Part 26

Manorama made some silly excuse and left the place. She wanted to talk to her bitwa. She had failed in being a mother to him in the past, but she won't let that happen anymore. Her Arnav bitwa always respected her and agreed to every ridicules demand of her .Now it was her turn.she will do everything she could for his happiness.

"Arnv bitwa are you busy?"

"No mamai, come in. Do you need anything" Arnav who was engrossed in his own thoughts was brought back by Mami's voice. He said seeing her at his door.

Manorama entered the room and sat near him. Her hand slowly held his hands. An act she never did .Arnav was startled with her action

"What happened mami?"

"Bitwa you asked me if I need something? he nodded. Bitwa I need your happiness .Bitwa I know you have feelings for Khushi bitiya. Then why are you running away from your feelings?"

Arnav was surprised with Manorama's words. Who is this lady sitting near him. All he could see is the lady who took him in .The lady who not only give them a shelter but also loved them like their own. This Manorama is not the lady who loved jewelry and status. Arnav took a long breath. He always wished if his mother was with him to guide him, somebody who will say everything will be fine. He expected his Di to do that but thing happened was other ways which ended up in him being a support to his sister. He was greedy for this motherly warmth so he like a child welcomed this lady's kind gesture to his heart.

"I am not running away from my feelings anymore mami. I know I love Khushi .I have confessed this to Khushi too but you know after the things happened between us she doesn't trust me anymore. She thinks I will get over with this feelings soon. I don't know how to make her believe in my feelings. I can't even buy her a gift as you know I have insulted her calling gold digger. I am not good with words too. All I do is talk to her. Let her know I want her in my life. I don't even know how to convince her that I need her in my life. She is my happiness."

"Bitwa she is a strong matured ,happy go lucky girl but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her own insecurities. She has seen you with Lavanya. She saw the relationship you both share. How you both ended that relationship .Even if Khushi has feelings for you she will never be ready to enter into a kind of relationship that you had with Lavanya." Mami tried to make his bitwa where the need of assurance came from.

"No mami. Me and Lavanya never had any romantic relationship. It was of a convenience" Arnav quickly said

"Exactly bitwa. You brought a girl home and was in live in relationship which was convenient for you. What impression does that give of you. A man who used girls according to his convenience. What will make her think you won't do the same with her. After few months or years you may feel this arrangement is now an inconvenience and you leave her. She is trying to protect herself from a heartbreak. It's her way to shield herself." Manorama tried to make Arnav understand

"But my feelings for Khushi is not what I had for Lavanya. I want Khushi all my life Mami. I need her. She had become my light long time ago. She is my driving force now"Arnav tried to make mami see from his point of view

"Yes she is.I know but what about her bitwa. She is a girl who bares the responsibility of her family. Payal may be helping her but we all know if not for Khushi's help and support Payal won't be able to do that. We have done so many things that made that poor girl suffer. Not only her but also her family. Will she be ready to risk her heart and her family's safety and good name by giving in to her feelings if she has any for you. No bitwa. We have scared the hell out of her. Every time I met Khushi after that incident I could see her fear ,As if we might do or say something any moment which will hurt her. She need assurance not only for her feelings but for her family's wellbeing too .She is a girl who lost her parents at a young age, she had dealt with many things in previous years. You need to be her support ,her strength, a person who she can trust blindly. Trust me bitwa it will help you too. You will find her beside you in every step of your life giving you support. All you need is to respect her, assure her you will be there for her always. Rest will happen eventually. For a girl like Khushi ,a marriage ,a family is an assurance not convenience. A relationship for which she will give everything. .She will stick to that in every think and thin. life long commitment. So before you persuade her be sure you too want the same. Don't lead her into something you don't want. Think about it bitwa."

"If you are sure about that you know how to handle NK bitwa, don't you?" Manorama asked with a small smile to which Arnav nodded

"Thank you mami. You don't know how much I needed this " Arnav was not reluctant to thank her.

"I know bitwa. I should have been there for you from the beginning. But people say na better late than never. HHBB. How will I not be there for my bitwa"

After Manorama left Arnav though about her words. She is true. He knows Khushi is not someone who would stay with him without a marriage bond. He was not sure what he wanted to do with his feelings. He know He need Khushi for the rest of his life and if marriage is what will make her stay with him he is ready for marriage .He was sure he need her beside him throughout his life. If marriage assure her that he is very serious about her and not a relationship he had with Lavanya then he is ready for marriage . But he knows marriage is something he can't even think at the current scenario. If he go and propose her she will surely slap him. He wants her to accept him. She should willingly accept him not by pressure. He will wait for that to happen. But for now he had to deal with NK.

It was few days after the engagement. Arnav continued his routine of telling her his daily activities.one night when he was working his jijaji knocked his door,

"Jijaji"

"Arnav do you know someone from corporation office."

"Why jijaji? What happened?"

"Someone from Lakshmi nagar dodged a complaint against Khushi's business stating it is causing environment pollution. She has been issued a notice to close her unit that until further notice."

"Do they really have some issues of environment pollution?"

"No. She has everything registered and properly certified. Somebody had done this purposefully to trouble her. May be because to jealousy. But the problem is she has a very large order to meet tomorrow evening and if she couldn't open it and get it functioned by tomorrow morning she can't get it done. She can't cancel the order last minute as it's a wedding. She could easily prove the allegation false but you know how our government office work. She won't be able to do that before tomorrow evening." Shyam said

"When was the notice issued?"

"That's the problem Arnav .They issued it today late afternoon just before the office time."

"I don't know anyone from corporation office but I will get it from Aman. He will surly know. Just a minute jijaji."

Arnav took his phone and dialed his Friday man

"ASR"

"Aman I want you to do some something. He explained him the things to be done. Aman I want it done as early as possible and I also want details of the person who dogged this baseless complained by tomorrow morning." ASR ordered

"Sure ASR." Aman promised

After cancelling the call Arnav looked at his jijaji.

"She will be able to open it morning itself don't worry" Arnav assured

Shyam smiled a little "Thank you Arnav .Khushi being Khushi didn't even inform me about this. If not for buaji I wouldn't have come to know about the issue."

"Khushi being herself " Arnav shook his head as if he didn't expect anything different from her

"You seem to understand her a lot but tell me, all I asked is if you know anyone from corporation office and you completed the task. May I ask you why you are bothered about her business or her wellbeing" Shyam questioned with a naughty smirk.

"She is Akash's sister in law jijaji. We have to help her"

"Oh really' Shyam questioned raising his eye brows

Seeing his jijaji has caught him he admitted

"I love her jijaji. Anything that bothers her do affects me. It's not some passing fancy jijaji I do love her so much. I want her in my life. But she doesn't trust me anymore with her feelings and runs miles away from her own feelings"

"Are you sure she feels the same for you"

"She had said it herself and she also said she doesn't trust me enough to give those emotions a chance"

"You know Arnav it is not easy for her"

"I know jijaji. That is why I am not forcing anything on her not that she will accept that. I just want her to believe that my feelings for her are genuine and not some passing face."

Shyam nodded "I hope you would not hurt her anymore."

"Every time I hurt her ,it hurts me more jijaji. Her tears always felt like an acid poured in my heart but I was so egoistic to admit that. But now that I have regained my senses all I ever wish her is to be happy .I can't make her smile with my nonexistent humor sense or impress her with my dancing or singing .All I can do is loving her with all my heart and be there for her when she needs me." Arnav said with a sad smile.

"If you are sure she is the one you need in your life why don't you ask family to go with a proposal. You know NK is smitten by her"

"The moment I say I love Khushi, Nani and di will start pressuring Guptas one or other way with marriage proposal .She will be pressurized to accept me because of Akash and Payal's relationship. I want her to accept me because she loves me and need me. I will wait. As long as I could see her and talk to her I am happy."

"Do you wish to marry her or you still think the same about marriages?"

"I was not sure until somedays back about what I really needed from relationship. All I knew was I need Khushi with be, beside me. But after having a talk with mami I realized what I really have to do. I still don't think marriage will keep two people bonded for a life time but I realize the need for social approval, her need for an assurance .All I know is I need Khushi beside me till my last breath. If it is marriage is what assure that Khushi I am serious about our relationship I respect that.

"What about NK.?"

"Yah,he is becoming a head ache for me. I thought he and family will drop that topic after engagement day.But Di and nani is seriously going over broad trying to hook up Nk with Khushi. I am going to mention my feeling for Khushi to our family with a warning not to approach her or Gupthas. At least this will stop them from always linking her name with NK .It really irks me to see he all mooning over her ."Arnav said with a frustration And Shyam burst in to laughing seeing his expression.

Soon he bid bye to Arnav with a good night.