Chapter 3 - A New Day!
3 days... 3 bloody days!
Since this was our first fight, Arnav and I, we both didn't quite know how to handle the situation. I guess that's why we had both given into temptation and chosen the devil of all available options, Anger - unjustified anger at that. It was like a pat on the backs of both our normally absent egos. And our egos were only too happy to make an appearance on the fore front for once, considering how we were so in sync with our ideologies that our egos rarely ever came into the picture.
In the past three days, apart from crying, I'd eaten bags and bags of chips, downed bottle after bottle of coke, and cleaned my fridge off of the four boxes of chocolates. The best part was my family's worry. I had health issues and with the intake of all this junk and coke, my parents concern was only increasing. I had already been forced on a doctors visit the day before which had worsened the level of my morale. Bad health, bad friendship, bad love, bad life, bad everything... I was a lost cause
In university, though my days had been miserable, I'd had support. What worried me was that he didn't. I knew arnav, I understood his actions - except the reaction of course, but we got each other. So I knew why he hadn't been around.
He'd been coming to university but he neither sat with me in class, nor did he see me in the free sessions. He was ignoring me, yes. But at the same time he cared too, I could tell. He knew I was a people person, I couldn't sit alone, and I'd probably start crying if I was asked to sit alone. However, he also knew that if he joined our friends on our usual spot in the cafe, I wouldn't have been able to take his ignorance and I would have gone away to sit alone.
That was why he was staying away, so I wouldn't have to. But enough was enough. It was going to be a new day tomorrow and I would fix things. I couldn't afford to lose his friendship, if he didn't love me, I'd just have to keep it to myself for the rest of my life. But I couldn't, I wouldn't lose our friendship.
A conference was scheduled for the weekend and our entire group was attending it, tomorrow being the first day was supposed to be light with group activity sessions and light sports, followed by an after party, and I'd be damned if I didn't corner Arnav Singh Raizada and force normality on him.
Yes! Tomorrow would be a new day...
With those thoughts and a brain already forming plans, I, Khushi Gupta, slept with a determined smile.
***************************
8:00 am
"Shit! I'm going to be so late, so so late. Crap, I'm so dead today"
I ran around my room, gathering things of need in my bag, while thoroughly cursing my luck. The conference was supposed to start at 7:30, and the late comers were to be made to do something embarrassing on stage. It just wasn't my day.
My phone rang continuously on my side table while I tried to put on my jeans. I knew it was Lavanya, she had woken me up with her incessant calling but that had been ... what ... Shit 20 minutes ago.
I grabbed my hoodie and hurriedly put it on. Gathering my socks and sneakers in my hands I rushed out the gate of my house where Payal was waiting for me in the car. She was driving me to university since I'd missed the bus. Now I'd have to be thankful to my sister for the rest of my life for waking up so early on a weekend - of course I was to clean our room for the whole month too, but that's the bargain I'd made.
...
"Uhhh, payal? woh, could you drive a little faster? I have t..."
I shut up at the scowl my sister threw at me and slumped back into my seat. What a pathetic start to my day!
...
"Okay so, we are going to need to split our team into two. The first group will come with me and we will make the presentation while the second group will work on the movie. Clear?"
We all nodded in understanding. The team consisted of 14 people, out of whom 4 were from our group of friends - me, la, NK and ... Arnav.
We had been given the task of coming up with a new product. The presentation was to include all the technical information, while the movie was to be a scene showing the use of that product, but creative.
Our group leader continued,
"Okay so split the team, and whoever is in the first group, meet me in the auditorium in 15 minutes."
We nodded again and he left us to our work.
"Me and La will be in the movie team, NK too - he's amazing with the cameras."
I spoke for the three of us, and looked hopefully at arnav. He liked dramatics; he'd choose our team, right?
"I'll go with the presentation group; I have a few ideas for the product..."
I felt my anger rise again. Why was he doing this? But I didn't want to create a scene so I diverted my eyes and looked towards another group, and someone instantly caught my attention. SHE was standing there, her arm hooked through her boyfriend's. Her head was resting on his shoulder. And still, she had the nerve to shamelessly ogle at Arnav. Oh that Bitch! Shameless, pathetic, useless, idiotic Bitch!
Did Arnav even realize? She was still after him, and he was as good as clueless.
Remember the girl who'd been stalking Arnav long ago? Well, meet Sheetal Mehta, the famous s**t of our institute. Some time after the "flirty messages" fiasco, we had solved the mystery of the stalker and the name Sheetal Mehta had stood staring at us. How we found out, I'll tell you that story some other time. As of now, she was blatantly ogling MY man!
Turning around abruptly, I scowled at Arnav and felt my blood boil further at his indifference.
"You should all go meet Rohan in the auditorium, its well past fifteen minutes. As it is, we have to start working on the movie too."
I heard NK address the group Arnav was in.
"Yeah, we should leave."
Another boy from the other team agreed. Within five minutes they were gone. Arnav was gone, without turning back even once. And once again I wanted to cry, as if the last three days hadn't seen enough of that.
His indifference hurt, especially when I couldn't understand the cause of it. But I held back my tears. I wouldn't break my resolve. Not today. We still had the sports event in the evening, and I would make sure to confront him then. He'd have to answer me then, I wouldn't leave him a choice.
And with that resolve I got back to the team and we started brainstorming for ideas.
**********************************
The sports event had started; Arnav was a fast runner so he was participating in all the races. Later we had a match of tug of war, followed by dodgeball and surprisingly pittoo too (pittoo is that game where you form a building out of small flat pieces of rocks and then hit the formation with a tennis ball).
Anyways, point is, Arnav was ridiculously good at ignoring me. That was the latest revelation. He'd busied himself with the silliest things. Like going to get water for the whole team, making the excuse of getting a call from his mum, participating in pittoo when he'd always hated the game.
For whatever reason, somehow, every single time I walked upto him, before I could even open my mouth, he was off to some silly task. I was getting frustrated by the minute.
Oh Arnav Singh Raizada, I'll tell you! Pathetic ass!
...
"Come on K, don't be such a spoilt sport."
Dragging me by the hand, la pushed me in the middle of the dance floor.
The after party had started. I wasn't normally very keen on such parties but it was part of the event and I had to attend it. La on the other hand, loved all this. The disco lights, the colours, the flashes, the camera, the glitter, the clothes, the dancing. I enjoyed dancing, it was my first love - yes arnav was the second. But I wasn't comfortable dancing in such parties.
I tried to push out of the crowd but la again grabbed my hand and tried to make me dance. Her attempts made me laugh and I started moving to the beat. Swaying with the music, for once I let the tension flow.
Coming closer, la screamed over the music,
"Yes K! Dance like noones watching!"
I threw my head back and laughed,
"If I do that I'll be the talk of the town, and my parents would throw me out of the house."
La jumped up in excitement,
"Great, then you can move in with me!"
She threw a wink at me and I laughed again. Then grabbing her hand, we both started dancing. I didn't want to think about arnav, not his indifference, not his anger, not his ignorance, nothing. I wanted to enjoy myself and dancing was the best way to do that.
All this while I could see him, feel him staring at me. Arnav stood in one corner, talking to Aman but he was constantly staring at me, the intensity in his eyes could literally put the floor on fire. No blinking, no diverting, just mindless, angry staring. What was it with him? His anger? I just didn't get it. Oh what the hell! I didn't care, he'd ruined my whole day, and I wouldn't let him ruin it any further. He could glare all he wanted, I was going to dance.
We danced for some more time and when we were tired enough, we walked to the counter to get drinks. We both ordered colas and walked towards the gate. People were beginning to file out and our campus was soon feeling scary. It was a beautiful campus but with people filing out and the dark of the night present, it could be a little scary.
NK and la left almost immediately. I stayed back with Aman, my pops was supposed to pick me up.
I waited for a while and Aman waited along, not wanting to leave me alone. The campus was almost entirely empty now.
"Aman, its late. You leave, I don't want to hold you back any longer. Pops will be here any minute now."
"No, its alright K, I'll wait."
"Aray, you leave na. Waise hi you live so far away. You go"
"But I can't leave you alone K, I'll wait with you."
Before I could respond to that, a voice spoke from behind. A voice, that instantly had my heart beating faster. The person I'd wanted to make things normal with today, although now my feelings were anything but. I wanted to kill him right now, his attitude had angered me to an extreme and I was holding it all in with tremendous effort.
"She's not alone Aman. You go! I'll stay with her."
A/N: I am so very sorry for the delay in my updates. I just have been very busy. I have had this chapter on my phone for a long time now, just couldn't get the time to actually post it. I understand this chapter doesn't have so much Arhi, but it's important to set base for the next chapter. The next chapter is also almost ready, I just need to make a few edits here and there and I'll post it A.S.AP.
Love,
Sonia
NOTE: This is solely my work. Kindly do not share or copy without my permission!
Bindi
Udne Ki Aasha
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
43