Arshi SS Tumult :: Completed Pg81 :: 17/01 - Page 35

"Come with me. Why don't you come with me?"

"Because I don't want to be the kabaab mein haddi! Go, best of luck!"

Khushi [earrings and shoes] gave Lavanya a sad smile as she got into the taxi.

"You are looking beautiful," La smirked at her with a wink. "He won't know what hit him."

***

It was dark and crowded in there. She hated places like this... But she took a deep breath and walked ahead, trying to find him. She had followed the match when her exam had ended and his team had won. It had been Arnav, in fact, who had scored two times, making this victory possible. And even though she would probably never admit it to anyone else, she felt proud of him.

Yes. She did have feelings for him. And Lavanya was right. She had not yet met Arnav but she was sure that he was a good and sensible person. He was. He would understand her. She had to find him and talk to him as soon as possible. But she needed to find him first...

A burst of loud cheers made her turn her head and she saw a group of men huddled in a corner. From what she saw, they appeared to be celebrating. Full of hope, she lifted herself on the tips of her toes and tried to see if he was there and as expected, she caught sight of him, grinning joyfully. She breathed in, gathering all her confidence and started towards the steps that would lead her down there; part of the pub, near the entrance was on an elevated platform.

She stopped when he stood up, pushed by his teammates. She didn't exactly know why. Her feet had simply stopped working as her hand gripped the metal bar that ran across the wall. She saw a woman, clad in a skimpy, translucent yellow dress prowl towards him, and he didn't do anything to stop her or back away. He grinned at her, at the men, received a few pats in the back. She wound her arms around his neck, pressed herself against him, danced against him, gyrated repeatedly... And he danced along, his arms loose, but still around her...

Khushi felt her stomach heave. The room was already blurred and spinning around her. The only thing she could see clearly was him... and her... Nausea took hold of her. Her eyed filled up. How could have done such a horrible mistake? How could she have believed that he could be different? How could she have trusted him? Men like that, who had fame and popularity, who were celebrities, they could belong to no one. They could never be faithful. How could she have forgotten that? How could she have trusted him?

***

He forced a smile on his face as the men cheered on but he was truly uncomfortable. As the woman, whose name he didn't even know, shamelessly pressed herself more and more onto him, he couldn't help but think about Khushi. Sweet, shy Khushi, who wouldn't even look at him if he hadn't forced her to. Khushi, who would maintain a distance for her own dignity and values. Khushi, who would try to hide the smiles he pulled out of her to make him believe he didn't affect her. Khushi...

He shut his eyes for a split second to remove her face from his mind but when he opened his eyes again, realised where he was and what was happening, when he saw that other woman again, he realised that it was not what he wanted. This was not the life he wanted anymore.

He didn't want to go in bars, drink alcohol with his teammates and dance with unknown people after a match, victory or not. He didn't want to return to his cold, empty apartment. He didn't want to date random girls or have meaningless flings or one-night stands...

What he wanted was her... He wanted to get back home, a home that would be warm and welcoming, alive and tempting. He wanted to return from every match that he would play, or from any other work, but to find her arms open to him. He wanted her there, for him, all the time. It was her he wanted her dance with, her he wanted to skate with, her he wanted to kiss, her he wanted in his arms, her he wanted to smile at, her he wanted to make love to... Her and her only. Khushi Kumari Gupta... Not a stranger!

As if she had burned him, he abruptly stepped away from the woman. She gave him a confused look but he didn't even care. It had finally fallen hard on his head. He was in love. With Khushi. He was head over heels in love with her!

And he had to tell her. He needed to. Without a word, he grabbed his car keyes, not even hearing when his teammates groaned and protested. He needed to see her. Right away. And when he turned to the exit, she was standing there, on top of the steps that led down inside the pub, her eyes full of unshed tears. Her lips parted when their eyes met and before he could move a muscle, she had turned away and run out.

Arnav blinked, still processing what had just happened. Khushi had come here. She was crying. She ran away when he had seen her... Oh shit! She had seen him with that...

***

She was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could she have allowed herself fall for his sweet, sugar-coated words. His deceitful words. And why was she even crying for that man? Her hands brutally swiped across her cheeks in a desperate attempt to erase any traces of dampness she was not going to cry for him. He had used her, or better tried to. But she would not let him anymore. And she wouldn't cry for him, absolutely not. As from now on, she would have no feelings for him...

Suddenly, she was grabbed by the elbow and turned around violently. A gasped escaped fromher her lips as her eyes tried to adjust, to blink the tears away and focus on the person who was holding on tightly to her.

"Khushi, it's... You misunderstood it! Listen to me, please!"

She was stupid. She had thought she would be able to stop the tears. She had thought the ache in her chest would dull. But no such thing happened. Her eyes met his, and all of it just doubled, tripled, quadrupled, until she was nothing but tears and pain. She wanted to hug him, hit him, cry, tell him how she felt... But how could she show him her weaknesses? Had he not just hurt her, only minutes ago? Had he not just broken her trust?

His right arm, tight around her waist, pinned her to his hard form and  the other hand held her wrist. She gulped when he broke the contact to kiss her palm. Then he looked up, his eyes begging her. But how could she trust him again?

"Khushi, please. Will you listen to me?"

"Leave me." The words had slipped away without her knowledge, but she didn't regret them. She realised it was what she had to do. "Leave me," she repeated, looking at him dead in the eye. She saw his eyes widen, but he still didn't let go of her.

She opened her mouth to say the words again but he tightened his hold on her. She squirmed, trying to free herself. "No!" he whispered hoarsely. "Khushi, don't! I can explain! Just listen to me!"

Why didn't he understand? She didn't want to. This heartbreak was enough pain for tonight, for the rest of her life. She didn't want to trust him again, she didn't want to be hurt again. Because she would not survive it, she knew... He kept begging, she kept struggling. Until she lost control and forgot everything else.

It had happened before she had realised it. She had not even registered what she had done, she had just... just gone ahead with her instincts to defend herself and done it. He stood a few feet away from her, gaping at her with an emotion she couldn't decipher. She didn't want to. She hadn't wanted to do what she had either. But she had slapped him... She had not wanted that... She had just wanted to get away...

She looked at him in horror for a minute. He lifted a hand to stop her. She couldn't stay anymore, though... She turned on her heels and ran, wherever her feet wanted to take her...

***

He watched her disappear into the night, still dazed. Hell, he had hurt her... He had hurt her feelings. Eyes closed, he sighed and raked his hand through his thick hair. He had made a mess out of everything. And just when she had started to open up. He had been an idiot. But he loved her, he truly did, with all his heart...

His eyes snapped open as he remembered the faint metallic clink he had heard the moment she had slapped him. She must have dropped something... He looked around frantically and what he saw made his heart sink... The bracelet he had given her lay on the glistening road, all the other charms he had been giving her hanging from it...

***

"Are you sure you don't want to take my car?" Lavanya asked anxiously.

Khushi gave her a tight smile. "I'll be fine, La. Don't worry."

"If I didn't have a quiz in this class I would have skipped it and come with you... God, I wish I hadn't forced you to go to the pub last night... I'm so sorry, Khushi..."

Tears filled her eyes as she hugged Lavanya. "Oh, don't blame yourself!" She held her friend by the shoulders and pulled her back to look at her. "If you had not sent me, La, I would never have know how that man is in truth and that might have been my biggest mistake. I would have trusted him wrongly and blindly and... My heart would have been broken more than it is now... Don't worry about me, La. I will be fine. I'll get over this in now time... He means nothing to me..."

***

She had gone back to her old style of dressing. He sighed. She still looked as beautiful. More, probably... Or was it because of the love-tinted glasses he was now wearing? Whatever the reason, she was a sight for his sore eyes, dressed in a bright purple kurti with thick copper and dark green borders, over dark grey slim jeans. She was looking down, hugging her thick file as she walked out of the university gate. He straightened himself immediately and strode to her.

"Khushi."

She paused stiffly without looking at him, then continued walking, as if she had never heard him. he wanted to kick himself. She walked past him, her eyes downcast and adamantly, he followed her. he was not giving up. He had not before and wouldn't now, not ever. Especially since he had realised what he felt for her...

"Khushi, just listen to me, please! Whatever you saw last night was not... Khushi!" he closed his hand around her upper arm and turned her around. "Khushi, it meant nothing! She was just dancing with me, and nothing else! It was the boys' idea of a treat for me because I had made them win, that's all! I don't even know that girl, Khushi."

"Are you done?" she hissed, refusing to look at him yet. "If you are, let go of me. Please. Don't create a scene."

How could he let go? It would be like letting go of his life... He only pulled her closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. People were starting to look but it was not as if he cared. He needed this girl in his life and he was getting her back at any cost.

"You have to believe me.

She jerked herself free and flinched away from him. "Leave me alone! For god's sake-"

"I don't believe in him."

"Then for my sake, leave me alone! I don't want to see you again, do you understand?"

He took a step ahead, feeling his blood boil despite his efforts to remain calm. "No, I don't!"

Tears pooled in her eyes and she angrily wiped them away before they could be spilled. "Arnavji, please, I had asked you to stay away from me right from the beginning but you didn't listen. I knew what kind of a man you are but you led me to believe that you were different and I started to believe you... But after what I saw last night-"

"Why the f**k were you even there last night, dammit?"

Her eyes widened with realisation. "Oh? I am so sorry! I should not have come there? So that you would have all the fun with other women without my knowing about any of it and the next morning you would have come along, pretending that I am the only girl you can see? I am very sorry Mr Raizada, but this doesn't work anymore."

Once again, he could only clench his hands into tight fists and watch her as she disappeared into the afternoon.