Part 24 Accepted Proposal

Khushi headed to Arnav's cabin hesitatingly. She knocked on the door.

"Come in," Arnav said.

Khushi entered with nervousness. She saw Arnav signing a file. He smiled at her and said,

"Take your seat," Arnav said casually.

"It's ok, Sir"

"Are you going be to standing all the time?"

Khushi sat in the chair not wanting to drag the argument.

"How the washrooms work in the schools are going?"

"Almost at the finishing stage, sir"

"Good... but I heard Payal came out of Sinha Residency...! How will you guys manage the remaining expenses?"

Khushi was stunned. How did he know about it? She went to the Hostel this morning only...!

"How will you guys complete the work?"

"Payal used her own money for the school work so far, sir. But, she already collected enough money through our foundation. We will finish the work using the money" She said feeling relaxed as Arnav spoke ONLY about the foundation work. She thought he would ask her about his proposal as it was three days since he proposed to her.

"OK fine, however, you will finish the washroom work... what about your target of planting one lakh trees? Can you complete it? Or, shall I get you saplings from the forest department?"

"No, sir... we have a contract with a former who grows saplings. We have already paid him for one lakh trees"

"Wow... that's great. It seems you guys have preplanned everything"

Khushi smiled.

"Isn't it feeling good?" Arnav asked.

Khushi didn't know what he was talking about.

"You are a social worker and I'm a collector with the same wavelength. Is not it a deadly combination?"

Khushi became nervous again. She understood what combination he mentioned. She looked down.

"What's your problem?" he asked.

Khushi nodded her head from left to right.

"If you have no problem, then why don't you accept my proposal?"

She gulped down.

"Look at me"

She raised her eyelashes slowly and again looked down.

"Don't you like me?"

She nodded NO hurriedly.

"Do you like me?" He smiled.

"I like you as a collector, sir"

"You like me as a collector. It's because you know me only as a collector" he smiled. He didn't complete the sentence and he didn't have to do it because Khushi understood the hidden meaning. She would like his other side if she got to know them. That was what he wanted to say.

"I don't think I deserve you, sir," she said in a low tone.

"Means?"

"Our status is different. We are not up to your status"

"What do you think of my status? I'm a collector. It doesn't mean I should be a rich personality. My father is a retired police officer. He was so loyal. So, there is no chance for us to be rich ( he chuckled) I also belong to a middle-class family only. In that case, you are also the daughter of a loyal Tahsildar. What status do you want more than that?"

Khushi didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what stopping her. She was scared like hell to accept his proposal. She didn't know why.

"OK... take one week time. Go home and think about my proposal..."

Khushi stood up.

"After a week, you don't have to think of my proposal because my parents will deal with it with your parents..." he smiled.

Khushi widened her eyes in shock and rushed out, leaving smiling Arnav. He continued his work with the satisfaction of telling Khushi about his firm decision.

Khushi was riding her scooty thinking about Arnav's stand. Would he really bring his parents to her house? She was nervous. What should she do now? She was not clear. So, she decided to let it happen as per Arnav's wish. Let him do what he wanted. If he brought his parents to GH, she would marry him. She controlled her smile biting her lip as she was riding the scooty. Seeing her smiling while riding the scooty, people might think she became mad.

On the other side, Akash spoke with his parents and they didn't agree with him marrying Payal. They didn't want an antisocial activist's daughter as their daughter-in-law. They were strict about it because they knew Dev Sinha and his power. They didn't want to put their heads in the lion's mouth.

Akash and his friends were distraught. They didn't expect such a reaction from them.

"Don't tell anything to Payal as of now" Khushi said.

"Yes, Akash...Payal will break down. We will try to change your parent's mind. So, as of now, Payal should not know about it"

Aksh nodded ok sadly.

"Don't lose hope"

"I thought I could marry Payal with my parent's acceptance but it didn't seem to happen"

Khushi and NK looked at each other. That meant Akash would marry Payal no matter whether his parent agreed to it or not.

"Are you ready to marry Payal without your parent's acceptance?" Khushi asked.

"Then what can I do? They denied accepting her because she is Dev Sinha's daughter. What was her mistake being Dev Sinha's daughter? How can I accept it? Don't we know how much Payal hates her father? I will marry Payal no matter what" Akash said firmly.

Night

Akash was having dinner with his parents. He was silent not getting into their conversation.

"I looked for a bride for Akash..." His father Mr. Akilesh said.

Akash stopped eating and stood up.

"Why do you stand up, leaving your food behind? We are working hard to earn this food... don't forget that"

"Respecting food is good... at the same time, you should respect human feelings also," Akash said.

"Akash, don't forget you are talking to your father" his mother Anupama chided.

"I know I'm talking to my father, Amma... I won't marry anyone other than Payal..."

"Don't talk without realizing the problem Akash. Her father is an antisocialist..."

Before Akash said anything,

"But, she is a social worker..." Came from Arnav who was standing at the doorstep with Aman.

Akash and his parents were dumbfounded, seeing the collector at their place. They washed their hands and rushed to him.

"Please come in sir..." Akhilesh welcomed him.

Aranv sat on the couch.

"Payal is a nice girl. She may be Dev Sinha's daughter but she is not happy about it. If you think your respect will be questionable if you get her married to your son, I have a suggestion"

"What's that sir?"

"I will conduct their wedding under my headship. People knew I would not encourage an antisocialist's daughter's wedding..."

"Sir, it may lead you to the problem"

"I don't care because Payal is a nice girl. She is like my sister. I know how much she hates her father. I don't want her life to get spoilt just because she is Dev Sinha's daughter"

Akash was not on the earth. This one statement of Arnav was enough for him. He would get his parent's acceptance by hook or by crook but his parents didn't give him a chance. They nodded OK and accepted Arnav's suggestion.

"We will accept Payal as our daughter-in-law because we respect you, sir"

"Thank you" Arnav stood up and walked out with Aman.

Akash rushed behind him.

"Sir, thank you so much, sir..."

Arnav nodded his head.

"Sir, how do you know about this issue...?"

Arnav smiled.

"Yeah... you are a collector... after all..."

Arnav sat in the car smiling. Aman was about to open the front door, but he stopped and said,

"He is not doing things because he is a collector... he is doing things because he is Arnav Singh Raizada..." he sat in the car and they left.

Akash smiled. Yes, their district had seen many collectors so far... none of them did what Arnav did. He was an exceptional...!

........

Khushi was on cloud nine. Akash told her on the phone that Arnav solved his problem and was going to conduct their wedding under his headship.

"Is it?" Khushi almost shouted.

"Yes, Khushi... he came to my house like a storm and solved the issue within a few minutes... you have no idea how happy I'm...!"

"I will bring Payal to my house tomorrow... what say?"

"Of course, do it. I don't like her being in the hostel"

"I too..."

"We will meet tomorrow"

"Sure..."

Khushi disconnected the call joyfully. She fell on the pillow smilingly. She turned her face towards the mirror and looked at her image.

"Oii, Rejoice... what are you going to do if the man is so cool and genuine?" she again pressed her face into the pillow.

She jerked haring a phone ring. She became nervous. Was that call from Arnav? She huffed in relief as it was from a new number. She attended the call.

"Hello..."

"Is it Khushi?"

"Yes..."

"I'm Ratna Singh Raizada... Arnav's mother"

Khushi caught her breath, widening her eyes. She bit her nail nervously.

"Are you there?"

"Jjjjjj....eeee...." She stammered.

"Why don't you accept my son's proposal? You like him. You want to work with him. Yet, hesitating... why beta?"

Khushi gulped down hard. What could she say?

"Ok... I just want to know only one thing... if we come to your house with the proposal, will you accept it or will you insult us by saying NO?"

"No no..."

"What do those NOs mean?"

"I won't insult you..." She said hesitatingly in a low tone.

"Will you say YES to marry our Chotte?"

"J...eee..."

"Chotte, she is ready to marry you..." Ratna said happily.

"Thank you, Mom..." Arnav said.

That was when Khushi understood they were on a conference call.

"We will talk later, my dear daughter-in-law... see you soon" Ratna disconnected the call, leaving Khushi with a racing heartbeat.

"Khushiiii..." Arnav called.

Khushi closed her eyes tight.

"Thanks..." He disconnected the call smilingly.

To be continued...