Chapter 2

CHAPTER 1: NEW BEGINNING

Awkward! Awkward was the only word they could say about what they were feeling the very moment. Sure they knew each other since a long time but things had changed drastically between them.

Arnav didn't knew what to speak. He looked at her from top to bottom. She was still the same yet she was different. She had lost some colour. She didn't have that mischievous glint anymore in her eyes. She had lost weight. Yet she looked beautiful.

Khushi on the other hand was also feeling different. After a long time she was feeling alive, like she was home, somewhere she should have been long time ago. She smiled looking him.

Arnav saw her lost in her thoughts. He cleared his throat," how have you been Khush...Khushi..its been too long since we have met. Last time we met was when we..." he chocked on his words. He couldn't complete his sentence.

"when we met with an accident" Khushi smiled. Arnav looked at her surprised. For a moment he thought that Khushi remembered everything and was just fooling around with him just like always. But her next words, shattered all his hopes.

"don't be surprised. I know I was with you when we met with the accident, mom and dad told me. I am sorry I don't..i don't remember anything"

Arnav could feel himself suffocating. His Khush was next to him but he couldn't hug her, he couldn't bully her, he couldn't kiss her, he couldn't tease her, he couldn't make her blush like she always used to do. Infact he didn't knew what he should do right now. All his promises, his resolves made no sense to him right now. How had his life reached here? If that night wouldn't have happened, they would have been still happy. They would have been still together. Who knows? May be even married.

Arnav changed the topic," I know you are coming here since you were a kid, but since the scenario is different today, let me give you a tour to this house. I hope you don't mind?"

Khushi smiled, "ofcourse not Arnav. lets go" Khushi looked at her parents. They smiled and nodded at her.

Arnav gave a tour to the whole house to her. "And this is my room" Arnav said while letting Khushi enter it.

Khushi looked around the whole room. The room was simple and clean. But what surprised her were the pictures he had hung on the wall. A whole wall was decorated with their pictures. And each picture was telling a different story. She could feel it. She looked at Arnav who had no expression on his face. Why? Why was she feeling her heart breaking away? She looked at each picture. She wanted to know tale behind each and every picture. Before she could stop herself, she heard herself ask him," will you tell me tale behind these pictures?"

Arnav was again surprised. Did she really want to know it? he looked at her and smiled," sure"

She looked at one picture. she was gardening with Arnav. she didn't look more than 4 there. It seemed as if they were having the moment of their life, "did I like gardening?"

"No. you hated it. I loved gardening. Infact, I still do"

In other picture, she was pulling his hair. She chuckled looking at it, "why am I pulling your hair?"

Arnav looked at the picture and smiled. how could he forget that day when Khushi had practically decided to bald him.

Khushi and Arnav were playing whole day. Later, that evening, Arnav had gone for a shower to get rid of mud and sweat whereas khushi was in deep slumber on his bed, tired waiting for him. almost an hour later, Arnav found khushi sleeping in his bed still covered in mud. What the hell! How could she sleep in his bed being muddy? He angrily walked and shook her, "Khush? Khushi wake up. you are dirtying my bed" But there was no reponse. "khush? Wake up."

Khushi mumbled something in her sleep. Arnav shook his head. Waking Khush from deep slumber was like waking a dead from his sleep, "WAKE UP" he yelled in her ears. Khushi picked up a pillow near her and threw at his face," go away"

"khushi Gupta, wake up or you will regret it" he shook her again.

"LEAVE ME ALONE" khushi yelled and covered her face with a duvet. Arnav looked around for something to wake her up when his eyes fell on scissors. An evil smile crept his lips. He picked up the scissors in his hand and looked at khushi. He saw her pigtail outside the duvet. He silently walked upto her, "are you waking up?"

"no"

"you sure?"

"yes"

And the next moment, Arnav cut her pigtail half. He pulled the duvet off her face and crawled the cut the pigtail on her face. Khushi tried to shrug it off but he didn't budge. Finally, getting irritated and sat up straight, "what the hell are you doing?"

Arnav smiled and brought her pigtail in front of her eyes. For a second, khushi looked confused. She looked at the pigtail and then him, again pigtail and then him. Suddenly, her eyes widened when she recognised the bow in the pigtail. She slowly touched her hair and then did what she could do best. She yelled, "AAARRRNNNAAAVVV"

Arnav laughed and ran for his life when he saw khushi running behind him. He was running in the whole room when his leg stuck in the rug and he fell. the moment he fell, khushi jumped on him and started hitting him," you moron, you idiot, how dare you cut my hair?"

Arnav tried to separate himself from her when khushi kicked him," that was my precious hair, you motu, you patlu"

"khushi, how can I be Motu and patlu at the same time. Either I am fat or thin. I cant be both at the same time"

Khushi punched him in his stomach, "stop arguing. If Khushi Gupta says you are motu and patlu, then you are"

Arnav pushed khushi off him and sprang on his feet. He was about to run away again when she stuck her leg in between. Arnav fell down again. this time khushi jumped on him again and pulled his hair, "you cut my hair? Now I will make you bald"

"MOM! MOM!" Arnav yelled while khushi continued pulling his hair, "HELP ME"

Hearing the commotion, Arnav's mother came running, "what..." but she couldn't say a word. The sight in front of her stumped her.

"Mom, what are you looking at? Help me. get this fatso off me"

"FATSO?" Khushi pulled his hair more forcefully

"OWW! MOM"

His mother came to her senses and pulled khushi apart from Arnav," what are you doing, Khushi? what did Arnav do now?"

"he cut my hair"

"Arnav?"

"that's because she wasn't getting off my bed?"

"so you cut her hair?" his mother asked

"MOM"

"Khushi, why have you stopped? Pull his hair again. he deserves it"

Khushi laughed and pulled his hair again

CLICK

"you? You cut my hair?" Khushi asked him in disbelief

Arnav shrugged, "we were kids"

"sure we were" both looked at each other and laughed

Khushi looked at another picture. she was glaring at him and Arnav was holding his ears. She was hardly 10 in that picture, "what about this?"

"I ate your complete box of jalebees"

Khushi shook her head. Before she could go further, her eyes caught attention of something. It was the picture which was hung behind his bed wall. It was a life size picture. It was their picture. Khushi and Arnav were looking at each other and smiling. she smiled looking at it. it was a beautiful picture. It looked as if they were so much in love. Love? Did she just think that. she felt herself blushing just with the mere thought. Why? they have just met. Yes, they must have known each other since long, but today, all those things didn't count.

Arnav was staring at Khushi. he could see her in deep thoughts. She was smiling and had different expression after every picture. But when she saw their life size picture, she was blushing. Did he just imagine or was she really blushing?

Khushi caressed each and every picture. She smiled looking at it. but she couldn't take it anymore. They had so many memories together. Her life seemed so perfect. A tear dropped from her eyes. she wanted to remember everything. How was she? How was he? What relation they had? Why did she had to lose her memory? were they just friends or something...she choked on her thoughts. A sob escaped her throat.

Arnav heard it. he knew what she was thinking. She wanted to remember everything. Khushi looked at him with tears in her eyes. he smiled at her and wiped her tears.

"don't" he whispered. That's it. Khushi burst into tears. she embraced Arnav as if her life depended on him. She knew he was practically a stranger today to her. still she felt as if she owned him. she didn't knew if she was right hugging him, someone who is a stranger to her, but all these things didn't matter right now. she felt happy. she felt safe. and that's when she felt him reciprocating her hug.

Arnav didn't knew how to react. He himself had tears brimming in his eyes. he reciprocated her hug. He held her close to his heart. Khushi kept weeping resting her head on his chest. Both didn't knew for how long did they stood in each others embrace. After a long time, when Khushi's sobs subsided, they broke away.

Arnav smiled," since when did Khushi Gupta started crying? the Khushi I knew always made others cry" Khushi looked up at him innocently. Her nose was red. Like always. Arnav chuckled," your nose is red, like always. Cmon, stop crying, you don't want uncle and aunty taking my class right for making you cry?"

Arnav wiped her tears when Khushi still didn't respond. He took her hand and made her sit on his bed. He knelt in front of her, "I know you don't remember anything. I also know you want to remember everything. so what Khushi? look at this. your life is a white canvas today, the things you will paint today, will remain with you forever. So what if you forgot everything, we still are friends right? we will make new memories. And I am sure one day, your faded memories, will come back to you, to us. cmon now, smile. My Khush always look good when she smiles"

Khushi smiled," thank you Arnav!" and Khushi kissed him on his cheeks. Arnav was surprised and chuckled," some things never change"

...

Its been 2 days since Khushi had that encounter with Arnav. she was confused. Why did she react that way? Why did she had to go and hug him and on top of that, cry her lungs out. For gods sake! They had just met. Well, atleast she had and he has already started invading her dreams. she knows what she has to do now. she will stay away from him. he is utterly injurious to her health. Khushi was still her thoughts when her mother entered. She looked at her daughter painfully. What has happened to her?

She smiled," Khushi get up now. its 9 in the morning. You have an interview today"

Khushi didn't respond. She was still lost in her thoughts. Her mother moved the curtain and the sun's rays directly hit her eyes. that's when she came back to earth. Khushi groaned pulling the cover on her face," mom! Let me sleep"

Her mother pulled the bedsheet from her, "Khush its 9 beta. U have an interview at 10. Look you are already late"

That's when she realized what her talking about. "shit! Mom you should have done this before. You always make me late. After a lots of trying I have got a call for interview. I cant miss this mom"

Khushi rushed to and fro into the room to get ready. He mother just shook her head," no matter what happens, some things never change"

...

"Arnav its high time you come out of this guilt and self pity mode. I have had enough of this behaviour. You are joining your father today" his mother yelled at him.

"mom please, I just cant" Arnav pleaded.

"oh just shut up Arnav! you should be happy that she is atleast alive and breathing. I know Arnav you loved her and still do and I can also understand that you are in pain. But look at the brighter side. She is alive and still with you. so why do you want to shut yourself from the outer world. I have had this enough. You are joining the office"

"but mom I..." but Arnav shut his mouth looking at his mother glaring at him. he sighed," fine! I am ready but I will join the office from tomorrow"

...

Khushi walked into the office looking around. she was awed with the beauty and decor of the place. she walked towards the reception," this is AR constructions right?"

The receptionist looked at her from top to bottom, "cant you read?"

"excuse me?"

"I asked cant you read?"

"ofcourse I can!"

"then didn't you read the board outside? What did it say?"

Rude! Khushi sighed," I am here for an interview for the post of interior designing"

The receptionist faked her smile," just wait here Ms??"

"Khushi..Khushi Gupta!"

...

Khushi was happy. she had finally got a job. Now she will do something on her own and that Raizada will also not cross her mind. Yes! That was perfect! She will be joining from tomorrow. least did she knew that she was fighting a lost battle and one can never win against destiny.

[MEMBERSONLY]