Part 2

Khushi sat silently in the car as Arnav drove around the block several times. He seemed to be preoccupied with something and Khushi was now afraid to ask though what he said last was still ringing in her head.

We are going to get married. And I want you to be my wife in all sense of the word. Understood?

She had not said yes but she had not said no either. For once in her life, Khushi was totally speechless but she had to act. Marriage was the only option that she had. Arnavji had threatened that he would stop her sister's wedding and she could not tolerate that in any possibility. Last time, it was their fault in some form or other. She arriving in the wrong place and actually getting on stage and ruining his fashion show. Now she was in the right place but again she was in the wrong place earlier in the day and now again, he had the misconception of who she truly was and what her intentions were. She sighed.

They had not actually gotten further away from their first meet. Only now, things were more personal. Then he meant nothing to her but now, if she was blatantly honest, he meant the world to her. And she supposed, one could sacrifice anything for someone they love. Ironically, what she was going to sacrifice is marrying him when he actually did not feel anything for her. But maybe this was the only way out for her. Arnav was right, Shyam still looked at her with those disgusting eyes and who was she to kid about a baby stopping him and making him realize the precious love he was getting from his wife. His eyes still wandered.

But he would not be able to do anything if she was someone else's wife, would he? Especially if she was Mr Arnav Singh Raizada's wife. Now he would have to be a bigger idiot to try. She shook her head. He would definitely try. Afterall he was definitely a massive idiot! But eventually he would have to stop when he realized that she would not leave Arnav under any circumstance even if Arnav tortured her. She would just pray that her love somehow someday will convince Arnav that she was the innocent one. Until then, she will have to take any punishment he threw her way.

Khushi sat up and realized that they have just been around the block again. Was Arnav planning to take her somewhere or was this just it? Round and round the merry go round we go! Either way, Khushi had to be strong. She would agree to marriage, her heart would in a heartbeat but she would have to put up some fight though, at least to make it seem realistic that she was against the idea. Besides, he only talked to her when they were arguing about something and right now the silence was killing her and the drive to no-where. Maybe he was having 2^nd thoughts? No! Marriage was the only solution to her problems and his.

"Arnavji, you said you wanted me to be your wife in all sense of the word. What do you mean by ALL?" Khushi's voice broke the silence in the car.

Arnav briefly glanced her way before returning his concentration to the road ahead. "Khushi, what do you think a wife does?"

"I don't know. I've never married before. Do you know what a wife does? Or better still, what do you want your wife to do?" Khushi knew she was courting trouble but anything from him, even if he shouted she would readily accept. Besides, she knew his anger levels were dissipating slightly.

"She can start by being honest, about everything."

"I've already told you about everything."

"Sure? Nothing else that you may not want to share?"

"Like what?" Like I am madly in love with you. No! "Definitely nothing else. You know about Shyam and being my ex-fiance, paying guest, and the rest. You already know about me not liking the dark, not liking sleeping on my own, not liking speeding cars and thinking my parents are stars. What do you call your mum Arnavji?"

"Why?"

"Just. I need to know."

"Mama."

"Okay. So now I will talk to ammaji, babuji and mamaji. Do you think they will agree to what we are doing?"

He looked briefly up towards the sky and then back to the road. "I don't know. But I have no choice. My sister's happiness is paramount."

"I agree. So then they will agree. We may be doing a wrong thing, or going the wrong way but our intentions are clean."

"Mine are clean. I don't know about yours."

"Mine are impeccable. I already told you the truth. If you choose not to believe me, that's up to you. I'm doing it for jiji and anjaliji." And me and you. "But I have some conditions to this marriage."

"Conditions?!" he slammed the brake and the car halted infront of RM.

Khushi looked out and then looked at him. "We are back in RM. You drove for 10 minutes around the block, to end up where we started in RM." She smiled. "Ironic isn't it. Just like our lives. We met on the night of Payal's wedding and since then we have moved several steps forward and backwards in our relationship and now we are back to the same place. Payal's wedding. What I would do to save it and what would you do to save Anjali's marriage. How are you and I different?!" Her smile faded. "No, we are very different. You now not only control your own destiny but ours as well. And I'm just a mere pawn in this control game - whether by you or Devi Mayaa."

"What are your conditions Khushi? Money? You will have loads of as my wife."

"I don't care about the money. Never have and never will."

"Your conditions then?"

"You will pretend to at least love me in front of our family. Behind close doors, you can do what ever you want."

"I intend to. As my wife, I will treat you with utmost respect, in front of the family and in our room. I'll also look after your family in terms of expenditure and health bills. In return I expect you to look after my family like they are your own."

"I already do."

"Any more conditions khushi?"

She shook her head. She was still shocked that despite being very angry at her, he was still a decent man. Why could he not see that she was innocent. Why could he not love her instead. She was beginning to realize that he would give her everything except his love, and that was the one thing she wanted most. Her eyes began to moisten. Don't cry Khushi, please.

"I have conditions of my own. 1) You will not go near Shyam at all. If he comes near you, you will make every attempt to leave and then you will let me know everything. Understood?"

Khushi could only nod.

"2) since we are going to be married and living under the same roof, in the same room, we will share the same bed. You don't like sleeping alone and I'm too decent to allow you to sleep on the sofa. I like my bed too much. So we will share the same bed. Besides, it helps portray that we are definitely married. Agree?"

"I wont sleep with you." Khushi stated with conviction though internally she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to pull that off. She was already having trouble concentrating on what he said, especially when she looked into his chocolaty brown eyes.

"I have no problems with that. But you will not be in a sexual relationship with anyone else. I would not tolerate that of my wife. Only with me."

"What do you take me for, Arnavji?" Khushi felt her cheeks turn hot. "Do you think I will be sleeping with anyone else. I've never  done that and I don't plan to. And on that point, I don't want to hear about you having any sort of affair with any size 0 models either. Understood. Only me and no one else." Khushi immediately covered her mouth with her hands as she realized the significance of what she had just said.

Arnav couldn't help but smirk. Khushi was definitely too naive and to think he suspected her with Shyamji. He was still angry though not that she was having an affair with Shyam but on the fact that she could not tell him about the truth about the past. He would stay angry for a while to proof the seriousness to Khushi. But even he had to admit, he didn't know how long he could stay angry with her, especially when she seemed to now with blushing a beautiful pink. "Khushi, I definitely have no problems with that. But I will not sleep with you until you come to me willingly."

"That will no be a problem. I will not come to you."

"You will Khushi, mark my word." He said with full conviction. Not many women could resist him and especially not his wife. Besides, he already knew what kind of impact he had on Khushi.

"3) You will not fall in love with me, Khushi. because you may be my wife but I have no intentions of falling for you, ever. Understood? I am marrying you for my sister's happiness and only for my sister. Dont ever think I'm marrying you because I have feelings for you. Understood?"

Khushi gulped and then nodded. It was already too late for her. She was already in love with him but the possibility of him not falling in love with her or not wanting to fall in love with her hurt her completely.

"4) you will be a dutiful wife. whereever I want you to be, you will be there smiling and at least pretending to enjoy yourself."

Again she just nodded. Too upset to actually think of futher conditions. He wont fall for her? why? was she that bad? But every wife wants her husband to fall for her. to be madly in love with her. Could she atleast try to make him fall for her. she wasnt sure but what had she got to lose. he didnt love her already. so him continuing to not love her would make no difference. but if there was a slight possibility that she could make him love her, shouldnt she give it a go? Khushi pondered and then decided she would. she would be a dutiful wife, love, honour and obey him and one day even he would love her, like a teardrop slowly eroding a hardstone.

"I have no more conditions. Any other conditions from you? Or are we ready to wed?

She shook her head,. "No more conditions. But we are still in RM. Are we planning to marry with Akash and Jiji?"

"No. I've arranged a different mandap up in the terrace with our own priest. You didnt think a registration office would be open this late in the evening?!"

"I thought you were the mightly ASR and could do anything and everything. So even you have no control about the public sector and its inefficiency." She watched him growl slightly. "Then why were we driving for the last 10 minutes?"

"I needed to think and I needed to know that you were serious about doing anything and willing to go anywhere. And now I'm satisfied. Shall we?"

Khushi nodded. She watched Arnav come around the car to her door, open it and extend his hand.

"Are you ready for this hell?"

"As ready as you ever will be." She placed her hand into his and walked with him to the mandap on the terrace where they completed the rituals with just them and the priest.