Love Me Like You Do

Do you know what you need?

"What Shyamji, it's barely 10pm. And that too it was Diwali party. I came back so early, Anjali ji and Lavanya ji were asking me to stay late." Khushi was saying, defending herself.

"Acha. So, you came by yourself?" Shyam asked.

"No no. Arnavji dropped me."

"Thik. Actually, I was waiting for you. I have a call from client, am going out of town. I'll see you after a few days then. Happy Diwali Khushiji." 

Arnav's head was spinning. What was jijaji doing here? Why did the Guptas want to marry Khushi to him? Didn't Khushi know him to be Di's husband?

Arnav suddenly realized that Khushi didn't know it. Even this morning, he had heard Di say something about jijaji being in bed due to allergies, when Khushi had asked to meet jijaji. That bastard was hiding. Before he took any action, he had to inform Khushi. If Shyam knew that Arnav was aware about him, he would get cautious.

Arnav ran to his car and left from Laxminagar.

At home, the air was pressed.

"Where were you?" Nani thundered.

"ASR!" Lavanya hugged him in front of everyone. "Oh my god, thank God you're alright! We were so worried."

"I'm okay. What happened?"

"Do you even know what happened at the party today?" Di asked. "How will you know when you weren't even there?"

"Di I went to drop Khushi. There was a barricade on the highway and people were all over the place in Laxminagar. So, it took some time. Why are you all upset about me dropping someone home?"

"Lavanya didn't tell you?" Shyam's voice came from behind him.

Arnav pushed all of his anger about the person deep inside. It would have to wait for the right time. "What has happened? Will someone tell me, dammit?"

"Hello hi bye bye. All the ladies were rude to Lavanya. Calling her names and what not. Asking why she was staying here if she is unmarried."

Arnav's blood boiled. Society and its double standards.

"ASR. Nani wants a decision about our marriage."

Arnav looked at each of the family members and realized what he had done. He had given them false hope. He had given Lavanya false hopes of marriage the moment he had asked her to come back to Shantivan. And it wasn't even because Lavanya was affecting him. Khushi's tears had done that. "I'll give a decision. But I need to talk to Lavanya first."

"Okay." Nani said. "But I want your yes by tomorrow. It's extremely late. We should all go to our rooms now. And Miss Kashyap, Laxmi should not find you in Chhote's room."

"Yes Nani."

Arnav rolled his eyes. That was never going to happen.

***  

"Lavanya listen..."

"I know what you're going to say. You don't believe in marriage. You're being pressured. But ASR, if it's not now, I know you won't ever say yes." Lavanya was right. "And I... I can't go through another function listening to insults like this. So, I think we should break up." 

"I think we should." Arnav saw how heartbroken Lavanya was. She had said those things but didn't want to accept that Arnav would actually break up with her. "Lavanya am sorry that I led you on. When I came to bring you back to Shantivan, it wasn't for the right reasons. I thought... I thought you were attempting suicide! I went to check in on you and you assumed... and I didn't clear your wrong assumption. Things just fell back into place, but they shouldn't have."

"Why would you think I would attempt suicide?" Lavanya yelled.

"Because you.... of course, it was Khushi!" Arnav muttered.

"ASR, what are you saying? What did Chamkili do?"

"Nothing... she did nothing."

"ASR, I'm not mad at you. I knew we would end this charade one day. I was building castles in the air, and I shouldn't have."

"No. It's my fault too. Just to prove a point to Nani, I dragged you into my home."

"And now to prove that point, I have to leave. Don't get me wrong, ASR. I'm really not mad at you. But can I ask, did you ever love me?"

Arnav hung his head.

"I knew. I am really a fool."

"No, Lavanya. You're not."

"Yes, I am. I am a fool, but I'm not stupid. I know you love Khushi."

Arnav looked at Lavanya. She had slid from the girl friend to best friend role effortlessly.

"ASR, it's me. Did you really think I wouldn't know? I'm your best friend. I do know you. And I know her too. She likes you too. But she isn't like me. For her marriage is a holy institution. You can't be with her if you don't agree to that. You might love her, but she won't love you unless you give her that lifetime commitment."

"I... I don't know. I'm crazy about her." Arnav admitted.

Lavanya smiled. She was shattered about her dreams but to see ASR admit something this big was a miracle. "I'll help you."

"What?"

"Yeah. She's my friend now. I'll make her see things my way just as she made me see things her way. Maybe then you'll get a chance to make her fall for you."

She doesn't need to. She has already fallen for me. About that... "Lavanya, there's something you should know. Khushi and I... we... we had a moment today. And I think she does like me. So, I am going to offer her to work at AR, as my PA."

"PA?" Lavanya chuckled. "You remember last time she was my PA, but she butted heads with you so much, everybody thought she was your PA!!"

"I hope it will be different this time."

"Don't worry. I'll help you out."

"So, you'll stay? In Delhi?"

"You don't want me to stay?"

"It's not that. I thought you wanted to shift to London."

"They had an interesting project that time. I don't know, it's been so much time away from office for me. I think I'll know once I find my rhythm back."

"I think we've covered what we needed to."

Lavanya smiled. "I think we have. ASR, your stubbornness gave me a family, made me meet Khushi who taught me values that I never knew I needed. Don't be in guilt about that."

But the last month...

Lavanya sighed. "Today I realized the importance of all types of relationships. Trust me, if I fall in love again, I won't agree for lifetime live-in."

"Khushi changed us."

"She did. I'll leave you to her thoughts."

***

The next day, everyone was surprised to see a different side of Arnav and Lavanya's relationship. Lavanya was openly teasing him, not blushing like usual but in a dominating way. And Arnav was letting her tease him, not blasting back as usual.

When everyone sat down to breakfast, it was Lavanya who spoke.

"Nani, we have decided."

Everyone was expecting a green signal.

"We are not getting married. In fact, we are not in a relationship anymore."

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#AN: (06-08-2021) Proofread and Republished

Much Love, Lovely Sharma