# 1 FF: THE SEED OF PASSION- Chapters 1 to 8 - Page 45

Aaja main hawaao pe utha ke le chalu, tu hi toh meri dost hai!😳

song credit: cheesemad/ my sweet Cheesy🤗

bachpan ke din bhi kya din the😃

song credit: my dear friend PutijaChalhov🤗

Chapter 4

Friends again !!

What a jerk, he is! Khushi fumed at Arnav's retreating figure and stuck out her tongue at him.

He turned just then and caught her in the act!

"What was that?" he barked. "You haven't grown up I see! After all you are just nineteen! I hope you are good at your work or I will send you packing."

Khushi turned a deep shade of red and blurted out, "I am very good at my job!"

"Really?" Arnav lifted an eyebrow sarcastically. " I don't know why Dadiji recommended you in the first place!"

"I did the interior decoration of her pooja room(room of worship) and she loved my work," Khushi said triumphantly.

"What the! Arnav roared. "Pooja room! Don't tell me!! Is that your only claim to fame! Dadi is unbelievable and so are you! I am not exactly making arrangements for a bhajan(devotional songs) night you know!" Arnav rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Now hurry up. I have better things to do in life than discuss the dcor of Dadi's pooja rooms with you. Get into my car!" he said pointing at the SUV against which she had been leaning.

"Your car! But why?!!!" she wailed. She did not want the jerk to go with her.

Then checking herself she cleared her throat.,"I mean, don't mind if your driverji Mohanji takes me to the farmhouse."

"Well too bad, madam Khushi! Because I can't spare him. Di might need him and I want him to be at Di's beck and call till I return."

"Oh! What has happened to Anjalidi? Should we wait till she is better?" Khushi was looking for an excuse to postpone the trip.

"She is fine," Arnav said scrunching his eyes. "Now get into the car."

"But what about my luggage?" she cried.

"Mohan is getting it, okay? Now get into my car!" Arnav looked at her frustratingly.

Suddenly he shrieked, "What the hell is that?" He looked over her shoulders and shook his head in disbelief, "Don't tell me that huge gaudy pink bag is yours?"

Khushi turned to see Mohan wheeling in her suitcase. "No it is Preeto's! I mean it is mine. But actually it is Preeto's. It is part of her marriage trousseau and it was so sweet of her to lend it to me for a few days because my suitcase..."

"Spare me the details of your pink suitcase! I am not in the mood to increase my general knowledge!" Arnav glared at her.

"Unbelievable!" he muttered as Mohan placed her bag on the backseat of the SUV and departed.

Arnav wore his shades, revved the car and looked pointedly at Khushi.

"Laad Governor kahin ka!" Khushi mumbled under her breath and sat reluctantly in the passenger's seat of the car.

"Are you calling me names by any chance?" Arnav looked at her disbelievingly. "Just keep your mouth shut and wear your seatbelt! " he growled at her.

Khushi struggled with the seatbelt which seemed stuck, feeling his mocking gaze on her, she pulled at the seatbelt with all her might but it refused to understand her predicament! Laad Governor's seatbelt is also khaddos like him, Khushi grimaced.

He suddenly leaned towards her and she was taken aback. Then she realized he had taken it upon himself to fasten her seatbelt! But the smell of his after shave enveloped her and his proximity disturbed her.

As if sensing her discomfort, Arnav tried to move away quickly but in the process his fingers slightly brushed against her soft breasts. Khushi gasped.

Arnav snatched away his hand as if it was on fire! Why does she affect me so, Arnav thought. Damn her!

Khushi was very embarrassed but not at all angry. Yeh kya ho raha hai Devi Maiyya (What is happening DM!), she was perplexed.

Both were silent as Arnav raced the SUV on the highway.

After a few minutes he tried to break the ice by making general conversation.

"I was looking at your resume. So you are doing a diploma in interior decoration from Simla ?"

Khushi looked at Arnav sideways but did not respond.

"Is that where you learnt skydiving? You have listed it as a hobby."

No response

"You were always a wild one, climbing trees, chasing squirrels, jumping into ponds..."

No response.

"What the Khushi! I am talking to you. How dare you ignore your boss?"

"But you told me not to keep my mouth shut!" Khushi said rubbing it in.

"I told you not to talk nonsense ! You are unbelievable Khushi!"Arnav retorted .

Khushi put her hand on her hips and said, "Well you are the one who is unbelievable Arnav! Have you forgotten I used to climb trees only because you used to order me to do so! And for your kind information I never jumped into ponds, you used to push me into them!"

Arnav hid a smile. "What crap! " he said in mock anger.

"I can't believe how stupid I was!" Khushi muttered .

"And you are not stupid now?" Arnav smirked.

"No, of course not!" Khushi spat back.

"So at least we have agreed that when you were younger you were stupid!" Arnav smirked again. But before Khushi could open her mouth to protest, he changed the topic quickly and asked her, "What sensible things have you planned for your present and your future, Khushi?"

Khushi liked talking about her dreams. She brightened up immediately and said, "Well for one I want to finish my interior decoration course, get a nice job, get married, have four kids..."

Arnav guffawed.

"What so funny?" Khushi hissed.

Arnav shrugged his shoulders "Nothing.What a boring life Khushi !!"

"What do you mean? Boring? It is my dream. It is every girl's dream, samjhe tum?!"

"And four children!"

"Yes! I simply love kids! They are the cutest things on earth! God's gift to a woman!" Khushi's eyes twinkled.

How beautiful she looked talking about her future, her dreams. Arnav looked at her thoughtfully. "So do you have a boyfriend?" he asked hoarsely.

"Oh no! Buaji would kill me!" Khushi giggled.

Then she said in a whisper, "Well actually I do have a boyfriend!"

"Who?" his eyes narrowed.

"Salman Khanji !" Khushi smiled shyly.

"Who?" Arnav stared at her as if she was a mad female!

" Do you mean Salman Khan, the great movie actor with an awesome body?" he asked

"Aur nahi to kya! (Who else!)As if I would settle for less!" Khushi scorned.

Arnav rolled his eyes.

"In fact I was thinking of sending him a Valentine's gift . All my friends in the hostel are! But now I can't!" she wailed

"Why not?" he was curious.

"I did not find the time to buy a card. And today is Valentine's day! Even if I buy something for him, how will it reach him today itself ? I missed such a wonderful opportunity to wish Salmanji. I will never forgive myself! " she said with a big pout, tears filling her eyes.

Something stirred in Arnav's heart as he saw Khushi's sad face. He had always hated to see friend unhappy.

"Do you really want to?" he asked without thinking.

Khushi nodded and sniffed.

"Okay, " Arnav said making up his mind. "Buy the gift now. I will see to it that he gets it today."

"Really?! You will?!" Khushi was surprised.

He is not as bad as he pretends to be. Anjalidi was right, Khushi thought a few minutes later as Arnav pulled up in front of a well known gifts store.

Khushi ran into the huge shop before Arnav could change his mind.

She looked around with a huge grin on her face. Red paper hearts with silver and gold streamers were dangling everywhere in the store. Right in front of her the racks were full of cute teddy's, big and small, pink and white, with little red hearts in their hands.

Khushi picked up the cutest one in her arms. It was fluffy and white and simply adorable.

"Do you want to send this?" Arnav's voice sounded behind her.

"Can I?" she looked at him excitedly.

Arnav looked at her child like excited expression and smiled inwardly.

He nodded at her.

"Oh great! Thanks!" Khushi jumped with joy.

"Maybe he likes chocolates too! And candies! Do you want to send some?" Arnav said, pointing to the rows of heart shaped boxes of candies and chocolates on the shelves.

"Ooo! I am sure he will love those," Khushi grinned happily.

Arnav could not help but smile. There was something infectious about Khushi's happiness.

But her face fell suddenly and she whispered, "But I can't afford to buy all this stuff!"

"That's not a problem. Just buy anything you want... Anything that makes you happy!" Arnav said looking deep into her eyes.

"But..." Khushi hesitated.

"You can pay me back when you receive your salary from AR!" Arnav suggested.

"Anyway I am sure you will follow me to the end of the earth to recover the amount from me!" Khushi said tongue in cheek.

"Sure, I will not let you get away from me again!" Arnav said in a serious voice.

His phone rang and he moved aside to take Aman's call, gesturing to her to carry on.

As Khushi wheeled the trolley to the card section she was thinking of what he had said, he would not let her...What did he mean? Khushi was sorting out the Valentine's cards when Arnav came up behind her and asked, "Khushi, would you like to grab a coffee?"

Khushi turned around and looked up at his warm molten eyes. She felt bubbles of happiness rising in her heart. He sounded like the same old Arnav she knew. She could only manage to nod an affirmative.

Arnav paid the bill while Khushi got the gifts wrapped. The gifts were left at the counter, to be picked up by Aman and couriered to Mumbai by AR's personal courier.

Khushi could not contain her excitement. "In a few hours Salmanji will get my gifts! I can't believe this!"

"A promise is a promise."Arnav said in a matter of fact tone.

"A promise is a promise!" Khushi repeated after him, remembering the vow they had taken as kids never to desert each other.

"The coffee shop is upstairs," Arnav said in a clipped tone and walked away towards the escalator.

Khushi had just stepped behind him on the escalator, when she lost her balance. Arnav caught hold of her arm and held her steady till they reached the upper floor. But instead of letting her go, he continued to hold on to her arm as he led her towards the coffee shop. Khushi felt a languid warmth seeping through her veins.

"Hey loverboy! Is this one of your girls!" A raspy voice stopped them in their tracks. A guy with big tattoo on his neck and shoulder stood in their path, jeering!

Khushi felt Arnav's body stiffen in rage. He let go off her hand and grabbed the guy's collar.

"Mind your language Rocky or..." Arnav said in a low dangerous voice.

"Arnav, please don't create a scene here, let him go please..." Khushi begged him.

"Arnav please..." Khushi pulled at Arnav's sleeve.

Arnav loosened his hold on the guy's collar and pushed him away.

He quickly grabbed Khushi's hand again and led her inside the coffee shop. Khushi looked behind her. The ugly guy seemed to have vanished. But Arnav's face was burning with anger.

"Its okay Arnav. Forget it." Khushi said haltingly, as they sat down at a side table, just vacated by a couple.

"No its not Khushi! I will not tolerate if someone speaks rubbish about you. I don't want your good name to be linked with my bad one! Period!" Arnav said forcefully.

"Well there is no doubt that you are a number one jerk and an awful boss !" Khushi said thoughtfully.

"But you are still my friend, Arnav! And always will be. Believe me, I did not know about Ratna Aunty's death for months. And when I did I cried for hours at my loss and yours...I wish with all my heart that I was with you, but that didn't happen..."

Khushi broke off as her voice became emotional. Arnav stared at her till her words sunk in.

He felt a load had been taken off his chest. He believed her. He wanted to.

He reached out for her hand on the table and squeezed it gently.

Khushi closed her eyes and sighed.

His voice was soft and appreciating "I was so rude to you but you still consider me your friend...Really Khushi you always were...

"Unbelievable?!!" Khushi supplanted the word automatically.

Their eyes locked and they began laughing ...

Hope this update has mended your hearts to some extent!😆

Then please do press the Like button!😃 And leave your comment while you are at it😃

(I posted the chapter earlier as it is technically Thursday and I might be very busy tomorrow. Don't mind please.😛)

Coming to the update boy did you redeem your self, Arnav did a whole 360 from the last update!!!

Too funny her big decorating experience is decorating pooja room really 😆 I can see her with a big pink suitcase lol!!!!

Khushi got to see the nicer side of him and she did see the old Arnav. Aww he fulfilled her wishes to send gifts to Salman, loved the cute Khushi she was so innocent sending gifts to Salman 😊

Protective Arnav did come out fr a bit too, who doesn't love a angry young man right???

The chemistry is there too, I am going to hear RabbaVe soon as you promised that I am infact going to sip them slowly hehehe 😉

All in all it was a Vday worthy update, looking forward to the next update where Khushi does some redecorating or atleast falling from the stool trying to decorate as you know what she is going to fall on right wi???😃