Chapter
11: E... for Electrifying!
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Flashback is in blue.
Khushi felt her excitement reach a whole new level as she fastened the seat belt. This was not the first time that she was flying, yet she couldn't help feel the fairly familiar exhilaration. She always looked forward to the take off and landing. Other than that flying was no different from the other modes of transport, according to her. She knew she had a very strong chance of developing a shooting ear pain during the landing or take off. But that never was barrier and it never will be. As the final announcement came by requesting all passengers to put their mobiles on silent, Khushi could see someone's nervous fingers on the armrest. 'Nikhil aka the pest aka NK.' He was scared? Her mind was already plotting different ideas to torture him, considering all those sufferings she had undergone because of him.
"Don't worry Nikhil, the least that could happen is the plane crashing somewhere." She whispered. He looked aghast at that. But she mercilessly continued, "Ah sweet and easy death. Don't you think?" NK almost jerked from his seat, while Khushi maintained a straight face. "Oh are you nervous? Did I scare you by any chance?" And she acted like the perfect batch of freshly made jalebis that were dripping with innocence.
"Shut up, will you? Why the hell didn't they ask passengers to shut up too?" He almost barked at her.
"So bad, they didn't. What are you going to do now?"
If NK thought without Chilli, Jalebi will be soggy and lose her touch, then he was mistaken. She was well capable of fighting her own battles.
"For heaven's sake, be quiet."
"What is the magic word?"
"What?"
"Magic word."
"Please remain quiet Khushi."
"Much better. Request granted. And by the way, you won't pass out will you?" NK almost growled at that. But true to Khushi's words, NK did pass out much to the apprehension of the old lady sitting next to him.
"Are you sure he will be okay?" The old lady asked her, pointing to NK. "Don't worry, he will come back to normal. This is his favourite hobby." Khushi said shocking the old lady, her old heart could not bear that. Khushi was afraid the old lady too will faint, but thankfully she did not.
As the flight soared above, Khushi looked outside. Seeing the clouds and being one among them was her favourite pastime.
Her mind reverted back to that fateful day when her carefully hidden secret was so stealthily unveiled by Arnav.
"Are we done eating Ms. Gupta?" Khushi raised her bored eyes to meet Arnav's mischievous chocolate brown eyes. Wait! Where did the colour of his eyes come from? Of course look at him and you can see or rather notice all those details. "I am just being observant." She convinced herself.
"NO, you are done eating while I am still eating." She said showing her Jalebis.
"Dessert. It is closer to the finish line."
"What is it, a race or something? It is FOOD." No one compares her Jalebi to some non-existent thing and gets away with it! She was furious and rightly so.
"Whoa slow down tigress."
"Why are you here?"
"Secret time baby." He winked at her. Secret? What? No!
"What secret?"
"Ignorant are we, Ms. Babloo?"
She groaned and Chilli rightly enjoyed her frustration. "So secret?"
Khushi's mind went on an overdrive. She had two secrets. Which one? Ha neither!
"I know to sing."
"Is that even a secret?" Arnav raised his famous left eyebrow and looked straight into her eyes.
"My family doesn't know about that, so consider yourself blessed."
"Khushi I have heard you sing and for the sake of humanity, don't attempt singing, unless you want to murder someone."
"Are you here to taunt me?"
"Nah secret. One that no one knows."
"I know to dance."
"Have seen."
"I know to play shuttle."
"Yeah seen that too. How you can't even make that cork go past the net."
"I love food."
"Ah secret of the year! Next."
"I don't like dressing up."
"Not a fan of your dressing either. So next." Of course it wasn't Chilli who noticed her beige and pink Saree. Shh!
Khushi had definitely run out of options now.
"Ihadatinycrushonyou."
"What the hell was that?"
"You heard me."
"But I didn't understand."
"Your bad."
"Is it Babloo?"
"Fine! I had a very very very very very very very very very..."
"Oh cut down with very(s) already."
"Okay after that so many very, I am adding ten more very. Okay? So I had this very small tiny weeny crush on..."
Chilli had sucked in his breath. He was anxious.
"You." Khushi had almost shrunk back in her chair after that.
The trademark smirk adorning his face.
"Since when?"
"Only one secret allowed and for your unkind information, you are no longer my crush."
"Well really?"
She nodded rather too confidently. His years of experience had definitely helped him realise if someone was lying or not.
"Really Babloo?"
"You are not playing fair. It was one for one."
"Did I ever promise to play fair? Consider this a sweet revenge, for all those years."
"Fine maybe a little. But Fawad tops the list. You are the last in the list."
"You wound my heart." When did Arnav become this dramatic? "Did you expect me to come up with that cheesy line? Who even bothers about your list? You are not even in my mind. You are not even in the bottom of my list."
Khushi frowned at that. "Trust him to ruin everything. Obnoxious fellow. Just because he is handsome he thinks the world will fall for him." Her mind spoke this while her mouth retorted like this,
"Did I even ask that?"
And she had huffed and gone out of her own cabin while Arnav's hearty laughter was ringing behind. How she hated him with passion!
A coughing NK pulled her out of her reverie. "Oh someone is conscious." She muttered sarcastically. NK felt like hiding after receiving weird stares from the old lady. Khushi's voice was the rotten cherry on top. He never knew he was getting excited for the worst trip of his life. His mind took him back to the day the news (that he once considered good) reached him.
NK knocked, only to hear a "come in". He spotted Kumaaari err Khushi there. She was on time? Damn!
"I have called you both to inform you that your internship gets over in a few days. I was thinking of testing what you have learnt. So, both of you will come with me to the next business meet. You will assist me in the next project."
"Wow. I am so excited."
"But why should NK come along with us?"
Both NK and Khushi muttered at the same time, glaring at each other.
"This is what I thought. Now before you leave, I want you both to remain civil to each other. No complaining business. Get that?"
Both of them nodded at that. "But where are we going?"
***
"Welcome to Singapore. We hope you enjoy your stay here." The recorded message made NK come back to the present. "Come on pest. Are you planning to become unconscious again?"
"Shut up Kumaari. Will you stop with it already?"
"Not until you stop."
***
Arnav glanced wearily at the file in front of him. He thought he was doing himself a favour by asking Khushi and NK to come a day later just so that he could do his work without listening to their bickering. But he was wrong. He really needed an extra hand other than those already there. It was a 10 member team including NK and Khushi. He checked his watch, they should be here now. No sooner had this thought crossed his mind, a wave of red and blue burst into his room. Khushi and Manners never went together.
"Hi Arnav." And then her face lit up with a 1000 watt smile. He admitted she looked beautiful. But that smile did not sit right. I mean she smiling at him meant something was cooking in that head of hers which supposedly had the brain but apparently was empty in her case. There are exceptions in every case.
"Why are you here? Where is NK?"
"I am here to work with you. So, tell me what should I do? As far as NK is concerned, I am not going to babysit him further. Once was enough." She shrugged casually. Soon a knock was heard and then NK walked in.
The three of them left to the conference hall to discuss with the rest of the team. And then for the first time, they worked in perfect harmony. A new record was created!
By 4 in the evening, the work was wrapped up. The conference was scheduled to be held the next day. So, they had the evening off.
As they were exiting the hall, Khushi spoke about NK's little (doctor) patient play in the plane which had everyone teasing NK.
"We wonder what would happen to you this time when we take off."
"What happened while landing?"
"Did the old lady help you?"
These were some of the questions raised.
***
Arnav could not help but smile as he remembered Khushi narrating how NK had passed out. A wave of amusement washed over him. Khushi was definitely good in gathering attraction. She was all smiles and smirks. And that mouth of hers rarely closed, almost like a fish. She needed to speak to survive. Motor mouth!
And as much as he could deny, he had grown to like her. Especially when she gets all flustered with his flirting. If you want Khushi to be on board for something, you have to blindly sign without reading the terms and conditions. You never will understand. And her antics were freebies of the package deal.. Profit or loss, go figure!
Sighing that the girl had occupied his thoughts for the past three hours, he decided to go down for an early dinner and retire. He hadn't had his lunch.
As he closed his room, dropping the card in his jacket pocket, someone crashed into him. It was Khushi, surprise!
"Miss. Klutz can't you look and walk."
"You blocked my way. You never see where you are going."
"No use speaking to you." As he walked away from her, he felt a tug on his jacket.
"Where are you going?"
"Downstairs." She immediately pouted at that. "Like this?"
"Like what Khushi?" He was genuinely perplexed.
"Like..like.. this handsome!" She accused as if looking handsome was the biggest crime, almost equal to murder.
"Err not my fault. Wait have you been drinking?"
"Khushi Kumaari Gupta never drinks. Don't you know that Raizada?"
"Now you are definitely drunk."
"That is what NK also thinks. Wait wasn't he the one who gave me something called orange juice which tasted funny? He should have mixed something in it. What do you think?"
"I don't know. Now go to your room. What is your room number?"
"You could have directly asked me for my room number earlier. Such a slow goose." She taunted him.
"Ask and do what Khushi?"
And yet again for the first Time, Chilli was pulled closer by Jalebi.
"Talk. Speak. Yeah we should do that."
"Aren't we doing that already? Why should I come to your room for that?" By this time her attention had turned to the knob on the door.
"Open. Abracadabra."
"What are you even telling?"
"Why aren't you opening?" She had now removed her hairpin and trying to insert it in the knob.
"What the hell are you trying to do here?"
"Haven't you seen movies? The heroine always opens the door using the hairpin. Now I will test if it works."
Fortunately for Arnav, it was his room that she was trying to break and enter. "Here this may work." He handed his room card to her.
"Wow Raizada. I never knew you were brilliant." She ran into the room and flopped on the bed.
"Mmm smells like you." She uttered closing her eyes dreamily. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her.
"Chocolate brown eyes." She sighed. A drunk Khushi reveals all secrets. He never knew that!
"What else have you keenly noticed?" He questioned taking advantage of her drunken state.
"I don't notice. I am observant. If anyone looks at you, they see all this." She made vivid gestures with her hands as if to prove the point. "Yeah right. My words back at me." Arnav thought.
"But this was supposed to be my secret. Don't tell him."
"Tell whom?"
"Forget it. You are too slow."
"What the?!"
"I am NOT even in the negative part of your list?"
"What list?"
"Your crush list of course."
"How about you tell me if I am still in your list?"
"Of course you are. Always on the top! But Fawad comes a close second."
"Is it?"
"Come on let us play truth or dare."
"No way."
"Please please please." Seeing that she was way too stubborn, he agreed. He did not really have a chance or choice.
The bottle was spun and few rounds went by. Nothing, literally nothing interesting was revealed nor done (except Jalebi daring Chilli to spend a day out with her). But the interesting part was...
"I dare you to kiss me Raizada."
"What?"
Off course Chilli being the gentleman refused Jalebi. His reputation will go down the drain if he kisses a drunk woman. So he would never and EVER!
"I will fulfil this dare tomorrow."
"Pakka?" At his nod, the bottle was spun again and this time it was truth for the Gupta girl.
"Tell me something I don't know about you."
"The whole world does not know this secret. It is a secret. Shhh."
"Yeah tell that to me." He prodded. Somehow he sensed this was something to do with her job.
"I don't like this job AT ALL." She scrunched her nose in distaste.
"Why?"
Before he could even utter that why' Khushi had passed out and completely at that.
***
The conference had turned out to be better than expected and they had sealed the deal. With ASR leading the team, it wasn't that difficult. Arnav cast a sideways glance at Miss. Grumpy sitting right across him. She had been frowning the whole day for God knows what reason. They were scheduled to leave the day after. So, they had a whole evening and a day to while away. That should have actually put Jalebi in better spirits, but unfortunately it did not. The reason behind why so, was beyond Arnav.
Khushi bit her lips and groaned. Nothing could have ruined her vacation. Of course she came here to see Singapore. Let that project go to hell. But she was wrong. She had worked for three hours straight and today too. How come she became interested in work? Who was she kidding? It was not about work ever. It was about him.
"You really selected me? This is an important meet right? You should also seal the deal right?"
"It was not my decision. It was Papa's."Her face fell at that. Of course she was a fool to think that he had selected her. "And as I said before, it is to test you."
"Test? You would put my skill to test in one of the most important deals?"
Sighing he turned to face her, "I trust you."
Those words. Those three words had resulted in her doing her part. She did it despite her hate because he trusted her. She knew he would never easily trust anyone with his work, his wife. Well almost. Pun intended because he never had anyone as his girlfriend. Maybe he had while he was abroad and that girl was secretly kept. She might be pregnant. She scrunched her face in disgust at that. No no Arnav would never do that.
She was hit by a sharp headache again. Why can't it just go? She was too afraid to ask anyone about what had transpired yesterday. She was in her room in the morning. That meant she hadn't ventured into anyone's room, or so she thought.
She unlocked her room, still brooding when she heard a voice that stopped her in her tracks. "Khushi, what's up with you today? Klutz became all grumpy?"
"You called me Klutz yesterday!" She exclaimed loudly as a sudden bout of happiness hit her. Arnav's expression spelt the word, 'Duh'.
"And yeah let's get over with the kiss you asked for." Her eyes widened at his words."I asked? For...a...a...a...kiiisss?"
"Well didn't I tell the same?"
"This was a question. Yours was a statement. Difference."
"Whatever. You asked or rather dared me to do that."
"I dared you? You of all people? To kiss me?"
"Yep."
"No way! You are lying." Now Khushi lied. She clearly remembered the part where she had dared him to kiss her. But she had assumed it was a dream. Dammit! It had happened!
"I don't remember daring you to do anything. So not happening."
"Guessed that much. Come on I have to show you something." He smirked rather devilishly.
"Something's not right." Her mind told her.
She knew she was treading on dangerous waters but went into his room anyway. The video made her visibly cringe.
"I dare you to kiss me." These words kept ringing in her ears.
"This is not me. You have used Photoshop."
He raised his eyebrow at that suppressing the amused smile from breaking out on her face. She was one of a kind. "Well someone is afraid to be a part of the very dare they had dared others to do. Why even dare when you cannot do it?" She glared at him. "Coward." He mouthed irking her further.
Without warning, Arnav felt something soft be pressed to his lips. He was momentarily stunned. But he reacted soon enough. He could feel her uncertainty and hesitancy. Before she could pull herself back, she was pushed to the nearby wall as Arnav took the lead. She only had to follow him and mimicked his actions. His hands moved from her back to her waist and held her tightly while her hands found its way to his hair disheveling it in the process. He explored every nook and corner of her mouth. She tasted of mints and chocolate. There was no stopping him and her now. The testosterone had finally hit.
As the dire need to breathe surfaced, they forcefully parted themselves. She was still in his arms, her fingers had entangled itself in his hair and their eyes were locked.
That is exactly when Jalebi came out of the trance. You would guess that the mobile had rung or someone had knocked or they had heard a commotion. But none of the above happened. Khushi usually had the less attention span time. So, she was naturally out of her frozen moment. But hey Chilli has managed to hold Jalebi, a captive for more than 10 minutes.
She slowly slipped out of his arms and skipped towards the door.
"I am not a coward. But I guess you are, for your dare is still unfulfilled." This was followed by a wink and she was gone in a flash leaving a stunned Chilli behind.
Had she gained the upper hand already?
**********
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Edited by Sadh123 - 9 years ago
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