Our Contract Marriage

Chapter 5

It was a fresh morning for Khushi, yet her mind was swirling with thoughts. Not for a moment had she doubted her love for Arnavji, even after what had transpired at the farmhouse two nights ago. That night had been their sanctuary, a rare moment when Arnav had let his guard down. Vulnerable, he had shown her a glimpse of his soul.. arranging for them to watch the stars, a way to feel close to their parents. That simple act had bound them forever, easing all the pain they had carried. Two lost souls, missing their parents, had found completeness in each other. That night was the most precious of her life, where they became one in every sense.

The next day was supposed to be their marriage.. a celebration of the love they had fought for, the love they had built from the rubble of misunderstandings and hurt. How many dreams they had both woven for this day. And then, it happened. The revelation. Dadi had blamed her Amma for Arnavji’s mother’s suicide. Khushi's mind was still trying to make sense of it all. How could this be? How could her Amma, the woman who had raised her as her own, be the cause of another's pain? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. But one thing was certain in her heart: her Amma was not to blame. The woman who had nurtured her, who had taken away all her pain, could never be responsible for such tragedy.

As Khushi lay deep in thought, she felt his arm slip over her waist. She turned towards him, and there he was.. Arnavji, sleeping peacefully, as if the storm that raged inside him had finally calmed. Last night had been hard. He had woken up screaming, drenched in sweat, calling out for his mother. The nightmares that had haunted him since he was 14 had returned with a vengeance. “Maa, don’t leave me,” he had sobbed, his voice breaking. Khushi had never seen him like this before, so vulnerable, so broken. She had tried to comfort him, rubbing his back as he struggled to breathe, offering him water, but his pain had consumed him. She had seen the tears in his eyes, felt the weight of the agony he had been carrying for so long.

And now, here he was, sleeping like a child, his face soft and free of worry. If anyone else saw him like this, they wouldn’t believe he was the formidable ASR. But to her, he was just Arnavji. She gently moved a lock of hair from his forehead and kissed him softly. That’s when his eyes fluttered open. He saw how close they were.. her body pressed against his, his arm wrapped around her waist. It wasn’t new; they had been even closer before. How could he forget the night at the farmhouse when they had become two bodies and one soul? But today felt different.

He noticed the way she had kissed his forehead, the way she looked at him with so much love. But everything felt changed, tainted by the revelation that now clouded his mind. Khushi, the woman he had once resented, the woman who had broken through his walls, was now the woman connected to his past in a way he had never imagined. At first, she was the girl who had dared to stand up to him, always challenging his ego. Then, she became the girl he couldn’t stop falling for, even though he refused to admit it. But then came the misunderstanding.. the moment he thought she was involved with his brother-in-law. That was the worst mistake of his life. He had married her out of anger and vengeance, convinced she had betrayed him. He had hurt her in every way possible, but somehow, in the midst of all the pain, she had found her way into his heart.

He hated himself for it, for not seeing her truth sooner. Khushi had always been innocent, always trying to prove herself, but he had ignored her. He had been too blinded by his own pain to see hers. But when she had risked her life to save his, he knew.. deep in his heart, he had known she could never betray him. Yet admitting that had been the hardest thing he had ever done. Slowly, he had started to love her. He was terrible at expressing it, but he had tried. Their remarriage had been a chance to start over, to right the wrongs of the past. On the night of their Shagun, he had asked for her forgiveness, and in true Khushi fashion, she had readily given it. She was the light in his life, the reason he breathed.