Posted:
Edited with author's note
i initially started writing this series during the cocktail party fiasco coz i absolutely hated the crap the cvs shoved down my throat.
aft tat there was a personal emergency at home & i took a break frm IF & writing. Thanks 2 my hubby's motivation & kind words/messages frm all lovely folks out here in IF i am back to writing full fledged.
later on i was really confused if i need 2 continue this coz in the show the story has progressed quickly 2 ARHI marriage & i was thinking that this series w'd no longer b relevant or interesting.
But i am getting lots of PMs asking me 2 continue this series. initially the plan was to ve 1 or max 2 more chapters culminating in ARHI confession to each other & 2 their families. Do lemme know if u guys want me 2 continue & finish this series. if i get sufficient requests asking me 2 complete tis i ll update it. Else i ll discontinue this. Leaving the choice 2 the readers that is all u lovely folks 😊
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Links 2 my other works
Link to all my works
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OS : Cocktail Party Series - Let the Games begin
i initially started writing this series during the cocktail party fiasco coz i absolutely hated the crap the cvs shoved down my throat.
aft tat there was a personal emergency at home & i took a break frm IF & writing. Thanks 2 my hubby's motivation & kind words/messages frm all lovely folks out here in IF i am back to writing full fledged.
later on i was really confused if i need 2 continue this coz in the show the story has progressed quickly 2 ARHI marriage & i was thinking that this series w'd no longer b relevant or interesting.
But i am getting lots of PMs asking me 2 continue this series. initially the plan was to ve 1 or max 2 more chapters culminating in ARHI confession to each other & 2 their families. Do lemme know if u guys want me 2 continue & finish this series. if i get sufficient requests asking me 2 complete tis i ll update it. Else i ll discontinue this. Leaving the choice 2 the readers that is all u lovely folks 😊
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Links 2 my other works
Link to all my works
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OS : Cocktail Party Series - Let the Games begin
They stayed like that lost in their own blissful world oblivious to their surroundings. It could have been a few minutes, it could have been eternity.
"Kushi where are you?"
Anjali's voice jolted Kushi from her reverie. She lifted her hand off Arnav's face & shook him gently.
"Arnavji Di is looking for me. I need to leave."
Arnav sighed & lifted his head reluctantly from her lap.
She got up & started twisting her dupatta nervously a clear signal to Arnav that she wanted to say something but was nervous about it.
"Kushi just tell what you want"
"Woh Arnavji'" She looked at him nervously, gulped, looked away & started playing with her dupatta again.
He caught her hand, pried it away from the cloth that she was torturing.
"Kushi STOP doing that. Just spit it out"
"Woh Arnavji these bangles. I mean what will I say if others see it on my hand & question me about it."
Arnav smirked.
"Well just use 1 of the 101 great ideas of yours". Then looking at her glum face he relented.
"Looks like this is yet another belonging of yours which I need to safeguard."
He realized a split second later what he had blurted out & his face flushed.
"WHAT. You mean you have other stuff of mine apart from the anklet you returned."
It was Arnav's turn to avoid her eyes.
"ARNAVJI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He knew when he was defeated.
"Well ok ok I have your pearl, your torn dupatta piece & errr'''''''''. your broken mobile phone."
"Arnavji to quote the mighty ASR, you are UNBELIEVABLE".
He was annoyed on seeing the naughty smirk on her face.
"Don't you dare smile at me in that smug fashion" He snapped.
She quickly stood facing him & gently placed her finger on his lips. He was too shocked to react.
"Sshhh please don't go back to your Akadu avatar. Pleeease".
She had crunched up her eyes & nose in a pleading manner & he melted. He placed a feather light kiss on her finger. She blushed & swiftly removed her finger & started walking away when as usual he held her wrist though not tightly & pulled her towards him.
"Arnavji I really need to go" She whispered in a pleading manner & he let her go reluctantly. But he smiled when he saw that unconsciously she was holding on to his pullover. She followed his gaze & jerked her hand away blushing furiously.
She was just out of his room when his voice stopped her.
"Kushi wear a saree for the party."
That soft, husky voice was always her undoing melting her resolve & weakening her knees. It always managed to send a shiver down her spine.
She closed the door softly leaving Arnav behind with a lost, dreamy look on his face.
"Hey Akash & babhi what are you guys up to." NK greeted PAYASH who were sitting in the living room.
"I am looking for Kushi who seems to have vanished into thin air" Payal muttered in a disgruntled tone.
"Or maybe vanished into Nanav's room." NK smirked wickedly.
"BHAI'S room?" "ARNAVJI'S room" Akash & Payal's screech collided with each other in midair & they exchanged a knowing look which dint go unnoticed by NK.
"AHA so Something IS cooking between Kushi & Nanav. WOW grumpy, unromantic Nanav & bubbly, romantic Kushi. What a combo. Love is INDEED blind" NK laughed out loud.
"I knew something was fishy when for the first time in my life I saw Bhai heartbroken & misty eyed yesterday".
"And I have been on Kushi's tail since ages. How dare she hides this from me." Payal was fuming.
"Well guys don't get MAD get EVEN."
NK looked at their confused faces & smirked.
"Guys they don't know that we are onto them. So let's play a game. We will try & make them blurt out the truth to us."
"BUT HOW" Payal asked in an exasperated tone.
"First we will try & prevent them from meeting each other in private. Always getting in their way & stuff. Next is to awaken the green eyed monster. Jealousy ALWAYS works folks. I will stick to Kushi like glue. Nanav is already annoyed by our friendship. He will just blow up."
"But what about Kushi?"
"Let Bhabi keep praising Nanav before Kushi."
Akash looked skeptical but Payal brightened up.
"You know what NK is right. I ve already noticed that Kushi gets annoyed every time I praise Arnavji."
"But NK it may annoy Kushi but she won't be jealous since she KNOWS that Payal loves me & we are engaged." said Akash as if he was explaining 1+1 = 2 to a retarded kid.
"Hey I have got an idea. Why not use Lavanya. I mean I will tell Kushi that since Arnavji has done so much to help my love & marriage take off we need to help him patch up with Lavanya."
"WOW Payal that's a killer idea" Akash whistled & Payal blushed at the compliment. They shared an eye lock & NK coughed loudly to bring both the love birds back to earth.
"Hi Nanheji". Kushi greeted him happily & all three exchanged another knowing look due to her exuberance. Her face was radiant & NK smirked wickedly again.
They started chattering about inconsequential stuff. NK saw Arnav walking down the steps & decided to get into action.
"Oh Kushi can you show me those dance steps again. We need to practice for both the party & the sangeeth."
Having said this he grabbed Kushi's hand & started twirling her around. Kushi was feeling heady after the confession from Arnav & wanted to dance & generally bring the roof down. She wanted to scream on top of her voice & dance like there was no tomorrow.
Arnav clenched his fists when he saw NK holding Kushi. What was even worse was that Kushi was enjoying herself. She was dancing in an unrestrained manner & he felt hot rage surge inside him. NK's hand was at her waist & her hand was on his shoulder. His self-control snapped.
"ENOUGH"
Kushi almost fell on hearing the scream. She turned to find Arnav in towering rage. She was totally flabbergasted. This was the ASR she hated & ran away from. The ASR she had first met in Sheesh Mahal.
"Oh Nanav why are you so hot around the collar."
Arnav stormed towards them & both NK & Kushi involuntarily stepped back. Arnav literally hauled NK away from Kushi by his collar & whispered "Don't you dare get cheeky with me. Do I make myself clear."
NK gulped & nodded mutely too scared to even open his mouth. Arnav almost flung him away & turned towards Kushi.
"And what the hell are YOU doing here in RM. Don't you have a house of your own. Why the heck do you haunt this place 24/7. Is there no way I can get you out of my hair."
Kushi felt as if she had been slapped & her eyes stung. She was fighting hard to stop those tears from escaping. She dint want to give Arnav the pleasure of watching her cry. She was not THAT weak.
"CHOTE!!!!"
Arnav closed his eyes & turned to find Anjali looking furious & for a minute everyone in the hall realized that after all Anjali WAS his sister & sometimes can get as mad as him. She was looking equally dangerous.
"Don't you dare talk to Kushi like that! Apologize. I ve had enough of all this rudeness from you towards her."
Arnav merely growled & was about to storm out when Kushi's voice stopped him.
"It's OK Di. I will leave now." Her broken voice gnawed at his insides. He turned & his heart almost stopped looking at her face. She was looking shattered & he realized that she was fighting hard not to cry. He immediately regretted his outburst.
"Kushi if you really respect me unlike some other people who I would prefer not to name, you will NOT leave & stay."
Kushi looked at Anjali's set jaw & nodded mutely. Then she quickly fled to the kitchen.
Everyone left the room swiftly with Anjali throwing an extremely dirty look at Arnav.
He stormed to the kitchen to find her holding on to the counter, her body shuddering slightly proving his suspicion right. She was sobbing silently. He moved closer & immediately noticed her stiffen.
"Please leave me alone Arnavji. I am not interested in seeing you or listening to your insults."
He ignored her as usual & turned her gently towards himself all the while holding her shoulders.
"Kushi I am ''" But she dint allow him to complete.
"Please don't say that word Arnavji. People should say that only when they mean it. Not when in another 12 hours they insult you again & hurt you with their words & actions."
"And what the hell were you doing. Prancing around with that cartoon. Letting him hold your hand, your shoulder, your waist. Always jabbering & laughing with him. Fine if you enjoy his company so much why should I bother wasting my time with you. Go ahead & make another cartload of jalebies with that cartoon. Why don't you prepare HIS favourite dish. Always going Nanheji Nanheji. I just hate it. Don't you have anything better to do than cozy up with him & dance around. I just hate it DAMMIT"
He paused in the middle of the rant coz he was almost breathless having shouted all those lines in 1 go. Kushi gaped at him with her mouth open.
"WHAT! You thought me & Nanheji. How could you. I mean are you mad'?" She spluttered.
"Oh don't pretend to be so innocent Kushi Kumari Gupta. Why do you always seem happier spending time with him. I don't find you jumping around with joy around me. You squirm the moment I hold you but you have absolutely no issues when he is all over you. You go out of the way to chatter with him but run away the moment I try to talk to you. ANSWER ME DAMMIT."
"Yes Raizada. Of course I prefer spending time with him because he makes me feel cheerful & happy unlike you who goes out of the way to hurt me & make me cry. He doesn't insult me, yell at me before others, doesn't scream GET OUT, doesn't dump me on the road in the middle of the night, doesn't fling me from the 1st floor of the office, doesn't bruise my arms or bruise my heart, doesn't declare that I mean NOTHING. Raizada I am fed up & I ve had enough of your blow hot, blow cold attitude. Learn to respect me before you question me on my motives. I will speak to anyone I want & hold hands with anyone I like. Just try stopping me!"
Arnav merely uttered a low growl & stormed out.
Arnav merely uttered a low growl & stormed out.
Kushi leaned against the counter & closed her eyes. There they were. Back to square one. Was it only a few minutes or lifetime back when he had kissed her so lovingly. Tears coursed down her cheeks which she was trying to wipe off. A futile effort since her heart was anyway bleeding mercilessly. She hated Arnav at that second. Why did he always hurt her. What was his problem if NK held her or danced with her.
She suddenly had a mental image of Lavanya hugging Arnav, kissing him on his cheek, entwining her fingers in his, resting her head on his shoulders & her eyes jerked open. GOD how she had hated it. Her heart used to scream silently whenever she stumbled across them like that. She had even cried a few times. Is it not the same thing if NK got close to her. No wonder Arnavji was furious. She regretted yelling at him for being jealous of NK's proximity to her while all the while she had been jealous at Lavanya's proximity to him.
She knew where he would be & her suspicion was borne true. He was standing amidst his plants caressing a plant & she realized with a jolt that it was the same one which she had caressed when she was heartbroken about Shyam's betrayal & taken refugee among his plants for succor. She understood that he was thinking of her & that moment. Hey Devi Maiyya. I have really messed up everything as usual. She took a deep breath & went closer. He stiffened, grabbed the scissors & started hacking furiously at the plant. Kushi remembered the time when he had done something similar & had hurt himself. She grabbed his hand but he pushed her away. She placed her hand on his shoulder & said his name in a pleading tone. She felt his body relax & he was taking deep breaths probably to reign in his anger.
"Arnavji please listen to me. Nanheji is just my friend. He is goofy like me & we both enjoy playing pranks. That's it! And remember you were the one who refused to dance with me & said he was your replacement."
Arnav turned slowly & looked at her.
"So NK is your FRIEND. Then what AM I to you Kushi?"
She looked at him shyly & then simply closed the gap between them & hugged him tightly.
For a minute Arnav was stunned & then he hugged her back. He had held back once but he was not going to repeat the mistake again. He held her tightly as if he was holding to dear life & let out a deep breath only then realizing that all this while he had been holding his breath waiting for her reply.
NK who had stealthily watched Kushi saw the scene unfolding before him with a goofy grin.
"OH MY GOD" He turned to find Akash looking as if he been socked by a sandbag.
"Shhh Akash. You don't want Nanav to catch us spying on them. He will shred us to pieces with his bare hands."
Akash gulped & shut his mouth which was actually open from shock.
"Kushi". Both of them jumped at Payal's screech.
Akash covered her mouth with his hand while NK frantically gestured at her to remain silent.
Payal had the expression of just having been doused in a bucket load of ice-cold water in the Delhi winter. She too was gaping with her mouth open.
"But they have still not confessed."
"Oh NK just drop it. Did you see how Bhai literally mauled you out there in the living room. If Di hadn't come he might have massacred you."
"That's why it's time for Bhabhi to work on Kushi. We are better off making her confess first."
"Well till then I hope no one in our family finds out."
Akash declared sagely & they all moved out before Arnav saw them & committed mass murder.
PRECAP
"CHOTE AND AND KUSHI? Hey Bagwan!" Anjali was staring at the scene mesmerized & rubbed her eyes in disbelief lest she was hallucinating.
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