Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Arnav stood rooted to the spot, in the parking lot of Ashadaan. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He had been mentally rejoicing over the success of his plan to take Khushi out for lunch, when she had led him to the parking lot. He moved towards his Ferrari, to be immediately stopped by Khushi. "Where do you think you are going? You almost fainted right now. I am not letting you drive in this state. Come with me..." she said, leading him towards a few parked cars. Arnav was extremely thrilled at her concern about his health, and happily followed her.

What awaited Arnav, however, was an old, little, yellow Vespa. It looked like it had been painted over many times. He remembered the first time he had seen her. He had only captured her mesmerizing face then, and had completely ignored the scooter that she had ridden off on. He saw Khushi happily clip on her helmet and sling the bag across her body. She cheerily said, "Arnav, meet Dhanno, my darling scooter." Arnav was brought out of his thoughts by her melodious voice. He could not help but smile at this extremely adorable girl, who was talking so affectionately about her vehicle, even giving it a name!

In his entire life, Arnav Singh Raizada had never travelled on a scooter. Yes, bikes were his passion... but mainly sports bikes or the high-end adventure bikes. A scooter was just beyond anything he had imagined, and so he said, trying not to hurt her feelings, "Ermmm... Khushi... Can we please take my car? I am not really used to travelling on scooters. Also the blazing sun, might just worsen my condition." He hated seeing her beautiful smile, turn into a small frown. He saw her pondering over this, and it broke his heart to see the light in her eyes, dim a little. He spoke, without giving it another thought, "Forget it Khushi, let's go! There is always a first time and I am glad that my first time is going to be with you."

Khushi wondered if she was imagining the double entendre in the statement? Was Arnav really trying to send her, that kind of message? Did he really say 'his first time... with her'? What is wrong with this Laad Governor, she thought. First, he had used the excuse of work on the Ashadaan project to meet her, and then he had pretended to faint, just to take her out to lunch. She laughed mentally, thinking that Arnav thought her to be a fool, to have not noticed his smirks and smiles at the success of his plan. Yet, she found his behavior extremely adorable and so she had played along with him. She would not give in so easily, however. He would have to pay for playing her like this. She had immediately made the excuse of his weakened state and told him, it would be better if she drove her own vehicle. She wanted the mighty ASR to ride pillion with her. That would serve him right!

Khushi flashed her beautiful smile at him, and got on Dhanno. She was in a very mischievous mood and she urged Arnav to sit quickly so they could go eat some food. What she was unprepared for, though, was her reaction to his proximity. As Arnav sat behind her, holding onto her shoulder, she felt a jolt of electricity pass through her entire body. For a moment, she went numb, as her brain seemed to be concentrating only on the shoulder where his hand lay. She prayed to her favourite Goddess, 'Hey Devi Maiyaa, raksha karna!' As Dhanno picked up speed and zoomed through the streets of Delhi, she could feel Arnav's firm chest collide into her back repeatedly. Her body had stiffened and she had to try really, really hard to concentrate on the road and not the sensations that she felt within.

Arnav was enjoying this ride. Though at first, he had been hesitant, but he realized now this was a fabulous opportunity to get close to the girl he wanted to pursue... and which man would want to miss an opportunity like this? This cute Dhanno seemed to be a much better traveling option than his luxurious Ferrari. He was happily enjoying the soft feel of her shoulder under his hand. He waited for her to apply the brakes, so he could get another reason to collide with her back. Even though he wanted to do much more than a casual touch, he realized her discomfort, and so he tried to control his crazy impulses. He knew that she was a simple girl, and he didn't want to ruin any chance of winning her by rushing into things.

To lighten up the atmosphere, he spoke as they halted at a signal, "Khushi, let's go to the Cafe Coffee Day Lounge, so we can get some coffee and some sandwiches to eat too. Are you OK with that?" Arnav knew that if he took her to some lavish restaurant, she would feel even more uncomfortable and might completely withdraw from him. He had to make her feel relaxed and get her to open up to him. He heard her agreeing to him readily and he sighed with relief. He chuckled at the thought of actually acting like a teenager, trying to woo his lady love. But Khushi was the girl that he wanted to impress in any way possible. Even though he knew that she was affected by him, he could sense her reservations. And that is exactly what he wanted to set about eliminating today.

As Khushi parked the scooter, Arnav waited for her calmly. He wondered, what would people's reaction be to see him get off a scooter. Anjie would never stop laughing and Sumer! Oh God! Sumer would absolutely embarrass him for his entire lifetime. He heard her speak softly, "Chalein?" A simple question from her could send him into overdrive. Arnav had realized today, that he was a dead man. His cute angel, Khushi Kumari Gupta, was going to be the end of him. He led her into the coffee shop and made sure they were seated at a table far away from the crowd. He saw Khushi settle self-consciously into a very comfortable chair. He thought it best to begin with discussing the work at hand.

Khushi scanned through the menu-card thrice in order to decide what she wanted to eat. Arnav had already placed his order, as the waiter waited for her to make up her mind. She ordered a tandoori paneer sandwich and a hot chocolate. She looked back at Arnav, who had been observing her all this while. His gaze unnerved her, yet she somehow managed to put on a mask of indifference. She saw him start his laptop and begin to talk very professionally. "Khushi, I have spoken to Maa about the Ashadaan expansion project and I am so happy that I can be a part of it. Maa has always told us, such amazing stories of Ashadaan and its children who have grown up there. So many of them have graduated in various fields, and have become well renowned in their chosen fields of work. It is amazing that an orphanage is providing such a brilliant platform to children, whose lives could have easily been ruined." He stopped talking, as he saw Khushi's eyes getting teary. He panicked, and did not know what had gotten her so upset. He could barely manage to say her name, "Khushi..."

"I am fine Arnav. It's just that whenever someone speaks of Ashadaan with such high regard, it makes my heart swell with pride. You are absolutely right in saying that the children there, could easily have wasted their lives. I don't know where I would have been, if Ashadaan wouldn't have taken me in." She paused to look into those caramel eyes, that were clouded with confusion and sadness. She continued to clear his doubts, "Yes Arnav, I am an orphan. When I was eight, I lost my parents in an accident. My relatives put me in the Ashadaan in Lucknow. Whatever I am today, I owe it to this orphanage and its teachers. They are my family and I will do anything and everything that is good for them." She quickly wiped a tear, that had made its way down her cheek. She did not intend to create a scene in a coffee shop, yet, talking about her life always did make her a little emotional.

Arnav reached out to her and took her soft hand into his own. It was a perfect fit, he realized. He spoke with genuine concern, "Khushi, I am so sorry. I did not know about all of this. All I can say is that you are a strong girl, to fight this difficult battle of life. Ashadaan has really done well to make people like you in this society. So, let's create more opportunities and facilities for the betterment of your beloved family. What say?" He spoke with a little smile, trying to lift the gloom that had settled between them. She nodded at that, as the waiter brought in their food and beverages.

Arnav loved watching her eat. She was savoring every bite that she took, her beautiful full lips nibbling at the food. How can this girl be so adorable, he thought. He tried to concentrate on his coffee while casually asking her about her childhood, how she had managed to get a scholarship, and how she had made the move from Lucknow to Delhi. It surprised them both, that the conversation had flowed so very smoothly. She had felt extremely comfortable, revealing her past to him. Seeing his genuine interest in her life at Ashadaan, had made her open up more than usual. Her heart thudded hard... he looked so boyishly attractive, asking her questions about such mundane things. Who would think, that this was Arnav Singh Raizada, the owner of a huge business empire?

"Arnav, what about you? You have not told me anything about yourself. All I know about you is from newspapers and magazines. And frankly, from all that I had read, I thought you were very arrogant..." Khushi stopped talking, realizing what she had just said. Arnav cocked his one eyebrow in amusement at this revelation and teased her, "What else do these magazines say about me? I don't really bother to read them, so just tell me what the world thinks of me." She got all flustered and uneasy at this comeback, yet managed to tell him what she had really thought of him, "They say that you are one of the most eligible bachelors and quite a Casanova. You seem to be spotted with a different girl at every party... and hmmm..." Before she could continue, he cut in, "Khushi, do you really think I am like that?" His tone was a little sad and hesitant.

She could feel how upset he had become, and she knew she should not judge him by what the media said. She had seen how they added some mirch-masala to every story, at her own office. However, she had to somehow be truthful to him, so she said, "Arnav, to be frank, I had thought of you that way. I thought you would be a spoilt-brat. I was hesitant to speak to you, knowing that you might just want to flirt with me. But, from the time I have started getting to know you, bit by bit, from the way your lovely family treats you and adores you, I think my perception of you might have been wrong." She saw him relax into his chair again and that simple gesture unknowingly lifted a burden off her too.

His eyes twinkled with a little mischief, as he said, "Well, in that case Khushi, I think we should meet more often. I really need to prove my innocence to this writer. Maybe then, you could publish an article about my innocence." She laughed heartily at his statement, as he gaped at her in awe. Her tinkling laughter was doing unknown things to him. This woman, was changing his life upside down. He was neglecting his work to spend time with her. He was making excuses to meet her and he would do absolutely anything to see her laugh, the way she was now.

As Khushi took the last sip of her delicious hot chocolate, she glanced at her watch. She sprung up from her seat in shock, looking at the time. "Oh My Goodness!! I am so late." She looked at Arnav and said, "Arnav, I really have to get going now. I am very late for work. We could discuss the details of this plan some other time. But right now, I have to rush, please." He quickly called for the check and saw Khushi fiddle inside her bag to remove some cash. He looked at her sternly , and said "You really think I would take money from you for our lunch? You are my savior, Khushi... this one is on me... please." His innocent request made Khushi give in to him this time, but she extracted a promise from him, that she would be paying the next time.

The only thing Arnav remembered from their chatter, was that she had said there would be a next time... 'They would discuss the details of the project next time. She would pay for their lunch, coffee or dinner the next time.' There would surely be a next time! This thought thrilled him, as they walked out of the Lounge, towards her scooter. Arnav sat holding onto her shoulder, much more comfortable now, when they heard a shocked voice from behind them, "Arnav!"

Arnav dreaded looking behind, into the annoying face of his best friend, Sumer. He could see the bubbling laughter in Sumer's eyes, as he got off the scooter. Khushi too had looked at Sumer and excitedly parked the scooter again to get off. "Hey Sumer, how are you?" He heard Khushi's excited greeting and grit his teeth in annoyance. He did not like the over friendliness that Khushi shared with Sumer. She was so reserved around him but with Sumer, she chatted and laughed freely. Sumer came close and side hugged her, keeping his eyes on an irritated Arnav. "Hey Khushi, it's so good to see you. Golgappe khaane chalein?" Khushi laughed and refused to go. She told Sumer that she was late for her work and needed to quickly get there. Arnav told her to go ahead, as he would drive with Sumer to Ashadaan. She bid farewell to both the boys and zoomed away on her scooter, with Arnav staring after her diminishing image and Sumer gawking, at his completely spellbound friend.

Arnav turned finally, to face a laughing Sumer. His friend was laughing crazily, just to rile him up. Between bouts of laughter, he managed to ask Arnav, "Dude, what the hell were you doing on a scooty? That too, riding pillion??!!" Arnav was annoyed to the core as he walked towards Sumer's car. Sumer somehow managed to calm down and now was extremely curious to know about this recent development in his friend's love life. "Ok ok! Fine. I won't question you or laugh about what I just saw, but how did you manage to convince Khushi to have lunch with you?"

"I had to talk to her about some work regarding Ashadaan. At least, that is what I told her we had to discuss." Arnav said, trying to calm his anger at being mocked by his best friend. "Hmmm... interesting... I am glad my friend has made his first move. So, how did it go? And, when are you two meeting again?" Sumer questioned his friend. "That's none of your business, Sumer. Knowing you, you will somehow manage to land up there. And I have no intentions of making Khushi fall for you, instead of me", Arnav bit out angrily. "Woah! Woah! Woah! Calm down, angry young man. I promise to not be a 'kabab mein haddi'. But you have got to keep me posted about your love life, dude. I like, playing cupid" Sumer teased him, to which, Arnav replied angrily again, "Yeah right! To play cupid, you have to first stop hitting on my girl. You didn't have to hug her!"

Sumer laughed out loud, "Itni jalan. My God, Arnav! I have never seen you so serious about any girl. Reena, Samaira, Ishika... I have flirted with so many of your girlfriends and have never seen you react this way. If this is serious for you, then I promise to take it damned seriously too. From next time, one arm distance from Ms. Khushi. Pakka!" Arnav relaxed in his seat, as Sumer pulled out of the parking lot. The two friends got into a comfortable conversation about soccer, the latest collections and photo shoots as the car moved towards Ashadaan, to collect Arnav's car.

PRECAP:
"Arnav Singh Raizada just asked me out to dinner." Khushi said to a stunned Payal and an angry Akash. Akash was the first one to get over the shock and asked Khushi, "How much have I missed in these three weeks, Khush? How do you know him and how has it progressed so much to him being able to ask you out on a date?" Before Khushi could answer that question, Payal spoke "Refuse him Khush. You know what he is famous for. We have seen his pictures with various models and celebrities every week in the newspapers." Khushi went numb, with the two most important people in her life, not really trying to understand her current predicament.

Chapter 10



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Hey guys, thank you for your lovely comments on the last update. I was not able to respond to any of them unfortunately... but I value each and every little comment.
This update is dedicated to psarada, pixiegirl, Afya, Barun_Gf, TwilightStar_JP, IronButterfly, Nidsubh007, Sisbamboo1, Angel2001, deeswarna, PhenoixTears and dinku93. Your comments are truly especial!! 🤗

Vandy and Chits, they say distances make the heart grow fonder, no wonder I am so fond of you girls! ❤️

Authors Note: This is a happy note for me, because I am off for a much awaited holiday for over a week. And it is a sad note for you'll (I think), because the next update will be on 29th August 2013. I am going to be out of sight for a while, don't get me out of mind though! 😉

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