Chapter 49

"What happened?"

"You sure about the no spot light thing na?" she asked still unsure, as he shook his head and quietly nodded, and stopped on the back side of the boys tent keeping Khushi down on the sand, as he flipped open the cover of the tent both of them peering inside to see a very indulgent Vivek and Vishaka in a steamy kissing process. Khushi immediately kept her hand on her mouth to stop the laugh that was going to escape, pulling Arnav by the arm his head back into the light an expression of extreme annoyance on his face. Before he could say his signature 'What The' she had already kept her hand on his mouth, and ushered him to be quiet while he bore his eyes angrily into her amused ones.

"Talk about no spotlights to him." Arnav said in a low, vexed tone as Khushi removed her hand from his mouth now moving away a bit from the tent and laughing away to her hearts content, amused that Arnav was still in no foul mood.

"Stop laughing like a fool, and tell me where's your tent I'll bring the first aid box from there" he told her still in a very twisted mood, as she controlling her laughter, and told him the directions to their tent, as he trotted off finding his way to the girls tent being cautious that nobody else saw him, and quickly his guards alert, took her bag out of the tent, and hurried away to where he had left her, still putting up his forces so that nobody else saw him. Thankfully for him everybody else had crowded to the far side of the tent for the lunch so he was barely into notice by anyone.

Reaching there, he found Khushi trying the stand and walk out, when just in time he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the ground looking at her poker faced, while she grinned at him sheepishly.

"Don't fret over it, I am fine" she insisted and he looked at her doubtfully, his hands still working to bandage her leg, arching his eyebrows at her.

"Stop repeating my dialogues." He told her haughtily, as she stared at him queerly and then remembered what he was referring to.

"I am still telling you its fine." He urged her to let him go, but she was determined to not do so and untied the roll of bandage tying it around his fingers individually so that they had some sort of picking space left between them.

"And I am still telling you that it's not fine." She remarked back working her way towards the last of his fingers, and after that was securely done, she held his hand in hers looking contently at her own work keeping his hand on his thigh, and walked away back to her locker, keeping the first aid box inside along with other unneeded books from her bag, making it a lot lighter than it was when she had left home.

Once he was done bandaging and she seemed in more good condition to walk, keeping his arms around her he helped her to where everybody was having lunch, signaling Karan who had been searching for him since then to help him out with her, so that the two of them together like this did not appear awkward. Karan nodded and rushed towards them, telling Arnav to bring his lunch, as he helped Khushi on a log, sitting next to her inquiring about her injury.

"I insisted that it was fine, but I guess Raizada just can't get over bossing me around." She said in an off handed manner, making Karan grin at her, and giving her his plate of food, he went away to fetch a new one for her, by this time Arnav was back and she moved inside to make space for him to sit too. Karan returned only a few minutes later and handed over her plate of food to him, taking his own from her and sat on the log Khushi thanking the two of them gratefully for their help.

"Since when have you started thanking people?" Arnav asked her non chalantly, munching on his food, and about to take a mouthful of the salad she stopped midway staring at him in pique.

"I always thank people. It's another thing that you are too grumpy to accept it." She said in a rotten mood, putting the mouthful of salad in her mouth and crunching it away noisily, as a demonstration of how angry she was. He looked at her perplexed for once, and then back at his plate not at all interested in her show of tantrum.

"Why can't you two just get along?" Karan poked his elbow into her side to get her attention and she in turn stopped eating her food making an awful face.

"That's your best friends at fault. He doesn't seem to have any gradient in his nature" she retorted, returning back to enjoying her food, which was after a few minutes done with and she got up to get her serving of the dessert that part being her favorite, when he held her hand back and stood up himself, Karan looking interestingly at the two of them.

"I'll bring it for you, sit down" he ordered her in an authoritative tone, making her scorn at him rudely, and freed her wrist from his grip holding on to her plate with the other.

"No..Thhhaaannnkkkyoouuu" she said cheekily deliberately stretching and stressing on Thankyou in reference to their previous talk. Arnav shook his head in exasperation at her, following her behind who had taken the lead to walk but couldn't maintain it much since her bad leg wasn't helping much with that. Karan sitting alone on the log, watched the crazy duo of them still bickering all the way to the dessert counter sending him into a roar of laughter. Just for eachother, they are he sighed to himself, his eyes getting into contact with Vivek who had by chance just seen Khushi and Arnav walking away and inquired about her bad leg.

"Blame the jungle. Some thorny bush scratched her leg deeply." Karan told Vivek, busy eating his food which most surprisingly he had filled so much that it was now not even ending. Arnav and Khushi returned back with their dessert fills still arguing about something and sat on the log, Khushi shoving him aside so that she took the end of the log where he was earlier sitting and he took her place next to Karan. Seeing Vivek look at her the humor of what she and Arnav witnessed between them grew in her and she grinned at him mischievously making him make a twisted expression at her.

"Whhaatt?" Vivek asked her curiously as she continued to grin, poking her elbow into Arnav as a gesture for him too look at Vivek. The moment Arnav set his eyes on Vivek deep indignation took over him and he stared in his eyes coldly reverting back to his food and shaking his head violently.

"Chun? Will you tell me what's happened, or am I supposed to stare at your Raizada like that while he shakes his head off?" Vivek snapped at her in chagrin, Arnav turning his head around in a giffy to give a hard death look to Vivek again who with a wave of his hand brushed off the effect of it, Khushi staring at Vivek with Nemo eyes.

"He's not mine! Stop being so picky punching bag!" she shouted back at him fiercely, as a broad edgy grin spread on his face successfully ducking a powerful punch from her, Arnav finding it hard to eat since her elbow kept moving back wards in an attempt for her to hit Vivek. He clenched his jaw in utter annoyance trying to seek some patience form Karan who most surprisingly was enjoying the easy going banter between Vivek and Khushi.

"Where's your honey pie?" she asked Vivek in a teasing tone, as he started to blush all red, the look of recollecting memories on his face and turned to face her who was grinning madly at him.

"Why are you asking?"

"I thought maybe after your little kiss session she would have been too embarrassed to have lunch with you." Khushi said a teasingly big grin playing on her face, as Vivek gaped at her in surprise shutting his mouth tight when the grin on her face began to grow wider and wider.

"Ki..ki..ss..? I'how did you know?" he asked her still too shocked to string up a complete sentence as in between giggles, and laughter erupting from her she told him how she and Arnav had entered the boys tent for the first aid box to bandage her wound and instead found him and Vishaka kissing each other. The color on Vivek's face from just red, went to deep red to crimson to pink and God knows what shade, making Khushi roll back with laughter, keeping her head time and again on Arnav's shoulder to suppress her laughter, him too now grinning at her cheerful nature, while Karan had stepped away from the log and was busy urging Arnav to take his place and let him sit next to Khushi.

"Dude it's okay! Stop blushing so much, what difference will be left between you and Bhai then?" she commented trying to sound normal, as he slowly smiled at her and fled away from there giving a rushed excuse leaving the three of them exchanging amused looks with each other.

"My punching bag he is" she murmured fondly to herself, however Arnav had heard her, and smiled softly to himself inwardly admiring the bond she and Vivek shared. He felt annoyed when eh though of the misinterpretations he had regarding them a few days earlier, it was just a play of his mind, he was thankful to have gotten rid of it.

The lunch time was over and after the students were done clearing up the field, Arnav and Karan helped Khushi back to her camp, inside the camp she being aided by the four girls. Vishaka seemed too flustered around her, blushing red every time Khushi looked at her which made Khushi roll back in laughter for some time, until she realized that everybody was trying to get some good sleep, and shutting her eyes she went off for a much needed nap.

By the time the sun had went down, the campers were up again, and enjoying a healthy dinner after some while, since it was only their first day at the camp and the teachers had planned little for day one. After dinner, as per camp tradition a bonfire was lit in between, and everybody crowded around it, looking at each other's faces in confusion for a little while, when one of the students from grade 10-A suggested, to play passing the pillow. Aided by the teachers the music system and punishment chits were arranged, by wiring the connection with someone Ipod, and Mrs.Anita was made incharge of playing the music. The music started playing and one by one the person with pillow had to pick up a chit and do whatever was written inside the chit.

Arnav and Khushi sat on parallel ends of the room, stealing some fleeting glances at each other, Khushi seated next to Vivek and Vishaka, and Arnav with Karan as always. The blare of the music had mesmerized Khushi to such an extent, that when it stopped she didn't realize the pillow was in her hand and she was the one to pick up the chit. Vivek shook her shoulder lightly to get her out of her reverie, and looking a bit hap hazard, she picked up a chit from the bowl that was extended towards her by Mayank, he smiling at her with a keen smile.

"Sing a song." Khushi read out aloud, and everybody cheered, suggesting her different songs, urging her to sing something or the other, when Vivek leaned close to her and whispered something in her year.

"Chun its perfect. You wont get a better chance to sing for him than today. Sing it." He told her with a expectant smile, and she craned her neck to eye him oddly, shaking her head in indignance when her eyes met with Arnav who seemed to be staring at her, waiting for her to sing. Before she even knew what was coming out from her mouth she had started singing, a little lost in his eyes as it is.

Khushi sang in her exceptionally well tuned voiced, earning many gasps from her fellow companions who seemed to be left spell bounded by this hidden talent of hers. She stopped a bit in between, feeling herself subject to awkward looks, but quickly to hide her embarrassment. Vivek had picked her tune up and others joined in as well, making her feel back at ease, as for a moment she locked her eyes with Vivek thanking him gratefully.

She sang out her eyes locked with Arnav's, Karan who was beside him looking at the two of them with a fond smile, his own eyes passing secret messages to Priyanka. All the couples in love seemed way too mesmerized in the song, looking at each other, and singing with Khushi who even though was at the point of stopping the song, was urged by everyone to complete the song and so she agreed.

Suddenly her eyes went misty drifting away her mind into a fantasy which she hadn't believed she was capable of imaging even in her wildest dreams. Her eyes shifted down to look at her self from head to toe, draped in an exotic shaded royal blue and black gown, standing in campsite area however her surrounding was completely alien to any human life or any other kind of activity. She let her eyes wander around the quietness that enclosed her, and only the starry night to blanket her into the beauty of it all.

Underneath her, she could feel her bare feet, rubbing against the softness of the grass, as a refreshing sort of air, more like an overly condensed breathe hit naked skin of neck her that lay exposed. Turning around sharply her dark coloured curls swayed away to cover her back, as her eyes met with the boy of her dreams.

Arnav moved in towards her, his lop sided smile and perfectly chiseled face locking eyes with her surprised shining face, as he slipped his hand around her waist and clutched it, pulling her fragile form forwards towards himself, her eyes registering a mild expression of show, fright and delight.

Khushi half sang half mumbled in her melodious voice letting her soft pal touch the freezing cold skin on his cheeks, making her finger tips twitch just for a slight second, before she had let her fingers delicately trace his facial features making them light with an extra glow emanating from it.

Her lips automatically moved pouring out the next set of lyrics, as her hands from his cheeks wind around neck , feeling herself being hoisted up from the ground, her footing lightly touching the feet, a deep red blush creeping up on her own face. The dangling silver earrings of hers were crashing crazily with the skin of his ears but he didn't seem bothered since she was there, looking at him with her lovely brown eyes, her face bending down to touch his nose lovingly with her nose, making them look like a made for each other couple, a small yet evident crystalline set of tears dropping from her eyes.

Removing his one hand from her waist, he let her weight shift back to the ground, taking care that their noses were still touching with each other, and extended a finger towards her chin pulling it up to look at her windows to the world, who seemed to be portraying complex emotions of happiness and grief intertwined together. Catching the lone tear that was rolling down her face on his finger tip, he showed it to her and captivating her attention thoroughly, she saw him eyeing the tear with care and placed it outwards pointing it towards the stars above which were shining bright. It was the direction, and his action that made her realize how beautiful it was, as he let out a gust of air from his mouth and blew the the tear towards the stars, looking above at the stars with her following his sight, most magically then star he had blown the tear towards now shining brighter.

From the look on his face, she could tell he had achieved what he had wanted, and after all how could he not; he was Arnav Singh Raizada after all, her Arnav Singh Raizada. She moved one of her hand away from his neck and lifted up her fingers towards his still extended finger, and wound her finger around it catching his attention, being gifted with small graceful smile from him.

Bringing that union of intertwined fingers towards their main bodies, she kept it between where their hearts lay her lips constantly moving and singing out the song. She let them rest over there in a manner, that her finger was pointing towards his heart and his finger towards her heart. The smile from her face could not flinch or move, when she felt his face inch closer towards her and plant a small loving kiss on her forehead. His face went back to its original position, her eyes shining like pearls in utter delight, as going with the flow of the song the next part of the lyrics sank inside her.

He turned her around while she was singing, lost in her completely, sliding his hand along her waist her back to his front, with her heart pumping more and more erratically with every passing second that he came closer to her. For a moment she felt she had lost her voice, when he buried his face in the crook of her neck making her sigh in delight his rugged breathe sending shivers down her spine. Reddening up she moved away a bit, causing his concentration to de mantle, but before she was out of his grip he caught her two hands from behind, letting her breathing almost stop for a split second.

She came toward him in reverse motion as he holding only one of her hands, twirled her around, causing her to smile her way in ecstasy her, whole gown moving in circles just the way her body was moving making the whole sight looks an expression beyond which could be expressed by words.

She sand away still twirling, her happiness reaching the optimum of it, knowing literally no bounds of what she was really feeling right now. The girl who did not believe in fairy tales, the girl who though love was only for dolls, was the girl who twirled away like a Cinderella, in a dream that her mind had formulated.

Her ears registered the hoarse sound of Arnav singing and she stopped twirling immediately, standing motionless, her hands placed on his chest, for a whole minute studying the enormous amount of emotions that his eyes were showing. They stood at an extremely close proximity her stunned features contrasting sharply with his calm, composed features who seemed to be acting in the most casual manner that existed. She stared deep into his love filled his eyes, losing her self to them, when suddenly she felt her world being shifted yet again and in no time she was sitting on the grass, Vivek beside her looking in non chalance at her dazed expression, her eyes meeting with those of an extremely puzzled and confused Arnav.

People around her sang, and Vivek nudged her with his shoulder, giving her a questioning look, waving his hand like all the other people high up in the air singing in choarse, as the questioning eyes of Arnav and Vivek dug up a deadening feeling in her heart, realizing where her eyes were, she stopped staring at Arnav altogether and looked down at her thighs, her bandaged leg, the events of the day, the events of the time they met and lastly the dream. Everything was coming back to her. An elated sense of realization was blossoming inside her heart as excusing herself from the crowd, leaving a confused and worried Vivek and Arnav behind she hobbled away more like running to the spring, as fast as her legs could carry her, thousands of thoughts running inside her brain at maniacs speed.

nav_bat2012-12-17 06:17:46