The Raizada family sat tensely in the living room, eyes fixed on the clock as they waited for Arnav and khushi's return. The atmosphere was thick with worry, each family member exchanging anxious glances. Payal stood near the entrance, holding the aarti thaal, her heart heavy with anticipation. Khushi had specifically asked her to perform the ritual, hoping for a warm welcome, but Dadi’s words echoed in her mind.

“Arnav will come alone,” Dadi had said sternly earlier. “He won’t bring Khushi with him.”

Despite Dadi's harsh prediction, Payal hadn’t put the thaal away. Deep down, she held on to the hope that Arnavji would return with Khushi by his side, no matter the tension that had recently erupted between the family.

The creak of the front door breaking the silence jolted everyone from their thoughts. All heads turned towards the entrance as Arnav stood there, his tall figure framed by the dim evening light. A moment of silence followed, and disappointment spread across the faces of most family members, except for Dadi and Shyam, who exchanged subtle but victorious looks.

But then, Khushi appeared beside Arnav, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Shyam's face instantly fell, and Dadi's expression turned sour. Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the family.

"Khushi!" Payal breathed, her eyes widening with relief. Without wasting a second, she hurried forward with the aarti thaal, her hands trembling slightly with joy. Anjali, unable to contain her happiness, joined Payal, her face beaming with excitement. Together, they welcomed the couple with the warmth Khushi had longed for.

Khushi’s eyes caught Shyam’s, and his expression was priceless. His face, which had been full of smug satisfaction just moments before, now looked like someone whose plans had gone terribly wrong. She had to fight back a smile as she squeezed Arnav's hand, feeling his tension ease slightly at the warm welcome they were receiving.

Arnav was still concerned for his Di, who he feared might be upset with him for choosing his happiness with Khushi over the revenge for their parents. But when he looked at Anjali, her glowing face was enough to reassure him. Her joy at welcoming Khushi was unmistakable, and it seemed she was the happiest one there.

Khushi let out a quiet sigh, seeing the small wave of relief cross Arnav's features. To him, it seemed that everyone had accepted Khushi, everyone except Dadi. Khushi knew that Dadi's acceptance would be the hardest, but for Arnav’s sake, she was determined to find out the truth about the past and Shyam’s mysterious role in it all.

Just then, Dadi’s sharp voice cut through the moment of peace, dragging Khushi back to reality.

“This girl cannot enter inside!” Dadi declared, her voice cold and commanding.

Arnav stiffened beside Khushi. The satisfaction from moments ago vanished from his face, replaced by the familiar hardness of ASR.

"Khushi is my wife, and she will stay with me. If anyone has a problem with that, they are not obliged to attend this ritual." His words were strong, laced with his signature authority.

“Arnavji!” Khushi gasped, clutching his arm. She had never wanted to be the cause of a rift between Arnav and his Dadi. Her heart ached seeing the hurt in Dadi’s eyes, but Arnav’s protective stance was clear.

Dadi, clearly wounded by Arnav’s words, shot Khushi a withering glance before storming off. Khushi rushed after her, desperate to stop her, but Dadi was resolute. Without a word to anyone else, she retreated to her room.

As Khushi stood at the door, watching Dadi’s retreating figure, her mind raced. She had hoped to heal the wounds of the past, but now it felt like they had only deepened.

Shyam stood in a corner, silently fuming. His plan to separate Arnav and Khushi had backfired yet again. His confusion grew. how had things slipped from his control?

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The bedroom was an unexpected dream of shimmering lights, soft petals, and the delicate fragrance of roses filling the air. It was a scene meant to celebrate the union of two souls, not the chaos and turmoil that now churned beneath the surface. Garlands of marigolds hung from the canopy of the bed, their vibrant yellow mocking the gloom that hovered over Arnav Singh Raizada’s heart. It was meant to be a night of beginnings, but to Arnav, it felt like the cruelest twist of fate.

He stood by the window, his back rigid, eyes fixed on the night beyond, as if the moonless sky could offer him some escape from the storm inside. His fingers gripped the windowsill, white-knuckled, as flashes of the past tormented him. His mother’s face haunted his mind.. her pain, her anguish. And then, Khushi's face overlapped with his mother’s, each memory clashing violently within him. It was all too much, too heavy to bear.

Khushi, on the other hand, stood at the threshold of their decorated bed, her eyes trailing over the room. She saw the flowers, the soft drapes, the candles casting a warm glow. To anyone else, this would have been a perfect night. But not for her, not with the invisible distance Arnav had drawn between them. She felt the weight of his silence pressing down on her, and her heart ached.

But tonight wasn’t a night for retreat. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada hadn't fought so hard just to be pushed away. Their marriage, this battle, wasn’t just about them anymore; it was about love, truth, and everything that lay in between.

With a quiet but determined step, she moved closer to him, her voice soft yet unwavering.

“Arnavji,” she began, her tone holding a mix of affection and strength, “how long are you going to stand there pretending that shutting me out will make things better?”

Arnav tensed, his jaw clenched, but he didn’t turn around. He stared harder into the night, willing the darkness to consume the emotions roiling within him. He couldn’t bear to look at her.. not now, not when every breath she took reminded him of the pain tied to her family. His voice, when he spoke, was low and rough, barely above a whisper.

“I told you before, Khushi. This is how it has to be.”

Khushi’s brow furrowed, her hands balling into fists as her frustration bubbled to the surface. She took another step toward him, refusing to let his coldness freeze her out.

“And I told you before,” she replied, her voice gaining strength, “that you can’t keep me away like this. You can’t push me aside and expect me to sit quietly while you destroy yourself!”

Arnav’s shoulders stiffened. He let out a sharp breath, still refusing to turn around. His mind was racing.. his mother’s death, the shattered pieces of his family, the unbearable truth he had discovered. How could he explain to Khushi that his very presence near by, could hurt her? That everything he touched turned to ashes?

“You don’t understand,” he muttered bitterly. “You can’t understand.”

Finally, he turned, his eyes cold and distant, but there was something more behind them.. something broken. He looked at her, this woman who had become both his salvation and his torment, and the words tore from him before he could stop them.

“Your Amma.. is the reason my mother died, Khushi. How do you expect me to live with that? How do you expect us to work this out, when all I see is that—”

“That’s not true!” Khushi interrupted, her voice cracking slightly, but her resolve as strong as ever. “You think Amma is the only reason? There has to be more to it, Arnavji. You know my family.. do you really think she wanted this? And even if you believe she’s guilty, how does punishing me help?”

Arnav’s face contorted in anger, though his fists clenched at his sides to stop from lashing out. “It helps because I don’t want to hurt you, Khushi! You don’t see it, do you? I may hurt you—just by being near you!”

She shook her head, taking another step forward. “No. No, Arnavji, you don’t get to do this. Not after everything we’ve been through. Not after all the battles we’ve fought to be together. You can’t just walk away and tell yourself it’s for my own good.”

Her words sliced through him, and for a moment, he faltered. She was right. How many times had he tried to push her away before? How many times had he convinced himself that staying away would protect her, only to come back because he couldn’t stay away? But this time was different.. this time it was about his mother, his family, his broken past.

Khushi saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes and pushed harder, her voice softening as she reached out to touch his arm. “Arnavji, I’m not some fragile doll that you need to shield from the world. I’ve stood beside you through everything.. the misunderstandings, the hate, the anger. I’ve fought for us before, and I’ll fight for us again. But I need you to fight too. I can’t do this alone.”

He closed his eyes, the weight of her words pressing down on him. His heart, already cracked, felt like it was splitting wide open. He wanted to fight, he wanted to be the one she deserved, but the past... his mother’s death, it all clawed at him, pulling him into darkness.

“I can’t, Khushi,” he whispered hoarsely. “I can’t be the one you need.”

“Yes, you can,” she insisted, stepping closer until there was barely any space between them. Her eyes searched his, desperate for him to see what she saw. “You are... You are the one I need. But more than that, we need each other.”

He looked down at her, his defenses crumbling under the weight of her faith in him. How could she believe in him, even now, after everything?

“But what if I can’t protect you.. from myself?” he asked, his voice breaking, the vulnerability he had hidden for so long finally surfacing. “What if being with me only brings you more pain?”

Khushi smiled, a small, tender smile that held a world of understanding. “Then I’ll take that pain, Arnavji, just like I’ve taken everything else. We’ll face it together. I’m not going anywhere.”

She placed her hand gently on his cheek, her thumb brushing against his skin. He flinched slightly, but didn’t pull away. For the first time in hours, his body relaxed.. just a little.. under her touch. Her warmth, her presence, it was the one thing that could soothe the storm raging inside him. But he quit those emotions and pushed her hand back, again dwelling in the past.

“remember the deal, Arnavji” she said, her eyes gleaming with that familiar spark. “If you want me to stay away,. Then you have to divorce me. Properly. Give me six months, and if at the end of that, you still want me to leave, I will. But until then, we’re in this together, Arnavji. No more running.”

Arnav stared at her, speechless. She was challenging him, again. And as much as he wanted to fight it, to deny her, a part of him knew that he would never be able to let her go.

“I—” He opened his mouth to argue, but the words died in his throat. Her resolve, her faith.. it was overwhelming. And for the first time in years, he felt the weight of his past lifting, just a little, in the presence of her love.

“Six months,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “And then… we’ll see.”

Khushi’s smile widened, her heart swelling with hope. “We’ll see,” she echoed, knowing that she had already won the most important battle.

Arnav looked at her.. really looked at her carefully, for the first time that night, she looked so pretty as a bride, his bride.. she stood before him, draped in a green and red bridal lehenga that shimmered under the soft glow of the lights, her beauty more radiant than ever. The intricate gold embroidery danced along the fabric, accentuating the delicate curves of her frame, while the veil framed her face like a halo, casting a soft shadow over her doe-like eyes. Her lips, tinted a deep crimson, trembled slightly, and her cheeks glowed with a flush that rivaled the finest rose petals. The heavy jewelry.. necklace, earrings, maang tikka.. only seemed to enhance her natural grace, not overwhelm it. Every tiny detail, from the shimmering bangles on her wrists to the henna-stained hands, seemed crafted to captivate him. But it was her eyes, lined with kohl and shimmering with a depth of emotion, that pulled him in. They were windows to her soul, pleading with him to see past the pain, past the hurt.

She looked every bit the bride she was meant to be.. Arnav singh Raizada's bride. And yet, he stood frozen, his heart aching to reach out, but his willpower battling against every instinct. Though, the tension between them shifted. It wasn’t gone, not entirely, but it was something softer, something hopeful.

“Fine,” he muttered, turning away to hide the emotions bubbling up inside him. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Khushi’s grin turned playful as she followed him to the bed. “Warn me all you want, Arnavji. But I’m not scared."

He gave her a look that was half exasperation, half affection. “You should be.”

But as he turned to get into bed, Khushi caught his hand, tugging him back. He glanced at her, his eyes questioning.

“And Arnavji?” she said, her voice teasing as she held his hand tightly. “Whenever you say ‘stay away,’ I’m just going to come closer.”

He stared at her for a long moment, something unreadable flashing in his gaze. Then, with a resigned sigh, he switched off the lamp, his back still turned to her. “Whatever ” he murmured, though his tone had softened.

Khushi smiled to herself, knowing that, despite his gruff exterior, she had won this round. She climbed into bed beside him, feeling the warmth of his presence even as he lay facing away. She might not have broken down all his walls tonight, but she had made her way through enough of them to feel that familiar spark between them.

And she knew that tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, she would keep chipping away at his defenses.. because, in the end, they both knew that Arnav Singh Raizada was hers, no matter how hard he tried to pretend otherwise.

“Why did you speak to Dadi like that, Arnavji?” Khushi asked softly, her voice filled with concern. She had waited for the right moment to bring it up. “You’re afraid of hurting me, but you ended up hurting your own family.”

In response, Arnav simply reached over, pulling the blanket. “Shut up, khushi.. let me sleep..” he murmured, his voice low and guarded.

Khushi huffed, glaring at his back. “Fine! Do whatever you want, Laad Governor. But you’re not getting away with it,” she muttered, making a hand motion as if strangling his neck.

A small smirk tugged at Arnav’s lips, though he didn’t turn around. “I saw that.”

Khushi’s eyes widened. “Good! Remember this, the next time you ask me to stay away.” She stuck her tongue out playfully, knowing full well that he couldn’t see her.

But Arnav, being Arnav, somehow knew. “I can practically hear you sticking your tongue out.”

Khushi couldn’t help but giggle. Their banter reminded her of the early days of their first contract marriage, where they bickered like Tom and Jerry.. constantly at odds, yet inexplicably drawn to one another.

Arnav was exasperated yet touched by her stubbornness. He might be broken, but with Khushi by his side, he had a chance. A chance to heal. A chance to let go of the past, and maybe.. just maybe.. a chance to truly love.

For tonight, at least, Khushi had won.

And Arnav, though he would never admit it, was glad she had.
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Love, 💕
Uzma.