Ek Duje Ke Vaaste

Epilogue 3

Arnav snapped his fingers infront of her face and said: kya hua khushi?(What happened khushi?)

Khushi didn't even blink. She said: arnavji..yeh...(Arnavji..this..)

Arnav held her hand and took few steps forward. They were standing infront of the land which belong to khushi's parents. Last time when she saw it, it was an empty space but today there was a huge building which stood there. The hoarding read ' Muskaan'...

Khushi couldn't understand much, only feeling that was gradually sinking in her was that arnav had done something very big, something beyond her imagination.

Arnav held her hand and said: khushi yaad hai tumne mujhse kaha tha ki tumharey babuji chahtey they ki tum is jagah pe aapna sapna pura karo...maine tumse kabhi poocha nehi ki tumhara sapna kya hai..kyunki shayed main janta hoon ki tumhara sapna kya hai...(You remember you told me that your parents wanted you to fulfill your dreams here... I never asked what your dreams were because I think I know...)

Khushi stared at him blankly as he continued: khushi yeh un bachho ke liye hai jinke sar pe ma baap ka saaya nehi hota..rehene ke liye ghar nehi hota..yaa fir aisa koi jiske aapne bachho ne unhe beghar kar diya...zindagi ke akhri daur mein jinka hath thamnewala koi nehi hai....( This place is for those kids who doesn't have parents, doesn't have a place to live...and for those whose children have left them at the fag end of their life)

Khushi couldn't see the building properly because her vision had blurred already and her cheeks felt hot tears streaming down.

Arnav stepped forward and said: khushi aj se tum un sabki zimmedari logi...Muskaan tumhara hai...(You will take care of them from today..muskaan is yours)

He cupped her face and said: khushi five years back aj hi ke din hum peheli baar mile they...aur maine... He looked down and said: maine tumse tumhara ghar tumhara sahara chhin na chaha...us pal jo dard maine tumhe diye hai woh to main wapas nehi le sakta isiliye maine socha ki aj hi ke din tumhe kuch aisa doon jissey tum khud aise hi logo ki madat kar pao...(Khushi five years back we met on this day..and I tried to snatch your home from you...I can't take back the pain I gave you then but can give you something by which you can help such homeless individuals)

Khushi sobbed. Standing infront of her was someone who at every step of life had given her more than she could imagine and he never asked for anything in return. She had heard that people claim to bring stars and moons for their partner...arnav never claimed anything like that but silently brought down the universe to her feet. And she was 'on top of the world' in every sense of the term.

Arnav slowly wiped her tears and said: aur tum janti ho ki maine is jagah ka naam muskaan kyun rakkha??(You know why I named this as muskaan?)

Khushi nodded her head like a little child and said no

Arnav smiled a lopsided smile and said: kyunki tumhari muskaan hi hai jisne mujhe jeena sikhaya aur aj se un sabko sikhayegi jo shayed meri tarah muskurana bhul gaye...(Because it was your smile which taught me how to live and today onwards it will teach such people to smile who have forgotten how to smile)

Khushi threw herself on him unable to control her emotions any longer. He stumbled back but caught her and wrapped his arms securely around her. Khushi hugged him as tightly as she could.

Arnav kept stroking her back with a smile on his face. Five years he had lived with the pain and guilt feeling of the torture he did to her on their first meet. Though khushi forgave him long ago deep down he cursed himself always. Today as khushi hugged him he felt light in his heart.

They stood like that silently. After a while arnav saw the cars approaching. He slowly broke the hug and said: khushi sab aa gaye.(Khushi everyone is here)

Everyone came down with a smile.

Aakash: kyun khushiji aapko bhai ka surprise kaisa laga?(How did you like the surprise?)

Khushi was surprised: iska matlab aap sabko iske baarey mein pata tha?(That means you guys knew about this)

Anjali stepped forward and said: haan khushiji..tabhi to hum sab yahaan aye hai...taaki aap dono ki khushi mein shaamil ho saakey...(Yes that's why we are here to be a part of your happiness)

Khushi's happiness knew no bound.

Payal walked upto her with a tray having a pair of scissors and said: chal ab aapne hathon se iska udghatan kar.(Now come and inagurate this with your own hands)

Someone as chirpy as khushi was speechless. May be this is what happens to people when dreams or rather distant dreams became reality. She slowly cut the ribbon and everyone clapped. She put her right foot forward and stepped in followed by the others. While the

others got busy admiring the wonderful arrangement arnav had done, khushi noticed a small temple at one corner. She went and stood infornt of the devi maaiya idol folding her hand.

Khushi: devi maaiya yeh peheli baar hua hai ki hum bohot kuch kehena chahtey hai lekin kahey nehi paa rahe hai...samajh nehi paa rahe hai ki kaunsa shabd istamal karey.... (This is the first time I want to say a lot but can't ...can't understand which word to use)She paused and added: kyunki aisa koi shabd to hai hi nehi jo hum arnavji ke liye kahey sakey...she smiled and added: shayed duniya mein kisiko kabhi aisi shabd ki zarurat hi nehi padi.. Kyunki arnavji jaise is duniya mein doosra koi nehi hai!!(Because there is no such word which I can use for him... May be no one ever needed such word because there is no one like him in this world)

Arnav, who was listening to her from behind felt wet in his eyes. He was about to step forward but someone ran towards khushi in full speed and pulled her dupatta with force. Khushi looked back to see ansh.

As soon as she looked at him ansh said: mamma...ansh likes... Nice nice...

Khushi's face lit up in a bright smile so did arnav's who was standing at a distance.

Khushi bent down and said: aapko achha laga beta?(You liked it?)

Ansh smiled and said: yes mamma..this house...ansh house...(This is ansh's house)

Khushi overwhelmed said: haan beta...hum chahtey hai aap jab baarey ho jaye to is jagah ka mehetwa samjhe...(Yes..I want you to understand the importance of this place when you grow up)

Ansh didn't understand much. He said: where dad?

Khushi: aapke dad abhi aa jayenge...(He will come in sometime)

He again ran back towards roshni shouting: ansh dad best...ansh dad best!!

Khushi smiled thinking how he spoke her mind.

Arnav stepped up and said: tum aise smile kyun kar rahe ho? (Why are you smiling?)

Khushi kept staring at the direction in which ansh went and said: kitni ajeeb baat hai na arnavji jo baatein hum baarey kahey nehi paatey woh bacchey kitni asaani se kahey jaatey hai.(It is so strange na..what we elders can't say..kids can say so easily)

Arnav: main kuch samjha nehi...(I didn't understand)

She gave her million dollar smile and said: ansh dad best!

Both of them laughed and hugged each other finding solace in each other's arms like every other time. While arnav had closed all the loops gradually khushi had sealed them with love and care and the bonding grew stronger with each passing day. Khushi lived for arnav and arnav lived for khushi- two simple things that defined their relationship.

It is said that everyone has a love story and the irony is that they never had one to start with..but when they had one it was one to cherish and remember forever. They fell in love and made thousands around them fall in love. And if you ask me what happened to them after this...... I would say like every other fairytale they lived happily ever after!

Thanks guys and this beautiful story belongs to med writer Arnavkikhushiforever so the credit the effort belongs to her.