ArHi FF!! Event Horizon - Ch 8(A), Sep 11, Pg 25 - Page 16

Originally posted by: soniachammu

one simple quuestion are u science geek

Dear QT,

Do you know your name makes you sound like a cutie? as in QT? cutie? geddit?I love Event Horizon :D Like I love it a lot. Your Khushi, is a refreshing change from the one in the show. And I absolutely love this Arnav. Like I love him a LOT. And his grandmother is#LOL!! haahahaha, DMG? O M G😆

Chapter 7(A):

She stumbled back in surprise when her aunt's palm came in contact with her cheek. The slap echoed in living room making Payal cringe on her sister's behalf. Khushi held her head and looked straight her aunt, demanding an explanation.

"How could you do this to us?" The words came out in a hiss. Her aunt's temper wasn't foreign to the family. "Even our neighbors saw," she added. Khushi looked past her aunt's shoulders to see her parents looking blankly. Payal looked troubled, but she always did whenever things went wrong between her and her aunt.

"Don't you have any shame? To openly succumb to a man's arms! I cannot tolerate this...shameful act," her aunt shouted. Realization dawned upon her. Her family was upset because they saw her hugging Arnav. She didn't want to go into technicality of it - that it was Arnav who had pulled her into hug. But you didn't refuse it either, her mind countered.

"There wasn't any malcontent behind that hug," she said. Khushi, who was noted for a volatile temper and an impulsive mind, replied with a calm voice. "It was one friend acknowledging another," she added. Her aunt whirled around after hearing the answer. Her anger was exponentially grown in matter of seconds.

"What kind of friend is he?" The question came rapidly.

She knew where this was going but still humored her aunt. "He works at the same building as me and today I went for coffee."

"Was it just coffee or did he ask you for something else?" There it was; the taunt which wasn't being obvious till now.

She went for the jugular. "Are you implying that I am sleeping with him?" He stared at her aunt and drew satisfaction in her aunt and rest of the family's discomfort.

The second time the sound of slap reverberated in living room, Khushi had tears in her eyes.

Her father's face never sported the kind of disappointment he was currently showing; not even when Payal's wedding was cancelled.

*****

She had walked inside her room after her father had physically expressed his disappointment in her choice and had stood below the shower fully clothed till the cold water numbed her body. She had changed to dry clothes and left her hair open, which was a rarity for her, and walked out of the house without speaking to anyone apart from Payal; she had told Payal that she had to work that night so she was heading back to office.

She had no idea where to go. Sure, she had declared that she would be going back to work but she didn't know what she would do being there. She walked to the bus stop and at eight in evening, there weren't many people around. She had shoved couple of books into her bag which she would read once in office.

"Are you not going to get in?" She heard a voice call her. She looked up to see bus conductor peering at her. "We are waiting," he said when she gave him a strange look. She had never seen that man before.

"Excuse me?" She said looking around to see that the bus stop was completely empty.

"I believe you are waiting for this bus - number eight," he said and held the door open. Surprise hit her tenfold and her mouth opened but no words came out.

"Come on in," he said stepping inside. She was torn for a moment - to board or not to board the bus. For all she knew this man could kidnap her and sell her off to a wealthy old man. But something told her that it was alright. It was going to be fine. She was going to be fine. She climbed the bus trusting her instincts more than ever.

"Aren't you a pretty sight?!" A young voice shouted from back of the diner. Khushi exhaled loudly when the lethargic feeling seeped out of her. It was feeling of traveling between the worlds and in between time. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did now. The osmosis left tingles on her when she entered the diner and left as quickly as it came.

"Here is a slice of lemon pie for you darling," a girl appeared in front of her with a plate in hand. The girl wore pink and black dress - pink ruffles around her waist and dropping four of inches above the knee. The knee high black and pink striped sock failed to deliver the goth effect when coupled with hair tied in two neat pony tails. The girl's childlike innocence was warped with melancholy invaded Khushi and made her sigh.

"I am hungry," Khushi laughed nervously and took the plate from the girl.

"Play chess with me," an old man called out from a booth.

"No, listen to my story first," a middle aged woman called from another booth.

"Why don't you let Khushi eat first?" The girl appeared and yelled at the diner's patrons, hands on her hips. "Can't you see she is having a rough day?" Khushi lowered her eyes at that.

"Oh, come on now. Don't be like that," Khushi heard a man say from back.

Khushi laughed heartily. She didn't know the reason for her laughter but she felt the need to do so. She saw people staring at her and looking at her expectantly.

"How about you tell me the story when I play chess?" She said looking at the two patrons. She smiled when the old man and the middle aged woman gave each other hi-fi.

She was finally home.

She didn't try dissecting what was happening - when she had failed to board the bus with Arnav that evening, sense of satisfaction had also made home in a remote corner of her heart.

The diner wasn't ready for Arnav yet.

And deep down she knew that she wasn't ready to share it with him either.