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Chapter
12: T... forTwists!
Flashbacks are in blue.
Twenty-Nine hours later,
Khushi flopped down on the chair to watch the final show. She was tired, fully exhausted, but she wasn't complaining. She was always up for more."Hey, so let's try the flying trapeze", someone would ask. "Yeah sure, it sounds fun." She would respond. Arnav had a difficult time controlling her. He had finally tamed the tigress and made her sit down to watch this show.
Arnav had decided to give the team a break after all the tiring hours they had spent to prepare for clinching the deal, and spend the weekend in Singapore before returning to India. The whole team had a wonderful day and no brownies for guessing that Khushi had been the show-stealer with her immense enthusiasm and crazy antics.
This show was held on the Siloso Beach. Soon loud beats could be heard and the water began dancing. Khushi was mesmerized. Her dreamy eyes were soaking and absorbing the enthralling stuff displayed. She needed to remember them, she decided. With every beat, the waves swayed, if that was even possible. A beautiful concept was weaved and everyone was intrigued. Who would not be? As the curtains were drawn marking the end, Khushi let out the breath she was holding.
"That was amazing. No wonder the show is called the Songs of the Sea. What a brilliant effort by the team! It was superb, right?" All she heard in reply was few grunts, few lifeless yes and few nods. Exhaustion was written all over their faces. "How about having an ice cream?" Her eyebrows rose in anticipation of the cold sweetness melting in her mouth. "Nope, Khushi. We are all tired and it is almost 10. We all have an early morning flight to catch", said one of them and the rest agreed.
"Fine, you all go ahead. I need to taste this New Zealand Ice-cream shop's specialty." Almost within seconds, they had all disappeared, making Khushi frown. "Such a spoilt-sport they are." She was muttering to herself when a warm breath tickled her ears, making her jump. "Are you going to have the ice-cream or stand here and wait for the shop to close?"
"Arnav? You are still here?"
He shrugged, indicating her to go inside and she complied. The flavour was chosen and soon Khushi was licking away her ice-cream. "You are going to have a sugarless one?"
He nodded while she continued to eat away her favourite dessert. "Your loss." He merely smirked at that. Ah! The smirk! Something was wrong, she thought. No, something sinister is going in his handsome head, she corrected herself.
In just three days, so many things had happened between them when Jalebi and Chilli were alone. First Khushi had dared Arnav to kiss her in a drunken state and then she had herself kissed him the next day and even called him a coward. Finally, her well kept secret had been revealed by the persuasion of none other than Arnav Singh Raizada. The conversation was a day old yet it was fresh in her mind.
Twenty Nine hours earlier,
Khushi slammed the door of her room and started chanting her mantra again. Her heart was beating so fast it seemed as if she had been running a marathon.
"Slow down, dear heart. Please do. Don't become hyper. You just kissed Arnav Singh Raizada, no big deal. Now smile...eee... That's the way. Right. Breathe, now breathe. Yeah inhale, now exhale."
She chanted the same lines over and over again to get her breathing to normal but failing miserably.
Twenty Eight hours earlier,
She had shut herself in her room for an hour and had somewhat normalized her pulse but NK had called her for another short meeting. As she entered the room for meeting, her eyes flew to Arnav who was busy reading some file. Images of their kiss, flashed in her mind and she closed her eyes.
"No, no, don't do that. Bad move. Bad images. Don't look at him and don't close your eyes. Yeah. You are doing great, Khushi. Keep it that way. Be brave."
"Kumaaariii, what are you muttering to yourself?" NK was standing beside her with a stupid grin on his face and eyebrows dancing, making him look funnier.
"None of your business, NK," she said with a poker face and took the seat farthest from Arnav.
Twenty Six hours earlier,
"I need a distraction. What do I do? Yeah I will call Ma and speak. That will serve as a distraction." She had successfully avoided meeting Arnav's eyes throughout the meeting but Chilli's thoughts crossed her mind as soon as she was alone.
Twenty Five hours earlier,
"What do I do now? I am famished. I will go down and have dinner. I cannot afford to sleep dinner-less. That is a crime. I am brave, like very brave. Now he won't eat me, will he?"
Twenty Four hours earlier,
"Wow Khushi you are the best. Your stomach is full and heart is happy. Now all that is left is to run to your room and sleep. You can do that easily."
However, Jalebi was not that lucky.
"Ha here is where the kitten decides to hide." Khushi groaned and Arnav chuckled.
"Seriously, Khushi you chose this way? Didn't you see the sign board saying this side is closed due to renovations?"
"Of course I saw". Now, now will Jalebi accept her mistake in front of Chilli. "The question is why you are here, mister?" She retorted.
"So that I can catch you red-handed. Why are you hiding from me by the way?"
"Who said I am hiding? I am going to my room."
"Really? But I can see that you are nervous and... afraid." He said taking a few steps closer to Jalebi.
"I am not." How will Jalebi tell Chilli that she was afraid? Afraid of what, you may ask. Afraid that she will kiss him again and embarrass herself. No, she did not want that.
"Then answer me. Why are you hiding from me?" Jalebi decided to stay silent.
"I am your boss Khushi. You are entitled to answer me."
"So? The least you can do is fire me."
"The least I can do is make you a permanent staff, Khushi."
She froze. Was this really happening? What if he hires her? She gulped, swallowing her negative thoughts. She will not really have a reason to resign her job, then.
"I don't like my job." Her own words came back to haunt her. She looked at him and saw him smirking. His eyes challenging her to speak. He knew, she realised. He understood that she realised. He wants an explanation, she thought.
"I don't want an explanation, Khushi. Just do what your heart enjoys doing. This job is not what your heart loves." His words were followed by a gentle smile, not a smirk. He turned to leave, only to have her words stop him.
"You don't want an explanation, but I need to give you one." The thin difference between 'need' and 'want' suddenly came into force. She fiddled with her fingers trying to formulate words. He waited for her to speak what her heart wanted. "I... I want to be a cartoonist." She finally spoke, her eyes meeting the floor. She held her breath imagining Arnav scoffing at her. When nothing of that sort happened, she lifted her eyes. The gentle smile was still present.
"What is stopping you from being one?"
"I am afraid, Arnav."
"Afraid?! Of what?"
"What if I don't succeed? This is not a career that all will choose and choosing this means rejections from the society and my loved ones."
"Did you try once? Did you fail during that attempt?"
Her soft 'no' was audible enough considering that the night had bestowed these two with the silence ever possible. He held her shoulders and said, "Go for it Khushi. Be the daring girl you were few hours back. Allow the world to see and judge. Live for yourself."
The mention of the evening and dare, sure did make her blush, but her need to know if she could really take up her dream job, prompted her to ask,"What about this job?"
"You make your decision. I am giving you time till we leave Singapore." She nodded.
"Thank you, Arnav."
"Don't thank me so soon. You don't know what you have in store for tomorrow. Maybe a repeat of a particular scene can occur. Good night Khushi." Before Khushi could process his words, he had left. But not before calling out, "Take the proper route to your room."
And nobody could wipe that silly smile off Jalebi's face.
"So Khushi, you had fun today? " Arnav's question brought her back to the present situation. They had come quite near to the hotel.
Arnav couldn't believe they had walked in silence for ten minutes. That was another new record. After their conversation the previous night, Arnav did not get the chance to be alone with her since she was busy jumping around like a child. Now when he managed to get her alone for some time, she remained quiet, lost in some thought. So he decided to break the silence with a general question.
A genuine smile spread across her face at his question. "Yes, Arnav. Thank you. Thanks a ton for bringing us to Sentosa and also for booking us rooms here itself. That was really thoughtful. And the mono rail ride. That was brilliant. I loved the view from the cable car and the tiger sky tower. Not to forget the skyline luge and the sky ride. The list just gets bigger. And then.."
Jalebi's speech was cut short by Chilli.
"Khushi, all I asked you were five words and you respond with an essay?"
"I am just expressive, unlike you."
"So, I am inexpressive?" And then his left eyebrow shot up and the signature smirk was back.
"Yeah you are."
"How did you come to that conclusion, may I ask you, milady?"
"Okay, so here is the deal. Tell me how tasty your ice-cream is. Let's see who is best in expressing."
He shook his head at her childishness, but nevertheless played along. "You start."
"So my ice-cream was delicious. The smooth creamy texture blended well with the crunchy chocolate chips which..."
That was all that she could tell because her words were eaten, like literally eaten. Her words were replaced by his lips. Her already open mouth, opened further in shock. Arnav used this opportunity to taste the sweetness of her mouth and the ice-cream that she claimed to be the tastiest. He pulled her closer and his hands snaked around her waist, holding her in place. He made sure she did not try to escape, as if that thought even crossed her mind. He slowly savoured her, quenching his thirst while all she did was follow his lead. Her innocent nips and lick egged him further. Her silent moans were his undoing. He slowly traced the outline of her lips and dipped his head to place butterfly kisses all over her jaw and neck. "I may not be as expressive as you but I did make sure you had a taste of my ice-cream." Khushi stood stunned, breathing heavily while Arnav all but winked.
What was that? Who is the coward now, Khushi? She thought. She gaped like a fish out of water. She came out of her trance when she felt the sticky melted liquid fall on her arms. She huffed at him and turned her head when she heard him, again. "Cat caught your tongue?"
"No, Mr. Raizada, it was you who had caught my tongue." With that she fled to her room, the dripping dessert trashed and sorrowfully buried. The only good thing that occurred was Arnav was rendered speechless, something that was happening often, nowadays.
***
Somewhere around this time, while Jalebi and Chilli fulfilled their dare and continued daring each other, in the other part of the world, precisely in India, a new storm was cooking.
"Haaw! They kissed."
"They KISSED!"
"Hey Devi Maiyya my prayers are answered."
"Oh my God! Oh my God!"
***
Edited by Sadh123 - 9 years ago
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