CHAPTER 3
ADJUSTMENTS
"The most romantic love story isn't Romeo and Juliet, who died together, but Grandpa and Grandma who grew old together."
~Unknown~
Though only two days had passed since her arrival in London, Khushi had already started feeling homesick. Khushi was having a difficult time adjusting in the new environment. With Paul coming to clean the house and Arnav's eating habits from outside, Khushi was left with nothing much to do. Usually her day, after Arnav left for office was spent in the study going through different books on the shelf. She had already finished reading two books in these two days. The rest of day was spent on the terrace, connecting the hall. Although the sky was covered with a blanket of black clouds from few days, but not a single drop of water escaped them; the sun playing hide and seek within them.
Today Khushi decided to cook, as her taste buds were now craving for something spicy, after eating the Fettuccini Alfredo Pasta, not at all her type but she still ate it. She was missing the chaat stalls on the roads of Lucknow, which she visited while coming back from college; although it was later on yearned scolding from her parents. Khushi let out a laugh at the thought of those days, wishing she could bring them back or just travel back in time and enjoy them once more.
Arnav had called her today before leaving office asking her if she wanted something else to eat, but she requested that she cook today. I am not that bad. I am sure you will like it, she had said. Arnav had agreed and she decided to better get down to work before he arrived for lunch.
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Usually Arnav never returned home in the afternoons, but from the past few days he was spending less time in office, making sure Khushi didn't need anything at home. He had decided to refuse first when Khushi had asked him if she could cook, but then he disregarded the idea, presuming that her feelings might get hurt.
Arnav got out from the elevator on the fifteenth floor, with Mr. John, who lived across the other end of the corridor on the same floor, when a loud banging music greeted their ears and they both glanced sideways at each with raised eyebrows.
"It beats me, how these people live," Mr. John said disdainfully.
"You are right Mr. John. I think so I should register a complaint downstairs for that flat," Arnav sighed in agreement.
"Yes, please do so," added Mr. John and they both shook hands before parting their own ways.
As Arnav approached the end of his side of the corridor, he realized that the loud music disrupting the silence was in fact emerging from his apartment. His ears turned red from both anger and embarrassment. Making sure that Mr. John was well away from ear shot, opening his apartment door and entering inside; ready to pounce on Khushi. He called her name out aloud, but his voice got lost in the loud drum beats, coinciding with it.
A smell wafting from the kitchen made him sneeze and it was soon followed by Khushi's chirpy voice, singing along with Beyonce.
Cuz if you liked it then you should
have put a ring on it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
Don't be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it
wo oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
wo oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh ooh oh oh oh
Arnav walked towards the kitchen, and the smell grew stronger. On approaching the kitchen a peculiar sight greeted his eyes. Khushi whose back was facing him, had her one hand continuously stirring something in a pot, while a white cloth lay on her left shoulders. Her hips were swaying sideways with the rhythm of the music and sometimes her hand left the spoon and was doing cock movements in the air. Arnav leaned against the entrance of the kitchen, folding his arms on his chest as he watched her dance towards the cutting board, and collect the carrots lying over there. She added them to the pot, still oblivious to a human figure standing close to her. All his anger evaporated into thin air as a smile crept on his face, surveying the girl in front of her; a girl who could not be classified into anything that he had met before.
Khushi turned around to open the fridge, when she was caught a dazed Arnav standing at the door. A blush crept her cheeks, as she realized her current state.
"App kab ayay?" she asked surprised.
Arnav quickly wiped of the smile from his face, "Don't you think so the music is too loud," Arnav said coming back to his stern expression.
"I am sorry. I will just go and switch it off." She said and quickly ran towards the study in her dismantled state, dropping the cloth hanging on her shoulder on the way. Arnav stared at her in disbelief, as he picked up the cloth lying on the floor. "This girl is just plain crazy," he thought out aloud, as the music died away in the background, but the air still reverberating due to the effect left by it.
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Khushi lay down the table with cutlery and food, in the mean time Arnav lay on the couch checking his mails from the mobile.
Dinner was usually a quite affair in this house, which she found awkward, but she decided to keep that to herself. She served him food, adding quietly, "I have put fewer spices, as I realized you don't eat spicy food."
Arnav glanced at her for a moment, surprised that she had taken into consideration his taste, before her averted his eyes back to the plate.
After dinner was over, Arnav found Khushi bringing something very excitedly from the kitchen, and he stared in shock, as she poured Gajjar Ka Halwa for him in a bowl, "This is my specialty. Everybody in Lucknow never stopped licking their fingers after eating it," she said beaming.
Arnav glanced at her and then at the bowl in her hands, not sure how to bring to her knowledge about his weakness, contemplating the best way to bring it, although the mere reason he hadn't shared this with her before was the fear of her reaction towards it.
"I just love desserts. Jalebi is my favorite," she added, delighted.
"I have diabetes Khushi," Arnav said, barely above a whisper.
"What?" Khushi asked confused
"I have diabetes," he said a little louder this time.
Khushi's smile was immediately washed away, replaced by shock, "I am really sorry," she said for the second time that day, "I didn't know. If I knew I would have never made it in the first place. I will just remove this from here," she started to stammer away quickly and started to remove the bowl away from the table.
"Khushi, just relax. That's fine," he said, keeping a hand on her shoulders to calm her down, "Dekhnay say meray diabetes per koi asar nahi hoga," he added, while smiling.
Khushi gave half a smile, although she was gripped with embarrassment from inside. She went to the kitchen and cleaned the mess in that had occurred during cooking. Her heart sank, at all her joyful thoughts while cooking the Halwa. How could she make such a big mistake? She will ask him tomorrow on what to cook, before cooking it, she thought to herself. A lone tear rolled down her eyes as she started remembering her sister and mother, wishing that they were here with her, right now.
Maybe they weren't made for each other; after all they were so different.
"I am going back to office now," Arnav informed Khushi, who had silently been crying facing her back to the door.
Khushi wiped off the tears, before turning towards him and nodding silently. She resumed back his work as he left, but she soon heard his steps retreating back from where they had left.
"By the way, I forgot to mention that the food was really good. I think so you can cook at from tomorrow onwards," he said before finally leaving Khushi feeling lighter than before.
Please do leave your comments to let me know how it turned out.
I know it is a short update, but I just hope it was worth reading.😳
Thank you so much for reading.😊
wow he likes her food...and more to that he complimented that...great and love to see more...udpate the next part soon...
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