UE part 14

Nature seemed to be certainly in a pretty bad mood the next day..it had been cloudy and dark all afternoon and Khushi and Paayal were seriously wondering about their decision to leave for RM...

but they finally decided to leave nevertheless, Khushi couldn't disappoint Anjali like that..

all the guests had pretty well made it to the party and once inside, the arrangements were so flawless and fabulous, you wouldn't give a damn to the weather...every bit of planning for the occasion had the feel of Arnav Singh Raizda signed at the bottom...perfect...and classy..slow music played in the background as sophisticated ladies and finely suited gentlemen moved across the floor

Anjali was as expected absolutely thrilled to spot Khushi, Payal received a warm and hearty welcome, while Arnav after the initial shock of spotting Khushi there , was on an overdrive of 'unbelievable' throwing it upon every family member who tried to justify her presence...

it was a while later that the two actually met face to face..

"pleasure" he stretched his hand forward grim faced in expected courtesy...

"thank you.how do you do Mr Raizada?" was her equally curt response as she shook his hand..

"perfect..please yourself" he said and made to go..

"well you should thank me for not gifting your proposed gift to Anjali di"she called...

"what?" he turned around... "i am not giving any gift to her..."

"WHAT? It's your sister's birthday and you didn't buy her a thing??"

"i will give her a cheque as always and she can buy what she wants..i don't specialize in stuff pleasing your kind, and I want her to like whatever she gets.."

"WHAT are you??" Khushi exclaimed.. "i know her since hardly two weeks and I have an idea of what she so badly wants!"

"if she so badly wants anything she can buy It herself..there is NOTHING di cannot buy"

"right. But it feels good to be gifted! Hell, I was so sure you would gift it to her, you two are so close, so I didn't gift it myself...i even know where to get it from!!"

they kept looking at each other as a mutual understanding settled quietly between them..

silence followed as each gave it a thought..

"no. both of us can never like the same thing" he spoke

"it's not about us! It's about her! but the guests are a problem, if we.."

"we'll be back in moments, everybody is busy talking..they'd never know..that is ,if you are so sure where to get it"

"of course i'm sure! But, leaving ,like this.."

"just come" there was impatience in his eyes

"and why am I doing it for you?"

"you are not. You are doing it for my sister"

"exactly!is it raining outside?"

"yes, but not much..won't be a worry.hurry up! We have just half an hour before the cake gets cut"

"what if they realize we are not here and call you OR call me??you are the host!!"

"they won't..even if they do, i'll say you fainted and I took you home. As for the guests, Aakash'll handle them"

"WHAT?? THAT is not happening. I'll say you fainted and I took you to the doctor"

"what?"

"yes...forget it, whoever is called will see to it..now hurry!"

"i should hurry?? you shut up first"

seconds later, two people had silently slid away from the gathering,and a car made out of the gates of RM...Anjali was busy with a big group of women, so was nani, and as for two other people...

Paayal was sitting alone in the busy gathering immersed in some deep pondering when Aakash approached her...

"hey"

"oh hi!" she replied, snapping out of her thoughts..

.

"i hope you aren't getting bored"

"oh no..really, i'm not"

there was a moment of awkward silence before he made the first move..

"so...what are your likings?" Aakash tried to gear this into a friendly conversation, as he sat beside her..

"books!" was her immediate response..

"yes..and what about other likings? I mean place-"

"oh I love the central library..it's like awesome!! they have this amazing collection of-"

"i'm sure..." Aakash interrupted her..he wasn't particularly into learning the charms of the central library..he dared to take the plunge... "and do you like someone?" he asked very cautiously..

"oh of course!" she replied..and disappointment took a toll on him..

"oh..i see"

"not like actually, I LOVE !"

okay, now this was too explicit a confession. She didn't look the kind..

and just while the poor man was recovering, she shot another one... "and not one, MANY, like dozens!!"

he gasped.. "d..dozens??"

"yes..both men and women!"

Aakash was short of fainting on the floor...this was so not going in the right direction..

"b..both men and women?"

"why are you looking at me like that? Can't women be good writers?"

Aakash almost gasped with relief..so it was not as bad..

"of course, writers, yes, of course they can be.."

---

"STOP PANICKING!"

"I? I should stop panicking? Your car gives away at this heavenly spot right in the middle of nowhere, it's raining AND hailing , so nothing can be done by you or me, and we are supposed to sit like this inside this car for like God knows till when!"

"have you finished?"

"yes!" she panted for breath

"now kindly shut up"

Khushi shook her head in exasperation as Arnav leaned back on his seat, the rain hitting furiously on both their windows, the hail making sharp sounds on his windscreen..they had tried calling on their cellphones but there was some grave connectivity problem..

after a few moments, Khushi turned her head to face him..

"do you know how to play criss cross?"

"excuse me?"

"i said do you know how to play criss cross?"

"do I look like someone who plays criss cross?"

"well you can always learn"

"provided I am interested to"

"then WHAT do you propose we do with all this time??"

"sit"

"sit?? that's it?? we are already doing that!"

"do it some more..and as a change for you, do it quietly"

"we are here because of YOU! And I am not going to get bored because of YOU! Did YOU hear that?"

"fine! Play it with YOURself!!"

"It's a two people game!!"

"bad luck"

she made a face and slowly and intentionally muttered.. "leave it, anyway it's a brain and skill game so I guess you..."

that was enough for him..

"then I am surprised you are even familiar with it" he shot back.. "and where do you propose to play this 'game?' ??

she eyed his windscreen which had become totally clouded on the inside due to the cold out and the moisture condensing on it...perfect..

"well, on your windscreen..!"

"what?"

she spoke nothing, just squeaked her fingers on the glass as she made the criss cross grid...then went on about rules and everything..while he sat wondering what the hell had he landed himself into..

one hand drawn across his chest, the other on which he rested his mouth as he gave her a sideway glance while she sat bubbling about the game like a seven year old...

"that's all I suppose.." she finished.. "so shall we start"

he changed his position and with the same grim face motioned her to make the first move...

he couldn't believe what he was doing as he himself bent forward and with his index finger etched a cross on it...never had such a thought of making use of his windscreen even remotely passed in his mind..

and so inside the car, with the wind and rain howling outside, Arnav Singh Raizada and Khushi kumari Gupta sat doing what they never would have imagined doing with each other..playing criss cross..on the windscreen..

it had been a good 5 rounds and none of the rounds had had a winner..since the game had been tagged as a 'brain' game, both stared at the windscreen with such concentration as if their life depended on winning or losing..both knew what the other would throw at the them if they chanced to lose..

eventually all the mist had been wiped off the screen and there was still no winner..they sat back to let the mist form once again..

the sound of the hail had stopped and it was just raining now...

Arnav unbuckled his seat belt and clicked open the door..

"what are you doing?" Khushi interrupted..

"do you plan to stay here all night?"

"oh..but how are you going to fix anything in the rain?"

"i am just going to check if there's some major problem..if there is, i'll call for another car"

"but there is connectivity problem!"

"won't be forever"

Khushi unbuckled her own seatbelt and turned to open the door..

"what are you doing?"

"well..someone will have to hold the torch right?"

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