ArHi SS-Full Measure (Chapter 3, pg 6) 30thMay - Page 2

Originally posted by: shruti46

this is same story na where u had written 6-7 chapters.khushi from political family and anjali or akash suicides.?

Originally posted by: Mrieshka

Welcome back dear. Nice to see another story from you. Very interesting. How beautifully you described khushi and her background. .loved the meeting between the duo. Aman is always favourite. I was also disgusted same as khushi on that old person leering at her. have met these type of people myself in my young age in india in public places. I am so glad that Khushi gave him back. Will wait for story to unfold further.

Originally posted by: loves_aishu

This was super!!!!

Just a chapter, only the first and such an impact!!!!

Knew you were great but this was mind blowing!!!!!

Can't wait for the next!!!!!

Such interesting characters!!!!!

Great job, just love it!!!!

Take Care!!!

Chapter 2

"Akash, what are you doing?" Arnav asked reaching for his shirt to pull him back and down.

But Akash sidestepped out of reach, his feet shaking treacherously on the railing and continued staring below at the lake, "Arnav I think I can fly" he said, his speech monotone.

Arnav tried to stay as composed as he could, trying to keep the escalating panic he felt from coursing into his voice "Akash please get down. Look, it's getting late and I need be at office soon"

"It's okay Arnav. You go. I'll take wing over this lake. Look how clam the water is. I can soar over this shiny surface. My wings can carry me to the other end. And when you come back, I'll even teach you few tricks."

Arnav shook his head and took another discreet step near his brother "Akash please get down. People can't fly"

Akash looked back at him. His abrupt moment causing him to slip a foot and Arnav barely managed to steady him with a hand around his ankle. However, Akash shrugged off his hold as he told his vehemently "But I can. I think I'm a bird Arnav. I can fly. Look these can be my wings "he said flailing his thin arms, his legs wobbling as he took another step sideways.

Trying to curb the rapidly flowing dread, Arnav worked to soothe his voice as he leaned against the railing, resting his elbows on it "You know it's not really safe out there"

This made Akash eye him seriously "I think I'll be okay. My wings will carry me away"

"But what if they cannot?" Arnav shrugged, as he looked at his older brother in the eyes "Then what? Is it worth the risk?"

Akash looked thoughtful as if thinking his options. He looked at Arnav and then down at the surging water under the bridge, whose baluster he was very precariously standing on and then at the clear blue morning sky "Maybe I should think it again"

Arnav nodded "A very good idea. Want me to help you down?" he extended his hand.

"Yeah, thanks," Akash said taking his hand and Arnav helped him down.

They walked to his car and as soon as his head hit the head rest Akash dozed off. Arnav stared at his brother for few long moments before starting the car and driving them back home. Akash had suffered from bipolar disorder since his teenage. The disorder ran into their genes and he inherited it from their mother who lost her life succumbing to it a few years ago. Their financial condition hadn't been and still wasn't good enough to get Akash a proper treatment. Arnav's eyes flickered to his sleeping brother and he fought back a sudden urge to yell. What was the poor man's fault? He didn't even know half the time what he was doing.

Arnav pulled in front of their house and woke Akash up "I'm leaving for office. You go inside and take you medicines. Do you hear me?"

Still gorgy, Akash looked around and then back at Arnav, his eyes wide and pained "I had an attack again, hadn't I?"

Arnav hung his head and sighed. He looked up again to see his brother's eyes were misty "I'm sorry. Sometimes I wish, I had gone with her" he said in earnest "Why do you waste your time on me Arnav? Just leave me alone for some time. And I know this will end. For you and for me...for everyone"

"NO!" Arnav shouted "Don't say that. You are going to be alright. I'm saving up for you. Trust me. We'll check you in a good hospital soon. Just give me a few more months, please Akash"

Akash nodded and opened the door to get out.

"You know that I don't believe in a single word Papa says, don't you? And you know this as well that he is a bas***d of the first order?"

Akash did not turn around but nodded, knowing his brother would see.

"Then wait. Please. And trust me" Arnav said.

-----------------------------------------------------

Khushi sat beside her mother, brother and the other prominent members of the party on the stage. The onset of election champagne saw her brother pleading with her to accompany them for the initial few runs. And though she hated the idea of sharing a stage with her mother, she couldn't deny her brother. She looked down at the wide ocean of people and shuddered. It was a mega Rally being held at the Ramlila Maidan, and thousands of people were gathered to listen these people dish every kind of lie known to human kind. Not wanting to dwell on the thought, Khushi pulled out her phone with a hardly suppressed grimace and launched candy crush on her Smartphone. Half an hour later when she looked up again and saw the ceaseless tirade still in progress she had had enough. She got up, knowing people wouldn't notice her impromptu exit. There were too many important people here for anyone to notice her presence or absence. She'd just have apologized to NK for not making it through the whole event.

"I'm leaving" she called out to her mother over the loud chorus of the crowd and a fat man blaring into the microphone.

"But we aren't finished here," her mother said looking confused.

"I know. I can't sit here anymore. It's not like I'm actually needed anyway"

"Of course, you have needed" her mother's eyes got wide as she looked up at her, tugging the pallu of her white crape sari over her head. Her face was flushed with heat and wild with dust twisted in a grimace when the material wouldn't stay put "Why don't you sit here and try and get acquainted with these people. It'll help in future when you - "

"Not here mother" Khushi snapped, as she pulled on her glares, shielding her eyes - herself - from the sunlight and filth "Or you want to bring negative publicity to you first campaign of the season owing to a clash with your own daughter? I don't think it'll help your already sinking vote banks" she sneered and then without waiting for any reply, walked toward the exit.

Her security fell in tow, but she dismissed them with a wave. Couldn't she for the love of god understand the purpose of her security? It wasn't like she was actually a part of all this shit.

"It's not safe here Khushi Madam," her lady guard told her "Let us just escort you to your car. The crowd is too large and anything can happen - "

Khushi stopped and turned around "I can take care of myself. And this crowd here" she waved a hand in the direction of open field "they need all the protection you can give. Not me." With that, she walked to the parking area.

As she neared the exit she noticed the barricading around was tightened. There was massive police force stopping a large chunk of people from breaking in to the blocked area. Khushi slowed down, looking at the hordes of hostile people shouting and ramming into each other. Dust flew around like smoke, the echo of their voices as if a scene from a movie. They were sporting large panels of slogans mostly against their party.

A lady constable approached her "Madam, we can't let you leave right now" she said between shouting over the chaos "There is too much crowd outside and if we open the gate right now people will interlope and there's a high possibility of that a massive stampede can outbreak. I'm really sorry madam - "

But Khushi stopped her with a hand as she looked at the already wild crowd outside "I understand. What's this about?"

The constable seemed to have relaxed a bit "Nothing madam. These are opposition's workers. Just doing their thing while Aradhya ji is addressing people inside"

"Wow." Khushi breathed "She's holy, that woman is". But her cynical mummer wasn't heard and so she shrugged and went inside.

As she was entering the waiting room backstage, she walked into someone she'd least expected to see again, though, she now realized how hard she must be wishing for this encounter as she felt a familiar nervousness in her stomach.

"Arnav, hi" she greeted him with a huge smile.

He smiled back at her, a full broad grin though she missed seeing his eyes that were hidden behind black aviators "Hi Khushi. Where are you rushing off to?"

"Umm... nowhere" she shrugged "Getting back inside. I needed to leave but apparently there's some issue outside. I'll have to wait until mother and NK are done" she pointed her thumb in the general direction of the stage. "What are you doing here?"

He slipped his hands into his jeans pockets "Office stuff "he said mildly "Your guys maintain accounts with the bank I work for"

"Oh" was all she could say, not having any clue how to comment on that since he was talking here about her mother's party and business. Two things she preferred staying far away from.

"I fancied running into you," he said suddenly, his chiseled jaw moving to gave way to a mischievous and flirty smirk.

"Really?" she asked, her voice showing her surprise even as her heart did an exited jig "Why?"

" We couldn't talk much that dayand after all that Aman has told me and still tells me about you, you won't blame me for being curious," he said, the smirk widening as he saw her lips pulling into a playful smile at his comment.

Khushi was impressed on more levels than she'd expected. It wasn't his charm to say the right things at a right time or his mild flirting. It was the comfort and confidence that excluded from him. It showed and damn if it wasn't attractive.

"Well then, I think we have lots of time to tame your curiosity now that we are trapped here. Why don't we go sit inside until the way clears up?" she asked, regulating her voice so that none of her excitement leaked. It was crazy but she felt like a teenager meeting her boyfriend for the first time.

He followed her inside and as she turned around she saw he too had taken off his shades. She celebrated the moment of unrestricted access to his gorgeous eyes, chocolate brown eyes. They were dark pools of sheer intensity, complementing the hard and masculine edges of his face completely. How could someone so gorgeous and insanely manly walk around without creating a mini congestion amongst common folks? When he raised an eyebrow in question she looked away, berating herself and sat on the wide visitor's sofa. He took the one opposite to her

"Not to judge you, but something tells me you don't get fired up about the idea of election or politics in general?" he asked his gaze mild and curious.

Khushi paused for a moment looking at him with narrowed eyes "I bet it's all Akash but you are correct. Politics and everything related to it is a big no, no for me. I simply hate it"

He raised an eyebrow "That's strange. I thought given your family line you'd be joining them next" then he brought a hand up as he concentrated on remembering "Loyalty to your country and all?"

"This isn't my country. And even if it were, I'd like to complete the quote Loyalty to government when it deserves it'"

Arnav laughed "Wow. I never thought I'd hear the daughter of Aradhya Gupta say something like this"

"Well, I'm just a timid soul who knows neither the victory nor the defeat. But enough about me really, tell me something about you"

He looked at her, his smile indulgent "What do you want to know about me?"

"Anything. Tell me about your family"

An odd look crossed across his face but the expression cleared instantly. When he replied, something was distant about him "I hate to sound so ambiguous but my family isn't anything light to discuss. By and large my family consists of my elder brother Akash, my father who owns a brass and wood handicraft business and my younger sister Anjali, she is doing her B.com from Jawaharlal Nehru College and that's it"

Khushi fell silent at such brisk reply. She looked at him, completely at a loss and he laughed at her predicament "It's okay. Eventually, you'll get to know all about me as will I get to know everything about you"

"Will I?" she asked vaguely still confused.

"God, Khushi please don't look like that. I seriously don't want to talk about heavy stuff right now and that's all. Don't think that my reply has anything to do with some alpha beta traits that we see in the men of contemporary love stories these days"

That got a laugh out of her and she relaxed "Eventually, alright" she smiled at him.

He looked at his watch then and got up. He was already walking towards her as he said "I think they'll be about done by now and I hope the way is cleared" he extended a hand towards her as he helped her get up

"I have your number. I think we'll talk soon" His gorgeous eyes were warm and his handsome face displaying a gentle smile.

Khushi grinned up at him "Sure" as she saw him take her phone from her and punch his number in. "Just in case I get late," he said and kissed her cheek before he strode out.

Hi,

Oh God! It felt like the entire universe was working against me updating this chapter. First the internet and then my word crashed on me. This is the 8^th time I am hitting update and I am desperately praying it comes along this time. This chapter is almost a whole day overdue so I am as eager to bring it to you guys. I am running late, I am really sorry but I hope you like it.

Another thing. I absolutely love reading your comments. Everything you like, dislike, anticipate or predict, I want to know about it. It makes the the task of sharing this story all the more interesting when I get detailed feedback on characters or the plot. Trust me, your 4 sentences bring a smile this big on my face -->😃 Please do leave your feedback, not only it is appreciated but also cherished. I still go to my old stories threads and read all the amazing comments left by the readers. However, I also believe thoughts are inspired not insisted upon. So, its a request not a demand 😛

Next update goes up on Monday, 10PM IST (hopefully in time)

One Love

Pakhe