This scene takes place after Anjali has a miscarriage in the show.
*****
Arnav sat there for some time, his Di's hand in his. While she slept peacefully, thanks to the sleeping pills the doctor had given her. He cradled his Di in his lap, gave a small peck on her forehead, as a tear escaped his eye.
Sorry Di. I'm sooo sorry that I couldn't save you from this tragedy. I know I promised I would take care of you and your child and I failed, I am so sorry.
Di I swear I will make things right again. I won't sleep till I bring a smile on your face again. I will fill your life with happiness again. I promise.
After making this promise to himself and Anjali, Arnav slowly lifted Anjali's head from his lap and placed the pillow underneath it, as he moved off the bed to leave the room and let Anjali sleep peacefully before his sobs woke her up. As he reached the door, he turned to look at her before leaving and swore to himself once more that he would fill his Di's life with laughter, making her forget the pain that had engulfed her after her miscarriage.
He slowly made his way to his room, aching for some solace and Khushi's embrace. Khushi. Where was she, he had not seen her after they had put Anjali in bed. Had she already gone home? No, she wouldn't go without telling him, she was probably somewhere in the house consoling Nani or Mami. That was Khushi, ever-ready with her shoulder for people to cry on, but whose shoulder did she cry on, that was a thought that had intrigued Arnav more than once in the past. He hoped to become that shoulder which she could cry on someday, although he would prefer she never had to cry as it was, but if ever then he hoped that he could become that person for her.
As he reached his room door, he decided he would change and freshen-up before he went looking for Khushi. Or if he was lucky then she would find him before that and they could have a few moments of tranquility in the haven of their room.
He opened the door and walked in, only to do a double-take and slam back into the doors he had opened behind him, closing them without meaning to. Then before he could do anything else he found his body move on its' own accord to stop Khushi from hurting herself brutally against the cupboard.
Khushi had been inside the room, changing out of her mehndi clothes into her salwar suit, when Arnav opened the door. She had just put her arms through her kameez, when the sound of the door opening made her panic and unable to see, as the kameez was in front her face, she started moving backwards only to hit her leg on the side of the bed causing her to stumble back and fall head first at the cupboard door. By this time Arnav had gotten over the shock of seeing a half-dressed Khushi and leaped towards her to break her fall.
However, this had the opposite effect of what he had intended. For as his warm hand grabbed at her bare skin, she recoiled at the shock and ended up banging her head on the cupboard door anyway. Although wounded, she continued to struggle in his grasp, feeling uncomfortable and exposed that he was touching her.
'Khushi...Khushi stop. STOP. You're going to hurt yourself. Its' only me, Arnav, so stop struggling and pull your kameez down, so we can untangle ourselves from each other.'
Hearing his voice she stopped and pulled down her kameez to see that it was really him, holding her. She caught his eye for a moment and then looked away as her cheeks began to colour up. Realising her embarrassment, and feeling a little awkward himself for finding themselves in this situation, he swiftly moved his hands away from her waist and got up, looking anywhere but towards her. While she fixed her kameez and got up too.
Both were at a loss of words, unsure how to break the silence. Being husband and wife and having shared a room for the last six months this should not have been an awkward moment. However considering their marriage had not taken place out of love or mutual affection, rather hatred and revenge a situation like this had never arisen where either had found themselves bare in front of the other. Now while the dynamics of their marriage had changed, now and both had fallen for each other, as well as the misunderstandings each had regarding the other had been resolved a new issue had come to the fore where they now realised after having believed they were man and wife for six months they recently discovered they in actuality were not; for according to their elders they weren't married as Arnav and Khushi had believed themselves to be, for in his haste to exact his revenge he had not taken the sacred vows around the fire with her, but only filled her forehead with vermilion thinking that was enough to complete the marriage. Thus they now found themselves in a situation where they had been living together for six months, but had never had an intimate moment until now.
Hence neither knew what to do. She was relieved that it was Arnav and no one else who had come in, but was still flustered as she had been exposed in front of him. Not that she had not considered that there would come a time when they would be exposed and bare in front of each other, but at least when that time came she had liked to think that she would be somewhat prepared, this had happened without any mental preparation and she felt extremely embarrassed and shy, not knowing what to do. Should she let him know that she was ok? That he had touched her and seen her. But was she ok? Or should she be distant from him? But would that upset him, make him think that she didn't want him near her...no, she definitely didn't want him to think that.
Arnav was feeling awkward, not sure what she was thinking about. He didn't want her to think that just because this was an emotional time for him, he had turned to her for intimacy of that sort. For he would never demand that sort of thing from her, when he knew she would not be comfortable with it, not until they were husband and wife correctly in law and religion. And truth to be told he didn't even want that right now, it was true that he had yearned for her embrace, but in that he just wanted to rest his head in her lap and let her work her magic the way she did lessening his pain and him feel lighter.
Finally, unable to take the silence, he stammered out, 'Khu-Khushi...I...umm...I...I didn't know...I mean, I didn't mean to, I mean I wouldn't have...If I knew...Khushi...I...'
Khushi let go of her dupatta which she had twisting round her finger, relieved that he broke the silence. Plus his uncharacteristic stammering revealed that he too felt weird about the whole ordeal, it being an accident and so they should just treat it like one, 'Arnav ji, I...it's ok...I mean how would you know, I didn't tell you...I...ummm...'
He turned to face her, 'Are you ok?'
She looked up at him, and gave a nervous smile, 'Yeah I'm ok...just a little shocked but ok...' She fiddled with her dupatta again, then tugged nervously at a stray strand of her hair that was dancing on the side of her face, whilst giving him a quick look, trying to decipher his mood. Finally, she said in a shy voice, 'I...umm...I just came in here to change, I will get going now. After I have checked on Di. I'm going to take a taxi home, and no don't even suggest it,' she put him straight before he could even open his mouth to offer to drive her home, 'you should stay home, Di might need you, I will go by a cab, its' ok.'
Giving him one last look and an embarrassed smile, she made her way to the door, as Arnav watched her go. She had just gotten to the room door, when his voice made her stop, as his hand wrapped around her waist.
She froze in his arms, as she realised where his hands rested. His left hand was on the small of her back, where half of his palm rested on her kameez, while the upper half on her bare back. In her panic at being caught dressing by him she had forgotten to zip her kameez up. Blood rushed into her cheeks, as he twisted her body to face him, pulled her closer to him and then moved his right hand up her back, zipping her up. Her heart began to drum again. She dared to look up in his face only to lose herself in his eyes dark-chocolate eyes, which were locked on hers'.
It was only when his hand touched hers, trying to unwrap it from his shirt that she realised she had been holding on to his shirt. She let go and began to move out of his embrace, when he pulled her back. Confused she looked up at him. He gave his half-smile and turned her around. He brushed aside her hair, and held the strings on top of her kameez. She closed her eyes, as her breathing became ragged and her heart banged loudly in her chest. He tied the knot neatly, but didn't let her go. Slowly he pulled her closer. She could feel his warm breath on her back, then her neck, and then finally next to her ears. Where he whispered, 'Khushi, do you have to go?'
There was so much longing in his voice that her whole frame quivered. In that one moment, when his voice seeped through her skin she wished to never leave him, but forever stay in his embrace. But as the moment wearied off and she opened her eyes she knew that she couldn't stay, for Dadi wouldn't allow it. She turned to look at him, 'Arnav ji...' she said deafetedly.
'I know...Dadi wouldn't allow, may be not even Nani...not until we're married, according to them', annoyed at his own, mistake for not marrying her correctly, in religious terms, the first time round, he pulled away from her and walked towards the windows facing the pool.
Seeing him upset, she walked up to him, turned him around and cupping his face said, 'Just because I cannot stay the night with you doesn't mean I can't stay a while longer, here with you before I go...' she said smilingly and then rested her head on his shoulder, as he enveloped her petite frame with his arms.
They had been in each other's arms for a while when what she had said stirred an idea inside Arnav's mind. He abruptly broke out of the hug to give khushi a kiss on the forehead, 'You are a genius Khushi Kumari Gupta-Singh Raizada...you can't stay with me...' he chuckled.
She looked at him confused, not following his train of thought. He smirked and said, 'you can't stay with me until we are married again with the whole pandit and rituals, right? That is what Dadi said...', she nodded in agreement. 'Well her problem is you staying with me, but you can stay with Di right?' She still didn't follow.
He sat her down and explained, 'Dadi said you can't stay with me, in this room because we aren't married properly right...well, you can stay in Di's room can't you. Dadi has a problem with us sharing a room until we get married, so we won't be sharing a room, you will be in Di's room. Besides I wouldn't want Di to be sleeping alone as it is, and who better than you to sleep with her. This way you get to stay in the house and Di isn't alone. Its' a win-win!' Triumphant at his epiphany, he got up took Khushi's hand and led her downstairs to tell the rest, that Khushi won't be going.
While Khushi voiced her fear, 'but will Dadi agree?'
'Who cares if she doesn't, I'm not breaking her rules, and besides I know Nani will agree and as long as Nani does we won't have a problem...' he winked slyly, making her grin broadly.
With that he bounded downstairs, with Khushi trailing behind him, still unsure about his plan but happiness had already begun to broil inside of her at the thought of being near Arnav again.
Sorry Di. I'm sooo sorry that I couldn't save you from this tragedy. I know I promised I would take care of you and your child and I failed, I am so sorry.
Di I swear I will make things right again. I won't sleep till I bring a smile on your face again. I will fill your life with happiness again. I promise.
After making this promise to himself and Anjali, Arnav slowly lifted Anjali's head from his lap and placed the pillow underneath it, as he moved off the bed to leave the room and let Anjali sleep peacefully before his sobs woke her up. As he reached the door, he turned to look at her before leaving and swore to himself once more that he would fill his Di's life with laughter, making her forget the pain that had engulfed her after her miscarriage.
He slowly made his way to his room, aching for some solace and Khushi's embrace. Khushi. Where was she, he had not seen her after they had put Anjali in bed. Had she already gone home? No, she wouldn't go without telling him, she was probably somewhere in the house consoling Nani or Mami. That was Khushi, ever-ready with her shoulder for people to cry on, but whose shoulder did she cry on, that was a thought that had intrigued Arnav more than once in the past. He hoped to become that shoulder which she could cry on someday, although he would prefer she never had to cry as it was, but if ever then he hoped that he could become that person for her.
As he reached his room door, he decided he would change and freshen-up before he went looking for Khushi. Or if he was lucky then she would find him before that and they could have a few moments of tranquility in the haven of their room.
He opened the door and walked in, only to do a double-take and slam back into the doors he had opened behind him, closing them without meaning to. Then before he could do anything else he found his body move on its' own accord to stop Khushi from hurting herself brutally against the cupboard.
Khushi had been inside the room, changing out of her mehndi clothes into her salwar suit, when Arnav opened the door. She had just put her arms through her kameez, when the sound of the door opening made her panic and unable to see, as the kameez was in front her face, she started moving backwards only to hit her leg on the side of the bed causing her to stumble back and fall head first at the cupboard door. By this time Arnav had gotten over the shock of seeing a half-dressed Khushi and leaped towards her to break her fall.
However, this had the opposite effect of what he had intended. For as his warm hand grabbed at her bare skin, she recoiled at the shock and ended up banging her head on the cupboard door anyway. Although wounded, she continued to struggle in his grasp, feeling uncomfortable and exposed that he was touching her.
'Khushi...Khushi stop. STOP. You're going to hurt yourself. Its' only me, Arnav, so stop struggling and pull your kameez down, so we can untangle ourselves from each other.'
Hearing his voice she stopped and pulled down her kameez to see that it was really him, holding her. She caught his eye for a moment and then looked away as her cheeks began to colour up. Realising her embarrassment, and feeling a little awkward himself for finding themselves in this situation, he swiftly moved his hands away from her waist and got up, looking anywhere but towards her. While she fixed her kameez and got up too.
Both were at a loss of words, unsure how to break the silence. Being husband and wife and having shared a room for the last six months this should not have been an awkward moment. However considering their marriage had not taken place out of love or mutual affection, rather hatred and revenge a situation like this had never arisen where either had found themselves bare in front of the other. Now while the dynamics of their marriage had changed, now and both had fallen for each other, as well as the misunderstandings each had regarding the other had been resolved a new issue had come to the fore where they now realised after having believed they were man and wife for six months they recently discovered they in actuality were not; for according to their elders they weren't married as Arnav and Khushi had believed themselves to be, for in his haste to exact his revenge he had not taken the sacred vows around the fire with her, but only filled her forehead with vermilion thinking that was enough to complete the marriage. Thus they now found themselves in a situation where they had been living together for six months, but had never had an intimate moment until now.
Hence neither knew what to do. She was relieved that it was Arnav and no one else who had come in, but was still flustered as she had been exposed in front of him. Not that she had not considered that there would come a time when they would be exposed and bare in front of each other, but at least when that time came she had liked to think that she would be somewhat prepared, this had happened without any mental preparation and she felt extremely embarrassed and shy, not knowing what to do. Should she let him know that she was ok? That he had touched her and seen her. But was she ok? Or should she be distant from him? But would that upset him, make him think that she didn't want him near her...no, she definitely didn't want him to think that.
Arnav was feeling awkward, not sure what she was thinking about. He didn't want her to think that just because this was an emotional time for him, he had turned to her for intimacy of that sort. For he would never demand that sort of thing from her, when he knew she would not be comfortable with it, not until they were husband and wife correctly in law and religion. And truth to be told he didn't even want that right now, it was true that he had yearned for her embrace, but in that he just wanted to rest his head in her lap and let her work her magic the way she did lessening his pain and him feel lighter.
Finally, unable to take the silence, he stammered out, 'Khu-Khushi...I...umm...I...I didn't know...I mean, I didn't mean to, I mean I wouldn't have...If I knew...Khushi...I...'
Khushi let go of her dupatta which she had twisting round her finger, relieved that he broke the silence. Plus his uncharacteristic stammering revealed that he too felt weird about the whole ordeal, it being an accident and so they should just treat it like one, 'Arnav ji, I...it's ok...I mean how would you know, I didn't tell you...I...ummm...'
He turned to face her, 'Are you ok?'
She looked up at him, and gave a nervous smile, 'Yeah I'm ok...just a little shocked but ok...' She fiddled with her dupatta again, then tugged nervously at a stray strand of her hair that was dancing on the side of her face, whilst giving him a quick look, trying to decipher his mood. Finally, she said in a shy voice, 'I...umm...I just came in here to change, I will get going now. After I have checked on Di. I'm going to take a taxi home, and no don't even suggest it,' she put him straight before he could even open his mouth to offer to drive her home, 'you should stay home, Di might need you, I will go by a cab, its' ok.'
Giving him one last look and an embarrassed smile, she made her way to the door, as Arnav watched her go. She had just gotten to the room door, when his voice made her stop, as his hand wrapped around her waist.
She froze in his arms, as she realised where his hands rested. His left hand was on the small of her back, where half of his palm rested on her kameez, while the upper half on her bare back. In her panic at being caught dressing by him she had forgotten to zip her kameez up. Blood rushed into her cheeks, as he twisted her body to face him, pulled her closer to him and then moved his right hand up her back, zipping her up. Her heart began to drum again. She dared to look up in his face only to lose herself in his eyes dark-chocolate eyes, which were locked on hers'.
It was only when his hand touched hers, trying to unwrap it from his shirt that she realised she had been holding on to his shirt. She let go and began to move out of his embrace, when he pulled her back. Confused she looked up at him. He gave his half-smile and turned her around. He brushed aside her hair, and held the strings on top of her kameez. She closed her eyes, as her breathing became ragged and her heart banged loudly in her chest. He tied the knot neatly, but didn't let her go. Slowly he pulled her closer. She could feel his warm breath on her back, then her neck, and then finally next to her ears. Where he whispered, 'Khushi, do you have to go?'
There was so much longing in his voice that her whole frame quivered. In that one moment, when his voice seeped through her skin she wished to never leave him, but forever stay in his embrace. But as the moment wearied off and she opened her eyes she knew that she couldn't stay, for Dadi wouldn't allow it. She turned to look at him, 'Arnav ji...' she said deafetedly.
'I know...Dadi wouldn't allow, may be not even Nani...not until we're married, according to them', annoyed at his own, mistake for not marrying her correctly, in religious terms, the first time round, he pulled away from her and walked towards the windows facing the pool.
Seeing him upset, she walked up to him, turned him around and cupping his face said, 'Just because I cannot stay the night with you doesn't mean I can't stay a while longer, here with you before I go...' she said smilingly and then rested her head on his shoulder, as he enveloped her petite frame with his arms.
They had been in each other's arms for a while when what she had said stirred an idea inside Arnav's mind. He abruptly broke out of the hug to give khushi a kiss on the forehead, 'You are a genius Khushi Kumari Gupta-Singh Raizada...you can't stay with me...' he chuckled.
She looked at him confused, not following his train of thought. He smirked and said, 'you can't stay with me until we are married again with the whole pandit and rituals, right? That is what Dadi said...', she nodded in agreement. 'Well her problem is you staying with me, but you can stay with Di right?' She still didn't follow.
He sat her down and explained, 'Dadi said you can't stay with me, in this room because we aren't married properly right...well, you can stay in Di's room can't you. Dadi has a problem with us sharing a room until we get married, so we won't be sharing a room, you will be in Di's room. Besides I wouldn't want Di to be sleeping alone as it is, and who better than you to sleep with her. This way you get to stay in the house and Di isn't alone. Its' a win-win!' Triumphant at his epiphany, he got up took Khushi's hand and led her downstairs to tell the rest, that Khushi won't be going.
While Khushi voiced her fear, 'but will Dadi agree?'
'Who cares if she doesn't, I'm not breaking her rules, and besides I know Nani will agree and as long as Nani does we won't have a problem...' he winked slyly, making her grin broadly.
With that he bounded downstairs, with Khushi trailing behind him, still unsure about his plan but happiness had already begun to broil inside of her at the thought of being near Arnav again.
*****
AAANNND CUT!!!! THAT'S A WRAP!! ;p
LOL...ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY THAT SO WROTE IT HERE...HEHEHE...ANYWAY HOPE YOU LIKED THE OS...
LOL...ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY THAT SO WROTE IT HERE...HEHEHE...ANYWAY HOPE YOU LIKED THE OS...
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