UE part 43

"Arnav!" Khushi exclaimed..

Clad in denim jeans and a white shirt, the first time she saw him dressed thus, Arnav walked towards the group, his face not giving away any emotion, doing total justice to the cement pile title which had been bestowed upon him..

Thrice he had cancelled the plan to come, thrice he had to convince himself that he was Arnav Singh Raizada. He could do it. He would do it...

But one look at her face, and he questioned his decision yet again..Khushi, with her papers being checked, bidding farewell to everyone, standing here, before him , only to soon leave for another country ,perhaps never to return back to him..

Good morning passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to New York. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minute's time. Thank you.

Khushi felt the announcement send a horrifying chill down her spine..she looked up at Arnav, he looked back at her..

"You 'k?" he asked her, formally, almost in a detached manner..

Khushi felt a thud within her, she nodded.. "yeah...yeah I am OK, just a bit nervous..and.."

Arnav immediately grew tense..

"What's to be nervous? You are going to New York, not hell. Relax"

She isn't going to hell, just New York, Relax! He calmed himself with the same words...

Khushi smiled at him..

The morning light had just started leaving a tinge in the pitch black darkness. Nihaal was taking his leave from everyone one last time, and specially with Anjali, who was laughing and crying at the same time.

Bhai would be back for Di..

Arnav wouldn't..

"Arnav..I..want to tell you..rather warn you about something.." she smiled a forced smile at him..

"hm..?"

"The..the next time you..see a journalist running up to your office building gate and stopping you..don't listen..they just,stick with you in an impossible manner..you..you wouldn't want another..rum-...rumor..to spread like wild fire again right? You were lucky this time.."

she laughed..hoping against hope, that the gesture would help the lump inside her throat to melt away..but since she was absolutely failing at it she turned around and proceeded towards the check in..

"Khushi!" Arnav called from behind..

She turned around and looked into his eyes..

"if a businessman comes running to save you sometime, and if it makes it in the papers...don't ask him how to break-up, just rubbish it straight away in the media..you were lucky this time..."

They looked deep into each other's eyes for a long while and then a mutual smile spread across their faces..

Khushi stepped forward and as if already anticipating it he reciprocated her hug as she tightened her arms around him momentarily..then slowly pulled back..

"all the best" Arnav spoke gently.. "And don't drive cars yourself"

"I know how to drive cars!"

"No you don't! I remember what you did with the S-"

"SUV! I know! I was plain flustered that time. That's it"

"Whatever. You can't walk a step without tripping, and drive a mile, without crashing"

"as if you are perfect!"

"I am"

"Oh puhleese" she laughed a mocking laugh..

He gulped the lump in his throat..no one, save her, dared to do that with him...

Good morning passengers. Regular boarding for flight 89B to New York has commenced. Please keep your boarding passes and identification ready. Thank You.

"Lattu! Come!" Nihaal called out to Khushi, then walked up to Arnav and shared a light embrace with him..

"Take that little 'extra' care of your sister bro, for my sake"Nihaal grinned at him..

Khushi turned back and ran swiftly towards the check-in lest the tears brimming in her eyes betrayed her...having final hugs with Payal, her mother and Anjali...

Arnav nodded at Nihaal and said "Take care of Khushi"...

for my sake, his heart added the words his mouth failed to say..

"I will" Nihaal nodded and backed away...

Suddenly Khushi rushed back to him..brought up his hand from his side and pressed something into his palm, saying..

"I guess that's yours"

and rushed away yet again..

Arnav opened his palm and his heart constricted within his chest..

as the diamond of a golden band shimmered before him...

Khushi and Nihaal waved their hands, Khushi bitterly crying by now, at the group of people who waved back..

The last Arnav saw her, she was looking at him...

hopefully?He brushed the thought off as his own wish..

They left only when the rumbling of an airplane taking flight could be heard...

Arnav sat in the car and pressed his fingers on his aching forehead..

Anjali looked at him, in anger..

holding his arm tight, she spoke..

"She didn't leave Chotte..you let her"

He froze..you let her..

"Your snacks ma'am" The air hostess forwarded the tray from the trolley towards Khushi...

But Khushi, was too lost to notice..face pale, huge apple of a lump inside her throat, rubbing her ring finger as if continuously aware of something missing from there,and repeatedly fidgeting in her seat, she was a sight to see..

Nihaal looked up from the magazine and nudged her.. "Lattu...snacks.", then whispered in her ears.. "don't worry..it's free"

Khushi rolled her eyes and murmured a 'no thank you' to the air hostess who had to literally bend half to get her...and seeing her state, couldn't help asking..

"ma'am are you alright? Should I-"

"No..no it's okay..I'm..I'm fine.."

The girl smiled pleasantly at her and moved on while Khushi shut her eyes, took a deep breath and turned to face her brother who was back to reading..

"Bhai"

"hmm..?"

"BHAI!"

"what?"

"I have to go back. NOW!"

"hmm..wait, WHAT?!!"

"yes bhai. Now"

"You want to go back to India? India?? Lattu are you-"

"I don't just want to bhai, I have to, I must! I just wish to get off this plane! Now! Please get me off this plane..please..I have to go..I.." she was getting hysteric..

"Whaaaii?" Nihaal stretched his question..

"I need to meet Arnav..I need to tell him..something..bhai..I love him!!" she blinked bright tears..

Nihaal stared at her for a moment then shook his head in exasperation..

"If I had any idea that a height of 35000 feet and 'God knows what pressure ,was the optimum condition to get this out of you I would have made arrangements accordingly beforehand"

"Bhai please get me off this plane"

"Cool. Why don't we just open this exit door and you jump off. Then you can swim across the ocean below and tell Arnav you love him. He would die out of pleasure, provided you don't"

There was a silence before Khushi spoke..

"Done. I get down at the airport and take the next flight to India. I tell Arnav what I have to, and depending on his reaction, decide what is to be done next. Right now, I just know one thing. If I go to New York without telling him that I love him, I will go mad at this rate"

"What if he doesn't refuse?" Nihaal decided to confirm that things were positively clear before she made such a drastic move...

"what?"

"What if he says that he loves you too Lattu? What will you do!"

"Of course I will go back to living in India! What else?" Khushi stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world..

"and job?"

"I will get one there! If I am qualified enough for one in US ,I would be pretty well qualified for one here too! But if I go mental, which I can slowly feel myself turning into, I will not be eligible anywhere"

"but Arnav could have stopped you in that case Lattu...why didn't he?", Nihaal was not going to let her go easily...

"That's because I never game him a chance to! From the moment he came to know about this whole mess, it's all been about my dreams, my future, my wish. I even told him that I didn't consider informing him about it till now since we would break-up anyway! Bhai, he has no idea! I am quite sure he doesn't love me, it's one-sided. FINE! But I need to tell him. And tell him, I will! Yes! I am going to tell him! Today!"

Nihaal didn't speak a word and Khushi gave him a questioning look..

"what?"

"I am still wondering why you couldn't get this into your head with a ground beneath your feet!"

For the first time in hours, Khushi smiled a genuine smile, and a wide one at that..

"Unexpectedly expected bhai.." she chuckled..Nihaal shook his head..

This was way worse than he had ever imagined it to be..no wait, this wasn't even close to what he had imagined it would be like..

Arnav paced the length of his room, his fingers playing rough on the golden ring clasped tightly in his hands...

This moment Khushi, the same Khushi who had been haunting his whole being ever since she stepped into his life, was in a plane, a plane flying off to U.S., taking her away from him for 5 years and he hadn't had the damn mouth to tell her one simple 'I love you' aloud !( Not to mention that he had said it aloud to his own self just a few days back)

For being a one famous to have reached the zenith of corporate success at such a young age, for being a one whose one order, one decision could make or change circumstances of magnanimous importance, Arnav Singh Raizada certainly did not feel like any more than an idiot.

In his own eyes, he was a man who let Khushi go, to a place where she would be bossed around by a philandering idiot, to a place where she could get hurt and he'd never know, to a place where she might find a someone else and live happily ever after without telling her that he DAMN WELL LOVED HER!!

"She didn't go chotte...you let her"

He let her,of course he let her! Would she have stayed back had he told her?

HELL! Had he even tried?

Arnav Singh Raizada was not a man famous for his blunders. If this was a first, he would damn well make sure it was a last.

Few minutes later, he was on phone.

"Hello Aman, I want to leave for New York by the very next flight available"

"sir? But..like now? I mean..the meeting with-"

"I said.the.next.flight. Which part didn't you understand?"

"I will get back to you in 15 minutes with the flight details sir"

"good"

So this was the plan- He would go to New York. Under a bridge, on the street, in her house, on the Statue of Liberty, he didn't give a damn! He would tell her he loved her and to hell with what she did with the piece of information...

New York or no New York, job or no job, Khushi Kumari Gupta was not stepping into another country without knowing a thing or two and Arnav Singh Raizada would damn well be sure about it.

Anjali was seated on the living room sofa, when she saw her brother, dressed formally, a staff carrying a suitcase behind him,hurrying down the stairs..

"Chotte!" she called out.. "wh..where are you going?"

"New York" he replied crisply..

"NEW Y-? YOU'RE GOI-...Oh my God!! Don't tell me!" she gasped...then as it slowly sunk in, she grinned at her brother..

"That's like Arnav Singh Raizada! Go chotte!!"

Arnav smirked...

"I'll be back soon Di.."

"Oh I am sure you both will"

Arnav studied her face carefully , then shook his head and moved out of the door..then came back and added..

"No need to tell anyone there about this till I've reached Di..I will speak to her myself"

He went away again, and Anjali hugged the lamp shade in delight for want of an immediate human body in the vicinity.

New York International Airport.

Evening : 9:00 p.m.

"Bye Bhai..I don't know if I am coming back or not..but if I don't..I will really really miss you"

"I never thought I would say this Lattu, but for the first time, I just hope you don't come back any time too soon"

Khushi smiled..

"and yes..if you dare to tell me that you couldn't say it now, believe me, I will make sure you are no more fit for a job anywhere..make me proud! NOW GO!!"

"Bhai please explain it to-"

"GO!!!"

"-and please don't tell anyone back in India about this right now..I will personally explain it.."

"FINE! GO!"

15 minutes later, Khushi's flight had taken off from New York to Delhi, and this time, every snack offered, was gobbled down with a wide grin..

She was going back..

to Arnav...

she smiled..

her Arnav...

At the same time, Arnav motioned his hands in a denying gesture to the snacks the air hostess offered to him..

He checked his watch..not very long now..He would be in New York soon..

He leaned back on his seat and shut his eyes..

He was going..

to Khushi..

he smiled..

his Khushi..

An hour later Arnav Singh Raizada was at the New York International Airport.

Another hour later, Arnav Singh Raizada was calling his secretary..

"I need a flight booked, New York to Delhi. Now."

The said secretary on the other end had a jaw drop moment. Last heard, Arnav Singh Raizda was not a 'let's play aeroplane-aeroplane' kind of man.

That too, when he had a pretty decent idea of just how many meetings were being sacrificed for this 'aeroplane-aeroplane' game..

"SIR?You just landed-"

"and I want to take off again. You have a problem?"

"no sir..I..I will get to you in a moment Sir"

"good"

10 minutes later the secretary was back on line with his boss..

"But Sir there is no flight available from New York to Delhi right now!"

"SO WHAT SHOULD I DO HERE? STARE AT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY??!!"

The secretary who had no idea about what was going on, began suspecting that his boss had finally lost it.

"But Sir, there is a flight to Mumbai available though it's-"

"whatever. Get it booked. Immediately. And I will take off for Delhi the moment I reach. Have everything arranged"

"..."

"AMAN??"

"Y..YES sir! Sure sir!"

Arnav placed the phone back...and felt something hard inside his pocket.

Taking the ring out, he smiled at it...as for the first time in years, a rush of joy of such intensity coursed through him...

Going to Delhi back, are you Khushi?

He mused upon the thought, and it's very obvious implication...Well, there would be an engagement very soon..

"Have some mercy bro" Love nudged fate in the elbow.. "look how desperate they are to meet! And tell each other! Finally! "

Fate took a break from eating pop-corn and raised an eyebrow high.. "what were they doing all these months? Sleeping? Chill! They need to be punished a bit for being classic idiots"

Love looked puppy faced at fate.. "but..but..they will meet each other won't they? Please? Please? With a cherry on top?"

Fate rolled it's eyes "Ok,one, stop making this puppy face now, you have been doing it since 5 months ever since they met, second, duuuh! Obviously!"

Love clapped it's hand in delight then nudged Fate again.. "urm..like..how soon?..i mean..today?"

Fate checked it's watch and mumbled.. "yeah.."

Love did a somersault in ecstacy and snatching the pop-corn bag from fate skipped away in delight, while all poor poor Fate could say was "WHAT THE!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------