Hameshaa -Thread One- Ch1 To 13 - Page 48

Chapter 8

The walk!

Khushi was been pushed through the crowd until she reached the steps which will take her to the temple. There were more than 1000 steps to climb to reach the hilltop temple, "Palani".

She looked at the deities curiously as they yelled "Muruga Murugaa" praising the god "Karthikeya". She watched her Amma and sisters buying flowers, coconut and other items for the special pooja.

She was least interested in all those stuffs so she looked around watching the chores. They were half the way to the main entrance and her sisters sat on the stone benches.

There were people who were serving free water and lassi to the passers by who were thirsty. She looked at the huge artistic building which was carved in stone. Numerous postures of hindu god and goddesses sculpted on it.

Her trance broke by the sudden push of people from behind, who were rushing towards the "Kovil" as if their life depended on it.

"Amma, I think I'll just wait here" Khushi said moving away from the crowd. She hated crowd and temple was not something she had planned to visit any day.

"You came all the way up here, and leaving without the darshan?" Tamarai asked cupping her cheeks.

Khushi sighed in defeat and walked towards the crowd, her jaw dropped as she looked at the long queue of people stood infront of them.

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After the temple visit Khushi and family were back home. She went straight to the kitchen, where she had hid her books. She had to study, there was only two days left since her first paper.

As she opened the book to read, sitting in the backyard, she heard Palani Samy yelling from outside.

"Khushi, clean the verandah, now" He growled and Khushi stood up instantly placing her books back into the sack.

Tamarai tried to reason with Palani Samy but he was too stubborn to agree when she said she will clean the verandah.

"She's the maid here, not you, understand?" He groaned stretching his legs onto the wooden table.

Khushi came with the broom and cleaned the verandah, where the birds had pooped few minutes back.

She mopped the place before getting out of the house holding her books close to her heart.

She entered through the secret passage to the riverside. There was still light left, it was already twilight though. She sighed looking around and found few bison's lurking around the river.

She found a spot behind a tree and started reading without wasting any time.

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It was almost 7 in the evening when Arnav came back from the horse trekking. There were few French photographers who came to Devi Puram to shoot some photos of the wildlife along with the tribal's who lived there in the jungle.

He was totally exhausted and need to relax his tensed muscles. But the front office assistant Mr. Pandiyan was already waiting for him with the appraisal chart for the year.

He dismount from the horseback and strode towards the reception, looking into the file which needed his immediate attention.

"When's the deadline?" He asked seating infront of the computer.

"Day after tomorrow, sir" Pandiyan exclaimed seating next to him.

"Are we getting a raise this year, sir?" He asked hesitantly and Arnav smiled at him.

"Yes, you are" He grinned and busied himself in the charts.

Arnav went through the details of workers as it was year-end and all the workers has been getting promoted with a appreciable raise in their wages.

He had to make the appraisal chart and when he was done with the office staffs, he opened the plantation workers file and his eyes stopped at a certain name.

Name :Khushi

Age : 18years!

Marital Status: Married

Work experience : NIL

Arnav's fingers halted on the mouse as his eyes glued to the screen infront of him. Many questions brewed up in his mind as he read it again and again.

"What happened, sir?"

Pandiyan's voice almost startled him and he looked up at the clock, it was almost 8pm.

"I'll finish the rest tomorrow, please shut the computer down, and try to reply to the mails from the other computer, if possible.

Arnav was lost in thoughts as he walked towards his room. she is married?

The question haunted him like anything and he did not know why!

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Khushi smiled widely, reaching the last page of her notes. She was done with the English and was all set for her paper. Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight seeped through the branches and she placed the book on the grass walking towards the river.

She giggled splashing some cold water onto her face looking into her reflection in the mirror. She had not changed her red sari yet, a blush tinted on her cheeks as she remembered Arnav's eyes watching her with awe.

She felt the night breeze cooler than any night and turned around to find the man of her thoughts standing at a distance watching her every moves closely.

She passed a smile at him and her face fell, when she did not get it reciprocated.

She walked towards the tree where she had placed her books and took it with trembling hands. She knew he was watching her, and it made her nervous like anything.

She waited for him to speak something as she walked past him slowly and steadily. His face was stone like as he stared at her.

She shot him a questioning look, stopping on her tracks as he turned around looking at her.

"Sir, aap theek ho?" She asked hesitantly while her words felt enormously stuttering to her own ears.

"Main theekh hoon Khushi, thanks" he whispered back walking towards the river.

She was supposed to leave for her house, but his silence killed her, why? she did not had any answer for that!

An intoxicating fragrance wafted through her nostrils as he walked past her, his hands tied behind, head drooping down as he kicked the small stones with his foot.

He sat at the stone bench near the river, which was made for guests. She looked around before reaching his sides.

"I know its none of my business, but I cant help from not asking you this! Is it because I denied to take the lamp from you?"

She bit onto her lips nervously and he looked up at her this time.

"No"

He whispered turning back his gaze towards the moonlit sky and the twinkling stars

How foolish of me?! She thought. A man like him getting upset because I did not accept his gift? Stop giving yourself so importance Khushi! you are nothing but a mere worker under him!.

She felt like unwanted yet again, which she never felt before talking with him. he was too close to her unlike any other person she met there.

"I am sorry, I'll just leave then," She said sadly walking towards her secret passage.

But she stopped in her tracks as she felt a tug on her sari pallu. Her breath hitched in her throat as she visualized Arnav standing behind her holding her pallu in his hands.

"Khushi, good luck for your exams" He said hesitantly looking at her sari clad form.

She turned around and found her pallu got stuck in those shrubs with small thorns.

"Thank You"

She whispered back and started pulling her pallu from those shrubs with trembling hands.

"Careful, you are going to tear your beautiful sari," he said reaching her sides and helping her with her pallu.

Did he say beautiful? A small smile curved on her lips as she watched him removing her pallu carefully.

"There" He said handing over the same with trembling hands.

"Thanks, again"

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked scratching his head while she nodded in positive.

Finally, it was the first time she was agreeing with anything he offered so far. He did not know what he felt at the time, he was happy that she agreed with him and sad at the same time, when he thought about her being married to another man.

She was only 18 for god's sake and married? How come?! He thought walking beside her, she was clutching onto her books, holding it close to her chest. Her breathing was erratic as they walked in silence, through the darkness.

"So, you all prepared?" He asked looking forward, his eyes resting on those numerous lights flickered across the mud road.

"Yeah, almost" She said nervously, her hold on the books tightening.

He wanted to ask her if it was true, if she was married for real but could not find any suitable words. And somewhere deep inside his heart he thought it would be awkward to ask the same directly to her.

He remembered all those times when he had asked anything about her personal life and she had replied gruffly, changing into a different person, her face expressionless.

They reached her house and he stood there, until she got inside. she looked outside through the window, assuring him that she was safe and he waved his hands at her, wishing her a good night's sleep before walking back to his normal self.

While his night will be sleepless until he finds out about the whole truth about her being married! He did not know why the fact of her being married held so much importance to him.

Kovil means Temple!

Palani is a temple of Lord Karthikeya,situated in the hills of Palni, Tamilnadu!

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CHAPTER 9 ; NEW FEELINGS!

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/iss-pyaar-ko-kya-naam-doon/3515870/hameshaa-thread-one-ch1-to-13�

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A/N

Sorry for being late.. and I broke the wednesday rules with this update!

Whats the fun in making rules, when you did not get to break it? 😛