ArHi SS:The Life-Changing Pact #2 [Link Pg 145] - Page 17

Opening her eyes wide, Khushi was overwhelmed by a strange sensation of head spinning that was accentuated by the loud hustle and bustle of the party. Slowly, she felt the lights dimming and her eyes frantically searched for Arnav. Lavanya was surveying her each and every movement, and inwardly praised herself for having succeeded in making her drunk. It was the first step in ruling Khushi out of Arnav's life, she thought.

Khushi kept blinking her eyes and rubbing them in disbelief when she happened to see two persons who both looked like Arnav making their way towards her.

"One…two…two two Arnav!" Khushi let out pointing her finger at Arnav, smiling goofily.

"What the!" Arnav said, quickly rushing towards Khushi and he immediately noticed that Khushi was not in her normal state, "Khushi, are you drunk?" It sounded more like an affirmation than a question.

"Arnav, I was about to call you! I can't believe that this girl is your girlfriend! I mean just look at her…she is drunk! I just hope she doesn't create any scene that would bring you shame!" Lavanya said, showing repulse towards Khushi.

Lavanya's words were sending Khushi's blood pressure sky high. "Shut up, you bimbo!" Khushi said, her silly smile paving the way for anger. Arnav looked at this new version of a rebellious Khushi and could not help himself from wearing an amused look.

"Khushi, are you okay?" Arnav asked solicitously.

"Arnav, let me call the driver and he'll drop Khushi home! I think that she needs rest…she's uttering nonsense right now!" Lavanya said.

"No need for your bogus concern! I know very well that it is you who mixed my juice! You b****!" Khushi managed to say despite being under the influence of alcohol.

Arnav was dumfounded by what he just heard and was about to ask Lavanya whether it was true, when a series of foul words purely in Hindi escaped flowingly from Khushi's mouth, and thankfully Lavanya being London-born, could not decipher the proper meaning of "kutti" or "kamini", else a cat fight would have been the turning point of the party.

By now, the music has stopped and only the voices of Lavanya and Khushi could be heard. Lavanya feigned innocence and accused Khushi of playing games while resting her hand on Arnav's shoulder. Khushi spontaneously got hold of Lavanya's hand and threw it away from Arnav's shoulder.

"Hello, do you talk with your hand? Do you need to touch Arnav to talk?" Khushi asked exasperatedly. "Is he your property that you constantly have to get glued to him?"

"What if I say yes?" Lavanya said in a provocative manner.

"Enough!! I am not your property Lavanya, understood!" Arnav expressed angrily, "And I can't believe that you wanted Khushi to be drunk! I know Khushi much better than anyone and her parents have brought her up with the best values that any child would wish for! So, keep your dirty tricks to someone else, and don't interfere in my life or Khushi's, okay!"

"But Arnav…" Lavanya tried to say, before being interrupted by Khushi.

"Didn't you understand what my boyfriend told you? He is not yours!" Khushi told Lavanya with a grinning smile coupled with a mocking gesture with the tongue. Lavanya's face was a treat to watch, Khushi thought.

Before leaving the party, Arnav approached Lavanya and whispered: "I love Khushi and I will never let anyone cause her any harm, do you understand?" Arnav excused himself to Aman for leaving like this, and for the scene that had been created, but Aman just patted his back:

"You did the right thing, bro! Khushi is very lucky to have you!"

"Why are we leaving so quickly? I will show her who Khushi Kumari Gupta is, … that b****" Khushi told Arnav, who was holding her shoulders and helping her to walk.

"Ssshhh, quiet Khushi!" Arnav let out, while Khushi immediately brought her finger to her lip, still walking in an unbalanced manner.

Staring at the childishness that the intoxication had awakened in her, Arnav gently lifted her up in his arms, and brought her to the car while Khushi clutched his collar tight, staring at his eyes.

"Arnav, can we go there for some time?" Khushi said, pointing towards the gazebo that was etched on the lake.

"Khushi, it's already late! We need to get back home!"

"Arnav, please! Only five minutes, pakka promise!" Khushi said in such a tone that Arnav eventually gave in.

Khushi held Arnav's hand and brought him to the gazebo which was exquisitely illuminated by the twinkling stars that beautified the inky midnight sky.

"Did I ever tell you that you are very nice?" Khushi asked, giggling and hiccupping, to which Arnav just shook his head from left to right.

"Then I must have told you that it is the first time I danced with a man!" Khushi added, with a child-like glint in her eyes.

"No, I haven't? Did I ever tell you that you have beautiful eyes and that I just feel like staring at them?" Khushi drowned her gaze in Arnav's eyes.

"Did I ever tell you that when you are near me, my heart goes Dhak Dhak?" Khushi placed Arnav's hand on her heart, and he felt the quick pace of her heartbeats.

"Why have I never told you these, Arnav?" Khushi asked Arnav and reduced the distance between them. "Why did I feel so bad today to see you with Lavanya? Why did I feel like crying? Why?" Khushi asked, cupping Arnav's face and a tear flowing down her cheek.

"Khushi!" Arnav said tenderly while wiping her tear with his thumb. It was indeed the first time Arnav saw such a vulnerable Khushi. But he couldn't stop rejoicing at the fact that a big barrier had fallen down between the two and that the foundation stone of a new relationship was being laid.

The blurry dream of the mystery girl in a saree cupping his face suddenly became more vivid in front of Arnav, and he emotionally said: "Khushi, you are the one!"

Arnav brought his hands to her face and the distance was further bridged with their lips only a gap apart. Khushi closed her eyes and Arnav traced her lips with his finger, sending shivers down her spine. She wasn't at all sure her legs were still holding her up. If Arnav hadn't been holding her, she would surely have been in a heap.

Arnav was about to seal a kiss when he realised that Khushi was not in her senses and that it would be a wrong move on his part. Instead, he just hugged Khushi in a tight embrace that was as passionate as would have been the kiss. The hug lasted for a few minutes which were purely bliss to Arnav and when he broke the hug, he noticed that Khushi had closed her eyes, the intoxication paving the way to sleepiness.

I love you Khushi, but I want to be sure of your feelings first. And tonight though indirectly, I believe that you harbour the same feelings for me, else you would have never felt so bad about Lavanya.

Half an hour later, they had reached home, with Arnav lifting a sleeping Khushi in his arms and making sure to be silent enough not to wake anyone. What answers would he have given if her family found out that Khushi had been drunk in a party where he was supposed to shield her? He climbed up the stairs on the tip of his toes, and made his way towards Khushi's room when he suddenly felt a shadow behind him. Out of panic, he just closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself to be bombarded with questions. He turned around and heaved a big sigh of relief:

"Little angel, it's you!"

"Arnie, what happened to Khushi maasi? I was waiting for her to come back…she was supposed to read me a princess story today!" Pari exclaimed.

"Pari, your Khushi maasi is very tired! Can you help me put her to sleep?" Arnav said while tucking Khushi in bed, and covering her with the bed sheet.

"Thank you angel, and please not a single word about what just happened now! It will be our little secret, okay?" Arnav expressed, lifting his hand which soon got clapped by Pari's high five.

"Good night Khushi Maasi" Pari whispered while placing a peck on her cheek. "Your turn now Arnie! Give her your goodnight kiss!"

Arnav bent towards Khushi's face, gently caressed her cheek before planting a warm kiss on her face and murmuring in her ears "Good night Khushi! I love you!" A smile appeared on Khushi's face, as if she had heard the conversation and Arnav went back to his room.

"Did I ever tell you that when you are near me, my heart goes Dhak Dhak?"

"Why did I feel so bad today to see you with Lavanya?

Why did I feel like crying?

Khushi's questions kept echoing in his mind, and Arnav promised that Khushi herself would get the answers to her questions, and that too very soon. And this was the promise of a lover!!!

PRECAP

"Arnav, I don't know what happened yesterday, I just have a vague vision! After I had the drink, I don't remember anything! Everything is blurred! Did I say anything or…do anything?" Khushi asked.

Arnav thought : "So you want to play the 'Nothing happened yesterday' game? Let's see for how long you try to hide your feelings! If you are Laad governess, then I am Arnav Singh Raizada! I am ready to play this game!"