Chapter 3
The next morning Arnav got ready for his work, in the usual three piece suit,with a grim face and power radiating from him.
Picking up his laptop bag he turned to leave his room but the doors opened before he reached them and walked in Khushi, dressed up already in an anarkali.
"Morning" she smiled brightly at him.
"Morning" Arnav greeted back unsurely.
She looked a bit abnormally happy for an early morning.
"Here's your coffee, and its sugar free" she handed him a steamy mug.
He took the mug and stared at the content inside suspiciously.
"What are you looking at? Its coffee, nothing else"
"You didn't have to but thanks"
"Oh its fine, I wanted to" she waved her hand at him.
"How do you know I don't drink sugar"
"Umm I always knew, just haven't forgotten" she looked at him up and down.
"When did you grow so tall?" she asked him.
"When you left" he replied
"No kidding!"
Moving forward, she boldly put her hands on his chest, "and when did you grow so muscular?"
"What the" he was taken aback by her behavior.
"What do you think you're doing?" he pushed her hands off.
"Just doing what you did" she smiled too sweetly and then
"Ouch! What the hell?!" he gritted out in pain she caused by stomping on his foot, hard.
"I should be the one saying what the hell. You felt me yesterday and also you had the nerve to check me out. Thought you were too sly for me huh?" she yelled at him narrowing her eyes.
"I-I did not"
"Don't even think about denying it" she hissed.
He couldn't believe what was happening. He was caught red handed by this, by this little devil. How dare she stomp on his foot?! Nobody misbehaved with Arnav Singh Raizada.
"I wasn't checking you out in the way you think I did. Y-you just changed so much..I was taking a look at the changes" he snapped.
"Uhuh and the changes included my chest and behind" she stated.
"Yeahhh, you never had them" he said like it was a fact.
"Ouch!" he received another stomp as a response.
"How dare you step on me!" he growled at her.
"How dare you name me!" she growled right back.
"Get out of my room"
"I won't" she folded her arms.
"Chotte?" Anjali came in carrying a pooja thal.
"Oh Khushi, you are here as well?" she smiled at her.
"Yeah di, thought to catch up a little before he left for work"
"No you"
"Oh di I am sorry I missed out on the pooja in the morning. Woke up a little late" Khushi apologized cutting Arnav off.
"Its alright, Im sure you were really tired"
Khushi nodded her head in agreement.
"I'll go down for breakfast" and left the room leaving Arnav highly irritated.
Anjali did her daily ritual and hugged his good bye.
Walking out Arnav took a swug of his coffee and nearly spitted it out. It was deadly bitter.
He clenched his jaw, she had done it on purpose.
Once he got back from work he was going to show her nobody messed with him like that.
~~~
Khushi had been so excited to see him that she wasn't herself.
Though it had been a long time, she had missed him dearly.
She remembered how they used to hang out together, just the two of them and if they didn't get to meet, they would be on the phone for hours.
Their last year together was when she was 9 and he 13.
Her dad's job had gotten transferred to Mumbai and that was the last she had seen him.
The same year she had come to know about his parents passing away. She desperately wanted to reach out to him, talk to him and hug him but couldn't.
Her parents had gone for the funeral, leaving her behind at her aunt's.
She regretted not going to Payal's wedding but her procrastination had landed her in a huge fix, where she had not even started her final psych project and it was due on the wedding day. Either wedding or repeat class was the situation.
That was one chance she had to see him again but she let it go.
She couldn't remember how or on what their friendship had formed, all she knew was that they were inseparable.
She was with him more than she was with girls. No wonder she had difficulty making girlfriends.
"Loser touched me. What was he thinking!" she muttered angrily stuffing her mouth with last night's left over puris.
Oh well she got her revenge and checked him out as well.
Damn, he had become so ehem, hot!
According to her, everything was good now and she couldn't wait till he got back so they could seriously start over.
~~~
The afternoon was spent gossiping with mamiji and by evening Khushi was helping out Anjali in the kitchen.
"I am so happy you decided to come Khushi" Anjali thanked her silently.
"How could I not di, it had been way too long I had to."
"You know he changed so much after mom and dad passed away..." she confided in her staring down at the liquid swirling in the pot.
Khushi felt as if somebody had squeezed her heart tight. Her eyes moistened for the struggle the two young siblings had to go through.
"Di look now, he is so successful and you have a wonderful life, you're with your husband and family. Not everyone is that lucky" she winked at Anjali.
"That is true but I think its high time Chotte gets married. He is getting so old" she scrunched her nose.
Khushi's heart skipped a beat at the mention of marriage.
"He's only twenty nine, that's not too old" she said hoping it would Anjali feel better.
"Mmm. What about you, don't you want get married? Or wait a second you already have somebody hidden somewhere from us all!"
She laughed out loud, "No, havent found the right guy and till he doesnt show up, I think I will concentrate on my job."
"Aah your generation" Anjali shook her head.
~~~
Arnav rang the door bell and waited for Hari Prakash to open the door.
"You're home!" she yelled excitedly.
"You!" his anger instantly rushing back.
"Yep, me"
Glaring at her, he brushed past.
"Hey wait!" she ran behind him.
"How was your day?" she started conversing.
"It was good, has gone bad now" he kept walking.
Khushi rolled her eyes.
"Are you hungry? There is dal and"
"I ate already"
"What! How could you?!" she yelled in his ear.
Letting it go instead she asked him, "would you like some jalebis?"
"I don't eat sweet" he snapped
"Oh my god I am sorry, it totally slipped my mind" she covered her mouth.
"Sure it did"
"Acha you want to drink tea with me then?" she suggested as they reached his room.
"No" and he slammed the door shut on her face.
"Gosh what an irritated old man" she muttered and left annoyed at him.
Oh I am so flattered by the comments! I again thank you all!! :-)
Music Corner
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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