"What happened to him?"
The girl stopped sobbing with a hiccup. "I don't know. Gramps and I always go out for a walk and he's always fine with it but today..."
Arnav nodded worried and checked the old man's pulse and breaths. He was still alive but abruptly fainting like that was not a good sign.
"We have to take him to the hospital, okay?" he gently explained the distraught granddaughter. "Help me take him to my car, then you call your mom or dad."
She hastily got to her feet and did as he told her. "Thank you, Mr Raizada."
***
Khushi set her bag on her shoulder again and smiled at the nurses, waving goodbye to them as she walked out of the hospital. She of course could not practice as a doctor yet, but she worked some voluntary hours every week at the hospital to familiarise with how her life would soon be like with all those sick and injured people to care for.
"Ah...Khushi?" she heard someone call her.
Still smiling, she turned around to see Arnav Singh Raizada right behind her... and her smile vanished...
***
His grin widened with amusement seeing the expression that had immediately climbed onto her face. He had just left the old man he had found on his way home after making sure he was fine. The doctors had said he had had a minor heart attack but he would be alright. She turned deep red and looked away embarrassedly before suddenly starting to resume walking.
"What the-?" he frowned, stunned for a second. No girl walked away from Arnav Singh Raizada, he walked away from them. Stubbornly, he followed her even as she tried to stalk away faster. Unfortunately for the poor girl, he had long and stronger legs that made him catch up with her easily.
"Your name is Khushi, right? I heard your friend call you Khushi, the other day, at the cafe. It's a nice name."
She turned her head away so she wouldn't see him and went on ignoring him. The few people around were not though. They stared shamelessly at him and he could practically hear them whispering among each other.
"So... um... are you Indian?"
The tension in her jaw told him she was gritting her teeth together, drawing a small smile on his lips. Getting irritated, are we? Normally, he would have left long, long ago. In fact, he wouldn't even have done the stupid act at the cafe, for starters. But something was pulling press onto this girl till she gave in. She would. He knew she would.
"You want me to give you a lift home?"
Instead of replied, she ignore his presence by crossing her arms and squaring her shoulders, eyes fixed on the horizon. But Arnav Singh Raizada was no patient man. He stopped walking and boldly reached out for her elbow, pulling her flush against him.
***
Her eyes opened wide with fear when she felt herself being pressed in his hard chest. Her heartbeat sped up as his hand skimmed over her waist, holding her in place while he frowned down at her. Tersely, she tried to push him away but his arm tightened around her, pulling her even closer to him. The other hand, which was firmly latched around her arm, snaked around her waist too.
"Leave me," she hissed, finally breaking her silence, squirming in his hold.
He quirked an eyebrow, highly amused. "Oh, I thought you were ignoring me?"
"Mr Raizada," she gritted out, turning redder and redder. "Don't create a scene."
"Listen to me then?"
Khushi glared at him, then turned her eyes on all the on-lookers.
"I'm giving you a choice here, Khushi. You either listen to me or... I've all the time you need and besides, you are a delicious thing to hold on to," he winked wolfishly, causing her eyes to open wider.
She felt the rumble of his carefree laughter under her hands, which were, for some reason, splayed on his broad and firm chest. Gulping, she realised she had no other option but to acquiesce.
"Fine," she sighed.
He pouted innocently. "Fine, what? Should I continue holding you tight, like there's no tomorrow?"
***
Anger rose up in her eyes, making them shine brighter, to his greatest pleasure.
"Leave me!" she whispered, uncomfortable because of the attention they were attracting.
Reluctantly, he released her and took one step backwards but still held her hands in his. "I just wanted to apologise. For the other day... I shouldn't have done what I did but I couldn't help it... Your friend was just too annoying."
He watched her for any reaction but she only retracted her head between her shoulders like a turtle, as if trying to hide, and avoided looking at him at all costs. Suddenly, when he least expected it, she turned around and continued walking. Arnav groaned with frustration and followed her.
"Listen, I'm really sorry! Maybe I went a bit overboard but... Hey! You had promised to listen to me!"
She paused. "Which I did! Now for God's sake, leave me alone!" she muttered, looking around, at everything else but him.
"What are you so scared of," he chuckled.
***
This just could not be happening! Why the heck was he following her? Didn't he have any better thing to do? Like hockey practice or dating a hot chick?
"I had a hard time trying to convince my friends I don't know you," she pleaded. "Which is true but they believed you, and... Please, don't complicate things. Why are you even chasing me?"
She saw the grin leave his face in a flash. His expression was suddenly blank as he stared at her. "That... is a good question," he muttered.
***
"Man, that's just not done!"
"Stop whining, NK! I have a serious problem here!" Arnav growled as he paced in his room.
NK scowled at him, lying on the couch. "Yeah, and for that you needed to impede my sexy date with the redhead you yourself set me up with?"
A dark look from his teammate and he shut up. "What's it?" he sighed.
"There's this girl," Arnav explained with a most serious expression. "I saw her at the cafe, and her friend was chastising her for being single. So, I dropped in between and pretended to have been on a date with her and promised her another date soon. Her friend was annoyed by the news but so was she. And I saw her again today and wanted to apologise but she didn't want to talk to me, which is quite normal a reaction... but I almost f*cking forced myself on her! To listen to me, I mean."
NK stared at him in incredulous silence for a whole minute before bursting in laughter. He ended up rolling onto the floor, clutching his stomach. Arnav felt himself grow hot with shame.
"What?" he growled.
***
"He did what?" Lavanya spluttered, nearly spitting out her ice-cream.
Khushi winced and nervously glanced at the door, fearing that Andrea or Sandy might come in. "Don't talk so loudly!"
"He seriously held you and apologised? How did he hold you?" Lavanya's eyes rounded with excitement and she clapped her hands together eagerly but no sooner had Khushi opened her mouth to ask her stop it, a frown clouded the girl's expression. "But why would he do that?"
"I asked him? Why he was following me?" Khushi muttered, blushing.
"And?"
***
"Of course I told her I don't know, because I really have no idea!"
"Oh my goodness! Arnav Singh Raizada is after a girl and he doesn't know why? Are you kidding me, mate?" NK laughed.
Arnav threw a withering look at him.
"Okay, okay! Find out!"
"And how should I do that?" Arnav groaned letting himself fall into a heap on the armchair.
NK sighed and shook his head. "The usual. Send her flowers and all, date her, have a fling, have your fill, then when you get tired of her just leave."
Her sweet, innocent face flashed before his eyes, making a mysterious half-smile appear on his face. "She isn't like that, Nate. She's too cute to be wasted that way."
He was almost speaking to himself. NK pulled a face but he didn't see. Since when did ASR start thinking girls were too cute to have a fling with? Seriously? Cute?
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
Anupamaa
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