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Chapter 13

-Archi-

@-Archi-

Hello hello,

Few housekeeping things:

- SORRY for being late (again)... Profs just love to torture me with last minute assignments

- Thank you for all the wonderful comments . I answered some of your questions in the post above.

- Big welcome to all the new readers! I'm definitely excited to read your views

- This chapter is 14 pages on word. Beware!

Silent Whispers

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Instincts of the Weak

"So what is the problem?"

Khushi stared at her best friend, trying to decode the meaning behind her straightforward question. It was late into the night and the two girls were found sitting in Lavanya's car - a sleek black Lexus - catching up on the last two weeks.

Khushi had just finished explaining her conversation with Akash followed by her brief encounter with Arnav earlier that day, when Lavanya posed her question.

"I don't have a problem Lavs... I... I'm just confused."

"With what?"

"With the whole Akash and Arnav thing. I mean all Akash does is tell us how crappy his family is, but in reality-"

"His older brother is nothing like that."

"If you are talking about his looks-"

"No, I'm not! He was such a gentlemen when I came yesterday."

"He only looks like that, okay?"

"Doesn't seem like that to me... I mean, he obviously loves Akash to death. He takes care of his whole family and never mistreats any of his employees... why do you hate him so much?"

Khushi didn't have an answer. Yes, she couldn't pinpoint a specific reason for her dislike, but she was sure whatever it was, it was at least valid.

"I think you are just mistaken babes."

"No I'm not!" Khushi snapped. "He is not a gentleman... He always irritates the hell out of me."

"By doing what?"

"I don't know! It's just the way he talks... he always has this stupid smirk on his face, as if he knows he is getting to me. And he is always looking for an opportunity to flirt with me!"

"So he flirts with you a little? What's the big deal?"

"Even after knowing that I'm his little brother's girlfriend?!"

Lavanya stared, incredulous. "So what now? No one is allowed to compliment you because you are in a relationship? That makes no sense!"

"It's not-"

"Oh please! The actual problem here is that you are pissed off with Akash because that idiot hid such a "big thing" from you. But you don't want to deal with that, so instead you are looking for faults in Arnav."

"Of course not! Yes, what Akash did was wrong. After all that we have been through, he didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth, but-"

"And what about you Khush? Are you telling him the truth about your feelings?"

Khushi stopped short. "I told-"

"And I told you that he deserves to know the truth."

"Truth about what, exactly? That I want to break up with him just because I don't feel different when I'm his girlfriend instead of his best friend? To be honest, that seems very silly to me. I'm not scared to tell him the truth... but the truth here is that I'm fine with this relationship."

"So basically, you are telling me that you are waiting for an excuse to break up?"

"No! I'm telling you that there is no excuse to break-up. And I decided this on my birthday. It's not a spur of the moment thing... I decided to give us another chance."

"Then what happened?"

I kissed his older brother. The thought involuntarily made it's way into Khushi's mind. However, she didn't dare voice it. Instead, she said,

"I never got a chance to tell him that... I want this to work Lavs, because I know Akash is the sweetest guy ever and I won't go wrong with my decision to stay with him."

Lavanya didn't reply. Having known Khushi for years now, she expected that answer. For some odd reason, her best friend never really understood what love was. She had always compared it to a profitable business deal.

It was a few minutes before either of them spoke.

"You know what I think?" Lavanya asked rhetorically. "That we should actually go get drunk and dance the night away, instead of sitting here, discussing guy problems."

It was then that Khushi realized they had reached the nightclub they planned to attend as their weekend getaway and in fact have been parked outside it for almost a full hour.

"What guy problems do you have?" she asked, stepping out into the slightly chilly night.

Lavanya sighed dramatically. "Aman is being difficult."

"About what?"

"About life... he thinks my Dad is going start looking for rishtas and that we are going to have to break up soon."

"What? Why?!"

"Because college is over... there is nothing else for me to do - according to my family that is - except get married to a rich boy and deliver baby Lavanya."

"So what makes Aman think your parents won't approve of him? I mean, you two have been together for four years now. It has to count for something!"

"And that's why he is being difficult," Lavanya replied.

She paused upon reaching the entrance of the club, guarded by two burly looking security guards.

"But he will come around eventually," she said, presenting her ID card. "I'm not too worried."

Khushi wasn't so sure about that. While Lavanya was very easy with relationships and the concept of love, Khushi had a distinct feeling her best friend took her own boyfriend way too seriously. There was no other explanation why they lasted so long! And the fact that Lavanya actually voiced the issue meant that the problem was actually bigger than she made it so.

However, before Khushi could ask her anything else, blaring music hit their ears, drowning all chances of a conversation. They had entered the club, packed as usual with people welcoming the weekend. The two girls pushed their way through the crowd to the bar at the far end.

"CHEERS!" Lavanya yelled, draining a shot of tequila.

Khushi followed suit, feeling the bitter liquid burn down her throat. A familiar warmth pooled in the pit of her stomach as she greedily poured the next shot into her mouth. After a few more, the two girls wore identical grins on their faces.

They were edging towards the dance floor when Lavanya glanced at her phone.

"Damn," she cursed, and then leaned over to Khushi to say, "My Dad is calling - I will be right back."

And she disappeared.

If Khushi didn't feel the alcohol pulsing through her system, she would have been highly disappointed; she agreed to a girls night out' solely to spend time with her best friend. But at that moment, in the midst of pumping music, she felt all her worries disappear. So, she simply danced, happy to be carefree.

However, as the night wore on, Lavanya did not return. Not being able to ignore the urgency any longer, Khushi grudgingly sat down at the bar and pulled out her phone to see a new text message:

Dad wants me home asap. I got to go. Sorry!

She let out a sigh and began to type her reply when-

"Well, if it isn't Khushi Kumari Gupta... my lucky day."

Khushi turned around, surprised to see Gaurav Prakash, perhaps her most hated classmate.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped.

"Chill... it's a club. I was just having fun with my friends, when I saw you sitting here all by yourself. Did Akash bail?"

"You wish... I'm here with Lavanya."

"That's nice. Pity she didn't invite me again."

"For good reason. Now excuse me, I-"

He stepped in front of her. "What's the hurry? At least have a drink with me?"

Khushi glared at him. So much for having a "girls night out".

"What are you thinking? It's just a drink."

"I told you Gaurav-"

"That you are not interested and blah blah blah. I know. But it's one drink... come on, after all the effort I put into chasing you, this is the least you can do."

Khushi stared at him, noting the determined look on his face. She had no choice but to give in. "Fine. But just one drink, okay?"

Gaurav nodded, a grin brighter than the stars appearing on his face. He seated himself next to her and eagerly ordered their drinks.

Khushi inwardly groaned as he handed her a mojito. She ignored his attempts to make conversation, and instead gobbled down the alcohol as quickly as she could. Thankfully, when she stood up to leave after a few minutes, muttering an excuse of using the bathroom, Gaurav did not stop her. Seizing the opportunity, she fled from the scene.

"I'm going to kill Lavanya," she muttered to herself, pushing through crowd towards the exit.

By the time she was outside, her head began to spin. She blinked a few times, trying to hold onto her slipping vision while a strange euphoria filled her up. She stared goofily out into the parking lot, her fingers punching random numbers on her phone.

"Hello?"

Khushi listened to the baritone voice echoing out of her phone in surprise. "Why do you follow me everywhere?"

"Khushi?!" Arnav's voice sounded alarmed.

"Yes, me! Why can't you give me peace, you know, WITHOUT hearing your voice?"

"I can see you have a sudden onset of amnesia, so let me just remind you that you called me."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did - is everything, okay? Why does your voice sound so strange?"

"It is you who is strange Mr.-I'm-so-sexy-but-not-really-Raizada."

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"No, I'm not! What are you going to about it, huh? Eat my head and prove I suck. But you know what? I'm good and you know it. I'm so good that everyone here is staring at me right now. But you know what's not good? The fact that you don't understand your brother. And what's even worse than that? The fact that your brother thinks he is in love with me."

"Wait - what? Khushi, what's wrong? Why are you talking like this?"

"Why? Can't accept the truth? Well, this is how I feel every time you-"

She was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. It was Gaurav.

"Why are you out here all alone?" he asked. "Come inside!"

For the first time in her life, Khushi didn't feel irritated. Instead, she agreed wholeheartedly with Gaurav's suggestion. Why stand out here in the cold and talk to annoying Arnav Singh Raizada, when she could be dancing and having the time of her life?

"Yeahhh," she told an eager Gaurav. She then held the phone back to her ear and said, "Okay, I'm going."

"Going? Where are you going? And who is that with you?"

"And you care because...?"

"Khushi I'm serious! Where are you right now?"

She giggled. "That's for me to know and you to never find out."

And she hung up the phone, happy to cause some kind of discomfort to her boss. Then placing her hand in Gaurav's, she went back into the club, feeling a sudden urge to dance.

And dance, she did. Pushing her way to the center of the crowd, she sung along with the music, feeling as if she was going to burst with happiness. Gaurav wrapped his arms around her, muttering things she didn't understand into her ear. She happily melted in his embrace; her head still feeling heavy and her vision getting no better.

After what seemed like endless minutes, she felt Gaurav towing her to the bar once again.

"One more drink?" he said, pushing her onto the barstool. "For old times sake?"

Khushi grinned sheepishly. What was one more drink compared to all the alcohol she already had? Sure, she was going to have a miserable hangover tomorrow morning, but it was so far away that she couldn't even get herself to care.

Gaurav had just handed her another mojito, when she felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder. She looked up and was stunned to see Arnav looming over her, his face devoid of any emotion.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She had screamed it from the top of the lungs, hoping to put all the contempt she felt for him in her tone, but she was barely audible over the loud music.

Arnav leaned down to her ear and said, "Clearly on a rescue mission to save you. Now, get up. We are leaving."

"Noo!" she wailed. "I have to finish my drink first!"

Arnav looked skeptically at the glass she was holding and then at Gaurav, who appeared to be frozen in his chair. "Did you buy her that?" he asked.

Gaurav nodded cautiously.

Arnav yanked the drink out of Khushi's hand and handed it back to the bartender.

"What are you doing?!" she screeched.

He didn't answer. Instead, he firmly held her wrist and pulled her up from the chair.

Gaurav finally decided to interfere. "Look mister, clearly she doesn't wanna go."

"And if she stays here any longer, she is going to wish she did for the rest of her life. So whoever you are, get out of my way, before I decide to enlighten the security guards on your doing."

Gaurav flinched and stepped aside. Arnav glared at him, before tugging Khushi out of the crowded club, into the serene night.

"What the hell?!" she bellowed, freeing her arm from his grasp. Her voice slurred heavily. "How dare you bring me out here?"

Arnav had enough. "I believe you meant how caring of me to bring you out here. Clearly, you are completely oblivious to what was going on in there!"

"Oh yeah? And what was that Mr. Smarty-Pants?"

"You have been drugged! Ever heard of roofies birthday girl?"

Khushi gave him a dazed look. "You crazy? Duh I'm not drugged... I'm not a little baby who gets scared of the dark and needs her mommy to sing her a lullaby."

"Really? Then do tell - how much alcohol did you have today?"

"Hmm... four shots, five maybe... who cares? I'm having the time of my life!"

Arnav couldn't help but roll his eyes. "No one gets this drunk over four shots."

"I'm not drunk! I'm happy... can't you see? Wait - you can't. You are allergic to anything that makes me happy."

"I'm not allergic to what-"

"Pshh... of course you are. How did you even find me? I thought I told you to never find out?"

"I traced your call."

"You WHAT?!"

"Traced your call," he repeated, as it was as casual as taking an evening walk. "I have a few useful contacts."

Her reply was interrupted by a drunken man, who stumbled out of the club, murmuring to himself. When he caught sight of Khushi, however, he grinned shadily and asked in a slurred voice, "Hey sexyy... wanna dance?"

It was then that Arnav noticed what Khushi was wearing - a full sleeved, black sequin dress that ended near her mid-thigh. While she looked absolutely radiant in the tight dress, what caught him off guard was the back of the dress. Or rather, the lack of it.

The shimmering dress was entirely backless, the fabric hanging loosely down her sides before closing up near her waist. It was no wonder that passerby's all stopped to stare, men lusting and women envying.

"Sure," Khushi replied to the stranger, her voice equally slurred. "I would love to... only you are not sexy. So, buzz off."

Arnav couldn't help but snort at her answer. Only she would be able to come up with such a retort!

"And what are you laughing at?" she asked turning back to him.

"I'm amused at your comment birthday girl... it's impressive that you can hold on to your smart mouth even when you are indisposed."

"Indisposed?" she repeated incredulously. "Who says that?!"

"Well, the whole world clearly. If not, why else would anyone include it in a dictionary?"

"You do know you are like a walking and talking dictionary, right?"

"And why would you say that?"

"It's like... like you are throwing up words... with your perfect grammar and wordy sentences. Have you ever heard of slang?"

"You mean what everyone refers to as "Ghetto talk"?"

"There! You did it again! Do you ever like, chill?"

"Well, that depends on what you consider "chilling" is, birthday girl."

"It's not my birthday. Stop calling me that!"

"But why? I thought we were bonding. After all, what are nicknames for, if they aren't used by loved ones?"

"You are so not my loved one... I will commit suicide the day we are related."

Arnav raised an eyebrow. "So, I take it you are not going to accept an engagement with my brother, should he ever propose?"

Khushi stared at him in complete disbelief, before bursting into peals of laughter. The effort made her loose balance and she began to dizzily stumble around.

"Careful!" he admonished, grabbing her shoulders and sitting her down on the curb of the parking lot.

"You are so funny at times Mr. Annoying Raizada... I might like you... you know, if you weren't so annoying."

Arnav sat down beside her. "And you would put Prince Charming to shame, wouldn't you?"

She frowned. "What's your problem? Why do you always put me down?"

"On the contrary birthday girl, I think it's you who finds faults with anything I do."

"Well if you are full of these "faults", what can I do?"

Arnav stared at her, trying to understand if she was serious or was simply joking around.

"What?" she asked, catching his look. "Why are you staring?"

"Are you always this unpleasant? Or do you save this attitude exceptionally for my company?"

Khushi narrowed her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean? Am I a mean person?"

He didn't answer.

"How can you call me a mean person?" she asked indignantly.

"Let me just clarify that I didn't say anything. It's not my fault you are making baseless assumptions."

"I don't make assumptions... everyone says I was the cutest kid when I was little."

"Then what happened?"

Surprisingly, she wasn't offended with his question. Instead she looked longingly up into the sky and said, "Life happened... reality happened... cute girls aren't worth much."

"Is that what you think? Or what your parents think?"

"Parents? What parents?"

Arnav was bewildered to hear her reply, but before he could say anything, the quiet night was interrupted by sudden shouts. He glanced over his shoulder to see a few men staring at Khushi, insane smirks covering their drunken faces.

"Let's go," he said, quickly standing up. "Where is your car?"

Khushi didn't move. "I didn't bring it."

"What? How are you planning to go home?"

She looked up at him. "I am not."

Arnav let out a frustrated sigh. When he noticed the group of men inching closer, he grabbed her arm and forcefully pulled her up.

"No-"

"We are leaving," he muttered, in her ear. Then wrapping his arm protectively around her waist, he led her towards his car.

Khushi shivered upon feeling his touch on her bareback. There was something in the way he held her that made her feel safe. Of course, there was nothing that scared her in the first place. Not even those guys she pretended to ignore in the parking lot.

"What?" Arnav asked, when she paused in front of his car.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Home."

"What?! NO!"

Arnav was startled to hear her exclaim. "Why don't you want to go home?"

"Bhaiyya will be worried!"

"Won't he be more worried if you don't come home at all instead of coming home drunk?"

Khushi shrugged. "He doesn't like me drinking."

"Then why do you drink?"

"Why does Akash still paint?"

"Why must you always be so difficult?"

"Because you don't get easy things."

Arnav glanced over his shoulder and realized that the group of men was gone. Relaxing a little, he stepped away from her and leaned on the hood of his car.

"Why are you quiet?" she asked, watching him.

"You are drunk. You don't have a car. You don't want to go home. What do you expect me to say in this situation?"

"I can't go home, okay? I can't upset Bhaiyya..."

Arnav watched her carefully. "You care that much for him?"

She nodded.

"Is that also the reason why you didn't go to Harvard?"

Khushi was surprised. "How do you always guess the right things?"

He ignored her question. "Did it ever occur to you that what makes your brother happy is nothing but what makes you happy?"

"It's not that simple. I'm the only thing that keeps him going... if I don't think about him, who will?"

"It's not your responsibility-"

"Yes, it is! If I said yes... yes to Harvard, then he would come with me... he would leave his firm, his job, everything... just for me... I'm not selfish enough to let him do all that."

Arnav was surprised to hear her. "The ambitious Khushi Kumari Gupta, who stops at nothing but the best, gave up her dream school for her brother... you do realize what that means, don't you?"

"Don't judge me! He is my brother. Even someone as annoying you would know the value of that relationship, no?"

He chose not to answer that.

"Now can we go? I'm cold!"

"I would love to," he answered sarcastically. "After all, there are a billion things I'd rather be doing than rescuing a wayward sister from the clutches of a dangerous stranger. But if you haven't realized, we have no where to go."

"Why not? The world is such a big place-"

Arnav sighed. "Yes, the world is a big place. But clearly, not big enough for you."

"Is that supposed to make sense?"

"Just get in the car."

Khushi didn't argue, and blindly walked towards the passenger seat. While she definitely was more conscious than a few minutes ago, her vision in no way was better. Just as groped for the door, she felt Arnav's hand slide past her.

"Here," he said, helping her inside and strapping the seatbelt in place.

"Where are we going?" she asked, once he got into the driver's seat.

"That is for me to know, and you to never find out."

She tried to roll her eyes, but found the exercise too difficult. Instead, she tried to focus on her phone.

"What are you doing?" Arnav asked, glancing at her.

"Telling Bhaiyya I'm fine."

He shook his head. "If I recall correctly, you can't even see properly. How exactly do you plan on relaying this message?"

Khushi turned to him with an exasperated face. "I will get the messenger pigeons to relay the message, okay?"

He smirked. It was quite funny to see how irked she got, even when she was in her "happy place".

The rest of the car ride passed in silence. Khushi soon gave up on the task to texting her brother and instead let her eyes close, welcoming the darkness that followed. She felt exhausted, as if she ran a hundred miles in the past hour.

Arnav watched her curiously. While he was secretly relieved to see her doze off, he couldn't help but recollect the various things she let slip that night. He wasn't new to drunken people; he knew exactly how blissful they felt to finally let go of their real world problems.

But Khushi was different. Far from being happy, she was moody. She changed from being excited to angry within seconds. Her snarky comments for proof of that! And yet, he had absolutely no idea why.

So by the time Arnav hit the brakes, his mind was buzzing with a million explanations. He glanced absentmindedly at the sleeping form of Khushi, when he noticed the phone clutched in her hands. Shaking his head, he gently tugged it out of her grip and finished the message she tried so hard to type to her brother.

Im staying at a friend's house. Dont worry :)

The reply was instant. It said:

Are you at Lavanya's house?

Arnav couldn't help but relate to the worry he saw clearly etched into the question. So, without much haste, he replied:

Yes Bhaiyya... now please go to bed. Good night!

Then, pocketing the phone, he got out his car. It was as he carried the still sleeping Khushi in his arms that he understood what she really was when drunk.

She was bitter.

___________________________________________________________________________

There - An Arhilicious update! Yes, Gaurav is a jerk, but what is a story without villains? But i do have to say Khushi is definitely a lot more lucky than the millions of the girls out there who get drugged and then taken advantage of. Sadly, such things are too common today.

Please like/comment!

Archi

P.S. - Next chapter will be up on Saturday or Sunday night!

P.P.S - I couldn't resist finding a picture of Khushi's dress. Check it out if you are interested: http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/766188480/2013-Bateau-Tight-Sexy-mini-black-sequin-long-sleeve-backless-dress.jpg

-Archi-2014-03-11 15:49:04