Rules Of Attraction ( Updated Part 21)- Pg 139 - Page 41

'Are you okay? Tum theek ho?'

They stood there, for a few minutes, Arnav was still contemplating, when the door closed suddenly with full force, due to ferocious wind blowing outside. Khushi moved away from him, a little too abruptly, took a step back, and turned around, not wanting to show him her face, as she harshly rubbed off the stream of tears that had flooded her face not so long ago. She shouldn't have done it. Hugged him. It was way out of line, and she knew it. She had startled him with her actions, but she didn't know herself, what took over her. Maybe the pool of emotions that had piled up into her pounding heart since the past three days or maybe because he had been so far, and she longed for his presence, around her. His nearing footsteps interrupted her chain of thoughts.

'I'm okay. I'm sorry I got mad before. It's just that, I don't ', forget it, where were you?'

Arnav looked at her, a little worried, studying her face, it didn't give away anything. But her eyes, bloodshot, tired, had communicated it all. She was clearly upset about something; he didn't know what, then.

'It was a girl.'

'A girl?'

'You know Khushi, she is beautiful. Her skin is like dusk, golden hues. And her eyes. They are blue. I swear to God, I haven't seen such pretty eyes, in a very long time; actually'maybe I have, recently. But, it's like, once you look at her, you cannot take your eyes off her. And when she smiles, it's mesmerizing. The twinkle in her eyes''

'You went to meet her?'

'I love her Khushi.'

'Oh...'

She couldn't help but hide the pang of disappointment in her voice. He was telling her about the woman he loved and all she had said was a small jealous, 'Oh'. She didn't want to think, because she knew it would be a few second after which her tears would spill out yet again. She needed to get out of the room and not be anywhere near him, at least for the next h

'Are you listening Khushi?'

'Yes. Actually, I have to go. Class, you know.'

'Oh.'

They stood there for a few seconds. His hands playing around the hinges of the door and hers were clinging on to her bag. Unsure, hesitant.

Arnav who had seemed to in a trance a few seconds before, now seemed a little surprised by the sudden mood swings of Khushi. She had been hugging him one moment and the next her eyes seemed so bloody distant.

Khushi concentrated on the floor, her eyes not wanting to look up to his for the fear of betraying feeling she couldn't afford to confess.

---

'Come with me.'

'What?'

'Come with me. I want you to meet her. You'll love her.'

As sure as hell I would, thought Khushi. She first wanted to kill her over-working brain, then her erratic heart and then that girl, whoever she was. And look at this man standing in front of her; he wanted her to meet the love of his life. Had he no heart? Aaargh, screw you Arnav Singh Raizada. Oh wait, that is not even remotely possible, Khushi thought, smiling inwardly.

'You will?'

'I can't. Told you, I've class. All the way till five.'

'That's okay. She's not going anywhere.'

'Okay, then.'

Then she literally dashed out of the room, leaving a shocked Arnav standing on the doorway.

---

She rushed into one of the nearest washrooms, locked herself up and slid to the ground taking support of the door. How could he? The way he was around her, that night, when he had danced with her, as if in a trance, the way his fingers had grazed ever so softly over her lips? Was it all an act? But maybe it was. Maybe he had her fooled. The innocent stupid girl from Lucknow. But she knew. She knew in the deepest corners of her heart. He was incapable of any such ploy. He would never do that. Maybe he had done all those things at the heat of the moment. Maybe it was all very normal for him. It was her all along. She had gone and fallen helplessly for the one man she couldn't imagine herself with, ever. Maybe she was just a friend to him. After all that is what they had started out to be. Khushi brushed away her tears and looked into the mirror, splashing cold water onto her face and wiping away all signs of sadness. She smudged some kohl onto her eyes and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized. Maybe it was for the best. There was no way anything could happen between them He deserved someone complete, someone full of life , someone who would be with him forever, giving him unconditional love. Yet in her head, she imagined all those things, with her beside him.

---

Arnav couldn't help but wonder why she looked that upset. Had she missed him? But that was not possible. It had been just three days, and also, she couldn't possibly feel anything for him? Or did she? But wasn't it her who had laid out the rules of being friends in the very first place? He ran a hand through his hair. And when he had told Khushi about her, she didn't seem happy, or for that matter overjoyed, as he had expected her to be. Was she irritated, annoyed with him? For what reason, he failed to comprehend. But she didn't seem like that kind of a person who wouldn't want to share the small things that made people around her happy. She had always struck him as the woman who connected to people easily, strangers, even more easily, he smirked to himself. Maybe he was just over-thinking, as usual. After all he would be seeing her in the evening.

---

She looked beautiful as ever. Donning a light pink kurta with white churidaars, and silken streams of black cascading down her sides. He wanted to stand there forever, or probably sit; it would after all be a long, long time and just look at her, Arnav thought, giving her one of his special smiles, which she returned. She looked visibly relaxed then. She was wearing anklets today; he didn't miss the faint tinkle they made when she stepped into the car.

---

She was looking into the sky, which was of the lightest yellow, and far away you could see the strokes of brilliant orange, and burnt sienna, almost sunset, Arnav thought as he looked into the same direction Khushi was looking, and then shifted his gaze onto her face. Her hair flying softly over her ears, making the little silver jhumkas dance, her face, silent , thinking.

A few minutes later after passing away another of Delhi's overflowing red-lights, Khushi let her eyes hover on Arnav's face that looked straight ahead, a little irritated, probably due to the honking of the cars, she thought. She observed the chiseled contours of his face. They told her of many memories his heart held, she wanted to run her fingers over the smooth skin of his face, run her hand down his hair that seemed to be swept to one side due to the wind which had mellowed down, just a little.

---

'Can I have your number?'

'What?'

'Your phone-number, Arnav.'

'Yeah, sure.'

She never failed to surprise him. It was like reliving high school all over again, over-excited girls wanting his number and sometimes him wanting theirs. Good old days, he thought grimacing. But Khushi, she was different. He had known, from the very first day he had laid eyes on her. She had asked for his number, with such seriousness, almost like questioning him as to why he hadn't given it to her before. She asked him as if it was her right to know. And he for that matter liked the whole scenario. Her having a right over him.

For Khushi it had been the most natural thing to do, even though she had asked him after playing twenty questions in her head. His number would be like a memory, a glimpse of what they had and what could have been. She could just listen to his recorded voice that would guide her to the voice-mail inbox. She wanted it forever, his voice surrounding her ears.

Little did she know, those months later, it would be him, wanting desperately to hear her voice. Just a flash of it. Even if only for a second.

---

'So, where are we going exactly?'

'My house. Shantivan.'

'Oh, she stays in your house, with you?'

Suddenly the perfectly normal scenario of live-ins seeming really disturbing to her brain.

'Obviously. Where else would she live?'

---

A middle-aged man opened the door. Smiling immediately upon seeing Arnav's face and then regarding Khushi with a small, yet, amused smile.

His house was magnificent, Khushi thought, admiring the old architecture that had been tastefully infused with modern tapestries, draperies and lightings. Vintage, she concluded.

---

'So, where is she?'

'Don't ask Arnav, I think I'll turn mad, it's been one hell of a day. And, I'm strictly advising you against,' Shyam stopped as he heard him laughing silently.

'Don't laugh, okay? She's driving me crazy.'

'Where is she?'

'In the library, was sitting with her whilst your sister went to take a much needed nap.'

A slightly confused Khushi followed them into the library.

---

'Aaliya. Pretty, isn't she?'

A new-born for merely twenty-four hours looked up at her face; her fingers trying to catch hold of one stray strand of hair hovered over her face. Khushi took in a deep breath. She had been expecting anything but this. As her shaking hand went to touch her cheeks, she shifted slightly and swiftly took hold of her fingers into her tiny hands.

'She likes you.'

'Can I hold her?'

She took the little figure into her own hands from Arnav's and bought her close to her own face. She still hadn't let go of Khushi's fingers, which Arnav thought seemed really interesting to her. Khushi brushed her nose over the soft swell of her cheeks, over the tiny red nose, and she caught a glimpse of laughter in those blue eyes.

'She is beautiful.'

And as Khushi looked into Arnav's eyes, there was this invisible stream of words that flowed out of those black orbs into her own. Words that told her of promises, dreams, maybe stories of future. She looked away immediately, as a sudden sense of fear, realization gripped her. She didn't even know if she would have a future. Before he could say a word, a bright, yet shocked voice broke into the silence of the room.

---

'Khushi?'

Before she had a chance to speak, or for that matter give in to the familiarity of the voice, the sari-clad figure hugged her with renewed energy.

'I can't believe' after such a long time, how come? You came with Arnav?'

Anjali mumbled on into Khushi's hair, before finally looking up at her and then at Arnav's bemused face.

Khushi lifted a hand up to Anjali's face, and said with all the strength she could put into her voice.

'I met her .Aaliya, she is beautiful. Just like you, but only more.'

---

Arnav had enough. He felt extremely stupid just standing there like no one had even recognized his presence.

'You know each other?'

'Yes, Chotte, I met her almost every day last month, at Lifeline Hospital.'

'Anjali, I need to speak with you, alone, if you don't mind?' Khushi interrupted, before Arnav could say anything.

'Arrey, sure. But Aaliya is wonderful, no? But her temper seems to be inherited from my brother here.'

'Arnav is your brother?'

Anjali nodded, almost dramatically, as she looked on from her brother to Khushi. She didn't miss for a second, the glint in his eyes, as gazed into Khushi's face scrutinizing every emotion that flitted across it. But it couldn't be. He couldn't'he couldn't be in love with her. Not Khushi. Did he not know?

'Let us go talk Khushi,' Anjali said dragging her gently by the hand.

---

They didn't say a word to each other for a long time. Anjali considered her silence with apprehension for a long time.

'How have you been?'

'Better. Much better. Two chemo sessions done. Ajay said with a few more, I could be fine.'

A brief silence followed. The air suddenly seemed suffocating.

'He doesn't know, does he?'

Khushi nodded in the affirmative.

'Do you plan to tell him?'

This time she shook her head, conveying a firm 'No', trying hard to blink back the tears slowly welling up inside her eyes.

'Khushi. He loves you.'

'I don't know. I don't know anything. If he loves me or not. But I do know for a fact that I don't want him to remember me as the broken, ill woman I might be in some months. I want him to always know me as the crazy girl, who'who'.'

Khushi finally broke down, letting herself fall into Anjali's arms, crying her heart out. Her sobs choked Anjali. She brushed away the moist off her own eyes.

'He's my brother Khushi. He has been hurt many time already, I can't see, him losing himself once again. I don't think he would be able to survive yet another storm. He is too weak.'

Khushi looked up finally, regarding the worried look on Anjali's face. She knew that had just poured out of Anjali's mouth were true. But her pounding head didn't allow her to think straight.

'I don't know what to do anymore. I feel lost Anjali.'

Anjali looked into her eyes, there was a heart-breaking sadness swimming in the pools of black. She got up from the bed, and Khushi did too. They were about to exist the room, when suddenly Anjali stopped and asked her in a question that could have silenced the raging winds outside.

'Do you love him, Khushi?'

'Yes.'

A soft drop of water trickled down her pale skin, as her lips gave was to a beautiful smile, a beautiful heart-wrenching smile.

---