Arshi SS Tumult :: Completed Pg81 :: 17/01 - Page 25

"You what? Khushi? You went on a date with Arnav Singh Raizada and you didn't even tell me?"

She stared absent-mindedly at her hand, gazing at the little charm he had slipped to her before leaving earlier. A small, hesitant smile appeared on her lips as Lavanya jumped next to her, onto the bed.

"He asked me out again," she whispered to no one in particular.

La's jaw dropped. "And what did you say?" She huffed when Khushi failed to respond and pinched her friend hard on the arm. "Stop acting like a lovesick school girl and tell me everything!"

Khushi yelped and sat up straight, her smile gone; she was scowling in irritation, instead. "I am not acting lovesick! I'm just... stunned by his behaviour! He's like a spoilt kid who gets everything he wants. I don't like him!"

"I can see that," La rolled her eyes, causing Khushi to smack her with a pillow. "Tell me about your date, then. How was it?"

"Fine," Khushi shrugged nonchalantly. "He took me skating."

La giggled. "Oh puh-lease, Khushi! Don't act as if you didn't enjoy yourself!"

Her shoulders slumped with a sigh as she looked away. "I really did, La. And that's the problem, exactly... I felt really guilty... My... I have grown up in a very conservative family, La, and since I was a child, I have been taught that it is not correct for a girl of my age to meet a boy like that, to have this kind of a relationship with him before marriage. My parents sent me here for my education, with a lot of trust that I will never cross my limits, and right now, I feel like I have betrayed them. I feel like I have crossed a limit. And there's... there's this feeling that I get with him..."

"A feeling that tells you that this forbidden thing with him is right?" Lavanya completed.

Khushi shut her eyes tight, feeling them prick with unshed tears and nodded. "But I know it's not! My parents would be so disappointed in me if they knew about this. They sent me here to study, not to go on dates with a hockey player! Besides, I am graduating in a few months! I'll have to return to India, and what will happen then? What if I start having feelings for him?"

"So what, Khushi? You have every right to fall in love."

Laughing drily, she got up from the bed and deposited the little charm on her table. "We all know how these celebrities are, La. They jump from one person to another so easily. If I fall in love, I will love that person with everything I have and I will never be able to love again. He might never love me. And even if he does, will my parents approve of him? Even if they do, will he agree to come to India and ask for my hand? You see, I don't even know him properly! We are completely different people for all I know!"

Lavanya watched Khushi thoughtfully. Her friend was not completely wrong from her point of view. Khushi was a soft-hearted girl. It wouldn't take a lot to break her heart and having heard a lot about Arnav Singh Raizada in the tabloids, she could also guess that the task would probably not be very difficult for the man. La took in her tear-stained eyes and hugged her tight.

"I can understand, Khushi," she hushed, gently smoothing the girl's hair. "I get your point." She pulled away, her face etched with concern as Khushi dried her eyes quickly. "What do you want to do about it?"

Khushi sighed and shook her head. "I don't know."

"What do you feel for him?"

She froze and raised her uncertain eyes on Lavanya. "I... I don't..."

La held her hands comfortingly. "Okay, wait. I'll help you work this out, don't worry. Silly, you look like you have feelings for him. It's of no use to hide them from me, you know? Did you agree to go on a date with him again?"

A slight, annoyed frown settle on Khushi's brow at that. "I swear to you, La! One day, I am going to kill this man is he goes on like this! Can you believe he didn't give me a choice? He threatened me and forced me and left no other way out! I am not going. Let him do what he wants, I don't care."

"Oh my god!" Lavanya giggled, shaking her head in amusement. "The hockey player is really smitten then? No, Khushi, go to this date. You need to talk to him." She lifted a finger to silence her friend as the girl's mouth opened in protest. "You have to! Because the two of you like each other but there are these insecurities that you have. It won't help at all if you choose to stifle them by refusing to meet him. This is your chance, Khushi! He might be the man of your life. Meet him, talk to him, see what he feels about you... Do you understand what I mean?"

Khushi nodded. "But I am betraying my parents' trust, aren't I?"

Lavanya smiled. "No, Khushi, you are just following your heart. You have done nothing to cross any limits and the fact that you are always worried about that proves it. I'm sure your parents would be proud to have a daughter like you. So, are you going on the date?"

Smiling tearfully, Khushi nodded at her friend. "How can I counter your arguments?"

"Great!" La rubbed her palms together excitedly. She lifted a perfect eyebrow and looked at Khushi from head to toe. "You are definitely not going dressed like that, though, girl!"

***

He scowled at him watch with distaste. He should have known it. She was not interested in him at all. He should have known she wouldn't turn up. And the way he had forced his presence onto her was shameful. Of course, the poor girl had every right to bolt at the first occasion. He grimaced at his hands, dismayed at himself, unbelieving that he could have acted so foolishly that he had ended up pushing her away. But he wouldn't annoy her anymore. He sighed. This was the first time he had fallen so hard, the first time he had gone to such heights to get the girl, and he had made everything go wrong. If only he could get another chance...

Rubbing his face, he stood up and made his way out, hands digging in his pockets and face down as he mulled over the minutes he had had with her. Would he ever be able to forget her? Definitely not... He felt, rather than saw, a girl bump into him, her shoulder colliding clumsily against his arm, and he mumbled a quick apology before going on, without bothering to look at her.

"Oh, no, I am sorry," he faintly heard her stammer and felt her turn around and follow him. It poked at his dark mood even more. He certainly didn't want a fan-girl trailing after him right now. "Am I too late?"

He stopped at her last words and winced furiously, gritting his teeth. Behind him, she halted too. "What the-?" he roared, turning around violently, reading to throttle the girl and scare her away, but his voice just got stuck in the back of his throat while his eyes and jaw fell open in amazement. "f**k!" he finally managed to choke out, blinking rapidly and willing her to disappear. Instead, she stayed rooted there, staring at him, bewildered. But he knew it wasn't her! Because the Khushi he knew only wore loose cotton kurtis over skinning jeans, didn't she?

Arnav frowned, stepped back and looked again. She looked as divine as he could have imagined her in his wildest dreams. Her nails grating the hem of her white top, that seemed to be exactly the same shade as her skin, so nervously he wouldn't be surprised to find it slightly torn. This time, her jeans were not bunched up at the bottom; they ended right above her ankles, teasing him for some unknown reason, and her sexy feet disappeared into a pair of stylish ballerinas, while her thin cardiganhung open at the front. No, this could not be her... Her twin sister maybe? He had to admit it was a sexier twin sister...

She bit her lip nervously and tore her gaze away in embarrassment. Hell! It was her! He felt the air whoosh in his lungs, feeling like a drug that knocked the senses out of him. She had come! He hadn't been so irritating, then? Grinning rakishly, he stepped near her and snaked his arms around her slim waist, locking his hands together on the small of her back as she looked up, surprised.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you," he whispered huskily. "You dressed up for me?"

"No!" she frowned, her cheeks flushing red like a fire engine. He saw right through her lie and quirked an eyebrow at her. The girl lifted her chin defiantly. "My friend forced me to wear this."

He chuckled. "She did? She did well, then. Shall we? You're late enough."

The corners of her lips dropped lightly, in a way that made her lips appear pouted, and she stepped out of his embrace uncomfortably. "Sorry," she mumbled.