"Of course I understand Choote. My Choote doesn't wait for anyone does he? *pause* So tell me who's the girl? Did you ask her name? Are you two friends?" Arjun asked back excited, and Arnav looked upwards seeing that drip of excitement in his father's voice, highly amusing him. He knew his father, he was more fond of him than he was of anyone, and at times, in fact most of the time he was his only best friend when it came to complicated stuff. His guards could never resist the probing mind of his father, so like every time this time too he had put down his weapons and open up to him.

"I know her name. I changed it to my convenience and she doesn't real mind. But the friend question it's difficult to answer. I don't know." Arnav told his father in a stout tone, making Arjun look with a keen expression at his son, who seemed like he was shaking or was still consumed up in thoughts. There was an uncertainty in his voice which was very unlike Arnav, since well he knew, it was always a Yes and a No option for Arnav, 'I don't know' was a phrase that did not even exist in his dictionary, and that too coupled with the hint of confusion, NEVER.

"You changed her name and she doesn't even mind? You must be great friends if she's okay with you doing with that." Arjun reasoned back still trying to read Arnav's thought who seemed well draped in a mask of confusion to give away any information at all.

"We are not great friends. It's just the way we met. I am not the only who changed her name. She calls me by my surname, Raizada too." Arnav replied back modestly, trying to defend his side of the conversation when his father looked at him intently for some time, and as if realization had dawned upon him his eyes dilated wide enough to have his pupils look like black beads.

"This is Khushi?" Arjun voice back in surprise, and this time it was Arnav who has his jaw dropped open for a split second, coupled with a stunned expression painted on his face.

"How do you know?" he asked in an amazed tone, and Arjun explained of how Anita had told him that he and Khushi called each other with their last names instead of their first names. Arnav listened carefully, deeply annoyed over the vigilance of his mother, which in fact he knew did not come from direct experience, but from his two detective siblings. He was sure of the fact that Anjali and Aakash were filling up Maa and Paa with nonsense about him and Khushi, hence the shocked reaction Paa was portraying.

"Princess and Monkey boy did not tell us anything, so you don't need to grit your teeth in anger regarding them" Arjun clarified, and Arnav raised his eyes brows once again at his father, surprised at his ability to interpret Arnav's thought with such accuracy.

"You must be glad about it that you found that girl and you two even know each other. So what's your next step? Still like her?" Arjun asked in a friendly manner trying to ease his son into talking with him, instead of answering Arnavs face had clouded with dissatisfaction and confusion, the previous thoughts in his mind coming back to him.

"There is nothing to be glad about it. Things between us were good, but this picture it has spoiled everything. Not sure if its spoiled, but things have changed." he made a face, Arjun keeping his hand on his shoulder causing Arnav to look at him with no expression of any sort.

"Spoiled everything? You told her that she is the girl in the picture and you had a crush on her when you were five?" Arjun asked him and Arnav calculated his options trying to work out the best to way answer this question.

"Not exactly. She found out herself. It was she who implied that she was the girl in the sketch, or else I never would have known." Arnav answered back, taking a pause and then telling his father about what had happened on Monday. Arjun listened with full attention, processing the entire tale in his mind.

"From what I can make out, she likes you. (Arnav looked at him startled) What do you make out of it Chotte?" Arjun asked in a questioning tone, and Arnav looked around trying to answer the question. He had not even began to consider this aspect of that event, how could his father get to conclusion's so soon?

"I don't know. I didn't reach any conclusion because, Gupta, she's very unpredictable .She tells me she can read me, and then she does all the things I don't want her to do."

"Chotte relax alright. I understand these things are complicated and you are new to it, so no complains. I can't help both of you necessarily, but I can surely be of some help to you." Arjun offered and Arnav looked at his father hopefully, his eyes going mild, and he nodded his head in agreement eager to recive his father's help. It's not like he was going to get anywhere on his own.

"We'll start from the beginning okay? What was your first reaction when you saw her."

"Silly."

"First reaction when you talked to her?"

"Rude and arrogant."

Books flew away in the air, half of them landing on his head, while the others found their way on the ground, making an alarmingly noisy sound as they hit the ground with a bang. His eyes were closed, and as he opened them, every part of his body shaking with anger, everything was blurry around him, his head throbbing, with the large books that had fallen on him, and he himself, rubbing his cheeks on the dirty sandy floor of the corridor.

"Gupta, you idiot, how could you?"Arnav looked at her, his eyes wanting to rip her apart, as her smile grew larger and larger by ever minute that his anger rose, as if they were directly proportional quantities to each other.

"Oh, Raizada, you on the ground?" Did I make you fall? Aww..I am so sorry I didn't mean too"she replied chirpily with a wide smile on her face, enjoying every moment of the hurt and anger sprouting from his eyes. Serves him right she thought to herself, and not giving another look at his miserable flat form which was trying to collect it self back groaning in pain, she skipped away from there, happy with the revenge she had accomplished.

"Huh? What kind of a reaction is that? You two got into a fight?" Arjun asked mildly surprised to which Arnav explained of their first meet, and how after that they had gone complete hate mood.

Meharbaani jaate-jaate mujh pe kar gaya
Guzarta saa lamha ek daaman bhar gaya

(Leaving us, he did a favour on me

The passing moment, filled me up)

"Interesting. So when was the first time you actually started going soft towards her?" Arjun asked aagain, sending Arnav down the memory lane remembering about that day, that moment, however relating to his dad he minused all the moments, and told a short summary of what had happened, making Arjun for some known yet unknown reason grin.

They kept looking into each others eyes, as if they knew each other from day one of their life on Earth. It was an equal feeling of fondness occurring between both of them, which none would consciously ever accept. Khushi moved her eyes away from his, and looked up the forehead which was bandaged, and since the time she had first arrived, it was now that she noticed carefully, that the cut on his forehead was pretty deep and brutal, spoiling his otherwise, close to perfect features.

Without conscious control, she withdrew one of her hands which was tied around his neck, and brought it upwards to touch the ugly scar which was exposed even through the ill applied band aid. And circled her fingers around the scar, a deep grieved expression on her face, causing him to twitch his nose unexpectedly at her soft touch on him.

"Is it too bad" she asked softly, and this time out of genuine concern

.

"Maybe." He said quietly, losing his brain state to the wonders her touch was doing to him. Slowly she moved a little away from him, flustered at her sudden actions, withdrawing her hand from his neck and simultaneously from his forehead, shifting uneasily on his thigh. Her restless movements caused him to snap back from his trance, taking him a little while to restore his demeanor. As she shifted and backed away, from she unknowingly put a little to much pressure on his right thigh, resulting in him letting out a painful 'Ouch' from his mouth.

Concern grew back on her and she quickly moved away from him, standing next to him, and before he could even react, she started rubbing his thigh, to soothe the pain she had caused.

****************************************

"Thank you", she said gratefully, in a low pitch voice, to which he just nodded knowing of no other reaction to react in such a situation. For one, he had never been in such a difficult situation, not at least with a girl, besides he had noted it down from day one that she had come effect on him that he had subconsciously accepted but failed to accept consciously.

"I am scared" she murmured to herself, which was obviously only for her to hear, but him having the advantage of sharp ears, plus enclosed echoing spaces, heard her.

"Of what?" he asked a bit curious, and just a part of him worried to see her in such a vulnerable condition.

*****************************************

To his utmost horror, her skin had turned faintly blue, her eyes almost dropping low. Quickly he went up to her, and helped her stand up, but due to rapid loss of conscious she was unable to, and finally having no other options. He picked her up in his arms, and walked out of the cupboard, for a few instances adjusting himself to the sudden rush of light in his pupil. Once the blurriness was over, he kept her down, making her sit on a chair, and rushed over to his desk to get his water bottle, while her head hanged loosely towards the left, her body freely hanging like he had left it to sit like.

********************************************

"How did you exactly come into good talking terms with her?"

"The Science project. That's when we had started talking freely, only because we were a team and we needed the best marks in the project." Arnav told his father conversationally, causing Arjun to arch his eyebrows at him, looking at him sternly.

Tere nazaara mila, roshan sitaara mila
Taqdeer ki kashtiyon ko kinara mila

(I got your view, like I found a shining star

The boats of destiny, finally found their shore)

"There must have been one particular moment Choote. I am your father, you can't expect me to not know when you are hiding stuff from me." Arjun told him in a steely voice, and Arnav in quite what was only a summary told Arjun all about her past and how she had hugged him for support because her father had come to her home that day. Arjun flinched hearing all that remembering his own parting conversation with Aparna, the conversation which he dreaded till date.

"Are you going to choose our 19 year old friendship over that pervert's 2 year old drama?" he shouted to her retreating form, and she stopped back in her tracks stationary to her point, but craned her neck back to see him, hope flashing in his eyes but in a moment of truth it was all gone.

"Yes" she said in a thunderous kind of voice, and locking her eyes just one last time with him she left her purse swinging away on her arm, to the car that waited for her two streets back, her soon to be husband sitting inside it. That moment was that one, when she had left behind every happiness of her, for that one happiness which mattered most to her, left behind everything that mattered, left behind her best friend, who she had promised never to leave.

*******************************************

"You never talk about Aparna Aunty and your friendship with her. Why did it go bad?" Arnav probed his father, who seemed lost in thoughts and he looked at him in surprise, asking him how he knew everything. Being as brief and conserved as possible, Arnav told him of how Khushi had told him everything, and that Aparna had been the source of all of it. This sent Arjun to think of Aparna, and consecutively his face went low all the different memories rushing into his brain at full speed.

"Well, Chotte, you should go to sleep now. Its getting late, and you have to be up early, so she's coming to the field trip na? (Arnav nods) Try making the best of it, things will probably get back to normal." Arjun said in a hushed tone, getting up from Arnav's bed and patting him on the back, leaving Arnav to settle into bed.

"Or get weirder." He told himself, and closed his eyes drifting off to sleep.

*******************************************

Friday, was a very eventful morning at all households where Stanford High School students lived, kids bustling about, getting in their private cars or collective transport to reach the campus grounds where the rest of the buses were waiting for them along with their individuals chaperone waiting for them. Khushi bustled about in the living grabbing a cheese and peproni sandwich from the kitchen, fixing her denim brown cap, her pony tail poking out of the gap in the cap stick on. Giving a quick kiss to Aparna and telling her to take care of herself, she bid her goodbye, and taking quacking strides made her way towards the Raizada household, her royal blue and black backpack hoisted up on her back. Panting heavily, wiping off the sweat beads from her forehead she rung the bell of the Raizada house, tapping her light blue sneakers on the stairs.

The door opened, and in front of her stood Arjun Raizada, tall and steady, in his t-shirts and jersey, looking in a fatherly manner down at her draped in a sky blue sleevles top, and light denim brown shorts, complementing her sneakers and her cap. Her fair skin glowed in the morning sunlight of Standford, as she put up her biggest smile, and looked tenderly at Arjun.

"Khushi." Arjun said smiling and she nodded, extending her hand towards him, surprised by his firm shake, letting her inside still smiling at her pleasantly.

"If I would have been a little younger, I would have surely tried hitting on you." Arjun told her in a pleasant way and she grinned at him broadly, chuckling a bit with it.

"Shows you were a Casanova in your days." She commented, winking at him as the two took their seat on the orange cooured couch in the living room. Khushi felt automatically at ease with Arjuna s if she had known him for years, there was a fondness in the way he looked at her, like a lost memory, their was something so erry in the way he touched her, she secretly wished he was her father. Now, if there was anything left, she envied the Raizada siblings, for having such perfect parents, their life was just so perfect.

A little while later, when Khushi and Arjun were having a local chat with achother, Arnav stepped out of his room, in his dirty green coloured bermuda's and light brown t-shirt, his cap very similar to the one Khushi was wearing. Khushi turned around, impressed with his handsome features, and passed a small smile, to which he instead of smiling bag just acknowledged her presence, and disappeared into the kitchen, to grab his breakfast.

"Rowdy isn't he?" Arjun asked her, observing her changing expressions carefully, as she stepping out of her reverie turned her face towards him and nodded slightly, not in for any more conversation. Soon, Aakash and Anjali stepped out of their rooms, completely geared up to be excited campers, along with Anita who was dressed in her informals as well, all three of them greeting Khushi in a jovinial manner. Upon the mention of Aparna, Khushi noticed Arjun flinching slightly, so both Anita and Khushi had let the topic rest.

"Arjun are you going to drop them off? If so, you better hurry, its 6:45 already they need to be there by 7:00 or the bus will take off." Anita told him, and Arjun excusing himself, disappeared inside his room to dress up into something formal, Anjali and Aakash conveniently taking the place that was occupied by him.

"How did you find our Paa? Amazing na?" Aakash asked her, his arm around the edge of the sofa, one of his hands, busy texting, which everyone assumed was Payal.

"Very Amazing. I envy you guys you know that? You people have such a perfect life, perfect home, perfect parents, everything is just so right with you guys." Khushi said in a wishing mood, causing both Anjali and Aakash to exchange looks with eachother, and they both together kept their arms around her smiling at her tenderly.

Sadiyon se tarse hai jaisi zindagi ke liye
Teri saubat mein duaayein hain ussi ke liye

( For the life that I have waited for years

In your company I pray for that only)

"You forgot to add yourself to the list Khushi. We have a perfect sister like you Khushi. (Khushi raises up her eyebrows) Why? Don't you take us to be like your siblings?" Anjali questioned her, keeping that smile that lighted up her features inact and Khushi nodded soberly, no more envious but feeling as lucky as she felt thye were. Arnav from the edge of the kitchen opening saw the loving moment that had passed between them and a small smile crept on his face. There was no reason to ponder over why she was special to him, it appeared that she was special to everybody.

With the arrival of Arjun, the three of them planting loving kisses on their mother's cheek, the Raizada's left the houses, taking their seats in the car like they use to do in normal circumstances. The ride to the campus was filled with laughter and joy, Arnav being the silent spectator to all, and not providing any such entertainment to the rest of them. Entering the campus, what would have been a flock of students let lose, apparently, right now, the ground surprisingly seemed empty. All of them exchanged worried looks with eachother, but the buses standing there, gave them hope, and hurriedly the Raizada kids hugging their father, rushed towards the bus.

"Khushi, wont you hug me goodbye?" Arjun asked from behind, as Khushi turned and looked at him then smiled, running towards him, and hugged him tightly, quickly, withdrawing and waving goodbye, left with Arnav towards the bus reserved for Grade 10 students.

Upon entering the bus, they saw it extremely crowded with students, Arnav and Khushi searching for Karan and Vive respectively, however a tug on Khushi's arm's diverted her attention towards the person pulling who as it was, was Priyanka.

"Take the seat in front quickly, both of you or you'll have to stand the entire way. If you are finding Vivek and Karan then they are in the other bus. (Khushi and Arnav both turn to go) Don't go there. You'll lose this seat too, that bus is jam packed." Priyanka adviced the two of them and seeing no other option, pushing through the crowd, Arnav captured the seat, reserving the other one for Khushi, while Priyanka held Khushi back for a slight moment.

Tera milna hai uss rab ka ishaara
Maano mujhko banaya tere jaise hi kisi ke liye

( You and me meeting is like a sign

As if you were made for someone like me only)

"You two look great together, by the way." Priyanka complimented winking at her, and Khushi giving a queasy smile to her, rushed away from the place holding a weird expression, and shaking her head in exasperation. Giving a grateful smile to Arnav for reserving a seat for her, she asked to change her seats with him,wanting to sit next to the window to which he willingly agreed not saying anything else.

The bus started its journey with everyone hooting, and starting to hoot on the top of their voices, piercing the hearing aids of many students who neither enjoyed portraying such hooligan attitude nor approved of anyone else doing it. Khushi and Arnav were amongst those who did that, jamming their ears with their hands so that the voice would not defect their hearing sense. Fishing out her phone from her pocket which she felt was vibrating, she checked it to see one message received by Vivek. While Arnav beside her, had taken out his Iphone and started reading a book on it.

Khushi had only kept her phone on a lap, when a loud sizzle of cold water being flashed on her shook her to the core, and an instance she was up looking as fiery as ever, Arnav too now quitting to read with the havoc that was about to come.

"Have you f**king lost it! What the hell was that?" she lashed back at the pair of Purab and another kid from grade 10 A both grinning stupidly at her.

"Chill out hon. We were just having some fun." Purab replied in his annoyingly, cheesy voice, making the tiger in Arnav rise, and the tigress in Khushi growl with anger. Khushi jumped on the seat, her knees on it and extended her hands towards Purab catching his by his throat and strangling him like a freed prisoner.

"Gupta, danmmit, let go." Arnav shouted at her, pulling her back to her seat by pulling her by her waist, but she was in no mood to withdraw her hands from the lunatic that Purab was, strangling him more and more with every second, until their was a point when he was literally being choked to death. Arnav with one final pull, succeeded in getting her hands of Purab, her cheeks flushed with red colour, and eyes burning in extreme rage. It was just in time that he done it , when the chaperone sensing the quorse on the back of the bus came towards them, Arnav with much difficulty settling an overly hyped Khushi, and Purab looking more sick than even Arnav did when he had drank that supposed apple juice which was tequila.

"Gupta, what were you thinking of doing? Murdering him?" Arnav lashed at her angrily, making her shake more with uncontrollable fury, her entire body shaking in anger.

"Yeah. Or worst. That bas***d. He has been troubling me ever since I came to Stanford, first that pervertish way he looks, then his even sickening activity, the party feud, and messing up with your health and now this lame joke." She said irritatingly, all of the students in the bus looking at her in a daze, and some laughing over Purab's sorry state. Mayank in front turned around poking his head over his seat and looked at Khushi, broadly grinning at her.

"That was awesome Khushi! Like really awesome! You are so much better at this than any of the boys are. (passing a ugly look at Purab) That pervert deserves this. More girls should start doing this." Mayank commented gleefully, successful in calming her anger much to Arnav's amazement who hadn't been able to do it, obviously because he was too consumed up in bashing her left, right and center.

"Wait till he tries messing up with me again. I swear to Devi Maiyan he wont be found anywhere on Earth again then." Khushi replied back in a revengeful, and furious tone, making Mayank grin more, and fishing out a water bottle from his bag, handed it over to her to drink.

"You want something to eat? Maybe that would help calming you down." Mayank suggested and she thankfully nodded, passing a screwed up look at Arnav and moved away from him to the edge of her seat thanking Mayank for the chips that he passed her from the front.

The rest of the ride seemed comparatively calmer, than the overly hyped events in the beginning, Khushi resorting to looking outside the window, taking time to time sneeks at Arnav who was absorbed in reading, however making faces because she was boring her to death.

"Khushi you bored?" Mayank asked her from the front, and making a desperate expression she nodded, pleaded him to add some spice in her life.

"You in for monopoly? I have it my Mac." He asked her and she willingly agreed pushing her way out while Mayank who was took irked with Samrat sleeping on his shoulder now and then shook him badly and told him to go back on Khushi's seat. Before either of Khushi or Samrat could sit, Arnav held on to Khushi's hand, looking at her with a steely look.

Kuch toh hai tujh se raabta , Kuch toh hai tujh se raabta
Kaise hum jaane, hume kya pata , Kuch toh hai tujh se raabta

(There is some connection with you, There is some connection with you

I don't know how it is, why it is, just there is some connection with you)

nav_bat2012-12-16 09:11:23