Presenting Arnav and Khushi in a story that transcends all societal norms of love 💖
Can you meet someone for the first time and feel that you've known them forever?
Does it take a long time to fall in love always?
Can sometimes just a few moments b...
Khushi turned around from arranging her suitcases to see Anjali standing at the door.
"No Di I was..."
"You were smiling all dreamily holding on to your blouse. For the last five minutes I've been here.", Anjali smirked so much like her brother.
"Maybe I was.", Khushi smirked back.
It was the truth after all. She had returned from the Pag Phera an hour back to see half of the wardrobe cleared for her use. To think that she had actually thrown a vase at her kind husband just that morning! But he was getting so used to her throwing vases at him that he had actually caught that damned vase.
"Now I see why Chotte likes you. Here is the wedding present from me and Shyam Bhabhi.", Anjali grinned extending two neatly wrapped huge boxes.
"Di you don't need to call me Bhabhi. Just Khushi is fine.", Khushi frowned taking the boxes.
"I can't tell you how hard we tried to get my donkey brother to settle down. I'm so so happy that he has you as his life partner. And these names that we take, these new relations that you've formed are a part of it. Embrace it, Bhabhi.", Anjali said taking her hand in her own.
"He's not a donkey.", Khushi said not meeting her sister-in-law's eyes.
Anjali grinned evilly.
"Wow this is so gorgeous!", Khushi exclaimed looking at the jewellery set she had just unwrapped.
"What can I say, my husband has exquisite choice. Open the other one!", Anjali chuckled.
The said gift left Khushi speechless. And blushing. It was a Victoria's Secret negligee. Well it was an excuse for clothing really.
"This... is... nice. Thank you, Di. Please tell me you brought this on your own?", Khushi begged.
"Duh of course.", Anjali rolled her eyes.
The sound of footsteps caused both women to jerk up in attention. Anjali bid a hasty goodbye and Khushi quickly wrapped the excuse-for-cloth in the box. But before she could hide the box, in walked her husband.
"Crap!"
"Is this some new way of welcoming your husband?", Arnav frowned.
"Sorry. I was talking to myself.", Khushi said hiding the box behind herself.
"What are you hiding?", he cocked an eyebrow.
"N..nothing. It's a wedding gift.", she chuckled nervously.
"It was my wedding too wasn't it?", Arnav said walking forward to place his laptop bag on the recliner. Khushi's reluctance had sent his curiosity raging.
"This is for me.", Khushi said turning back to hide the box in her bag.
"Oww." "Arnav?" "What happened?"
The synopsis of the above event was that Arnav Singh Raizada had pretended – yes pretended – to fall, his wife had rushed to him abandoning the box on the bed and he had snatched it. What was inside the box had made his eyes pop out in shock.
"Err...", Arnav scratched his eyebrow.
Maybe he should have let it pass. The dress in his hand and his wife, who was brilliantly looking at anywhere but him, made laughter bubble in his chest though. Dammit, this was funny!
"I'll freshen up.", he quickly saving them both the embarrassment.
It took Khushi quiet some time to cool her heated cheeks after Arnav had gone. She looked in the mirror and saw a woman she didn't recognize.
The saree. The sindoor. The mangalsutra. The bangles.
Was this the same Khushi Kumari Gupta who had cried on Arnav's shoulder in Nainital?
She looked at the streak of vermilion in her hair parting and smiled. Di was right. All these little things – they made her feel belonged. And grown up. Sharing a room with a man, being responsible for his life – these things that she had never thought possible of herself were happening. She had spent all her life resigned to the fact that she was going to be a spinster. Not because she was afraid to fall in love. But because she had believed men like Arnav didn't exist.
Earlier that afternoon, all her mother could talk about was Arnav. How he had called her that morning to assure her that her daughter was fine. How he had apologized for not making it there today. How he had such good manners. She had to literally remind her mother that it was her daughter she had married off not Arnav! That was what she had been thinking when Anjali had walked in.
Maybe, just maybe, she could get over her fear of intimacy?
It was easier for people to say that she would pass it with time. She didn't believe that. It has been seventeen years after all and yet she still cringed at the idea of being close to any man.
Except Arnav.
Somehow, he made her feel safe. Even when he had just been a stranger, she had felt it safe to share a penthouse with him, cry on his shoulders – his utterly well-built shoulders.
The man of her thoughts walked in just then towelling his hair. Khushi had such an overwhelming urge to hug him that she gave into it.
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An unsuspecting Arnav was taken into a fierce hug by his wife. She hugged him with such force that he had to take two leaps backward to save them from falling.
"Khushi?", he voiced his question in her name.
"Hmm?", she said snuggling closer to his scent.
"Khushi?", he asked again frowning. As much as he liked the warm ball snuggling closer to him, he was worried for his wife.
"I feel safe with you, Arnav.", she answered his unasked question.
Khushi felt and heard his sigh of relief. And then she felt his hands closing around her. It was her turn to sigh now.
"Arnav I never asked you this. Why did you marry me?", Khushi asked tilting her head to look up at him from between his arms.
"Isn't it too late to ask that now?", he chuckled awkwardly.
