Part 24 Regret

Khushi looked at him dumbfounded. She could not believe he was Arnav Singh Raizada. She saw something in his face that showed him as someone. She was gazing at his smiling face forgetting herself. She didn't even feel her hair fell on her cheek. Arnav tucked her hair, making her stuck. She moved back suffocating, making him smirk.

"Didn't you have a good sleep last night?" He asked making her more surprised. She looked at him jerking. Yes, she didn't sleep because she was thinking about his cheesy advice. How did he know that?

"Your eyes look tired..." he said looking into her hazels, making her suffocate.

"No... I... sleep"

"Is it...?"

She nodded yes.

"I... Buaji... water..." she stammered.

"HariPrakash already gave water to Buaji," he said and she was surprised again. Was he watching what she did?

She kept the water jug and left the kitchen hurriedly. Arnav followed her with a smile, thinking that, his wife looked cute when she was bewildered. Khushi walked looking behind nervously.

Shyam saw her coming from the kitchen. He advanced her to talk to her but backed off to see Arnav coming following her. Why Arnav was behind her? Was he protecting her from him to save his sister's life? He gritted his teeth and turned his gaze. He was thunderstruck, seeing Akash gazing at him. He composed himself and smiled at Akash who didn't respond to him. Shyam thought Akash was upset with him for trying to stop his wedding with Payal. He was highly annoyed with both sale sahib who gave tough time to him.

"We are leaving," Buaji said, joining her hands.

"No..." Said Arnav hurriedly.

All of them looked at him jerking.

"oh... actually, Di wants Khushi to be helpful in wedding preparations. Di will be stress-free if Khushi is with her. I just want you to know she is pregnant" Arnav said reading their expressions.

All of them looked at Anjali and then at Shyam who looked down. Khushi gritted her teeth wrathfully which had not gone unnoticed by Arnav.

"No problem, Arnav bituwa... She will come to RM whenever Anjali bitiya needs her" Buaji said.

"But, please take care of her when she comes here," Shashi said not looking at Shyam.

Arnav and Akash spared a glance, understanding the meaning. Before anyone replied to him,

"She is our responsibility. We will take care of her" Said Arnav.

"Yes, uncle. I will take care of her" Anjali said.

"OK then. We are leaving..."

Shashi looked at Khushi and said,

"You come later, Khushi"

Khushi nodded ok. Guptas left RM. Anjali and Khushi sat in the living room with Nani. Anjali gave a notepad to Khushi. So that she would write their plans in the notepad. To their surprise, Arnav and Akash also sat with them. Shyam was supposed to sit with them, but Anjali said,

"Shyamji, you go to our room. You must be tired..." Making everyone dumbfounded.

"That's ok, Rani Sahiba..."

Cutting him,

"Go Shyamji..." She said sternly.

She didn't want him to be with them when Khushi was there as his presence would embarrass Khushi. Everyone understood that including Khushi. Shyam left the place with a hung face.

"Khushiji, the programs should not be like the usual ones. We should think something different... what say?" Anjali said joyfully diverting their minds.

Khushi nodded ok.

"The first program is Sangeet. Give some ideas for different Sangeet" Anjali asked.

"Sangeet?" Akash looked at Arnav hesitating.

"Chotte, are you alright with Sangeeth?" Anjali asked in a low tone.

Khushi frowned. What was there not to be alright?

"Chotte doesn't like noise," Anjali said.

"Di, do what you want. I have no problem" Arnav said as he didn't want to defy anything in which Khushi was part of it.

"Oh, my God... I feel dizzy..." Anjali countered and Arnav rolled his eyes.

"What about competition?" Khushi asked excitedly.

"Competition means?"

"competition between Groom and Bride's family...?"

"Wow... this is a good idea..." Nani said and Anjali nodded yes.

"Excuse me... do you think you can win Groom's family?" Asked Manorama who came there.

Khushi looked at her and said nothing.

"You have no idea about us. Sasuma was a trained dancer you know"

Khushi looked at Nani who smiled proudly.

"And, me... I don't want to talk about myself..." Manorama added.

Khushi bit her lips, raining her brows.

"Last but not least... My nephew is coming from KIDNEY..."

"Kidney?" Khushi frowned.

"Mom... it's not kidney but Sydney..." Akash said.

"Whatever... no one could compete with him... mind it," Mami said.

"Manorama, we are conducting the program for fun. It will bond us better. So, don't take it as a competition..." Nani said.

"Let her take it as competition Naniji... however we will win," Khushi said confidently, making everyone lift their brows.

"Khushi, being confident is nice but overconfident," Arnav said with a lopsided smile.

"We will see who is going to win the sangeet" Khushi said.

Arnav smiled. Was not she the exact female version of HIM? Same confidence and same attitude...! That was why he would have fallen for her. He smiled.

"HariPrakash..." Nani called him.

"Jee Naniji" HP rushed to them.

"Go and bring the box to the corner of my room," she said.

"Jee..." HP went to Nani's room and came with the box.

Taking it from him, Nani opened it. There was a Natraj idol in it.

"Khushi bitiya, this idol will be gifted to the winners"

Khushi stood up smilingly.

"What happened?" Anjali asked.

"I'm going home to start practice"

They chuckled. Arnav also stood up.

"You too are going?" Anjali asked.

"Yup... I'm going to drop Khushi"

Anjali and Nani were stuck.

"It's ok, Arnavji... I will go by auto" Khushi said.

"Di, I will just come... Let's go" he walked not giving heed to her denial, making everyone wonder.

Khushi followed him without choice.

In car

Khushi was looking outside.

"It seems you started composing the steps in your mind" Arnav smiled.

Khushi nodded no.

"You spoke confidently... are you that hopeful?"

"I have won many prizes in school" She said.

"Is it?"

"Yes... why? Are not you hopeful?" She asked.

"I won't talk but show the result," He said with attitude.

"Oh... do you dance?"

"No way... I don't like dance... maybe in the future, I may dance with my WIFE" he smiled.

Khushi wondered. Wife? Did Arnav Singh Raizada have thoughts about his wife too?

"What are you thinking?"

She nodded no.

"Do you think Arnav Singh Raizada has thoughts about his wife too?"

She widened her eyes in shock. How did he know what she thought?

"I can read your mind... you are feeling sad for my wife for being my wife right?" he chuckled.

She nodded no hurriedly.

"Then? Do you feel good for her?"

Khushi didn't know what to say.

"I don't know what to say"

"You believe in God, right... Devi Maiya...?"

"A lot..." she smiled.

"I know... recently I too started believing her," he said.

Khushi wondered again.

"But, I don't know how to worship her properly..."

"It's not needed. God didn't expect us to worship her. She will hear our prayer if our heart is pure"

"Is it enough?"

"Enough... if our intentions are harmless, God will appear in front of us in any form"

Arnav gulped down thinking about DM's appearance in front of him.

"No Khushi... sometimes, God will appear in front of those, who are harmful," he said with deep meaning.

Khushi looked at him shrinking her eyes as she could not understand what he was talking about.

"What will you ask DM if she comes in front of you?" He asked could not hold himself.

"I won't ask anything..."

"Whaaaat? Won't you ask her anything for yourself?"

She nodded no.

"I'm satisfied with what I have... it's enough. Devi Maiya knows what's good for me and she will give it to me"

"Will you think the same even though someone hurts you?"

"If someone hurts me, I will do them good in return and make them repent for hurting me"

Arnav smiled painfully. This must be her nature. This was why DM appeared in front of HIM and gave him a chance to make her daughter happy. Khushi believed DM would always do good for her and DM did the same, through him. As Khushi said, though he tortured her, she saved him from death but putting her life at risk and making him repent. How sweet his wife was!

He looked at her who was looking at the road.

"Khushi..."

"Mmm?"

"I'm sorry..."

"For?"

"For everything I did..."

"Leave it Arnavji... Jeeji is marrying Akashji... by making it possible, you have compensated all your deeds" she smiled.

"You love your sister very much... right?"

"Yes, I and my sister are so close"

"I too love my sister. She is everything to me"

Khushi was silent. She looked down and rotated her bangle. She felt bad for Anjali and got irritated about Shyam. She thought Arnav and Anjali should never know about Shyam's real face that would break them down, unaware of the truth that Arnav knew many more things than anyone.

To be continued...