Khushi gasped at Arnav's rudeness. So this was how the broodingly-womanizing-Raizada worked his charm?! HOP IN?!! Did she look like his usual 'hopping in' type to him? How dare he talk to her in that condescending tone? No one talked to Khushi Kumari Gupta that way! As if she was just waiting for him to come by & offer to take her home in his bloody brand-new looking sports car! As if she had just been waiting, for as long as she can remember, for him to come back & sweep her off her feet & carry her off into the horizon in his precious chariot! Khushi colored slightly at her last train of thought, as a little voice inside her told her to stay miles away from that bit of semi-truth for self-preservation. Vexed at her own inner turmoil, Khushi pushed the bangs of hair over her eyebrows, threatening to get into her eyes, back, & said flippantly, "Thanks, Arnav ji. But no, thanks. We'll hang out a bit more. You go on ahead as you're in a hurry. But I appreciate the offer." She finished with a stiff little smile.
As Arnav looked at her agitated movements & the fakest smile he had ever witnessed thrown at him, he felt a tiny bit guilty about making her this rattled with his terseness. But it's not entirely his fault, his mind argued, it's she, who has gone from a pig-tails sporting tom-boy to this sex.. No, not that word. Not with her. For God's sake, he must have carried her like a cargo over his shoulder until she was about 7 or 8 between their respective houses. Arnav set his jaw in a determined clench & was about to say, 'As you wish', when the girl beside Khushi spoke up, "Umm, I am La. Lavanya. I live in Chanakyapuri too. My Dad, you know, he's a diplomat in the Russian embassy." Lavanya paused here for dramatic impact. But seeing Arnav just staring at her with an unfazed stare, she continued as if nothing happened, "I usually drop K home on my way, but you see my driver got delayed today as Mom went to shopping. It's so nice of you to offer us a lift, otherwise who knows how long we'd have to wait in this scorching heat. Thanks." With that she started to go around the front & sit beside Arnav on the front seat. Just then, a black Rolls-Royce came to stand beside Lavanya & a woman stuck her head out the back windows, "Lav, beta, where are you going? I saw the glaring sun & thought it'd be inhuman to make you girls wait like this. Come on, Khushi beta & you can roam around the mall while I finish my shopping."
Lavanya threw a wistful glance towards the seat beside Arnav, not at all happy by her mother's thoughtfulness. Khushi quickly walked towards the Rolls & as Arnav was about to start his own engine, he heard her say, "Aunty, wo I need to get home early. You see, Jiji & Amma would need me for all the preparations going on. I'll take an auto. I'll be fine, Aunty." Arnav's hands stilled & he looked out at her through the passenger side window. She wasn't even looking at his direction, but her friend was. Lavanya shot one of her numerous glances towards Arnav's car & said hastily, "I'll just wait till you get into an auto." & her mother too said, "Yes beta, I wanna make sure you get in the auto safely." But Khushi shook her head, "No La. I don't wanna keep Aunty waiting for that. Look, just go. Aunty, I'll be fine. I have taken an auto home before too." Lavanya threw another furtive glance at Arnav's car & after a bit of visible hesitation, got inside her own & the car sped away in no time.
Khushi ignored the forcefully flung open car door beside her & looked the other way in search of an auto. "Khushi!" she could hear the annoyance dripping from Arnav's voice, & for the sake of the cordial relationship that their family's share, Khushi turned towards him & said, "Look Arnavji, it's fine really. I do travel around this route daily. & it's mid-noon for Devi Maiyya's sake. I'll get an auto & get home in no time. You get going, please." Her flippant tone only fuelled his anger more. "What the..?" Then he pursed his lips & was silent for a few seconds. & then he said in a deceptively calm voice, "Look, I am sorry I snapped earlier. It's the heat & the traffic. Just get inside, ok? As it is, I wanna go over to your house to meet Uncle-Aunty & Payal."
Khushi looked at him suspiciously for a moment. He was looking at her with his best poker face. Unable to gather anything from his expression & to bear the heat of the sun, Khushi let out a defeated sigh & got inside the car with minimal movements. When she was comfortably settled inside the car, she let out a silent thanks to Devi Maiyya for disguised blessings as the cool air from the AC hit her heated skin, but then she looked around at Arnav with questioning eyes as he didn't start the car. Arnav gestured with a jerk of his eyebrows, "Seatbelt." Khushi realized with a start that, it was she who was causing the delay & started tugging at the buckle of the seatbelt, but maybe because of the mint condition of the car, the belt was stuck too tightly to its hinge & after a couple of seconds, Khushi was practically hanging from the hinge in her attempt to draw the belt.
Then suddenly, she shook jerkily & pressed herself flat against her seat, as she felt a strong forearm shoot past her & with seemingly no effort at all pulled the buckle & secured the belt across her chest into its place. As Arnav moved back to his own seat, Khushi looked up to say thanks, & she looked straight into his molten caramel brown, flecked with gold, orbs, & all the particles running around in her being just slowed down, making her feel like time itself had slowed down for her.
As Arnav tore his gaze away from those bewildering, almost golden, hazel eyes, he let out a long sigh, any thought he had had about his stay in India being a boring one seemed very welcome right about now, because this was a stimulation unofficially forbidden for him. Especially, when his relationship with Rohan was now going to get more significant than ever. But did this girl have to turn into this.. this.. & then he took a steadying breath & admonished himself. There is no need to feel like this. It's not like she is the first beautiful girl you're seeing, & she definitely won't be the last. & the relationship between their families ruled out anything casual ever happening between them. & Arnav Singh Raizada didn't do serious. All he ever had with girls were casual flings. & this girl, by the looks of it, wasn't ideal fling material. She'd be high maintenance. But that girl La seemed like she'd be open for a fling if he chose to pursue. Arnav let out a whoosh of a breath, too bad she didn't look like Khushi.
Khushi took gulps of breaths to steady her erratically beating heart. All these years, when she had just prayed for him to come back, not to tell him about the embarrassingly obvious crush she had had on him when she was 13, but to get the closure for herself that, he was actually nothing special, but just the figment of her childish teenage brain, & to finally be able to move ahead with a suitable partner in life. Well, that didn't seem too plausible right now, did it? Then she stole a glance at him from under her lashes, the vein at his jaw was throbbing for some reason & for some reason it immediately ignited a low flame within the core of her being. & Khushi found her mind divided into two parts, each thinking a radical thought than the other. While her one brain was wondering whether that vein throb like that even when he would be in the throes of his passion, & her other brain simultaneously wondered, was she really some kind of a freak who would have kinky experiments if & when she found the appropriate partner?
At the thought of appropriate partner though, Khushi stopped herself & trained her body to turn towards the window, facing away from Arnav, as she dejectedly noted, that appropriate partner surely wasn't her present company, as delusional, possibly kinky, & over-emotional 21 year-old-virgins were probably not the type he ever went for.
The silence in the car was getting uncomfortable for them both. Khushi apparently being the less patient one between the two, started to squirm after just one & a half minute of silence. & Arnav couldn't help but observe what her squirming did to the skirt of her semi short dress. It rode up a little to her mid thigh, but the pleats of the skirt stopped it from riding up farther by spreading it across her creamy skin. Arnav trained his eyes straight ahead & licked his dry lips to get some words out, & as he started speaking, he heard Khushi speaking at the same time.
"Do you mind playing some music?"
"Don't you think your dress is too short?"
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