Chapter 14

My lovely friends,

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments on the last chapter. I had made a New Year resolution of thanking each one personally, but I guess I broke it the first time itself. Sorry!! Had too many stories to edit and post... par next time pakka promise.

This chapter is dedicated to vandana.sagar, nishu_shorna, Afya, Arshi67, aashi12, KKKA, Javeria3991, 1chilly, rubikjules, SPraba, IronButterfly, TwilightStar_JP, A_BA, Divyahet, kondhili, sincereme, AnupamaJY, PhenoixTears, sunitikapoor, shruti46, Barun_Gf, psarada, Chandni.., coolpd93, kooldewdrop... for your lovely and encouraging comments that make me smile... all the while. Thank you for taking out a little extra time from your busy AD's, to comment in detail on each update. Muah! 🤗

For those who might have missed out on a couple of stories I posted yesterday...

Arhi OS : Love Unspoken

Arhi Three Shot : Seashores and Seashells

Chapter 14:

Sunday morning was complete chaos at one particular house in Dilerganj. Khushi had not been able to sleep all night and she had conveniently kept her friend awake too. So, that morning, two grumpy women sat at the breakfast table, munching on some toast and garam masala chai. "Khushi, I look like a chudail... thanks to you!" Payal grumbled. Khushi giggled and said, "Well, it is all your fault anyways, Paayalia... had you not convinced me to go to this party, we would have been happily snoring in bed." Khushi stuck out her tongue at Payal, and ran to the kitchen, grabbing their empty teacups, before Payal could throw a cushion at her.

The last couple of days had gone by in a frenzy. While Arnav was busy with the preparations of the party, Khushi had been extremely anxious and also bogged down with a lot of work. She had been thankful to her boss though, who had kept her working on Saturday till late, as her wayward mind did not have the time to wander into unwanted territories. She had only spoken to Arnav when he had the time to call, knowing very well how busy he was, handling both his work and the party preparations. Even though work had kept her busy, every free moment brought all the nervousness crashing down on her. Payal had tried hard to calm her frazzled mind, yet something just did not feel right. It was probably the thought of attending a Raizada party, which would make it to the Page 3 of Delhi Times'. Even though she had attended a lot of media parties before, she was skeptical about this one. She was a friend of the host...a host, who was one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. How were they going to deal with this situation?? With all the attention they were sure to garner?? Especially when he had promised that he would not leave her side throughout.

Looking at herself in the mirror for the last time, Khushi walked out into the hall where she saw Payal and Akash waiting for her. She smiled at them warmly, and was relieved to see Akash smile back at her. She had noticed how strangely he behaved around her, these days. He was silent most of the times... and if he did ever speak, he would talk to Payal. She wondered if she had hurt him unintentionally or something was bothering him. After this party was out of the way, she would focus on Akash and get back to their old warmth. However, at the moment her thoughts were centered on a man, who she knew was waiting for her desperately. As the trio got into Akash's car, Khushi took the front seat as usual and looked out of the window. She somehow had a feeling that this party was going to be a turning point in her life... however, what she did not know was that, this party was going to be a turning point for more people than just her.

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Shantivan was decorated gracefully. The white and sky-blue drapes, the white and blue orchids and the shimmering fairy lights, were spectacularly put together to beautify one of the grandest mansions in Delhi. After all, it was the 30^th wedding anniversary of one of the loveliest couples in Delhi. And their debonair son, stood in front of the huge mirror in his room. Straightening his navy-blue Armani suit, Arnav wondered if he looked dapper enough to leave a certain Khushi Kumari Gupta, speechless. She was all that he could think of these days. He had missed talking to her in the last couple of days...her carefree chatter, her glorious laughter and her rosy blush...he had missed everything about her, dammit! And especially after realizing the depth of his feelings for her, it was becoming difficult to keep them to himself. His anxiousness to know what she felt about him was making him uneasy. Today too, had been a hectic day. Looking into the last minute preparations had left Arnav feeling tired and frustrated. He had not even bothered to ask her, if he should send his car to pick her and Payal up from Dilerganj. He mentally kicked himself for it, and looked at his watch that showed it was almost 7 in the evening.

That morning at the Raizada household had been a devotional one... as Nani had held a small havan for the couple. A lavish lunch had followed, where Sumer and Anjali had entertained the family with their non-stop chatter. Arnav had gifted his parents a two-week holiday to Australia. He knew how hard they had worked to give Anjali and himself, all the best opportunities in the world, giving up their own simple needs. Now when he had taken over most of the workload from his father, it was time for them to enjoy their life, travel the world and spend some time with each other. Ananya had been touched by his gesture, and had kissed his forehead saying, "My son has grown up now. Looks like we will soon have to find a good girl, who can take over my responsibilities too." Arnav's heart had raced at this simple statement, while Sumer had whistled in excitement and teased him along with Anjali. All he had thought of was, Khushi... and said mentally... soon, very soon.

The guests had started arriving, and Arnav scanned the grand hall to look at his parents. Ajay Singh Raizada had his arm draped over his beautiful wife's shoulder, as they chatted away merrily with some friends. It warmed Arnav's heart to see them so much in love... in spite of how much they had to go through to arrive at this stage in life. The compromises, the separation of weeks... due to work, the fights over children's needs, the differences in opinion over sending children away for studies... everything seemed so miniscule in comparison to the love they shared. He smiled tenderly and walked over to Sumer, who was entertaining a few of their friends. Sumer was always the entertainer, the life of a party, making everyone around him comfortable. Arnav was glad that Sumer was around, to help him break the ice and host this lovely party. The only thing that he waited for now was the arrival of his angel. He wondered if he should call her once... or at least send in a message to ask whether she and Payal had left for the party, but some work or the other had diverted his attention.

As the party began in full swing, the hall of Shantivan was alive with laughter, happiness and non-stop chatter. The flash of cameras made their appearance periodically, while the gossipmongers grouped together, to enjoy their share of the party. Arnav stood at the bar, along with Sumer and his college gang, chatting about their good old college days. "Dude, you are going to be dead today... if your Khushi is going to look like that throughout the party, then the world is going to know how you feel about her," Sumer patted Arnav's back and pointed towards the door. Arnav stood, stunned into silence. Khushi was here! Amidst the crowd of family and friends gathered... as if through a haze, all he could see was the vision in green. An emerald green flowing dress fitted perfectly to her curves, her silky hair left loose to dance around her beautiful face. The dazzling emerald earrings, added a shimmering glow to her luminous eyes. How was he going to survive this...? Green is all he could see... as a tall, geeky looking guy held her hand and brought her into the hall. Was this the AR... whom Khushi always mentioned?

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The drive to Shantivan had been extremely long and torturous for Khushi. She kept fidgeting with her dupatta, anxious about what was going to happen in the next few hours. However, she was glad to have Payal and Akash by her side. She glanced over at AR and wondered for the umpteenth time, what had gone wrong with their friendship. Exactly at that moment, he looked at her and she noticed a flash of hurt and pain in his eyes. Before she could make out if it was for real, he looked away, leaving Khushi even more confused. Payal noticed the silent communication that had passed between her two friends, and she conveniently began talking about her new line of clothes, diverting their attention and thus easing the tension that seemed might explode sometime soon. As they parked their car outside Raizada Mansion, Payal received a call from her Creative Director. She urged Akash and Khushi to go ahead, as she wanted to take a little time, to clear some deadline confusion. Just when the two had reached the entrance, Akash looked at a visibly nervous Khushi and held her hand to comfort her.

That is exactly, how Arnav had seen Akash for the first time... holding his angel's hand. That green monster called jealousy had overcome his heart, as he quickly made his move through the crowd, his eyes focused only on one beautiful face... Khushi's. As soon as Akash saw Arnav Singh Raizada striding towards Khushi and him, he felt her hand struggling to be free from his own. Hurt seared through his heart, to see the excitement and happiness on Khushi's face... at only one glimpse of Arnav. He wondered if he had made a mistake by accepting Payal's request to accompany them to this party. When Arnav had called him up and introduced himself, Akash had had the urge to tell him to back off and keep away from Khushi. However, good sense had prevailed and Payal's warning had resonated in his ears... Don't jeopardize your friendship with Khushi. Knowing her, she will go into a shell with you.' That was the last thing he would want... to lose Khushi. Even her friendship meant the world to him, and thus, he had accepted Arnav's invitation. However now, looking at Arnav and Khushi together, he realized how difficult the next few hours were going to be.

Arnav pulled Khushi by her waist and not bothering about people around him, gave a quick peck on her cheek and whispered in her ear, "You look gorgeous, Khushi. Yeh colour tum pe itna bhi bura nahi lagta." Khushi blushed at his open flirting, embarrassed at being kissed in front of AR and worriedly thought, if this was how the party began... how was it going to end? Arnav straightened, looking directly at an uncomfortable Akash and said briskly, "Hi, I am Arnav Singh Raizada. It's finally great to meet you and I am glad you could come to the party." Akash nodded solemnly and replied, "Hi Arnav, I am Akash Roy and it's good to meet you too." Khushi sensed the heated undercurrents between the two and wondered what was really happening, only to be cut in by a hyper and always friendly Sumer. "Hey, Khushi! You are finally here, and wow! Look at you... you look stunning. Is it another of Payal Sharma's specials?? Arnav, I am telling you, we have to get our hands on Ms Payal. She is..." His non-stop blabber was cut short by a fuming Payal, who stood beside Akash glaring at Sumer.

"What do you mean by getting your hands on me?" Payal was visibly fuming with anger, while Akash put a hand over her shoulder to calm her down. Sumer did not miss this small gesture and noticed how quickly Payal had calmed down after it. He wondered whether there was something brewing between the two... and a sudden feeling of sadness, crept into his heart. The meeting of all these people together was looking highly explosive. As Arnav pulled Khushi along with him, Sumer followed him quickly, not wanting to show his inner turmoil, while giving one last glance at a delectable Payal. Payal held Akash's hand, comforting him, while he looked at Arnav and Khushi wistfully...mingling amongst the crowd. The complications between their relationships had just begun.

Khushi greeted Ananya and Ajay warmly, taking blessings from them and Naniji. She looked around as everyone hugged and air-kissed to wish them. She had just begun to step away from the family, when she collided with his hard, muscular chest... feeling his hand going around her slim waist steadying her. "Why don't you give them the gift you have brought, Khushi?" Arnav huskily murmured into her ear. She stood for a moment, taking in the warmth from him, convincing herself that her gift was not as stupid and inexpensive as she thought. Just then Ananya came over to her and said happily, "Is that a gift for us Khushi? Why did you not give it to us earlier beta?" Khushi quietly handed over the small gift to her and replied nervously, "Aunty... this is from me and all the children at Ashadaan. It is made by them and I thought it was the best thing I could gift you and uncle." Ananya opened the gift-wrapped box, to reveal a beautiful papier-mch idol of Khushi's favourite Devi Maiyya'... painted and decorated with glitter colours. Ananya could not stop gushing about how beautiful it was, very soon to be joined in by Nani to appreciate the idol. Arnav reveled in the sight of the three beautiful women in his life... chatting away merrily.

"Khushi bitiya, why don't you go and place this idol in our Mandir? Arnav, go and show her the way," Nani instructed Khushi. As both of them walked towards the in-house temple, a lot of curious glances were thrown their way by the people gathered... especially some very jealous women. A man, who was the talk of the gossip columns, was being seen with an unknown face. They wanted to know more about this mysterious girl, and wondered if she was the daughter of some NRI. It was a rather filmy situation for Khushi's filmy heart, when she and Arnav placed the idol together, besides the huge idol of the same Goddess. The strange flutter of emotions and the crazy speed, at which her heart raced, was all because of the conveniently smirking man besides her. "Stop staring, Arnav. You are making me feel uncomfortable," Khushi spoke under her breath... blushing at the intensity of his gaze. He pulled her close to himself and whispered, "The way you look tonight, Khushi... you aren't making me feel comfortable either. I can't keep my hands off you... my eyes cannot stop staring at you." He touched his forehead to hers and said, "Yeh tumne mere saath kya kar diya, Khushi!!" She blushed some more... at their proximity... at his heartfelt admission of his feelings. Things were changing rapidly between them, but she could not forget where they were. If someone saw them in this scandalous position, things could go completely wrong. She pushed him away lightly, to make her way back into the party.

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Payal had just walked towards the bar, to get Akash and herself a couple of drinks. With Khushi gone away with Arnav, she had managed to stop Akash from storming out of the party. She had told him that they would linger around for an hour and would then leave together. She herself was not comfortable in a party, where she had to watch Sumer flirt around with random girls. As if on cue, Sumer walked towards the bar, along with a hot girl to get her a drink. Payal tried to ignore him... but Sumer was never one to keep to himself. "Hey Payal, I hope you and your boyfriend... oops, I mean friend are enjoying the party," Sumer asked coolly, hiding the uneasiness that he had been feeling, ever since he had seen the camaraderie between Akash and Payal. She looked at him and replied without any emotion, "Yes, we are. Thank you, Sumer. And he is my friend... not boyfriend. Unlike you, I do not flirt with every guy I meet."

She looked over at the girl, who was clinging onto Sumer's arm with disgust on her face. Sumer chuckled at Payal's reaction and quickly asked the question, which had been nagging him for months now. "Payal, what is your problem with me? Why do you keep getting annoyed with me all the time? Is it because you actually have a crush on me and don't want me to flirt with all these beautiful ladies? Or is it because I don't flirt with you anymore?" he winked at her and moved a little closer to her, prying himself away from his clinging companion. Payal looked at him, her eyes flashing in anger. He was shocked at the pain and hurt he saw there, and wondered if she really was in love with him and if he had been blind not to notice it before. His thoughts, however, were soon crushed, as Payal replied back icily "Dream on, Mr. Sumer Diwan! I would never fall for a guy like you. A flirt... a heart-breaker... who would walk away from one woman to another, without looking behind at the damage he would have caused to the woman, whom he had just left." She paused for a few seconds and picking up her drinks from the counter, said, "You are just like your cousin... Shyam!" Without looking back at Sumer's distraught face, she walked away into the crowd... away, from revealing anything more of her torturous past.

If Sumer had been confused earlier, he was upset now. Had Payal just compared him, to his evil cousin... Shyam? A man he could not stand! Shyam was notorious for his unruly ways. A rich spoilt brat, with a number of police complaints filed against him... a playboy. Sumer wondered how Payal knew him. As that thought crossed his mind, an unfamiliar anger surged through his veins. Had Shyam misbehaved with Payal? Had he hurt her in any way? She was a warm person at heart and was extremely polite to everyone around... except maybe, with him. Did she really find him similar to Shyam? Had he ever misbehaved with her? All these questions were making him feel fuzzy, when his beautiful company tapped him on his shoulder. He politely excused himself and walked over to the kitchen, to grab a bar of chocolate... that always managed to cheer him up. He really had to get to the bottom of this and clear Payal's misunderstanding. He did not really know why, but he could not see an upset Payal. Her eyes that had been filled with hurt and pain... were not going to let him sleep in peace.

PRECAP:

Arnav pushed aside the curtain of long, lustrous hair that was annoying him at the moment, as they hid her beautiful face. However, one look into those hazel orbs shattered his heart. Why was she crying? Her luminous eyes, were brimming with unshed tears. The beautiful poolside suddenly lost its charm and he tried to make her look at him. Holding her chin tenderly he asked, "Kya hua, Khushi? Why are you crying?" As she turned away once again, without replying, he completely lost his cool. He held her by the shoulders and turned her around roughly. "Main tumhe kuch pooch raha hoon, Khushi. Answer me dammit!"

Chapter 15

Vandanaji and Chitraji... you have to always grace my every update. 😛