Hello, Neighbour (ARHI SS) Note - Page 39 - Page 2

Originally posted by: chavvi16

oh no she didnt but she did
sweetie they are cuz not what you think dear
but then what else can you expect with her seeing what she did
well she sure shall know soon enough that they arent what he thinks they are
poor arnie will be so horrified to know of it
well here is hoping he never knows then
well nk calling him arnie didnt help matters either
oh well this is juts the beginning aint it
slowly but surely she shall know more of him and he of her
so he thought she looks like a goddess awww thats so cute of him
and he was so lost in her he didnt hear what she was saying to him
it seems this shall be fun
and am sure glad you let me know of this
i sure wouldnt have wanted to miss this for sure

Chapter 3: Oh, sweet agony

Arnav was not a religious man. In fact he was an atheist, preferring to believe his existence was determined by rational and logic-driven events of the universe than the whimsy of an unseen, unheard supernatural being (or beings, if you were polytheistic). He prided in this belief as it made sense, giving into his need for predictability and control.

And yet, his thoughts as of late couldn't deviate further than that.

For a man who perceived himself above the superstitious, the frequency at which he found himself preoccupied by a 'Goddess' was nothing short of shocking.

During the day, Arnav would find himself hoping to run into with her. He started using the staircase for that very reason. On the 3^rd day he changed his tack worried she might have foregone the stairs for the lifts based on his recommendation. This realisation meant that their route in and out of the building was suddenly diversified.

These changes did not escape NK. He knew very well that his cousin was a routine-loving control freak. Nothing but efficient, Arnav would typically pick the most practical route home with the least travelling time. Why the hell would he suggest changing the way they left and come back to the apartment every few days for absolutely no reason? NK picked up on the heightened air of anticipation that crept into the atmosphere in their mornings and their evenings. Wondering what the hell was going on with his cousin, NK chose to play the oblivious houseguest around Arnav whilst closely observing this highly irregular behaviour. Despite the entertainment he derived from the activity, he was worried for his 'Nannav' bhai's sanity. With no obvious reason in sight, NK secretly vowed to continue monitoring his brother's current condition and catalogue its symptoms. For now, he'll just take it as a passing phase.

Little did NK know, not all of Arnav's symptoms were observable. Arnav's dreams were plagued with nightly visits to the temple of the Goddess of Happiness, where he was her sole and most ardent devotee. The irony of the situation was not lost on him, and after a week of not seeing her, Arnav acknowledged he was a lost cause.

He had never been so taken by a woman, especially one he hardly knew. Being career-oriented, Arnav Singh Raizada never made much time for women. He hadn't the time, or the opportunity - preferring to sacrifice his personal life for dividends on his professional life; and how they paid! That was not to say Arnav was by any means inexperienced, but college dalliances were a thing of the past and he had outgrown that phase in life.

He wondered if it were a mere coincidence that at the point of time he was most established in his career he had fallen hard. After all, as his logic-loving inner conscience reasoned with a matter-of-factly air, there was no rational explanation for him to behave in this manner. He was surrounded by beautiful, exotic-looking women all the time in his line of work. Why should he suddenly be so taken by the proverbial (and actual) girl-next-door?

He could almost picture his sister's voice in his head, whacking him over the head while exclaiming 'Chote!' in indignation at his shallowness. She would immediately launch into a tirade of beauty being skin deep and lament at men's senseless need to sexualize every single thing. Chuckling at his inner conscience's decision to appear in the form of his Di, Arnav did reluctantly concede it had a point. What if it was just physical attraction?

No, he knew. Physical attraction - that, he was familiar with. This was something different all together. Beyond her divine good looks, he had a glimpse of the person behind the face. She had a considerate and guileless air around her that he really liked; being comfortable to poke fun at herself without fear or embarrassment. She was also cautious, as he recalled her hesitation to disclose the location of her apartment straight away after he asked her, which demonstrated mindfulness and responsibility for her own well-being.

For all it was worth, it didn't amount to much. He still barely knew her. However, the little he did was enough to have him intrigued.

And for Arnav, that was good enough for him.

~*~

I really regret all of those Jalebis, Khushi thought wearily as she got up that morning. I feel like a sack of potatoes.

Which was no wonder, considering the amount of food she had eaten on her week-long stay with her Bauji.

Khushi decided to take the opportunity to visit her beloved aunt for a week before her university commenced and Lavanya's arrival. Her Buaji had been absolutely delighted of course, deciding to cook Khushi's favourite dishes throughout her stay there. Khushi lost count of the number of helpings she had taken, but she could count the number of times she refused.

Which was none, her conscience quipped.

Groaning as she sat up on her bed, she knew she had to get a-moving if she wanted to shake off this feeling. Suddenly, a light bulb lit in her head.

Wasn't there a gym in this apartment? She suddenly recalled. Feeling perkier already at the idea, Khushi decided to make her way down and check out the equipment for herself.

~*~

"Arnie, let's go, come on. We're leaving."

Arnav said nothing in reply, preferring to fix NK with an annoyed glare. This did nothing to NK, who just smiled wider at him as he fixed his shoe laces.

"You're such an old man Nannav. So slow. All the more you need the exercise."

"I have nothing on your speed for getting ready for work."

NK threw his head back in laughter. Arnav had been very quiet towards the end of the week and it was starting to unnerve him. While Arnav was a man of a few words, there was deep, pensive vibe about his demeanor that NK could not point his finger to. Not knowing what to do, he decided the only way to get Arnav out this...'whatever it was'...was to work (it) out.

Arnav grabbed his shoulder and pushed him out the door. "Let's say we get started on working off those chips of yours, hmm?"

The gym was empty with the soft sound of the airconditioning unit humming in the background. Both men were soon lost in their own workouts with music pounding through the earphones and muscles rippling under exertion. A while later, with sweat dripping down their backs they decided to take a break. NK took a large gulp of water from his bottle as Arnav got off the weights bench.

"Give it to me", he gestured to his cousin, who ignored him and continued drinking.

"NK, I said give it to me!"

"Ok, ok. I'm done! Keep your pants on!" NK passed the drink bottle to Arnav who snatched it out of his hand, slightly peeved.

And that was the scene that greeted Khushi as she walked into the gym.

---

A/N (author's note): Many of you made the Dostana comparison! Heehee! I can't say I was inspired by the movie, but there's the same striking similarity (boy-likes-girl, girl-thinks-he's-gay) so I'll give you that! After I wrote it, I saw it too. But it was like as chavvi16 pointed out, Arnav would be very horrified if he found out about the misconception, and it was this imagined reaction that spurred me to type this story out. You have to admit, that's a pretty good motivator right there :P

PS: If you would like to receive PMs, please 'buddy' me and like the first post (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/78670731) on this thread. I'll just PM whoever is on that post. It makes it easier for me to keep track. Otherwise, I'm happy for you to stalk :)

PSS: Also, please be very patient with me as I fumble with the system. I'm still trying to figure out how to PM multiple people at a go. I'm very new to this business! *cough* noob *cough*. If I sprout nonsense like needing to be buddied for the convenience of PM-ing, please point it out (preferably with instructions) and I'll be forever grateful :)