CHAPTER 2. ARNAV AND HIS LADY LOVE
"What happened?", Arnav asked.
"The signal had become green for us and red for the other lane. But this girl continued to drive her Scooty and came right in front of us! Thank God, I pressed the break pedal or else the girl would have been gone!", Arnav's driver replied. They were travelling to his Office when an almost accident happened.
Arnav growled. Already I am late! And now because of this girl who seemed to be interested in committing suicide by coming under my car, I am getting more late!! What the!!!!
Arnav got down his car ready to blast the girl. How dare the girl come under his car! Is this the only car in the world under which she could have died!
Already a crowd had surrounded the girl and her Scooty and he pushed through them in annoyance. He was ready to lash at the girl for her carelessness, "Are you blin...", Arnav trailed off as the crowd let him through and he came face to face with the girl. It was Khushi! His Khushi!
Arnav grinned and looked at the girl dreamily. The girl blinked at the goofy grin on his face.
"Hi!", Arnav whispered with a sigh. "Hi!", the girl muttered unsurely. Before he knew it, the crowd around him vanished and he and Khushi were only ones left. The road and the intersection around them changed into a beautiful room designed in shades of red color. Even the curtains were in red. He raised his hand and she smiled. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her close. They started to sway to some unknown music.
Back in the real world, the crowd had gone silent when Arnav arrived at the scene but now they started making noises about how the girl should be thrown in jail for her reckless driving. The girl's eyes widened in alarm and Arnav came back to earth.
"WAIT!", Arnav shouted. He looked around, "Its ok! I can handle it from here! You can go back to your work!" The crowd grumbled but slowly dispersed. Arnav looked back at the girl and folded his arms against his chest. He was about to talk to her and then hopefully ask her on a date when the girl suddenly started blabbering, "I am sorry! I am sorry!", her face turned pleading and Arnav realised she didn't remember him, "Please don't throw me into jail! I don't think my family will be happy with that! Please! I will do anything, anything to avoid jail!" Her pleading expression turned into excitement, "By your clothes, you look like some businessman! I will work in your Company for free! I will make coffee for you! Do you drink coffee? No! Then tea? I can make tea too...", she continued to speak.
Arnav's jaw dropped open. How much does this girl speak!! He raised his hand in the universal sign of stop and the girl shut up. "What is your name?", he raised an eyebrow. The girl dressed in colourful chudidaar played with her dupatta as she mumbled, "Khushi!"
"Aha!", Arnav nodded and then looked at her sternly, "So you will do anything to avoid jail?"
Khushi nodded but then frowned, "But within reason haan!"
Arnav nodded and then smirked, "I want a date with you!"
"What?", Khushi's jaw dropped open, "What do you want?"
Arnav smiled smugly, "You heard it! I want a date with you! You know, dinner, dance and maybe a kiss!"
"Kiss? Hey Devi Maiyya! What kind of person do you think I am?", Khushi gasped.
Arnav shrugged, "My type!"
"Kya? You have gone mad!", Khushi spat.
Arnav looked at her innocently, "Yes! I am mad! Mad for you!"
"What? Hey Devi Maiyya! You are a bad person! No manners! Mad as a Hatter! You know what? I am getting out of here!", the girl grabbed her Scooty and rode off before Arnav could say anything else. He pouted. She left! Why did she leave? Sigh! And I didn't even note down her Scooty number. Damn! He turned around to head to his car and came face to face with his Driver. The Driver was grinning. Arnav realised he saw his out of character behaviour with Khushi. He felt embarrassed. He straightened up and glared at the Driver, "What are you laughing at? Start driving!", he barked and then got in.
Few days passed but Arnav couldn't get Khushi out of his head. Her face came in front of him when he closed his eyes and when he opened them, he daydreamed about spending the day with her. She came in his dreams and he chased after her. But she always avoided him. Daily he wished he could meet her once again. But daily his wish went unfulfilled. And then one day came and he got his chance. It was the day he took his sister to shopping in a mall.
"What do you think of this Di?', Arnav asked looking serious as he pointed to the mannequin dressed in a skimpy top and sexy skirt. His Di, who was looking around worriedly, looked back at him and blinked, "Haan? What?" Arnav pointed to the Outfit and his Di's eyes widened. Arnav smirked as his Di forgot her nervousness and started to shout at him, "WHAT THE HELL! What is this? So small top! And look at the skirt! So vulgar looking! And you want me to wear this? Are you mad?"
Arnav burst out laughing.
"Now why are you laughing?", Geet glared at Arnav. He chuckled, "Arre my darling Di! I was just kidding! Do you seriously think I would want you, my sister, to wear such clothes? No way!"
Geet huffed, "And why are you joking with me?"
Arnav smiled softly, "Di! Because I know, the moment you get angry, you will forget your nervousness! But Di, why are you nervous?"
Geet looked down, "I am not nervous! I just don't like getting out of the house!"
Arnav shook his head, "I don't understand your fear! Why do you don't get out of the house much? Atleast in Kolkata you came out for clothes shopping! But in Dilli, you don't even do that! I had to literally drag you out here!"
Arnav huffed as his sister started to look around with worry again and started to ignore him. Arnav growled making Geet look at him, "Di! If you didn't stop being so nervous, I will actually go and buy you those vulgar looking clothes!"
"Arnav!", Geet hissed but Arnav simply rolled his eyes, "Di! I am going to the Tie section and when I come back I want to see lots of Sarees in your hand, ok?"
Geet sighed and then nodding she walked away to look at other Sarees. As she walked off, Arnav sighed and headed towards the Tie section.
After trying and selecting some ties, Arnav headed towards the Ladies section hoping that by then his sister must have selecting few Sarees atleast. If she didn't, I swear I will buy her one of those skimpy looking clothes. As he ventured into the female section, he came to abrupt stop. There talking to Geet was none other than Khushi! His Khushi!
Few minutes earlier...
"Arre! Why are you keeping it? Buy it! I think you will look good in it!", a female voice spoke up from behind Geet and she turned around to see a girl in early twenties smiling at her. When Geet looked at her curiously, the girl pointed at the Saree in her hand. Geet looked down and saw the pink Saree in her hand. She blinked and then she looked up, "I will look good in this? Really?"
The girl nodded and Geet smiled, "Theek hai! I will keep this with me for trial! Waise I am Geet!"
"I am Khushi!", the girl said and they shook hands. Geet then noticed a blue Kurti in Khushi's hand, "This is beautiful! You should buy it!", Geet spoke up. "I am not sure!", Khushi huffed. "Atleast try it!", Geet prodded and Khushi grinned. She added the Kurti to her collection and headed ahead. Just then her eyes fell on something and she stumbled back. Geet was alarmed as she saw the smiling Khushi starting to look a little nervous.
"What happened?", Geet looked at Khushi with wide eyes. Khushi's expression turned into anger and she turned to look at Geet, "Don't look! But behind me, a guy is looking at me! He is number one jerk! Last time he met me, he talked rubbish!"
Geet nodded. She turned around and pulled out her hand mirror from her purse. Acting as if she was checking herself, she angled the mirror to the guy ogling Khushi. Her eyes widened. It was her brother! Arnav! What the!
Geet turned towards Khushi to ask her more about Arnav only to realise that Khushi wasn't even there. She looked around and blinked when she noticed that she was actually walking towards Arnav. No! She wasn't walking. She was literally storming! Hey Babaji! Geet followed the girl to see what would happen next.
"You? How dare you! How dare you follow me here? Don't you have any decency? Don't you have any shame? You must have some womenfolk in your house! Mother or sister! How would you feel if someone followed them like this? You pervert! Have no manners! Have no shame!..."
Geet could only watch with wide eyes as Khushi continued to rant in front of her Arnav. She didn't know what surprised her more; the girl thinking so badly about her brother or Arnav standing there staring at the girl while goofily grinning. Wait! Grinning? What the! She blinked twice in shock. Why was her brother grinning like a doofus right now? Shouldn't he be scolding the girl or something? Atleast glare at her! Suddenly, an idea came to her mind and she looked at the girl in a different light. Oh ho! So this is the story! Interesting!
Khushi finished her rant with, "Next time I saw you following me, I will hand you over to the Police!" She turned around and noticing Geet she smiled, "Come on Geet! Lets get away from such cheapsters! We can go shopping some other day!" Geet smiled politely, "Er... no! I came with my brother. I will have to wait for him!" Khushi nodded, "Ok! But be careful! And stay away from this cheapo, ok?", Khushi warned. Geet nodded all the while supressing her urge to smile. Khushi bade Geet goodbye and walked away.
Geet waited for few seconds and then turned to look at her brother with mischief in her eyes, "Arnav! Who was she?" Arnav was still staring at the place Khushi was standing. He sighed, "Khushi!"
"Ohhh! Khushi!", Geet sing-songed and Arnav came out of his day dream, "Huh! What?"
Geet chuckled, "Don't you What me, young Man! You like her! You might even love her!"
"Di!", Arnav whined while shyly looked away.
"Oh ho! You are shying and not even arguing with me? Waah waah!", Geet chuckled and then turned serious, "I like her! She will be good for you! She will also stop you from doing anything stupid!" Arnav nodded and then looked up as Geet walked away, "Wait what? Anything stupid? What do you mean by anything stupid? When did I do anything stupid? Di! Wait!"
"Now where did this fellow go? He just vanished!", Geet whined an hour later when Arnav was nowhere to be seen. He had excused himself to attend a phone call and then he vanished. Where did he go? Doesn't he know I don't like to be alone outside? First of all, he emotionally blackmailed me into coming here and then he left me alone! All I wanted to do was stay at home!
As Geet searched for him, her eyes landed on something and her breath left her. Hey Babaji! Maan! She stumbled back as she saw Maan standing in front of her talking on his phone. No! No! Her biggest fear had come true. This was why she never came out. But this time because of Arnav's emotional blackmail she wandered out and look what happened. She shouldn't have come out. She never will wander out again. Hey Babaji! Help me! Help my mission! It cannot die before it started. I cannot come in front of him till he is destroyed totally.
Maan was looking in other direction and didn't notice Geet yet. She turned around and ran away, hiding behind a nearby pillar. She had only few seconds of rest when Maan just passed by her. She gasped and Maan stopped. She gulped.
GEET!, Maan's mind screamed and he stopped. He didn't know why but he felt Geet was near him. He turned around and looked around him. His eyes searched every nook and corner but she was not there. Wait! There is a woman walking towards the parking lot. Why did he feel it was Geet? He walked towards the woman.
Maan stopped and Geet gulped. She had to move fast. She had to get away. She had to head to the parking lot. She turned around and walked as fast as she could to the parking lot. She felt someone follow her and she could hear footsteps. She fastened her pace. She reached the parking lot in record time and stopped to take a breather. Just then she heard footsteps and she straightened up in shock. Maan! He had followed her! She ran towards the nearest pillar and hid behind it. Her heart beat faster and her chest heaved. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead and her legs started to get a little wobbly. Just then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped.
"Di! What happened? You ok?", came Arnav's voice. Geet saw her brother and lunged into his arms. She hugged him tightly, "Take me home! Arnav! Take me home right away!" "But Di! What happened?", Arnav cried out. But Geet ignored him and pulling away, she walked towards the car, looking a little shocked. Arnav sighed and then followed her.
I have to admit, writing all dialogues in English was tough especially when some lines could have been phrased awesomely in Hindi. For example, I was so tempted to add "Tere Ghar mein Ma Behen nahi hai kya?" when Khushi was scolding Arnav. He he he!
Hope you liked the update!
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