"Doctor can you...can you give some sedatives to my brother?" Anjali asked in a plea with tears rolling down her cheeks.He has fainted again after his several attempts to get up.She can't see him like this.It is painful for him physically and emotionally for her to see her Chote this much hurt.

"Yes we can but why is he trying to get up again and again? He should rest and relax."

Anjali swallowed.

"N..nothing doctor. He just don't want to be weak. He never was." Her voice cracked as she recalled an image of her healthy and ever so dominant and composed Chote. The ASR.

"Well in that case I can help." The doctor said.

"Sister inject a mild sedative in his drip." He instructed the nurse.

"It will keep him sleeping till a few hours." He told Anjali.

Anjali glanced at the sleeping Arnav guiltily as nurse loaded the injection in the syringe.

"I am sorry Chote." She whispered caressing his head.

As nurse brought the injection close to his arm a push threw the syringe at the far corner of the room causing Anjali and nurse to look at this sudden reaction in shock.

His  tired eyes met Anjali's and she looked away ashamed seeing the accusation there.

He was half conscious but wasn't able to open his eyes due to fatigue after his several attempts to get up when he heard what his own sister was trying to do here.

She was doing it again.

Wasn't she the one because of whom he has reached to this state.

Just because of her over selfishness!

And again.. again she was showing her quality to ruin everything for him.He was trying to gain his all senses back for those minutes in which she talked to doctor to give him sedatives and with all of the strength within him he has pushed the injection away which could have cost him his life. Khushi is his life isn't she? She knows. His Di knows but still she..

"Chote.. you okay?" She placed her hand on his head recovering from the shock of his sudden action.

His eyes were red due to the force with which he applied on himself to get to consciousness.

"Don't come...near me." He said under the mask of oxygen.

"Get..get your hands...off..off me" He scowled moving his face away and mustering all of his courage took off the oxygen mask.

Then the turn came for the cannula and later on all the machines attached to his body.

By the time he was done he was breathless. Sweat was trickling down his hospital gown which soon drenched from the front of the chest.

Anjali cried out at his hurried self harming actions.

"Chote you aren't well. Please." She croaked.

He moved his feet weakly to the other side of the bed to place them on the floor.

"Get out!" He breathed leaning forward with his back to her clutching the bed tightly from either sides trying to regulate his breathing without the support.

Anjali started crying.

"Chote I just wanted to--help" She explained.

He was about to shout when the door opened and Shyam entered.

His brows furrowed seeing Arnav's condition as well as Anjali's.

He has gone to drop Guptas home leaving Anjali with Arnav.

"What happened?" He rushed to Arnav seeing him breathing heavily.

"Sister who took the machines off him?" He asked the nurse who was looking at the happening with strange and confused eyes.

"He did." She pointed towards Arnav and left as she realized she was intruding in something private between these people.

"Why Arnav?" He asked and then immediately felt like a fool to even ask it.

Doesn't he know the reason already. He wants to reach Khushi on his own feet as Khushi has placed the condition.

"Ask...your wife." The blood rushed to his eyes making them bloodshot. He took long harsh breaths.

"Anjali?" He glanced up at her. 

Anjali looked down now embarrassed and guilty realizing her fault.

She narrated him her attempt to "help" her brother and then Shyam was fuming too like Arnav.

"Do you even have a mind Anjali?" Shyam shouted."Oh let me rephrase it for you. Do you have a heart Anjali Jha?" He scoffed.

Anjali sobbed.

"Ask--her. Does she even love me?" Arnav said hoarsely as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I don't know what wrong did I ever do to her that she was all ready to ruin my life second time at that. I did all that for you Di. For you. For your happiness I ruined mine. And now when I am dying to be with my love, my happiness you're ready to snatch it from me without a second thought? Why?"

"Don't say that Chote. I am sorry." She pleaded.

"I let you in my life. Back in my life only because I misunderstood the situation. You didn't ask me to Di. I was Khushi's culprit more than you but now whatever you were about to do I can never forget that nor forgive. From now on I don't have a sister. Jo thi wo aj mar gayi maire liye!(Whoever I had is dead for me from now on.)"

Anjali's eyes widened in pain while Shyam closed his placing a hand on Arnav's shoulder to calm him down after his outburst.  A much needed one.

"Out!" Shyam stated looking at Anjali.

"But--" She was hiccuping by now.

"I SAID GO OUT ANJALI!" He bellowed.

Frightened as well as disheartened she gave one last glance to Arnav and Shyam before moving out of the room.

Arnav tried to stand up in his fragile condition when Shyam supported him.

"No." Arnav weakly protested.

"Don't support me.Don't." He mumbled agitated.

"She asked me to go there on my own.On my own feet." He said breathlessly.

"I know. But till reaching her home I can support you. You do want to get there fast don't you?"

Arnav glanced at him in gratitude and nodded.

Placing one of his hand around his shoulder Shyam supported his frame with the other around his back he walked him to his car ignoring Anjali in the corridor who was watching them both with tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Aren't you afraid that I won't make it to her home? What if I died in the way?" Arnav asked as soon as Shyam sat down on the driver seat.

"You won't." He stated simply.

"How are you so sure?" Arnav asked leaning his head back on the seat and closing his eyes to give rest to them.

Each and every muscle in his body was protesting since the time he has removed the supports.

Whole of his being was paining badly but he was still conscious thinking of the other excruciating pain he would have to bear if he didn't reach the altar at her allotted time.

Living without her would be far more painful then the ache he was feeling right now physically.

"Because you can fight the death for her if you have had a hope that she can be with you." Shyam said.

"Right now that hope is building higher in your heart. Isn't it?"

"I don't know for how long I can fight. Honestly every joint is paining. I don't know how will I walk on my own towards her." He whispered in a weak tone.

His breaths were shallow but the hope and his will were more powerful than his protesting and paining body.

"You will and you can." Shyam stated simply and Arnav only sighed wishing his belief on him was right.

"Khushi what have you done? Why...why did you put that condition and why the hell did you ask him to marry you?" Madhumati shook her as soon as Khushi got home along with her parents and Akash and Payal.

On Madhumati's insistence whole of the situation was told to her.she has burst out and fumed on Khushi soon after that.

"Buaji. I know. I know you're worried for me." She cupped her cheeks teary eyed.

"Trust me I am not that same Khushi anymore who loved him once. I have changed and so have my feelings!" She explained calmly.

"But bitiya if you don't have any feelings for him anymore then why are you willing to tie the knot with him...again?" Madhumati asked silently placing a hand on her cheek.

She has seen her niece emerge out from the pit of darkness and pain in these years and to send her to live with the man who was the reason of all that happened with her was totally unacceptable to her.

How will Khushi live with the man who will remind her all the time of what she has lost by loving him by just being there in his same vicinity?

"To tell him something which he won't understand any other way." She said confidently.

"And what is that?"

"The pain of the wait."

All of them looked at her confused as well as apprehensively as they didn't know what is going on in her mind.

All of them except her Babuji who sighed swallowing a lump understanding everything.But there was little he could do.

If destroying ASR emotionally could get him his daughter back then he was all game for it.

He was that selfish when it comes to his younger daughter. Especially for his younger daughter.

But for achieving that will Khushi be indifferent to Arnav's pain? That was the major question which only the time or future could answer.

"Arnav we are here." Shyam shook his shoulder scared thinking he has lost consciousness again as he was leaning briskly against the seat with his eyes closed and heaving chest.

"O..okay" Arnav croaked in a small voice.

Shyam breathed a sigh of relief.

He got out hurriedly as Arnav weakly placed his feet on the ground stumbling a step but caught on the door to stable himself.

Shyam stepped forward but he stopped him.

"Now I have to go on my own." He whispered and Shyam sighed moving away.

Arnav was still in the hospital gown as he has to rush here in between sixty minutes to which fifty five has already passed.

5 minutes were left for him to reach her

The door to the Gomti Sadan was open.

Dragging his feet inside the door he looked ahead and then couldn't breath seeing the scene before him.

There she was standing in a white and black suit in the altar looking straight at him with a gaze which pierced him.

No red lehenga, no jewelry, no makeup...nothing showed the sign of a bride who was about to get married.

A huge lump formed in his throat as his mind drifted back to another day when he came exactly like this to her home years ago to whisk her away as his.. his bride to avenge his sister.

That day there was joyful noise everywhere in this home unlike today when everything was silent.

A huge smile broke out on her lips as he was led to the altar by her father with enthusiasm that matched hers.

Shashi was happy because his daughter was.

"Hi!" He said huskily as soon as he was made to stand before her.

She gave him a shy smile with her eyes shining with childlike excitement as if she was going to win something precious tonight.

"Namaste.." She whispered.

He smirked.

"You're looking beautiful. I can't wait to have you all for myself. Alone" He murmured close to her as he placed the Jaimala around her neck.

She turned red amusing him.

"Arnavji please!" She gestured towards the guests and her family with her eyes.

"From today onward you won't have to fear about them. You will be mine and I will make sure you stay like that--forever." He said with full possessiveness.

The notion of revenge and his motive flew out of his mind for the time being seeing her beauty enchanting with innocence.

"Hum toh hamesha se hi apke the aur aap hi k rahe gay(I was always yours and will stay so forever!)" she whispered as he leaned closer to tie the mangalsutra around her neck.

He smiled widely which she reciprocated with equal fervor.

"Mine?" He murmured in her ear as they finished all the rituals and were declared as husband and wife.

"Yours. Always." She said confidently interlocking her fingers with his.

"I am just yours. Trust me."

Trust?

The word jolted him back to reality and his smile vanished and his goal hit him back on his mind and then the rest of the ceremony Khushi got nothing but his hardhearted stares which though slashed her but thinking it to be his tiredness she warded it off not knowing she was entering into a life where she will lose everything slowly, gradually to the point that she will lose herself too one day for never to be same again.

Everything was same except for a few things which defined his life now in a few simple words.

The different was that in the past he was dressed in a tuxedo instead of this hospital gown while she was dressed in a bridal wear instead of this colorless black and white suit.

The difference was that his face depicted love and pain right now unlike the past where his face was spot on and his eyes were cold.

The difference was that her eyes were hollow right now unlike the past where her eyes were glinting with undying love for him.

He then moved forward with one step after the other slowly dragging his feet.

Everyone saw the happening with bated breaths as when Arnav would stumble one or the other family members or Shyam would come forward to help and then he would step aside not taking their help balancing himself on his own at Khushi's raised eyebrow who noted him standing like a statue with her hands crossed at her chest as if she was watching a movie scene without any emotions.

"Khushi.." His eyes shone with tears as he finally reached to stand in front of her under the mandap drenched in sweat.

"Pundit ji. Shuru kijiye.(Start it)" She sat down without any word.

Feeling his chest cutting he followed suit exhaling hard.

Then they completed all the rituals with him reminiscing every past memory of the day of his first marriage to her as he took pheras, applied vermilion and tied the beaded chain around her neck.

His chest tightened at the progress of each of the ritual knowing that he was marrying her but he won't be able to win her love ever which he got without much hard work in the past. Yet again he realized that...

They say right. We never understand the meaning of something or someone until or unless we loose them.

Same was the case with him.

When he had her and her love, he shunned her. Destroyed it.

Now when he neither have her nor her love he want her..all of her with her love.

Irony wasn't lost on him neither was the fate's cruel way to get back at him.

He stood up with great difficulty as priest asked them to take the blessings of the elders.

He stumbled all of a sudden and had to fetch the near thing to balance himself.

The near thing turned out to be a person.

Her!

She glared at him as she felt his hands around her waist and his face so close to her.

"Sorry." he felt his head spin as he released her and stumbled back.

"Huh Sorry? Do you even know the meaning of THAT word?" She gibed making him restless.

Every bone and muscle of his body was losing the power to cope up.

All of a sudden little bit strength he had in his body to ignore the pain left him in a few moments.

"I..I love you Khu..Khushi." He choked with his red eyes full of unshed tears before his eyes closed and his head fell on her shoulder limply as he lost consciousness.

This way Arnav Singh Raizada declared his true love for Khushi Kumari Gupta nee Khushi Singh Raizada with the same deep emotions which Khushi yearned from him in those six months and that too after years of their first marriage on the day of their second one.

This time his emotions and love were pure and genuine without any facade of revenge and hidden agenda.

But the question is,

Will it make any difference to Khushi or should it?

Mai hadd se zyada bas tumse pyaar karta hun

Tanha tasawur mai chahat k rang bharta hun

Bilkul haqeeqat hai ye samjho na isko bharam

Ye pyaar na hoga kam

Vaada hai ye tujhse han maire sanam

Teri dhadkano ki kasam jab tak hai dum mai dum

Ye pyaar na hoga kam

________________________

PRECAP:

She was feeding cake to Pari when the door bell rang.

Shashi opened it and found Arnav Singh Raizada standing at it with all of his glory dressed in his usual three piece suit, his hairs gelled back perfectly and he didn't look like a man who has stepped into the same door two months ago to marry his daughter as per her wish.

Arnav smiled and folded his palms together.

"Namaste!" He greeted softly.

Shashi was transported back to the world from his thoughts as he frowned at Arnav.

"Can I come in?" He asked politely.

"Who is it Babuji?" Came Khushi's voice from the hall.

Shashi saw with his own eyes how Arnav's eyes filled up at her voice.

He stepped aside and Khushi came into Arnav's view who was running after Pari to paste cake on her face too as the girl had.

Pari ran to the front door and walked out of the door hurriedly from the side of Arnav easily while Khushi who wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and was running very fast collided with a hard chest and was about to fall when his arms came around her securing her in her place, in his hold, under his gaze.

Her eyes widened seeing him before her.

He smiled down at her.

"Hi" He murmured huskily.

"Ready to go back home Mrs.Raizada?"

"Huh?"

"Its time you stay with your husband. He needs you." Arnav's intense eyes full of confidence grilled holes into her hazel orbs.

_____________________