Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Rimjhim gire sawan, sulag sulag jaaye mann

Bhige aaj iss mausam main, lagee kaisee yeh agan... Rimjhim gire sawan

Jab ghunghru si bajatee hain bunde

Armaan hamare palke na munde

Kaise dekhe sapne nayan, sulag sulag jaaye mann

Bhige aaj iss mausam main, lagee kaisee yeh agan... Rimjhim gire sawan

Khushi stood by the window, looking at the rain falling mercilessly, flooding the empty streets of Dilerganj. It must have been sometime past two in the night, yet Khushi was wide awake. Payal had called at around mid-night, to let her know that she would be staying back at the office, due to the thundering rain and would return only in the morning. It was better that way, Khushi thought. She would prefer some solitude to find her bearings. It had been over a month since their return from Mumbai. She had submerged herself into writing the book, that was her dream. With constant support from Arnav and valuable guidance from Vandana, she had more or less finished it. Arnav's idea of taking a break for a few weeks, from her current job, had helped her concentrate and focus on finishing her writing. However, it wasn't as easy as she let people around her believe.

How could it be easy... when Arnav had still not brought up the topic of the ring... the one she had stumbled upon in Mumbai? Khushi had tried to school her emotions and divert her mind from that memory. However, the harder she tried to forget it, the tougher it became for her to let go. She could not help wondering... why had he bought the ring in the first place, if he had not intended to propose to her. It wasn't like she was dying to get married; still... it would have felt good to have an official' bond... fianc of Arnav Singh Raizada! Arnav seemed to be completely at ease in their current relationship. Nothing seemed to have changed for him. He was as caring, loving and supportive towards her... which made her wonder if she had imagined this whole ring business' in her head. An uneasy, choked feeling clogged her throat, her eyes brimming with those tears that she had tried to keep at bay for the last few weeks. However, today, she just let them flow... what was the point of keeping them within? Also, she had got her much-desired solitude today, and it was the best time to let out all the pent-up frustrations and emotions.

Mehfil me kaise keh de kisi se

Dil bandh raha hai kis ajnabee se

Haye kare abb kya jatan, sulag sulag jaye mann

Bhige aaj iss mausam main, lagee kaisee yeh agan

Rimjhim gire sawan, sulag sulag jaye mann

Bhige aaj iss mausam main, lagee kaisee yeh agan

The song was still playing on her music system, maybe reflecting the cascading rain outside or the emotional turmoil within her. Khushi walked into the kitchen to fill her plate with some jalebis, which she had picked up, on the way home. Arnav had texted her to inquire if Payal had returned home and she had lied. She did not want him to drive down in such weather and take her to his home. It just did not feel right, considering her current state of mind. She sat in front of her laptop and munched on the sugary delicacy. Her thoughts now wandered towards the book... her first piece of writing that she would actually want to publish. The articles that she had written so far were nothing in comparison to this big opportunity... and it was given to her so easily, only because of him. In the course of their relationship, he had done so much for her, her happiness and her dreams. How could she even doubt his intentions and love?

The plate full of jalebis was soon empty, as she pondered over all the beautiful moments she had shared with Arnav, the wonderful things he had done for her and how much he had come to mean to her. And just like that, a thought struck her hard... what had she done for him so far? Yes, she loved him, and her actions screamed of her love. However, had she ever tried to make him exceptionally happy... just like that? Khushi knew that such grand gestures were meaningless when measured against heartfelt emotions. However, when she felt happy with his surprises, would he not be equally thrilled, if she did something special for him? Thinking deeply about it, she snuggled into her duvet and fell into a peaceful slumber.

The morning brought a certain freshness along with it. The rain had subsided to a mere drizzle and Arnav was on Khushi's doorstep, sharp at 8.30 am. "Where is your Payalia, today? Don't tell me she is already at work, especially after her late night! I am telling you Khushi, please convince her to join AR. I will personally make sure she gets to spend a lot of time at home," Arnav went on with his barrage of questions. She fumbled around, clearing the mess and trying to avoid looking into his eyes. "Hmm... yes! She left pretty early," that's all she could mumble in reply. She walked from the kitchen holding a plate of steaming parathas for Arnav. "Eat without fussing Arnav and I shall be back in five minutes. I just need to collect a few books to return to the library." As Arnav took the plate from Khushi's hand, he pulled her closer with his other hand, and swiftly kissed her on the lips. "Good morning, angel," he whispered against her soft lips, tasting them like a starving soul.

Khushi blushed at his brazenness, pulled away from him and said in mock anger "Eat your breakfast, Arnav Singh Raizada, or Ananya aunty will yell at me for keeping her son hungry. She had called up last evening, telling me about how you have been skipping meals and running about to meet me for the Ashadaan project. I could only hmm' in response. How could I lie to her, about how much of Ashadaan work you really have been doing?" Arnav smirked at her, broke a piece of paratha and putting it promptly in his mouth, responded, "What can I do, Khushi? You have me wrapped around your little finger and there is no way, that I can remain away from you... even for a day." He took a slight pause, chewing the small morsel of the delicious paratha and joked, "By the way, these are delicious. Your future husband is a very lucky man." Khushi gasped at his words and rushed into her room, to hide her face from letting him know her thoughts.

She could not comprehend the implications of his words. In her current confused state, this only added to the chaos that engulfed her mind. She collected her laptop and some important papers, and quickly made her way out of the room. Calming her frazzled nerves, she smiled brightly at him and said, "Chalein?" He simply nodded, as he gulped down a glass of juice. They had almost made it to the door, when an extremely exhausted Payal walked in and said, "Hello! I am finally back!" It was a comical situation, as the three members present, looked at each other in varied expressions. Khushi looked at Arnav guiltily, he looked at her in shock and Payal looked at the two of them in confusion. It was finally Payal, who spoke again. "Aren't you two headed to work?" Arnav simply nodded in response and walked past them, straight to his car. Khushi gave a quick hug to Payal and trailed behind him, not knowing how she was going to deal with this entire situation. She was dreading being alone with him... would he be angry or would he be upset?

They drove in complete silence, Khushi sneaking a look or two at Arnav, who had his eyes focused on the road. Even though the traffic was at its peak, Arnav took a couple of shortcuts, which landed them on a lonely road. The moment Khushi noticed her surroundings; the car came to a halt. She turned to look at Arnav... his intense gaze making her tremble. He snapped his seatbelt and then hers; leaned towards her and cupped her face with such tenderness, that Khushi could only look at him in shock. She had braced herself for a sound tongue-lashing, but here he was... looking at her with so much love and gentleness that made her hate herself for thinking such mean thoughts. "Angel... what is wrong?" Arnav asked softly and when he did not get any response, he continued, "Why did you lie to me last night, Khushi? You think I haven't noticed your changed behavior, after our trip to Mumbai? I know something has been bothering you since then. The only reason I let it be, was because I wanted to give you some space and time to sort out things yourself. But it looks like, things have gotten really worse ... so much so, that you are now lying to me."

Khushi pulled her face away from his hands and looked outside the window, controlling the tears that threatened to fall from her eyelashes. She pressed the button to open the window and took in large gulps of fresh air, to control the tremble in her voice, before she spoke, "Arnav, I am sorry... for lying to you last night... but I just wanted to be alone for a while and I knew you would take me to Shantivan, had I told you, that Payal would be away for the night. It's just that, there is so much happening around me... too many changes, our relationship, this book that I am writing... everything seems like chaos. Please don't ask me anything more... just give me some time to sort out things in my head... Please..." Tears choked her and even before they rolled down her face, Arnav was there to wipe them away. "Hey, shhh... Shhh angel. Don't cry... it's ok... everything will be alright! I promise. You don't have to explain anything... just take your time but if there is a problem... promise me that you will come to me." He pulled her into a warm hug and she rested her head against his rapidly beating heart.

She didn't know how long she remained cocooned in his comforting arms, yet she knew that this was the only place she would ever want to be. As she reined in her haywire emotions, she pulled away and looking into his always-mesmerizing eyes she said simply, "I love you so much, Arnav." Khushi had not realized the depth of these words, until she spoke them out at this particular moment. In this instant she realized, that it did not matter to her, whether Arnav wanted to propose marriage or if he wanted to take their relationship to the next level... all that mattered to her, was her undying love for him. She realized the simple fact that no matter what the circumstances were, her love would not waver and in the end, that is all that mattered. She smiled at him brilliantly, lighting up his entire world within seconds. If he had any doubts or questions for her, he thought it better to be asked later. Today, she was going back to work after a long break, and it was best that she should focus on it rather than on whatever was bothering her.

Arnav drew up his car at her office driveway and even before she could unbuckle her seatbelt, he swooped down on her, taking her lips in a tender kiss. Thankfully, she did not hold back and kissed him back with equal fervor. Their bodies molding against each other heatedly, it was as if they were kissing after ages. Arnav was the one to pull away first, letting their heated bodies breathe in, much-needed oxygen. He rested his forehead against hers, taking in her flushed face, swollen lips and the most adorable blush spreading across her face. He straightened her hair; threading his fingers through them and said, "Go! Before I pull the car away from here and take you some place where I can ravish you." He admired the way her cheeks reddened even more, if that was possible. She smiled at him and jumped out of the car. He called out to her once more, "Khushi... I love you." Those three simple words and the look on his face, was enough for Khushi to forget all her insecurities and skip happily towards her office.

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The insistent ringing of the doorbell pulled Payal out of her bed. She walked towards the door in agitation to yell at whoever was on the other side of the door. "Are you cra..." however, her sentence remained incomplete, as she saw Sumer standing at her doorstep, grinning at her broadly. "Tch..tch...tch... Miss Payal Sharma! Is this how you welcome your guests?" Payal ran a hand through her messy hair and asked groggily, "What are you doing here at this time of the day? Don't you have any work?" He responded swiftly, "At least let me come inside Payal... you seriously are losing your manners..." He moved around her to walk inside, comfortably seating himself on the sofa and asked, "What am I supposed to do? You have been refusing my dinner invitations for the last two weeks and you have left me with no other option. I have got your favourite chopsuey from your favourite restaurant, China Gate- and thought that we might as well have lunch together." Payal gaped at him, thinking how could a guy be so persuasive and adorable at the same time.

Since the Mumbai trip, she had come very close to Sumer. In fact, he had become her 3 AM friend. She would call him for any sort of help she needed and he would oblige without a question. His flirtatious nature would always have her in splits and she could now take his flirting in a very casual manner. So when he had been asking her out on a dinner date, she had refused flippantly, thinking it to be one of his nonsensical jokes. But seeing him here, in her home, holding a takeaway of her favourite dish, she wondered where their friendship was heading. She shook her head in resignation, smiled and said, "Give me fifteen minutes, I shall be back after a quick shower." While she was almost at the door to her room she heard Sumer say, "Jaldi aana, darling! I am waiting..." She laughed at his craziness and thought, this man was going to drive her insane with his behavior.

She came into the living room, freshly showered, comfortable in her simple cotton salwar suit, to be surprised by the view in front of her. The table was neatly laid; four pretty flowers adorned a vase kept right in the center of the table and the delicious aroma of the chopsuey filled her nostrils. However, what made her heart skip a beat was the way, Sumer was looking at her. His eyes bored into her form, making her tremble with its intensity. She hadn't felt like this in ages. It had been a while, since someone actually did things for her... for her happiness. It felt good to be pampered and surprisingly, the control freak that she was, could get used to this way of life. She smiled at him warmly and settled into her chair, which he had swiftly drawn for her. Easy conversation and delicious food kept them company for the next few hours. As always, Payal did not even realize how time had flown, when she was with Sumer. As for the other person ... he was a total goner.

Sumer had no qualms in admitting that he had slowly and steadily fallen for Payal. He did not know the depth of his feelings yet, however, he knew that this attraction and pull was like none other. It wasn't just physical. He liked spending time with Payal, discussing various things, making plans, laughing and making her laugh, teasing her, admiring her and sometimes just doing nothing... sitting silently besides each other. He had definitely realized that, he would like to be more than just friends'... that is, if Ms. Payal Sharma agreed to it. He had been on this mission since last week and finally, he was breaking through her guarded exterior. As he watched her laugh at something he had said, those few tendrils of the long, luxuriant hair, that framed her face mesmerized him. He had been itching to tenderly tuck them behind her ear, brushing his fingers casually across her soft cheek. A smack on his arm got him out of his reverie and the two continued their easy conversation... as time stood still.

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Arnav stood near his office window, lost in thoughts of a certain Khushi Kumari Gupta. Something had definitely changed between them, after the Mumbai trip. He was uncertain about what was bothering his angel. He wondered whether he had said something or done something unintentionally to hurt her. Even though she tried to behave normally around him, he could sense her unease. Her mind was perpetually diverted and she was lost in her own thoughts, most of the time. In Mumbai, he had been very close to proposing marriage to her. However, he was glad that he had not rushed up, into something like that. Their relationship required some time... especially Khushi. He was glad that her book was almost finished and Vandy seemed extremely thrilled with the outcome. Things were looking positive for her career , and he preferred to go with the flow.

His thoughts were then diverted to Ashadaan, Khushi's home. He had been extremely diligent when it came to the restructuring of this project. Thankfully, things had gone smoothly and swiftly, they had expanded the small orphanage to an all-rounded children's development organization. He was looking forward to the upcoming picnic that Khushi had been planning along with his mother. In about two weeks, when the monsoon would finally fade away, they had planned on a small outing, with all the Ashadaan children. Maybe this outing would finally help to relax Khushi's restless mind. It would be a good distraction and then maybe, he could speak to his Maa, about Khushi. He was pretty sure Nani and Maa, already had an inkling of their relationship. However, it would be better to formalize it and seek the blessings of their elders. This last thought brought a huge smile on his face as he turned toward his work-desk, whereon lay a huge pile of files that he still hadn't touched.

PRECAP:

Khushi was nervous, fidgety, anxious and terribly scared. This was going to be a huge step for her. Her main concern was, how would Arnav react? What was he going to say? What would he think? She steeled herself against whatever the outcome would be. She knew one thing for sure... that she wanted to do this... for him... for them... because she was truly, madly, deeply in love with Arnav Singh Raizada.

Chapter 26

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Hello my lovelies,

I am finally back from my break. Things are much better now and hoping that they stay that way. Thank you everyone for your wishes and constant support. IF is a place that has given me so many lovely friends who just make things right, when everything in the world is going against you. Thank you for your patience with this story and I hope to update it once every week till the finish... which should be about 8-9 more chapters. Hope you'll haven't forgotten Peek-a-boo and Me! This chapter is dedicated to each one of you who has been with me, through my journey as a writer! Love you'll!! 🤗