FF: Hate that I love you.. Lnk to thd2 on pg 1 - Page 70

i was hooked to it...

"I've to write a report on the progress of my internship and submit it tomorrow at my college..." Khushi groaned as she said it, and Arnav shrugged as he replied, "So? Go and write it."

"Oh, I will. . . You've to sign on that too. My college people are extra careful on all those matters!" Khushi said, and Arnav smirked, "What makes you think I'll sign it that easily? After all, it's not like you've made any contributions to AR until now..."

Anjali and Shyam gave each other a knowing smile as Akash and Naniji exchanged an amused one. "You! Why wouldn't you?!" Khushi sputtered as Anjali stepped in, "Chotey! Ab bas bhi karo. . . How much more will you tease her?!" Khushi smiled victoriously, as she gave a hug to Anjali from a side, and stuck her tongue out at Arnav, and Arnav simply shook his head and smiled at her childish antics.

As Khushi had been asked to stay back for dinner, she helped Anjali in preparing dinner. Her roommate, Anu called her in the meanwhile telling that the owners of the house, Mr and Mrs Mehta, had left for their native place, as some emergency had sprung up. The house would be just for themselves, and she had called her boyfriend for the whole week to stay with her. When Khushi tried to object, stating she wouldn't be able to go anywhere at this hour, Anu rudely cut the call, telling her it wasn't her problem.

Khushi was soon trying to figure out where to stay for a week more and had thought of Payal and Lavanya's tiny apartment, and ruled it off thinking it would be too stuffy. On seeing Khushi all worried, Anjali asked her what the problem was. Khushi explained what the trouble was and Anjali smiled as she put a hand on Khushi's cheek and said in the most obvious tone, "What is there to worry so much about?! Stay here..."

"What?! No! I couldn't! Besides what would Arnav say?" Khushi said, hoping she could think of any other way. For reasons Anjali didn't understand at the moment, she decided she liked it when her brother was called "ARNAV", and not as ASR, especially by Khushi. But she brushed the thought away, and thought of attending to the more pressing matters at that instant. "I'll talk to Chotey right now, and you can go and get your things for a week.. No more discussions!" Anjali ordered, going all big-sister on her. And Khushi had no other go, than to relent.

So it was finally settled that Khushi would be staying with the Raizada's for a week. And when dinner was ready, Anjali asked Khushi to call Arnav for dinner. And Khushi grudgingly went to call him. When he was nowhere to be found in his room, she was about to leave, when she heard a snipping sound from the poolside, and Khushi walked to the French window to find Arnav meticulously operating a pair of shears. Khushi saw in wonder, as he carefully touched one of the buds and smiled approvingly to himself.

Unknowing to herself, a tender smile had come on her face too. She shook it off soon, and reminded herself to be miffed at him for being rude to her that afternoon. She entered the poolside, and told in a disinterested voice, "Di is calling you for dinner."

"Coming." Arnav replied and dropped the shears on the tool table. He was about to go wash his hands when it went suddenly dark and he heard Khushi breathe in sharply. A flash of Khushi shivering in the dark when they both were in the elevator, came to his mind and soon he was standing next to Khushi, holding her hand and telling her that he was there.

Khushi relaxed with his touch, leaned onto him a little. Arnav's arm went around Khushi's shoulder as he waited for the power to return. There must have been something wrong with the fuses, and also with the UPS, he was thinking when he felt Khushi rest her head in the crook of his neck comfortably. He stiffened and was wondering what had gotten to her all of a sudden when he felt her take a deep breath, as if she was taking in his scent.

Khushi had felt so safe with him by her side that her fear seemed to have been kicked in the guts by Arnav himself. She smiled at the idea and let herself relax some more as she laid her head on his chest and turn her face up, so that it was buried within Arnav's neck. He smelled of musk, and sweat, and. . . .of him! She had to smell deeply to make sure what exactly he smelt like and soon realized that it was nothing she had ever smelt before. She soon labeled the delicious scent "Arnav" in her mind and smiled to herself, letting herself to be intoxicated by his scent.

Suddenly the lights came on, snapping Khushi out of her happy place and slapped the reality on her face. She scrambled out of Arnav's arm and looked at him surreptitiously, and found him looking at her with an amused smile. "You know for someone who was sniffing me two minutes ago so openly, you're being too coy." Arnav smirked all the way, teasing her.

Khushi just blushed and lowered her gaze, thinking of any Smart Alec comment that could make her look unaffected. But she was saved from the effort when he got a call and he got busy with the call. She was about to leave when he called her.

"Yeah, Aman. That's it." Arnav said and ended the call, before turning to her, and asked, "When did they start the renovation?" Khushi's eyebrows came down thinking of what renovation Arnav was talking about. "Renovation?? What renovation?!" Khushi asked, and Arnav looked at her with puzzled eyes and asked, "Di was saying that there's renovation going on in your building. And that you'd be staying with us for a week. Isn't that so?"

Khushi realized that Di had not told Arnav the real reason for her staying there, and soon got into thinking about it. "There's no renovation. At least not until now! But given the fact that Anu's boyfriend is a physical trainer and looks like an abominable snowman, and the fact that they are alone in the building, may lead into. . . . . activities, which in turn may lead into a necessity for renovation. . . . . ."

Arnav gaped with an amused grin on his face, as he heard her rant, which looked more like she was talking to herself, more than to him. So he soon made out that she was staying back because her roommate wanted to spend some private time with her boyfriend. Here he was, thinking that if he asked his gift from her, she'd run away. And she was talking about sex as "activities"??!! She was still in a trance, scrunching her nose in disgust at the very thought of the "activities". Before he could think of anything else, she slapped her forehead, and exclaimed, "Hey Devi Maiyya!! I've to write the report!"

Arnav's hand involuntarily went to her shoulder as he said, "Relax. You've still got time. . ."

Khushi's hand went to hold his arm there too, as she replied, "Yeah, but I need to get my I-card from my room, and a few important things too. . . And my roommate's boyfriend would have already come, and they'd be. . . . . Eww. . . ."

"I'll come. Okay?" Arnav offered, and Khushi's eyes shot up to him with a grateful look in her eyes, "You would? Thank you so much!!"

And hence they went to Khushi's building, right next door, and Arnav rang the doorbell, as Khushi stood almost hiding behind him. Khushi had been so grateful that Arnav was there with her. And her roommate, Anu opened the door in a disheveled state, straightening her clothes, and panting.

What she hadn't realized, until that moment was, how embarrassing it would be, to go into her room with him! When they both very well knew what would transpired before they interrupted!!

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Precap: Khushi walked beside him, trembling as if expecting him to jump on her any moment now. Arnav watched her tremble and questioned, "Are you cold?"

"N. . . .N. . . No!" Khushi answered, her voice coming out squeakier than she had intended it to be. Arnav frowned as he asked, "You alright?" He knew that it had been pretty embarrassing to be in the same room, after knowing what the previous inhabitants might have been doing there! But Khushi was acting as if she had gone through a traumatic experience, which wasn't even remotely so! He had found the situation very. . . interesting!!