Aapke Pyaar Mein [IPKKND AU] - to be continued

Chapter 12

He focused on her attentively wondering if he heard her correctly or was it just his mind betraying him? For once he didn't want to jump to conclusions and waited for more. He desperately hoped for more, something to soothe his senses. The calmer he appeared outside, the more he was churning inside. At sudden she seemed to be slipping away. Avoiding him, lying to him and rejecting him.

There was a deadly silence for a long time between the two and it seemed she wasn't going to speak further. But he needed a plausible and acceptable reason for her rejection.

Arnav - Why don't you want to work with me?

Khushi - Because you and I...I mean, it wouldn't be right. You'll favor me...and I wouldn't feel comfortable working with you, like in this situation.

Outside, his stern expression remained the same. But inside, a heavy burden fell off his chest. He took a deep breathe through the nostrils.

His tightened face finally loosened.

He comprehended the situation she was talking about. She would be at discomfort working with him when she was his girlfriend. Khushi has always been a person with principles. He was actually proud of her. If it were some other girl on her place, she would have taken full advantage of being his girlfriend but Khushi wasn't even comfortable with the title girlfriend.

Speaking of It, he put forth a comical proposition to improve her mood and lighten the tensed atmosphere.

Arnav - You don't want to work at my office? Then how about I get another girlfriend to live in and you teach her to be the perfect bahu again? You'll earn and will keep coming home so we could be together.

Her eyes darted at him in furor. She took in the seriousness on his surface and acknowledged his masquerade. So displaying a wide grin she stood up to get back to work.

Khushi - Oh sure. And this time I'll make sure my efforts don't get wasted and you marry that poor girl for real!

He rewarded her mix of sarcasm and wittiness with a genuine smile, the one she admired and couldn't have enough of. A sudden heat arose inside her chest, plastering a smile on her face in response. And after two days she finally felt at ease. She took a deep breath and let the moment of ecstasy sink in before moving away.

She got back to her shift with a much better frame of mind than she had started it with.

*

Anjali absolutely hated it when someone had their heart broken up. She wished for each and every person to find a person like her Shyam ji, who loves them immensely and treated them no less like a king or queen. Unfortunately she was aware that not everyone in this world was that lucky.

But it simply ached her heart to see the devastated state of her cousin NK. Even if he didn't show it, she knew he was hurt to a minimal extent. And she felt extremely sorry for somewhere being responsible for his misery. She should have acknowledged his feelings a lot earlier, recognized his interest in Khushi and stopped him from stepping towards a heartbreak. But she felt guilty for his emotional state today.

Anjali - I still wish you wouldn't leave.

She carefully limped into the room and stood there face to face. She searched for a glint of sadness on his face and found it in his eyes. He was burdened but he was doing well. She found relief in the thinking that he was not damaged.

Anjali - Stay till Holi at least. It's in two days.

NK - Di, you know I love you all. But I was to return tonight anyway. Akash's wedding is done and I gotta get back to Australia. Yeah, I was to postpone my return but...I was delusional.