Chapter 5

4 years ago

barkha_90

@barkha_90

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Nikki asked, while sipping her beer.

"So far, so good." Khushi mumbled as she surveyed the crowd from her corner.

"You worry too much." Lavanya laughed as she nudged Khushi's shoulder. She had shown up at the party soon after they had and looked every bit the stunner that she was. She wore a short black skirt and tube top, accentuating her lean frame and broad shoulders. She seemed to have captured the attention of quite a few guys including one in particular.

Arnav had kept them company the whole time, playing the role of bodyguard and wingman but Khushi couldn't help notice his eyes stray towards Lavanya every few minutes. It didn't help that his object of affection was very much aware of this and kept touching his shoulder or leaning into him every so often. She had barely had a drink or two so Khushi knew there was more to it than being drunk and horny. She was interested in Arnav and from the looks of it, Arnav was every bit as keen.

This wasn't something new for Khushi. Having known Arnav for the number of years she had, she had been witness to all his flings and flames. Yet, she couldn't help feeling this sense of disappointment that she hadn't felt before.

"Want to dance?" Lavanya asked Arnav.

"Why not." Arnav shrugged. "It's not everyday I get to show my awesome dance moves."

Lavanya laughed. "I'm prepared to be dazzled."

"You guys want to join in?" Arnav turned to Khushi and Nikki and Khushi noticed a fleeting expression of annoyance cross  Lavanya's face before she quickly schooled her expression. She couldn't be sure; it might be the lighting but either way, she didn't want to come in between the love birds.

"You guys go ahead. We'll join you in sometime." Nikki said. 

As they watched Arnav lead Lavanya to the dance floor, Nikki turned to her friend.

"Something is definitely going on with them."

"Yeah, they aren't very subtle." Khushi agreed.

"Have any of Arnav's girlfriends had an issue with you?" Nikki suddenly asked and Khushi almost choked on her water.

"What?"

"Oh, you know. Have any of his girlfriends been jealous of you or your friendship with him? You're a pretty girl whose been his best friend since school. It would be enough to make any girlfriend a little insecure."

Khushi didn't answer immediately. The truth was she hadn't given it too much thought because none of Arnav's relationships ever lasted long enough for this to be an issue.

"It hasn't been an issue so far." She said, carefully. "We're just friends."

Nikki didn't say anything but eyed her meaningfully as if to say that she knew that that wasn't true. Khushi blushed and looked away.

"Speaking of friends, I can see Shyam from my History class over there." Nikki said and waved at a guy who waved back and made his way from the other side of the room.

"Hey Niks, I didn't think I'd see you here." he said and hugged Nikki.

"Yeah, I thought I'd check out what all the fuss was about."

"Careful there," he chided. "I am one of the organisers so you can only say good things about the party in front of me."

"Whatever happened to constructive criticism?" Nikki huffed but she was laughing.

"Whose your pretty friend there?" Shyam asked and he turned to Khushi and eyed her appreciatively.

"This is Khushi," Nikki introduced. "And Khushi, this is Shyam."

"Hi," Khushi said softly. The 'pretty friend' comment had made her a little conscious.

"So Khushi, do you go to this Uni?" Shyam asked.

"Yeah, I'm studying an Arts degree here."

"Nice! Decided on a major yet?"

"Still undecided." Khushi smiled. "Hopefully, I'll figure it out by end of this year."

"You're still in your first year right?" When Khushi nodded, Shyam continued. "You have plenty of time. I didn't decide on my major until my second year and changed it twice after that."

Khushi grinned. Shyam had an easy going manner about him. He was easy to talk to, asking her questions about her course, lecturers, how she was finding college life. She was so engrossed in her conversation with Shyam that she didn't even realise when Nikki quietly slipped away from their group.

When she did realise it, she looked around, feeling a little flustered.

"Looks like Nikki snuck away." Shyam said as he saw her scanning the party for her friend.

"Yeah," Khushi said, a little self consciously, "in her defence she's been stuck with me the whole  night. Hasn't really had a chance to enjoy herself, you know?"

"I can't think of a more a enjoyable thing that standing here talking to you all night." Shyam said, catching her eye.

Khushi blushed at the flirtatious remark. Having never had a serious relationship or even much experience dating, she never quite knew how to react when a guy came onto her this way.

"You say that now.." she trailed off.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked her, indicating the dance floor.

"I'm not the best dancer." she said, hesitantly.

"Neither am I," he said, extending his hand.

Khushi slipped her hand in his as he led her towards the dance floor. It was crowded with sweaty and drunk college students grooving to the music. From the looks of it, Shyam was a good dancer and she took his lead as they danced to the pulsing beats of the song.

"There you are." She heard Nikki before she felt herself being gripped in a bear hug. She turned to find a very happily buzzed Nikki, swaying her hands in the air to the beats. Khushi laughed. For all her tough talk, Nikki was a light weight who danced as well as her 80 year old grandmother did.

"You definitely need some dance classes there, Nik" Shyam said making Khushi giggle out loud.

"Hey hey," Nikki feigned anger. "My dance moves are more evolved than yours, that's all."

"Ofcourse," Shyam grinned but he proceed to twirl her around to the music.

Khushi danced along with her friends and wondered why she had ever been hesitant about coming tonight. She was having the most fun she had ever had at a party. Arnav was right. It was good to let go sometime. 

As she thought of him, she looked around at the people on the dance floor hoping to see him.

She did.

With Lavanya. Kissing.

Khushi felt that weird feeling from the other day return but in double measure. While she had known about Arnav's flings, she had never seen it live in action. Not in this way, at least. He usually kept his sexual exploits away from her. It was one thing to know that Arnav was going around kissing girls and another to see it this way.

"What's wrong?" Shyam asked and Khushi realised that she had stopped dancing and was openly staring at Arnav and Lavanya.

Like a weirdo.

"Nothing," she said quickly, trying to divert the attention before they caught on.

Too late though. Buzzed or not, Nikki knew there was only one thing that could catch Khushi's attention in that manner. She turned to look at where Khushi had been looking and spotted the make-out session. She gave Khushi a sympathetic look but wisely chose not to comment.

After watching what she did, Khushi felt her enthusiasm for the party gradually fizzle off. Sensing the change in her mood, Nikki made up an excuse to step off the dance floor and Khushi gratefully took it. 

"Do you want to go home?" Nikki asked quietly as they headed outside for some fresh air.

"I think so," Khushi said. "But you don't need to go with me. It's still early. You should stay and enjoy."

"No way." Nikki said promptly. "I have a class tomorrow so I should be heading off as well. We can catch a cab together."

Khushi knew Nikki was making up an excuse for her but she felt a lump in her throat as she realised Nikki understood just how much Arnav and Lavanya's kiss had upset her.

"I would have dropped you guys off but I need to stay here till the end and make sure everything is in order." Shyam said. "Being in the organising committee and all." he rolled his eyes.

"Ofcourse. I'll see you in class." Nikki said as she hugged him good-bye.

Shyam turned to Khushi and smiled at her. "It was nice meeting you, Khushi. I'll see you around, I guess?"

It was a lingering question and Khushi realised he was waiting for her response.

"Yeah, ofcourse. I'll see you around."

Shyam smiled and with a quick wave of his hand, he went back inside the house.

"I'll just quickly text Arnav to let him know I'm leaving." Khushi mumbled as she pulled our her phone from her purse. "He'll worry, otherwise."

Nikki didn't say anything but she continued to hold the same sympathetic expression she had when they had been on the dance floor. 

As though she knew something. Something that Khushi herself was afraid to examine too closely.

After sending the text, Nikki pulled up the campus cab company's number on her phone to book a ride when Khushi's phone started ringing.

It was Arnav.

"Hey," Khushi picked up the phone, feeling her heart skip a beat. She hadn't been sure if he would even respond, let alone call. He had seemed quite busy in there.

"Hey, where are you?" Arnav's voice was barely discernible against the music pounding around him.

"Outside. Nikki and I are going to catch a cab back to the dorms."

"Wait. I'm coming outside."

"You don't have to-" but before she could complete the sentence, Arnav had already clicked the phone off.

Within a few minutes, she saw him come outside along with Lavanya. They were holding hands. Arnav's hair stood on ends as though someone had run their hands repeatedly through them, and Lavanya was straightening her tube top to making sure everything was covered.

Khushi didn't even want to think about what they had been up to before her text had disturbed them. 

There was no mistaking the annoyed expression on Lavanya's face now.

"You didn't have to leave. We're going to catch a cab together." Khushi explained, looking apologetically at Lavanya.

"It's alright. We were thinking of leaving anyway." Arnav said, "Right Lavanya?"

There was a moment's pause before Lavanya forced a smile and repeated, "Right. It's getting late."

To Khushi's relief the cab they had booked showed up after a few minutes. As they walked to it, Arnav stepped up to her. "Had fun, Khush?"

Khushi nodded. "It wasn't too bad."

"I saw you made a new friend." he said. Khushi looked at him but he just looked curious, more than anything.

"Yeah, that was Shyam." she said feeling, silly. What sort of reaction had she expected from him? "He's in Nikki's History class."

"Yeah, he seemed quite interested in you, Khushi." Nikki quipped.

"He was just being friendly." Khushi answered.

"That's how it starts." Lavanya said as they got into the cab. Nikki took the passenger seat while Arnav, Lavanya and Khushi sat in the back. "Take Arnav for example. He was all Mr. Friendly during the first week of Uni. But I always knew he had an ulterior agenda."

Arnav laughed and gave her a quick peck on her cheek. 

Khushi looked out the window, hoping the car ride would end sooner than later. She was surprised at how quickly her mood had plummeted with the change in Arnav's relationship status.

Luckily for her, hers was the first stop. She bid goodbye to everyone and turned to get out of the car.

"Bye, Khush," she heard Arnav say but she didn't turn back.

Back in her dorm room, she changed out of her dress and scrubbed the makeup clean off her face.

She didn't know what she had been expecting but as she lay in bed thinking over the night, she realised that she had hoped her change in outfit and make-up would make Arnav see her in a different light. Someone other than his childhood best friend, someone who he had friend zoned a long time ago. She realised that she had secretly craved for his reaction, for a look that would indicate he saw her as more than his 'pal' or 'buddy'. 

The fact that not only had he been immune to her glamorous look but had gone ahead and seen all those things in another girl was what gutted her.

She wasn't stupid. She knew what Nikki's sympathetic looks meant. 

She liked Arnav. 

Not like as in "best friend" like but like as in like like. It was simple.

She wanted to have a relationship with him and not just as a friend.

She had always suspected her feelings for Arnav were strong but today she realised just how strong - the mere act of seeing him kissing another girl was enough to send her heart plummeting.

The problem was now that she knew this, she didn't know what to do from here.