I AGREE 2 U...SMITZY,DON'T DO THIS 2 US...CONTINUE ALL OF UR FICTION😊Originally posted by: Shree.Nanda
smita dear, we r already dying plzzz don't kill us more by saying that u'll stop your wonderful ff's.
the ph is already breaking our hearts.BUT AS A FELLOW WRITER I WANT TO SAY THAT LETS BE STRONG HEARTED N CONTINUE OUR STORIES SO THAT THE ARSHI MAGIC LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS N IN INDIA FORUMS.
[Raizada Mansion, later in the evening]
Khushi and Payal walk in through the main door of Shantivan, clutching numerous bags in their hands and talking nineteen to a dozen with each other. Khushi laughs loud at something Payal is saying. HP immediately rushed to the sisters and takes their bags from them, relieving them from their burden.
"Khushi ji, Payal bhabhi, aapke liye paani le aaun?" he asks keeping the bags on the sofa in the lounge. Both the sisters nod in reply. Just then Aakash walks down the stairs and joins them.
"Arre wah! Kya baat hai. Poora Chandni Chowk khareed laye kya aap dono?" he wonders looking at the various bags. Khushi giggles while Payal smiles embarrassedly. "Waise mere liye kya aya hai?" he asks Payal.
"Aapke liye to Jeeji ne kuch special liya hai, jeeja ji," Khushi suddenly blurts as she looks at her sister teasingly. "Kyun jeeji? Tum jeeja ji ko apne saath leke jao na. Apna tohfa unko apne kamre ke ekaant mein dena theek rahega, nahin?" Khushi asks cheekily making Payal blush a deep red. Aakash merely looks amused at seeing his wife's reaction to Khushi's suggestive words.
"Achha to chalein? I can't wait for it," he mischievously says to Payal, rubbing his hands in glee. Khushi bursts into peals of laughter. Payal smacks her back admonishingly but picks up her share of bags and accompanies Aakash to their room.
"Aakash, aapne humara message to dekh liya tha na?" Payal whispers to Aakash as they start walking up the stairs. He smiles back at her.
"Haan Payal. Aur maine painters ko bula kar Bhai ko poore afternoon busy rakha hai. Ab bas Khushi ji unke pool side pahunch jayein kisi tarah," he replies winking at his wife.
"Par woh kaise? I mean, usne to mujhe aapke saath upar bhej diya hai," Payal wonders confusedly, but Aakash goes on smiling.
"Dekha, meri saali ko mera kitna khayal hai? Woh bhi chahti hai ki unki jeeji apne jeeja ji ke sath time spend kare," he replies flirtatiously. Payal smiles shyly at him. "Aur Khushiji ko poolside tak pahunchane ka kaam ab hum nahin NK Bhai karenge," he adds. Payal again looks confused.
"NK Bhai? Woh Khushi ko poolside kyun leke jayenge?" she asks. Aakash just takes Payal's hand and wraps it in the hollow of his arm reassuringly.
"Let's just say, ki NK Bhai ko Khushi ji ke expert advice ki bahut zaroorat hai," he replies conspiratorially. They both smile understanding the hidden meaning behind Aakash's words and continue walking towards their room.
Damn, they were getting pretty good at this!
Back in the sitting lounge, Khushi is sitting on the huge creme sofa browsing through a magazine while having a huge smile on her face. She was glad for an afternoon well spent. She'd gone on a shopping spree with her sister after a long long time and she was more than satisfied with their bounty of plundering the shops of Chandni Chowk. Moreover, she'd finally had the parathas and jalebis to her heart's content. And best of all, her conversation with Payal had finally cleared her head about what she was going to reply to Arnav's proposal.
Suddenly she hears the sounds of footsteps thundering down the stairs. Instinctively she gazes up from the magazine and looks up at a panting and puffing NK standing in front of her clutching his sides as he struggles to breathe. She stands up and holds his shoulder at an arm's length.
"Nanhe ji? Aap theek to hain?" Khushi asks staring at NK crouched over still motioning with his hands that he was breathless. Just then HP walks to them carrying a tray bearing two glasses of water. Khushi immediately thrusts one into NK's hands. NK quickly gulps down the water.
"Khushi ji!" he pants, "mujhe aapse bahut important baat karni hai. Nandini ji ke bare mein." Khushi straightens up raising her eyebrow enquiringly. As soon as NK resumes breathing normally, he quickly peers over his shoulder. He hears Mamiji's distant exclaims of "Hello hi" and immediately takes Khushi by her hand and drags her first up the stairs and then crossing the entire expanse of the first floor, he walks down the staircase next to the poolside by Arnav's room.
"Nanhe ji!" Khushi exclaims as she realises they were standing in the dragon's lair. "Ye to Arnavji ke kamre ka poolside hai!" she says worriedly peering into the french windows of his room which was dark.
"Haan Khushiji, main janta hun," NK replies. "But Nannav abhi diwali ke painters ke saath busy hai. So hum dono ko koi disturb nahin karega," he explains patiently. Khushi turns to look at him, not looking entirely reassured with his explanation.
"Khushi ji," NK resumes taking a deep breath. "I did it." Khushi stares at him confusedly.
"Kya kar diya?" she asks him.
"Maine Nandini ji ke school gaya tha, like you suggested," he replies. Khushi's confusion clears up instantly and she looks at NK excitedly.
"Arre wah! To aapne Nandini ji ko phool diye?" she asks him impatiently. NK smiles at her shyly.
"Haan Khushi ji. Aapne theek kaha tha, ye sab kitna filmy hai!" he exclaims happily. Khushi claps her hands together and smiles gleefully.
"Hai na? Humne to kaha hi tha aapse, Nanhe ji! To kya kya hua? Hawa chali? Chaaron taraf andhera hua, aur uss andhere mein se sirf Nandini ji hi dikhi?" Khushi enquires, motioning with her hands as a dreamy looks comes on her face.
NK too looks away in the distance as he imagines himself in the school corridor again. "Pehle to zor se wind chali," he murmurs and dreams that in the dimly lit corridor, a gust of air blows from Nandini's direction, "phir Nandini ji mere direction mein dheere dhere aayi," he dreams Nandini walking in slow motion biting her finger in nervousness while smiling coyly the entire time. Khushi in the meantime looks mighty pleased with the way NK is explaining his experience.
"Aur phir, maine unko flowers diye," he imagines himself giving Nandini the flowers upon which she dramatically covered her awestruck wide open mouth and took it from him. "Aur phir woh mere paas aayi aur maine unko..." NK wraps his arms around himself to show he's enveloping an invisible Nandini in a passionate embrace. Khushi suddenly snaps out of her trance and stares at NK. Then as she realises what he was doing, she walks next to him and taps on his shoulder. NK too comes out of his dazed daydream and looks sideways at Khushi who was now glaring at him with her hands on her hips. He smiles sheepishly at her.
"Acha to ye sab hua? Ye Bollywood ka andaaz to bilkul bhi nahi lag raha hai Nanhe ji, haan shayad angrezi filmon mein aisa hota hai," she mutters admonishingly. NK pinches his ear lobe apologetically.
"Sorry, Khushi ji, woh main thoda sa... mehak gaya tha," he mumbles.
"Mehak nahin behak gaya the aap, Nanhe ji," Khushi corrects him exasperatedly. "Achha khair, ye bataiye, ki phool lene ke baad aapne kya kiya? Unse milne ke bare mein kaha? Ya phir chai ke liye poocha?" she asks him, the excitement slowly returning in her voice. This time however, NK looks crestfallen.
"Kahan Khushi ji. Mere aur kuch poochne se pehle woh apni class ke liye chali gayi," he mumbles morosely. Khushi too looks disappointed. She walks to NK and pats him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Unke saamne ja kar to mere words pata nahin kahan disappear ho jate hain. Like magic! Whoosh! Main unse date ke liye kaise poochunga Khushiji?" he mutters despairingly. Khushi ponders over her answer. After a moment she clicks her fingers excitedly.
"Idea! Nanhe ji, aap unse kuch keh nahin sakte hain, par unhe chithhi to likh sakte hain na?" she says, her eyes glinting in excitement. NK's face too breaks into a huge smile.
"You mean like a love letter? Kya idea diya hai Khushi ji!" he exclaims. Khushi again looks very pleased with herself. "I'll tell you what, main abhi pen aur paper leke aata hun. Aap jab tak yahan ho, letter likhne mein meri help karna, please Khushiji!" he says imploringly. Khushi smiles at him affectionately.
"Haan zaroor Nanhe ji. Hum inkaar thodi kar sakte hain. Hum yahin aapka intezaar karenge," Khushi replies reassuringly and NK rushes back up the staircase behind the pool towards his room to get the stationary to write the letter to Nandini.
Just then, Arnav walks into his room.
[Anjali's room]
Anjali has been walking around the poolside next to her room staring at the nook and corners and the walls to ascertain areas that would need a fresh coat of paint and any other repairs. She had identified the wooden staircase at the back having some wood chip off at places. That would need to be fixed. Just as she starts walking back towards her room, she feels something tugging at her pallu from behind. She halts and turns around to see which crevice had her pallu got stuck in.
To her surprise it wasn't a crack but something solid protruding out from the side of a potted plant kept by the staircase. Her curiosity perking up, she leans towards it. She notices a shiny silver round head at its front angled towards the whole of the poolside. There were small glass protrusions on the surface which looked like tiny bulbs. Her eyes suddenly widen as she realises what it was. She was being watched! But how? She cautiously straightens and looks all around the poolside, her heart beating panickingly.
Suddenly, she takes determined steps towards her room. "Hari Prakash ji? HARI PRAKASH JI?" she yells loudly.
[Arnav's room]
Arnav walks inside his room in a rush and walks straight to the restroom annoyedly. He'd just spent an angry half hour discussing the rates for the painting of Shantivan for the impending Diwali season. The rates seem to hike up year after year and of course without any transparency of where the money was intended to be spent. What a pity he couldn't call Aman to haggle with the painters. I should implement a tender system from the next system, Arnav thinks to himself as he walks out of the restroom wiping his face on the towel.
He suddenly stops dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in absolute shock, for sitting just across him on the recliner by the pool was Khushi Kumari Gupta. Am I dreaming? Is the first thought that flits across Arnav's mind. He had been trying to call her since over a day and there she was - sitting in front of him, fidgeting with her dupatta disinterestedly. He watched dazedly as the reflection from the ripples on the water of the pool played hide and seek on her face. What is she doing here? He wonders curiously.
[Anjali's room]
HP rushes to the poolside where Anjali is standing looking very worried.
"Anjali Didi, aapne bulaya?" HP asks. Anjali turns to look at him, assuming a deadpan expression on her face and steeled her nerves.
"Hari Prakash ji. Aap hamare liye ek kaam karenge?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly as the plan starts formulating in her mind. HP nods in reply. "Aap zara ghar ka mains supply band karenge?" she asks. HP looks at her in confusion.
"Mains supply?" he repeats as if seeking clarity about what she was asking him to do. Anjali nods her head vigourously.
"Band kar dijiye. Bas 10 minute ke liye. Humein... humein kuch check karna hai," Anjali murmurs incoherently.
"Theek hai Anjali didi," HP replies still confused and leaves the room.
Anjali nervously steals a glance towards the place where she had seen the thing. If it indeed was what she thought it was, then the bulbs on its surface would definitely glow in the darkness. And hopefully she'd get to see how many more of those things were placed all around her.
[Arnav's room]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKHfiWPPzmE[/YOUTUBE]
A gust of wind slowly blows from nowhere as Arnav watches Khushi from the darkness of his room. His breathing hikes up, just by seeing her flicking her hair away from her face. Just a simple and innocent gesture like that was enough to make him frenetic. What was about her that made his heart race like a silly teenager?
Khushi stills in her seat as she feels the breeze caress her face. Unexplicably, her heart beats too start racing. She raises her head slowly and looks around her. But she doesn't see anyone; she's sitting by the poolside all alone. Why then was she feeling suddenly conscious? Why was she getting slightly restless now?
Arnav cautiously steps out of the shadows of the room. It's time to face her, to ask her. It's time to claims her as his own. He couldn't wait anymore.
Khushi bows her head down, fiddling with the engagement ring on the ring finger of her right hand. She still hadn't come around wearing it on the right finger yet.
Arnav pauses for a moment, as if unsure how to go about it. He remembers the last time he was in his room when he had asked her. And she had thrown him out the window for a response. He smirks.
Khushi thinks back to the time Arnav had knelt on the floor and offered her the ring, the way his caramel eyes had looked at her beseechingly for a response. And then she'd thrown her out of the window. She smiles.
"Khushi?" he murmurs cautiously. Khushi's eyes smile stops abruptly and her eyes widen.
Dhad dhad... dhad dhad... dhad dhad...
She looks sideways, towards the direction his voice had come from. Arnav emerges from the dark confines of his room. Khushi unsteadily gets to her feet, shock still written all over her eyes. Arnavji to yahan nahin the... she thinks nervously and starts fiddling with her dupatta again.
"Hi..." he whispers huskily. She stares at him, her heart racing erratically.
"H...hi," she stutters back, her voice wavering slightly. He suddenly takes a step towards her.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?" he asks her as he walks closer. Khushi's gaze flits to his feet moving towards her and she takes a step back.
"Woh... hum... hum jeeji ke saath..." she mumbles, having no idea what she was saying. Arnav smirks at her.
"Main kal raat se tumse baat karne ki koshish kar raha tha," he says conversationally. One step towards her.
"A...achha?" Khushi stutters. One step back from him.
"Shayad tum bhool gayi, par maine tumse kal raat kuch poocha tha," he murmurs. Another step towards her. Khushi gulps.
"N...nahin, hum bhoole nahin hain," she whispers back. One more step back from him... and she hits the wall. She looks at the wall behind her flusteredly. Now she was thoroughly cornered. She looks back at Arnav in alarm as he covers the distance between them in hasty steps and stands in front of her, his faces inches away from hers.
"Oh okay," he whispers huskily. "To, kya jawaab hai tumhara?" Khushi bows her head, her gaze wandering everywhere on the floor, her breath hiking up again. Closing in near the nape of her neck, Arnav murmurs, "Khushi?"
She closes her eyes as listening to his voice whispering so close to her sends shivers running down her body. "Arnavji, hum..."
And suddenly the lights go off.
Khushi looks around feeling slightly restless in the darkness enveloping her from all sides. Listening to her ragged breathing and faint gasps of uneasiness, Arnav slowly withdraws from her. He is surprised with the sudden darkness that the house seems to have been drowned in.
"Lagta hai mains trip ho gaya hai," he murmurs looking towards his room. "Khushi tum yahin ruko. Main dekh ke aata hun," he says and starts to turns around when Khushi fumbles in the darkness and finds his hand. She grasps it tightly in her own hands.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcGUljxwD94[/YOUTUBE]
"Nahin!" she exclaims panickingly. "Aap mat jaiye," she implores, looking wildly around her. "Humein andhere se bahut darr lagta hai Arnavji," she mumbles almost tearfully. Arnav looks in her direction and immediately pulls her towards him and envelops him in a reassuring hug.
"Shhh..." he whispers gently. "Theek hai, main kahin nahin ja raha hun, Khushi. Relax," Arnav mumbles caressing her head. Khushi wraps her arms around Arnav's back thankfully. The both stand like that, enveloped in each other's arms as the gentle moonlight now bathes the poolside in its soft glow. Their heartbeats start beating in tandem, as they always did whenever they were so close to each other. It was truly magical.
Then the lights come back on.
Khushi slowly pries herself from the hug, her face blushing slightly. She peers up at Arnav's face which is gazing down at her serenely, although his eyes are searching hers for his answer. Suddenly the breeze picks up again making Khushi's fringe of hair blow up on to her face. She raises her right hand and slowly brushes the hair away from her face. Arnav's gaze falls on the diamond ring glinting from the ring finger of her raised hand and his eyes widen.
Just as Khushi starts to withdraw from him, he places his hand on her waist and pulls her closer. She crashes on to his chest and looks up at him with surprised eyes. Her heart leaps as she sees the extreme happiness that was now reflecting in his eyes. He holds her right hand up to their eye level with his left hand and motions with his head to look at her fingers. Khushi turns her head sideways and looks at her fingers. Suddenly she realises what Arnav was trying to show her. A flush creeps up her face again. Arnav smiles widely at her.
"Tch tch.Tumne ring galat finger mein pehni hai Khushi," he points out and slowly eases out the engagement ring from the ring finger. Then he lifts up her right hand to his lips and kisses her ring finger tenderly. "I believe iski sahi jagah yahan hai," he says but raising his brows enquiringly at her, as if still waiting for her response.
Khushi suddenly feels light headed. This was it, the moment of truth. She nods her head. Arnav's smile widens.
"So, Ms. Khushi Kumari Gupta. Kya aap phir se Mrs. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada banengi?" he asks sweetly, the ring hovering just an inch away from her finger.
"Haan," Khushi mumbles shyly. Arnav slowly eases her engagement ring on the ring finger of her left hand. The place where it rightfully belonged.
Arnav wraps his hand around Khushi's and squeezes it gently. Then closing in, he gently kisses her forehead. Khushi closes her eyes happily and rests her head on Arnav's chest, her head covering the hollow of his neck. Arnav again wraps his arms around Khushi and the two of them stand there, wrapped in there cocoon of absolute bliss.
Finally they were home.
[Raizada Mansion, later in the evening]
Khushi and Payal walk in through the main door of Shantivan, clutching numerous bags in their hands and talking nineteen to a dozen with each other. Khushi laughs loud at something Payal is saying. HP immediately rushed to the sisters and takes their bags from them, relieving them from their burden.
"Khushi ji, Payal bhabhi, should I get you some water?" he asks keeping the bags on the sofa in the lounge. Both the sisters nod in reply. Just then Aakash walks down the stairs and joins them.
"Ohh nice! This looks good. Did you buy the whole of Chandni Chowk?" he wonders looking at the various bags. Khushi giggles while Payal smiles embarrassedly. "By the way what have you got for me?" he asks Payal.
"Jeeji has brought you something very special, jeeja ji," Khushi suddenly blurts as she looks at her sister teasingly. "Right jeeji? Why don't you take jeeja ji with you? You can give him his gift in your room, right?" Khushi asks cheekily making Payal blush a deep red. Aakash merely looks amused at seeing his wife's reaction to Khushi's suggestive words.
"So, shall we? I can't wait for it," he mischievously says to Payal, rubbing his hands in glee. Khushi bursts into peals of laughter. Payal smacks her back admonishingly but picks up her share of bags and accompanies Aakash to their room.
"Aakash, did you get my message on time?" Payal whispers to Aakash as they start walking up the stairs. He smiles back at her.
"Yeah Payal. And I had the painters come over and that has been keeping bhai busy all afternoon. Now we just need Khushiji to reach his poolside," he replies winking at his wife.
"But how? I mean, she has sent me upstairs with you," Payal wonders confusedly, but Aakash goes on smiling.
"See how considerate my little sister-in-law is? She too wants that her dear jeeji shold spend some time with her jeeja ji," he replies flirtatiously. Payal smiles shyly at him. "And the task to take Khushiji to the poolside will not be done by us, but by NK Bhai," he adds. Payal again looks confused.
"NK Bhai? But why would he take Khushi to the poolside?" she asks. Aakash just takes Payal's hand and wraps it in the hollow of his arm reassuringly.
"Let's just say, NK Bhai needs Khushi ji's expert advice desperately," he replies conspiratorially. They both smile understanding the hidden meaning behind Aakash's words and continue walking towards their room.
Damn, they were getting pretty good at this!
Back in the sitting lounge, Khushi is sitting on the huge creme sofa browsing through a magazine while having a huge smile on her face. She was glad for an afternoon well spent. She'd gone on a shopping spree with her sister after a long long time and she was more than satisfied with their bounty of plundering the shops of Chandni Chowk. Moreover, she'd finally had the parathas and jalebis to her heart's content. And best of all, her conversation with Payal had finally cleared her head about what she was going to reply to Arnav's proposal.
Suddenly she hears the sounds of footsteps thundering down the stairs. Instinctively she gazes up from the magazine and looks up at a panting and puffing NK standing in front of her clutching his sides as he struggles to breathe. She stands up and holds his shoulder at an arm's length.
"Nanhe ji? Are you alright?" Khushi asks staring at NK crouched over still motioning with his hands that he was breathless. Just then HP walks to them carrying a tray bearing two glasses of water. Khushi immediately thrusts one into NK's hands. NK quickly gulps down the water.
"Khushi ji!" he pants, "I've to talk to you about something very urgently. About Nandini ji." Khushi straightens up raising her eyebrow enquiringly. As soon as NK resumes breathing normally, he quickly peers over his shoulder. He hears Mamiji's distant exclaims of "Hello hi" and immediately takes Khushi by her hand and drags her first up the stairs and then crossing the entire expanse of the first floor, he walks down the staircase next to the poolside by Arnav's room.
"Nanhe ji!" Khushi exclaims as she realises they were standing in the dragon's lair. "this is Arnavji's poolside!" she says worriedly peering into the french windows of his room which was dark.
"Yes Khushiji, I know," NK replies. "But Nannav is currently busy with the diwali painters. So no one will disturb us for now," he explains patiently. Khushi turns to look at him, not looking entirely reassured with his explanation.
"Khushi ji," NK resumes taking a deep breath. "I did it." Khushi stares at him confusedly.
"What did you do?" she asks him.
"I went to Nandini ji's school, like you suggested," he replies. Khushi's confusion clears up instantly and she looks at NK excitedly.
"Brilliant! So you gave her the flowers?" she asks him impatiently. NK smiles at her shyly.
"Yes Khushi ji. You were right. All this is so filmy!" he exclaims happily. Khushi claps her hands together and smiles gleefully.
"Isn't it? I told you so, Nanhe ji! So then what happened? Did the wind blow? Did Nandini ji shine like a beacon of light from the darkness?" Khushi enquires, motioning with her hands as a dreamy looks comes on her face.
NK too looks away in the distance as he imagines himself in the school corridor again. "First the wind blew hard," he murmurs and dreams that in the dimly lit corridor, a gust of air blows from Nandini's direction, "then Nandini ji walked closer towards my direction," he dreams Nandini walking in slow motion biting her finger in nervousness while smiling coyly the entire time. Khushi in the meantime looks mighty pleased with the way NK is explaining his experience.
"And then I gave her the flowers," he imagines himself giving Nandini the flowers upon which she dramatically covered her awestruck wide open mouth and took it from him. "and then she came closer to me and I..." NK wraps his arms around himself to show he's enveloping an invisible Nandini in a passionate embrace. Khushi suddenly snaps out of her trance and stares at NK. Then as she realises what he was doing, she walks next to him and taps on his shoulder. NK too comes out of his dazed daydream and looks sideways at Khushi who was now glaring at him with her hands on her hips. He smiles sheepishly at her.
"Right, so all this happened huh? This doesn't seem at all like Bollywood movies, I guess this happens in the foreign movies Nanhe ji," she mutters admonishingly. NK pinches his ear lobe apologetically.
"Sorry, Khushi ji, I just got... mehak (smell) on the way," he mumbles.
"Not mehak (smell), behak (disillusioned), Nanhe ji," Khushi corrects him exasperatedly. "Anyway, tell me what happened after you gave her the flowers? Did you ask her about meeting you? Or did you ask her out for coffee?" she asks him, the excitement slowly returning in her voice. This time however, NK looks crestfallen.
"No Khushi ji. Before I could ask her anything else, she went off to her class," he mumbles morosely. Khushi too looks disappointed. She walks to NK and pats him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Standing before her the words all disappear out of my mouth. Like magic! Whoosh! How will I ask her for a date Khushiji?" he mutters despairingly. Khushi ponders over her answer. After a moment she clicks her fingers excitedly.
"Idea! Nanhe ji, you can't say anything to her, but you can write to her can't you?" she says, her eyes glinting in excitement. NK's face too breaks into a huge smile.
"You mean like a love letter? What an idea Khushi ji!" he exclaims. Khushi again looks very pleased with herself. "I'll tell you what, I'll go and get the pen and paper. Till the time you are here, you can help me to write the letter, please Khushiji!" he says imploringly. Khushi smiles at him affectionately.
"Yes sure, Nanhe ji. How can I say no? I'll wait for you right here," Khushi replies reassuringly and NK rushes back up the staircase behind the pool towards his room to get the stationary to write the letter to Nandini.
Just then, Arnav walks into his room.
[Anjali's room]
Anjali has been walking around the poolside next to her room staring at the nook and corners and the walls to ascertain areas that would need a fresh coat of paint and any other repairs. She had identified the wooden staircase at the back having some wood chip off at places. That would need to be fixed. Just as she starts walking back towards her room, she feels something tugging at her pallu from behind. She halts and turns around to see which crevice had her pallu got stuck in.
To her surprise it wasn't a crack but something solid protruding out from the side of a potted plant kept by the staircase. Her curiosity perking up, she leans towards it. She notices a shiny silver round head at its front angled towards the whole of the poolside. There were small glass protrusions on the surface which looked like tiny bulbs. Her eyes suddenly widen as she realises what it was. She was being watched! But how?She cautiously straightens and looks all around the poolside, her heart beating panickingly.
Suddenly, she takes determined steps towards her room. "Hari Prakash ji? HARI PRAKASH JI?" she yells loudly.
[Arnav's room]
Arnav walks inside his room in a rush and walks straight to the restroom annoyedly. He'd just spent an angry half hour discussing the rates for the painting of Shantivan for the impending Diwali season. The rates seem to hike up year after year and of course without any transparency of where the money was intended to be spent. What a pity he couldn't call Aman to haggle with the painters. I should implement a tender system from the next system, Arnav thinks to himself as he walks out of the restroom wiping his face on the towel.
He suddenly stops dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in absolute shock, for sitting just across him on the recliner by the pool was Khushi Kumari Gupta. Am I dreaming? Is the first thought that flits across Arnav's mind. He had been trying to call her since over a day and there she was - sitting in front of him, fidgeting with her dupatta disinterestedly. He watched dazedly as the reflection from the ripples on the water of the pool played hide and seek on her face. What is she doing here? He wonders curiously.
[Anjali's room]
HP rushes to the poolside where Anjali is standing looking very worried.
"Anjali Didi, you called me?" HP asks. Anjali turns to look at him, assuming a deadpan expression on her face and steeled her nerves.
"Hari Prakash ji. Will you do something for me?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly as the plan starts formulating in her mind. HP nods in reply. "Will you turn off the house's mains supply for some time?" she asks. HP looks at her in confusion.
"Mains supply?" he repeats as if seeking clarity about what she was asking him to do. Anjali nods her head vigourously.
"turn it off. Only for 10 minutes. I... I need to check something," Anjali murmurs incoherently.
"Okay Anjali didi," HP replies still confused and leaves the room.
Anjali nervously steals a glance towards the place where she had seen the thing. If it indeed was what she thought it was, then the bulbs on its surface would definitely glow in the darkness. And hopefully she'd get to see how many more of those things were placed all around her.
[Arnav's room]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKHfiWPPzmE[/YOUTUBE]
A gust of wind slowly blows from nowhere as Arnav watches Khushi from the darkness of his room. His breathing hikes up, just by seeing her flicking her hair away from her face. Just a simple and innocent gesture like that was enough to make him frenetic. What was about her that made his heart race like a silly teenager?
Khushi stills in her seat as she feels the breeze caress her face. Unexplicably, her heart beats start racing. She raises her head slowly and looks around her. But she doesn't see anyone; she's sitting by the poolside all alone. Why then was she feeling suddenly conscious? Why was she getting slightly restless now?
Arnav cautiously steps out of the shadows of the room. It's time to face her, to ask her. It's time to claims her as his own. He couldn't wait anymore.
Khushi bows her head down, fiddling with the engagement ring on the ring finger of her right hand. She still hadn't come around wearing it on the right finger yet.
Arnav pauses for a moment, as if unsure how to go about it. He remembers the last time he was in his room when he had asked her. And she had thrown him out the window for a response. He smirks.
Khushi thinks back to the time Arnav had knelt on the floor and offered her the ring, the way his caramel eyes had looked at her beseechingly for a response. And then she'd thrown her out of the window. She smiles.
"Khushi?" he murmurs cautiously. Khushi's eyes smile stops abruptly and her eyes widen.
Dhad dhad... dhad dhad... dhad dhad...
She looks sideways, towards the direction his voice had come from. Arnav emerges from the dark confines of his room. Khushi unsteadily gets to her feet, shock still written all over her eyes. Arnavji wasn't supposed to be here... she thinks nervously and starts fiddling with her dupatta again.
"Hi..." he whispers huskily. She stares at him, her heart racing erratically.
"H...hi," she stutters back, her voice wavering slightly. He suddenly takes a step towards her.
"what are you doing here?" he asks her as he walks closer. Khushi's gaze flits to his feet moving towards her and she takes a step back.
"Uhm... I... I came with jeeji..." she mumbles, having no idea what she was saying. Arnav smirks at her.
"I've been trying to reach you since last night," he says conversationally. One step towards her.
"R...really?" Khushi stutters. One step back from him.
"I guess it slipped your mind, but I had asked you something last night," he murmurs. Another step towards her. Khushi gulps.
"N...no, it didn't slip my mind," she whispers back. One more step back from him... and she hits the wall. She looks at the wall behind her flusteredly. Now she was thoroughly cornered. She looks back at Arnav in alarm as he covers the distance between them in hasty steps and stands in front of her, his faces inches away from hers.
"Oh okay," he whispers huskily. "So, what's your answer then?" Khushi bows her head, her gaze wandering everywhere on the floor, her breath hiking up again. Closing in near the nape of her neck, Arnav murmurs, "Khushi?"
She closes her eyes as listening to his voice whispering so close to her sends shivers running down her body. "Arnavji, I..."
And suddenly the lights go off.
Khushi looks around feeling slightly restless in the darkness enveloping her from all sides. Listening to her ragged breathing and faint gasps of uneasiness, Arnav slowly withdraws from her. He is surprised with the sudden darkness that the house seems to have been drowned in.
"I guess the mains have tripped," he murmurs looking towards his room. "Khushi stay here, I'll go and check it out," he says and starts to turns around when Khushi fumbles in the darkness and finds his hand. She grasps it tightly in her own hands.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcGUljxwD94[/YOUTUBE]
"No!" she exclaims panickingly. "Don't go," she implores, looking wildly around her. "I'm really scared of darkness Arnavji," she mumbles almost tearfully. Arnav looks in her direction and immediately pulls her towards him and envelops him in a reassuring hug.
"Shhh..." he whispers gently. "Okay, I'm not going anywhere, Khushi. Relax," Arnav mumbles caressing her head. Khushi wraps her arms around Arnav's back thankfully. The both stand like that, enveloped in each other's arms as the gentle moonlight now bathes the poolside in its soft glow. Their heartbeats start beating in tandem, as they always did whenever they were so close to each other. It was truly magical.
Then the lights come back on.
Khushi slowly pries herself from the hug, her face blushing slightly. She peers up at Arnav's face which is gazing down at her serenely, although his eyes are searching hers for his answer. Suddenly the breeze picks up again making Khushi's fringe of hair blow up on to her face. She raises her right hand and slowly brushes the hair away from her face. Arnav's gaze falls on the diamond ring glinting from the ring finger of her raised hand and his eyes widen.
Just as Khushi starts to withdraw from him, he places his hand on her waist and pulls her closer. She crashes on to his chest and looks up at him with surprised eyes. Her heart leaps as she sees the extreme happiness that was now reflecting in his eyes. He holds her right hand up to their eye level with his left hand and motions with his head to look at her fingers. Khushi turns her head sideways and looks at her fingers. Suddenly she realises what Arnav was trying to show her. A flush creeps up her face again. Arnav smiles widely at her.
"Tch tch. You are wearing the ring in the wrong finger, Khushi," he points out and slowly eases out the engagement ring from the ring finger. Then he lifts up her right hand to his lips and kisses her ring finger tenderly. "I believe this is it's rightful place," he says but raising his brows enquiringly at her, as if still waiting for her response.
Khushi suddenly feels light headed. This was it, the moment of truth. She nods her head. Arnav's smile widens.
"So, Ms. Khushi Kumari Gupta. Do you want to be Mrs. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada again?" he asks sweetly, the ring hovering just an inch away from her finger.
"Yes..." Khushi mumbles shyly. Arnav slowly eases her engagement ring on the ring finger of her left hand. The place where it rightfully belonged.
Arnav wraps his hand around Khushi's and squeezes it gently. Then closing in, he gently kisses her forehead. Khushi closes her eyes happily and rests her head on Arnav's chest, her head covering the hollow of his neck. Arnav again wraps his arms around Khushi and the two of them stand there, wrapped in there cocoon of absolute bliss.
Finally they were home.
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