5. It Meant Nothing!

Quick note - this one's a little serious and steering a bit away from otherwise light-hearted chapters till now. But I just couldn't stop writing it and thus posting it. So here we go -

--*--

“Khushi, do you remember where we kept Kavish’s old toys? I was looking for that airplane he loved so much, Aru broke her toy and I can’t get her a new one until shops open” Arnav asked Khushi early that morning. Their daughter was creating havoc asking for a new toy, at 8 am in the morning! So Arnav thought of a trick, to give her, her brother’s toy which she had never seen before.

“It must be in the storeroom Arnavji.” Khushi answered from kitchen while making breakfast for the kids.

--*--

A while later, when Khushi was done making the food and there was still no sign of her husband, she made her way to the storeroom. She saw him going through a square wooden box

“Hey, look what I found.” Arnavsaw her approaching from the door and held out the box he was busy checking.

“Dikhaiye (show me)” Khushi came closer to take a better look. It was a box containing her stuff from her high school and college days. Her Amma had handed it over to her just few months ago when they cleaned their Lucknow residence.

“Good old days?” Arnav asked seeing her getting nostalgic while going through few things in the box.

“Yeah, I didn’t even remember I still had it. I haven’t seen these things in almost 10 years now.” Khushi replied, taking out an album which contained her photos from school functions and some even from the college festivals. Arnav also peeped in from her shoulder as she started flipping the pages.

“Wow, you were so active in school. Is that from a dance festival or something? Looks like you won the prize” Arnav was looking at a photo where a much younger Khushi was in her dance attire and showing a trophy indicating she won.

“Haan aur ye wala khas hai (this one is special). This was during my last year at high school. Even though I always loved dancing, I was so nervous but still performed. And finally won it.” She said proudly

“of course, when have you ever lost any competition?” Arnav said smiling and Khushi also smiled hearing the praise. The next photo had a little older her-in her late teens, Payal and a guy seating at a restaurant. But what caught Arnav’s attention was the way that guy in the photo was looking at Khushi, all smitten.

“who’s this person?” he asked curiously.

“What? Oh that, its Sidharth. (Arnav noticed a slight smile as she uttered the name). It was his birthday, and he took us out for a treat. He was our neighbor and my senior in school and college. Aapko pata hain, we practically grew up together. And he was always so protective of me and jiji. He used to follow us to school and college and drop us home. As if he were our bodyguard. Pagal kahin ka(he was crazy)”

“Hmm but you never mentioned him before” Arnav said looking lost in thoughts

“yeah, because it’s been so long since I last saw him, probably it was 2-3 years before I even met you. He left for Amrika (America) after his graduation, and I hardly heard from him after that. Tab aaj kal ke jaisa What’s app and Facebook bhi toh nahi tha na (we didn’t have Whats app or FB back then no?)”

“hmm” Arnav had suddenly started getting very uneasy knowing Khushi had someone so close to her in her life and he was unaware of it. It was crazy to even feel that way, but he couldn’t help it.

“tell me more about your college days. I hardly got to hear them”

“Come on Arnav ji. You know almost everything. I have told and retold everything about my school and college life stories so many times till now. If anything, we should talk about your college days. But then again, I am pretty sure you were boring back then too and spent your time reading and topping your class” Khushi said frowning as if being studious was a crime

“Hey, that’s not a bad thing ok? And not exactly. I too had fun” Arnav was getting defensive

“Really? Tell me about it” Khushi said folding her hands on her chest.

“well, erm, I will tell you some other day. Right now, I want to hear about this Sidharth or whatever, he seems interesting.”

“Come on Arnav ji. What is thereto know? And besides, after I slapped him, he started distanc-“

“Wait, what? You slapped him? Why, because he was protective of you?” Arnav was shocked

“No, because he proposed to me in front of our college!” Khushi said letting out a deep breath

“WHAT? WHY? I mean what did you say then?” he was surprised and shocked. Not because someone had proposed to his wife before, by now he had made his mind that Khushi probably had numerous guys going gaga over her in her past. But the possibility of if she had a close relationship with anyone was surprising.

“Obviously, no. I was barely 19,in my first year of college and he was in his final year. We were a bunch of kids. Besides, he was always a good friend for mine, and we practically grew up together. That’s why it hurt, he misunderstood my feelings and like every stupid girl he flirted with, he tried to do same with me. So, I slapped him” she said closing her eyes.

“Jesus Christ Khushi! Thank God we did not meet in college! Though I always wish I met you sooner than I did, but if this is how you treated guys back then, I am glad I was not there.”

“Kya Arnav ji aap bhi na, its not funny. I was so young and naïve then and he also didn’t know what he was doing” her face showed pain, as if the memory brought that time back again.

“well I don’t exactly blame him or all those school and college Romeos you told me you had faced. Of course their methods were wrong but you cant blame a guy for liking a pretty girl. And of course, my wife is beautiful and charming and amazing but she’s all mine! “ He said pulling her close by her waist. He knew his wife can very well give most models a run for their money and that spoke something! Even after giving birth to their 3 kids, having been married to him for nearly a decade, she could still pass off as a college girl! It gave him immense ego boost knowing that she was with him. Take that, world!

“But I feel bad for what I did to Sidharth you know. I mean we were very good friends, and he was always there for me. People always used to gossip about us, but I was used to reply confidently that we were friends and nothing else. But he insulted our friendship in front of whole college. And then I instinctively slapped him. I was so temperamental back then”

“oh, don’t remind me! I have been at receiving end of your anger too”

“aur kya? I know how to protect myself. Ask jiji if you wish, how many of those road-Romeos were brought on track and beaten by my sandals” she said narrowing her eyes.

“oh, I trust you on that. No one messes with Khushi Kumari Gupta, right?” he asked laughing out loud. Calling her by her maiden name was his way of teasing her.

“Bilkul. But I never thought Sidharth would be one of them.”

“You never talked to him again?” he asked curiously. Of course, he knew she hadn’t. he would have known otherwise.

“Well, he did apologize to me later and I forgave him, but it had become so awkward to go back to being friends. And then before I knew it, he graduated and left for further studies. Uske kuch saalon baad hum hi Delhi aa gaye. So never met him again” they dropped the topic at that as Kavish called out to her and they made an exit from the store room.

--*--

Meanwhile, somewhere in France

“12 years, 7 months and 4 days! Its been that long since I last talked to you. I hope you are happy and safe. I miss you!” seating at a posh bar somewhere in Paris, a handsome man in his early thirties was looking at a photo in his wallet, a photo which stayed with him for as long as he remembered.

“Hey Sid! Come on, what are you thinking about? Join us for drinks” he heard his friends call and jumped off the bar stool, keeping the photo back safely in his pocket.

--*--

A/N – well, that’s it. Ending it here but might add some shot related to it later if you guys want. Also, this is loosely based on arshi’s “it meant nothing” talk during shital track. I believe Khushi has had her share of ‘meant nothings’ given how beautiful she is and would have made heads turn when she walked through those Lucknow lanes! 🤩

Share your thoughts and I will see. dont forget to like and review :) Happy weekend 🤗

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