VIVAH ~ A SACRED BOND OF LOVE : PART-7

Anjali " Chote, it's necessary to go Agara today ? Can't you postpone the meeting ? After four days it's your marriage "

Arnav " No Di. This deal is very much important for AR and today we have no ritual. Beside I will return tonight "

Anjali " But Chote "

Arnav kept the toast and got up from his seat " Di, I am getting late " patted Oscar's head and left the house leaving behind sad Anjali

Khushi came out of Aman's apartment to see Arnav standing there leaning on his car waiting for her with his sunglasses on and instantly her face brightened with a most beautiful smile.

                                                        

Arnav made her sit in his car and drove off. The journey was silen, none of them spoke anything to each other. From the corner of his eyes Arnav noticed Khushi stealing glance of him. After two and half hours of journey Arnav brought the car to a stop in front of big black gate; there was a big board on right side on which ' Ananda Ashram ' was written in silver.

Arnav " My Dadi stay here " helped her out of the car

The watchman opened the gate and they walked in. Khushi looked around. Young and elderly ladies dressed in white sat around trees talking. There were beautiful manicured gardens and lawns which led to the beautiful house of woods with a lake adjacent; it was a very pleasant place in the outskirts of Agra.

They stood before the Main door ringing the bell waiting for some maid to open the door. Along with Arnav, Khushi entered inside the house with a nervous feeling as she was going to meet Arnav's Dadi for the first time. A maid led them to Arnav's Dadi room. From the door they saw his dadi, Subhadra Malik reading some holy book sitting at a mat on the floor.

            

Arnav " Dadi "

Dadi looked at the door to see Arnav and his would be wife Khushi and stand up with a smile. Arnav did smile at her and so did Khushi. He walked ahead and took her blessings.

Dadi blessed him " Live a long life " kissed his forehead

Coming forward Khushi bent down to touch Dadi's feet but Dadi grabbed her arms to stop her.

Dadi touched her cheek and smiled " May you be blessed with a happy married life, Bitiya "

Khushi felt nice and contended meeting her " Dadi, this for you" handling the gift she brought for Dadi

Daadi took the gift from Khushi and started opening it. She glad to see Khushi's gift; it was Bhagvat Geeta ' the holy book. She impressed with Arnav's choice very much. Khushi was not only beautiful but cultured, possessing good morals and values just like Arnav's mother Ratna. She looked at her grandson Arnav Singh Raizada who had same charisma like his father Aagam Malik. She hoped that apart from his looks he had not inherited anything else from his father which broken his mother to so much extent that without thinking about her children she committed suicide.

Around 4 p.m;

Arnav " Dadi, I guess it's time for us to leave now "

Dadi " So soon? "

Arnav "Dadi, if we leave now then I will reach to Delhi by evening "

Daadi " I understand Chote " sighed " Khushi Bitiya, I have something for you " gave a jewelry box to Khushi and gestured Khushi to open it

Khushi opened the jewelery box and her jaw dropped seeing the beautiful gold choker necklace inside.

             

Dadi " It is our family heirloom. From now on it's yours " 

Arnav steered his car through the busy streets of Delhi. It was evening time and the office traffic was causing delays.

Khushi " Where are we going Arnavji ? " seeing Arnav went the opposite direction of Aman's apartment almost reaching the outskirts of Delhi

Arnav " We will be there in few minutes "

From corner of his eyes, he noticed Khushi looking around anxiously when he turned into a more secluded road which almost seemed to be leading them away from civilization. After ten minutes the car came to a halt. Arnav just got down and opened her side of door asking her to get down which she did silently.

Hand in hand, they walked towards the entrance of a vast garden. Opening the small wooden gate, they entered inside the garden. He noticed the smile on Khushi's face, when she looked around the beautiful garden. As she walked amidst the plants and flowers, she looked like a colorful butterfly flitting around. He could not help a small smile from making its way to his face for a few seconds.

             

As Khushi entered she was greeted by a colorful sight of flowers blooming in different colors. There were sunflower, jasmines, dahlias, roses and various others whose name Khushi hardly knew. The red roses in the centre attracted her instantly and she walked over to them, touching them softly, bending down to inhale its fragrance.

Arnav "Red roses were Mamma's favorite " somberly "This is my Mamma's garden. When I was a kid, Mamma would bring me here when we used to come Delhi in summer vacation. We used to spend hours taking care of these plants. It was through her, that I found my interest in growing and nurturing them "

Her eyes which was twinkling with the excitement of being amidst so many plants now paining seeing him so vulnerable. Without a delay, she went to him and hugged him tightly giving him comfort. In past few weeks they had spent most of the time together to know each other more. Although they used to talk about their personal life but Arnav always shared incidents about his college life and his relation with his family but never mentioning about his parents. Once she heard from Anjali Arnav was very much close to their mother and after their mother's death he had created a shell around him.

Both of them were sitting down on the bench in front of the roses quitely while Arnav revisiting his past and Khushi giving him time knowing well his difficulty with handling emotions after coming here. Arnav had decided to show her his sincerity and commitment to her, by revealing his past and Khushi was going be his better-half in four days and she had full right to know everything related to him.

Arnav " Maama was first girl in Raizada family after 4 genrations " his voice choked with emotions remembering his beautiful mother  " The  whole mansion was adorned in innumerable fairy lights and thousands of firecrackers were burst on occasion of their princess arrival. She was younger to Mamaji. So she got additional love for being the younger one at house. She has molded all members of house on her fingers. On her 10th birthday Nanaji gifted her this land as she loved gardening. Few years passed Mamma went to college for higher study. There she met that man, AAGAM Malik  " gritted his teeth and clenching his fist " He was senior in college to her. He rescued her from ragging. They became friend and soon love blossomed between them. When Nanaji started hunting perfect groom for his princess, then Mamma told him about Mr. Malik. Nanaji and Naniji had no objection to Mr. Malik as Malik also royal family like Raizada and other hand he was Nani's best friend Subhadra Malik's son. Their marriage happened in a grand way. After one year of their marriage, Mamma conceived Di and then me. I was a Mamma's boy but shared a healthy relationship with Mr. Malik too. When I was 4 Mr. Malik shifted to Mumbai for business purpose while we started living in Sheesh Mahal with Dadi and Maama. At first six months my father used to come there live with us for a week in every month; then started coming to stay there for one or two weeks in a year giving always excuse business demanding his time. Dadi suggested him to take us with him in Mumbai but he refused saying he would not able to give us his time and we would bore. Mamma supported him saying if we live in Mumbai then we would become hindrance to his work. Years passed, Di was 16 and I was 14. Mamma went to Mumbai to surprise him on their 18th marriage anniversary. When she returned to Lucknow, Me and Di saw her crying bitterly on Dadi's lap. At night Mamma made me sleep on her lap after taking promise from me to look after Di. Next morning we found her dead; she committed suicide in depression leaving us heart broken. After one week Mr. Malik brought his second wife home with their 8 years old daughter. That day me and Di came to know about Mr. Malik's second marriage. Once we respect and loved THAT MAN as our father then we started hating him and second wife as they drove our mother helpless and heartbroken to the point that she didn't care about anything else and committed suicide. Nanaji fought in court to take our custody against Mr. Malik and won the case. I became Arnav Malik to Arnav Singh Raizada. After we started living Delhi, Dadi also left Seesh Mahal after cutting all relation with her son and started living in asram. Di, Nana, Nani Mama and Mami think Dadi also with Mr. Malik responsible for our mother's death. So they cut off all relation with her. Without their knowledge I meet with Dadi once in every month "  his eyes were bright with unshed tears

Khushi engulfed him in a tight hug; her heart breaking for him thinking how much he must be hurting going through all this.

Arnav " Nowadays whenever I see Di before me, it reminds me of Mamma again Khushi. Why does she have to face the same fate as Mamma's? That's why I don't believe in love and all these social rituals of marriage. It's all namesakes. It can't keep two people together. People still cheat and hurting the innocents in the process"

She could feel his tears soaking in her cotton top as her own eyes welled up in his pain. She felt unbound anger towards his father and Shyam. 

SNEAK PEAK OF NEXT CHAPTER