ArShi SS-Love in Delhi University~Thread 1 - Page 46

Payal sat on the bed and looked at Khushi, wondering what she was up to now. As soon as Buaji had retired for the night, Khushi dragged Payal in their bedroom and made her sit and went back to the door to check if no one was around. She was leaning out with her hands on the doorframe and checked if the coast was clear with her lips pursed and eyes filled with concern.

Once sure, she tiptoed back to bed to her elder sister. She didn't like hiding things from her Jiji. Jiji was the one who held her deepest secrets. As she sat down beside her, Payal asked "Kya hua Khushi? Kya kiya iss baar tumne?" (What happened? What have you done this time, Khushi?) She knew this expression of her little sister a little too well. "Jiji, mujhe apse kuch kehna hai. Pehle poora suniyega phir boliyega" cautioned Khushi. (Jiji, I need to tell you something. Listen to the whole thing before you react)

Payal's heart skipped a beat but she held a poker face. Years of practice had now made her perfect. "Bolo" (Go on) she asked Khushi to continue. Khushi, in yellow and white salwaars suit and loosely braided hair, hugged her knees. "Jiji.. Woh.. Woh.. Main aur.. Main aur.." she stuttered (Jiji.. Umm.. I.. I'm..) "Haan.. Tu aur?" (Yes? You what?) Payal urged her to continue. Khushi took in a long breath and finally blurted "Jiji.. Main aur Arnav Singh Raizada". Finally the cat was out of the bag.

Payal looked on unable to understand what Khushi was trying to say. "Haan. Tu aur Arnav Singh Raizada kya?" she repeated trying to figure out the coded message. They looked at each other's face. Seconds ticked away, a minute was formed and then it struck her. Payal's eyes almost popped out and she gasped. Their conversation had a normal level of volume until she almost screamed out "Kya? Kab? Kaise?" (What?). Khushi shot forward and covered Payal's mouth, muffling her last few words. "Shh!! Buaji uth jayenge!" (Shh! You're going to wake Buaji up!) she whispered.

As Khushi removed her hand slowly, Payal asked "Tu?" (You?) Khushi nodded. "Aur Arnav Singh Raizada?" (..and Arnav Singh Raizada?) Khushi nodded again, not meeting her sister's eyes.. "Mr. Abhay Malik ke betay Arnav Singh Raizada?" (Mr. Abhay Malik's son Arnav Singh Raizada?) Khushi gave her an obvious look. "Aur kitne Arnav Singh Raizada ko jaante hain aap, Jiji?" asked Khushi nonchalantly. (How many Arnav Singh Raizadas do you know, Jiji?)

"Kaise?"(How?) asked Payal, making Khushi reveal her secret love story. Payal listened without a word but there was worry etched on her face. Khushi told her how she used to sneak out in the parties to meet him and then moved on to incidents regarding Lavanya and her meet with Raizada Naniji. "Naniji kitne achche hain"(Naniji is so sweet) Khushi commented and Payal nodded in agreement. "Ap unko jaante jante hain, Jiji?" (Do you know her, Jiji?) asked Khushi. Payal nodded, too lost in her own thoughts.

Judging from Khushi's story, she guessed that Arnav hadn't told her everything. Payal was Mr. Abhay Malik's assistant for over two years now and she had managed to overhear things she shouldn't have by mistake. She had overheard her Boss' conversation with her son more than a few times to understand how sour it was. She wasn't unfamiliar to Mr. Malik's wicked ways. She was by the doorway when her Boss had summoned his son to his office and threatened him to mend his ways else he would harm his grandmother. Payal felt pity for the young man but what could she do to help. She didn't like working under him but had to, to keep her family running. Lately, she'd been looking for a new job herself. She was genuinely worried about her sister.

Caressing Khushi's face, she tried to show her the bitter half of his life. Khushi already had her share of her misery. To face another's was the last thing Payal wanted for her. "Khushi" she started. "In bade logon ki zindagi humari tarah saral nehi hote. Bohot kuch chipe hote hain" she sweet-coated her words. (Khushi, lives of these people aren't as simple as ours. They have a lot of secrets and pasts.)

Smiling, Khushi took down Payal's hand in hers and said "Mujhe pata hain, Jiji. Arnav Ji ke baare mein sab kuch nehi pata mujhe par kuch baatein pata hain. Dheere dheere who sab kuch bata rahein hain." (I know, Jiji. I know everything about Arnav Ji but I do know certain stuff. He's taking his time to open up and I'll grant him that). Payal was surprised at Khushi's maturity. It took few moments to seep in before Payal relaxed. Arnav had to tell his own story to her. As the worry lines smoothed out on her face, she asked Khushi to be safe. Times weren't safe.

Later in the night when Payal had finally drifted off to sleep, Arnav called Khushi up. "Did you tell her?" he asked. "Hmm" replied Khushi, walking up to the window side. "Kya kaha unhone?" (What did she say?) he asked. It was a weird feeling waiting for acceptance for a man who had never bent down to anyone in his life before. The worry of not being accepted by Khushi's family was a first for him.

"Kuch khaas nehi. Sambhal ke rehne ko kaha kyunki ap bohot khadoos hain!" (Nothing much. Asked me to be careful as you are supposedly a grouch!) replied Khushi, the minx. The naughty smile gleamed in her eyes. "WHAT THE!" Arnav said heatedly as he sat up on his bed from his sleeping position and Khushi burst out laughing. Figuring that his girlfriend was just kidding, he relaxed and his shoulders slumped. "Shut up, Khushi" he replied, feeling stupid at falling for her joke but Khushi continued. The mirth in her voice seeped in through the phone line and caught up to Arnav's mood. Slowly smiling at his own self, he waited for Khushi to calm down.

Finally, as her laughter faded. "Kal CP (Connaught Place) chalna hai?" (Want to go to CP tomorrow?) he asked, leaning back on the headboard. "Haan. Kyun nehi?" (Yeah. Why not?) replied Khushi, wiping her tears. "Theek hai. Bohot raat ho chuki hai, so jao" (Ok. It's getting late now. Go off to bed) ordered Arnav uselessly as none of them did what she was bid to do and landed up talking until sunrise all over again.

CP picture for those who don't know the place: https://www.delhitravel.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Connaught-Place-Delhi-Picture-1.jpg

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The sun next afternoon found Arnav and Khushi strolling down the central hub of Delhi, Connaught Place, white British circular buildings with huge pillars making it a distinguished figure in Delhi. It had numerous stores and eateries in and around it making it THE place to be on the evenings when you had nothing better to do.

Arnav wore a loose grey shirt, its sleeves rolled up to the elbows and the collar button undone. It was tucked in loosely in his low jeans which flashed his modest black belt. His hair wasn't gelled up but he managed to look dashing as he usually did. Khushi, as usual in her cheerful sense, dressed up in a white and red full sleeved anarkali. The suit being white in entirety except a red pasted V on her neck and the red linings and the churidar and dupatta of the same red shade. Her hair was loose but done up properly. Kohl surrounded her beautiful eyes. Her front locks were pinned on her crown and the rest of it cascaded down to her waist. They walked down the pavement, hand in hand, as Khushi chirped on to Arnav about the stories of her childhood. Arnav kept kicking the little stone at his feet along the way and looked up to smile at Khushi's words, once in a while.

Suddenly both of them halted and spoke up at the same time.

"Yahan milkshake peetay hain" said Khushi pointing somewhere. (Let's have milkshake here)

"Let's go here" said Arnav, pointing in a completely opposite direction.

They both looked at what the other one was pointing at the same time. Arnav saw the small store where Khushi wanted to go, which sold only milkshake but was crowed insanely and Khushi saw Arnav fingers pointing towards the fancy door of Wengers Deli, an almost-resturant.

"Yahan Dilli ki sabse achchi milkshake milti hain aur sasta bhi!" (You get Delhi's best milkshake here and they're of reasonable price too) said Khushi, justifying her reason to win. "Achcha? Khushi, Wengers is one of the best things Delhi has got. Yahan milkshake toh kya, sab kuch achcha milta hai. Stop fighting, let's go in." said Arnav, declaring himself to be the winner and walked in taking Khushi by her hand as she trailed behind, sighing. (Oh really? Khushi, Wengers is one of the best things Delhi has got. Everything is good here, let alone milkshakes. Stop fighting, let's go in)

Unable to find themselves any seat inside, they just ordered at the counter and walked out with their brown paper bags. "Khushi, tumhe kuch chahiye?" (Khushi, you want something?) Arnav had asked but Khushi denied. Her heart was out for the milkshake outside. Sighing, Arnav took up his paper bag of warm and fresh from the oven cheese-sticks and walked out. How could he eat when Khushi, the hungry one wasn't eating by his side.

"Chalo, let's get your milkshake" said Arnav, once out of the place. Khushi smiled and almost skipped her way towards the store and Arnav walked behind, chomping on his cheese bites and smiling at her naive spirit. Khushi's smile faltered at what she saw. Her place was insanely crowded and she knew it would be a long wait in the queue. Arnav walked up beside her and smirked and held out his bag of cheese-sticks, offering her some. Khushi looked towards him with a grouchy face to meet a smirking Arnav.

"Kya hai? Hass kyun rahe hain aap? Achcha hai isiliye bheed hai!" she said, moving her palm to face him. (What? Why the smirk? Its good that's why it's crowded) Arnav shrugged innocently and feigned surprise with his eyes and lips. "Maine kya kaha?" he said (What did I say?) Sobering down his expression, he said "Achcha hai toh leke ao. Main wait kar raha hoon yehi pe" and got back to his own packet. (If it's that good then get some for yourself. I'm waiting here)

Khushi looked at him with narrowed eyes. Without a word, she turned and walked away with her head held high. Arnav smiled naughtily as he saw how she tried to pull and push the crowd to move forward but didn't get any success. It was fun challenging her to do stupid stuff. After some time, Khushi returned with a long face. "Kya hua? Nehi mila?" asked Arnav, now smiling fully. (What happened? Didn't get any?) Khushi eyed him with contempt and started walking away. Arnav quickly caught up. Seeing her really upset over it, Arnav said "Ruko! Hilna mat yahan se" in a flat tone. (Stay put. Don't move an inch!)

Khushi looked on, confused as Arnav handed her his food packet and walked back to where they had come from. After almost twenty minutes of waiting, Khushi saw Arnav returning with a glass of milkshake in his hand. Khushi's face instantly lit up with a bright smile. Running up to him, she held a completely not-expecting-baffled Arnav in a huge bear hug and before he could recover, she kissed him on his cheek and moved back, taking the glass from his hand.

Arnav's lips curved into a subtle smile. It was a good feeling and he was learning to get used to it. Taking the packet back from her hands, he looked down to resume his eating. He put his hands inside the packet and felt nothing. Crouching his eyebrows, he took his hands out and turned the packet upside down and shook it, only remnant flakes flew out and then it hit him. "KHUSHI!!!" he screamed but she long gone. He looked around and saw his Khushi running down the pavement. As she turned back to catch a glimpse of him, he saw his Khushi's face playing a huge naughty smile and twinkling eyes. Her red dupatta was trailing in the wind and unknowingly, the picture got etched in his mind for the years yet to unfurl.

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Lavanya collapsed on her bed, holding the picture of her demised mother in her hand. Tears were trailing down her cheeks. Sniffling, she said "Mom, I hope you're proud of me. You always taught me to do what is right and I hope I did it too. He was in love with that girl; I saw it in his eyes. I know Dad made me dream about him and the life I would get with him but I couldn't take away what he held on to as his own. I never loved him but I hoped to, one day but he already belonged to someone else. I hope you're proud of me, Ma. I hope you're proud of me. I wish them all the happiness in the world."

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CHAPTER EIGHT: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/72070897

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