The Most Unromantic Romance: A FF (Continued)
Part 4:
Arnav's heart was panting hard. He didn't stop until he reached the top of that building. He threatened menacingly, "Do you love me or not? I'll count till ten. If you don't tell 'I LOVE YOU', I'll jump from here."
Khushi was literally in tears. She pleaded, "What's this nonsense? I just met you yesterday."
Arnav counted menacingly, "One----two----three-----four------five"
A big crowd had gathered beneath the building. They were staring at him and the girl. She questioned, "Are you mad? It's not done! I----I-----" She was searching for words.
Arnav relentlessly continued, "Six----seven----eight-------nine-------" If she does not say "I LOVE YOU" then what, thought his mind unpleasantly. But he had come too far to retreat.
Her voice pierced across the space, "I LOVE YOU! I SAID ILOVE YOU! Now come down."
Arnav smiled to himself. A close shave that was! If the girl had not said "ILOVE YOU" he would have to run round the University in his underwear. That was the dare given by his senior students who were ragging him and other juniors like him.
Ragging was banned in educational institutions in India but still happened without the knowledge of the authorities. The juniors also rarely complained as they did not want to create problems for themselves.
Initially when he saw her, his heart fell to his mouth. He knew that girl was too tough a cookie. She didn't seem like a person who would ever say "I LOVE YOU" to anyone, leave alone him.
Arnav came down the building with a big broad smile on his face. He remarked to her, "I didn't know that a boy had to just threaten you that he would jump off a building and you would tell "I LOVE YOU"? We were being ragged, I was just faking it, and you believed it for real? Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Khushi walked up to him and gave a tight hard slap on his cheeks saying, "I would have really done it for any genuine person because my ego or anything is not more valuable than a human life. Even if I didn't love, I would have at least tried to love a person who was ready to give up everything including his life for my sake. But why am I talking to such a fake person like you who chose to play with a pure and wonderful emotion like love?"
Arnav was nursing his stinging cheek with that well-deserved slap and thinking to himself, "What a strange girl! As if love, romance, and such stuff exist in this world! Must have got her brain addled with all these Mills and Boons to spout all those heavy duty dialogues. How is it possible for somebody to take your breath away with the first look or first appearance? Can anybody really be like you high-end dreams and fantasies? It's just the stuff of dreams. It doesn't happen in real life."
Just at this moment, a pretty girl with a dusky complexion, long, silky hair, soft, brown eyes, thickly coloured with mascara, and lips shining with lip gloss, and wearing a pale pink chudidhar asked him, "Which is the way to the first year MBA class?"
Arnav's heart skipped a beat. Here was somebody resembling all the high-end dreams and fantasies he had secretly harboured. So did that mean love and romance really existed? Jai ho Mills and Boons!
Arnav replied, "Yes! I'm going there myself. I'm also in first year MBA. My name is Arnav."
The girl replied, "Nice to meet you! I'm Lavanya Kashyap."
Payal had just entered the class without too much drama unlike her friend Khushi whose entry into the University itself had become dramatic. She walked up to a girl who was sitting in the front row and asked, "Hi! I'm Payal. Can I join you?"
The girl replied, "No thanks! My friends are coming. You can't sit here."
Just at that moment a group of girls and boys entered the class and went and sat beside the girl with whom Payal was talking. One of the girls in that group asked that girl, "Who's that behenji with whom you were talking?"
"Don't know! But why bother?" she replied.
By this time Payal had noticed that she was being strangely stared at by the whole class. They were whispering, "Gosh! Look at her dress! Do you really get such flashy clothes in Mumbai? And these jewels----how gaudy? My! My! Did you see those pom-poms. Nowadays strange people are doing fashion designing."
Payal was on the verge of crying. She suddenly felt how nice it would be if she could have the power of being invisible. Was she so bad- looking? What was wrong with this dress? She had always worn it ever since she was small. Everyone had called her 'My little Princess', 'My darling Angel', etc. But here she was the butt of ridicule. She was about to run out of the class even without attending her first lecture when a sweet voice accosted her, "Hey! You can sit here. My name is Akaash! What's yours?"
"Ppp----Payal!" she stammered.
"Ppp---Payal, nice meeting you! You seem new to this place?" said Akaash
Payal smiled on hearing his imitation of her stammer. Akaash was relieved, "Thank goodness you smiled! You have sweet smile. You do not look your best when you cry. Keep smiling always!"
"Thanks!" Payal feeling happy that at least she had one person in that entire room with whom she could talk to without feeling embarrassed.
Akaash to Payal, "Don't take me wrong! This dress is fine but perhaps the place and occasion are not right for it. There's nothing wrong in wearing a dress which will blend with the place and the people who surround you. You'd look gorgeous in something like a skirt and tops sans this jewellery and pom-poms with loose hair. Why don't you try it? I get it that you have worn only these dresses till now. But I don't think it's too late to try this!"
Payal was in deep thought. What Akaash had said seemed so true. Couldn't she wear a dress like the one Akaash suggested? But what would Krithika aunty think? She never tired praising her for her dressing and other qualities. If she wore that dress what would she think? What would her own parents think? Was it right or wrong? She was confused and torn between two ways of thinking. Each of them seemed right in their own place. What would she do?
The KK Group of Companies had expanded its business to Delhi two years ago. Shyam, Khushi cousin brother had been ably managing it since its inception. Rohit had brought him to Bajaj house when he was twelve. His mother had asked her brother, Rohit to take care of Shyam and his future. Being a divorcee, she felt that she would not be able to provide her son with the kind of backing and support her brother would be able to. Shyam was sorrowfully staring at a photograph which he was holding in his hand, "Why did you leave me? I loved you whole-heartedly. Did the words of strangers mean more to you than mine? Your heart would have told you the truth but why did you listen to your brain?"
His cell started ringing. The voice at the other end spoke, "I waited for you to come, Shyam. But you didn't? I'm going away from Delhi forever. I'll be staying with my brother from now onwards. Goodbye!"
He tried to explain, "Anjali, please listen. I---I---" but in vain because she had already disconnected. Delhi had never felt so empty and burdensome as it did now. He needed a break. If at all anything could console him it was his sweet sister, Khushi's antics and laughter. If Anjali had a brother, he too had a sister with whom he could seek solace. Shyam spoke to Khushi, "Hello, Khushi"
Khushi was pleasantly surprised, "Bhaiyya, after so long you remembered that you have a sister. I missed you terribly. Today's my first day at college. I've got a seat in Excellence Professional University for MBA. How are you?"
"I too missed you, sweetie-pie. I'm coming to Mumbai" Shyam said.
"This is good news Bhaiyya! I'll be waiting for you. You'll also tell me about your Rani Sahiba when you come. And don't forget to bring her photo-------" Khushi cheerfully remarked when the line was disconnected.
Edited by shailusri1983 - 13 years ago
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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