ArShi SS-Love in Delhi University~Thread 1 - Page 36

Arnav lay awake in his bed. Whatever had transpired tonight had left him exhausted but feeling light as well. It was almost like he had left behind a heavy weight which he didn't know he was carrying secretly all these years. His eyes were red but more relaxed. The cold night winds from the open windows played with his hair, caressed his face and soothed his nerves.

Nani had just exited his bedroom thinking him to be asleep. As she kissed him goodnight on his forehead, Arnav realized how much of a child he still was on in the inside. He would've argued that he was too old for all this in the broad daylight but as he succumbed to the night, his primal need to be cared and loved for emerged.

Khushi, the name itself made his heart jump up and an inevitable smile crept up to his lips. Only she could have such an impact on him, such a Pagal she was. When he had seen her with Nani, it was having his entire world before his eyes. He could wish for nothing more at this point of time in his life. He reached for his phone on the bedside table. He wanted to hear her voice.

"Hello?" answered Khushi, at the first ring, whispering. Arnav smiled at it.

"Aap abhi tak soye nehi?" (Why aren't you asleep yet?) she asked caringly but still whispering as she removed the duvet from her body carefully so as not to wake her Jiji up and walked up to lean by the window frame. The winds softly played with her free locks and she looked like a beauty even in the simple white and red night suit.

"Just wanted to hear your voice" he replied huskily. Khushi looked down and smiled. No one said a word for some time in the fear of the breaking the trance which was building up around them. "Arnav Ji?" he heard her call him out. "Hmm?" he replied. Khushi debated in her mind if she should ask him what was in her thoughts and decided to let it go. She knew there was a lot more left to know about him but decided not to prod him further. He had already gone through so much, she didn't want him to get tormented by memories anymore tonight. He would tell her when the time was right and she knew she was right in her heart.

Contented, she smiled and continued "Arnav Ji, bohot raat ho chuki hai. Humay so jaana chaiye aur Buaji uth gayi toh khair nehi!" (Arnav Ji, it's getting late. We should get back to bed. If Buaji gets up by chance, we'll be fried alive). She chuckled at her own joke,

"Khushi?" said Arnav.

"Haan?" (Yes) she replied.

"Umm.. Woh.. Umm.. Tum.. Tum college metro se ati ho na?" (You travel by subway to college, right?) he asked, shy and scratching his eyebrow as he sat up on his bed.

"Haan" (Yes) replied Khushi, not figuring where the conversation was heading. "Toh?" (So?)

"Ab se mat jaana" (Don't! From now on!) said he said shortly, feeling stupidly embarrassed. He had never been so close to a girl before and was never used to such display of affection.

"Huh? Kya matlab apka? Main college na jaoo? Apko pata hain main Lucknow se Dilli sirf college.." Khushi had started saying, truly bewildered at what she thought Arnav was trying to say but again, when was Khushi ever good at reading stuff like these. (Huh? What do you mean? I stop going to college? Do you have any idea that I moved from Lucknow to Delhi just for college and..)

"Shut up, Khushi!" Arnav bellowed from the other side. She was one of the brightest girls he had ever met and when she actually needed to spark her smartness with him, her brain decided to take a nap. Arnav sighed of frustration as Khushi sealed her lips immediately.

"I mean abse tum college mere saath chaloge. Roz. I'll pick you up from near the Lakshmi Nagar signal. We'll go together and I'll drop you home in the evening too. Do you get it?" Arnav explained extensively with exasperation. (I mean we'll go to college together. Every day. I'll pick you up near the Lakshmi Nagar signal. We'll go together and I'll drop you home in the evening too. Do you get it?)

Khushi's lips formed an 'O' and her eyes went wide. "Goodnight" she heard him say crisply before the line went 'beep beep beep'.

"Hello? Hello? Arnav Ji" she said panicking, recovering from her shock. Getting no reply, she looked at her phone and sighed. He was gone. She kept staring, trying to absorb whatever just happened. As moments passed, she didn't realize that her lips had curved into a smile. Arnav Ji just asked her to go to college with him every day. Every day! Her face now gleamed with a big smile and her eyes twinkled with the happiness of first love. She skipped her way back to bed and snuck back into the duvet. Snuggling in comfortably, she sighed. Sleep had no place tonight for the two lovebirds.

~

Every morning held the same enthusiasm like the first morning when they had gone to the college together. Whoever had an earlier class, the timing would be coordinated accordingly. Arnav would reach the signal stop and give Khushi a call. She would then walk down all the way, every morning and greet her Prince Charming with that big cheerful smile and a warm bear hug.

Things remained this way for quite some time. They would spend every free minute they could spare with each other. They would meet each other in between classes, before and after their extra-curricular society work. Arnav was in the debating society of his college and Khushi was in the Environment Club in her own institution. Khushi would accompany Arnav to all his debate competitions and Arnav would participate in all the community drives like 'Save Yamuna' and 'Clean Delhi' which Khushi's club organized.

Khushi would be awed at Arnav's surety, his confident glares and at the way how he played with his words and confused his opponents and Arnav would be moved at Khushi's compassion to make the world around her a better place to live for one and all. In short, they were proud of each other.

Arnav had introduced Khushi to his friends Akash, NK, Anjali and Shyam, who was Anjali's boyfriend. They were all in Arnav's college. NK and Anjali had immediately warmed up to Khushi and welcomed her with open arms. They were glad that Arnav had found someone for himself after all these years. They had seen Arnav evolve from his cold form and it was only because of this girl.

Akash, Arnav's only childhood friend was sceptical initially but that was only because he cared about his friend. He knew all about Arnav's past as their mothers were best friends. Arnav getting hurt again was the last thing he wanted. They were like brothers they never had. He was scared that Khushi might be a tramp who was taking Arnav for a ride but only to gladly accept later that he was wrong when he finally got comfortable around Khushi.

Shyam was a different story altogether. Khushi had sensed very wrong vibes around him when she met him for the first time. She didn't voice it during their initial months but as months passed, she started getting worried. She tried telling about her worry to Arnav but he just passed it off. "You're reading too much into it" he had said casually.

She was once walking down Arnav's college to meet him when she met Shyam on the way. Smiling gently, she tried to evade him but was pulled back by her wrists. She turned back with bewildered eyes and saw Shyam flashing her a lecherous smile. "Milke toh jaiye, Khushi Ji" (At the least, greet me when we meet, Khushi Ji) he said lewdly. Creeping out, she untangled her hand from his and fled from the scene as she heard his evil laugh from behind.

Running all the way to canteen where Arnav, NK and Anjali were to meet her, she stood by the door, looking out for Arnav. He was at the counter ordering something. She ran across the room with the dupatta trailing in the wind and hugged Arnav from the behind. Anjali and NK bit in their smile. They were still getting accustomed to a romantic Arnav. The rest of the people sniggered. Confused at such a rare display of affection from Khushi, he turned back not knowing what to expect. She didn't let go. Only when he hugged her back did he realize that she was shuddering like a kitten.

Lifting her face in his palms, he saw terror flashing in her eyes and her breaths were uneven. Understanding that something was gravely wrong, he lead her out of the canteen by her hand and halted under a tree with a secluded surrounding. "What's wrong?" he asked. Khushi didn't know what to say. Shyam was Arnav's good friend and if she told him whatever had happened, Arnav would probably kill Shyam on the spot.

As they sat down at the cemented encirclement of the tree, Arnav kept prodding. Something wrong had happened and he knew that but Khushi didn't utter a word. "Khushi! Tell me what happened!" he urged gently for the umpteenth time but got no reply. He was impatiently waiting for an answer when he heard a masculine voice call out his name. "Arnav" they heard him together.

Arnav looked up and saw a grave-faced Akash standing there. Arnav looked at him questioningly. "I'll tell you what happened" said Akash. Walking up to the couple, Akash reiterated whatever happened back there. "..and you just let that happen?" Arnav asked him back furiously. "I wasn't there. Aman just told me about it." Akash informed him calmly. He was used to Arnav's flaring rage.

Arnav was about to walk away to teach Shyam a lesson when Akash placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded negatively. Khushi watched inquisitively as something quiet passed between the two brothers and saw Arnav nod in agreement. Next morning, she saw a black eyed-Arnav waiting for him at his usual spot. On questioning incessantly throughout the ride and almost driving Arnav to edge did she get the answer. Supposedly, Arnav, Akash and NK had called Shyam to a secluded area in the dead of the night to have some 'fun' and had beat the crap out of him. No one came to help as no one was in sight. "Shyam had put up quite a fight" commented Arnav. Khushi sat their speechless, not knowing how to react. Deep in her heart, she was pleased but she was too overwhelmed by such an action on Arnav's part that nothing showed on her face. "Thank you nehi kahoge, Khushi?" (Won't I get a thank you, Khushi?) he asked menacingly as he rode the bike.

The Shyam incident was forgotten over the next couple of days. Shyam was now kicked out of the group as Anjali had a very teary and messy break up with him. They were together from their first year of college but she believed in what her friends told her. They wouldn't lie, she knew. The three guys stood by her as she screamed at Shyam with wrath in presence of the entire college, calling their relationship a Fallacy. When she later cried out to her friends in private, Arnav hugged her through her tears and Khushi watched with tears glistening in her eyes. She was proud of her boyfriend.

The five friends: Arnav, Khushi, Akash, NK and Anjali had now bonded more strongly than ever and as for the two lovers, they were inseparable as always. They would make their secret escape now and then and return to taunting Akash-Anjali-NK who pulled their legs to no end. The picture looked perfect for now.

~

Shyam heard the crystal vase shatter on the floor. "Must've cost a fortune" he mused in his mind. "Couldn't you do one job right, Shyam? You were given just one job! To defame Khushi and look what you've done. You've come back ingloriously! Shame on you!" reprimanded the sexy lady before him. "What do I tell Malik Uncle now?" the girl cried out loud.

~

CHAPTER 7: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/71997500

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