Bikhre moti (Scattered pearls)

4.3 Tu mane ya na mane(pt3)

That evening Gupta family was invited for a dinner at Raizada mansion, to discuss about upcoming Holi celebration. Every year there was a grand holi celebration hosted by Raizadas at Shantivan and everyone including the Guptas were in attendance. There was a lot of excitement around the table as everyone wanted to do something. Garima and Shashi were insisting on bringing all the meethai(sweets) that was needed to be served to the guests while Manohar mamaji and Manorama mami had taken a charge of inviting guests.

But two people were not participating in this discussion, Arnav and Khushi. Arnav's aloofness was not unusual but Khushi's was. Rather she was so lost in her thoughts, absent mindedly playing with her food that she mixed a spoonful of halva(sweet) with curry and still didn't realize the weird taste of it in her mouth. Lavanya's question about why she and Arnav hadn't dated had disturbed her, naah shook her. Was it even ever possible? Her gaze moved to Laad Gove-err-Arnav and she noticed how he picked up a spoonful of soup, how his throat muscles moved as the food went in, how a drop of soup was sticking to his lower lip which he neatly wiped with his napkin, then her attention went to his forehead where a few strands of his hair had fallen on and how she wished she could move them away.

Wait, what? What did she just think? She wanted to touch his hair? Hey Devi maiyya! She was observing him like a stalker. Urghh, stupid Lavanya. It was her question after all that had messed up with her mind! And messed bad!! Arnav was Lavanya's boyfriend for god's sake. Besides Khushi was sure Arnav never even liked her, he always avoided her and barely ever talked to her. Lavanya had to be crazy to even think like that. 

Khushi gulped a glass of water and tried to excuse herself from the dinner table suddenly feeling a need to get away from his vicinity. If only her buaji let her.

"Arre titaliya, where are you going? You didn't even finish first serving." Madhumati commented

"Humein bhook nahi hain bua ji, humein Lavanya ko call karna hain, hum abhi aye (i am not hungry buaji, I need to call Lavanya)." She said while almost running away.

"Sanka devi hain bilkul" Bua ji lovingly commented making everyone chuckle.

--*--

The Gupta family returned home quite late that night, Khushi had totally avoided Arnav as much as she could, and then had stayed quiet entire ride home. Garima and buaji even exchanged looks asking each other what was wrong with their titaliya suddenly.

"Today our sankadevi has become like Arnav babua. all grumpy and silent." buaji whispered to Garima but khushi jumped at the mention of arnav's name.

"buaji, aap sab uss laad governor se hamara naam kyun jod rahe hain (can everyone stop linking my name with that laad governor)? I am nothing like him and i don't like him." she snapped. but buaji was least offended in fact she felt relieved that their sanka devi was to being her usual self!

Later that night as khushi kept twisting and turning in her bed, her thoughts went back to her interactions with Arnav all these years. 

Over the years, she had seen this grumpy young man Arnav always ignoring her. But at times, she had felt as if he was watching her. And then there were times when she thought as if he was looking after her. Like, when she got admission in Delhi university, he had accompanied her an entire week to ensure no one troubled her, whenever she had extra classes or late evening events, he had come to get her home, and rarest times he even indulged her for an ice cream on the way or let her play loud music in the car. Now if only his highness had given up on his attitude and had a conversation with her, they could have been friends. Or even like La had said, might have dated! It wouldn't have been such a bad idea would it? She would love getting pampered by him as his girlfriend. Besides, god had blessed him with a handsome face and the most beautiful eyes she had seen....

"Hey Devi maiyya, what am I thinking? why am I having these weird thoughts? does this mean that I... I like him?" Khushi asked to herself, the questions that stole her sleep completely.

--*--

The after effect of that shock was that khushi avoided arnav and in turn hanging out with lavanya for an entire week. It was finally a day before holi when lavanya insisted to meet khushi as she needed her help to pick a dress for the next day, that khushi went to Lavanya's house. Khushi was going through Lavanya's wardrobe to select a dress for tomorrow's holi celebration at arnav's house when la's sudden questions startled her

"Am i doing the right thing Khushi? Arnav and I? You know I sometimes think he likes someone else" Lavanya said in a low voice.

"what? Whom? and don't be silly Lavanya, why would he invite you for a party at his house if he didn't like you? he obviously wants to introduce you to his family." Khushi tried to reassure La but honestly she was not sure why was she not so happy with arnav introducing lavanya to his family tomorrow.

"I don't whom its just my guess and no, arnav didn't invite me himself, his cousin did." La said with a sad smile

"Who? NK?" Khushi was surprised that Arnav hadn't invited lavanya

"that's the one" she laughed but it sounded more like a sad laugh.

"Arnav likes you lavanya, one has to be stupid to not like a girl like you" khushi tried to cheer her up, after all La was her best friend. That was the reason why she had talked to arnav to ask La out in the first place.

"or one has to be lying to me." Lavanya whispered more to herself which khushi didn't hear and then added, "by the way, NK is coming here"

"why is he coming here?" khushi suddenly felt like running away, Nk was coming there meant arnav would too. And she didn't want to face him, not right now at least.

"haww, don't be mean. he was getting bored so i called him here. its only NK though, arnav has some work." and as if on cue, Nk barged in La's room

"hey beautiful ladies, missed me?" Nk asked in his ever-cheerful tone

"Nk, didn't anyone tell you to knock before entering a girl's room?"

"Yeah, but I knew there were 2 of you here, so what you could be doing other than talk or paint your nails? unless you are telling me you guys are, you know, a romantic couple?" Nk added with a wink and La and khushi both started hitting him with pillows from both sides! 

--*--

The day of Holi

Arnav was once again with his diary but this time he was not writing anything. He didn't know what to write anymore. He could see NK and Khushi getting closer and on the other hand his family had asked him to introduce lavanya to them, thanks to Nk!

"Kya karu khushi? (what should I do khushi)? I don't want to lose you but did i ever have you? I wish you could read my eyes, you could hear my unsaid words, then you would know what I feel about you. Why I always love being around you, why i can do anything for your happiness. And now NK's winning your heart and I am with lavanya....I tried Khushi. I tried to like Lavanya. But she is not you. No one can be you. It's you i love khushi, its you I want." Arnav was talking to no one but his diary, albeit loudly. He wanted to get this out of his mind, and it sounded so right!

Khushi stood shell shocked at the door of his room, she was sent to call him downstairs by his nani to which she couldn't say no. But when she reached there, she heard him talk to someone. She was about to turn away but the mention of her name made her stop and then what she heard surprised her to say the least. This laad governor of a man was saying he loved her? 

No no no no, he has gone mad. Arnav has gone MAD! And khushi ran away from there clutching her ears as if that would make the things she had heard go away!

--*--

A/N - I wanted to finish this ss in this chapter but couldn't. so 1 more chapter. And probably an epilogue of sorts on my blog later.