Chapter 25

saucechips

@saucechips

[MEMBERSONLY]

PART 25- NOW OR NEVER...

What's over me? Would have been a better question considering the fact that she was trying to decipher the cause of her shivering..just the water??

Arnav was confused over his outburst..

Khushi was confused over her shivering AND his outburst..(women always work harder..tst tst..)

both were confused over their respective confusions..

now both were confused over the confusion slowly turning to something vey confusing altogether..

and now the situation was ODD. Very odd..

Khushi was increaingly getting sure ,it was not butterflies in her stomach..eagle..yes, eagle would be better..no way butterflies had THAT sort of wing strength...

Arnav was gulping at the rate of 1 gulp per 5 seconds..

Arnav-"um.."

Khushi- "err..."

Arnav- "well..i guess.."

Khushi- "right.."

Arnav- "what?"

Khushi- "hm?"

Arnav-"what right?"

Khushi- "nothing..i mean.i think I should..i mean..we should..i mean..i should.."

silence..

"you should change?"

"yes...right..i'll just change"

silence...

"there is pasta stuck in your hair" he had to say something, he just HAD to say something, pasta or no pasta..this silence was killing...damn killing..

"really?" she touched her hair to find the invisible pasta..."where?"

oh hell..

he stepped closer.. and brushed lightly across the hair on her forhead..as if throwing the pasta to the ground..

trying to control the eagles in her stomach she followed his hand motion to the ground..

"wh..where did it fall?" she twirled around..

Arnav clenched his fists...

"you want to eat it off the floor?" he asked..

"what? No!"

"then why does it matter where it fell!! just forget it dammit!!"

"yes but-"

"i said FORGET THE DAMN PASTA!!!!"

Sharp Knock at the door..

"WHO'S IT??" Khushi shouted..

"Khushi open the door!!" Garima Gupta shouted as loud as she could..

"OH GOD MAA'S HOME!!" Khushi shouted..then turned to him.. "YOU HEARD THAT? MAA'S HOME! BUT HOW CAN SHE BE HOME? SHE WAS TO COME IN THE EVENING? WHAT HAPPENED??"she panicked..

"How will I know? I am NOT your maa!"

"HIDE! QUICK!"

"WHAT?"

"HIDE!! ESCAPE! DISSAPPEAR!!EVAPORATE!!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Do you want to die?"

"what?"

"LOOK at you! Hell, LOOK AT ME!! We are SO gone..hide in the broom store"

"what"

"will you please expand your dictionary beyond 'what'?? hide for heaven's sake!"

"KHUSHI OPEN THE DOOR!! ARE YOU SLEEPING!!"

"COMING MAA!!"

She clasped her hands in front of Arnav.."for HEAVEN'S sake!!! please!! I beg you!!"

"what took you so long in opening the door? And WHAT have you done to yourself???"

"um...bath...just a bath"

"with clothes on?"

"haha..for a change!"

"no change. You are as mad as before"

Arnav glanced at his vibrating phone..

di calling..

"hello?"

"hello..chotte? I hope I didn't disturb you.."

he glanced around at the 'hardly enough' space of the storeroom..Arnav Singh Raizada's very first experience of hiding in a girl's broom store room because her mother was home..he felt like a TOTAL ragamuffin..

"no di..what's the matter?"

"chotte why are you whispering? Where are you?"

"nothing di. Something important?"

"no I was just thinking, since it's al-"

"WHAT THE!" Arnav shouted as a mouse jumped past his shoes..

"chotte? What happened?"

"nothing di just-" he whispered..

"i think i'll call you later..you seem busy" she replied...

"no di-"

"later chotte!"

"what happened dear?" nani turned to her as she clicked the phone shut..

"nani, know what? I have a feeling chotte is with khushi.."

"really? Why?"

"that's usually when he uses 'WHAT THE' immediately after 'nothing' "

the two exchanged looks..and burst out laughing..

"so..you home early?"Khushi tried to sound as normal as she could..

"early? No! I was to be home by afternoon..Payal knew...and I think she forgot all about picking me up"

Khushi fumed at her sister..

"oh she is very much busy with fire extinguishers to keep track of the rest of the world"

"what?"

"nothing"

"DAMMIT!" (voice from behind the door which was slightly ajar)

"what was that?" Mrs Gupta straightened..

Khushi felt like hitting Arnav bang on the head..couldn't this man take a break from damning random things in the world..

"what?"

"Khushi"

"y..yes?"

"who's behind the door?"

"be..behind the door? Just the broom..what are you talking about?"

"i am talking about the broom which apparently is wearing a black suit , black shoes and has just said 'dammit'..i don't remember leaving such a broom in our house"

Khushi gulped..Arnav emerged from behind the door

"What the! There are cobwebs in your store dammit! Wha-..oh.."

Mr Raizada meets 'Mrs' Gupta...

Khushi just wished she had evaporating powers...

"and you are?" Garima Gupta raised her eyebrows at him..

Arnav stretched his hand to her "Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada"

Khushi eyed him incredulously..what a ' The name is Bond. James Bond..' style..

"oh so YOU are Arnav Singh Raizada are you" Garima now turned to him..

Arnav was taken aback.. "um yes..p-"

"what are you doing here?"

"excuse me?"

"i think I should throw this question to my daughter as well..what is he doing here khushi?" (total no nonsense tone)

Khushi gulped..

Garima tightly gripped her shoulders "you are wet. Payal is NOT at home. HE is at home. YOU are at home when I think you should be at work right now. I am sure you have an explanation"

all this was certainly new for an Arnav who was feeling like he was a 'jumping in from the window' kind of guy who had suddenly been caught red handed..

"ma..i lost my..job"

"congratulations darling. What pleasant news. And has he too?"

she motioned to Arnav who widened his eyes golf ball size at the remark..

"i am the owner of AR Group of Industries-"

"i know" Garima turned to him.. "you are THE owner of AR industries. But Khushi is NOT Mr Raizada. Such link ups and page 3 news are common to people of your status. But we are middle class people who hold our respect very close to our hearts! You will be spared because you are Arnav Singh Raizada, but our society is different! Khushi will not be spared! "

"maa please-" Khushi began but was interrupted

"and you shut up! What was happening here? You know we live in a colony right? And you-"

"maa, my dupatta caught fire and he put it off! That's it!"

"he came all over from AR leaving his office, to put the fire off your dupatta? With an entire bucket of water? I believe that"

Khushi glared at Arnav

Garima turned to him-

"enough. Look Mr Raizada. I know you are a highly respected member of the society and I don't intend to insult you. But if you are interested in an alliance with MY daughter, it has to be either an engagement or marriage"

"or break up" he added...

he shouldn't have..but then he was Arnav..

"excuse me?" Garima turned to face him..now giving a 'you messed with my daughter?i am her 21^st century mum!' kind of look...

"yeah..i mean..this wasn't meant to be mam. we-"

"are you telling me that you declared commitment to my daughter, went parties and dinner with her just to say you break up when the talk of some responsibility comes up? That's what I would call a man without a SPINE! And khushi I am ASHAMED at your choice"

Arnav had never been verbally slapped this tightly before...of course he had a spine!! which was hurting since he bumped into the iron rod in the storeroom..

"maa..it wasn't just him..i mean..we both..we both decided to..-" Khushi was sweating..

Garima gupta had had enough..Arnav Singh Raizada or no Arnav Singh Raizada..

next moment she had raised her hands to give one tight slap to a Khushi very well anticipating it..

the other moment her hand had hit sharp, (not been stopped or held) but hit sharp on strong arms stretched across Khushi's face..

Garima looked at Arnav, Khushi didn't look at Arnav. She literally popped out her eyes at him..

Arnav was looking straight at Garima..

"i apologize mam. But I am sure this can be sorted out better. You have full right to slap your daughter and I don't intend to play the knight, but you have not heard the whole thing as yet"

"really? Well, I don't know what's wrong with the two of you. But I am making one thing very clear. By tommorrow it should be either a finalised engagement or a confirmed breakup"

silence..

"Mr Raizada" she turned to Arnav "do I have your word for that?"

silence..

"you do.." Arnav replied..

later...

Khushi IT calling..

"Excuse me gentlemen" Arnav paused his addressal and moved out of the conference room..

"i am in a meeting. What?"

"did you think of something?"

"of what?"

"are you even THINKING over the breakup??"

"shut up. I am thinking about it, but not day and night! I have t-"

"maa has fixed a 'boy meeting' for me immediately after that.." she wondered why she blurted this out to him..why would he be bothered if she even met frankenstein after the breakup!

"WHAT??!!" he immediately showed just how bothered he'd be..

"yes.."

"you are waiting for the breakup to jump off and MARRY SOME DOLT!!"

"first, why are you shouting at ME? Second, how are you so sure he is a dolt?third, who said I am marrying? But considering maa's current mood, a meeting with Rohit cannot be avoided so-"

"Rohit?'

"um yes..the boy I told you about.."

"you KNOW him?"

"yes. Family friends. He knows about all this but maa convinced him it's fake news..so he agreed-"

Arnav lost it..Family friend!! pish posh!! FRIEND!! oh yes, a guy jumps on hearing a link up is fake and he is a FRIEND!! That good for nothing, R for rotten, clumsy sounding, no self respect of a..he took a deep breath..

"in case you didn't hear me first time, I am BUSY in a meeting. I will call later"

was he grinding his teeth? Seriously! Given the frequency and intensity with which this man grinded his teeth ,they should have become enamel powder by now..

"but-"

"i said I will call later!"

call disconnected..

very understandibly for the rest of the meeting, the AR employees were not witnesses to the gentlest side of their boss who was thinking far better adjectives for that 'dolt' other than 'dolt' in frequent periods...

cement pile calling..

"finally!!" Khushi spoke receiving the phone.. "what took you so long? I have been staring at my mobile doing visual yoga since one hour"

"i happen to be a busy person"

"was that another sarcasm on my joblessness? Anyway, what's the plan"

what's the 'plan B' ,she should have asked..'plan A' had been cancelled moments after hearing her maa's plans for her...

"come with that whatever to Golden horizon tomorrow evening. I'll come with some female company. We'll have dinner separately"

"his name is rohit not whatever"

"i.don't. Give. A. damn!" he barked..

Khushi pondered over it for a while..

"hm..it would send the message...not bad..i wonder why I never thought of it"

"because it makes sense"

"very funny! My plan would have been successful if you had- forget it! ..but why the same hotel?"

damn...

"to send the clear message that it's off..meeting at separate places could be justified..but same hotel, different company, would not"

smart..

"hm..but hold on! I know my professional collegues too well..please be formal yet cordial when we come face to face there.. like, we didn't have a bitter breakup or anything, just decided to part ways..else there'll start this new investigation on 'what the hell happened'..we'll be cordial and if they ask, we'll just say it's over but we are not bitter..so no mud flinging"

"whatever.." (calm voice)

"then I'll talk to Rohit-" Khushi concluded..

"i said whatever!" (dangerous teeth grinding voice)

"okay! Relax!but please make sure this works. Because maa is literally treating me as a wall ever since you went.." she shut the phone..

puchu cleared. Siddharth cleared. Rohit...

Arnav was lost in thoughts as he deeply stared at the water gleaming in the moonlight falling on his pool as he lay on his bead..that had been a very odd silence...very very odd silence..

Khushi worriedly played all kinds of stupid games on her mobile..especially 'angry birds'...they were not being very kind to her stomach recently..why had that silence been so weird..

and oh god..what was going to happen tomorrow...by the way, he had found a date so soon? Of course, he was THE ASR!! must be some good for nothing, runs behind rich men, thinks the world of herself, arrogant, snobbish, whatever her name!! as if she cared...

oh yes she did...

so it was finally a break up tomorrow..he wondered..by the way, that 'dolt'..she had found a match so soon? Of course, she was Khushi Kumari Gupta!! must be some good for nothing, runs behind pretty women, thinks the world of himself, arrogant, snobbish, whatever his name!! as if he cared...

oh yes he did...

and somewhere within them..they knew..or had begun knowing..

poor Rohit and whatever her name...they better prepare themselves for the unexpectedly..expected..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much everyone Hug ..it's a pleasure to write when you know it's being liked so much..glad you like the dialogue style..i am most comfortable that way.. Big smile