Chapter Fifty Four

After learning that Shyam would be getting married, Arnav kept a close eye and kept his ear on it. He had hired men to find out more about the wedding, and it was true that indeed Shyam's wedding would be grand. It made Arnav curious as to how they had gotten so much money. Though he also wondered if they always did and didn't care to spend to much on their wedding, just because Khushi was a girl. The thought disgusted him, and he hated them even more.

Arnav knew the love Khushi had for her only sibling. So when he found out the date of Shyam's wedding, he planned on taking her there. Khushi didn't know of course, as he not only intended to surprise her, but her family as well.

When Arnav and Khushi arrived to her parents home, Khushi was shocked. The place looked absolutely stunning and expensive. Many guests walked around, marveling at how beautiful the decorations looked. The buzz was that Shashi had come through some money through his business and that was how he had managed to pull off such an extravagant wedding. Arnav called bullshit and was even more disgusted by these people.

Khushi looked around, several people noticing her and staring at her. Of course everyone knew what had happened to her and she knew people were whispering about the loss of her child, and she forced herself to not care.

Her eyes landed on her brother and Khushi couldn't believe how handsome he looked. One of Shyam's friends noticed her and told him that she was here. Shyam turned and looked at his Di in shock, and ran up to her.

"Di, what..  how-?"

"Congrats on your wedding," Arnav said with a clipped tone.

Shyam knew he was angry, and he couldn't blame him. "I'm sorry you had to find out about this, this way."

"The same."

"I just-"

"You just didn't want to hurt your sister," Khushi said for him.

Shyam looked down at the ground. "I swear Di, if I could bring him back-"

"You can't. And the only thing we can do is move on."

Shyam looked up at his sister. Even though she had said such brave words, her eyes showed her pain, and he hugged her. Khushi forced herself not to cry, not wanting to ruin this moment. As for Arnav, well, he still thought differently. He found it all suspicious, and something was off. What it was, he didn't know, and he was going to find out.

When Khushi pulled back from her brother, she saw her parents. Khushi couldn't help but to note the pricey looking clothes her parents wore, especially the amount of jewelry her mother wore. She couldn't help but to happy for her father and that he had finally achieved in his business.

"Amma, Babuji."

Shyam turned and looked at his parents. The two only nodded at her and when a guest called out to them, they walked over to them. Shyam clenched his fists, and so did Arnav. Khushi noticed Shyam's fists and held his hand. Instantly he relaxed and looked down at his older sister. She shook her head with a smile and he tried to object but she stopped him.

"Come on, it's almost time for the rituals to begun."

"But Di-"

"You shouldn't make your bride wait. Next she'll think you're too scared."

Shyam tried to reject, but Khushi would have none of it. He fussed and Khushi ignored him, taking him to the mandap. Meanwhile, Arnav just watched. He just may never fully understand his wife.

*~*

Khushi was so happy that her brother was getting married to such a beautiful woman as Anjali. She watched with tears as her brother and future sister in-law vowed to be together for seven lifetimes, taking her back to the day she had made the same vows with Arnav. She felt Arnav entwine his fingers with hers and smiled up at him as he took their entwined hands and kissed hers.

When Shyam filled Anjali's parting with vermilion, Khushi sighed. Everyone tossed flower petals at the couple in joy, Khushi the happiest of them all. Shyam stood with his newly wedded wife and the two stepped off the mandap to get their blessings. Khushi could see how happy her mother was, when suddenly her smile dropped. She watched as Shyam passed her and their father and came walking over to her and Arnav. Everyone gasped and whispered around them, and while Arnav looked at his brother in-law with confusion, Khushi's eyes darted from her brother to her parents.

"Shyam-"

Both Shyam and Anjali bent down to seek Khushi's blessings. Everyone gasped, including Khushi. Her eyes darted to her parents and she could see them seething. She looked at her husband and he simply nodded. Looking down at the newly wedded couple, Khushi hesitantly placed her hands over the two. When she did, they looked up at her and Shyam gave her a hug.

"I love you, Di."

Tears came streaming down Khushi's cheeks. "Shyam, why did you do this?"

Shyam pulled back and held her shoulders. "All my life, you have done nothing but have been a wonderful sister to me, even a mother in some essence."

Khushi glanced at their mother and saw her piping mad.

"While you were so good to me, I wasn't always that good to you."

"Oh, Shyam, that's nonsense-"

"No Di, it isn't. I wasn't always there for you, and I still couldn't even after everything that has happened to you."

Khushi held back her tears and caressed her brother's cheek. "Don't say such things, you have been an amazing brother. And now I want you to promise me that you will be a good husband."

Shyam nodded and Khushi reached out to Anjali. Anjali came forward and placed her hand in hers.

"From this day forward, I will be your Di as well," Khushi smiled. "And if he ever bothers you, you come right over to me and let me know, and I'll deal with him."

"Di," Shyam nagged, and Khushi couldn't help her tears as she chuckled.

"Thank you Di," Anjali smiled through her own tears, and the two sister in-laws hugged. 

Letting each other go, Shyam and Anjali sought blessings from Arnav as well, then went to his parents. Try as hard as they did, Khushi could still see their anger in their eyes. After all the blessings were given, Shyam and Anjali were taken inside to change. The two would be going off to their honeymoon immediately, and everyone cheered and whooped as the newly wedded couple got into their car and set off to the city to go to the airport.

Khushi sighed and rested her head against Arnav's shoulder. "I'm so happy for him."

Arnav opened his mouth to reply, but someone else beat him to it.

"Surely you must be..."

Both Arnav and Khushi turned around to see her parents.

"After embarrassing us like that," her father continued.

Khushi shook her head. "Babuji, I-"

"Enough," he shouted, holding his hand up.

"But I-"

"You," he sneered. "Because of you, we were embarrassed in front of all of the guests, in front of his in laws!"

"I-"

"Does it bring you joy," her mother asked. "Does it bring you joy to bring us down into the dirt like that?"

"No-"

"You have been nothing but a shame since you've been born!"

Khushi gasped at her mother's harsh words. Tears came pooling to her eyes and she tried to turn away, but Arnav stopped her. She looked up at him and Arnav simply shook his head. He could see that she was pleading him to leave with her eyes, but Arnav refused to let this go.

"If there's anyone who embarrassed you two today," Arnav began, "then its you two."

"Arnav-"

"Hush baby," he said, putting his finger to his lips. "Not a word from you."

Khushi looked at him with confusion as he let her go and walked up to her parents. Both Shashi and Garima looked at him in shock, their eyes wide as he stood before them.

"The both of you embarrassed yourselves today, not my wife. If you hadn't acted the way you always have with her, you could have saved yourself the embarrassment today, but no, you mistreated her as always."

Khushi looked away, her tears still streaming. 

"What did she ever do? Huh? What did she ever do to you people? Be born as a girl? Tell me, how is that any of her fault? If it's anyone's fault, it's both of yours, or heck, it's all your fault father in-law."

Shashi's eyes widened while Arnav cocked his eyebrow at him.

"What? No words father in-law? Well then how about this - instead of pointing fingers and yelling at someone innocent, try pointing the finger at the one to blame."

Garima gaped at Arnav while her husband continued to glare at him.

"It's funny isn't it? How peacefully this wedding occurred, yet drama during your daughter's. I mean, you both tried to force her to marry another guy because she fell in love with me. And yet when your son fell in love, you were more than happy to get him married to her."

Khushi's eyes widened as she looked at them in shock. She didn't know this at all. 

Shashi and Garima looked at Arnav in shock.

"Oh yeah, I know," Arnav smirked. "I always have my ways to find out anything I need to know."

Both Shashi and Garima looked at each other, before looking back at Arnav.

"Disgusting," Arnav spat. "I didn't want to come to this thing just to avoid looking at you people. You both disgust me, but what can I do? You're still Khushi's parents - I have no other choice."

Khushi wiped her tears away and went over to her husband. "Don't worry, Arnav. You won't have to see them again."

All three pairs of eyes looked at her as she took Arnav's hand in hers. "We'll never come back here, ever again."

Arnav searched her eyes and he could see the pain in them. He really wanted to teach her parents a lesson, but could see that Khushi wanted to leave. So without another word, he wrapped his arm around his Khushi and they left.

*~*

Even after settling into bed, Khushi could still not get over her parents words. It hurt her that her parents still thought of her that way, and she just wished that it would end. While her tears continued to flow, Arnav watched her. He didn't entirely understand why Khushi let her parents get to her, after the way they had always treated her for her whole life, but he understood that it was only because they were her parents. But parents or not, it gave them no right to be cruel to her.

Changed and ready for bed, Arnav joined Khushi, slipping under the covers. He pulled Khushi over to him and Khushi wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.

"Why can't you forget about them Khushi," Arnav asked. "You know how much it angers me when you cry over them, let alone cry."

"Because they're my parents."

"Well they don't deserve that title."

"They're the reasons why I'm here in this world Arnav. Of course they do."

"No, they don't." Arnav pulled away and Khushi looked up at him. "Just because they gave birth to you, doesn't just automatically give them the title of parents. They have to act like them - love like them - in order to be called parents."

Khushi just looked at him. "And what makes you so sure that's what parents are? You aren't one-"

Khushi stopped herself from completing the sentence. Both of them widened their eyes and felt a pang in their chest. Instantly, Khushi began crying and Arnav pulled her to him, trying his best to hold back his own tears.

"Khushi, please," he said with a breathy tone.

"I'm so sorry," Khushi cried.

Arnav held her even tighter and placed kisses on her head, trying to soothe her, as well as himself.

"I know that what happened with us was... absolutely wrong on so many levels," he said past the lump in his throat. "But we have to move on baby, we have to."

"How," Khushi asked, looking up at him. "After everything, after all those experiences... I only got to hold him once Arnav, just see him once."

"I know baby, me too."

"I didn't even say goodbye to him."

"I know," he said, pulling her back to him. "I didn't either, I just couldn't."

"Why did this happen to us, Arnav? Why? What did we ever do to deserve this?"

"I don't know, I simply don't. But I do know one thing." Cupping her face in his hands, he tilted it up for her to meet his eyes. "We can try again."

Khushi gasped as her eyes widened. "Arnav... I-"

"Just because something went wrong once, doesn't mean it will always. Things never happen the same way twice, Khushi. Not ever."

"But Arnav I... I can't afford to lose my child twice."

Arnav's eyes widened as he saw the fear spread through his wife.

"I just can't, I can't, I-"

Khushi broke into tears once more and let Arnav hold her. He dropped soft kisses along the side of her face, hoping to soothe her. 

"I know Khushi, I do. I... I can't either."

Khushi looked up at him saw her own pain reflected in Arnav's eyes. Both of them had lost so much and been hurt deeply, and all they wanted was to overcome it.

"If you're ready Khushi, then we can try again," Arnav said, taking her hand in his. "This void... I just want it filled," and he broke into tears.

Khushi wrapped her arms around him as Arnav cried. As strong as he appeared to be, Khushi knew even after all this time, Arnav was still very much hurt over the loss of their son.

"Why, Khushi? Why was he taken from us? Was my disbelief so strong to kill our own son-?"

"Hush," Khushi soothed, caressing Arnav's face. "You did nothing Arnav, you did nothing wrong."

"Then why is he gone? Why is the room I worked so hard on for our son, empty?"

Khushi's lower lip trembled. "I don't know," she whispered.

The two held each other again. Time could pass by as much as it wanted, and new and different events could occur, but this pain that the two shared would never go away, no matter how hard they tried. They could try to move past it, but the pain could never be forgotten.

Khushi sniffled and had Arnav look at him. "Maybe you're right Arnav. Maybe things don't happen the same way twice."

Arnav just looked at her.

"I want to try again."

Arnav's eyes widened. "Are... are you sure?"

Khushi nodded. "I want to fill this void, too," she said through her tears.

Without another word, Arnav sealed her lips with his. Khushi moved over and straddled Arnav, tugging on his shirt. Arnav pulled back slightly to let her remove the shirt and he removed hers as well. Their lips met once more and both tugged on each other's pants, removing them. Once every trace of string was removed from their bodies, their lips tackled again, hungry for the other. Khushi felt Arnav's hard member against her and lifted herself up slightly to let him fill her. Both moaned in satisfaction and leaned their foreheads together.

"Are you sure you want this, Khushi," Arnav whispered.

Khushi nodded and began to ride his length. At first they were slow thrusts, but gradually grew into quick and deep thrusts as Arnav wrapped his arm around her tightly. Khushi tossed her head back in pleasure, ready for her release. Arnav's grip on her waist tightened, urging her against him, also ready for his release. He flipped them over and thrust into her deeply and stilled as he found his release, as well as Khushi. Both came with a cry, gripping onto the other. as their sweat-covered bodies shuddered from the aftershocks.

Arnav gazed down at Khushi as she gazed up at him. Their lips met once more and Arnav rested his forehead against Khushi's while her fingers entangled in his hair.

"I love you Khushi," Arnav breathed.

"I love you, too, Arnav."