Arshi FF: Falling in love with your Best Friend *Completed* Pg 96 - Page 35

Chapter 22 - That Awkward Thing called 'Love'

Arnav, Khushi, Aakash and Payal went out for a dinner in a nearby restaurant. They sat chatting with each other after giving the order. Now as everything had settled between Arnav and Khushi, everyone had a relaxed mood. After all, two best friends cannot be angry at each other for too long. The devil had to be defeated.

"Arnav. Have you seen the notice board? There's a football match organised--" Aakash told Arnav, but stopped in the middle, when he found him unconcerned, and peculiarly behaving. Arnav had been since last ten minutes staring at Khushi, who was busy talking with Payal. Aakash waved his hand rapidly in front of Arnav's eyes, bringing him out of his dreamy stance.

"Huh?" Arnav blinked his eyes, and looked confusedly at Aakash.

"What's going on?" Aakash asked him, raising his eyebrows teasingly.

"Nothing. What's going on? Nothing's going on" Arnav ignored the topic, "Its been so long since we gave the order.. Why are they taking so much time?"

A few minutes later the food was served. Soft music and utterly delicious smelled food, was doing nothing but only growing Khushi's desire to gulp down the whole of the dishes they had ordered. Of course, she was the one who was most hungry! The dinner went on silently. But something was seriously wrong with Arnav that day. He was least bothered what he was eating.. what considered to him that day was Khushi. It had become too difficult for him to take his eyes of her. Was he ogling her?

They got up after paying the bill, and went outside the restaurant. Aakash and Payal straightaway went to their respective residents, and Arnav and Khushi rode towards their place. As soon as they reached, Khushi went to her room, dragging Arnav along with her. And this time, Arnav didn't mind accompanying her, unaware of what was happening to him. He quietly followed her to her room.

"Arnav. Let's play candy crush together" Khushi said and picked up his iPad.

"No Khushi. You play. I'm feeling sleepy" he made a false excuse, his heart ordering him to be with her, but his mind scolding him to avoid her company.

"What's wrong with you Lollipop? Are you still guilty or something?" Khushi asked her, feeling his behavior weird.

"Huh? No no. There's nothing like that. Just I'm a bit tired" he lied.

"Chalo its okay. You go and sleep" she said and pulled his cheek lovingly.

Arnav looked at her awkwardly for sometime, and then moved towards the door. He glanced back at her, looking at her pouted face which she had while playing the game, and smiled. Slapping himself mentally, he walked to his room.

*

After changing his clothes and freshening up, Arnav leaned back on the bed, tightening his arms around a pillow. He tried closing his eyes, but Khushi's face didn't leave his sight. Everything, every moment, flashed in front of his eyes. When they first met, when they shared the 'sorry' note on the first day of college, when they shook hands to be friends, when he consoled her when she was crying because of hunger, when they shared their family pasts with each other, when they named each other, when they kissed, when he saw her dressed for the fresher's party, when he shouted at her because of Alia and now when they shared the hug and consoled each other.

Everytime they laughed together, everytime they made fun of each other, everytime they cared for each other, surely had a significance.

'Am I admiring her?' he asked himself, walking up to the mirror, looking straight in his own eyes reflected in the mirror.

'Yes Arnav. You are' came a voice of his inner self.

'But why. She's my best friend'

'Because you no longer consider her as your best friend!'

'That's stupidity!' He spoke in a quite loud voice and went back to the bed.

'I don't know what's happening to me. Why have I all of a sudden started admiring Khushi? Why it seems as if my heart no longer considers her as my best friend? Oh.God" Arnav thought, keeping his hand on his forehead.

Every time she laughed, it made him happy.

Every time she cried, it made him cry.

Every time she was upset, it made him want to go around the world to search for her happiness..

Every time she looked beautiful, it made him want to take his heart out and give it to her.

It seemed as if she was the one who brought all the happiness back in his life. He suddenly felt warm, for Khushi, for his Candy... for his happiness..

'Wait' Arnav told his heart, putting his hand on his chest. His heart beat vigorously, as if he was actually talking to his heart. His mind had refused to work. May be it had given all his duties to his heart to perform, and make Arnav realize what was he actually going through.

'You never used to be so open in front of anybody. You even shared your past with that girl, which you never did with Aakash, whom you consider as your best friend too!' his heart screamed at him.

'Because she's my best friend. And I.. I.. wanted her to know more about me. That's it!' Arnav reasoned out.

'Liar.. If you just wanted to make her know more about you, then you would have told her about your choices. One doesn't simply start opening up his family history' his heart again argued.

'That's non-sense' Arnav brushed off the argument.

'Ok if you call it non-sense. But why did you enjoyed the kiss, which she gave you as a dare?'

'There's nothing like that. I was doing all that only to tease her'

'Really? Then why did her crying mean to you so much? Why did you wanted her to forgive you, clearly knowing it was you who was at fault' his heart was winning the game!

'Because.. because she's my best friend. And I knew that I had hurt her. She's just my best friend. And nothing else!' Arnav stated, feeling irritated by his own heart.

'Come on Arnav. Admit it that you're falling for her!' his heart screamed at him yet again.

'What? That's heights of non-sense! There's nothing like that' he replied irritatingly.

'Go to hell! You will yourself realize it very soon' his heart finally gave up.

He tried sleeping but couldn't. He felt restless. For some reason he was not able to think anything other than Khushi. The events again started playing in front of his eyes since he met Khushi.

Her laughter.

Her sparkling eyes.

Her blush.

Her smile.

Her tears.

Her care.

Her jokes.

Her dramas.

Her teases.

Her everything!

... mattered to him. Mattered to him the most. His life had changed completely in these three months. He suddenly felt special. "Khushi" he called out for her in an extremely soft voice.

"Is it Love?" Arnav asked, searching for an answer from his heart.

'Yes dear. It is Love!' his heart replied, sighing at him.

"I didn't feel the same when I had fallen for Alia" Arnav tried to connect every dot.

'The reason is simple. Because you were not in Love with Alia' explained his heart.

"I.have.fallen.for.Khushi" he finally realized and his lips automatically curved into the widest of smiles.. He had finally realized where his happiness resided.. In KHUSHI.

"I have fallen in love with my Best Friend!"

~~~

I hope it went good. I wanted the realization to be really cute. But I promise, the confession would be really romantic. I want to know about you views about this chapter. This chapter has proved the title of the story. Your ideas or suggestions are most welcome. Drop them here or Scrap me.

Thanks for reading.

Love,

-Sanjana.😳