Parinay(2) Chp6B Pg114, Teaser on THd3 Link Pg 136

On the final evening of his trip, Arnav walked to Times square, his favorite place in New York. In the midst of a crowded Times Square he found peace and quiet that helped him gather his thoughts and arrive at a decision. He got himself a cheese and onion bagel from a street vendor, a place he frequented every time he visited New York. He got the bagel and stood at a spot not too far from the electronic display, the most popular landmark of Times Square, and absorbed the vibrant atmosphere.

His thoughts went back to the week and a half that had passed by. Arnav had left for New York with Akash a couple of days after his discussion with Kushi, where they had both agreed to use some alone time to self introspect to decide what they want from the relationship they had been forced into. His Naani and Di weren't entirely happy with his decision to leave Kushi alone, but Kushi and he had assured them that this could not be put away. Before he left for the airport he had managed a private moment with Kushi who had smiled and wished him luck, but the smile did little to hide her nervousness.

The trip had been successful on all accounts. They had been able to secure a final agreement on the deal, it would be one of the biggest revenue generating deals for AR. He had been able to channelise all his efforts and focus on the deal alone in the first few days of the trip.

On the personal front, he was able to step back and detach himself from everything that had happened to see where mistakes had been committed, how they could be rectified and most importantly what the future held for Kushi and him. A big part of his thought process was consumed by Lavanya. His contacts back in India had indicated that Lavanya had signed up to a reputed modelling agency in Paris, to find some work in Europe. She had always spoken of her dream to work in Europe like every other model aspired, not only because she could do more exciting work but also so that she could stay closer to her roots in Spain. But due to their relationship she never made the move.

A part of him was initially upset at the suddenness of her decision, but he understood that it was him who had pushed her to make this move. Her planned move to Paris was probably for the better, for her as well as for him.

When he had gone to meet her the day after the wedding, his emotions and thoughts were all over the place. He was far too overwhelmed to think straight; his need to apologise to her, to see her, speak to her, touch her overpowering every rational thought. He hadn't seen her in weeks, ever since Lavanya found out about his wedding. He still remembered the call she had made, she asked him if the news was true and like a coward he delayed announcing the inevitable. As soon as she heard it from him, she had packed her bags and had disappeared from the city for three weeks. He had made numerous attempts to speak to her over the period, but it was all in vain. So when he heard about her reappearance he was overpowered by a manic need to see her and explain himself.

He was in Love with Lavanya, she had been able to affect him like no woman before her had. Her grace, subtle charm, classy demeanour along with a beauty that put most to shame, had captivated him from the day he had met her. They got on like a house on fire and he found himself drawn to her, irrespective of the many differences in their lifestyle and upbringing. As with most women he had never thought that it would lead to something serious, so he didn't care much for their obvious differences. But as fate would have it, he had fallen in love with her. Once his family had found the truth about their relationship all hell broke loose. He understood where his Naani and Di came from, having seen his mother suffering from close quarters, due to one wrong decision pertaining to choosing a life partner. He had still nursed a hope against all rational thoughts that his family would see his love and accept Lavanya, but that never happened. And then they had gone on to use emotional blackmail- the thought of a life without working at AR group- his dream, his surname, the support of his family, the support of his Di who had been a mother to him, seemed daunting. It was the classic struggle that many young Asians go through- struggling to choose between family and love. And like most would do, he had chosen his family.

Was he a coward? Probably yes. But would hurting his family and cutting his ties with them, be the right thing to do? No it wouldn't.

In between all of this Lavanya saw the dreams which he showed and the promises he made crumbling away.

It had become clear to him right after meeting with Lavanya that their story was now over, it was a matter of his past. His sister did the right thing by reminding of the many affairs his father had and the pain it caused to his mother. He would never do that. His marriage to Kushi was a result of his own actions and decisions and he would own up to his responsibility.

He had gradually decided to let go of Lavanya and their past together and begin a new life with Kushi- if she would still have him. Kushi seemed like a fabulous young woman, hard working, courageous and very intelligent. She was the kind of girl who would make someone proud by just being associated with her. He could see why his family had chosen her to be his wife. And in a way he admired her for standing her ground, insisting on completing her

education and making a career out of it, and also for giving it back to him.

He would give her the choice; she would decide how they could build their relationship given that she would be away for most part of the next two years. But before all of this he will need to come clear with Kushi, tell her everything about his past, his affairs and his relationship with Lavanya. For a few moments he was torn on whether he should tell Kushi that he had loved Lavanya, would she able to look past it and give him a chance? But he realised that a relationship built on lies would never go the distance. This time he wanted to do the right thing, having burnt his fingers already. She seemed like a reasonable girl and he nursed a hope that she would be willing to overlook his past if he made a promise and held on to it.

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Kushi looked at her reflection on the mirror. She was wearing a pale yellow kurta with a pair of jeans. She was not sure if she should change. Arnav and Akash's flight would arrive in less than an hour and Naani had suggested that she go with Payal to the airport to receive them. She had initially tried to get out of it, but everyone in the family put their foot down. Payal had told her that she was getting changed into something nice. 'Is that what wives do when their husbands came back from a trip?' She wondered.

She brushed her hair once again, deciding to tie it up into a ponytail.She was feeling nervous as she understood the importance of this day, that it would define her future in a significant way.

Over the course of the week Arnav and Kushi had spoken a few times, their conversations pleasant, the initial discomfort replaced by a friendly camaraderie. Their discussions had revolved around Kushi's upcoming trip to Ahmedabad and Arnav's negotiations with the buyers in US, both making an effort to show interest in each others work. She had told him that she had to leave for Ahmedabad earlier than her initial schedule, as she had to give an interview for an in-campus job. In response, he asked her why she needed to work. For a moment she wondered if he was going to be one of those husbands who were conscious of their wives working. But then he had explained that her course work would be exhaustive and she might struggle to find enough time to finish it, based on his own experience while studying for a management degree. She thanked him for her support and advise but told him that the job would give her some valuable work experience and also held her network .

She had sat by the pool side often, to gather her views on how they should move forward. She wanted both of them to be honest to each other, explain reasons for the wedding and then take it forward from there. She was concerned if he would consider her to be a gold digger if she told him her side of the truth. But irrespective of how thee truth would shade his opinion of her, it was better this way. While he was away she had replayed her discussion with him the in the office many times. Kushi had a strong inkling towards what he was referring to when he talked about his personal life and past. She wasn't naive by any means, she knew he had been a with a few women in the past, the pictures a testament to his past relationships. However she decided that she would be willing to overlook them as she was interested in their present and future together not their past. But only if he was honest with her and promised to remain loyal and committed, should they both decide to cement their relationship.

She was looking forward to seeing Arnav and finally get the ball rolling. She wanted to go to Ahmedabad with a clear mind. They were going to attend an Awards ceremony in the evening after which Arnav suggested that they drive down to the farm house to spend some time by themselves. Her flight was scheduled for tomorrow evening, so they would come back home by mid-day.

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