Please note this point - This story contains lot of THANK YOUs and SORRYs. And It's just a fiction, and please let it be like that. Any resemblance to living are dead are completely co-incidental.

SPARE ME WITH TYPOS

NO PROOF READ

Part 7:

Khushi woke up early and got ready by 6. She is pacing around the hall seeing time for every 5 minutes.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling tensed? Why is my heart beating hard?" she thought aloud

She again looked at the time which is showing 10 minutes past 7.

"Oho... Khushi... are you crazy? Why are you looking at clock every 5 minutes? It's not going to run seeing your face, is it? So, stop being tensed"

She sat there reading the newspaper. Her eyes are moving on the words but not her mind is following them. She groaned in irritation and threw the newspaper. She closed her eyes and kept assuring her heart saying 'everything will be alright, just relax'. After some time, she felt sudden change in her heart beat. "Hey Devi Mayya... what's going on?" she thought out loud. She jumped from sofa hearing door bell. She gulped hardly and went to open the door

"Hi Khushi... Good Morning" shouted Arnav making Khushi step back from her place with freight

"Why are you shouting Arnav Ji?"

"Don't friends wish each other like this? I thought as you want me as a friend, I should wish you like this" he smiled sheepishly and scratched his hair

Seeing his expression, Khushi laughed her heart out after a long time. She has tears in her eyes by laughing holding her stomach

"Okay... stop it. NO need to laugh at me" Arnav said. But not seeing any control in her laugh he said again "Oh... come on..., I don't know how friends will wish each other, okay? I always wished my friends in formal ways only... I mean like in official meetings" This statement made Khushi laughs more

"You... hahahah... wish... hahaha... your... hahah friends... in... hahaha formal? Hahahah I... can't... hahaha believe this... hahaha" she continued her laugh

Arnav frown his eyebrows and sat on the couch with a slight pout looking other way from Khushi which posture made Khushi try to control her laugh.

She sat on the other couch beside him and held her ears and said "I'm sorry Arnav Ji... Please forgive me... Sorry for laughing at you. Please..." she tilted her head to her right to look into Arnav's eyes.

Arnav side glanced at her and turned other side again

"Please..."

Arnav turned towards her and both looked at each other for few seconds and both burst out into laughter. Both fell on their couches laughing. After controlling the fits of laughter both settled on their couches

"I always thought how people can laugh on stupid things. And I never knew, one day I will laugh this much on some simple thing. Main bhi na... I too was behaved stupid. Sorry for wishing you in that weird and horrible way Khushi. Phew..." said Arnav

"But this is just a wonderful start of my day. Thank you Arnav Ji" she said wiping her tears from the corner of her eyes.

"Thank you? Why?"

"Because it's almost two years I laughed my heart out. This is really incredible morning for me. You made me laugh after a long time" she is genuinely felt thanks towards the man in front of her.

"Then for what friends are? Hey... don't laugh again" he said seeing the expression on Khushi's face

"You are behaving really weird Arnav Ji... full of filmy" she smiled at him "Thank you..." she said heartily

"I'm glad" he too smiled at her and continued "Okay... now tell me, how are you this morning? Did you sleep well?"

"Sleep? No way..."

"Khushi I said not to think lot. Fine... leave it. Shall we go, I'm feeling really hungry now, come on please..." he requested rubbing his stomach

"Let's go" both hopped Arnav's car after Khushi locked her house

*******************

After talking about some silly things and office stuff, Arnav ordered their breakfast and they again started talking. Only one thought in their minds 'how comfortable I'm feeling with him/her'

"You said it's almost two years you laughed your heart out. Why? What's happened two years before?" asked Arnav suddenly after they start eating their breakfast "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable Khushi. If you don't feel like saying anything, just leave it"

"No, it's okay... actually I wanted to talk with you about all these, my past, my present and future. If it is not now, then never"

"Hmm..."

"I was 16 years old when he proposed me. He was 21 at that time. I didn't respond to it, in fact I was scared. He was our relative's son. I didn't know what to say at that time. But after few days, I got attracted towards him when..."

"Attracted?" asked Arnav

"Yes, I was attracted towards him, when he supported me in my studies, when he showed concern when I fell ill. He again proposed me through letter. That time I accepted. After that, we met each other continuously, whenever we got time. He used to come to my house, my Nani's house. Whenever he comes to my Nani's house, I used to rush there with some silly reasons – just to talk with him. After that he went to another city to attend his career development courses. Whenever he returns to Lucknow, we used to meet on the road on the way of my tuition. After that, I got busy in my studies. But he never stopped encouraging me in my studies. Slowly my attraction turned into love. I couldn't imagine my life without him. I was completely into him. After six long years of our relationship, one day, when I and my sister went to park for evening walk he too came there saying he wanted to talk with me. When we sat on the grass, he held my sister's hands in his and told me that, he... he..." Khushi broke into cries

Arnav shifted to her side to console her "Sh... if you are not comfortable... stop all these... please... Shh..."

After controlling her sobs Khushi continued "He simply said that, I can't understand him as my sister does. I was like they are doing some prank. I laughed a lot thinking they are just joking. But I never thought... I never thought that..." she closed her eyes in her palms and continued "He said, he is in love with my sister and wants to marry her. Then I asked what about the promises he gave to me. He said he thought I would be perfect for him, but seeing my crazy childish antics, stupid pranks, easy go nature he thought I won't be perfect for his needs it seems. He said I should perfect myself; otherwise I have to live alone in my entire life. I asked him a chance but he bluntly refused me. He broke my trust that day. I never ever knew he will dump me. I couldn't understand what to do that day. I was terribly hurt. But I held all the things in my heart not allowing anyone to peek inside. It affected my health. I was depressed. Only Bau Ji and Bua Ji are the support I had that time. Even though my Bau Ji didn't know about me and him, he still supported me along with Bua Ji who knows everything. She confronted him but he bluntly rejected me saying I will never be a good life partner to any man. No good man will be ready to get marry me.

In the response to Bua Ji's anger, he gave me one offer, if I couldn't get marry to anyone or if I couldn't find anyone then he would help me by... marrying me with a condition that he won't announce me as his wife, but he will let me with him, as if he is helping me for my betterment. My Bua Ji lost her cool with that and slapped him hardly. I was too shocked to react. I don't know then, the man I loved, the man who claimed as he loved me, talking all these and offering me to be with him as his... ... I was too shocked and broken. My Bua Ji thought to tell everything to our family members and stop my sister's marriage with him. But my sister was adamant to get married to him. Not knowing the matter, my Bau Ji and Amma agreed for the marriage and announced their marriage. I stopped Bua Ji from saying anything thinking everything will be fine.

But after that, whenever they came to my house he used to talk with me sweetly like a friend who made my sister doubt about me and feel jealous of me. She became against to me thinking I'm trying to snatch her husband. She shouted at me, scolded me and even bet me. She was so insecure about her relation. Seeing all these, my Babu Ji confronted us about the truth. Unable to control herself, my Bua Ji burst everything before my Babu Ji. He couldn't understand what he heard and what he did to his child. He cursed himself and made himself responsible for my condition. This issue took a toll on his health. One day, he left us with heart attack.

I was completely broken that time. I was so guilty for letting my family to face all these. After my Babu Ji's departure, Abhinav along with my sister came to our house and settled there. He left his job; in fact they removed him from his job. So, he came there. Slowly he kept his eyes on our house. As you saw, it's big house and ancestral one. So, he started forcing my mother to write the house on my sister's name. When my Amma and Bua Ji opposed him he started fighting with them. On the other side not able to bear him in front of my eyes, I left from there and reached here and applied job in Sir's office. Luckily I got the job there and settled here. My Bua Ji gave her house keys to me to stay here. There she said I'm living in some PG, not wanted to leak my information to him. He tried his best to contact me to ask money. For almost one year, I didn't contact Amma and Bua Ji. I stayed alone here.

I sent the money every month for their needs. Even though Bua Ji knows where I live, she never came here or contacted me either. I got promotions in office. Sir helped me a lot in learning work. He also suggested me to go his son's office because there I will get more salary for my work. But I never wanted to leave him. Whenever I see him, I feel like my Babu Ji is back to me. I never wanted to lose my father once again. So, I stayed with him. He never interfered in my personal life. He never asked me what problems I have.

My sister is a house wife, seeing me working and supporting family, he started irritating her about doing job. She was never good at going out and doing work on her own. She was never comfortable going out. These irritating and small fights created a gap between them. Almost every day they fought for money. My sister held me responsible for each and every problem in their life. As a youngest child in my house, my Babu Ji pampered me a lot. As not having kids, my Bua Ji also pampered me a lot. This made my sister insecure about her place in my parents' heart. Slowly, she became against me. All these things added fuel to her problem in her married life. So, she is behaving the way you saw that day with me.

I just can't live this life anymore. I'm tired of facing this comparison, rejection and hatred. I never wanted to be burden for anyone. This is the reason for my hesitation or backing off from this marriage, when sir asked me. I never wanted you to regret in your life after marrying me. I can't take one more heartbreak. I can't take one more rejection" she closed her eyes while resting her head at the head rest of the chair "Now you decide about this marriage Arnav Ji. I don't want you to regret anything in your life, not in the matter of me. I don't think you are a fool to spoil your life by marrying girl like me. I hope you will take a wise decision. And I don't want you to lose your mind, because I know, you can't be peaceful after entering into my life with the people around me. And yeah, one more thing, please don't show me any pity or sympathy. The decision is yours now" she stopped talking waiting for Arnav to talk.

Not getting any response from Arnav, Khushi looked at him to feel tensed seeing his serious expression on his face. 'Is he backing now?' thought Khushi feeling a tug in her heart. She doesn't know why, but the thought of Arnav dropping the idea to get marry with her, doesn't sit well in her heart. She looked away not able to see the intensity of his looks

...to be continued

Thank you and God Bless You...