Chapter 4
"You have done your bachelors in?"
"English" Khushi smiled politely at the two ladies sitting across her.
"What do you at home now?" the second lady asked.
"Help mom around the house and the rest of the time I like to be alone"
Garima stiffened at the latter part.
"Oh okay. Do you have personal hobbies?"
"Yes at the moment I write" Khushi answered.
They didnt seem weird or bad at all. Genuinely interested, had not really asked any too nosy questions and looked decent enough.
"Khushi beta can you pour us tea?" Garima asked sweetly.
"Yes"
Khushi obediently got up and served the guests snacks as they checked her out from top to bottom, their gazes stopping at her chest and hips a bit more than necessary.
"Do you cook?"
"Oh yes yes her food is amazing" Garima answered for her.
"Really? Kishore loves food" the first lady exclaimed.
From that point onwards it was all Kishore this, Kishore that, Kishore oh my god and the entire time Khushi sat with a fixed smile listening and faking interest.
Finally the ladies were leaving, they turned to Garima and said, "well Garima ji, we really liked your daughter. Kishore already said yes, if you people say so too then we can go ahead. The boy and the girl can also meet and talk to each other..."
"Of course! Of course! It's a yes from us as well" Garima gushed while Khushi's heart stopped beating.
~~~
"He has nothing going on with Lavanya" Akash said flipping the page of the newspaper.
"I know" his wife flipped through the tv channels.
"Are you going to talk to him?"
"About what?"
"He is capable to have something going on just so he could get dadaji off his back" Akash put the newspaper down and looked at Anjali seriously.
"Yeah dadaji does bother him a lot"
"Then talk to dadaji"
"Why do I have to do the talking?"
"Cause you are close to them both and they like you..."
"Lavanya and Arnav are from the same social group, thats it. Even if they do decide to give relationship a try, Im disappointed to be sure it wont work out. Let them figure it out themselves, if not Arnav then Lavanya will and no matter what kind of girl she is, she will care about her life" Anjali explained.
"Arnav needs to stop soon. Its really not correct anymore" Akash worried.
"When he finds the girl he will stop" Anjali smiled.
"Oh Anji, this is not a movie. Everything does not happen romantically. What if he learns it the hard way?" he put his arm around her, bringing her closer.
"Arnav is no weakling, if that happens, he will come out stronger and hopefully smarter. And you are the sappiest person I have ever seen, you are telling me not everything revolves around romance?"
"Hmm whatever. You know you love sappy me" he kissed her neck.
"Not here Akash! Anyone can walk in..." she closed her eyes.
"Jaan, only you are capable of walking in on people" he murmered trailings his lips along her jaw.
"We were talking about Arnav, how did that turn into this?"
"We are still talking about him. I want you to look around for him. Not seriously, just keep an eye out for decent girls"
"I will but first can we go to our room?" she cupped his face, kissing him soundly.
He didnt take a second to get up and run to his room, pulling her along.
~~~
"Papa! When was it yes from our side?" asked Khushi exasperatedly.
"Khushi beta, I said it on the whim but whats wrong, they're such good people, the boy is good, has a good job and looks good. What else do you want?" Garima pateintly asked her daughter.
She wasnt going to let her back off this proposal. Every mother is desperate to get their daughters married off, so is she.
"Listen Khushi give it a try. Know that nobody is going to force you to marry him. Meet up, get to know him. If you dont like him then we wont go any further" Shashi made a a deal.
"Fine" she sighed.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Aman asked.
Him and Payal had been quietly sitting and watching the family deal with the situation.
"No its fine"
"No! You cant go alone Khushi, I wont allow that" Garima made it clear.
"Okay we'll go" Payal finished it off.
~~~
There she was, across from him sitting alone at the table, in orange color, regular shalwar kameez, with some work over the front. Her hair was open and parted over her shoulders, and bangs swiped behind her ear on one side. Her already big eyes and full lips were definitely more enhanced by eyeliner and gloss, thats all, not too much of anything.
He liked that.
She had a bored expression on her face. She asked for a third glass of water. Clearly was waiting for someone to show up…boyfriend, no…she didn't look like a dating type. Brother…no…would have given up the wait long back…professional…no, she was dressed too pretty for that. Ahh… first time meeting, it all fit.
This was going to be fun.
Arnav sat in his chair; his back leaned on the back of the chair, one hand playing with the fork and the other with the liquid in the glass, amusement in eyes and a smirk on his lips.
"Dad was saying something about calling your family and you over for dinner sometime" Lavanya spoke a bit loudly to get the man in front hers' attention.
"Arnav?"
She saw his gaze on some one behind her; she turned her neck to see who it was and saw nothing interesting.
Arnav bit his tongue to avoid snapping at his date tonight. She had turned her head and blocked his view of the man who approached his girl of interest.
"That would be nice Lavanya" he replied with a hint of irritancy in his tone.
Now Lavanya's head and the head behind their table were blocking the man completely.
He watched her make polite conversation with a smile and a nod now and then. Her posture was stiff...and uncomfortable?
He distracted Lavanya showing her some new makeup brand on the phone as he kept his eyes on the girl.
Soon as his rakish thoughts of going up to her and creating a drama occurred his mind, they got up to leave.
He stared as the man held her hand and they walked out of the restaurant.
Moti…pretty moti was getting married?
~~~
When did Delhi become a small world she thought as she hurried her footsteps out of the restaurant.
It was her who had chosen the place and now she had to make up a lame excuse to get out because of him. The nerve of the guy to stare like that.
It was a totally different thing she didnt want this to work but she didnt want the reason to be some boy who really didnt exist. So before Kishore could notice him she made a quick dash out of there.
"I apologize again for that..."
"No its fine. We can go elsewhere" Kishore smiled at her.
"Thanks" she smiled back.
"My car is on the other side of the road, we got to cross"
"Ok"
"Hey girlfriend!"
They were starting to cross when the voice that stopped them scared Khushi more than a car about to run over her would have.
She silent prayed to Devi Maiyya. She didnt know this stranger at all and had not even observed him to figure if he was from a decent background or not.
She turned around slowly to face him with a cautious mind.
"You need to stop leaving your things behind" he grinned and shoved the bag in her arm.
"T-thanks" Khushi said in a relief and thought she was too quick to judge him.
"No problem. Have fun, I'll see you later" he pecked her on the cheek, winked at her and left without another word or glance or her reply.
Her eyes popped out and world went still.
Kishore was the first thing on her mind after the shock was over. She looked at him ready to explain but his expression told her not to.
"I will drop off you home"
"Kishore that..I..."
"You dont need to explain yourself" he said curtly.
"I need to explain because all that was I have no idea what" she exclaimed.
"Yeah okay. Come on now. I dont want to hear anything"
"You have to hear me out"
"Fine. Find yourself a ride" he said that and stormed off.
Khushi couldnt believe it. The man, jerkface left her on the road all by herself.
She called Payal who was probably eating right now at a nearby place. That was also her plan. She now had to go through this crap for not listening to her mom.
As she went over the five minute incident in her head, she ran back inside the restaurant to find that idiot.
He was gone.
Tum Se Tum Tak
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