SS: Trials Of Love (Part 3 n 4 on Page 17 n 18) - Page 4

Arnav turned away from the door and entered the room. Finally he was getting rid of her. She was going gone. Far away from his sister and him. No more lies or deception to portray in front of the family. No more romantic moments to create when mamiji decides to poke her nose in his room using a binocular. No more trying to be the perfect husband wife duo to show the world. It was all over. His eyes fell on something glittering under the sofa set. Probably it was one of the bells nani makes the goat wear. But still he bent down to see. His hand fell on it and he pulled it out.

He was late and he knew it. Probably Anjali Di must be pacing the hall waiting for him to return. He had promised her he would be early today and here It was almost midnight and today of all days he had that international conference. He turned the hand and walked in. it was dark, probably all were asleep. As he headed towards his room he heard a bangles clinking from the sofa. "Di I said I might be late there was'''.". it wasn't Di who looked from the sofa it was Khushi.

She was sitting with a pooja thali on her lap dressed all in bridal style. What the hell was she doing here? "what the" he exclaimed. She got up immediately, for a moment he thought he saw a glint of happiness in her eyes. "what are you doing here. Why arnt you asleep?" he questioned. She looked lost but then turned around to leave her anklets sounding as she walked. Why was she in this getup and with a pooja ki thaali this late in the night? He wondered.

The tiny bell in his hand was smaller then laxmi;s bells, then whose was it. It suddenly hot him, it belonged to her. It must have fallen off her payal. He closed his hand into her fist burning in rage. Nothing of hers should be here, "nothing" he exclaimed. He headed to the kitchen to throw it right where it belonged in the dustbin. He opened the lid of it and threw it right in.

She was hiding behind the curtain wearing his shirt. His clean white shirt, how could she. What did she think he couldn't see her? He wrapped his hand around the curtain and pulled it apart. She was holding her hands across her chest and staring at the floor, red in her face. "why are you in my shirt?" he questioned in anger. She began to sob. Not those tears again. What did she think he would melt to them as before?

"Remove my shirt right now' he commanded. She continued sobbing and refusing to look him in the eye. Angry at her he pushed her hands away from her chest and proceeded to unbutton his shirt, but just at the second button it struck him. She wasn't wearing anything except his shirt. That why she had been crouching behind the curtain and away from him. He pulled his hand back not wanting to venture further. "Get out of my shirt before I come back" he said and on saying this he exited the room.

He walked back to the room after calling aman to bump into Anjali who herself seemed to be exiting his room. "Di??"he exclaimed. Di in her regular happy tone replied "Chote who khushiji had torn her saree blouse so she had taken needle and thread from me. I had come to retrieve it" she answered and left. He entered the room and saw his shirt on the bed neatly folded. He picked it up and threw it in the laundry basket. Suddenly something struck him.

"Chote who khushiji had torn her saree blouse so she had taken needle and thread from me." Di's voice played in his head. The shirt and khushi clicked together. She had been wearing that when she was sewing her blouse as she had nothing else to wear. "Shit" he exclaimed. He had yelled at her for no reason. He headed back out and headed to the kitchen. He was sure she was making jalebis there. He stopped right at the kitchen enetrance she seemed to engross in her cooking.

Suddenly he looked up, she saw him at the door. A thought crossed his mind, why had he come here. He had no work in the kitchen. Having no excuse he just began yelling "what do you think I am?? whenever I see you you are making these sweets, due you think all these kitchen supplies are free of cost?. I am a bl***y millionaire?"

A pitter-patter of feet brought him back to reality. He picked up his phone and left the kitchen. Laxmi was on the prowl and was wandering the hall. He began climbing up the stairs.

NK was playing with camera as usual. He was trying to make a video film of the whole raizada clan. Arnav stood at the top of the stairs, he want going to let NK tape him. Unknown to her khushi passed by him and headed down. NK happy to catch his first prey, pounced on her and was trying to make her smile.

Khushi wasn't in the mood to smile, why should she be he had just yelled at her. Finally, she smiled thanks to NK's antics. Happy to get his first film shot, he ran up yelling he would get Nanav to dance for his video. Arnav raced back to his room and bolted the door. Never was he going to get caught by that crazy Nk and camera.

He reached the top of the stairs and right at the door of the room. It was closed, probably that idiot khushi had bolted it he thought and knocked at the door. No one opened then struck him she was gone. He pushed open the door and entered. The room looked empty and abandoned. Just as it had been 6 months ago. So why was the room feeling so different then. It had always been like this. He threw his coat and laptop bag on the bed and collected his clothes from the cupboard. Heading to the washroom to change, he realized why should he change in. he could change right here in his room. This khushi fever was getting to him.

He picked up his snipers and began trimming his plants. Khushi khushi khushi. Since he had come back all he could see was khushi, In the hall, on the stairs, in his bedroom and even in the bathroom much to his annoyance.

Khushi was pulling her cheek trying to see a pimple on her cheek in the bathroom mirror. NK and Anjali had been teasing her downstairs that she was getting pimples on her f ace. Aranv barged into the room, very much in need to use the washroom. He threw everything on the bed and pushed open the washroom door.

Khushi jumped at the sudden noise and slipped on the wet floor. Arnav glared at her angrily, mentally thinking that she had found this time only to occupy the washroom. She got up and walked to the door. Thinking she was trying to exit, he walked out of the washroom giving her room to walk out.

But khushi just banged the door at his face.

Arnav threw the snipers away in anger. Again her thoughts were clouding his mind. What was it with her? Even after she had gone, she remained mentally present. He turned back to retrieve his snipers, which had landed on the chair next to the swimming pool. He bent to pick it up.

He bent, but she again caught his collar and pulled him. If he hadn't caught down the edges of the chair and propped himself on it he would have been right on top of her. She put her ear to his chest and giggled "your dil is also doing dhak-dhak like mine". He put his hand to his heart and felt. It sounded non-sense, what does the heart do except saying dhak-dhak, he thought. She was now holding her hand to her chest and saying "see its saying dhak-dhak".

He put his hand on her hand to feel it but she annoyingly pulled her hand away allowing his hand to touch her chest "don't touch me, you are my fake husband" she scolded. He smirked. Well much to the silliness, her heart was also beating I mean saying dhak-dhak he corrected himself mentally. She closed her eyes as if asleep. Had she fainted he wondered. He was inches away from her face. Would she mind if he?? Well she wasn't in her senses, she wouldn't even know, he thought. Should he? He bent closer; he could almost feel her breath. Her lips were looking more than waiting for his touch. He touched her lower lip with his lip, she didn't move. With his upper lip he pushed her lips apart, then putting his tongue out, he licked her lower lip. She tasted a mixture of bhang, jalebi and lipstick, he thought. She opened her eyes again dreamingly, arnav stood up right away.

Arnav flashed out of his day dream and walked back into the room slamming the sliding door shut. She wasn't going to think of her; no way she had gone for good. For her own good only. He looked at his phone, it was flashing. Had she called him, was she in trouble, was she safe?? A hundred questions pondered his mind. But it was Aman calling, he cut it and climbed into bed. It was going to be a long night.

Khushi looked up to the stars and whispered 'hey devimaiyya, give me luck on my new beginning".