~Part 3~
Arnav reaches the door and sees that Khushi is standing in front of it. She looks up to see him stand next to her.
Arnav says "ye bhi tod du, ki bell bajaogi?"
Khushi glares at him.
He says "mujhe khoorna band karo aur uss taraf ka switch dabao."
Khushi looks to her other side and presses the bell.
Mamiji opens the door and is shocked to see Khushi. Khushi says "Namaste."
Mamiji is still shocked and standing at the door, so Arnav and Khushi are unable to go in. Arnav is about to say something when Anjali speaks up from behind.
"Mami woh Khushi ek hafte ke liye yahee rahengi. Chote ne phone karke kaha tha ki woh aa rahi hai unke saath."
Mamiji looks from Arnav to Khushi and moves a bit. Anjali beckons them to come in "aao aao Khushi, bahut achcha lagta hai aapse milna - achcha hua ki aap kuch din humaare saath rahengi." Khushi smiles while Anjali tells Arnav, who is walking away with her bag, "Chote inka bag leke kaha jaa rahe ho? Inhe inka kamra dikha do na. Tumhare paas waala hi hai."
Arnav looks and Khushi and she follows him. Mami looks at their retreating backs and says "hello hi bye bye! Ye kya Arnav bitva roz roz ek ek ladki ko live in ke liye layenge kya?!" Anjali looks at her and says "mami! Aap bhi na! Chote kuch kaam se laya hoga. Hum baad mei poochenge. Abhi hum khana laga dete hai."
Arnav and Khushi are walking together. Khushi says, "hey Devi maiyya, humaare kamre se itna chalte toh baazaar pahunch jaate!"
Arnav says "Chup chaap chalo. Shikayat karne ke alava kuch aata hai tumhe?"
Khushi mutters "Aata hai na - aapke zulm sehna!"
"Kya kaha tumne?!"
"Kuch nahi! Humaari itni jurrat ki hum aapse kuch kahe?" Saying this she slips on the stairs and grabs Arnav's sleeve and almost drags him down.
"Kya kar rahi ho tum?!"
"Phisal gaye the hum!"
"Oh haan, mai bhul gaya ki shikayat karne ki alava, har kahi se girte rehna bhi toh tumhe aata hai! Ab mera haath chodogi ya kamre tak aise he jaana hai?!"
Khushi realizes she's been holding his hand and leaves it quickly and rushes away in front of him.
He says "Ruko. Tumhe kamra pata hai jo bhaag rahi ho? Wahi pe hai kamra."
Khushi rushes towards him, snatches her bag and rushes into the room and bangs the door shut. Then she runs to the bed, flings her bad and dupatta on to the chair nearby and plops on it headlong. Within a second, Arnav barges in opening the door. Khushi sits up on the bed, startled.
"Hume knock karne ke lambi lectures dete. Khud ke haath kya zindabad lagane ko chale gaye?"
"Apne hi kamre mei aane ke liye mujhe knock karne ki zarurat nahi hai!"
"Aapka kamra? Par ye toh.."
"Maine kahaa kamra yahi par hai. Iske saamne waala kamra hai tumhaara. Kisi ki puri baat sunne ka waqt ho toh bol paata na."
"Oh. Woh humne socha ki.. Theek hai theek hai. Kamra hi toh hai. Koi uthaake leke nahi jaane waale hum isko kahin par."
"Ab mere saath isi kamre mei hi rehna hai kya?"
"Ji?! Ji nahin!"
"Toh phir apna saaman lo aur jao saamne waale kamre mei!"
"Jaa rahi hu. Koi shauk nahi hai aapke kamre me rehne ka." She takes her bag and starts to walk out. They are looking at each other while she walks past him. Just as she passes him, he stops her.
"Ye dupatta mai hi rakh leta hu. Baar baar mujhe hi dene ki koshish karti ho."
Khushi realizes that she wasn't wearing her dupatta and rushes back to get it and turns in a hurry and bumps right into Arnav. They hold onto each other to stop the force and look at each other. Suddenly, the intercom buzzes.
Khushi is shaken out of the moment, and in her confusion she rushes to pick the phone.
"Hello?"
It's Anjali on the line.
"Er.. Hello.. Er.. Khushi?!"
"Ji.. Anjali ji?"
"Khushi.. ye toh Chote ka kamra.."
"Ji.. Ji woh hum.. hum.. hum sir ke kamre mei nahi hai.. humara matlab hai ki hain par nahin hai.. woh hum.."
Arnav takes the phone from her and says "Kya hua di?"
"Chote Khushi tumhaare kamre mei kya kar rahi hai?!"
"Kuchi nahi di. Uska kamra dikhaane se pehle hi daudke galat kamre mei ghus gayi woh. Usse mai nikaal hi raha tha ki aapne phone kiya. Pata nahi kudke isne kyu uthaaya."
Anjali laughs. Arnav says "aapne kyu phone kiya?"
"Haan woh isse pehle ki Khushi ko tum uska kamra dikha do, usko bolo ki jaldi haath muh dhoke neeche aajaye. Aur tum bhi. Nahana aur change karna sab baad mei karlena tum dono. Abhi jaldi neeche aajao. Khaana lag chuka hai aur sab intezaar kar rahe hai."
"Theek hai. Abhi aa rahe hai." He hangs up and looks at Khushi "Jaldi se jaake saaman chodo aur haath muh dhoke neeche aa jao. Khana lag gaya hai aur kisi ko wait karna achcha nahi lagta yahaa."
Khushi nods and walks towards the door. Then turns and says "aap bhi chal rahe hai na?" Arnav raises a brow and Khushi hurries to say "woh ye aapka ghar hi aisa hai ki akele neeche jaayenge toh hum shaayad bageeche mei pahunch jayenge"
"Haan mai bhi aa raha hu 5 minute mei. Jaldi karo."
She rushes into her room, drops her stuff, quickly washes her face and rushes to open the door. Both of them open their doors at the same time and face each other. They look at each other for a few seconds and then Arnav starts walk and she quickly follows.
They enter the dining area and see Nani. "Namaste Naniji" says Khushi.
"Jeeti raho bitiya. Uss din jis haalat mei aap waapas gayi thi, aapse milna ki ummeed toh nahi thi. Lekin bahut achcha laga aaj aapko yahaa dekhke."
"Ji hume bhi" Khushi smiles. "Uss din hum thode pareshan the. Isliye jaldi mei nikalne ki maafi chahte hai."
"Koi baat nahi bitiya. Accha hua ki sab theek ho gaya. Anjali bitiya bata rahi thi ki aap ek hafte tak yahi honge. Aapse baat karke hume bahut achcha lagega."
"Ji Nani. Hume bhi."
They sit down to eat and once again Khushi sits at Arnav's seat by mistake. Everyone looks a bit startled especially when Arnav just gives her one look and then goes and sits opposite her without saying anything.
Suddenly, Mamiji says "arrey Arnav bitva, woh miss Kasyap kidhar hai?"
Arnav looks up "mujhe nahi pata."
Anjali di says "nahi pata matlab? Itni der ho gay Chote, unhe phone toh karo ek baar."
Suddenly, Arnav's phone starts ringing. He picks up "haan Lavanya"
"ASR, I'm gonna be a bit late. You wanted me to meet up with Lisa, right? I did and now am gonna have dinner with her out."
"Ok, I'll see you later, bye." He cuts the call.
"Di, woh bahar khake der se aayegi." Nani looks disapproving but doesn't say anything.
Khushi has been watching this whole exchange and looks very confused and a bit concerned. Anjali sees her face and says "woh hum Lavanya ke baare mei pooch rahe the. Aap jaanti hai na unko?"
"Ji Anjali ji, hum jaante hai."
"Haan toh woh abhi tak ghar nahi aayi toh hume laga ek baar check kar lena chahiye."
"Oh achcha. Lekin aapko kaise pata chala ki woh ghar nahi pahunchi?"
Mami intervenes "Hello hi bye bye! Kaise pata matlab?! Ghar pahunchi hoti toh yahi dikhti na?!"
Khushi looks shocked "Kya! Lavanya mam yaha rehti hai?!" Involutarily, she looks at Arnav while saying this. Mami answers "aur nahi toh kya!" but neither of them really hear Mami.
Arnav looks at Khushi, but doesn't say anything. While Khushi fights with what feels like a sense of hurt, he fights with what eerily feels like guilt.
Anjali's voice break them out of their eye lock "arrey sab log khana toh shuru kijiye, thanda ho raha hai."
Arnav avoids Khushi's eye and asks "Di, Jijaji kaha hai?"
"woh zara bahar gaye hai kaam se aur bahar hi khayenge. Phone kiya tha unhone. Der se ayenge"
Khushi was quiet throughout dinner and Arnav was extra talkative to his family. Anjali was the only person who noticed this. Of course, she was also the only person who noticed the silent exchange between Arnav and Khushi when Mami announced that Lavanya was staying in the house. She decided to keep an eye on the two of them before jumping to any conclusions.
After dinner, she told Khushi "aapse baat karne ka toh bahut mann hai, par aaj aap zara dhaki hui lag rahi hai. Isliye jaldi so jayiye. Vaise bhi humaare paas ek hafta hai baat karne ke liye."
Arnav says "vaise bhi isko kal subah dukaan jaana hai shaam ke function ke liye kapde khareedne. Toh zyaada der tak nahi jagegi toh achcha hi hai."
Khushi blurts out "haan, aapne toh humesha iss baat ka khyal rakha hai ki hum der tak kaam na kare taak agle din kaam pe pahunch sake, hai na?"
Before Arnav could retort, Anjali says "bass bass aap dono fir se mat shuru ho jayiye. Jaldi jaake so jayiye."
Khushi says "Ji Anjali ji" and starts to walk off.
Arnav says "goodnight di" and rushes after, something that Anjali notices with a smile.
Arnav catches up with Khushi and says "ab bhaagke jaa rahi ho, raasta nahi bhulogi?"
Khushi doesn't say anything, just keeps walking.
"Toh pehle kya jhoot bola tha ki kho jaogi?"
She still doesn't say anything. He goes and stops in front of her and says "Khushi mai tumse baat kar raha hu."
"Kyu kar rahe hai? Humse baat kyu kar rahe hai?"
"Kya?"
She realizes that she really had no reason to suddenly change her behavior.
She covers up "Ji .. Ji woh kuch nahi sir. Iss baar humne seekh liya. Humaara matlab hai ki raasta seekh liya. Toh ab kho nahi jayenge." They were near their rooms. She says "mai subah jaldi tayyar ho jaungi. Aap bata dijiye jab bhi Lavanya mam ke saath nikalna ho toh." She walks past him and goes into her room and shuts the door. Arnav, too, slowly turns around and goes into his room.
They are both lying in their beds trying to figure out what just happened. Arnav thinks "why the hell did I feel guilty? Who is she anyway? I have the right to get Lavanya here if I want. She is my girlfriend. Why should I feel guilty when Khushi found out about it? Why was I avoiding her eye? Why was I trying to talk to her and make sure she's not mad at me?"
Khushi, too wasn't making a lot of progress with sleep "what is wrong with me?! If Lavanya mam wants, she can stay here! Why did I feel angry? Or was it jealously? No no, it can't be. Then, why was I trying to glare at him and why was I upset when he wasn't looking at me? What made me think I have a right to be mad at him?"
Slowly, they both drift to sleep with these thoughts playing in their heads.
~End of part 3~
Edited by Janet.Das - 14 years ago
Hollywood
Udne Ki Aasha
193