CHAPTER 8
"Hello everyone," a voice of a lady grabbed Raizada family members attention, as they just had sit down on the chairs in the dinning room to eat.
"Roshni!" Mrs. Raizada said, she sounded excited to see this girl. She too was going to sit on her chair, upon seeing her guest she remained stood and went over to greet her.
"Roshni!" three bothers amused and they too were standing now to give their guest a much deserving respect.
Anjali and Mr. Raizada both rose up their respective seats.
"What a pleasant surprise, Roshni, dear! What a pleasant surprise!" Mrs. Raizada amused and hugged her.
Khushi wondered who she was, and from a look on everyone's face, she guessed nobody knew she was coming. Then she highly doubted she was summoned by none other but her husband. She eyed him angrily. Her eyes went narrowed. "Arnav if you have brought her to make me jealous you should really be rethinking that idea. Because I am Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada and I don't like jealousy tracks," she said dramatically staring at him as any moment she would jump on him to punish him. But her using his name in her name, made her blush.
"How are you, aunty ji?" she asked in her American accent.
"I am very well, dear. Why didn't you inform any of us that you were coming. We could have come up to the airport to receive you!"
"How come it would have had been a surprise then? It's a holiday season so I came up to meet with you guys."
"Perfect idea, please come in!" Mrs. Raizada mused, welcoming her in the house.
Roshni came in with a pleasant smile on her face. She first went to Mr. Raizada, and said Nameste (hello) to him.
"Stay blessed, dear. What a pleasant to see you here. How are you?"
"Looks like I have come up on a wrong time, you were going to have a breakfast."
"Oh please dear, you can come up any time. It's always good to see you!" he said.
She smiled in a gratitude.
Then she skipped Arnav and went over to hug Anjali. "Anjali di, I missed you!"
"Aww...To tell you something wicked, I don't know why I was expecting you to come!"
"Positive energy, di. You were all missing me so I came!"
"That's so true!" she agreed.
"Hey, look at you handsome man!" Roshini said as she finally looked at Arnav. She moved forward to hug him. "Delicious as always!" she said in his ear. He smiled.
Khushi heard it, her eyes widened in shock at her statement, and she stared at her coldly with her eyes narrowed.
Arnav smiled and hugged her. Roshini kissed his cheek. Khushi's blood boiled. She crumpled the bread in her hand. She so wanted to push her away from Arnav. But what's the use, she thought. She already had done everything to push him away from herself.
She smiled when Roshni finally pulled away from a hug and looked at her, but she ignored her and went to meet Akaash, NK, and Dhruv. Khushi noticed with the affection she met Arnav, she didn't meet Akaash, NK, or Dhruv. May be she was just over analysing. She didn't want to name the emotion, jealous. It wasn't hard to guess though. And the way everyone was so happy to see her made her feel they had a very strong relationship with her.
"Roshni, daughter, meet Khushi. She is Arnav's wife, our beautiful daughter-in-law," Mrs. Raizada introduced her.
"Oh, hi," she said as she was doing formality. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too!" Khushi didn't want to sound mean but she answered her in the same tone Roshni did to her. Formal. Which was much appropriate for their first meet anyway. And joined her hands instead of a shaking hand with her. Roshni smiled and joined her hands.
"You seem to come from a family with old customs..." she said.
"Yes, from a medieval world!" Khushi answered.
Roshni laughed at her joke.
"HP, please take Roshni to one of the guests room!" Anjali ordered.
"Uhh...I would like if Arnav will show me my room," Roshni said, looking at Arnav. "I hope your wife won't mind it, Ar-nav!" she spoke his name as she was trying to sound too sweet. "Mrs. Raizada, we are good friends!" she immediately added.
"If you are that much worried come I show you your room," she said, trying still hard not to be rude, but she was afraid she failed.
She grinned. Everyone else stood appalled at her statement. "Hehe...just kidding!" she suddenly added.
"Jealousy starts with J!" Akaash muttered in Anjali's ear.
"I acknowledged that!" she whispered back looking around if anyone heard her.
"Arnav, would you mind walking me to my room?" Roshni said.
"What are you saying, Roshni? Why would he mind? Our Khushi bitiya and Arnav won't mind at all!" Mrs. Raizada said. "Go ahead!"
Khushi noticed little anger in Mrs. Raizada's voice. She knew Arnav and her have had hurt the whole family. But she knew Arnav wouldn't have loved her back. So it was better to pretend if she hated him. Now all of sudden the entry of this gorgeous, tip-top lady made her feel rethink whatever she did.
"Please everyone start eating the food, we will join you both soon!"
Roshni wrapped her arms around Arnav's arm and Arnav went with her to take her to the room.
Everyone looked at Khushi only looking at Arnav and Roshni.
"Khushi, bitiya, Roshni is Arnav's childhood friend. Like very close friends, they are."
Khushi forced a smile. "Please, bitiya, sit and eat your food!"
"Yes, papa!" she said, but her mind was only thinking of Arnav and Roshni.
"I must say they look so good together!" NK said to Dhruv.
"Didn't bhai once said he would love to marry her?"
They both made comments enough louder so Khushi could hear. But they pretended they were whispering.
"What you guys are saying?" Anjali pretended as she didn't hear them.
"Nothing, di, was just talking about college stuff!"
"Oh okay!" she said. "But first eat."
Mr. Raizada coughed choking on food. Khushi immediately got up and gave him the glass of water to drink. Everyone looked at him worried. "Papa, are you okay?"
He nodded. "Dad, you should eat carefully and slowly!" Anjali said.
"I am okay, my daughters. Khushi bitiya, I am okay, thank you!"
She sat back down in her seat. Khushi looked towards the guest room. Arnav and Roshni has not yet back, Khushi wondered what they were doing inside.
"Khushi, bitiya, what happened didn't you like the food?" Mrs. Raizada asked.
"No, mumma, food is really good!" she said. "It's me who doesn't feel like eating!"
"What happened? Are you feeling alright?"
"Jealous!" NK muttered in Anjali's ear. "She is feeling not alright, but jealous!"
Anjali giggled, looking everyone at the table, she apologised.
"What's taking Arnav bhai this long to come back?" Akaash asked.
"Oh they are best friends it will take time for them to say hi, hello!" Anjali said. "I just love Roshni. I will talk to her late night!"
"We will join you guys too!" Dhruv said.
"That's includes me and Akaash bhai!" NK said.
Khushi felt like crying. He hated how irritated she had become. Everything was making her angry and agitated. She always had her guards up and never let anything to hurt her. But then realising her guards weren't too high to protect her. She thought, she would tell Arnav she wasn't joking about the fact she was in love with him. On the other hand, when she had convinced herself she highly doubted if he was going to believe her now, why she acted stupid. She just made fun of the love that she genuinely had for him.
"Papa, mumma, please excuse me. I will be back soon!"
"But where are you going, Khushi?" Anjali asked.
"I just remembered something, I will be back very soon!"
"Bitiya, not like, this finish your food!" Mrs. Raizada said.
"I don't feel like eating, mumma!" she said.
"Okay do as you feel like!" she said.
Khushi could tell this time she was upset.
"Mumma, I am sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" she said as her heart raced in fear. "I had to go and see if Arnav...I mean!"
"It's okay, bitiya. You and Arnav had already hurt us enough, this is just a little thing!"
Khushi felt sick from inside. She didn't know where now everything was heading to.
"Mumma, I am really sorry!" she said as her lips quivered.
Mr. Raizada gestured Mrs. Raizada towards Khushi as she had a sad look on her face.
"Khushi, I hope you have learnt to make Halwa!"
Khushi looked at her and smiled. "Yes. I watched Arnav cooking it. It is simple. I would make for you if you want to eat it!" She said, as she felt little at ease.
"If you can make for me as well!" Mr. Raizada said.
"I will make for everyone," she said happily. "Mummy ji, can you teach me to cook?"
"Sure, you can start from today onwards, try to cook something for the lunch!"
"Okay!" she said. Anjali smiled looking at her. Too childish but cute.
***
"Did you call Roshni, mom?"
"No dear. I hadn't. I didn't know she was coming!" Mrs. Raizada said.
"Oh! Did you see, mom, how easily she got scared when you pretended you were mad at her?"
"I know, she is sweet. Your dad adore her!"
"Dad can't be ever wrong in choosing the right person for us!" she said. "I wish I had listened him."
Anjali sniffed. Mrs. Raizada kept hand on her shoulder, Anjali hugged her.
Khushi stopped at the door when she looked at both of them. She wondered what happened. When Anjali saw Khushi, she pulled away from the hug, and wiped her tears.
"Come, Khushi, sorry for this, mum and daughter moment!"
"I am sorry if I came at the wrong time!"
"Oh come on, dear, come on in!" Mrs. Raizada said. "Come I teach you how to make simple dishes then we will go on with the harder ones."
"I am ready, ma!" she said.
***
Arnav entered the room and didn't look at Khushi but he knew Khushi was looking at him.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, he grabbed his car keys, and wallet from a night table.
"It has nothing to do with you!" he said.
"I wasn't expecting you would say anything!"
"I had to, otherwise you wouldn't have shut your mouth."
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I said it has nothing to do with you!"
She cleared her throat and nodded her head. He was going to leave when she called him and he stopped.
"I wasn't expecting you to stop," she said.
"What the eff you have to say?" he said turning on his heels.
"Looks like you are really affected by my drama!" she said.
He raised his eyebrow questioningly. Then furrows on his forehead smoothed. "You are living in a fantasy, Khushi. Your dramas only make me hate you more. Do you see, it is not good."
"Good to know, I didn't expect you to answer!" she got up the bed and walked towards him when he was leaving.
She ran after him fast enough to reach him, she tapped her hand on his shoulder. He didn't stop. "Well, tell me where are you going?" she asked.
"You know I have to tell family members if they will ask me where have you gone. I don't actually care where you go!"
Arnav stopped, held her hand, and took her to the room. He shut the door.
"I have already told the people who care where I go that I am taking Roshni out!" he said angrily.
"Wow, Mr. Raizada, you didn't take your wife out ever and you are taking your friend out."
"You know what? She is a very special friend who understands me more than I know myself, she has been there in my good and bad times. So it is my duty to make sure that she is happy!"
Khushi didn't think twice, she took one step forward, rose on her toes, cupped his back of her head, surprising him to death she placed her lips on his.
He tried to move her away but she was quick enough to get her hold tighter on him. She pressed her lips harder and passionately, leaving him no state to move but kiss her back. He was stunned by her this act. She fisted his short hair as much she could, and bit his lower lip. A way she was kissing him made him think that she had kissed someone before. She was out of breath, but she didn't stop. And Arnav still was composed, but defiantly not alright. It was their first kiss together and she wanted to make it special, no matter what. Even if she would die due to no oxygen reaching her brain. Arnav wasn't sure what to do as all of sudden he was caught off guard. His hands wrapped around her waist and slowly they moved up her back.
Khushi all of sudden felt all her strength fade away at his gentle unintended move. She pressed her body against his hard body, today she came to know what exactly iron body meant and felt like. Her burnt skin hurt but she didn't mind this pain when she had her man slowly kissing her back.
Arnav wasn't expecting himself to do this at all, but there was not a motivation of him to pull away either when his wife needed it.
He bit her lower lip that made her moan, and he himself cried a throaty moan.
Khushi felt they both were flying in the air. She didn't know kissing someone special was this beautiful, and was so special indeed that she felt melting like an ice.
The rough breathing intoxicated them, but Arnav knew he had to stop; whereas Khushi never wanted it to end. She did made a mistake by hurting him, she accepted it. She had all her fears gone by now. She held his shoulders for support and traced the shoulder line up to back to his head.
He had to stop, his mind screamed, but the other moment his heart was telling him the otherwise.
Khushi's head spun, the soft pain jumped up and down in her stomach. Refusing to settle. When his hands touched her waist she trembled, she was going to fall, but she managed to stand upright. Then slowly and gradually they stopped. She looked at him, with a smile on her face. She looked dreamy. Messily confused. She now understood why college girls were always drooling over him.
"Have you gone mad?" It was supposed to be an angry question, but his tone betrayed him miserably.
"Now you can go and have fun!" she said and turned around to leave to her bed, Arnav spun her over, she crashed once again in his arms, "what the eff you think you did?" his anger returned, but it was gone the moment he found himself looking in her toxic eyes.
She didn't mind using her actions. She pulled him towards herself and placed his lips on him once again in a same passion as earlier on, she kissed before she pulled him away.
"Do you have anything else to ask?"
"What have gotten into you? Jeez! Have you gone nuts?"
"You enjoyed it well, Mr. Raizada!"
Arnav hated how she was making it a joke, he held her back of the head possessively, and looked angrily in his eyes to give her enough sense and indication that if she thought it was fun, he wouldn't have mind knocking sense into her mind.
"Whatever I said was stupid, and amongst that one thing was right and still is true, Arnav, that I love you!"
He searched the validity of her words in her eyes. His hold in her hair loosened.
He pushed her away from himself. He shook his head. "For a girl like you love is just a joke!"
"I can prove you wrong, Arnav!"
"You need not to prove it when love is honest! I guess you have done enough proving anyway," he said. "And please don't even start your emotional blackmail!"
"I am sorry, Arnav, for hurting you!"
"Do not give yourself this much importance, in few days you will be one of the girls who came to my life and left!" he said.
"That's why you have asked her to come here? To make me jealous?"
"What rubbish? Have you gone crazy?"
"So you haven't?" she asked.
He looked away. She had her answers. She smiled to herself.
She pouted when he left without answering where he was taking her. In seconds, she had an idea. She got ready in under five minutes and decided to follow him to place where he was going.
"Roshni!" Mrs. Raizada said, she sounded excited to see this girl. She too was going to sit on her chair, upon seeing her guest she remained stood and went over to greet her.
"Roshni!" three bothers amused and they too were standing now to give their guest a much deserving respect.
Anjali and Mr. Raizada both rose up their respective seats.
"What a pleasant surprise, Roshni, dear! What a pleasant surprise!" Mrs. Raizada amused and hugged her.
Khushi wondered who she was, and from a look on everyone's face, she guessed nobody knew she was coming. Then she highly doubted she was summoned by none other but her husband. She eyed him angrily. Her eyes went narrowed. "Arnav if you have brought her to make me jealous you should really be rethinking that idea. Because I am Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada and I don't like jealousy tracks," she said dramatically staring at him as any moment she would jump on him to punish him. But her using his name in her name, made her blush.
"How are you, aunty ji?" she asked in her American accent.
"I am very well, dear. Why didn't you inform any of us that you were coming. We could have come up to the airport to receive you!"
"How come it would have had been a surprise then? It's a holiday season so I came up to meet with you guys."
"Perfect idea, please come in!" Mrs. Raizada mused, welcoming her in the house.
Roshni came in with a pleasant smile on her face. She first went to Mr. Raizada, and said Nameste (hello) to him.
"Stay blessed, dear. What a pleasant to see you here. How are you?"
"Looks like I have come up on a wrong time, you were going to have a breakfast."
"Oh please dear, you can come up any time. It's always good to see you!" he said.
She smiled in a gratitude.
Then she skipped Arnav and went over to hug Anjali. "Anjali di, I missed you!"
"Aww...To tell you something wicked, I don't know why I was expecting you to come!"
"Positive energy, di. You were all missing me so I came!"
"That's so true!" she agreed.
"Hey, look at you handsome man!" Roshini said as she finally looked at Arnav. She moved forward to hug him. "Delicious as always!" she said in his ear. He smiled.
Khushi heard it, her eyes widened in shock at her statement, and she stared at her coldly with her eyes narrowed.
Arnav smiled and hugged her. Roshini kissed his cheek. Khushi's blood boiled. She crumpled the bread in her hand. She so wanted to push her away from Arnav. But what's the use, she thought. She already had done everything to push him away from herself.
She smiled when Roshni finally pulled away from a hug and looked at her, but she ignored her and went to meet Akaash, NK, and Dhruv. Khushi noticed with the affection she met Arnav, she didn't meet Akaash, NK, or Dhruv. May be she was just over analysing. She didn't want to name the emotion, jealous. It wasn't hard to guess though. And the way everyone was so happy to see her made her feel they had a very strong relationship with her.
"Roshni, daughter, meet Khushi. She is Arnav's wife, our beautiful daughter-in-law," Mrs. Raizada introduced her.
"Oh, hi," she said as she was doing formality. "Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too!" Khushi didn't want to sound mean but she answered her in the same tone Roshni did to her. Formal. Which was much appropriate for their first meet anyway. And joined her hands instead of a shaking hand with her. Roshni smiled and joined her hands.
"You seem to come from a family with old customs..." she said.
"Yes, from a medieval world!" Khushi answered.
Roshni laughed at her joke.
"HP, please take Roshni to one of the guests room!" Anjali ordered.
"Uhh...I would like if Arnav will show me my room," Roshni said, looking at Arnav. "I hope your wife won't mind it, Ar-nav!" she spoke his name as she was trying to sound too sweet. "Mrs. Raizada, we are good friends!" she immediately added.
"If you are that much worried come I show you your room," she said, trying still hard not to be rude, but she was afraid she failed.
She grinned. Everyone else stood appalled at her statement. "Hehe...just kidding!" she suddenly added.
"Jealousy starts with J!" Akaash muttered in Anjali's ear.
"I acknowledged that!" she whispered back looking around if anyone heard her.
"Arnav, would you mind walking me to my room?" Roshni said.
"What are you saying, Roshni? Why would he mind? Our Khushi bitiya and Arnav won't mind at all!" Mrs. Raizada said. "Go ahead!"
Khushi noticed little anger in Mrs. Raizada's voice. She knew Arnav and her have had hurt the whole family. But she knew Arnav wouldn't have loved her back. So it was better to pretend if she hated him. Now all of sudden the entry of this gorgeous, tip-top lady made her feel rethink whatever she did.
"Please everyone start eating the food, we will join you both soon!"
Roshni wrapped her arms around Arnav's arm and Arnav went with her to take her to the room.
Everyone looked at Khushi only looking at Arnav and Roshni.
"Khushi, bitiya, Roshni is Arnav's childhood friend. Like very close friends, they are."
Khushi forced a smile. "Please, bitiya, sit and eat your food!"
"Yes, papa!" she said, but her mind was only thinking of Arnav and Roshni.
"I must say they look so good together!" NK said to Dhruv.
"Didn't bhai once said he would love to marry her?"
They both made comments enough louder so Khushi could hear. But they pretended they were whispering.
"What you guys are saying?" Anjali pretended as she didn't hear them.
"Nothing, di, was just talking about college stuff!"
"Oh okay!" she said. "But first eat."
Mr. Raizada coughed choking on food. Khushi immediately got up and gave him the glass of water to drink. Everyone looked at him worried. "Papa, are you okay?"
He nodded. "Dad, you should eat carefully and slowly!" Anjali said.
"I am okay, my daughters. Khushi bitiya, I am okay, thank you!"
She sat back down in her seat. Khushi looked towards the guest room. Arnav and Roshni has not yet back, Khushi wondered what they were doing inside.
"Khushi, bitiya, what happened didn't you like the food?" Mrs. Raizada asked.
"No, mumma, food is really good!" she said. "It's me who doesn't feel like eating!"
"What happened? Are you feeling alright?"
"Jealous!" NK muttered in Anjali's ear. "She is feeling not alright, but jealous!"
Anjali giggled, looking everyone at the table, she apologised.
"What's taking Arnav bhai this long to come back?" Akaash asked.
"Oh they are best friends it will take time for them to say hi, hello!" Anjali said. "I just love Roshni. I will talk to her late night!"
"We will join you guys too!" Dhruv said.
"That's includes me and Akaash bhai!" NK said.
Khushi felt like crying. He hated how irritated she had become. Everything was making her angry and agitated. She always had her guards up and never let anything to hurt her. But then realising her guards weren't too high to protect her. She thought, she would tell Arnav she wasn't joking about the fact she was in love with him. On the other hand, when she had convinced herself she highly doubted if he was going to believe her now, why she acted stupid. She just made fun of the love that she genuinely had for him.
"Papa, mumma, please excuse me. I will be back soon!"
"But where are you going, Khushi?" Anjali asked.
"I just remembered something, I will be back very soon!"
"Bitiya, not like, this finish your food!" Mrs. Raizada said.
"I don't feel like eating, mumma!" she said.
"Okay do as you feel like!" she said.
Khushi could tell this time she was upset.
"Mumma, I am sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!" she said as her heart raced in fear. "I had to go and see if Arnav...I mean!"
"It's okay, bitiya. You and Arnav had already hurt us enough, this is just a little thing!"
Khushi felt sick from inside. She didn't know where now everything was heading to.
"Mumma, I am really sorry!" she said as her lips quivered.
Mr. Raizada gestured Mrs. Raizada towards Khushi as she had a sad look on her face.
"Khushi, I hope you have learnt to make Halwa!"
Khushi looked at her and smiled. "Yes. I watched Arnav cooking it. It is simple. I would make for you if you want to eat it!" She said, as she felt little at ease.
"If you can make for me as well!" Mr. Raizada said.
"I will make for everyone," she said happily. "Mummy ji, can you teach me to cook?"
"Sure, you can start from today onwards, try to cook something for the lunch!"
"Okay!" she said. Anjali smiled looking at her. Too childish but cute.
***
"Did you call Roshni, mom?"
"No dear. I hadn't. I didn't know she was coming!" Mrs. Raizada said.
"Oh! Did you see, mom, how easily she got scared when you pretended you were mad at her?"
"I know, she is sweet. Your dad adore her!"
"Dad can't be ever wrong in choosing the right person for us!" she said. "I wish I had listened him."
Anjali sniffed. Mrs. Raizada kept hand on her shoulder, Anjali hugged her.
Khushi stopped at the door when she looked at both of them. She wondered what happened. When Anjali saw Khushi, she pulled away from the hug, and wiped her tears.
"Come, Khushi, sorry for this, mum and daughter moment!"
"I am sorry if I came at the wrong time!"
"Oh come on, dear, come on in!" Mrs. Raizada said. "Come I teach you how to make simple dishes then we will go on with the harder ones."
"I am ready, ma!" she said.
***
Arnav entered the room and didn't look at Khushi but he knew Khushi was looking at him.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, he grabbed his car keys, and wallet from a night table.
"It has nothing to do with you!" he said.
"I wasn't expecting you would say anything!"
"I had to, otherwise you wouldn't have shut your mouth."
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I said it has nothing to do with you!"
She cleared her throat and nodded her head. He was going to leave when she called him and he stopped.
"I wasn't expecting you to stop," she said.
"What the eff you have to say?" he said turning on his heels.
"Looks like you are really affected by my drama!" she said.
He raised his eyebrow questioningly. Then furrows on his forehead smoothed. "You are living in a fantasy, Khushi. Your dramas only make me hate you more. Do you see, it is not good."
"Good to know, I didn't expect you to answer!" she got up the bed and walked towards him when he was leaving.
She ran after him fast enough to reach him, she tapped her hand on his shoulder. He didn't stop. "Well, tell me where are you going?" she asked.
"You know I have to tell family members if they will ask me where have you gone. I don't actually care where you go!"
Arnav stopped, held her hand, and took her to the room. He shut the door.
"I have already told the people who care where I go that I am taking Roshni out!" he said angrily.
"Wow, Mr. Raizada, you didn't take your wife out ever and you are taking your friend out."
"You know what? She is a very special friend who understands me more than I know myself, she has been there in my good and bad times. So it is my duty to make sure that she is happy!"
Khushi didn't think twice, she took one step forward, rose on her toes, cupped his back of her head, surprising him to death she placed her lips on his.
He tried to move her away but she was quick enough to get her hold tighter on him. She pressed her lips harder and passionately, leaving him no state to move but kiss her back. He was stunned by her this act. She fisted his short hair as much she could, and bit his lower lip. A way she was kissing him made him think that she had kissed someone before. She was out of breath, but she didn't stop. And Arnav still was composed, but defiantly not alright. It was their first kiss together and she wanted to make it special, no matter what. Even if she would die due to no oxygen reaching her brain. Arnav wasn't sure what to do as all of sudden he was caught off guard. His hands wrapped around her waist and slowly they moved up her back.
Khushi all of sudden felt all her strength fade away at his gentle unintended move. She pressed her body against his hard body, today she came to know what exactly iron body meant and felt like. Her burnt skin hurt but she didn't mind this pain when she had her man slowly kissing her back.
Arnav wasn't expecting himself to do this at all, but there was not a motivation of him to pull away either when his wife needed it.
He bit her lower lip that made her moan, and he himself cried a throaty moan.
Khushi felt they both were flying in the air. She didn't know kissing someone special was this beautiful, and was so special indeed that she felt melting like an ice.
The rough breathing intoxicated them, but Arnav knew he had to stop; whereas Khushi never wanted it to end. She did made a mistake by hurting him, she accepted it. She had all her fears gone by now. She held his shoulders for support and traced the shoulder line up to back to his head.
He had to stop, his mind screamed, but the other moment his heart was telling him the otherwise.
Khushi's head spun, the soft pain jumped up and down in her stomach. Refusing to settle. When his hands touched her waist she trembled, she was going to fall, but she managed to stand upright. Then slowly and gradually they stopped. She looked at him, with a smile on her face. She looked dreamy. Messily confused. She now understood why college girls were always drooling over him.
"Have you gone mad?" It was supposed to be an angry question, but his tone betrayed him miserably.
"Now you can go and have fun!" she said and turned around to leave to her bed, Arnav spun her over, she crashed once again in his arms, "what the eff you think you did?" his anger returned, but it was gone the moment he found himself looking in her toxic eyes.
She didn't mind using her actions. She pulled him towards herself and placed his lips on him once again in a same passion as earlier on, she kissed before she pulled him away.
"Do you have anything else to ask?"
"What have gotten into you? Jeez! Have you gone nuts?"
"You enjoyed it well, Mr. Raizada!"
Arnav hated how she was making it a joke, he held her back of the head possessively, and looked angrily in his eyes to give her enough sense and indication that if she thought it was fun, he wouldn't have mind knocking sense into her mind.
"Whatever I said was stupid, and amongst that one thing was right and still is true, Arnav, that I love you!"
He searched the validity of her words in her eyes. His hold in her hair loosened.
He pushed her away from himself. He shook his head. "For a girl like you love is just a joke!"
"I can prove you wrong, Arnav!"
"You need not to prove it when love is honest! I guess you have done enough proving anyway," he said. "And please don't even start your emotional blackmail!"
"I am sorry, Arnav, for hurting you!"
"Do not give yourself this much importance, in few days you will be one of the girls who came to my life and left!" he said.
"That's why you have asked her to come here? To make me jealous?"
"What rubbish? Have you gone crazy?"
"So you haven't?" she asked.
He looked away. She had her answers. She smiled to herself.
She pouted when he left without answering where he was taking her. In seconds, she had an idea. She got ready in under five minutes and decided to follow him to place where he was going.
CHAPTER 8B
MAHA UPDATE
"Arnav, where are you going?" she asked, squinting her eyes at him.
"Going to change!" he answered.
"Come soon!"
"Sure!"
But she suddenly got up the bed, just when Arnav was going to walk into the washroom, she pushed him away and ran to the toilet seat to throw.
"See, this is why I was asking you to not to drink!" he taunted.
"Arnav, it's all because of you."
"Excuse me?...May I know how come it was because of me?" he asked, looking at her in disbelief.
"Yes, if you hadn't gone to the club with Roshni, neither I would have followed you, nor I would have drunk..."
"You followed me?" he asked.
She looked at him. "I mean!"
"It's okay, that I knew. Khushi, you say you love me?"
"Yes, why are questioning it? Do I have to prove it now by giving my life for you?"
"Oh! Don't be so dramatic I told you this before. If you love me, you should trust me. The bottom line is you are insecure, otherwise you need not to follow me."
Khushi looked at him weighing his words, but then all came to her as a tangled mess of words.
"If you are talking about insecurities yes, I am insecure. I know these feelings are just nonsense. But I am only insecure because I don't know what do you want, you want me or not!"
"Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada..."
"It's Mrs. Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada!" she cut him off and corrected him.
"Stop behaving like kids who is after her mother."
She tried not to not to spill a tear in front of him.
"I am sorry I was insecure. You will not be bothered by me again. Please do me a favour. Do not show me your concerns. Do not talk to me. I will not cross your ways, will try my best at least. And I guess, we were better when we were enemies. If you please leave me alone now. That will be great."
Arnav glared at her, she had already made herself clear and he didn't wish to say or do anything on that.
"Khushi, listen!" he said, seeing her hurt, and took a step forward towards her. But she flushed the toilet water, and stepped into the cold water shower to get rid of her intoxication. Arnav saw her sinking down on the floor lifeless.
"Mom, are you going to my school parents meeting today?" she asked, excitedly, in a hope she would hear yes.
"I wish I could have come dear. But sorry, your Payal di has a school function where she will be performing."
She felt sad, but didn't let her feel herself bad about it.
"Dad, you would not able to come as well?" she asked. Instead of asking weather he would go.
"I am going to your sister's annual function as well. What they are going to say anyways, that you are weak in studies! And an average student who doesn't pay attention in a class. We hear that most of the times when they call us at the principle office!" he said almost very certain.
Payal giggled, "Mom, dad, didn't she show you the test results? She got zero in social studies and maths tests!"
Khushi stuck her tongue at her.
"Khushi, you better behave," her mother said.
***
"Dadi, how do I look?" Khushi asked.
"Oh look at my Khushi baby, you look so good in that dress!" she said.
"And dadi how do I look?" Payal asked.
"Dadi, why Payal di has a better dress than me?"
"Oh look at that how beautiful my Payal bitiya looks!" dadi said and kissed her cheeks and hugged her. At that time she felt neglected. Was she being too sensitive, she didn't know.
***
"Insecurity" Khushi had not felt it more than she had heard the word. Being a younger child, one gets more affection, Khushi didn't remember when did the last time that held true for her, and she got affection or was pampered by her own family. When did she felt she was equal to her elder sister. They say parents, grandparents differentiate between girls and boys, there are differences between girls too, she didn't know, until she felt it.
Being a child with a performance at school, even at university below than an average made her stupid in the eyes of her parents, even teachers. She admitted, studies was never her thing.
"Attention seeker!" Payal would sometime call her, but she wasn't an attention seeker. She only needed was love. Love of her parents, her grandparents, when they pretended she didn't exist.
At university her admission was not on a base of her marks, but because of her father.
Another disappointment for her. Another being, she got into the university just because her parents wanted it, so that they can tell their daughter goes to university. They had nothing to do with it if she liked it or not. Then all she could do was try as hard as she could. Nobody asked what her interests were.
How ironic! She never wanted to get married, and she was forced. The most important decision wasn't hers. Initially she was afraid, or one could say she was sure that she will not get the love of her husband and the family. It was wrong for her to think, her in laws love her more than their own daughter, but it is the relationships that she didn't want to leave. Now it was all going to end. She was going to lose everything again.
Everyone called her crazy as her first name rather than it defined her behaviour, but nothing really understood real her.
Arnav watched her thinking that she might get up on her own, that's what he wanted her to do, then he realised she was in no condition to do so. He stepped in a cold water shower along with her.
"Khushi, get up."
She was lost, he made her get up by her shoulders, and she was back to now, she could no longer take the cold, and her body was numb. She wished somehow her mind was numb too so that she could no longer feel anything. No pain, no love.
Arnav pulled her out of the shower and wrapped bathrobe around her wet body, and took her inside the room. She followed.
She stood where he stopped, he went to her cupboard.
"Khushi, get changed!" he said, and went out of the room.
He was gone. She sat down on her bed, and slipped out her personal diary from underneath the bed.
She took out the pen clipped on the front cover of the diary. Her wet body trembled, but that didn't held important for her. She pinned the tip of a pen against the paper to write but she realised she had nothing to write, but the last thing that buzzed in her mind was...
"I wish, I hadn't stopped myself that day. I wish, I was in that plane crash."
It was absolutely stupid thing to write, she thought, but she was sick and tired of pretending she was Happy-go-lucky person. She was tired of being insecure.
And yes, she was not used to concerns at all, however, whenever she got them, she welcomed them with her full heart. For the first time she felt to give up on everything.
Reluctantly, she changed her wet clothes to dry night suit that Arnav gave her. She could feel her body getting the warmth, but she couldn't get herself to enjoy it.
She wished, as a bad dream the pain she was feeling would go away with this night. She tugged her diary well secured under the mattress. She laid to sleep but only ended up turning and tossing. She stared at the ceiling and possibly did everything she could do. Neither sleep came, nor Arnav. Truth was, she wanted Arnav to come more than her mind needed sleep to rest her thoughts.
She felt as if her soul wanted to wretch her body and get out of it. Her heart felt as if it was caged in a tight box and it only begged for one thing, freedom.
She sat on the bed, feeling restless. Her left over intoxication did nothing but fuel her worst thoughts that only gave her the pain.
***
Arnav walked in the room and saw her sleeping. Then he saw his night clothes were kept on the bed already for him by Khushi.
He removed his jacket and his t-shirt and changed into a black vest and black Pyjama and put his clothes in his cupboard.
He turned on the lamp of his side and looked at Khushi. She had her face towards him. For nearly an hour he didn't know why he was staring at her. He went on to her side and checked her forehead if she was okay.
He leant in and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight!" he muttered, and moved back to his side.
When she moved, and was going to open her eyes he quickly rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. She looked at him.
She checked the clock wondering when did she sleep. Then she saw Arnav was back.
She pulled blanket on top of him, when she saw he was sleeping without blanket on him when AC was on, she moved her hand in his hair and kissed his forehead deeply before she got out of the bed, and shut off the lamp before leaving the room.
As soon as he knew she was gone, he opened his eyes and was back in deep thoughts.
***
"Good morning, Khushi, bitiya. You already up?"
"Good morning, mumma!" she said. "I didn't feel like sleeping anymore. I knew you must be up so I thought of coming down to help you!"
"Aww! Dear, you should be sleeping!"
"Mumma!"
"Yes, bitiya!"
"I went to the club last night."
"Yes, bitiya, I know. You asked for the permission!"
She looked down. "Mumma, there I...I got drunk I am sorry. I promised I won't but then also I got drunk, but I don't know what had happened to me!"
Mrs. Raizada walked up to Khushi.
"What happened, bitiya. It's really alright. And if there is anything else I am like your mother, you could really talk to me!"
Khushi looked up at her, when she saw tears in her eyes she made her sit in the chair.
"What's bothering you?" she asked calmly.
She shook her head.
"Can I hug you?"
Her mother-in-law looked at her in awe and herself embraced her in her arms and kissed her hair. "You don't need permission for it, my dear!"
Khushi couldn't able to hold her tears, "Are, what happen? Dear, you are old enough to be responsible for your actions. It's okay if you got drunk. So what's the big deal?"
"Good mo..." Anjali walked into the kitchen and when she Khushi crying, she rushed to her.
"Khushi? Mom, what happened to her? Khushi, what happened dear?" Anjali sat on her knees and put her hand on her shoulder.
Khushi pulled back away from the hug. Mrs. Raizada sat in a chair next to her.
Anjali looked at Khushi worried.
"Did, chote, say anything to her?" she asked, angrily.
"No, di, he didn't!" she said.
"You can tell us, you see what we do to him!"
Khushi giggled.
"Oh my sweet sister-in-law, always keep smiling, because we love you when you smile. But now tell, what happened?"
"Mummy ji, I promise I won't drink again!"
"What you were drunk again?" Anjali asked. "Khushi, what's up with you dear? Are you thinking of becoming a lady Devdas?" Anjali asked.
"I promise I won't drink!" she wailed.
"Khushi, I know there must be some reason for you to get drunk! May we know the reason as well?" Anjali asked.
"I don't know..."
"Hmm!"
"Khushi, you know what you need to be more out going. After whatever happened last week did leave you tired. How about going for a shopping?"
"We just three!" Anjali said.
Khushi agreed. "But for now just go and sleep, you look really tired to me. You need a beauty sleep."
Khushi nodded. "Come I drop you in your room!"
***
After breakfast Anjali, Khushi, and their mother left for a shopping. Arnav was sleeping until 11:00 o'clock, his sleep broke when NK came to call him.
"Bhai, wake up!"
"What, NK?" he asked in a complaining tone.
"Bhai, come on get up, it's almost afternoon."
Arnav yawned and stretched, as he looked at NK irritably. "Is that Khushi less that you have come?"
"Well bhabi isn't home!"
"Why? Where has she gone?" he asked, leaning on his elbows. His laziness was gone.
He shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know after breakfast she went somewhere."
"Went somewhere? Without telling?"
"I don't know, bhai. You are her husband you should know it!"
Arnav tiredly sat up on the bed. "Yes, why did you come?"
"To wake you up and to tell you that there is a clash between two parties at our club. By mistake one of us booked two parties on the same date."
"So, what's the big deal? Ask one of them to shift one of their parties and if they didn't agree organise both their parties in different club, Montana and Pearl, and say that Dice club would be closed due to some problem."
"Sure, that sounds like a solution. One thing more uncle wants to see you in his office in an hour," he said. "Now I go!"
"Go, go. You guys never have good news to bring for me. What yaar, at home lady Dracula and at work Godfather! I feel like I am stuck between the zombie world and the underworld. But where did she go?"
He picked up his phone to call but she had left her phone at home. He was worried now.
***
Around 2:00 o' clock, Arnav came home, his brothers had gone to their classes, and Roshni must have gone with them, he thought. Khushi he couldn't see anywhere as well.
He called Anjali to ask if she knew Khushi was with her. "Hello, Di, is Khushi with you?"
"Yes, we had come for a shopping."
"Shopping, I thought you must be at your work!"
"No, mom, me and Khushi decided to shop around."
"It's a relief," he muttered. "I hope you are enjoying your day out."
"Yes, we are. Why did you call?"
"Just to inquire that whether Khushi was with you. Like other times I thought I had to run around the town in search of her."
"No, she is with us."
"Good, you enjoy my day, by di. Take care of yourself."
"Bye, chote!" Anjali said amused.
"What did he say?" Mrs. Raizada asked.
"Khushi, you lost the bet. He called to inquire about you."
"He cares for you my dear, man are just little foolish when it comes to knowing that they are in love."
Khushi doubted if it was true for Arnav.
"Dear, don't you worry, now come and let's shop more, I am so enjoying it!" Mrs. Raizada said excitedly, to boost her mood.
Khushi smiled. She was actually feeling much more relieved and liberated coming out with her sister-in-law, and mother-in-law, they were so much fun to be around.
More attachment meant disappointment? she thought. For now she brushed off the negative feelings, she wanted to live in the moment. And it worked, naturally she felt happy with two pleasant ladies that proved they were their for her.
"Khushi, you want to eat...I think we should go to ice cream parlour...Why not a restaurant actually?" Anjali said.
"Let her decide where she wants to go?" Mrs. Raizada said.
Khushi smiled. "I think we can go at both places!"
"Perfect!"
***
Arnav walked into his room, the first thing he noticed was pink room, and quite stunned by the fact that more than being angry he was quite tolerant. It didn't even bother him. The smell of her perfume sweet, and light helped him relaxed his nerves as she was right here in the room.
He could hear her voice in his ear that touched his ear drums.
And without her he did feel the void in a room as if no one lives in the house. Even in his life.
"Arnav!"
"Khushi!" he immediately said, but when he turned around the excitement inside him died as soon as it arose, when he saw Roshni.
"Hey, Roshni!"
"You were expecting Khushi?"
"No, it's nothing like that, I was just..."
"And what the, what happened to your room? I actually didn't get to come here till now...Khushi did it?"
He smiled, and looked around the room, "yes, she did it, in my absence. Pretty crazy she is!"
"Arnav, you like her?"
Arnav felt little awkward when she stood close to him. "Why I feel you are not happy with her? Why I don't see the chemistry the one that should be in between a normal couple?" she asked.
"It's nothing like that. We are still trying to figure out each other."
"Why are you lying, Arnav? There is still a time, you can free yourself."
"Roshni, you are mistaking it!" he said.
"You married because your father put a condition that you will be evicted from the property and as far as I know you are enemies."
Khushi's breath stuck in her throat and shopping bags fell from her hands seeing Roshni standing this close to him and hearing her talk as if she was trying to force him to leave her.
Roshni moved back and Arnav looked at Khushi shocked.
"Hey, Khushi, you back?" Roshni said.
"I am sorry!" she said, as she pointed at the fallen bags on the floor. "I tripped," she lied. Arnav went to help her, but she had already picked them up.
"Arnav, tonight I have held the party at the club, you should really come. Khushi, you too. You should come as well!"
Khushi smiled, and faintly nodded, the best response she could have given at a moment.
She left a feeling of uncomfortable in Arnav.
"So you went for a shopping today, how was it?" he asked, distracting himself.
She put her bags in the cupboard and Arnav lazily laid on the bed. "Hey, lady Dracula, at least show me what you have got?"
"Why? You want to try them on? Ladies dresses?"
"Well, I am sure there will be something for me as well!"
"And what made you think that?"
"I am your husband, usually a wife would get something for her sweet husband."
"You are a bitter gourd!"
He resisted to laugh.
"Then also you fell in love with it?" he said, with a smirk on his face. "By the way, I didn't expect you to answer any of my questions."
"In this way, you wouldn't shut up!" she said, and threw a bag at him. "For you!"
"Oh wow!!! a first gift from you to me!" he said. "Let's see what is in it?" he said, and saw her going to the washroom to change. He smiled. He took out a box, "Pink? Bloody pink!" he said, loudly to irritate her, but laughed to himself at the same time. When he opened up the box, he was expecting a watch or a tie or a ring. He carefully opened the packing, a light baby pink ribbon, and then the box lid.
He burst into a shrill laugh when he took out the receipt of her shopping, and his credit card.
Khushi came out of the washroom. "My sweet husband, how did you like my first gift?"
His laugh vanished.
"Khushi, I am sorry that I hurt you yesterday!"
She looked at him in awe.
"It's okay you didn't say any wrong!" she said.
"So, I can go out with Roshni without any guilt, right?" he said, as he decided to play along. "I mean, you won't follow me to the club, right?"
Her nose flared. "Sure, I don't care. You both deserve each other. Perfect match," she said, as she tried to kill her anger and jealousy. Of course she failed miserably.
"God, why wife's are always melodramatic? Now where did I keep my wallet? I am pretty sure she has hidden it somewhere."
He checked under his mattress and then in the night table. But failed. He went to check under her mattress, and found her diary. "Her personal diary? Urggh, again bloody pink," he took it and kept it back just the war it is. "I am sure like her brains it will be empty. But where the heck is my wallet?"
***
"Mom, did you see Khushi somewhere?"
"She is with your dad in the library."
"What is she doing there?"
"Why, can't she talk to her father?"
"By all means, mom! By the way, was that your idea of letting Khushi take my credit card and buy like the whole shopping mall?"
"Don't exaggerate, we had to force her buy things, but the only thing she wanted was our times."
"Hmm...Mom, if you are free can I talk to you?"
"What is it, son?"
"It's about Khushi!"
"What happened? Is everything alright with her?"
"That's what I want to talk to you about."
"Sure, son, give me few seconds, I have to sign few checks!"
"Sure, I go and see Khushi meanwhile!"
"That will be perfect."
***
Arnav heard Khushi giggling and chuckle of his father coming from inside of the library.
"And you know what, before exams I used to fall sick. And my grandfather would say to my father that I can't go to give the exams."
Khushi couldn't stop herself from laughing. "And my dad would know that I was just pretending but he never used to say anything because he was scared of his father. Also, knew in my little head nothing would go..."
"Papa, you are so funny."
"So, that's why I say, don't take your grades seriously, you should have the motivation to do whatever interests you. You tell me what interests you?"
Arnav leant against the wall, and carefully payed attention to what she was going to say.
"I want to be a fashion designer, but..."
"But...what?"
"Nothing, papa...I don't have goof grades."
"Again the same thing? Do you have designs that you have drawn?"
"I had, but I burnt them..."
"Oh goodness, okay that's alright, can you draw them now?"
"But it will be not so good..."
"You are not to decide that, you gave them to me. In our office we need fresh ideas from the young minds like you. You have your sources. Your husband, he is your primary source. Right now I don't push him much because I don't want him to kill his youth, this is the time when he should enjoy his life, but I also know that he will not say no to me if I will ask him to join office permanently. I would also tell you the same thing, stress is good but to some extent. Especially when it motivates you, not take toll on your health. It is okay if you don't want to study further. Do what you like, I will support you. And yes, now I know you like to design, my dear daughter, bring them on."
Arnav smiled, and just seeing her face he could tell how happy and relaxed she was. But at the same time nervous.
"Papa, I don't know how to thank you!"
"There is absolutely no need to it, dear. I heard that you went to a shopping with your mom and sister-in-law, how was it? And what did you get for me?"
"Papa, there is nothing in this world that you can't buy, or you don't have, but this card from me."
A glimpse of happiness was not on Mr. Raizada's face but in his eyes. And nothing touched him more than her sweet little gesture to show him, her love for him. "Papa, me and Arnav, have done many mistakes, we hurt you, but that was in ignorance. We didn't mean too. So, for all those mistakes I want to say sorry and promise that you will not be hurt from our sides. And thank you for tackling us positively."
Mr. Raizada embraced her in a warm hug. Khushi hugged him back. The best hug that she could ever imagine.
"It's really okay. You both are our kids and kids do such naughty stuff."
"Thank you, papa."
Arnav leaves from there to talk to his mother.
"Papa, it's time for you to go to sleep. And did you take your medicines?"
"Yes, my child. I did. Now you go to and sleep, I go to my room. And don't forget to give me your designs, also do not take stress about it at all. You have all the time in this world."
"Okay, good night, papa!"
"Good night!" he said.
***
Khushi cursed herself for taking medicine that was making her drowsy. That made her work hard on to keep her eyes glued on the road and focused on her driving.
Arnav who was driving in front of her, casually looked through the rear view mirror, when his eyes fell on a BMW behind him, Sent from my iPhone
"What happened, Arnav?" Roshni asked, seeing him shaking his head as if he was annoyed.
"Nothing!" he said. And tried to trick Khushi.
"So, Arnav, tell me how is life going?" she asked.
"Pretty much a roller coaster ride!" he said.
She laughed.
"I mean it!" he said making himself clear, at the same time kept his focus on Khushi's car.
"You tell me, how are you? What's new?"
"My life is pretty exciting!" she said. "New is mom dad are looking for an eligible bachelor for me. I am so sad that you got married, Arnav."
Arnav hardly focused on what she was saying. He pulled his car in the right lane to pass the car ahead of him when no car was coming from the opposite side.
Khushi wondered what he was doing, so did Roshni. "You seem to reach club fast!" she commented.
"Very!" he said. He had a move but later regretted, he was worried about Khushi. What if she made the same move as him, he thought...
Before Khushi could make the same move as him, a car coming from the opposite side stopped her from doing so, she was forced to stay on her side of the road. She grunted. And hit her hand on a steering wheel hard. Ouch!
"If she hasn't called him then who did? Has she come on her own? And if she has, doesn't she have common sense that he is my husband?" she fumed, and on a second thought she was thinking since when she became so possessive.
"Where has he gone?" she thought, and jumped in her seat to see if she can track his car. She saw an opportunity, she speeded up her car and overtook the car in front of her. "Idiot!" she literally rolled down the glass and said to the driver. "Can't you drive faster?" she yelled, and speeded her car to follow Arnav's.
Arnav had slowed down his car, so that Khushi could catch up with him, he saw her again following him.
"There he is!" Khushi said with a sense of accomplishment, patted her shoulder. Arnav was mentally shaking his head, but was thankful that she was safe. Khushi didn't know he was aware that she was following him.
"I am pretty sure she is high on something!" he muttered.
"Did you say anything, Arnav?" Roshni asked as his gibber made no sense to her. They reached the club.
"No, nothing. So, have you found someone good to marry too?" he asked.
"No, not yet," she said sadly. "I don't think after you I will find someone good."
He let out a little laugh. "You should rethink that..."
"I don't have to..." she said and laughed. "Just kidding, I am happy for you. Your wife is cute..."
"Crazy as well."
"You are no less..."
"I would take that title away actually, I am nothing in front of her," he said. Roshni let out a fresh bark of laughter.
"I have heard you didn't want to get married to each other..."
"Yup, some things aren't in our hands...I wish our parents didn't think they have every right to make decisions for us..."
"Aren't you happy with her?" she asked.
For a moment he looked at her. "We both are not happy with each other," he answered.
"Hmm...Both of your story is rather interesting..."
"Very...interesting!" he said. "We are figuring out ourselves, you see we are stuck with each other."
"That's good...Since you both are married you should learn to be a better option for each other..."
"We are!" he answered more to himself.
"Wow, whole outlook has changed of this building..." Roshni said.
"Yeah, after Akaash guys decided they want to own a hotel, restaurant, we needed to make a club big," he explained.
He parked the car and Khushi parked the car far behind his.
"That's grand. I like it."
"Thanks!" he said, he got out of his car and tried to just casually look at Khushi's side. As soon as he saw her, she appeared hidden behind a car. He once again shook his head.
"Crazy woman!" he muttered, and went to open the door for Roshni.
"Thank you, Arnav!" Roshni said smiling in a gratitude.
"I hope you will like the club from inside as well!" he said. Before entering the club he let Roshni go in first and himself stopped by to say something to the guard.
"Don't see the direction I am asking you to look at. You see one girl coming?" Guard nodded as he looked momentarily at Khushi.
"Don't let her in easily."
"Okay, sir!"
Khushi squint as she wondered what he was saying to a guard.
Khushi was normally going to enter when guard stopped her, "Ma'am you cannot go in!"
"How dare you to say that to me? Do you even know who am I?" she revolted.
"Ma'am, you need a pass to get in. Today, there is a special party kept and only special people are invited in."
Khushi's mouth fell. "You, I am Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada. The wife of Arnav Singh Raizada. I need no invitation."
"Mam, there are strict orders from Arnav sir!"
"You wait, I call my father-in-law, Mr. Rajwansh Raizada, and I see how you don't let me go in..."
Guard got scared. "Ma'am, please don't call him..."
"Then let me go in..." she ordered.
"Sure, ma'am!" he said and opened the door for her.
"I hope next time you will remember me," she said, and flaunted her hair in the air and like a princess giving him whatever look she walked in the club.
It was her first visit here at this club. She had heard lot about it but never ever thought to come just because of Arnav, and ironically, today, she was here just because of him.
She opened the door that separated a club from the restaurant, and one person she looked for was Arnav, forget about Roshni. Then looking around from left to right she tracked down Arnav and Roshni both. She didn't go to them. She knew he had brought her at the club to make her jealous and she wasn't going to give him any satisfaction of such.
Roshni did see her. "Arnav, is that Khushi?"
Arnav turned to his right in his seat and kept his arm on the back of the chair. He saw Khushi talking to some random guy, whose face he can't see.
"You said she wasn't coming."
"That's what I thought..." he said.
"Wait, I call her," Roshni said.
"Khushi!" she shouted. But due to the loud music she couldn't make herself hear. Plus she wasn't looking at their side either.
Khushi gulped a glass of the strongest wine down her throat in one go. It burnt her oesophagus. She tapped her chest. But it wasn't as bad thinking of Arnav talking to Roshni.
"God, Khushi can drink!" Roshni wondered out of curiosity.
Arnav turned around once again in shock. He had to stop her before she had gone all crazy. But why he bother, he thought.
"Yes, she can drink!" he said, simply turning around to face Roshni again.
"Give me the most alcoholic drink that you have..." Khushi said.
"You just had that ma'am!" Bartender said.
Arnav had said he didn't care but he literally forced himself to go to her and stop her before she hurt herself. Knowing that alcohol and her was not a good combination.
He got up his chair.
"Excuse me, Roshni, I will be back..."
"Sure," she said.
He walked up to her.
"Khushi!" he called.
"Hey, Mr. Raizada, Shauraya, meet my husband, Arnav Singh Raizada. The owner of this club!"
"Hi!" Shauraya said.
Arnav returned his hi. "Khushi, come with me!" he said and held her hand.
"Where are we going? Please don't throw me out of the club," she pleaded.
"I won't, come with me!" he said and took her out of the club.
Khushi didn't protest hearing his words, and went wherever he took her. She stuck her tongue out at Roshni, thinking she was after her husband. Roshni missed it.
"Khushi, what you are doing here?" Arnav asked, angrily.
She crossed her arms against her chest. "You didn't invite me to come with you so I came alone," she answered.
"Did you say that you want to come with me?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Did you have brought me here?"
"No, never!"
Khushi wiggled her lips side to side. "This is why I came alone!" she retorted. "And I won't ask you to give me company, you can enjoy with your friend!"
She went in. "Khushi, wait!"
She didn't listen him. He followed her and caught her hand. "Khushi, I am warning, you are not drinking!"
Khushi stopped and kept her elbow on his shoulder. "Why not?"
"Because I am saying it!" he replied, and took her to the table where Roshni was sitting.
"Hello, Roshni!" she said.
"Hello, Khushi. Why didn't you come with us?"
"Because I don't trust his driving. His car flies in the air when he drives. I get so scared."
Arnav held his head in an annoyance. She was high on one drink, he wondered what really she drank.
Roshni looked at Arnav questioningly.
"She is kidding!" he said instead of telling her that when she is drunk she talk nonsense.
"Oh! Khushi, you are really funny!"
"Thank you, Roshni! So tell me what are you doing with my husband?"
Roshni looked at Arnav embarrassed.
"Khushi, remember I told you she wanted to see the club?" Arnav said.
"Why aren't there any in America?"
Roshni laughed. "There are..."
"Okay, tell me what you do?"
"I...I completed my graduation and will soon join a medical school."
"Oh wow! You are smart!"
"I guess so, I am sure you are as well!"
Khushi for few seconds looked at her and then at drink in Arnav's hand. She took it from him. "You shouldn't be drinking!" she scolded him, when she herself was the one who wanted to drink it.
"Uh...where were we?" She scratched her forehead. "Smart, me?"
Arnav saw a ghost of sadness on her face that she was trying hard to conceal.
She started drinking. Before Arnav could stop her she had half of the drink slipped down her throat. To prevent her from going completely insane he had to force her to give him the bottle.
"Arnav, I think you should take her home..."
He agreed with her.
"Khushi, let's go home!"
"Home, no!" She cried. "Arnav, please no home. Can we dance?" she said and had already stood up.
"Go ahead!" Roshni said laughing.
"Khushi, we should go home!" he said, but gave his hand in hers and she dragged him towards the dance floor.
She took his hand and placed it on her waist.
"DJ," she shouted thrice, when he looked at her, she shouted even louder. "Change this crap to something romantic!"
DJ looked at Arnav and he nodded his head to go ahead.
DJ changed the song to a calm slow romantic music. "All the beautiful couples on the floor please!" he announced.
Arnav resisted to laugh. "You are crazy, Khushi. Aren't you?"
"You made me. You know never in my life I drank. I was a very sober girl!"
"Sober? Doesn't go well with your image!" he said.
She soft laughed. "You are to blame, you always make me wild!"
He pulled her little closer to himself. She trembled a bit. "You make me aggressive, mad, and then all of sudden love you. I guess I had hated you enough. And you know that there is a limit to everything."
"Will there be a limit to your love?"
She was quite for a while.
"The day the moment will come it will be a end of me," she said.
"Is that you speaking or your intoxication?"
"What you think?"
"I don't think anything that has with you!"
She looked sadly at him.
"I believe!" he said.
Sadness from her face vanished in the air, when a smile sparkled on her face. His eyes were magical, and the way he was looking at her made her believe that she existed.
"Can we kiss?"
"You are drunk!" he said. "And I don't want you to do anything such when you are not in your senses."
"Doesn't matter if I am drunk or not. Nowadays, I am never in my senses when you are with me. I am always drunk in your love."
A little smile eloped on the side of his lip that made him look irresistible. "I had heard that in love person become a poet and today I have seen and heard it."
Khushi's head fell on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her back to keep her steady. "You alright?"
"Uh-huh!" she said, and nodded her head against his chest. She placed her hand on his chest to feel his heart beat.
"You have a heart and it beat!" she said, in a tone as if she couldn't get herself to believe it.
"Is there a limit to your nonsense?" he asked.
"I thought you didn't have a heart..."
"Glad you think the otherwise now!" he amused.
For few minutes he heard nothing from her, he raised her head up a little, she had fallen asleep. Her head fell back, and he caught it. He looked at Roshni who was now accompanied by his brothers. He gestured towards them telling that he was taking Khushi home.
He picked her in his arms and made his way out of the club.
Chapter 8C (Maha Update)
Arnav who was driving in front of her, casually looked through the rear view mirror, when his eyes fell on a BMW behind him, Sent from my iPhone
"What happened, Arnav?" Roshni asked, seeing him shaking his head as if he was annoyed.
"Nothing!" he said. And tried to trick Khushi.
"So, Arnav, tell me how is life going?" she asked.
"Pretty much a roller coaster ride!" he said.
She laughed.
"I mean it!" he said making himself clear, at the same time kept his focus on Khushi's car.
"You tell me, how are you? What's new?"
"My life is pretty exciting!" she said. "New is mom dad are looking for an eligible bachelor for me. I am so sad that you got married, Arnav."
Arnav hardly focused on what she was saying. He pulled his car in the right lane to pass the car ahead of him when no car was coming from the opposite side.
Khushi wondered what he was doing, so did Roshni. "You seem to reach club fast!" she commented.
"Very!" he said. He had a move but later regretted, he was worried about Khushi. What if she made the same move as him, he thought...
Before Khushi could make the same move as him, a car coming from the opposite side stopped her from doing so, she was forced to stay on her side of the road. She grunted. And hit her hand on a steering wheel hard. Ouch!
"If she hasn't called him then who did? Has she come on her own? And if she has, doesn't she have common sense that he is my husband?" she fumed, and on a second thought she was thinking since when she became so possessive.
"Where has he gone?" she thought, and jumped in her seat to see if she can track his car. She saw an opportunity, she speeded up her car and overtook the car in front of her. "Idiot!" she literally rolled down the glass and said to the driver. "Can't you drive faster?" she yelled, and speeded her car to follow Arnav's.
Arnav had slowed down his car, so that Khushi could catch up with him, he saw her again following him.
"There he is!" Khushi said with a sense of accomplishment, patted her shoulder. Arnav was mentally shaking his head, but was thankful that she was safe. Khushi didn't know he was aware that she was following him.
"I am pretty sure she is high on something!" he muttered.
"Did you say anything, Arnav?" Roshni asked as his gibber made no sense to her. They reached the club.
"No, nothing. So, have you found someone good to marry too?" he asked.
"No, not yet," she said sadly. "I don't think after you I will find someone good."
He let out a little laugh. "You should rethink that..."
"I don't have to..." she said and laughed. "Just kidding, I am happy for you. Your wife is cute..."
"Crazy as well."
"You are no less..."
"I would take that title away actually, I am nothing in front of her," he said. Roshni let out a fresh bark of laughter.
"I have heard you didn't want to get married to each other..."
"Yup, some things aren't in our hands...I wish our parents didn't think they have every right to make decisions for us..."
"Aren't you happy with her?" she asked.
For a moment he looked at her. "We both are not happy with each other," he answered.
"Hmm...Both of your story is rather interesting..."
"Very...interesting!" he said. "We are figuring out ourselves, you see we are stuck with each other."
"That's good...Since you both are married you should learn to be a better option for each other..."
"We are!" he answered more to himself.
"Wow, whole outlook has changed of this building..." Roshni said.
"Yeah, after Akaash guys decided they want to own a hotel, restaurant, we needed to make a club big," he explained.
He parked the car and Khushi parked the car far behind his.
"That's grand. I like it."
"Thanks!" he said, he got out of his car and tried to just casually look at Khushi's side. As soon as he saw her, she appeared hidden behind a car. He once again shook his head.
"Crazy woman!" he muttered, and went to open the door for Roshni.
"Thank you, Arnav!" Roshni said smiling in a gratitude.
"I hope you will like the club from inside as well!" he said. Before entering the club he let Roshni go in first and himself stopped by to say something to the guard.
"Don't see the direction I am asking you to look at. You see one girl coming?" Guard nodded as he looked momentarily at Khushi.
"Don't let her in easily."
"Okay, sir!"
Khushi squint as she wondered what he was saying to a guard.
Khushi was normally going to enter when guard stopped her, "Ma'am you cannot go in!"
"How dare you to say that to me? Do you even know who am I?" she revolted.
"Ma'am, you need a pass to get in. Today, there is a special party kept and only special people are invited in."
Khushi's mouth fell. "You, I am Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada. The wife of Arnav Singh Raizada. I need no invitation."
"Mam, there are strict orders from Arnav sir!"
"You wait, I call my father-in-law, Mr. Rajwansh Raizada, and I see how you don't let me go in..."
Guard got scared. "Ma'am, please don't call him..."
"Then let me go in..." she ordered.
"Sure, ma'am!" he said and opened the door for her.
"I hope next time you will remember me," she said, and flaunted her hair in the air and like a princess giving him whatever look she walked in the club.
It was her first visit here at this club. She had heard lot about it but never ever thought to come just because of Arnav, and ironically, today, she was here just because of him.
She opened the door that separated a club from the restaurant, and one person she looked for was Arnav, forget about Roshni. Then looking around from left to right she tracked down Arnav and Roshni both. She didn't go to them. She knew he had brought her at the club to make her jealous and she wasn't going to give him any satisfaction of such.
Roshni did see her. "Arnav, is that Khushi?"
Arnav turned to his right in his seat and kept his arm on the back of the chair. He saw Khushi talking to some random guy, whose face he can't see.
"You said she wasn't coming."
"That's what I thought..." he said.
"Wait, I call her," Roshni said.
"Khushi!" she shouted. But due to the loud music she couldn't make herself hear. Plus she wasn't looking at their side either.
Khushi gulped a glass of the strongest wine down her throat in one go. It burnt her oesophagus. She tapped her chest. But it wasn't as bad thinking of Arnav talking to Roshni.
"God, Khushi can drink!" Roshni wondered out of curiosity.
Arnav turned around once again in shock. He had to stop her before she had gone all crazy. But why he bother, he thought.
"Yes, she can drink!" he said, simply turning around to face Roshni again.
"Give me the most alcoholic drink that you have..." Khushi said.
"You just had that ma'am!" Bartender said.
Arnav had said he didn't care but he literally forced himself to go to her and stop her before she hurt herself. Knowing that alcohol and her was not a good combination.
He got up his chair.
"Excuse me, Roshni, I will be back..."
"Sure," she said.
He walked up to her.
"Khushi!" he called.
"Hey, Mr. Raizada, Shauraya, meet my husband, Arnav Singh Raizada. The owner of this club!"
"Hi!" Shauraya said.
Arnav returned his hi. "Khushi, come with me!" he said and held her hand.
"Where are we going? Please don't throw me out of the club," she pleaded.
"I won't, come with me!" he said and took her out of the club.
Khushi didn't protest hearing his words, and went wherever he took her. She stuck her tongue out at Roshni, thinking she was after her husband. Roshni missed it.
"Khushi, what you are doing here?" Arnav asked, angrily.
She crossed her arms against her chest. "You didn't invite me to come with you so I came alone," she answered.
"Did you say that you want to come with me?"
She looked at him and smiled. "Did you have brought me here?"
"No, never!"
Khushi wiggled her lips side to side. "This is why I came alone!" she retorted. "And I won't ask you to give me company, you can enjoy with your friend!"
She went in. "Khushi, wait!"
She didn't listen him. He followed her and caught her hand. "Khushi, I am warning, you are not drinking!"
Khushi stopped and kept her elbow on his shoulder. "Why not?"
"Because I am saying it!" he replied, and took her to the table where Roshni was sitting.
"Hello, Roshni!" she said.
"Hello, Khushi. Why didn't you come with us?"
"Because I don't trust his driving. His car flies in the air when he drives. I get so scared."
Arnav held his head in an annoyance. She was high on one drink, he wondered what really she drank.
Roshni looked at Arnav questioningly.
"She is kidding!" he said instead of telling her that when she is drunk she talk nonsense.
"Oh! Khushi, you are really funny!"
"Thank you, Roshni! So tell me what are you doing with my husband?"
Roshni looked at Arnav embarrassed.
"Khushi, remember I told you she wanted to see the club?" Arnav said.
"Why aren't there any in America?"
Roshni laughed. "There are..."
"Okay, tell me what you do?"
"I...I completed my graduation and will soon join a medical school."
"Oh wow! You are smart!"
"I guess so, I am sure you are as well!"
Khushi for few seconds looked at her and then at drink in Arnav's hand. She took it from him. "You shouldn't be drinking!" she scolded him, when she herself was the one who wanted to drink it.
"Uh...where were we?" She scratched her forehead. "Smart, me?"
Arnav saw a ghost of sadness on her face that she was trying hard to conceal.
She started drinking. Before Arnav could stop her she had half of the drink slipped down her throat. To prevent her from going completely insane he had to force her to give him the bottle.
"Arnav, I think you should take her home..."
He agreed with her.
"Khushi, let's go home!"
"Home, no!" She cried. "Arnav, please no home. Can we dance?" she said and had already stood up.
"Go ahead!" Roshni said laughing.
"Khushi, we should go home!" he said, but gave his hand in hers and she dragged him towards the dance floor.
She took his hand and placed it on her waist.
"DJ," she shouted thrice, when he looked at her, she shouted even louder. "Change this crap to something romantic!"
DJ looked at Arnav and he nodded his head to go ahead.
DJ changed the song to a calm slow romantic music. "All the beautiful couples on the floor please!" he announced.
Arnav resisted to laugh. "You are crazy, Khushi. Aren't you?"
"You made me. You know never in my life I drank. I was a very sober girl!"
"Sober? Doesn't go well with your image!" he said.
She soft laughed. "You are to blame, you always make me wild!"
He pulled her little closer to himself. She trembled a bit. "You make me aggressive, mad, and then all of sudden love you. I guess I had hated you enough. And you know that there is a limit to everything."
"Will there be a limit to your love?"
She was quite for a while.
"The day the moment will come it will be a end of me," she said.
"Is that you speaking or your intoxication?"
"What you think?"
"I don't think anything that has with you!"
She looked sadly at him.
"I believe!" he said.
Sadness from her face vanished in the air, when a smile sparkled on her face. His eyes were magical, and the way he was looking at her made her believe that she existed.
"Can we kiss?"
"You are drunk!" he said. "And I don't want you to do anything such when you are not in your senses."
"Doesn't matter if I am drunk or not. Nowadays, I am never in my senses when you are with me. I am always drunk in your love."
A little smile eloped on the side of his lip that made him look irresistible. "I had heard that in love person become a poet and today I have seen and heard it."
Khushi's head fell on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her back to keep her steady. "You alright?"
"Uh-huh!" she said, and nodded her head against his chest. She placed her hand on his chest to feel his heart beat.
"You have a heart and it beat!" she said, in a tone as if she couldn't get herself to believe it.
"Is there a limit to your nonsense?" he asked.
"I thought you didn't have a heart..."
"Glad you think the otherwise now!" he amused.
For few minutes he heard nothing from her, he raised her head up a little, she had fallen asleep. Her head fell back, and he caught it. He looked at Roshni who was now accompanied by his brothers. He gestured towards them telling that he was taking Khushi home.
He picked her in his arms and made his way out of the club.
Chapter 8C (Maha Update)
MAHA UPDATE
"Arnav, where are you going?" she asked, squinting her eyes at him.
"Going to change!" he answered.
"Come soon!"
"Sure!"
But she suddenly got up the bed, just when Arnav was going to walk into the washroom, she pushed him away and ran to the toilet seat to throw.
"See, this is why I was asking you to not to drink!" he taunted.
"Arnav, it's all because of you."
"Excuse me?...May I know how come it was because of me?" he asked, looking at her in disbelief.
"Yes, if you hadn't gone to the club with Roshni, neither I would have followed you, nor I would have drunk..."
"You followed me?" he asked.
She looked at him. "I mean!"
"It's okay, that I knew. Khushi, you say you love me?"
"Yes, why are questioning it? Do I have to prove it now by giving my life for you?"
"Oh! Don't be so dramatic I told you this before. If you love me, you should trust me. The bottom line is you are insecure, otherwise you need not to follow me."
Khushi looked at him weighing his words, but then all came to her as a tangled mess of words.
"If you are talking about insecurities yes, I am insecure. I know these feelings are just nonsense. But I am only insecure because I don't know what do you want, you want me or not!"
"Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada..."
"It's Mrs. Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada!" she cut him off and corrected him.
"Stop behaving like kids who is after her mother."
She tried not to not to spill a tear in front of him.
"I am sorry I was insecure. You will not be bothered by me again. Please do me a favour. Do not show me your concerns. Do not talk to me. I will not cross your ways, will try my best at least. And I guess, we were better when we were enemies. If you please leave me alone now. That will be great."
Arnav glared at her, she had already made herself clear and he didn't wish to say or do anything on that.
"Khushi, listen!" he said, seeing her hurt, and took a step forward towards her. But she flushed the toilet water, and stepped into the cold water shower to get rid of her intoxication. Arnav saw her sinking down on the floor lifeless.
"Mom, are you going to my school parents meeting today?" she asked, excitedly, in a hope she would hear yes.
"I wish I could have come dear. But sorry, your Payal di has a school function where she will be performing."
She felt sad, but didn't let her feel herself bad about it.
"Dad, you would not able to come as well?" she asked. Instead of asking weather he would go.
"I am going to your sister's annual function as well. What they are going to say anyways, that you are weak in studies! And an average student who doesn't pay attention in a class. We hear that most of the times when they call us at the principle office!" he said almost very certain.
Payal giggled, "Mom, dad, didn't she show you the test results? She got zero in social studies and maths tests!"
Khushi stuck her tongue at her.
"Khushi, you better behave," her mother said.
***
"Dadi, how do I look?" Khushi asked.
"Oh look at my Khushi baby, you look so good in that dress!" she said.
"And dadi how do I look?" Payal asked.
"Dadi, why Payal di has a better dress than me?"
"Oh look at that how beautiful my Payal bitiya looks!" dadi said and kissed her cheeks and hugged her. At that time she felt neglected. Was she being too sensitive, she didn't know.
***
"Insecurity" Khushi had not felt it more than she had heard the word. Being a younger child, one gets more affection, Khushi didn't remember when did the last time that held true for her, and she got affection or was pampered by her own family. When did she felt she was equal to her elder sister. They say parents, grandparents differentiate between girls and boys, there are differences between girls too, she didn't know, until she felt it.
Being a child with a performance at school, even at university below than an average made her stupid in the eyes of her parents, even teachers. She admitted, studies was never her thing.
"Attention seeker!" Payal would sometime call her, but she wasn't an attention seeker. She only needed was love. Love of her parents, her grandparents, when they pretended she didn't exist.
At university her admission was not on a base of her marks, but because of her father.
Another disappointment for her. Another being, she got into the university just because her parents wanted it, so that they can tell their daughter goes to university. They had nothing to do with it if she liked it or not. Then all she could do was try as hard as she could. Nobody asked what her interests were.
How ironic! She never wanted to get married, and she was forced. The most important decision wasn't hers. Initially she was afraid, or one could say she was sure that she will not get the love of her husband and the family. It was wrong for her to think, her in laws love her more than their own daughter, but it is the relationships that she didn't want to leave. Now it was all going to end. She was going to lose everything again.
Everyone called her crazy as her first name rather than it defined her behaviour, but nothing really understood real her.
Arnav watched her thinking that she might get up on her own, that's what he wanted her to do, then he realised she was in no condition to do so. He stepped in a cold water shower along with her.
"Khushi, get up."
She was lost, he made her get up by her shoulders, and she was back to now, she could no longer take the cold, and her body was numb. She wished somehow her mind was numb too so that she could no longer feel anything. No pain, no love.
Arnav pulled her out of the shower and wrapped bathrobe around her wet body, and took her inside the room. She followed.
She stood where he stopped, he went to her cupboard.
"Khushi, get changed!" he said, and went out of the room.
He was gone. She sat down on her bed, and slipped out her personal diary from underneath the bed.
She took out the pen clipped on the front cover of the diary. Her wet body trembled, but that didn't held important for her. She pinned the tip of a pen against the paper to write but she realised she had nothing to write, but the last thing that buzzed in her mind was...
"I wish, I hadn't stopped myself that day. I wish, I was in that plane crash."
It was absolutely stupid thing to write, she thought, but she was sick and tired of pretending she was Happy-go-lucky person. She was tired of being insecure.
And yes, she was not used to concerns at all, however, whenever she got them, she welcomed them with her full heart. For the first time she felt to give up on everything.
Reluctantly, she changed her wet clothes to dry night suit that Arnav gave her. She could feel her body getting the warmth, but she couldn't get herself to enjoy it.
She wished, as a bad dream the pain she was feeling would go away with this night. She tugged her diary well secured under the mattress. She laid to sleep but only ended up turning and tossing. She stared at the ceiling and possibly did everything she could do. Neither sleep came, nor Arnav. Truth was, she wanted Arnav to come more than her mind needed sleep to rest her thoughts.
She felt as if her soul wanted to wretch her body and get out of it. Her heart felt as if it was caged in a tight box and it only begged for one thing, freedom.
She sat on the bed, feeling restless. Her left over intoxication did nothing but fuel her worst thoughts that only gave her the pain.
***
Arnav walked in the room and saw her sleeping. Then he saw his night clothes were kept on the bed already for him by Khushi.
He removed his jacket and his t-shirt and changed into a black vest and black Pyjama and put his clothes in his cupboard.
He turned on the lamp of his side and looked at Khushi. She had her face towards him. For nearly an hour he didn't know why he was staring at her. He went on to her side and checked her forehead if she was okay.
He leant in and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight!" he muttered, and moved back to his side.
When she moved, and was going to open her eyes he quickly rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. She looked at him.
She checked the clock wondering when did she sleep. Then she saw Arnav was back.
She pulled blanket on top of him, when she saw he was sleeping without blanket on him when AC was on, she moved her hand in his hair and kissed his forehead deeply before she got out of the bed, and shut off the lamp before leaving the room.
As soon as he knew she was gone, he opened his eyes and was back in deep thoughts.
***
"Good morning, Khushi, bitiya. You already up?"
"Good morning, mumma!" she said. "I didn't feel like sleeping anymore. I knew you must be up so I thought of coming down to help you!"
"Aww! Dear, you should be sleeping!"
"Mumma!"
"Yes, bitiya!"
"I went to the club last night."
"Yes, bitiya, I know. You asked for the permission!"
She looked down. "Mumma, there I...I got drunk I am sorry. I promised I won't but then also I got drunk, but I don't know what had happened to me!"
Mrs. Raizada walked up to Khushi.
"What happened, bitiya. It's really alright. And if there is anything else I am like your mother, you could really talk to me!"
Khushi looked up at her, when she saw tears in her eyes she made her sit in the chair.
"What's bothering you?" she asked calmly.
She shook her head.
"Can I hug you?"
Her mother-in-law looked at her in awe and herself embraced her in her arms and kissed her hair. "You don't need permission for it, my dear!"
Khushi couldn't able to hold her tears, "Are, what happen? Dear, you are old enough to be responsible for your actions. It's okay if you got drunk. So what's the big deal?"
"Good mo..." Anjali walked into the kitchen and when she Khushi crying, she rushed to her.
"Khushi? Mom, what happened to her? Khushi, what happened dear?" Anjali sat on her knees and put her hand on her shoulder.
Khushi pulled back away from the hug. Mrs. Raizada sat in a chair next to her.
Anjali looked at Khushi worried.
"Did, chote, say anything to her?" she asked, angrily.
"No, di, he didn't!" she said.
"You can tell us, you see what we do to him!"
Khushi giggled.
"Oh my sweet sister-in-law, always keep smiling, because we love you when you smile. But now tell, what happened?"
"Mummy ji, I promise I won't drink again!"
"What you were drunk again?" Anjali asked. "Khushi, what's up with you dear? Are you thinking of becoming a lady Devdas?" Anjali asked.
"I promise I won't drink!" she wailed.
"Khushi, I know there must be some reason for you to get drunk! May we know the reason as well?" Anjali asked.
"I don't know..."
"Hmm!"
"Khushi, you know what you need to be more out going. After whatever happened last week did leave you tired. How about going for a shopping?"
"We just three!" Anjali said.
Khushi agreed. "But for now just go and sleep, you look really tired to me. You need a beauty sleep."
Khushi nodded. "Come I drop you in your room!"
***
After breakfast Anjali, Khushi, and their mother left for a shopping. Arnav was sleeping until 11:00 o'clock, his sleep broke when NK came to call him.
"Bhai, wake up!"
"What, NK?" he asked in a complaining tone.
"Bhai, come on get up, it's almost afternoon."
Arnav yawned and stretched, as he looked at NK irritably. "Is that Khushi less that you have come?"
"Well bhabi isn't home!"
"Why? Where has she gone?" he asked, leaning on his elbows. His laziness was gone.
He shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know after breakfast she went somewhere."
"Went somewhere? Without telling?"
"I don't know, bhai. You are her husband you should know it!"
Arnav tiredly sat up on the bed. "Yes, why did you come?"
"To wake you up and to tell you that there is a clash between two parties at our club. By mistake one of us booked two parties on the same date."
"So, what's the big deal? Ask one of them to shift one of their parties and if they didn't agree organise both their parties in different club, Montana and Pearl, and say that Dice club would be closed due to some problem."
"Sure, that sounds like a solution. One thing more uncle wants to see you in his office in an hour," he said. "Now I go!"
"Go, go. You guys never have good news to bring for me. What yaar, at home lady Dracula and at work Godfather! I feel like I am stuck between the zombie world and the underworld. But where did she go?"
He picked up his phone to call but she had left her phone at home. He was worried now.
***
Around 2:00 o' clock, Arnav came home, his brothers had gone to their classes, and Roshni must have gone with them, he thought. Khushi he couldn't see anywhere as well.
He called Anjali to ask if she knew Khushi was with her. "Hello, Di, is Khushi with you?"
"Yes, we had come for a shopping."
"Shopping, I thought you must be at your work!"
"No, mom, me and Khushi decided to shop around."
"It's a relief," he muttered. "I hope you are enjoying your day out."
"Yes, we are. Why did you call?"
"Just to inquire that whether Khushi was with you. Like other times I thought I had to run around the town in search of her."
"No, she is with us."
"Good, you enjoy my day, by di. Take care of yourself."
"Bye, chote!" Anjali said amused.
"What did he say?" Mrs. Raizada asked.
"Khushi, you lost the bet. He called to inquire about you."
"He cares for you my dear, man are just little foolish when it comes to knowing that they are in love."
Khushi doubted if it was true for Arnav.
"Dear, don't you worry, now come and let's shop more, I am so enjoying it!" Mrs. Raizada said excitedly, to boost her mood.
Khushi smiled. She was actually feeling much more relieved and liberated coming out with her sister-in-law, and mother-in-law, they were so much fun to be around.
More attachment meant disappointment? she thought. For now she brushed off the negative feelings, she wanted to live in the moment. And it worked, naturally she felt happy with two pleasant ladies that proved they were their for her.
"Khushi, you want to eat...I think we should go to ice cream parlour...Why not a restaurant actually?" Anjali said.
"Let her decide where she wants to go?" Mrs. Raizada said.
Khushi smiled. "I think we can go at both places!"
"Perfect!"
***
Arnav walked into his room, the first thing he noticed was pink room, and quite stunned by the fact that more than being angry he was quite tolerant. It didn't even bother him. The smell of her perfume sweet, and light helped him relaxed his nerves as she was right here in the room.
He could hear her voice in his ear that touched his ear drums.
And without her he did feel the void in a room as if no one lives in the house. Even in his life.
"Arnav!"
"Khushi!" he immediately said, but when he turned around the excitement inside him died as soon as it arose, when he saw Roshni.
"Hey, Roshni!"
"You were expecting Khushi?"
"No, it's nothing like that, I was just..."
"And what the, what happened to your room? I actually didn't get to come here till now...Khushi did it?"
He smiled, and looked around the room, "yes, she did it, in my absence. Pretty crazy she is!"
"Arnav, you like her?"
Arnav felt little awkward when she stood close to him. "Why I feel you are not happy with her? Why I don't see the chemistry the one that should be in between a normal couple?" she asked.
"It's nothing like that. We are still trying to figure out each other."
"Why are you lying, Arnav? There is still a time, you can free yourself."
"Roshni, you are mistaking it!" he said.
"You married because your father put a condition that you will be evicted from the property and as far as I know you are enemies."
Khushi's breath stuck in her throat and shopping bags fell from her hands seeing Roshni standing this close to him and hearing her talk as if she was trying to force him to leave her.
Roshni moved back and Arnav looked at Khushi shocked.
"Hey, Khushi, you back?" Roshni said.
"I am sorry!" she said, as she pointed at the fallen bags on the floor. "I tripped," she lied. Arnav went to help her, but she had already picked them up.
"Arnav, tonight I have held the party at the club, you should really come. Khushi, you too. You should come as well!"
Khushi smiled, and faintly nodded, the best response she could have given at a moment.
She left a feeling of uncomfortable in Arnav.
"So you went for a shopping today, how was it?" he asked, distracting himself.
She put her bags in the cupboard and Arnav lazily laid on the bed. "Hey, lady Dracula, at least show me what you have got?"
"Why? You want to try them on? Ladies dresses?"
"Well, I am sure there will be something for me as well!"
"And what made you think that?"
"I am your husband, usually a wife would get something for her sweet husband."
"You are a bitter gourd!"
He resisted to laugh.
"Then also you fell in love with it?" he said, with a smirk on his face. "By the way, I didn't expect you to answer any of my questions."
"In this way, you wouldn't shut up!" she said, and threw a bag at him. "For you!"
"Oh wow!!! a first gift from you to me!" he said. "Let's see what is in it?" he said, and saw her going to the washroom to change. He smiled. He took out a box, "Pink? Bloody pink!" he said, loudly to irritate her, but laughed to himself at the same time. When he opened up the box, he was expecting a watch or a tie or a ring. He carefully opened the packing, a light baby pink ribbon, and then the box lid.
He burst into a shrill laugh when he took out the receipt of her shopping, and his credit card.
Khushi came out of the washroom. "My sweet husband, how did you like my first gift?"
His laugh vanished.
"Khushi, I am sorry that I hurt you yesterday!"
She looked at him in awe.
"It's okay you didn't say any wrong!" she said.
"So, I can go out with Roshni without any guilt, right?" he said, as he decided to play along. "I mean, you won't follow me to the club, right?"
Her nose flared. "Sure, I don't care. You both deserve each other. Perfect match," she said, as she tried to kill her anger and jealousy. Of course she failed miserably.
"God, why wife's are always melodramatic? Now where did I keep my wallet? I am pretty sure she has hidden it somewhere."
He checked under his mattress and then in the night table. But failed. He went to check under her mattress, and found her diary. "Her personal diary? Urggh, again bloody pink," he took it and kept it back just the war it is. "I am sure like her brains it will be empty. But where the heck is my wallet?"
***
"Mom, did you see Khushi somewhere?"
"She is with your dad in the library."
"What is she doing there?"
"Why, can't she talk to her father?"
"By all means, mom! By the way, was that your idea of letting Khushi take my credit card and buy like the whole shopping mall?"
"Don't exaggerate, we had to force her buy things, but the only thing she wanted was our times."
"Hmm...Mom, if you are free can I talk to you?"
"What is it, son?"
"It's about Khushi!"
"What happened? Is everything alright with her?"
"That's what I want to talk to you about."
"Sure, son, give me few seconds, I have to sign few checks!"
"Sure, I go and see Khushi meanwhile!"
"That will be perfect."
***
Arnav heard Khushi giggling and chuckle of his father coming from inside of the library.
"And you know what, before exams I used to fall sick. And my grandfather would say to my father that I can't go to give the exams."
Khushi couldn't stop herself from laughing. "And my dad would know that I was just pretending but he never used to say anything because he was scared of his father. Also, knew in my little head nothing would go..."
"Papa, you are so funny."
"So, that's why I say, don't take your grades seriously, you should have the motivation to do whatever interests you. You tell me what interests you?"
Arnav leant against the wall, and carefully payed attention to what she was going to say.
"I want to be a fashion designer, but..."
"But...what?"
"Nothing, papa...I don't have goof grades."
"Again the same thing? Do you have designs that you have drawn?"
"I had, but I burnt them..."
"Oh goodness, okay that's alright, can you draw them now?"
"But it will be not so good..."
"You are not to decide that, you gave them to me. In our office we need fresh ideas from the young minds like you. You have your sources. Your husband, he is your primary source. Right now I don't push him much because I don't want him to kill his youth, this is the time when he should enjoy his life, but I also know that he will not say no to me if I will ask him to join office permanently. I would also tell you the same thing, stress is good but to some extent. Especially when it motivates you, not take toll on your health. It is okay if you don't want to study further. Do what you like, I will support you. And yes, now I know you like to design, my dear daughter, bring them on."
Arnav smiled, and just seeing her face he could tell how happy and relaxed she was. But at the same time nervous.
"Papa, I don't know how to thank you!"
"There is absolutely no need to it, dear. I heard that you went to a shopping with your mom and sister-in-law, how was it? And what did you get for me?"
"Papa, there is nothing in this world that you can't buy, or you don't have, but this card from me."
A glimpse of happiness was not on Mr. Raizada's face but in his eyes. And nothing touched him more than her sweet little gesture to show him, her love for him. "Papa, me and Arnav, have done many mistakes, we hurt you, but that was in ignorance. We didn't mean too. So, for all those mistakes I want to say sorry and promise that you will not be hurt from our sides. And thank you for tackling us positively."
Mr. Raizada embraced her in a warm hug. Khushi hugged him back. The best hug that she could ever imagine.
"It's really okay. You both are our kids and kids do such naughty stuff."
"Thank you, papa."
Arnav leaves from there to talk to his mother.
"Papa, it's time for you to go to sleep. And did you take your medicines?"
"Yes, my child. I did. Now you go to and sleep, I go to my room. And don't forget to give me your designs, also do not take stress about it at all. You have all the time in this world."
"Okay, good night, papa!"
"Good night!" he said.
***
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