Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 24 - Tough love

"Arnav Ji!" Khushi's tone was sharp as she pushed the doors to her room open with a forceful shove, glaring at him as she entered.

He realized it was almost dark when he looked up at her—he had forgotten to turn on the lights, not noticing as he stared at his screen for hours.

"Why didn't you eat lunch?"

"Huh?" He glanced up at the clock. It was almost 6. "Oh. I forgot."

"How could you forget to eat? You should have eaten when Barun gave you the food! And you left it sitting outside," she said.

"Who's Barun?"

She frowned. "The boy who brought you food."

"Oh. Well, I never saw him, so—"

Her frown deepened. "He didn't give it to you?"

"No, he must have left it outside. Relax, Khushi, I was busy with work and didn't notice the time."

She stomped out, and he heard clanging from the kitchen. Come to think of it, he was hungry. He followed her outside and saw her viciously chopping vegetables.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't you see? I'm cooking."

"I thought we'd eat at the wedding."

"For you. To eat now."

He saw the tiffin on the counter and opened it. There was rice, cauliflower, and dal.

"But there's food here. I'll eat this."

She dropped her knife and snatched the tiffin from his hands. "It's cold. And stale. You can't eat it; this was made early morning. And it's been sitting outside all day."

"I don't care, Khushi. It looks fine."

She had resumed her angry chopping and was muttering to herself, threats for this Barun who was apparently supposed to hand the food to him, not leave it on the counter. Barun, whoever he was, was in trouble.

"Khushi, relax—"

She glared at him. "You be quiet. Go sit at the table; I'll bring you food. Unless you forgot to eat on purpose to annoy me and faint."

"Excuse me?" he replied, irritated. "How can I forget on purpose? And last time..." referring to the time he had lost consciousness, "it was because I hadn't eaten all day and hadn't taken my medicines. Because you wouldn't let me eat, and you insisted on cooking me fresh food."

She was clanging pots now, slamming a pot on the stove and splashing oil into it aggressively.

"Khushi, I'll be fine. Missing one meal isn't going to hurt me. It's fine; I'm not even that hungry."

"Just go sit."

He sighed and went to the table. It took all of 30 minutes for Khushi to bring him a stack of rotis and a bowl of cauliflower and potato curry.

She slammed the food in front of him and sat across from him.

He frowned at her. "Why are you behaving like this?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just eat. I have to go back to Preeto's."

"Then go."

"You'll complain about eating alone."

"Well, I don't want to eat when you're acting like this."

She sighed deeply and gave him a grimace.

"Please eat, Arnav-ji," she said acidly.

He decided to relent. "Thanks for cooking for me."

She rolled her eyes again, but a small smile hovered on her lips as she watched him eat.

"I would never starve on purpose to make myself sick, by the way." He said. "I wouldn't harm myself just to make you feel bad."

She looked away.

"So don't accuse me of that again."

She looked back at him, a searching look in her eyes. He stared back.

When he finished, she stood up.

"I'm going to change for the sangeet," she said.

"Can I come?"

She shot him a look of surprise. "You want to come to Preeto's sangeet?"

"Why not?"

"You'll—you don't like noise and commotion, and there will be a lot of people. It will be full of strangers who won't leave you alone."

"I'll make an angry face to scare them off."

She gave an involuntary giggle. "You don't have to make a face; it's already like that."

"Excuse me?"