True Colors : ARHI FF Thread 1 - Page 6

Next update in a couple of days. watch the space! thanks!

The next day when Arnav was getting ready for office Khushi peeped into the dining room cautiously and asked him "What time shall we go shopping for Dhruv?"

Arnav closed his eyes in exasperation. He was getting irked with her focus on Dhruv, but he did not want to give her a clue. "At 7.00 p.m.? Would that work? Will you get off your shop by then? I will pick you up from there" he said, though he did not relish the idea of going to her Laxmi Nagar sweet shop. It brought back too many memories.

The stubborn girl that she was, Khushi had insisted on running her sweet shop from Happyji's garage after marriage. She had spurned Arnav's offers to pay for a better shop and a better location saying that she would shift when she had the money. In fact, he suddenly remembered, she never took anything from him. Neither money, nor jewelry or anything he gave. It was as if she was hell bent on proving she was not after his money, a fact he already knew. However, it was the best weapon he found to taunt and hurt her and he had used it often after they were married.

"Ok. Done! I will be ready" she said and she disappeared quickly.

Khushi dressed with extra care for the evening. She was going shopping with Arnav! Wooow! Awesome! She had dreamt of this for ages…one of the many things she dreamt of doing with him.

She chose a beautiful mauve salwar kameez and pearl earrings. She had long given up her chamkili outfit. She looked at herself," You look Ok Mrs Raizada. He might even look at you today" she smiled at her reflection and left for her shop.

By the time it struck 7.00 p.m., Khushi had looked at the clock a million times. 'Come on girl!' She told herself, "You see him every day of your life. Stop behaving like a teenager who is going on her first outing with a guy she loves. This is your husband!" but she could not calm her nerves. She looked at herself in the mirror and her large eyes smiled back at her. Her excitement came from the fact that this was her first outing with Arnav after marriage. Just the two of them and no one else! May be they would even have dinner together…she thought dreamily.

When Arnav's car pulled up, she literally ran to the car. Arnav opened the car for her and helped fix her seatbelt. For a moment he looked up into her eyes when he was fixing the seatbelt. Kushi's heartbeat accelerated. In the flicker of a second the moment was gone...

While driving Arnav asked, "So, what do you plan to buy?"

Khushi remembered her plan to make him jealous. So she suggested things she normally would not have bought for Dhruv. Cheekily she said "How about a real nice shirt? He always wears plain shirts. It's kind of boring. I want to pick up some checked and striped shirts for him…and yes may be male cologne…and yes a wrist watch" she ended.

Arnav looked at her incredulously, "All these for only him?" he asked, remembering glumly that on his birthday she had given him a wrist watch which he had completely ignored.

Khushi said, "Yes of course. Dhruv would do no less for me and I would like to get him these things. As it is, I have seen him after a huge break. First he was away at Bangalore for his studies and then we met briefly for my wedding and then I have met him only now. So, I would like to spoil him with lots of gifts. Once I could not afford it once. But now I have my own money," she said and then kicked herself mentally for going on and on. Was he beginning to suspect her?

It did not seem likely, because out of the corner of her eyes she could see the thunderous expression on Arnav's place.

Arnav was fuming. So plain shirts were boring were they? So, she found his clothes boring too? And she seemed to know what Dhruv wore. Funny, she had never tried to gift him a shirt and he was her husband…But in name only, he remembered belatedly. That thought did not sit well with his frame of mind.

When Arnav and Khushi reached the mall, Khushi ensured that she led him to at least 4 shops for the shirt, 3 shops for the wrist watch and made him try at least 4 male colognes. While choosing the shirt, she placed the shirts on Arnav to see how it looked. While she secretly thought that he looked dashing, she kept up the pretense of looking for a shirt for Dhruv. When an irritated Arnav asked "Khushi can we call it quits. Can you choose fast?" Khushi gave in and bought the next best shirt for Dhruv. She also tried all the watches on Arnav, taking the chance to put the watch on his wrist and admiring it, Arnav's warning voice finally made her choice.

………..She had spent 2 whole hrs with Arnav without either of them noticing…

Khushi made use of the chance to push the date with Arnav to dinner. She said meekly "Arnav can I go and buy some snacks? I am hungry."

Arnav immediately looked at his watch and exclaimed "Oh it's 9.00 already? It will take an hour to reach home. Let's have dinner at a restaurant. There must be something good in the mall itself," he said and started walking towards a specific direction. Khushi followed him happily.

During dinner she continued her chatter about childhood and Dhruv's presence in it. Arnav listened to it with as much patience as he had. Then Khushi asked him, "You will come to his party won't you? Payal, Akash and I are organizing it".

Arnav said "I will try."

Khushi thought the best way to make him come would be to suggest the opposite. She said "No problems if you can't. Akashji will be picking me up at 9.00'o clock and I will ask Dhruv to drop me back, as Akash has to get Payal jiji home early since she is pregnant."

Khushi was satisfied to see an irritated look on Arnav's face when he said "I said I will try. So let's wait till tomorrow".

Arnav had already decided he would go, because there was no way he was going to let Khushi come home again with Dhruv and that too in the middle of the night. There was also the added issue that Dhruv may be drunk, being his birthday party and all. He could not let Khushi be subjected to that risk.

So Arnav resolved he would go……….

So at 9.00 p.m. the next day, when Khushi walked down the stairs in a stunning wine red dress sequined with self-colored beads and mirrors….Arnav was already waiting for her in Jeans and a deep blue T-Shirt, with a sports jacket and sports shoes.

Of the two it was difficult to say who was more stunned…Arnav to see Khushi looking like a dream in red…Red the color which inflamed him…Or Khushi…to see Arnav in jeans and T-shirt…looking handsome as a devil…..

Oh, I am so happy for Khushi that she got to spend some time with her Laad Governor.😃