OS - Till the end

Arnav watched as his wife folded his shirt, her lips twitching again as she bit her lower lip, and the tears fell rolling down her cheeks and the folded shirt fell off onto the bed. Arnav rushed to her side, and pulling her in a clumsy hug, he began rubbing her back muttering swears inside his head to whoever made her cry. But truth was, he knew who she was and that's where it hit him.

"Khushi.." he started off, not knowing what else to say, and she winded up her arms coming into his embrace and her cries subsided, settling into soft hiccups now and then, and Arnav took her softly keeping his hand on her head and softly kissing her hairs. "Khushi?"

She didn't respond still, and he took a deep breath. "Did someone tell you something?" he purposely pushed off the topic, even though just after he'd come home NK had him informed about what had happened in his absence. He felt helpless more than angry, and for once he didn't know what exactly to do. Afterall what he had done, stepping into the house marriad without any notice was pushing the already existing  chaos towards the bay.

"No." she murmured, without making any move, still in his arms, the hiccups soft and slow. "Khushi..won't you tell me?"

"Nothing happened."

"Khushi."

"What Khushi Khushi? I know my name is Khushi." she muttered lowly, and he chuckled. She'd never seize to surprise him. But, that was his Khushi afterall. "NK told me."

He felt her stilling in his arms, and lifted her chin. Tears started forming in her eyes and he felt the lump in his throat. "Come with me."

*****

"What do you mean you weren't present?"  Dadi looked at Nani, anger hiding the old eyes beneath them, and Nani looked helplessly. "We love Khushi bitiya. She is everything a family would ask for and loves Chotey-"

"Bas. Is this the way he will go making his own decisions? Why couldn't you-"

'I told. I weren't present-"

"No one was present there, Dadi. I didn't tell anyone about our marriage." Arnav stepped in, his voice clipped and steps measured. Subhadra looked at him with angry eyes and went to him, as he spoke again. "There was nobody present during our marriage."

She opened her mouth to say something when Khushi stepped from behind, looking down, too scared to meet the new eyes as they looked at her. Arnav followed her gaze and saw Khushi standing there, biting her lip. She was on the verge of tears. He saw as his dadi motioned her to stay outside, and clenching his jaw constantly reminding himself that she was his Dadi, he went to stand by Khushi. If it wasn't for this time, he would have definitely laughed looking at her expression. She looked at him startled, and he looked at his Dadi.

"You were saying?"

She kept quiet. Looking one last time at her friend she walked away, not forgetting to keep one arm distance from Khushi.

*****

"Khushi?"

"Hum theek hain."

"Meri taraf dekho."

"Kyun?"

He lifted her chin and sure as he was, tears glistening in her eyes, and he held her by her shoulders. "Everything's going to be fine." She pushed herself suddenly into his embrace, her hands travelling along his back, as she clutched to him. Arnav stumbled a little backwards as she put  all her weight against him, and slowly taking her within his embrace again, holding her by her waist, his hands snaking around her.

She was crying again.

"Khushi, kya hua?"

"Hum ro nahi rahe. Hum bas.." she rubbed her eyes childishly as she laughed a bit and rested her cheek against his chest. "I am going to be there for you Khushi, till the end. Sach!"