Chapter 67

"What's important is that we never stop believing we can have a new beginning, but it's also important to remember amid all the crap are a few things really worth holding on to."

-Meredith. (v.o, 2x13)

Song: First Cut Is The Deepest By Sheryl Crow

(Note: The song lyrics have been repeated twice through the entire chapter)

He spinned her around, the lemonish green hues of colors of her lehenga twirling about in the dimly lit floor they were dancing on, illuminating such radiance from within her, the sight of the onlookers almost fell short of grasping the full extent of the magic they were creating. She continued to spin, as her wrist twisted with his gentle grip on her, her curled hair all over the place, the sound of his voice making her insides die with craving.

"Ho saari hi duniya ye maani hai" He said in his soft, yet husky voice, the whole tune sounding hypnotizing to her as the twirling stopped and she found her self being pulled closer to him.

"Shuru hum se teri kahaani hai" Her ears registered the sound of the next set of lyrics spoken by him, her eyes being raised up from where they were previously lowered over his chest.

Vivek looked in surprise as he let go of her mid way when she was spinning, and he stepped forward quickly trying to catch hold of her hand before she realized she was spinning on her own, but much more athletic than him proved Nikhil who grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him, not making her for a split second realized that within a merry few seconds she had changed partners.

He saw Arnav stepping back from the crowd of people dancing going as aloof from them as possible looking at Khushi still spinning away in a daze from his expression Vivek could tell the moment he let go of her hand something inside him broke, but the logic behind this step was beyond his understanding, and if he had to best put it into words, all of him, every part of him was bringing in uncontrollable fury right now.

Stepping out of the crowd he saw Arnav walk outside to the place where they had been earlier, lightening up firecrackers, and followed him there, catching him off guard once he thought, there was no one in sight.

"Hey coward! Care to give me some inner scoop on what you just did right now?" Vivek asked, grabbing Arnav from his collar, and pinning him to a nearby wall, a gesture that Arnav least expected from Vivek. Vivek was really just something different, and he hadn't began to conceive as yet what he really was, there were so many shades to him, sometimes he thought he was undoubtedly more shady than Khushi could ever be.

"What's your problem?" Arnav lashed back at him angrily, pushing him back, Vivek staggering back from the force applied, but gained enough stability to stand straight his deadly gaze not even flinching for a moment.

"You. (pointing at him) You are my problem. (Pushing him back with his hands on Arnav's chest) And my best friends problem. So don't ask me what my problem is. (stops pushing Arnav as Arnav holds his wrist angrily) Tell me what is yours? What the hell were you doing there leaving her stranded mid way? Have you like completely lost it Arnav? What kind of a dick head are you?" Vivek stormed losing his calm totally now, an act like this could not be contained and certainly was not something that he was going to ignore.

"I don't think you know Khushi talked to me while you guys were lightening up fire crackers here. (Vivek looks at him perplexed) And she told me clearly, that this was all over between us. Still I danced with her, not that I am saying she asked me to, I wanted to. But then I realized mid way that she didn't want this so I backed away before she could realize it, and probably term it all as a mind game." Arnav explained, but somehow Vivek seemed far from convinced and even though he did not charge at him again, his fists were still clenched in fury.

"Since when have you started to care about what she wants? I thought that was something completely meaningless to you. (Arnav stares at him rigidly) Dude, listen to me. Loud and clear. You are an ass alright? Just accept it. And the way you let things change between the two of you was the most f**ked up thing anybody could possible do. But unfortunately I still believe in you. Which is completely blizzard even to me, but I want you to go get her. I want you to tell her what you feel, and this time go to her only when you figure out what is there in your heart. You think with your head, and probably your dick, and they are both pieces of shit as far as this whole matter is concerned. I think you have a good heart, and if you do show that to her, she might just come back, and if she doesn't then simply, you have lost her man." Vivek told him in a straight forward manner, moving towards him before Arnav could say anything and kept a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Best of luck." He told him smoothly, and walked away, leaving Arnav behind to walk the other way around, his mind busy pondering over what Vivek had told him, and how it all was very logical.

Vivek snapped out of the remembrance of that event closing his eyes tight, guilty for not telling Khushi about it, but his instincts told him it was the right thing to do, and right now, the last thing she needed was another distraction. He could tell her after the exams ended about his talk with Arnav, or maybe not tell her at all, it all just depended on how things came around.

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It was Monday morning, the first day of exams at Stanford High, stressed students buried their heads inside their seemingly gigantic books, walking the hall ways either revising what they already knew, catching up soon something they missed, and the less smart one praying to their lords to give them saving grace marks, promising to do better next time, even thought they knew by the time it was next time, they wouldn't even remember the promise made.

Khushi paced about in the locker room, having a last glance at the books, shutting her eyes time and again to revise every possible piece of information that would help her out in the exam, her entire body tensed with palpitation. Just as she secured the key of her locker into her pocket, and said a small prayer to Devi Maiyan the school bell rang, terrified worried students hustling about to their classes to give the first exam of this academic year.

"Hey! Best of luck with your exams! I am sure you are going to ace it." Nikhil called out to Khushi, stopping a running Khushi in her tracks who took a reverse turn towards him looking at him smiling bright, a bit embarrassed that she had completely forgotten that it was his first day at school today.

"Ahan. Thanks. (blushes with embarrassment) I am sorry, I totally forgot it was your first day at school. So yeah, (putting up a bright smile) Welcome To Stanford High, it's weird saying this to you, considering I just came in 6 months ago myself, but anyways, (the second bell rings) Sorry, I gotta rush, I'll meet you after the exam. Where will you be?" Khushi asked now at rapid speed, and he answered he was going to be at the tutor center or the canteen most probably. Bidding him goodbye, she made a rush to her class, seating herself, panting heavily, and for the first few minutes took her time, to calm herself done, and prepare herself mentally and physically for the exam.

"Hey, Best of luck. Your subject eh?" Khushi patted Vivek who was sitting in front of her, who turned around and grinned at her naughtily, the confidence that he held oozing out of him. Maths was really his thing, and this was probably the only subject that she had more competition in, because in the rest of them she and Arnav went head to head in everything.

The invigilator for the exam laid the exam paper in front of them, giving out clear instructions as to when it was to be opened, the bell indicating the exam start ringing only a few seconds later, as students in all examination halls put their minds to solving the questionnaire. It was half time to the paper when Khushi lifted her head up to breathe a momentarily sigh of relief, only to see Arnav doing the same on the other corner of her class and she quickly, put her mind back to the paper, thankful that he hadn't noticed her staring at him.

"Khushi. Khushi. Question 4. Question 4. Question 4." She heard someone whisper her name from her left side and she looked up at a troubled Mayank trying to seek her aid, repeating the same thing over and over again. Giving the wait signal, her eyes darting to and fro for the invigilator she quickly flipped through pages, looking for the question number, and ever so carefully slid that sheet of paper to the far corner of her left side, so that it was seeable enough for Mayank. Having difficulty trying to decipher what she had written due to the small font, Mayank strained his eyes to look what she had done, leaning closer to her desk only to attract the invigilators attention who in no time was standing on both of their heads.

"Stand up. Right now. Stand up (Mayank stands up cursing his danmed luck) To that corner please Mr. Sehgal with your paper. You shall be doing the rest of the exam there. In case of another such incident occurring, you shall be disqualified from this examination. Understood? (Mayank nods, and walks quietly to the assigned seat) And you Ms. Gupta (Khushi looks up from her paper cursing Mayank for good) It would do you good, if the sharing is caring motto is applied somewhere else." Mr.Hashmani told her icily, as she timidly nodded at him, back to concentrating on her paper, avoiding the frequent gazes on her, and instead put her mind to completing her exam.

A hour later flocks of students departed from their examination halls, the usual hype after a difficult surrounding all of them, some of them whining over how they were flunking it for sure, or some others how they had just done enough to pass, and the more smarter, nerd students boasting about the easy level of the paper.

"How did it go?" Khushi asked a ecstatic face Vivek, who seemed evidently pleased with what he had done in his paper and smiled modestly at her.

"It went okay." He said and she frowned at him, poking him hard in his side.

"Yeah Mr.Modest I get it okay for you means, man I nailed it! for others. (Vivek chuckles) Mayank nearly got me killed" Khushi said dramatically, pushing her way through the people who seemed to have suddenly occupied every inch of the corridor that led to their locker rooms.

"Who told you to be Mother Teresa yeah? (Khushi makes a screwed up expression) In an exam you are on your own. You don't go out helping others in it Chun." He said in such a serious, expressionless tone, for a moment she wasn't sure is she recognized the person standing in front of her as her best friend.

"Anyways, I got to go, for tomorrow's paper, kind of on a limb out there on it, so catch you tomorrow then." Vivek told her, covering up the awkwardness that had prevailed between the two of them, and giving a friendly pat on her shoulder, smiling, he rushed away from her to the parking lot. She stared blankly at his retreating back, her mind activated to think that something was going on in his mind, but she had enough faith to let her mind in peace, that Vivek would tell when he wanted to, he had never hidden things from her, she was sure he wouldn't this time either.

Khushi walked to the locked room alone, collecting her things, and then remembered it was Nikhils first day, and what he had told her earlier in the morning, so taking an about turn she went to the stair case leading to the corridor, walking inside, most certainly, finding him sitting there in a quiet corner, pondering over some photocopied notes.

"Hey" She ideally greeted him, taking the seat next to him, much to his surprise, who looked up from his papers and smiled at her, keeping them down diverting his entire attention towards her.

"Hey. I wasn't expecting you so soon. How did your paper go?" He asked her conversationally, as gave him a brief review of her paper and of the general reaction of the students. That done silence blanketed between the two, Khushi looking at the papers that were scattered all over the table, identifying the familiarity in the writing, and then on one of the papers saw the name of the person she loathed.

"You know Purab? Are you two related?" She asked him in shock as he studies her expressions for a moment then decided to answer her question.

"Yeah. He is my cousin. Why?" Nikhil asked her evidently surprised by her surprised, hoarse reaction towards his relation with his cousin.

"Does he know where you live?"

"Erm Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Does he know that I, KHUSHI is your neighbor?"

"Well..yes. Why?" Nikhil asked her now getting more and more perplexed with Khushi's reaction, regarding his cousin, as she unconsciously shifted away from Nikhil, who was now more confused than ever. When she gave no explanations to why she was asking so many questions, and kept making disgusted, unbelieving expressions, Nikhil was finally compelled to wave his hand in front of her to gain her attention.

"What happened Khushi?" He asked her in a baffled tone, as she broke free from her train of thoughts and looked up at him, awkwardly getting up from her chair, collecting her things that she had kept on the table.

"Erm..nothing. I have to go. I'll meet you later..(to herself) or maybe not." Khushi said hurriedly, taking fast paced steps out of the library, only to have Nikhil who had gathered his things in jet speed, now on her heel.

"Hey! Hey Stop! (Grabbing Khushi's wrist from behind) What just happened? Will you just talk to me about it Khushi?" He said in a half demanding, half disappointed tone, Khushi who stood blankly in front of him.

"I rather not. You wont like it." Khushi said in a mildly angry tone, trying to walk away from him, but he held on to her wrist tightly, refraining from even walking an inch away.

"We are going to the cafeteria , and you are coming with me. (Khushi begans to protest mentioning she has a paper the next day) World History right? That's the paper tomorrow isn't it? I guess you are the one who told me you were an ace at it, and were ready for an exam any time of the day? (Khushi looks flustered) quit it Khushi. Come to the canteen with me, I promise it wont talke long." He told her in an assured convincing tone, and reluctantly she nodded, walking by his side to the canteen, he who had let go of her wrist now.

Once in the cafeteria area, they found a vacant table and seated themselves opposite each other Khushi still apprehensive to say anything.

"So now, will you tell me what is this all about?" Nikhil asked her in a serious tone, her taking a life time to reply.

"Well, your cousin. I really don't appreciate his presence anywhere near me. To be quite honest I just completely loath him, and no surprises there seriously, the things he has been doing throughout the term are just disgusting." Khushi said in an angry irked tone the remembrance of Purab's sickening acts playing in her mind.

"Yeah, I am aware of the fact that hes a pervert, and well I am not really so surprised that he tried hitting on you. (Khushi looks at him astounded as to how he guessed it) I know him Khushi. Better than you do, so yeah I can completely understand your hard core feelings for him."

"Well I am not sure if you can. How about I tell you that he looks at me in a lustful manner? Or well, about giving my boy..(she stops abruptly realizing what she was about to say) I mean trying to trick me into drinking tequila by saying its apple juice, and having one of my friends end up having health issues. Or throwing cold water at me at the field trip inside a crowded bus, I could go on all day you know." Khushi was ranting now, a small half sided smile coming on Nikhil's face for a second, which disappeared the very next instance he realized she was looking at him.

"What do you find so funny in all of this?" Khushi scorned obviously offended by the way she had caught him momentarily grinning.

"Sorry. You just..you look cute when you start blushing. (Khushi gives him an awkward smile) In love with someone are you?" Nikhil asked her completely out of way, as she started to stare at him in unison as if unsure of what to say.

"How do you know?" Khushi asked him even more stunned now.

"It's that Raizada guy na? (Khushi's jaw drops in disbelief) Hey, don't be so surprised. Your feelings for him are as transparent as glass is. At Diwali remember I saw you crying, I knew something was wrong. I saw him coming afterwards, and thought he must be the reason behind him. At the dance the way you became baffled seeing me, instead of him, I guessed why you were crying." He explained giving her the exact route through which he mind had formulated the conclusion that it did.

"Oh." She said, mostly to herself, though she knew there was space for her to say more, she was sure she didn't have it in her to be open about this topic in front of anyone except Vivek.

"I don't mean to pry. But did you guys break up?" He asked her curiously, Khushi biting her lower lip, feeling a tinge of annoyance, and a ball of hurt hit her square in the face.

"No. We were never a couple. Not an official one anyway." Khushi said sharply, avoiding meeting his eye.

"Sorry, I asked." He said apologetically, apparently sensing her discomfort over the whole situation.

"No, it's alright. I am use to of this now. (getting up from the table) Anyways I got to go." Khushi said stoutly, getting up from the table in reality avoiding any more conversation on this topic.

"If you can wait for 2 minutes I'll get my bag from the locker room, and drop you home." He told her, and she subtly nodded, going to the parking lot to wait for him, while he like he said 2 minutes later returned and took her back home.

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