The Heart Knows -IPKKND ff-THREAD 2 link in pg 156 - Page 2

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Posted: 11 years ago
#11
Thanks for the comment LoLo
😊
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Posted: 11 years ago
#12
This post is dedicated to de people who have liked and commented on my posts...
here is chapter 7
 
THE HEART KNOWS
 
CHAPTER 7
 

Khushi tried to maintain a distance with Arnav. When he was in one room, she managed to avoid the whole corridor at all costs. Anyway, she didn't have any work with him. Her job was to design the set and she made sure that it was coming out well. If she was lucky, then she would meet him only on the final day when her sketches are ready. She didn't want to meet him before that or after that. She kept her fingers crossed.

As far as Shyam was concerned, he called her whenever he was free and spoke with her. He tried to give her the space and time she needed. She was thankful that he didn't pester her to marry him. What she didn't know was that, he was giving her time to do exactly that a few days later.

 

Half of the day passed without any problem. That was when disaster struck. Anjali called her and invited her to her house. Khushi was shocked. In the office, she might be able to ignore him. At home, it would not be possible at all.

"Aaj mein thoda busy hoon, Anjaliji. I think it will be difficult for me to come." [I am a bit busy today, Anjaliji.]

"Khushiji, you have to come. Choti si pooja hai and I want you to attend and stay for dinner. Hume achcha lagega." [It is a small pooja and I want you to attend it and stay for dinner. I will feel good.]

"My friend is coming from Mumbai and I have to go to the airport to pick him up."

"When is the flight?"

"Six thirty."

"There is still time. Aap aapka dhosth ko bhi la sakthe hain." [There is still time. You can bring your friend too.]

"I'll try, Anjaliji."

"Hum sab aap ke liye intezaar karenge." [All of us will be waiting for you.]

She hung up and closed her face with her hands. Why did it have to happen to her? She didn't have the heart to say no to Anjali. Khushi was sure that she was going to pay for such a decision.

 

She waited for Siddharth in the airport. The flight was late by about ten minutes. When she spotted him, a wide smile brightened her lips. All thoughts about Arnav disappeared… Well, not all. A little, maybe.

She ran to him and hugged him. He put his arms around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground.

"I missed you so much, Siddhu."

"Me too, sweetheart."

He placed her on the ground and kissed her forehead.

"Ghar chalein?" he asked her. [Shall we go home?]

"No, I am in a little bit of trouble."

"Kya hua?"

"Arnav's sister has called me home for dinner. I tried to say no as I had to pick you up. But she was adamant and she asked me to bring you, too. What do we do?"

"Let's go." His answer was spontaneous.

"Really?"

"It is bad manners to say no when somebody asks us in such a kind manner."

They went home to freshen themselves and then went to Shantivan. All the members except Arnav and Akash were waiting for them. They were in the office regarding some work.

Payal opened the door and welcomed them in. Khushi introduced Siddharth to everyone.

"This is Siddhu, mera bahut achcha dhost." [This is Siddhu. My best friend.]

Anjali couldn't believe her eyes.

"Siddhu as in Siddharth Raina?" she asked.

"At your service, maam," he said with a wide grin.

"Oh My God! We are meeting after such a long time."

"Do you know each other?" Khushi asked them.

"Haan. Siddharthji college mein hamara senior tha. Ladikiyaan un pe marthi thi. But he never let anybody near him. We have done campaigning for Red Cross together. After college, we lost touch. Nice to see you, Siddharthji." [Yes. Siddharthji was my senior in college. Girls used to die for his one look.]

"Siddharthji nahi. Sirf Siddharth. Siddharthji makes me feel like a seventy year old pandit."

Khushi smacked his upper arm and said, "You have already started."

As they were a little late, the pooja was over. They settled in the dinning area to have dinner. Anjali was a bit worried about the relationship between Khushi and Siddharth. They were very close and Anjali didn't know what to think about them.

"Are you married, Siddharth bitwa?" Nani voiced Anjali's doubts.

"Nahi, nanji." [No, naniji.]

"Kya nahi?" Khushi interrupted. "He is married, Naniji." [What no?]

"Yeh kab hua?" he asked in confusion. [When did it happen?]

"He is married to his job, naniji. He forgets everything else when he is working. Does he need another wife?"

"Khushi, you have become very naughty," he gently chided her. "Kal raath tune phone karke bataayaa ki tum mujhe bahut miss kar rahi ho. Aur aaj, you are pulling my leg." [Last night, you called me and told me that you miss me very much. And today, you are pulling my leg.]

"Maine kya kiya?" she asked as if she didn't understand anything. [What did I do?]

"Chotey bi aisi tha," Anjali told them. [Chotey was also like this.]

"Chotey kaun?" Siddharth asked Khushi. [Who is Chotey?]

"Arnavji," she explained.

"He was always immersed in his work. Wo bilkul aap ki taraa tha." [He was always immersed in his work. He was just like you.]

"Tha? You mean he is married and has changed?" [Was? You mean he is married and has changed?]

Anjali looked at the others for help.

"Arnavji ji shaadi ho gayi?" Khushi asked them. [Arnavji is married?]

Payal came to the rescue. "Di was about to say that now he is changed as he spends a lot of time with the family."

 

Arnav and Akash entered the house and heard people talking in the dinning area. Arnav also made his way to the dinning area. He saw Siddharth sitting near Khushi and his temper flared.

"Hey Arnav," Siddharth greeted him with a handshake.

He returned the handshake and joined them for dinner. He observed the way Khushi behaved with Siddharth. He was both angry and jealous. When he couldn't watch them anymore, he excused himself on the pretext of work and went to his room.

Siddharth spoke with Akash about their business for a while. A few minutes later, he got a phone call from his Mumbai office. He told everybody he had to go. Khushi was about to join him but Anjali asked her to stay for some time.

"Take care, sweetheart," Siddharth told her. "I'll go home and send the car for you. You will be fine, right?"

She nodded.

He kissed her forehead and left.

Khushi followed Anjali to the kitchen.

"Can I help you with something, Anjaliji?"

"Kaam khadam. OP ne sab kaam kardiya aur…" Her eyes fell on the dessert on the kitchen slab. "Chotey has forgotten his dessert. Khushiji, can you give this to him?" [Work is over. OP has finished everything.]

"Mein? Mein keisey?" [Me? How can I?]

"Please, Khushiji." She told him the directions to Arnav's room and said, "You will give it to him, won't you?"

"Theek hai." [Okay.]

Inside her nothing was 'theek'. She was worried as she was about to walk into the lion's den. She took a deep breath and knocked the door. Nobody answered. She knocked again and no response. She pushed the door and peeped inside. The room was empty. She walked into the room and searched for him. She found him by the poolside watering his plants. His action made her stand at the same place without moving. He was so gentle with the plants. She saw a different Arnav. He was not the ruthless man she knew.

 

A familiar intuition made him turn around. He found Khushi standing in his room with a tray in her hand. He stared at her for a while wondering whether she was real or an illusion. When he saw her trembling hands, he was sure that she was real.

He placed the water can on the ground and asked, "What are you doing in my room?"

She placed the bowl on the table and said, "Anjaliji asked me to give this dessert to you."

"That doesn't mean you can enter some one's room without knocking."

"I…"

"This is not your house, Khushi," he said rudely. "You can't go anywhere you like. Next time, think twice. No. Think atleast ten times before entering my room. I hate when people invade my privacy. I can accept it if my family disturbs me. You are no one and I don't want you to repeat this again. I am tolerating you in my office because of Siddharth. This is my house and I don't have to pretend as though I can bear you. Get out of my room. Don't ever make the mistake of returning again. If possible, don't ever come back to my house. Get out now."

Tears pooled and she tried hard to blink them back. She clutched the tray tightly and went to the kitchen. Fortunately for her, there was no one in the living room or in the kitchen. She wiped her tears and was about to leave when Anjali stopped her.

"Khushiji, you are leaving?"

"I am having a bit of a headache and I think I need some rest."

Anjali didn't force her to stay. Khushi said that she would call her the next day and she left.

 
~~~~~~
 
ur commentz r very important for me guys... 😊
lmathew77 thumbnail
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Posted: 11 years ago
#13
Nice. Please continue. Arnav is being a total jerk. Hope he comes to know the truth soon and that Shyam is harassing Khushi to get married. Hope Shyam gets beaten up by Arnav and Siddhu!!!
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Posted: 11 years ago
#14
nice...
 update soon
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Posted: 11 years ago
#15
Nice one
Continue soon
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Posted: 11 years ago
#16
 
thanks for ur commentz guys...it sure gives me a boost...
 
THE HEART KNOWS
 
CHAPTER 8
 

It was around twelve when Siddharth solved the problem in his office. He peeked into Khushi's room. He expected to see her sleeping. Instead she found an empty bed. Well, not exactly empty as the two kittens were sleeping peacefully on the bed.

When he searched the house for her, he found the terrace door open. He climbed the stairs and found her staring at the dark sky. He stayed silent for a while waiting for her to speak.

When she didn't, he said, "I have known you for the past one year and there have been only two occasions where I have seen you standing in the terrace and staring at nothing."

No response.

"The first time was when dad and I brought you home. The second time was when you tried to remember something about yourself other than your name and you blacked out. What is the reason behind the third time?"

Tears wet her cheek.

"I don't know who I am, Siddhu. I am helpless. I can't remember one single minute of my life before the accident. I don't know what sort of a life I had. I have no idea whether people depended on me. I don't know anything, Siddhu."

He looked at her eyes when she spoke and he saw a vulnerable feeling which he hadn't seen for a long time. He made her face him and look into his eyes when he spoke.

"Sweetheart, you are Khushi Raina. What or who were before the accident is your past. If you don't remember anything, then don't force yourself. Important memories might come back on their own. According to my logic, your brain blocked it out because they are quite painful to remember. If your brain does not want you to remember about it, why are you worried? I will tell you again, sweetheart. You are Khushi Raina. Dad and I are your family. Nobody can change that. Understand?"

She nodded slowly.

"You have a life ahead of you. Why are you bothered about your past when your future is so bright?"

He wrapped his arms around her until she calmed down.

"Can I ask you something, Siddhu?"

"Kuch bhi pooch sakthe hai tum." [You can ask me anything.]

"Why are you still single?"

The question caught him off guard.

"You love your father. From the way you look at your childhood photographs, it is pretty obvious that you love your mother. Even though you didn't know anything about me, you took me to your house. You take care of me very well. When you are so good to everyone, why hasn't anybody filled your life with the sort of love you need? Why are you still single?"

He sat on the floor with his back against the terrace walls. Khushi watched him for a while and then sat near him.

"Ek ladki thi," he said slowly. "Jo maine bahut pyaar kiya." [There was a girl whom I loved very much.]

There was a distant look in his eyes.

"College mein mila tha. [I met her in college.] I was good looking and rich and lots of girls wanted to be my girl friend. I wasn't interested in them at all. Phir ek din us ladki ko deka. Mera dil zor se chillaney laga ki wohi meri zindagi hai. Pagal ki thara uski peeche ghoomtha tha. [And then one day, I saw a girl. My heart began shouting saying that she is my life. I was always roaming behind her like a crazy guy.] You remember that hutch advertisement where the pug follows the little kid everywhere? I was like that. Library, I was sitting in the adjacent table. Canteen, on the opposite table. Classroom, outside her window. Where ever she was, I was there. Uske saath baath karne ke liye himmat nahi jutapaayi. Ek din achanak, who mujhse baath ki thi. [I did not have the courage to talk to her. One day, she spoke with me.] It was for a trivial matter. She asked me to meet the principal after college. That was enough for me to introduce myself and after that she smiled whenever she saw me. Us smile ko dekhkar, I felt like the king of the world."

When he didn't continue, she asked, "Did you tell her that you love her?"

He shook his head and gave her a sad smile.

"I wanted to propose to her and I planned everything. The day before the big day, I got a call from my father saying that my mom had an accident. My whole world came crashing down on me. I had to choose which was more important and I choose my mother. She was my first priority. I promised myself that I would come back as soon as my mother was fine. Hospital mein maa ko dekha. Doctor ne kaha ki uski condition critical tha. [I saw my mother in the hospital. Doctor told that her condition was very critical.] Chances were very less. Maa passed away a couple of days later. Dad was very shocked and he couldn't accept the fact that the love of his life was dead. I stayed close to dad for about a week. Then he literally forced me to go to college saying that he would be alright. After thousands of promises that he would call me every day, I went. When I was in college, I got another shock. She wasn't there. When I asked her friends, they told me that she got married. That was when I realized my father's condition. I understood why he asked me to leave him alone for a while. The pain was like someone has beaten me to pulp and let me die. It was a sort of a slow agonizing death. I didn't concentrate on my studies. A month later, dad came to meet me. His old smile was back and he gave me a bone crushing hug. When I asked him if he was fine, he said, 'I have you in my life. I loved your mom and I was devastated by her death. But that does not mean that I love you any less. When I have you with me, why should I stay alone'. I understood that I was in a similar state. I had my dad with me and both of us needed each other. I just bounced back. It was a difficult process but I did. There has never been a day that I have lived go by without thinking about her. She can't belong to me as she is married to someone else. I used to convince myself that I atleast had her memories to live with."

Tears filled his eyes when he spoke about his love. Khushi did not spare any better.

She wiped his tears and said, "Itna dard, Siddhu. How can you hide this?" [So much pain, Siddhu? How can you hide this?]

"Patha nahi. [I don't know.] Maybe I was born strong or maybe situations made me stronger."

"Siddhu, mein ek bath kahun?" [Siddhu, can I say something?]

"Anything."

"Why don't you marry someone else? Mujhe patha hai ki us ladki ko bhoolna mushkil hai. [I know that forgetting her is very difficult.] But you have a life, right? There has to be someone after you to follow your footsteps, to bring a smile on your face. Just like you are to your father."

"Tu hai na," he said spontaneously. [You are there.]

"Main?" [Me?]

"Meri beti." [My daughter]

"Beti?" [Daighter?]

"Haan. Jab se tum aayi ho, meri zindagi mein khushiyan laayi ho. [Yes. You have brought happiness into my life.] You are everything you said to me right now. You are following my footsteps. You bring a smile to my face. Tumari choti choti baath mujhe bahut pasand hai. [I like every little thing you do.] After you came into my life, I have spent very little time thinking about her. It is like she is fading away from my life. I used to dream about her and the life we would have together. I used to think about my children and my house. You are the live version of my dream. Whatever I wanted in my children, you have it. Good manners, affection, love, everything is there. You are hard working. You are too good to be true. Nobody can hate you. What else do I need in my life when I have you as my daughter?"

"Tum itne budde nahi ho. [You are not that old.] You are just thirty three and I am supposed to be nineteen."

"I don't care. You are my best friend, my daughter. And if I want more children, I can always adopt. Dad, you and I can bring them up."

"You trust me so much?"

"Khud se bhi zyaada." [More than I trust myself.]

"Agar mein ek terrorist nikla tho?" [What if I am a terrorist?]

"No problem. Achchi terrorist ho thum. Pyaar seek ne wali terrorist." [No problem. You are a good terrorist. A terrorist who teaches love.]

Both of them smiled at the description.

"Tum kabhi shaadi nahi karogi?" [You will never get married?]

"If someone accepts you and the children I adopt, I might give it a chance. But the chances are near minus infinity."

Khushi leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "I love you, Siddhu."

"Love you too, sweetheart," he said as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

 

On the other side of the city, Arnav was battling his own emotions. His thoughts took him back to the day when he had seen Khushi for the last time before the one year gap. He remembered her trying to make him believe the story she had supposedly cooked up.

~~~~~~~
 
same request guys...if u lyk it, hit the like button and drop in reviews or criticisms...
anything is welcome...
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Posted: 11 years ago
#17
god its amazing
fablous n fantastic ff
feelings r nicely shown. N i love siddu he such a grt man thinks khushi as daughter
n shyam was again here to trouble her
poor asr he always struggles... Awseome dear
i loved it n like to continue it
i just read it in one go.. Waiting for next update n if possiple plz do pm me
w
a
i
t
i
n
g
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Posted: 11 years ago
#18
ur commentz r surely a grt gift... thankz guyz...😃😊
Here is chapter 9
 
 
THE HEART KNOWS
 
CHAPTER 9(a)
 

Arnav couldn't sleep. He was busy with his own emotions. He hated himself for hurting the girl he loved, his wife. He hated her more for making him think like this when she was on the wrong side.

He thought about the fight they had the previous year before she ran away.

 

They were on their way back to Shantivan after spending some time in Laxmi nagar.

Arnav's words echoed in her brain. "I saw you and Shyam in the terrace. You were having an affair with him. You asked him to leave me sister as you loved him. Do you know why I married you? I wanted to save my sister's marriage. You were the thorn in her path and I made sure that she didn't get hurt because of you."

"Don't you have anything to say to prove that you are innocent?" Arnav asked her in anger.

"Why? It is not going to make a big difference, is it? So why should I?" Her tone was unusually very calm.

"What does that mean?"

"You have concluded that I am wrong. You have already killed me with this contract marriage. Buaji might behave as though she has forgiven me but it is different. She still regrets the decision babuji made in bringing me home. I was able to see the hate in her eyes which she is trying very hard to hide. You have threatened to destroy jiji's marriage. Do you think that after all this I will try to explain myself?"

He slammed the brakes and asked her to get out.

"Is there anything new in this?" she murmured to herself.

He got out of the car and pulled her out. "What do you think of yourself? Tum kya laga that I will believe whatever you say and declare my love for you? Never. I hate you, Khushi Kumari Gupta. I hate you for what you did to my sister. I hate you for everything. I will make sure that you pay for your mistakes."

"There is nothing else left out, Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada. Like I said, you have already hurt me a lot. Your actions and words have killed me and my identity. The person who is standing before you has nothing more to lose. I will come with you to your house and I will do everything a Raizada bahu needs to do for six months and…"

"Don't you dare say another word," he said through clenched teeth.

She didn't stop. "You have succeeded in saving your sister's marriage. But remember, Mr. Raizada, one day you will understand that you are wrong. I have already told this before. I'll say it again. You will realize that you cannot defy God and write your own destiny. It is God who holds your hand and makes you write your destiny. One day, you will understand it. And when that happens, I will not be near you."

"I don't need you near me at all."

With that he got on his car and drove off leaving her stranded in the middle of nowhere.

 

Arnav opened his eyes. He remembered everything as though it had happened the previous day. She had told him that she would go with him to his house and behave like a good daughter in law. But then it didn't happen. She lied again. Yet another lie. She had run away to Mumbai and lived with Siddharth Raina. The name made him boil with rage. How could she jump from one person to the other?

He couldn't sleep. He went to the poolside and stared at the stars. He found the three stars shining brightly.

"Why did this happen, maa? She made me believe in stars. She made me believe that you will always be there for me. She taught me how to love. She even made me think about marriage with her. She made me smile and forget my past. She changed everything in my life. Then when I was beginning to learn how to be happy, she made my lose trust in her. She turned me back into the cold, ruthless ASR when I wanted to be Arnav with her. Maa, what should I do now?"

He remembered the conversation he had with her when he had saved Pepper from the fall.

"Everytime you see me, you get angry. Aapka gussa dekh kar hume darr laghta hai. I don't have any boy friends. This afternoon, he said he wanted to have lunch with me. I said no in the beginning and then when he asked for the second time, I couldn't say no."

"Was she telling me the truth?" he asked himself.

His brain said, "How could it be true? You saw what happened, right? She was with your jeejaji."

His heart said, "You used to judge a person so well. What happened now? Are you not able to recognize what is right and what is wrong?"

He thought about the times she had fainted in his arms. He compared the Khushi he had seen before one year and the Khushi before him. There was a little difference. She had changed. She had lost weight. She didn't speak much. Her eyes still had the innocence in them. She was a little more independent. The thing that bothered him most was her black outs and he felt himself softening towards her.

He raked his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He wanted someone to wake him up and say that he was having a nightmare. How could anyone else tell him that when it was his mistake in the first place?

 
~~~~~~
ur valuable commentz plzzz...
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Posted: 11 years ago
#19
THE HEART KNOWS
 
CHAPTER 9(b)
 

The next day went as a blur for everybody. Khushi wanted to finish the work and return to Mumbai. She worked without taking breaks and finished the set design by five in the evening. Siddharth was busy in a meeting and he had not been able to check whether she had taken her food and medicines.

When he entered her cabin at half past five, her head was bent over the chart. She looked up and smiled when she saw him.

"Siddhu, want to have a look?"

"Sure."

He walked to her and saw the design. It was like a fairy tale castle which had a touch of the Indian culture. They blended quite well and it looked fantastic. He looked at the design without uttering a single word.

"Siddhu?" she called him slowly when he didn't say anything.

"Khushi, aaj se tum meri har fashion show ki art director banogi and that is final. If I had known about your talent, I would have forced you to work with me." [Khushi, from today you are going to be the art director for all my fashion shows and that is final.]

"Does that mean you like it?"

"Like is an understatement of the year. This is just awesome."

"I'll talk with Arnav and let's meet him and show him the design."

Siddharth called him and told him that he had to meet him. Arnav called them to his house and Siddharth took Khushi with him. Arnav had one look at the design and he fell in love with it.

"Good job," he complimented Khushi.

She was in cloud nine. She had noticed from his eyes that he was indeed very happy with her job.

When Siddharth and Khushi were about to leave, they were stopped by Anjali. She hadn't known that they had arrived.

"Arey, aap dono yahaan?" she asked. [You two are here?]

"Had to discuss a few things with Arnav," Siddharth explained.

"Aap dhono hamare saath dinner share karogi?" [Will you have dinner with us?]

"Mujhe ek zaroori meeting pe jaana kai." [I have an urgent meeting to attend to.]

"Khushiji, aap reh sakthe hain na?" [Khushiji, you can stay, can't you?]

Anjali looked at Siddharth pleading him to let Khushi stay.

"Khushi, you can stay with them. I'll send you the car after I go to my office."

Khushi accepted.

"Eat well and take care."

"Of course, daddy," she told him as he was about to get in his car.

He turned around in shock. "Kya kaha?" [What did you say?]

"I said, of course, daddy. Any problem?"

He slammed the door and walked towards her. He put his arms around her and lifted off her feet.

"Problem? No way."

Anjali saw the happy scene in front of her and asked, "Siddharth, she called you daddy and you look very happy."

He helped her back to the ground and said, "Of course, I am happy."

"But she called you daddy?"

"If my daughter doesn't call me daddy, who else will she call like that?" he asked as matter of fact.

Anjali was shocked and surprised.

"I love you a lot, my first daughter," he told her and kissed her forehead.

"I love you too, Siddhu."

"I have to go," he said as he reluctantly let her go. "Bye, Khushi. Bye, Anjali."

After he left, Anjali voiced her confusion. "Why are you calling him daddy?"

"He gave me a new life. He added a meaning to my life when I didn't know anything. Siddhu mere liye bhagwan jaisa hai aur mere liye iss duniya mein usse zyada koyi nahi important hai." [For me, Siddhu is God and there is no one more important that him in this whole world.]

 

Arnav listened to their conversation. He had mistaken their relationship. Siddharth took care of her like a father and that is why he had called her Khushi Raina. Arnav had thought the worst and hated her for it.

"Did I judge her wrongly with jeejaji?"

His heart wanted to give her the benefit of doubt. It had always wanted to. However his mind always won the fight and didn't let him do it.

~~~~~
 
commentz guyzzz...
Edited by adventure_roks - 11 years ago
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Posted: 11 years ago
#20
Am a bit free today...dats y another half chapter...
 
THE HEART KNOWS
 
CHAPTER 10 (a)
 
 

Khushi explained to her colleagues what she wanted them to do regarding the set. A few went away to buy things needed and a few others went to check if the models and the dresses were ready. Everybody left her cabin and she relaxed on the couch. The last few days were ready hard for her. Her few minutes rest time was disturbed by a phone call from Arnav.

"Do you still have the other design?" he asked her without greeting her.

She had become used to his behaviour. "Yes, I do."

"Make sure that it is ready too."

"Why do you want that one?"

"The one you showed me last night is grand. Siddharth and I have decided that we should save it for the last. We will be using the second design for the first six days and the other one for the last day. It will make a huge impact."

"Okay. Kuch changes karni hai. [Have to make some changes] It will be ready by night."

"It is already half past twelve. Start it after lunch. Waise mujhe bhi us design mein kuch changes karni hai. I'll come there and we will discuss it."

"Okay."

He disconnected the call without another word.

Khushi stared at the phone for a while and shook her head. She opened the cabinet and took out a few sheets. She was working on it when the door opened.

"Arnavji itni jaldi?" she asked herself. [So soon?]

When she raised her head from the table, she saw Shyam standing in front of her with a huge grin. She groaned at her luck.

"Good afternoon, Khushiji," he said. "Still working?"

"Just started."

She unknowingly knocked the bottle which was on the table. She bent to pick it up. When she got up, she realized that Shyam was standing very close to her. She tried to move away but he didn't let her. He put his arms around her and hugged her. She let go off the bottle and used both his arms to push him away. He was stronger than her and she couldn't move.

"I love you, Khushiji," he whispered against her ears. "Hum aapse bahut pyaar karte hain." [I love you so much.]

"Kya?" [What?]

"I think I have told you before. I want to marry you."

"Pehle mujhe choddho." [First let me go.]

"Kyun, Khushiji?" [Why Khushiji?]

"Mujhe yeh sab pasand nahi hai. And you said you will give me some time to think." [I don't like all this.]

She tried to say anything that might help her. She told me that she needed time. Not that she would think about him. She just needed time to complete the design and fly back to Mumbai and never return.

"Par hume achcha lag raha hain. I like to hold you in my arms." [But I like this.]

She tried to push him again. He only tightened his hold on her.

"Please, let me go."

He heard her sad voice and removed his hands. "Don't be sad, Khushiji. I only want to live with you. Not to upset you."

"Dekhiye Shyamji, mein aapse pyaar nahi karti hoon." [Look, Shyamji, I don't love you.]

"Kisi aur hain aap ki zindagi mein?" [Is there anybody else in your life?]

No, there was nobody else in her life for that spot. But then why did Arnav's image flash in front of her when Shyam asked her whether she loved someone else. She couldn't understand anything. He had always been rude to her and…

Shyam disturbed her from her thoughts. "Khushiji, I am asking you. Koyi aur hai?" [Is there anyone?]

"No," she said in confusion.

"So, I still have a chance?"

She didn't reply as she thought that her reply in the negative might make him hug her again.

Instead, she thought for a few seconds and said, "I can't give you a definite answer. I just need to think about everything."

Shyam nodded. "Main aap ki jawaab ke liye intezaar karoonga." [I will wait for your reply.]

He placed his right palm on her cheek, smiled and then walked away.

Khushi mentally let out a huge sigh of relief. He was freaking her out and she was frightened and angry. She decided that she would tell this to Siddharth and finish it soon.

 

Unknown to them, another person had seen them through the slight gap in the curtains which covered the glass partitions. The door was closed and he couldn't hear a word they spoke. But actions spoke louder than words, didn't they?

 
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