Chapter 16

Pearl_Oyster

@Pearl_Oyster

Part 16

He carried her to the couch and placed her gently on it. His heart was racing like never before. And in that second, he realized that he was glad Khushi didn't reply to his question. What a stupid question to ask! Does she love Abhay? Did he want to her answer that question? How will he do if she said yes?

Arnav couldn't help but feel dread as the realisation dawned upon him.

He is falling for Khushi Gupta.

All answers to his questions and doubts lay before him. He couldn't see her with Abhay or someone else. And her momentarily weakness was threatening to drive him crazy out of concern.

"Khushi..." he patted her cheeks trying to bring her back to consciousness. Seeing no response from her, he started to panic!

"Khushi" he once again patted her cheeks but earned no reply. And with electric speed, he fetched the water glass from her table and sprinkled some drops on her face.

The cooling sensation of the drops helped Khushi regain her consciousness and very slowly she opened her eyes only to find Arnav sitting on his knees beside the couch. The world became right for him once Khushi was again staring him. She shifted slightly on the couch and tried to get up.

"Wait, let me help you" Arnav said quickly and helped her sit.

"Are you okay now? Or shall I call for a doctor?" he asked, his voice laden with worry.

"No. I am fine." She replied hesitantly. Seeing him, getting worried for her was surprising to her.

"Shall I get juice or something for you? Did you have your breakfast this morning?" He asked softly.

"No" and thinking of the breakfast reminded her about Abhay and her rudeness to him. All because of Arnav! She was so upset that she shouted at her best friend for no mistake of him.

"I have to go. Get aside" she spoke, bitterness returning in her voice and she tried to get up from the couch.

"No..You can't.. I mean you aren't well. Firstly you should eat something"

"Enough, Arnav. You are no one to tell me what should I do. I am not going to die just because I didn't have breakfast. I'll eat something during lunch. And YOU don't have to worry about me. Not when all this is happening solely because of you" Khushi all but shouted at him.

"Excuse Me? Because of me? You didn't have your breakfast because of me? Will you mind explaining how?" Arnav realized he wanted her to keep talking.

"Arnav, I really am in no mood and in state to argue with you. So let me go." Khushi replied with effort and got up to leave but stumbled as the dizziness once again took hold of her.

"That's what I am saying. You should rest." Arnav caught her in his arms before she could fall.

"I don't want your health to get worse. Sit here and I'll get something to eat for you" Arnav once again placed her on the couch carefully avoiding any eye contact with her and turned to leave.

"Why, Arnav?" Khushi asked in a shaking voice full of anguish, making him stop in his tracks.

"Why are you doing this? Why have you suddenly become so caring for me? I have no expectations from you, then why? Why now, dammit! When I had offered you my heart you walked all over it crushing it into a million pieces. Then what is making you do all this now? Is this some kind of twisted play?"

Arnav felt the words cruelly clenching his heart. He felt her pain and anguish behind those words. But most of all, he felt remorse. Slowly, he turned to her. She wasn't looking at him and was crying silently with her face hidden behind her hands.

"Khushi..Don't..Don't cry" he almost requested her while sitting on his knees before her.

Then he very slowly removed her hands from her face only to see her deep, hazel eyes filled with tears. By a natural urge, he wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her forehead.

Khushi found herself unable to respond out of utter surprise. She reflexively closed her eyes drawing his attention to them.

Arnav knew not what he was doing. Something inside him was guiding him all along. He, very slowly kissed her eyes, letting his lips linger there, feeling her skin. His lips moved further down and in no moment, they found her lips. Leaning into her, he carefully placed his lips upon hers.

And for a fraction of a second, everything around him came to a halt. He could hear nothing but his own racing heartbeats. The feel of his lips on hers was beyond description. He felt both bliss and torment combined. His heart was on the verge of failing out of sheer excitement. The excitement of feeling her so close after so many years. But the moment barely lasted for ten seconds.

Khushi couldn't see what was he doing as her eyes were closed and she didn't have the guts to open them and face those dark brown eyes of him. It was then she felt something very soft and warm placed against her eyes which slowly traveled to her lips.

She couldn't believe what her mind was telling her. Was he...kissing her? Her heart wanted to keep feeling this sweet sensation but her mind was screaming against everything that was happening around her.

'The man who treated your love as lust, the man who claimed your body only to discard it the very next morning is kissing you' her mind told her and that was enough to rouse her into action.

She pushed him away and stood up shaking in anger.

For a second, when his lips lost contact of her, Arnav thought his life was slipping away. But the next second brought him close to the reality of his action.

"What the hell you think you were doing? How could you do that, Arnav? I was emotionally vulnerable for a moment and you just took advantage of that? I have never seen a disgusting opportunist like you" Khushi screamed at him, her face angrier than he had ever seen it.

"Khushi... You are getting it all wrong. I wasn't..." He tried to explain but what will he say? How can he put into words why he did what he did?

"I am getting it wrong? Is it? You weren't kissing me just now? I was imagining all that? Was I? You know what, Arnav? For a minute, I thought you were changing. I thought you were going to say that you regret everything you did to me. But no! You are only trying to do it all over again, aren't you? You thought you'd easily have me right here on this couch. Wasn't that your plan? I can't believe you've fallen to such a level, Arnav. I hate you. You're such a detestable, loathsome.."

"Enough, Khushi! You're overreacting. How can you think all these things about me? You're getting me totally wrong. I can explain everything if only you will calm down" Arnav didn't admit even to himself that he was hurt by her accusations.

"Sure you can explain! But don't tell me that you really think I am going to stand here and listen to your bullshit explanations. I have to leave" Khushi was beyond reason; the kiss had really shook her up.

"Khushi.." Arnav called after her but she ignored his voice and walked out of the cabin. Arnav realized he wanted to bang his head against a wall. What the hell just happen in this cabin?

~~***~~

"Khushi, don't you think you are taking a hasty decision? This project can be so beneficial for your career. How can you just decide to abandon it mid-way? And have you even given a thought how deeply it will affect our reputation in the market?" Mr. Roy asked, deeply upset.

"I have, Sir. I have thought a lot about this entire thing. This isn't a hasty decision. I can assure you of that. I have my own personal problems. I can't work with AR Company. Not anymore, even if it ruins my career" Khushi said to her boss in the phone.

"But you and Mr. Raizada know each other from college, isn't it? You had told me. So what's the problem? If you are finding your work difficult, you can anytime ask for his assistance.I don't see a problem anywhere" Mr. Roy tried to salvage the situation, unaware that the past connection with Arnav was the whole problem.

Khushi sighed.

"Sir, I can't give you the details but Mr. Raizada is the problem. We do know each other from the past and that's the reason I don't wish to work with him. All those years back, we didn't part on good terms and that's why I can't work with him now. That's all I want to say, sir. I am very sorry about this project. You can tell him that I won't be coming to his office any more" Khushi explained as much as she could to her boss.

"Okay, Khushi. I won't force you to do anything that you aren't comfortable with. But as you know, we have a contract with AR Company and if we annul this project, Mr. Raizada can take legal action against our company. And that will corrupt the name of our company in the market" Mr. Roy expressed his major concern. And that had Khushi in a fix. She realized that in order to stay away from Arnav she cannot jeopardize the future of the company that had given her the opportunity to prove herself. She will have to find a different way.

"Sir, there are ten days remaining for this project to complete. After that A R Company can't take legal action. So, you can just call him and say that I am not well and I can't come to work for a few days. This way these 10 days will be over and then you can tell him that I am not working for him" Khushi suggested.

"But this won't be fair, Khushi. We will be cheating. This is against my principles" Her boss stated.

"I know, Sir. But please understand my problem. I can't work with him. If not for my personal problems, I would have never suggested you this. Please, Sir." Khushi pleaded on the phone, her voice choking.

"Okay, Khushi. Fine. You're like a daughter to me and I hope this can work. I'll talk to Mr. Raizada" Mr. Roy said on the phone and Khushi breathed a sigh of relief. Now, she can pack up and leave.

~~***~~

Mr. Roy did what Khushi had requested him to do. Next day he called Arnav and explained him that Khushi can't come to work as she wasn't well.

Arnav knew in a second that it was not the real reason of her unavailability but he anyway accepted.

He expected her to return in two or three days. Besides, he himself wanted to sort the feelings he was having for Khushi.

He knew that she has started to affect him. And no matter how much efforts he put in not thinking about her, he always failed. All those heartless words which he had once said to her kept coming to him in his dreams and every time they came, they left him feeling ashamed and disgusted.

Arnav Singh Raizada was realizing that remorse was not a pleasant feeling.

FIVE DAYS LATER

"The Baraat is here!" the girls screamed in unison and ran into the balcony to have a better view of it.

"There is the groom" One of the girls squealed.

"Haaye.. He is looking so handsome. Just like a prince from the Arabian Tales" Anjali remarked.

"Yeah" The other girl confirmed.

"But check out that man. Yeah the one dressed in Blue Sherwani. He is such a hottie" Nidhi, another friend of Anjali squealed.

Anjali's eyes narrowed considerably as she took into the appearance of the man in question. She recalled that he was same man who was staring at her in the traffic.

"Oh. He looks like a friend of our Dulhe Raja. This is going to be fun Anjali" Anjali smiled broadly. In the meantime, the blue Sherwani man had moved to a corner and was attending a call.

~~***~~

"I'll be okay. You enjoy the wedding of your friend" Khushi assured Abhay.

"Yeah, I know that. Since the last five days you haven't stepped out of the house and you aren't eating properly. Plus, today when I asked you to come to this wedding with me, you plainly denied! I guess I shouldn't have forgiven you so easily for shouting at me. Then I could have blackmailed you into coming along with me. But Alas.! What can be done? I am such a soft hearted guy" Abhay went on speaking.

"Of course you are! Acha, Now stop eating my head. There is someone at the door. I have to attend it. Enjoy well" Khushi said, smiling.

"Sure, I will. There are lots of beautiful chicks around here. Okay, Bye now" Abhay answered.

"Bye" Khushi replied and disconnected. In the meantime, the door bell rang twice.

"Coming" She yelled and hurried to the door.

As she unlocked the door, she registered the shock of the day. For there stood Arnav Singh Raizada in her doorway.

______________________