Eventually he was going to
give up when he had neared the last row of cars but saw a body lying on the
ground. Arnav ran to the spot and saw Khushi lying on the ground unconscious.
He lifted her up and walked into the building with her in his arms. He took her
to her dressing room and saw Avani and Barun waiting there. They looked at
Khushi in Arnav’s arms, their eyes asking thousands of questions. They followed
him inside and locked the door behind them. He put Khushi down on the sofa and
Avani sprinkled water on Khushi’s face. Khushi moved and opened her eyes, she
saw Barun, Avani and Arnav standing around her. Barun helped his sister sit up
and Khushi looked at Arnav. Hurt. Arnav kneeled down in front of Khushi and
took held her hand but she pulled it away. Arnav looked at her dejected, “I
know it looks bad but I swear it’s not what you saw. I was telling her that she
means nothing to me, that I don’t care about her anymore.” Khushi listened to
what Arnav was saying but stared at the wall. Barun looked questioningly at
Avani. “Lavanya. Three years ago Arnav was engaged to her. It was a family
alliance that would have benefitted dad because Lavanya’s dad was my dad’s best
friend. Arnav and Lavanya grew up together so they knew each other. Two weeks
before the wedding she called it off saying she wasn’t ready and didn’t love
Arnav. Since then Arnav swore he would never get married and he would never love
anyone. Then he met Khushi. She changed everything,” Avani explained. Khushi
turned her attention towards Avani when she heard about the engagement and the
wedding. She looked at Arnav, “Fine, I didn’t hear what you said and at that
moment all I believed was what my eyes saw. Still. Suppose I heard everything
you said. It doesn’t change the fact that you were going to marry her. You were
engaged to her Arnav. You were two weeks away from marrying her for crying out
loud. Surely you felt something for her if you agreed.” Arnav was getting
frantic, “It was three years ago. It was different then.” Khushi shook her
head. “An engagement is an engagement no matter who you’re getting engaged to.
You put a ring on someone else’s finger just like you did on mine. How do I
know that this ring actually means something to you because it means the world
to me? I know you’ve told me countless times too but after this, how do I know
for sure that you really love me Arnav?” Arnav’s eyes were red. He was also
crying just as much as Khushi. “You want proof that I love you? You want me to
prove my love for you? You want to know
what that ring means to me? Fine. I’ll show you,” he said determined before
walking out of the room and taking Barun with him.
Arnav spoke to Barun outside
and Avani had her ear against the door listening to everything. Her eyes burst
wide open when she realised what Arnav was doing and that Khushi’s brother had
agreed to it. She heard Barun walk off and moved away from the door before
Arnav walked in. Khushi was still in her saree she had performed in but Arnav
had changed into suit. When he walked in like that Avani knew exactly
what he was going to do. She tried to stop him from reaching Khushi and grabbed
his hand making him turn to face her, “You can’t do this Arnav. Not without
anyone knowing. It’s wrong. Did you think about how she would feel? No, right?”
Avani pleaded with him but it was no use. He grabbed Khushi’s wrist and dragged
her out of the room towards his car. She tried to pull back and protested but
Arnav was too strong. He forced her in the car and drove off. Avani had managed
to get to the parking lot in time to see Arnav force Khushi into the car. She
got into her car and raced after them. Arnav drove to the temple and slammed
the breaks when they reached, jerking the car.
Anjaane ho tum
jo
Begaane ho tum
jo
Pehchaane lagte
ho kyun
Tum gehri
neendon mein
Jab soye soye ho
Toh mujh mein
jagte ho kyun
Jab tujhko paata
hai dil muskurata hai
Kya tujhse hai
vasta
Kya tujh mein
dhoondun main
Kya tujhse
chahoon main
Kya kya hai tujh
mein mera
If you are a stranger
If you are
unknown to me
Why does it feel
like I know you
When you are sleeping
In a deep sleep
Why do you stay
awake in me
My heart smiles
when it gets you
What is the
relation to you
What do I search
in you
What do I want
from you
What part of me
lives in you
Khushi was about to fall
forward and hit the dashboard but Arnav held her back and broke her fall. Avani
had reached the temple and saw them in the car, Barun’s parked next to theirs.
Avani got out of the car and run up the steps into the temple and saw Barun
standing there with the priest, “Barun, what are you doing?” Avani said shaking
him. “They need to do it and they need to do it now Avani. You know how much
they had to go through to be together and now Khushi is questioning Arnav’s
loyalty and his love. It’s why I agreed. I’m her older brother and I can say
yes,” he said trying to make Avani understand. “Don’t fight it Avani. Help them
don’t fight against them. I know you think it’s wrong but for them it’s right.
They need this. Khushi needs to know he loves her and is loyal to her. She needs
to accept as part of her. Arnav walked to the passenger side and opened the
door. He gripped Khushi’s wrist tightly and pulled her with him up the stairs
to the temple. Inside Khushi got scared seeing the mandap and the priest as
well as Avani and Barun. She looked at Arnav whose eyes were full of
determination.
Jaanu na main
tujh mein mera
Hissa hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
Jaanu na main
tujhse mera
Rishta hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
I don’t know in
you is
What part of me
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
I don’t know to
me
What relation
you have
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
“You
wanted me to prove it so now I am. I’ll show you what that ring means to me.
I’ll show you what you mean to me Khushi,” he said unwavering. He pulled Khushi
with him to the mandap and surprisingly she didn’t try to stop him. She went
with him and sat down with him. The priest read out the mantras and Barun did
Khushi’s kanyadaan. Arnav had made sure everything was ready because if he was
going to do this then he was going to do it properly. He had a pink scarf
around his neck and the priest called Avani to do the garbandhan. Avani tied
Khushi’s dupatta to Arnav’s scarf and the priest asked them to stand to take
the phere. Arnav took hold of Khushi’s hand and held it as they walked around
the fire. He led the first four rounds and Khushi the next three.
Tujhse taluq jo
nahin kucch mera
Kyun tu lage hai
apna sa
Dekhoon jo tujh
ko ek nazar jaaye bhar
Mujh mein hai
mera jo khala
Zindagi mein
khushi tere aane se hai
Varna jeene mein
gham har bahaane se hai
Yeh alag baat
hai hum mile aaj hain
Dil tujhe jaanta ik
zamaane se hai
I have nothing
to do with you
Then why do you
feel known to me
When I get a
glimpse of you it’s filled
All the
loneliness inside me
I found
happiness when you came in my life
Else there
excuses a plenty for grief
Though we have
just met today
My heart has
known you for a long time
They sat down again and Arnav
tied the mangalsutra around Khushi’s neck. He didn’t look her in the eyes
afraid of what he might see. Then he filled her hair parting with sindoor and
Khushi closed her eyes. This was the only thing he needed to do to say that
they were married. Yet he still wanted to do it properly.
Jaanu na main
tujh mein mera
Hissa hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
Jaanu na main
tujhse mera
Rishta hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
I don’t know in
you is
What part of me
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
I don’t know to
me
What relation
you have
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
They were now married and no
force in the world could change that no matter how hard they tried. They stood
up and the priest crowned them husband and wife. The priest left the four alone
in the wedding mandap. Avani and Barun stood next to each other in front of
Khushi and Arnav. Arnav turned to Khushi and held her hand, “You wanted to know
what this ring meant to me. You wanted to know what you meant to me. This is
what you mean to me Khushi. Everything. I’m sorry I had to do it this way. I
never wanted it to be like this but I couldn’t bear you not trusting me or
believing me. I’m sorry,” he said softly and teary eyed.
Aankhon ne
aankhon se kahi dastaan
Tumko bana ke
raazda
Baahon mein
jannat aa gayi khushnuma
Tum jo huye ho
mehrabaan
Jism se jism ka
yun taaruf hua
Ho gaye hum
sanam rooh tak aashna
My eyes told a tale
to your eyes
Making you a
confidant
Heaven came in
my arms happily
When you turned
kind to me
Our bodies
became known to each other
That I turned
beautiful till my soul, beloved
Ik zara jo chale
Do kadam saath
mein
Mil gaya hai
humein
Zindagi ka paata
By just walking
A couple steps
with you
I have found
My life’s
destination
Khushi
gently cupped his face and lifted it so he was looking at her. “You don’t have
to say sorry. You don’t have to apologize to me. Did I try to stop you? No, I
didn’t. That meant that I wanted it too. I shouldn’t have questioned your love
Arnav. I should have known better than to do that after everything we’ve been
through but seeing you with someone else that you loved at one point I couldn’t
help myself,” she said to him. She wiped away his tears and whispered to him,
“Now I know how much you love me and I love you too. I really do.”
Jaanu na main
tujh mein mera
Hissa hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
Jaanu na main tujhse
mera
Rishta hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
Anjaane ho tum
jo
Begaane ho tum
jo
Pehchaane lagte
ho kyun
Tum gehri
neendon mein
Jab soye soye ho
Toh mujh mein
jagte ho kyun
Jab tujhko paata
hai dil muskurata hai
Kya tujhse hai
vasta
Kya tujh mein
dhoondun main
Kya tujhse
chahoon main
Kya kya hai tujh
mein mera
Jaanu na main
tujh mein mera
Hissa hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
Jaanu na main
tujhse mera
Rishta hai kya
Par ajnabi apna
mujhe tu laga
I don’t know in
you is
What part of me
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
I don’t know to
me
What relation
you have
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
If you are a
stranger
If you are
unknown to me
Why does it feel
like I know you
When you are
sleeping
In a deep sleep
Why do you stay awake
in me
My heart smiles
when it gets you
What is the
relation to you
What do I search
in you
What do I want
from you
What part of me
lives in you
I don’t know in
you is
What part of me
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
I don’t know to
me
What relation
you have
But stranger,
you felt like mine to me
She
wiped away his tears and Arnav wiped away hers. They engulfed each other in a
hug that seemed to last forever because they didn’t want to let go of each
other. That’s where they wanted to stay. In each other’s arms. Avani and Barun
couldn’t help but smile. How could two people love each other so much that they
were willing to go to the ends of the earth for them? Barun hugged Avani from
the side. They finally broke apart very reluctantly and Arnav held Khushi’s
hand making sure not to let go. “Now that you’ve gotten married, I suppose we
can discuss how we are going to inform your families,” Avani said smugly. Arnav
and Khushi looked at each other with wide eyes. They had done it in the moment
and didn’t regret any of it but how would they tell their parents? They looked
to Avani and Barun for help. Avani had a smug look on her face. “You see I knew
you didn’t think this through but fortunately for you once I realized you
weren’t going to stop even if the sky came crashing down I thought of
something. This is what we’re going to do,” she said to them and explained what
she had decided. They all agreed and headed home to Khushi’s house.
Ravi
and his wife were waiting for Barun and Khushi to reach home but when they were
walked in with Arnav and Avani Ravi almost had a heart attack. “I know it looks
bad Papa but please let me explain?” Khushi asked her father when she saw
nearing cardiac arrest at the sight by his front door. Arnav and Khushi were
standing there with garlands around their necks, Khushi had sindoor and
mangalsutra and Ravi could clearly see what they had done from what Arnav was
wearing. He just nodded and sat down with the help of his wife as Arnav,
Khushi, Avani and Barun walked into the house. Richa, Barun’s mother looked
weary and wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear what happened. Khushi narrated
Lavanya and Arnav’s story and how it was her fault that they got married in the
first place. Ravi looked to Barun, “She’s right Papa but they needed to do it.
That’s why I agreed and did her kanyadaan. I know you would have done it as her
father but you weren’t there and she belongs to my family too.” Ravi sighed and
stood up he walked to Barun and put a hand on his son’s shoulder, “I’m proud of
you. I know that if Khushi has no one in this world she can always rely on
you.” He smiled at him. He turned to the newlywed couple standing in front of
him, “What’s done is done. No one can undo it. Richa and I have no problem as
you two were already engaged and were going to get married eventually. I just
didn’t think it would be two days after your engagement. There is one thing
however that eludes me. Why did you come here and not go to Arnav’s house?
Surely that’s where you should have gone first?” Avani stepped forward this
time to answer his question, “We have a very good reason for that. You see
after what happened to Arnav the first time mom and dad are a little strict
when it comes to Arnav and they would just blow their top if they found out
about this. Dad never pressured or arranged Arnav’s marriage after the incident
with Lavanya because he knew how much it hurt. The reason we are keeping it
from them is because the only way they won’t over react is if Aakash, Arnav’s
brother, calms them down and he’s only coming down next month a day before our
sangeet. We also decided to tell you so that if mom and dad made a scene you
would be able to explain to them because they would listen to you and you
already know,” Avani said all in one go. Ravi listened intently to what Avani
was saying and finally nodded in agreement at the end of her monologue. “Fine,
but right now you and Arnav need to go home,” he said to them both. They agreed
and left for the night. Arnav giving Khushi a goodnight kiss in secret while
everyone else was outside waiting for him.
