Chapter 16 (A): Strings Of Apprehension
âOH MY GOD. This is bizarre JE. I canât believe you fell right into his arms. Looks like it was love at first sight for you and you were too desperate to land into Arnav Singh Raizadaâs armsâ Abhay said, grinning while Khushi smacked his arm.
âEveryone is not a cheapo like you, Abhay! I still remember you tried to kiss Naina in my 16th Bâday party and the lights had gone off right at that second. Your face was worth watching when you had realised it was me instead of Nainaâ Khushi said, recalling the old days.
âI see that you have got grave misconceptions, Mrs. Raizada. I wasnât trying to kiss Naina. I actually wanted to kiss you. I was trying to thank you for inviting me to your bâday party. And it wasnât even a kiss. It was a peck on your scrubby cheeksâ Abhay said recalling the incident and once again feeling embarrassed.
âScrubby? I am not going to talk to youâ Khushi said, pouting and turning her face to look out of the car.
âOkay, not really scrubby but quite okay cheeksâ Abhay said and saw Khushi rolling her eyes.
âSo, are we going to only talk about my not so happy memories or are you going narrate me the main part of your story? Abhay said, now dropping in a serious tone.
âMain part?â Khushi tried to sound confused, even though she knew what was he referring about.
âYou know it, JE. You told me how you met your âLaad governorâ, you told me how you fell in love with him, you also told me how he used to tease you but where is the marriage part? You didnât tell me how did you two get married? Was it a love marriage or arranged one?â Abhay asked, and saw a flash of pain in her eyes.
âThat part isnât that exciting to be narrated. We went to a temple and got marriedâ Khushi replied.
âWhoa? What about the grand weddings you used to talk about?â Abhay asked, pressing a painful nerve and to his surprise tears rolled down Khushiâs cheeks.
âHey I am sorry, Khushi. Itâs okay if you donât want to..â
âNo I am sorry. I..I am okayâ
âSure?â Abhay asked and she nodded.
âWill you stop âsure-ingâ me now?â Khushi said and Abhay rolled his eyes this time.
âFine. I was just concernedâ Abhay replied and continued driving home.
~~***~~
âThanks for the ride. Want to come in and meet my family? Khushi asked.
âNo, I am in hurry. Have to reach my hotel on time. And tell Mr. Raizada I didnât smooch his wife.â Abhay said.
âWHAT? Are you crazy Abhay?â Khushi said, really angry at his remark.
âNow you donât âwhatâ me, Khushi. Hadnât you noticed that âIâll-kill-youâ expression he was throwing at me when we left together? I bet he was jealousâ Abhay said, grinning.
âHe hasnât got a reason to be jealousâ Khushi said, defending her husband.
âThat weâll see tomorrowâ Abhay said, giving a crooked smile and driving out.
~~***~~
For the first time in his life, Arnav Singh Raizada was in a hurry to go home. Ever since Khushi had left, Arnav had wanted to go home too.
He had wanted to see her placing her things back in their room, giving life to the room again.
Winding up his work, he started for home, his mind full of happy thoughts.
~~***~~
As Arnav climbed the stairs to his room, his heart seared with happiness. Hiding the beautiful bouquet of red roses behind his back and smiling widely, he stepped inside his room.
The exuberance dwindled away and was slowly replaced with sadness as he took in the surroundings of the room.
The room looked exactly like he had left it this morning, with no sign of Khushi being back in it.
She must be still packing her things in the guest room. He told himself and taking the bouquet, walked towards the guest room in quick strides.
As he stood before the guest room door, his heart thudded violently. Should he knock or should he wait?
He hadnât forgotten her request of him not stepping in this room and he wasnât going to violate it for anything.
So, instead of knocking he took out his cell phone and dialled her number.
âUnreachableâ it said.
Now what? He thought and finally decided to knock and wait for her to come out of the room.
So, he knocked the door and stood waiting against the same pillar against which he had leaned upon the previous night and spent nine good hours.
The memory of those nine silent hours brought a smile upon his face.
To others, those nine hours would have been tiring and uncomfortable but to him, those nine hours were the hours of bliss.
In those nine hours, he had relived each and every single memory he had spent with Khushi.
Starting from the epic and tragic fall of Khushi Kumari Gupta into his arms and ending with the memory of their discussion in his room, where she had asked him the question that how could he believe everyone but her?
A question which had electrified and intensified his guilt and he was aware that his mistrust in Khushi was an irrevocable mistake of him and he would have to live with it and its consequences.
The thoughts drifted away as his phone beeped a message and he realised it had been ten minutes since he had knocked.
After knocking at the door again, he opened the message and read with no interest.
âOne boy was rejected
and one girl was selected
in an interview due to the same reason
.
.
.
Because the first two buttons of their shirt were open ;)
P.S. Khushi sent me your number. Have a nice day.
-Abhayâ
âWhat the?â Arnav swore, reading the message and nearly dropped the bouquet he was holding in his hands.
He had to read it twice to actually believe that such cheap messages were being sent to him, that too by that audacious and good-for-nothing Abhay Singh.
Once Arnav overcame the shock of the message, his attention went back to the door which wasnât answered yet.
As he was about to knock the door again, Naniji reached there.
âArnav Bitwa? Why are you standing here? And these flowers?â She asked, seeing the bouquet.
âI brought thâŚWhere is Khushi, Nani? I have been knocking at the door but she isnât answering. Would you please go in and check on her?â Arnav said, trying to sound casual and dropping the bouquet part from his answer.
âShe isnât inside, Arnav Bitwa. After she returned home from the office, she and Payal bitiya left for Laxminagarâ Naniji informed him.
âWhat? I mean..How can she go? She..â Arnav asked, mostly to himself, and the bouquet finally dropped from his hands.
Has she really left? Left him?
The thought once again knocked out the oxygen from his, lungs making it hard for him to breathe.
~~***~~
âRaani Sahiba, I am totally fine nowâ said an irritated Shyam as Anjali pestered him to drink the turmeric flavoured milk.
âNo, you arenât fine. You still have bruises on your back and hands and I am not listening anything. Please, drink thisâ replied Anjali, not ready to budge off and Shyam finally took the glass from her hand, emptying the glass in one go, to which Anjali smiled.
âSometimes I wonder if youâre the real kid or the one weâre going to haveâ Anjali said, with a slight blush and Shyam rolled his eyes.
âHowâs everyone in the house? You hardly allow me to move and go downâ Shyam further complained.
âBut they visit you in your room, donât they?â Anjali replied.
âExcept Chote and Khushijiâ she added in a sad tone which was caught well by Shyam.
âItâs okay, Rani Sahiba; they must be too busy with their own lives to have time for usâ Shyam said in his crooked and manoeuvred tone.
âYeah. Chote seems really tensed about something, maybe because Khushiji is staying in the guest room. Plus Chote isnât telling us the reason behind it. Seems like something is really wrongâ Anjali said in a thoughtful manner while Shyam had to praise himself.
âSo Khushiji is staying in the Guest room? All alone?â Shyam probed, as numerous thoughts and possibilities sprouted in his brain.
This seems like a good chance to have his way.
âYes, sheâs staying alone but today she and Payal have gone to Buajiâs house.â
âBuajiâs house? All of a sudden?â Shyam asked, as his curiosity piped up.
âYeah, Actually..â Anjali started but the ringing of her phone interrupted her speech.
âRicha Di callingâ she read on the screen.
âRicha Di?â Shyam asked.
âMy doctorâ Anjali replied back before receiving the call and got up the bed, discussing her appointments and check-ups while Shyam lied down on the bed with a smirk.
Finally the time had come for him to make his move.
___________________________________________________________________
No A/Ns today.
P.S. I know this a short chapter.
-Kiran
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