Incandescent

Chapter 11

The morning that followed had Khushi working with Payal again.

This time, for the fashion week, Khushi was wearing two dresses, one of Payal Arora which was an ice blue crepe anarkali featuring a boat neck and cold shoulder sleeves. Pearl embroidered motifs and Swarovski and sequin accents enhanced the neckline and sleeves and outlined the back that was cut to reveal a tantalizing amount of flesh. A tasseled dupatta and palazzo pants in the same color finished the outfit. The other was by Rahul Khanna, a draped gown in pastel pink with sheer neckline and back.

Khushi loved both of the outfits and looked forward to walking down the ramp wearing them. The jewelry to go with the outfit, her hairdressing and accessories were still on experiment.

Payal and her stylist were working in the fittings when the door was knocked. Designer Rahul Khanna's assistant walked in with her dress and stood speaking to her stylist informing them that he would be here in an hour so that Payal can get done with her work first.

As they stood talking, Khushi's eyes wandered outside and through the opening in the dressing room.

And her breath caught.

Arnav walked out of one of the studios, looking elegant and as usual, extremely handsome. Behind him was a strikingly beautiful woman with a head full of rippling curls
walking out wearing a dress so elegant, Khushi wished she were doing anything but modeling. She wouldn't call herself a model if people like her were in the business.

She watched as they shook hands and she hugged him, kissing him on his cheeks, just before she left the office and he went back towards his cabin. To a casual onlooker, this was a fairly common scene but Khushi didn't feel so.

If he already had someone in his life, how could he do that to me?

Before she even realized, a drop of tear made its way down her cheeks. Hearing about it had been one thing but seeing it was... well, it wasn't the best feeling. She quickly dabbed at her face to wipe the tears off.

But not before Payal had seen her.

"Are those tears in your eyes, Khushi? Tum theek toh ho na?" She asked in a whisper.

"Haan... I'm ... I'm great," Khushi replied a little too cheerfully and Payal's face changed. Her eyes darted towards the direction Khushi's had been seeing and she knew the cause of those tears. She had to talk to Khushi and talk right now. She grasped her wrists and pulled her to the chair and sent the stylist on an errand to buy them some alone time.

"Spill," Payal said, closing the door behind them and folding her hands in the middle.

"Payal... what..."

"Oh save it, Khushi. You think I haven't been noticing you? And Arnav?" She blurted and Khushi's face blanched.

"Payal..."

"Khushi, what's troubling you? What's going on between you two? I saw the way you guys behave around each other and that day of your accident... I have never seen Arnav behave that way and you are no less... you kept looking for him, waiting for him to come see you and that he didn't, disappointed you. He has been avoiding you since the incident. And now you're crying after seeing him?"

Payal had seen Arnav but Samira had left before Payal saw her. Khushi's eyes welled up once again.

"I don't know..." Khushi started saying.

Payal went forward and put her arms around her. "Khushi forget that we work together. Forget I know Arnav Singh Raizada personally. Forget that he'll be my brother-in-law. Consider me your friend or... your sister. I have always thought of you as the little sister I never had... you can tell me, Khushi."