. He kept his palm over her which was on the soft petal. His thumb started to caress both the softness, the rose and her finger.
"She would be happy to see you here" He said after a brief silence.
"You two would have shared a great rapport if she was here"
"She likes gardening. She likes roses the most"
"She... I miss her a lot... I wish she was here. Di.."
"Shh.."
She left the rose and cupped his cheeks with her both palms without hesitation.
"I want you to know this place. I want maamma blessings for us. I..."
"Her blessings are always with you arnavji. She was watching you from there" She said softly rasing her brows upwards. Gone her displeasure on him for not proposing her.
"You asked me why I said no to marriage. I want to make mamma wishes true" Said he opening the main topic.
Khushi frowned though she braced herself to listen with utter interest.
"She wished to study and achieve her dreams Khushi. But then due to nana's health condition she was married off early at her 18 years. And di happened following by me. She never got the chance to fulfill her dreams nor her marriage was successful. I don't... want the same for you. The sooner we marry, the earlier family responsibilities will fall on your head. And mind you, the role of ASR wife will not be easy as you think" He flicked her nose at the end trying to keep the conversation less intense. He is not fond of intense conversations which makes him weak.
She is not in the state to notice his teasing. She was totally bowled by his confession. He didn't confess the three words but his actions said everything. How much right the phrase is, Actions speak louder than words. He wants to give her a life which consists of only Khushi Kumari Gupta. He wants to fulfill his mother's dream through her, giving her an equal priority to his mother. Does she need any words other than this?
"Khushi..." He called her seeing lost in thoughts.
"I thought you're ashamed of me"
"What??"
"I thought... You're embarassed..."
"What the hell Khushi?" He raised his voice and then calmed down as her eyes fluttered uncertainly "Come on Khushi... I admit most of the times I got irritated by your antics. But trust me that was what makes me feel alive, makes me feel like a human. Unknowingly you broke the machinery schedule in my life. I just... Now don't gwack at me as if I am alien from other planet"
"Waaah... You know to speak lengthy dialogues too" She feigned an exclaiment breaking his flow unknowingly.
"Shut up Khushi.."
"Ok now continue.." She placed her finger over her lips presenting a obedient posture which seems to distract him more than ever she imagined.
He opened his mouth and closed it when words refused to form as sentence.
'Every man in this world asked my hand for marriage. But this arrogant Raizada who only has the opportunity to win the deal didn't even feel the need to ask. Great!'
As if he heard her mutter, he pokes her index finger which was on her lips.
"Err... Don't you think, We would make a good pair"
"Hey devimaaiyaaaa... What harm did I do to you that you send this unromantic, robot in my life?" She muttered dramatically rolling her big eyes.
Arnav groaned as his patience was slipping away. Already it took all his practice and patience to open up before her like this. And here she was hell bent on destroying his flow and then demand it back when he went blank.
"Look Khushi, I want us to explore our other aspects of life before taking it forward with the biggest step of our life. I want you to do what you likes. I want you to continue your studies. You stopped your education midway because of your family issues right and then our meet. Everything happened the way it should not be. I want to erase all the old memories, though that would not be fully possible. I want to try our best. You gone through a lot in young age. This age is not for sacrificing to other demands, it's an age to enjoy your life. I didn't enjoyed my late teens Khushi and certainly I would not wish the same for you. Till now I don't know how much you sacrificed for others and how many wishes of you are fulfilled. But since you're my part now, I want to give you everything which I can. I want to give life to your dreams. You should be cherished Khushi..."
He leaned forward and linger his lips gently on her forehead. She closed her eyes in content. She was too overwhelmed to speak anything. He conveyed everything what she expected from her prince charming except the exact words. A pout formed on her lips at the thought. Being an ardent follower of bollywood movies she expected a filmy proposal. But then doesn't she know, for whom her heart beats and certainly she would get anything but a filmy proposal from the particular whom was merely impossible.
"Why do I feel you're desperate on marriage? Missing me, are you?" Winked he hearing her thoughts which she voice out aloud unknowingly.
"And why do I feel you're desperate on pushing me away, scared of sharing your life with me?" Rebuked she picking up his suit.
He bit her alluring cheeks before shouting "Yesss sankadevi..." and escaped from her hit in an blink.
"Laadgovernor... You..." She yelled and ran behind him chasing him, rubbing her reddened cheeks.
She saw him running in a maniac speed. Grinning, she stomped her feet purposely in a small stone and he came running towards her.
He sit in the grass and took her feet in his thighs "Khushi are you ok? What happened?"
Instead of an answer he felt a punch land on his shoulder.
"What the..."
Another punch landed on his chest. He hissed in pain the next moment as she bit his cheeks without prior notice.
"What the hell.." He uttered in surprise.
She pointed her index finger at him in a warning way "If you tease me one more time then I'll bite you"
Without warning he pushed her and hovered over her frame "If you bite me one more time then I'll..." He mimicked like her and bend down to place his lips on hers.
When they're a millimetre apart Khushi pushed him.
"Mamma was watching"
"Crazy girl" He could only mutter seeing her running around the garden like a butterfly after pushing him down.
Doesn't she deserve a proper confession?
His mind swirled with the thought. He watched her smelling a flower and an instant idea popped on his mind.
Without her notice he sneaked aside and scribbled something on the bark of the tree with a stone.
The normal heart beats of her sensed that he's not looking at her nor he's near her, she glanced back and found him doing something on the tree. Furrowing her brows she walked and stood behind him.
He pulled her infront of him in microseconds. She gasped at the creation he made. He placed his chin on her left shoulder and his arms circled around her waist. Her palms automatically came to rest on his joint arms against her tummy.
Her eyes danced in mirth. She raised her palm and caressed the scribbling on the bark.
"Arnav Loves his Khushi" He recited on her ear huskily.
Instantly she turned around on his arms and throws her arm around his neck. Tiptoed she grazed his earlobes with her lips "Khushi Loves her Arnav"
He breathed her fragrance feeling content in her arms.
"ARNAV KHUSHI HAMESHA" He breathed in ecstasy.
"Haan.. with Arshi and Khushav" She said in a trance.
It's not the end but the beginning of their lives, beginning of their love, beginning of their reality, beginning of their journey.
_____
A interlude is on the way to clear the loopholes. I guess that would be the last part.
I regret badly for ruining the beauty of this story. The story did not come out the way I planned. It would've been presented in better way and I don't know how I slip out from my original plot. So I tried my best to connect everything without shelving it. Sorry for dragging it in the middle. And,
I can't thank you all enough for standing with me in this story. The first chapter gives high hopes and my few mistakes undid the beauty. But anyways, everything was a lesson isn't it. I'll try my best to not repeat it again.