ArShi SS: Finding Solace (ATTTM) ~Chapter Ten page 91~ 26th Nov. - Page 27

Originally posted by: -Mrinalini-

Yay! Me first! 😳

Okay.. The update was fantastic! 👏 I thought so that Arnav had kissed Khushi and it turned out to be true!

Fantastic update Shaimaa! 😃

Continue soon! I'm eager to read the next part! 😃

Please update Burying Desires II as well! 😳

Love you loads ❤️

Mrina

Originally posted by: addicted25

Ahhh... lovely update, so they grew up as friends, and he realises she is no longer a child and yep he is attracted to her, and as the magic goes he kisses her...funnily enough, he calls her Scarlet (probably his favorite colour too!), and she refers to him as mr butler.. love the analogy as Scarlet eventually realises she loves Rhett Butler.. I just hope that unlike Scarlet and Butler its not too late cos this boy does give a damn!

ooh looking forward to their convrsation now that they have grown up, hope fully they can see each others side.😉

Thanks for the pm.

"Hi," The husky voice from behind startled Khushi.

'Ha!'

"No need to keep the pretence up. We don't have an audience, Raizada."

Arnav took a deep breath. He was not here to argue and increase the distance, so he'd better not give in to her taunts. He stood in front of her, "I just wanted to have some water." He raised the glass of water from which Khushi just drank.

Khushi gaped at him. She felt a knot in her stomach as his lips lingered on the glass.

Arnav sat on a chair close to Khushi's. His penetrating stare disturbed her, as if he could read through her soul, and she, in return, stared back at him, searching answers for the nagging questions, which had been hovering over her mind.

"Khushi," her name came as a soft whisper from his lips. Fully aware of the sudden effect he had on her, Khushi was baffled. She shook her head preventing him from speaking further. She was not ready for anything at the moment; the transformation in their relationship had hit her hard that she needed time to take it all at once.

She stood up and left the kitchen, not before seeing an amusing smile on his face. A smile that astonishingly did not annoy her.

The hasty reaction from a seemingly troubled and confused Khushi was new to Arnav's system. The reaction was appealing to him for now as Khushi had not behaved like usual. He mused that he could approach her gradually lest he scare her. Again the thought was not something to be associated with Khushi Gupta. However, Arnav welcomed it with pleasure.

Reluctantly, Khushi joined the company which few minutes ago was enjoyable to her. Heaving a deep sigh, Khushi tried to detangle her mind from thoughts of him. No matter how much she tried, her attempts were fruitless., thus she decided to go to her room for a little while, under the excuse of remembering an urgent matter. Well, it was urgent.

Khushi paced in her room, restlessly. 'Why is he affecting me now?'

Khushi closed her eyes in exasperation; she still could feel his lips on hers, making her tremble in an unfathomable, anguishing emotion. It had been a week since he called her for the last times. Just two weeks of being abroad, and he already seemed as if he had given up on her. A mocking chuckle escaped her lips for thinking this way. Yes she had shed him away, but what would you expect from a sixteen-year-old girl, who has no idea about what happened? How was she supposed to digest the sudden change? Arnav is a family friend. Well, her friend too, and that's exactly why the whole idea seemed alien to her. If he had respected me, he would not have done that, Khushi thought. Where was the awesome Arnav, the one she shared good memories with?

For two years such disturbing, nagging questions plagued her mind, but she could not reach to a conclusion. He was acting like that Butler, just as she called him once; he had kissed her then gone away.

Khushi did not stop going to Raizada Mansion in those two years. She just stayed away from his room.

When he came back, she got to know from her family while they were having breakfast, when her father mentioned that he would go to the airport in the evening.

In the next morning, the sight of Arnav sitting with her family and having breakfast, surprised Khushi a lot. She stood in the middle of the stairs, no one noticing her. She did not know how she should feel. He looked more handsome and wiser as if he had gone to a relaxing trip. This 'relaxing' thought made disturbing scenes flash in her mind e.g. dating girls. How many ones had he known? Yes, he had gone to study, but that did not mean he could not have fun. Her eighteen-year-old mind found those thoughts...sinful. With the knowledge that now or later, she would have to meet him, Khushi joined the others reluctantly.

She greeted everyone a good morning before addressing him. Awkwardly, they exchanged few pleasantries. Two minutes later, Khushi saw Arnav excusing them to go home.

_____

Khushi got ready to go to university for a late class. There was no one in the house except Ramu kaka. Looking at her watch, Khushi decided that it was still early to leave, so she sat on one of the living room couches. There, she found a fashion magazine which belonged to Payal. With a lack of interest and an intention to kill some time, Khushi opened it to read some headlines. Khushi flipped some pages when an article caught her eyes; it was titled as Is ASR Dating Sanjana Singhania?

Without reading another word further, Khushi folded the magazine and stood up before walking quickly out of the house.

She had seen Arnav and Sanjana together in the party held by the Singhanias. They had looked comfortable with each other, talking and laughing. Khushi has to admit that the girl is charming, and she personally likes her. And subconsciously, that was Khushi's fear.

Khushi's class was not a great one, not at all, in all senses. She could not concentrate for a long time on anything, and to make things worse, she actually snapped at Lavanya, her best friend, which made the latter upset. Oh, great! Khushi sighed, walked to her car and drove off.

She wanted to be in her room, where she can be in her own little world and shut others from her life. She wanted to feel normal. There is nothing to make me feel this empty. A mug of tea and a book will make me feel better, she thought delusionally. It was not like Khushi was really lying to herself and convincing herself against what the reader might think. Such moments happen with us all; when something upsets us unconsciously and affects our life in a strong way, yet we cannot relate to it, simply because we like to believe that thing does not exist. This was her case because she does not believe that news could affect her.

_____

He wanted to see Khushi; this mad need drove him crazy because he felt that just after he decided to offer her what she needed, time and space. He didn't want to repeat the past.

He felt just like he used to feel when he had been in Boston, as if something was missing from his life. Last time, he gave her what she wanted by stopping calling her, and he lived the consequences.

After meeting up with the same results of her disconnecting his calls, Arnav had decided to give Khushi some time. She had been too young for his complicated feelings and unfathomable desires. He had made up his mind to focus on his study and make everyone proud of him. After few months, his feelings for Khushi had become stable again. She had been a friend and he had that need to win her back as a friend.

He had been adamant on his decision, but his come-back to India had thrown it all out of the window.

____

Khushi thought that she would feel alright after some time, but she had been wrong. Nothing could help her, even her dear books. She found herself going down to join her family, who was watching a bollywood movie.

She sat beside her father and side-hugged him; Garima, Mahumati and Payal were engrossed in the movie.

"Is it a good one?" Khushi asked seeing their clear concentration.

"Well, your mother says so. She had watched it before," Shashi replied with an amused smile knowing that Khushi would not take their opinion seriously. Her choices of movies and many things else differ from others. However, Khushi's thoughts were else were; the amused smile her dad gave her, reminded her of Arnav's smile from last night. Is it strange that I can relate anything to him?

Payal's whistle seeing the hero brought Khushi back to earth.

"What's its name?" Khushi asked her father earning a shush from Payal.

"The movie? Hasee Toh Phasee."

"Really?" Khushi whispered.

"It's acceptable comparing to other names. You really need to catch up with some movies. Don't you discuss them with your friends?"

"Well yes, but not that much," saying this Khushi decided to watch the movie, hoping it would not be too mushy.