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Hello all Arnav Khushi lovers..
I am Naina..šThis is my second story on the forum..If you read, please tell me if I should continue or not..Criticisms are also welcome..
But please do comment, ok..It's a humble request from my side..š³
In this story, Khushi and Payal are staying together in an apartment in Mumbai, while their family is in Lucknow. They work in different companies. Characters in this story will be introduced as the story progresses.
Now, let's move on to the story
PART 1
MumbaiIt was evening. Khushi Gupta entered her apartment bedroom and lay down on her bed, feeling so exhausted. The day at her office was a tiresome one and she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. Soon she slipped into a dream.
She was lying in his arms, and the feeling was wonderful. Slowly, he was moving his lips close to hers, and she closed her eyes, blushing profusely. "Arnav, please..", she said with a giggle. But he kept coming close, and within moments, he captured her soft pink lips inside his mouth. Khushi didn't dare to breathe, and her fingers caught a tuft of hair at the nape of his neck, and then she responded to his kiss, fervently.
Suddenly, she sat up bolt upright and tried to visualize the dream again in her mind's eye. She couldn't believe she had been dreaming, it had felt so real. It had been a long while since she had actually seen him. Four years to be precise.
As though remembering something she got up and flipped open her laptop. She desperately searched through her old folders and found the one which she was looking for. The folder named Ankita's wedding. She opened it and browsed through its contents. Finally she got the picture she was looking for - The one with a handsome man who was standing with her best friend, Ankita, who was clad in bridal attire.
The mere sight of him made her feel a jolt in her stomach and the same old feeling of fatal attraction engulfed her being. Just then the doorbell rang through her senses and she dragged herself to reality. She closed her laptop ran along to open the door. She knew it was her sister, Payal, who was also her roommate.
******************************
Payal and Khushi were having their dinner and Payal could guess by now that something was wrong with her otherwise talkative sister Khushi , who had been extremely silent since she met her that evening.Pa: Khushi, tum teek toh ho..?
Kh: (suddenly looking up from her food) Main teek hoon, jeeji..mujhe kya hoga..?
Pa: Dekho jhoot mat bolo haan Khushi..Main tumhe ache se jaanti hoon..Jab se main aayi hoon tum kitni silent ho..
Kh: (slowly) Hmm..Sach kahoon toh main kisi ke baare mein soch rahi thi, jeeji..
Pa: Acha..Kaun?
Kh:(nervously)Woh..Arnav..
Pa: Kaun?? Woh kaun hain..?
Kh: Arnav Singh Raizada..
Khushi then started to narrate the story to Payal
############### FLASH BACK##############
4 years ago, on the eve of Ankita's wedding day
Raizada's Residence, Delhi
Khushi was looking gorgeous in a traditional lehanga choli and she was walking quickly along a crowded corridor so as to reach her friend Ankita's room. She had been Khushi's best friend during their college days. She needed to be with her friend, to help her get ready for her wedding eve. She wasn't paying attention to someone who was walking towards her, a man who was walking with greatest difficulty only because he was extremely drunk.
She walked right into him, he fell backwards trying to hold upon Khushi who also fell down only to be landed right on top of him. Khushi couldn't believe her eyes. He was too handsome to be real. She suddenly got a shock when a shout issued from his mouth.
Man: What the..!! Get off me..!!
She immediately got up and tried to help him up seeing that he was struggling to get on his feet. She understood that the person was really drunk.
Man: (shouts impatiently) JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME..!!
Finally he got up and staggered away muttering things like "I don't need anyone" ..."Mujhe..koi bhi nahin chahiye".
Several people stood there, watching the scene.
One lady: Peeke aaya hain shayad..
Another lady: Raizada ji ka beta hain.. Dulhan ka bada bhai..
Khushi who still stood watching the drunken person's retreating form, was shocked to hear this. She thought ' Ankita ke bhaiyya..!!'..She didn't waste much time after that and hurried along to reach Ankita's room which was at the farther end of the corridor.
While Khushi was helping Ankita to get ready she casually started asking the thing which was troubling her.
Kh: Acha Ankita ..Main tumhare bhaiyya se mili thi thode der pehle corridor main..(and uncertainly added)..Peeke aaye the shaayad..(watching Ankita nervously)
An:(stopped smiling) Arnav bhaiyya honge..Woh aise hi hain.. Do saal pehle unki girl friend, Samaira ki maut huyi thi na..Tab se woh aise hi hain..
Kh: Acha..(Feeling so shocked)
That night, Khushi couldn't sleep at all. She couldn't stop thinking about Arnav. She felt terribly bad, thinking about the ways with which fate could play ridiculous games in our life. She had searched for him all among the crowd during the evening sangeet function but couldn't find him anywhere. But, what she couldn't understand was that, why she was so desperate to see him again.
Next day was the wedding day and Khushi looked stunning in a royal blue sari and was escorting the bride, Ankita. She too looked extremely beautiful in her bridal attire. As they were walking down the staircase Ankita exclaimed happilly,"Bhaiyya!!".
Khushi too was surprised to see Arnav Raizada in a whole new avtar. He stood at the bottom of the stairs wearing a red colour Sherwani, his face was cleanly shaven and he was even smiling pleasantly at Ankita. She just couldn't take her eyes off him. She watched as Ankita happily hugged her brother as soon as they reached downstairs.
An:(pulling off from the hug) Bhaiyyaaa...You are looking so handsome. I am happy to see you like this.
'Handsome?!',Khushi thought,' was an understatement'.
According to her he was looking ravishingly hot and she felt a strange urge to hug him and kiss him at that very moment. Somehow she shook off such feelings and tried to look casual.
Arnav didn't reply and he just smiled at Ankita. He took hold of her shoulders and slowly led her to the Mandap, while Khushi and the other girls who were earlier escorting the bride, followed. All through the wedding ceremony she was busy staring at Arnav and was only half aware of what was going around her. However she had remembered to capture one picture of his, in her digital camera, when he was posing for a photograph with Ankita.
Though Ankita had gone to U.S after her marriage, Khushi and Ankita always kept in touch with each other.
############END OF FLASH BACK#############
Payal sat on Khushi's bed looking at the same picture in the laptop as Khushi finished telling her the story and about the dream which she had had earlier in the evening.
Pa: Khushi, He is really handsome..!
Kh: (sadly got up and went to the window and looked out) I know, jeeji.. Par main kya karti..Uss din main unse teek se baat bhi nahin kar payi.
Pa: (shaking her head) Aur tum aaj bhi pachthaa rahi ho..
Khushi didn't reply for this. Payal also got up and walked up to Khushi and stood behind her gently holding her shoulders.
Pa: Dekho Khushi. Chaar saal beet gaye aur tum ab tak usse bhool nahin payi. Iska matlab ye hi hua naa ki tum donon ke beech mein kuch connection hain.
Khushi happily turned around to face Payal and hugged her sister happily.
Kh: SACH!!??..Tum bhi aise sochti ho, jeeji..?Mujhe toh laga the ki main hi ek budhoo hoon jo into silly baton mein believes karti hain..
*******************
It was a beautiful Sunday. Khushi and Payal had spent the whole morning and afternoon by shopping. Finally they got tired and decided to have a break. They came over to the beach, which was full of people and sat down on the sand, relishing the sea breeze and the gentle rays of the setting sun. Khushi always loved to watch the sun set. Suddenly something soft hit the back of her head and she was surprised to find a big soft ball, which landed on her lap. She turned and looked around to find where it came from. A small girl came running playfully towards her from among the crowd.
Girl: Aunty Aunty..Please, ball de do..
Kh: (naughtily keeping the ball away from the girl) Acha teek hain, deti hoon deti hoon..But on one condition..Main yen ball tabhi doongi, jab aap apna naam bataa dengi..
Girl:(sweetly) Mera naam Suhani hain...Ab ball do naa..
Kh: (smiling)Ok Suhani..Yeh lo ball (gives the ball to Suhani)
Su:(smiles happily)Thank you Aunty..Bye..
Khushi happily watched the girl run away and turned to talk to Payal who was sitting right next to her.
Kh:(excitedly)Cute girl..Hain na, jeeji?
Pa:Haan Khushi..tumhe bache bahut pasand hain na..
Kh:Of course I do..Acha, icecream khaye..?
Pa: (smiles) Teek hain, uss aadmi se khareedte hain...(indicating an ice cream vendor a short distance away)
Meanwhile, a short distance away, unseen by Khushi and Payal, Suhani was playing with the ball and a man was watching her play, walking alongside with her. Even though he was watching Suhani, his mind was full of one question. "Maine uss ladki ko kahaan dekha tha..?".
Some minutes ago, when Suhani's ball had hit that girl's head and she ran after it, he had followed her to ensure that Suhani was safe and he could only just see a glimpse of that girl's face when she turned around to see where the ball had came from. After that he could only see the back of her head as she was talking with Suhani. And as he stood there watching Suhani talking with that girl, Suhani got her ball and came running back to him and yet again he saw the girl's face as she turned to look at Suhani running away from her. It was then that he saw her face clearly and a thought struck him "Haven't I seen her before?". And then she again turned away from him and Suhani dragged him away tugging at his hand.
He decided to ask Suhani. He went and knelt down beside the small girl and took hold of her arms and turned her gently to face him.
Man: Suhani, Tum uss ladki ko jaanti ho?
Su: Aap kiski baat kar rahe hain?
Man:(impatiently, yet lovingly)Uss ladkiii..Jinse tumne ball lee thi..Abhi thodi der pehle..
Su: Acha woh..Main nahin jaanti(sweetly)
Man: Par tum uss se aise baat jar rahi thi jaise tum usse pehle se jaanti ho.
Su: Unhone mera naam poocha..maine bataa di..bas..
Man: Acha..Tumne uska naam poccha..?
Su:(impatiently)Nahin toh..Par aap humse yeh sab kyun pooch rahe hain..?
He stood up and said moreover to himself than to the little girl, "Hmm..Kyun ki mujhe lagta hain, ki maine usse kahin dekha hain.."
**********************************************
Many days passed and one evening Khushi was relaxing in her bed after dinner. Payal was in the bathroom having a quick shower when Payal's cell phone began to ring. Khushi got up and walked up to Payal's bedside table and saw the name flashing on the phone's screen - "Akash calling"
Kh: Akash..Ab yeh kaun hain..? Jeeji ne iske baare mein kabhi kuch nahin bataayi..
She went to the bathroom and knocked the door..
Kh:Jeeji..Call for you..Koi Akash hain..Main phone uthaake kahoon kya, ke tum kuchh der baad tum usse call back karogi..?
Pa:(from inside the bathroom) Nahin nahin Khushi..Main bas aa hi rahi hoon..
And saying so, Payal opened the bathroom door quickly and picked up the call.
Pa:Hiii Akash(blushing slightly)
And to Khushi's surprise she suddenly went out of the room talking to Akash over the phone. Khushi wondered what was up with her sister and decided to wait till she came back after sometime disconnecting the call. Payal came back and sat down on her bed. Khushi went up to her and hugged her.
Kh: (naughtily)Kya baat hain, jeeji..Kaun tha woh..? Tum usse pasand karti ho na..Tumhare chehre pe saaf likha hain..
Pa:(blushing) Akash mere colleague hain..Humare office mein join kiye huye sirf ek hi hafta hua hain ..Issi liye tumse unke baare mein kuch batane ki time nahin mila..Mujhe laga tha ke humare beech kuch connection hain, par main sure nahin thi mere feelings ke baare mein..Aaj unke saath mujhe ek work assignment mila, aur unke saath zyaada baatcheeth karne ko mila..(blushes and holds Khushi's both hands)..Aur aaj main samajh gayi ki main unhe kitni chaahne lagi hoon..Aur mujhe yeh bhi lagne laga ki woh bhi mujhe pasand karte hain..(then excitedly) Aur tumhe pata hain Khushi, unhone abhi kya poocha phone pe.. he asked me out for a date. Kal Sunday hain na..Kal subah se shaam tak, sirf main aur woh ghoomne chalenge..Main kyaa jawaab doon?
Payal nervously awaited her sister's answer. Khushi was amazed to see the happiness and excitement which was coursing through her shy and introvert sister's face. After a moment of thought, Khushi answered.
Kh:Sunday means day after tomorrow..You should go, jeeji..Agar tumhe lagta hain ki Akash accha ladka hain toh..
Pa: Haan Khushi..(laughed merrily) Woh bahut achhe hain..I trust him..
Kh: Toh phir intezaar kis baat ki, jeeji,..Jaldi se usse haan bolo..Main tumhari saath hoon..(hugs her lovingly)
**************************************
It was Sunday evening, and Khushi really started missing Payal by now, who had gone out with Akash in the morning itself. She had spent the whole morning and afternoon all alone and now she decided to go out and enjoy some evening sunshine. She put on her new orange color kurti which suited her perfectly, along with a nice pair of jeans. She left her hair open and put on a cute pair of ear rings and she came out of her apartment looking really pretty.
She took a rickshaw to the beach which was her favorite hangout place. She reached there soon and went and sat down on the sand. As she gazed at the setting sun, she realized that it was high time she too had someone special in her life. Now, even Payal had found herself a boyfriend.
She closed her eyes and Arnav's smiling face swam into her mind's vision. A miserable smile appeared on her lips and she thought "Where are you Arnav ji? Won't I ever meet you again?". A small tear drop formed in the corner of her eye. Suddenly, she felt something hit the back of her head and she opened her eyes surprised at the sudden blow. She then found a ball lying in her lap and was delighted to realize that this was the same ball which had landed in her lap a few weeks ago. "Excuse me..could you please pass the ball..?" This time it was not the voice of Suhani, it was a rich baritone voice. She looked up at the direction of the voice and couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked away the tears in her eyes, just to make sure she was actually seeing what she saw. Yes, the man was Arnav himself..Arnav Singh Raizada!!
*********************************
End of Part one
Please post your valuable comments
Love,
Nainaš³
Seher Hone Ko Hai
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