ArHi OSes: When I Knew | Ugly Chaise | PG 53 | NEW UPDATE (21/8) - Page 6

NK knew the minute he met Khushiji that he had made a friend for life. He also knew the minute he met her that he would be nursing his unrequited affection for her for a very long time.

The first time NK realized that he was playing with fire was the night of Nannav's party, when Khushi showed up in an unimaginably elegant blue sari, draped softly over her slender figure. She was radiant, absolutely stunning, with her long hair trailing all the way down her back and rustling gently in the wind.

He had offered to help her with the plan, delighted by the fact that he had the chance to be her date. His heart thumped loudly as she reached him, her arms outstretched. Behind her, he could see Arnav staring at them, a confused look in his face. NK could see it in his eyes, the stiffness of his posture.

She's supposed to pay attention to me.

NK felt a shallow satisfaction at seeing Arnav's clearly irritated expression, and he fully milked the situation, taking every chance he could get to flirt with the beautiful girl on his arm. He observed as Arnav's eyes followed them wherever they went, never leaving Khushi for a minute. The green eyed monster was growing larger by the second.

He saw the fury in Arnav when he defended Khushi from a particularly forward man, reading the expression in Arnav's eyes.

I'm supposed to defend her. Not you. Get away from her. She's mine.

NK only reasserted his right further, taking advantage of Arnav's jealousy. He saw the jealousy manifest itself into the harsh knives he threw at Khushi in the form of words, insulting her honor and her character shamelessly after her performance.

He saw the depth of the devastation in Arnav's eyes when Khushi turned away from him, rejecting his pitiful attempts at making amends. When he confronted Arnav, he saw the regret in his eyes as Khushi accepted NK's offer to drive her home.

Deep down in his heart, he knew that he wasn't right for Khushi. She and Arnav had something... special. Something vibrant. Something sacred.

But that didn't mean that it didn't hurt.

-***-

He maintained a semblance of hope that he could win Khushi over. The night of the havan, he took the chance, readily volunteering to go with Khushi to get the ghee for Payal. He had seen immediately that Arnav was not happy with the decision, retreating to a corner and sulking unhappily.

Their car broke down in the middle of the road, halfway to the Gupta household. He had argued with Khushi for fifteen minutes, trying to convince her to come with him. She refused, insisting that she would stay by the car.

NK grudgingly agreed, uneasy as the loud wail of the ambulance passed by. He made her promise to stay in the area, before he left to find a mechanic.

"Ay, chudi waale! Stop please!" He reached over at the bangles, his hands brushing over the colorful circles of glass. They tinkled gently as the vendor came to a stop in the deserted street, clearly irritated at being stopped so late in the night.

"Kya chahiye bhaisaab, itni raat ko chudi? What do you want so late at night?" NK reached out and pulled off blue bangles, their vibrant color shining in the dim street lighting.

No, those weren't right.

He reached for the softer red bangles, the thin bands of glass that would rest gently on her delicate wrists. He examined them carefully for any signs of breakage, studying the bangles carefully. The thick plastic covering rustled as he turned it over, imagining them circling her and adorning her.

He could just see the smile on her face, the stretching of her beautiful lips that would curl and crease the edges of her eyes, making them sparkle as she jumped up and down in joy.

Yes, these were the ones. They were perfect.

-***-

NK arrived back on the scene to a hysterical Arnav gripping Khushi by the shoulders, questioning her angrily about where she had been. He stood back, out of sight, as he observed the scene silently.

"What if- What if I- What if I had lost you, Khushi?!" NK could see the fear in Arnav's eyes, the sheer relief at having found her safe and sound. He saw Arnav cup her face in his hands, shaking her with an urgency he had never seen from his cousin before.

Arnav's hands shook as he captured her face in his hands, his entire body shivering with rage at nearly losing her. NK could see his eyes filling quickly with angry tears that never fell. The people around them simply watched, mesmerized by the couple in front of them.

"Kyun?! Kyun faraq padtha hai?!" Her loud, angry retort hit his ears, the channe in her hands spilling out of the flimsy newspaper cone as she shook it towards him.

"Kyunki main-!" Arnav broke off, taking a startled step back from the girl in the yellow dress standing in front of him. The tension rose exponentially, the air so thick that NK could feel it swirling around him as Khushi stared at Arnav, her eyes suddenly softening in understanding. From his viewpoint, he could see the shocked expression on Arnav's face, the beautiful realization that he cared. He cared. Far too much.

-***-

NK didn't argue when Arnav practically coerced Khushi into riding with him. He was completely defeated, losing almost every bit of hope he had of winning Khushi. The way Arnav looked at her, and the way she looked at him, signalled the unbreakable bond that would form between them. They were not friends first, they didn't even like each other- they were victims of an undying attraction that simply morphed into a beautiful butterfly from the ugly caterpillar of hate.

At least she would have his bangles.

NK stepped into the house, looking for the girl who had illuminated every aspect of his life when he met her. He saw her, standing with Arnav near the doorway, talking with him in quiet undertones. He glanced down at her wrist, and seeing the bandage, nearly felt his heart stop.

He saw the fragmented pieces of glass lying on the floor, shattered and broken as his hopes were. They weren't even her size. His stomach dropped to an all-time low, his hopes eradicated in every possible way. He plastered a smile onto his face and walked up to the couple, playfully talking and joking with them.

That was when he saw the bag in Arnav's hands, the dark bag that had the name of a well-known jeweller scrawled on the side. In his cousin's familiar, messy handwriting, was the name "Khushi".

A small smile graced his face. If he couldn't win her over... he could at least help Arnav succeed. He made a noncommittal comment about the bag, knowing Khushi would realize the significance of his comment later, and walked away, his torment appeased by the soft smile of appreciation on her face.

A few hours later, he watched as Khushi lifted her hands towards Arnav, revealing the slew of bangles that lined her wrists , their golden embellishments glinting in the light. They were the perfect size.