Chapter 34

(APOLOGIES in advance for the length. It's hard to sit to update in the first place these days, but once i do, i have a horrible weakness of getting carried away)

"um..jiji?" Khushi called out to Payal who half lay on the sofa , the novel in her hands..

"Khushi ! You aren't asleep? I thought you must have dozed off long ago"

"no..i..i want to talk to you" she ran her hand through her hair...

"what have you done?"

"excuse me! Do I talk to you only when I have done something?"

"experience Khushi..carry on.."

Khushi sat on one of the arms of the sofa..

"er..jiji..i wished to ask..like..suppose you get strange vibes from a person..like, you know, you feel-"

"please tell me this does not have anything to do with Arnav Singh Raizada"

"this does not have anything to do with Arnav Singh Raizada"

"ok. Go on.."

"ya..so I was asking, suppose you, you know, when this person is with you, you get these strange elephant kind of things, or sometimes butterflies, or eagles, depends, and-"

"did you hit your head somewhere?"

"what? No, why?"

"go on.."

"ya..so I was saying, you get these creatures in your stomach and then you just wish to run away from this person but invariably end up landing with the same, and somehow you don't mind, but you should mind, and still you don't, even if you know, and you think of that person, and you don't want to think, you know you shouldn't, but still you keep on writing mental essays, and-"

Payal widened her eyes..

"Khushi breathe. ya. Now listen, like it's often said, if you can't get someone out of your head perhaps that's where they are meant to be, but suppose the situation is desperate and you just can't afford to think of a person, in any way, then you should simply distance yourself away from him/her for a while.."

"you mean I should break all communication links?"

"exactly"

"no talking?"

"no talking"

"no meeting?"

"none"

" absolutely no-"

"Khushi you are again doing the same thing!do you want it or not?"

"you are right! Fine then! No communication.yes. Good. Did I say I love you?"

"the last time such a conversation happened"

"good. Hear it once more. I love you"

Khushi marched up the stairs while Payal grinned and sighed.. "you try dear..but I guess it's too late.."

no talking. No meeting. No communication. No talking. No meeting. No communication.

Khushi kept chanting the mantra as she settled herself back among the sheets. It was past midnight.

Her phone buzzed beside her and she widened her surprised eyes at the wall clock. This time??

cement pile calling...

oh shit!

This man had made ruining her peace of mind ,the official aim of his life..

ignore Khushi, ignore...

No talking.No meeting. No communication..she chanted while an Arnav Singh Raizada who had improvised just the reverse plan- talking.meeting.communication, seethed in fury as he merely heard ring after ring, without any response whatsoever..

"Pick up the phone dammit!" he muttered..

Khushi was positive she wasn't doing it..

plugging her earphones she played her favorite track on her i-pod and settled herself on the wall behind, as sleep had totally evaded her..

but who was listening to the music? Her eyes were fixed upon the flashes on her mobile screen, which had been turned to silent mode..

1 minute- no I will not pick it up

2minutes- as if he would stop calling if I picked up

2.5 minutes ' no communication, alright. But I can see how many missed calls have there been right? No, wrong. I WILL NOT see..

3 minutes- oh my gosh! 5 missed calls?? is this cement pile crazy??

3.5minutes- he will get mad if I don't pick up. Should I...NO! NO! NO!

4 minutes later-

"WHAT?"

"where the hell were you?"

"in my room. On my bed. Trying to sleep. Like normal beings"

so she was blissfully sleeping! And here he...Arnav fumed..

"anyway, why were you calling?"

Arnav drew in a breath then spoke-

"talk!"

"excuse me?"

"i said TALK"

"ok. I guess tonight on the 25^th of August 2012, you officially lost it Mr Arnav Singh Raizada"

"just shut up! And talk"

"if you would care to notice, we are not exactly having a telepathy conversation here. I am talking!"

"fine. Keep talking"

And here she had been thinking that perhaps she was the one who had lost it..

"Arnav, do you habitually call girls past midnight and order them to talk. In fact, our history is ample proof that you specifically qualify past midnight as THE ultimate time to give me a ring"

good,she had begun..he sat with a satisfactory sigh while she grew silent at the other end..

"now what? Speak dammit!"

"i don't know what is wrong with you, but I would suggest you do something very soon about it. Be happy it's me at the other end, since I have seen your worst side..otherwise people would seriously doubt the future of AR.."

Arnav clenched his fists..

"WHAT THE HELL is your problem?? You speak 24*7! I am asking you to speak straight 5 minutes and you behave as if I am asking you to shut up for the rest of your life!"

"MY PROBLEM is that you are not taking my talking as talking! In our world Mr Raizada, sound coming from the vocal chord qualifies as talking! I don't know what's it at your end"

"excuse me?"

"excused"

"shut up! I meant stop your nonsense, I am warning you"

"fine! Good! I am sleepy. And I am discon-"

"Khushi!" he stopped her..

this man was ruining her entire plan of non-communication in the very second hour of it's implementation..

"what?"

"i was thinking since I am free of the burden of being responsible for carrying the break-up-"

"EXCUSE ME?" Khushi sprang to a sitting posture on the bed..

"Of course...i was taking the responsibilty of the breakup since I wanted to evade the engagement. Now since that has already taken place, I see no reason to trouble my head with it-"

"you mean you are not interested in the break-up anymore??you mean you are happy being my fiance??you mean you suddenly did a ditching U-turn and-"

"i mean" he interrupted "that I am very much interested in the breakup. But I am in no way troubling myself with improvising a plan for the same. The media hype is over, we are not bothered about our engagement, there is an entire lifetime ahead to break-up, I have no intentions of marrying anyone anytime soon so you can take all your time to-"

"BUT I AM! What if I want to marry someone else?"

"you do?"

"no. But it might be that I suddenly wish to. Then what?"

"then you just break-up"

"what?and you won't help?"

"i see no need"

"you are the worst accomplice on the face of this earth"

"my pleasure"

"You don't give two hoots to this relationship do you? And here I am..forget it!"

she cut the call and he stared at the phone with a ghost of an expression on his face..what did she mean by 'And here I am?'.. was she affected? Didn't she want the break-up? Did she want the break-up? Why was she refusing to talk to him? Was it because she didn't want to? Or was it because she was upset? Why was she upset? Was it because the engagement had happened or was it because the break-up could happen? Why was he giving a damn? Was it because he was almost in a habit by now or was it because he was falling in..in..that..disease..

(There you go, Mr Raizada, see! Your plan worked! You are evidently not thinking AT ALL..*ahem*)

He panicked and picking up the phone rung her up again..

It was thrice before she picked up-

"why are you doing this to me?" she spoke first thing

"Khushi be ready at 8 tomorrow. We're going for dinner. Sharp"

Khushi couldn't believe her ears..was this some undercover plan to turn her stomach into a zoo?

"no we are NOT! And I am switching off my cell"

she said that and threw her mobile on the sofa..this cement pile would be the end of her..

Anjali Singh Raizada was all 'Nihaal' at the RM breakfast table. It was either about 'what Nihaal said', or 'what Nihaal did', or 'can you believe what Nihaal had done?' or 'Nihaal told me'..

It's strange how ,sometimes,while it remains completely oblivious to your own self, a silent message gets screamed to everyone around you..how you keep on ranting about a person, and while it seems so normal to you, you get weird looks from people around, how almost everyone gets to know a certain something at a time, when you yourself are far from coming to the conclusion..

The entire family by this time had a light amused smile on their faces..

As for Arnav,his fingers placed over his chin, while his elbow rested on the table, was by this time, looking at his sister with half opened eyes and slowly chewing upon the sandwich in his hands...

Anjali soon realized she was being closely inspected by her brother, and for some reason, suddenly bent her head down and got a little too immersed in eating her food, a blush having crept up her cheeks..

She raised her eyes slowly to an Arnav who was still carefully assessing her behavior without a word..

time to backfire..

"Chotte, I just completely forgot to ask you, what exactly had you and Khushi in the kitchen right in the middle of a party yesterday?"

And then it was Anjali's turn to look at her brother with half opened eyes, slowly chewing upon her sandwich, while he had his head immeditely bent down and got a little too immersed in his food..

As for the family, they were just happy that there was no need for expression change.Light amused smile intact..

Aakash and Payal stood in one of the silent corridors leading to the library, a meeting which had been proposed by Aakash himself..

"what was Maa doing in the library in the first place?"

"how do I know?but, she must have painted a very pretty picture of me..Anyway,Aakash did you finish the novel?"

oh no..

"oh yes! I finished it..wonderful peace of work I must say!"

She smiled, then looked at him and asked..

"who does the story revolve around?"

oh shit..

"um..oh yes! Whats his name..er..starts with A..i guess..i can't recall right now.."

"you never read the novel did you?"

"what? No I did! I am sure it began with A..! er.." Aakash rubbed his palm on his foehead..

"Neils Hill"

(go drown in a handful of water Aakash..)

"Yes! That's it! Neils Hills! Yes!"

"Aakash.."

he looked deep into her eyes..

"ok fine..i am sorry I never read the novel. And if truth be told, Payal...I am not into them altogether.."

He said it and looked at her in anticipation of an impending storm..

There came none, and instead, she smiled..

"i knew it Aakash"

"what?"

"i knew you never read the book..you needn't have lied you know.."

"i see..i am really sorry Payal..i.."

"but you still said it to make me happy.."

"um.."

"so what are you interested in? I mean like I live for books, any fascination?"

"i am somewhat a 'movie guy'.."

"i see.." she smiled.. "well how bad could watching one movie be?"

she said that and turned around..he was confused for a moment before the words hit home and he hurried before her..

"um..Payal, would you like a movie this Friday?"

"oh..sure..where, I mean.."

"oh great! We have the home theatre at our place, no worries. In fact bhai, Khushiji, di, Nihaal all could join"

"fine then" she nodded her head and turned to go..then stopped mid way and turned back to him..

"Aakash?"

"yes?"

"that's the sweetest lie someone has spoken for me you know.."

moments later the deserted corridor saw Aakash Singh Raizada doing fist pumps in the air as he tossed his blackberry up in delight, then as his action hit home, dancing around with cupped hands to catch the poor devise which came crashing down on the floor..

Evening..

Khushi, her head tied up in a careless bun, was playing with the pen in her hands, as she closely studied an article before her..

There was a ring on the door.. "must be bhai.." she muttered..

Nihaal had been away for work the entire day...she frowned when she heard no footsteps rushing up the stairs as was typical of Nihaal, to meet her the first thing when he came home..

Moments later Payal opened the room door..

"Khushi, Arnavji is waiting for you downstairs"

"WHAT?" she shouted...

"you would know better! He said he had asked you out for dinner or something..he's all ready and waiting.."

Khushi opened her mouth then shut it.then again opened her mouth and shut it yet again..

Then eyed herself in the mirror and then she was sure..

"jiji tell him I am not at home"

"Khushi! I have already told him you are.."

"Shit! Ok fine! Then tell him I am sleeping"

"at 8?? Khushi are you mad? I don't get! What's wrong with you??"

"Jji look at me! I am looking like a ghoul who has had a bad hair day! And we never agreed on any dinner! I am not stepping out of this room"

"Khushi you are looking how normal people look when they are at home! Stop over reacting! And what do you mean you haven't agreed on dinner. Khushi! He is your fiance for heaven's sake!"

Khushi opened her mouth to speak when her phone buzzed beside her..

cement pile calling..

Payal rolled her eyes and left the room.. Khushi received on the first ring..and the first sentence was

"i am not coming down"

"you very well are"

"i am not"

"why?"

"what why?"

"what the hell is your problem! If it's the media , you yourself know that since the engagement is already done the hype is far less now. Just stop wasting time and come down"

"Listen, please try to understand, for the sake of my stomach, I can't communicate with you"

"what?"

"leave it. You won't understand"

"i didn't. Now just come down"

"why are you so hell bent on taking me to dinner!! that is so 'un-you' "

(Try to understand Khushi for the sake of his brain, he can't help but communicate with you..)

"stop making your own words and wasting time. I am waiting"

"Listen-"

"Khushi are you coming down or should I come upstairs?"

"what? You can't come up!"

"says who?"

"says common sense"

"i am your fiance if you remember. And your mother I hear, is not at home"

"you can fall this low can you?"

"say what you wish to"

"i am not coming"

"and I am already on the first stair"

"WHAT! STOP THERE!"

"on the second.."

Khushi panicked. Hair tied in a careless bun, clothes crushed, face with pen marks, no way he was seeing her this way..

For some reason, it was almost a panic that he shouldn't see her ugly..she looked perfectly like any casually dressed person would look at home, but right now, with Arnav Singh Raizada walking up the stairs, she almost labelled herself Frankenstein..

"OK FINE!" she shouted into the phone..

Arnav smirked..in fact, he had been comfortably sipping tea on the living room sofa all along..

"k then, I am waiting.."

"it will take time" Khushi rushed as she threw hanger after hanger on the bed..

"how long? Khushi it's plain dinner..just wear anything-"

"Can you please leave at least my wardrobe choice to my own self?? it'll take half an hour"

"what? Fine.i am waiting"

"did I tell you, you are a stubborn, mean, insensitive, cement pile who-"

"you have 29 minutes"

"Urghhh!" she groaned as she shut the phone and using all new phrases for her cement pile got back to throwing hangers after hangers on the bed..

too loud..

too bland..

too boring..

too interesting..

15 minutes were wasted in just coming to a dress..

yes, it had taken 15 minutes to just decide on a dress, for a girl who gave two hoots to what she wore normally, who was famous as the fastest dresser in the family..

as she finally adjusted the dupatta of her onion coloured suit, she turned a full circle around the mirror assessing herself from each angle..

hair..gosh her hair!

Cement pile calling...

"what?"

"Khushi 5 minutes"

"10"

"5"

"10 and that's final. Before I take 15 put the phone down"

"Khushi you are not dressing for a wedding! It's just the two of us"

"ok it's just 15! I am coming na! You wait!"

*click* disconnected.

"what the.." Arnav muttered in disbelief..

15 minutes later , Arnav Singh Raizada was literally hugging himself for the wait..

Khushi, her lush chestnut brown hair cascading down her back,in an elegant onion anarkali , paired with pearl and silver earrings and high heels cautiously stepped down the stairs one hand on the bannisters..

He drew in a sharp breath involuntarily..as he felt his feet drag to the bottom of the stairs..

Khushi fumbled about with her purse, her hair and she slowly met his eyes..

She was on the second last stair when by virtue of partially her pointed heels and partially the 'lets- stare-till-our-eye-balls-freeze' she lost balance and literally fell on an Arnav who by virtue of partially his uncomfortable position and partially the 'lets-forget-the-damn-purpose-of-this-date' mind condition took a moment too long to register the impact..

Strong perfume smell rushed up her nasal passage as Khushi gasped in surprise..

"Easy.." Arnav spoke at length..

'you should bloody well have followed your 'no talking.no meeting.no communication' plan Khushi Kumari Gupta' Khushi cursed herself as she tried to disentagle her hair from his coat button..

'you should bloody well NOT have followed your 'talking.meeting.communication' plan Arnav Singh Raizada' Arnav cursed himself as his already over-worked brain, seemed to be evaporating into mothingness as he helped her with the same..

Khushi hurriedly stepped back..

"i..i am sorry..i am not used to heels.."

he nodded..the best he could manage at the moment..

"why didn't you wear something else then?" he said in a husky voice as he led her out to the car..

NEXT PART(35)-PAGE 81

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

Had so much fun reading all your comments on the last part..haha..some actually googled all that stuff! and i have got many requests to give a picture to qualify as Nihaal Gupta as he plays a pivotal role in the fic. I guess this does it-

and yes, you can find dozens of his pictures with Anjali online..

waiting for your reviews..feel free to be honest, and yes, thank you loads for all your encouragements..PMS LATER