SS: So Darling, Save the last Dance for Me P8,Pg35 - Page 9

Part 4

PreCap:In the centre of one of her palms was a picture of a doli and the on the other a heart. Each one had his name written in it.

" Arnav."

***

"Yeh kya kiya apne?" she asked in complete shock

"MAINE?"

"Aur nahi to kya? Main to so rahi thi?"

"To main kya naach raha tha?" Arnav clicked irritably at her incredulous accusation.

"Ab kya hoga?"

"Nothing. Just don't show anyone. Go wash it off!"

"Pagal hai kya aap? Mehendi hai! Pen nahi. Aur itni gehri rang aayi hai dhone se thodi na jayega." Khushi looked at him and bit her lip.

"sari galti tumhari hai. Mehendi karwane ka bhoot sawara tha na…ab lo mehendi lag gayi."

"Hai devi maiyya. Ab kya hoga. Yeh Aapki shirt mein kya hai?" she pointed to the yello stain on his shirt.

"Who kal raat mehendi lag gayi thi. Di ne gira di."

"Iska matlab…. Hai Devi Maiyya. Di kal raat mehendi kyu layi thi?"

"What difference does it make? I told her you wanted this nonsense. And ghar mein extra mehendi thi you know shagun wali – payal ke liye ek le gayi and some crap like that toh Di le ayi." He was distracted by her mindless jabbering. He kept looking at his name on her hands. He couldn't help but feel happy about it. It felt right, like no other name belonged there but his.

He stepped back and took her in. She sat in bed her hair loose and slightly messy from the nights sleep. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her elbows resting on her knees as she stared into her mehendied hands. No, she started at his name in her hands. She looked beautiful. Just like a bride-to-be lost in thoughts of her love and life to come.

She interrupted his thoughts much to his annoyance, "Ab aap jayiye yeha se. mujhe sochne dijiye. And change kerna hai."

Arnav shrugged his shoulders and walked out with his signature smirk playing across his face.

"Devi Maiyya, yeh humesha meri saat kyu aise hota hai. Pehele to woh teej ka vrat, phir dupatta aur ab yeh mehendi? Aur who bhi shagun wali mehendi?" she was forlorn, what did all of this mean.

She looked at his name again for the millionth time and couldn't help but acknowledge the feeling of calm that settled over her looking at his name. It was almost as though it was meant to be.

He was definitely not the guy she had ever imagined being married to. She had certainly never met anyone with such a temper but then again she had never really met as formidable. She blushed slightly at the thought of their Diwali encounter. But then frowned as she remembered his treatment towards her soon after. And then there was dance, it was almost as if he had forgotten the whole Diwali fiasco. He had cared for her so tenderly these last two days. He hadn't even gone back home, always at her beck and call. If that wasn't love, then what was? Her mind was aflutter with a million and one things. Could she ever bring herself to love him? Didn't she already love him? All that dhak-dhak and acidity. Could she stand another woman in his life? Didn't she feel the pain when he had announced his engagement with Lavanya. Faraq padta hai dammit. Faraq padta hai.

***

He stepped out onto the little terrace, a balcony really with a tea stall. An area for visitors to get some fresh air. The bitter cold hit him hard, but he welcomed it. "ek chai." He ordered the boy and sat on the stool. What was happening. He knew he wanted Khushi Kumari Gupta in his life but in what capacity. He hadn't even entertained that thought. He knew that his life was pretty bland without this one person comic act that was Khushi Kumari Gupta. He hated to admit that this girl as much as she irritated him was the only person that had ever dared stand up to him and there was a certain thrill about that. Marriage was never a possibility for Arnav Singh Raizada. A wife, to share his personal space with, to irritate about what to wear, when to eat, to come home early, to placate that was too much for him. He wasn't cut out for domestic life. But to have Khushi Kumari Gupta babble to him at the end of the day – that was something he was already used to.

"Bhaiyya chai." The boy held the cup out to him. He took it and went to take a swig when suddenly a hand stopped him by resting on his forearm. He looked to find a familiar mehendied hand and looked up to gaze at the person it belonged to. "Cheeni hai ismein. Yeh hum pee lenge. " she took the cup away and looked towards the boy, "ek aur lana, bina shakkar ki."

She sat down beside him. "Humne bohut socha…"

"Tum sochti bhi ho?" he smirked and shook his head. She clicked in annoyance.

She paused while the boy came to give Arnav his sugarfree tea. She waited till he left and spoke again.

"Apko humse shaadi karni hogi." She looked up at him slightly scared of his reaction but she couldn't think of any other way. All these signs from her Devi Maiyya. She had decided to give in to them.

"WHAT?" Arnav spat out and the tea spluttered all over the floor.

"Bhaiyya ek aur chai?" the boy called out with a giggle.