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I am going out tomorrow, so completed this update today. This is the longest update I have ever written. Sorry not proof-read. I hope its up to your expectations.
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Chapter-18
"Jiji is going to blast me as soon as I would step in our apartment" Khushi told Arnav as he brought his car engine to life.
"Then don't go home. Simple. Spend tonight with me" he said teasing her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"All this sounds very funny to you. It's all because of you" she complained.
Throughout their journey to her apartment Arnav found her muttering something incoherent under her breath. He smiled seeing her all so nervous all because Payal got to know about them. His thoughts shifted to his younger brother whose condition if he remembers well was almost the same throughout the dinner. He was giving that sheepish pleading look to Arnav much like their childhood when Akash was caught doing something he was not supposed to do. He laughed remembering that.
"You're laughing at me" Khushi narrowed her eyes.
"No, I was just thinking that right now both you and Akash have similar condition. He too is worked up after his little secret got out."
She narrowed her eyes some more in response. Arnav chuckled as if she has been caught by her sister for the first time and immediately realized it was indeed her first time. He felt a little bad for her and at the same time his heart swelled with pride that he was her first. He wondered how on earth he got so lucky to find a girl like Khushi.
"Hey, relax. Everything will be fine. Don't worry yourself. I would talk to Payal about us" he said gently.
She immediately replied with a loud "No, I mean there is no need for you to speak to her. I would talk to her. Moreover I know she is upset with me for not telling her and not about us" she said firmly giving him a weak smile to which he squeezed her hand in reassurance.
"Lavanya you would be wearing this saree tomorrow and its final. No arguments." NK told Lavanya superiorly.
Lavanya glared at him with not so gentle looks "And what makes you think I would wear what you decide?" she asked him raising her eyebrows.
"Because I said so." He said crossing his hands on his chest.
"Stop copying ASR, it doesn't work on me. You can't make me do whatever you want that way and we both know that. And just to confirm you let me tell you that I would wear the suit I decided upon." She said turning away but couldn't move as she felt his hands on her wrist holding her lightly turning her face back to him.
"Please Love, for me wear this saree." He said looking in his eyes.
Lavanya looked confusedly at him narrowing her eyes.
"Ohhh.. before you misunderstand it was Lavanya wala short Lav not pyaar wala Love. La is too short for my liking." He told her coolly.
"And you know if you won't wear this saree, mera dil phoot jayega" he said placing his hand on his chest.
"phoot nahi toot NK. Your heart is not a bomb to explode." Lavanya laughed.
"Forget about heart it seems my whole being is placed on a live bomb." he muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" La asked.
He shrugged his shoulders saying nothing. Lavanya watched him walk away after placing the saree packet in her hands once again requesting her to wear it for engagement party tomorrow. She smiled thinking about his changed behavior but still being the goofed up fellow that he always was. He was her personal favorite means of entertainment be it anytime. He has made her laugh in days when everything seemed to go wrong in her life without making her feel so. Wasn't he the one without whom she could not think to pass her time? He has always been there for her even when she told him to leave her alone. He has silently lent her support without any expectations understanding her before she could understand her own self. Lavanya smiled once more getting inside her home. She needed some rest before the big day tomorrow.
They stood waiting for Akash and Payal in the society parking. Arnav hugged her kissing her temple. She stood there in his arms seeking warmth from him as he gave his silent reassurances.
"You know I'm just a call away, right?" he asked looking in her eyes. She nodded still holding his waist not wanting to let go. She reluctantly moved her hands on seeing Akash's vehicle driving in there.
Arnav held her eyes for a little longer after saying goodbye to them. Khushi turned her head to look back and found Arnav still watching her as Payal stood by her side opening the lock. She nodded at him smiling telling him that she would be fine with her eyes. He indicated her to give a call later and she nodded again before disappearing inside her flat.
Payal was silently folding her clothes sitting on the bed. Khushi knew the silent treatment would be dangerous because when it would burst it would be worse, so she decided to approach Payal.
"I am sorry Jiji" she said holding Payal's hand interrupting her chore.
"What is it for Khushi?" she asked indifferently.
"I know you're upset with me for not telling you about me & Arnavji. Please Jiji, forgive me." She said pleading.
"Good that you know your mistake" came the stern reply.
Khushi held her ears making apology again and again. She told her how she wanted to share it with her but it was all too fast to process for her and she realized it recently when she was with Arnav in Neemrana.
"Trust me Jiji, I wanted to tell you but you were so happy when you told me about yourself and Akashji. I just wanted you to enjoy this phase of yours without my stupid stories."
"And??" asked Payal.
"And what Jiji?" she asked confusedly.
Payal looked intently at her telling her that it was not all and Khushi knew she was fighting a lost battle. Her Jiji was too smart to catch between her lies and missing details.
"I was upset because Arnavji has not yet confessed his feelings. I mean he has told me that I am special and all but he has not talked about love even once. He says he doesn't believe in love." She said sadly.
"But you know he loves you, don't you?" smiled Payal.
"I could see in one meeting that he loves you very much. It is evident in the way he looks at you; his full concentration was on you throughout the dinner even he was conversing with me."
"Then why doesn't he say it to me?" she whined.
"He will and you only said that he is not a man of much words but action. So has he demonstrated his immense love for you?" Payal winked at her.
"Jiji'" Khushi gasped outraged and threw a pillow on her sister who was now laughing openly.
"But you are not upset with me now, are you?" Khushi asked after few moments catching her breath.
"When did I say that I am angry or upset?" Payal shrugged her shoulders.
"What? So it was all acting?" Khushi said with her eyes widened in surprise. "Here I was so nervous. Do you know I even didn't eat much because of all this and you were just pretending to ignore me and gave me this silent treatment for fun!"
"Serves you right for hiding things from me. I was sure of your feelings for Arnav since you joined AR. You always talked about him in details even on the days when you didn't meet. So it was quite obvious. And well I also knew about your relationship." She told smugly.
"What? How? Did Akashji tell you?" Khushi was already shocked that Payal had known all along that she had feelings for Arnav but her knowing about their few days old relationship was a complete shocker.
"You have a big mouth Khushi. If you remember sometimes you talk while sleeping too. And someone was calling out someone last night in their dreams you know." Payal told her chuckling.
Khushi's face got flushed at this. Hey Devi Maiyya!! This is so dangerous for me. You have to do something otherwise the whole wide world will know that I am in love.
Khushi stretched in her bed as the sunrays hit her indicating it was morning. She searched for her phone and found missed calls from Arnav. Before she could reply Payal told her to get ready for the party as she was already running late. It was already past 10 and they have to reach Lavanya's home by 12. She now thought why she indulged in late night discussion with Payal. They slept after 3'o clock and all Khushi wanted to do now was go back in her bed. Only thought of meeting Arnav was making her speed up in her task to get ready on time.
Lavanya engulfed Khushi in a hug as soon as she saw her. She took Khushi and Payal to her Mom and Dad. They chatted for a while before Lavanya told them to meet Kanak. Khushi made a face but nevertheless nodded. After all it was her engagement, how long she could avoid meeting Kanak. Payal smiled looking at her fallen place.
As soon as Khushi reached the stage her reluctance turned into glare. There stood Kanak chatting happily with Arnav. She marched to the stage with renewed anger.
"Hey Khushi right?" Kanak said the moment Khushi stepped up on the decked stage along with Lavanya and Payal.
Khushi smiled half heartedly at her and frowned at Arnav when he smiled seeing her.
"So you identified her easily. And here is Payal" La said.
"Off course how could I forget Khushi. We have a history behind us. Nice to meet you both" she said shaking her hands with Khushi and Payal.
After congratulating the couple Khushi walked away from the stage to the garden side. She sat on the bench calming her heartbeats. Kanak's behavior was normal with her. She didn't jibe at her like the old days. Before she could think more about her she felt someone sitting beside her on the wooden bench. She knew who it was without looking but decided not to say anything. She clutched the side of her purple ethnic skirt making the tassels jingle in the process.
(Golden tassels. Thanks Nidhinev for correcting me)
"You look breath-takingly beautiful in this attire." Arnav said clutching her hand.
"Really, I thought you had your eyes for Kanak only." She retorted bitterly.
"What the!! Stop getting jealous from a committed woman" he said amused.
"Jealous, my foot! But you were talking to her like a friend. You know how mean she has been to me during our childhood days?"
"She hurt you, wait. Nobody gets away after hurting you" he said angrily getting up.
Khushi held his hand "No need. That was old time, she was immature. And moreover I gave as good as I got." She winked at him.
They sat together holding their hands when Arnav asked her haughtily that why didn't she pick up his call.
"Oh that, I thought we were going to meet after sometime so what was the need to call. Was there any?" she asked innocently.
Arnav understood she was replaying his words from last day. "Okay, Now I know that I need to answer your calls as soon as I could."
He asked about her conversation with Payal. Khushi told him how Payal was just acting and she already knew about them thanks to her non-stop blabbering while asleep. Arnav chuckled at her innocence and the person she was ' totally unbelievable and crazy. They decided to go inside after discussing in length about her conversation with Payal.
They joined Payal and Akash and NK came over there soon searching for Lavanya. Khushi was sipping on water when Kanak came up to her.
"Hey Khushi. Thank you for joining us in celebrations. It's really good to meet you after ages."
Khushi smiled genuinely this time saying she feels great too.
"I was so childish back then and very rude to you too. I am really sorry for that. Let's start all over again." Kanak said forwarding her hand.
"It's all in the past." Khushi took her extended hand in hers.
"By the way it was me who spoiled your painting which earned you punishment from your arts teacher." Khushi told sheepishly looking down at the floor.
"You?" Kanak said in disbelief and laughed. She had not considered Khushi to be capable of any such childish acts. She had thought it was Lavanya's doing just to extract revenge from her for all the mean things she said and did to Khushi.
Kanak told her how she met Dheeraj, her fiance during college time and fell in love with him over the time.
"You and Arnav love each other." She said looking at Arnav who was talking to Mr. Kashyap. It wasn't a question but a statement. Khushi was surprised as she was not ready to share it with anyone. She didn't know how to respond to Kanak.
"I'm myself in love. I have gone through this stage. It was clear that you love him with the way you glared at him on finding him with me and the way you purposely ignored him later on."
Khushi wanted to know how Kanak knew that Arnav loved her but she had no need as Kanak answered her silent question.
"His love was etched in his eyes with the way he looked at you. There was a different kind of happiness on his face and when you walked away he immediately excused himself. And look the way he is stealing glances at you while talking to everyone." She said smiling.
"Kanak this.." Before Khushi could complete her sentence Kanak assured her that she won't discuss it with anyone else. Khushi was both elated and disappointed. Happy because it was clear to everyone that Arnav loves her but disappointed because the man in question himself was oblivious to this. She wondered, not for the first time, when would he realize it.
Lavanya found NK & Khushi laughing over something and sobering up the instant she joined them. She asked the reason and Khushi told her winking to know it from NK. Arnav watched Khushi walking away from her group, her hips swaying with grace. The bunch of golden tassels swinging in sync with her moves.
Khushi felt a familiar warm hand encasing her palm tugging on it. She moved her eyes sideways to Arnav who asked her for lunch. She nodded smiling. Before she could sit down she found him taking her outside.
"What are you doing Arnavji?" she asked surprised.
"Going for lunch. Didn't you just agree?" he raised his eyebrows.
"But they would search for us. Jiji would be waiting for me."
"Engagement is over Khushi and I have asked Akash to tell Payal. We both know she is busy with him. Give them some space sweetheart." He winked causing her making a feeble "Huh" in reply.
Khushi was enjoying her Chana-Bhatura while Arnav was eating his favorite Pasta in the food court. Khushi coughed eating the hot green chilli which was too spicy for her.
"I told you its very spicy but you just don't listen. Here have some water."
She emptied the full glass but her tongue still burnt. Arnav asked her to wait and went to bring some ice-cream for her. Two old ladies sitting on the adjacent side watched them and said how caring he is to which Khushi smiled lightly. They kept on their discussion with each other looking at her how good they looked together.
Arnav gave her ice-cream and laughed shaking his head finding corners of her mouth smudged with it. He wiped it using his thumb and went again to bring some other less spicy food for her.
"He is so dream-like romantic. He loves her so much." The old lady told her friend.
"Then why doesn't he say this to me?" shouted Khushi feeling frustrated.
She immediately closed her eyes looking at the shocked faces of the ladies. She apologized realizing her mistake. It was not their fault after all. But it was not her entirely too. Everybody would look at them and keep telling her how much Arnav loves her but she has not heard it from the man herself. She was upset over this and their words just fuelled her up making her lose her last semblance of control.
Payal saw Khushi lazily lying down on the couch munching popcorns. She had spent the whole Sunday either sleeping or lying down lost in her thoughts.
"Khushi stop thinking too much. It's not going to help. You are not helping yourself this way. It happens Khushi. Some people take time to realize and confess their feelings. But they do come around with time. Stop worrying yourself incessantly."
"Jiji it's beyond my control. How would you have felt if Akashji has not proposed you?"
"You know what Khushi I had not thought about love until the moment Akash proposed me. Before that moment I thought I liked him. Love just didn't come in my mind. Now when I look back I know it was love from the beginning which grew stronger with every meeting and conversation. His one effort made me weigh my own feelings." Finished Payal.
That night as Khushi lay in her bed she realized that she was upset at Arnav for not realizing his true feelings but she who was sure of her feelings has yet not shared with him the same. She realized that he has told her his share of truth in the second day of their relationship, actually in their first meeting, but she was still hiding her innermost emotions from him. He deserves to know what she feels for him, that she loves him immensely. In that moment Khushi Kumari Gupta decided that it was her turn to share her side of truth genuinely with Arnav Singh Raizada.
A/N: Thanks Nidhinev for correcting me and telling me the correct word (tassels not tussers) Let me know what you guys think about this chapter.
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