Epilogue 2 (On readers’ demand)

The exams were over. Arnav took Khushi roamed all over Ooty as Khushi didn’t see many of its tourist attractions. They almost completed their tour of Ooty. Arnav and Khushi came home after enjoying pedal boating.

Ratna smiled at them.

“How was the boating?”

“It was awesome…” Khushi said excitedly.

’Yeah, it was me who pedaled the boat. She was waving her hand in the water casually” Arnav chuckled.

“Arnav, you became a wastepiece,”
Khushi said and Ratna chuckled.

“Whaaat the…”

“Then what? If you have been a werewolf, you would not have complained. Until you were a werewolf, you had done many adventures. I really miss my sweet werewolf”

Arnav dropped his jaw and Ratna laughed.

“If I had been a werewolf, your father would have been raised in a tomb long ago”

Khushi became silent. Ratna chided Arnav through her eyes. Arnav cursed himself for bringing her father.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I just…”

“It’s ok… it’s not your fault. It’s a truth. That’s why it comes out” She sat on the couch.

“Khushi, beta, go and get fresh. I will give you coffee” Ratna said.

“Ok, Aunty,” Khushi said but didn’t go to their room.

“Let’s go Khushi…”

“Wait… my head is spinning”

“Whaaat? What are you saying? Are you alright?”

Khushi showed her palm to calm him down but the next minute, she slid on the couch.

“Khushiiii...” Arnav was panicked.

Ratna rushed to the kitchen to bring water. She sprinkled it on her face. Khushi slowly opened her eyes.

“What happened Khushi? let’s go to the hospital” Arnav said.

“Chotte… calm down”

“Mom, she fainted. Do you want me to be calm?”

“Wait Chotte…” She pulled him back by clutching his hand.

“Mom…”

“Shut up”

Arnav gritted his teeth.

“Khushi beta, when did you BATHE last time?”

“Mom, what rubbish, didn’t you see her taking a bath this morning? She bathed this morning, Mom”

“I said shut up. Tell me, Khushi”

“Last month 3rd”

“Today is the 28th…” she murmured.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“We should take her to the hospital”

“That’s what I said”

“For the checkup…”

“Of course, yes…”

“To do PREGNANCY test”

Arnav was taken aback. He looked at Khushi who was also bewildered.

“Mom…”

“Mmm?”

“No, I just…”

“Yeah… YOU JUST” she said controlling her laughter, making Arnav and Khushi embarrassed.

Arnav looked at Khushi who looked down.

“What are you thinking?” Ratna tapped Arnav’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a father”

“Thank God, you didn’t become a father before your marriage” Ratna laughed making their condition more awkward.

“Wait…” she went to the kitchen.

Arnav sat next to Khushi and pressed his lips on her forehead.

“We are going to be parents”

Khushi nodded yes.

“Going to be parents, please wait for a few minutes” She circled salt and dry red chilies around them to remove bad eyes.

She went off while saying,

“You can go to your room now”

Arnav picked Khushi up in his arms and rushed to their room.

“Slowly…” She panicked.

He made her sit on the bed and kissed her face all over.

“Relax, baby…”

“You know how happy I’m?”

“I’m witnessing” she smiled.

They heard a knock. Ratna came in with a letter. She extended it to Arnav.
“What’s this mom?”

“Open it and get to know”

Arnav saw that and understood it was an interview card.

“Interview card from Chennai Cement”

“Oh… congratulations,” Ratna said, extending her hand.

Arnav hid his hand behind not wanting to shake hands with her.

“Why? Are you upset with me for teasing you?”

Arnav nodded no.

“Then?”

“I’m not going to give an interview”

Ratna and Khushi looked at each other.

“Why Chotte?”

“Because your Chotte is expecting a CHOTTE”

Ratna and Khushi raised their brows.

“So?”

“I can’t go leaving my baby”

“Which baby? This baby (pointing at Khushi) or the baby inside the baby?”

“Both”

“Then, you can take them with you”

“Then what about you?”

“We? We will be in Ooty like always, enjoying its amazing climate”

“I also decided to enjoy its climate forever, with my wife, baby and parents”

“When did you make such a decision?”
“Ten minutes ago…”

“Ok, what are you going to do being in Ooty?”

“Going to take over our Estate’s responsibility”

Ratna wondered. She so wanted Arnav to take charge.

“That’s a great decision, Chotte…”

Khushi nodded yes.

“I was so worried when he applied for the job. I like Ooty and I want to be here” Khushi said.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before? I would not have applied for the job if you had told me”

“Career is the most important part of life. I don’t want to be a hindrance in your path to the career. That’s why I said nothing”

“Are not you interested in doing the job, Khushi?”

“Of course, yes… but I don’t like to go away from Arnav. So, I was confused to choose. Thank God, he decided to be in Ooty. So that I will accompany him”

“Wow… this sounds so good” Arnav circled Khushi’s shoulder and dashed her forehead with his.

“Ahem, ahem… I’m going” Ratna walked off.

Arnav and Khushi looked at each other and laughed.

Though Arnav decided to take charge of their estate, he didn’t do it completely as Khushi was pregnant. He used the period to learn the job and visited the estate weekly once or twice.
It was Khushi’s sixth month. Arnav returned home from the estate. He got stuck hearing Aman’s voice. Aman smiled seeing Arnav.

“Hi, ASR”

“Hi…”

“Congratulations…” Aman said looking at Khushi.

“Thanks” Arnav smiled.

“By the way, what made you come to the house in your busy schedule Aman beta?” Ratna asked him and handed him coffee.

“I’m transferred to Mettupalayam. Before reporting there, I would like to submit the case file that I closed”

“What case did you close?”

“The full moon day murder…”

Ratna looked at Arnav who looked at Khushi who asked,

“Oh, did you close the case?”

“Yes, Khushi, we didn’t get any clue about the case. It gave unnecessary tension. That’s why SP sir asked me to close the case. You know what, it was your father who suggested closing the case” Aman smiled making Khushi dumbfounded.

“Is it?” Ratna asked.

“Yes, Mom, it seems they knew each other. So, the SP sir ordered me to close the case and I just did”

Ratna huffed in relief inwardly.

“Didn’t your father tell you anything?” Aman asked Khushi.

Khushi nodded no.

“Haven’t you talked to him yet?” Aman asked.

Khushi was silent. Aman understood that they had not sorted it out COMPLETELY. Aman kept the empty cup on the tea table and stood.

“Ok, ASR, I’m leaving. Take care, Khushi”

Khushi smiled.

Aman left.

“Thank God, the case is over”

“We should thank Shashi uncle” Arnav said.

“Yeah, because of him the SP closed the case”

“It’s because he knew they could do nothing in this case. That’s why he would have suggested to close the case” Khushi said.

“Khushi, you should understand why your father doing all this. He needs your forgiveness. He closed the case in which I’m involved…”

Cutting him,

“Indirectly… it’s not you but the werewolf that killed the man. You could not be punished lawfully because the transformation happened without your consent”

Arnav was silent as Khushi was not wrong. He didn’t know how to sort out their problem. Though Khushi spoke to Shashi, it was not like before. She just talked. That was all. So,Shashi didn’t get the courage to visit Ooty for once.

After four months

Arnav was pacing in the hospital corridor restlessly. He huffed in relief when the nurse said, Khushi and the baby were safe. Yes, Khushi was admitted to the hospital for delivery.
Arnav smiled brightly when the nurse brought a cute girl baby to him, rolling her in a towel. He feared to take her in his arms. So, Ratna took her. Arnav caressed her tiny toes lovingly.

“Is not she looking cute?” Ratna asked joyfully.

Arvind nodded yes.

“It’s because she is like her mother,” Arnav said.

Arvind and Ratna looked at each other smilingly.

Khushi was shifted to the special ward.

“You faced a tough time…” Arnav kissed her forehead lovingly.

“How is she?”

“Looking like a doll. So cute… just like you”

“Am I looking like a doll?”

“When you joined our college, I really thought how could a girl look like a doll” he smiled.

Khushi chuckled.

“Today, that doll gave me a tiny doll” he kissed her again.

Khushi closed her eyes.

“Feeling tired?”

She nodded no.

The nurse brought the baby and kept her on the bed. Khushi smiled touching her cheek with her index finger.

“She is indeed looking like a doll”
Khushi kissed her.

“May I ask you something, Khushi?”

Khushi nodded.

“You should not LIE”

“Why would I lie?”

“You may…”

“I won’t…”

“Will you give her hand to a Werewolf?”

Khushi looked at him shockingly.

“Touch your heart and say, Khushi. Will you give your daughter to get married to a werewolf?”

She looked at the baby gulping down.

“Answer me”

She suffocated to answer.

“You can’t because you can’t put your daughter’s life in the fire… this is what your father did Khushi. Think, standing in his shoes. You could not do it before but after becoming a mother, you can understand a father’s turmoil.”

Khushi tried to say something, but Arnav stopped her.

“Yes, he tried to kill me but he didn’t do it right away. He tried to change your mind. You were so stubborn in marrying me. then only he decided because he had no choice but to save his daughter from a brutal werewolf. You didn’t see the postmortem report of the man killed on the full moon day but he did…! After seeing such a cruel murder, how could he dare give your hand to the werewolf? Understand him, Khushi”

Khushi looked at him with teary eyes.

“It’s human nature to make drastic decisions according to the situation. He too made the mistake of having no choice… only to save you, Khushi”

Tears rolled down her cheek.

“I would like to invite him to our baby’s naming ceremony. We can’t leave him behind. He is our baby’s grandfather. Don’t forget that”

Khushi nodded. Arnav kissed her gladly.

The naming ceremony was arranged. Arnav was adamantly taking the responsibility of choosing the baby’s name. Khushi was curious to know the name but Arnav denied telling her as he didn’t want to reveal it.

Shashi reached RM to attend the function. Arnav welcomed him with a warm hug who looked skinny. Arnav understood Khushi’s distance was the reason for his weakness. He took him to Khushi. Khushi was sitting beside the baby, looking at her. She stood up with a shock seeing skinny Shashi. He touched her head lovingly. Khushi could not hold herself and threw herself on him. she cried her heart out. Shashi hugged her closed his eyes.

“This is an auspicious day. you should be happy. Don’t cry, Beta” Shashi smiled.

Khushi wiped her eyes. Taking the baby, she gave her to Shashi. He smiled.

“Isn’t she looking like Khushi, uncle?” Arnav asked.

“Yes, she was also like this when she was born”

“Like a doll?”

“Exactly…” Shashi laughed.

Khushi hit Arnav.

“Let’s go, uncle…”

They came to the living room. Arvind and Ratna happily welcomed Shashi. They completed the Pooja. Ratna kept vermillion on the baby’s forehead and gave the baby to Arnav.

“Now, you can name her”

Arnav took her and kept her close to his chest carefully. All were looking at him curiously. Arnav bent down and called the name in her ear.

“Uthra…”

Khushi and Shashi were overwhelmed hearing the name as it was Khushi’s Nani’s name. the one who was everything to Khushi once. She looked at Arnav emotionally who smiled at him lovingly.

Shashi clutched his hand and said,

“I feel ashamed to stand in front of you, Arnav. You are an awesome person. I feel proud to have you as my son-in-law” Shashi said.

Arnav smilingly circled Khushi’s shoulder who was emotional.

“I love you,” She said.

“Say something I don’t know” He smiled.

“I’m going to get my daughter to marry a werewolf”

Arnav looked at her widening his eyes.

“Because werewolves are far better than humans”

Arnav looked at her for a while and laughed. He dashed her forehead. They smiled at Uthra who stretched her hands in her sleep cutely.