So, for those of you starting this Fanfic here, the story so far in a small small nutshell is basically that Arnav and Khushi fall in love with eachother, Shyam witnesses this and tries to break them apart by lying to Arnav about him having an affair with Khushi. When Arnav confronts Khushi about this, he decides to believe her instead, and asks her to marry him on the terrace the night of Aakash and Payals wedding.. the story continues from there onward. Pleasant reading my dears !
Chapter 11 - Would You Lie With Me?
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1W5lFW-vUY[/YOUTUBE]
Arnav looked down at her tear streaked face. It was the face of the one girl he had chosen to care about. The eyes that bled oceans, were the eyes of the one girl that had taught him what it meant to live. The skin that shone precariously in the dim light, like the edge of a bright horizon lining clear waters, was the soft skin of the one person in the world, that he had fallen in love with.
The only one. For ever and for always.
He continued to watch her, as her eyelashes fluttered against her skin, and he encaptured her small hands with his strong ones, feeling her skin run over the swollen flesh on his knuckles before fitting her slender fingers perfectly in the gap between his.
"Khushi" he whispered to her, squeezing her hand lightly "Come on" he ushered, pulling her after himself as he took a step towards the door that led off the terrace, feeling her resist his motion.
He turned to see her shaking her head, fear evident in her bright eyes as she clutched onto the fabric of her dark blue lehenga.
"It's okay Khushi, you trust me?" he asked, watching her nod "I promise I will keep you safe okay? Everything is going to be okay. Come on" he said again, feeling her take the first step with him, as they stepped back into the house together.
Together, she thought.
Together. For ever and for always.
***
Shyam ran his fingers lightly along his cheek just under his eye, where a bruise was beginning to form from the punch his bother in law had thrown at him a while ago. He smiled, ignoring the pain. It didn't matter.
He had gone and told Arnav that Khushi was involved with him. How quickly his brother in law had turned on the girl he supposedly loved. It was much too easy.
"Khushi ji" he smirked, speaking to his reflection "I am not like Sale Sahaab, I did not want to turn my back on you, but you made fun of my love, you ruined it, so I had no other choice but to ruin yours, but it is okay" he said "we will still be together, don't you worry."
***
Anjali continued to search amongst faces and bodies and shadows for her husband. She smiled, clutching at her stomach as she thought of the life inside of her.
***
Khushi let Arnav hold her hand until they stood in the hallway just receding the stairs that lead to the hall where their siblings wedding rituals were about to begin. He watched her for a moment, before pulling her in close to him, tucking a strand of hair away behind her ear, whispering to her.
"Are you sure you are okay?" he asked, feeling her nod against his cheek.
"I have to take care of a few things, I need to speak to Di, I have to tell her what she needs to know. I will talk to you soon okay?" he reassured her, stepping away from her and letting her walk down the stairs before him.
He watched her through the ceremony, paying attention to her lost eyes that should have been focused on nothing but her sister tonight. Arnav frowned thinking about all the weight she had placed on her shoulders, she was too young, too beautiful, too full of life to have to deal with problems like this.
But it would be okay in the end. That was the only thing he was sure of.
***
The Gupta's said goodbye to everyone in turn, hugging the daughter that they were leaving behind before turning to the family they had entrusted her with to say their farewell.
Arnav held on to Khushi's hand as she passed him, taking a second to whisper to her before she had a chance to get away.
"Goodbye for now" he said, letting go of her hand just as quickly as he had held it "Fiance" he smiled, watching her eyes register surprise at his use of the word.
She looked back once as she left, returning his smile before she slipped out of the door.
***
It had been two whole days since then.
She had neither seen him or heard from him.
She had tried calling his number, only to shut her phone off when it was dialling. If he had anything to say, he would call her. He had told her to wait. And that is what she would do.
"Titaliya!" her Buaji called "Are you ready yet?"
"Hai!?" she scowled, looking at Khushi with wet hair clinging to the back of her purple and black dress, staring down at her phone.
"Sanka Devi! How are you not ready yet, come on, get up get up. We are late already, what will Payal's in laws think? Lets go."
Khushi stood up wondering how there was only one person in that house whose thoughts she would care about tonight.
***
He wasn't anywhere to be found and she found herself terribly afraid again. Like she had found herself to be with him countless times before. What if something had gone wrong again, what if he had changed his mind? What if he didn't want her anymore?
She shook her head rid of those thoughts as she slipped out of the room where everyone was, scurrying up the stairs to his room, insecurity would get her nowhere.
She walked out to the poolside having found the room empty, staring out into the clear blue water, she waited patiently as her vision blurred and salinity brimmed up in her eyes, finally flowing down her eyelashes, letting go a large drop of sadness that hurled on to ground beneath her. She never would have thought separation from someone for a few days would leave such an empty feeling in her chest.
As she closed her eyes, she felt him wrap his arms around her and she froze. He didn't say anything, only pulled her back close up against his chest, comfortably fitting her small frame beneath his hold. She heard him sigh and rest his head on her shoulder, breathing against her collarbone.
"Khushi.." he said, voice cracking.
She kept her eyes closed.
"What has happened Arnav ji?"
He shook his head, telling her he wasn't ready to share just yet.
"Just stay with me for a while" he asked.
She raised her arms to place them atop his that were wound around her waist, telling him that she would stay for as long as he wanted.
He breathed in the cool misty air around her, feeling her damp hair against his shirt, soaking through the material. It flowed down in perfect silent waves down her back. He had missed her so much these past few days, but his life had fallen apart in such a small time, he didn't know if he could deal with it all.
Khushi wasn't sure how long it had been, she didn't really think about why they had not been searched for in a long while, all she knew, was that she was with him. Everything else seemed to fade out. The hazy sky faded out into a dark blue, the sun setting on their faces, leaving them in a pool of grey.
After what seemed like a lifetime, Arnav finally spoke.
"Di is pregnant"
Khushi froze at first, feeling a surge of rigidness run along her form. She needed a while to register what he had just said, this couldn't be true, she wanted to ask him to repeat himself, she couldn't have heard correctly, but it was such a strange feeling she didn't know what to do with herself, she fidgeted under his hold, turning around to face him with questioning eyes.
"I tried to tell her the truth, but I don't think she will be able to..." he broke off, sighing again and leaning down to rest his forehead on hers, letting her feel his world of worries. She wasn't sure what to say.
This changed everything. If they couldn't tell Anjali the truth, where would that leave them? Where would that leave Shyam? She shuddered, unable to bear the thought of a man like him anywhere near Anjali. She was one of the sweetest people Khushi had ever met, she didn't deserve this, no woman did.
"What am I going to do Khushi?" he asked, talking to himself more than expecting an answer from her. She remained silent, still frozen from fear and concern and understanding that he didn't need her to say anything, just to listen.
A long moment later, he lifted his head up and held on to her hand again, stepping away from their safe haven, the poolside, heading back out towards the hall downstairs.
"Are you ready?" he asked, pausing momentarily at the top of the stairs.
"F..for what?"
"To tell them we are going to get married"
Khushi gulped, looking down at the room below her where her family sat, Nani was absorbed in a deep conversation with Buaji, and Anjali held on to Shyams elbow, speaking to Aakash that sat next to her. Her Jiji as smiling at something NK had just said, leading Garima to shake her head at his silliness. Everyone seemed so happy, there couldn't have been a better time.
Khushi reached out towards Arnav with her second hand, placing it on top of their already clasped hands.
"Yes"
***
As Arnav spoke, Shyam couldn't believe his ears. He wouldn't. What sort of sick game was this? How could they get married?
Anjali let go of his arm to go and hug Khushi, who stood looking a bit shell shocked at the sudden burst of happiness in the room. She deliberately avoided his gaze, and he tried his best to catch hers, he wanted her to see what she was making him go through, she wanted her to see the mistake she had made yet again. He felt his nails digging in deeper and deeper into the skin of his palm as he found an outlet for his fury.
Arnavs eyes followed his, and he clenched his jaw to prevent himself from attacking him right there and then for looking at his fiance that way. If it weren't for his sister, he would have ripped his eyes out already.
He remembered the confrontation he had with Shyam the night of Payal and Aakash's wedding, after the Gupta's had gone home. He had tried to fuel the fire by suggesting how he and Khushi were in love, and that nothing could tear them apart. His Di was the only obstacle to their love.
But years of working in business had given Arnav the skill to be able to look straight through people like that.
After having calmed down he smiled smugly at the look on Shyam's face, he let his victory shine through and he pondered over the irony of the situation.
How Shyam had thought that his Di was the only obstacle to his and Khushi's love, when in reality, his Di was the only reason they would ever be caught standing in the same room.
***
"This is such good news Chote!" Nani enthused, turning around to face Buaji.
"Madhumadi Ji, Garima ji what do you say, are you willing to give us another one of your precious daughters?" she smiled, receiving happy nods from them as Garima reached out for Khushi and asked her silently in her ear if that is what she really wanted.
"You want to marry him bitya?" Garima asked subtely, trying to ask privately.
Khushi blushed as she looked up to find Arnav staring at her, listening in on them.
"Do you?" he mouthed cheekily, making Khushi furiously turn back to her mother.
"Yes Amma, I do"
Arnav smiled hearing the words from her lips, it took everything in him to not sweep down on her and plant a kiss right on her mouth. His Di suddenly reached out for his arm, pulling him towards her and giving him a warm hug.
It brought all the memories of their past and the secrets he was hiding rushing back to his mind. Flashes of his Di's smile, Khushi's tears, and Shyams bruised face ran before him, and he found himself, once again. Guilt ridden.
***
Khushi walked through the dark corridors towards the store room to get hold of some sweets she had offered to bring instead of Hari Prakash who had seemed busy making arrangements for the Pooja Anjali was holding the next morning. She thought of how happy everyone had seemed at the prospect of her marriage to Arnav. Her Jiji's smug face, and her Babuji's honest smile warmed her heart. Maybe this was all for the best. Maybe everything wasn't as bad as she had thought. She heard footsteps behind her and turned at the sound.
He didn't care that the very same family that he had tried so hard to keep everything from were present in the same house, most of them now in Payal and Aakash's room discussing Khushi and Arnavs marriage, or that he was risking losing everything. He thanked the Raizada's for the large house they lived in as he sped up walking down yet another long corridor, the line between anger and absolute rage blurred as he marched up to her, watching her dress sway with every step she took.
"Arnav ji?" she called, turning around.
That way she uttered his name drove him over the edge, and he growled at her, taking one more step and stifling her scream roughly with his palm, digging it in against her lips. Her eyes flew open in fear as he threw her against the wall, and she struggled against him, pulling away at his strong arm that was suffocating her.
"No Khushi ji" he said menacingly "It's Shyam .. remember me Khushi ji? REMEMBER ME!?" he spat at her.
Precap
Arnav and Anjali stood in the corridor just outside Payal and Aakash's room. Arnav had been listening to his sister tell him how proud she was of him, for finally doing something that would make everyone happy, but his heart jumped in fear when he noticed she was not standing in the room.
"Khushi..?" he called, looking around him.
I am feeling a bit blergh about this update, not sure if it is a good read, but I wanted quite a bit to happen, so sorry about that! Please leave likes and comments, they really motivate me, and remember to email me if you want updates ! Love, Hayley x
Edited by ccuteaangel - 12 years ago
comment:
p_commentcount