Chapter 36
[MEMBERSONLY]
Chapter 36: Arrangements
This new thread is all thanks to your unfading love that you all have shown for this story. Thank you for each and every Like and Comment that you all have showered on me so far. This story is taking a new turn and I am so glad that you are supporting me for it.😊 Hope I don't disappoint you with the direction in which I am progressing with this story right now...
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Arnav got up next morning to find Khushi sleeping peacefully with her back towards him. Her head was resting on his one arm and his other arm was around her waist but she didn't seem to mind it. He raised himself a little and watched her sleeping for sometime remembering last night. How she had looked for comfort in him and how she had pleaded for him to believe her. He cursed himself again. If he had believed her back then, she wouldn't have been so insecure today.
Very gently he moved her head on the pillow and got up. He freshened up and went for his usual jog. When he returned he saw that Khushi was still sleeping which was a bit strange as every day she would normally be up and ready by now. But after last night she was surely in shock and anyways it was a weekend so she could sleep for some more time.
He moved to the wardrobe to get his clothes to have a bath when he heard her gasp and turned. Khushi was sitting on the bed with her eyes wide open, breathing hard. He instantly moved forward and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.
"Khushi? Are you alright?" He asked softly.
She closed her eyes trying to calm herself and nodded.
He waited for her breathing to come back to normal and gave her some water. There was an awkward silence for a moment and he withdrew his arm from around her.
"I'm sorry I think I fell asleep in the car last night." Khushi hesitated realising that Arnav must have brought her to their room in his arms.
"It's Okay. You needed to rest after what happened." They both were quiet for a few moments and then Khushi raised her eyes to his face, "Khushi... I... I-I'm sorry." He said looking back into her eyes.
She was a little surprised by the honesty and sincerity in his eyes. She wondered why he was apologising this time, there were so many things between them for which he had already apologised and yet there were many for which he hadn't. So she was a little confused about why he was saying sorry this time.
He read the questions in her eyes and spoke, "I am sorry I didn't trust you back then. I am sorry for believing the wrong person instead of you. I am sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain. I am sorry for what I did to you that..."
"Please, Stop!" Khushi stood up suddenly turning away from him.
He stood up too wanting her to say something.
She sucked in a deep breath, "Arnav you did not trust me then, do you know... what you did last night... the way you stood up for me... I had expected you to do it two years ago on that evening... after all what we had shared back then was much more than a professional relationship..."
"Khushi... I know I..."
"It's Okay Arnav, you've already said what you wanted to." She interrupted him. "Can you do me a favour now?"
"Anything you want... just say it..." He agreed immediately wanting to help.
"Arnav I think we have discussed enough about that incident. If possible never mention it between us." She requested. "I want to think about it as less as possible so let's not have any reminders by discussing it."
"I won't." He promised.
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After freshening up Khushi went to check on Payal. She saw the Doctor was just leaving after examining her. Akash asked Khushi to wait by her side while he sees off the Doctor.
"Jiji how are you? What did the Doctor say? I am so sorry for last night." Khushi said as she sat beside Payal and caressed her hair.
"I'm fine Khushi, just this stupid fever. Doctor said it's nothing serious and I'll be fine in a couple of days." Payal frowned grumpily. "But what happened to you last night? You looked so scared and no one is telling me anything. I asked both Akash and Arnavji are avoiding my questions." She sulked.
"When did you speak to Arnav?" Khushi asked surprised.
"Oh, he came to check on me earlier today, before he went for his jog but he wouldn't tell me anything, neither will Akash." Payal was still stuck on the same topic.
Khushi couldn't help but smile. "Jiji, you have fever, first take care of that. I am perfectly fine. Just get well quickly and then we'll talk about it. After all how will I keep secrets from my Jiji?"
Payal smiled back feeling reassured. "You sure you are alright?"
Khushi nodded, "I am Jiji." Much better than I ever hoped to be... She added mentally.
~~~~~~
Later that day, after lunch Khushi sat talking to Nani when she got a call from Rohan.
"Hi Rohan." Khushi greeted him.
"Hi Khushi, I called to check on your plans for the Chandigarh trip." He said.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Rohan, actually I never got a chance to speak to Arnav. I'll do that right away and call you back." She replied.
Rohan agreed and she disconnected the call. Khushi turned to Nani, "Naniji, actually I'll have to go to Chandigarh for a week in a few days, the project there is ending and Rohan will not be there. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not Bitiya, just talk to Chote once." Nani replied.
"Yes I'll talk to him right now." She said and got up.
Khushi found Arnav working in the study.
"Arnav I wanted to talk to you."
"Regarding?" He asked not taking his eyes off the laptop.
"That Chandigarh project I was working on is near its closure. Rohan is going abroad for business so I'll have to go there again to make sure everything is taken care of properly." She explained.
He looked up at her, "How many days?"
"One week. Rohan will be doing the bookings for me." She replied.
"When are you going?" He enquired.
"Coming Thursday." She answered.
"How many assistants are going with you?" He asked.
She turned away pretending to tidy the already arranged book shelf. "Actually there are many projects running here in Delhi currently. So, Susie will join me for the last two days." She replied hesitating.
He stood up suddenly and came around the table but she didn't dare to turn around. "You are going ALONE?" She could hear the anger building up in his voice.
She pretended to be interested in a book and nodded.
"Tell Rohan not to do the bookings for you." He said angrily.
She was annoyed and turned around to argue but he was already out of the study. Frustrated she came out to hear the main door banging, indicating that he had gone out. She clenched her fists in vexation and stormed up to her room.
Khushi messaged Rohan that she'll get back to him in a few hours and waited impatiently for Arnav to return. She was pacing restlessly by the poolside, a couple of hours later she heard the French doors slide and he came in.
"Arnav where were you? How can you just walk away while we are still talking? Arnav it is important for me to go. How can you not understand? I thought being a businessman you would understand this better than anyone else. What's wrong with you? And what do you mean that I tell Rohan not to do the bookings? Arnav I HAVE to go..." Khushi blast him off with accusations the moment she saw him.
He glared back at her, "I know what great bookings your genius business partner Rohan did last time you went there. I don't trust his arrangements."
"It wasn't his fault that the weather changed for the worst and our stay extended. He had done proper arrangements for our scheduled stay there." Khushi retorted.
"I don't care, I've made arrangements for the Raizada Guesthouse to be opened."
Khushi who was all set for another retort, paused with her mouth open, words lost somewhere on the way. She stared at him for a moment, "You... you mean I can go?"
He looked away unable to meet her eyes, "Yes but you are not going alone. I'm coming with you."
Khushi's eyes widened in shock, "You? You are coming with me? But why?"
He gritted his teeth, annoyed by the amount of questions she was asking. "Because I said you are not going alone."
"But... I'm not a kid, I can manage." She wasn't really arguing but she wanted to know why he was being so insistent on accompanying her for week at a place where he didn't have any AR branches. It would surely affect his work.
"Let's not argue on this topic anymore. Call up Rohan and tell him that we are going to Chandigarh together and staying at our home so he doesn't need to worry about anything." He said and went back into the room.
Not that this behaviour was uncharacteristic of Arnav. Khushi was very much acquainted to his over the top possessiveness by now but there was something else in his eyes. He wasn't looking in her eyes. Generally his eyes would have bore into hers and he would have just declared that he was going with her and there was no further argument.
She followed him to the room and asked in a soft tone, "What is it Arnav? Is there a problem?"
He sighed, letting out a long breath and turned his back on her, "Khushi... I left you alone for five minutes last night and..." She saw his entire body trembling with rage. "How can I leave you alone for a week? Please don't ask any more questions Khushi, just let me come with you. Please."
She could sense that it was very hard for him to say all this, "But your work? Won't it suffer?"
"This isn't the first time that I won't be around. Akash can manage for a week without me. And if there is something very important, I'll sort it out over the phone or video conference." He replied.
For some reason Khushi didn't feel like arguing anymore, "How are we going?"
"I'll be driving, so we'll have to start early morning on Thursday." He answered relaxing a little.
"I'll inform Rohan." She said.
He nodded and walked out of the room.
Khushi knew she had to go to Chandigarh under any circumstance and she would have convinced Arnav any how but even she was a bit hesitant to travel alone and stay in an almost unknown city for a week; so she was a bit relieved by the fact that he was coming with her and she wouldn't have to manage everything on her own. In fact she had a feeling that she wouldn't have to worry about managing anything now that her over-protective husband was going with her and she would just need to concentrate on her work. She shook her head and a rare smile unknowingly touched her lips as she called up Rohan.
"Hey Khushi, did you speak to Mr. Raizada?" Rohan asked as soon as he answered the call.
"Um... yes. Actually you don't have to worry about my bookings anymore. Arnav wasn't comfortable letting me go alone so he is going to join me. We'll be driving and staying at the Raizada guesthouse." Khushi explained.
"Wow that was quick. I didn't know you'd take my suggestion seriously and that too so soon." Rohan said.
"Suggestion? What suggestion?" Khushi asked puzzled.
"About the honeymoon. I didn't know you'd act on it so soon." He chuckled teasing her.
Khushi rolled her eyes, "Shut up Rohan."
"Okay, now don't shoot me." He laughed. "But I'm glad he is going with you. I too wasn't very happy about you going there all by yourself. That's one worry off my head. If I didn't have to go with Dad, I would have attended to this myself."
"That's fine Rohan, it's all sorted now." She replied.
"Alright then, I leave tomorrow. Just stay in touch in case you need any project related help. Rest I'm sure with Mr. Raizada with you, I don't have to worry about anything else."
"Okay, have a safe journey." She said.
"Thanks and you too." He replied.
Khushi sat thinking about the approaching Chandigarh visit. Should she be worried about being alone with Arnav for a week? She wondered. But she felt fine, not really anxious or scared as she would have felt once.
She was surprised by her own actions. How she had hugged Arnav of all people. She couldn't deny that she felt comforted and even reassured. Also a large weight seemed to have lifted off her heart when he said that he trusted her. She wondered why would she look for reassurance and trust from Arnav. But coming to think about it wasn't she hurt somewhere deep down when Arnav had trusted that liar over her? Yes she was..., all along it had bothered her deeply that Arnav didn't trust her. So when he said that he trusted her it did make a big difference to her feelings.
Another thing that she didn't want to accept but couldn't deny either was that since last night there was no feeling of disgust at his touch...
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