Arshi SS: The Nanny

Chapter 7

Present

It was morning and Khushi was busy getting Jaanu and Payal ready for school. Jaanu as usual was giving Khushi a hard time in getting ready, But Khushi managed to get her ready. She then went to get their breakfast ready, today Jaanu wanted to eat chocolate chip pancakes. Khushi prepared them and took them to the dining table. Khushi suddenly felt dizzy and Arnav caught her before she could have fallen on the ground.

"KHUSHI"

"JIJI"

"KHUSHI AUNTY"

All three where hovering around her to check and see if she was fine. That's how Lavanya found them when she came to Arnav's house this morning. She fumed seeing closeness of Arnav and Khushi. She couldn't understand how a normal looking middle class girl like her attracting manly man like ASR. ASR hasn't even spared a glance at her once even though they are from similar background and status. She gritted her teeth and interrupted the moment between Arshi.

"Oh..ASR, what's going on?"

"Nothing Lavanya, Khushi just fainted"

Lavanya just rolled her eyes and took a seat on the table and glared at Khushi. She served her self for some breakfast and saw that Arnav was making Khushi sit down and serve breakfast on her plate, then all she heard was laughter from the four of them. She felt like she was intruding a family breakfast. The next scene made her jaw drop, She saw Arnav pecking Khushi's cheek.

"Good Bye Khushi, Take care. Don't forget your medicines."

"Ok"

"Bye, Aunty" said Jaanu kissing her cheek and Payal too kissed her sister goodbye.

Lavanya wanted to lash out on Khushi, but stopped herself by seeing NK.

"NK Bhai, come and have breakfast"

"Sure Khushi" He checked his pockets, "Oh shit, I forgot my phone in the room and let me go get it."

"Ok Bhai, come soon"

NK left the room and Lavanya saw her opportunity to pounce on Khushi.

"I have to say Khushi, You are a great actor"

"What are you saying Lavanyaji?"

"Oh, Spare me the drama, No one is falling for it."

"What are you saying Lavanyaji, I am not getting it."

"Oh, Don't act so innocently, first you trap his daughter and now you are trapping him and looks like ASR is not enough, you are not even leaving NK."

*SLAP*

NK was coming back to the dining room and stopped when he heard Lavanya yelling at Khushi. His fists clenched when she accused him and Khushi having an affair. He wanted to go and slap her but before he could reach her, His Dayyan sister already did the job for him.

"HOW DARE YOU SLAP ME? YOU DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU ARE JUST A NANNY AND CHEAP MIDDLE CLASS GIRL"

"HOW DARE YOU GIVE THAT KIND OF NAME TO MINE AND BHAI'S REALATIONSHIP? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME, HIM AND ARNAVJI? YOU CALL ME CHEAP, FIRST LOOK AT YOUR SELF. A PERSON'S CLASS IS NOT DEFINED BY HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU BEHAVE. WHAT ARNAVJI AND I SHARE IS NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS" Khushi wanted to continue but head started spinning again. NK came to Khushi's rescue and made her sit down; he glared at Lavanya for hurting her and gave Khushi a glass of water. "Khushi, you know you have to take your breakfast early, why are you wasting arguing with stupid people?"

"NK!" Lavanya yelled but NK glared back. "MARIA" NK yelled for the housekeeper, "Maria, Please take Khushi upstairs and give her breakfast and medicines." He turned to Khushi "Khushi after you finish eating take a nap and forget this useless talks. She is wrong about you." He cupped her cheeks.

"I know Bhai," said Khushi leaving with Maria to her room.

After Khushi left, NK turned to Lavanya seething in anger. He lifted his hand to slap her again, but stopped in mid air and controlled his anger.

"Why did you tell that to Khushi?"

"She is coming between me and ASR?"

"Coming in between? You got to be kidding me. There is no such thing as ASR and you"

"NK!"

"Don't yell, just think, did ASR ever look at you that way, he treated you like a friend and put it bluntly more like a sister, but you are ignoring reality and following a mirage. You can chase a mirage, but you will never catch it. ASR will kill you if he finds out what you said to Khushi today." Lavanya was already in tears listening to NK and ran away from the room. NK felt little bad seeing his love's tears, but it needed to be done, he didn't want Lavanya getting hurt anymore.

Khushi's room

Khushi finished her breakfast and took her medicines. She thanked Maria for her help. She felt proud of herself for not falling week to Lavanya's words. Her sessions with Dr. Rahul Sharma helped her a lot. She remembered her first session with him.

Flashback

Khushi was waiting on the couch of Rahul for her session to start. She looked around her doctor's room. It was warm and friendly. She observed that Arnav always looked at her doctor with distaste. Her Arnavji is so ajeeb sometimes, she thought; don't know when he will get angry with people. He will never tell her why he was like that with him. Maybe she should ask her doctor about that. Her thoughts were disturbed when Rahul came inside and sat on his chair.

"Hello Ms. Gupta"

"You can call me Khushi, Doctor"

"I can't. I got strict orders from Mr. Raizada to call you by that name"

"Offo, This Arnavji na. Why is he so angry with you? After my session, you should also check his brain and fix him."

Rahul chuckled at her words but he has to get back into business "Enough about us Ms. Gupta, can you tell me how you are feeling right now"

Khushi began talking about her childhood, her relationship with Arnav and her responsibilities of Payal and Jaanu. She also discussed how she felt about Arnav.

"I think you should tell him about that Ms. Gupta"

"No, I have no courage to tell my feelings. I think I lost my chance to his love to his wife."

"Ms. Gupta, There are two personalities in each person, one you show to people and the other is your own true self. There are many things in this world that we do unwillingly due to many circumstances."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I am asking you take a chance to gain your love, tell him how you feel, He may surprise you."

Khushi thought for a while and took her doctor's advice. Rahul went and called Arnav into the room. Arnav came in watched Khushi with love. She was fiddling her duppata. He hated seeing her like this. He wanted to go to her and tell that he will be with her for rest of his life and never leave her. He went and sat next to her and took her hand into his. He then looked at Rahul and gestured him to leave as he wants to talk with Khushi alone. Rahul obliged and left the room.

"Khushi before you say anything, I want to tell you something." He took her hand kissed it. "You are not just a Nanny to my daughter, you are my heartbeat. You are the one my heart beats for since I laid my eyes on you. I was too stubborn to realize the truth when I met you, but it was always has been you Khushi"

"No Arnavji, You are lying" Khushi chose not to believe him "If you love me so much, then what about Jaanu's mom?"

Arnav breathed in and decided to open up about his past