Arnav found himself captivated by the woman seated across from him. She seemed blissfully unaware of her own beauty, navigating life with effortless poise. The hazel orbs, a captivating shade of light brown, held a mesmerizing allure, complemented by the subtle touch of kohl that accentuated her eyes. His gaze then traced the perfectly symmetrical line of her nose, and he couldn't help but be drawn to the delectable lips adorned with his favorite colored gloss.
Despite her overall elegance, there was a subtle undercurrent of nervousness in her posture. Her focused gaze remained fixed on the menu book as she deliberated over what to order, adding an intriguing layer to the enchanting scene unfolding before Arnav.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she inquired, her focus seemingly fixated on the menu book.
Arnav, his calm demeanor intact, responded with a gentle smile, "Like what?"
Her hazel eyes briefly shifted towards him before returning to the menu, and Arnav released a hearty chuckle. "Remember the date you took me on before we got married?" he reminisced, a fond smile playing on his lips.
"Mmhmm..." Khushi acknowledged, her attention now fully on his words.
Arnav, with a hint of amusement, continued, "It was a truly memorable night. You were absolutely charming." He couldn't help but recall the clumsy yet endearing moment when Khushi struggled to open a wine bottle.
Khushi scoffed, "Charming or chaotic? I'd prefer the latter," rolling her eyes at the memory of her old, silly self.
"I loved the chaotic Khushi to bits," Arnav confessed sincerely, a warmth in his eyes.
As she looked up, a trace of uneasiness crossed her face. "You mean you don't love the collected, sophisticated Khushi that I am now?"
"Of course, I love you, Khushi. More than anything. I didn't mean it like that," Arnav reassured, reaching for her hand on the table. "You're my happiness, always have been." A relieved smile crossed her face. "I just meant I miss that sometimes. Not that you're not allowed to be your crazy, chaotic self today. You can be both collected and crazy," he added, caressing her hand as he observed her with keen affection.
"For a change, I find myself loving the calm, patient, and gentle Arnav more than the old version," she confessed, her fingers playing with his hand.
"But-"
"But I do miss bickering with you sometimes." A mischievous grin appeared on her face. "I enjoyed pressing your buttons, deliberately aggravating you to get a reaction. It was fun," her eyes glinted with mischief.
He playfully rolled his eyes, remarking, "Only you had the guts to do that." Shaking his head, he took the menu book from her hand, assuming control. "It's been fifteen minutes, and who knows what you're trying to decide. I'm famished," he declared.
Khushi "Great, order for me too." She sighed slightly guilty. As she rubbed her hands enjoying the ambiance of the dimply lit restaurant.
Arnav gestured politely to the waiter, "Excuse me, may we please start with a Caesar salad? I'd like Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled shrimp. Eggplant Parmesan for the lady. Kindly bring us a bottle of your finest Chianti to complement the meal. To conclude, Tiramisu for dessert would be great!" He finished.
"Anything else sir?"
Arnav "That's all." He smiled.
"So?" Arnav turned his attention to his beloved. "What's on your mind, my beautiful?" He playfully narrowed his eyes, noticing a hint of restlessness in her demeanor.
"Ugh," she shrugged "And then you tell me you don't see me like an open book?" She reasoned shaking her head playfully.
Arnav chuckled, "Well, maybe you're more of a novel with a few hidden chapters." He teased, prompting Khushi to shake her head playfully.
"Come on, spill," he urged.
She sighed, "Arnav, nothing serious, just... I've been contemplating our future a lot lately."
His curiosity piqued, Arnav inquired, "What, specifically?"
Khushi took a moment before replying, "I've been thinking about the life we want to build together, the dreams we have, and how everything seems to fall into place when I'm with you."
Arnav's gaze softened as he listened intently.
She continued, "You're my home, and I don't ever want my home to, well walk away from me. I look forward to a peaceful life ahead with you by my side."
She took a deep breath, her eyes locking with his. "Arnav, these past two years in London have been incredibly challenging for me." A faint, sad smile played on her lips. "I've navigated a path of solitude that starkly contrasts the life I once knew."
As he encouraged her with a soft gaze, she continued, "One moment, you're grappling with heartbreak; the marriage with the love of your life shatters, your own mother betrays you, and your sister's marriage teeters on the edge due to something you were forced to do in the past. Meanwhile, your father, well, he's paralyzed. I..." She took a deep breath, sipping her water before continuing, "I had nowhere to turn."
Her eyes briefly glanced away, and she confessed, "I thought you hated me. I won't blame you; the revelation was as painful for you as it was for me. Your past holds its own tragedies, and discovering its connection to my mother, the one who raised me, was a heavy blow. I... I simply gave up." A sad smile tugged at her lips. "To be honest, I didn't have the heart to face you. The idea of seeing you recoil from my presence after everything we shared that night and the days leading up to our marriage reception was too much to bear."
She reached for his right hand, which had been stroking her in a gesture of affection. "For the first time in my life, I didn't seek answers. I just backed away," she admitted, her eyes reflecting the depth of her reflections.
Arnav broke the silence, his voice cutting through the stillness. "Garima aunty had nothing to do with my father," he stated, his gaze steady. "Don't think I'm patient enough to live my entire life without seeking answers from the woman who had an affair with my dad. You know me better than that."
His expression turned grim. "Yes, when I finally stood on my own two feet and had the power, the first thing I did was uncover the truth about the woman responsible for tearing apart my family. It was about a year after I started ARD," he confessed, a momentary gulp revealing the weight of the revelation. "Her name was Kajal, Kajal Agarwal," he continued, his eyes briefly shifting away. "She happened to be my grandfather's friend's daughter, and apparently, my father's childhood friend. She had married young and moved abroad. It was only when she returned to India after her divorce that my father, in need of warmth, became entangled with her. Over time, they started dating, despite him being a married man with two kids of his own."
Khushi sighed in sheer surprise, "Arnav, you never shared this with me." Her eyes revealed a mix of hurt, realizing the depth of his pain once again, and guilt for inadvertently awakening his painful past. "That means Dadi-"
He continued with a hint of hurt in his eyes, "She played her part well, manipulating the evidence, thinking I'd never find out who the real woman was." Arnav's gaze reflected the pain. "I met her, Khushi—Kajal Agarwal. She was on her deathbed, battling leukemia. She's been gone for years. Dadi really underestimated me."
"Why didn't you come that day?" Khushi inquired, her heart tense, a mix of genuine concern and perhaps anger. "Why weren't you there with me when I needed you the most? When all I needed was you, especially when you knew everything?" Disbelief and hurt lingered in her voice, emphasizing the weight of her emotions.
Arnav sighed, his voice carrying a heavy weight. The once lighthearted conversation took an abrupt turn. "Perhaps I wasn't at my strongest in that moment," he admitted. "The depth of Dadi's hatred towards you, dredging up my father's past and intertwining it with your family, shook me to the core." He averted his gaze, unable to meet her disappointed hazel orbs, which he had once admired so deeply.
"For a moment, I doubted my own judgment; my mind was in a haze. What if my investigation was wrong, and there was a partial truth in what Dadi was saying? The thoughts blurred my vision," Arnav admitted, revealing the internal struggle he had faced during that challenging time.
"What if there was truth in her revelations?" Khushi asked, uncertain of how she would handle his response. "What if my mother was indeed the woman involved with your father? Would you have still chosen to marry me that day, Arnav?" Her voice trembled with anticipation, laden with the weight of the question.
Arnav looked at her with sincerity. "Would it make a difference to you if I said I would have? We both know the outcome. Does it truly matter now?"
"That wasn't the answer to my question Arnav."
"But my answer wouldn't change what we've been through, Khushi. It wouldn't restore the two years we lost—the years that were supposed to be our honeymoon phase, the time we spent apart in pain."
Khushi turned her gaze away, struggling to find the right words. Arnav, with a depth of sincerity in his voice, broke the silence. "Khushi, even if it had been true, I probably would have still chosen to marry you that night," he confessed. "Because who your mother was, despite everything we've faced, didn't matter to me. You are your own person, with your own beliefs, your own heart, and your own mind. You loved me, warts and all. Despite everything I put you through, you fought for me; you never gave up. How could I hold you accountable for something that was never your fault to begin with?"
She listened silently, hanging on to each of his words. "What happened between my mom and my dad was my dad's fault," Arnav stated. "He got involved with another woman despite being married. It wasn't my mom's, my sister's, or my fault that he lacked character, that he chose to have someone as his mistress. It reflects on his upbringing and his morals, not mine, not yours, and not even your mother's if she were the woman."
She locked eyes with his sorrowful brown orbs. "If anything," he sighed, "it taught me the importance of being loyal to the one you fall in love with. My mom practically worshipped him, and he gave her nothing but deceit. I might have lost faith in love when that incident happened, but since the day you entered my life and turned it upside down, making me head over heels in love with you, I vowed that I wouldn't give up on you. Even if it meant resorting to the wrong means to make me stay with you."
"I know my methods cost us our relationship. I admit my ways were wrong, Khushi. But trust me, the past two years have been hell. When I woke up from a coma, I had nowhere to turn, and no one offered me peace the way you did. If anything, Shyam would have become the temporary CEO of ARD in my place if I hadn't woken up on time, because Akash was too cowardly to take a stand for me." He reveled, his tone expressionless.
"He did what? How could Shyam step up and take your position when—"
"Why do you think I kept Aman in India?" Arnav interrupted. "Akash can't handle ARD on his own, and I needed someone to keep an eye on Shyam. I couldn't entrust everything to Akash. Aman made sure to train someone who would report directly to me before returning to assist me, as per your request."
"Did you already know Aman was coming?" she asked, her disbelief evident. "Were you already planning to replace Lisa?"
"Khushi, just because I'm vulnerable to you doesn't mean I've lost my senses. I sensed something was off about her the day she entered my office, but I stayed silent because I didn't want Karthik to feel incapable of selecting a mere assistant for me."
"You know how dangerous she turned out to be? What if she had succeeded, and I hadn't found out about her plan—"
"You assured me you'd take care of it," he calmly interrupted. "I trusted you, and you did take care of her." Khushi stared at him, a mix of disbelief and anger visible in her hazel eyes.
"I don't know what to say to you right now," she admitted, her emotions swirling in a tumultuous mix.
He settled into his seat, gently holding both of her cool hands with his warm ones. "If there's one thing our journey together has emphasized," he shared sincerely, looking into her eyes, "it's my complete trust in you, Khushi. With all my heart. With my life," he pressed her hands gently, underlining the significance of his words. "I won't make that mistake again; it's not worth it."
In that moment, he reassured her confidence in their relationship. His profound sincerity became an anchor she was determined not to let slip away. She acknowledged that the circumstances leading to their separation weren't easy for him—filled with meddling, manipulation, and lies. Yet, what held significance now was that they were here, together, in front of each other. In love, stronger than ever, perfectly compatible, and perfectly content. There was nothing she wouldn't do to protect the man who owned her heart.
They maintained a locked gaze, silently studying each other. The silence that enveloped them this time wasn't uncomfortable; it was soothing, providing them with all the time in the world. The immense affection reflected in their eyes conveyed a sense of tranquility. There lingered no resentment or regret between them. Their staring contest was interrupted by the waiters who began serving their dinner.
The dinner unfolded in tranquil silence, the absence of words between them creating a serene understanding. After they concluded the dessert, she finally gathered herself for the main conversation. Surprisingly, her words came out easier than she had initially anticipated.
She cleared her throat, projecting confidence, even though her insides felt like jelly. "Arnav," she spoke, her gaze carefully watching him as he settled the check.
"Hmm?" He looked at her with a beautiful smile adorned on his face.
"Marry me."
📝
Author's Note
Hey folks, Arnav and Khushi had a serious chat about their past. Talking things out makes their bond stronger before they start something new. Hope you liked this chapter, and stay tuned for the next part next week! Looking forward to great comments from you all!