Valley of Flowers Chapter 25 Parts 1-2

Part - 1

TWO weeks later, Anjali sat in the park outside Ashray talking to Manav. ‘I am worried about Arnav. Since he came back from the police station last week, he is behaving strangely. ‘What exactly happened there Manav?’

After one week of running to and fro to the police station, the SP had finally been forthright with him. He had told him that Shyam hadn’t confessed to kidnapping Khushi in spite of the third-degree they had meted out to him. They believed that he was telling the truth. He was being shifted to Tihar after which he would be awaiting trial for the murder of his father. They had also found the remainder of the fifty lakh rupees stashed away in his house.

Then the SI had told him that since there was no foul play in Khushi’s disappearance, he would either have to wait for his wife to come back to him or go looking for her in places she was likely to go after a fight.

‘This is ridiculous!’ Arnav exclaimed banging his fist on the table. ‘I am sure Shyam is lying.’

‘Sir, he has nothing to lose now, why would he lie?’ The SP was trying to be patient.     

‘You don’t know him like we do.’ Arnav insisted.

‘I beg to disagree Mr Raizada,’ he countered. ‘We have been dealing with criminals all our lives. Have you considered the fact that your wife wants some time off to think?’ The inspector said gravely.

Arnav sat back a little taken aback with the suggestion. His eyes blazed with fury. ‘You are just not trying hard enough.’

The inspector’s temper rose up. ‘We don’t usually interfere in domestic disputes Mr Raizada. We have better things to take care of. How can you be so sure she wants to be found?’

‘I thought Arnav was going to hit him,’ Manav chuckled.‘I calmed him down and brought him home.’

Anjali was surprised. ‘Is that why he is behaving like this? He goes to work in the morning, comes back late at night. He hasn’t been eating well. I think he has been drinking. When I tried talking to him, he completely closed up. He isn’t even searching for Khushi.’ She added anxiously.

‘It’s a delayed reaction to everything that has happened Anjali. I think he is feeling guilty.’

‘It was mom who caused all this.’

‘That is exactly why he feels guilty,’ explained Manav. ‘In the past five years, Arnav has lived with the belief that Khushi betrayed him for her career. He thought he was the victim. Now he suddenly finds out that Khushi was innocent all along. He blames himself.’

‘He shouldn’t.’ Her face creased with concerned.

‘Well, I don’t know the depth of the relationship they shared at the time, but considering their age, I can only surmise that it was still in a nascent stage.  Arnav and you come from a broken home and hence you both have serious trust issues.’

‘Me?’ Anjali was taken aback.

‘Yes, you as well. Your relationship with Shyam was based on duty rather than trust and sharing. In spite of being in a marriage you have tried not to depend on your husband for anything. You knew all this and felt guilty. If Shyam was a good husband he would have tried to earn your trust, with patience and understanding. But he played on your guilt and took advantage of you.’

As Anjali remained silent, he continued. ‘This inherent distrust in relationships probably caused Arnav to hold back all those years ago. Khushi didn’t know where she stood with Arnav at the time, whether she meant anything to him at all. That is why she couldn’t come to him when your mother asked her to leave.’

‘It makes sense,’ Anjali agreed. ‘But from what I could see of them in the last few months --  they love each other immensely Manav. 

‘I don’t understand why Khushi left him like this. What sort of love is that?’

‘Anjali, I understand that you feel for Arnav – he is your brother and it is quiet natural,’ he said patiently. ‘But from a neutral stand point, this is what I think. From what I heard from Garimaji and Buaji the other day, it is pretty clear that Khushi has had an abusive childhood. She probably thought that she could gain their love by pleasing them. She has been doing that all her life and probably doesn’t know where to draw the line.

‘Five years ago she left Arnav not only because she could protect her dad from going to jail, but also because she probably felt that your mother was right and she didn’t deserve a person like him.

‘Now she left so she could protect Arnav from having to face the truth about your mother, her mother. It’s in her nature Anjali.

‘I can’t bear to see him like this Manav.’

‘He will be fine,’ Manav smiled at her affectionately. ‘He just needs some time to think. He will figure it all out. Don’t worry.’

Arnav stood in the garden at the farm house, a glass of vodka martini in his hand and Khushi’s diary in the other. Where are you Khushi? He asked silently. It had been three weeks since Khushi had left. The first week he had been so sure that Shyam would disclose where he had hidden Khushi. When that hadn’t turned up any results, he had spent the next week in denial that Khushi had indeed left him. And then anger took over. Had she really gone to Mumbai? He wasn’t going let her get away with it this time.

 He had flown to Mumbai determined to carry her back on his shoulder, tied up and gagged if the need be. He had somehow tracked down her roommate, only to find out that Khushi hadn’t contacted her either. She was sure that Khushi had not come to Mumbai as she not heard anything from her friends circle. After, a couple of days he realized that Khushi was definitely not in Mumbai.

A dread began to form in his heart. Was the SP right? Didn’t Khushi want to be found?

He had come to the farm house in desperate need of some peace.But standing in the garden reminded him of the day he had first brought Khushi here, on the night of Akash’s bachelor party.

How exhilarated she was to see the beautiful flowers. Oh my God, Arnav this is just beautiful…

Histhoughts went back to the night of the Dandia when he had seen her dancing gracefully. He had been drawn to her instantly, but had been trying to fight his attraction for her, first with indifference and then rudeness but she had broken down all his defences one by one. Once he had given in to his impulses and kissed her on the night of Diwali, he had had a tough time keeping his hands off her.

He looked beyond to the banyan tree that had been witness to his first intimate moments with Khushi. After the implicit trust that she had shown that night, why had he so easily accepted that she had betrayed him?

That night, Khushi had confessed her love for him, but he had not reciprocated.He had realized how much Khushi had come to mean to him but he had procrastinated the decision of letting her know. This decision had to lead to the chain of events where Khushi was forced to leave everything she held dear -- in the blink of an eye.

He tried to imagine the mental trauma the young eighteen year old girl might have gone through when his mother had confronted her on the day of Akash and Payal’s wedding. He recalled the entire day in minute detail.

She had ignored him and had concentrated on talking to some boy from Lucknow. Then he had witnessed Buaji’s embarrassing rantings against mami regarding some gift. Already irked by Khushi’s erratic behaviour, when Lavanya had teased him about Buaji becoming his mother-in-law he had blown his top --

Akash is a big fool to be getting married into a low class family like that

Had she heard him talking to Lavanya? No wonder she had brought that up in a conversation they had when he confronted her under the stairs, pushed her against the wall and kissed her against her will.

‘If you are done, can I go now?’

‘I should have known not to engage with -- ’

‘A low class girl like me!Is that what your mom taught you?’

‘Don’t you dare bring her up! You don’t even know her.’

It was he who didn’t know his mother. A woman who had traumatized an innocent girl, playing on her weakness – her obligation toward her foster family.

She had not told her parents about the fraudulent papers. She didn’t want to face the remote chance that the accusation might have been true. What a dilemma for a young girl to face. Her sister’s wedding was at stake, the likelihood of her father going to jail – all these critical decision at a time when she should have had the freedom to grow and spread her wings.

She had probably agreed to leave when his mom had threatened her with breaking up Payal’s wedding. But his mom hadn’t stopped at that. She had further blackmailed the poor girl with fraudulent papers. Why?

As he kept staring at the plants he realized it. Of course! It was the same afternoon, hours before Akash and Payal’s wedding that he had revealed to her that he loved Khushi. She had hugged him then and told him everything would be alright. But all she had been doing was plotting to send Khushi away from him. He threw the glass against a tree in anger. How could his mother do that to him?

Later that evening, Khushi had completely avoided him. He had been so angry with her that after the wedding, he had insulted her by slapping Rs 10,000 on her hand for Akash’s slippers. A knife twisted in his heart as he remembered the tear that had trickled down her cheek from her already red eyes. He had wanted to drag her to himself and wipe away the stricken look on her face but he had let his temper rule him. He had walked away.

Even after five years, in spite of his mother being gone, Khushi had refused to let it out once that it was his mother who had sent her away. She knew how much it would hurt him. But she had tried to tell him, hadn’t she?

He wouldn’t listen.

Don’t mention my mother Khushi or I don’t know what I will do.

F@#$! He had incessantly tortured her with insults about her relationship with NK.

After their marriage, Khushi had only been giving. On the night of his father’s thirteenth day, she had given herself to him -- no questions asked -- only to comfort him. During the argument they had about NK she hadn’t hesitated to declare her love for him openly. She had come looking for him driving all the way to the farm house with a box of kalmi kabab which she had learnt only for him. She had ardently kissed away his nightmares and listened to him when he had poured his heart out about his father.

He remembered their conversation after the nightmare.

He had never been able to forget her…

He could never love her because of this woman…

She was very hurt by his betrayal.

There was only one reason she had left him now. She believed that her mother had been responsible for destroying his parent’s marriage. She was also probably worried herself to death thinking their relationship might be a forbidden one as that b@#$%^ had insinuated. And Khushi being Khushi, she had taken it upon herself to protect him from this ugly truth.

And why would she stay back and share this fear with him? He had held back the one thing she probably craved to hear.Three simple words.

He hit his hand against the bark, but the sharp stinging pain did nothing to assuage the one in his heart. As he sat down to read her diary again, it hit him. Khushi had mentioned her great grandmother’s house near Dehradun. What if she was stuck in that calamity ridden state?

His heart pounding wildly, he called his mother-in-law to get the exact location of her great grandmother’s house and found out that it was Govind Ghat. He called the help line numbers and heard with dread that the river flowing in the The Valley of Flowers had wiped out the valley and surrounding areas. His heart almost stopped when he realized that Govind Ghat was quiet close. Since they didn’t have any information about Khushi, he decided that there was only one way to find out.

After driving through the night, Arnav finally reached Gauchar in the early hours of the day. Gauchar was the base camp from where all the rescue operations were being organized by the Indian army.He had found out from the authorities that there was a chopper headed toward Joshimath as they had just received information about many pilgrims who were stranded there. He requested them to drop him off there and that he would manage to get to Govind Ghat by himself. In spite of their strong warning not to take this risk he brow beat them into acceding. He had set out on this journey based on an intuition. He was not going to back out now.

In Joshimath, with that help of a local boy Gopal, who had promised to take him on a short cut, Arnav hiked up the slippery, rocky terrain. The landscape looked fiery in its devastation –nature’s response to intruders who were trying to invade and destroy. Resilient andfull of hope thateach step would take him a little closer to Khushi, he trudged on.

After scaling a treacherous rocky hillock, they had finally reached Govind Ghat by midday. Then he had to walk a few more kilometres toward Gangharia. With the directions that Garima gave him, he managed to find the little house that belonged to Khushi’s great grandmother. He stepped inside and smiled with relief when he saw the lamp lit by Devi Maiyya’s idol. Khushi had to be here.

A little later, he found Khushi standing under a tree, a little distance from the house. The pain of the entire journey melted away in seconds when he saw her, looking as beautiful as ever. He had always wondered why people took so much pain to take treacherous journeys to visit holy places or climb mountains. Now he knew. 

Part - 2

KHUSHI looked up as though compelled to find Arnav’s caramel brown eyes staring back at her. ‘Arnav?’ She took in his dishevelled appearance--  his hair, a little too long curled at his nape, a few days growth of beard on a gaunt face, mud-streaked clothes and shoes. Her heart lurched when she saw that he had lost some weight. Her face contorted with apprehension as realization hit her with full force.

‘Arnav! What are you doing here? Don’t you know how dangerous it is here right now?’

His face suffused with anger. This girl would never change. ‘What are you doing here?’ he retorted.‘Are you rehearsing for your movie here in the middle of nowhere?’

She ignored his jibe. ‘Look at how this place is Arnav,’ She spread her hand toward the destruction meted out by nature. ‘You could have been killed.’

‘Stop protecting me Khushi!’ He strode up to her. ‘I have had enough of women manipulating my emotions in the name of love!’

She didn’t know if it was the drizzle or Arnav’s words that made her shiver. Arnav had discovered his mother’s deception. Tears welled up in her eyes when she thought of the shock and pain he must have had to face. She wasn’t even there to console him.

‘How did you know I was here?’

‘It was very simple really,’ he said his tone laced with sarcasm. ‘First I thought Shyam had kidnapped you. Then the police told me to get out of their face and ruling this out as a domestic dispute. So I decided to take your letter at face value and went looking for you in Mumbai. Even though your friend assured me you were not there, I still searched for two whole days. Finally, I came here – on a hunch.’

‘I …I am sorry Arnav.’

‘As much as I wished I had killed him, I am thankful to Shyam for his blunder which revealed the truth about mom. Why didn’t you tell me Khushi?’ He demanded.

‘I was going to ---’

He didn’t let her finish. ‘Then you decided to run!’

Khushi’s eyes flashed with anger at his tone. ‘Look who’s talking? You keep running off to the farm house whenever you are upset.’

‘Are you trying to tell me that this is an “eye-for-an-eye”?’ Arnav took a few steps toward her, his eyes simmering with a barely controlled temper.

She took a few steps back ward. ‘Didn’t you also want to do something like that when you first met me eight months ago?’

‘You let me go on believing a lie!’ He lashed out.

‘What was I supposed to do?It had been five long years Arnav! I had moved on. I was all set to marry NK ---‘

‘You had moved on?’ He took a step closer to her, backing her into the tree, ‘How?’ He raised his eyebrow in a familiar manner. ‘By holding onto my tattered t-shirt?’

Khushi’s flushed. She had forgotten that bag in a hurry. She stood silently thinking of all the memoirs she had collected over the years. It was something she had started as a child of thirteen and hadn’t been able to wean herself off, even as a grown woman.

‘I would never have let you marry that moron.’ He said arrogantly.

Khushi’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘NK didn’t turn up that day,’ She reminded him. ‘And that was no thanks to you!’

‘So what? You think marriage would have stopped me?’

‘Of course not!’ She shot back. ‘You don’t believe in the institution.’

‘Do you blame me?’ He came up to her and held her arms. ‘It did nothing for my parents, my sister, Lavanya--  just to name a few. Would only marriage, prove my love for you?’

‘What did you say?’ she whispered.

 ‘Why do you think I came running from the US to stop your wedding and marry you?’

‘You told me you ….wanted me.’ Khushi reminded him of their conversation on their wedding night.

‘I was scared Khushi! I was afraid you would break my heart. That is why instead of telling you I thought I would show you. Actions speak louder than words they say. I thought I could keep you with me by giving you all the luxury in the world.’

That was why he had bought her all those expensive gifts – the diamond necklace set, the saree, the dishwasher he had bought so she didn’t have to wash dishes and then the join account. ‘Oh Arnav, I didn’t care for any of those gifts,’ Khushi said emphatically. ‘What mattered to me was the donation you made to the dance school – for my students.

‘It was then that I had decided that I’d rather live with you than marry NK. I went to himand came clean with him, hoping he would call off the wedding.’

‘But you decided to go ahead when he didn’t! ’ He said sardonically.

‘I was planning to call it off just before you landed up on the wedding day!’ She cried.  ‘I realized I couldn’t go through with it Arnav. Not even for my parents’ sake. I loved you too much.’

Arnav’s eyes filled with tears even as his face remained stoic. With the slightest of quiver on his lips he said. ‘You loved me so much that you left me without saying anything and came here to hide out in this Godforsaken place, putting me through hell these past three weeks!’

Khushi’stears, were being washed away by the rain that had begun to get stronger. ‘You think I have been in heaven all this time – without you?’ she tried to shrug off his hands but his grip was firm.  ‘Let me go!’

‘NEVER!’ He pushed her back against bark of the tree, his eyes blazing. ‘I am not letting you go this time!’ He released his fingers when he heard her wince. He raked a hand through his wet hair. ‘I am sorry but I can’t let you go,’ he said with a catch in his throat. ‘If I did --- I don’t think I will survive Khushi. I LOVE YOU!’

I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU

Khushi’s heart clamoured joyously as Arnav’s words reverberated all around the woods echoing against the hills and valleys around them. Words, she had been longing to hear from the past five years.

‘Why Khushi?’ He said stepping back a little. ‘How long were you going to continue to protect everyone but yourself?’

‘I only care about you Arnav,’ she said brokenly.

‘I don’t need protecting Khushi. You do.’ He groaned and put out his arm, pulling her unresisting body against him while she clung, clutching his t-shirt.‘You sweet little fool!’

‘It’s a terrible story isn’t it?’

‘The most terrible part is how you were made to suffer. You were so young Khushi – too young. If you had only told me!’

‘Please understand,’ she implored.

‘I don’t,’ his brown eyes bore into hers. ‘I can’t believe it.’

‘I love you, Arnav,’ she exclaimed.

‘Why you should, baffles me.’

‘Anything that hurts you, hurts me.’

‘God,’ he said resting his chin on the top of her head. ‘You didn’t write that monstrosity of a letter either.’

‘Forget about it,’ she begged.

‘I can’t believe my own mother would do that to me. A mother who claimed to love me. I spent so long hating you because of that letter. You, the other half of me.By far the better half.My only love.’

‘But no one knew that Arnav,’ she said sadly. ‘You said yourself no one understood what we meant to each other – the compulsive, unquenchable love. You mother considered she was doing the right thing.’

‘Right for whom?’

He stepped back and kneeled down on the ground. He looked up at her and took her hand in his. ‘Will you just allow me to say, sorry?’

‘No.’ She shook her head.

‘Please.’

The break in his voice affected her violently. She pulled him to stand up and put her arms around his lean figure and hugged him as tightly, as fiercely as she could. Arnav felt his pain in his heart ebbing away little by little. He moved his hands all over her back, the need to feel that she was really in his arms foremost in him mind.

‘I am sorry for leaving you like that Arnav,’ Khushi whispered looking deep into his eyes. ‘I didn’t know what to do. I realized my mistake when I got here. I had planned to come back. But then the floods came and the roads got closed.’

‘What if I had lost you Khushi?’ He said his voice heavy with anguish. ‘You know I couldn’t have lived without –‘

‘Don’t!’

She went on her tip toes, her hand snaking around his neck as she pressed her lips to his with a  an ardour that made them both tremble. The drizzle had turned into a down pour but neither cared, lost in each other as the rest of the world ceased to exist.

When Khushi started shivering uncontrollably, he realized that there were drenched to the bone. He picked her up in his arms ready to take her back into the house.

‘What the --?’ He swore as he saw two girls standing a little distance away.

‘Oh that’s Lakshmi and Shanti,’ Khushi said emphatically.‘Don’t you remember them Arnav? There were the two little girls who told us about the significant of this match making tree when we came here ten years ago.’ She pointed to the tree they were standing under.

‘Thisis the same frigging tree?’  He looked up with disbelief as the girls started giggling again. ‘Unbelievable!’  He was still shaking his head as he walked toward the house. They had no chance in hell, did they? It was providence.

Just as they entered the house, Arnav shut the door and pulled her back into his arms.

‘Arnav I --’ He bent his head and captured her lips pulling her flush against himself. As the warm aroused musky scent of his skin assailed her senses, she responded by digging her own fingers into the sensitive area of his back, her senses thrilling as he responded by raising his hand to her hair, threading them through the wet strands, imprisoning her head so that she had to press even closer to him, forcing her to lift her face as the heat of his body transmitted itself to her.

After what seemed like an eternity he lifted his head. ‘Now, tell me what you wanted to say.’

‘Uh?’She seemed to have lost her train of thought.

‘Khushi,’ He had been wondering about this since the moment she had kissed him outside.

‘Aren’t you worried we might be related?’

‘What?’ She stepped back in horror. ‘Hey Devi Maiyya!’ She put a hand to her mouth. ‘I thought you knew. Arnav, the woman in the picture was not my mother! She was –‘

‘Your aunt,’ he finished for her. ‘Your mother told us everything.’

Khushi hit his chest in mock anger. ‘How could you scare me like this?’

He grabbed her hands and pushed her against the wall. ‘You know how scared I was when I couldn’t find you at first?’

‘I am sorry Arnav --‘ she began.

‘Khushi,’ he said looking at her with his caramel brown eyes. ‘I meant what I said earlier. You can’t leave me like that every time there is a problem.’

‘I didn’t know what to do when Shyam showed me the photograph!’ she said defensively.

‘Why didn’t you come to me?’

‘What was I going to say to you Arnav?’ she retorted. ‘Should I have come up to you and told you “The woman who destroyed your parents’ marriage was my mother. I hope you don’t mind.”’ Her tone was laced with acrimony.

‘Amma had not told me anything about the past. Buaji always taunted me about my mother. I thought it wastrue. And the possibility that we could be –‘ She couldn’t finish the sentence. ‘I couldn’t face you Arnav.’

He pulled into his arms and regaled the drama that had taken place in her absence. ‘I wish I had killed that b@#$%&! I can’t believe my mother brought this scum into our lives.’

Khushi placed her hand on his cheek gently. ‘Don’t!’ She pleaded. ‘You have to find a way to get past that.’

A window banged shut with a loud noise making Khushi jump. She stepped back from him. ‘I have to go shut all the windows and light the lamps. The power lines are down.’

Arnav’s face lost its colour when he realized how scared Khushi was of darkness. Khushi put her hand on his shoulder and said, ‘Lakshmi’s family have been very helpful. They came right away and took me to their home that night. After that, they gave me hurricane lamps, a kerosene stove and provisions to make food. They are used to this weather and generally stock up on provisions in case of emergencies. This is one of the safest places in the world. The people here are innocent to the point of being naïve. Don’t worry.’

She brought him a towel and told him to clean himself up while she put together something for him to eat. Arnav looked around to see the house for the first time. There was one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen. The entire house would probably fit into the living room of the RaizadaHouse. He stepped inside the bathroom to wash himself.

A little later, he stood at the door of the bedroom watching her towelling her wet hair. His heart began to beat erratically as he watched a drop of water, slide down her creamy back. He walked up to her, wrapping his hands around her tummy and pulled her flush against himself even as his lips claimed the delicate skin at the nape of her neck.

Khushi gasped as her back touched the bare skin of his chest. ‘Arnav ---‘  She turned around and stopped abruptly when she saw him standing in just the towel, his hair damp, his muscled body glistening in the glow of the oil lamp.She stepped back and hit the wall in the tiny bedroom. ‘You will be …cold.’

‘You too. So,let’s get you out of these wet clothes.’ He rasped.

‘Hurry!’ She said, her own eyes reflecting the hunger in his.

His lips fused with hers, hot and starving. She tasted passion… desire. His tongue stroked and cajoled, sending a sizzling jolt right to her core, so she answered him fire for fire.

He peeled the kurti off her body, skimmed his hands up her narrow rib cage, then cupped her breasts. As her breathing grew heavy, Khushi clutched her hands in his hair and dragged his mouth up to hers. He had wanted to go slow but her lips were wild and desperate. He understood that it was what she needed. He let himself go.

He ripped at her bra, making her eyes go wide with shock and arousal. When his hands moulded her this time, they were greedy and rough.

She moaned when his mouth, hot and moist closed over her breast. His tongue caressed, stabbed. He suckled strongly, wanting to devour her, mark her.

He untied the strings of her pyjama bottom and dragged the material down her smooth legs. The panty was no hindrance as he plunged his fingers inside her. As his thumb began to make swift circles around her nub, her nails dug into his shoulders telling him she had reached her peak. The whimper in her throat turned into a cry that was both a shock and joy.

His breath hissed out, as he watched her rise up and topple over the edge. The dazed look in her eyes brought him a dark pleasure.

He threw his towel aside. As he caught her leg, wrapping it around his waist, Khushi came out of her daze and her eyes widened for a brief second. Then she closed her eyes and leaned back, her finger curled in his hair as she pulled him for a kiss.

As Arnav thrust into her slowly, he found her moist entrance more than ready for him. As he filled her to the hilt, she was gasping, her breath coming in little pants of pleasure.

Arnav began to move, in rhythmic movements fast and slow, deep and hard. Her soft little moans emanating from her throat were driving him crazy. Her nails bit into his back, her breath came in gasps and her eyes clouded with heat.

He lifted her to wrap the other leg also around him and drove deeper, his hand biting into her waist.

Khushi forgot where she was. Who she was. There was only the pleasure coursing through her body, as she threw back her head and indulged herself.

Arnav murmured something incoherent, his hand tightening on her, he thrust fiercely into her. Khushi threw back her head, shuddering with pleasure as she body spiralled out of control, wave after wave shaking her. She stifled her cries as she buried her face against his shoulder. She dropped one leg on the floor, unable to hold herself against him.

He thrust one last time and his body crescendoed like a hot volcano. He felt like his body had turned into lead, as if she had drained his very strength. He placed his forehead on her, struggling to regain his ability to breathe.

A little later, Arnav brought her the food she had prepared a little earlier, wearing his track pants riding low on his hips.

‘Khushi?’ He sat down beside her, gulping when he saw her bare legs stretched out in front of her, the t-shirt riding high on her thighs. His body hardened at the thought of her wearing nothing but his t-shirt. But he stemmed his thoughts. ‘How did you find out about your aunt?’

‘Uh?’ She had been busy staring at the hair on his chest. He had no idea what it did to her.

He repeated his question as he handed the plate to her.

‘Oh…..I found her diary hidden away in the trunk here in this room.’ She fed him from her plate.

‘What did she write in that?’

‘Arnav --’ She hesitated. ‘Aren’t you angry? Even if she was not my mother, she is still my aunt.’

‘I am angry alright, but not for the reason you think.’ He said his jaw tightening with fury. He told her about his mother’s role in the whole fiasco. He said, ‘I can understand why dad had fallen for Gauri. She was not only beautiful outside but inside as well.’

A tear trickled down Khushi’s cheek as she thought of the aunt she never knew. ‘She sacrificed her love and life for the man she loved.’

‘You have similar sacrificial traits, like your aunt,’ he said wiping her tears. Luckily for me, you are not suicidal like her. You are stronger. I guess you take after your father. He had the courage to wait for his love – unlike mine.’

‘Don’t be too harsh on your dad Arnav,’ Khushi said sadly. ‘He did come for her. My aunt firmly refused to marry him and sent him away.’

‘So what?’ He said emphatically. ‘Did that mean he should have agreed to marry --’

‘Don’t!’ She put her fingers on his lips. She couldn’t for one second think of a scenario that he didn’t exist. Luckily for her, he had turned out like her dad. ‘All that matters is that we didn’t let go of our love. I have been in love with you for so long, so madly. I can’t have anything spoiling it now – not the past, not your mother, not Shyam or anyone else. We are going to be together the way it was meant. I am not going to let you hold on to the wretched past. If I can forgive and forget so can you. We have to start afresh Arnav!’

He laughed a little at her passionate response.She looked beautiful, invincible and passionately alive.

He went up to the knapsack he had brought with him and took out her diary. He opened it and took an old letter that was stuck inside the flap of the cover. ‘I know how long you have loved me Khushi.’

I was in the middle of my riyaaz with Naniji when I felt like someone had called my name. When I turned around, there he was--- dressed in black denims, dark grey hooded jacket with a dark blue t-shirt inside and grey-yellow sneakers. Those were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen I my entire life. Eyes, the colour of caramel.

When I took him some tea the next morning,he looked so anguished that I wanted to take him in my arms, but didn’tdare.He had just taken off his t-shirt and it made me feel warm all over. I couldn’t even talk properly and so I ran away from there.

Though he was trying to ignore me all through the journey, I don’t know why I wanted to go on talking to him.The next day,under the matchmaking tree, whenI made that silly comment about the song,he laughed. His stern face had totally transformed, making him look like a little innocent boy. I was so happy that I couldn’t help joining in his laughter.

The Valley of Flowers was as beautiful as I had imagined it. It had reminded me of the time I had spent with my own Amma and Babuji. I forgot about Buaji and her cruel taunts for those few wondrous moments. Then it began to rain and I had found his caramel eyes looking at me. My heart began to beat a strange rhythm of dhak-dhak when he walked toward me and I was suddenly overwhelmed with joy.

Now he is gone far away from me and I don’t feel that good. Yesterday I had a dream about marrying him under the matchmaking tree! Hey Devi Maiyya! What is wrong with me?

 A wild rose colour had mounted her cheeks and she tried to close her face with her hand. She had torn that page from the diary and hid it inside the flap of the cover.

He moved her hands away and looked deep into her eyes.‘When I first saw you in Dehradun I too was overwhelmed by how exquisite you were Khushi. But I told myself that you were just a child. But at the Valley of Flowers, seeing the joy on your face I couldn’t help being drawn toward you. I had forgotten all my troubles in that one instant. My heart always knew that you were my salvation. But happiness had eluded me for so long that I failed to recognize it when it was staring right at my face. I pushed you away. Again and again.’

‘It wasn’t our time yet.’ She whispered.

‘It’s taken me ten long years to find you once again. I assure you that I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I love you Khushi.Forever.’

‘I love you too Arnav,’ She took a deep shuddering breath. ‘I am yours – heart, body and soul. Forever.’

With that promise they came together in rapture as the stars twinkled a little more brightly in the night sky.