Part-19
before you start I wanted warn you that I am still getting back to the flow so this isn't really a good one, but hopefully I will come with a better and bigger one next😊
NK felt a touch on his shoulder and looked to his left to find Khushi staring back at him. Another hand went around his shoulders from his right and he found Abhay settling down beside him.
He smiled nervously at them.
"Did Khuhsi not tell you before; it is bad manner to eavesdrop?" Abhay quirked an eyebrow looking stern.
By the time Khushi had taken a seat and now looking at him questioningly, but in the darkness he missed her little amused smirk.
NK scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed "I didn't mean to you know... he trailed off awkwardly not knowing how to convince his friends that he didn't really intended to do what he did.
Unable to hold their amusement any longer on their little shaky friend both, Abhay and Khushi, chuckled softly making NK sigh in relief.
**
"I didn't know Kavi meant so much to you?" NK whispered for Khushi.
Khsuhi took a long breathe and smiled wanly before saying, "You came in our team three years back when Dad included you but Kavi, Abhay and I knew each other since the start of my service."
Abhay nodded supporting her answer.
She continued looking ahead in the darkness "Abhay was my senior, but we shared a kind of rapport which was unique and precious." She smiled at Abhay who had a soft kind of affectionate look on his face, but it changed to pensive as soon Khushi said next "Even with his wife Priya."
She saw Abhay close his eyes and his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard. Her hand reached for his as she pressed it a little to elevate his pain just a little if possible and he smiled faintly at her attempt assuring her through his eyes that he is fine.
Nodding she continue, "I met Kavi when he joined our station in same rank as mine some four years back. We became friends first." She turned to look at NK who was listening to her curiously. "Then he charmed his way and became more than friend to me, not that I minded... she smiled at the memory of Kavi... He was fun to hang with. He was caring and understanding and a very good person at heart. So it was not hard to be comfortable around him and he made it easier by his happy-go-lucky nature" She looked away as she continued "And moreover he accepted me even knowing my past." She had lost look as she said so.
NK opened his mouth to ask what it is but saw in time Abhay shaking his head in negative. He stopped.
They sat silent for a long time before NK broke it,
"Guys I am hungry. Abhay do you have chips?"
And Abhay grinned, "Yes I do have some potatoes, you just need to fry them."
Khushi winked and followed, "and sprinkle some salt over it."
"And some spices"
"Oh did I mention you first need to chop them finel and marinate them for half an hour..."
"No one hour"
"I guess two hours"
NK looked on horrified as they continued their banter over making chips, forgetting his hunger, or may be it died in his stomach a premature death hearing the preparation of the most simple thing he ever had Potato chips. The simplest thing he thought for crying out loud!
**
Arnav woke up feeling much better after a good night sleep finally extracting a much needed promise from Khushi that she would share her life with him, only to witness his Di standing before him, her hands on hips.
The warrior stance she wore spelled trouble to him.
"Now what"? He grimaced before lifting himself up on the bed uneasily.
Anjali came for his help and tucked a pillow behind him to make him sit comfortable. She took a seat beside him on the bed looking not pleasant.
"What is it DI?" He asked noticing her grim face.
"What were you doing last night with Khushi?" came her straight question.
For a moment his eyebrows scrunched in confusion as the brain was still foggy with the left of the sleep, but soon, very soon the fog cleared when he recalled the last night's happenings.
It didn't take the shrewd Arnav Singh Raizada's business mind much time to deduce the fact that the little peck outside the Mansion last night had been witnessed by none other than his very own dramatic Di, because no way in hell she would have been this serious otherwise.
He couldn't help but wince with the realization as the next horrified thought struck him hard, now there was no escape and he had a Hell lot of explaining to do... to her.
He again watched her stern look and ready-to-attack stance and shook his head in dismay, not Good! Not at all!! Help me God!!
He sighed and rather beating around the bushes came straight to the truth, "I love her, she was the one I was talking about that day to you when you caught me entering home early morning." and watched amused as his sister's eyes rounded in shock, then she shook her head to clear the haze and then blink a few times before she found her voice yet couldn't make a single sentence...
"Bu... But ... Ho... how... I mean... she... she behaved... so... so...
"Aloof." Arnav supplied.
Anjali nodded in daze.
"Well ... he paused to collect his words carefully to answer Anjali. How in hell you answer something which you are yourself confused about. He snorted.
"She doesn't want to let others to know that we know each other before this case and maybe she doesn't want to mix her personal and professional life... I guess" the last part he said in his mind.
For Anjali he sounded not very convinced of his answer which was true and her eyes narrowed into slits as she put forth her doubt, "why does it seem one way' to me? Does she return the same feelings as yours? Going by her behavior here I doubt gravely." She remembered all her non pleasant encounter with Khushi and also with Arnav in RM.
Arnav inhaled and exhale out loudly as he answered honestly looking at some point in the wall in front of him, "I don't know Di. She had stopped pushing me away but yet she is holding so many things in herself that the emotional gap between us is still intact and it seems hard to bridge for me." he looked little helpless and more desperate in his Di's eyes as he said, "I have no clue what place I hold for her in her life but I want to become more than her fling."
Anjali sighed feeling bad for her small brother and finally said what she was fearing since she had seen them together outside RM in quite cozy way, "Do you think she is the right girl for you?"
She saw Arnav scowl and hurried into her speech "Don't take me wrong. I know my equation with her not good and maybe it would take long before we can understand each other and if I can understand her at all that is... but that is not my concern... My concern is You."
Arnav's scowl changed into a confused and curious frown and she continued, "As you yourself said that she is holding too many things in herself. May be some baggage of her past or some professional secrets, whatever it is, but will you be able to get through to her. What I have understood about her so far, that she is a tough nut to crack and if she lets go of her inhibitions around you also, do you think she is fit to be by your side?"
Arnav looked at her questioningly and displeased, Yet she continued. She needed to show his brother the pros and cons of this relationship if he is as serious about as he appeared, "I mean our family, our priorities, our society, our reputation, our business... she is different from everything. And moreover her profession... it's too dangerous and completely out of consideration when we think about a girl for you. Do you think you can manage with that? Can make Nani and others agree to accept her and more importantly can make her get comfortable with all of us?"
Arnav frown had changed into a serious and unreadable expression now. He stayed silent for a few second mulling over Anjali's practical points and thoughts and before he said honestly, "I don't know Di. Right now I don't have any answer of any of your questions."
Anjali sighed. "I thought so." She had expected this. Her brother had only though form his heart but not from his famous ASR mind.
She came out of her little thoughtful aura with Arnav's next sentence. "But I have answer of your very first question." He paused and smirked mischievously over her sister's startled expression and his eyes twinkled as he said, "If not her then no one else is the right girl for me. Because she is my firework"
Anjali's eyes widen resembling saucers as he winked and jumped out of the bed as fast he could manage with his one hand immobile and sauntered his way towards the bathroom, leaving his bewildered and thoughtful sister behind.
**
Arnav saw Khsuhi walking in through the door of Raizada Mansion and a beautiful smile appeared on his face, which didn't go unnoticed by Anjali and at the same time she looked at Khsuhi for any visible sign of acknowledgement of her Chotey's gesture and shook her head dejectedly when she saw her busy checking something in her phone and concentrated back to her magazine.
But it didn't cross her mind that what she couldn't see with her normal eyesight her Chotey can just feel without fail, he didn't required his eyes for that.
And so he felt the change in her aura and as he looked on he didn't miss the ever so slight tug in the corner of her lips and one arched eyebrow, though her sparkling eyes stayed hidden behind the aviator she wore, but he was sure they twinkled and smiled at him too.
Bothe took steps forward to each other in a state of daze.
Both willing to say something... anything to the other... may be just a simple good morning!
Both had their eyes trained on the other as they took every step closer to reach the other.
But their little moment broke. Their haze cleared as Khsuhi's phone buzzed stopping her in her track to take the call.
Arnav though kept taking his steps forward. Not caring about the distraction at all. He only came to a halt when he was within a feet distance from her and heard her shocked hushed tone but loud enough for him ask the other person on line little frantic, "Khaled? Are you sure?"
And by the look of her he deciphered that the answer was positive in other end before both of their heads jerked up to the direction of the door which was not far from them, and form where came a cold menacing voice "What that b*stard had done now?"
And both saw a visibly fire breathing Abhay, who looked enraged enough to throttle whoever this Khaled was with his bare hands, and Arnav didn't know may be not just throttle but cut into pieces and fed the dogs as well.
**
My readers are quite hungry lot of good writings I know😉
So here is few links of some good stories I recently read and really liked them (if you are already not stalking them that is😉)
Silver Lining by radzbharadwaj (just the likes we like😛)
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/3347567/arhi-ff-silver-lining-link-to-thread-2-pg-151
When Arnav Bhaiya Met Moonchiya by cineraria (I bet you din't read something this hilarious recently😆)
Edited by Moumita_2014 - 11 years ago
Shiv Shakti
Madhubala - Ek Ishq Ek Junoon
Cricket
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