Transcendental Love

Part 24

'Will you marry me?'

There had been a few defining moments in his life when Arnav had felt giddy happiness. This one surpassed all of them. Ecstasy, gratitude, lucky – he felt all at once. Once settled in his office, which as luck would have it was only twenty minutes away from the meeting venue, he removed his coat and readied himself. As much as he would have loved to say yes to Khushi, there was no way he could say anything without knowing her compete intentions.

"You are proposing marriage?", he cocked an eyebrow.

Khushi merely nodded calmly.

"Why?", he asked equally calmly.

In reply, Khushi got up from the chair she was seated on and went to stand by the glass walls overlooking his office on the ground floor. Her body language told Arnav that she was gathering her thoughts. So, he waited.

"You told me some time back that we're compatible right?", she asked turning back slightly to look at him.

He nodded, giving her the space to speak her mind.

"I don't love you Arnav. Not now at least. But you know that Sunday at your house, something changed.", she said with a faraway look.

"What changed Khushi?", he asked softly.

"All my life I have been made to feel how I was different because I am a woman. Never go out beyond 10 at night, learn all the domestic chores, be traditional. All this courtesy my Badi Maa. I am really lucky that my parents were open-minded. They never forced me to do anything. However, Babuji has always been over protective – to the point of suffocation actually. Wherever I went, whatever I did I was always remined that I had my limits being a woman."

"What does that have to do with this?", he asked frowning.

"You're different. When you held my hand and made me a part of the discussion... I can't even begin to tell you how moved I was. Someone saw me as Khushi. Not as a woman, a stranger – just Khushi."

"I was serious Khushi when I told you that I wanted to explore what was this between us. Of course, I would rather have you be a part of everything.", he smiled.

"I know and for that I'm grateful. I was thinking about it and I realized how perfect we are together. That day I felt this in-explainable need to protect you from all the pain you were subjected to due to that witch."