"So what do you want me to do?" NK asked as he sat by the sofa again and the two were by his feet stood up.
"Tell us what happened between them to make them hate each other so much" Akaash started to ask
"I can't and won't tell you that' That's something that will betray the friendship code that I share with them"
"How will we both get them together if we don't even know what went wrong between them?" Payal asked NK
"You are not going to move an inch towards getting them together if you start there'I tell you- It is not a good place to start" NK told them
"OK.. Tell us what else is a good place to start" Akaash asked him
"May be at this point- Tell me if you only want Arnav and Kushi married or if you are specific about getting them married to eachother only'"NK asked them
Both of them blinked at him for a moment
"We don't get you" Payal confessed
"If Kushi or Arnav gets married to different people, then too, your line is clear- and again, your parents are not going to say no to your rishta- they are going to be more than happy to get you both together when your elder siblings didn't want to marry, atleast you two are bringing the families together" NK pointed out
"No then Kushi would go and live at someother place' I wont be able to see her everyday" Payal told him
"Your idea is not bad NK but then when my family suggested Kushi for Arnav it got fixed in our minds so much, that now I cant think of anyone else as my Bhabhi other than Kushi' "
"Alright Alright' Now that we have one point clear' the next point is how are we going to achieve this" NK started to say "First we need to find out if they both share some spark"
"They do share- you are their best friend- don't you know?" Payal asked him
"I didn't mean chemistry- I know how much chemistry they oozed out during dance programs at college when they danced together.. that most of them at college would literally swoon over the couple together' there was a time when we wouldn't even separate them during conversations- When someone mentioned Arnav- it always meant Kushi as well- and vice versa" NK told them little lost in those days "You cant even see one of them without the other'Always hanging out together'.There were so many rumors that they were seeing each other and they would always smile and take all those gossips on their stride' Sometimes Kushi even complained to Arnav that no boy was asking her out because they were so sure that Kushi has been engaged to Arnav and he would burst out laughing'"
"So close they were' Why did they fight then?" Payal fished NK
"hmm.. that's a big story'" NK started to say but caught himself "Very smart Payal, I told you I wont tell you that"
"Ok.. alright' tell us what you meant by spark"
"Like even if they are not in talking terms now' Do they still have a soft corner for eachother? Does their eyes spark when the other enters into the room? Is there a secret attraction still left in them? Do they still feel the closeness that they shared once' even though they fought 3 years back and stopped talking to eachother?"
"OK" they both nodded
"How do we find that out?" Akaash asked him "They both refuse to be in the same room as other' You know how Kushi refused to work in that new project that Dad and Shashi uncle proposed just because she knew Arnav would be in it?"
"But they attended the Diwali festival together'" Payal reminded them
"But that was because Kushi cannot say know as it was in Gupta house and we all had come there and Di emotionally blackmailed Arnav to join"
"same as Holi festival we had at RM- We had to literally drag Kushi here- but then Arnav didn't show much interest in Holi so we didn't see much for them to interact"
"OK' so we should try and get that out someother way" NK told as he sat there thinking what to do'
"May be we should try and make them jealous" Payal suggested
Both the men looked at her for a while'
"That's a good idea Payal- exactly a perfect idea as far as Arnav is concerned' Link Kushi with some man in front of Arnav and see if he betrays any emotion. Do the same thing to Kushi and see if she is disturbed" NK said rubbing his hands together in glee
"Alright lets start' Whom do we link with Kushi now?" Akaash asked
"NK ofcourse" Payal said much to the shock of NK
"What?" NK asked her in a stunned tone
"Yeah, she is right' You are close to both of them and Arnav would believe if we link you and her"
"Are you kidding? How would he believe.. he knows we both share a good friendship and nothing more than that"
"Friendship has a good potential to turn into Romance and again this is my sisters life reputation that we are keeping at stake' I would not like to link her with someone and hurt her' Later when she comes to know what we did' she might be comfortable if it was you NK' You are a gentleman and a friend" Payal told him
"Thanks.. but" NK started to say
"No buts and ifs NK- you are Kushi- its fixed' Now lets move on to Arnav's story' who are we going to link up with him?"
"May be Sheetal?" Akaash suggested
"Sheetal?" NK asked incredulously "You must be kidding- Kushi would have a good laugh if we say her that Arnav and Sheetal are together now"
"But you always tease Arnav with Sheetal isn't it?"
"Because Arnav thinks she is a Bitch and Sheetal is actually a bitch- but she is completely gaga over him and she literally falls over him to make him notice her'"
"That should be fine right? Let us make Kushi think Arnav finally noticed her" Akaash told her
"No, kushi wouldn't believe it' She knows too well' she knows what Arnav thinks of her' Arnav doesn't hate Sheetal- He loathes her- she disgusts him"
"Alright.. not Sheetal then' What about Lavanya'."Payal asked him
"No Not Lavanya' leave her out of this"
"Why? She is the only common friend for both of them other than you.. why not her?" Payal asked him surprised "Kushi would definitely believe if it is going to be Lavanya, She has a nice opinion of her and I know she gets along quite well with Arnav too"
"But why are going in jitters when Lavanya was mentioned NK? Is something going on between both of you?" Akaash asked him
"No No nothing absolutely nothing" NK stammered
"Why do we feel that your NO is more of a YES?" Akaash asked him again
All it took was a very little prodding and finally NK admitted that he and Lavanya were seeing eachother
"OK'She just told me yes a week back' we haven't disclosed this to anyone yet' Not even to Arnav and Kushi"
"Good that you haven't disclosed it to anyone yet' But I am so happy for you NK" Payal told him giving him a hug.
"But look.. lets keep her out of this.. I don't know if she will be comfortable with all this'."
"She will be ' if you ask her to do it'" Akaash pointed out
"Raizadas are persistent ' aren't you?" NK asked as Akaash smiled at him
"Fine then' what should I do now?" NK asked them
"NK?" Arnav's voice took them all by surprise.
NK turned back to see his friend standing a little behind him'
"Hi Arnav"
"What are you doing here alone?" Arnav asked him "Why didn't you come up?"
"Alone?" Nk asked him confused and turned to face front just to notice that Akaash and Payal were hiding under his feet beside the sofa, gesturing him not to disclose anything. He realised that Arnav hadn't seen them there
"Buggers" NK muttered
Arnav had started to come closer to NK and he knew that if he came any closer then he would find them crouching there.
"Please" Payal whispered
"to.. to please you" NK stammered out loud, picking Payal's please out of tension
"TO please me?" Arnav asked him not understanding a word
"No. .No to ask please to you?"
"Are you alright NK? What happened to you?"
"I' Arnav" NK said as he crossed the sofa and went to him "I heard that .. that you have been asked to marry Kushi"
"Yeah.. so what?" Arnav asked him raising his eyebrows in a suspicious way "Did Di ask you to convince me? You should know better" Arnav told as he started moving to the dining table on the other side'
"NO.. NO ' "NK said as he went behind his friend "Di didn't ask me to do anything' Kushi asked"
"What?" Arnav stopped on his tracks "do you mean?"
"Please Arnav' She wants to say NO but you know how conventional her parents are' they wont agree' But if you say No' then there is no point to proceed further right' "
Arnav raised his eyebrows again
"you think I am interested in marrying her? You must be kidding' anyone but her NK"
NK went and hugged Arnav the next minute
"Thanks so much ' you are my best friend Man' I cant thank you enough'" NK blabbered as Arnav grew more suspicious
"Why are you so happy for this?" He asked as he disentangled himself from his friends hug
"Nothing.. I simply' lost control" NK tried to act elusive, raising Arnav's curiousity even more higher'"Ok I need to leave now..See you later Arnav" NK started to leave but he was promptly stopped by Arnav'
"Are you and Kushi seeing eachother?" Arnav asked in a deliberately slow voice
NK stood there staring at his friend for some time' He was beginning to see symptoms' symptoms that Arnav still likes and cares about Kushi. He saw his friend standing there gulping down and looking at him in the most earnest way, wishing that he would respond in negative. But he is not going to ' if he has to bring his friend out of the cocoon that he has built for himself' he has to say what his friend didn't want to hear
"Yes" he said very softly
"When did this happen?" Arnav asked in a hoarse whisper
"Two months back" NK lied through his teeth "I proposed and she said yes"
To say Arnav looked devastated would be less. NK hated to do this to Arnav'One look at his friend who seemed to have aged in those few minutes, NK wanted to go and hug him and say "No Man, I was just joking" But he controlled himself. So far, he had been doing it for Akaash and Payal's sake. Now he would continue this mission to closure for his friend's sake.
"She didn't want anyone to know until sometime. Hope you understand." NK told him "You are the first to know it"
Arnav gulped again. He nodded meekly
"I have to leave. See you later" Arnav told his friend in a cracked voice and moved out without even having his breakfast.
Seconds after Arnav left, Akaash and Payal came out of their hiding place.
"At first when you were stammering things, I didn't believe we are gonna get through this alive. But then you proved you are a genius. How did you manage it?" Akaash asked as he slapped his Brother's friend on his shoulder.
"I have been hanging out with your brother for a long time now Akaash.. Some of his genius has to rub off on me you see" NK told him
"So does he show symptoms of the spark?" Payal asked him
"The Spark has never died Payal" NK told her
"So the first step is a success?"
"Yes'"
"When do we start the second step' Attack on Kushi?"
"Right now" NK told "I am giving a call to Lavanya and asking her to join us for a coffee at the cafe near your house"
"Alright" Payal jumped in excitement "Mission Arnav and Kushi started successfully"
To be continued'
Book Talk
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