Twist Of Fate Chapter8 Pg 118 27/07 NEW! - Page 55

Koi nahi, hum Ayaan aur R&T se kaam chala lenge :)

I is depressed.

But I'm writing nonetheless. I've a feeling this chapter will turn out horribly :/

Hum chocolate kha rahe hai, un-depress ho gaye hai., aur likh rahe hai 😃

"The past is never truly gone, but washes up on the shores of our memories like emotional driftwood."

~Anonymous

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Aashna rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to focus them on the soft light seeping through the pale yellow crotchet curtains of her room. She dragged her feet towards the open window, as her hands, scooped away the curtains. Her eyes suddenly felt alive, as she saw the tiny water drops clinging to the metal bars of the window. It had been drizzling all night, she thought gawking at the clogged streets. How the hell am I going to reach school today, Aashna wondered to herself.

She mechanically dragged her starch white school uniform, and slid it over her freshly showered head, mumbling to herself, on finding it stuck midway around her neck. Seconds later as she made her way towards the kitchen, her clumsy feet abruptly stopped right in front of her mother's room.

Aashna's eyes, refused to believe in the sheer reality of the picture in front of her.

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Khushi sat in front of the dressing-table, fidgeting nervously on a white wicker chair.

Aashna let out a small gasp, as her eyes took in the red chiffon clad woman in front of her.

Ma, Aashna thought incredulously, looked so…so gorgeous. "You have never worn red…in so many…actually wait, you have never worn it at all, till…today." She didn't notice her mother's cheeks flush up, as she bent over her mother's damp hair. "Ma, are you okay?" Aashna's slightly admonishing tone got Khushi's immediate attention. "I'm fine…why?" Aashna scrutinized her face in the mirror, as she said mockingly. "You've used my new strawberry shampoo Ma, and don't bother denying. I know, okay?" Aashna smirked at her mother's shocked face, before continuing her tirade. "Though, I wonder why? Didn't you say, it's outrageously…wait, what was it…Yes, outrageously flirtatious?" Aashna ducked her head, carefully avoiding Khushi's hand that followed her as she ran out of the room, with a visibly stunned Khushi behind her.

Khushi's stumbling feet halted right in the middle of her own drawing room, as she took in the silhouette of the man standing in front of her.

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About fifty or more flickering flames, shades of burning orange and chrome yellow frolicked about the room, encircling in their meticulously arranged vortex, an enthralling vision. Enwrapped snugly in electric crimson, the slight creases over the red chiffon, glistened like slivers of molten gold, Khushi's twinkling eyes that had been focused on a diya seconds before, now shot up to meet pools of liquid bistre. She might have missed the faintest hint of a smile lurking around the corners of his usually pursed lips, too caught up in observing the familiar motion of the long strides of those glossy black shoes.

The minute long intervention of a certain woman adorned in cerulean blue had been almost erased from their scorching trail of memories, which had only triggered Arnav to sanguinely walk into the beautiful circle of diyas, his eyes refusing to let go of the sight of her slightly hesitant eyes, as he held his hand out to her. Her own hand, a little shaky though, came seconds later, but immediately engulfed by his deft fingers, as a tingling warmth seeped into their veins. Her senses bereft of any sensation other than the firm clasp of his hand, refused to coordinate with her formerly clumsy footwork. She stumbled, and his arm went around her waist instantly, steadying her, as he simultaneously inhaled the heady scent, emanated from somewhere around her neck.

What Khushi remembered of that night, was the blazing trail, his fingers had left over her feet, whilst tying a chipped payal across her ankle, the one she would be wearing even years later after they had separated. But more prominent was the memory of that fleeting feeling, a little close to destructive, when she had almost lost him to that woman in the blue saree.

What Arnav remembered fondly from that night, was the unexplainable feeling of his form pinning her to a brick wall, pressing over her lissome figure, drinking in the image of her lowered eyelids, her quivering lips. But more importantly, every time that scene would replay itself in the recesses of his mind, another, a strikingly painful one would follow immediately. One, that had been too familiar, a regular guest knocking at the doors of his soul, every now and then. The shimmering trail of tears etched over those porcelain cheeks, with hues of the lightest of pinks. Brimming emotions, clouding those hazel eyes, never failing to provoke in him streams of conflicting thoughts.

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Arnav was smiling. Or maybe just smirking out of sheer glee. But if one would notice more closely, like NK did, sitting on an old couch, listening to the radio, across the two people intently gazing at each other, they would have realized that somewhere hidden in that smile was a sense of well-hidden satisfaction, one that gives you unbridled joy and also hints of undulated love.

Arnav's eyes travelled down Khushi's form, as he slowly, unabashedly admired the lucid radiance she didn't fail to emit, even after so many years. And almost immediately another memory clicked back into his mind, of the very same saree with the glistening silver sequins, she was presently clad in. And it brought another one of those very rare smiles on his face, the kind only Khushi could get.

Why don't you like it?

The color is of my choice.

I picked it up for you.

Then why don't you like it?

Each sentence growled at her, was punctuated with his feet stepping forward, and hers effectively, and as it was destined to happen, backwards. A tiny twinge of delight might have eluded Khushi's mind for a fleeting moment, registering what he had done for her, but then just as suddenly it had vanished, sensing the circumstances hovering around their vicinity.

I bought it for you Khushi.

I want to see you in it.

What has happened…that you can't even smile?

Unfortunately, you could not buy me a smile, Arnav.

And as the memory faded out, Arnav was once again reminded of how correct her statement had been. She had never failed to make him smile, and he, had never failed to do the exact opposite, every time.

Little did he realize, that if he didn't held himself back like he was doing then, and had been doing since the initial days of falling for her, he would have unknowingly put one of the biggest smiles on Khushi's face.

And probably his too.

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The dusty old Panasonic radio blared out the faint trail of a Rajesh Khanna classic...roop tera mastana…pyaar mera deewana… the volume was suddenly increased by a visibly bored NK, as the sudden interruption, broke into the numbing reveries of Arnav and Khushi.

"Ehh...umm, the previous bottle of the shampoo…had finished," Khushi mentally ridiculed herself on seeing that egoistic smirk creep up his face suddenly, ignoring the fact that she had missed it way too much. Later she wondered to herself, why she had bothered, at all, giving him an explanation, for her puerile actions.

Khushi couldn't help but smile, just a little, as she bit hard on her lower lip, when she heard a muffled Unbelievable, as Arnav sauntered of towards the verandah.

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"I can drop you to school," Arnav stated as Aashna gaped at the man in front of her, clad a crisp white shirt, and charcoal grey pants, sipping coffee, as a very astute look clouded his face.

"The streets are flooded with water, and it's still raining. I don't think the car you've hired would be able to move an house away from here," Aashna declared, a little too proudly, or so Arnav thought.

"Oh…Then how do you plan on reaching school?" Arnav asked, slightly confused as to where this conversation was heading.

"On this old bicycle we have in the backyard. It has rusted a little, I think, but it will do...," Arnav listened to Aashna's rambling chatter, noticing how beautifully it matched Khushi's, as an affectionate smile touched up his lips.

"Okay, so I'll come with you," Arnav said nonchalantly, and a gasp followed. "You want me…me to give you a ride, on a bicycle, to wherever it is you are headed?" Aashna asked, the baffled expression of her face not fading even for a moment, looking at the almost determined expression on Arnav's face.

"Yes. I need to go to the construction site, and you said the car won't be much of a help. So you can drop me off there. That is, if you don't…," Arnav would have continued, but his daughter, who had the knack of completing his unsaid thoughts, just like her mother, intervened immediately. "No, no. I don't mind. Not at all…it's just that….forget it. Let's go," Aashna smiled at him, failing to notice the affectionate look in his eyes that increased on seeing that very familiar twinkle in her eyes, reminding him once again, of Khushi.

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When about fifteen minutes later, Khushi looked down her verandah, too see her daughter speeding of in a bicycle, with Arnav behind her, the highly amusing sight of a bewildered, almost close to scared Arnav, clutching to the small black seat of the bicycle, his pants folded up to his ankles, trying to avoid the spluttering of the muddy water, made Khushi's eyes well up. She couldn't explain her sudden tears. She was not sad, not angry, just, a sudden surge of relief, or maybe pure happiness crashed through her.

"He hasn't eaten," NK's sudden impassive voice wafted off into the serene alcove of the veranda.

"Wh...What?" Khushi stammered, not facing him yet, as she furiously dabbed away her tears.

"He…Arnav hasn't eaten anything since morning," NK emphasized, munching on an apple.

"Oh. Why? The food…" Before Khushi's worried tirade continued, NK interrupted. "No Khushiji, the usual, you know…a conference call or something like that."

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An hour later, when NK glanced at a harried Khushi, packing food into a Tiffin box, that somehow looked liked it had previously been owned by Aashna, he didn't bother to comment, or prod further into the emerging scene. He knew exactly what was to follow. Or maybe not.

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Khushi traversed along the edges of the clogged streets, tugging the hem of her saree above her ankles, trying to avoid the mud. Moments later, as she stumbled over the stairs to a crumbling building, a hand enveloped her own, effortlessly lifting her from the last slippery step, and making her land, softly on the grubby floorboards.

"What are you doing here?" Arnav asked his voice a little hoarse, surprised by her sudden appearance at the construction site.

Khushi looked up at Arnav, as his blazing gaze roved over her face, before finally coming to rest on her eyes. "You hadn't eaten anything…so…I got you food…," Khushi stuttered, looking at his almost disheveled appearance, soiled hands and a thin layer of dust sprinkled over the black mop of his hair.

"Oh…you can keep it there, I'll have it after sometime," Arnav said, softly, a little overwhelmed by her gesture, pointing to the top of a large cardboard box. "You are eating, and now," Khushi said, so admonishingly, that he didn't dare refuse. But even before he could take the box from Khushi, she eyed his murky hands in disgust, opening the dabba herself, and seconds later a little piece of crisp golden puri wrapping in it a light yellow subzi, stood right in front of his lips.

Arnav gawked at Khushi for one whole minute, before his lips edged forward, moving a breath more over her fingers before gulping the golden morsel hurriedly. Khushi tried to ignore the tiny gasp that had threatened to come out, as soon as his teeth had barely grazed over her skin, leaving in its wake a scorching trail of tingling pin points of fire. There were a few accidental licks, that made Khushi's fingers curl up beautifully, his lips would at times skim over her nails, causing Khushi's eyes to dart hesitantly, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. No one, however, knew if his actions were fortuitous or purposely done.

Khushi promptly got up from the creaking stool, as soon as the puris had finished, and within a second she found Arnav tugging at her hand. She turned, and saw her fingers placed right on his lips, as he placed a tiny, lingering kiss on her palm. He then, didn't let go of her hands, they stayed there for a minute or more, as Khushi wallowed in gratitude of the sudden intimate gesture that had sent her heart beating a little louder than before. A soft Thanks was whispered moments later. She gave him a curt nod that failed to be anything even close to formal, as she scuttled out of the crumbling construction site.

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"And as the memory faded out, Arnav was once again reminded of how correct her statement had been. She had never failed to make him smile, and he, had never failed to do the exact opposite, every time.