IPKKND: The Bet {Chapters 1-6} - Page 85

Chapter 6: The Bet

As they all made their way back towards the car, Khushi could feel Arnav's glare burning a hole through her back. She couldn't quite fathom exactly why he seemed to hate her so much but she told herself she could care less. He was obviously just another jerk who was mighty proud of himself and he could just take his ego and shove it up his nose for all she cared.

She silently sat in the back seat between Rahul and Reihana while Aryan sat up front with Arnav. She kept pretending like she was listening intently to Rahul's animated speech about how bumpy flights were the worst and how the fat lady next to him had kept hitting on him during the entire flight. But Rahul's voice had droned off in the back of her head hazily and she tried not to squirm in her seat as Arnav looked at her through the rear-view mirror every few minutes.

****

The wedding was a boring affair. Half of the guests seemed to be dead and the other half were kids who were busy running around playing hide and seek. Reihana kept giving her 'shoot me now' glances but Khushi could only shrug in return, not knowing what they could do to make time pass by faster. Nani and Anjali were busy inside with the bride and Khushi and Reihana had been told to stay with Rahul and Aryan to make them feel more comfortable. Aryan, Rahul, Arnav and basically every other boy kept glancing towards the two friends and Khushi was starting to feel slightly awkward.

She looked around at all the guests who were now busying themselves with serving food, her stomach let out a loud rumble on its own accord as her eyes landed on a platter full of jalebis. She looked around embarrassed, glad that no one was close enough to hear except for Reihana, who raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Hungry much?"

"Very. Let's get some food!"

****

"A drink ma'am?" A waiter came up to her with some glasses of what looked like coke. She smiled gratefully and took one while thanking him. "Where is the bride? We've been here for 2 hours now!" She whispered to Reihana impatiently. The stares that she'd received when they had walked in a couple of hours ago had only increased and she was starting to feel slightly suffocated and exposed knowing there were some weirdos who were watching her every move.  

Reihana shrugged while gulping down some more ice-cream. Khushi shook her head, she'd never had the best patience in the world and she was starting to get ticked off. What the heck was taking so long?!

She took a sip of her coke while looking around, her eyes landing on Arnav and a female who was practically clutching onto his arm as if her life depended on it. "Who's that?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"That's Simran. Bhiahaa's ecc-guffrend." Reihana said with her mouth-full. Khushi looked back at them, a strange feeling forming in her chest. They looked so goodtogether. The girl had the model looks, high cheekbones with a Grecian nose, hair dark as night, tumbling down in soft waves, accentuating her slim figure.

And Arnav, Arnav looked like Adonis — except with clothes on. His silhouette, even in the slightly dim light, demanded attention, and his felt like needles piercing into her soul.

As if he could sense her staring, he looked up, eyes travelling across the courtyard before landing on hers. She wanted to look away, she wanted to flip him the bird, she wanted to walk over and pry that woman's hand off of him, she wanted to run inside and lock herself in a room and never come out. But she felt trapped. His gaze was keeping her captive like nothing else had ever before.

She was still staring at him when his lips pulled up slowly in a soft smile as Simran said something in his ear. He threw his head back and laughed, and for some reason she couldn't get the nagging feeling that they were laughing at her, out of her mind.

Her fingers tightened on the glass she was holding and she downed the entire drink in one go, her throat burning as she gulped down every single drop. "Easy there. Don't wanna burp in front of everyone." Reihana said after gulping down her own ice-cream. She pretended that she didn't hear her and went up to the waiter to get another glass. Then another. Then another. Before she knew it she'd downed practically every single glass that he had on the tray, and she wondered if it was after all coke that she drank, or something else.

After all, coke didn't make your vision blurry, nor did it make you stumble over your steps.

What the hell did she drink?

After taking very slow steps, she made it back to where Reihana was sitting, clarity getting blurrier by the second. She saw Rahul swagger towards them, and plopped down on her seat, smiling at him as he took a seat next to her.

"Hi." He said.

"Hiii!" She waved.

Rahul started saying something and she nodded eagerly, pretending like she was listening when really there was a loud ringing in her ears that made it hard for her to listen to a single word that came out of his mouth.

He said something then laughed, and she took it as a cue to laugh along. And so she did. She threw her head back and guffawed so loud she could feel tears forming in her eyes after a few seconds. Rahul gave her a wary look. "Was it that funny?"

"Of course it was, you kwack! Hahahahahah!"

****

He watched as her body shaked with mirth before she practically started cracking up and slamming her fist on her lap over and over, as if whatever Rahul had just told her had been the joke of the century.

He tried to gently pry Simran's hand off of his but the girl just couldn't seem to get the message or didn't want to, because her hold on him tightened even more. In fact, his arm was starting to go numb due to lack of circulation.

"Simran, get your over-manicured paws off of me. Now." He bit out with animosity.

She gave him a sickly sweet smile while letting go hesitantly. She started saying something but he was in no mood to hear anymore and walked away from her, grabbing a drink from one of the concession stands and gulping it down in one go.

****

She made it inside the house in one piece and looked about curiously, heaving a sigh of relief upon noticing the bathroom and practically sprinting inside. Right when the wedding had started and the bride had come out, she'd had to pee. She knew she shouldn't have drunk all those drinks and now she wished she hadn't.

When she came out, she found Arnav, leaning against the wall in front of the bathroom door, frowning adorably.

"What are youuu doing here you laad governor?!" She spat, as if saying his name left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I came to look for you, sillyyy!" His frown turned into a full-blown grin as she stepped up to him and put her hands on her hips.

"Why?"

"Because you're annoying."

"That doesn't make sense?"

"Your faceee!"

She gave him a weird look before cracking up, holding on to her sides as her stomach started hurting from laughing so much. After a few seconds, he joined in and both of them leaned against each other, sniggering with tears running down their cheeks.

"Why do you have to be so unbearable?" He asked all of a sudden, mustering up all the seriousness he could but failing miserably and smiling anyways.

"Why do you have to be so unlikeable?!" She shot back with a smirk.

"I'm not unlikeable, I'm lovable. Everyone loves me, yep they dooo."

Khushi shook her head sadly. The poor guy was living in a world of dreams. When was he going to wake up and face the harsh reality? "Nope, I don't. That's not everyone!"

He raised his eyebrows challengingly. "Oh, yeah?" He asked while snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her against his form. She heard distant footsteps and Reihana's voice calling out to her but she ignored it while glaring up at him scornfully.

"Yes." She stated stubbornly.

"Wanna bet?"

"No." 

He mock gasped. "Awww. You're scared you'll lose!"

Her mouth fell open in shock and her eyes became steamy. "Am not!"

"Then let's bet."

She pretended like she was thinking it over as she brought up a hand and tapped her chin with her finger softly. "Hmm…but what about?"

He was silent for a few seconds, but then he leaned in and his musky smell wafted her nose, and she drew in a shaky breath as he spoke. "I will make you fall in love with me. And you will lose." He declared with a triumphant smirk, acting as if he'd already won.

That egotistical jerk.

"And what will I do? Sit back and let you woo me? I don't think so" She replied flippantly.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay fine, let's both make each other fall in love. With each other." She pulled back slightly and started at him, unsure if he was serious or not. "I'm serious." He said, as if reading her thoughts.

She shrugged while smirking and outstretching her hand. "You're gonna lose, Raizada."

He smirked his own smirk in return. "We'll see about that, Gupta." He took her hand and shook it firmly. 

"It's a bet."