Parinay (by Basanti)

Part 7

Chapter 7A-

Arnav looked at his watch for the third time in the last five minutes to check the time. He then tapped his fingers nervously on the coffee table while his eyes were trained on the door for any signs of Kushi, his wife. He had reached the coffee shop much ahead of the time they had agreed to meet. Initially he wondered whether he should invite Kushi to their apartment but then realised that they would be better off having this discussion in a less personal and intimate environment. A small smile played on his lips when he recollected how after a month of persistent attempts he had finally gotten Kushi to agree to meet him.

'Hi Kushi, how are you doing?'
'Leave me alone.'

'Damn Kushi don't walk this quickly down the stairs, I can't catch up. Did you ever train to become a professional athlete or what?'
She glared at him return.

'Come on Kushi, all I'm asking for is one chance. I want to speak to you.'
'Go to hell!'

'Wow, you look great in this saree Kushi, you should wear sarees more often.'
She came close to him and then pointed her finger at him, 'You. Stay. Away. From. Me.' She bit out.

'Kushi how long can you keep running away from me? We have to talk someday or the other. You are just delaying the inevitable.'
'Why wont you leave me alone. You got what you wanted, now let me have what I want.'
'This isn't anymore about what you want or what I want, its now about what we want.'
Kushi was too dumbstruck to come with a retort

And one fine day after office hours, he barged to Kushi's desk when he found that no one was around.
'Damn it Kushi, I'm trying hard here. I know I have been a jerk and I probably deserve worse. But I swear I have changed, for the good. All I'm asking for is, one coffee. Please.'
Kushi had looked away trying to blank him out.

Although she hadn't still given him the answer he wanted he could see how Kushi's stance towards a coffee was softening. He was more than prepared the waiting game, after all they had their whole life ahead of them. But Kushi had surprised him by sending him a text the previous day asking to meet somewhere. He wasn't getting ahead of himself by any means, but he was genuinely happy that together they had at least made the first move towards reconciling.
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Kushi nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. Arnav had been annoyingly persistent in his attempts to get her to speak to him. she was prepared to refuse him for as long as he asked so that he would eventually give up. And she would go to Mumbai in a few months time and then file for divorce. So she was happy to play the waiting game. But his persistent attempts were starting to get to her, affecting her mood at work.

The other day her colleague had remarked that Arnav was some sort of a sex symbol at work and it was saddening how he was already taken. When someone asked her the basis of her assumptions, she pointed out to the fact that Arnav always wore what seemed like an eternity ring. Kushi had snapped suddenly and asked her colleagues to stop discussing the ' guy from media' all the time. And her colleagues had rightly questioned her the reasons for her irritation towards Arnav. Which is when she decided she had to do something about this whole thing. She spoke to Payal first and sought her opinion. Payal excused herself and said that she had influenced Kushi's decision for the worst last time so she wouldn't like to give her an opinion this time. Whereas Sharan said that it was really up to her, that she should at least hear him out once and if she still doesn't want to see him after that, she can tell him off for harassing her at work and also bring up the subject about divorce. Kushi was confused about what she should do next. She then felt that it was just a coffee and if not for anything else at least she can make her intentions known to him.

Kushi sat in the coffee table reserved by Arnav, Arnav greeted her by a shake of hands which made Kushi awkward to say the least. While waiting for their coffees, Arnav nervously asked her some general questions to break the ice. Kushi was curt and gave monosyllabic answers about Bua and her stay in Ahmedabad.