Chapter 37 (Ending
2): For God’s sake
Present day
“Well then if you’re sure, know that I’m here for you.” Said
Logan .
“Thank you.” Khushi replied and hugged him.
Just then the door burst open and Amba came rushing in. When
she saw Logan and Khushi hugging, she put her hands on her hips. “Oh so that’s
why you’re taking so long, you’re planning to elope with Logan .”
“And Amba you know you shouldn’t be running around.”
Chastised Khushi.
“I wouldn’t have to if you just kept to the schedule. The
pandit keeps saying how the auspicious time is going and if you plan to get
married, you need to do it now otherwise you can’t do it today and you’ll have
you wait another 5 months.”
“5 months isn’t so bad-” Khushi reasoned.
“Khushi you just said you were fine.” Sighed Logan .
“Sorry, I guess I’m still nervous. My first wedding was a
disaster you know.” She said defensively.
“Yes we all know mum, yet you still agreed to marry the same
man again.” Amba said in frustration.
“Why are you being like this?” pouted Khushi.
“Because you’ve been changing your mind for over 8 months
now and we’re all sick and tired of it. Either get married or live in sin, I
honestly don’t care as long as you’re happy.”
“I’ve only been like this because of you-”
“No no no, don’t put this on me. I’m fine.”
“No you’re not! You were shot!” yelled Khushi.
1 year, 6 months
and 3 days ago
Amba was still in the operation theatre and Karan, Khushi
and Logan were still waiting
wearily for any news.
“Karan?” Khushi started.
“Yeah?”
“We all need therapy.” She stated.
He looked at her for a second before responding. “Yes but I
think you need sleep more.”
“No I’m serious. The Raizadas’ and the Guptas’ have too much
bad blood between them. It goes way back; my mother was the cause of Arnav’s
parents’ marriage falling apart which led to both his parents committing
suicide, which lead to him hating everything-”
“Khushi get to the point.”
Khushi gave him a dirty look but got to the point. “The
point is I think we all need to go to therapy and talk things out so we have no
more misunderstandings and we can all begin to heal.”
“You want to heal things with them even after all they’ve
done.” Karan asked incredulously.
Khushi sighed. “Yes, I think it’ll be best if we put
everything behind us and resolve our issues. It’ll be better for my sister’s
marriage and our lives too. It’ll feel like a load off our souls, trust me.”
Karan stared at her but it looked like she wasn’t going to
budge on this topic. He could see it in her eyes. He sighed. “Ok, if that’s what
you want.”
“It is.” She said determinedly.
A few hours passed when finally a doctor appeared in front
of them. All 3 of them stood up.
“Mr Karan Malik, Ms Khushi Gupta?” she asked.
“Yes.” They replied.
“Your daughter is going to be fine.” She said with a smile.
All 3 of them let out a sigh of relief. “She’s a bit weak at the moment but
with the correct amount of physiotherapy, she’ll be as good as new in no time.”
They all thanked the doctor and Khushi asked, “Can we see
her?”
“Yes but only for a while, she’s still unconscious and she
needs all the rest she can get.”
The doctor led them to the room that Amba was staying in.
They walked in to find Amba wired to a lot of machinery but the most important
machinery was the ECG which told them that Amba was indeed still alive. Fresh
tears ran down Khushi’s face but this time from happiness.
Later that day more good news came. Matt had called Karan to
inform him that Shyam was dead. When he had shot Amba, the police had opened
fire on him to stop him from shooting anyone else. Even though they didn’t
shoot to kill he later died from blood loss. They were relieved that the plague
upon both their families were gone and now he couldn’t do any more damage
towards them.
Present day
“Yes I was.” Amba said softly as she held her mother’s
hands. “However, I’m fine now, I promise. Now let’s get you married ok?
Besides, the Raizada’s flew all this way for your wedding so you can’t cancel
it. It might set us back on all the progress we made through therapy.”
Khushi gasped. “You’re right, I don’t want that to happen.”
“Good. Logan go
and wait downstairs with all the guests and make sure no one does anything
stupid. I’ll bring her down in a while.”
“Yes ma’am.” He said and with a mock salute to Amba, he was
gone.
Once Logan was
gone, Amba turned to her mother. “Mum are you only postponing the wedding
because you’re worried that the past will repeat itself?”
Khushi chewed her lips. “Nooooo.”
Amba gave her mum a look. “Mum.”
“Ok, I’m a little worried.” She confessed.
“Mum, if that ever happens, Logan ,
dad and I will come over and destroy Arnav Singh Raizada and the Raizada
family. Do you know how much interrogation the Riazadas’ underwent when you
said yes to Arnav? We made sure that it won’t be like last time.” Amba said
seriously.
“I can’t believe you did that.” Khushi confessed.
“Of course we did. These people ruined your life-”
“Amba!”
“Mum, we can’t be too careful. You mean too much to us.”
Amba said sincerely.
“Thank you.” Khushi smiled.
“I still can’t believe you chose Arnav over Logan .”
Amba wrinkled her nose.
Before Khushi could defend herself, Payal came in to the
room. “Khushi I couldn’t find Karan bhai so you’re going to have to wait and
speak to him afterwards because you need to go down now.”
“Jiji, were you looking for Karan all this time?” Khushi
asked.
“Of course. Amba help me arrange your mother.” Amba came
over and helped her aunt.
“Jiji, I already talked to him, so it’s ok.”
“That’s good. Are you ready?”
Khushi smiled. “Yes.”
They got Khushi safely downstairs despite her big dress and
clumsiness. The wedding went off without a hitch and everyone went off to the
reception.
During the reception, Arnav approached Amba. “Amba?” he
said.
“Mr Raizada.” She extended her hand, “Congratulations.”
During the many months of therapy, Amba found out that Arnav
was actually her father. However, she stubbornly refused to accept him as such.
“I’m sorry.” She had said. “But to me, my dad will always be
Karan.”
“I’m not trying to replace your father Amba.” Arnav had
reasoned. “I just want to know you better. You know, just spend some time with
you so I can try and make up for all the lost years.”
Amba had looked at him sceptically but finally agreed.
“How have you been?” asked Arnav pulling Amba out of her
thoughts.
“I’ve been fine. And you?” she replied politely.
“I’ve been doing ok.”
There was an awkward pause. Both of them were still trying
to get used to the fact that they were father and daughter.
Amba decided to break the silence. “I don’t think I need to
give you any more warning about treating my mum right or not to repeat what you
did last time.”
Arnav looked appalled before he schooled his features. “I
wouldn’t do that to Khushi, not again. I love her and I want her to be happy.
I’ll spend a life time righting the wrongs I did to her and thankfully she
allowed me to spend that life time with her.”
“Yes well, just don’t mess up your second chance.”
“I promise not to.”
They both shared another awkward silence.
“Well I’m going to go and talk to the other guests.” Amba
said hurriedly.
“Yeah me too.”
And they both ran off in different directions and nearly
bumped into Nandini and Krishna who were playing with a
couple of other children. Their relationship wasn’t perfect but they were at
least trying, even if the progress was slow and awkward. A few feet away,
Anjili chuckled at the spectacle in front of her.
Khushi walks towards Anjili. “They’re hopeless, aren’t
they?” Khushi says with a smile.
Anjili smiles back. Anjili was thankful that during their
therapy sessions, she had managed to see the truth and forgive Khushi and in
turn Khushi had forgiven her for the part she had played in her leaving the
Raizada house. Anjili was the first person to welcome Khushi back into their family
when Arnav and her announced their engagement. She definitely didn’t want to
stand in their way this time.
“They’re trying so they’ll be fine.” She turns her gaze
towards her eldest daughter. “Which is more than I can say for Neha.”
Poor Neha had tried her hardest to make her marriage work
but she could see just how miserable her husband was. He didn’t love her, she
knew that but she thought he would in time. It’s been nearly 2 years since they
got married and she could see that she was the cause of her husband’s
depression. She talked to her mother about this issue and Anjili told her the
story about her own loveless marriage and finally Neha saw sense. So she chose
to let him go. She filed for a divorce and moved back in with her parents.
Since then she’s been an emotional wreck but she did find some solace in the
fact that her husband was happier. Anjili had dragged Neha to the wedding
hoping that it would take her mind off the divorce; she could see that it was
working to some extent.
“She’ll be fine in time. How are Priti and Neha getting
along now?” Khushi asked.
They recently found out that what they had thought of as a
simple teenage rebellion was actually something a lot bigger. It turned out
that Priti was jealous of Neha so she was acting out for attention. Neha was
always treated with better care than Priti and she hated it. When Anjili, Viren
and Neha had heard all of this they decided to change their ways.
“Well, they aren’t trying to kill each other any more so
that’s nice. We’re trying to treat them both equally and not favour one over
the other. To be honest, we didn’t even notice that we were treating them
differently, if Priti hadn’t said anything, this would’ve continued.”
“It’s good to talk things out.”
“That’s true Khushiji.”
“I’m going to mingle some more. I’ll see you later
Anjiliji.”
Khushi walked away and Priti came and grabbed Anjili and
dragged her to where her family had gathered.
“Mum, Aarav bhai has a boyfriend.” Priti says excitedly.
Anjili smiles. “Is that so?”
“That’s not all,” Payal says. “He’s been going out with him
for 2 years now.”
“What?! And we haven’t met him yet? What is this Aarav?”
Anjili demands.
Aarav looked flustered. “Well umm I was umm er um-”
“Has your dad met him?”
“No he hasn’t, no one has. No one would’ve know about him at
all if it wasn’t for stupid Sachin and Sanjay.” He glowers at Sachin and
Sanjay’s direction.
But all Sachin and Sanjay do is grin back and high-five each
other. “He’s just ashamed that he bottoms so he doesn’t want us meeting his
boyfriend.” Sanjay says cheekily.
Payal smacks his head. “How dare you talk to your older
brother with such cheek?”
“Sorry, not sorry.” Sanjay says before running away as fast
as he can.
Payal just shakes her head at her son.
“But seriously, who tops?” Sachin asks. One look from his
mother, sends him running too.
“Bhai, I’ll make sure Sachin and Sanjay aren’t home when you
bring him around.” Tara says.
“I’d appreciate that.” Aarav says with a smile.
“So bring him around soon.” Anjili insists. She then turns
to NK. “Where’s Diane and the kids.”
“She couldn’t get off work and the kids have school,
unfortunately.” He replied.
“That’s a shame but at least you’re here.”
“I’ll always be here for Khushiji.”
“I’m really glad you were all these years NK.” Anjili said
honestly.
“Me too.” He said with a smile, and then he spotted someone
in the distance. “Babuji!”
He hurried off to where Khushi’s mother, father and bua were
talking to Nik and Natalie and Payal and Akash followed him.
Meanwhile, Amba and Logan
jr were having a serious/not so serious conversation.
“So this wedding means we can keep doing our little
arrangement.” Logan joked with a
grin.
Amba laughed. “We already promised to stop.”
“Yeah but that was when your mum and my dad was getting
married.”
She shoved at him. “For God’s sake, just get a girlfriend
you dick!”
“Kids are just the craziest, aren’t they?” Logan
said.
Arnav glanced at the direction of his own son and saw that
he was still being interrogated about his boyfriend by his sister and her
husband and wondered if he should go over their and save him. After thinking
about for a second, he decides that Aarav can suffer for a while longer.
“They sure are.” He chuckled.
During the many months of healing, Logan
saw that the love Khushi held for Arnav was still there. He could also see that
Arnav loved her a lot and regretted everything he ever did to hurt her. And
because he loved Khushi, he let her go. He cornered her and got a confession
out of her about her love for Arnav. Once he had that he broke off their
engagement and forced them to get engaged.
“I’m sure you’ve been threatened enough.”
Arnav nodded. “I have.”
“Just to make sure you get it, I’m going to threaten you
again. Just because I gave up Khushi doesn’t mean I don’t love her, so if you
hurt her, I will destroy you.”
Even though Logan
said it in a calm and soft tone, Arnav gulped out of fear. “I understand.”
“Excuse me.” Arnav said as he moved to where Khushi was.
Khushi was talking to Matt. When Matt saw him a look of
relief flooded his face. “Oh thank God, Arnav, tell your wife to stop thanking
me.”
“Are you thanking him again?” Arnav asked Khushi. She
nodded. “Good, let me join you. Thank you so much for helping save Amba.”
“Oh for God’s sake! You two are made for each other.” Matt
said in frustration.
“Thank you.” They said in unison.
They continued thanking him for his assistance until Matt
gave up and walked away. Arnav and Khushi laughed before sharing a chaste kiss.
“I love you.” Arnav said as he looked into her eyes.
“You better.” Khushi said in mock seriousness. “Otherwise a
lot of people will hurt you.”
Arnav cringed. “Yes I know, I’ve been getting death threats
all day.”
Khushi laughed and pulled him down for another kiss. They
both sighed into the kiss, revelling in their happily ever after.
“For God’s sake we have children at this wedding!” Karan
proclaimed causing the couple to break apart. “You’re scarring them.”
Khushi stuck her tongue out at him. “Shut up Karan, you’re
just jealous.”
Karan rolled his eyes. “As if! Come on, we’re taking a
family picture.”
He went ahead and Khushi extended her hand for Arnav to
take. Arnav took her hand and they happily followed to where the picture would
be taken. They stood in the centre as their family gathered around them. As the
photographer set up the camera, they couldn’t help but think about how lucky
they are to have found each other.
“I love you.” Arnav whispered to Khushi.
“I love you too.” She whispered back.
There was a clicking sound to seal the precious moment
forever.
The End
