PART 4. TEMPORARY TRUCE

Arnav Singh Raizada had arranged for the hall and hence he considered it his duty to make sure it was emptied out properly too. It was almost an hour after the bidaai happened and Arnav was sure that Aakash and Paayal had reached Shantivan by now. The games were supposed to begin in few hours and till then the bride and bridegroom were supposed to relax after such a stressful day. Arnav had planned to join the games directly from the hall. Some of the guests were still left in the marriage hall packing their things and making sure that they had not left anything behind.

As Arnav instructed the workers to take away some chairs he heard someone crying nearby. Arnav turned around in shock. Who would cry in a marriage hall? He spun around while looking for the source of the noise. He sensed the general direction from which the sobs were coming and marched towards it. Once he reached the area from where the sobs seemed to be emanating, he was surprised to see no one around. Now what is happening here? Arnav wondered as he looked around. Suddenly, his eyes went down and he noticed someone under the table nearby. He frowned; What the! He walked to the table and leaned down to look at the perpetrator. Imagine his shock when he saw Khushi Kumari Gupta sitting under a table crying her heart out. She had her knees drawn towards her chest and her arms encircled it as she sobbed with her head on her knees. Arnav's heart clenched at her crying and he could not resist himself. He squatted down and sat under the table right beside her in Indian style. Either she had not noticed him or she was ignoring him as she did not even look at him.

Khushi sobbed her heart out as she hid under the table. She hid there as she did not want her family to see her like this. Suddenly, out of nowhere a kerchief seemed to hang in front of her. She blinked twice and looked up to the owner of the kerchief. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Arnav who was handing her the kerchief. She took the kerchief but did not use it. She continued to bawl her eyes out.

Arnav raised an eyebrow at her antics and slowly spoke up, "Khushi! Please calm down! Rone se kuch nahi hoga!" Khushi looked at him and gave him a glare. She asked in between her sobbing, "Aapko kaise pata hai ki rone se kuch nahi hoga? Kya pata? Humaare rone se humaara dard thoda kam ho jaaye!" "Dard?", Arnav frowned. Khushi nodded, "Haan! Dard! Humaare Jiji se alag hone ka dard! Jiji ki aaj bidaai hui na? Lekin yeh dard aap ladke waale kya jaane! Yeh dard toh sirf ladki waalon ko pata hota hai!" Arnav rolled his eyes and was about to tell her that he did the bidaai of his elder sister just two years ago and hence he knew what she meant but before he could say anything, Khushi started weeping again. Arnav sighed; forget it! He was about to get up when Khushi caught his hand. He sat back and looked at her. Nothing could have prepared Arnav for what happened next as the moment he sat back Khushi lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Arnav was stupefied for a moment and then slowly his arms raised and he hugged her back. They remained like that for a while as Khushi sniffled and wept softly. After few minutes, Khushi pulled away and wiped her eyes and cheeks with the kerchief he had given her.

Trying to give her some privacy Arnav was again about to get up but Khushi stopped him again by placing her hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her and she smiled at him hesitantly, "Dhanyawaad!" Arnav frowned and Khushi continued, "Hum aapke saath subah se lad rahe hain aur aap hain ki humein dilaasa dene pahunch gaye! Dahnyawaad!" Arnav smiled, "Its fine! After all kuch der ke liye hum log jhagde ko side mein rakh sakte hain, right?" Khushi giggled and nodded, "Lekin sirf aaj ke liye truce! Next time phir se ladenge!" Arnav laughed and nodded, "Good idea!" He crawled out of her hiding space and stood up. He walked few steps and then stopped and turned around, "Miss. I Love to Fight!" Khushi, who was looking down lost in her thoughts, looked up at him. Arnav continued, "Next jhagde pe milenge!" Khushi gave him a bright smile and he walked away.

Khushi sat at the place for a second remembering her and Arnav's fights from the morning and the talk they just had. Suddenly she smiled widely, Devi Maiyya! Akdu hain, ghussail hain aur bahut serious hain par itne bure bhi nahi hai!"

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Thanks, take care and have fun,

Kalpana

P.S. All the reviews of earlier parts will be replied tomorrow coz today my hand is paining too much!