Before we start with the chapter, please read Kiss Me Once by mints23😳
Banner credits: mints23. Banner Queen comes to our rescue again! Yay thanks Minty. Loved it ❤️🤗
Chapter 10: T... for Tu Tu Main Main!
Flashbacks are in blue.
"Khushi.. There you are. What took you so long?"
"Of all people you are asking me that, Amma? Who agreed to Arnav when he said that I should work today? And that too till 4? Moreover, he himself took leave after heaving tons of work and this horrible Delhi traffic delayed me even more." Khushi retorted.
"Arrey, Arnav will definitely take leave. After all he is looking after all the arrangements of the engagement. What would you have done here all day?"
"Amma, you never asked Jiji when she took leave." Khushi complained.
"That is because it is her best friend's engagement."
"Haww! You mean I am just a guest here. I don't have the right to take part in any of the rituals for the wedding. Smita Aunty, Mano Aunty, did you hear what Amma said? AkashBhaiya is not my bhaiya." Khushi said with a pout.
Smita laughed at the girl's antics and said, "Tum toh meri laadli ho. Don't listen to your Amma. Go and see where Chhutki is."
As soon as Khushi left, Garima started, "Yeh ladki aur iske nakhre. Pata nahi iss ladki ka kya hoga? At least she does some work because of Arnav."
"Don't worry Garima. Everything will be fine."
"I hope so."Garima sighed.
**********
Khushi had looked for Avni everywhere. But there was no sign of her.
Where did this girl vanish?
She peeped inside her room again but it was empty. "Avni?"Khushi called out. No response. She heard some muffled tones. Was she at the poolside talking to someone?
She went to the area but found no one. She could still hear the voices... Were they coming from behind the wall?
As she neared the wall, the voices became clearer.
"Badi Ma aajayengi."
"Aane do."
"Bhai aa jayega."
"Aane do."
The sight which met Jalebi's eyes, made her eyes round with shock. She covered her mouth with her palms, since it had formed a big O'. She ran into the nearest room, without paying attention to whose room it was, and collided with something hard. Before she could figure out who the person was or rather whose room she had entered, she heard the other person mutter "What the!"
**********
Avni's lips broke into a smile when she spotted Dr. Aman Mathur enter the Raizada Mansion. She was seeing him after exactly twelve days 22 hours. She saw him smile at her as he spoke to Shashi Gupta.
Fifteen minutes later, she found herself pinned against the pool side wall with Aman towering over her. How he managed to sneak away from the rest of her family, she did not know.
He nuzzled his nose on the crook of her neck and said, "God! I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, Aman."
Aman lifted his face from her neck and brought his face closer to hers. As his lips inched towards hers, she pushed him a little saying, "Mathur, koi aa jayega."
"Aane do."
He placed a soft kiss on her right eye-lid making her close her eyes.
"Di aajayegi"
"Aane do."
Now the left eye-lid received the soft touch of his lips.
"Akash Bhai aa jayenge."
"Aane do."
His lips lingered on her right cheek when she breathed, "Badi Ma aa jayengi."
"Aane Do."
She tried thinking of some other name when she reeled the feel of his wet kiss on her left cheek. She mumbled, "Bhai aa jayega."
"Aane do."
Aman was about to place his lips on hers when they heard some sliding the glass door. Avni pushed him away as they heard, "What the!"
"Bhai!"Avni almost screamed when Aman covered her mouth with his palm and said, "Shh!"
**********
Arnav had just entered his room. He had left his phone for charging. Suddenly he saw the glass door leading to the poolside open and a girl... scratch that... a woman in a beige and pink sari rush inside unmindfully and bam! "What the!" The words came out from his mouth involuntarily. He immediately held her by her waist to steady her. That is when he saw who she was.
Jalebi with her eyes rounded as the size of saucers looked up.
Khushi Kumari Gupta in a beige and pink sari, hair left open with few tendrils curled! Chilli was speechless for quite a few seconds. His trance was broken when he felt Jalebi struggling to escape from his hold. He left her waist and immediately felt the softness go away from him.
"So Khushi I know you like flying around and banging on random people, but..." He was rudely cut off by her.
"What are you doing here?" Jalebi asked.
He cocked an eyebrow in his usual style and said, "Excuse me, I should be the one asking you this question. This is my house and the place where you are standing happens to be my room. Care to explain what you are doing here?"
She was in Arnav Singh Raizada's room! Damn it!
"I... woh... I saw... err... woh..."
"From when did Khushi Kumari Gupta stutter?" Chilli teased with a smile tugging at his lips, of course he had masked it with a smirk!
"I am not stuttering. It is just that..." She trailed off.
"What is it Khushi?" He probed.
"I saw AmanandAvni...Err never mind." She blushed at her own words. What the heck? Why is she blushing now?
"What? Come again."
"I..me.. Kiss...woh..but.."
"Khushi are you implying something on the lines of kissing someone?"
"What me?!"
"That's what you told now I think."
"No, I saw AmanandAvnikissing."
She spoke at the speed of Gatiman Express.
"You saw what?" Arnav said not understanding a word that she said.
"I saw Aman and Avni kissing." She paused waiting for Chilli to show some reaction.
"Oh." Arnav said plainly.
"I just said that your sister and your best friend are kissing and you just say Oh'?"
"So? What should I say?" He asked perplexed. "And just because chilli and jalebi cannot kiss, that doesn't mean others cannot..." He muttered, he was sure she would not have heard.
"Show some reaction, they were literally and really kissing thrice. Shock, anger, any of the reactions that you usually show."
"Khushi, it is my sister we are speaking about. So we will do without the details please." He retorted dryly.
"Exactly. This is exactly why you should be angry."
"Why should I be shocked or angry? A couple, who are in a relationship, kiss." He said in a matter of fact way.
"Kya? Aman and Avni are dating? From when? Why don't I know about this? I should ask Avni about this."
She was about to go towards the poolside door when Arnav pulled her back by her arm.
"Are you crazy? Why are you hell bent on interrupting their private moment? First you walk into them when they are kissing. Do you want to watch more of the show or what? If you want to know how people kiss and go about, maybe I can help?"
Chilli said, his smirk not leaving his face at all, making Jalebi turn red in embarrassment. She nodded her head in a no.
"Uh... I should go downstairs." She hurried to leave.
"Khushi..."Arnav called out to her and she stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder.
He walked towards her and spoke in his husky voice, "You look beautiful in a sari." And Jalebi blushed at his open compliment.
"Toh Khushi Kumari Gupata ko sharmana bhi aata hai." He smirked, flicked her nose and left the room first, leaving a dumbfounded Jalebi behind. She touched the tip of her nose and placed a hand at her heart which had started beating rapidly suddenly.
What the hell is wrong with Arnav Singh Raizada?
**********
Yes, something was definitely wrong with Chilli. He could not take his eyes off Jalebi.
The one year that he had seen her in school did not leave any pleasant memories consisting of both of them. She was mischievous and lazy driving him nuts. He did not remember a single moment when they spoke without any arguments.
After he returned from Harvard, he had seen Khushi quite a number of times in his house, courtesy his mother and Avni. However, he did not want to waste his time paying attention to the good-for-nothing crazy girl.
It was only when she had started her internship under him that he started noticing her and now when everyone's eyes were on the couple who were exchanging rings, his were trained on Jalebi.
Was she this beautiful always or has she grown more beautiful over the years?
"Tera dhyan kidhar hai, tera friend idhar hai"
Arnav rolled his eyes at his friend's pathetic attempt at joking.
"I have something important to tell you." Aman continued.
"Yeah, go on",Arnav said, his eyes still on Khushi.
"Shashi Sir is also planning to make his damaad a ghar-jamaai. Since Payal is leaving for States, he wants to marry off Khushi first", Aman said in a serious tone.
"What the!"Arnav spat out looking shocked. "And I am also ready to be a ghar-jamaai. Anything for Avni."
"Are you really serious?"
"Yeah bro. As I told anything for Avni."
"Nah not that. Who cares about you anyway? Shashi uncle is planning that? But..."
"You don't believe me? Then ask him."
And then Aman took a deep breath. He had to.. He really had to... without any doubt.. So he burst out laughing.
"Gotcha!" Hesaid and continued laughing seeing Arnav's expression. Then Arnav realised that he was tasting his own medicine.
"Mathur, that was too bad a joke."
"Ah! Now it is a bad joke. What about the few hours of anxiousness that I went through before Avni cleared things?"
The phone call two weeks ago played in his mind.
"Yeah. Yeah. You never told me about your wish. I can never be like that."
"Like what?"
"Uh Like what your Bhai told."
"Mathur tell me clearly, will you?"
"I can never be a ghar-jamaai."
"What are you talking about Mathur?"
"Ask your Arnav Bhai. He will explain better."And he had disconnected the call. Avni looked confused.
Ten minutes later, Avni called Aman again which he picked up at the very first ring.
"Bhai told me everything, Mathur. You cannot do such a simple thing for me?"
"No, Avni. I can never be nor am I going to be a gharjamaai."
He had heard Avni laughing incessantly on the other side of the phone.
"Oh God!Mathur! Did you really think I would want you to be a gharjamaai? No never. Bhai was just pulling your leg."
Aman had heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Avni say, "Waise that is not a bad idea. What say, Mathur? At least you can try to be a joru ka ghulam."
"What the!"
These Raizada brother-sister duo were definitely one of a kind.
Aman smiled after his small sweet revenge.
"Anyway, why are you even worried? Shashi Sir's damaad should be worried, don't you think?" He said teasingly.Arnav rolled his eyes at him.
"Get lost, Mathur. And next time, avoid the poolside area when you are kissing my sister. Else you are going to stay as a gharjamaai for your entire life with the least amount of privacy. And just so you know, don't be surprised if the family comes to know soon.Walls have ears."
Now it was Aman's turn to gulp and Arnav's turn to smirk.
**********
"Hi, Amma. Hi, Smita Aunty", Khushi said as she entered the office of "Play and Learn" Kindergarten school.
"Khushi, what are you doing here? You should be at college now." Garima asked.
"Offo! Amma, did you forget I had half-day at college today? I came here to plan for Avni's birthday party."
"Of course, Khushi beta. Let Arnav come. He is quite excited about Chhutki's birthday."
"He is here already. Come inside, Arnav beta." Garima said with a smile.
Khushi was seeing him after five whole years. The lanky, arrogant School Pupil Leader was gone. He was now a handsome man. He was wearing blue denim jeans and a black t-shirt. He removed his aviators as he greeted Garima saying "Namaste".
Khushi introduced herself, "Hi. I am Khushi. KKG, remember?"
He just nodded his head.
Rude! Arrogant! Scratch that. An obnoxiously handsome, rude and arrogant man!
However, she was impressed at his ideas for the birthday party, not that she agreed openly. She had obviously defied him.
At Avni's birthday party, she had found Avni's friends ogling at him. She had gone up to him and said, "You are way too handsome for these girls. You should search for someone better."
She had winked at him much to his irritation. From that day, she has occasionally passed flirtatious comments at him just to irritate him. Of course Jalebi would never admit that she had developed just a teeny-weeny crush on Chilli.
However, Jalebi had never thought that tables could turn. And so now she was clueless why Chilli was flirting with her. The fact that she could not come up with a fitting reply to his comments was irritating her even more.
She had felt his gaze on her throughout the evening. And every time she looked at him, she had seen his smirk on his face, which gave her strange feelings inside her stomach.
She had not eaten anything since lunch. It was just her stomach grumbling for food. That's it. Time to make her tummy happy.
**********
"Congratulations Akash and Pari!" Payal said as she hugged them both.
"I am so happy for both of you. Just get married before I leave for States", she said smilingly.
"Thank you, Payaliya. And yes, I want my best friend by my side at my wedding", Akash said smilingly, "I will just get juices for you."
After Akash left, Pari started, "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything, Payal. If not for your idea, we would not have been engaged yet."
"You don't need to thank me, Pari. I know Akash needed this push and remember everything is fair in love and war. So stop worrying. This is going to be our little secret."
**********
"Arnav beta, have you seen Babloo?" Shashi Gupta asked, not finding Khushi anywhere.
"Babloo?"
"Ah! Babl... I mean Khushi. Do you know where she is?" Shashi tried rectifying his slip of tongue but the damage was already done.
So, Ms. KhushiKumari Gupta has a nickname Babloo. Interesting!
Khushi was savouring the last bite of gulabjamun when she heard Chilli's voice, "Hi, Babloo"
She choked at the mention of her nick name. How did he come to know about that?
"Babloo? Who is Babloo?" She tried to act nonchalant.
"Shashi Uncle was looking for Babloo. You have no idea who he /she is?"
Did her father have to spill out her stupid nickname in front of him?
"Nah. I don't."
"Oh then maybe I will go out asking for him."
"Him? It can be a her too. Okay?"
"Yeah it can be. But it is a boy's name. I will ask Payal, she should know about it."
"What? No, it is a unisex name and no you aren't asking Payal about it."
He raised his eyebrow to perfection and she knew there was no running away.
She looked at him with pleading eyes and said, "Ah! Please don't tell anyone about this. It is quite embarrassing, you know."
He struggled not to laugh at her. Instead he decided to have some fun.
"Okay. Here's the deal. I will keep your nick name as a secret on the condition that you will reveal one secret about yourself."
Secret? No Khushi no. Don't accept. Her mind chanted these words while her head nodded. "See this is called lack of head and brain coordination. Technically speaking brain is in the head." As her ramblings (thankfully internal ones) continued, Arnav snapped his fingers before her.
She looked so cute and sexy that he wanted to kiss the hell out of her at that moment. What? Did he just think about kissing her?
"Deal", she said extending her hand in a business-like manner. "Okay, then. See you tomorrow at office, Ms. Babloo... I mean Ms. Gupta. But a secret for a secret." Arnav said while shaking hands.
Khushi stomped her foot and left leaving a laughing Arnav behind.
**********
Two weeks later,
Arnav entered his father's cabin. "Papa, you called me."
"Yeah, Arnav.Khushi and Nikhil's internship gets over in a few days. So I was thinking of testing what they have learnt. Why don't you take them with you for the next business meet? They will assist you in the next project."
KhushiKumari Gupta and Nikhil Khuranna together assisting him? He prayed for some sanity, oh that is if at all something was left.
**********
Thanks for reading. Check the note below.
Edited by barsha_dash - 9 years ago
Anupamaa
Jhanak
Ufff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil
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