Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It had been almost a week since Khushi's accident. She had been under house arrest, and Payal, Akash and Arnav had taken turns to take care of her. Payal had been extremely tied down with the upcoming fashion show, and hence, had to go to work almost everyday. So the two men had taken it upon themselves, to stay home with Khushi. As usual, she had scoffed at the very idea in the first place, proclaiming that she was not a child who needed support to get around, in her own house. However, there was no point arguing with the businessman, Arnav Singh Raizada, especially since he had struck a deal with her, saying that she would get her dhanno back, only if she agreed to all his instructions for the next few weeks. So, here she sat, being fed lunch by Arnav.

Arnav fed her the khichadi, which his mother had sent, especially for Khushi. His family had been worried about her too and had insisted on his taking home-cooked food for her. Payal would cook up a meal, on the days, that Akash spent with Khushi. Howmuchever uncomfortable the situation was for Akash, Khushi's well-being was the topmost priority for him. It anyway, was not something new as he had been taking care of Khushi for years now. The only difference was that the discomfort of seeing Arnav and Khushi together, was increasing, day-by-day. And, if he guessed right, then, Arnav too was not comfortable with him being close to Khushi. So, he had maintained a good distance from her, when Arnav was around. Life had got caught in a complicated web of relationships.

"Hmmm... bas Arnav! You have fed me enough for two," Khushi pushed away Arnav's hand, which held another spoonful of Khichadi. Arnav chuckled at her adorable pout and said, "Khushi, we will get to that moment at some point in our lives... of me feeding you for two... par itni jaldi hai kya?" Khushi gasped, as he teased her openly about getting pregnant. She smacked him on his chest, and tried to get up from bed, only to be stopped by him, "What do you want, angel? Just tell me." "I want to use the washroom," she replied hesitantly, only to be picked up in his strong arms and carried to the bathroom. They spent the entire day chatting, watching TV and reading for a while. In the evening, Khushi was resting peacefully on Arnav's shoulder, when the doorbell rang and in walked the wild tornado called Sumer.

Sumer had brought along with him lots of stories and dher sari hassi. Khushi's stomach hurt, laughing at the crazy childhood stories of these two best friends. It had been Arnav's plan all along, to get Sumer to meet Khushi. Of course, it was just an excuse, the main agenda being to help Sumer talk to Payal, to clear her misunderstanding. Payal had come home early too, not knowing that Sumer was around. She had made a quick escape to the kitchen, with the excuse of cooking dinner. Akash was away on a business trip, thus, leaving the four of them to themselves. Arnav signaled Sumer to go and speak to Payal. He had noticed the sad face of his best friend for the past week, and it really was too much to handle. Arnav had realized that Sumer was much more serious about Payal, than he let on... with time, hopefully, everything would fall into place. Sumer had a lot of work cut out for himself, to change Payal's perception about him.

"Wait... let me help you." Sumer moved forward, trying to take the tray from Payal's hand, however, she refused. "It's fine. I can manage," she replied curtly. Having Sumer in her house was more than Payal could deal with... and now; he was trying to help her out with serving food. The ease with which he had made himself comfortable in their house for the last few hours... his jokes, his quirkiness making Arnav and Khushi laugh out loud... was making her uncomfortable. His question broke her reverie, "Why do you think I am like Shyam, Payal? And how do you know him?" She was stunned at his brazenness and refused to answer him. Sumer knew, it was time to use his trump card and said, "Fine, don't answer... I will have to ask Khushi. I am sure she wil..." "No! Please don't speak to her about Shyam," Payal's pleading voice left him stunned.

"Khushi knows nothing about Shyam. Don't speak to her about it," Payal mumbled almost inaudibly. Sumer for the first time saw the strong and bold faade of Payal crumble in front of him. The defensive walls that she had built around herself, seemed to lie shattered around her feet. He looked at an innocent girl, who seemed to be haunted by a past tragedy, and this was what probably made her so biased towards him. At that very moment, Sumer decided to ease all those worry lines, that marred her beautiful face and make her smile... just like he did, to the rest of the world. She deserved to laugh... more than anyone else. He took a couple of steps towards her and said, "Payal... Don't worry. I will not speak to Khushi about Shyam, if you don't want me to. But I really need to know what that b*****d has done to actually make you hide all of it from Khushi, too! I hate him as much, and cannot even bear to be compared to him... so please... Will you come out with me for a coffee this week? Let's talk it out and get this hatred out of our way."

The sincerity with which Sumer spoke, took Payal's breath away. For the first time since they had met, she wondered if she had misjudged him. There was something about the way he spoke about Shyam, which made her realize that somehow, Sumer hated him as much as she did. Keeping the hatred and hurt, bottled up within her for years, had taken a toll on her. There were times that she had wanted to tell Akash and Khushi about it, and yet, had refrained from giving in to that strong urge. She did not want them to judge her... maybe, she was being distrustful... and she had not been able to open up to them. However, with Sumer there was no fear of living up to any expectations, and she would be a fool to let go this opportunity, that might lessen this burden, which had lain suppressed in her heart for years now. "Okay. Let's meet tomorrow... after work," she said curtly, as she walked passed him, carrying the bowl of dal towards the dining table.

Sumer could not stop himself from doing a small little jig... in jubilation of Payal's acceptance of his offer. He abruptly halted, when he saw that Payal had turned around to look at him. He was caught in an awkward moment, much to his embarrassment... yet, the dazzling smile that crossed her lips then, made everything worth it. He knew that he was venturing into dangerous territory, and the journey was not going to be an easy one. However, he felt the strong urge to take away all of Payal's worries and make her see the real him. He didn't know if he was going to be successful in this endeavor... but he would be damned, if he did not even try. He composed himself and walked out, carrying a few dishes and spoons.

Arnav noticed the happy face of his friend; it wasn't like the one he had been seeing for the last one week. It was not a pretence... it was for real, and that made him really happy. As the four of them sat chatting over dinner, Khushi asked the question that she had been wanting to, all day. "When do I get to meet dhanno, Arnav? It has been a week, since I have agreed to all your crazy demands. I have taken a break from work, I have rested when you have asked me to, I have eaten every boring soup that Payal has cooked and I have let you carry me around the whole of Dilerganj... inspite of me not being in agreement, with all of these conditions." Khushi's mock-anger made Arnav chuckle, but her angry glare made him hold back from laughing out loud. "Khushi, you still cannot walk by yourself for a week, and it will take at least two more weeks for you to be able to travel on your own. So, tomorrow morning, I will drop you to work and then, back here. This week, I will be taking you home too... Maa wants to discuss something related to Ashadaan. At that time, you can meet your dhanno... happy?"

Khushi was not really happy being parted from her favourite vehicle, however, the concern Arnav showed towards her, made her forget everything else. Even though Payal and Akash had always been there for her, the connection she felt with Arnav was completely different - more like she had a right to demand, a sense of "ownership". She had loved being pampered this last week. Seeing the great Arnav Singh Raizada do odd jobs for her, reveling in his care and falling asleep on his shoulder every night... gave her a feeling of fulfillment. For the first time in her life, she felt complete... he completed her in ways, that she had never imagined. As the dishes were cleared and it was time for Arnav to go home, Sumer and Payal walked out to the verandah, to give Arnav and Khushi some privacy.

"Don't go," Khushi said sulking cutely. Arnav could not resist the sweet temptation his angel offered, and he bent down to kiss her soft lips. It had been a week full of hugs and kisses and yet, he could not get enough of her. She had become an insane addiction to him. All he could think of, through the nights and days... was her. Pulling her closer towards him, he made sure not to hurt her injured hand and dropped moist kisses across her jaw and neck. She was so innocent, so delicious... Arnav wondered how he was going to keep himself away from her. With great self-control, he pulled himself away and looked into her desire-filled eyes. Touching his forehead to hers, he mumbled... "I love you, angel... and before you ask... I promise to tell you the angel story' tomorrow, when I pick you up from work. Tell Payal, we shall be dining out, okay?" He placed a swift kiss on her open mouth and tucked the comforter snugly, around her. Giving her one last goodnight kiss, he unwillingly left for home.

--------------------------------------------------

As decided, Arnav was outside their home, at 8.30 am sharp, to pick Khushi up... and he did that, literally! Much to Khushi's embarrassment, he picked her up and dropped her right upto her desk in office. The whole office had gathered to steal a look at the famous Arnav Singh Raizada. It was the biggest piece of juicy gossip for their newspaper. However, the businessman Arnav had different plans. He entered the editor's office and had a lengthy conversation cum business deal with him. He promised to give the titillating details of AR Designs and their latest collections or shows to them, in return for keeping his and Khushi's relationship a secret. He also extracted a promise from Khushi's boss that he would not make her stay back in office till late, for at least a month and not to pressurize her with too much work. If Khushi was to request to work from home, it should be approved or he would be more than happy to take over this publication house.

For the first time, Khushi realized, what she had gotten herself into. Being Arnav Singh Raizada's girlfriend had its pros and cons. Suddenly, the entire staff was extremely friendly and cordial to her. The women in the office tried to be over-sweet and clung to her at every given opportunity. Not only the juniors, but her boss too had taken a sudden liking to her articles. She wondered what Arnav had said to her boss, and decided to ask him in the evening. There was a meeting of the group heads, and things suddenly seemed to be going really well in the office, while she had become an overnight celebrity. She disliked this fake attention and sham atmosphere. She wondered if people would respect her only because she was ASR's girlfriend... and she would lose her identity of Khushi Kumari Gupta? Things were changing in her life at lightning speed and were overwhelming her completely.

--------------------------------------------------

Samaa hain suhaana suhaana,
nashe mein jahaan hain
Kisi ko kisi ki,
khabar hi kaha hain
Har dil mein dekho,
mohabbat jawaan hain...

The scintillating melody, drifted through the Ferrari. Khushi relaxed in the passenger seat of the car, looking outside the window. The beautiful song soothed her heart balancing out the effect that his hand was causing on her wrist. It had now become a habit for Arnav, to hold her one hand in his own while driving. As promised, Arnav was taking her out to dinner... again to one of his favourite fine-dining restaurants. She sighed in resignation and looked at him... expecting an answer to the question, that she had been asking him for a week. "Arnav, you had promised to tell me what this angel story' is about," she asked, giving him her best pleading look. Arnav looked over at her and smiled. Pulling his hand away from hers, he raised it to brush his fingers across her cheeks. He wondered how she managed to look so stunning, even at the end of a tiring day. He again held her hand and kissed her knuckles softly.

"Hmmm... Khushi... my angel... Do you remember the first time we met?" She nodded while remembering the Ashadaan incident and he continued, "Well, that was not exactly the first time I had seen you." She looked at him puzzled, as he revealed the story of the first time he had encountered his angel. Khushi listened to him with rapt attention, surprised at the depth of his feelings from the moment; he had laid his eyes on her. She had wondered about this all the time... that a handsome, rich and intelligent guy like Arnav Singh Raizada... who could possibly make any girl dance to his tunes... was wandering along the streets of Dilerganj, feeding her gol gappes. What had she done to deserve him and his love?

Last week, after the accident, when they had arrived home, Payal had confronted Arnav about the pictures published in Delhi Times. Khushi had been shocked to see herself in it. Moreover, seeing so many pictures of Arnav with various other girls had made her more insecure and worried. Once she had looked closely at them, she had realized that other than with her, he had not been the one to initiate a hug or a kiss. After what they had gone through in the past twenty-four hours... from the passionate first kiss to the bold declaration of love, there was no room for doubt, about his intentions. She had seen the fear, the pain and the concern in his eyes... that was solely for her. Even though Arnav had wanted to explain his side of the story to Payal, Khushi had ensured that it wasn't required. She trusted him, which was one of the most important things in love. Thankfully, Payal had let the topic go, seeing the love that shone between the two.

As they walked slowly through the lobby of ITC Maurya towards the Lucknowi cuisine restaurant, Dum Pukht, Arnav held Khushi by her waist, helping her walk. She had refused to be lifted up, at least in public. She felt it was foolish to grab attention this way, and wanted to keep their relationship as clandestine as possible. He had relented to her tiny demand and yet held her intimately, not wanting to let go of her, even for a moment. As they settled comfortably and placed their orders, Khushi looked around the lavish setting of the place. The huge chandeliers that adorned the ceiling, the beautiful gardens outside which were illuminated by dazzling lights, and the handsome man who sat right across her... everything was just perfect.

Khushi had slowly started to feel comfortable in his world. She was proud of the way people respected Arnav, they way they admired him and the aura that his presence had. The only thing that she was not able to adjust to was the appreciative glances that women threw at him. Every time a woman so much as even looked at him, the possessiveness and jealousy she felt, shook her to the core. These were extremely intense and new feelings for her and maybe, they stemmed from the insecurity that she felt in such lavish surroundings. She knew it would be a while before she could actually relax in such places and enjoy the surroundings. However, the man in question was oblivious to her emotional chaos, and was busy admiring the beauty in front of him.

Khushi was stunning, beautiful, smart, innocent, funny, adorable and everything he had ever wanted. He was madly and irrevocably in love with her... only if she realized the power she had over him. He could not get enough of kissing her, touching her and he wondered how he was going to take things slowly between them. Their chemistry was like a livewire, always ready to electrocute his soul. He did not want to scare her with his over-zealous desire. Thankfully, her hurt leg had helped him to remain careful around her in the last one week. However, once she got better, he was going to have a hard time keeping himself from getting more intimate with her. As they ate the delicious food quietly, he marveled at how such silences with her were so comforting. He had never believed in love at first sight... until he had met her, and that thought really made him happy. The staunch business-minded ASR was madly in love with a lovely, innocent Khushi... his angel.

The drive back home was filled with Khushi's non-stop chatter about how Payal was preparing for her upcoming fashion show. She had seen some of the designs, and was sure that even AR could not match up to that level. Arnav admitted that Payal would have been an asset to AR Designs, had she accepted his offer. Khushi then went on telling Arnav about the story, that she had almost finished writing. He had demanded that she share the rough draft with him, so he could judge her writing skills himself. However, he had a completely different plan of action forming in his head. As Arnav dropped Khushi home, she was surprised to see that Payal was not back yet. He made the most of it by kissing her repeatedly, till she was a puddle of mush, as he tucked her in bed. Arnav walked out of her home, starting the engine, pulling the car out of the driveway... when he was pleasantly surprised to see Sumer's car pull up, through his rear-view mirror. Payal stepped out of it, and saying a quick goodbye, headed inside. Things surely seemed to be on the right track for his best friend, and Arnav made a mental note to check with Sumer about it.

PRECAP:

The cafeteria was particularly small, and the location made it not very accessible. Payal noticed that barely a few tables were occupied and they seemed to be seated at a secluded corner, overlooking the beautiful lake. "Payal, what would you like to have?" Sumer asked courteously, knowing the discomfort, that Payal was going through. He knew she disliked him, and sharing a deep secret with your "enemy", was going to be tough for her. He admired her courage and the faith that she had shown in him, and respected the fact that she had actually agreed to have coffee with him.

Chapter 19

--------------------------------------------------

Hey guys, first of all I am extremely sorry for the slight delay and also for not being able to respond to all your lovely comments. I am going to try to be punctual for the next chapter and update it on Thursday.

This chapter is dedicated two of my lovely friends, pixiegirl and psarada. Geeta, I was so thrilled to read your comment on the last chapter... its so good to see you back! Your comments always inspire me to write better. Thank you for the constant support throughout. And Sharada, your excitement for this story is so infectious... that I somehow enjoy writing it even more. Thank you for your words of encouragement. Muah! 🤗

You can send me a buddy request if you want PM's for future updates.