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rabba-ve · 5 years

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Ch 8: Teri Berukhi Se Hai Badi Umar Intezaar Ki Meri

Note for this chapter: We are trying to stay true to the characters in the show and hope we have been successful so far. That being said, we have used this story to point out some of Arnav's problematic characteristics/behaviours that we thought went unacknowledged or were treated lightly in the show.

Read on below the cut

or on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/754417295-tu-safar-mera-ch-8-teri-berukhi-se-hai-badi-umar

Arnav woke up to an empty room and panicked. He ran downstairs hoping that Khushi hadn't reconsidered her decision to stay for the contract. When he found out that she had, in fact, gone to Laxminagar, he couldn't control his anger. Which, if he was being honest with himself, was mostly fear.

"Khushi!" Arnav shouted as he pushed open the doors of her room in Buaji's house.

"Arnavji?" Khushi looked up, surprised. "Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain?" [What are you doing here?]

"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" [What are you doing here?] he asked, moving towards her.

"Apne parivaar se milne aaye hai, aur kya! Yahan aane ke liye aapse ijaazat leni padegi kya?" [I am here to meet family, what else! Do I have to ask for your permission to come here?]

"Nahi! Par bata ke nahi aa sakti thi?" [No! Why didn't you say you were going?] He was incredulous.

"Bataya toh tha Naniji ko. Aap ko batana humne zaruri nahi samjha." [I told Naniji. I didn't find it important to let you know.] She answered, flippant. Her casual disregard for his place in her life stung.

"Main kitna pareshan ho gaya tha."

[I was really worried.]

"Kyun?"

[Why?]

"Because you're my wife, damnit!" He pulled her closer by her shoulders.

"Hai re Nandkishore!" [Oh lord!] The couple broke apart as Buaji entered the room. "Arnav bitwa, tum kab aaye? Paanch minute bhi apni patni se door naahi reh sake?" [Arnav, when did you come? You couldn't stay away from your wife for five minutes?] She laughed, nudging Khushi with her elbow.

Arnav was saved from responding to that by the landline. Khushi ran out to pick it up.

"Hum tumhre liye chai bana det hai. Tum yahi baitho. Naashta naa karke janeka sochna bhi mat." [I am going to make chai for you. You sit here. Don't even think of leaving without breakfast.] Buaji warned as she led Arnav to the dining table and went to the kitchen.

"Chaubees hazaar?!" [Twenty-four thousand?!] Arnav overheard Khushi on the phone.

"Par ek mahine ka kiraaya toh aath hazaar hi hai.... Accha, teen mahine ka... Theek hai, Shuklaji, hum Buaji ko pooch ke bata dete hai." [But the rent for a month is eight thousand... Oh for 3 months... Okay Shuklaji, I will ask Buaji about it.] She put down the phone and headed to the kitchen.

"Kiska phone tha?" [Who was on the phone?] Arnav asked as she passed. Khushi turned around, flustered.

"Kisi ka nahi!"

[No one!]

After breakfast, Buaji was determined to send Khushi home with Arnav.

"Kya Buaji aap humse pyaar nahi karti. Hum to aap sabse milne aaye the aur aap hume bhaga rahi hai." [Buaji you don't love me. I came to meet you all and you are throwing me out.]

"Hai re Nandakishore, aye Sankadevi kal hi to mile the godhbarai ke waqat. Vaise bhi Garima aur hum Shashi babua ko aspatal leke jaa rahe hai. Tum yaha akeli kaa karogi?" [Oh lord, we met you yesterday at the baby shower, Sankadevi. Anyway, Garima and I are taking Shashi to the hospital. What will you do here all alone?] Buaji slapped her on the arm.

"Chale?" [Let's go?] Arnav raised an eyebrow, holding back a laugh at Khushi's comically angry expression.

"Hamare paas koi aur chara hai kya?" [Do I have another option?] She grumbled, nose flaring.

In the car, Arnav tried really hard to break the ice but it wasn't his forte. He was used to finding ways of getting her to shut up. This silent treatment was still new territory.

As soon as they reached Shantivan, Khushi jumped out of the car. She had walked halfway across the hall when she realised that she had forgotten her phone. Khushi turned around and promptly walked into Arnav. His hand came up to the small of her back for support. For a second, she lost herself in the comfort of that moment. Then, she protested.

"Chodiye humein." [Leave me.]

Arnav pulled her closer. "Kyun?" [Why?] Khushi grabbed her phone from his hand.

"Bas jaane dijiye humein!" [Just let me go!] she said as she pushed him away, storming off upstairs.

NK watched this scene, concerned. Arnav was in great need of his romantic expertise.

"Nannav, mere bhai!" [Nannav, my brother!] he called out to him, "Kya kiya tumne? Why was Khushiji so angry?" [What did you do? Why was Khushiji so angry?]

"Nothing. It's fine." Arnav said as sat back on the sofa next to NK.

"Come on! You should tell me. I can help you! Hum hai toh kya dum hai!" [If I am there then why be force?] NK leaned forward. Arnav looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"'Dum' nahi, 'gham'." [Not 'force,' 'sad'.] Arnav corrected. He was skeptical of NK's ability to be helpful. Then, he decided that there was nothing to lose. "She is angry because I shouted at her for going to Laxminagar this morning without informing me."

"Very bad, Nannav!" NK reprimanded, shaking his finger at Arnav.

"Yes, I know. That's not helpful."

"You should buy her a gift and say sorry!" NK jumped up like he had just had the best idea in the world.

"Ek gift se kaam nahi hoga. That's not enough." [A gift won't do it. That's not enough.] Arnav said.

"Kyun? Khushiji toh kitni sweet hai. She'll definitely forgive you."

[Why? Khushiji is so sweet. She'll definitely forgive you.]

"It's not that simple." Arnav whispered, mostly to himself. But, he realised, it was important for NK to know the full truth to actually be able to help. So he told him about the contract marriage and his misunderstanding and Khushi's refusal to accept him as her husband.

"I don't blame her! How could you?" NK was furious. He stood up as if to leave.

"I don't blame her either!" Arnav said, "I regret everything I have done. I just want to make it up to her. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together."

"I'm only going to help you because I know that Khushiji also cares about you." NK sat on the sofa again to think.

"Idea!" NK snapped his fingers. "You should recreate the special moments of you relationship! Trust me, Nannav, this method is foolproof!"

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Thanks, NK" Arnav said. It was definitely worth a shot. He walked to his room, already making a mental list of their "special" moments.

Khushi was sitting on the threshold of the french windows, facing the pool. She was eating channa while complaining aloud about Arnav.

"Samajhte kya hai woh apne aap ko?" [What does he think of himself?]

"Tumhara pati." [Your husband.] Arnav's voice intruded. Khushi turned around to glare at him and promptly stood up to leave. Arnav grabbed her wrist as she brushed past him.

Next thing she knew, she'd been whirled around, arm bent at the elbow, wrist being held in an unbreakable grip at her lower back.

"Yeh kya kar rahe hai aap?" [What are you doing?] she gasped, looking up at Arnav.

He ran his free hand across her back, shifting her hair to one shoulder.

"Tumhe kuch yaad dilane ki koshish kar raha hoon," [Trying to remind you of something,] he whispered into her ear.

He slid his hand back across the string of her kurta and untied it.

"Kuch yaad aaya?" [Remembered something?]

Khushi's mind flashed to the day they first met. His vice-like grip on her wrist, the feeling of her blouse's string being broken, the clatter of the pearls as they fell to the floor. She felt the same terror she had felt then at having been made so vulnerable and unsafe.

"Aap badtameezi kar rahe hai!" [You're manhandling me!] She pushed him and broke free. Arnav noticed the way she cradled her wrist against her chest, gingerly feeling her bruise. He reached for her injured hand. Khushi jerked away.

"Dard deke humdardi jatane ki aadat ho gayi hai aapko! Isse behtar hoga ki aap dard dene se phele ek baar soch le. Woh manhoos din yaad dilana chahte hai jisne hamari zindagi uthal-puthal kar di. Kya haasil karna chahte the hame chot pahuncha kar? Boliye!"

[You've made a habit out of hurting me and then showing your sympathy! Wouldn't it be better if you didn't cause pain in the first place? You want to remind me of that dark day that turned my life upside-down? What did you hope to achieve by hurting me? Tell me!]

She waited for an answer despite the tears threatening to overwhelm her.

"Khushi, I'm..." Arnav wasn't able to do much more than stare back at her.

"Rehne dijiye." [Let it be.] She left the room.

An overenthusiastic NK walked in, completely unable to read the room.

"Nannav, mere bhai! Was it successful?" [Nannav, my brother! Was it successful?]

"It failed. Completely." A dejected Arnav answered. It dawned on him that he would have never done this and upset Khushi so much if it hadn't been for NK's plan.

"Sab tumhari galti hai!" [It's all your fault.] he shouted, storming towards NK.

"What?" NK asked from the corner he was cowered in. But his question was lost in Arnav's continued rant.

"I should've never listened to you! What was I thinking? Taking advice from you!"

"Bhai!" Akash appeared in the form NK personal superhero. "Kya hua? Kyun chilla rahe hai aap? Aur neeche Khushiji jalebiya kyun bana rahi hai? [What happened? Why are you shouting? And why is Khushiji making jalebis downstairs?]

"Khushi jalebi bana rahi hai?" [Khushi is making jalebis?] Arnav said, immediately shifting into concerned mode.

"Nannav lekin hua kya hai?" [Nannav, but what happened?] NK was finally able to ask.

"Tumne kahan special moments recreate karo toh maine wahi kiya. But it backfired. She got really upset." [You said to recreate "special moments" and that's what I did. But it backfired. She got really upset.] Arnav answered.

"Kaunsa moment recreate kiya?" [What moment did you recreate?] Akash asked, leading Arnav to the recliner so he could calm down.

"Our first meeting." Arnav explained the details. "NK you said that this method was foolproof!"

"Not for such a big fool." Akash murmured. Arnav shot him a glare.

"Sorry, bhai! Plan achha tha par uska execution galat tha. Waise aap yeh sab kar kyun rahe ho?" [Sorry. The plan was good but the execution was bad.] Akash looked to Arnav for answers who, in turn, looked to NK.

"Akash deserves to know." NK said. Arnav took a deep breath and told Akash the entire convoluted history of his marriage.

"Aapne yeh sab kaise kar diya, Bhai!? How could you use my marriage to blackmail Khushiji? Aap...aap sach mein mujhe aur Payal ko alag kar dete?" [How could you do this!? How could you use my marriage to blackmail Khushiji? You... you would really separate me and Payal?] Akash was furious.

"Of course not! I just pretended that I would separate you. Tumhari khushi sabse important hai. I know I hurt her and I'm sorry for that. Ab main apni galtiyan sudharne ki koshish kar raha hoon. But apparently I keep screwing it up."

["Of course not! I just pretended that I would separate you. Your happiness is most important to me. I know I hurt her and I'm sorry for that. Now I'm trying to make up for my mistakes. But apparently I keep screwing it up.] Arnav said.

"Okay, bhai. Hum aapki help kar denge. Sabse pehle, aapko apne "special moments" theek se choose karne hoge."

[Okay. We will help you. First, you have to carefully select the "special moments".]

"Exactly!" NK chimed in. "Apne dangerous moments mat recreate karna!" [Don't recreate your dangerous moments!]

"Kuch romantic socho, Bhai." [Think of something romantic, Bhai] Akash added, "Jab maine Payal ko pehli baar propose kiya toh maine aisa hi kuch kiya tha. Aap aise moments recreate karo jab aisa laga tha ki duniya main aap dono ke alawa koi bhi nahi hai. Jab aapki dhadkan aapke saason se tez ho gayi." [When I proposed to Payal for the first time, I did something similar. You should recreate the moments when it felt like you two were the only people in the world. When your heartbeats were faster than your breath.]

"Wah, Akash bhai, wah!" [Wow, Akash bhai, wow!] NK applauded him with a slow clap. Arnav nodded, taking in every word.

There was a knock on the door. Payal entered saying, "Aapki kitty party ho gayi ho toh neeche dinner ke liye aa jaiye. Sab intezaar kar rahe" [If your kitty party has ended, come downstairs to have dinner. Everyone is waiting.] They all shuffled out.

Everyone went to their rooms after dinner but Khushi stayed back in the kitchen. Arnav didn't mind because this gave him time to work on his plan.

It was quite late when Khushi came up.

"Achha hua so gaye," [Good. He fell asleep,] she mumbled. She changed and got into bed, falling asleep quickly.

On the recliner, Arnav turned over so he could see Khushi. He had hurt her again today. Despite having promised that he would never do that again. Her words from that afternoon came back to him.

Aap badtameezi kar rahe hai! Dard deke humdardi jatane ki aadat ho gayi hai aapko! Isse behtar hoga ki aap dard dene se phele ek baar soch le. Woh manhoos din yaad dilana chahte hai jisne hamari zindagi uthal-puthal kar di. Kya haasil karna chahte the hame chot pahuncha kar?

[You're manhandling me! You've made a habit out of hurting me and then showing sympathy! Wouldn't it be better if you didn't cause pain in the first place? You want to remind me of that dark day that turned my life upside-down? What did you hope to achieve by hurting me?]

He had hurt her at every turn. And not even realised it. How many times had he left bruises on her? Had ignored her pain? No more. He would fill her life with so many joys she would never need to think about the terrible memories again.

The next morning, Khushi suddenly sat up in bed.

"Hey Devi Maiyya, Arnav Singh Raizada ke chakkar mein hum Buaji ko kiraye ke baare mein poochna toh bhul hi gaye!"

[Hey Devi Maiyya! I completely forgot to ask Buaji about the rent because of this Arnav Singh Raizada!]

She called her aunt and found out that the three months' rent had been paid in full by the very same Arnav Singh Raizada.

She knocked repeatedly on the bathroom door.

"Arnavji! Bahar aaiye! Humein aapse baat karni hai!"

[Arnavji! Come out! I need to talk to you!]

"Khushi, lekin—" [Khushi, but—]

"Nahi! Abhi bahar aaiye." [No! Come out now!] A knock punctuated every word. She paced around the room, then came back to the door, hand raised. And walked straight into Arnav.

He had stepped out of the shower in a hurry, only a towel wrapped around his waist. Time froze.

"Khushi, tum theek ho na?" [Khushi, are you okay?] Arnav asked.

She was too lost to respond. There was only this: the feel of his shoulder under her hand, heartbeat loud in her ears, the water dripping slowly from his hair, and all the space that wasn't between them.

"Tumhe kuch baat karni thi?" [You wanted to say something to me?] He reminded, smiling. He shook her by the shoulders to break her out of the trance.

"Haan?" [Yeah?] She looked into his eyes, then down again. She stepped back, shaking her head as if to clear out the intruding thoughts.

"Aapne Buaji ke ghar ka kiraya kyun diya? Kis haq se? Kisne kaha the aapko?" [Why did you pay the rent for Buaji's house? With what right? Who told you to?] Her anger made a fast recovery.

"Khushi, it's not a big deal." Arnav was still smiling.

"Big deal hai! Humein aapka koi ehsaan nahi chahiye." [It is a big deal! I don't need any favours from you.]

"Ehsaan?" [Favours?] Now he was angry, too. "Maine rent diya kyunki main uss ghar ka damaad hoon. Buaji aur woh ghar mere liye bhi kuch maine rakhte hai. Tumhare husband hone ke haq se maine rent pay kiya. Yeh responsibility hum dono ki hai." [I paid the rent because I am the son-in-law of that house. Buaji and that house mean something to me, too. I paid the rent because I am your husband. We share that responsibility.]

"Nahi hai. Aur kitni baar bolna padega ki hum aapko apna pati nahi maante?"

[We don't. How many more times do I have to tell you that I don't consider you my husband?]

"Manogi." [You will.] Arnav's confidence let him smile at her again before he turned and walked back into the bathroom.

#tu safar mera #chapter 8 #arshi #arshi ff #ipkknd #ipkknd1 #iss pyaar ko kya naam doon #iss pyaar ko kya naam doon?#arnav #arnav singh raizada #asr #khushi #khushi kumari gupta #kkgsr #ipkknd ff #we wrote a thing #also on wattpad

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