What couldn't prepare her for what would come next was the almost out of bound reaction of Aakash when he somewhat hesitantly almost frightened let her into the Raizada which much to her surprise was eerily quiet. Vivek had decided to wait for her in his car for obvious reasons, or like he said so because those reasons were far from obvious to her, but she didn't have the brain power to contemplate on that anymore.

"Where is Di?" Khushi asked a distraught Aakash who was aimlessly pacing the hall casting furtive looks at Arnavs door and occasionally annoyed ones at Anjali's.

"Working on her university applications. (his voice getting high pitched) I am telling her it's a good time to pull Chotte's leg but she's been kicking me out of her room non stop! Its just not fair! Passing up a golden opportunity like that! (looking at Khushi's humored expression) Are you here to see Chotte? Because if you are I suggest you take a good clean u-turn right now and walk out of that beautiful inviting front door" Aakash told her dramatically demonstrating his motions very clearly as if to make a point not realizing that Khushi wasn't as remotely dense as most people he made his side cracks on were.

"Uhh Bhai I guess the beautiful inviting door can wait. I think I'll walk in Raizada's drab door instead." Khushi told him patiently with a very controlled smile, being shot with a pitiful look by Aakash who just kept mumbling something about suicide and young love to her, but before she could snicker at his silliness or much less conjure up any coherent thought she had decided to turn the lock on Arnav's door, surprisingly unlocked and peeked cautiously from the small wedge she had created greeted by an ungodly sight.

Before her entirely shirtless with black sweat pants that hung teasingly at his hips, stood a very sweaty and furious Arnav Singh Raizada, his muscles enlarging and deflating as he simultaneously landed well aimed punches on a very sorry and battered punching bag. Viveks probably glad he isn't Raizada's punching bag, she thought to herself amused, slightly scowling at her audacity to acknowledge the growing bond between her best friend and part time love-hate partner. The very sight of him like this sent her heart thundering inside her as an astonishingly embarrassing thought entered her mind. Was this boy, this boy who looked like a Greek God, the one she had kissed only an hour ago? Not to mention humiliated and walked out on as well? Her own tendency to have such a vivid event history with him completely threw her off, not to mention all the devilish gutter thoughts in her head that she was trying to rid herself of, of snogging him right there and then in the state he was in now.

Clumsy as she was, what with her entirely clouded googly eyed thoughts, she accidently, or she forced herself to think so, leaned a bit too heavily against the ajar door, which giving in to her weight creaked audibly and swung off towards the left, opening up wide taking in a night suit clad distraught Khushi into Arnav's room unceremoniously. She held on to the wretched lock for the life of her to avoid tumbling at his feet, who had positively become aware of her embarrassed presence now and much to her relief, or lets just say temporary relief, he dived towards her his hand closing painfully on her arm as he pulled her upright to avoid crashing face first onto the floor, himself standing barely inches away from her with a completely bewildered yet cautious expression on his face.

"Gupta? What the hell?" He hissed shocked, when she seemed to regain a vague sense of her surroundings and managed to stand straight still aided by the hand that was gripping her arm, obviously cutting off her blood supply not that she was really in her right mind to catch on a trivial detail like that. Her breathe caught sharply as she met his confused puzzled eyes, the fire that she had sneaked on instantly vanishing, as she let herself shamelessly marvel at the perfection of the boy that stood at such an alarmingly close proximity to her, like always.

"I..I..I was..going..to knock..but I.." She stammered incoherently still trying to get her thoughts to follow a straight line of thought which was proving to be disappointingly hard.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her baffled, though the detachment and coldness in his voice was not far away something that did not skip past Khushi much to her utter dismay and she backed away from him, at the same moment when he let go off her arm, slightly shocking her from the loss of contact but she was prompt to gain fair control of her body this time around.

"I..I..came to say sorry..for..earlier." She said finally stringing up a meaningful sentence and ever so guardedly chancing a look at him who seemed to have a blank controlled look on his face giving nothing away except for the highly troubled look in his eyes.

"Raizada I..I am..I didn't want to say all that. It's just..I was kinda out you know..for obvious reasons..(sincerely but hesitant) and I am sorry I just took it all out on you..and I know..I shouldn't have done that..I am just so sorry Raizada." Khushi said in a contrite sincere tone, surprised at the real sincerity in her tone coming naturally to her, not being the least bit angry or irrational about the whole thing. This was the truth she realized now that she had said it all loud, she had just taken it all out because she was beyond angry, and she didn't need one more controlling male around her after the aggravating episode with Nikhil about her father.

"But you meant all of it didn't you?" Arnav asked her in a shaky tone, something that she didn't even remotely associate with him, as she shot her head up to look at the tormented look on his face, any anger that she was secretly holding on to for grudges sake disappearing instantly.

"No! I mean yes!..I mean..I..(stammering) everything I said was true..but I realize that a lot of it should be blamed on wrong timing and tight circumstances instead of you." She offered giving him a meaningful look as she did so, again taken aback by the fact that she had been coaxed into coming here by Vivek, really she would have done so by her own accord, if, well, never mind that now. The expression on Arnav's face though effectively erased the dilemma of her means into getting here from her mind, seeing him almost grinning out wide as much as you could be expected a grin to be from Arnav, it was as if, if Raizada celebrated Diwali like normal people then Diwali had come early for him.

"Really? Do you really believe that?" He asked her his voice shaking with disbelief, at her apparently sensible explanation something he had tried to make her see sense well since forever but being the thick headed charmer that she was, charmer? Was charmer the word? But never mind that; as he was thinking being the slow poke that she was she had only now realized what he had been trying to say all along.

"Should I not?" She asked doubtfully, seeing his features marring for a second and then becoming instantly smooth a firm determination taking hold of him.

"You should Gupta. You should." He told her firmly his eyes blazing with warmth and clarity as he stared deeply in her hazel orbs which were too busy looking away from him a faint blush creeping up on her cheeks perplexing him all the more.

"Whats wrong?" He asked her curiously, inspecting her flushed features carefully, still trying to figure why she was so persistently avoiding eye contact with him.

"Do you mind putting a shirt on? Its rather..distracting..seeing you like this." Khushi murmured inaudibly, blushing heavily as she said so, Arnav having had caught on it, a huge smirk playing on his lips which she pointedly ignored though really she wasn't looking at him but knowing the arrogant toerag that he was she was sure he was displaying his usual lop sided smirk, which she secretly loved, but really he didn't need to know that, though she thought to herself he possibly already knew what with her traitorous body and its signals and that humiliating proposal, she mused bitterly.

"Sure." He said in a clipped tone though she could clearly sense the amusement he was hiding, as he side stepped and brushed past her towards his closet, almost giving her already butterfly wings heart a poor attack, making her scowl at his back as he swung open the door of his cupboard and put a black t-shirt with white stripes on, it perfectly sticking to his sculptured body much to her dismay, but that she thought, she could handle. She did seem to have her head in place everyday they danced in close quarters with him decked up like that didn't she now?

"Well I guess I should go now." She announced in a rather high pitched scratchy voice, courtesy to her starry eyed daze, much to Arnav's increasing amusement though his brow creased thinking of the obvious glitch in this announcement.

"Are you going home alone at this time of the night? Wait! How did you come here anyway? Alone?" He asked her tensely stupefied, the anger returning but she snapped back into mentally present mode again shaking her head before continuing with a verbal explanation.

"No. I came here with Vivek. (interrupting Arnav's obvious question) He's outside waiting in his car." Khushi told him quickly before he launched into another inquiry session. He simply nodded an unsettling thought breeding inside his brain at the mention of Vivek's savior assistance. Ofcourse. It was probably Vivek who forced her to come here and apologize, she would never do it on her own. She probably didn't even believe anything she had just said and they were back to square one again.

"Yeah he coaxed me into coming here. (Arnavs looks at her slightly dumbfounded) I am glad he did though." She admitted somewhat shyly, though she did supply him with a bright smile as she said so, and he solemnly nodded, ticked but only barely by her uncanny ability to read his thoughts like she lived in his mind rather than hers, which was probably more true than it sounded.

They stood in silence, though for once the silence was comforting and not stifling, as they both caved into the familiarity of it and relished it. Slowly Khushi returned back to mother Earth as she noticed Arnav moving towards the door and she followed stepping out of the room an amusing thought entering her mind as she did so.

"Bhai will be glad to know that I made it out alive." Khushi chuckled as Arnav besides her huffed irritated rolling his eyes at the quite obvious, or atleast he thought so of his brother's over exaggeration.

"He has a real thing for being dramatic. I don't get why he's still here torturing me with it and not off to any university to make use of his despicable talents." Arnav commented hotly, though the fondness in his tone that even he didn't know existed did not go unnoticed by Khushi who smiled entertained by his ignorance for his siblings.

The creaking of Arnav's door, which hadn't been closed to begin with considering Khushi's dramatic entrance inside Arnav's room left Aakash being an unwilling, or in his case willing spectator to the drama that unfolded between his younger brother and his lady love. He grinned heartily at it and jumped up from his position on the sofa which he had resorted to lounging on, being accompanied by a newly entered Vivek who seemed as amused by the whole ordeal of Arnav and Khushi stepping out from Arnav's room even though he was barely aware of the intimate details of the encounter.

"Hey Bhai..(noticing Vivek getting up from the couch besides Aakash) uhh Vivek..you came in?" She asked him clearly astonished that he had come in because she was sure she hadn't taken more than 15 minutes to get past this whole confrontation, or did she?

"Yeah you were in for more than half an hour, I was afraid you two might start ripping eachothers throats out if you stayed in there any longer." Vivek told her not bothering to hide the comical grin that had spread on his face seeing the identical expressions of denial on both of Arnav and Khushi's faces.

"We are not that violent!" They both exclaimed loudly, glancing uncomfortably towards eachother having had said the same thing together, as Aakash and Vivek burst into a full wave of laughter, their sides aching with the effort by the time they were finished much to the utter annoyance of Arnav and Khushi.

"If you are done laughing, I need to sleep for the (bending her two middle fingers in a connotation) romantic' poster I am supposed to be starring on." She said pointedly to Vivek glowering at him who only made half an attempt to control his laughter and between that and the effort to walk imperceptibly nodded, Khushi waving at a still laughing Aakash and saying an almost pinched embarrassed Night Raizada' to Arnav who replied back with a slight nod and half a wave as acknowledgment.

Vivek suddenly screeched to a halt much to Khushis vexation who just rolled her eyes when he muttered hurriedly he had something to talk about with Arnav and marched towards Viveks Mazda not giving another look back at a disgruntled Vivek stalking towards a poker faced Arnav.

"Do you think you have a punch line we could use for the poster? A good one? You told me I should ask you if it ever came to that." Vivek asked him, reminding Arnav of some ideal remark in a long lost conversation that Arnav had no memory of whatsoever but he didn't dwell on that fact much as he wracked his brains to think of something clever while Vivek waited patiently in front of him with a hopeful expression. Finally what after passing an umpteenth number of minutes in deep thinking and concentration, Aakash in the mean time having had promptly returned back to skimming through channels, his favorite past time, that Arnav's expression changed as he finally grasped on to his Eureka moment.

"Yeah I have got just the line." Arnav told Vivek mysteriously whose face instantly lighted up at the prospect and waited for Arnav to make his big bad revelation.

5 minutes later an impatient Khushi saw a positively thrilled looking Vivek practically skipping towards the car getting seated in and keying up the car wearing that all knowing grin on his face which at the moment was annoying her to no heights.

"Did Raizada let you in on his..God forbid hidden stash of candy?" Khushi asked him her voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation at being out of the loop on yet another event in which Vivek and Arnav had paired on. Such friendship, much wow, she muttered to herself venomously.

"I doubt he has a hidden stash of candy Chun..oh and to answer your veiled question..you'll know soon, two days at most I think." He informed confidently to an irritated Khushi who just rolled her eyes at him muttering what sounded like foul words to him under her breathe.

What was like approximately 6 minutes or so that Vivek's car halted outside Khushis home yet again in the last hour and she stepped out smiling at him despite the annoyance brewing inside her at his and Arnavs growing closeness.

"Good night Chun. Sleep well." Vivek bid goodbye, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze as she squeezed back smiling jovially at him.

"Night Punchy. Sleep tight. (after a pause) dream of Raizada's hidden stash of candy." She grinned at his outright stupid grin, bobbing his head fervently at her and happily she walked out to her front door unlocking the door with her key and disappearing inside leaving a smiling Vivek behind her who couldn't help but muster up ounces of positivity inside him amidst everything as he drove off towards his own house. It had been a long long day, after all.

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

"Just one last touch up Khushi. Sit still." The makeup artist with his peculiar misplaced expression ordered a highly frustrated Khushi who let out an audible groan trying her best to stay still and not twitch every time another brush assaulted her increasingly sensitive skin. She never had fully grasped the fascination of such mundane procedures and today was no exception, though she was resorted to go with it but not without her periodic grunts and complains. For Devi Maiyan's sake she was in here for the last 2 hours! Her prep team fussing over her, making her all the more nervous like she really needed any help that, having her dread when she actually had to dress up and actually be patient for the actual play next week. Only thinking of the amount of patience it would require made her inwardly groan causing a slight minute but apparently monumental change of expressions on her face according to her make up artist, Pollux, who shrieked dabbing something on her face yet again. She was hundred percent sure she couldn't even recognize her own face in the layers of makeup that covered it now, so much for starring on the poster with her own name, she thought wryly.

Finally after the millionth nod of approval was given she carefully stood up in her four inch heels which obviously were prime targets to her wrath but all of that later, as she stood up full length aided by her prep team that were annoyingly bustling about her giving in their own nods of approval time and again. Walking carefully to the full length mirror, she now fully realized dragging her mind away from the fact that she carrying makeup worth thousands on her poor face, at the sight before her that took her by shock and left her blinking at her own reflection. She would know it was her anywhere, probably because she was so attuned to looking at herself in the mirror, not that she was vain, it was one of the few female traits she had, but seeing her self now draped in the exotic shaded royal blue gown with hints of black thrown carelessly but stylishly blending in with the blue she couldn't help but gape at her stunning beauty. The more she stared at her reflection the more she felt like the gown seemed familiar to her, not something she had chosen on that fateful shopping trip with Arnav, but something from another memory that she couldn't quite put a finger on. Before she could dwell on the mysterious resemblance of the dress with her uncanny memory she felt the tall reflection of Vivek still in his school uniform stand beside her smiling contentedly with her with an awe struck expression which had it been someone else would have made her blush, but it was Vivek, it was just Vivek, her Vivek.

"Wow Chun!..You..You..look gorgeous." Vivek complimented admiringly as another fury of agreements rose around her from her annoying prep team, who she smiled at gratefully suddenly finding them not as annoying as she previously did.

"Thanks Punchy! (whispering in his ear) If I didn't look this good I would have punched them all right now. You have no idea how annoying they are! Not to mention the 5 kilograms of makeup I have been forced to carry on my delicate face (Vivek laughs openly, Khushi drills her heel in his shoes who whelps in pain) The struggles real damnnit! Don't laugh" She said peeved turning around being careful to step out of Viveks way lest he step on her gown and had them both flat on the floor. Vivek still grinning unashamedly hobbled next to her as she followed by her proud prep team stepped out of the make shift prep room momentarily blinded by all the lights that had been perched up on every available surface in the auditorium. From where she stood Vivek next to her, only a few inches shorter than him now thanks to the four inch heel she walked on towards where Arnav's prep team was still fidgeting with his bow being recipients to his scowls and constant grumbling a murderous look that could win over all of his previous glares in this category.

"Arnav looks ready to go on a killing spree." Vivek jokingly whispered in her ear, as Khushi's face split into a wide grin when Arnav's prep team finally seemed to gain notice of her much like the students that were surrounding her now making her nervous in her queenly get up what with all their eyes trained on her, she couldn't been more thankful to Vivek for being by her side to whom she did shoot a grateful look at which he only grinned in reply as they came to a still behind Arnav who still seemed pleasantly unaware of their presence.

"Hey Raizada! Ready for some clicks?" She asked cheerfully tapping him on his arm lightly as he whipped around almost causing her to stumble had it not been for Viveks hand on her arm which kept her upright but what even his grip couldn't stop from falling was her heart fluttering inside her at the drop dead gorgeous sight of the boy that stood before her with a transfixed expression of awe on his face.

He stood there immobile, half gawking at her like a fish out of water though before anyone noticed that he had promptly shut his mouth taking in the breathtaking appearance of Khushi Kumari Gupta in front of him clad in an over whelming-ly queenly royal blue and black gown, his favorite color combination he noted astutely, strapless as it was, exposing her bare shoulders and sharp collar bones that stood out clearly a small blue sapphire pendant hanging loosely on the base of her neck by an intricate silver chain, her small dew shaped earrings complimented by the same cut out stone. The gown hugged her upper body effortlessly and seamlessly flowed down her lower one dissolving her shoes which he assumed would be heels seeing that she was almost up to his neck and duly with a bit of effort would be eye level with him. Her hair were pinned up elegantly in a bun with two lone strands framing her face as he drew his eyes away from the more easily viewable aspects of her demeanor to those only visible to him due to his close proximity. Her lips that had been painted a rose petal pink, looked all the more inviting as she bit on her bottom lip something that he knew she did when she was nervous, as was the slightly more rapid fluttering of her right eyes lashes than her left, another tell-tale sign he had picked up on by being in her constant presence not to mention the crimson blush that crept up on her cheeks whenever she was in his presence. It pleased him to think that he had such an effect on her, but what he hadn't been prepared for was the completely smitten way she was looking at him, like she had never seen anything like him before. It wasn't the fact that he was being looked like that that was surprising but the fact that she was looking at him like that, that surprised him. She didn't quite hate him he knew that, more like liked him, probably loved him but she had never looked at him like that, like he was the best thing walking this planet.

Khushi stared unabashedly at him, practically inhaling every detail and niche of his extraordinary charming features, a word she hadn't thought she would use in a million years for Arnav Singh Raizada, but seeing him standing like this all clad in formal wear not that she hadn't gotten a taste of it back at the shopping day out, but seeing him completely groomed not to mention the light stubble on his face that accentuated his features all the more giving them a rougher edge, something she knew tickled her skin tantalizingly, remembering their kiss from yesterday. She blushed even more furiously at the memory trying to dismiss it off instead by taking in the sight of the royal blue shirt that he wore with a black bow tie, his light-dark brown hair matted stylishly in a gentle-manly way, but it was the basic intensity in his eyes when he looked at her that took her breathe away and made her hot as if she was in her own personal furnace. He had never really said anything about her looks, though she could tell he approved of them, something she was delighted to know but the way he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her right now, made her heart beat out of her chest, like.. like he had never seen anything like her. Ever.

"You two look great! Let's get this gig going!" The joyful enthusiastic voice of Sir Brendan who was casually approaching them from the other side of the room, shook them both out of their reverie as they hurriedly looked away from each other, both shooting death glares at Vivek who snickered unashamedly next to Khushi his grin only growing wider when Arnav started shooting virtual knives at him through his eyes.

"I will be Arnav's killing spree initiation goat I suppose." Vivek guffawed next to Khushii who gave him a sharp poke in the rib shooting knives of her own at him.

"I sure as hell will be helping him with it." She hissed in a hushed vexed tone as Vivek flashed her another of her adorably annoying grins making her narrow her eyes at him warningly.

"I doubt you wouldn't jump of a cliff if he told you to, what with the totally smitten way you two were looking at eachother" Vivek commented teasing, getting another sharp poke from Khushi grimacing in pain at this as he scooted a few inches away from her throwing an annoyed glance at her which she replied with an outright full pearly white grin.

"C'mon Khushi! (taking Khushi's arm and steering her away from the crowd of students that had gathered around them) Good work with the dress Vivek!" Sir Brendon complimented Vivek who nodded humbled at the appreciation and muttered a quick thankyou not missing the puzzled astonished look Khushi had casted towards him before she had been practically shoved on to the stage by Sir Brendon courtesy to her inability to move. Arnav walked beside her still in somewhat a trance though Vivek could see the effect had been relatively subdued and he was functioning normally again, or as normally as Arnav functioned he supposed. You really couldn't tell the difference with his stoic poker faced expressions.

Arnav and Khushi stood awkwardly next to eachother not sure of what to do, with people watching them from every corner of the hall, while Sir Brendon seemed to be having a quick talk with the photographer who seemed slightly ticked off with all the interruption and unwanted interference like he didn't know his work.

"You look nice Gupta." Arnav complimented hesitantly after a while, almost shy if it were possible for him to be shy as Khushi craned her neck to face him blushing furiously at his compliment a clear indication that she had heard him no matter how low his voice had been.

"Thankyou. *pause* You look pretty good yourself. (Arnav gives her a small smile) Look at Eve Davis and Saloni and a couple of other girls throwing daggers at me. They would kill to be here in my place." Khushi said jokingly though she barely suppressed the twinge of jealousy ignited inside her as she surveyed the hall and sure as hell all the girls were giving her the dirtiest looks they could muster, even Vishaka she unpleasantly noted, though with the exception of a few like Casey who seemed to have eyes for no one but Vivek, and Priyanka who looked too dazed to even notice Arnav and Khushi, probably in thoughts of Karan, Khushi told herself.

"Except you are here and they are there. And I for one like it that way." He stated as a matter of fact but his eyes burned with an intense emotion Khushi couldn't quite describe in words something that made her breathe hitch and made the whole process of breathing in and out all that more difficult, not that it had already been a real inconvenience with Arnav's scalding presence next to her.

"I like it that way too." She admitted timidly not taking her eyes off him, the blush on her cheek probably making her whole face red as a tomato but she didn't care, knowing it was worth it when he genuinely smiled at her the smile reaching his eyes, and clearly bringing out the twinkle in them making his handsome face all the more handsome. Lost in her obsessive reverie she was dimly aware of a flash of light and the nano second lasting click sound but the implication of it didn't quite hit her until she saw the expression on Arnav's face screw up into a bothered scowl. She had almost forgotten how much he hated posing for or having even candid pictures of him taken. This was going to be one hell of a photo shoot, she thought to herself worriedly.

"Keep your arm on her waist and pull her closer" She heard the camera man instruct Arnav, giving her barely anytime to register anything as she felt his arm snake its way around her waist and he pulled her closer all this while never taking his eyes off her as she slightly confused, mostly afraid, but determined that he felt hundred the times more queasy squashed her emotions and kept her hand on his chest to steady herself hearing another click and a flash of light that blinded her.

Arnav kept silent all this while as the photographer took shots from a hundred different angles, with Khushi in his arms his gaze locked with hers, though the nagging nausea that he felt kept bugging him taking every effort inside him to keep his expression still and not let his obvious discomfort show.

"Raizada it's alright. I am here. It will be over quickly." She whispered comfortingly in his ear her lips brushing teasingly with his ear lobe as he stiffened and then relaxed trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to kiss her. He heard another click and the annoying white light flash as he felt her drawing only an inch away from him looking up into his eyes compassionately, hopefully he mused not noticing his internal struggle to kiss her.

"Hands in his hair. Nose touching. Eyes locked. (Arnav and Khushi obey) Closer. (Arnav pulls Khushi closer) Just a bit closer. (Arnavs pulls her closer until their chests are sticking together) Yes! Perfect! Stay still." The photographer commanded in his wheezy tone, as he clicked on obviously unaware of the heightened sexual tension between his two cover leads.

Her hands were in his hair gripping on them in a manner that was all too familiar to him from last night, her lips were only an inch away from his, their noses touching and eyes fixed in another sensual eye lock. He wasn't totally unaware of how as he dug his fingers but only teasingly into her waist did her breathing seem to hitch like all the air from her lungs had wheezed out, as her eyes grew wider and his insuppressible grin smugger though they were too quick to recover and go back into position but he could tell from the way her fingers dug deeper into his hair and traced patterns almost lazily and slowly, torturing him, that he knew she was enjoying it seeing him internally writhe like that at her touch, something that made him angry and as he decided on a move to get back on her the photographer bombed them with another set of commandments much to his utter aggravation.

"Break away kids now c'mon! (jumping on to the stage towards Khushi and pulling her away from Arnav much to his exasperation though to his horror instead the photographer kept his hand on Khushi's waist Khushi's discomfort evident all over face) Now look boy hold her like this (keeping his hands under Khushi's knees, Arnavs seeing blood and nothing else) And lift her up until your noses are touching and lips only centimeters apart and..." The photographer is about to do a full scale demonstration on the pose on Khushi who seemed to be getting all the more troubled with his unfamiliar touch all over her body, but Arnav cut him off it as he briskly barely suppressing his hatred for the photographer whisked Khushi away from his hold looking pointedly at the confused photographer.

"Yes I got it. You don't need to show me how its done. And don't bother yourself climbing the stage over and over again. Just tell me what to do." Arnav snapped at him between gritted teeth trying his best to be civilized as the photographer hesitantly nodded giving one final look at Khushi who had positively sagged in relief on to Arnav holding on to his arm, as the photographer stepped down muttering something about hot headed teens under his breathe as he barked at his assistant to get him a glass of water meanwhile Arnav and Khushi regained their own balance, Arnav shooting furious glances at the photographer and Sir Brendon who just shrugged though he clearly seemed disturbed by the whole photographer demonstration act as well.

"Are you okay?" He asked Khushi concern for her etched all over his face as she nodded still holding on to his arm but managing to stand upright with as much confidence and dignity as she could possibly muster in her rattled state of mind.

"Yeah Yeah I am fine..(hesitantly) I just don't like people touching me..(Arnav clenches his fist) I..itss..but its alright Raizada (keeping a hand on his shoulder) he was just doing his job." Khushi told him sensibly trying more to convince herself than convince him. Arnav on the other was still seething in anger and hearing her words looked at her with undisguised disbelief.

"No he was not! The sick slime ball was just searching for a reason to touch you! That f**king piece of shit! How dare he touch you!" Arnav snarled his body shaking with the amount of anger that he was trying to rein in inside him, his teeth gritting so sharply against eachother it was a surprise more than one of them hadn't been chipped or blasted into smithereens in his mouth, with the amount of heat radiating in his body.

"Raizada you are overthinking it! He was just doing his job! (Arnav gets more furious, Khushi abandons the defending the photographer monologue and instead keeps a hand on Arnav's cheek) Look Raizada (keeping her other hand on his other cheek too so that now she was cupping his face) I am here and you are the only one who is going to touch me so calm down. Take a deep breathe and relax. (Arnav marginally calms down) Its not a big deal..just let it go Arnav. (her eyes begging him) Please Arnav." She said in a soft pleading tone her voice breaking with the effort coupled with the whole ordeal of standing straight on those stupid pencil heels she had been forced into but finally as the remaining anger from Arnav's body ebbed away and he imperceptibly nodded at her she gave him a small reassuring smile and took her hands off his cheeks just in time too, because the next minute their prep team flocked up on the stage next to her under the pretense of doing some casual touch up'. Khushi rolled her eyes at this, feeling faintly light headed seeing Arnav next to her cooperating with his prep team as grudgingly as she was, probably more if she was to be completely honest.

"Positions! NOW!" The photographer suddenly shouted as the prep team instantly cleared away from the stage and Arnav throwing one hateful scowl at the photographer got into position as he kept his hands under Khushi's knees effortlessly lifting her, something he barely had any trouble with now with all the stressful dance steps they had been doing since the last two and a half months. By a manner of reflex Khushi kept her hands around his neck, feeling that overwhelming rush of adrenaline and warmth take over her when he was around her as he lifted her off the ground her fingers automatically immersing themselves into pawing through his hair, her other hand decisively planted on his right cheek, as she tipped her head down to meet his their noses touching, her hold on his neck and in his hair growing tighter, when he gripped her tightly, holding her only barely away from his body as she curved her knees towards him her legs wound loosely around his les so they could stand balanced.

Their gazes locked once again but this time it was different from the other shots that they had clicked pre-photographer interruption as Arnav seemed to hold her protectively close to himself as if staking his claim on her and his eyes scorched with the sheer passion that built inside him, the all too familiar white light and click surrounding them but now she noted Arnav seemed the least bothered about his nauseated feelings when being photographed instead he had focused all his uneasiness in that one task of holding her close and away from prying hands. She felt something glow inside her at the thought of that, of him, of him harboring such strong and violent emotions for her that made him downright volatile and dangerous if anybody else dared mess with it. Khushi though found herself shaking her head at her burst of wishful thinking, she had to admit he was certainly acting the part like he was irrevocably in love with her, but he hadn't said anything and she would not believe anything unless he admitted so. She had done that mistake once, she wouldn't throw herself at him again, she told herself firmly.

Arnav hadn't missed out on that slight uneasy flicker of expression on her face and he regarded her questioningly but she just wiped out any traces of that brief emotion and gave him a small assuring smile, as at the same moment he received the cue to lower her down which he did her nose brushing past his not to mention her lips briefly touching his when she stood back on both her feet his eyes closed to internally absorb the ache to kiss her and he opened them only to see her drawing away from him not too far though, restricted by his hold on her waist, but she was smiling wistfully almost like she knew clearly about his internal struggles.

"You just have to tell me." She said quietly, and his eyes went wide with realization as he picked up on her connotative meaning his hold on her waist slightly faltering at the evident shock he felt at her words, which were a confirmation of the thoughts he had been having for a long time now, but couldn't muster up the courage to say them out aloud no matter how many times he willed himself to say so. He nodded at her though as acknowledgment as she smiled at him knowingly, her grip around his neck loosening, but much to his surprise she didn't completely extract it from there.

"I'll wait for you." Khushi told him tenderly her eyes locked with his, as they heard the shrill sound of Pack up!' from the photographer and she drawed her self closer to him hugging him fleetingly before she pulled away without him even realizing the transition in his shocked stupor and she turned away to go to talk to Sir Brendon who gave her a thumbs up and one to Arnav who seemed too shocked to respond to this standing stationary as she saw her disappear before him in a flurry of students crowding around her, dimly aware that his brother and sister were among them, also aware that Vivek was not.

"Are you alright Arnav?" Vivek who had appeared next to Arnav, seeing his unresponsive form came to his aid successful in snapping Arnav out of his trance who craned his neck to look at Viveks concerned face.

"She said I just have to tell her. She said she will wait for me." Arnav recited it like it was something from the geeta that he had wrote learned the pleased smile that seemed to take over his face, much in contrast with the barely suppressed happiness but faint troubling feeling he had inside.

"Well that's great! Though wasn't that kind of obvious from the start? I told you a gazillion times or so!" Vivek chided getting an irritated look shot at him by Arnav and he just shrugged in that way that said but-really-I-did-tell-you-enough-times.

"You told me she hates waiting. And everybody gets tired of waiting. She just told she will wait for me. How thick do you have to be to get the difference between THAT?" Arnav countered rolling his eyes at an obviously speechless Vivek who he sauntered away from towards his own changing room to get rid of this annoying formal piece of clothing, ignoring the stares of a dozen girls that seemed to follow him in the process.

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2 days later a blindfolded Khushi, and a thoroughly vexed Arnav who had point blank refused to cooperate when Vivek tried to blindfold him were being dragged by their arm roughly by a very over excited Vivek, Casey trailing behind them a huge smile much like Vivek's though definitely more controlled playing on her lips.

"In the name of Devi Maiyan Punchy! Will you just tell me where you are dragging me to?" Khushi asked him for the millionth time now, receiving the same wait till you see it' answer from Vivek which probably sounded more like a rabid disease to her than an actual coherent answer that he was supplying. Beside her Arnav seem to be unwillingly dragging his feet along with them though he clearly looked like, no well she imagined him to look like that he could do with strangling Vivek to death first, something she sure as hell was not going to object given the current circumstances.

"Casey will you atleast tell me? Or did this oaf tell you to keep quiet as well?" Khushi rounded off on an already thoroughly humored Casey, Vivek who was signaling a finger to his mouth at her, at which Arnav promptly rolled his eyes, and Casey resorted to hysterical giggles much to well everybody's annoyance, though Vivek was furiously blushing something which Arnav yet again chose to roll his eyes on.

"My lip's are sealed, sorry Khushi." Casey told her heartily between the in escapable giggles and Vivek nodded at her furiously probably as some sort of acknowledgment.

"Don't tell me by lips being sealed you mean he's kissing you! Ewww! That's Gross! *pause* Hey Raizada is he kissing her?" Khushi groaned though really nobody was buying the disgust she was faking she seemed as interested in it as she would have been in her own case, except the kiss wasn't really happening and Casey-Vivek were thoroughly mortified not even bothering to grace her with an answer.

"How dense are you Gupta? He's been dragging you all this while. How's he supposed to kiss her and drag you? (Khushi is about to interrupt, he raises a hand to stop her though she obviously cant see so) No wait! Don't answer that. I don't want to listen to any of your wild theories, just do us all a favor and stay silent will you? (Khushi pouts) We are in the auditorium now if you have to absolutely know that." Arnav told her dryly though now he was a bit distracted himself, seeing as people had taken to being in clusters around the auditorium apparently seeing something, but before he could figure out what, they had already abruptly screeched to a halt and he looked straight at where they were standing right in front of a wood rimmed poster of the play.

"Surprise Chun!" Vivek screamed in her ear, making her jump out of her skin, and held on to Arnavs arm tightly for support as Vivek untied the blind fold, her eyes taking their own sweet time adjusting to the sudden outburst of light but when she did they went wide with shock seeing the poster in front of her, the memories and uncanny resemblance of her dress in her mind clicking into place way too quickly for her to catch up on.

Suddenly her eyes went misty drifting away her mind into a fantasy which she hadn't believed she was capable of imaging even in her wildest dreams. Her eyes shifted down to look at her self from head to toe, draped in an exotic shaded royal blue and black gown, standing in the campsite area however her surrounding was completely alien to any human life or any other kind of activity. She let her eyes wander around the quietness that enclosed her, and only the starry night to blanket her into the beauty of it all.

Underneath her, she could feel her bare feet, rubbing against the softness of the grass, as a refreshing sort of air, more like an overly condensed breathe hit the naked skin of neck that lay exposed. Turning around sharply her dark coloured curls swayed away to cover her back, as her eyes met with the boy of her dreams.

Arnav moved in towards her, his lop sided smile and perfectly chiseled face locking eyes with her surprised shining face, as he slipped his hand around her waist and clutched it, pulling her fragile form forwards towards himself, her eyes registering a mild show of expression , fright and delight.

Pyaar Aise Hota, Jo Milte Tum, Hojate Gum, Saath Mere

Khushi half sang half mumbled in her melodious voice letting her soft palm touch the freezing cold skin of his cheeks, making her finger tips twitch just for a slight second, before she had let her fingers delicately trace his facial features making them light with an extra glow emanating from it.

Hotein Hotein Hoga, Thum Jaye Hum, Thum Jaye Tum, O Dil Mere

Her lips automatically moved pouring out the next set of lyrics, as her hands from his cheeks wind around his neck , feeling herself being hoisted up from the ground, her footing lightly touching the feet, a deep red blush creeping up on her own face. The dangling silver earrings of hers were crashing crazily with the skin of his ears but he didn't seem bothered since she was there, looking at him with her lovely brown eyes, her face bending down to touch his nose lovingly with her nose, making them look like a made for each other couple, a small yet evident crystalline set of tears dropping from her eyes.

Removing his one hand from her waist, he let her weight shift back to the ground, taking care that their noses were still touching with each other, and extended a finger towards her chin pulling it up to look at her windows to the world, who seemed to be portraying complex emotions of happiness and grief intertwined together. Catching the lone tear that was rolling down her face on his finger tip, he showed it to her and captivating her attention thoroughly, she saw him eyeing the tear with care and placed it outwards pointing it towards the stars above which were shining bright. It was the direction, and his action that made her realize how beautiful it was, as he let out a gust of air from his mouth and blew the the tear towards the stars, looking above at the stars with her following his sight, most magically the star he had blown the tear towards now shining brighter.

From the look on his face, she could tell he had achieved what he had wanted, and after all how could he not; he was Arnav Singh Raizada after all, her Arnav Singh Raizada. She moved one of her hand away from his neck and lifted up her fingers towards his still extended finger, and wound her finger around it catching his attention, being gifted with small graceful smile from him.

Toota Zyada Zyada Tarra Jab Gira,

Zara Zyada Zyada Mangun Dil Tera

Bringing that union of intertwined fingers towards their main bodies, she kept it between where their hearts lay her lips constantly moving and singing out the song. She let them rest over there in a manner, that her finger was pointing towards his heart and his finger towards her heart. The smile from her face could not flinch or move, when she felt his face inch closer towards her and plant a small loving kiss on her forehead. His face went back to its original position, her eyes shining like pearls in utter delight, as going with the flow of the song the next part of the lyrics sank inside her.

Kabhi Zyada Zyada Manein Na,

Dil Ye Sarphira

He turned her around while she was singing, lost in her completely, sliding his hand along her waist her back to his front, with her heart pumping more and more erratically with every passing second that he came closer to her. For a moment she felt she had lost her voice, when he buried his face in the crook of her neck making her sigh in delight his rugged breathe sending shivers down her spine. Reddening up she moved away a bit, causing his concentration to de mantle, but before she was out of his grip he caught her two hands from behind, letting her breathing almost stop for a split second.

She came toward him in reverse motion as he holding only one of her hands, twirled her around, causing her to smile her way in ecstasy her, the whole gown moving in circles just the way her body was moving making the whole sight look an expression beyond which could be expressed by words.

Ishq Wala Love

She stood away still twirling, her happiness reaching the optimum of it, knowing literally no bounds of what she was really feeling right now. The girl who did not believe in fairy tales, the girl who thought love was only for dolls, was the girl who twirled away like Cinderella, in a dream that her mind had formulated.

Bara Yeh Dil Nadaan Thaan Par Aaj Kuch Zyada Huwa

Her ears registered the hoarse sound of Arnav singing and she stopped twirling immediately, standing motionless, her hands placed on his chest, for a whole minute studying the enormous amount of emotions that his eyes were showing. They stood at an extremely close proximity her stunned features contrasting sharply with his calm, composed features who seemed to be acting in the most casual manner that existed. She stared deep into his love filled his eyes, losing her self to them, when suddenly she felt her world being shifted yet again and in no time she was sitting on the grass, Vivek beside her looking in non chalance at her dazed expression, her eyes meeting with those of an extremely puzzled and confused Arnav.

"My dream." She mumbled in a small voice, the flashes from the dream occupying all of her thoughts processes combined with the poster in front of her clad in the same, or similar royal black and blue gown that she had imagined herself wearing in that long gone dream, with one poster having Arnav and her nose touch her feet still on the ground eyes locked just like her dream, and then another poster that sported the picture when Arnav had lifted her off the ground and their noses touched just like she had seen in her dream. It was her dream come true right in front of her. Quite literally.

"Yup Chun. Your dream. Did I get it right?" she heard Vivek asking her somewhat nervously beside her, who she had completely forgotten was even there, more like she had forgotten anybody was really there, and hearing his voice she craned her neck to look at his expectant anxious eyes her own glistening with tears.

"You got it perfect Vivek. Thankyou." She said quietly, reining in the burst of emotion and sentimentality inside her as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, his answering hug matching the force as the two best friends wrapped themselves in a bubble of their own making.

"Dream? What dream?" Arnav who had been an awfully quiet witness to this whole drama finally spoke up, confusion dripping from his voice tainted with annoyance that he was out of the loop on this one, what with Casey's knowing smile and Khushi hugging Vivek like he had given her a birthday present a bit too early.

Hearing Arnav's baffled voice, Khushi hurriedly pulled away from Vivek, a grim but nevertheless a grin spreading on Vivek's face as Khushi blushed beetroot not daring to meet Arnav's gaze which was quite literally penetrating through her like an X-ray trying to search her soul. Seeing Khushi's typically wayward reaction at his question and Vivek's answering grin, not to mention Casey's small happy smile, he could only reach one definite conclusion, that the dream was about him.

"You dreamt me? Like this? You dreamt us?" Arnav asked her bluntly under obvious amazement, Vivek giving him a reproving look at his bluntness which Arnav automatically responded to by giving his trade mark glare, Khushi in the meanwhile privately wishing the Earth to open below her feet and swallow all of her to spare her from this outright embarrassment, but fortunately for her something that extreme really didn't have to occur because Casey tactfully diverted the subject off her.

"That punch line you suggested was great Arnav. I never quite thanked you for it. Thanks!" Casey said somewhat timidly hardly looking up to meet Arnav's eyes, as he like with many others intimidated her beyond words and Arnav being Arnav nodded at her in acknowledgement though when she did chance up a look at him she could see the ghost of a smile spreading on his face.

"Punch line? What punch line?" It was Khushi's turn to be confused now, as Arnav giving her a sharp look pointed at the obviously very evident, except to Khushi Kumari Gupta, one liner written in monotype cursive at the bottom of the poster before the credits had been written. Khushi blinked her eyes in slow motion taking an involuntary step back from the poster, all of t organs knotting up painfully inside her as another rush of memory this time her most horrible nightmare save for the one she saw yesterday that came returning to her hitting her like a train, making her feel faint.

"Ch..un. Don't..cry." He said swallowing the blood that was coming in his mouth; his blood shot eyes staring into her pitiless black holes literally begging her to stop crying. Her vulnerable state snatched every remaining ounce of positivity that he was trying to evoke inside him, he knew he was dieing, he knew this was the end, the last of her, the last of everything, and it pained so much to acknowledge that, it pained so much to let it all go, to let her go.

"You promised me you would never go. You..said..that Chun..I'll stay with you forever..I promise. (meeting her eyes with him) You..said that Vivek..how can you..just.." Khushi broke down, despite of giving her everything to fight the urge to stop crying, but when things break, only the vulnerable, those who know it, can hear the sound of it shatter, can hear the misery of the unfortunate.

"I am sorry." He managed to utter in complete regret his own eyes welling up with tears, as muffled cries echoed in the silent hall of the room, shaking the insides of both of them to the core.

"It's not enough. This is not enough. It is not. I..I..cant live without you." Khushi said in a melancholic complete distressed tone her pain getting the better of her, their eyes communicating thousands of thoughts every seconds, as tears made their way down his face, her grip on his hand growing tighter and tighter with every second.

"You have to Chun. We.. all can.. live without each other." He said in complete pain, biting his tongue between his teeth to stop the tears from his eyes to flow, to stop the pain, to let her know this was the ultimate end.

"What if..if..I say..I..cannot not? ..I..think..I have an option too..(Vivek looks at her with dread) I..can die too..with you..Suicide.." She said her voice dangerously low, like she was contemplating the option of suicide inside her head, and her smile grew grave, and threatening, shaking Vivek to the core, his fingers now shaking within her grip, and she looked down startled and then up at the heart meter his beat growing erratically abnormal.

"Don't..you even think..of that something that stupid? Do..you get me? Don't. Chun..you and I end..right here..if you do anything of that sort..we will end." Vivek said coughing breathlessly between his words, but only strong enough to get his message across. The fire he saw in Khsuhi's eyes, the helplessness he saw in her vulnerable form scared him, he knew she was blinded, by her love for him, he would never be able to die in peace if anything happened to her.

"We are..ending anyway." She said, choking on her words, her gaze fixed on him, dark and menacing, she was daring to give it all, because for a fact now she had nothing to lose. Vivek looked at her pleadingly, but he knew she wouldn't budge, and he picked her hand up, both of them with his tubing covered scratched hands, gathering all the strength from within him to make this one last shot worth it, to make his life worth it. He only barely managed to sit up cupping her face in his large calloused, bloody hands their gazes glued on eachother.

"Death ends a life. (Eyes watering now) Not a relationship. (He moves closer kissing her on the forehead) We are forever." Vivek said in last frail attempt collapsing in full swing down on the bed, the heart meter by his bed going crazed, as he coded, and she jumped up from seat frantically calling the doctors to his aid, to the aid of everything that she had bargained for fruitlessly.

"Death ends a life not a relationship. We..we..are..we.." She choked on her last words, tears streaming down her face as she made a mad rush out of the auditorium leaving behind a thoroughly stupefied Arnav, Vivek and Casey who seemed to have no idea of what in the world had set Khushi off on such an edge that she had resorted to tears.

"We are forever." Vivek completed her sentence ominously receiving another edgy uncomfortable look from Arnav who seemed to be struggling with weather to follow Khushi or stay behind and ask Vivek what the hell was going on.

"I..I don't know Arnav..why she went away like that. But.. I think that's what she was going to say. Remember that day in the locker room when she had come to me while you two had napped in the dance room? (Arnav nods numbly) I..think her reaction has got something to do with whatever nightmare she had that day. That's what she said to me when she hugged me." Vivek related to him desperately his own eyes having a far off look in them, the only thing holding him back into this world was Casey's assuring hand squeezing his and he vaguely found himself nodding at her though his mind was plagued with images of the haunted look on Khushi's face that day and the similar pained shattered look that she had on her face moments ago.

"Vivek your meds." Casey reminded him softly, conspiratorially fishing the vial of tablets out of his pocket and handing it to him much to Arnav's horror and utter bewilderment.

"She knows?" He asked him more sharply than he intended, the hollow nod Vivek gave him answering him as much, as flitting his eyes perplexed and angry between them, he marched out of the auditorium leaving Casey to hold Viveks arm and pull him to a nearby empty room that was the makeshift prep room Khushi had been whining in exactly 2 days ago.

"How will I ever tell her Casey? I can bet a million dollars that nightmare of hers had something to do with me dieing. Chun wouldn't have that sort of haunted look on her face otherwise" Vivek spoke miserably burying his face in his hands as he sat on the small waiting couch in the room, Casey seating herself beside him rubbing circles on his back soothingly.

"You don't have to tell her now Vivek. But you have to tell her someday. Even Arnav's knows now that I know. And he was furious. I..Vivek..you have to tell her soon..very soon." Casey told him in a small sympathetic voice though her own voice was filled with the faint dread of how Khushi would react to the actual news of Vivek's chronic disease when her reaction to what they assumed was a nightmare about him dieing was so extreme.

"I know..I..I'll tell her after the play." Vivek relented gloomily his voice distressed as he said so as Casey wrapped her arms around him holding his strength together, all manner of which had started tumbling hap hazardly around him seeing that one painful tormented look on Khushi's face. His Chun's face.

"Everything's going to be fine Vivek. Just...just..keep yourself together alright?" Casey comforted him in a soft assuring tone, at which he buried his face in her shoulder and her all consuming mass of hair closing his eyes to get himself together, her arms wound tightly around him holding his fragile form together.

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nav_bat2015-09-12 00:27:06