*Not edited.
"Arnavji... in that jail cell what did you miss most about me?" Khushi asked as she traced invisible lines on Arnav's bare chest.
"I missed many things about you... your madness, your peculiar escapades and you non-stop chatter. I missed the very essence of you." Arnav replied very serenely.
Khushi raised her head to look at his face. She had a frown on her face. "Hume samajh me nahi aaraha hai... aap hume waha miss kar rahe the ya fir relief feel kar rahe the humse dur jakar." she stated suspiciously. [I don't understand... if you were missing me there or feeling relieved to be away from me.]
Arnav opened his eyes and stared at Khushi thoughtfully. Then he replied, "I was doing both at the same time."
"Haaww... Arnavji! Aap kitne bure ho?!" Khushi scowled at him angrily as she started struggling to get out of his arms. [You're so bad.]
Laughing, Arnav tightened his grip around his wife. "I love you. I missed having you in my arms... I missed you sweet scent... I missed my Khushi." he told her as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
Pacified, Khushi relaxed against his chest again. "Hume maaf kar diziye. Humari wazase apko kitni chot pohchi." she started crying. [Please, forgive me. You got hurt because of me.]
"Don't cry, baby. It's okay. If I couldn't do this much, then what kind husband would I be?" he told her rubbing her back.
"I love you too." she mumbled against his chest tearfully. "Waise... thank you for addressing my parents as 'Maa' aur 'Papa'. But why did you? Apne kabhi babuji ya amma ko to aise nahi bulaya." she asked as she had been curious ever since Anjali told her about it. [You never address my adopted parents as 'mom' and 'dad'.]
Arnav was silent for a while. Then, with a sigh, he started explaining his reasons. "All his life, your father had been loyal to only one woman. He only loved one woman and I believe he would continue to do so for as long as he will live. Even after being betrayed by the system, he continued to believe in, honor, and love this country. Such a man could never be a back stabbing cheater. That's why he deserved the title of 'Papa'. The same way, Naina maa sacrificed her happiness, her baby, and her honor just for her love for Rajveer papa and this country. She didn't break down like my mother and chose a coward's way out. She stayed and fought till the very last moment. But even in all that, she made sure her child was protected from evil, unlike my mother who didn't think of her children even for a second before killing herself. That's why she deserves the title of 'Maa'."
Khushi tightened her griped around his waist and placed a kiss in the center of his chest. "What Mr. Malik did was wrong, and I agree what maaji did was also wrong. But that doesn't mean she loved you guys any less. That situation was such that she took such drastic step. I think you should forgive your mother, Arnavji. It's high time." she told him softly.
Arnav sighed. "I'll try my best, jaan. I also think it's time to move on." he stated. "Good night."
"Hmm.. You too." Khushi replied snuggling into him more.
/
/ ... /
/
Khushi was wearing a pink and gold saree this morning. The Guptas were coming over for lunch and to meet her real parents. Nani also invited a pandit over to get Rajveer and Naina's wedding date. Khushi and Payal had been preparing special items for everyone when she remembered that she had forgotten to give Arnav his medicine. Khushi hurried out of the kitchen and headed upstairs towards her room.
Rajveer was coming down from the third floor when he saw Khushi coming up. He opened his mouth to call her out but stopped. He frowned when he saw Alekh stopping Khushi midway and dragging her to one of the rooms. Curious to know what was cooking between the uncle-niece pair, he followed them. Reaching the door, he heard their conversation.
"Kya baat hai, mamaji? Aap hume iss tarha se kyu lekar aye?" Khushi asked. [What is it, uncle? Why did you drag me here like this?]
"Apun ko tujhse bohot zaroori baat karni hai." Alekh told her. [I need to speak to you about something important.]
"Haa, kahiye na." [Yeah sure.]
"Dekh, apun janta hai ki tu aur Arnav ek dusre se bohot pyaar karte ho. Par... jab tum dono ki shaadi huyi thi... Chhutki, kya tune Arnav se uski paiso ke liye shaadi kiya tha?" Alekh asked bluntly. [Look, I know how much you and Arnav love each other. But... when you got married... little one, did you marry Arnav for his money?]
Khushi stared at him wide eyed. "Ah.. M-Mamaji, aap aise kyu.." she tried to change the topic but Alekh glared at her. [Un-Uncle.. why are you...]
"I remember what I had told you when you came to meet me in Chhattisgarh. I had told you that only power that came from money could save your parents. Is that why you married Arnav?" he asked. "Apun ko sach sach batana." he commanded. [Tell me the truth.]
Khushi started fidgeting with her saree like a guilty child. She pouted and nodded her head jerkily. "Uss din jab... Arnavji ne humse kaha ki hume unse usi din shaadi karni hogi... to humne bas isiliye haa kaha tha kyu ke hume samajhme agaya tha ki Maa aur Papa ko bachane ke liye hume kisi aise insaan ki zaroorat hogi jinke paas bohot sare paise ho. And Arnavji had that. The fact the he loved me and I loved him was a plus point. Par ye baat bhi sach hai ki... agar hum unse pyaar nahi karte tab bhi hum unse shaadi zaroor karte. It's true that I would've crossed all and any boundaries to save my parents." she confessed looking straight in Alekh's eyes. [That day when Arnav ordered me to marry him... I only agreed because I knew in order to save my parents I needed someone who had a lot money. It was a plus point that we loved each other. But it is the truth that... even if I didn't love him, I would've married him.]
"Oh Chhutki! Have you ever thought how would Rajveer sir and Naina would feel if they finds out about this?" Alekh asked.
"They would never find this out. Aur aap ko humari kasam hai! Aap unhe ye baat kabhi nahi batyenge." Khushi told him sternly. [Swear on me that you'll NEVER tell them about it.]
Alekh sighed. "You're happy, aren't you? Does Arnav know about it?" he asked, worried for his niece.
"Arnavji ko pehle din se pata hai. Unhe ye to pata tha ki humne unse paiso ke liye shaadi ki hai, but he didn't know the reason. All he wanted was for me to be loyal to him in return. Later when he got to know my reason behind this marriage, he was proud that his money would be used for such an honorable cause." Khushi explained with a smile. [He knew from the first day that I married him for his money, but he didn't know the reason behind it.]
Alekh sighed with a nod. "My respect for that man keeps on growing day by day. He's a good man, Khushi."
"He is. Hum dono bohot khush hai, mamaji. Aap tension mat kiziye." Khushi assured him squeezing his hand.
With a sigh, Alekh nodded as he pulled his niece for a hug. He felt responsible for her decision. He was relieved that Khushi and Arnav loved each other. If it had been not like that, Alekh didn't know what he would've done to fix this situation.
On the other side of the door, Rajveer felt a crushing guilt. It was all because of him. If he had been able to guess Lala's trap and had managed to save Col. Shakti, then his daughter wouldn't have had to marry someone for their money. Naina, his beloved Naina wouldn't have been thrown out of her home for being pregnant without marriage. His daughter wouldn't have been called illegitimate. His cadets wouldn't have been under Lala's thumbs, being tortured for so many years. His cadets even had to fear for their children's lives as well because he had failed to get Lala punished. He had failed everyone... he had failed his family.
He stumbled back, not wanting his daughter and his shadow, Alekh to see him. With tears in his eyes, Rajveer returned to the third floor. Closing the door behind him, he started crying. "I couldn't save my country properly... I couldn't save my best friend... I couldn't save my love.. I couldn't save my little girl... what good am I? How useless! My daughter... my baby girl had to pay the price for my love that made her cross all boundaries. What kind of father am I?!" he sobbed his heart out.
/
/ ... /
/
Khushi was lost in her thought as she got inside her bedroom. She got Arnav's medicine and handed them to him without saying any word to him. Arnav took is medicine like a good boy before cupping her face. "Jaan, sab thik hai?" he asked tilting her face upwards.
Khushi had a anxious look on her face as she responded with an 'Mmmhmm'.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Arnav remarked, "Tumhara ye wala chehra mujhe bilkul achha nahi lagta." [I don't like this face of yours.]
His statement snapped Khushi out of her thoughts and she scowled at him with her hands on her hips. "Haww...! You should love all my faces. Aap humare pati hai. Humari saare expressions apko pasand hona hoga." she countered puffing her cheeks. [You're my husband. You're supposed to love all of my faces.]
Arnav laughed. "I do love ALL of your expressions... especially the ones you give me in our bedroom." he told her with a naughty wink. "What I meant was... I don't like seeing you anxious." he explained.
Khushi grimaced. "Alekh mamaji ko pata chal gaya ki humne aapse... paiso ke liye shaadi ki thi." she told him uneasily.
Arnav frowned. "Ye itni purani baat unhe kaise pata chala?" he asked wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Oh... I think it's because of the way I flaunted your money in front of Lala that mamaji got suspicious." she guessed. "Unke dost unhe Alekh baba aise hi thori bulate hai." she added with a shrug.
"Don't worry about it. Aur Khushi, it's not my money. It's our money. Whatever I earn is all for my family... and YOU are the most important part of my family." Arnav told him firmly. "If necessary, main khud mamji se baat karunga, okya?"
Khushi shook her head, finally feeling relaxed. "Thank you. I love you, Arnavji." she said resting her head against his chest.
"Chalo, ab tum niche jao. Main jakar Papa aur maa ko breakfast ke liye bulata hu. Gupta family bhi to arahe honge na?" he reminded.
Placing a kiss on his chins, Khushi ran out of their room. Arnav shook his head, amused. "Abhi bhi bilkul pagal hai." he stated as he also headed out of their room.
heading up the stairs, he went to Naina's room first. He found her room empty. "Lagta hai maa already niche jaa chuki hai." he remarked before he went towards Rajveer's room.
Reaching his father-in-laws room, Arnav frowned. he placed his ear against the closed door and could clearly hear the sound of someone crying. He twisted the door handle urgently and opened the door. He was shocked to find his father-in-law crying so bitterly like that. "Papa! Kya huya?" he called out as he ran inside. Kneeling in front of Rajveer, Arnav asked after taking his hand, "Kya huya, Papa. Kya baat hai? Aap aise roh kyu rahe hai?" he asked worriedly.
Rajveer focused on the man in front of him. This young man who put his life in danger just so that he could save him. "I'm- I'm so sorry." Rajveer told him, "You had to put yourself at risk only because of me."
Arnav gave him a patient smile. "I didn't do it because of you. I wanted to make a good first impression. I mean... you guys are so brave. I just wanted to assure you that your daughter didn't marry a random, useless guy. I wanted to show you that I'm also brave." he told him wiggling his eyebrow.
A reluctant laugh broke out of Rajveer. He was sure that his son-in-law would hate him to some extent. But that didn't seem to be the case. "Khushi ki taraf se... main tumse maafi mangta hu, Arnav. I'm really sorry. If only I was a better man..." Rajveer trailed off sadly.
Arnav stared at his father-in-law with narrowed eyes. "You overheard Khushi and Alekh mamaji's conversation, didn't you?" he guessed.
"I was... just going down when I saw Alekh talking to her." Rajveer told him.
"Papa... there's a lot of things... both good and bod that happened between Khushi and me. Trust me, marrying me for my money was WAY less offensive than the things I did to her. O kya hai na... hum jinse sabse jyada pyaar karte hai unhiko sabse jyada chot pohchate hai. Aur inn sab me apki ya fir maa ki koi involvement nahi thi. Khushi aur mere bich jo bhi huya in the past is our private matter. Usse lekar don't take stress. Think of it as the time when Maa shot you." Arnav explained taking a seat beside his father-in-law.
Rajveer stared at him, astonished. "You know that... that Naina shot me? How?"
"Maa ne Khushi ke liye jo journal likkha tha wo Khushi ne mujhe parne diya tha on our first wedding anniversary. Mujhe to aur bhi bohot kuch pata hai... like Point... something or another." Arnav told him with a mischievous smile.
Rajveer's eyes widened. "TUMHE BHI POINT 1857 KE BAREME PATA HAI?!" he shrieked.
Arnav laughed. "Did you know your daughter prefers to think that Maa and you sang a romantic song in that location and she was conceived?" he shared while snickering his mind out.
Rajveer wiped off his face and gave Arnav an annoyed look. Here he was feeling super embarrassed and this Arnav as laughing like this. "Haso mat na! Romantic gaana? Seriously?!"
"Yeah... she didn't have the the basic sex education when we got married. All her knowledge about sex were gathered from Salman khan movies." Arnav added between his laughter. "She honestly thought a man and woman needed to sing romantic songs to make babies."
At that, even Rajveer started laughing. "Stop it, Arnav! Beti hai meri, yaar." he scolded while laughing.
"No, trust me! She honestly thought she was conceived because you and maa sang a romantic duet there." Arnav insisted.
Rajveer scoffed. "How long have you two been married exactly?" he asked.
"Six years."
"And you're saying that even after six years of marriage my daughter thinks we sang a duet to conceive her?" Rajveer asked raising his eyebrow.
Arnav rolled his eyes. "Kya, Papa, aap bhi! Mujhe kya itna nikamma samajhte ho ki shaadi ke chhe saal bad bhi meri biwi ko aisa lage ki baby conceive karne ko duet gaya jata hai? Absolutely not! She just prefers to think that's what happened with her parents." he clarified with a smirk.
"You're too much." Rajveer chuckled, thoroughly amused.
"Papa, aap isi tarha se haste rahiye to hum sabko bohot khushi hogi. Let bygones be bygones. Jo hogaya so hogaya. Let's forget them all. We're blissfully happy now... and that's what matters the most." Arnav told him.
Taking a deep breath, Rajveer nodded. He knew Arnav was right. Thinking of the past would only ruin the happiness of their family. Maintaining that happiness was the most important thing now.
/
/
/
Everyone was in the living room, chatting about the upcoming nuptials of Rajveer and Naina. Khushi wanted to sit with her parents and spend some alone time with them, but that wasn't possible at the moment. As all of her cousins would be arriving any moment now and her adopted family also wanted to meet her parents. Khushi was worried as she didn't know how Buaji might react after knowing that she was her parents' illegitimate child.
Payal took her hand and asked, "Kya huya, Khushi? Tu pareshan dikh rahi hai."
"Jiji, hum Buaji ke barememe soch rahe hai. Agar unhone negative behave kiya ye janne kio baad ki Maa aur Papa ki abhi tak shaadi nahi huya, to kahi unn dono ka dil tut jaye. Hume pata hai ki buaji kabhi kabhi thori karwi bolti hai par unka mann bohot achha hai. Par ye baat maa aur papa ko thori pata hai?" Khushi shared her worries.
"Baat to tu sahi bol raha hai. Ye baat hume kyu nahi sujhi? Warna hum pehle hi Amma aur Babuji ko aga kar sakte the... Ab kya hoga? Wo log to bas anehi wale honge." Payal said as she also got worried.
"Jiji, ab kya kare?" Khushi asked panicking.
Arnav was chatting with Rajveer, Alekh, Yudi, Huda, and Ali about the plan they had made against Lala. Rajveer was really impressed how his cadets and his own daughter had executed this plan. Rajveer suddenly noticed a beautifully sweet scent in the airs. He inhaled deeply and asked his son-in-law. "Arnav, ye smell... kis chiz ki smell hai? Bohot yummy hai."
Arnav paused and inhaled deeply. "Khushi, jalebi bana rahi hai." he replied before getting up from the couch. "Main abhi aya." he said before excusing himself from the group.
Rajveer recalled that in the jail cell, Arnav had once told them that Khushi only made jalebis when she's worried or nervous about something. Wondering what was troubling his daughter, Rajveer also headed for the kitchen.
Rajveer frowned in confusion when he found Arnav standing frozen at the doorway of the kitchen. He placed a hand on Arnav's shoulder before peeking inside. His eyes widened in shock as he watched his daughter making jalebis. There were already two huge plates full of jalebis kept on the counter.
"Khushi beta, ye sab kya hai?!" he exclaimed. "Itni sari jalebis! Puri sheher ko invite kiya hai kya?" he asked in shock.
"Arre papa? Arnavji? Aap dono kitchen me kya kar rahe hai?" Khushi asked as she snapped out of her daze. Then her eyes fell on the kitchen counter. "Hey Devi maiya! Humne firse itni sari jalebi bana diya?" she exclaimed holding her head.
Payal giggled. "Hum to kab se isse rok ne ki koshish kar rahi thi. ye ruki hi nahi." she told them, giggling.
"May I have some? It smells really good." Rajveer pleaded.
"Hume bhi chahiye!" Kripa and Piyush also exclaimed as they ran into the kitchen.
"Aur hum sabko bhi!" came from new six sounds.
Arnav came out of his shock and turned to greet his brothers and sisters in-law. "Agaye tum sab? How was the trip?" he asked as he hugged all of them warmly.
"It was good trip, jiju." replied Abir.
"Haa, jiju. Thanks for sending the cars to pick us up." said Ayaan.
Ayaan and Abir were twins and were 22 years old. They were Ali and Pooja's sons and older than rest of the kids. This batch treated them as their older brothers. Yudi and Shalini's son, Daksh was the next in line of this batch. He was 21 year old. Yudi and Shalini's daughter, Drishti was 19. Huda's son, Arjun and Ali-Pooja's daughter, Piya were the youngest of them all at 16 years old. All of them had deep bond with Arnav and Khushi and treated them as second set of parents. Since all of their parents were usually posted in far away states, Khushi and Arnav are the ones who looked after them in last six years. Every vacation and holiday they had spent in Shantivan since then.
"Bachch party! Agaye tum sab? Aur kya sirf apne jiju ko hi greet karoge?" Khushi asked with mock anger on her face.
"DI!" they rushed towords her and hugged her tightly. "Hume jalebi khilaiye na, please!" they pleaded.
"Pehle hume!" Kripa and Piyush argued.
Rajveer watched with a smile as his daughter got surrounded by her cousins the same way he used get surrounded by his cadets. It's like generation after generation it was becoming a tradition of their family.
"Ah... I was here first. To sabse pehle jalebi mujhe milna chahiye, right?" he interrupted causing everyone to turn towards him.
All the youngsters turned towards him, even Khushi, like they had forgotten he was even there. They youngsters exchanged confused looks before turning towards their jiju for answer.
"Jiju, ye kaun hai? ye to bilkul Shahrukh jaise dikhte hai!" Piya, Pooja and Ali's 16 year old daughter asked.
Rajveer felt his eyes widening and his eyebrows lifting in shock. It didn't take him a second to realize who this young girl was related to. Before Arnav could say anything, Rajveer introduced himself. "I'm your Parents' teacher... Rajveer. Tum Pooja aur Ali ki beti ho na?" he asked, amused.
"Arre wah! Apko kaise pata ki main ussi company ka handset hu?" Piya asked, peering at Rajveer curiously.
"Because you speak just like your mom." Rajveer told her with a smile.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir. I'm Abir Baig. This is my twin, Ayaan Baig. We're the oldest of this group at 22." he introduced politely. Abir was fifteen minutes older than Ayaan, so he was considered the big brother/leader/Alpha of the group.
"Hello, sir! I'm Daksh Sahani, the second oldest at 21." Daksh introduced with a wave and a cheerful smile.
"I'm his sister, Drishti Sahani. I'm 19 years old." Drishti said with a smile.
"This Jatt is 16 years old and my name is..." Arjun paused for dramatic effect, "... Arjun Huda!" he finished with a flirty wink. Rajveer had to work hard to keep himself from snickering. Arjun was exact copy of his father. He had that same flirty attitude Huda had when he first arrived at KMA.
Piya hip checked Arjun out of the way and stood in front of Rajveer. "I'm Piya Baig and I'm 16 years old. I'm the youngest as I was born a few months after that flirt over there." she informed with a decisive nod.
Rajveer smiled at them all affectionately. "I'm very happy to meet you all. Why don't we hijack one of the plates and get out the kitchen? We can sit in the dining room while you can tell me all about yourselves." he offered.
He suddenly felt a tug on his pants. He looked down to find Payal's son, Piyush there. "Nanu, kya... hum bi achakte hai?" Piyush asked.
Smiling, Rajveer knelt down in front of him. He felt like his heart had swelled up at the word 'nanu'. "Of course, bachcha. Aap bhi asakte hai." he told Piyush cupping his chubby face.
"Main bhi, Nanu!" Kripa demanded as she bounced on her feet.
"There was NEVER any doubt about that." Rajveer told her as he picked both kids in his arms and got on his feet. "Khushi beta, please handover some of those delicious smelling jalebis to Abir. Ayaan beta, lead the gang to the dining room. Arnav, tell the others that I'm busy getting to know this generation." he ordered and headed out of the kitchen.
Khushi and Payal were in awe at how easily Rajveer took command of everyone. Smiling, they also got out the kitchen to see how the older generation reacts when he find Rajveer busy with the younger generation.
/
/ ... /
/
6 hours later.
Super six were sitting at one side of the living room, glaring at their respective kids. Even Naina, Khushi, and Arnav were with them. All of them were looking in the direction of the dining room where the younger generations had Rajveer surrounded and were chatting with him like they knew him their whole lives. Rajveer was in heaven as he got to know these new minds... these new members of his family. His family was growing and he wanted to know each of them deeply. While he was doing that, his cadets and his daughter were burning from jealousy. They wanted to spend time with him as well. Arnav, on the other hand, used be the one to get surrounded by the younger generation but it seemed he got replaced with Rajveer. He didn't like it.
"Unbelievable! They stole him!" Yudi exclaimed in disbelieve.
"How did they do it? They don't even know him like we do!" Huda grumbled as he chomped on another piece of jalebi.
"They used to be around me all the time whenever they came home. After the initial greeting, they didn't even spend a minute with me today." Arnav grunted, sulking.
"Humare saath to papa ne ek bhi minute akele nahi bitaya... aur dekho inse kaise ghulmil rahe hai!" Khushi complained.
"Kaiko apna dimaag kharap kar rahe ho tum sab? Rajveer sir aaj bohot relaxed feel kar rahe honge. Specially how easily Khushi's adopted family accepted the fact that her biological parents weren't married. They didn't even act like it was anything abnormal." Alekh reminded everyone. The group sighed in relief and nodded in agreement.
/
Flashback::::
The Guptas were welcomed whole heartedly by the Raizadas and super six. After the initial greetings, Rajveer and Naina were introduced. Naina had tears in her eyes when she found that her school friend was paralyzed like this. She knelt in front of him and thanked him whole heartedly for raising Khushi like his own. Then she cried hugging Garima for never differentiating between Payal and Khushi. Madhumati assured Naina that Khushi had been their kid from the very first day. Her statement got herself hugged by Naina as well.
Rajveer came up to Shashi and told him, "Jab mujhe ye pata hi nahi tha ki meri ek pyaari si beti hai, tab apne uski dekbhal ki... Usse parhaya, likhaya... usse iss layak banaya ki wo iss duniya se lar sake. Thank you so much. Main kabhi apka ye ehsaan nahi bhul payunga. and I promise... you will always be her father. My entrance in her life won't change that."
While everyone got emotional, Buaji caught the part about Rajveer not knowing about Khushi's existence. "Ye ka bolat rahe ho aap, Rajveer bhai sahab? Apko kaise Sankadevi ka bareme malum nahi tha? jab apki biwi pet se thi tab apko kaisan nahi pata chala Parmeshwari ke bareme?" she asked.
Rajveer and Naina exchanged an wide eyed look before they looked at the floor, blushing. Rajveer cleared his throat awkwardly as he shuffled on his feet nervously.
Garima observed Rajveer and Naina with a slight smile on her face. "Aap dono ek dusre se bohot prem karte honge na? Pichle kahi saalo se? Aur jis karan aap dono itne saalo tak Khushi se nahi mil paye, ussi wazase aap dono shaadi bhi nahi kar paye, hai na?" she asked kindly. Naina nodded shyly in answer.
"Hum ye baat ko maaf kar sakat hai agar aap dono dhumdham se ek dusre se shaadi karle toh." Garima to them playfully.
"Auntie ji, naniji ne bhi yehi kaha!" Anjali informed laughing.
"Chalo, beti ki naa sehi, maa ki hi shaadi me hum sab nach lenge." Buaji commented making everyone laugh. Naina and Rajveer watched in shock as both families accepted them so easily.
End of Flashback:::::
/
"Khushi, Madhumati ji ne aisa kyu kaha ke tumhari shaadi dhumdham se nahi huyi thi?" Naina asked her daughter, suddenly remembering the earlier conversation. "Khushi, why did Madhumati say that you didn't have a grand wedding?]
Khushi stared at her mother, wide eyed. "Uh... wo... darasal... um..." she stummered, scratching her head.
"Chhutki aur Arnav ne bhakgkar shaadi kiya tha... kisi ko bina bataye." Alekh revealed with a wicked smile on his face. [Khushi and Arnav eloped. That's why.]
Khushi scowled at her uncle while rest of her aunts and uncles snickered. This was their revenge for NOT informing them about her wedding. "Humari isme koi dosh nahi hai, maa!" Khushi shouted before pointing her finger at her husband, "Iss Laad Governor ne hume time hi nahi diya tha kisi ko invite karne ya fir batane ki." [It wasn't my fault. This Lord Governor didn't give me enough time to tell or invite anyone.]
"Khushi, meri jaan! Jitni jaldi mujhe tumse shaadi karne ki thi, utni jaldi tumhe bhi thi." Arnav counter with a wink. [Khushi, my love. You were as eager to marry me as I.]
"Hawww... jhuthe kahike! You literally... mmmm" Khushi almost revealed how they ended up getting married when Arnav silenced her with his hand on her mouth. [You liar! You literally...]
He smiled at a VERY suspicious Naina and said, "Hum abhi ate hai." and left, dragging his wife with her. [We'll be back soon.]
"Yeah, that wasn't suspicious at all." Naina stated dryly. "Alekh, why did they elope?" she asked his all-knowing brother.
"They were SOOOOOOO in love that they JUST couldn't wait to get married." Alekh replied dryly before he got up and left.
"That was... weird, right?" Yudi asked the rest of the group.
"Mama aur bhanji ke bich kuch to khichri pak rahi hai." Naina stated with narrowed eyes. "I'm 100% sure he knows what Khushi and Arnav are hiding." she added. While she was pleased that her brother, daughter, and son-in-law had a deep bonding, she also felt jealous that it wasn't her. She cursed Lala in her mind for ruining their lives so thoroughly that she was left as a specter in her own daughter's life. She also wanted to know the secret massages those three were passing around like a football.
"Arre yaar Phoolan, apni bhai se jal na band kar aur apne hone wale pati pe dhyan de. Teri beti ne shart rakkhi hai na ki no shaadi without a proposal? Do you THINK sirji propose karenge tujhe? Usse pehle kahi permanently tamatar ki tarha lal na hojaye." Huda said with a teasing smile. [Bandit queen, stop being jealous of your brother and worry about your to-be husband. Your daughter had put a condition that there would be no wedding until Rajveer sir proposes you. Do you THINK he will propose you? He would be permanently red before that.]
Naina grimaced. "Inki intezar kiya to humari shaadi iss janam me to nahi hone wali." she sighed as she stared at Rajveer's back where he was chatting with the younger generation. [If I keep on waiting for him, then we won't be getting married in this life time.]
Amused by her situation, she got up and joined Rajveer. Rajveer turned to her with a wide smile on his face. "Tumhe pata hai Abir and Ayaan are the older brothers who looks after the rest of the four. How sweet is that! They even want to join the Army like Ali. Four generations in Army!" he shared excitedly.
"Aur baki sab kya banna chahte ho, guys?" Naina asked the kids. [What do the rest of you want to be?]
"I want to work at Google or NASA." Daksh, Yudi and Shalini's son told her.
"I want to be a professional clown." Drishti shared her plan with a wide smile. She was Yudi and Shalini's daughter.
Naina tilted her head in confusion. "Ah.. okay, I guess." She didn't want to offend the kid.
"DRISHTI!" Abir called out in a stern tone.
"Kya yaar, Abir bhai. You never let us have fun." Dhristi whined. "Maasi, I was just joking. I haven't yet decided what I want to be. But definitely not a Clown." she told Naina with a mischievous smile.
Naina shook her head. "Bilkul Shalini ma'am per gayi ho." she told Drishti with a smirk. "What about you, Arjun? What do you want to do when you grow up?" she asked.
"Ye jatt ki to bas ek hi sapna hai. Mujhe to bas ek bohot hi khubsurat janani se shaadi karni hai." Arjun replied proudly. While the younger generation rolled their eyes at his answer, Naina and Rajveer felt like they were having a deja vu. It was like meeting Huda at the academy all over again.
"Wow! Beta, aap to bilkul apne papa pe gaye ho!" Naina complimented. Rajveer had to hide his smile at her remark.
"Piya beta, what about you?" Naina asked.
"Maasi, mujhe to apni khud ki mobile phone ka company kholna hai. I want to be a HUGE business woman." Piya replied.
"Mobile... of course." Naina nodded with a slight smirk.
Suddenly, they heard a loud shrieking sound. Exchanging a worried look, Raina hurried to the living room where everyone else started gathering. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. No one knew what was going on. They found Arnav rushing downstairs shaking his head as he muttered something about 'Crazy fans'. Everyone watched bewildered as Khushi danced her way downstairs. She was singing 'Udd udd dabang' song in a very off tune way as she did the signature dance moves on her way downstairs.
"Humare Salman ji mahan hai! He's the best! WooHOO!... Devi maiya Kitne achhi hai!... Yippy!" she was whooping and hollering like a crazy fan in a concert. She then proceeded to do the signature moves from 'Gangnam style' song.
Everyone watched wide eyed. "Hello Hi Bye Bye! Aisa lagat hai ki Khushi to Khushi mare pagla gayi hai!" Manorama remarked in shock. [HHBB! It seems Khushi went man from too much happiness.]
"She was always mad. Crazy woman!" Arnav stated pinching the bridge of his nose.
"What's going on?" Naina asked Arnav worriedly. She wondered if she might've done something wrong while pregnant that might have caused her daughter to go mental like this.
"KHUSHI!" Arnav finally snapped and yelled to get her attention. "Please, jaan, at least tell everyone why you're so happy." he pleaded when she looked at him, startled.
With a wide smile, she announced, "Lala Gehlot had been pronounced dead... ON HIS WAY TO THE HOSPITAL!" She exclaimed. "They did his autopsy and gave the Police the report. The report was submitted to the court this morning and the court ruled it as PUBLIC OUTRAGE!" she grinned victoriously. "There won't be any actions taken against any of you... Oh... Maa and Papa are getting Bravery awards. You will all be called to the Army Headquarters in a few weeks." she informed. "Aur to aur Uss bigrail Raaja ko bhi negligence on such a serious case investigation ke jurm me suspend kiya gaya... for TWO YEARS!" she added the last part while dancing around her parents.
Super six, Shalini, and Rajveer whooped excitedly and started exchanging hugs in relief and happiness. They finally felt free from the curse called Lala Gehlot.
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A/N:::: stay tuned.
