Could life possibly be any worse? wondered khushi singh raizada
a, gazing at the amber fire blazing in the fireplace, reflecting the turmoil in her heart. Her marriage was on the rocks, and it was almost completely her fault.
Arnav singh raizada was the brother of Khushi Kapoor's best friend, Anjali. They weren't friends but often got to meet each other, gradually getting to know each other. Then out of the blue, Arnav's parents dropped the bomb on him with an ultimatum-get married in six months to your choice or settle for ours! After a lot of coaxing, he agreed to marry Khushi-she was a nice girl and he could fall in love with her eventually. However, this was not the case with Khushi. She still had one year left of MBA left, and wanted to concentrate solely on her studies. Besides, she was a very dreamy and firmly believed in the theory of her prince charming sweeping her off her feet She did not want an arranged marriage and explained her perspective to Arnav who talked to her parents for her but to no avail . Mr Kapoor was adamant-he wanted to see his only child settled before he died, as his heart problems were taking a turn for the worse. Khushi finally yielded to the pressure, and married Arnav.
This happened four months ago . Khushi knew she had nothing to complain about. She had loving in-laws, her best friend as a sister-in-law so there were no saas bahu or nandh sagas in their house .She could spend money without care, unlike before when financial conditions were usually tight .And Arnav helped her at each step, they did not consummate their marriage yet because Khushi needed some time. Yet, they shared a warm relationship, went out to dinners, shopped, enjoyed conversing .He , being a businessman himself, understood Khushi s studies and helped her tackle difficult topics.
However, a marriage cannot survive on friendship and mutual respect alone It needed love too .Yet something always kept Khushi reluctant to move on and she knew Arnav couldn't wait forever .The truth was that Khushi sometimes resented being married so early and felt as if her freedom had been snatched . Only two of her friends were married, but this was not much of a consolation .Balancing her studies and the duties of marital life was no mean feat, and she had finally blown her top at Arnav this evening . He had been harping about a business party later in the night and Khushi had had an awful test in the morning, dampening her spirits .When Arnav kept on chattering, she finally screamed
''Just stop it Arnav! I am not going anywhere .I have had a rotten day and you do not need to make it any worse''
She was about to turn when Arnav grabbed her roughly and she was pinned to the wall. She tried to loosen the hold but his grasp was tight. His eyes were blazing with anger…and hurt . "What the hell is your problem Khushi?You have been behaving like this for the past few weeks .God damn it you are not the only one who got married .I am also trying but if you go on like this, a divorce would not be too unlikely an option" Saying this, he just left the room and slammed the door behind him .
It was now past midnight and Arnav still wasn't back . His mobile was switched off and Khushi's tears had dried . Anjali had come to call Khushi for dinner and was shocked to see her state and upon a little probing, Khushi told her everything .
Anjali sighed " Khushi don't do this to yourself . You should give Bhai and yourself a chance. He won't let you down".
"I know he won't. I am afraid I will" Khushi whispered .
"The past is over and done with Khushi . Don't punish yourself for what happened years ago. Life doesn't give us chances at happiness again and again .Take it . Trust me you won't regret it ." With that advice, Anjali patted her cheek and left , her words ringing in Khushi s ears.
Arnav singh raizada sat in his office, and his usually handy stressball lay forgotten on the glistening marble floor. His eyes were shut but the image of Khushi's tear stained face, her stunned expression kept on flashing before his eyes. He was forced to open them and then he sighed loudly. He knew he had been harsh on her, and he was sorry. Yet he was somewhat glad that the frustration he had withheld in himself for so long was finally out now. He cared for Khushi, as a friend and now as his wife and he wanted to move on . Given half the chance, he knew he could fall madly in love with her and make their marriage a success. But now he wanted Khushi to take that chance, an initiative on her own. Despite the friendship the shared, he always felt as if Khushi remained a little aloof from him, and perhaps did not trust him completely. She would always readily agree to any plan he made, and actively debated with him on any topic under the sun, but she never herself expressed her desire to do anything, always waiting for him to make the first move .
