Arhi FF: Wedding Hues-note on pg 74 - Page 11

From the author's desk: Thanks so much for all the feedback...

Here is the next chapter... Hope you all like it

Happy reading!

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Chapter 3: The green monster

La stared at all the three in front of her. She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again

"So?" Nk prompted her "is it a yes or no?"

"NK.. But how will I ' I mean'I don't know'What if it back fires"

"Trust us it will work' It worked with Arnav" Payal told Lavanya

"You need to just go to her and tell her that you and Arnav are together now' that's it"

Lavanya looked at NK who nodded at her as he reached for her hands and gave it a little squeeze

"Ok' I hope I don't ruin it'"

"You won't I will help you out' just take cue from me ok?" Payal told her

"ok" Lavanya smiled a little "But aren't they going to probe if its going to affect them' I mean, I don't think Arnav would just take your word for it' he would look out for symptoms and Kushi too would do it'"

"I know that, I have a plan" NK smiled at her and then explained the entire plan

"NK, I am not sure that we can pull this out" Lavanya told him

"we would, if only you would follow what I say to the dot'" NK said as he stood up "We are heading to the Raizada mansion, you both should be able to reach Guptas before us' All the best"

The group separated. The girls got into Lavanya's bike and started in the opposite direction and the men got into Akash's car and headed to the Raizada Mansion

***

As Lavanya entered the Gupta house she found Kushi at the kitchen, trying to make some sweet dish

"Hi Kushi"

"Hey La" Kushi exclaimed

"Experimenting something?"

"Just some kheer'" Kushi smiled at her "Tell me whats up?"

"just.. hmm' I need to tell you something" Lavanya said as she sat on the counter top.

"Something?"Kushi looked at her friend and then raised her eyebrows "Hey- Who is that lucky guy?"

"how did you find out?"

"You are blushing like hell" Kushi told her leaving the kheer on the counter and coming near her friend

Lavanya bit her lip

"I am going to kill you if you don't tell me' tell me right now' Does NK know it?"

"No" Lavanya whispered'

"Tell me quick.. who is it? Someone I know?"

Just then Payal entered the kitchen calling kushi and noticed Lavanya there

"Hey Lavanya'" she exclaimed as if she was surprised to see Lavanya there

"hi Payal" Lavanya replied back smiling at her but before she could finish her greetings, Payal came and hugged her

"Congrats girl' Akash told me" She told making Lavanya still more flushed

"Akash?" Kushi asked half confused and half surprised

"hmm...you didn't know?" Payal asked her sister and turned to Lavanya "you didn't tell her yet?" she winked at Lavanya

"No I was just telling her"

"Hey wait a min' Isnt Akaash seeing you?" Kushi asked her sister and then looked at Lavanya

Payal took a spoon full of kheer out of that bowl and tasted it

"Akaash is still seeing me' I didn't tell Akaash proposed her' I only said Akash told me who proposed her" Payal explained with a mouthful of kheer

"Payal, I made that for the dinner, don't finish it off now" Kushi said as she took it into her hand to put it into the fridge for cooling it.

"hmm' I thought you were making it for celebrating your friends union'" Payal told her

Kushi stopped on her tracks and turned to look at her friend and then at her sister

"is it NK?" she started to ask but Payal continued as if Kushi hasn't asked anything

"I can't believe it La, You are going to be my jethani'Wow' "

As the girls hugged again, they heard a huge splash as the glass bowl dropped to the floor spilling all the contents and shredding the glass pieces all over the kitchen floor.

Lavanya and Payal disentangled in surprise and looked at Kushi who looked stupefied by what she heard just now.

"Kushi?"

"My..My hand slipped" Kushi stuttered as she bent down, not even realizing that the shred glass pieces will cut her fingers, she started cleaning up the mess, in the process, receiving several cuts on her hands- even as La and Payal who have been watching her in shocked silence, rushed to her rescue

"What are you doing?" La shouted at her friend as she held her hand

"Are you mad?" Payal screamed "Don't you know these are glass pieces?" She effectively stopped her sister who looked as if she blanked out.

Kushi merely blinked at her sister and friend. The girls made her sit on the nearby couch and brought in the first aid box.

"I am fine.. " kushi told them' "I just didn't realize, the glass pieces were with the kheer"

After the initial cleaning, La volunteered to dress Kushi's wounds and Payal got up to clean the mess on the kitchen floor.

Both the girls felt so bad about making Kushi feel very sad about the news. La kept glancing at Payal who looked disturbed too.

***

"Arnav, do you mind if I make a call from your mobile? There is some technical problem with mine" NK asked his friend

"Oh Sure.. You don't have to ask" Arnav said as he handed over his mobile to his friend

"Thanks man, its only that I had told Kushi that I will call her and she would be worried if I don't" NK explained wantedly, immediately making Arnav uncomfortable again as if he regretted giving his mobile to NK for that reason.

NK dialed a number and then waited for sometime then cut the call

"Missed call" he told his friend, She will buzz me back if its ok to call"

As NK pretended to wait impatiently, Arnav grew miserable and depressed too

***

Lavanya got a missed call in her mobile. She and Payal looked at eachother. Signal from NK to start the next course of action. Should they proceed with kushi at such a vulnerable condition?

Kushi noticed the missed call ' Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was from Arnav's mobile.

"Hey Didn't you check who is that?" Kushi asked her friend cheerfully

"No that's alright, I will check later" La lied

"You'll check later or you already know who it is?" Kushi asked in a teasing tone.

Lavanya stared at her friend unbelievingly. How far can one act as if she didn't care?

"Kushi, Shall I ask you something? Would you answer me frankly?"

"yeah? La' When did we expect such formalities between us?"

"Are you .. I mean' Arnav and me' you don't.." La struggled to put across her point

"I am very happy for both of you'" Kushi smiled at her friend as she cut in whatever La was trying to say.

Payal who had been standing behind Kushi shook her head at La.

La sighed determinedly

"I know you would be'" La told her "Thanks so much Kushi'"

"So tell me when did this happen?" Kushi continued to look cheerful for her friend with great effort, which was not actually working out with the other two girls who could see through her grief very plainly

"Sometime last week"

"Last week? And you kept this from me all this while?"

Lavanya smiled at her

"We need to hear all the details' Akash didn't tell me everything" Payal told La, as she blushed and Kushi grimaced awkwardly

Then Lavanya's mobile started ringing'Another call from Arnav's mobile in the last five minutes.

Lavanya smiled at them apologetically.

"Excuse me girls'" La said as she picked up her mobile in her hand and frowned at it "Hey Kushi can I use your samsung charger? My charge is very low'" La exclaimed to which kushi nodded and pointed to the spot where she can find the charger.

***

"Why isn't she not picking up?" NK exclaimed

"How would she know that you are giving her signals?" Akash pointed out wantedly "I mean, its not your mobile"

"Are you kidding? She knows that its me' I mean Arnav wouldn't give her missed calls- Only I and she have a code" NK explained pointedly, pissing off Arnav, who looked like he was almost off the edge.

Then suddenly Arnav stood up

"Where are you going?" Akash freaked out

"Why to my room" Arnav said carelessly and turned to go

"Alright dude, I will give your mobile later, Kushi might call me in this" NK said as he gave another missed call

Arnav kept glaring at his friend as he saw NK impatiently staring into the screen

***

Before Lavanya could even put the mobile into the charger and set it up, There was a third missed call.

"Someone is getting desperate to hear your voice" Payal smirked at La and winked at her as Kushi looked disturbed.

"Kushi if you don't mind, can I use your mobile?" La asked her friend, who only could nod at her.

La called Arnav's number which was promptly picked up on the other end by NK who made sure that Arnav noticed that it was from Kushi before he picked it up.

As soon as Arnav saw it was from Kushi, Arnav made some excuse to stay back, not even understanding why he did so'

The two spoke for a long time'

While La blushed here, Kushi grew very disturbed as she thought that it was Arnav who was making her friend blush and on the other end, Arnav there grew very restless and outrageous as he watched NK speak sweet nothings into the phone.

As the foursome knew it was time for them to plunge into the next step of their plan, Akash sneeked out to call Lavanya.

Lavanya got a call in her own mobile which was put to be charged.

"Oh my god, Arnav hang on.. I am getting another call on my mobile" La told NK and peeped into the screen of her mobile. She saw Akash calling her

"Arnav, hold on a minute, its my dad, Speak to Kushi for a while' I will be back"

***

Meanwhile there at RM, NK jumped up

"Something has gone into my shirt'" he danced around and then promptly dumped the mobile into Arnav's hands

"Hold on to this, I will be back in a minute" he said as he dashed into the adjoining room.

Akaash gave a thumbs up to NK as he saw his brother staring at the mobile and slowing taking it to his ear.

***

"Kushi I will be back, its my dad" La told her urgently as she pushed Kushi's mobile into her hand and rushed away to the adjoining room.

Payal smiled as she saw kushi biting her lip as she brought the phone to ear.

Both of them could hear their own heart beat increasing' hoping to hear the other person's voice.

"Hello?"

Both of them said at the same time but then both couldn't continue, it seemed as though the time had frozen, Anguish seemed to hit Arnav as he realized that NK had indeed been speaking to Kushi and Kushi was distressed that Arnav had indeed proposed Lavanya.

Neither could continue further and Kushi finally gave in to tears and as for Arnav, he couldn't control the anger that he felt at being betrayed, as he cut the call and threw it on the sofa nearby and left the place.

NK came out of the room and raised his eyebrows at Akash.

Akash gave a second thumbs up

"He is totally on edge"

"Did they speak to eachother?"

"I think so, he was looking very upset and angry at the same time"

"That's fine' that's what we had to do.. kindle the jealousy in him to a point that he might not double think before he declares a war with me to win Kushi"

"And?" Akash asked NK

"I would gladly get defeated-In reality, I am in love with La and not kushi- I am 100% fine with losing her to him" NK declared as he relaxed against the soft cushions of the sofa'

"Wicked"

"aren't we?"

***

"What happened?"

"She left' I ..I don't know' she just left the mobile there and left to her room"

"heart break?"

Payal nodded "and tears"

"I feel so sorry to do this to her"

"I feel bad too' But this is for her greater good isn't it?"

"Lets call NK and ask him what happened there"

"Yeah, and ask him the next course of action"

***

"What is next?"

"hmm how about a function at RM?"

"function? What function?"

"you mean we need to dig up a reason to have a function here?"

"yes, a function where Kushi sees La present at RM and a pooja where for some odd reasons NK has to arrive with Kushi" NK told them

"Awesome" Payal exclaimed

"Wicked" Akaash exclaimed

"Oh my god' Not again" Lavanya told NK

"Why? You don't have to fear anything, atleast you are not playing a dangerous role, I am'. I mean, I might get ripped apart with the fury that I am building in him' But still" NK told La who smiled at him

"we are going to unleash the green monster again?" Akaash declared

"Yes not only unleash it this time, we are gonna let it roam around free so that it will plunge its sharp teeth a notch deeper into their chests, and if we are lucky, this time, the green monster is going to rip off the chains that guard their hearts '" NK spoke out dramatically

"so that when they face eachother finally, their hearts will be bare and naked and at the vulnerable best?" Payal asked

"Exactly" NK told her rubbing his hands gleefully

To be continued'