Transcendental Love

Part 33

The noise of the hair roller could be heard in the eerily silent bridal suite. No, there had been no mishap – no dramatic twist, no 'ye shadi nahi ho sakti'!

The reason for the silence was that the bride-to-be was lost in her thoughts! Obviously of her husband-to-be, the beauticians giggled.

Reality was far from it!

Khushi was lost in thoughts. Not of shy smiles or stolen kisses. But of cold feet!

Watching the stylist lay layer after layer of makeup on her, which after her refusal and tantrum had been still fixed by an angry glare of her mother at three layers, Khushi wondered whether she had been too hasty in her decision.

"You sound like my wife."

Khushi chuckled at the irony now. He had said that when she had accused him of hitting on her at Sheesh Mahal!

"I don't like to eat in crowded places. What about you?"

"Me too."

She hit her head at her childishness.

But his acceptance of her said childishness is what somewhat calmed her down. Hadn't he decorated the whole room with balloons on Chintu's birthday when she had asked for just a few?!

Hadn't he without any reason to do so, gone out of his way to protect her from Rishabh? He had.

He had also made her a part of his life when he had held her hand to stop her from leaving during one of Anandita's showdown. Arnav had given her trust, warmth and understanding. Love?

"Because I meant it. You're the most beautiful and intelligent woman I have had the pleasure of knowing. I like you Khushi Kumari Gupta."

His words brought a sense of calm to turbulent mind. And then she remembered her own.

"I want to marry you because I think you understand me like no one else. Clear?"

This was Arnav. She might have known him for less than a month, but one thing Khushi trusted about herself was her instincts. And she knew it in every fibre of her being that she wanted to marry Arnav Singh Raizada as clearly as she knew what flavour of ice-cream she wanted!