Arshi FF: Entwined(T1) *Completed* - Page 23

Dedication to my darling JAAMS!!

This one is for you---

"You add such freshness to my days, that each time I talk to you, I only find myself thanking my lucky stars for sending you to me,...they even do reply to me saying...'you both are destined to meet one day'..."

As I wait for that day-- n as today's tradition has it-- NamakIshqKa...honey Muaaah!!

**

Okay that being done---21 Sep it is today!!! I dont think I need to mention what this day is about--- we at the FB's largest fanpage of IPK celebrate such days of Arshi history in our very own way, and today we greet each other 'NamakIshKa' which precisely according to us means-- 'I love you' LOL!

My dear reader!!! NamakIshqKa! to you all!! Muah!

And finally a small confession:

I tend to write the lead instances to what I thought it should be in a chapter a lot more than I intend to and it happens so spontaneously that I just don't know how to get rid of this...something which I intend to improve about my writing..

Anyway, since I haven't yet improved, you gotto put up with this..

Part 2 on its way already, which will make up for the boredom in this, at least I hope it would,.. :)

Go on now... no more interruption!

Entwined:

Chapter-14(part 1):

In the bright sunny morning, as the crowd starting kicking in for the weekend breakfast, Khushi walked the path in between the various tables of the restaurant, her big hazels lost in a different world and her forehead creased in such a cute frown, that one look at her, Sheethal instantly knew something was bugging her friend, as she observed her from the counter even as her own mind was partially busy with recounting week's earnings.

"I already weight more than 100 hundred pounds. There is a bloody reason I stress on DIET coke, do you get it missy, D.I.E.T...Diet coke it is, you get me normal coke one more time, I'm gonna sue you and sue this bloody--"

"Is there a problem sir?" Khushi interrupted, stopping by at the table where the hefty impatient customer was barking his way, his vigorously moving big hands enough to juggle up the air in vicinity and drive the force towards the waiter who looked positively horrified much to the customer's amusement.

"Oh! The manager herself! Do you guys in this goddamn restaurant even have an idea about the difference between Coke and a Diet Coke, is this what is called Diet coke??" he showed Khushi the red tin next to which stood a huge pile of cheese splashed food that instantly made Khushi arch her eye-brows at the obnoxious man.

"Definitely sir, as I would like to define, normal coke for the ones who would like to have healthy food and some tasty beverage along with it while diet coke is for the ones who wants to keep their diet in check and think that it would compensate for the stack of food they consume, you dint knew this Ela?" Khushi turned to the waitress who looked relieved from the initial horror even as a small knowing smirk played in her eyes. "Yes, sorry ma'am"

"I'm sorry sir; she is new here and yet to know about the keep-customer's-diet- in-check' ways before delivering order. Why don't you give us another two minutes while we get you, the diet coke and along with it may be another hamburger, free as a token of our apology?" Khushi spoke with her straight professional face and Sheethal threw a look from the monitor through her braces profusely smirking to herself.

"Okay, if you insist" the hefty man spoke looking utterly confused and seemed to be deciding if he was indeed insulted or was actually treated good; but before he could say anything else, both Khushi and the waitress walked off towards the counter.

"A hamburger and a coke for the gentleman there"

"DIET COKE!!!" he interrupted making Khushi roll her eyes as she waved her head to the guy at the counter with bored eyes as she dismissed the hefty person and walked towards the billing counter where Sheethal continued to look at her with narrowed gaze.

"And that's three hamburgers today, please tell Cheff John not to repeat that disgusting excessive lettuce sauce experiment, the hamburger sucks to say the least; now we can't go on offering them for free each time the thing turns out bad, can we?" She exclaimed while Sheethal continued to concentrate on her computer typing away information and glancing at the dramatic Khushi every now and then, giving her one I get it' look.

"Ma'am your coffee--"

"Ah! About the right time!" Khushi exclaimed fetching her mug from the tray even as Sheethal removed her glasses from above her nose and settled herself sitting on the counter beside her computer and lazily dropped a hand around Khushi. "What's wrong?" she asked as Khushi concentrated on her own coffee.

"Something is wrong" she confessed.

"Right, brilliant answer actually"

Khushi looked up to meet Sheethal's smirking gaze and they both chuckled together looking away as Sheethal brought her closer, hugging her sideways. "It's just this frustration sometimes Shee, like I woke up to a shitty me, without any proper reason"

Sheethal nodded, sipping her coffee and snapped a look towards the sea, making Khushi follow her gaze instantly. "Like you wanna stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself... what the hell are you doing?, is this it?'.."

Khushi again looked to her side to see Sheethal's lost gaze. "Life you mean?"

She just nodded as Khushi jumped up to join beside her on the counter. "Success isn't enough even, is it?" she added.

"Oh! It's not that dramatic either, maybe I should actually consider one of my father's never ending proposals" Sheethal waved off. "Oh! Let's just take a break Khushi, I'm tired!"

"We have just started today" Khushi laughed.

"Oh I'm tired mentally if not physically! Common, you have something in mind?" She asked all worked up suddenly.

"You, uh, wanna play Volley-ball?"

"I'd love to!! It's been so long!" Sheethal exclaimed jumping right off the counter. "Wait a minute.." she observed Khushi thoughtfully. "You wanna play?" she raised an eye-brow.

"I could watch you play" Khushi shrugged.

"But you hate sports, why do you even want to do it? Never mind let's do something we both would enjoy"

"Uh, someone actually invited me...err..us actually to a match"

"Uh-uhh" Sheethal stepped behind and folded her hands across her chest with a smug expression urging Khushi to continue.

"Arnav?" Khushi said rather sheepishly making Sheethal grin more.

"Someone's meeting someone, hmm-hmm"

"Oh shut up! We just bumped into each other last night"

"In your late night walks?"

"Lonely walks" Khushi corrected her.

"Which doesn't look all that lonely any longer?"

"Oh common Shee, seriously?"

"Alright, alright, tell me something, you wanna go?" Sheethal asked rather seriously looking directly at Khushi.

"I, uh, thought you would..."

Sheethal laughed out loud cutting her off and Khushi just looked away even more embarrassed suddenly for reasons unknown. "You know what? Let's just do this! Lemme have some more bitching time with the arrogant ass, he seems fun though" Sheethal added trying to figure out Khushi's expression, but Khushi just rolled her eyes and walked away already fetching her phone from her pocket, opening the text message she received in the morning.

Knock, knock, has Khushi's mind decided yet?'

---

Khushi's brain was pondering if there is a dress code for the match'

//

Arnav smirked at the message he just received and typed off hurriedly as a vague memory of a different time made its way into his mind making him smile even more.

'Is that a yes then...-pass my question to Khushi's brain' please..'

//

I guess, the brain wouldn't listen to Khushi, so, unfortunately it's a yes'

//

Why so?' ;)

//

Coz, it might finally wanna try something it was excited about in a different life time..'

//

Well, pass my Kudos to Khushi's brain..'

//

J'

//

"I thought we could use some new players at my side today" Arnav stated not looking up from his newspaper when the other two pairs of eyes seated across the break-fast table in the lawn looked up questioningly.

"Since when did Arnav Singh Raizada invite people to family events?" Anjali asked in her bored tone as she poured herself tea from the jug. "Ignore him baby, it's we who are going to win any which way" she shrugged looking at Shyam who was busy with his own sandwich and tea.

"Since his very own sister started taking the opposite side" he dragged the newspaper down a little showing them his narrowed eyes.

"Oh I've no regrets! The Jha family is going to win anyway"

"Jeez! Hear yourself Di, you sound like the desperate cheer-leader girlfriend!"

"Wow!" Shyam exclaimed causing Arnav to bring the newspaper down again to give himthe look. "Arnav, you have a very vivid imagination, Anji, why don't you try the cheer-leader costume today? It would be such a boost to me!"

That earned Shyam a slap on his arm from his wife making Arnav chuckle behind the newspaper. "All the best love-birds, you guys watch out for my players today!" Arnav smirked throwing the newspaper on the table as he jumped on his feet making his way towards the beach.

***

Dressed in his three-fourth jeans with a white sleeveless vest under an unbuttoned sea blue shirt, his hair creeping onto his forehead, Arnav looked positively ravishing to Khushi, as he stood at the bay of the small volley-ball setting arranged almost into the sea-shore, his hands efficiently working with the ball in his hands. Khushi dropped down her gaze to look at her own, old sleeveless tee and pair of denims, with her worn-out tired eyes and messed up hair tied back in a pony, &she frowned. She stole a glance to her side and Sheethal blinked at her from beneath her shades, and her red hot two piece bikini standing out even as Khushi managed to smile back and looked away frowning even more as they walked together towards the small gathering ahead.

She stood in the background as Sheethal exchanged the surprised pleasantries with the Jha-couple, as the elder person continued to introduce her to another small group of people of same age group dressed equally ravishing and she looked as Arnav came running towards the gathering, half grinning at his sister and briefly hugging Sheethal on his way.

"So, this is your surprise team member Arnav" Anjali Manohar Jha grinned suggestively looking at Sheethal and Arnav. She was a very attractive woman, Khushi noticed and much more beautiful from what she have seen before in TV. Khushi heard her voice quite a lot of times before, but in live though she sounded even more angelic. She wondered what would it be to hear her sing in live. There was this inbuilt warmth around her and Khushi found herself smiling as she noticed the elder woman's' natural love reflecting in her eyes each time she looked at her husband and even more genuine adulation when she looked at her brother. Suddenly Khushi felt out of place and there was this sudden urge to stay aloof, a general loop hole in which she often finds herself in, but at that moment though, she found herself stuck... & so, she looked down, hiding her sudden lost look from the busy gathering.

"Member-S actually; how rude of you shit-all, you forgot khushi?" Arnav talked walking his way towards Khushi.

"Shit-all?" Sheethal repeated the word more to herself before her eyes went wide as realization hit her and she broke into a small run towards Khushi instantly. "Shit Khushi!"

"Exactly Shit...all" Arnav gave her one dirty look before turning to his sister. "Di, jiju, this is Khushi, Sheethal's friend and Khushi this is my di and her husband..."

His cordial introduction was abruptly interrupted by a sudden peal of choking coughs and everyone looked at Shyam who was struggling with his gulp of water that he was drinking and he composed himself giving apologetic looks to everyone. "Uh, sorry, Khushi?" he asked extending his hand to Khushi for a shake-hand even as his side-ways gaze was fixed on Arnav's as a look of realization passed between the two. Arnav nodded silently telling his brother-in-law to let the realization be buried.

"Just... my friend?" Sheethal spoke to Arnav her eyes glinting mischievously as she rolled her tongue inside her cheek all set to give back to Arnav at his name insult.

"Matlab?" Anjali asked confused; Arnav looked stuck; Khushi looked lost and Shyam looked at the varied expressions around him with a knowing straight face.

"Anji..."

"Sheethal, why don't you show me your special shots in the game?" Arnav dragged Sheethal away as Anjali gave them satisfied mischievous look before looking at her husband suggestively. "Did you just see that?" she said grinning oblivious to Khushi's still lost, dejected look.

"You are getting it all wrong honey" Shyam said nodding apprehensively ignoring which Anjali walked away in her mission to observe if her setting up indeed was working this time, truly amused with herself.

"khushi" Shyam said as the both observed the scene in front of them silently, different kind of thoughts wandering in their minds. "You look good" he added turning to look at her.

If Khushi was surprised, she didn't let on. He repeated the exact same words that Arnav said when he first met her, so she could only relate Shyam's words to that perspective and she just smiled uncertainly. "Uh, I'm Shyam Manohar Jha, apart from being the unfortunate brother-in-law, I'm also the official lawyer to the Ar-Industries" he spoke cordially trying to enlighten her.

"Oh, glad to meet you sir" Khushi said not quite figuring out the purpose of the conversation.

Shyam chuckled throwing a look around him and then fixed his gaze back on Khushi. "You don't get it do you?" he asked with a warm smile on his face. Khushi just raised her eye-brows unsurely.

"Obviously, you wouldn't know, we were all working vigorously when you were in coma to get Arnav out of the case..."

"Case?"

"Uh, being accused of your murder attempt?" Shyam said the initial confidence in his voice dipping away.

"Arnav?"

Shyam chuckled again, as he turned around hearing Anjali call out to him from distance. He gestured something before turning around to look at Khushi.

"It wasn't that hard to join the dots, was it? Anyway, I was just intending to let you know that the all the legal proceedings whatever they were had been taken care of back then, even those required from you, did someone bother you again after that?" he asked keeping his tone even.

"No sir, nothing at all and thank you for your help, I, uh, I dint know before, otherwise.."

"Oh no no Khushi, that's not why I mentioned this, and firstly call me Shyam and secondly, just thank Arnav, I'm sure you did that already" with that Shyam smiled and turned around to walking away from her leaving a rather baffled Khushi alone.

Something constricted inside her as stream of thoughts juggled inside her brain. Why couldn't she think of this before? Arnav met her as a stranger on the terrace and even saved her when she fell from there. More so, he was even accused of the attempt to murder when in reality...

Khushi couldn't think any straight after this piece of information. How much had Arnav actually gone through those few months she was in coma? How much did Arnav had to actually pay for thinking to come up that bloody terrace that stupid random night only to save someone like her and for what? Someone who couldn't even afford to live a normal life?

She looked around trying to compose her sudden disoriented mind and that dint work and instead unknown uninvited memories made their way into her mind as her brain sequenced the events since the night on the terrace wall...

Her coming up to think through things...

Her stepping up the wall, in usual calm way and then making up her mind of an uncertain future...

Her hearing footsteps of someone approaching her...

The ever so peaceful conversation something which she didn't really have for ages before that...

The way the little vague conversation suddenly helped her induce sense into her uncertain future...

Her own mind that have gathered up courage to live through and fight her way...

The fall...

Her waking up to those very brown eyes, that keeping haunting her...

She jerked herself out of that memory. As all the events settled in her mind in a sequence, and with the bits and pieces of information she had received from Angad and Shyam, looking back now, Khushi could only and only see Arnav in her new-life, as she would like to term it. She dint understand how she felt about it. She realized she actually was even more grateful and in a way Entwined to him than she thought she was and that only added to her sudden foreign emotions.

What is it Arnav?

She found herself asking even as she was attuned to his body-language, staring at him and as on cue he turned around exactly in that instant flashing that smile at her which even more added to the sudden uncertainty filling her nerves.

Chapter-14(part 2)