What's
over me? Would have been a better question considering the fact that
she was trying to decipher the cause of her shivering..just the
water??
Arnav
was confused over his outburst..
Khushi
was confused over her shivering AND his outburst..(women always work
harder..tst tst..)
both
were confused over their respective confusions..
now
both were confused over the confusion slowly turning to something vey
confusing altogether..
and
now the situation was ODD. Very odd..
Khushi
was increaingly getting sure ,it was not butterflies in her
stomach..eagle..yes, eagle would be better..no way butterflies had
THAT sort of wing strength...
Arnav
was gulping at the rate of 1 gulp per 5 seconds..
Arnav-"um.."
Khushi-
"err..."
Arnav-
"well..i guess.."
Khushi-
"right.."
Arnav-
"what?"
Khushi-
"hm?"
Arnav-"what
right?"
Khushi-
"nothing..i mean.i think I should..i mean..we should..i mean..i
should.."
silence..
"you
should change?"
"yes...right..i'll
just change"
silence...
"there
is pasta stuck in your hair" he had to say something, he just HAD
to say something, pasta or no pasta..this silence was killing...damn
killing..
"really?"
she touched her hair to find the invisible pasta..."where?"
oh
hell..
he
stepped closer.. and brushed lightly across the hair on her
forhead..as if throwing the pasta to the ground..
trying
to control the eagles in her stomach she followed his hand motion to
the ground..
"wh..where
did it fall?" she twirled around..
Arnav
clenched his fists...
"you
want to eat it off the floor?" he asked..
"what?
No!"
"then
why does it matter where it fell!! just forget it dammit!!"
"yes
but-"
"i
said FORGET THE DAMN PASTA!!!!"
Sharp
Knock at the door..
"WHO'S
IT??" Khushi shouted..
"Khushi
open the door!!" Garima Gupta shouted as loud as she could..
"OH
GOD MAA'S HOME!!" Khushi shouted..then turned to him.. "YOU HEARD
THAT? MAA'S HOME! BUT HOW CAN SHE BE HOME? SHE WAS TO COME IN THE
EVENING? WHAT HAPPENED??"she panicked..
"How
will I know? I am NOT your maa!"
"HIDE!
QUICK!"
"WHAT?"
"HIDE!!
ESCAPE! DISSAPPEAR!!EVAPORATE!!"
"SHUT
UP!"
"Do
you want to die?"
"what?"
"LOOK
at you! Hell, LOOK AT ME!! We are SO gone..hide in the broom store"
"what"
"will
you please expand your dictionary beyond 'what'?? hide for heaven's
sake!"
"KHUSHI
OPEN THE DOOR!! ARE YOU SLEEPING!!"
"COMING
MAA!!"
She
clasped her hands in front of Arnav.."for HEAVEN'S sake!!! please!!
I beg you!!"
"what
took you so long in opening the door? And WHAT have you done to
yourself???"
"um...bath...just
a bath"
"with
clothes on?"
"haha..for
a change!"
"no
change. You are as mad as before"
Arnav
glanced at his vibrating phone..
di
calling..
"hello?"
"hello..chotte?
I hope I didn't disturb you.."
he
glanced around at the 'hardly enough' space of the storeroom..Arnav
Singh Raizada's very first experience of hiding in a girl's broom
store room because her mother was home..he felt like a TOTAL
ragamuffin..
"no
di..what's the matter?"
"chotte
why are you whispering? Where are you?"
"nothing
di. Something important?"
"no
I was just thinking, since it's al-"
"WHAT
THE!" Arnav shouted as a mouse jumped past his shoes..
"chotte?
What happened?"
"nothing
di just-" he whispered..
"i
think i'll call you later..you seem busy" she replied...
"no
di-"
"later
chotte!"
"what
happened dear?" nani turned to her as she clicked the phone shut..
"nani,
know what? I have a feeling chotte is with khushi.."
"really?
Why?"
"that's
usually when he uses 'WHAT THE' immediately after 'nothing' "
the
two exchanged looks..and burst out laughing..
"so..you
home early?"Khushi tried to sound as normal as she could..
"early?
No! I was to be home by afternoon..Payal knew...and I think she
forgot all about picking me up"
Khushi
fumed at her sister..
"oh
she is very much busy with fire extinguishers to keep track of the
rest of the world"
"what?"
"nothing"
"DAMMIT!"
(voice from behind the door which was slightly ajar)
"what
was that?" Mrs Gupta straightened..
Khushi
felt like hitting Arnav bang on the head..couldn't this man take a
break from damning random things in the world..
"what?"
"Khushi"
"y..yes?"
"who's
behind the door?"
"be..behind
the door? Just the broom..what are you talking about?"
"i
am talking about the broom which apparently is wearing a black suit ,
black shoes and has just said 'dammit'..i don't remember leaving such
a broom in our house"
Khushi
gulped..Arnav emerged from behind the door
"What
the! There are cobwebs in your store dammit! Wha-..oh.."
Mr
Raizada meets 'Mrs' Gupta...
Khushi
just wished she had evaporating powers...
"and
you are?" Garima Gupta raised her eyebrows at him..
Arnav
stretched his hand to her "Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada"
Khushi
eyed him incredulously..what a ' The name is Bond. James Bond..'
style..
"oh
so YOU are Arnav Singh Raizada are you" Garima now turned to him..
Arnav
was taken aback.. "um yes..p-"
"what
are you doing here?"
"excuse
me?"
"i
think I should throw this question to my daughter as well..what is he
doing here khushi?" (total no nonsense tone)
Khushi
gulped..
Garima
tightly gripped her shoulders "you are wet. Payal is NOT at home.
HE is at home. YOU are at home when I think you should be at work
right now. I am sure you have an explanation"
all
this was certainly new for an Arnav who was feeling like he was a
'jumping in from the window' kind of guy who had suddenly been caught
red handed..
"ma..i
lost my..job"
"congratulations
darling. What pleasant news. And has he too?"
she
motioned to Arnav who widened his eyes golf ball size at the remark..
"i
am the owner of AR Group of Industries-"
"i
know" Garima turned to him.. "you are THE owner of AR industries.
But Khushi is NOT Mr Raizada. Such link ups and page 3 news are
common to people of your status. But we are middle class people who
hold our respect very close to our hearts! You will be spared because
you are Arnav Singh Raizada, but our society is different! Khushi
will not be spared! "
"maa
please-" Khushi began but was interrupted
"and
you shut up! What was happening here? You know we live in a colony
right? And you-"
"maa,
my dupatta caught fire and he put it off! That's it!"
"he
came all over from AR leaving his office, to put the fire off your
dupatta? With an entire bucket of water? I believe that"
Khushi
glared at Arnav
Garima
turned to him-
"enough.
Look Mr Raizada. I know you are a highly respected member of the
society and I don't intend to insult you. But if you are interested
in an alliance with MY daughter, it has to be either an engagement or
marriage"
"or
break up" he added...
he
shouldn't have..but then he was Arnav..
"excuse
me?" Garima turned to face him..now giving a 'you messed with my
daughter?i am her 21st
century mum!' kind of look...
"yeah..i
mean..this wasn't meant to be mam. we-"
"are
you telling me that you declared commitment to my daughter, went
parties and dinner with her just to say you break up when the talk of
some responsibility comes up? That's what I would call a man without
a SPINE! And khushi I am ASHAMED at your choice"
Arnav
had never been verbally slapped this tightly before...of course he
had a spine!! which was hurting since he bumped into the iron rod in
the storeroom..
"maa..it
wasn't just him..i mean..we both..we both decided to..-" Khushi was
sweating..
Garima
gupta had had enough..Arnav Singh Raizada or no Arnav Singh Raizada..
next
moment she had raised her hands to give one tight slap to a Khushi
very well anticipating it..
the
other moment her hand had hit sharp, (not been stopped or held) but
hit sharp on strong arms stretched across Khushi's face..
Garima
looked at Arnav, Khushi didn't look at Arnav. She literally popped
out her eyes at him..
Arnav
was looking straight at Garima..
"i
apologize mam. But I am sure this can be sorted out better. You have
full right to slap your daughter and I don't intend to play the
knight, but you have not heard the whole thing as yet"
"really?
Well, I don't know what's wrong with the two of you. But I am making
one thing very clear. By tommorrow it should be either a finalised
engagement or a confirmed breakup"
silence..
"Mr
Raizada" she turned to Arnav "do I have your word for that?"
silence..
"you
do.." Arnav replied..
later...
Khushi
IT calling..
"Excuse
me gentlemen" Arnav paused his addressal and moved out of the
conference room..
"i
am in a meeting. What?"
"did
you think of something?"
"of
what?"
"are
you even THINKING over the breakup??"
"shut
up. I am thinking about it, but not day and night! I have t-"
"maa
has fixed a 'boy meeting' for me immediately after that.." she
wondered why she blurted this out to him..why would he be bothered if
she even met frankenstein after the breakup!
"WHAT??!!"
he immediately showed just how bothered he'd be..
"yes.."
"you
are waiting for the breakup to jump off and MARRY SOME DOLT!!"
"first,
why are you shouting at ME? Second, how are you so sure he is a
dolt?third, who said I am marrying? But considering maa's current
mood, a meeting with Rohit cannot be avoided so-"
"Rohit?'
"um
yes..the boy I told you about.."
"you
KNOW him?"
"yes.
Family friends. He knows about all this but maa convinced him it's
fake news..so he agreed-"
Arnav
lost it..Family friend!! pish posh!! FRIEND!! oh yes, a guy jumps on
hearing a link up is fake and he is a FRIEND!! That good for nothing,
R for rotten, clumsy sounding, no self respect of a..he took a deep
breath..
"in
case you didn't hear me first time, I am BUSY in a meeting. I will
call later"
was
he grinding his teeth? Seriously! Given the frequency and intensity
with which this man grinded his teeth ,they should have become enamel
powder by now..
"but-"
"i
said I will call later!"
call
disconnected..
very
understandibly for the rest of the meeting, the AR employees were not
witnesses to the gentlest side of their boss who was thinking far
better adjectives for that 'dolt' other than 'dolt' in frequent
periods...
cement
pile calling..
"finally!!"
Khushi spoke receiving the phone.. "what took you so long? I have
been staring at my mobile doing visual yoga since one hour"
"i
happen to be a busy person"
"was
that another sarcasm on my joblessness? Anyway, what's the plan"
what's
the 'plan B' ,she should have asked..'plan A' had been cancelled
moments after hearing her maa's plans for her...
"come
with that whatever to Golden horizon tomorrow evening. I'll come with
some female company. We'll have dinner separately"
"his
name is rohit not whatever"
"i.don't.
Give. A. damn!" he barked..
Khushi
pondered over it for a while..
"hm..it
would send the message...not bad..i wonder why I never thought of it"
"because
it makes sense"
"very
funny! My plan would have been successful if you had- forget it!
..but why the same hotel?"
damn...
"to
send the clear message that it's off..meeting at separate places
could be justified..but same hotel, different company, would not"
smart..
"hm..but
hold on! I know my professional collegues too well..please be formal
yet cordial when we come face to face there.. like, we didn't have a
bitter breakup or anything, just decided to part ways..else there'll
start this new investigation on 'what the hell happened'..we'll be
cordial and if they ask, we'll just say it's over but we are not
bitter..so no mud flinging"
"whatever.."
(calm voice)
"then
I'll talk to Rohit-" Khushi concluded..
"i
said whatever!" (dangerous teeth grinding voice)
"okay!
Relax!but please make sure this works. Because maa is literally
treating me as a wall ever since you went.." she shut the phone..
puchu
cleared. Siddharth cleared. Rohit...
Arnav
was lost in thoughts as he deeply stared at the water gleaming in the
moonlight falling on his pool as he lay on his bead..that had been a
very odd silence...very very odd silence..
Khushi
worriedly played all kinds of stupid games on her mobile..especially
'angry birds'...they were not being very kind to her stomach
recently..why had that silence been so weird..
and
oh god..what was going to happen tomorrow...by the way, he had found
a date so soon? Of course, he was THE ASR!! must be some good for
nothing, runs behind rich men, thinks the world of herself, arrogant,
snobbish, whatever her name!! as if she cared...
oh
yes she did...
so
it was finally a break up tomorrow..he wondered..by the way, that
'dolt'..she had found a match so soon? Of course, she was Khushi
Kumari Gupta!! must be some good for nothing, runs behind pretty
women, thinks the world of himself, arrogant, snobbish, whatever his
name!! as if he cared...
oh
yes he did...
and somewhere within them..they knew..or had begun knowing..
poor
Rohit and whatever her name...they better prepare themselves for the unexpectedly..expected..
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♡
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