Khushi gasped in low tone when she heard his voice suddenly, but soon she composed herself and the words he said rang in her heart again and again, as she stare into his chocolate brown eyes intently.

For a moment, no one spoke anything. They just kept staring at each other and let their hearts do the talking.

"Th-Then why are you angry with your life?" Khushi whispered breaking the silence between them.

"You hurt me." he whispered back with a broken tone.

"What did I do?" she asked softly, rubbing his chest as if to lessen the pain she inflicted on his heart.

Arnav looked away holding his breath for a moment.

"Arnav ji look at me.." Khushi said lovingly cupping his cheek, she made him look at her side, "You weren't like this before our marriage. Remember you used to share everything with me, even that day Sim and Pam instigated me to check your phone and when I did, you became upset with me and you made it clear to me that you don't like what I did. Is it our marriage that changed everything between us? You weren't ready for this marriage. You felt forced by my parents to marry me, right? And you might distance yourself from me even more, now that I'll say to you that Bauji was just acting when he came to talk with you about us and asked you to separate from me till you're sure about your feelings for me. He wanted to make you confess your feelings to me."

"Despite knowing I might distance myself from you, you still broke my heart.. you chose to be a part of this plan of your family." he said in disbelief.

"I wasn't aware of their plan Arnav ji. Do you think I would ever do something like this to you after knowing about your past and your insecurities? I might be childish and immature, but I wouldn't ever take part of this plan. In fact, I was the only one who was angry and hurt with you for this step when you're not ready for it. I always told you that I'm willing to wait for you Arnav ji." Khushi sat on the bed, still staring at him.

"Okay.." Arnav too sat on the bed, to continue the conversation with her, "I can believe that you weren't a part of their plan, but you shouldn't have taken this matter so lightly when they revealed this to you. For God sake, you guys were making a joke out of my insecurities."

"I wasn't laughing at you Arnav ji. I was amused and shocked to know how things turned out to be. It started with a plan to make you confess your love to me and it ended in us getting married at the same day. Neither I nor my family expected you to take me to mandap that day and get married to me Arnav ji. It was my family's efforts to help us make a move in our relationship, but it was your fear of losing me that touched my heart. I remember I even compared the whole scenario to a movie, because it was unexpected that all this story was behind our marriage." Khushi said.

"I expected you to understand my feelings as well. You're my better half Khushi. You understood your family had good intentions behind this plan, but why can't you understand that I don't take marriage and love matters so lightly like you all do?" Arnav asked.

Khushi looked at him confused for a while but before she could say anything in her defense, his phone rang disturbing their conversation.

Arnav looked at side table and took his phone, then glanced at Khushi: Just a minute.

Khushi nodded. Arnav got up from the bed and walked to the poolside, picking up the phone, "Namaste uncle.." he said after clearing his throat once.

"Namaste beta. Woh.. I'm sorry to call you at this hour.. but before leaving to Sydney Akash bitwa called us and in between our conversation he told us that today is your birthday. He also told us that you don't like to receive birthday wishes on this day. So respecting your decision, I won't wish you but I also couldn't stop myself from calling you to give my blessings to you, may you always be happy and healthy in life, may you get success in everything you do and may you always get what is right for you." Shashi said.

"Thank you uncle. How's everything at Lucknow?" Arnav replied.

"Everything is fine. Err.. I've been trying to call you these days but your phone always remain unavailable."

"Actually.. I was busy." Arnav lied, not wanting to reveal the real reason why he avoided to pick up Shashi's phone calls.

"Yes.. yes.. I understand you're busy with your business. I was calling you because I needed to apologize for my mistake Arnav bitwa."

"Apologize?" Arnav asked unsure of what he heard.

"Yes. I wanted to confess to you that I wasn't actually angry with you that day of Payal bitiya and Akash bitwa's marriage. I, Garima and Jiji (Buaji) had actually thought that if I talk to you and ask you to stay away from Khushi till you give a name to your relationship with her, then you would have confessed your love to her. But you surprised us when you took her to the mandap and got married with her. Then we said all this to Khushi that day she came to spend the day with us before we leave to Lucknow, she made us realize that although we had a good intention behind this plan, you would be very hurt to know the truth because of you're still fighting with your insecurities towards marriage and love. We only thought about her as our daughter, we didn't thought about you as our son.. it's really shame on us, that we said we consider you as our son but we failed as parents to you.. We're really sorry Arnav bitwa.. we didn't thought about the consequences of our stupid plan in your life.. we're really sorry.."

Arnav just heard everything, feeling numb, his eyes moistened on its own.

"Arnav bitwa are you hearing me?" Garima asked as soon as she snatched the phone from Shashi, sobbing guiltily, "We're really sorry bitwa.. We wanted to apologize to you that day only but you left suddenly after saying goodbye to us. Then Shashi ji thought to call you and talk calmly on this matter but we couldn't talk to you.. I couldn't sleep at all with this guilt feeling building in my heart.. finally we talked with you today.. We're really sorry Arnav bitwa.. we're extremely ashamed of what we did.."

"I was really hurt after knowing about your plan.. but let's just forget this aunty.. I forgive you all.. I was upset that's why I avoided picking up your calls.. but it's okay.. I understand that you were thinking about Khushi's happiness.." Arnav said after composing himself.

"Are you sure Arnav bitwa? Do you really forgive us?" Garima asked.

"Yes.. If you don't mind aunty, then I call you tomorrow.. we can talk better and calmly about this." Arnav said politely, looking behind at Khushi who was waiting for him, sitting on their bed. He just realized he judged her wrong. He jumped into a conclusion before hearing the whole conversation between her and her family. He just wanted her to understand his feelings and she did. He always wanted to have someone in life who would could understand his unspoken words. But unfortunately in life, every person he loves did hurt in some or other way. Even his sister, Anjali hurt him when she used to openly speak about his flaws to her friends and laugh over it, he never let her know that but it used to hurt him that his own sister was making fun of him with her friends. He felt the same pain when he saw Khushi's family laughing at him in her presence. He didn't mind Anjali having fun with her friends or Khushi feeling happy that her family tried to help their love story move forward which unexpectedly end up in their marriage, all he wanted from both was to understand what he would have felt at that moment.. to understand that he would feel bad. For the relief of his heart, he has finally got that person who understands him.

"Yes bitwa.. I'm sorry again for disturbing you at this time.. And you don't like birthday wishes, so I just wish you happiness, success and health in your life bitwa." Garima said smiling at the end through the tears flowing from her eyes.

"Thank you aunty." Arnav said and after bidding goodbye to each other, he hang up the call and walked inside the room.

"It was Shashi uncle." Arnav said keeping his phone back on the side table and sat on the bed, staring at her feeling an ache on his heart, guilt for the way he behaved and the words he threw at her in anger. Not to forget, the way he broke her heart completely that night, she confessed her love to him.

"So I guess he already told you everything. Bauji only said for me to not say anything about the plan to you, because he personally wanted to talk with you and apologize for his mistake but I end up confessing this to you." Khushi said with tears filled eyes, "You listened to our half conversation.. You should have talked with me Arnav ji .. I would have told you and explained to you that I wasn't laughing at you.. I never had such intention to mock your insecurities.. Bauji, Buaji and Amma also wanted to make you confess your feelings, not force you for marriage.. they had a good intention but chose the wrong way to help us.. and I won't blame you Arnav ji.. because what happened to you was completely wrong.. my family shouldn't have done this.."

Arnav pulled Khushi into a tight hug, and shut his eyes burying his face on her hair, "I'm so sorry Khushi.. I misunderstood you my Baby.. I'm really sorry."

"I'm sorry Arnav ji.. I couldn't meet up to your expectations as your partner.. as your wife.." she sobbed in his arms.

"What are you saying Khushi? I didn't want you to fight with your family for me. I just wanted you to understand my feelings and let your parents know that this was wrong.. that's all I wanted from you." Arnav broke the hug and cupped her cheeks, "You know when I was 15, I still didn't knew how to ride a bicycle. And Di used to make fun of me with her friends because of this. I used to get so irritated and hurt with her, but I never said it to her. I always preferred to keep my feelings to myself because I knew if I confronted her about the same that time, she would tell me to relax and take it sportingly, it's nothing, I'm overreacting. I never like to share my pain with anyone, because I feel no one understands me. I also didn't plan to share about my pain this time to you also Khushi. Because I used to share everything with you when we started our relationship. I thought you broke my trust. So I just wanted to shut myself and be ASR again to everyone, including you. I didn't want to let anyone hurt me again. But I don't know why I just couldn't.. Your love is such that I couldn't keep myself away from you.. no matter how much I tried to behave cold with you, somewhere my heart didn't let me do it."

"This misunderstanding only happened between us, because of our lack of communication only Arnav ji.. You see, earlier we used to share everything with each other and fought less.. now we just kept hurting each other because we never sat once to openly talk what was in our hearts.." Khushi said.

Arnav nodded his head agreeing with her, "That was a huge mistake from our parts.. You even regretted to marry me."

Khushi frowned and slapped his arm, "You should stop eavesdropping my conversation with others and interpret it the way you want. I never regretted marrying you, I was saying to Jiji that I wish I never married you because you were happier before our marriage, because I felt you were forced to marry me and you weren't ready for it, that's why you're unhappy.. I wish we could go back to times when you were happy with me and I would have gladly wait till you're ready to get married with me willingly.. this is what I meant Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada!"

"Ohhhh!" Arnav was left with open mouth slightly, as realization dawned upon him, making Khushi mimick him, "Ohhh!"

"Is there anything else you want me to clarify it to you?" she asked.

"Why did you refuse to talk with me when I was ready to open up myself to you?" Arnav asked.

"I was upset with you because you shared your problems with Di and not with me. You always say it to me that you don't like when I share our problems to others, and you did the same." Khushi pouted.

"I didn't say the reason why I'm upset with you to Di. But I'm sorry because I said few things you won't like to hear." he said guiltily.

"What?" Khushi asked.

"That I don't trust you and I will never love you." Arnav said.

"I'm sorry Khushi.. I was really hurt and broken that day.. I didn't mean what I said.." he rested his forehead on hers.

"I know.." she whispered cupping his face. Arnav slowly placed his lips on hers, taking her into a slow and passionate kiss, expressing how much guilty he was for hurting her all these days and how he was ready to make it up for her. Khushi reciprocated the kiss wanting to finally end the misunderstanding and pain they had been bearing for these days in their marriage.

Arnav made her lay on the bed after their broke the kiss, and came on top of her, not breaking their eye contact.

"Will you let me love you Khushi?" he asked huskily.

Khushi blinked her eyes feeling breathless for a moment, with her heart beating faster.

The next second, he started kissing her neck making his way to her shoulder and what followed next was the union of the two bodies, who finally become one soul, belonging to each other in every way. Their love washed away all the pain they had been inflicting to each their and to themselves also. Their love making cured the wounds given by misunderstandings.

ArShi understood now that marriage requires both - Communication and Gestures of Love.