Posted:
For You
Part 1:
*Past in blue italics.
After parking her two wheeler, Khushi entered her university. All she could spot were boys. "Where did all the girls vanish?", she thought. As soon as one of those boys spotted her, his eyes widened and he alerted the other boys and they all ran away from her. It was Khushi's turn to get surprised. She was one of those few girls who never was in the limelight nor she wished to. So, to avoid any embarrassment, she ran away from there to her class. Poor Khushi, she didn't know that more torments awaited her there.
All her friends were having a thread in their hand and they were running behind boys. What the! Only then did her studious mind understand. It was Raksha Bandhan that day. Khushi had no brothers, so she had totally forgotten about it.
"These girls are mad", was her last thought before she was pulled inside. "You finally came Khushi!", told her best friend. "Why was she waiting for me? Something fishy", her mind questioned and answered.
"Here", she thrust a thread into her hand. "Why are you giving me this? I don't have any brothers and you do know that", answered Khushi. Her friend's eyes glinted with mischief. Now something was definitely wrong. Her friend smiled at her coyly, "You don't have any brothers, but you definitely can make many right? So here you go tie this to...um..."
"What the?! No way I won't do any such thing. I am not tying nor do I want any brothers."
"Oh Khushi come on, this is fun. Please", her friend pleaded while Khushi nodded in a strict NO.
That is when their class's hottie or so acclaimed shouted, "Oh Khushi doesn't like to have brothers. But she would love to have boyfriends. Right Khushi? This is why you are refusing right?"
These people won't let me live in peace, she thought and snatched the Rakhi from her friend's hand. If looks could kill, Khushi's friend would have been dead and gone by then. "To whom?", she asked pointing at the Rakhi.
"Arnav Singh Raizada." Khushi's eyes were the size of saucers. She gave them an are-you-serious look.
Arnav Singh Raizada was the most popular guy in their college and almost every girl was his fan, a/c and what not. He is known to be a good fellow. "But that doesn't mean I will tie this to him. We haven't even conversed once."
"Go Khushi. He is right there", Miss Self acclaimed Hottie told, pointing at Arnav.
So with trembling legs and clammy hands, Khushi moved forward.
And this is exactly how Arnav found her. Khushi Gupta, the only girl who hasn't flirted with him and the only girl who has approached him with a Rakhi since the day had began, of course after his dear sister Anjali.
"Hello..Um..", Khushi nervously stuttered.
"Hi Khushi." Khushi's eyes widened again.
"This definitely is a day full of surprises. He knows me and is speaking so casually with me. Gosh!", she mused.
"I um would um like uh", she started off again.
"Well yes, what would you like?", he asked her.
"You", she answered back without even thinking. And as soon as her response registered in both their minds, two pairs of eyes rounded. One rounded out of nervousness as to what will follow and the latter rounded at the boldness of the other.
"I mean woh not you, I mean your hand", she nervously tried to rectify her mistake. But looking at his smirk, she knew the damage was done and there was no rectifying it. She wet her now dry lips.
"Why do you want my hand?"
Which is when Khushi's professor called out to her and that is exactly when Anrav Singh Raizada turned completely religious and thanked his Gods for preventing a serious disaster.
For Arnav, Khushi was the girl of his dreams and the sole occupant of his mind everyday. He had never cared about her looks. No, she wasn't the most prettiest. She wasn't the most sexiest. She wasn't the most elegant and no, she wasn't the skinniest. She was more on the plump side. Yet, he loved her. His love was not for her external features. He loved her for her character, her shyness, her sudden boldness, her never give up attitude and her practicality towards life.
Well the question that arises now is how Arnav knew about Khushi. Their first meeting was a rather peculiar one.
It was Janmashtami that day. Khushi's mother, sister and Khushi were very busy in the celebrations which is when Khushi's father called her urgently, asking her to come to the car. Khushi had gone down and her father had bundled her inside. He had told her they were to go to the temple to fulfill some mannat.
And that is when in the temple, these two had met. Khushi was definitely the eye candy in her pajamas and night tops. Khushi was silently berating herself for wearing that today. That was her favourite and most comfortable set. But it had back fired today.
Arnav had been too amused looking at the girl fidgeting with the lamps in her hand. She looked around and at herself and had exited as quickly as possible. She had ran away, literally.
His Janmashatmi for the very first time had turned out to be interesting and had been something more than the delicacies.
He had later found her in his college. She was his junior. But they both belonged to different branches. He was doing his Masters in Political Science, while she was doing her Undergraduate course in English Literature.
She was in her final year while he had a year to go.
Coming back to how he knew about her so much, he used to follow her blog. The blog gave an almost a realistic picture about her.
It was this blog that had United them. He used to comment on her blog under the name "Happy Ocean". They both used to have frequent conversations regarding her blog which had brought them closer, without Khushi realising that it was Arnav who was conversing with her.
****************
Now Arnav cursed himself for not doing what he had to. So with a renewed energy and enthusiasm, he decided to propose Khushi.
The ball rang announcing the closure of the classes for the day. Without delaying further, he ran to Khushi's class and saw her coming out. She was chatting with her friends and was glaring at her best friend. Arnav wondered why. He didn't know the reason, did he? But he did know that she looked cute.
Arnav didn't want to embarrass Khushi. So, he didn't speak to her when she was with her friends. Since it was Friday, he knew she would go to the library.
Making sure, no one was there in their nearby vicinity, he appeared before her, taking her by surprise.
"Um Khushi? Can I speak to you for a minute?", now it was Arnav's turn to stutter.
"Yes? I know you are here to speak about today's morning. I am sorry I never intended to do so. It was Sheetal's idea."
"Oh God Khushi. Not about that."
She looked at him with confusion etched all over face. "What else could they probably talk about?", she thought.
Taking a deep breath, he told her.
"Khushi, I am not at all a romantic fellow. I don't know how to talk cheesy stuff and impress others. All I know is I love you and I don't know how else to tell you that. I cannot write poems or use wonderful high end vocabulary to propose you. I know this is the worst proposal, but this is the truth that has been bugging my heart for three years."
Khushi was shocked and rightly so. She was speechless. She never expected this to happen even in her dreams. When she looked at Arnav's hopeful eyes, she realised she had to put him out of his misery.
"Arnav, you told me you don't know how to propose, but trust me this is the best proposal ever."
Arnav smiled weakly at this and gestured her to continue.
"You are a great person Arnav. But I am sorry I cannot accept your proposal. Please don't get me wrong here. It is not that I hate you or anything. I like you Arnav. Our blog conversations had made me know the real you. Don't look surprised, you had by mistaken revealed your identity to me. But I don't think at this age, I am mature enough to do this. I want to achieve so many things and make my parents proud. It is not that if I love you, I won't do this.It is just that I can't take the burden of a relation and my dreams together. I am sorry Arnav."
Arnav never knew Khushi could be this thoughtful and he was in awe of her. If he had said that he wasn't feeling bad of her rejection, then he was definitely lying.
Looking right into her eyes, he spoke, "I promise to wait Khushi."
And that was the last day, they both had met. Their first proper meet had turned to be their last.
Part 2 - Page 14
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