"Fir kya daddy kya amma"
Khushi was sitting near the edge on the terrace of Shantivan. She had placed the chair in such a way that she could overlook the calming water of the swimming pool behind the mansion. Her thoughts were no where calming though. Arnav's face when she declared her stance on marriage kept coming in front of her eyes.
What could she do though? Lie and pretend? If Khushi was averse to serious relationships, she was even more against marriages! And she had her own reasons.
No one knew that she was adopted and her real parents who had love marriage, were victims of family rivalry. Khushi was 8 when her parents were shot dead in cold blood. She was saved because she was in school that time. Their tragic deaths scarred her mind. She was then adopted by her maasi (maternal aunt) and her husband but her maasi herself had a failed love story before marriage and had a compromise marriage. That made Khushi more averse to the concept of love and marriages. Her mausa ji was a loving person though. Hailing from a filthy rich confectioner's family he didn't leave a stone unturned to spoil her silly as she grew up, loving her as much as his own biological daughter Payal.
And then she met Viraj. Her first ever boyfriend who wooed her with his charming ways and she thought she could get her love story. Until he turned out to be a jerk. She completely closed her heart to love after that. Sure she dated and had flings but never let things get serious.
And then Jeet happened. First her best friend, then boyfriend. Just when she thought he understood her, he started pressurizing her to change herself, be the daughter-in-law his family wanted.
That relationship pretty much ended Khushi's dreams about getting any happily ever after. She decided to pack her bags and go to NYU for her film making degree. Her babuji like always, whole heartedly supported her.
And that is how she landed in New York University, living a lavish and carefree life in Manhattan. Her life was set, finish her education, date casually and go back to India to help her mausa ji with the family business. Love and marriage? Psst, like that ever existed!
But then Arnav Singh Raizada happened and she saw herself losing in him completely. He made her believe in romance again, those eye locks, hand holdings, late night texts and then their sex-life! God, they had explosive chemistry! She didn't want to lose him..not yet, probably never.
"What if I say I agree with you?"
Khushi looked up surprised. She didn't even realize when he had taken a place beside her. Was she speaking loudly?
"Khushi, I don't know what you are thinking, but as much as I have got to know you in past few months, I know there are some reasons why you said you didn't want to marry. And i hope they are not about me, are they?" He asked with curiosity although he had a hard time keeping his heartbeats in check. what if it was about him? He had taken a bit of a risk asking that.
Khushi smiled at him and shook her head in negative. She got up from her chair and went to sit in his lap, looping her hands around his neck, hiding her face there. Arnav hugged her closer to himself. This was so new to Khushi. Till now all the boys she dated either wanted a long-term commitment from her or complained that she wasn't serious enough. And at the age of 23 she was hardly ready to commit and with all the baggage she had, it was too complicated.
"Then I just want to tell you this Khushi, since the time I saw you I have been attracted to you, after meeting you I felt it getting stronger, and after knowing you I have only realized that its not just your beauty that made me fall for you but its your beautiful heart that I have fallen for more. You have a rare quality of being strong yet gracious, being bold yet respectful. Showing the world as if you don't care about anything yet flying with your boyfriend of 2 months for his sister's godbharai and making the function so successful, despite the jetlag that had tired you. I haven't seen any girl who stood her ground like you did when your ex-bf was making a scene, or when Anjali di declared about our marriage. And I don't care what your stand is but I want you to know, you are it for me because I love you Khushi Kumari Gupta and i'll always-"
"Arnav", she kept her palm on his lips before continuing, "I love you Arnav." she said looking at him, her eyes showing nothing but a promise of forever. That is all he needed. For now. They had their whole lives to argue and debate about weddings and babies, what mattered was they were together and will be together as their love would keep them tied to each other in an iron grip!
He kissed her palm before removing it and pulling her for a proper kiss. A kiss that sealed the promise of a forever!
--*--
A/N – Yeah that was it lol. I had always planned to end it here, without showing marriage for once. I loved writing this story a lot because this was one concept I so badly wanted to read ArShi on. A bold, wild Khushi and a romantic hero arnav who tames her 🥰
Anyhow, I am taking a brief break from this book for now but will leave a note to you guys about the blog link (where epilogue of this story will be updated too) and how it will be going ahead. If you recently started reading this book, you'll have to follow me to get the links, I am no longer keeping the track of voters. Old readers, you're covered, don't need to follow me.
Thanks and see you soon 🤗
