Silent Whispers
-CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT-
Strange New Footings
"Please keep in
mind that no more than two guests are allowed to come to the ceremony. We have
limited seating."
Khushi nodded
to the receptionist, an aging lady who worked at the University of Delhi longer than any professor had. It was both
impressive and pitiful, for there was nothing more boring than answering phone
calls all day. Or so Khushi thought.
It was a bright
Saturday morning in Delhi, the weather being exceptionally kind to the city's
inhabitants. Only for Khushi, who seldom found time to enjoy the sun between
work and the hospital, the day was the same as any other. She was running a few
errands, the first one being picking up her graduation things for the upcoming
ceremony.
She had just
exited the front office, stuffing the package she received in her purse, when
she bumped head long into someone.
"Ouch!" she
groaned, rubbing her forehead. "Can't you see where-"
She broke off
upon catching sight of the person in question. Dressed in a baby pink cotton salwar kameez, Payal Sharma stared back
her with astonished eyes.
"Ohh..." Khushi
finished, awkwardly.
An
uncomfortable silence settled between the two. It was common knowledge at FMS
that neither of them got along; in fact, stories of their fights were almost
legendary. However, at that moment all Khushi felt was foolishness. Why were
they holding on to petty vendettas when life was so short? Look at her mother
for instance.
"Excuse me,"
Payal finally said, bending down to pick up her fallen things.
Khushi automatically
reached out to help.
"It's fine,"
Payal muttered. "I will pick it up."
Khushi didn't
pay any heed to her. She continued to collect the numerous files and swiftly
handed them back to a bewildered Payal.
"Erm thanks,"
she said, a line appearing on her forehead. It was obvious she wasn't expecting
such a gesture from her.
Khushi nodded,
not knowing what to say. It was when Payal was almost through the door of the
front office that she spoke:
"Payal?"
She glanced
back.
"Wanna grab
coffee?"
"C-coffee?" she
repeated. "With you?"
Khushi nodded,
patient.
Payal didn't
answer. It appeared that her shock was beyond words.
"It's okay if
you can't," Khushi said when the silence stretched on for too long. "I will get going."
"No, wait!"
Payal called, snapping out of her reverie. "Give me a minute, okay? I have to
drop off these files."
And with that
she disappeared into the depths of the office, returning a few seconds later
with her purse. Together, they set out in silence, walking to the cafe just
across from campus.
"So... what's
wrong?" Payal asked as soon as they seated themselves in a small corner of the
coffee shop.
Khushi set down
her cup, trying to tune out a group of students nearby, all laughing at some
internal joke. It reminded her sorely of older and brighter days.
"Nothing is
wrong," she said, letting out a sigh. "I just thought we should solve our
differences... we are graduating in a month, it doesn't make sense to hang on to trivial
problems."
"Is that what
you want from me? Forgiveness?"
"I don't want
anything from you Payal," she replied, confused at her direct tone.
"Right."
Khushi was taken
back to hear her sarcasm. What was so difficult in calling it truce? Was she
really so horrible of a person that Payal couldn't even consider the idea of an
apology?
"So, is this
the part where you are going to open up to me about some tragic reason you had for
being utterly unreasonable these past two years?" Payal suddenly asked, blunt.
"What? No! I
don't have a tragic reason. In fact I
have no reason."
"So what went
wrong then? Why did you literally hate the ground I walked on?"
"That is an
exaggeration," Khushi replied. "I just hated your guts. That's all."
"And I, your
ridiculous logic. Just because I wear a salwar kameez doesn't mean I don't have
brains."
"Is that what
you thought?!"
"Then what else
was it?"
"It was... you. I saw the way you were Payal... you
were hard working, dedicated, loyal. Everyone loved you. Yes, I gave you tough
competition when it came to grades, but everything else..."
Payal was
surprised. "And you thought you didn't have anything?"
Khushi
shrugged.
"Everyone
thinks you are going to be the next Ambani Khushi... and no, that is not an exaggeration. I never saw anyone
as motivated as you. How did you even think you had nothing?"
"I... I don't
know. A lot has changed since then."
"In what way?"
Khushi smiled.
"Well I have this crazy, unpredictable boss now-"
"-Arnav Singh
Raizada?"
"Yeah, I guess
you read the papers?"
She nodded, apologetic.
"Well, minus
the negative publicity, he taught me a few important life lessons."
Payal raised an
eyebrow.
"It's
different... working there. I have to push myself to impress him, to come up with
new, innovative ways to catch him off guard. He is always a step ahead of me, I
don't know how, but he always ends up knowing what I'm going to do even before
I decide it myself. It's... challenging, but exciting
at the same time if you know what I mean."
She nodded.
"Ever since I
started working with him, I have begun to see bigger things, much more
important things... he made me realize just exactly how unreasonable I was
holding onto petty problems."
"And then?"
"I kissed him."
Silence.
Twice
actually," she continued, the words pouring out on their own accord. "And I
don't know what's worse: the fact that I wouldn't mind doing it all over again
if I could or the fact that he is Akash's older brother."
Khushi guilty finished,
keeping her eyes strictly on the table in front of her. She didn't know what
made her confess one of her darkest secrets, that too, to a person who probably
judged her like no other. She just knew she had too.
When the silence
became unbearable, she finally peeked a glance at Payal, and was surprised to
see no reaction whatsoever. Payal was sitting still, a cool expression covering
her face.
Assuming it to
be contempt, Khushi said, "Just say it. I know I'm horrible. Akash is the most
perfect guy there could ever be on planet earth and yet, here I am, being as
selfish as I can possibly be."
Payal finally spoke.
"How are you being selfish when you never loved him to begin with?"
"W-what?"
"Oh, come on
Khushi! It was very obvious... I never
saw love in your eyes for him. It was all superficial, an act for us and for
him."
It took a moment
for Khushi to process that. And when she did, she understood exactly why they didn't
get along all this time. So, she cleared her throat and said:
"But I did."
A line appeared
on Payal's forehead.
"In your eyes... you love him. Ever since first
year."
Payal gasped. "B-but
h-"
"Come on
Payal," Khushi replied gently. "Did you seriously think I wouldn't notice?"
She gulped. "How
long have you known?"
"Since first
year... Remember that time Akash hurt his arm in Goa?"
Payal nodded.
"You were so
worried for him. You spent the entire night with us at the hospital... Lavs kept
thinking someone told you to be there, because you were the only sober one out
of all of us. But the look you had on your face... I knew right away that you
were staying out of choice."
Payal appeared
bewildered. "You knew all this time? And... and you never told-"
"No... I didn't
tell anyone, not even Lavs."
"B-but why?"
Khushi averted
her eyes. She felt ashamed to acknowledge her prejudice for the past two years.
It made her realize just how rotten she really had been.
"Believe me
when I say this Payal," she murmured. "I know
I'm not a good person. When I realized you liked him... I was scared. Scared that
I will lose a good friend like Akash. Even though I didn't like him the way you
did, he still meant a lot to me. There are some people in the world with who
you instantly connect with and he was one of them. One of the few in my case."
If Payal was
furious, she didn't let it show on her face.
"I am sorry," Khushi said, sincerely. "I
know I had no right to make decisions for you, but back then, it felt like I
was doing the right thing."
"So what made
you change your mind now?"
"I-I... I don't
know. Maybe because I know what it feels like to be in your shoes."
Payal looked
down at the table.
"You aren't
mad, right?" Khushi asked after a few moments of silence.
"Does it
matter?" she answered calmly. "Me being angry with you would be the least of
your problems, no?"
Khushi snorted.
"If you put it like that, yes. But I still care. I always did."
"If you care so
much, why are you still with him?"
She blinked,
not expecting to be asked the obvious.
"Don't you
think that maybe your relationship is not just meant to be?"
Khushi didn't
know what to say. She had spent the past five months convincing herself that
Akash was perfect, that there could be no one better than him. And yet, she never
paused to think about the other side of the coin.
What was wrong
if she called it quits? She had been through so many break-ups; what was so bad
about this one?
"There is no
rule that you have to love him Khushi," Payal said gently. "It's fine if you
don't. It's okay if he is nothing
more than a good friend."
Khushi cleared
her throat. "But it's not okay for me
to like his brother... right?"
Payal kept
quiet.
"I don't have a
reason to break up... There is no reason good enough in the world to break
someone's heart like that. My father did it to my mother and there is no way, I'm
going to do it, especially when I know what it's like to be the one left
behind."
"And what
happens when Akash finds out?"
"He-"
"Even if you
won't tell him, he will still figure
it out. How do you think he is going to feel then?"
Khushi averted
her eyes.
"You have no
choice Khushi. You know that better than I do. So stop trying to look for an
excuse to fix this. Because you can't... It's too late."
* * *
"Again?!"
Anjali exclaimed.
It was a dusky
Saturday evening in Delhi and Shyam was found enjoying a rare day off with his
newfound girlfriend in a small park not far from his house. He had just
revealed his unexpected trip to Pune the following day when Anjali yelled in
response, causing many onlookers to stop and turn towards them.
Embarrassed, Anjali
looking down at her lap, as if trying to disappear into depths of the earth.
Shyam laughed
and pulled her closer. "You are adorable. Did anyone tell you that?"
She glared at
him. "Yes, someone did. But don't divert the topic."
"I'm not," he
answered. "I'm merely pointing out my observation. As a lawyer-"
"As a boyfriend," Anjali interrupted hotly.
"You are not supposed to keep disappearing!"
"I wouldn't if
I had a choice. You know that."
She stubbornly
crossed her arms across her chest.
Shyam smiled.
Of the many things he began to discover about her in the past two weeks, her
innocent and often childish antics were his favorite. Leaning forward, he said
in a quiet voice, "If you keep pouting like that, I'm going to have a hard time
keeping my lips off yours."
She turned to
look at him. "You wouldn't dare," she challenged. "Not with so many people
around."
He raised an
eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"
Anjali quickly
scanned the park, before saying, "You wouldn't."
"So, what will
be my prize?"
"That's if you win-"
"When I win," Shyam interrupted confidently.
"You are going to come see me off at the airport tomorrow."
Anjali nodded.
Grinning, Shyam
stretched out his arms, as if readying himself for a battle. Anjali simply
rolled her eyes, trying hard to hold on to her slipping annoyance at him. That
was another thing he learned pretty quickly - she couldn't be angry for longer
than a few minutes. It just wasn't in her nature.
So, tilting his
head, he pressed his lips against hers, ignoring all the stares, he was sure,
were coming their way. Upon feeling her smile, he pulled back.
"You knew I would kiss you," he accused,
narrowing his eyes.
Anjali grinned
triumphantly. "Believe it or not, but my boyfriend has taught me a thing or two
about lawyers - they like challenges. A
lot."
He smirked. "Being
clever, are we?"
"Clearly not
clever enough to stop you from going."
Shyam let out a
sigh. He knew why she was so against his trip, and partly he was glad for it.
It made him realize just how close she had come to him in just a matter of few
days.
"It's two
days," he said gently. "I will be back before you know it."
"But Akash is
coming back tomorrow... and I wanted
him to meet you, before he makes up another excuse to run from Bhai."
"I know. I
wanted to tell Meeti about us too. But this case is important."
She nodded,
though not entirely convinced.
"I promise I
will meet him and Arnav as soon as I'm back, okay?"
Anjali gazed at
him, a solemn look in her eyes.
"Now come on,"
he said, slipping his hand into hers and standing up. "I made reservations for
seven o'clock."
But she didn't
move.
Upon feeling
her resistance, he looked back and asked, confused, "What's wrong?"
"What are we
doing Shyam?"
A line appeared
on his forehead. "Erm going to dinner?"
She shook her
head. "I mean what is our future? What are you going to tell Bhai and Akash?"
"That we are
together."
She let out an exasperated
sigh. "What does that even mean? Together' has a hundred meanings! Are you
going explain every single one of them?!"
Shyam looked
hard at Anjali, trying to understand from where her outburst was coming. And
all of a sudden it hit him. Her angst and agitation all swirled into the one
question she didn't want to ask and yet wanted him to answer.
So without
another thought, he settled what was clearly troubling her for the past few
days: "We are getting married. You know that right?"
Anjali stared
at him, blank.
"I didn't want
to scare you that night," he explained. "Marriage is a huge responsibility, I
have seen my parents struggle and fail to uphold it all my life. So, I just
assumed you would want to take it slow."
She struggled
to find a reply. "S-so... so, you... and me-"
Shyam crouched
down in front of her. "So that means, Ms. Anjali Singh Raizada, that our future
is not as ambiguous as you think it
is. It is beautiful with two kids, a nice house with a big garden-"
Catching her
confused look, he added, "-so that you can plant all the flowers in the world-"
She gasped.
"-and most
important of all: us. That is what I
plan to tell your brothers, or something along those lines. If you still think-"
She didn't let
him finish. Throwing her hands around him, Anjali kissed him like she never had
before. It was as if the world fell away, as if there was nothing but them,
wrapped up in a sheath of pure, exhilarating joy.
"While I would love to continue," he murmured when they
broke apart for the briefest of seconds. "We really do have reservations at
seven."
She merely
giggled in response.
. Anyway, it's all fixed now. 
. 
Comments (21)
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Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
6 months ago
I still dont like Payal much in ur ff.
Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
6 months ago
So Shyam finally told Anjali he will marry her yay
coderlady @coderlady
+ 8
1 years ago
Shyam and Anjali are secure in their love.
coderlady @coderlady
+ 8
1 years ago
Khushi decided to bury the hatchet with Payal. About time too.
Jai Shri Ram @SoniRita
+ 32
1 years ago
Khushi n payal well what was suprising. Wow loved anjali n shyam.
MorallyGrey @WildestDreams
+ 32
1 years ago
A very nice chapter! Khushi and Payal having a convo was surprising!
55555666666 @55555666666 9 years ago Congrats on your second thread!!!!! :-)
Archita @archita_59
9 years ago
Congratz on the new thread!
zafi @zafi
9 years ago
On The New Thread. zafi2014-06-18 09:11:46
arnaushi @arnaushi
+ 3
9 years ago
congrats on the new thread...and i just started reading this FF since morning and i m in aww with it...really loved the plot and i m your new reader!!!
the way you have described arnav's character was just awesome..it is very rare to see all carefree and naughty and teasing khushi, which is really very very sweet according to me.khushi is a troubled person at present taking in to account her parents ugly divorce, which not only destroyed the parents but also their kids who were unknowingly dragged into this. Divorce's always leave a destroyed path behind it. The amount of pain that garima has went when she was abandoned by her husband is intolerable for any woman. and khushi who misinterpreted her mother's lack as her fault for their divorce. she now is trying to not lode her mother who is suffering from cancer. that was lovely when she reacted to the news...thank god she now with her mother at least!!shyam was also affected by it and he took up the responsibility of his mother, his sister and the whole house...loved the bond between shyam-khushi and shyam-anjali...their love story is cute!!liked the way arnav and khushi fight. their relationship is also unstable as of now as she is in an unwanted love relationship with akash. she should take control otherwise she might lose her best friend too!!lavanya is cool character. liked her very much!!!waiting for more from you...plz PM me when you update next!!arnaushi2014-06-18 08:51:50