What If? - IPKKND | slow updates

Prologue

2 August 2005, close to midnight.

Arnav stood frozen, as he realised what his grandmother said. It had been almost six months to his and Khushi's marriage and even though it would be a momentous and joyous occasion for Aakash and Payal, it meant a grave reality for the former. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada, would leave him. It all suddenly made sense in his head, her reluctance to come back home from the sanctuary of her Buaji, her lying and the indecipherable pool in her eyes.

Everything will be okay in the next thirteen days, she had said. How could it possibly be? His breath hitched as he thought of the repercussions of his action. An action taken under insurmountable anger, an anger that blinded him towards the virtues of right and innocence. An anger that let him to believe that the love of his life was capable of deception, of bigamy and of greed.

It still physically hurt him, when he thought about all the force and arm wringing he used against Khushi. Now that he looked back, he never understood how grave the repercussions would be. He had succumbed to his fit and decided what he deemed fit. Arnav never paused to think about Khushi. Not in that moment. And neither in the moments that followed when he heard his almost ex brother-in-law spew words laced with vulgarity against the love of his life.

To think of it, Arnav had been on his way to confess and yet, one small blemish and he had typecast her.

A bleating noise made Arnav realise that he had walked up to the poolside and had begun tending to his plants in his reverie. He looked at his grandmother's goat Lakshmi and bent to her level. The goat was busy having her midnight snack, munching on the little shrubs that were within her reach.

Softly patting the top of her head, he realised how affectionate his wife has always been towards Lakshmi Ji and he had never even touched the goat in his life.

"There are so many things in life that have changed Lakshmi, ever since Khushi has come into my life. I can't even believe I am talking to you, but I guess company rubs off." Sighing, he absentmindedly stroke the goat's hair, sitting cross legged on the floor.

"I think she's going to leave me Lakshmi." The bleating of the goat seemed like her acquiesce and it broke his heart a little.

Looking at the doe eyes of the goat he whispered softly. "How can I let her go?"

To his surprise Lakshmi began nuzzling in his lap and he laughed, quite wholeheartedly. The mane was ticklish and his laugh was loud enough to get the attention of his grandmother who seemed to be in a frenzy to find her beloved goat.

"I'm sorry Bitwa, I didn't realise Lakshmi was here. She seems too fond of your plants but I know you hate that. I will take her .." Devyani stopped mid sentence as she saw her grandson.

He was sprawled on the floor, patting affectionately to the goat he had always reiterated that he tolerated for the sake of his grandmother.

Lakshmi's head was nestled in his lap and he had a wide smile on his face. The rapture she felt was unparalleled. However, even in that, she didn't fail to see that Arnav's eyes held a certain fear. She wasn't yet sure what it was, but she could see that the fear was crippling him.

"It's okay Nani. I think she has had her fill of her nightcap, I can almost hear her snoring." Arnav's smile surprised Devyani even more.

Nodding, she held her beloved goat in her arms, smiling to herself. She dared not to speak anything, lest she break the beautiful spell her grandson was in.

As his grandmother walked away, Arnav smiled to himself as he looked at his phone. The clock struck twelve and the pain returned. Another day went by and he had less than two weeks to woo Khushi into coming back.

His thumbs typed the digits of his executive Aman's number and waited for the call to get through.

"Did you find out about the rent?" Arnav said, not wasting a moment on pleasantries.

Aman cleared his throat and said something that Arnav couldn't hear.

"Yes. They haven't paid it yet." Aman repeated, clearing his throat.

"Hmm. Keep the cheque on hold." He muttered and cut the call abruptly.

Arnav did know that now Khushi will have no other option but to come to him for help. And once she does, he'd be sure to ask her to come back before he pays it. And he'd be damned if she doesn't accept him as her husband now.

There is no way he was going to let Khushi walk out of this contract marriage. Though, now that he thought about it, he had to marry her again before it expired. It gave him only ten days to woo his wife again. Or if push comes to shove, he'd do anything to get her back.

—
It does seem very similar to the show, but I promise the story is different. I am quite excited to write this, probably the quarantine is warranting a lot of time. Hopefully something good comes out of this.

The characters and the plot will be slightly more clear from the next chapter onwards. I may shuttle between time lines so I'd be sure to mention it in the beginning of each chapter.

I really hope people read this. (: 

- 29.07.2020