ARNAV KHUSHI FF: We Didn't Start the Fire! Chapter 4 Updated 26/11 pg4 - Page 2

Hey everyone! Thanks for the wonderful wonderful comments- they definitely motivate me to write better and faster :) Since I do have a few chapters up my sleeve, here is the next one:

CHAPTER 3: Unexpected Bonds

She stared at the bracelet, too scared to touch it, wondering if this was one of her dreams. Almost as if he had read her mind, he said, "I got it especially for you. Saw it in Goa and couldn't stop thinking of how great it would look on you it would look great on you." As she held it in her hand, it shone.Placing it on her wrist, she marvelled at how right the size, shape and colour were...For her. A small smile spread on her lips."Thanks Arnav, it's beautiful.

"I am so happy you liked it- Di was about to tear her hair out at my indecisiveness when we went shopping! Should I just give it to you on our way home?"

Giving it back to him, she couldn't wait for the day to end.

"Khushi! Khushi! I need your help yaar!" As he came running to her in break, she couldn't help but admire him from afar. Tall, trim and with his hair flopping onto his forehead, Arnav Singh Raizada was perfect eye-candy, currently running toward her and looking extremely agitated.

"Err.. That bracelet." "I loved it Arnav, it's beautiful- didn't I say that this morning?" A soft smile spread on her face, as she thought about the gorgeous piece of jewellery with its blu and green glinting in the sunlight.

"Actually, I need your help."

"I believe you said that before too Arnav, go on." A little sarcasm never killed anybody, she thought, raising her eyebrows at him.

"So basically. I had got the same bracelet for Lavanya, too. But.. but Sir confiscated both of them and he lost one...Erm.. so... What do I do?"

Her earlier joy at receiving the exquisite piece of jewellery left her in a whoosh at the thought that he had just bought two of the same bracelets for her and Lavanya.

Cursing her luck, Khushi, once again, to her utmost anger, found herself saying "It's okay. Give that one to Lavanya. I'll be fine with no bracelet." "But Khushi.." "No buts! She's your girlfriend after all, isn't she?"

Seemingly satisfied with her reasoning, and with a "You're the best, Khushi!" he ran off, leaving her behind with a turmoil of emotions that, once again, threatened to spill out through her tears.

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"Will you be my girlfriend?" The question startled her, as did the voice. Amit! She hadnt seen that one coming. It was a Sunday, and they were all lounging at Lavanya's house. She was sitting on Lavanya's study table, and Amit was kneeling at her feet, having asked her this question after a heartfelt and LOUD rendition of 'Teri Deewani'. Her laughter at the way he was singing stopped abruptly at this question, and she looked around the room until her searching eyes met those steadily darkening honey-brown eyes of a certain broken toothed person, who was grinning away to glory, giving her a rare glimpse of his dimples. She gulped. The day had suddenly turned into a claustrophobic nightmare for her.

Trying to laugh it off, she jumped off the table and started walking out of the room, when a hand suddenly held her wrist. Thinking it was Amit, she jerked it off and turned around, eyes blazing, only to meet the now-questioning gaze of Arnav, the grin wiped off his face. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head resignedly, and giving him and accusatory glance, Khushi walked out of the room, her mind trying to think clearly, while her heart and head buzzed with the realization that he had held her, looked into her eyes, and had now followed her out of the room, while Lavanya looked on, speechless.

His arm around her shoulders and her voice a bit too close to her ear for comfort made her temper flare. "Stop this rubbish Arnav! You know I hate all this!" They were in the car, going home from Lavanya's- it was just her, Arnav and Amit, who Arnav had offered to drop home, much to her consternation. Didn't he care even a bit about her? And if offering Amit a ride home wasn't bad enough, now Arnav was putting an arm around her shoulder. And whispering nonsense to her, looking smugly at Amit and asking him "Aren't you jealous?" periodically. Flinging his arm off her, she scooted away from him and looked out of the window, refusing to say even as much as a "Bye" to him, as he got out of the car near his house.

"Please please please please go out with me!" Feeling her headache worsen, she glared at no one in particular. It was Thursday now, and she had had enough of this from Amit since Sunday. Arnav wasn't much help either. "Look Khushi, the guy is suffering. Do some social service, go out with him, and end his misery. That's about it. Simple!" was Arnav Singh Raizada's solution to her problem. And as she looked over at him now, he simply shrugged, clearly enjoying the scene unfolding in front of him.

Losing her patience, she marched to Arnav and went menacingly close, so close that she could smell his crisp, masculine scent. "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO, YOUR HIGHNESS?" "Trust me and go out with him.", was all he said. She looked into his eyes then, asking if it was wrong to be with someone she had no feelings for, convinced that it was wrong.

But she saw only support and assurance in them. She heaved a resigned sigh. Surely it couldn't be that bad, could it? "Okay Amit, I'll go out with you." Smiling at him brightly, she wondered why this seemed like such a bad idea, even though Arnav was so confident about it. He had her best interests at heart after all. Still not convinced, she went home in a thoughtful mood that day, refusing to participate in the idiotic party Arnav was giving everyone in the bus for the new "happiness" in Khushi's life.

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Present day..

It was always this, wasn't it, she thought to herself with a wry smile. His approval, his support seemed to be her paramount need every time she forged a new relationship. It had always tied her into knots. Why did she ever have any confidence in his opinions about her life, when there were countless decisions he had made in his own life that she wished they both could change? And if he mattered as much, why hadn't she sought his opinion on the single important decision that had torn them apart, destroying the very foundations of their friendship?

Gradually noticing that her anger at him had turned into self-loathing and blaming herself, she sighed. This was a recurring theme in their strangely volatile interaction, if she could even call it that, in recent times. As she lay there in the darkening twilight, the bittersweet memories of their past wove themselves around her, gradually lulling her to sleep.

Chapter 4

Okay then, here is chapter 3 :) What do you think? Please let me know your feedback, about the style of writing, pace, length, etc.

Thanks again to you guys for the comments, and for the FF writers on India forums who weave magical worlds around me every time I browse through any of their stories.

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