Hi everyone!
I cannot apologize enough for leaving you all hanging for over four months. But I had genuine commitments that kept me away from writing. And although I am back now, I cannot promise regular updates, so sorry for the future turbulence in update. I promise to try my best to find the time to write.
This update goes to all my readers who waited so patiently for me to write. It goes to mav, for not losing hope and using all the techniques in the book to get me to write again. To all you lovely people who commented and said the sweetest things, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love you all, I adore you all!
Now, ENJOY!
PART 9 - And it all started with bacha
"I think I fell in love with you the first time I called you bacha, I just took really long to realize..."
My head snapped up at this, I hadn't expected this. I don't know what I had expected but it definitely wasn't this. Looking into his smiling eyes, I asked astounded,
"But arnav that was..."
"Almost 2 years ago, I know."
He smiled at me, that beautiful smile that always made my heart skip a beat, and I beamed up at him before a settled back in his lap and snuggled into his chest as I let my mind travel back to the memories. It wasn't difficult for me to rewind back to that memory two years ago, especially because it was one I was very fond of. That entire day was etched in my memory as if it had been just yesterday.
*******************************
"aankhein kholo riddhima... "
"Are you really quoting Dr. Armaan?"
I snapped my eyes open in disbelief. Here I was, reeling under the effects of one of my favourite romantic scenes and he was butting in and disturbing the peace of my lala land with his pathetic imitation of my sexy dreamguy? loser!
"oh come on! You can watch that idiot's scenes over and over and someone else is not even allowed to quote him?"
"Sure someone else is, YOU aren't! You didn't quote out of interest, you were mocking me!"
"Wait, no... Ok fine! No need to go all crazy angry glary on me, I was just kidding. But I'm bored, woman. Can't you see? You've been watching that same scene on your ipod for over an hour now, give the poor device a break, and teach me some management?"
"No!"
"Wha... Why?"
"You made fun of Dr. Armaan KNOWING that it never sits well with me. So no! No management tutoring for you today!"
I pushed my ipod into my jeans pocket, grabbed my books and got up abruptly, my eyes already searching for a vacant spot in the basement where I could charge my ipod and continue watching my precious DMG videos in peace. All my ambitious plans regarding DMG and peace were however instantly halted by the hand that suddenly held mine and the poor imitation of my favourite love song that followed,
"asmaani ... rang hooo... pyaar ki... dhoop hooo... roshni hooo... Lalalalalalala..."
and...THUD! One sharp tug and my bum was back on the ground.
"JANGLI! do takke ki tameez nahi hai tumhe?"
I screamed at him, while trying to get my balance back and hoping for my stinging bony bum to soothe.
"Ab de lo gaaliyan, mein kab se keh raha hun parha do mujhe, the final is in two days!"
"Haan toh? When I was asking you to come home and study with me last week toh apne buoys k saath awaara-gardi karni thi. Now deal with the consequences. Huh! Serves you right, ass!"
Pushing off of the ground, I started walking away, but the helpless puppy won't leave me alone and so he followed me. Annoyed, I turned to face him, pointed a finger at him and motioned for him to go and sit in the corner we were at previously.
The pathetic moron, gave me a bloody smirk and literally danced back to his spot. Freaking ass, he knew I'd give in no matter what.
I stormed back to our spot, threw my books at him, hoping they'd hit him in the face and wipe that sly smirk away but as always, my target sucked.
Stepping forward so I was towering over his sitting form, I glared down at him and threatened,
"You know I have already studied, you know the last time i taught you I ended screwing up my own test, you know that I never compromise on my DMG time, so this time, IF my result is screwed in any way, you will be responsible... And dost, you cannot even begin to imagine mein tumhara kitna bura haal karungi!"
Only, my threat had no effect on him and instead only brought out an even more annoying response from him,
"Laal! tamaatar wala laal..."
Before he could further add to the statement I hit him with a book on his head and started walking away for the third time, only to be stopped for the third time.
"Aray, I was just kidding yaar..."
More glaring
"Acha na, no more teasing promise, just please teach me this leadership chapter, I don't get a thing ... "
Glaring and flaring
"Whoa! relax, I'm sorry, let's just study..."
"...only if you stop being such an ass!"
"hey come on! teasing you certifies me of being an ass now? that's not fai..."
"Tumhein parhna hai k nahi?"
"yeah but don't call me an ass for no..."
"I'll call you whatever i want, ass, dog, bitch, moro..."
"not a bitch, I'm a guy you..."
"shut up arnav!"
I was so frustrated now.
"okay okay bacha, chill! I'm sorry I..."
Anger forgotten, I went into crazy crushing mode, had he just addressed me with a proper endearment?
"...what did you just say?"
"I'm sorryy..."
"no, before that?"
"uhhh teach me lea..."
"no after that, I mean you called me something?"
"uhh..."
came his unsure yet adorable reply.
"...Arnav, what did you just call me?"
"I don't know khush... oh wait, do you mean bacha?"
"why?"
"...why did I call you bacha?... khush, why are you grilling me over an endearment?"
"So, it was an endearment?"
"Good god! What else would it be?"
"But why?"
"Because you're cute and I love you, aur kuch? or can we please study now?"
I was so flustered, it took me a moment to realize that he was muttering profanities under his breath. Suddenly feeling energized I pinched his cheek, hard and with a cheeky smile responded to his silent glare,
"Of course mere hero, let's study!"
And the rest as they say, was history...
*******************************
"What history? you've got a poor memory khush, I didn't expect this from you..."
He said trying to get me off of his lap. yes, I was still seated in his lap, and quite comfortably at that. Sigh! Have I ever mentioned how cozy it is to stay cocooned in his arms, its my second favourite place to be (the first being maa's lap of course), oh Khair, back to the present... Yes why was he trying to get me off of his lap?
Snuggling more into his embrace, I mumbled against his neck,
"Oye keep sitting, I don't wanna get up abhi... please?"
I added as an afterthought.
"Jaan I just need to check my phone, its on your bed..."
"abhi nahi na..."
I said pushing his shoulders back as he tried to sit straight.
The next second we were walking to my bed. No, he was walking to my bed with me in his arms while i held on to his shoulders.
"I had asked Anju to wait up for me, need to tell her to go to bed, mujhe toh obviously der ho jaye gi."
With a wink, he had thrown me on the bed. Yes, he quite literally threw me on the bed, like i was some... wait, you don't know who Anju is right? Anju is short for Anjali, Arnav's younger sister. She's a pretty cool kid. Normally, when arnav stays out till late she stays awake so she can open the gate for him when he gets back home without their mother worrying about him. So yeah, that's anjali!
Plonking down on the bed next to me after he had messaged Anju, he pulled me up and sat with his back to the headboard, his knees pulled up, while I sat cross legged in front of him.
"So, we were discussing how your memory sucks, right?"
"Hawww! it does not! That WAS the first time you called me bacha..."
"Nope! Definitely not the first, because I clearly remember the first time and it was definitely not before our management final."
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Fine, what's your story?"
"Do you remember the time we got our algebra grades?"
"Do you HAVE to remind me?"
I said, pushing forward and digging my head in his chest. I heard him chuckle before I lightly hit him and then he pulled me up on his lap and wrapped his arms around me. I sighed, I was in my favourite place again! And then I focused all my energies on that dreaded day.. brrr algebra still gave me the chills.
*******************************
"The result is out!" said a sullen lavanya.
"Not right now, la. I've got computers in two hours."
"But I'm serious, the result is out, algebra and language both."
At that, I looked up from my books and took in la's appearance, she seemed so scared, I mean she was biting her nails and if I knew one thing about lavanya kashyap, it was that she treasured her nails too much to sabotage their beauty for anything...
Putting my books away, I instantly got up and grabbing her by the arm, I started multi-tasking. These tasks included
a) walking towards the library so I could access the student portal from the computers there.
b) dragging la along.
c) dialing arnav's number from my phone.
d) instructing la to keep her hands away from her mouth, even I loved her nails too much to let her sabotage them over algebra.
20 minutes later in the basement (our not so secret meeting spot...)
"Lavanya, you go home, I'm here with her."
"Are you sure? I can tell bhai to wait in the car..."
"No, its okay, you go..."
A second later lavanya was down on the floor, next to me, hugging me,
"Khushi, I can stay back if you want, I don't have to go..."
"No la, *hiccup* you go... *hiccup*, don't make... bhai *sneeze* wait... I'm... fine..."
"I love you k, and I'm right here if you need me."
And with another hug to me and a nod to arnav, my best friend was gone while i sulked here, an hour before my computers final, over the big F I'd been graced with in algebra. My first ever F... Such an evil teacher to have done that to a masoom student like me. How was I ever going to tell my parents, pops would be so disappointed, and ma, oh my god ma!
Suddenly standing up, I grabbed Arnav's attention as I quite literally started shouting.
"Arnav, ma's gonna kill me! Oh my god! Ma's going to freak out, she will kill me! I can't go home, no wait, I can't ever tell her, Shit Shit Shit! I'm so screwed! I don't ..."
And then the tears came, I couldn't hold back anymore and for the first time in my life I cried wholeheartedly while in the premises of an educational institution (I have always had this silly thing in my head, NEVER CRY OVER PARHAI INSIDE AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION!), for the first time i cried in front of someone other than my family or la, for the first time I cried in front of arnav... But I couldn't care less, my life was crumbling right in front of my eyes - or at least it felt like it - so I cried.
I don't know when it happened, or even how it happened, I just know that suddenly my throat felt locked, my tears had stopped and I couldn't breathe... oh I need to breathe... Deep breath in deep breath out... lambi saans andar lambi saans bahar. Next thing I noticed was my arms, limp by my sides, why? oh because maybe this was a bit of a shock! no, let me rephrase that, this was a major shock, and I found my body unable to react while the thoughts in my head ran amok.
Arnav was hugging me, or was it the other way around? No no, I would never take the initiative (I'd look too desperate and you must never look desperate in front of someone you like, NEVER). And why was he hugging me anyway?
"Khush, you have to tell aunty sometime but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
OH MY GOD! MA! I FLUNKED ALGEBRA! MA WILL KILL ME...
and so the tears started again, instinctively wrapping my arms around his waist, I burried my face in his chest urging him to do something about my misery, I couldn't possibly tell ma about my F, he was here, I needed help, and he would just have to do something...
"Do something", I mumbled against his shirt, my voice coming out muffled. I felt his arms tighten around me for an instant before he loosened his grip and held me by my shoulders instead.
"Khush, I promise we'll think of something, for now we have an exam and you need to do well in it. You can't let this affect your computers exam, can you?"
"I don't know... sob... I... hiccup... I don't"
Holding my chin up so I was forced to look at him, he asked
"Trust me?"
And even though I was scared to death and nervous as hell, I did That is, I did trust him! So I nodded meekly.
"Bus phir kya tension hai?" Simultaneously pulling me towards him, he tucked me securely under his arm,
"Haan, bacha? Let's get you some Pepsi, my treat!"
With a wink and a kiss to my forehead, we were off to the cafeteria where as promised, he got me a can of Pepsi and helped me revise the course for the exam in the remaining time.
*******************************
"HAWWW! How did I not remember that before?"
"Wait... you said I'd kissed you..."
With his eyebrows raised, and eyes twinkling, I received all his suggestive signals but I was thinking right now. Pushing my hand against his advancing mouth so his lips met with my palm, I got off the bed to think,
"Why do I not remember this? I mean I do now, but pehle kyun yaad nahi tha mujhe? How is this possible, I have the beat freaking memory out of all the people i know..."
"You said I'd kissed you..."
spoke the devil in my ear, making me realize how he was standing right behind me as his arms wrapped around me and his chin came to rest on my left shoulder.
Turning my head to the left, I clarified,
"On my forehead, arnav."
He took the opportunity as it came by pecking my lips lightly, leaving me dazzled as always, before moving back to rest on my shoulder,
"Jahan bhi, you must have been to dazzled to acknowledge my endearment regardless of where I'd kissed you. It was a first of course."
I turned around in his arms and shyly admitted,
"You're probably right, I've always been dazzled by you, still am"
"Not more than I am..."
pat came the reply before his mouth swooped down on mine. I could feel his smile on my lips and that made me happy, but the moment was lost too soon, as his phone started ringing.
He groaned against my mouth, but stubborn as he was, he kissed me again and pushed one hand around my thigh while the other supported my back as he pulled me up while I wrapped my legs around him. The phone stopped ringing as suddenly as it had started and I pulled away slightly and laughed as he walked us back to the bean bag. It had only been a moment that we were on the bean bag, and he was kissing me again while I reciprocated enthusiastically - the smile on both our lips intact - when another ringtone tore through our moment. This time it was my phone, and this time I didn't hold back as I laughed freely at arnav's helpless groan of displeasure. Pecking his nose, I got off his lap and grabbed my phone from the study table. I laughed harder when I realized who was calling,
"Hi anju! I thought you'd gone to bed."
Arnav got up at my greeting and walked to stand next to me,
"Haan your bhai is here. baat karni hai?"
"oh okay, I'll tell him."
"Yup! don't worry kiddo, he's just leaving."
"yeah, good night"
Canceling the call, I turned to arnav while he just blankly stared at me. Laughing at his expression, I ruffled his hair to which he grunted rather loudly, and hence i laughed harder,
"Anju wants you to get a large big mac deal for her from mc donalds on your way back. And because she's hungry, you need to leave now."
"Okay... I'll see you tomorrow then."
He walked to my study table, grabbed his keys and walked back to me. Hugging me close, he dug his face in the crook of my neck and mumbled against my skin,
"I can't believe we wasted all this time bacha."
He squeezed me tighter in his embrace as I tightened my arms around his waist and then he pulled away slightly so he was looking at me,
"I love you khushi gupta! Just... always know that? alright?"
I nodded sincerely ad hugged him one again before his pulled back completely and left after kissing me one last time.
That night, I couldn't have slept a happier person. Sigh! Life was beautiful!
Loads and loads of love,
Sonia
This is solely my work, do not copy or share without my permission
Udne Ki Aasha
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