ArHi FF: Checkmate!-T2 (completed) - Page 7

After Payal and Akaash left with the baby, an awkward silence seemed to fill the place.

"erm.. Anju, hmm its already tea time" Ashok informed trying to ease the situation.

"oh yeah.. please be seated... I will ask HP to make tea" Anjali told Sid and everyone in general

"No..No di.." Kushi called out instanly geting into her excited mood "Today I will make tea for all of you"

"oh yeah... Long time since I had your tea Kushiji..." Nk joined in

As the family and Sid moved towards the couches to settle down Kushi moved towards the kitchen. Arnav stood where he was.

"Hey Kushi" Sid called out suddenly

"yeah?"

"You are forgetting something"

"what?"

Sid rolled his eyes
"I have told you so many times Kushi...No synthetic stoles or dupattas when at kitchen"

Kushi sighed. Sid can be very over protective sometimes...
she took out her stole and tied it to her handbag and dropped it at the couch nearby..
"Happy now" she asked as she moved towards the kitchen

"Yeah.. very.." Sid called out "Oh she is very clumsy... I am always scared when she works at kitchen with her saree pallu or dupatta flying..." Sid explained as a matter of fact.

"I heard that" Kushi called out from kitchen and Sid smirked.

Arnav stood watching this scene getting acted out if he should strangle Sid or walk over the kitchen and give Kushi a good piece of his mind or walk to his room as ignore her and

give her a good measure of what she was doing.

"Chotey" Anjali called out "Why dont you join us" She asked, her eyes pleading him, to give time to understand things.

"yeah, Arnav come have a seat" Ashok invited him again.

"Hmm. No Ashok... you people carry on.. I need to pack my things..."

At that moment, the landline rang and NK picked it up. He listened into the phone for sometime, thanked the caller, kept the receiver back and then called out to Arnav.

"Nannav, you have plenty of time to pack.. so come here.. Your flight has got postponed by 8 hours. The call was from the Airport desk" NK told him

Arnav sweared under his breath. The moment that he seemed to be waiting for was finally here and it was all turning into a nightmare. His instincts still told him that Kushi was

his and they shared a bonding that no one else can break. But for some strange reason, her recent actions did not seem to go well with his instincts.

"Oh yeah... the weather was bad when we landed in the morning too"
Sid told them.. may be because of that... "So you are travelling some where ASR?" Sid was trying to be friendly, But Arnav just ignored him

"yeah he is" Nk tried to be nice to Sid, anyone good enough for his friend was his friend too. "So you reached delhi today morning itself?"

"yeah.. We had a Architects and builders conference here." Sid told him "The conference ends with a dinner party but Kushi was not that keen to attend it and so we thought we will

skip that... and moved out of there as soon as the morning session was over... and also Kushi was telling that her sister had delivered a baby... So we thought we will pay a visit

and meet her sister's family"

Arnav curled his fists when he heard them being referred to as "Kushi's sister's family" and moved menacingly towards the couches.

But Anjali guessed her brother's state of mind and quickly pulled him to sit next to her. "Calm down Chotey" She whispered hurriedly.

"How Di.. I..I dont understand whats happening.."

By that time kUshi came out carrying a tray with Tea cups and some biscuits..

"I thought of making some pakoras... but HP told me that Mamiji was on diet and gave me these biscuits instead" She informed as she started serving tea to everyone around.

"hmm.. I missed this tea so much Kushiji" NK piped in as he sipped in the tea. Kushi smiled.

"This one" She indicated as she came to Arnav his cup with sugarless tea, But he was glaring at her and didnt respond. Kushi looked back at him for a moment, sighed and then kept

his cup by the table beside at the side table and walked away to others. Arnav was angry and confused about how she could act so normal after all this as if it didnt matter to

her.

"hmm.. Kushi... the tea is really good" Ashok commented

"Thanks Ashok Ji"

"You should then taste her cooking" Sid commented "A simple Daal... would be divinely delicious.. She can do magic with her hands"

"Oh dont start it all over again Sid" Kushi muttered

"why Kushi... you are a wonderful cook. you are being modest"

"and you sound as if... you would ask to resign my job and do cooking for you"

"why not... what wouldnt I give if you agree to cook for me Kushi" Sid winked playfully

Kushi rolled her eyes
"As if I am not doing that now...you landed up at my apartment for dinner for most of the days in these last two months.."

"oh yeah... And breakfast too, sometimes...If I stayed over" Sid muttered, which didnt go unnoticed by most of them in the family. Kushi' eyes widened when Sid spelled out this,

He quickly looked at the family and then quickly added "I meant for work" Kushi nodded her head in disbelief.

"for work? at her apartment? something is fishy" Mamiji commented.

Kushi opened her mouth but closed it again... not knowing what to say. But Sid smiled at Mami...

"Nothing is fishy Mamiji... Kushi doesnt cook fish.. she is a vegetarian" He winked at Mami too which made mami to blush and turn the other way.

At that moment, Sid received a call and moved aside to take it. There was again an uneasy silence, with Arnav and Kushi again locking eyes and others wondering what is going on in

their mind. But Sid returned back quickly enough still talking over his mobile.

"Hey.. this is not fair at all... I have travelled out so many times and you never missed me and now She comes out for a day and you miss her so much eh?" they all heard Sid

speaking to someone on the other end. But what he mentioned next shocked everyone in the family.

"Ok ok.. talk to your Bhabhi now" they all heard him say as they saw him handing over his mobile to Kushi

Kushi looked at him questioningly, he mouthed "my sister"

She smiled as she took the mobile "Hey Lolipop... how are you? ..hey we saw eachother only yesterday...hahaa...ok so How is Arush doing?.. Ok...oh.. alright... How is Mom and

Dad...hmm... Ok... hey Nidhi..look I will call you later in the night alright? yeah promise ..ok..." She cut the call and gave it back to him.

This was the last straw for Arnav and he stood up in anger forcely dashing against the side table spilling the cup which was kept there for him and strode away to his room. The

family looked at his receding figure worriedly and soon heard the banging of the door.

Nani left the place saying she has a bad headache and wanted to rest. Mami followed her. Anjali was quiet upset too, that she moved from the place collecting all the cups to leave

it in the kitchen

Only Ashok and NK were left out with them. Ashok moved from there to make some calls. Kushi was still shocked looking at the spilled tea and then back at the place where Arnav had

just disappeared.

"Is he always this angry and moody" Sid whispered next to her

"I... No.. I dont understand why he is so angry.. Is he still angry that.. I didnt inform him when I left? Do you think I should go and speak to him? I feel kind of weird" she

told Sid

"Dont you know why he is Angry Kushiji?" NK asked "Why are you doing this to him? you are making him Jealous"

"Jealous?" Kushi asked

"Jealous?" Sid repeated " I should be the one who should be Jealous" Sid murmered

"Why would you be Jealous?" Kushi asked him

"You know why" Sid told her. But Kushi scrunched her eyebrows in confusion

"Because my love, was in love with him first" Sid told her as he watched her eyes widen in surprise and then her lips curving into a grin and then soon she was trying to control

her laughter

"Now now.. dont start laughing.. I know its tough to imagine me being possessive and all that.. but "

"Sid..Sid.. oh my .. do you.. I mean seriously..Oh my god I cant imagine... Sid being possesive" then she started laughing like a maniac, desperately trying to control herself. Nk

was confused what all this was about

Sid looked like he was pissed off for sometime, then he started punching her with the cushion pillows joining in the laugh

"Stop laughing now.. Jelebi.. I am serious" He said as he hit her with cushions and kushi tried to dodge those hits "Ok Sid.. I" ... "I am sorry..."... "I "..."Why do you make

me..."..."Laugh like this"..."wait till I tell..."

"No you are not telling anyone about this.." Sid all of a sudden told her in a sober mode.

This seemed to trigger Kushi's laugh further and she continued laughing in between her desperate attempts to calm herself down.

Anjali and Ashok came to see what the commotion was as did Arnav and he couldnt take it that after all that she was making him feel, Kushi was carelessly laughing and joking with

that Man.

He Strode angrily towards them and screamed at her at the top of his voice

"Stop this bakwas will you?"

The laughter and all the playful mood all vanished in an eye wink

"Arn.."Kushi started

"no dont ever mention my name... how could you stoop so low? It feels disgusting to meet you after all these days Kushi...after all these years.. I would have lived with your

memory.. why did you ever come back.." He spit out like venom.

Kushi's eyes welled up with tears and she seemed to have no clue about why Arnav was so Angry with her. But things turned from worse to worser in minutes as Sid went in between

Arnav and Kushi

"Dont ever talk to her like that" Sid glared at Arnav

Arnav caught Sid's collar and sid took Arnav's and both were ready with the other fist to punch eachother.

NK and Kushi tried and seperated them after so much struggle While Anjali and Ashok helped them.

"This is my house, I will talk however I like" Arnav spit out

"Alright.. Kushi get your bag, We are leaving" Sid spoke out with equal anger

"Sid" Kushi seemed to plead him to control himself

This authority that Sid exercised with kushi enraged Arnav further and he dashed to get a go at Sid once again. But This time Kushi was smart enough to come in between both of

them and held them in an arm's distance...

"Please calm down..." she said looking at both of them and then turned to Sid "Sid please for my sake"

Sid then seemed to contol himself and step back. His mobile rang a few seconds later and he took the call. He seemed to be a little tensed as he spoke.

"Hello...not at all tell me.. oh dont worry.. I will be there in a few minutes...no..no not yet.. I will start now"

He turned to kushi quickly ending his call

"Kushi there is some situation which needs my presence. Do you want to come with me now or wait for your sister to come back?"

"What is it Sid.. Any problem... I mean"

"No no nothing.. nothing like I cant manage...I will be back to pick you up in 2 hours... is that fine or?" he said quickly looking at Arnav and then back at Kushi

"I am fine Sid... This is my family.. I am ok..."

"you sure? Ok.. If I am not able to come in 2 hours.. I will call you ok?"

Sid walked towards the exit, quickly nodding a farewell to Ashok and Nk

"Ok.. and you be careful... And let me know if.."

"No no, everything is alright Kushi.. you dont worry.." he quickly assured her and then he was gone.

Kushi kept looking at the exit door for a moment after Sid left and slowly turned and looked at Arnav

"Arna..."

but Arnav didnt seem to bother about her and quickly took the stairs and a little later banged the bedroom door behind him.

To be continued...