Chapter 1

|What the Heart Wants|

^i thought this quote nicely summed them up^

*Point to be noted. Aish is proud because she only used "those words" that can be found in the bible, so God's ok with it people. I promise.*

Ok, so I finally wrote an ARHI OS! [YAY!] Ok so maybe you guys aren't as excited as me. but it's 1AM here, I stayed up for this, so you better like it! Umm basically it takes off where the Maha-Epi [read: Maha-bore] ended. I say maha-bore cuz that was just the trailer, picture tho monday ko hai meri jaan...

ps. someone tell me if the font is too weird a color for a normal insaan to read

Enjoy

"Khushi!"

Arnav paused midstep, listening to his own voice echoing off the walls of the abandoned building, just his, and no one else's. No response to the beckoning of his loud roar, no soft female pitch calling out to him.

He stepped gingerly over a fallen rod, looking around in utter disgust at the state of the building they had been attempting to rebuild. He should've realized long ago that it was too far gone to be resuscitated. He should've never bothered wasting all that time, energy, and money on hiring workers to fix up this wasteland. He should've had this place demolished a long time ago, listened to Akash and Sinha's pleas and stopped the work.

He should have never sent Khushi here.

Shudda.Wudda.Cudda.

So many excuses'

Fear gripped him as he entered further into the house, Arnav clutched his fist as a shudder ran down his spine; a grown man, he was terrified of how slippery those stairs looked. A quick survey of the room once again confirmed the dismal sights he had already seen, the fallen bricks, piles of cement eroded from the walls.

And Khushi was in here somewhere.

Alone.

Trapped.

He shook his head to clear the droplets filling his eyes, remnants of the drizzle outside no doubt.

"Ms. Gupta!" He yelled out again, listening, straining to hear even the slightest of a response. His eyes closed as the reality of the situation began to pound away at his conscience, he'd lost her. He had lost Khushi Kumari Gupta.

"KHUSHI!"

Arnav's eyes flew open in search of the call; it took him a moment to realize that the screaming, raw, pained voice was his own. His hand flew to cover his heart, which beat rapidly with the adrenaline that now coursed through his veins, he would find her. He wouldn't lose Khushi.

He couldn't.

"Khushi!" his voice now seemed to have a life of its own, without even consulting him it seemed to bellow her name, his ears strained by themselves in search of even a faint response. Arnav's pulse jumped as the sound of a crash came from above, his eyes flew to the top of the stairs where a beam had fallen on top others that shoved a door closed.

Choosing not to analyze his emotional state, Arnav slowly made his way up the stairs, running his hands along the wet, coarsely textured walls that offered the only support along them. Stepping over and around debris, he surveyed the top floor; the thought crossed his mind that at the very least he should've informed someone where he was headed. At the state things were in, he felt like a joke; rushing into save her, when, if things continued falling the way they were, he himself might need rescuing.

His eyes had fallen to study the floor as he paused to collect his wits, now they shot up as the familiar strains of a ringtone resonated throughout the structure. His eyes lit up at his mind made the almost immediate connection- Khushi.

As quickly as he could, Arnav rushed towards where the sound came from, his eyes flying around the rubble in search of the phone which would undoubtedly be in that unsightly satchel she always wore around herself.

Arnav stumbled to a stop as he found the phone, with shaking hands he reached toward the abandoned bag which sat on the beam.

Alone.

No Khushi.

Arnav was keeled over by the sudden surge of desperation that overcame him, clutching the bag he fell to the ground, staring at it as if wishing it to open up that very moment, open up and become a portal to a girl who was increasingly taking over his mind.

"Khushi'" a sad whisper escaped his lips, "where are you."

He wondered why he was so bothered by this, why was he so concerned? If it had been anyone else he would've just sent someone else. Yet the instant he had heard that it was Khushi who was left behind, he hadn't even given himself a chance to think before rushing out the door. Without even explaining anything, without telling even Di anything he had ran to his car, driving like a maniac across town to end up- here.

His eyes ran over his surroundings again, lingering on the many doors that lined this hall. She could be behind anyone of them, bruised, alone, scared.

Because of him.

He leapt to his feet; he would find her, he swore to himself, he would break down everyone of these damn doors if he had to, but he would find her.

Ignoring the questions about his motive that still haunted his mind, Arnav set out with a new vigor. Carefully, diligently, yet quickly he went about the task of breaking down door after door. Each time the door fell away from its frame, he ignored the pain that burned through his shoulders  and legs as he leapt into the room, her name already parting his lips as his eyes swung eagerly around the room. Room after room they were disappointed, little by little his newfound will began to fade. As he warily approached the last room on this side of the hall, her phone began to ring again. Fishing it out of the bag he had kept clutched in his hand he read the screen, "Jiji."

Payal Gupta, he assumed, her sister. The one whose frightened call had sent him on this mission. He cut the call, he couldn't answer, what would he say? I found her bag, yay, but not her. Would you quite possibly just want an ugly bag? No? Ok, sorry I lost your sister by the way. I'll stop being a sucky human-

Arnav stiffened at the thought that crossed his mind.

Hell. No.

He wasn't a sucky human being- was he?

"Damn you Khushi Kumari Gupta," he muttered, "you're making me question myself. Arnav Singh Raizada does not question himself!"

He groaned as he realized that not only had he began questioning himself, apparently he'd also began talking to himself, "DAMN YOU KHUSHI!" he roared.

He stomped towards the latest door, bloody hell this girl was going to drive him insane! Enraged at the sudden turn in his life, Arnav energetically pounded away at the door, stomping so forcefully to kick it in, that within a few seconds it fell away, revealing to the amazement of Arnav- an empty room!

He took a few deep breaths as he inspected the room. It was empty. The damn room was EMPTY.

"KHUSHI!!!!!!!!!!"

Now even more infuriated, he headed towards the first door on the other end of the hall.

"Khushi Kumari Gupta," he declared to no one in particular, "if you are not behind this door, I swear to God I will make your life hell!" As he battered the door, Arnav conveniently brushed off the thought that it was no fault of Khushi's that she was stuck here, nor was it her fault that he sucked at finding people.

Scratch that, Arnav Singh Raizada does not suck at things. He simply needs to fine-tune his already pristine skills.

"Khushi!" Arnav dashed into the room, eyes frantically scouring for the familiar face. His build fell back onto the doorframe as his eyes lay upon the sight they had been in pursuit of. There, at the other end of the room, in an explosion of orange-yellow and red, was Khushi.

"Khushi," he called out, venturing confidently towards her. Now that he'd found her, and was feeling this strange sense of relief and an overwhelming emotion that he couldn't explain,  along with his usual rage, he didn't know what to do. The first thought that came to Arnav's mind was to yell at her for getting herself into his situation, but then, he argued that in fact, he had gotten her here. Arnav balked for a second as he realized that other than yelling at her, he seemed to know nothing else to do with her.

"Khushi?" he called out again, he stilled as he comprehend something strange. From the moment he had crashed through the door, he realized, till his trip towards her, she had not moved an inch. He felt the nervousness creep in again as he kneeled beside her, a small figure hunched against the wall, arms circling her knees and face hidden between them. A trembling hand reached out to her, gently grasping a thin shoulder to push it back. His other hand shot out reflexively to place itself between the wall and her drooping head.

"Khushi?" he called softly, "are you alright?"

He felt his voice choke; he knew the answer before the question had left his lips.

Her closed eyes, wilted figure. He swallowed hard, what was he going to do? His heart leapt to his throat as he shook her still frame and got no response.

KhushiKhushiKhushi.

This wasn't supposed to happen his heart cried out, this isn't how it was supposed to go, this wasn't the plan! You stupid, stupid brain! You ruined it all, you-

"Khushi! You're alive!"

Arnav let out a huge sigh of relief as his fingers pushed into the faint rhythm that pulsed against them on her. Somehow, as his heart ran frantic with the thought of losing her, his brain had directed his fingers to the nape of her neck. A rare smile unconsciously curved along his lips as an even rarer laugh of liberation escaped them. He closed his eyes, and for the first time since he was a boy, Arnav Singh Raizada sent up a prayer. Arnav began to laugh harder in abandoned relief as the pulse persisted against his fingers; overcome with the intensity of passion that was gushing through him, he fell practically on top of her fragile figure, gathering her into a hug. He couldn't explain even to himself why seeing her alive seemed to be the greatest moment of his life, why feeling that small but steady pulse with his own hands felt like he was handed the greatest gift possible, or why feeling that small gasp she gave as she breathed felt like it was breathing life into him.

"Khushi." He murmured into her, "you're alive, you're alive, you're alive."

He sat there for a while, rocking back and forth with her figure enclosed in his arms, eyes closed to prevent the tears from escaping.

A part of him felt ridiculous, sitting in the middle of dusty room in an abandoned building clutching to the body of an unconscious employee like his life depended on it. The other part of him was quick to respond back, from now, from the moment he had thought she was gone, it declared, his life had depended on her.  The first part scoffed at that notion, how was that even humanly possible?

Ignoring every question his mind conjured up, Arnav pulled back and gathered her in his arms, lifting her with him as he stood to his full height. Ignoring the questions that poked at his mind and heart he trudged through the remnants of the house and down the dangerous stairs. In the back of his mind he registered the puddles from the earlier rainfall; stepping around them automatically he made his way to his car. Carefully, as not to disturb her, he opened the door, gently depositing her on the passenger seat before securely buckling her in. Not allowing himself a moment to think, he rushed to the other side, settling in quickly before driving off.

=||=

"Mrs. Raizada? How are you feeling?"

Arnav winced as Khushi's now open eyes miraculously widened even further apart. Before she could reply he jumped in, "Khushi! You're fine!"

She swallowed hard as she shook her head wordlessly, obviously thrown off by the manner in which she was addressed. He looked nervously from the doctor to her, there was a reason he avoided lies whenever he could.

Ok maybe not.

He was good at lying and hiding things, business wouldn't work without it. Obviously he had lied and hidden the truth about Lavanya for over months, that's what led to this whole ordeal; but he could honestly say he had never been so nervous about lying before.

Making a quick decision he managed to quickly usher the doctor out, turning quite reluctantly to face Khushi.

A part of him was enraged by this. Arnav Singh Raizada never hesitated, he was never feared, he was never, NEVER concerned about what anyone other than his Di thought. And yet as he turned to face the girl lain out before him, he faltered. His heart faltered.

And it dawned on Arnav Singh Raizada that the conclusion he'd come up with in the hours he had spent waiting beside her bed, might just be true. Now he just needed a way to a] figure out how to convince himself otherwise, or b] figure out how to tell her what he was now certain of.

His heart was in love with a girl he hated.

THE END

[or IF you want, a more cliched:

THE BEGINNING!

(of the end of ASR as we know him)]

naina:
OK WOMAN!
here, geez
i res a post cuz of her people!
she was dhamking me!