I am writing for the first time..and after reading so many wonderful ffs on arshi…I felt like writing one…so here..
I LOVE(D) YOU
italics - khushi's inner thoughts
underline -arnav's inner thoughts
Prologue
Khushi Kumari Gupta , 26 years old, lives in New York, a professor for English Literature at NYU. She has 3 elder sisters (Payal, Lavanya and Sheetal), all happily married by the time Khushi started her teaching career. When Khushi was in high school, she never worried about being married off young despite being raised in a traditional Indian family in the States. However, she is now nagged by her parents to marry soon as she was soon turning 27 and that was considered the age when a girl is almost out of choices. It was a common belief that a 30-year-old guy would never marry a girl of the same age, they rather marry younger ones.
She liked a guy very much in high school. He was popular with all the girls since he was the captain of the basketball team, tall, chiselled toned body, but cute boyish looks.She was known as 'THE BOOK GIRL'. What could Khushi do? She loved reading historical romance and all kinds of novel which led her to study English. They were kind of friends. Khushi never knew how to hide her feelings around him. Khushi would always go to her Preeto's classroom to wait for her, where he talked to her for the first time. They even hung out in a big group with their friends.They were friends but not so close. Everyone knew she had a crush on him as she was an obvious girl regarding her feelings . Sooner or later, he found out too .They never saw each other after high graduation. Khushi studied English and pursued her Masters. Time passed by and out of the blue she forgot about the guy. She became too busy with life that she had to time to think about anything else. But yeh jo Devi Maiyya hai na, Khushi ko aisa thori bhulne dehgi.
September 2012
'Khushi' yelled her mother Garima.
Khushi tossed and turned ,covering her ears with pillows to reduce her mother's shrilling voice.
'Saune do na, amma' , she mumbled.
'What do I do with this girl? Saasural jaa kar bhi apni saas se bhi aisa baat karegi kya? Utt, she opened the blinds of the room to let the sun in, Khushi quickly covered her head with the blanket. 'Uff , yeh dhoop , amma . Amma saune do na..aaj toh Sunday hai…mujhe na uni jaana hai aur nahi aap ki titliyas ghar a rahi hai..aur besides…mujhe aisa ghar doodna jahan na koyi saas ho na koyi naand.
Oh ho Khushi, don't you dare call my friends titliyas…main maanti hu ke wo zyaada overly-dressed lagti hai magar hai toh tumse bari…'
'Amma….please 2 minutes..'
' Tu bhul gayi kya? Aaj Ladke wala tumhain dekhna aa re hai hain'
'Kya???' Khushi jerked and uncovered herself. ' Ladka? Kab? You didn't mention at all..Not fair mom…mujhe abhi shaadi nahi karni…
'I did tell u yesterday when I called you..you said loudly 'Good ! Superb' Bhool gaye kya..Tumhari Buaji tumhain Saanka Devi kyun bhulati hai..aab samajh aaya humain…
Khushi started thinking hard..when did amma call yesterday? I had back to back classes yesterday ..Oh sh**…she called when I was marking a student paper…the student wrote a very valid argument on Jane Austen…and I was praising her when…the phone…rang..OH DEVI MAIYYA…what did you do?? Aab main kya karoon?
' Mom, mujhe nahi dekhna kyo ladhka sharkha…usse kaho ke jaaye chaand aur taarey leykar aayeh toh manu…' Khushi smirked gleefully at her Amma , trying to delay the subject of marriage.
' Chaand or Taarey? Khushi , shaadi teri angrezi ki kitaboh ki tera nahi hoti…pyaar ,ishw aur mohabbat sirf books mein accha lagta hai…' Amma exclaimed loudly .
Khushi had to give up in front of her Mother India… Aab? Ladhka? Shaadi? Bacchey? Yuck!! Not now..how do I explain to amma?
'Yeh le Sari aur hai…the boy will come in an hour…toh jaldi utt aur tayar ho ja..' Amma handed her a red chiffon sari with golden borders and a ruby set.
'An hour? Seriously? Amma..Amma…' Khushi called but Amma left her room quickly before Khushi could even begin her argument.
After a hour
Khushi was pacing in her room when the maid said ' Aapko Badi Memsaab bhula rahi hai..Ladhke wale aag gaye..
Shit! No escape now Khushi! Aab Kya karege..Run away ..just breathe ..name your favourite books and you'll be fine…
'Pride and Prejudice' she mumbled walking down the stairs…There was a woman in her 30s..she was talking to Amma ..She was beautiful , wearing a light blue saree..minimal makeup . There was an older woman ' Emma' who was in a plain cream saree..she must have been a beauty when she was young because she aged gracefully…Then she saw a guy on the phone …yelling at a poor chap called 'Aman' 'Sense and Sensibility'some deal went wrong ,Khushi thought .. 'Vanity Fair'
The guy was wearing a black suit from what Khushi could see ,he was facing his back to her…she couldn't see the face..He shut the phone angrily and called the light blue saree women to him… 'How much longer Di ? I have a meeting in an hour…Where the hell is the girl?'
' Relax Chotey…Clam Down…Oh ..there she is…' Khushi could hear the woman talk far away. They guy didn't bother to turn around and face her. Khushi was almost down and her amma announced ' This is Khushi, my youngest daughter' Khushi folded her hand in front of the older woman first 'Namaste' and went down her touch her feet'
' Khush Raho, main Devyani Raizada ,Chotey ki Nani
Chotey? That's the guy's name ?You've got to be kidding me…how odd..wait..Raizada..why does it seem so familiar?...I cant remember but I know this name before.
The guy was on another phone call when Khushi met his sister, Anjali Jha. Khushi liked her immediately cuz it remineded her of her sisters. Khushi didn't see much of her 3 sisters ,only on holiday when they all would meet in NY.
He has no manners, does he? He's in someone else's house and he has the audacity to face his back on the host and be on the phone loudly.. Shee..how rude and obnoxious can one be….Whatever Khushi, don't be nice to him…don't be nice to him..dont be …nice…to..
'Chotey' Anjali exclaimed and the guy turned. Khushi looked up and stopped playing with her duppatta..
CHotey , I don't want to be Mrs. Chotey…Yuck,…Wuthering Heights…Breathe Khushi…
Khushi stopped breathing when she saw the face of the guy…the same face,,molten caramel eyes, ruffle brown hair and the same wicked smile…Khushi felt like time stopped and she couldnt move… 'Khushiji…Khushiji…' Anjali called...she didn't hear her…she kept staring at the guy..
' Basket…school…Prom…Class…Captain…..A…S….R….' she mumbled…and everything went dark.Khushi fainted but was caught by a strong pair of arms…
Arnav stared hard at the girl, she was beautiful…
Where did I see her before? I can't seem to remember..Think Arnav..where?? Party?? Nah..She doesn't seem like the party type…Toh…soch ASR…How can u forget a girl..a girl as angelic as her? Think hard..
Cricket
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