Part 71

After dinner, everyone left for their rooms. Arnav is standing at the poolside while Khushi changing in the washroom.

Arnav remembered the day before marriage of Anjali:

Flashback:

Sheesh Mahal is decorated with lights, it is glowing like a new bride of course why not, tomorrow is the marriage of their princess, Anjali Mallik with son of a well known Lucknow business man..Anjali was against this marriage from the start saying she is till young for marriage.. she is just 19 years old. she wanted to completed her studies..She is in her second year of college.. no one listened to her.. but the real reason behind her No is another one..

14 years old Arnav is passing through the corridor of the house when he heard some voice from his Di's room. He peeped into the room and saw Anjali talking with someone on phone facing back to him.. He thought she must be talking with soon to be jijaji, so he made a plan to tease his sister. He slowly went inside the room and stood beside her.

To his shock, his Di crying on the phone.

"I am sorry Arvind.. plz forget me.."said Anjali crying.

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"I Love you too Arvind but now it is not possible. Tomorrow I am going to be someone else's" said Anjali crying.

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"No. We can't do that. If I elope with you, my family's reputation will be destroyed. I can't do that" said Anjali.

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"I am sorry Arvind. Forget me.. Forgive me if possible.. Time will heal everything "said Anjali and cut the call before other side person could say anything.

Wiping her tears, Anjali turned back and saw Arnav standing before her. He too have tears in his eyes. From his expression it is evident he heard everything.

"Chote"whispered Anjali shocked.

"Di. You Love someone else ??"asked Arnav. Anjali din't say anything.

"Say naa Di. You don't want this marriage right "asked Arnav shooking her.

Anjali nodded his head.

"You are talking with him on phone naa" asked Arnav. She nodded her head.

"Haa Chote. I Love him.. He is senior to me in college. He is in final year" said Anjali crying.

" He too loves you "asked Arnav.

"More than anything and anyone in this world.."said Anjali.

"Then Di you go to him. I will help you to escape from here." said Arnav.

Anjali looked at her little brother shocked..

"Chote. What are you saying ??"asked Anjali shocked.

"I am saying right Di. You elope from here. I want your happiness Di. If you will be happy with him, then go to him "said Arnav

"Chote. You are not understanding the seriousness of the situation.. Do you even know what will happen when papa and Dadi comes to know about my love. They won't do anything to me but they will kill Arvind. He already lost his father. He is the only son to his mother. She had a lot of hopes on him. for my happiness, I can't ruin his life.. No, atleast I will be happy that he is alive somewhere." Said Anjali crying.

"But Di........."Arnav is going to say something but Anjali cutoff him" Chote. leave it all. Now you go and sleep"

Anjali forced him to go out of the room and closed the door. She sat down crying.

Flashback ends

Arnav stood thinking about that incident. After that incident, next day, his mother committed suicide knowing about her father's illicit relation. Then Di's marriage stopped and his chacha threw them out of the house. Nani and mama brought them to Delhi.. In all these fateful incident he completely forgot about this matter.

He strived hard and built a wall around his heart not allowing anyone. Hid di became second mother to him..Later that he was sent to Harvard. When he returned from London, his Di brought Shyam and introduced him. She said she love him and want to marry him. Whole family already agreed and waiting for his approval.. Left out with any option, he too agreed for the marriage.

Then he remembered Arvind but seeing his Di's happiness for marrying Shyam, he can't ask her.. may be she truly loves Shyam.. may be it was just infatuation with Arvind..

Now today, he met a person Arvind as Khushi's Bhai. Is this Arvind same one whom Di loved once ?? He could see the cold eyes of Arvind and regretful expression of his Di..

His thoughts were broken by someone hugging him from behind. He knew who it was..

"What are you thinking ??'asked Khushi.

"Nothing just like that" answered Arnav "Come..Let's go inside..It is cold here"

Both of them entered into the room.

"You still didn't had your milk "said Arnav looking at the milk glass at the side of bed.

"I don't want to" said Khushi keeping a weird face.

Arnav took the glass and gave to her sitting beside her.

"But you have to Khushi.." said Arnav "For our princess"

"How do you know that it will be princess" asked Khushi completing the milk

"I know. She will be princess, papa's princess" said Arnav keeping his hand on her stomach.

Khushi looked at him with tears.

"Why are you crying ??"asked Arnav wiping off her tears..

"You know Arnavji. I felt very happy when I came to know I am pregnant. Later I was frightened thinking about you. I thought if you come to know about the baby, you will ask me to abort the baby" said Khushi.

"What the.........why will I say that ??"asked Arnav shocked

"You don't like children naa. So I thought that you will abort the baby" said Khushi.

"Do you think I am a monster to kill my own baby ?? How could you Khushi ?"asked Arnav with a serious tone.

Khushi shivered hearing his tone and said "I am sorry Arnavji" with tears brimming from her eyes.

Arnav calmed down seeing her tears, he hugged her and said " Khushi. I just don't like children. I don't hate them..I am not soo inhuman. I always wanted a child of ours, our love symbol"

Khushi cameout of the hug and wiped her tears..

"I am sorry.."said Khushi again.

"shh. It's ok" said Arnav. Khushi kept her head on his chest hearing his heartbeat while Arnav hugging her possessively.

" You know Di always used to say that one day a girl will enter into my life and she will change me completely..she will teach what love is.. I just thought that it is all rubbish but when I saw you Khushi I felt an uNKnown attraction towards you.. I felt very disappointed when I came to know you are married.. I always will be jealous of NK(she looked at him wide eye).. Finally I fell for you.. Thank you Khushi for coming into my life.. I LOVE YOU" said Arnav.

"I Love you too Arnavji" said Khushi... with that Arnav captured her lips and both shared a passionate kiss. Their trance is broken by door knock.

Arnav groaned and shouted "Who is it ??"

"Nannav. It's me" came NK's voice.

"He became the big Disturbance of this house" said Arnav. Khushi chuckled hearing this. Arnav went and opened the door.

NK standing with his lappy.

"What do you want ??'asked Arnav angrily.

"Nannav. I got a doubt in Mumbai's project.."said NK.

"Is this the time to disturb anyone ?? Can't you wait until morning ??"asked Arnav frustrated.

" NO. If I can't understand this, I can't sleep peacefully. " said NK.

"So, you disturb others sleep" asked Arnav sarcastically.

"Why are you getting angry Nannav ?? It takes just fifteen minutes, come" said NK and dragged Arnav with him to his room.

Khushi smiled seeing this and sat down thinking about Arnav's words.. Her thoughts drifted to Arvind and Anjali..

She remembered the incident which happened when she was 10 years. she went to Buaji's house to spend her holidays.

Then one night, she came out of the room to drink water. While she was going into the room, she heard some voices from arvind's room.

She peeped into the room and found him talking with someone

"Anju. Plz don't say that.. I LOVE YOU. How can I forget you ??" said Arvind.

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"We have an option. We both elope from here and go far away from all these people.. I can't live with out you " said Arvind.

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"For you, Your family reputation is more than our Love.. Why can't you understand my Love ?? I can't live with out you...Our families understand us.. "said Arvind with painful voice..

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"NO Anju. I can't forget you............"Arvind is going to say something but the call cutoff..

He sat down on the bed crying saying "Why Anju ? why you did this to me ?? You want me to move on in my life.. How can I with out you ?? Time will heal everything. But it can't heal the wound you caused to my heart."

Khushi who is witnessing the scene too cried even though she din't understood why her Bhai is crying and what is meant by Love..

Later when she grew up, she understood everything. She many times witnessed her bhai crying clutching a photo. She was always eager to see the girl in the photo. Once she even tried but her brother caught her and scolded her..she know her name only as Anju.

Now today, she witnessed the same pain in her bhai's eyes which she witnessed that night.. If Di is the same girl, she is almost sure examining their faces, she needs to confirm it..

But how ?? Then she remembered his Bhai will keep that girl's photo in his bag in a secret place whenever he goes to other places.

"Tomorrow. I will go to papa's house" thought Khushi.

Her trance is broken by the door sound, she saw Arnav entering the room, locking the door.

"Still didn't sleep" asked Arnav coming near to the bed.

"No. I can't get sleep" said Khushi.

"Should I say him"thought Khushi. " NO. I will say him after confirming it"

"What are you thinking ??"asked Arnav.

"Nothing Arnavji" said Khushi.

"Then shall we start "asked Arnav.

"What ??"asked Khushi confused..

"Don't you remember. Let me remind you" said Arnav and forwarded to her looking intensely.... Khushi understood what he meant and blushed heavily. Arnav pulled her towards him and captured her lips, both lost in their own world..

But on the other side, two souls can't sleep peacefully due to their past haunting. One with regretness and another with pain..

Thanks to those who have all voted and commented on previous update.

Next Part of the story is already available in Inkitt.