Khushi didn't have either the strength or the mood to fight with him. So she went to have a shower, changed and came back downstairs. As she sat down on the couch, and folded her legs under her, Arnav came out of the kitchen, a glass of water in his hand, and took a seat in front of her.
"You left me." Arnav began.
Khushi stared at him in disbelief for a second, and then asked "Kindly excuse me idiocracy. . . But was I supposed to hold onto you?!!"
"Don't you start getting angry!! I am the one supposed to be angry here!" Arnav said indignantly.
She glared at him while asking, "And why exactly do you think so??"
"Because you left me!!!!" Arnav raised his voice too. They stared each other in anger for a few seconds before Khushi groaned, as she put her face in her hands. "What do you want Arnav? I can't take all this anymore. Just tell a NO and get over with it." Khushi said sullenly.
"See. . . This is exactly why I call you a child!" He said in a tender voice, and she looked down angrily, her lips pouting. An image of their first and only kiss flashed in his mind, as he stared at her lips. He kneeled in front of her, and she stared with wide eyes, and started to object that he shouldn't sit down. But he took her hand in his, and she went silent.
"Who told you that I didn't want to marry you? And now tell me the truth Khushi. Why did you agree to this proposal??" Arnav asked her.
She stared at him for a few seconds, before lowering her head, and said in a small voice, "You'll make fun of me. . ."
"I cannot make fun of something, on which my life depends Khushi. Tell me the truth, now!" Arnav pursued.
"I just wanted to do something I really didn't want to do. But I kind of wanted to do it, which made me not want to do it even more because it seemed so wrong even though it was right, you know?" Khushi stopped as she realized she had stopped making sense. Arnav just stared at her, eyebrows raised, and said drily "Gosh!! And I thought I overanalysed things!!". But he could see the reluctance in her eyes. Reluctance to tell him what she felt for him.
Khushi just looked at their hands, and then at him. This felt perfect. They felt perfect. But she knew she was hoping for too much. The fact that "THEY" could never happen brought tears to her eyes, and she lowered her gaze.
Arnav watched the varying emotions on her face. Finally, her lips went down at the ends, and she lowered her eyes to hide the tears in them. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. She sobbed for a few moments and then said in between her sobs, "I'm sorry Arnav. . . But. . . I didn't know what to do. . . I didn't think. . . I don't even know why I apologized to you right now!!" He smiled at her innocence, as he hugged her tight. And as her sobs receded, he lifted her face, and wiped away her tears.
"Stop crying, now. . Or else I'll get the wrong impression." Arnav said. Khushi was bewildered. "Wrong impression??" she asked quizzically.
"Yes. . . I'm going to ask you a very important question Khushi. Think well, and answer. Okay?" Arnav said in a serious tone. Khushi widened her eyes, and nodded, as she prepared herself for his question.
Arnav smiled as he again took his position in front of her. Kneeling on one of his knees, he took her hand in his, and said, "Answer this for you, and only you. Nobody else."
She nodded seriously, wondering what his question may be. . . .
"Khushi Kumari Gupta. You gave me my life back. Now would you do me the honor of sharing it with me?" Arnav asked this and held his breath.
Khushi stared at him as if he had ten heads. Arnav chuckled at that, and asked, "I'm asking you to marry me, child, and this is the best you can do??"
A small smile started at Khushi's lips, as she finally nodded once, and Arnav's face lit up with excitement. "Yes???" He asked, and she nodded her head vigorously, grinning like a drunk idiot. Arnav got up, picked her up in his arms, and swirled her round, as Khushi started to giggle.
Arnav made Khushi stand on the couch, and that made Khushi stand a head taller than Arnav. Her arms were still around his neck, as they stood watching each other intently, all the laughter lost somewhere. Khushi brought her palm against the side of his neck, and bent forward to kiss him. Their lips had just touched, when her phone rang.
Khushi scowled as she pulled back. "Why does this always happen to us??!!" she asked in a totally annoyed voice, and Arnav just chuckled, and rested his head agaist her shoulder, skimming his nose against her neck.
It was a call from Bauji. Khushi received the call, and started to explain that she was alright, when Arnav kissed her neck. She gasped, and tugged at his hair, making him pull back. She pretended to glare at him, though she had liked it, as he smiled mischievously and got back to his work, neglecting all her protests. Soon, Khushi started breathing heavily, and quite forgot that she was on the phone with her Bauji.
Shashi had to repeat what he had already told her twice, and she still asked "Whaaat???" He thought there was something wrong in the network, and cut the call. When Arnav realized that her conversation was over, he took the phone away from her hands and threw it on the couch.
"We are engaged. Don't you think that calls for celebration??" Arnav asked, lifting his eyes to look into hers.
Khushi raised her eyebrows in surprise, and asked, "You want to party?!"
"Hmm. . . I think I have a much better idea. . ."He said, his gaze flickering between her eyes, and lips. Khushi had a clue as to what Arnav's much-better-idea would be. But she heard someone in the kitchen, and it occurred to her that the housemaid may enter the living room any moment now. So she got down from the couch, and sat on it, patting the space next to her, as she looked at him.
Arnav sighed and at down next to her, taking her hands in his.
"Umm. . . Arnav. . ." Khushi started.
Arnav, who was touching her hair with utter concentration, just said, "Hmm??"
"What did you say to poor Sanjay yesterday?"
He raised his eyebrows as he looked into her eyes, and said doubtfully, "Oh I can't tell you that. . ."
Khushi furrowed her forehead, and said, "Now you've made me even more curious. Boliye na. . . ." she cried.
"Okay. . Okay. . I'll tell you the gist of it. I told him that I'd bury him alive if he dared to even look at you once again. But in comparitively large number of words. . . And a different tone of voice. . That's all. . ." he said casually and shrugged.
Khushi's eyes went wide with surprise, as she asked, "You'd really do that???!!!"
"Let anybody even dare to try me, and I'll show them." he said, as he perched one of his eyebrow.
Khushi gave a sad smile, as her eyes filled up once again.
"Don't cry, child. Aren't your eyes stuffed with enough cotton already??" Arnav asked, his fingers caressing the skin beneath her eyes, reminding her of her own dialogue.
Khushi laughed in between her tears, and hugged him tight.
"Arnav. . . When did this happen??" Khushi asked.
"Oh I don't know about you. But for me it happened when this child,"Arnav said, tightening his arms around her, "stood behind the curtains, and twirled around, and wiggled her eyebrows at her jiji and jiju, to ask how she was looking. . ."
Khushi was frowning when he had started, but now raised her eyebrows in surprise, as she pulled back and asked, "Hai Devi Maiyya!! You saw that! Oh. . . You must've thought I'm an idiot!"
"Yeah. . . . " he said thoughtfully, and "Hey I was just kidding!!" , as Khushi started to hit him playfully.
"No. . But really, I was curious. You had caught my attention, right from the start. You made me wonder how a person could be so innocent?"
"I'm not innocent. . ." Khushi said, jutting her lower lip.
Arnav snickered, and said "Yeah!! Right!! I'm innocent here!! Okay??"
Khushi smiled slyly, as she said, "No Arnav. . Seriously. . I prefer to be innocent, yes. But that doesn't mean that I AM!! I survived on my own all these years, didn't I??"
"Then why is it that you behave like a child in front of me?" Arnav asked.
"That's because, I know that you'll take care of everything else. That makes me a little carefree, I guess. . ." Khushi answered, as she started playing with a button on Arnav's shirt. Arnav smiled looking at her, before lifting her face and kissing her lightly on her lips.
"When did this happen to you??" Arnav asked.
"Umm. . . . The first time I saw you, I did feel something different. I don't know what feeling it was. . . But things changed when we shared a laugh, and later, you promised me that everything would be alright soon. My convoluted mind took out the meaning from your promise that you'd make everything alright. . . . For me, it happened then, I guess. . ."
They remained silent, thinking about what they had just now shared with each other. Yet they hadn't said the three most important words, both of them wanted to hear from each other.
"I'm starving. . ." Khushi announced.
"Yeah. . . Me too. . ." Arnav answered.
"Rangamma. . ."Khushi yelled. Arnav, stared at Khushi with surprise, and then at the househelp, who appeared at the door, and again at Khushi, who gave stern orders in a language that he didn't understand.
When the maid left, Khushi turned to Arnav with a pleasant smile, and told him to go and freshen up. When he returned, he found Khushi in the kitchen, swiftly chopping vegetables. Her hair was tied in a loose bun, and Arnav had a good mind to go and do a few things to her, which would probably petrify the old woman there. So he thought he'd reserve that for when they didn't have any audience. . . . . . .
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Hope you liked it. . . And of course people who were wondering what Arnav told that Sanjay guy. . . Hopefully you got your answers.. . .
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