FF Our 9 Months - Part 38

Hola Peeps 

Is it TH 4 ???  damn this is truly exciting for me, cant believe O9M is here at its 4th thread !! 

This update is dedicated to each and every reader of mine who have stayed with me so far on this journey and also to all my new readers, hope u enjoy the rest of this special journey !! 

Shyam Manohar Jha was in his apartment in a hotel quite close to where the Raizadas & Guptas were staying at the moment, and little did he know that even as he sat relaxing there, Aman - ASRs right hand man along with his small group of trusted agents and members of a leading detective agency had arrived to track him down and this time they had no intention of letting him escape and the beginning of his end was just about to begin !!

His phone rang, a shrill high pitched ring that shattered the eerie silence of his room and the name on display forced him to slap himself twice because the name belonged to someone's whom he had never thought would call him , it was flashing Khushi's name and before the call got disconnected, he picked it up.

"Khushiji !! " called out Shyam barely unable to believe that it really was Khushi on the other end.

Khushi on the other end flinched as she heard the obsessive adoration in his voice , the phone was on loudspeaker and the entire family was gathered around to hear the snake speak, Arnav clenched his fists as he heard Shyam take Khushi's name with his filthy tongue , but Khushi held onto him, her eyes seeking out his warmth as she started to reply and Arnav held her close as she spoke ,

" Shyamji ?? Is that you ?? "

" Its me Khushiji .. I cant believe you called !! Did you get my courier , did u read it ?? " enquired Shyam eagerly.

" I got your courier and so you can imagine already why am calling !! " replied back Khushi, keeping her voice shaky but clear so that Shyam would feel that she was terribly upset by the contents of his courier.

Shyam on the other end could hear Khushi's trembling voice and rejoiced that his plan had finally worked,

" I am sorry for hurting you Khushiji but I felt you had the right to know the truth, how could I stay silent when I knew that you were living with a man whose father is responsible for your parent's death. I have always told you Khushiji, the Raizada family doesn't deserve you, they are nothing but a bad omen for anyone who comes close to them, tell me Khushiji , what have you decided ??

Are you scared that Arnav will take your babies away from you ??

Dont worry about that Khushiji, I will have my lawyer friends fight your case in court, no one will take your babies away from you !!

I am with you Khushiji in whatever you decide , you know how much I love you , and I always will protect you from Arnav's cruel schemes if he tries to hurt you !! "

It took a lot of self control on Arnav's part to not rush to Shyam that very instant and rip him apart limb to limb , the nerve of the guy to talk to his Khushi , assuring her that he would help her in anyway possible to get rid of Arnav, his plans to take his children away from their father , if it wasn't for Khushi's hand wrapped around him, Arnav knew he would have lost all control by now !!

Anjali felt repulsed to even think that she had once been married to a man who was nothing but a filthy immoral beast , to think that Dia was fathered by such a piece of filth, it was too blasphemous to even think about , Varun saw her turmoil, he went and held her hand tight in his, while he took Dia into his arms, his warmth and support helping Anjali to relax, making her smile to see Dia cuddled up in Varun's arms, it suddenly felt so right to see her baby in Varun's protection.

Khushi composed herself before speaking ,

"Shyamji I would like to meet you . there is so much we have to talk about, so much that I need to decide about the future, and its only you who can help me !!

Can we meet somewhere where we can talk in privacy ?? " asked Khushi hating herself for speaking such repulsive lines.

Shyam meanwhile wanted to whoop in happiness,  Khushiji requesting to meet him alone, it was something he had never expected to hear and now he couldn't wait to make it happen .

"ofcourse Khushiji, I will give you my address, you can come right away, no one will interrupt us here.

Just be careful to avoid Arnav while you slip out and rest I will handle once you are safe with me !! " replied back Shyam, the happiness in his voice coming out very clearly.

And so Khushi jotted down his address and hung up the call promising Shyam that she would meet him in an hour's time, the address wasn't really needed though because the entire call had been snooped by the detectives as instructed by Aman , Arnav had also got his friend , the police inspector who was  incharge of the local area to assist his men and even as they got ready to meet Shyam, the entire premises of the hotel apartment would be surrounded by security undercover.

Arnav wanted no mistakes this time, Shyam once he realises that he had been duped , lured into a trap would be unceremoniously handed over to the officials !!

Arnav turned to Akash Varun & NK,

" We have to leave now, Khushi and I will go in one car , we will park the car at a safe distance from the hotel, Khushi will walk out first , as Shyam said, he would be meeting her in the garden behind the hotel apartments, so I have to wait till he comes out before joining Khushi, because if he sees me then he will know that we have him trapped.

Once he is out in the open , there will be no escape route, I will be with Khushi and there will be no way for him to be anywhere near her vicinity .

The police and our agents will surround the area undercover.

Until we finish talking to Shyam, don't come out from your vantage points, Shyam needs to understand some crushing realities before he is handed over to the police for the rest of his life amd for that he needs to hear it from Khushi and then me.

And once thats done then the Raizadas will give him the perfect farewell !! " finished Arnav , his eyes sparkling in mirth.

The plan set and made clear, the Raizadas and Guptas were all on their way to the hotel, Arnav and Khushi in the car at the front, as soon as Arnav had parked the car, he turned to Khushi and pulled her into his arms,

" Khushi , maybe a couple of hours more and the evil named Shyam Manohar Jha will be out of our lives forever, do not be afraid Princess, I will be right behind you , you will always be within my eyesight, within my reach and I wont let that swine get anywhere near you, I promise !!

Lets finish him off now and throw him once and for all out of our lives. ! "

Khushi hugged her husband tighter and then pulled back and kissed him hard on his lips,

"I trust you Arnav , I know there is nothing to be worried off, lets finish this up and purge him out forever !! " replied Khushi before getting out of the car , she smiled at Arnav and then walked out to lure Shyam Manohar Jha into his death trap.

Shyam would soon realise that the woman on whom he cast his lustful eyes,

the woman on whom he had no right,

the woman who belonged to someone else,             

She herself would bring about his end and it was the law of life because its a sin to covet another man's life and Shyam was finally going to pay for his sins !!

Meanwhile Shyam had seen Khushi enter the garden he had mentioned to her, he couldn't stop looking at her , her beauty bewitching him as always, she looked so fragile and delicate, her pregnancy only adding to her charm, his obsession with her was the only reason he hadn't grown to hate the life growing inside her, knowing that the life was a bit of Arnav's too , he still didn't hate it and it was a testimony as to how deep rooted his obsession with Khushi ran !!

And Shyam walked out into the clearing , Khushi saw him come out and she recoiled, to see him walk towards her like he owned her finally , it wasn't just loathsome but it made her more determined to put an end to his obsession over her once and for all , just as Shyam thought he could reach out to her , he saw a movement behind her and to his shock saw Arnav walking towards him.

Shyam looked at Khushi who was looking at him with an emotion that he had never seen in her eyes before, it was pity !!

Pity for him as though she knew clearly what she was doing and that it was he who was in the dark !!

Shyam turned to run but thats when he noticed the fact that they had been surrounded on all sides, there was no escape for him !!

He turned around to see Arnav and Khushi facing him, their hands wrapped around each other, they sat down at a nearby table and looked at him ,

"Sit down Shyam, we need to talk and don't try to run because it will be a futile attempt !! " said Arnav as he surveyed him with expressionless eyes, if a million emotions were surging through Arnav , yet it wasn't seen in his eyes, time to vent out would come later.

As Shyam sat down, his body numb, his senses deserting him right at a time when he needed his manipulative talent the most, an incident from the Mahabharata struck him, he remembered Karna as he was cornered in the battlefield , his powers deserting him at a time when he needed them the most, making death inevitable !!

Khushi intruded into his senses ,

" Dont be angry Shyam for the lie I said over the phone, considering the amount of lies you have fed us, this one lie from our side is forgivable I presume !! "

Shyam looked at Khushi in shock , he had never heard her speak in such a manner, so bold , her confidence sending chills down his spine, she was truly speaking like Mrs.ASR now !!

Arnav resumed ,

"what did you think Shyam Manohar Jha ?? that my wife would run into your arms and you could whisk her away ??

That you would raise our children ??

That Khushi would leave me and declare undying love for you ?? "

Before Shyam could speak , Khushi took over ..

" The courier was your masterstroke , wasn't it ?? you thought you had me hook line and sinker !!

You assumed that I would hate my husband , the father of my babies for something he wasn't even aware of ??

Whatever the courier told me, wasn't anything new Shyam.

Arnav had already told me about his past, as to why he hated his father so much !!

The only new piece of news in it was that my parents had been the innocent victims, you courier only gave names to the people who died because of Arnav's father !!

And yes to know that it was my parents , it broke me, to think that our pasts were connected in a manner so ugly was heart breaking !!

But what is Arnavs fault in all this ??

Should I hold him responsible for what his father did ??

If you haven't noticed Shyam, but my Arnav is everything that his father wasn't !!

Perfect Husband

Perfect Father

Perfect Brother

Perfect Son

Perfect Friend

He is a man who is perfect despite being human and he is my life !! "

Shyam felt murderous rage building inside him as he heard Khushi speak , all he wanted to do was reach out and squeeze the life out of her for uttering those words of love and admiration for a man other than himself !!

He screamed at her ,

"How can you Khushiji ??

How can you do this to your parents ??

Do you think they will be happy seeing their daughter married to the man whose father murdered them ?? "

Khushi replied calmly as though he hadn't been screaming but merely speaking to her ,

" My parents aren't vengeful Shyam that they would expect their daughter to punish the man who loves her more than his life just because he was unwittingly born to a man who murdered them !!

They are my parents, the people who gave birth to me and what matters most to them is that their daughter remain happy !!

Infact my parents would have hated me if I had left Arnav for reasons for which he wasn't to be blamed !! "

Arnav broke in ,

" Shyam lets go back to where it all started, shall we ??

You claim that you love Khushi , that you can never hurt her , that you can never cheat her !!

Shyam, Khushi is pregnant is with my children and since the day I came to know that I am going to be a father, I haven't been able to stop thinking about our babies.

Do you know the feeling Shyam , what it is when you know that a life is soon going to enter your world, a life which you created with the woman you love ??

During Akash and Payal s wedding, when you told me that you and Khushi love each other, Di was pregnant with your child , our Dia !!

She was the life that you created with my Di.

And no human with a heart can hate the child created in his blood !!

And yet you even tried to kill your child !!

How can a creep like you ever love anyone truly ??

How can you love Khushi when you could love Dia  ... a life that is partially yours by blood !!

You never loved Khushi. It was all an obsession , lust to be more precise , you coveted her !!

You wanted to own her, you wanted to live off my money and for that you used Di and to satisfy your physical cravings, you wanted Khushi who happens to be another man's wife and if you didn't know Shyam Jha,

It is a sin to covet another man's wife, a sin that has no forgiveness !!

If you indeed loved Khushi, you wouldn't commit acts that could hurt her !!

Love makes a man selfless, to see a smile on the face of the woman you love , the man will go to any extent !!

You knew and you still know how much Khushi loves me, you know more than anyone else that she belongs to me as much as I belong to her.

And yet you wanted to take me away from her so that you could have her ??

You tried what not to separate her away from me and yet we are still together today !! "

Khushi took over ,

"Do you want to kill us Shyam ??

Do you feel that you want to crush the life out of us so that we would stop speaking ??

Do it Shyam !!

Take our lives , if you kill Arnav then its as good as taking my life away, Khushi will cease to exist in a world that doesn't have Arnav.

Shyam , its not YOU that I cant live without !!

Its not YOU that I love and crave for !!

Its not YOU whom my heart beats for !!

Its not YOU in whose arms I spend my days and nights !!

Its ARNAV whom KHUSHI loves !!

Its Arnav whose love and care I need and want !!

Its Arnav whose presence I crave for every second of my life !!

Its Arnav who touched me heart body and soul and it will remain so !!

I am Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada and I will die as Arnav's wife , his love , the mother of his children !!

And you will never be able to claim me, you don't have any rights over me Shyam, not even a single heartbeat of mine !!

Even if you kill Arnav, my heart will never love you or for that matter any other man !!

I will hate you more than how much I hate you today if you become the reason for Arnav's pain.

I will hate you the most , I will curse you if something happens to Arnav because of you.

I will prefer death in comparison to a fate of living with you !! " 

FF Love In Death Valley - Part 9

Hola peeps 

Okay am really nervous abt this update coz I dont know if its come out right, the pain Arhi goes through in this, I hope I have been able to convey it all 

I know a lot of qs are gonna pop up and dont worry all those qs will be answered in the coming updates 

P.S. I wasted a lot of tissues while writing this so I hope u have a few ready while u read it !! 

Happy Reading !! 

Arnav held onto Khushi's hand which was tightly clasped in his, he knew he would have to soon let her go, let her go to pay for the sins which he did, soon Elissa came and took Khushi away, Arnav tried to protest, he wanted to accompany them but Elissa dismissed him without so much as a glance. As Dayeus made the preparations , Arnav watched and then he saw her again, Elissa led Khushi out, her hair let loose, cascading down her curves, clad in robes of blood red, she was breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes blazing with determination to fight the oncoming agony and wash away his sins !!

Her attire seemed to scream of the oncoming pain, her blood would be shed for all the sins that were unleashed in Death Valley and Arnav, the dark prince, the propagator of those sins , who had once enjoyed the blood lust could do nothing but stand by helplessly , watching the woman he loved, the only reason for his existence, the only reason why he was human again suffer for the very crimes which he had once enjoyed to his evil heart's content !!

Before walking into the fiery ring of agony,

 Khushi went over to Arnav who immediately caught her in a tight hug, he clasped her firmly to his body, trying to merge her into his very skin, so that he could hide her, take her away or else face the pain along with her, Khushi could sense his turmoil, she pulled apart from him and cupped his cheeks and leaned forward, her lips barely moving against his, whispering words just for him to hear ,

" Fight this for me Arnav !!

Don't let darkness take you over as you watch me !!

Be my light, stand by me and absorb the pain of what was once unknowingly done at your hands !!

Let your heart bleed with agony !!

Our love perished once  already .. don't let it happen again !!

Fight for us Arnav & I will return to you through the pain , I promise !! "

And before he could ask her anything, she kissed him hard on his lips and he reciprocated, he held onto her and poured the love inside his beating heart , all of it into that kiss ,

promising her that he would fight,

for her ,

for their love,

for Nysa,

for Life itself !!

They broke apart, Elissa led Khushi into a circle etched in the ground, there was a bed of roses waiting for her, and Khushi was made to lie on it ,

 Elissa then spoke loud and clear, for all to hear, her expression fierce

"Khushi , as you lie here, you will not move , not even a hair in  your body of your own accord,no matter how excruciating the pain is , you aren't allowed even a mere twitch, the pain will writhe through you, it will tear you apart but you aren't allowed to make a sound, your limbs will be ripped open, your body will bear the marks of your suffering but you will bear it silently.

You will be surrounded by a ring of fire, but the fire will never hurt you, your inner pain which you are about to receive transcends any pain that a mere fire can bear upon you, neither will it hurt Arnav, yet he isnt allowed to cross it to reach out to you, throughout this time he  isnt allowed to touch you, you aren't allowed to feel his comfort or warmth, even a mere thought from either of yearning to comfort each other can destroy your trial.

As you suffer , Arnav has to watch, he will be nothing but a helpless spectator and it will ripouth  is soul  !

If either of you attempt to cross this fire, it spells doom not just for your love but also for Death Valley which will perish never to be resurrected again , it will be the death of all the light in this world, and you will be in the land of perpetual darkness and its inhabitants will see you as the perpetuators of all evil and you will be unable to do anything but watch throughout the ageless ages as all humanity and everything that has a life in it suffer because you were too weak to feel the pain of your inhuman acts ! "

Elissa then turned to Khushi and placed a gently kiss on her forehead and without a word walked away. As soon as she had stepped out of the circle, fire surrounded Khushi like a raging firestorm, making her stand out in her blood red robes, it resembled not Khushi on a bed of roses but Khushi on her grave of roses !

The world plunged into darkness around them, Arnav was made to stand in her direct line of sight, her eyes firmly held in his,  mist descended upon them, making it impossible for them to see anything other than each other and the fire that separated them and then it began ...

Their minds and heart taken back by time right into the heart of Death Valley, there sat a mother nursing her baby who was barely months old while its father watched them with loving protective eyes , the picture was perfect , a happy family but it was never to last , as soon as its mother had finished feeding her little one, the father took the baby out for a stroll through the woods and thats when Arnav and his eternally feared guards descended , as Khushi and Arnav watched in horror, the Arnav in front of them snatched the baby and threw it to the Daityas who immediately descended on it , little infants were Daityas preferred meal because nothing strengthened them like absorbing the life of a newly born baby, a soul who was yet untouched by the evil in the world while its father tried to fight Arnav, he was brutally killed and thrown to the vultures who ripped the man's body into shreds, playing their role of scavengers of death !!

And then as Arnav rode away into the darkness, the evil beings of Nysa who had witnessed the vile act by their prince, thrilled at the prospect of a women unprotected headed back to the mother who was yet unaware that her husband and child were no more, and before she knew it, the men ravaged her , feasting on her like wolves and then leaving her as a bleeding mass of ripped body.

Khushi's body bled and blood oozed out as Arnav watched in horror as her eyes conveyed the fear of the act that they had just witnessed, the pain of the family that he had destroyed and the blood flowing from the wound that had appeared near Khushi's throat, knifing through her and Arnav could do nothing, agony whipped through him, nails digging into his flesh , he wanted to rip his own body apart but his eyes never left hers who hadn't uttered even a whisper of pain as the blood from her body soaked the roses on which she was lying !!

And it was all just the beginning, it went on as they relived every act of unspeakable crime that had been carried out at Arnav's hands , some in his knowledge and some unknowingly but it had happened and now it was all replaying !!

Arnav had thrived on blood lust, it was his means of survival, he killed for fun !!

Families were torn apart, the Daityas using the authority of Arnav's name wrecked havoc in Death Valley , the cries of the inhabitants was what they wanted to hear, what Arnav wanted to hear , and he did exactly that !!

And now as each scene of his past played by, it whipped through Khushi, burn marks appeared all over her body , she yearned to scream as was made to see the actsdo ne by the man she loved.

And then to Arnav's horror, he saw the souls of the people he had once destroyed descend upon Khushi while he stood rooted in horror.

Each one of them making her see what had happened to them and the tears flowed from her eyes , each one of them carved their names into her skin as blood seeped through the wounds they made.

Arnav wanted to cross the fire and tear every single one of them away from her body but he dared not to, Elissa had warned him of the consequences, even the mere thought of doing so was forbidden to him and so his soul was staked through, the blinding pain consumed him , making even death look easy , paling it in comparison to the torture of living through agony such as this !

When the deceased souls of men women children and every other life form left Khushi, all Arnav could see was a bleeding mass of flesh whilst her face stood clear, the pain in her eyes was enough to kill anyone who had to witness it but the worst was yet to come , something for which Arnav was totally unprepared !!

Their world changed , they were in a land that they  could barely recognise but what shocked them was the2 people whom they saw right in front of them , it was Arnav & Khushi themselves but they both looked different, they looked breathtakingly beautiful and divine, pure and untouched , they looked royal !!

But most importantly they were in love , truly deeply madly in love with each other !!

But then the scene changed and they saw a wild fear stricken Khushi running as fast as she could, Arnav was right behind her, beseeching her to stop but she didn't slow down her pace, she ran till she reached the very precipice of the high mountains of  Nysa and then she turned around to look at Arnav who watched her with fear , calling out to her ...

"Khushi , princess , please come back !!

Don't take your eyes away from me Khushi , look into my eyes, you can see the love  !!

Nothing had changed and it will never change , you are as pure as you were when we first fell in love and I need you today as much as I have always yearned for you !!

Please my queen , come back to me !! "

Pleaded Arnav but Khushi appeared to not  hear him , her eyes never leaving his , she whispered out her last words ,

" I love You Arnav & I will meet you again when I am born worthy of you once again !! "

And with those last words, her eyes still on Arnav, she let herself fall over the cliff into the never ending darkness waiting for her while Arnav screamed in agony , trying to reach out for her , the pain blinding him , tearing through his heart , knowing that he had lost her forever !!

And as they scene unfolded , the Arnav& Khushi of the present felt their world reeling !!

Arnav screamed out in agony, he couldn't bear the whipping through his body and soul, the doomed cries of Arnav and the final confession by his princess Khushi  swirled like a thunderstorm through his soul , Khushi as lay upon the roses gave herself up completely to the pain which she knew would would never stop now.

The roses had gone drenched in blood while the pain of the destroyed lovers ravaged them both, the fire started to blow down in intensity, the world returned to normalcy, as the lovers lay writhing in agony , unable to reach other !!

Elissa & Dayeus appeared , at first just mere outlines in the dark and then they arrived , to see the 2 souls as they lay broken and ripped !!

Elissa knelt gently beside Arnav and spoke to him ...

"Its over Arnav, look at Khushi, take her in your arms and bring her back to life !!

Only you can do it and until you both heal, not a soul will disturb you !!

Go now Prince , go get your woman !!

Because you both were born again so that you could claim each other forever, never to be separated , not even by death !! "

Arnav looked at Elissa for once and then he ran into the ring of fire where Khushi lay drenched in blood, he lifted her into arms , taking care not to strain her body and he walked away with her, not knowing where to he was heading but he walked with her in his arms, their hearts guiding him.

SS My Heart Is Yours - Part 5

Hola Peeps 

Okay so this week as promised , its MHIY anf LIDV updates  now when it comes to this SS, its not just a HM SS of Arhi, I have loads planned for this one, HM symbolises the start of a couple's journey together in marital bliss, romance is there all around but its also about discovering each other, and so along with a lot of romance , there will be a lot of insightful moments into their life in this one, ASR isnt merely KKGSR's hubby and same goes for Khushi,she  isnt Mrs.ASR alone, she is Mrs,Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada and true to her name she will have an identity of her own, and her husband will be there with her at every step as she discovers the world in her own style and so will ASR, who with his wife will enjoy everything that he missed out on throughout his life !! 

this update is specially for Ananya ( Cherrybloom ) & Manal ( fireball , the banner is just wow !! ) 

Arnav broke apart from the kiss a few minutes after the flight had taken off , leaving an absolutely breathless Khushi blushing to her roots , Arnav winked at her before pulling the curtains aside to show her that they had already taken off, making Khushi gasp !

" Dammit I missed the take  off !! " cursed Khushi as she rounded on her husband who was grinning at her ,

"you always do this Arnav ! you always distract me and I keep missing out things I wanted to see " pouted Khushi as Arnav looked at her amused , he tucked away a loose strand on her forhead as he pulled her closer ,

" Is it my fault Khushi that you always loose track of your surroundings when I am around ??? " asked Arnav , putting up his I am innocent baby face which he knew would further instigate Khushi  who had aptly turned red as she heard her husband.

"Is that even a question Arnav ?? each time you ... " Khushi trailed off as she realised with a jolt what she was about to say and quickly turned her head away but Arnav wouldn't let his wife shy away from him , he turned her around to face him , cupping her face in his palms ,

"each time what Khushi ?? Dont hold back princess , Tell me .. what do I make you feel ?? " asked Arnav while Khushi lost herself once again in his molten pools , how could she resist a request from Arnav ? She could never shy away from anything when it came to him ,

" Each time you are near ..

Each time you come close ..

Each time you touch me ..

When you are around ... I forget everything and everyone else in our world Arnav , its only you that I can see , you that I can feel , and I have no complaints Arnav , I might tease you but the truth is that, to be with you , I can miss out on everything else, nothing keeps me happy more than spending time with you and thats all that matters !! "  came out Khushi's soft but clear reply which didn't fail to overwhelm Arnav who immediately crushed her into his arms !!

Whispering  words of love and a lifetime of promises he held her close for a while before he eventually pulled away , deciding to introduce Khushi to the world of luxurious flying , they spend a good while of time gazing out of the windows to watch the clouds drift by , Khushi watching them like an excited child, it was hard not to believe that they weren't flying towards heaven, flying through clouds , surrounded from all sides by nothing but the blue sky, it felt like a whole new different world !!

Suddenly the flight jerked and Khushi panicked, she looked at Arnav , fear- stricken , seeking out his assurance , just then the flight dropped altitude yet again but Arnav pulled her close, he immediately fastened the seat belt around her firmly and then did his own and held her close while caressing her back , slowly drawing circles on her back as he tried to soothe her tension ,

The flight was losing altitude bit by bit but Arnav who was a frequent flyer immediately guessed the problem as Khushi turned to him ,

"What is it Arnav ??

why are we losing height ??

why is the flight going down ???

Are we going to crash ??  " Khushi questions were never ending but Arnav placed his fingers on her lips ,

"Ssshh Jaan , please relax, nothing is going to happen and we are definitely not going to die !!

This is quite common while flying Khushi, its caused by bad weather, the flight at times because of bad weather conditions will fall into air pockets, which causes turbulence in the flight , causing it to shake and loose altitude !!

Soon the pilot will be notifying the passengers about it and all we have to do is fasten our seat belts so that we don't loose balance because of all the shaking !!

And in some cases , people feel like they are about to throw up but thats all Khushi , there is no need for you to worry !!  " assured Arnav as he held her close as she visibly relaxed in his arms.

Soon the flight became stable once more as the outside weather got better , Arnav had taken the menu card and handed it over to Khushi , explaining her about the various delicacies available, Khushi scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion ,

"Arnav , I often wonder, all the 5-star hotels in our country , such flights , now if we take this flight for example, its taken off from India, the flight carries mostly Indian passengers and yet most of the food items in their menu are all international cuisines !!

Why is it so ?? why are they so reluctant to serve us Indian food ??

If we were someplace else, I would have understood but in a flight full of India travellers thats taken off from Delhi and yet we are served foreign dishes !! Why ??

Is our culture and tastes too mediocre in comparison to the rest of the world ?? " 

Khushi innocent yet thought provoking question left Arnav speechless !!

He knew she had raised a very valid topic, he himself had never really taken notice of it , having done his university education from Harvard and having travelled places all around the globe thanks to the globetrotting nature of his job , he had never been really affected by such thoughts but his innocent little angel had noticed and he knew why it had been brought into her attention.

Khushi being raised in a middle class atmosphere , in simple surroundings, he knew it had taken a lot of time for her to adjust into his world of exterior sophistication , his job , his working style and pattern , it was all new to her and yet with time she had moulded really well !!

She had realised that despite all the wealth and power, her husband was still as much Indian as she was, deeply rooted in his culture, true that he had never believed in love and marriage before she came into his life but for him , his family always came first , his heart despite his hard demeanour had always been delicate and sensitive when it came to his family and Khushi had understood him for what he was !!

If ASR, the powerful enigmatic business man was as he is known to the world , then Khushi had also discovered the Arnav hidden inside him and she had loved and accepted Arnav & ASR equally, she had accepted both the shades of his heart in a way no one else ever could !

He looked at Khushi who waiting for him to speak ,

" Khushi , if someone had asked me this question before you walked into my life, I would have ignored it , wouldn't have bothered to even think about it !!

But you have unlocked my heart Khushi , ASR has always been alive but Arnav was hidden in the deep dark corners of my heart and its you who made Arnav feel alive again.

You discovered the Arnav who years to love from his heart and its from that heart I am speaking love.

You are right, Indian culture is often treated as an amusement by the world today , our country is considered as a place where foreigners come for vacations and they ogle at us and our customs as though its something primitive and from another era.

Everything about us , is treated as a rarity , like it can only be seen here and not anywhere else.

But thats not true sweetheart, like any other nation , we have our unique culture but the image of our nation as propagated by the world is such that , we aren't people who should be made a model off, we are treated mostly like a tourist attraction !!

And this is a reason why I fight so hard to establish AR as a solely Indian company in the world of fashion , no collaborations with foreign brands. Everything that we do , it should be purely on our talent and merit , as much as we release new collection every year for every season, I also make it a point that our Indian  heritage is also given equal importance in our collections !!

But not everyone feels so Khushi, majority of the Indians are only too happy to shed their tag of being Indian and embrace a new culture , purely because it makes them part of a superior and better developed society.

What they forget is that , the developed countries we see today , they were all once like us , and soon India will also spread its wings and carve out its own unique identity in the global map !!

But till then this sad plight will continue where Indians themselves will fixate themselves to everything foreign whilst they could have treasured their own culture which is as beautiful as any other culture in this world !! "

Khushi had been listening to her husband in rapt attention, his every word leaving a profound sense of understanding, she had thought that her question had been a simple one but the answer it gave her was something she knew she wouldn't be able to understand very soon. The world was much more complicated that she thought, it was a double edged sword and she knew that she was very lucky that she had her Arnav to guide her through the darkness, to make her understand the complexities of a life that she had imagined to be plain and simple. She cuddled closer into his arms , her face close , her breathing sending warm air blowing onto his neck , she whispered softly ..

" Arnav , I am not sure I will ever understand or perceive the world as you do, its so complicated and I don't understand how people can live forgetting their own roots and culture,

the place where they were born ,

the place where they grew up ,

the place that shaped them as they are today ,

How can they just leave behind all that and adopt an entire new world as their own ??

Isnt that a lie in itself ??

Leaving behind your real identity and adopting some other identity which no matter how hard you try will never be fully yours !!

This world can be crazy at times and I am not sure I want to be part of that craziness Arnav !!

My world is all  about you Arnav , you and me together forever , in this life and for all our coming births , our children, our families, thats all that matters to me !!

Aap Mein Aur Hamaari Chotti Si Duniya !! ""

 

( PIC credit to Manal ) 

Arnav held his princess unbelievably tight in his arms as the words poured out , the purity of her love and emotions astounding him all over again, she was infinitely precious to him and he promised himself that he would always treasure her , cherish her, always ensure her happiness before everything else in his life.

He looked deep into her eyes .. his love for her

as deep as the calmness of the oceans,

as fierce as the raging volcanoes of the universe,

as passionate as the rays of light powered by the blazing sun ,

as tender as the stars of the night sky,

as pure as the beauty of mother nature,

as raw as the earthy essence of the primal man who loves his woman with every fibre, every cell , every beat of his heart.

"I promise You Khushi, you and me , hamesha and forever !! "

SS Faltering Footsteps-Boojh - Part 4 ( by me )

As Arnav walked out with Khushi and Anjali, there was nothing his mother could do to hold her son back or stop her daughter from leaving. It was only Khushi who turned to look at her, her eyes trying to reach out to her but it was in vain, she didn't have a place in her mother in law's heart who turned her head away when she saw Khushi looking at her.

Months passed, they had moved into a house close to Arnav's workplace. Khushi was nearly 6 months pregnant and she had never been happier in her life. Arnav apart from being the doting husband was also on his way to being the best father in the world. Most days he worked from home, only going to the office if it was absolutely necessary, most of his time was spend around his wife, their baby and his sister.

Anjali though initially shattered at what her future in laws had done, soon grew out of it. She could see the evil in the family and she thanked the Gods' that she had never been married into a family where she would have faced hell while her husband watched in silence. It took her time to forget the ordeal but with a brother like Arnav and a sister - in - law like Khushi, she couldn't be sad for too long.

For instance, the thing that kept Anjali on her toes was that she was soon going to be a Bua, she was only too happy about the baby and if not just Arnav, then Khushi had her Nanad hovering over her 24/7 and Khushi wasn't complaining. Over the months, the Bhabhi-Nanad duo had bonded really well. Anjali had found a true friend in Khushi, who in turn found her best confidante in Anjali.

Throughout this period, Arnav's mother tried her best to contact him but he remained as remote as ever and each time Khushi tried to broach the topic with him, he refused to even talk. As far as he was concerned, he had no mother, as much as it hurt him to forget his mother whom he had once loved so much, the wounds that she left in his heart ran too deep.

Even now Arnav woke up in the middle of the night, sweating, jerking awake from nightmares, where all he could hear was the loud wail of a baby, and he would wake up, his face tear stained as he thought of his unborn child whom his mother had mercilessly killed!

Khushi would hold him as the pain over their lost princess shook them, making their resolve harder that this time they would never let anything happen to their baby!

One day Anjali and Khushi were at the mandir, after the aarti. As they were about to leave, they ran into Arnav's mother who seemed positively delighted to see Anjali but she blatantly ignored Khushi as  though she were an invisible wall!

Anjali ... My child! How are you princess?' wept her mother as she tried to reach out for Anjali who immediately pulled away.

Her mother looked at her beseechingly.

Why are you angry at me Anjali ? What did I do to you that you don't even want to meet your mother ?' 

Anjali gave a cold stare to her mother who still hadn't taken the courtesy to at least acknowledge Khushi.

Do you see this woman standing next to me Ma? She is your Bahu, the one who will bear your son's children, who will eventually carry our family name! She is your daughter too and she is pregnant with your son's baby. She is in a stage of her life where she needs a mother's love the most and you don't even consider her existence! I am shocked mother; you killed my brother's first child because it was going to be a girl?! A girl Ma, just like me, your Anjali, could you bear it if your mother - in - law had killed me off while I was still inside you? And you killed away my niece?  If not for you Ma, Bhai and Bhabhi would have been parents to a beautiful princess, you would have been a Dadi and me a Bua, so much happiness and you snatched it all away! You yourself are a woman and yet you killed a girl! Bhai is right; we are the unluckiest children because we were born of a mother like you! Don't wait for me or Bhai. We are happy in our lives today. And you will be welcome in our lives on the day when you can accept my Bhabhi and her kids, whether they are a boy or girl!'

 Khushi watched her in stunned shock, Anjali who had always been gentle and caring to everyone had spoken out to her mother whom she adored and respected. She could do nothing to stop her, she knew her words would hurt her mother -in-law to no ends and she didn't want that.

Anjali may not have noticed in her anger but Khushi did, the old lady looked really tired and weak, her eyes were sagging, her body looking fragile, there were worry lines on her forehead, the sparkle had vanished from her eyes and Khushi couldn't bear it, after all she was her husband's mother. Someone she had loved like her own. But Anjali didn't care and she didn't stop.

For what you did Ma, I suffered. I would have got in laws who are exactly like you in their thought process and today I am happy that I didn't get married off into such a family. My Bhabhi at least had Bhai who fought for her when he heard the crimes done to her. Not all women are blessed to get a husband like that! You should be jailed Ma, for what you did. Consider it as Bhai's charity to you that you are still walking free! You haven't seen his pain, you haven't seen Bhabhi's pain---Have you? The pain of losing their child! No matter what you do Ma, you will never be able to make up for your sins!'

Anjali caught hold of Khushi and led her out while her mother stood silent, her tears unable to be controlled, but her anger towards Khushi didn't abate , she couldn't see the truth even then.

One day Anjali, you will realise that a girl child is always a burden while a son is a blessing and that day you will return, not just you, even Arnav!' thought the woman as she prayed for her children's happiness and left the temple!

Meanwhile back at home, Khushi tried her best to talk to Anjali who didn't want to discuss the topic at all. Arnav was home after an important meeting and Anjali related everything that had happened at the mandir, he listened to them, his face devoid of any emotion at the mention of his mother's name. He hugged his sister close as he heard from Khushi how Anjali had spoken to his mother!

Later Anjali left them alone for a while as she went to meet Manas, a friend of Arnav and business partner. Manas had liked Anjali at first sight and had sought her out to Arnav who told him that it was all Anjali's decision. They had go on a few dates and things were going pretty well between them and if all worked out then Anjali would soon find her own happiness. But nevertheless, she had told her brother that even if she was settling for Manas, it would only be after Khushi had given birth, she didn't want to miss out on any detail of the baby's birth and Arnav had readily agreed.

As the months passed, happiness seemed to never leave their lives as Khushi neared her delivery date. Their baby was living and kicking and Anjali and Arnav were there with Khushi to experience the baby's every heartbeat!

Meanwhile Anjali and Manas had decided to get married. The date was to be fixed after Khushi had given birth. Arnav and Khushi had met Manas and his family who had welcomed Anjali like their own daughter. In fact Manas's mother loved Khushi as well and she was the one taking care of everything that Khushi would need as the due date came close.

And now the day had arrived, the day that Arnav and Khushi had long been waiting---

SS Faltering Footsteps-Boojh - Part 3 ( by Jenna )

Arnav's mother was seething. All she could see was a haze of red in front of her eyes. How dare that girl tell Arnav everything? How dare she? She had become braver and she had to put an end to that soon. But before she could start thinking of how to get back into Arnav's good books a loud yell bought her out of her reverie.

Racing to the main room to try and locate the source of the scream Arnav's mother's feet almost gave way as she saw her young daughter collapsed on the floor howling with the tears falling. She saw Khushi on the floor with her comforting her whilst Arnav stood seething beside them.

What happened Anjali why are you crying?'

Mama that was Rohit's family. They said that they are calling the wedding off'

But why is Rohit cancelling it when he himself proposed to you?'

Mama Rohit's mum had come over last weekend and asked me to go out with her. No one was home and I thought that you would have agreed so I went along with her. She took me to the hospital and told me that they just wanted to do a normal check up on me because it was his father's wish. She had also told me that every other daughter in law in their family had done this too so I should not feel scared. So I agreed. But she just called me now and said that they had done a fertility test on me to see how fertile I was. The test results showed that I have a low ovarian count meaning that the chances of me ever becoming a mother are very low if nothing nil. So now she is saying because of that she does not want her son to marry me. Mama, do something please? I love Rohit I don't think I can exist without him. Please Mama?'

Arnav's mother was seething once more.

How dare that woman, conduct a fertility test on my daughter?! Who does she think she is? Get me the phone I will call her and give her a piece of my mind right now!'

Mama with what right are you going to call them? You also did the same thing to Khushi and when you found that she was not having a boy you killed our baby. Never did you think that she too was someone's daughter. When it's your daughter then it's a problem but when it's someone else's then it is fine? What kind of rule is that?'

I don't care to listen to this right now Arnav. My daughter is laying there because her heart is broken I need to fix this, so just shut up!' Said his mother making a move to grab the phone from Anjali, who, still had it cradled in her lap.

Once she had the phone she proceeded to dial the number for Rohit's house only to have the phone yanked out of her grip. She watched as Arnav harshly took the phone and smashed it to the floor.

Oh so it's okay for you to fix one daughter's problem, but you could not feel the pain of another daughter you had? Though she has the phrase in law attached to it she is still a daughter to you! You didn't seem to think twice when you got that daughter's baby killed! Its women like you that deserve to stay childless!'

To hell with you right now Arnav can't you see your sister is upset right now?! Instead of giving me this lecture why don't you try to fix this?'

Mama I can't fix. You know why? Because Anjali is paying the price for what you did!'

Arnav was about to say something more when a light touch on his shoulder made him stop.

I know that you are upset right now but we need to fix this. Our little sister needs us'

Khushi help Anjali and pack her bags alongside ours. I can't stay here a second longer. I can't say in the presence of a woman that differentiates between daughters and daughter in laws. And don't you dare try to argue with me or try to convince my mind. Just do as I say Khushi. I can't stay in a house with a woman that does not respect my wife.

And turning to his mother he said You know today for the first time in my life I am feeling regret that of all the women in the world it was you who bore me and gave me life'

And having said that Arnav left the room leaving his shell shocked mother rooted to the spot...