Arshi FF: Entwined(T1) *Completed* - Page 36

Omg!! That was such a beautiful update...khushi's inner turmoil was wonderfully portrayed..loved it..waiting for more:):)

beautiful chapter😊 and I love the song you choose for the update😊

I hope Arnav becomes the Prince charming that she needs

When can we get next update??

What a beautiful story. I am sending u buddy request . Pls accept and pls pm me when u update.

Any chance of an update?

Helllooo!!!!

N Sorrry!!! I always break my promise, No?... Maafkardo, I was err...bit busy :)

Alright, I havent thought of any dedication today, so breaking the tradition :P

I dont have anything to confess, or I'm just lazy to think of at the moment...so basically I'm going to just let you all directly read the update without my non-sense! Isn't that AWESOME??!! HEheheehe :D

Oh! Just one thing---!!! Big Thank-you to everyone who are reading, following, to the ones who just joined me, and o the ones who have been recommending Entwined...! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! <3 <3

Read on...

Entwined:

Chapter-17:

With Diwali a couple of days away and the preparations kicking in, Arnav felt like he was stuck in the middle of a big fat circus. And he hated it to say the least. The colorful decorations, the whole mansion grooming up like a bride, not so appealing in the almost westernized Goa ambience, the more than required number of servants juggling around the mansion with not so heavy work, again much to his annoyance------ all in all Arnav Singh Raizada almost but regretted his decision to stay back for Diwali.

Okay maybe not really, but then again he didn't know why he wanted to stay back in the first place. He wanted to stay, spend time with Khushi, figure out something, yes, but then how had he actually wanted to do that, is something beyond his mighty brain. Each time he looks into those hazels that stared back at him with a whole lot new shimmer of emotion, he found himself drowning deep and deep-----so much that only his eyes spoke volumes, which even her eyes seemed to have registered, but the weird means of communication irked his existing brains. He was glad indeed, there was a saner part of him, which indeed needed answers and to find which he needed to ask questions, which again to the mighty ASR seemed not too practical, or maybe it was actually too practical and too conservative for his own liking.

More so, for the past couple of days, after the little proximity at the beach and massive self analysis that followed, Arnav didn't quite understand what is that he needed to figure out first. The situation was too tangled in such a web of complexities, he couldn't just figure out if he has to seek answers from his mind, or from her. He couldn't figure out if what he needed is what she actually needed and even if that was true, what is that he actually wanted was something totally beyond uncertainty.

But even as he registered all of it, as soon as he came in front of her, he found himself giving in, gradually and involuntarily. Even if his mind wasn't ready to accept, the place behind his chest where the mere tingling feeling initiated seems to have a mind of its own which directly communicated with that of hers. And so there were suddenly stuck in awkward silent moments, where he found himself just staring at her and not making any kind of effort to say anything else...too afraid to say the wrong things when clearly he was expected to say the right, or maybe too conscious to say the right things, when in reality he was expected to say the wrong. Oh such royal mess!

All he knew was, he wanted to see her, experience the rush of emotions through his nerves each time their eyes met, be captivated by her presence all over again, each time, yet again...and every time. But the sudden lack of their usual chirpy casual flow of talk irked him like anything and he had this desperate need to end the annoying silent conversation they were having. Not that it bothered him, but at the end of the day it leaves him a little unsettled.

It happened when the other night he casually stared out of his room window, only to find her taking one of her usual late night walks, and they just stared at each other for what seemed like hours and then later she just walked away, changing her path, right back towards her home. He could have offered to join her, he didn't. She could have gestured him to come, she didn't. They just seemed content looking at each other, if not continuously, quite often as he juggled between his work and window walks, throughout the time she was there playing with the waves and listening to music from her mp3 player. For reasons uncertain, he didn't know why she didn't walk any farther, past his window like she always does, and that left him with an unsettling anticipation.

It happened again, when the next day he had to visit their little restaurant with his sister to invite Sheethal and her for their Diwali party. He found her busily working with her staff, he noticed, they entered in a very busy timing and he also noticed that it was the first time he was actually seeing her work, and she looked positively ravishing to say the least. It was like everything was merely in her control. She juggled around almost all the activities of the diner, like monitoring Kitchen, monitoring customer orders, sometimes taking orders herself, dropping by Sheethal discussing weird management plans, and lot more which he have already lost track of. He didn't want to disturb her, rather he just wanted to watch her work and so he offered to settle down with Sheethal at her desk, even as Anjali left after a while. He just looked on, observing every moment of her rather keenly. She turned around right to meet his eyes more than once and she did it every time she thought she did something noticing-worthy and he smirked observing the tiniest of change in her expressions with utmost amusement. But then after a couple of hours he had to leave abruptly, owing to an important business call and yet again he was left with an unsettling feeling.

And this continued to happen for another couple of days, as he found himself dropping by that small restaurant on his way in the evening, fixing himself one constant place, the one he sat on the very first time he visited the place, giving order looking for only her and all that they talked was a simple hey' followed by the usual one, with brown sugar'. All they did after that little cordial talk was to observe each other quite often even if they were induced in their own little worlds-----he settling with his Bluetooth and laptop, while she engaged in her usual wandering self. This routine, or so he thought did remind him of the same kind of situation belonging to what seemed like a different life time, bringing him that little d-j-vu moment which she seemed to have realized almost immediately causing him to smile in that knowing way.

However, after all that, at the end of the day, the same unsettling feeling with undetermined anticipation wouldn't leave him and all he would want to do was, repeat the routine yet again.

Determined to end this weird sequence of events, he jogged down his balcony steps the same night heading towards the shore, right at the time she would be passing by for her usual walk. Of course, he did keep track of her usual time and today even, she was late by almost an hour making him impatient with every passing minute. But when he turned around just in time to meet her almost bumping into her, she stepped behind instantly looking up, before the realization registered in her eyes and when she finally flashed that radiant smile, he was a goner.

"You came down today! Not busy?" she asked her hands gently removing the ear-phones tugged in her ears.

He just shrugged too affected by her aura and proximity to say anything and she smiled yet again. She then walked ahead of him, her hands digging deep into her long khaki pockets and standing a feet away from him, she flipped her head to her side making her hair crawl onto her shoulder and looked at him questioningly. As on cue, he repeated her actions tugging his hands into his pockets and stepped forward to stand beside her and just looked on, into her expectant hazels quite amusingly. She smiled and as if in harmony they took the first step together and they started walking beside each other engulfed in an indescribable serenity. The sound of waves echoing in their ears, salty sea-odor mixed with her innate aroma filling his senses, the air greeting them quite often and just like that all his unsettling uncertainties were gone with the wind. Silence, comfortable serene silence between two people, is such simple thing to experience yet such rare one and right now all he could do was cherish it.

**

Khushi walked along the shore and for an instance, she realized, her thoughts were blank, in a good way. She walked beside him, listening to the jingles of waves, breathing in the salty breeze, syncing her foot-steps with his, keeping track of his little hair playing with his forehead along with the wind--------all only from the corner of her eye. She even noticed his gaze on her every now and then, as her own head was bent concentrating on her shoes and looking up quite often only to be met by his boring gaze, causing her to shiver as well as to hold her breathe in unknown anticipation all in mere few moments.

And she realized she had been only attuned to him in such a way that all her usual haunting thoughts of uncertainty were no longer to be found, at least for now. As she wondered about her own thought process, she flipped her head heedlessly only to be met by his with colliding force.

"Auch!" she instantly brought her hand to the front of her forehead gently nuzzling the place, even as her eyes flickered to his, raising as if asking him something.

"Uh, sorry, I just uh---" he trailed off looking back, flipping his head exactly in the same way that might have caused the collision---she gathered. He was looking behind them from the middle, his gaze fixed lower more like on the sand and she observed him for a moment before shifting her gaze to where he was keenly looking at.

She was met by an image of long pair of foot-steps, starting from distance and ending exactly where they were standing. She looked on again, this time her gaze beginning from where they were standing and ending until where her vision could reach. There were two pairs of foot-steps, this time she didn't need to observe the imprints to decide which one belongs to who, but instead, she was observing the manner of the imprints. Their imprints were criss-crossing with one another with hers faltering off every now and then to come back in sync with his which can only be noticed if she observed very closely and she did observe closely of course, even with that little glance. She then shifted her head to look at him and he was already looking right back at her with an undefined amazement.

"I don't think we can see something like this in busy beaches, right? So prominent and----"

"Clear---" she completed for him almost in daze staring ahead of him at their imprints, her mind wandering off to a distant imagination of her own.

"Yeah..."

She barely heard him say, before the thoughts that she visited during that vague imagination revisited her. She flipped her head to the opposite side from the imprints as the image of a girl being lifted in the guys arms flashed right in front of her------her weird imagination of a few days ago, causing her to instantly close her eyes as she tried pushing that illusion away; when she opened them back she was met by his concerned eyes.

Can an impossible imagination become true? Can it really happen to her? As Well?

Even as the tiniest of hope shimmered in her thoughts, the uncertainty seemed too prominent to let the hope surface. Her hope seemed dangerous as well, more because of her past and the effect it has on her than anything else. And she was scared, scared to think of an impossible future and scared to think of proving to be incapable of it. She dint suddenly know if she has any right to even think of the hope that started teasing her senses and she was scared with her very own haunting past overshadowing her heart desires.

"Khushi, ar---are you okay?"

As soon as she registered the raw worry in his voice it added to her alarming self talk, she took a sharp intake of breathe and stepped away from him abruptly only to be hit by the sudden rush of vigorously increased force of waves and she stumbled right into his arms, causing him to instantly hold her at her waist. She shivered at the sudden touch even as his hands withdrew immediately noticing her shiver, but held her in place carefully gripping her shoulders slightly with both of his arms. She looked up after the initial shock of gasp, her eyes instantly turning red, this time with indefinable fear and her fingers clutching his collar trembling on their own accord. He looked between her eyes and her hands at his collar, still holding her in place observing her as she closed and opened her eyes in quick composing moments.

"Khushi.." he searched her face but she was too occupied with her own reactions that she was no longer trying to hide her fears from him, like she always does.

"Khushi? It's okay..." She heard him say and finally met his eyes only to be stupefied with uncertain apprehension as she witnessed the genuine concern in his eyes. She stepped back, jerking him away, this time away from the sea-bed causing him to give that baffled look. She hated herself for putting him through this, but she didn't really know what else to do. It was like every way she wanted to choose lead her to uncertainty in such a way that she would never be able to find any way out of it.

"I, uh, go..got t..t..to go" she uttered at his questioning gaze even as she seen him registering her trade-mark stammer. She flinched again internally hating herself more by every passing second and took another determined step away, still facing him. "uh, I...have s...s...so..some work"

**

And she ran, yet again, causing him to curse so loudly that he himself was bemused with his irritation. He for an instant was bewildered with the thought that why was he even keeping up with all of this. But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew the answer instantly. He just wanted to; it was as simple as that, only if she would allow him into it. He was angry, pissed and more than anything else he felt dejected and the anger was more because this time somehow he just knew her reaction wasn't one of her usual fears, it was different, it more emotional rather than physical and that irked him even more. He knew answers for it all lie in her past and that's something he just cannot get her to talk. And hence he was even more pissed for the mere inabilities of him in this situation.

As he paced his room possessed by his unreasonable rage, his hands vigorously working with his phone, taking turns to put it at his ear and then cursing followed by dialing again, his eyes flickering to the window every now and then as another curse escaped his mind, and when finally the person at the other end of the phone picked up, he was successful in transmitting his entire rage towards that person.

"What do you mean it's not possible dammit! I need some, no, scrap that, I need all details, entire life history of her as soon as possible, do you hear that? If you cannot do it, you know I can hire world's best detective and then what happens to you after that, is something you cannot even dream of, you get that straight in your head you maroon!"

He then heard patiently, his eyes continuing to throw daggers even as his eyes squeezed shut doing his best to control his sudden rage. "I don't care! I just don't care about your bloody process, I need results, you get that? I NEED END RESULTS, show me some and then talk!"

He threw the phone away, with his mind not quite cooperating to concentrate on anything when he heard the voice that could possibly be termed as the most annoying voice at the moment.

"Chote!!!!"

"It's Arnav Anjali, and so sorry, no matter how much ever chote you do, I'm busy tomorrow"

"Oh you are smart! Well, anyway I was thinking---"

"Not now Anjali, I'm tired---"

"Just listen at least---"

"I said not NOW! Stop your drama and would you for a change talk human way?" he snapped.

"What's wrong?" His sister's voice suddenly changed into that of a concern and he yet again cursed himself for the little outburst. He sighed walked across her towards his wardrobe and shuffling through the clothes. "Nothing di, just some problem in the business"

"Do you have to go?" her question was quick and impatient. He smiled a little before turning around to look at her. "Arnav Singh Raizada can handle it" he stated causing her to chuckle.

"Are you alright?" Anjali asked again.

"Oh god! Please di, stop this, go do this coochie-cooing with your husband, I've better things to do, now do you have anything important to talk?---"

"uh-------"

"---- and by important, I mean anything not related to your Diwali celebrations and my involvement in it?"

"I thought if you by any chance drop by Sheethal's restaurant today, please get me the dress she got designed for me, workers today are really busy with whole lot different arrangements and it is an expensive one Arnav---"

The mere mention of the restaurant, took his mind back to the hazels yet again, causing him to clutch one of the garment in irritation. "Arnav?" He heard her sister call out and the thought of being there again brought itself mixed feeling, which surprisingly he only wanted to invade more. "Alright..." he almost whispered absent mindedly, completely oblivious to his grinning sister.

"Does that mean you are going there today?"

"I thought that's what you just asked me to do di, what the hell is wrong with you!?" he snapped yet again, but this Anjali was far from being concerned.

"Fine, yeah, whats wrong with me? Nothing at all! I'll leave you to your foul mood then"

"Thanks" he said not giving her another glance as he observed her leave from the corner his eye, before fetching his clothes and shutting down the wooden door with a thud sound that echoed along with another bang sound of his bathroom door.

**

"Dress!" he said robotically stamping his hand on Sheethal's table, causing her to jerk in shock throwing her pen and braces away and she looked up only to be met by his blank, cold, emotionless eyes.

"What's wrong?" He heard her ask and his irritation only increased, while his eyes struggled to keep a straight face determined not to look around to find some weird feisty manager.

"You don't have the dress?" He exclaimed.

"No, not about the dress, I meant what's wrong with you?" she asked genuinely looking concerned and it only irked him even more. "What? Are you we doing hello"how are you's now? Shit-all?"

"Arrogant Ass" he heard her mutter as she stood from her corner desk and started walking around towards the inner hall. "Much better" he called behind her back and straightened his palms on the high table, once again fixing his concentration on how the Arabic design on the table looked a little out of place instead of searching around for a certain someone. "Here" he heard Sheethal's voice and looked up to see a big brown bag was being offered right into his face. He took it in his hands immediately and turned around to leave.

"That's it?" Sheethal called out causing him to stop and throw a side glance at her raising an eye-brow.

"She is upstairs" she stated not looking up from her computer resuming her braces over her nose.

"Who?"

"You know who"

"So?"

"So, nothing, sometimes general knowledge and information is quite needed"

"Right" he said and continued to walk towards the exit.

As the hot sun shown in the distance above the sea-bed, the waves juggling filling in more humidity in air, he stepped out of the small building with his forehead already shimmering with sweat droplets reminding him of the initial annoyance for this kind of climate and he randomly glanced down only to be met by the image of a shadow, a shadow of a girl standing on the top of the building and before he knew it, he was running back into the restaurant, ignoring Sheethal's bewildered glance as he climbed the internal stair case right into the terrace. This time he didn't stop behind, but instead he walked in quick strides and before she could realize, he held her firmly at her elbow and pulled her down, instantly causing her to stumble even as her hands involuntarily snaked around his waist holding onto him, while he secured her inside his arms involuntarily hugging her.

He then held the both of her shoulders, possessed by his fury and pulled away to have a look at her as he found his own voice jumping to yell at her all in quick reflex actions.

"Would you just stop with you insane actions!?"

"I was just----"

"JUST STOP! " he yelled alerting her in jerking movement but he was far from noticing.

"It's bloody alright to have some fears! Stop being so hard on yourself dammit!! And what is with your bloody ways to overcome them? Seriously how much insane can you even get? Have you really lost it like long back and it is just me who dint know this all through--------"

"------Arnav"

"-------it is only human to be scared of things. I'm scared of snakes, does that mean I have to go catch a snake and pamper it to overcome my fear???"

"Listen------"

"No! You listen to me Khushi Kumari Gupta, and you listen very good; Next time I see you doing something idiotic like this, I swear I will------" he trailed off suddenly loss of words and looked away. He took a moment to compose his rage, taking in deep breath and then looked back to meet her eyes that stared back at him with genuine innocence.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to try----"

"Did you notice your legs were shivering vigorously?" he asked his voice a little toned down and his eyes pouring out genuine concern.

"Ye...yes"

"Did you see, you weren't standing as confidently as you stood when I first met you back?"

"I was only trying to regain that confidence..."

"How does that matter to you Khushi! If you are scared of heights, you are scared and it's alright!"

"But I wasn't scared before!"

"It's alright!! Do you even have an idea what would happen if your shivering legs gave away before I saw you??"

"This is such a small building..."

"It doesn't matter dammit! Your intention is what matters! Today, you are here and tomorrow you might want to try some other bigger building! Like seriously Khushi, why is it so important!!?? You have stitches in your head, a fractured hand, you gotto be careful but instead you are------"

"Arnav?"

"What!?" he snapped and shifted his gaze only to be met by her genuine, apologetic eyes with a shimmer of hope mixed with a sudden raw emotion, that gave him the same adrenaline rush he had been experiencing the past days. His gut twisted and for reasons unknown his heart went out to her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered with such tenderness he almost felt like grabbing her back into his arms and secure her until all her fears would vanish away. "Khushi...?" He uttered his voice giving away the emotional rush in his mind. He closed his shut, before opening them back to meet her hazels, only to be imprisoned by them and he found himself taking a step forward.

He wandered his gaze all over her face, observing every single detail and his eyes lingered in between her two eyes and her lips a little longer taking in her all features intently. His hand on its own accord travelled in air, towards her face while his mind had no idea what he wanted to do with it. Suddenly the last night's events flashed in his mind and his hand stilled mid way, dreading his own actions, right at the place of her eyes. His entire stance stilled as he recalled her reaction and just like that he took a conscious step behind even as his hand turned into a fist and was dropped to his side.

"Just...just stop with all this Khushi...you...you scare me..." he said and turned around abruptly not trusting his senses anymore as he relieved another deep breath before walking away from the small terrace.

**

The corner of her eyes processed his image that exited from the small terrace door, but she was stuck in a completely intriguing daze. Numerous thoughts, juggled inside her mind with a never ending uncertainty. Some increased her anticipation while some reminded her past. Certain thoughts gave her hope, while certain other thoughts smashed them instantly. The raw care and concern witnessed in his eyes made her want to dive deep into those molten caramels and never see the shore again, while her shadowing past continued to haunt the back of her mind.

Amidst all the literal torture her mind is putting her through, one sudden processing alerted her and just like that, her impulsive anticipation, the positive serenity she had been witnessing the past few days, combined with her sudden realization, overpowered everything else, even her sane mind for that matter and she ran, this time towards him.

She ran down the stair case, towards the restaurant exit ignoring Sheethal's amused gaze that followed her running self and she ran onto the shore to find him walking towards his car.

"Arnav!" she called out just when he was about to open the door of his car and she could see his hand go still at the door knob and his head arched back a little as if registering the same djvu feeling that was quite evident in her mind as well. He turned around just in time when she stopped running right in front of him, bending holding her both hands at her knees in an attempt to control her fastened breathes.

"I...I felt good..." She said in the middle of her heavy breathes still trying to compose herself and he just looked on even as his eye-brows screeched in questioningly.

"Safe and...and just...good"

"Standing on the terrace?" he asked almost annoyed.

"No!!" came her immediate dismissing curt reply even as she continued to compose her breathing. "You know, back there... when you pulled me down... We..." she added breathlessly.

"Okay, okay relax..."

"Arnav..." she called out again after a moment, her hands going onto her hips as she released one final breath, composing herself. "Hug me?" she added sheepishly.

His face went expressionless, his eyes suddenly lost all traces of color and his stance completely stilled. His lips fixed a little opened and his eyes went wide----- and to say he was surprised+shocked+amused+confused+bewildered------all at the same time, would still be an understatement.

"Khushi?" he found his own voice hoarse and low.

"Please?"

He then held her gaze uncertainty still evident in his stance as he extended his hands wide open offering her to take the lead. Even as he did, she found herself cuddling right into his arms, causing him to stumble back and to lean onto his car, as her hands went around his waist and her head nestling inside the crook of his arm. She closed her eyes, squeezed them shut before noticing his still wide still arms.

"I...I'm f...fine" she assured him.

"You are shuttering..." He said his hands still in air.

"I...its al..ll...alright..."

"You are shivering Khushi!" he protested as he found himself tortured with the weird mix of emotions, weird tangle of decisions. Having her in his arms, inhaling her intoxicating aura, feeling her arms around his waist, with his mind giving him all kind of images and still having to hold himself back, only to make sure she was fine-------it was all proving to be one hell of a torture to him.

"I'll be fine..." He heard her say and just like that, his hands secured around her shoulders, causing her to instantly clutch at his shirt, grip a handful of it, yet her head cuddling at his neck and then finally as he closed his eyes, resting his head on that of hers, he felt it------the fastening of their heart-beats, the rhythmic even pace and the melody of her breathing at his neck combined with the distant juggling of waves and her presence completely filling his senses. Even as he felt her relax in his embrace, he finally was able to process what was that she came running to let him know. It was a silent promise she made in her own way, silent hope she let herself have, for once, her silent willingness to try and a lot more. It made him hopeful too, rather than scared and ignoring the little uncertainty still evident between them for reasons obvious, he found himself, just being content in the moment as he pushed away all his sane mind thoughts------just like she did in her attempt few minutes ago.

"Talk something" he said close to her one ear.

"I'm fine" she finally said smiling causing him to reflect the same smile in his eyes as he involuntarily tightened his grip around her shoulders bringing her a bit closer.

**

Chapter--18:

wow awesome ff yaar...plz wen u able to pm again do pm me too plz,,,,,am new reader here...and i finished it in one go...

do dil mil rahe hain magar chupke chupke.😳