Arhi FF:Mirage Note pg 158 for next thread link - Page 79

Khushi checked out herself in the mirror. She had worn a maroon and red bordered salwar kameez that she had specifically reserved for any special occasion. She wasn't sure if her choice of dress was right. She had wanted to look her best today. Afterall, this was the first time she would be going out with any man. She wasn't sure what to expect from this outing. And this anxiety was taking its effect on her body.

She had woken up early in the morning at around 6:00 am, even though it was a Sunday morning and started to rummage through her wardrobe for that perfect dress. After trying on every single dress inside it and rejecting nearly everything, she had finally laid her eyes on this particular salwar kameez. With all the excitement bubbling inside her, she hadn't even had her breakfast properly in the process.

And now she stood here, at five minutes to ten, unable to decide on whether to wear stilettos or sandals or whether to tie up her hair or leave it open. She had never been this confused in her entire life. She felt like she was going to throw up with the entire tension surrounding her.

Hey Devi Maiyya! Help me! She exclaimed to herself sitting down on her bed. Now she had understood why Lavanya used to always ask her opinion about selecting her dress for a date. All those times, she had mentally laughed at the antics of her best friend. Never had she imagined that she would be facing the same thing. Khushi hadn't even been sure if this thing was going to be her first date.

She chose to tie up her hair and grabbed her mobile phone and handbag and rushed out of her bedroom. Buaji had been seated on the couch, sipping her ten o'clock tea. The nervousness and anxiety caused her to stumble over the dining table, banging her wrist hardly on the wooden surface. Khushi hissed out in pain, cursing the non- animate object for coming across her way.

"Going somewhere?" she heard her aunt ask her, noticing her all geared up.

"Yes, Buaji. I'm going out with my friend." Khushi replied hoping that her Buaji wouldn't investigate further into the matter.

"Hmm...When will you be returning back?" Buaji asked picking up the tv remote.

"Not sure. Will get back as soon as possible. Bye!" Khushi shouted back and hopped out of the house. Suddenly, she remembered Lavanya who had called her over to her house for the weekend. She gasped out in horror, as she realised her mistake. She immediately dialled her best friend's number.

"Hello." Khushi heard a sleepy voice on the other end of the phone.

"It's me, Khushi. I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to make it to your place today. Got some important work." For some reason, Khushi had been hesitant to share her plans of her outing with Arnav to Lavanya. Since she wasn't sure about her equation with Arnav, she didn't want to raise any false hopes for herself.

"Dumbo! Even you ditched. First Rishab backs out, and now you too. Unfaithful friends!" Lavanya was grumbling on the phone.

"Sorry Lavanya. But I'll surely make it up for this. I promise." Khushi pleaded to her friend.

"Alright! But you will have to payback for this, Khushi."

"Thank you Lavanya! Bye!" Khushi said and disconnected the call. She rushed outside the gate, unsure if Arnav was already present outside.

To her utter surprise, there he was, already seated on his bike, eagerly waiting for her. He had worn a midnight blue t-shirt and light blue jeans, accompanied by grey sneakers. He had his black aviators on, that completely hid his eyes, making it difficult for her to figure out where exactly he was looking. As soon as she stepped towards his direction, he flashed a faint smile to her, acknowledging her presence.

Khushi nervously made her way towards him. "Hi!" she heard herself greet him in a soft voice, her throat completely dried up at the sight of this man who doubled up her heart rate just with his mere presence. She noticed his faint 5 o'clock stubble that highlighted his already handsome face and made him appear irresistible for some reason.

"How are you?" he asked in a husky voice that sent goosebumps all over her body. He had chosen to wear a stronger intoxicating cologne today that was making Khushi's mind fuzzy.

"I'm...a... good..." she gulped down stammering out the words. "How... How long have you been... erm.. waiting for me?"

Arnav tried hard to control his laughter seeing her quivering lips and completely flustered face. "Not for long. Shall we go?" he asked starting the bike.

"Can I ask you something? Where...are we.. erm... going?"

"It's a surprise. Now hop on." He said, while Khushi obediently climbed on the seat behind him. As she slid her hands over his chest for balance, he could feel her hands completely cold. This time, he didn't hesitate to place his hand on top of hers.

Khushi suddenly felt warm rough hands envelop hers. "Relax Khushi." She saw him tilt his head slightly backwards to see her face and give her a reassuring smile.

It was quite a long journey indeed. Arnav had taken the highway and was heading towards the outskirts of the city. As time passed by, she felt herself relax against his body and was soon enjoying the bike ride. The strong cold wind blowing on her face and the warm morning sun soon made her feel comfortable. For the first time, she could feel his hard chiselled chest beneath his shirt as she glided her hands over it. Something, she had failed to notice before.

After forty minutes of their journey, the bike finally came to a halt outside a parking lot, beside a huge entrance. Khushi's eyes popped out in surprise reading the big colourful letters on the board. He had brought her to an amusement park. She got down from the bike, her mouth still wide open, while he followed her. She had never expected a person like Arnav to end up in this place. There was definitely more to him than meets the eye, she concluded in her mind.

She saw him staring at her with curious eyes, anticipating her reaction, his hands slid down inside his front jeans pockets.

"I thought you would like some fun filled place." He spoke, shrugging his shoulders, looking down at the ground.

Arnav had sat up nearly the entire night contemplating on where to take her out. Could he use the same strategies that he used with Lavanya? But from what he had observed of Khushi, she wasn't like the other girls. She was different. She could be brave and mature at one minute and the next one, she would behave like an innocent kid. Somehow, this was something about her that completely mesmerized Arnav.

He saw her face brighten up with a thousand watt smile and he instantly knew that she had liked it. Just seeing that smile brought about a warm feeling in his chest. Feeling a little bit more confident with himself and his idea, he led the way towards the entrance.

Inside, it was no less than magical. Khushi had never visited this amusement park, as it had been opened up quite recently. In front of her eyes, lay colourful rides, ranging from the merry go round, to the ferris wheel and to the mighty scary looking roller coasters and everything in between. Kids were running around helter skelter from one ride to another, while adults looked no less than kids, their faces bubbling with excitement. The whole place was bustling with activity.

From one side, she could smell the delicious popcorn vapours wafting through the air. On the other side, people cheered on for the performers on the stage, who were stunning people with some mind boggling tricks. She was broken out of her reverie by Arnav's voice.

"Where do you want to go first?" he asked glancing everywhere around him. This was his first time too, in such a place. He had only come here for her sake.

"I wanna go on that big roller coaster." Khushi said jumping around with excitement. This was her ultimate dream come true. Arnav let out a chuckle pondering over the stark difference brought about in her within few minutes. Just an hour ago, she had been absolutely nervous and anxious and now, here she was, bubbling with excitement.

Arnav simply followed her wherever she chose to go. He enjoyed seeing her reaction more than the rides. The way she tightly gripped his hands as the roller coaster zoomed downwards. The way she screamed on top of her lungs as it plunged into great depth and yet, the next minute she wanted to ride on it once again, left him speechless.

"Oooh! I want that Pikachu!" Khushi jumped with excitement, seeing the cute yellow soft toy on the top shelf of a game stall. She had been a big fan of the Pokemon series in her childhood and it had always been her dream, to own her favourite cartoon character. Even before he could react, he saw her scurrying towards the stall like a small kid.

"Bhaiyya! I want that yellow toy. What's the price?" she asked the man in-charge over there.

"For that, you would have to win this game. Can you see these tiny balloons on the wall? At the centre there is a single red balloon. If you succeed in shooting that one red balloon, you get the toy. You have got three chances. Remember, it isn't easy as it looks. Many have tried their luck and no one has been successful till now." The man proudly claimed of the feat.

"Pass me the rifle." Khushi ordered the man, acting like she was about to go into the war zone and drop down hundreds of men dead on the ground. Arnav tried suppressing his laughter seeing her all geared up like that. It was indeed a funny sight to watch her lift the heavy rifle on her delicate shoulders.

Shoot... Out went three bullets, one after the other completely missing the target. He could see annoyance build up on her face, as her lips slowly curved into a frown. The annoyance was soon replaced with anger directed towards the man.

"What kind of game is this, if it was designed not to be won? This is cheating. You people are cheating us..." And Khushi went on and on, arguing about how such things were only designed to dupe people of their money.

"Come Arnav, let's go." She said pulling him arm tightly, leading him away from the stall. "Stupid game. But I wanted the Pikachu toy." She mumbled grumpily. He observed how she looked absolutely cute when she pouted her lips like that.

He knew what was to be done. Slowly freeing himself from her grip, he strode towards the game stall, asking the man to pass over the rifle to him. The man gave him a haughty look, letting out a sneer, challenging him to hit the target. Arnav didn't miss this. He felt rage ignite inside him towards the man and gave him one death stare that was enough to make the man shudder with fear.

Just like he exhaled out his breath, the bullet swished through the air and hit the red balloon, right on the target, causing the man to gape at him with utter bewilderment. "Pass me the toy." He ordered sternly at the man, who immediately complied with it. This had been no less than a child's play for Arnav.

Taking the Pikachu toy, he walked towards Khushi, who stared at him with absolute amazement on her face, her mouth wide open.

"It's yours." He said handing over the toy.

"How did you do it? That too in only one shot?" Khushi asked blinking her eyes, unable to believe what just happened before her eyes.

"Are you happy now?" he asked, while she took the toy in her hand, caressing the smooth fur and squeezing it with excitement.

"Thank you Arnav!" she said rushing towards him, enveloping him in a tight hug. He was taken aback with surprise. He had least expected a hug from her.

Khushi couldn't believe he had done this for her. With the happiness overflowing from within her, she didn't realize as to how close her body was pressed against his. After a whole minute, she slowly started to feel his heart thumping against his chest. She felt his arms resting on her back. And suddenly, she felt awkward, realising her surroundings. She broke apart and tried acting normal as if nothing had happened. "Let's go to that ride." She said leading the way, her face completely flushed with embarrassment.

Arnav instantly realized what was on her mind. He chose to remain silent and followed after her, his face plastered with a sheepish grin.

It was nearly four in the evening, and by now, they had tried every single ride in the amusement park. There was only one thing that was left for them. The maze.

"Let's go to the maze." She said pulling his arm. He had no other choice but to comply with her orders.

"Are you sure? You could get lost in there, you know. And not come out for days from inside there." Arnav joked in a serious tone, pulling her leg. By now, he had become comfortable with her, feeling normal and relaxed after a very long time. She made him feel cheerful and happy, something which he hadn't felt for ages. Most of all, she reminded him of his childhood, where he was happy and carefree.

His past was always associated with pain and sorrow. But she reminded him of all the good things in his life.

"Shut up!" she said hitting him lightly on his chest. "Since you are there with me, I won't mind getting lost in there for days." She replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

They soon entered into the never ending maze, with Khushi leading the way that spiralled them deeper and deeper into its trap.

"Hey, we have been in this way before, haven't we?" she asked puzzled, keenly observing her surroundings. "Hey Devi Maiyya! We are lost!" she said as realization dawned upon her. Hearing no sound from Arnav, she turned around to look at him staring at her with a smirk on his face, leaning on the wall. He straightened himself and quietly approached her, taking steps closer to her, while she moved backwards, until her back finally hit the wall.

He raised his arms on either sides of her, trapping her in between them. "So what were you saying about not minding getting lost with me in here?" he asked in a flirty husky voice, that made her heart pump up with excitement. The heat was slowly ascending on her cheeks. She could feel his warm breath on her face, his eyes barely inches away from hers. Those chocolate brown eyes made her want to dive into that pool of desire, to taste the depths that promised heavenly bliss and satisfaction.

Arnav leaned closer to her, pressing his hard body against hers, making her shoot up her eyes wide with shock. He felt his whole body go stiff, inhaling the sweet scent of her body, while her chest heaved with anticipation against his. He realized how well her frame fitted perfectly against his. Like they were meant to be.

"So did you like spending out the day with me?" he asked, not breaking his gaze with hers.

"Yes." She stammered, lowering her eyes shyly, unable to handle the heat generating between them.

He could no more resist those quivering lips that begged him to be tasted. He leaned closer to her, gently yet urgently wanting to get a feel of her.

Khushi eyes shot up with alarm, seeing him bend his face closer to hers. And before he could claim her lips, she tilted her head sideways, as his lips brushed past her lips and ended up on her cheek.

"What the!" he uttered, pulling apart from her, seeing her grin like an idiot, while she immediately pushed him away and ran away from him, not before flashing out her tongue at him and disappearing into the bends of the maze.

"Let's see, how will you hide from me, Khushi!" he called out loudly and instantly, propelled himself on top of the wall and sat on it, getting a clear view of the maze and saw her fluttering towards the exit. When she was finally nearing the end, he walked on top of the walls and jumped down in front of her.

"Argghhh!" Khushi screamed out in shock as she saw Arnav jumping down from the wall in front of her. She had tried to escape from him and here he was standing right in front of her, smirking to glory.

"You scared me!" she said clutching her heaving chest, panting for breath. She saw him striding towards her and within seconds, she was pinned against the wall.

"Arnav, leave me. Somebody will see us." She said observing some people passing by near the exit.

"So you didn't mind people noticing us in the centre of the maze huh?" he asked in a mischievous tone.

"Duh! There was no one over there." She said rolling her eyes. "Let go of me!" she whispered, struggling against his grip.

"Nope!" he said popping the 'p', leaning against her.

Khushi knew there was no point in arguing with him. After all her encounters with him, she knew he was someone who wouldn't back out from his intention.

"Ah! Ok, here it goes!" she said and pulled his t-shirt collar, bringing his face even more close to hers and pecked his lips, leaving him stunned with her audacity. It was merely for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to send them spiralling down into a trance.

"Now, let go of me." She said pushing him away but realised that he had released his firm grip. She ran away from him shyly, while he walked behind her sheepishly, still reliving that moment.

Khushi sat on a bench with a bucket of popcorn in her hand, while Arnav sat beside her on one side and on the other side, laid the Pikachu toy. They were silently observing a bunch of children, playing around. They were lost in some own distant world, maybe reliving some of their own childhood memories.

Snapping back from her reverie, she moved closer to him, while his hand automatically glided over her back, wrapping around shoulder. She looked up into his face, and for a minute, she felt like she saw his eyes moistened. He instantly noticed her gazing at him, and with a blink, that moisture in his eyes disappeared.

"Thank you Arnav, for everything that you have done for me today. I don't know what is it between us, but this is the first time any guy has ever taken me out anywhere. And you have made this a memorable day for me."

He continued to see ahead, but she felt his hands give her a light squeeze on her shoulder. She continued to observe his face, when she heard her cell phone ring. She fished it out from her bag and saw Lavanya's number flash on the screen.

"Hello Lavanya?" she asked, while Arnav felt his body suddenly stiffen with shock as the harsh reality hit him.

"What are you saying? Karthik is dead?" Khushi exclaimed out with horror, getting up from the bench.

Arnav shut his eyes, as he became aware of his reality. Here he was with Khushi, fooling himself that everything was normal in his life. But that was far from the truth of his horrifying existence. What had he done to deserve this? He wondered.

CHAPTER 17

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on the last part. And I was extremely surprised to read your predictions. And I have to say that one of you has actually guessed the future plot. I won't reveal who is it. 😉 It will spoil the story's suspense. But applause to the person to read through the hints dropped by me and figuring it out.👏