There will never be another you Chapter 18

Tina first got scared when she received call from Arnav Singh Raizada's office. She felt so relieved and then very excited when Mr. Raizada's manager proposed a deal. 

They were willing to sell the copyright of the wedding videos and photos to the OTT platform of her channel for a reasonable price and she can take the credit of convincing Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada for this. 

She immediately agreed and send an email to the OTT management team for the approval. They immediately approved it & also offered promotion once its finished. 

She got her team ready quickly and set up everything for the wedding shoot. The manager of ASR wanted to have a meeting with her at the hotel to discuss something. So after briefing the team she went to meet Mr. Aman Mathur in one of the conference room.

ASR's manager gave her a cold and calculated look when he talked to her... Maybe just like his boss which she heard from her seniors. He also wanted information about the source who sent the pictures in return. She understood Arnav Singh Raizada was powerful enough to make her life hell so it was not clever to deny any information. 

She used the excuse of maintaining confidentiality of the source at first. But he gave her an ultimatum to start talking in two minutes or else he was going to destroy her career by withdrawing the proposal for the rights of marriage footage. He said after two minutes he will be selling it to their rival channel which she cannot afford when she is being considered for a promotion. 

So she disclosed everything to Aman Mathur and threw Madhumati under the bus. Madhumati was no longer useful to her. She got the rights for the coverage of wedding and an exclusive family interview with the Raizada's and Rathore's after the wedding. Before leaving he warned her to keep their deal a secret. She agreed to that, anyway her career is taking an unexpected turn because of this so she doesn't have any regrets. Its a win win. 

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                                                    PC : original owner 

The pheras were over,  turning Anjali and Shivaay from two individuals into a unified partnership, guided by promises of mutual support for a lifetime.

Arnav and Khushi watched the happy couple who was taking blessing from the elders. Arnav's eyes went to the channel team along with Ms. Tina capturing the candid shots. His thoughts went back to the conversation he had with Aman. He need to have a chat with Khushi in private once the ceremony is finished. 

Anjali's farewell was a highly emotional and tearful moment for the family. Akash and Arnav led her to the waiting car with a heavy heart. 

Arnav hugged his sister one last time before she entered the car. It was harder than he thought. But he was sure this time his sister is going to start her life with a good man. He hugged Shivaay and without saying anything his new brother in law nodded at him understanding the unspoken. 

It was midnight when everyone retired to their own suite. Raizada's and Gupta's were staying in the hotel itself until next morning. 

Khushi changed into her night clothes and came out of the bathroom. Her husband was waiting for her in the bedroom. He has already changed into his pajamas. From his face she understood he wanted to talk to her about something serious. 

"I asked the room service to bring hot chocolate for you and Expresso for myself, can we sit there and talk ?" He pointed at the balcony where the hot beverages were already served.

She nodded with a small smile and both of them comfortably sat next to each other on the balcony chair facing the city.  Arnav watched the cool breeze grazing her face and making her hair wave gently. She is breathtaking. He thought to himself and smiled. At the same time she looked at him and blushed as if she could hear his thoughts. 

They sipped the hot beverage and looked at the midnight view of the city. 

"Khushi.. Aman got all the information about the media leakage. As we already know, it was buaji who was leaking it. But now I came to know that she wanted the journalist to publish about Akash and Payal but when Anjali and Shivaay came out of the plan the journalist found it more interesting for the viewers."

He observed Khushi's face when he spoke. She was shocked just like him. He saw her confusion why would she do something like that to her own niece. 

"I also thought the same but then I got it, once the news was published, the families will have to get them married. Payal will become Raizada bahu just like buaji wanted. "

Khushi didn't speak anything for sometime. He decided to give her some time to grasp the news.

"I... I don't know what to say Arnav ji.. I am sorry... I am really sorry that Di had face those humiliation because of my aunt. I dont know what to do to make it up to you.." Her eyes watered as she spoke. 

He suddenly placed the cup on the coffee table and held her right hand.

"Khushi.. Please.. Please don't apologize... No one else is responsible for her behavior. I know you and Payal are innocent in this. I want you to know that I am not blaming you or Payal in this. Its completely her fault. But she is remorseless, for treating you the way she did and then asking you to take the blame.. You tell me what you want to do to her after this. Afterall she is family.. And if mami came to know about this then she will make the house a Warfield. But I am not liking the fact that she is still capable of hurting my wife."

Khushi looked at her husband with pride, he was still thinking rationally even after all those troubles caused by her aunt.

"Arnavji if this was done by any outsider, what you would have done?"

"I would have made them pay for their actions Khushi. Here I can't do that also I cannot let her hurt my wife anymore." He sighed.

"I don't know what to do Arnavji.. I am so confused and hurt.. Even if she hates me, she is still family. But I cannot ignore the fact that she hurt the people who is my family now. I cannot let that go. You can decide what you want to do with her. "

Arnav understood her pain. He kissed her hand and kneeled on the floor to have a better and close look of her innocent face. 

"Khushi.. Whatever happens I won't let anything come between you and me. Ok?" His voice was a mere whisper.

For a moment, neither spoke. The air shifted—thicker, charged. His gaze softened, dropping briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes.

Khushi stood up and went near to the railing, her fingers lightly gripping the edge as she tried to steady her breath. She moved away for air… or maybe to escape the way her heart had been racing.

The breeze carried the faint scent of jasmine. The city lights shimmered in the distance, but neither of them seemed to notice. 

“Running away again?” Arnav’s voice came from behind her—low, teasing, but laced with something deeper.

She turned, startled. “I wasn’t—”

He stepped closer, closing the space between them. “Then?.”

“Khushi…” he said, quieter now.

Her name on his lips always did something to her. She felt it again—like a pull she couldn’t resist.

“I should go inside,” she murmured, though she didn’t move.

“Then go,” he replied, but there was no intention in his tone to let her.

She took a step—straight into him.

The world seemed to narrow down to just that contact. His hand instinctively found her wrist, gently but firmly holding her there. Her breath caught as he slowly slid his fingers up, tracing the length of her arm until he reached her shoulder.

“Why do you make this so difficult?” he asked, almost to himself.

Khushi looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe… because you don’t make it easy.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips. “I never promised I would.”

The breeze lifted a strand of her hair, and without thinking, he tucked it behind her ear. His touch lingered—longer than necessary. Her eyes fluttered for a second, and that was all it took.

He leaned in.

Not rushed, not forceful—just certain.

She didn’t step back.

Their foreheads brushed first, a pause filled with unspoken questions… and answers. Then, slowly, his hand cupped her face, and the distance between them disappeared.

The kiss was soft at first, hesitant… like testing a boundary. But the hesitation didn’t last. It deepened, drawing them closer, as if the world beyond that balcony had ceased to exist.

Khushi’s hand clutched the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer without realizing it. He responded instinctively, his other arm wrapping around her waist, steadying her as she leaned into him.

Somewhere in the background, the curtains stirred, the open door to the bedroom inviting, silent.

He pulled back just enough to look at her, his voice rough now. “Come inside.”

She nodded, unable to trust her voice.

They moved together, step by step, still caught in the same unbroken moment—until—

His phone rang.

Loud. Sharp..

They froze.

Arnav shut his eyes briefly, exhaling in frustration as the sound cut through everything they had just built. Khushi stepped back, her fingers slipping from his shirt as reality rushed back in.

The phone kept ringing.

He glanced at it, then back at her.

For a second, it felt like he might ignore it.

But he didn’t.

With a reluctant sigh, he pulled away and reached for the phone. “I have to take this.”

Khushi nodded, though something in her expression softened—like she was both relieved and disappointed.

“Of course,” she said quietly.

As he turned away to answer the call, she stepped back onto the balcony, the cool night air rushing in again.

The moment hadn’t disappeared. It had only paused.

Love,

ST