FF Love In Death Valley - Part 10

Hola 

Back with an update to LIDV   and i promise u its a totally Arhilicious update !!  

Tina & Satina ... a million hugs to both of u for this banner 

This update is specially for both of u !!  

Happy Reading !! 

Elissa watched as Arnav took Khushi away, she turned to Dayeus , "Watch over them .. guard them  and make sure they aren't  discovered by anyone who shouldn't see them. "

Dayeus acknowledged her command and walked away without  a word whilst Elissa closed her eyes, her heart a little at  peace , Arnav& Khushi had survived the test, and now the truth of their past lives awaited them but that could wait, they needed  to heal first.

Meanwhile Arnav walked unaware of his destination,

all he knew and felt  was the woman in his arms...

her faint heartbeat...

her weak pulse ...

the blood dropping like pellets in the rain ...

He walked on and realised that he was at the very entrance of the cave that Khushi had led him to long back and without  a second  thought  he walked in. Dayeus watched them enter , he knew they had to  be concealed as long as they desired , he closed his eyes , his lips uttering  a few enchantments  under his breath lest the wrong ears pick them up and as he opened his eyes he saw the cave getting enmeshed by mother nature, her beauty forming a protective armour over the haven where the lovers unknown to evil eyes of the world now lay.

Arnav placed her down gently onto the floor , she still hadnt opened her eyes, hot tears threatened to spill out as  he saw her many wounds. He knelt down beside her and gently caressed her face and bending slightly , he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

Moving away slightly he started to peel off the blood stained clothes that covered her, slowly taking away the blood drenched  rags,he discarded them and as he looked at Khushi, all he could see were the many wounds that had marked her body, her pearl white skin looked ravaged and torn. But Elissa had made sure that everything that Arnav would need to heal Khushi could be found within the cave, as he looked around  his eyes spotted a rivulet of water running  within  the cave, and a small pile of soft clean clothes were placed  in another corner, he took one of the white cloth and filled a bowel with water and went  over to where Khushi  lay,

Slowly lifting her head,he moved her huge mass of silky tresses to one side and cradled her face inh is arms, taking the cloth and dipping it in the water, he slowly started cleaning  her, his fingers moving over  her as delicate as a feather's caress. He removed the train of blood from her face and then moved  to her torso , supporting her gently  in his arms, he cleaned every inch of  her body, Khushi though unconscious could feel Arnav's bleeding heart , his silent cries asking her to open her eyes and look at him but the pain  in her body didn't let her come back  to her soulmate,she felt tied down ... trapped in the pain that was ravaging her.

Meanwhile his hands moved over  her full breasts , her feminine curves  , over  her waistline , her delicate hands  and dainty fingers,  moving down her love line , his hands reached her feminity, it stilled on its own accord and Arnav  by some divine force  knew then that no man alive must have touched his mate as intimately as he was doing now, a primal  sense of fierce protectiveness tore through his entire being. He cleansed her entire body of all the blood and it wasn't just about cleaning her of all the blood she had shed, Arnav had washed away the remnants of the sins of the darkness that had been overshadowing them from the times they were born to exist and whilst all this not even once did Arnav feel lust power through his senses, he had seen her bare , he had seen all of her but he could never bring himself to take her body as she lay unconscious in his arms, her pain was ravaging him and he knew his suffering would end only the moment she opened her eyes.

He continued cleaning her and then once he was satisfied that her body was as pure as it had always been , his eyes saw the soft pearly white cloth laying close by and he took it and covered her wholly. And Khushi now resembled a pure angel that she was as she lay asleep with her prince watching over her. As Arnav kept wondering on how to heal the open wounds from where he had removed the blood his eyes spotted the pot of broth that was placed in the cave and he right then knew that Elissa and Dayeus were protecting them even while giving them their privacy.

And he trusted them enough to know that broth would heal Khushi,yet he would never take any chances when it came to the safety of his princess and so he took a mouthful of the broth first for himself to see if it would do any harm to him and after a few minutes knowing that he was still safe he took it and spooned little mouthfuls into her lips, gently parting it and letting it seep down her throat , in between he placed slight kisses on her face and lips , moving to the wounds in her hands kissing each one of them, he then removed the cloth covering her and placed his lips on each and every wound in her body and Khushi felt him !

She felt his lips kissing every single wound that had marked her, turning them into a caress of love and passion , she could feel life slowly returning into her nerve centres and she only wished for one thing, that she be alone with Arnav when she opened her eyes, his touch was setting blaze to a new kind of inferno in her body scorching the depths of her soul, an inferno that she knew would take her and Arnav into a world of their own !

Meanwhile Arnav knowing that Khushi would find herself bare in front of his eyes as she regained her senses decided to show her that he was her equal in every manner, and so he shed his own clothes and joined her , skin to skin as he lay next to her watching her heal, his fingers caressed her face as he gently bent to place his lips over hers, slowly taking her lips into a soul wrecking kiss, she could feel it burn her, his lips parting the seam of her mouth and invading her deep caverns, ravaging her , pouring out all the angst of the last few hours into it as he plundered her very depths , his hands holding her against him protectively.

His lips whispering just for her to hear ...

" Khushi , wake up for me love ,

we endured the trial together..

we burned together ...

I watched the darkness in my life rip through every single cell of your being ...

If you died in there then I died a million deaths watching you burn ...

I feel all alone Khushi  ... Having you so close but seeing you lie as though dead is ripping me apart.

Open your eyes love ... talk to me.

Let me heal you .. let us heal each other.

My heart wants to love you Khushi and I want you to feel everything single touch and caress and whisper as I love you.

Come back Khushi.

Come back to your love .

Come back to our world. "

And he kissed her , Khushi felt her heart fluttering as he loved her and she opened her eyes and all she saw was Arnav , his eyes closed as he continued to kiss her.

Arnav felt himself halt in his pace as he felt her hands creeping onto his back , as her fingers sank into the depths of his carefree locks of hair as her tongue responded back to his kiss, his eyes snapped open to see Khushi gazing at him , her eyes locked onto his as she loved him back.

He moaned out as he followed her heart's beckoning as he kissed her back, his heart bursting with happiness , knowing that Khushi was alive in his arms, kissing him with the same fervour with which he devoured her.

Minutes that seemed like eons later they broke apart from the dire need to breathe , their foreheads  resting on each other. Arnav breathed out her name, his words coming in a rush,

" Khushi you are really here !!

And I almost died waiting for you to come back.

Died watching you writh in agony ... "

He caressed her face , showered her face and hands with kisses as Khushi clung to him.

She held him close , assuring him of her presence, " I am here Arnav and I would never leave you ... again !! "

And thats when the memories that stood out so vivid during their trial came back to haunt them , Arnav looked at her, his brow creasing in confusion ,

" did we know each other before Khushi ??

Were we already lovers ???

Then what tore us apart ???

Why did you run ??

Why did you plunge yourself into the waiting hands of death ?? "

Khushi sighed at the onslaught of his questions , even she was as clueless as he was, she held him closed as she buried her head into the crook of his neck ,

" Hush Arnav , even I don't know , I don't know why I killed myself.

Why did I end my life.

Why did I tear myself away from you ?

Why did fates drive us away ?

And why we are reborn now ??

What the Gods have planned for us and how it links us to Nysa .. I do not know !

But ...

Elissa knows and only she will be able to answer us !! "

Arnav broke in gently , "you are right love , Elissa and Dayeus knows but right now I don't want to know anything !!

Right now all I want is to be with you , rest we can deal with it later, the Gods waited for us this long, let them wait a little more, I need my woman now , all I need is the woman I love in my arms, to know that she is alive and safe in my heart.

Seems like I lost you once , so this time I am going to make sure that nothing or no one gets to take you away from me !! "

Khushi felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Arnav had spoken her heart, she wanted nothing more than to be with him for now, she had always been a woman in control of her life from the day she knew what her life meant to the world but today she wanted to let it all go, she was after all with the man for whom she born and so now she wanted to be his mate , his lover and nothing beyond that.

Rest of the world could wait.

She caressed his face gently, tracing the creases on his forehead, willing them to relax, " you are right Arnav, the world can wait but I cant anymore.

I have always wanted to belong to you and now I do belong to you and I am not going to let anyone steal this moment away from us. "

And as she said those words, she realised the reality that they were both bare, her hands moved over his sculpted warrior like body , feeling every niche and crevice and Arnav was suddenly aware of their nude state, he was worried that she would feel betrayed that he had lain her bare for his eyes without her permission, his eyes conveyed his fears as he looked at her ,

 " No Khushi .. I didn't .. I would never !! "

And Khushi sensed his fear, she knew what he was trying to tell her , she looked at him , her gaze steady and passionate ,

" I know you didn't Arnav, I know you never would steal the moment while I slept !

Its for both of us to feel Arnav & Khushi becoming one forever.

And now I do want it ..

before all the evil descends upon us to try and tear us apart,

before Death Valley fights us as we bring back Nysa,

before everything else falls into place,

before every other wrong that we set right ...

I want to be one with you.

Mark me as your woman Arnav.

Let the Gods in the High Heavens and all the living souls and beasts of the earth know that Arnav & Khushi are one forever .. that we belong to each other.

Join us in the primal way a man claims his woman.

Nature's most beautiful gift to humans , this should have happened already in our previous births but fates dealt cruelly but not again will they thwart us or our love.

The world will know our union, the tremors will be felt everywhere, some will rejoice, some will hear the gong of their own doom being set off, the world will change forever after this night. "

Arnav stared at Khushi as the implications of her words set in , he was born and raised unaware of the existence of the feminine race and yet as he held her in his arms, the woman he loved lying bare for her, he suddenly knew everything that he had to know, it was an innate sense calling out to him, something that he didn't need to be taught, the ultimate natural act of love and Arnav didn't feel the need to be taught.

He was a man possessed with the love and need to join himself body heart and soul with the woman he loved and he would do exactly that.

He cupped her cheeks in his palm ... holding her face close as he locked his eyes with hers,

" I love you & will love you for eternity and the world better get used to it. "  

OS Harvard Meets Khushi's Arnav

Hola #Arshians #IPKKNDians #Sarunians 

Happy Dhanteras 

Happy Diwali in advance !! 

This OS is specially dedicated to a lot of special ones in my life  

First of all I want to thank everyone in this forum who have supported me in my writing  winning the award for the best inspirational story in the IF FF awards was a real honour , something truly special for me as a writer , my first win ever in writing and that too on Arshi 

This means a lot to me and want to tell u all that I love you and this OS is dedicated to each and every friend of mine in this fandom !!  wont take any names coz u all know who u are to me 

moving on , the idea for this OS came to me while having a crazy chat with Prof.Moody aka my very own Pallu so this one is specially for her too  

Banner credit to Fari and I wouldnt want anyone to make this one for me coz she was the one in my mind when this idea popped !! 

Special mention for a lil angel named Anayah  she is part of this story as well !! 

Also dedicated to Ananya who is celebrating her bday, I know it isnt a great time for u sweetie but I hope u find your happiness again and I hope this OS cheers u up a bit someday soon when u come back !! 

okays , enough of my rant but I have one more important note to add, I have my exams from Nov6th to Nov12th so its prep time for me, so regular updates of my works will only be after the 12th of this month ! 

Sorry for the hold up folks, but my exams are literally driving me crazy ! 

Anyways hope u all enjoy this OS !!  

Happy Reading !! 

Arnav had just finished his first meeting of the day when he saw Khushi walking in, her face bubbling with excitement, unable to fathom the reason behind her smile, he made his way down to meet her amidst all the people who worked under him, the urgency in his gait not missing any of their attention, to them ASR  was terrifying overlord of AR, the man who ran his domain with ruthless skill and powerful business mastery, and despite the fact that it had been almost 4 years since their boss had got married to the demure angel Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada, they still couldn't come to terms with the drastic change in ASR's demeanour when his wife was with him.

The change was too visible and welcoming to ignore, to the world he was ASR but to his wife and family, he was just Arnav and his wife was his world, the woman who lived in his heart, the one who brought out the human inside the breathing walking machine called ASR.

And now as he headed out to meet his wife , a smile on his face that came from the very depths of his soul, he was oblivious to the as always astonished expressions of his employees, when Khushi was with him, the rest of the world lay forgotten, he was nothing but a doting husband who loved his wife deeply.

As soon as he reached her, he took her into his arms while his wife beamed at him, Arnav slightly pecked her on her lips uncaring of the collective shudder than ran through the room, Khushi who during the initial years of their marriage had been very shy about her husband's gestures in public had now grown to enjoy it as much as his lethal passion behind the closed doors of their bedroom.

She hugged him , her head resting over his beating heart while Arnav whispered to her,

"What is it Khushi ??

My princess seem to be bubbling with happiness, whats up ?? "

Khushi smiled at him, her husband could read her like a book , " I have some good news Arnav, lets go up to your cabin and I will explain, you wont believe what just happened !! "

Now eager to share his wife's happiness, he took her in quickly while his staff seemed to have gone paralysed in astonishment, Aman .. ASR's right hand who wasn't new to this phenomenon brought them back to their sense and ordered them to get back to work, and it was business as usual in AR again, but each had a silent prayer in their hearts, that Mr & Mrs ASR always remain happy and in love for the rest of their lives, not even the jealous models in AR could help but love Khushi though they never showed it, she had a heart that could win over anyone who knew her, and ASR despite being iron-clad in his treatment had a heart of gold, and he never let any of his hardworking employees face any problems as long as he was around to help them.

Meanwhile inside his cabin, Arnav was seated on the couch with his wife in his lap, he placed a sift kiss on her shoulders before turning her to face him ,

"kill the suspense Khushi, tell me what my wife has in mind !! "

In response Khushi dropped an envelope into his hands and beckoned him to read it , she waited patiently as he opened the letter and read the contents, his expression going from curiosity to a growing sense of dread at what was about to come , he could never understand the twisted workings of fate !!

He looked up to see Khushi's face shining in excitement and he knew he would do anything to keep that smile of hers in place but this was going to be real torture !!

Khushi clapped her hands as she continued ,

"Can you believe it Arnav ??

Just a few days back I was telling you how much I wanted to meet your friends from your university and see how Devi- Maiyya answered my prayers !!

Your Harvard batch is having a reunion and they have decided to hold it right here in Delhi, I couldn't believe my luck when this came in the mail !!

Imagine how exciting will it be to see your friends once again ??

To talk how your lives have been since you parted !!

We are going for it and no excuses okay ?? "

Arnav groaned inwardly at the very thought, how he wish he could tell her what his university friends were like !!

Spoilt rich brats, who had never had to drop a sweat for anything in their lives, bitchy girls, boys who were nothing more than broiled chickens !!

They weren't what his innocent Khushi imagined them to be, his college mates weren't exactly the kind of people you call NICE !

He had hardly had any friends, all were mere acquaintances, people who held onto him because it was good for their stature to be seen with the most attractive dashing and outstanding student of their batch, brains that could beat anyone in Harvard with looks that could kill to boot !!

But he knew there was no point in trying to deter his wife, if he was ASR then Mrs.ASR was an equal match and he knew he would have to let Khushi learn it firsthand what his so called friends could be like and they wouldn't dare hurt her because no one dared to mess with ASR or anyone from his life, they knew the price to  be paid will be terrible , besides it would be fun to see Khushi showing the brats of his batch a lesson on how to be human for once  !

And so he reluctantly agreed, the reunion was within a week, and the day arrived pretty fast, set in one of Delhi's luxurious hotels, it was a garden party, Khushi was clad in a bottle green net saree that he had specially designed for her but the surprise factor was Arnav, he had shed his usual 3 piece for Khushi's favourite attire, a pearl white kurta with complimenting black pants, ASR had taken a total U-Turn and turned into Khushi's Arnav !

And as they arrived onto the arena, before getting out of the car, Arnav turned to his wife and cupped her face in his hands, he gently kissed her before whispering into her ears, "don't be disappointed with the people you meet or their attitude, no matter what, remember you have your husband watching out for you. I am telling you this because I don't think you are going to like what you are about to see Khushi "

Khushi assured him with a tight hug, " Dont worry Arnav, I know its not a rosy picture as I tried to paint in my head, I could see the irritation in your eyes when you saw the invitation and I know you are doing this for me, but this is for you Arnav, the people who thought they knew you, its time they know the REAL you. "

Arnav was momentarily shocked, but he could see an entertaining evening ahead with Khushi's little game taking a full picture in his head and he smiled as he stepped out and held her hand in his as they walked to their destination.

Meanwhile inside , the party was raging in its full momentum as everyone boasted of their apparently exotic lives, in particular was a group who seemed to be having a lot of fun mocking the rest of the people in the party ,

"So what do you think fellas .. Is ASR going to show up ??

Isnt he a fashion tycoon now ??

So maybe he will show up with a hot model of his ?? " said Ronit, a guy who looked like a walking tribute to all the famous brands in the world.

Vicky laughed out loud, as usual, it was his second nature to support Ronit in whatever trash he said, "Of course Ronit, he is bound to ..after all who wouldn't bring along an arm candy to a place where you know you are bound to draw attention !! "

Just then  a hush fell over the crowd and everyone's eyes zoned onto the couple who had just entered, As Arnav & Khushi walked in, it was as though everyone had been electrocuted, struck mute by the heavenly couple who had just entered.

Finally one of the girls found her voice , "Holy smoke, is that ASR by any chance ?? " while a guy next to her breathed out , "forget ASR, who is that angelic creature next to him ?? It cant be any of his hot shot models, no model dresses so traditionally !! "

Arnav couldn't help but suppress a smirk as he took in his batch mates baffled expressions, while Khushi was bewildered at the sudden silence, she whispered to her husband, "Why is it so silent Arnav ??

Have we entered a funeral venue instead of your reunion party ?? "

It took all his self control to not burst out laughing, suppressing his grin, he answered her .. "Yep Khushi, we are attending a funeral, we have just effectively murdered all the innocent souls in this room !! " replied Arnav as he winked at her while Khushi immediately caught onto his sarcasm.

Meanwhile Akshay and Melanie who was incharge of the party recomposed themselves as they announced the new arrivals,

" And so our final guests for the evening have arrived folks, Arnav Singh Raizada .. One of Harvard's best ever and his gorgeous wife Mrs.Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada !! "

The various expressions that came following the announcement was even more entertaining, women clutched their hearts in shock, some looked like they had sprouted green horns, guys spat out their drinks while some looked like they would never recover from their immobile states !!

ASR and married wasn't an idea anyone could fathom !!

And no one could deny the truth staring at them,

ASR is married and he is in love !!

They could see it in every action of his ...

His smile ... the adoring look in his eyes ... his protective stance around Khushi as he had his arms drapped around her waist, his open laughter as he answered her questions.

They were seeing ASR in a whole new avatar !!

Arnav headed over to Ronit who looked like speech had deserted him for once, Ronit was one of the regulars who hung around Arnav during his university days even though he detested and envied Arnav's popularity !

Arnav knew he had to break the ice since Ronit didn't look like he had got hos voice back yet,

" Long time Ronit " and he addressed Vicky as well "and you too Vicky, I see you two are still seen together !!

Somethings don't change ... do they ?? " He winked at them before introducing Khushi, " Meet my wife Mrs.Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada , am sure you missed out her name when Melanie made the introductions ! "

Ronit and Vicky quickly recovered and held out their hands to Khushi who shocked them even more with a demure smile and a respectful Namaste,

"Namaste Ronitji , and you too Vickyji , its a pleasure to meet Arnav's friends "

Arnav wanted to burst out laughing seeing his friend's revolted expressions , the "JI" added to their names seemed to be killing them, Arnav had made Khushi stop using the Ji when she addressed him because he found it more intimate when Khushi called him Arnav alone and Khushi had slowly grown to love calling him by his name but she still held her formal respect in place while addressing others, it was something typical of the Lucknowi Khushi and Arnav knew it wasn't going to change and he had no issues about it !!

Ronit finally found his voice , "wow ASR, you are married !!

And what are you wearing ?? A kurta !!

I mean since when did you go all ethnic ?? you used to hate them !! "

Arnav smiled at him , " yep Ronit I am married and recently I realised that ethnic makes me look even more sexier than 3 piece suits, to be more precise , my wife think I look hot in these attires and so yep I love them too !! "

People who were listening to them felt for sure that they were hearing an ASR look alike speak , this couldn't be ASR dammit !!

The man they knew to be ASR couldn't be so altered in love !!

A woman pushed her way into their midst, she had been watching the couple ever since they entered, the sight of Khushi nestled in ASR's arms were infuriating her to no ends and she decided to put an end to it, Arnav couldn't help laughing out as he recognised the woman in front of him and she didn't look like she had changed even an ounce over the years.

" ASR ... what a pleasure to meet one of my ex boyfriends !! " slurred the woman who had been heavily drinking as she attempted to hug Arnav who rolled his eyes as he held her at arms distance whilst Khushi flinched , she had been expecting this but even then the idea of women trying to drop into her husband's arms wasn't a welcoming thought !

Arnav turned to Khushi , his gaze reassuring as he made introductions, " Princess meet Esha, the woman who claimed herself to be my girlfriend because it meant she got special attention amongst people who otherwise didn't think of wasting even a penny on her ! "

Esha looked like she had been slapped while the others laughed while Khushi gave her a mild smile,

"Whoa ASR, that was pretty hard on Esha but your sense of humour is a real surprise for us and whats with all the smiles ??

Never seen it before " called out Akshay who had come to join them along with Melanie who also happened to be his wife, Akshay and his wife were the only people Arnav had genuinely liked in his batch, in love from their college days, they were really genuine likable folks.

Khushi smiled at Akshay as she replied " how can my Laad Governor not smile when he is married to the Jalebi Rani of Lucknow ... He has his  Sankadevi to entertain him 24*7 !! "

Akshay & Melanie looked amused to see the adorable angel married to Arnav, they couldn't help loving her, she was like a breath of fresh air in a place otherwise stuffed with sophistication !!

Melanie hugged Khushi  warmly  as Akshay whispered so that only Arnav could hear, "well now I can see why you are head over heels in love over this adorable little angel next to you !! "

Hearing Khushi call Arnav Laad Governor and to see him laugh at it ... the surprises of the evening didn't seem to end.

The evening progressed and Khushi was the center of attraction as everyone wanted to know the woman who had altered ASR beyond their wildest dreams, most of them liked her instantly but there were many who detested her, she was just too simple to their liking !

Vicky turned to Arnav who had his eyes glued on Khushi as she chatted away with Melanie and few other women,

"So its an arranged marriage huh ?? one that you did to keep the family tradition ??

I mean the girl isnt definitely your type , you were never the marriage material at all !!

Let go ASR, you don't have to keep the pretence here, you can be your old self with us !! "

Arnav looked at him , his eyes calm as he surveyed Vickys stupid brains,

"Vicky , stop being as mundane as a troll for once , will you ??

FYI, it wasn't an arranged marriage, it was a love marriage !!

You know ASR already , what you are seeing today is Arnav.

Khushi's Arnav , you better get used to it !! " replied Arnav as he went to join Khushi.

Melanie turned on him as soon as he reached them ,

"what are we hearing ASR ??

You and love marriage ??

You gotta be kidding us !! "

Arnav & Khushi exchanged an amused smile as Arnav nodded in confirmation, he settled down onto a chair and pulled Khushi onto his lap, turned to look at the gaping audience in front of him ,

" Want to hear our love story peeps ??

It can give your Bollywood movies a run for its money !! "

Their onlookers nodded eagerly and Arnav & Khushi related their entire journey, it was reunion time after all , a time to catch up on everyone's lives and ASR and KKG s love story wasn't something you could miss out on !!

Their audience sighed , gasped , laughed, even shed a couple of tears as the events played out, the hate, then the love , the denial , the hate marriage, and eventually their all encompassing love !!

No one missed Arnav's heart wrenching agony or Khushi's selfless love for her husband. Their story was magical and they were coming face to face with the Arnav inside ASR. Someone they had never known till now.

Just then the song changed and Teri-Meri started playing in the background and Arnav's eyes locked with Khushi's as a barrage of memories took over, meanwhile Esha decided to pu an end to all the love overdose she was being treated to,

"come on everyone, on the dance floor, haven't we heard enough of love speeches for a lifetime ??

Time to dance , lets kill the boredom !! " she then turned to Arnav ..

" how about a dance ASR ???

For old times sake ?? "

Melanie laughed out , "oh pls Esha, you have to be joking, ASR never dances !! its hightime you stop falling all over him , its a lost battle already !! "

But Arnav got in , " no Mel , ASR loves to dance !! " as their friends looked surprised, Esha moved forward to take Arnav's hand but he moved back ,

"I said I love to dance Esha but not with you !

I love to dance with my wife !! " he smirked at her as he turned to Khushi , "dance with me Khushi ?? "

Khushi nodded happily as he took her to the dance floor , Teri-Meri was their song and as they looked at each other, the people and all the attention lay forgotten as they danced to a tune their hearts knew too well, memories surrounding them, they danced as though in a dream while the onlookers were stunned by the sheer love and passion the couple shared. It was too magical to be described in words, it could only be felt !!

And as the danced ended, Khushi was nestled in Arnav's arms, their eyes lost in each other , it was only the thunderous applause and the noisy wolf whistling that brought them back to the present !!

Akshay & Melanie were the first to hug them as they got down, Mel s face glowing in happiness, " we are so happy we organised this reunion !!

If we hadn't then we would have missed out your magical love story.

None of us would ever know the real Arnav and his angelic Khushi !!

Seriously this is one reunion that no one is going to forget ASR !! "

The rest of the evening went off quite pleasantly, everyone wanted to know Khushi, and more than that they wanted to understand the real Arnav.

Close to midnight, Khushi got a call on her phone and seeing Anjali's name, she picked it up but Arnav asked her to put it on speakers, which meant the others could hear as well, Arnav mouthed to them that it was his Di and they were all familiar with Arnav's love for his sister.

" Bhabhi, its getting quite late ??

Are you both alright ?? Chottey is with you right , he hasn't left you alone ?? "

Khushi chuckled as Arnav rolled his eyes, trust his Di to think that he wasn't capable of being a responsible husband , the bond his sister and wife shared was a deep close knit one , one where even he had no place !!

" Dont worry Di, Arnav has been with me throughout the evening, we will be leaving in sometime, please don't stay up. "

" Thats okay Bhabhi, you take your time , I just called to know if you both are okay. " replied Anjali.

Arnav broke in , "Di don't wait up, we wont be coming home today, since its weekend, I am planning to spend it at our farmhouse with Khushi, sorry Di,  I forgot to mention it beforehand !! "

Khushi gasped as her husband took over, she was totally unaware of this plan and she wasn't ready to leave their little princess home alone , she stopped him midway ,

"no ways Di , we are coming home, I am not leaving Anayah home alone !! "

Arnav hushed her, "relax Khushi, Di is there with her , and so are Payal Nani Mami Akash NK and Mamaji , our angel will manage without us for a day !!  we will go back tomorrow evening !! "

Khushi tried to argue back but Anjali quieted them both, "hush now you two, Bhabhi you enjoy your weekend , and don't worry about Anayah, we are all here to take care of her , we will make sure she doesn't miss her Mamu and Mami too much and then once you get back , she is all yours !! "

Arnav smiled as he replied , "thanks Di, we will be back by tomorrow evening " !! saying so he disconnected the line before Khushi found something else to flop his plan.

" Calm down Khushi, I just want sometime with you, at home  .. all your attention goes to our family, specially Ana that I never get enough time with you !! " pouted Arnav the doting husband.

The others were watching them with adoring smiles as the in love couple argued away, to Khushi and Arnav, Anjali's little angel Anayah was their world, but Arnav knew that if Ana was around then Khushi would forget everyone else and he wanted his wife's attention too so farmhouse was the solution where no one from their family would come calling for Khushi as was their usual habit, his family couldn't live without Khushi just like him !

Khushi finally gave in, she loved Anayah but she loved spending time with Arnav and he was right, at home it wasn't always easy to find time for each other and so quite frequently, they took small trips during weekends or holidays , just them alone so that they didn't miss out on each other.

And so the party soon elapsed and everyone went their separate ways, but one thing had changed, most of them left only after promising Khushi that they would soon be visiting her and her prince charming at their home. They just couldn't get enough of her and her zesty spirit and love for life and more importantly they wanted to spend more time with this blessed couple who had found true love.

Khushi was only too happy to have them all home and Arnav welcomed them all to visit them soon before they all left India, and then he whisked his Khushi away into the shadows of the night  where no one could find them.

SS Faltering Footsteps:Boojh - Part 5 & 6

Chapter 5: ( By Jenny ) 

After having left the mandir Arnav's mother was distraught. Her own daughter, her own flesh and blood could not understand her. How could it be that the child that she had nurtured inside her for nine whole months now could not understand her?

As she walked along the street towards home deep in thought she did not realise how slowly everything began to get fuzzy. And the next thing she knew everything had gone black.

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Khushi's screams echoed through the room as her contractions came one after the other now only seconds apart. This was sheer torture. The single most agonising thing pain Khushi had ever been through. Nothing in this world could have prepared her for the pain that was shooting through her body at that precise second.

The doctors and midwifes offered her a number of pain reliefs epidural's and such but Khushi needed none of those. All Khushi needed was for her pillar of strength, her rock to be there holding her hand as she bore their child into the world.

Arnav watched Khushi as she screwed her face in pain once more as she clung deeper to his hand to try and ease the pain. Arnav stared at her a look of pure admiration etched on his face. He knew Khushi's history more than all too well. Growing up in a family of all brothers she had been the apple of everyone's eyes. Her brothers and parents would give her all she had wanted even before she could open her mouth to vocalise her wish. She had been spoilt but not in a snotty way. One of the things that had surprised Arnav about her the most was that though she was spoilt she was not at all arrogant or stuck up at all. She was one of the most humble down to earth people that he had ever met.

But the fact that she was the apple of her family's eye meant that she never had to go through any pain at all. So her tolerance level for pain had always been low. Arnav fondly remembered how during their few years of marriage if Khushi would ever get the slightest of a toothache or headache she would take pills straight away and then sleep it off. And here she was today denying all forms of medication and preferring to go through that pain because she wanted their baby safe.  

A natural beauty had always adorned Khushi and Arnav thought that she looked effortlessly beautiful always. But right here right now he could not help but realise just how much more beautiful she looked than usual. In fact right here right now as Khushi laid on the bed and was giving birth to their child she had never looked more beautiful.

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Arnav's mother woke up to find herself in a hospital bed. As she sat there wondering to herself how she had gotten there a nurse walked in.

Mrs. Raizada, a man and his wife had found you lying unconscious on the floor near a temple. The couple bought you in and left. We tried our best to contact your family but no one was picking up the calls, so we left messages'

Sister what's wrong with me?'

I am afraid that due to your diabetes your kidneys have stopped functioning so you will need to be coming here regularly for dialysis. We need to get some information from you about who is in your family as your carer' and who will be bringing you to your dialysis sessions. If you are living alone then I am afraid we are going to have to shift you to an old age shelter at which people who suffer the same condition as you have nurses and doctors who can care for you around the clock. I will be back with all the relevant forms after a while. For now you must rest'

And saying that the nurse left. But Arnav's mother did not realise the severity of what the nurse just said. She still believed that he son would come to take her away from the hospital. Little did she know that the outdated belief she held about sons looking after their mothers in old age was too shatter in such a harsh way---

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Twelve hours of labour later a screaming baby was laid into the open arms of Khushi and Arnav. The child was howling trying to adjust to her surroundings. The second she felt two pairs of strong arms around her she quietened down immediately. She felt safe. The small baby then slowly opened her doe shaped eyes and looked up.

All that pain everything Khushi had been so worth it when her bundle of joy had been given to her. And when she opened her doe shaped eyes revealing a pair of molten brown eyes and looked up to her at her it was love at first sight for Khushi.

As her little girl stared at her she knew that she would love and protect that little girl forever. She would fight the whole world for her little girl's happiness if she had too. And she would make sure that her daughter knew just how rare and important girls were. She would never have to grow up believing that girls were a burden.

Arnav watched as their little girl was given to them. After so long their treasure was finally here. He watched as she slowly opened up her doe like eyes. He watched as a pair of molten eyes looked from him to his wife. The shapes of her eyes were just like Khushi's but the colours of her eyes were like his. As he watched the tiny bundle of joy Arnav Singh Raizada fell head over heels in love once more. First time around it had been with his wife Khushi Kumari Gupta and this time around, the second time it was with his child. His daughter---

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Today was visiting hours once more. And just like she had been doing for the past 21 years, Arnav's mother stood gazing longingly at the door hoping her son would finally be coming today to take her away. Every day at this time Arnav's mother would be sitting in the common area with all the other residents waiting for her son to come. It had been 21 long years but even 21 years had not been enough to falter her belief that her son was coming to take her away.

Even after all this time she was still under the same illusion she had been under all those years ago.

A knock on her door pulled Arnav's mother out of her reverie. A girl stood knocking on her door waiting until she was told she could enter. Arnav's mother nodded giving her silent consent to enter.

She had a feeling that she knew the girl from somewhere. As if she were a long lost relative of some sort. Her face. Arnav's mother felt as if she had seen her face before.

I came here to invite you to my wedding Dadiji'

Why would I come to your wedding? I am sorry but I don't even know you'

Of no you do know me Dadiji you do indeed. Do you remember 21 years ago your son and daughter- in-law were expecting a baby? A baby which you threatened to kill if it was not a boy? You remember something Dadiji? I am the daughter of that son and that daughter-in-law. Laxshmi, Laxshmi Singh Raizada'

And with that she gently placed the wedding invitation on the table next to where her Grams sat and softly walked away leaving behind a startled Grandmother---

Part 6 ( By Myself ) 

As Laxshmi Singh Raizada walked away leaving her Dadi's world reeling, she knew her Dadi would come for her, for her parents, for their family. God had given her everything a girl could ask for, loving parents, an adoring younger brother and sister, caring relatives, her family was perfect yet she had never known the love and care that only grandparents can give.

Her Bua's in laws, her mother-in-law had always treated her like her own granddaughter, never a comparison between Laxshmi and Anjali's daughter Naina, yet she yearned for her own and as she grew up, she had slowly discovered the circumstances of her birth and an elder sibling that she had lost because her Dadi loathed girl children. She had heard of the pain her mother had been subjected to, the trauma that her father underwent when he learnt of the horrible truth and how her parents and her Bua had moved away to live separately because her Dadi couldn't accept her or her mother!

Laxshmi was deeply hurt and heartbroken that her Dadi wished for her death. She had initially decided that she didn't want to meet her but later on, a faint glimmer of hope took shape inside her heart, constant thoughts haunted her.

What if her Dadi had changed?

What if she was living in repentance?

Whatever happened, it had been years now and maybe her Dadi too had changed with time!

She knew her parents missed their mother figure so then why not make a fresh attempt?

And that is how Laxshmi Singh Raizada who had inherited her mother's strong will power and innate sense of goodness and her father's sharp brains embarked on her personal hunt for her Dadi , retracing the past, travelling through the same paths through which her Dadi had once treaded on, she had eventually managed to locate her.

And now it was up to her Dadi to decide what she wanted.

Meanwhile, Laxshmi's Dadi was lost in her own world. It has been decades now since she had heard of either of her children. Neither of them had ever bothered to reach out to her, and they didn't seem to miss her either. For decades now she had lived a lonely life , a life uncared of whilst she had a family who were duty bound to be with her in her old age, yet here she was, all alone.  And it was all because her son loved his wife and daughter more than his own mother.

The rage that she had bottled up inside her in all these years of her lonely existence, rose to the surface again, Laxshmi's arrival fuelling it, the life who even before it was born had snatched a son away from its mother and her she was today inviting her Dadi to attend her wedding as though unaware of the misery she had caused her.

She picked up the card and scanned the dates as she thought to herself, you wished for my presence and so shall it be Laxmi Singh Raizada, sooner you will be wishing that you had never invited me!

The day of the wedding arrived; Arnav and Khushi looked at the blushing bride who was their little princess, wondering how the time had flown by so quickly.  Khushi felt her tears threatening to flow when she felt Arnav squeezing her hands in his, his eyes reflecting her happiness, he pulled her close as she laid her head over his heart, hugging each other tight as they watched their daughter being teased and loved by her friends and family, whilst she had eyes only for her soon to be husband, Raghav who was sitting right beside her.

To Arnav and Khushi it seemed like just yesterday that they were sitting on a similar mandap, waiting to be married so that they could start their odyssey of life together and here they were now, getting their first born married while her siblings fussed over her!

All of a sudden they saw Laxshmi's eyes zoning in on somebody who seemed to have just arrived and as they followed her line of sight, they felt the tremors of the past jolting them, the person who stood before them was the symbol of all the darkness that had taken over their lives a long time back.

Even now, after all these years, Khushi could remember a traumatised Arnav who used to weep in her arms over the pain of his lost child. Arnav could still remember that terrible night when Khushi had revealed his mother's true colors for him to see. He could still remember her agony and fear and now after all these years, the bane had returned on the most important day of their daughter's life...

Arnav was the first one to find his voice You! Who invited you here?! How dare you enter our lives after all you have done? Aren't you satisfied with all the pain you gave us years back?' spat out Arnav while his mother flinched in the face of her son's hatred, even after all these years Arnav had still not forgiven his mother and that much was clear.

But never one to back down without a fight, she retaliated Hold your tongue Arnav, I am not an uninvited guest here, before you lash out, ask your daughter why I am here and you will know!'

Now it was Arnav's turn to be shocked, Khushi turned towards their daughter who was coming towards them, What are we hearing Laxshmi? Did you invite your Dadi to your shaadi?" asked Khushi looking at her daughter for an explanation to the bizarre turn of events.

Laxshmi nodded her head apologetically as she spoke, Mama, Papa, please forgive me for not telling you beforehand, but Dadi is here because I requested her to attend my wedding. I didn't tell anyone anything because I knew you all would be upset and I didn't want that, I wanted this to be a surprise for everyone here'.

Arnav for a minute forgot that his daughter was getting married; he forgot everything but the pain that his mother had given him and Khushi!

Surprised?'

 Laxshmi how did you have the audacity to invite this woman to our home? Do you even know what she is capable off? Do you know what she did to your parents? I thought you already knew. She killed our first child Laxshmi, only because it was a girl, she forced your mother to kill her own child!' And if Khushi hadn't decided to open up to me, then even you would have been killed off in your mother's womb!

And yet you call the same woman to be a part of the most important day of your life?! I need an explanation and it better be a good one'

Laxshmi struggled to contain her tears as she heard her father speak. All her life she had never seen her father this angry and hurt because of her, she wanted to explain it to him that she had done it with purely good intentions. She reached to place her hand on Arnav's shoulder but he shook her off,

Papa, I know what Dadi did. I know she hated me even before I was born, I know everything Papa and yet I went looking for her. Papa there is nothing that time can't change or heal and I was merely pinning my hopes on that. What if Dadi had changed after all these years? She is your mother after all. What if she was missing her children? I know you and mama can't live without knowing about Raj , Sweta or me even if it's for a day, Anjali Bua can't live without hearing about Naina  & Alok either so in that case how can Dadi live without her 2 children? What if she wished to be with her grandchildren?' Laxshmi silently wept as she stated her reasons while Raghav held her in his arms.

Arnav couldn't stand his daughter's tears, he looked at Khushi who was equally in pain over everything that was happening, and they also understood Laxshmi's reasons. But, to forgive the woman standing before them, and that too, when not even a single iota of change seemed to have touched her heart. Even today, they wondered how the day could get worse but just then Alok and Raj stood up, they had been silent all through the entire ordeal, and they were also well acquainted with their grandmother's cruel acts.

They went and stood in front of her, Raj looked at her, his eyes distant and cold, So you are the one who was ready to kill my Di, you are the one who killed my parent's baby once already and all because you wanted a grandson to carry your family name? Do you know who I am? I am Raj Singh Raizada, Arnav Singh Raizada's second child, if you had been around while I was born am sure you would have loved me but you know what? I hate you! I hate your very existence as much as my dad does. It's better to die rather than be related to a heartless woman like you! How I wish my father had a mother who knew to love her children like how my mother loves us! My Di is innocent, she can only see the goodness in every soul, she is pure and untouched by evil and that's why she couldn't understand the evil in you even after all these years but I can! You haven't changed a bit even after all these years and I want you to leave right now!' spat out Raj , rage coursing through his veins but his Dadi wasn't done yet , she leaned forward to touch him but he pulled away , she looked at him with adoring eyes.

Your words can't hurt me Raj, you are my Arnav's son after all and how can I hate you? You are just like your father, he was also very protective about his sister and so are you, like father like son! Why do you hate me Raj? It's only your sisters I don't care about but I do care about you. If I had known earlier that I have a grandson like you then I would have come earlier. Laxshmi as she is about to leave us all for good, did one right thing in her otherwise useless life, it's because of her today that am able to meet you and soon you will realise why your Dadi loves her grandson more than her granddaughter'

Alok had enough of his Nani's nonsense and he decided to put an end to it,

Oh really? So then how come you cared so much for my mother at one time ? Your daughter Anjali? You hate girl child yet you still loved my mother, why? Isn't she a girl too? Yet you loved her and you hated Khushi Maasi. Why?

So if it's your own blood then there is no difference between a girl and a boy, your own daughter you can love her as much as you love your son, but you can't accept your son's daughter or her mother! You are such a hypocrite! A bane for all women around the world!'  screamed Alok, shaking in pure uncontrollable rage while their families , relatives and friends watched him shocked.

Naina and Sweta intervened, That's enough Alok and Raj, do you even know who you are talking to? She is matriarch of your family Raj and Alok she is your Nani' said Naina as she admonished her 2 brothers for their reckless words while Sweta looked at her Dadi whom she was meeting for the first time.

Dadi please accept our apologies on behalf of our brothers, it's only their love for us that's making them act so, please don't hold any grudge, Laxshmi Di wished for your blessings on her shaadi , please don't deny her this wish of hers!' begged Sweta, tears in her eyes.

Just then Anjali who was silent all this while came forward, Sweta whom are you asking for blessings for your sister? Don't waste your time and don't let evil fall upon Laxmi! This woman here can only curse your sister, she can never learn to love! If she did then Laxmi would have had an elder sister as well, a sister whom this woman brutally killed off in your mother's womb'

Arnav came forward; looking straight at his mother I will tell this for the last time, leave from my home right now and never return. Anjali and I don't have a mother anymore, our mother died decades ago and we have moved on. So leave right now before I call the police and have you arrested for disorderly behaviour!'

Arnav's words were the last blow to their mother's otherwise impassioned sensitivity, his words sent her world reeling and for the first time since being separated from her children , she fully accepted the crushing reality that her children hated her, that she was a dead memory to them. And this reality was more than what she could handle. Her body staggered and she heard Khushi's scream.  The last thing she saw was Khushi's tear stained face before everything went dark---