FF:Hate That I Love You.. #2 Lnk to Thd 3 on pg 1 - Page 5

Later that day, AR was devoid of almost all workers except a few. And as Khushi cleaned her desk to leave, Arnav came down from his cabin, and watched Khushi clean up, and get ready to leave. When Khushi saw Arnav standing near her desk, waiting for her, she beamed at him, her smile bringing this strange warmth in his chest. And when she asked, "Shall we leave?" Arnav simply nodded and walked past her.

Khushi silently followed him, wondering about Lavanya's teasing which had happened that afternoon, along with Payal's consent. As if Payal had given Khushi the permission to go, fall in love with Arnav Singh Raizada. So immersed was she in her thoughts, she hadn't seen Arnav stop and turn to see whether she was coming and she ran right into him, her face colliding with his rock hard chest.

"Oww!!!" Khushi yelped in pain, massaging her nose. Arnav clucked his tongue in disapproval as he steadied her by putting his arms around her waist. He stood watching as she rubbed her nose, blinking the tears which had immediately gathered in her eyes at the pain. When she removed her hand and scrunched her nose and relaxed it, he asked, "Are you alright? Dhyaan kaha rehta hai tumhara?!"

Khushi blushed profusely, unable to tell him that she had been actually thinking about him before she dashed into him. She was suddenly aware of his hands holding her waist. And now, one of his hand moved to her nose and pressed it gently as he asked, "There's no bleeding or something, right?" And as always, she was immediately disarmed when he started caring for her. She shook her head, and said nonchalantly, "You're not made of rock, even though you're all. . . . Muscular. . . Why does a businessman need so much of. . . ."

"Muscles?" Arnav completed her question for her, and shrugged, "I like to stay fit. Besides, I know women like men this way. Don't tell me you're an exception to that rule."

Khushi was trapped now. She couldn't tell a yes, neither could she tell a no. Fortunately her cell phone rang at the moment, and Khushi pulled herself out of Arnav's arms and started rummaging through her bag for her phone. Arnav rolled his eyes, as she pushed her bag to his hands, using both her hands to fish her phone out.

"Jiji!" she exclaimed into the phone. 'That's it?! No Hello like a conversation is usually started?!' Arnav thought as he watched her talk and start walking towards his car.

He started driving and Khushi spoke with her jiji for a few more minutes, before she cut the call and informed him, "Jiji has come home!!" And Arnav looked at her when she referred to Shantivan as "home" and smiled to himself.

As they reached Shantivan, Khushi started getting all excited about meeting her sister. Arnav knew that Khushi, her sister and Lavanya were what could be called BFFFs and he knew Khushi had seen her sister the same day, for Khushi had explained to him in exquisite, torturous details about how her lunch had passed with her sister and Lavanya. And she had continued to do it until he had finally snapped at her to go, do some work. But the way she was getting all excited now, was as if she was seeing her sister after years of separation.

"Jiji!!!" Khushi bound into her sister's arms as soon as they reached the main door. Arnav noted that Payal was equally excited to meet her kid sister, and he shared an amused smile with Akash. Arnav noted that Lavanya was there too, sitting beside his Di. Both were whispering something very secretively. As if they were discussing the security plans of the nation. He sat down beside Khushi, as it was the only seat left, what with his whole family sitting around the living room, having tea, and engaging themselves in a light banter.

This was the atmosphere he liked. Not for himself to be involved in, he'd rather stay away from people. But when it came to his family, he liked it this way. Full of cheerfulness. He looked at each one of them, smiling when his Di giggled at a joke made by Lavanya. Finally, when he looked at Khushi, she was smiling at him, as if she knew his smile was because of his sister's.

It seriously surprised him as to how Khushi understood him so well. She was keen, yes. He knew she observed each and every gesture of him. Hell, she had even smelled him! But he had never seen her observe his Di or Akash or anybody else. And the worst part was he didn't know how to handle her attention.

Arnav gave a small smile as he finished his tea, and rose up to leave. Leaving a confused Khushi behind. 'What's the matter with him? Why'd he leave all of a sudden?!' she was thinking, when Anjali's laugh broke her train of thoughts. Mamiji left with the excuse of trying her new "blusser" and Mamaji shook his head at her and left for a stroll along with Naniji.

"Akash? Why don't you show Payal around?" Anjali asked, and grinned at Lavanya, as Payal and Akash blushed and walked together towards the stairs. Khushi smiled as she watched them leave, feeling genuinely happy for them both, and when she turned to Lavanya and Anjali, she found their faces grim. As if they were preparing themselves to talk about the most serious topic of the century.

Khushi sat on a chair, as Lavanya and Anjali circled her, closing in on her, as if she was their prey. Khushi looked at each of their faces, totally confused with their behavior.

"So, Khushi? Crushing on ASR, eh?!" Lavanya asked, as if that was the most common thing to talk. Khushi looked at Anjali with wide eyes, to see how she would react. To her dismay, Anjali had a winning smile on her face. And Khushi sighed when she realized these two women were together on proving the "Khushi-has-a-crush-on-ASR" theorem.

'Is it true??!!' Khushi wondered for a second, and then opened her book about feelings mentally. She had never liked the concept of a "crush"!! She had never understood it, first of all. She had admired handsome guys, yes. But admire them for long, she never had. So what was it with Arnav then? A crush? 'Definitely not!' came the immediate answer from within. Did she dare to think about. . . . . Love??? She jerked her head back in surprise to find Anjali and Lavanya closer to her, than she had expected them to be. She silently rose from her seat and said in a calm tone.

"Tell me!!" Anjali grinned at Khushi and Khushi cringed away. She was not about to tell how she felt about Arnav to his sister! If at all she wanted to tell anyone, she'd tell it to Arnav himself. And to escape these women / matchmaking vultures, she all but ran to Arnav's room, the only safest place where she wouldn't be bugged by anybody else. Except for Arnav. 'He could bug you and irritate you too!!' a voice rose in her head, and she decided that she didn't actually mind it. In fact, she accepted that she liked it.

As she entered his room thinking about all this, she hadn't realized that she had entered without knocking. Arnav who had changed right then, came out of his washroom to see a preoccupied Khushi enter his room, and silently sit on his bed. He came to stand beside her and stared on, as she finally felt his presence and looked up at him.

Arnav's eyes were filled with concern, as he jerked his head to ask her what the matter was.

'Love, it is' Khushi thought.

She felt a sense of peace take over her being as she accepted that truth, and it also felt like there were a few million butterflies flying around and within her. The joy, the exultation was too much to take for her young mind, as she sprang to her feet. She smiled as she shook her head, and Arnav asked, "I thought you'd be talking your head off with your sister. What're you doing here?"

A pout formed her lips as she accused, "You don't want me here."

Arnav smiled as he shook his head and replied, "I didn't say so."

And he watched as Khushi's smile returned and she tugged him out, to the poolside where she sat him down, and started telling about Payal and Akash. 'Akash? And love?! When exactly did this happen?! And how did I miss this??!!' Arnav was thinking when Khushi put a hand on his shoulder, and Arnav looked at Khushi who was smiling at him in understanding. "You hadn't noticed, right?" she asked, and Arnav shook his head, feeling a little sheepish.

"Whe. . . When did all this start??" he asked Khushi as she sat down next to him. She turned fully in her seat, as she answered his question, "Remember the Valentine's day party? And Akash had returned from Hong Kong the previous day and had attended the party? Jiji had come too, and that's when they. . . . ."

"Fell in love?! People can fall in love in the first sight?! Don't tell me you buy that!" Arnav snorted. Khushi gave him a tender smile, as she explained, "May be some people can. Or, for sensible people? Maybe they wouldn't realize it the first time. But you'd definitely feel the vibes. You don't even have to like the person the first time you meet. You would think you hate him, and then suddenly you may realize that you had actually fallen in love with him. . . . ." Khushi's eyes had this distant look in her eyes as she reached the end of her explanation.

Arnav stared at her beautiful, angelic face, smiling as she thought over something, or about somebody. 'Is she in love with someone too?!' Arnav thought and this made him so angry within a second that he was up on his feet, his fist clenched, as he looked away. Khushi came out of her stupor as she watched a suddenly tensed Arnav look away from her. She hated it when he was angry.

"What's the matter, Arnav?" Khushi asked as she stood behind him. "Nothing." He muttered and was about to leave, when she held his arm and he silently turned her way. "I hate it when you're all angry, you know?" Khushi said in a determined voice. Determined to know the reason behind his sudden anger. "You are in love." Arnav stated bluntly, and Khushi looked at him with wide eyes, wondering how he had known.

Arnav saw her reaction and he got proof for his assumption. He felt so outraged that he could have murdered someone with his plain hands. And he didn't even bother to think why he was reacting the way he was, at the aspect of Khushi falling in love with someone else.

He clutched her arms in a vice like grip. And Khushi just stared at his fuming form. Her hands were about to touch his cheek when Khushi heard Payal call out for her. She tried to free herself from Arnav, but he wouldn't budge. "Arnav? I'll answer your question when we're alone. Jiji is coming. Arnav, please??" Khushi pleaded, and Arnav let her go and stormed out.

Payal came to the poolside too, and informed Khushi that she'd be leaving. But Anjali forced Payal and Lavanya to stay back for dinner, and soon they were all sitting around a dining table and Khushi noticed Arnav closely observing his brother and Payal. Khushi smiled when he turned to her. Arnav stared at her for a few more seconds before he gave a grudging smile and turned away.

Khushi bothered him like hell, he decided, and he had this mad urge to find out whom it was, that she loved and deal with him! And this urge of his bothered him some more!!

Akash decided to drop Payal and Lavanya to their apartment. Lavanya and Anjali gave a meaningful look to Khushi and then at Arnav, and Lavanya made a "I'm watching you"signal before she joined Akash and Payal. Arnav had watched this whole exchange, but he was in no mood to try and decipher what their gestures meant and he left for his room. . . . . .

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Precap: "You know, Arnav? Realizing that you're in love isn't the toughest thing. At least not for me. Holding back on the love you want to show to that person in your life. Hiding it from him is very difficult for me." Khushi said as she looked into his eyes.

Arnav hadn't realized it himself, but he held his breath as he stared back into her warm eyes, which were shining with. . . . . .

NOTE (Please read!!)

Y'all have GOT to be kidding me! I deleted 100 silent readers from my buddy list and its not been like a week, and already, my buddy list has grown!

This weekend, I'll be filtering it again! So please do like and/or comment. If you didn't like, it, at least tell me to stop writing and go get a life!

Later don't complain that Harshitha has an attitude problem! 😳