MY IMAGINATION

Part 29

Anjali nods and goes to get the bride.

Anjali emerges from the room and is immediately surrounded by the people around her who wanted to take a glimpse of ASR's bride, well for the world he was still ASR.

Sham also cranes his head to look at the bride but there are so many heads in front of him that he can only see the bent head of the bride covered with a golden dupatta. Even Arnav tries to take a glimpse of his Khushi but is unable to because of the people surrounding them.

Anjali finally reaches the stage and Akash and Payal come forward and help Anjali and the bride onto the stage.

Arnav can now see his breath takingly beautiful bride standing in a golden and pink lehnga in front of him. She is looking gorgeous and all eyes were focused on her radiant face. Her eyes seemed to be gleaming with the love and admiration for him. He knew she loved him, but needed time to accept it and admit it to him. He couldn't believe that she was the same girl who just half an hour back had stood there fighting with him over her jijaji's shoes. Her face was glowing with the radiance of love. He could not take his eyes off her. She slowly comes and stands right in front of him. She is unable to look at him in the eyes. She had never imagined that she would ever be shy of looking up into his eyes. Eyes that had always tormented her, stolen her composure, eyes that she had always stared back into, whether they were filled with anger, hatred or now love. But today it was different she felt shy of looking up at him. She stood before him with all the grace and poise of a queen, Queen of his heart.

Anjali was standing on the right side of Khushi and Payal on the left.

Sham still could not see the bride's face. One of the photographers asked Anjali to move aside so that he could take pictures of the bride and the groom.

Sham's eyes widen in shock and his mouth drops when he sees the bride. Khushi was looking stunning standing there with her head bent down and the Jaimal in her hand.

Anjali had offered one Jaimal to her and the other to Arnav. The photographers were busy clicking away from different angles.

Anjali asks Sham to come on the stage and stand with Arnav.

Khushi instantly looks up straight into Arnav's eyes. This was the first time she had directly looked at him after coming up on the stage. But the eyes that looked at him had lost all the charm and sparkle that he had witnessed a few minutes back when she had tried to steal a glance at him from the corner of her eyes while climbing the stage. He too was not expecting this. Both of them tighten their grips on the jaimal that they were holding.

Sham comes up on the stage and in an angry tone says to Arnav "you cannot marry her."

Everyone look at him in surprise and Arnav responds coolly "why not"

Sham "you don't like her and she belongs to a middle class."

Arnav "Yes you are right, I don't like her, I love her. And as far as her being a middle class is concerned she has proved me wrong."

Sham "But Saala Sahab, you don't know such people. They can do anything to trap rich men."

Khushi clutched onto the jaimal she was folding. She could not look up. It seemed her world would come crashing down now. She was unable to meet Arnav's eyes. She knew they would be blazing with anger, but she herself was trembling like a leaf, what support would she be able to give him. She herself held on to Payal's hand for support.

Arnav noticed how she kept tightening her grip on Payal's hand. His temper too kept rising, all the more because he was standing there just looking at her going through pain and not being able to do anything about it.

Arnav retorted "I just don't care"

Sham "but she is engaged"

Arnav "No, she is not. She has already broken her engagement to that swine"

Sham flinches but continues "what if that person is regretful and wants her back"

Arnav "he can go and jump off the cliff"

Sham turning to Anjali "Rani Sahiba, at least you could have told me. I would have done a back ground check on her. I do have a lot of connections who would willing have done it"

Arnav "I think you are right. I will get the check done now, both about her and that fellow."

Sham immediately "No. ......I mean there is no point now in getting that done. If you are happy and Rani Sahiba is then I think there is not point in getting any background checks done." Saying this he moves to a side.

Arnav takes a deep breath to cool his temper and then in almost in a whisper says "Khushi"

Khushi has tears brimming in her eyes, ready to fall any minute. He looks at her and moves a bit closer to her.

Anjali asks him to put the jaimal round her neck. He takes this opportunity to come even closer and puts the jaimal round and whispers softly in her ears "Khushi don't," after a pause "please look at me".