# 1 FF: THE SEED OF PASSION- Chapters 1 to 8 - Page 27

Originally posted by: DurgaS

My turn to scratch the head. Who is this girl? Kaun hai, kaun hai ... 😕

Originally posted by: cheesemad

update please! :)

Originally posted by: cheesemad

^^ Tomorrow! Deal?

Dear friends⭐️

I thank, from the barun of my heart❤️ each and everyone of you ⭐️who have 'liked' and/or 'commented ' on my new FF!😃You are the source of my desire for story-writing! 🤗I have tried to answer all your questions on page. 36. Thanks for liking the Teaser. Here is the whole of Chapter 2! Hope you like it!😃

Mera Tujhse Hai Pehle Ka Naata Koi, Aise Nahi Dil Lubhata Koi❤️ song credit: my sweet friend cheesemad🤗

Chapter 2

Who's That Girl!

The next morning Arnav returned from the gym and flopped down on his recliner. He pulled off his wet t-shirt and kicked his sneakers away. He got up to go to the washroom when Dadi called him.

"Arnav I am leaving for Lucknow today. I will be back in a week. In the meanwhile I want you to arrange a grand party for the Swedes at the farmhouse."

"But Dadi the place is rundown."

"Yes, I know, that is why I am sending a trusted help to redecorate the farmhouse. By the way how is Anjali?"

"She is okay now, said Arnav guardedly. He knew Di did not want to disclose the news of her pregnancy to anyone now and disconnected the phone before Dadi could ask him more questions.

Arnav slung his towel on his shoulder dashed into the bathroom. He took a quick shower and had just stepped out of his bath into his room when something whizzed past his ear! Before he could react a dart landed on the middle of his dart board hanging on the adjacent wall !

"What the!" Arnav exclaimed in shock "Where the hell did this dart come from?" He walked closer to the dart board and stared in astonishment at the three inch long red dart with a small red heart dangling at the end!

Arnav was recovering from the Case of the Mysterious Dart when another one came flying in from the open window like a missile!

Arnav tightened the towel round his waist and rushed to the window!

About 10 feet away, someone was perched on the tree just outside his window with a dart in hand and was aiming at the dart board inside his room!

"What the!" he exclaimed as he recognized the person. It was her! Hazel eyes!

"You!" Arnav roared. "The accident with the parachute was not enough for you? You are now trying to break your bones by falling off my tree!"

The girl stared at his hard muscled bare torso and looked away quickly. Then she grinned sheepishly, and shouted back "I won't fall. Don't worry. And sorry for using your dartboard without your permission. The darts were in my pocket and I couldn't resist aiming!"

She started to climb down the tree like a pro much to Arnav's amazement. She reminded him of someone...Arnav wanted to ask her why she had run away from him that day in the rain. But all that he could manage was:

"By the way what the hell were you doing up here in the first place?" Arnav shouted down to her as she touched the ground.

She brushed a feather way from her red kameez and pointed excitedly at the tiny chicks chirping in the bird's nest on the branch above her head.

"Unbelievable!" Arnav murmured, shaking his head as she touched the ground, waved at him disappeared from sight.

"What the! Where did she go?I forgot to ask her the most important questions!" he muttered banging his fist on the window sill. "Who is she and what is she doing in my house and why does she have this stupid habit of running away from me all the time?"

Arnav yelled out to HP at the top of his voice! HP came running as if his pants were on fire!

"Kya hua, bhaiya?!" (What happened?!) he said panting.

"What do you mean kya hua bhaiya?! I am going to cut your salary unless you tell me who is the girl who has come to our house?" Arnav roared at HP.

"Ladki?!" HP was flabbergasted. "Bhaiya ladkiyon ke bare main to aap jyada jantein hain. Humse kahey poonchh rahein hai?" (What girl?! But you know more about girls than me. Why are you asking me about girls?) HP said bowing his head shyly.

"Shut up HP! Wo ladki kahi chhupi hogi! Usse dhoondh ke pakkad ke lao!" (Shut up HP! That girl must be hiding somewhere! Find her and bring her to me!)

A confused HP left the room scratching his head.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the Arnav's bedroom door and she entered his room.

"You!" Arnav's voice came out in a hoarse astonished whisper, "In my bedroom?"

"Shhh!" the girl held a finger to her lips.

He stared mesmerized into her beautiful hazel eyes with their long curly eyelashes as she stood inside the door fidgeting with her hands.

She licked her lips nervously under his scrutiny and Arnav gulped. Once again he had this familiar urge to smash his lips against hers, taste them, mould them to his!

Arnav swallowed hard. What is wrong with me, he thought, clenching his fist !

He approached her in two long strides. "Who the hell are you?" he said in a low dangerous voice, shaking her by the shoulders, punishing her for daring to have this strange effect on him.

Her hands flew to his bare chest to steady herself. An electric current passed through them as they stood staring at each other.

She suddenly pushed him away and glared at him. Then pointing to her darts on his dartboard, she said in an urgent tone, "Mera dart do! Jaldi!" (Give my dart! Quick!)

"Huh?" Arnav said blankly, as his eyes drank in her slim, beautiful figure sheathed in an atrocious red churidar kameez . Her long shiny hair was plastered to her forehead and chained in a tight braid. Except for the kaajal which eyelined her lovely eyes, there was no trace of any make up on her face. Yet she smelt of fresh red roses.

"Behrey ho kya?" (Are you deaf ?) she inquired srunching her eyes and tilting her head to one side.

"Huh?" Arnav continued his spate of daft monosyllables

She frowned at Arnav and quickly ran to the dartboard and retrieved her darts from it and said gleefully, "Behrey nahi tum to gadhey ke gadhey reh gaye Arnav!" ( No not deaf, you were always a donkey, Arnav!)She rushed out of the door in the blink of an eye, stumbling over the plants lining the passageway.

"Hey! Watch your step!" Arnav cried out in concern. She was so accident prone he winced.

But suddenly he recollected what she had just called him! What the! Had she just referred to him as a gadha a donkey? How dare she! There was only one girl who used to call him a gadha but ...no this can't be her...

Arnav snatched his blazer from his recliner and ran after her in fury. As he galloped down the steps he heard laughter downstairs.

The sound tingled his senses. And then he saw her! There she was talking animatedly to his Di! Arnav stood still at the top of the stairs. And as if she sensed his presence the girl looked up. Their eyes locked.

Anjali called out to her brother,"Arrey Chottey, where were you? Guess who this girl is?" she said putting her arm round the girl lovingly.

"This is Khushi, Diwanji's younger daughter!" Anjali said dramatically. "Remember she used to come with Diwanji to Sheeshmahal often. And you used to enjoy playing with her. Remember, you used to call her your best friend. Look at her now! So grown up and beautiful! She has changed so much hasn't she?"

Diwanji's daughter, Khushi!! No wonder he had this feeling that the girl was familiar! It was her...his childhood friend, Khushi !

But Di was right! She had changed! And how! The Khushi he knew was a plumpish girl, with a perennially running nose, bulging cheeks and slits for eyes.

This young woman who stood before him was slim and ...yes, very beautiful. She must be nineteen now. How come I never noticed she had lovely light eyes, a beautiful shade of green. Well, I was only twelve years old then and she eight...

But Di is wrong! Arnav clenched his fist and looked away from Khushi! She is not my best friend! I hate her! She is just the daughter of an employee of AR!

Khushi's father, Diwanji, alias Shashi Gupta, had been employed by Arnav's grandfather, Akhilesh Mallik and by the dint of sheer hard work he became his right hand man.

After his master's death Shashi had helped his widow, Subhadra Mallik to learn and run the business. He was almost like a family member to the Malliks. His daughter often accompanied him on his errands to Sheeshmahal.

Anjali was rambling on, "Imagine, Dadi had kept in touch with Diwanji after all these years! Actually, both Maa and I used to love dressing little Khushi up in Maa's beautiful sarees and jewellery because Khushi loved playing the mistress of the house. You, of course Chhotey, were the eternal master, the master of the house, as well as her swami (husband), her master!"

From the corner of his eye he saw Khushi turn crimson.

"What crap Di!" Arnav growled, his temper soaring. "I remember nothing!"

But remember he did! He was a shy boy and a bit of a loner in school. He had practically no friends. But in Khushi's company he was a different person, a fun-loving guy! She was like a spark in his life and he looked forward to seeing her during the weekends and other holidays!

The Malliks had vast estates and the two would roam around all day. He would set her many challenges like climbing trees, jumping into ponds, racing with rabbits, catching squirrels and she would take up every challenge, beating him at some of them till he was compelled to declare her the "Queen of Jungle' of which he obviously was the King'!

By the end of the day the two would be so hot and famished that they would eat up every morsel of Ratna's deliciously cooked food and cry for more much to Ratna's delight!

One fateful day, Shashi Gupta informed that since he had been diagnosed with an heart ailment he had decided to take voluntary retirement and shift with his two daughters, Payal and Khushi to Delhi for further treatment to Delhi. He hoped that his motherless girls would be well looked after by his elder sister, Madhumati , who resided in Delhi.

When Arnav came to know that Khushi would be going away to Delhi he flew in a terrible rage. He locked himself up in his room and refused to meet Khushi when she came to wish him goodbye.

It was as if someone had crushed the boy's heart.

Two years later on the same date Khushi had left him, his mother committed suicide. Since then nightmares, the noise of gunshots, and screams became his constant companion...

...And his heart died forever.

Arnav winced at the sight of the girl who had no place in his life anymore! Dammit! Hadn't she promised him to be his friend hamesha (forever), till as long as they lived?

But was she there when he wanted her most? Was she there with him, to share his sorrow, his pain, his anguish when his mother died? Was Khushi there to see her favourite Ratna aunty when she was taken away in the black van? The answer to all the questions were No! No! No! Arnav clenched his fist again. No! She wasn't there! And so he did not need her anymore!

He hated to admit that he had often thought of her since then, but he had been too proud to inquire about her.

How dare she come back into his life and remind him of the past he preferred to forget! She was probably the only young, beautiful girl he wanted out of his life!

He gulped down his juice and stood up.

"I have no time for this Di! Anyway that was years ago. What does she want now?"

Khushi gasped at his rudeness and looked at him in disbelief!

"Chottey!" Anjali reprimanded him. "You don't have to be mean! She has come here on Dadi's behest. Dadi told me that she had met Diwanji two weeks ago and had learnt that Khushi was studying interior decoration in Simla and had come to to spend her holidays with her family. Dadi thought it was a good idea to employ her gainfully to help you redecorate the farmhouse. "

But Arnav only scowled at Khushi.

Khushi looked distraught.

Anjali was perplexed by her brother's behavior. Trying to lighten the tension in the air, Anjali said indulgently, "And do you know Chhotey, like you, she loves adventure sports like skydiving! She also won the Junior Women Dart Championship last year..."

Arnav cut his Di short, and fumed, "In the name of adventure, I don't know why some brainless people indulge in activities by which they can either kill themselves or kill others!" he said in a sarcastic tone, and looked at Khushi pointedly.

"Really Chottey!" Anjali frowned at him.

Arnav continued his tirade against Khushi, turning a deaf ear to his Di's pleas.

"And let me also tell you I hate unprofessionalism. If this girl wants to work as an employee of AR she should have met me at the office! What the hell is she doing in my home! She is after all just an employee of AR and a temporary one at that!"

And saying that he looked at her sternly and strode out of the house.

Tears welled up in Khushi's eyes. She had not expected him to treat her in this manner!

As a child she had always felt that there was something special between them...a deep bond. She was chirpy and talkative and naughty. He was sullen, quiet and serious. But they had hit off with each other almost immediately. They played and laughed together and also fought like cats and dogs. But they were inseparable and were the best of friends.

They had not met for years since her family had left Lucknow. She herself had been studying in Simla for the last one year. And Arnav had moved to Delhi recently after returning from Harvard.

But the sudden encounter she had with him while sky diving had raised her hopes. He had saved her from possible death, he had been so nice...The clouds had looked so beautiful against the lush green grass... It had rained... He had been so close to her, his eyes searching hers, and she had felt...no she had felt nothing, nothing at all, she chided herself!

Today he had told her in no uncertain terms that she was a mere employee! Payal Jiji was right! Arnav had changed! Unlike Babuji and Buaji, Jiji was not very keen about Khushi working at AR, even for a short temporary period. Maybe that is why subconsciously Khushi had been wary about him when she had first met him.

It served her right for jumping at Dadiji's offer to work with him, for having a soft corner for him, for hoping that she was still his best friend and that she could carry on from where they had left off so many years ago.

How could such a khadoos man have a wonderful woman like Ratna aunty as his mother she wondered.

To Khushi even today Ratna aunty was a mother figure.If Khushi had known about her favourite aunty's death, nothing could have prevented her from visiting Sheeshmahal.

Her own mother, Garima Gupta, had died in an accident when she was two years old. Somewhere subconsciously an eight year old Khushi had seen the reflection of her mother in Ratna aunty whom she adored

But Khushi came to know about Ratna Mallik's death very late. About four months after she had passed away. It was by chance that Khushi had heard Babuji talking to Buaji about Ratna Mallik's suicide and the little girl had cried her heart out.

"That is why I did not want to tell you, Khushi." Babuji had said hugging her tight.

She now saw glimpses of the same Ratna aunty in Anjalidi who was smiling at her so lovingly.

Anajlidi clasped her hands and said pleadingly, "Don't take Chhotey's words to heart Khushi. He is not as bad as he pretends to be. I will tell our driver Mohan to take you to his office. Everything will be alright, you will see."

HP entered the dining room with a long face, stared at Khushi, and scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Pehle to Bhaiyyaji bole ladki ko pakdo! Par jab ladki mil gayi to bhaiya ji usse chhod ke chale gayye! Wo bhi kitney gussey main! Meri pagaar to kati samjho!!! "

( First, Arnav sir asked me to catch hold of the girl! But when she was found he left her and went away! And that too in great rage!! I think my salary is going to be cut definitely !!!)

😆

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