Chapter 35

Aakash entered the Maths class that Anjali was attending, just grinning once at the Maths teacher who had been completely irked because of him, but Aakash being the boy he was took no notice and went inside towering over Anjali who was sitting with her friends chatting away busily about something. Aakash tapped her shoulder, and she raised an eyebrow at him looking at him sheepishly, seeing that look of urgency on his face, excused her selves from her friend party, and got up following Aakash out of the class.

"What is it?" she asked him slightly worried seeing him deep into thinking, and as far as she knew her brother, she knew when he was thinking it usually meant big trouble, and big trouble usually as she knew resulted not only him but her going down with him.

"It's Payal, she wants to come to the hospital." He said lost in thinking walking away, Anjali by his side studying his expressions and then shifting her sight back to the people that were waving at her when she waved back, right at that moment Aakash chose to look at her seeing that look of disinterest on her face which made him immediately annoyed.

"Anji are you even listening?" he stopped in his tracks, and turned her around to face him she struggling away from him and looking at him in vexation.

"What am I supposed to listen to? You were so busy talking to yourself, I felt like a nobody standing besides you" she said irritated, and he looked at her with a strained expression shaking his head, his eye balls rolling away in his sockets.

"You have just as much brains as an ant has. What was I thinking trying to get you to help me." He remarked, and was just about to walk away when she held his wrist tight and pulled him back to stand in front of her, her eyes flashing that hint of anger which he never failed to ignite within her.

"You never told me what happened, and you expect me to help? If you would just stop being Seebohm Rowntree part 2, I would come into more use for you." She replied back curtly, joining his eyes with him, and hurriedly seizing the opportunity that she was eager to listen to his problem, told her of the strained relation between Payal's father, Aman Gupta and Khushi's father Aryan Gupta, which disabled Payal from going into the hospital on her own terms, and since she was really worried about Aparna she somehow wished Aakash to get her to the hospital.

"So? What's the problem? She will come with us and then we can drop her back to her home. What is there to be so Fleming about it?" Anjali asked still confused as to why Aakash was being so troubled about the whole thing. She couldn't see what would be the big hitch in the plan, it was easy, pick her drop her, what was he possibly racking his brains to think about?

"Anji you are smarter than a donkey really, I swear they are going to prize your unused brains really high when you sell them. (Anjali glares at him) Don't you get it? We don't have any space in our car, only in the morning, you, Khushi and Choote were sitting all stuffed up, where are we going to make Payal sit, on the roof?" he said dramatically still thinking hard, when Anjali gave him one good hard look and snapped her fingers in front of his eyes to gain his attention.

"We can adjust, I don't see what's the big deal? You can make her sit on your lap if you like, it would give you a lot of plus points with her (Aakash kicks her hard on her shoe) Fine, don't do it. Make Khush sit on Choote's lap I don't think they mind. They were resting their hand on eachothers in the morning" she said evenly, checking her watch over and over again, since she was getting uselessly delayed for her Chemistry class, and of course until recently Chemistry classes had become really special for her, since all kind of possible bonding were taking place in it, and bonding in fact meant ALL kinds of bonding's.

"Are you M.A.D? (Aakash circled his finger around her forehead an she pushes it away furiously) I think you have lost absolute sense of pouring water in a class and pouring a jug of oil in a glass being the same thing. Khushi and Choote wouldn't even dare sit next to each other, after all that's been happening at school since morning, you haven't heard of the fight they both got into did you?" he asked her and she shook her head sideways, intrigued to know more, beckoning him to tell her everything he knew when he opened up to her and told her of Khushi's encounter with one of Aakash's friend, and Arnav's with Vivian. By the time he finished Anjali was gaping at him very oddly, bringing the sight of many passer by's settle at her, when Aakash out of utter embarrassment had to keep his hand on her mouth, to which she snapped it shut biting of the skin from his palm in the process.

"Anji you man eater! That Shyam turned you into a cannibal didn't he?" Aakash said angrily, rubbing away his palm that had gotten red, Anjali's teeth marks deeply book marked into it, Anjali looking at him horrified, and uncalled for gave him a hard punch on his chest.

"Shut up! I would rather eat a serpent than eat you, it would probably taste a lot more better than you" she lashed back at him, and he looked at her with a shrewd expression for a quite a few minutes, until he shook his head violently and reverted back to the topic they were discussing. Before he could say anything Anjali was already ready with an answer.

"That's it. Payal is coming with us, we will make adjustments in Khushi and Choote's places nothing else can be done. If it requires we can give them a shot of tequila each so they would loose their mind." Anjali asked him back curiously, but even though he knew his sister had completely lost it, he decided to play along, she was probably in a lot more saner position than he was.

"A sick Choote is the last thing I want again" Aakash groaned remembering all the times Arnav had gotten sick the last month, it was more of a torture for the two of them than it was for Arnav alone, a normal Choote was not anywhere near to resistible, a sick Choote was definitely a circumstance out of question.

"Then we'll only give it to Khushi. It hardly matter really, even if Khushi kisses him drunk, he wouldn't resist and let her do whatever she likes. Making her sit on his lap would be a dream come true for him." Anjali said giggling, just imagining the sight of her younger brother and her friend getting cosy with each other. Even Aakash couldn't help but smile now at Anjali's mischievous thoughts, and there was not much that he did agree with, that was definitely the case when Arnav and Khushi were together.

"By any chance, the driver doesn't play Tu Mera Hero right?" Anjali asked him curiously, narrowing her eyes in a comic way and he grinned at her broadly hitting her playfully on the head.

"No, but he said he is fond of Do Dhari Talwar." Aakash said grinning, and Anjali had to smile at him, giving in the final touches to their back to the hospital plan they both gave a thumbs up sign to each other and departed off to their own destinations.

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"If there was something between us, it's all gone. Every single piece of it was gone right on the moment, when you doubted the purity of Khushi and my relationship. Every single thing of it is gone now Vishaka, you destroyed it, everything." He said in a gay manner and in a blur of emotion and anger consuming him, he walked straight past Vishaka leaving her alone to gather herself, but little did he knew that except for the two of them there was someone else in the room as well, who had heard every word as clear as crystal, inwardly breaking apart with the thunder she had caused in her best friends life. Khushi Kumari Gupta held herself responsible for every wrong that had happened in his life, she was a best friend to him, a best friend with a curse, it was all her fault, in the need of finding support, she had let his happiness sink into nothingness.

She tried to steady herself, thinking of possible ways she could make the thing she had caused to be back to the right track again. She didn't know what normal people did in such situations, she had never been in any such situations so she didn't know, but there was one thought that was pounding on her brain, this was for him, It was for her best friend, it was for Vivek.

Vishaka was still sobbing to herself, when Khushi came out from behind the locker and stood in front of her quivering a bit but then making her self-determined to whatever wrath she was going to have to face. Vishaka looked at her in surprise, but then her eyes got cold, and looked at her venomously in a horrible narrowed expression which made Khushi think twice if she really wanted this girl to be with her best friend. But then immediately eradicating all such conflicting thoughts from her mind, she walked towards Vishaka who was rooted to her spot like stone, her vicious gaze penetrating into Khushi as if aiming a thousand knives at her.

"Here are you Ms.Khushi Kumari Gupta, the bitches of all bitches. (Khushi narrowed her eyes at her) So now Khushi are you happy that Vivek and me fought? You got what you wanted right?" Vishaka said in a sickily venomous tone, her tears trickling down her cheeks, but those eyes of her showed no mercy what so ever at Khushi who was standing their trying to control her anger. It was almost the thousandth time that she told herself that she was doing it for Vivek, that her anger let go of her, and she moved one step forwards, feeling queasy with the stone faced Vishaka blazing in hatred seeing her.

"Look Vishaka, I have no concern what so ever about what you think about me. Honestly I don't care for you (making the size with her fingers) even this single bitt, but you know who I care for? My best friend, my Vivek (Vishaka flinched) Yes, he's mine and he'll always be but just as a friend and nothing more. If you think there's something else between us suit yourself, hell with it, but listen don't expect me to put up with some crap alright? You call me a bitch its fine, you call me an ass its fine, but if you dare as much hurt Vivek, I'll kill you." Khushi said straight on her face, not in the habit of going in round abouts, while Vishaka only stood her eyes dilating and coming down over and over again, trying to digest all the hard words she had said right now. If Vishaka thought that Khushi was going to be sympathetic and say sorry to her, she just had no idea how wrong she was, maybe because she didn't know Khushi at all.

"What are you here for?" Vishaka asked a straight deadened expression Khushi right into her eyes, studying her face to know the motive behind Khushi and her talk in the first place but the more she looked into Khushi the more she thought she was going to lose her mental capability to think.

"To get my best friends happiness back. *pause* Let's make this clear, you and I we have no concern with each other right? (Vishaka is listening to her all ears) If there is anything that ties us together is Vivek. I care for him more than anybody else, and I know you like him a lot too, the feelings that he reciprocates. So let's make a deal? You and I are one force for him, you want him, and I want his happiness, we can achieve both if we team up. Are you eager to do so?" Khushi said her mind working on super sonic speed calculating, Vishaka's reaction rapidly in her brain. Their were two possibilities that would be it, either she was going to be mad and shout the roof down, or if she's the smart one she would gently agree and go on to a compromise with her. Personally, she wanted the latter of it to happen, if the first thing did, really she would have to get down to the kind of business Vishaka was expecting her to do in the first place- pleading.

"What do you want me to do?" Vishaka asked back quizzically still not sure of what Khushi was proposing was anything but in her favor. She wanted Vivek that was the thing in her head, she understood what Khushi said loud and clear, if they had any feelings for each other they could go to hell for all she cared right now, if he cared for her so much, she Vishaka could always turn the cards in her favor if she played wise.

"Be friends with me. He fought with you because you said things about me. If that goes away, I don't see what other possible problem there could be in your relationship that comes externally." Khushi said in a manipulative tone, mentally congratulating herself for the task she had achieved without appearing to be weak, or pleading, she had put her point across and with full pride showed Vishaka that she was a person who least interested her.

Vishaka took her time pondering over Khushi's proposal but soon thinking over her options, which she narrowed down to a zero, she knew she had to go in with whatever Khushi said, after all admittedly this girl who she hated knew the person she liked better than anybody else around her did. Much to Khushi's happiness Vishaka extended her hand towards Khushi which she promptly took her face straight yet there was that spark in her eyes which she just couldn't help but hide, apparently it not going unnoticed by Vishaka. They broke the hand shake and stood in silence for some time, until Vishaka looked at Khushi carefully recalling her previous perception of what Khushi was from the time she had entered school. Seeing nothing else of work to do here, Khushi turned around, and was about to go when Vishaka kept her hand on her shoulder, and caused her turn back to see a very guilty Vishaka looking at her.

"Are you always this hard Khushi?" Vishaka questioned her, evidently very impressed by Khushi's ability to stay calm, even though so much had been happening with her throughout the day she was clawing her way out like a tigress and not even letting anybody know that something inside her was also burning.

"No. I don't like to show the real me to everybody. Specially someone who has already made an impression about me, without as much as even talking to me properly" Khushi said in a hoarse tone, that anger that she felt because of Vishaka's crude words erupting inside her, yet she was struggling hard to contain it, when Vishaka looked down at her shoes and reacted in the most unexpected way ever.

"I envy you for that you know. Not everybody can put up facades. Probably this is what makes you so special to Vivek. I actually thought you were nice when he told me that you helped him get me to Anjali and Aakash's party. But then after that, he started neglecting me so much, I had no option left but to doubt you. After all, you were the one he was spending time with, and I did not like that at all" Vishaka said rather modestly hiding her face in embarrassment, a couple of emotions crossing her face when she expressed her sentiments regarding Khushi which at the most people who consider left Khushi slightly taken aback. Maybe she had been too careful with Vishaka, maybe she was so particular about Vivek, she had absolutely forgotten that this girl would also have something going on her in mind to which she had started putting blind accusations on Khushi. She felt guilty for being rude with her, but then she thought, it wasn't completely safe to put her guard down right now, she hardly knew anything about Vishaka other than what Vivek told her, it just was not right to let a few sentences let Khushi make up a strong impression of Vishaka's character.

"I understand Vishaka. But it's not his fault. He was not neglecting you on purpose, my mother was in the hospital so he had spent the entire day of yesterday with me. He really does like you trust me, don't doubt on him, every single time you do, you will just end up regretting it, like you are right now" Khushi told her sensibly, and kept her hand on Vishaka's shoulder, who was looking at Khushi misty eyed, and suddenly there was this odd feeling within Khushi that mad her feel giddy. This girl, this girl was making her feel that she had grown a lot more than her age required, normal girls this was how they were supposed to be. Over protective, whiny, cry babies, not knowing what to do, confused minds, jealous much, she was neither of any of it, it just surprised her how different she was from a 'normal' girl.

"I know. Will me saying sorry to him make things back like the way they were?" Vishaka innocently questioned her, and Khushi had to do a minute of good thinking to answer her question, based on her character analysis of Vivek.

"It will. Vivek is really soft, he gets moved very quickly, it won't take up too much of time to make him the way he was." Khushi answered back thoughtfully, and almost lost in her thought she had nearly forgotten that there was a class to attend.

"I guess we should be going back to class. The Physics sir will be pissed on us getting late."

"Thankyou Khushi. I appreciate your help." Vishaka told her kindly, holding Khushi's hand into her own who smiled at her in return her eyes suddenly turning merry.

"This was for him. But if you would want to know, hearing your side of the story, I think this is for you too." Khushi told her brightly, to which Vishaka smiled at her, and the two girls left the locker room, Khushi's mind buzzing with a hundred different thoughts regarding Vishaka. This girl, she was nothing like Vivek, he was goofy but sensible, she was none of that, and it didn't seem quite right to Khushi how their relationship would ever even work out, but then she would have to leave that to later, time would tell how things would go.

Once in front of the class, the two girls paid their apologizes to the Physics sir, who was evidently in a pretty good mood and did not lash out on the girls like he usually did. Vivek looked at the two in utter surprise smiling at each other, the glum look on his face gone, replaced with a sense of complete bafflement and shock, as Khushi took her seat next to him, and he just kept looking at her in amazement at the kind of eye talk she was having with Vishaka.

"Chun, pinch me." He said in a whirl, poking the bottom of his pen in Khushi's elbow who looked at him annoyingly, for the interruption he had cause in the plan she had so ingeniously devised with Vishaka.

"Be quiet and let me study." She snapped at him and he just stared at her with wide eyes, pulling her arm around so she would look at him instead of all other places, seriousness dripping from his eyes.

"Stop avoiding me Chun. Did you talk to Vishaka about me?" he asked her in a dead no joke mode, alarming Khushi, but she kind of was prepared for that question, and answered him back without any expression.

"Nothing. I just knocked some sense into her. Thankfully she was smart, so I didn't have to work too hard" she replied back ideally, and he had to let his eyes shot right at her, grumbling something in between ragged breathes, muttering what he just did not want to say.

"You should stop eaves dropping around, when I am talking to my girl friend." He said still in foul mood and she turned her head, everything about the Magnetic Relay she had gotten into her head flying right out of the window, with this one single taunt aimed at her.

"She is not your girl friend. You never proposed her." She lashed right back at him, and he looked at her stonily for a moment but then turned away looking at the teacher making no further eye contact or any verbal conversation with her. She felt hurt to have him acting like that, but she knew once this period was over, everything would be back to normal.

From the corner of his eyes, writing notes on his rough pad, Arnav had been noticing Khushi very carefully from the time she had entered class. Her not so glamorous equation with Vishaka prospering, the one with Vivek steeping down low, and the one with him there was so much in his mind he just couldn't decide on a single comment for that one. When he had heard Samrat and Mayank talk about how Khushi had slapped a senior hard in his face, because he had dared to talk foul about him, he didn't know but it made him swell in pride. It kind of brought a new out look of him towards her, by this one action. Things between them had changed so much, he hadn't even gotten the chance to share all these feelings with Karan, and right now the one thing he wanted to do was go back home, jump on his bed, and write down his diary.

"You think she likes you?" Karan asked him suddenly, making up conversation his head leaning towards Arnav, while Arnav raised an eyebrow at him and looked at him oddly.

"No. Why would I think that?" he asked Karan surprised who craned his neck to look at Arnav staright in the eye.

"Don't lie to me. You know you cant." Karan told him strictly, and Arnav had to pull up a scorn on his face, making his handsome features look intensely vicious.

"Stop being so dramatic, Gupta has such bad influence" he said rolling his eyes and concentrating back on to his lecture, but little did he know, that Karan who was chuckling right beside him knew just a lot more about him and her, and the equation they shared then either of the two of them realized.

The bell for the period being over finally rang, and Khushi heaved the biggest sigh of relief she had in a long time. The treacherous wait for her, was finally over. After the teacher had departed, everybody else walked out too with their bags, as it was pack up time, until only she, Vivek and Vishaka were left behind, only a second later Arnav moving out with Karan, but she just thought better and joined the duo of them.

"Raizada, will you be coming to the hospital too?" she asked conversationally looking back over and over again to see what was going inside, while Karan and Arnav both looked at her oddly, and then they stopped walking, stopping her in their tracks too.

"Gupta go in. I'll tell Di and Bhai to wait."

"No. I mean I am sorry. I am coming with you guys they need their time alone." She said flushing a deep color of red, and typing a quick text message to Vivek she left with Arnav and Karan, her walk outside the school gate with Arnav alone, as Karan had departed back to his car already, promising he would check up on Aparna later. Anjali and Aakash soon joined them, along with Payal who looked at Khushi going misty eyed and hugged her suddenly, taking the three siblings as well as Khushi by surprise.

"I am so sorry Khushi, I couldn't be with you in such a difficult time. Maa and Paa won't take me to see Aparna Aunty so I decided to come with you people only." Payal said in a choky voice still hugging Khushi, who was trying to get over the affection her older cousin was showering on her, Anjali and Aakash looking at the duo of them adorably, while Arnav seemed utterly bored along with the driver who was getting impatient inside the car.

"Jiji its okay, stop crying. What did you tell Aunty and Uncle?" Khushi asked Payal pulling her apart, and wiped her tears away, when Payal still in a choky voice, aided by Aakash told her that she had lied about going to Priya's house for an important assignment. Everybody took their seat inside the car, Aakash in the front, Anjali, Payal and Arnav in the back while Khushi was standing outside the door entirely stupefied seeing the car which was stuffed up, leaving no space to accommodate her. She looked at Aakash in front confused, who was grinning at Anjali stupidly from the reer window, and craned his neck towards the back seaters, his eyes lingering on to Khushi outside and Arnav inside.

"Chotte, have some manners, let Khushi get in, you can come in a taxi." He told Arnav who scowled so largely, Aakash had to pinch himself thrice to stop himself from laughing and spoiling the mood.

"No, no stay in, I'll come in the taxi, you people go on." She said modestly, and pushed Arnav who had his one leg hanging out inside from his shoulder and he looked at her with surprise, with Anjali and Aakash looking at each other in bafflement, seeing the ultimate failure of their plan.

"No Khushi, we are all going together. Chotte make Khushi sit in your lap, the best solution to this problem" Aakash said in a faked serious tone, and Arnav who looked too flabbergasted to reply, kicked the back on the car fiercely with his feet, Aakash shaken in the front due to the force of it, while Anjali and Payal beside him couldn't stop themselves from grinning a bit, though they had a strong inner desire to laugh out.

"What the! Bhai where did you drop your marbles this time?" Arnav lashed out at him angrily, Khushi who was still standing inside in the scorching sun heavily perspiring, turning into a deep red with the combined effort of the sun and the embarrassment of Aakash's solution. She had not much option on her own for the record, she was entitled to do what they told her to, after all she was living at their place, using their things, being feisty about stuff would only be an added problem to them, which she did not want to cause.

"Well Chotte, for the record, I just remembered that neither you have the money nor me. Anjali and Payal don't have anything on them (looking at Khushi who shook her head too) neither does Khushi. What else is left other than adjusting?" Aakash reasoned out to him, and knowing nothing better to do, Arnav closed his legs tightly, Anjali and Payal sticking to each other, as Khushi climbed inside the car, sitting on Arnav's lap, the erry sensation of being seated there making her feel beyond what words could describe. He wound his arms around waist, her skirt pulling upwards exposing her bare legs, making her feel a bit queasy but she let her back slump back on his chest just leaving enough space for him to breathe, and without any further conversation the car moved towards the hospital, thankfully the road being paved very smoothly.

Khushi's hands were clutching on to the cloth of his pants instead of the front of the seat, which made the other three older kids understand the kind of bond Arnav and Khushi shared with each other. Arnav tend to look outside most of the time, or mostly, removing the her hair which were covering his face, from his nose so he wouldn't be insane sneezing. She had to purposely lower her head down which had caused a kind of very ugly strain in her neck due to the raised position she was sitting in, and in a while when the car stopped right in front of the hospital nothing could stop her from heaving a good sigh of relief. Anjali and Payal moved out of the car from the left side, while Arnav and Khushi, still in a very uncomfortable position somehow managed to get out of the right side, Aakash out from the front instructing the driver to wait for an hour or so until they were back.