~Part 18~
Anjali and Khushi were done making a simple yet very Lucknowi dinner. They decided to not be elaborate as Anjali said they should do something similar the next day as it was Sunday and everyone will be home. They went towards the living room to hear a phone ringing.
Anjali said "Ye toh Chote ka phone hai. Chote bhi na. Baar baar apni cheezo ko idhar udhar rakhte hai." She goes to get the phone. Khushi was relieved to see that Arnav didn't appear to pick up his phone.
Anjali said "Arre kat gaya. Khushi tum jaake Chote ko phone de dogi? Kuch kaam ki baat ho toh woh naaraaz ho jayega."
"Di mai.. er.."
Anjali sighed melodramatically and said "Theek hai hum hi jaake de dete hai" and started walking slowly.
Khushi automatically went to her and said "Nahi Di aap rehene dijiye hum de denge."
Anjali smiled "Woh apne kamre ke baahar pool side pe honge apne paudho ke saath. Tum uske kamre ke baahar se chali jaana"
Khushi nodded and went towards the pool side. She knew the way as she had gone there a couple of times. Finding the way, in fact, was least of her concerns right now. After the way he had behaved with her when Anjali Di was in the same room, she wasn't sure what to expect at the pool side.
She reached the pool side and stopped short to see Arnav working on his plants and Akash sitting on his laptop on the pool side table. They seemed to be having a conversation. "Oh ye apne bhai behen se bina kisi vaje se baat bhi karte hai?" she thought. At this point, she could have hugged Akash for being around and not leaving her alone with Arnav.
"Akash Sir" she said smiling. Akash looked up and smiled seeing her "Arre Khushi. Di bataa rahi thi ki aap ghar pe hai. Mai itna busy tha ki ek baar bhi mil nahi paaya aapse. Kaisi hai aap?"
"Hum theek hai Akash Sir. Aur hum bhi soch rahe the ki aap dikhe hi nahi ghar pe."
"Aapki Jiji kaisi hai?" Akash asked and then looked a bit flustered.
"Woh bhi achchi hai. Filhaal Lucknow mei hai."
"Oh" said Akash looking a bit disappointed.
"Kya hua Akash Sir?"
"Erm nothing. Vaise aap yahaa kaise? Bhai se milne aayi hai?"
"Oh haa, woh, er Arnav Sir apna phone bhuul gaye the baahar. Toh Anjali Di ne unko de dene ko kahaa"
Arnav had been concentrating on not turning around and looking at Khushi while he was listening to her conversation with Akash. It had been irking him to see her having normal conversations with everyone except him. Well, he hasn't exactly been hospitable towards her, he had to admit.
Akash started to hold out his and and say "Oh toh de dijiye.." when from behind him, Arnav said without turning around "Toh aake mujhe phone de do"
Akash looked a bit confused, but gestured Khushi to go ahead and give it to him. He went back to his laptop.
Khushi was overyjoyed that she could give it to Akash, but her heart started racing when she heard Arnav's voice. While it hadn't even occurred to her while talking to Akash, suddenly, feeling self conscious, she wished she had remembered to pull on her dupatta from the kitchen. She went past Akash towards Arnav wishing that Akash was at least seated facing them.
Arnav was standing with his back towards her at the other corner of the pool. She walked until she reached him and held out the phone from his side. He purposely turned a bit fast so that she slipped a little. He quickly put his arm out to wrap it around her waist and twirl her around so that they were now standing facing each other with his arm still around her waist.
"Careful, Khushi" he whispered "Phir se paani mei girnewaali thi tum"
Khushi looked everywhere except at him and stammered "Ji woh hum.. Aap aise palat rahe the toh.."
"Mai kaise palat raha tha? Tum mere kitne paas khadi thi!"
In spite of everything, her eyes widened and she looked up "Kya? Hum kitne paas khade the? Hum toh.."
Using the arm that was still around her, he suddenly pulled her flush against himself and breathed "Itne paas"
She gasped and felt all the air whoosh out of her. She could feel every inch of his frame up against her. His face was an inch away from her face and she couldn't bring herself to bend down to look away from his eyes.
"Kya hua Khushi" he whispered and she felt his warm breath on her mouth. Involuntarily, she swallowed and was grateful for his arm around her for she was sure her knees couldn't hold her right now.
"Arnav.." she said and she could barely recognize her own voice. His grip around her tightened when he heard her say just his name for the first time. Then, he let go of her slowly and while doing so, trailed his hand across the length of her arm until it was holding her hand which had his mobile. Taking a step away from her, but not leaving her eyes for a second, he took the mobile from her and waved it in front of her face.
"Mil gaya" he said.
"Kya?" she said still in a daze.
Again, he stepped close to her and bent over to say in her ears "Jo tum mujhe dene aayi thi"
She shivered at his warm breath at her ear and took a step back blushing furiously.
Akash got up and turned around to look for them. "Bhai? Khushi? Phone nahi diya abhi tak? Chaliye Di khaane pe bula rahi hai."
Arnav nodded while Khushi rushed past him to join Akash as they all went down for dinner.
Dinner was a happy affair with everyone thoroughly enjoying the food and praising Anjali and everyone except Arnav and Mamiji praising Khushi for the tasty Lucknowi food. Khushi could hardly enjoy her food as she was fully aware of Arnav's eyes on her almost throughout dinner. She was scared to look up at all in case she met his eyes and wasn't able to look away.
The only other person who noticed Arnav's constant appraisal of Khushi with his eyes was Anjali. Knowing her brother really well, she had been noticing what was happening between Arnav and Khushi ever since Khushi came home. That apart, she had noticed something different in the way Arnav was behaving with Khushi in the past few hours. It was almost like he was teasing her. In the kitchen earlier, Arnav was so lost in teasing Khushi and Khushi was so lost in Arnav that they didn't realize that Anjali had turned around from the stove a few times. While the fact that they were so into each other did not come as a surprise to her, what her Chote had the gall to do right under her nose really amused her. Well, if anything, she loved seeing her Chote finally genuinely fall for someone - that too such a lovely person like Khushi. Anjali couldn't be happier. She made a mental note to help her younger brother - without his knowledge, of course, or he'll have to go through the trouble of denying the whole thing.
Anjali looked at Khushi and said "Khushi, jo mithai humne banaai woh leke aao na sabke liye?"
"Haa Di abhi lekar aati hu" said Khushi getting up, happy for an excuse to get away from Arnav's heated gaze for a while.
Anjali saw Arnav's eyes following Khushi. After she disappeared into the kitchen, Anjali slapped her forehead and said "Arre Chote, tumhaare liye sugar free mithai banayi hai Khushi ne toh woh alag tray pe rakha hai. Jaake uski madad kardo na? Do do trays honge"
Arnav nodded and got up to follow Khushi into the kitchen. Everyone else looked shocked that Anjali asked Arnav to go help and even more shocked that he actually did that without batting an eyelid.
Khushi was just about to lift the bigger tray when Arnav entered the kitchen. She didn't even have to turn around to feel his presence close behind her.
He came and stood next to her so that their arms were touching and said "Mai bada tray leta hu. Tum meri mithaai.." he paused and she flushed and then turned to look at him. He smirked and said "as in.. tum meri mithaai lekar aana"
He leaned across to pick up the tray which was placed in front of her. While taking the tray, his arm brushed against Khushi just below her chest. She looked up to see Arnav looking at her intensely. She got flustered and said "Er.. Haan Arnav Sir hum le aate hai" and stepped away to pick up the smaller tray which had the sugar free mithai.
Arnav started to walk past her. He stopped next to her, leaned into her ear and whispered "Sir? Thodi der pehle toh Sir nahi bola tha na?" and continued walking. He turned around for a second at the door to see her blush crimson.
~End of Part 18~
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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