Hi everyone! I'm extremely sorry for the delay, I had the chapter ready on my phone but I couldn't get my hands on the laptop to post it earlier, plus I haven't been keeping well and university just adds to all the burden. A heartfelt apology to everyone for the late update, but I'll try to put the next one up sooner.
Chapter 2 - The first changes
It had been three hours since that awkward call. I was happy for the hope it had brought me, but at the same time so confused. There had never been any awkwardness between us, and not once in the past 3 years had I ever had to think so critically about a conversation (of course I had dissected each and every conversation we had had till date, hoping to find something, just anything, any sign of his feelings. But that's different, right?). Though I had tried to keep the conversation going, arnav had been awkward upfront and I couldn't fathom the reason why.
Yes he could have been jealous but I couldn't be sure of that, considering our history. But he had seemed relieved, right? I could sense his hesitation in asking me if I was seeing someone. He had sounded angry, even hurt maybe. But it didn't necessarily have to be because of jealousy, he could have been hurt thinking I had kept something so central to my life from him... maybe... OH WHAT THE HELL! Jealous arnav or not, I was definitely going nuts thinking about him and his behavior.
Three hours ago, I had been so confident about the cause of his reaction, and I had been so sure of the jealousy I thought I had heard in his voice. Now, however, I was only a mass of nerves and self doubt. But then a thought struck me, a memory,
Flashback
"Khushi, I need to talk to you about something..."
Arnav whispered to me while pulling my chair slightly closer to his and away from lavanya's.
Adjusting myself after the sudden disorientation from his careless whisper that literally sent my heart jumping in my chest (p.s. there was respectable distance between us, but his voice, it always had me reeling), I leaned slightly backwards and looking straight ahead at our friends, whispered back,
"About what?"
"There's something... I can't tell you with everyone around."
I pushed my chair further away from the table and towards him and got up, he followed suit
"We're just going to get some notes from the tuc shop, be back in a bit."
Addressing our friends around the table, I grabbed my wallet, turned to Arnav, and we both left before our friends could ask us anything.
…………………………………
A little later, we were sitting outside the library, talking,
"It's embarrassing!"
Arnav exclaimed in annoyance while I doubled over in laughter,
"Stop laughing! I need you to solve the problem, hey hey.. stop laughing Khushi!"
"Ohhh, Ohh, sorry Hahahaha, I'm sorry, ohhh, my stomach hurts..."
After a lot of laughing from me, and even more daggers from Arnav, I sobered up and asked,
"Okay, so let me get this straight. You got a text from a random number, asked who it was, and then a chain of messages bombarded you?"
He nodded, and I continued
"And turns out, she's from our semester, has a huge crush on you, won't tell you her name, got your number from a supposed mutual friend of you two and now she won't leave you alone?"
he nodded again, I sighed.
"What's the big deal Arnav? Just some girl who has a crush on you like many others, she'll ..."
"Many others?"
"...get over it. Don't worry!"
"What do you mean by many others?"
"What many others?"
I asked absently, my mind already cooking up a plan to rid Arnav of this new fan girl.
"You said she has a crush on me like many others?
"Haan, toh? Isn't it obvious? All the freshies are smitten by you!"
"Really? How do you know?"
Oh god! I groaned. I wanted to pull my hair out, Arnav was such an idiot. (It was a good thing, he wasn't specifically smug about his looks, more like ignorant about how gifted he was in the department of looks)
I looked at him and explained,
"You actually don't realize, but you're quite good looking, tall too, that's enough for girls to drool over. You're not aware but currently, you're the freshies' eye candy. I myself know quite a few juniors who keep asking me questions about you."
"Oh! ... Anyways, that's beside the point. What do I do about this stalker? She's creepy. Wait, I'll show you the texts."
"No Arnav, It's not necessary."
Ugh, how stupid could he be? Wasn't it enough that I was myself telling him about the plenty girls who were crazy about him - not to forget that I had already listened to his story about the new Bitch after him - that this idiot now wanted me to READ the bloody messages!
But before I could think of an appropriate reason to avoid reading the messages, the phone was thrust into my hand and I was directed to the particular conversation and oh when I read them, I saw green! The jealous monster in me wanted to rip its way out of me and burn the faceless bitch alive! HOW DARE SHE FLIRT WITH HIM?
When I couldn't take the flirty messages anymore, I got up abruptly, threw his phone back at him (which he caught instantly) and throwing a quick "I'll think of a solution and let you know" stomped off towards the cafeteria.
If only I could get my hands on that Bitch right now! Her messages ringing in my head
"If love is a crime, lock me up, i'm guilty baby"
"I'm single, and only so ready to mingle"
"Arnav, baby, don't be shy, meet me once?"
BABY, BABY? Ughhh, if only I knew who she was!
Flashback ends
Now I was sure about what I had heard in his voice. It had been jealousy! Oh yes, Arnav Singh Raizada had been jealous, just like I had been so many times before. But I had been aware of my jealousy, was he? Did he have any idea about why he had reacted like that? Could I hope that he did? Or would that be hoping for too much?
With these thoughts swimming in my head and a secret smile on my lips, I closed my eyes to the world and tuned into my lala land where Arnav and I were madly in love. Sigh!
**********************************
Next morning I woke up with a start. My breathing was labored, my heart beating wildly in my chest and I was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.
When had I started dreaming about things like that? Oh the dream had been so vivid, his kisses so bold, his touch so sensual, and the way I had been moaning... I shook my head to clear my thoughts; I needed a long relaxing shower. Grabbing my jeans, tank top and hoodie, I rushed to the washroom. Arnav Singh Raizada was going to be the death of me!
...
Much later... in university
"Where's Arnav?"
La asked, throwing her notebooks on the table and sinking into the couch in front of me.
"I don't know, he hasn't replied to my text."
I replied, still not looking up from my phone. I had been texting that idiot since morning, hoping against everything that he'd be normal today. After that phone call I'd been worried it would affect us, I'd feared that he'd become disconnected, and right now, all those fears were coming true. The only replies I had gotten to my texts were "ok" "busy" "yes" "no". I wanted to scream at him, get him to see sense. All my hopes of him actually feeling something for me, felt like a distant memory.
"What do you mean he hasn't replied? Call him! He promised he'd teach me stats in this session."
Oh no, I didn't want to call him, another awkward conversation? Could I handle that? Lord give me patience or I might just start shouting at him in the middle of the student lounge.
I sent out a silent prayer and dialed his number. While I waited for him to pick up, I started talking to La,
"So where's Akash taking you this year?"
Akash had been three years our senior - he'd graduated a couple years back - and la had been seeing him ever since our second semester. They were quite serious actually, the "we will get married" types.
"I don't know, I've been begging him to take me to that new Chinese place but he says he doesn't want pheeka chinese to ruin our Valentine's, so he's instead taking me to some fancy cafe, Pink Cadillac, heard about it?"
"Oh that's so cool! I've been trying to get Payal to go there with me, I've heard it's really goo... oh hey arnav!"
I signaled lavanya to hold on while I diverted my attention to the call that had just been received,
"Where have you been all day?"
"Taking classes."
"What classes?"
"Just some classes. Why did you call?"
"Is something wrong?"
I asked apprehensively
"No, you needed something?"
"No, I just, woh, I haven't seen you all day... and..."
"Khushi, I'm busy with classes, why'd you call?"
Arnav sounded annoyed and frustrated and that angered me to the core, it was his fault, why was I getting the cold shoulder?
"Kaunsi classes Arnav? You're free in this session, and I know that because I MADE YOUR SCHEDULE! There's a limit. Besides what's with your one word replies to all my texts, you've forgotten how to form sentences?"
I thundered, my blood boiling at his indifference. From the corner of my eyes, I could see lavanya gaping at me with her mouth open.
"Khushi, why did you call?"
He spoke cryptically, like he would break his phone if I further questioned him…
"What the hell? What is wrong with you? I can't call my best friend now? I've been trying to track you all morning and you're not even bothered!"
"For the last time, why did you call khushi? I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now, besides I don't owe you any explanations so mind your own goddamn business and stop acting like my mom."
He sounded cold; Arnav was never rude to me, so I was clearly taken aback. I screamed, shouted, told him off but he'd never be rude to me, so right now I was stumped. But Khushi Gupta wasn't anything if not impulsive, and it took only seconds for me to get around the shock and give him as good as I got!
"THEN YOU BETTER STOP ACTING LIKE A BABY FIRST! MORON! I've been trying so hard to kill the tension, and get things back to normal after... after... Ughhh, and you? You've been adamant to make things even more awkward! It was a silly joke you ass, and you over reacted but that's THAT! You know what? GO TO HELL!"
With that said I canceled the call and throwing the phone in lavanya's lap, rushed to the restroom, ready to bawl my eyes out. Moments later, lavanya was by my side while I cried buckets.
I could feel the first changes in our friendship; it was beginning to crack, all because of stupid feelings… Oh my stupid heart!
Arnav didn't love me, that, I could deal with. But now even our friendship was lost, that would kill me. And to think he had been jealous, I scoffed at that thought. It was over!
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Love,
Sonia
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
All things Korean
Ganesh Kartikeya
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