ArHi SS:The Life-Changing Pact [Note on Page 147] - Page 80

It seemed that the decision of staying back for one more week had reinvigorated the whole family, and more specifically Pari who was promised that she would receive the full attention of her Maasi. Whenever Arnav was in the same room as Khushi, deep down, she felt like thanking him for the thoughtfulness with which he handled the delicate situation but Khushi being Khushi Kumari Gupta was hurdled by her big ego which knew no bounds. And not for a single moment Arnav waited for a sign of acknowledgement from Khushi since he was slowly understanding her nature.

While Khushi was attending to a conference call, which was supposedly the last one during her stay in Lucknow, Pari got hold of Arnav and explained him the rules of a new game that she had seen on TV : the silence game. Whoever would lose a bet would have to stay mum for some moment. Actually, Pari had witnessed how this game always led to funny situations and her mischievous nature really wished to experience it in her own house. Arnav felt sceptic at this idea but gave in when he saw Pari's cute puppy face.

"I bet that Khushi Maasi will talk of jalebis the minute she comes down the stairs!" Pari said.

"What! Khushi and jalebis? Little angel, you are having complex dreams at your small age!" Arnav replied, laughing at the idea of seeing his boss in a halwai attire.

"Amma, don't prepare dessert today! I am making my special jalebis on Pari's special order" Khushi shouted for her voice to reach everyone.

Arnav stood dazed by what he just heard, when Pari whispered in an amusing tone "Arnie, you lost the bet! I declare mission silence open from now on".

Khushi joined Pari in her painting activity, with Arnav standing afar reading the newspaper. Pari asked Arnav to come and play with them, to which Arnav replied by making a negative sign with the head and the hand. Suddenly Arnav's eyes posed on Khushi and a small smirk paved its way on his face. He cleared his throat to seek her attention, earning weird looks from Khushi and amused ones from Pari.

Arnav made some gestures to Khushi who could not understand even one ounce of what he was trying to communicate to her.

"Can't you speak?" Khushi asked cynically, while Pari was giggling.

Arnav just made his way towards her, bridging the distance that was present between them, and touched her cheek, which caused her eyes to open wider. She has such a creamy and soft face, Arnav thought. Khushi had no time to react when Arnav wiped off something on her face and showed his stained finger to her.

"Paint?" Khushi said, while rubbing her cheeks hardly.

"Arnie, I think you can speak now! Your time is over" Pari voiced, before leaving the two alone to wash her hands.

Arnav heaved a sigh of relief before uttering: "What else did you think Khushi? Why would I touch your face?

"Hmm nothing!" Khushi let out, making her way to her room.

Few minutes later, a squeal was heard, echoing throughout the house and in a momentary lapse of time, Arnav frantically climbed the stairs to see what happened. The shrieks only increased in intensity as he approached Khushi's bedroom and the scene that followed was one that he had never thought he would ever see. Khushi was standing on her bed, looking frightened.

"What happened?" Arnav asked worried.

"There'.there!"

"What?" Arnav said looking around the room everywhere.

"Cockroach!" Khushi let out.

The anxiety that had ruled Arnav's expressions slowly faded to make place for a small smile before eventually turning into a big good laugh.

"Don't tell me that 'Miss I know everything I am not scared of anything' is being intimidated by a small poor cockroach! You will never fail to surprise me Khushi!" Arnav said. "By the way, you have frightened the cockroach so much with your shouts that it has escaped through the window!"

"You.." Khushi started to say when her foot got trapped in the bed sheet and she tripped over, only to realise that she had landed in Arnav's arms.

Arnav clutched Khushi as tightly as a possible to prevent her from falling and he was immediately lost in her hazel brown eyes, that for the first time he was staring in such close proximity, her milky face and her cherry lips. He was holding her like a delicate and precious treasure, and felt a fastening pace of his heart beats that he was unable to explain.

As far as Khushi was concerned, she was overwhelmed by a feeling of security that she had never experienced before and noticed a kind of sparkle in Arnav's eyes that conveyed a bewitching sensation. Realising where she was, she glanced her sight away from Arnav's eyes and tried to free herself from Arnav's hold. But Arnav was so lost that he only clutched her tighter, until footsteps were heard and he freed her against his wishes.

"Khushi, is everything alright?" everyone asked, to which she nodded positively and told them what had happened.

"Sanka Devi, when will you stop getting scared of cockroaches?" Buaji said, her hand resting on her head.

Arnav and Khushi were once again left alone after everyone went, and Khushi told him:

"I would have said thank you if you had not laughed at my phobia for cockroaches! But the matter is different now, so you can leave my room now!"

"Khushi, I just prevented you from falling down, which is not a big deal that needs a thanks! You can stay assured that I will not harass you for a thank you! But I definitely need to thank you for being so light, else right now I would be in hospital" Arnav said before leaving her room.

Khushi did not know specifically at what time Arnav's words made her smile, and maybe even she didn't know that she was actually smiling. She went to the kitchen and got started with the preparation of jalebis together with her small assistant, Pari. Never would Arnav let go of the opportunity to watch Khushi doing something else than working in her office, and there he was hiding behind the pillar and contemplating her.

"Who would say that this is the same Lady Governess?" Arnav murmured to himself.

Once the jalebis were ready, Khushi shared them to all and when she reached Arnav's turn, she was stunned to see him eat the jalebis with great appetite. She always felt immense happiness to see her family gorging on her jalebis but this time it was a different kind of happiness and she did not know why.

At night, Arnav was coming back from the kitchen where he fetched some water when he noticed light seeping out from Pari's room, whose door was half open. He just reached his hand to switch off the lights when he noticed that Khushi was sleeping next to Pari, her arm falling on the side of the bed. Instinctively, he slowly moved to the bed, took her hand and put it back on her. Just when he was about to go, he felt his hand being held by another and he turned around to notice that the sleeping Khushi was unwilling to let go of him.

Arnav knelt down and decided to wait for some time until Khushi would herself move her hand from his in order not to disturb her sleep. She looks so beautiful when sleeping, he thought and it provided him with such a peaceful feeling. He could not prevent himself from tucking away a strand of her hair that was falling on her forehead. Just at that time, Khushi's grip loosened and Arnav tip-toed, giving a glance at Khushi before finally leaving the room and getting back to sleep, to again have his blurry dream.

PRECAP

Khushi: "What do you know about me? I can have a boyfriend! You don't believe me? Just wait and watch! You see that guy standing over there! He will be my boyfriend in less than one minute. Let us bet! If I succeed, you will do what I ask you to!"

Arnav: "Ok, if you insist!!! And if you don't, then you will do what I ask you to! Agreed?"

Khushi: "Done!"