ArShi SS | Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein (UPDATED 06/01/19) - Page 2

Maturity in small age always amazes me......life happenings change people in different ways.

Beautiful update dear

Wow, I love arshi as childhood sweethearts, even if they fight all throughout the childhood and fall in love later. I am loving ur story too. All the Best, and just know that u have got many readers.

Loved how arnav told khushi to not call him bhaiyaa, hehehe

Update soon

Hope no body comes between arshi and arnav be possessive over khushi even if he have to manipulate to be with her.just sharing my thoughts and wishes as a reader .no pressure

Wonderful updates, loved it. Waiting for the next update

A lovely start Kaveri! I love how you've incorporated bits from the actual show in the 2nd chapter. Childhood sweethearts or childhood nemesis are always an interesting read - there's always that turning point in the relationship, when feelings change, that both may not reach at the same time, and that might be difficult to accept to themselves since they have years of friendship/enmity behind them. Arnav and Khushi finally have a small tenuous bond between them - that of losing their parents young. It'll be interesting to see where their relationship grows from here...

p.s: You have Shyam the bully here! Was that a guest appearance or is he in the story for the course?

Hi, just caught up with this beauty and loved it. You've written it so well and with such great choice of words. The emotional quotient intact. That's really lovely.

Plus the actual plot included in chapter two was a blessing. Looking forward to this one.

Also, can you add an index on the first post. It would make the navigation through posts easy.

.cheers

PS: he doesn't like being called bhaiyya already huh! ;) He he he

lovely start.... looking forward to reading further!

enemies turn to be friends...going great,,,update soon..

Part III: Age 14

By age 14, he learned to feel guilt because of her.

Arnav stood at the corner of the room, gritting his teeth as he watched her flutter about his living room. She had ditched her usual baggy salwars and muted kurtas for a bright yellow lehenga with those bloody pom poms, the garish color easily distinguishable from the pastels that surrounded her. He bit the side of his cheek from letting out a string of profanities. For one, he was convinced that if his sister or grandmother had an inkling of what he was thinking, they would surely have a heart attack before giving him an earful. And he had no one to share his grievances with, he thought bitterly as he watched Akash and Payal dote around her.

Her presence around him seemed to buzz around him like a fly that he could never swat. An unscratchable itch that seemed to take up permanent residence on what was rightfully his and refused to leave. But he wasn’t irrational. He had always tried to justify his actions, tried to pinpoint one single aspect that made him dislike Khushi Kumari Gupta as much as he did. He had pondered about it deep at night, his back towards the wall as he watched through his window. For some god forsaken reason, her room happened to be across from his, and the light from the damn bulbs she kept on at night would pool near his window, casting an awful streak that kept him awake. Still, he had not come to a conclusion in these sleepless nights. There was not a single thing about Khushi that bothered him, it was everything.

He let out a huff, leaning against the pole behind him. Somehow she, out of all the people, noticed his exasperation and ran towards him, her churiyas echoing clangoriously.

“Arnav-ji,” she smiled mockingly. “It’s my birthday. Won’t you wish me?”

He could hear the hope in her voice, and he had almost instinctively given in and done what she had requested. But at the last moment, the clockwork of his mind started turning and he merely stood up straight.

“No,” Arnav said firmly.

Those lips, the ones that had twisted into the cheshire cat like smile he abhorred, began to quiver. “Why not?” She asked, her voice shaky.

“Because I don’t want to.” From the corner of his eye, he could see his sister had paused to overhear their conversation. Di had an unreadable expression on her face, her blank eyes diverting between her and him.

“Chottey,” she walked towards him. “Today is Khushi’s birthday.”

“I know.” One would be an idiot if they didn’t. All day, his family had been fretting and fussing about this day as if it were the most important event of the year.

“Aren’t you going to wish her a happy birthday?”

“No,” he pressed his lips together.

‘Why not?”

He smiled sardonically. Why not? Why not? He eyed the girl in front of him, his nose wrinkling in distaste. The way she dressed, from her behenji clothes to the gaudy party suits, the way she interjected herself in every conversation to her unnecessary chirpiness infuriated him to no end. Still, none of these irritated him nearly as much as this--her tendency to think that his family member’s were her’s. Akash, his best friend, the same flesh and blood as him, became her Akash bhaiya, her personal savior. Di became her Didi, the constant support to her antics while his nani transformed into her nani-ji, her endless supply of stories, warmth and kindness. Did his family even remember him anymore? Did they care?

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I won’t say something that I don’t mean.”

“Chottey,” she chided. “I did not expect this from you. What has gotten into you?”

“Nothing Di,” he threw a bitter glance at Khushi who remained rooted in her spot, glowering at him.

*****

“O pardesiya….pardesiya yeh sach hai piya sab kehte hain maine tujhko dil de diya,” she sung at the top of her lungs, her voice scratchy and nasal. “Sab kehte hain main…”

Khushi danced tiled floor, her movements clumsy and stiff. She frolicked from one spot to another, her dupatta abandoned minutes before and her cheeks flushed red. “Lalalalala! Ek doh tin char panch...”

He finally broke in. “Can you please please shut up?”

She paused momentarily. “Why? Don’t you like this song Arnav-ji? It’s my favorite song. Amitabh Bacchan-ji looked so handsome and Rekha-ji looked so beautiful, and Lata Mangesh-”

“I don’t care,” he gritted. “Stop singing.”

“Fine,” she continued. “Should I sing something recent? How about Sheila Ki Jawani? Never mind, nevermind. You like the classics. AAAAaaa kabhi khushi kabhi gum na juda honge hum-”

Arnav looked up in disgust. He felt slightly light headed as she continued to sing at the top of her lungs. He had always avoided being alone with Khushi, and now, with his entire house nearly empty except for Hari Prakash, her level of annoyance had multiplied exponentially.

“Can’t you go somewhere else? Go watch cartoons or something,” he suggested, diverting his eyes back to the math text book in front of him.

“I don’t want to. Nothing good in on right now anyway. Arnav-ji, I’m not even bothering you that much and Amma says my singing is very good.”

“Yes you are and Garima Aunty is lying to make you feel better.”

“She is not!”

“Is to.”

“Is not!”

“Is to and you-”

She covered her ears and closed her eyes. “Lalala I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

Letting out an irritated groan, he shut his textbook with a loud thud. “Khushi, I’m warning you. I have to study for a very important exam tomorrow and if you don’t shut up, I’m going to throw you in the pool.”

Her eyes widened at his warning and she immediately silenced. Satisfied, Arnav returned his concentration to the math problems in front of him. The problem set was quite easy and he had done similar questions in class, but he could not focus. Not with her staring at him with her freakily large eyes. She didn’t look at him as much as through him, like his head was transparent and she was fascinated by an object two inches behind his skull. The back of his neck pricked, and he finally paused, looking up with an irked gaze.

“What?”

“What?” She asked innocently. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Then why are you staring at me?”

“So now you’re gonna get mad about where I look too? Why? Is there a tax on your face? Do I have to pay to look at you? And for the record, I wasn’t staring at you,” she finished with a umph.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped. “Can’t you see that I’m doing something important?”

She considered what he said for a moment, before dropping her shoulders and nodding. “Fine, I’ll stop bothering you. But you have to play with me first.”

“Khush-”

“Or else I’ll start singing again. Aaaa kabhi KHUSHI kabhi,” she began to screech on cue.

“Fine! Fine. I’ll play with you, but only for 15 minutes. Then, you go to the living room or wherever the hell you want and I’ll study in peace. Understood? What do you want to play?”

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Hide and seek.”

“Fine,” he gritted. “You count, I’ll hide.”

“But-”

‘Or else I won’t play,” he warned and she nodded reluctantly before she started counting.

“Okay. One...two…”

“Wait,” he grabbed her hand and stood up. “You can’t count here. You have to count somewhere where you won’t be able to see me. Come with me.”

“But Arnav-ji I don’t want to be alone.”

“Don’t be such a baby Khushi,” he walked down the hall and halted in front of the store room. “There. Perfect, you can count in there.”

The room was large and except for the streak of light from the door, a thick curtain of black shadowed the entire space. Furniture and boxes covered the floor, and a musty smell reeked from the area. Khushi stepped back, her hand tightening around his.

“In...in there?”

H nodded. “Scared?”

“N...no. Why would I be scared?” She chuckled nervously. “Why do I have to count there again?”

“That way you won’t see where I hide,” he gave her a push and she staggered into the room. “Face the wall and start counting.”

“Okay,” she turned around.

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it. As soon as he watched Khushi disappear through the door, his hand automatically shot out and grabbed the door knob. The door, which had not been oiled for years, let out an awful creak. On the other side, Khushi had visibly stilled and turned around.

“Arnav-ji! Arnav-ji, what are you doing?”

He took one last look at her, her eyes wide as saucers and her face haunted as she ran towards him. Still, he did not pause as he locked the doors. The job was done efficiently, save for Khushi’s pleading screams. He would open in ten minutes, just to teach her a lesson.

*****

By the time Arnav had finished studying, it was evening. The sun sank lower in the sky, the day draining away, giving way to the velvety dark of the night. Only the faintest of light shone through the leaves of the garden and the air was damp. He leaned against his recliner, wincing as his joints let out a large crack. He stifled a yawn and rubbed his bleary eyes. His thoughts became groggy and incoherent. He stood up and strode out the room.

“Hari Prakash! Hari Prakash!”

The man came running in. “Yes baba?”

“Make me some black tea,” he answered. “I need to study for my exam. Did anyone call?”

Hari Prakash nodded. “Nani-ji called earlier. They’re going to stay in the mandir for a few more hours. Akash and Payal will return from their tuition classes soon, ad Garima-ji said that Khushi bitiya needs to finish her homework and-”

Khushi. His eyes dilated. “K...Khushi?”

“Haan. Khushi bitiya needs to finish her homework. She hasn’t eaten anything since the afternoon. There’s some jalebis left over from yesterday and kaju milk. Should I….baba, baba why are you running?’

Arnav had bolted down the hallway, his heart beating out of his chest. How could he have forgotten? He opened the door, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The room looked even more sinister now, the light of the hallway elongating and exaggerating the shaodws of the furniture. In the center of it all sat Khushi, her tiny body rolled up in a little ball. If it hadn’t been for her constant rocking back and forth, Arnav was sure that she had passed out.

“Khu...Khushi?” He asked nervously.

She didn’t respond, instead her rocking increased. He took cautious steps toward her, kneeling down beside her. “Khushi?” She looked up, her tears dripping between her fingers and her breathing was ragged.

“Khushi! Look at me,” he grabbed her arm. What was he supposed to do?

She tried to scramble away from him, her arm flinging frantically as she moved back. “Get away! Get away from me!”

“It’s me! Your Arnav-ji!”

Still, the blank look remained on her face, her breathing coming out even more shallow and her heartbeat pounding.

“Get away! Please please...please! Maa! Babuji! Please...please please. I promise to be good. No! No! Maaa!”

He reached out, pulling her body closer to his and folding her frame into his. She continued to shiver against him, her fingers clutching his shirt desperately. One second passed, two seconds. Soon, minutes passed and he could feel her slowly relaxing. The guilt was eating and pestering him. A fire burned in his mind and throat. Remorse hit him like a sledgehammer and he could feel daggers piercing through him.

He looked down at her. Color had returned back to her face and brows had furrowed into a slight frown. She mumbled incoherent things under her breath, pulling herself closer to him.

“I...I am so sorry,” he said, brushing away the dirt from her cheeks. Flashes of her singing and dancing passed through him, images of that adorable smile he could no longer bring himself to hate. “I am so sorry. I’m sorry. I will never hurt you again. Please find it in your heart to forgive me,” he embraced her, meaning every word he said.

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

Thank you to everyone who commented/liked/read. All of you are appreciated, and your kind words motivate me so so so much more to write. I’ve liked all of your comments, and will reply to all your inquiries so keep sending them my way.

I would just like to address some things regarding this chapter. In the last chapter (part II), we saw that Arnav and Khushi had shared their sorrows about being an orphan. Arnav even apologized! But at the start of this chapter, he is, frankly put, a pompous ass. I was debating about characterizing him as someone who still despised Khushi or transforming him so that he and Khushi were friends or at least, aquantanced. I chose the former for a number of reason that relate to highlight Arnav’s immaturity and his insecurities over sharing his family with someone else. He has lost his family once (something that was discussed in the previous chapter and will be discussed further in upcoming chapters), so I think it would take him quite some time or some major event to make him comfortable doing so. As for his immaturity, Arnav is 14 years old in this chapter and teenagers tend to think in unreasonable ways. One ironny?? I tried to put in this chapter was the part where Arnav claims that he is rational, but could not think of a single thing about Khushi that bothers him. As for Khushi, I promise you’ll be seeing more of her in the upcoming chapters. So far, we’ve only seen Khushi crying, but I assure you that we will be seeing that feisty, fiery Khushi we’ve all fallen in love with.

Again, thank you so much.

@Ameyadiaz:

Hi! Thank you so much for your comment ❤️

Don't worry. No one is going to come between Arnav and Khushi. They will eventually meet other people and will perhaps even date them, but their love for each other will not be motivated out of jealously. And as for manipulative Arnav, he will not show up in this story. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Originally posted by: just4coll

A lovely start Kaveri! I love how you've incorporated bits from the actual show in the 2nd chapter. Childhood sweethearts or childhood nemesis are always an interesting read - there's always that turning point in the relationship, when feelings change, that both may not reach at the same time, and that might be difficult to accept to themselves since they have years of friendship/enmity behind them. Arnav and Khushi finally have a small tenuous bond between them - that of losing their parents young. It'll be interesting to see where their relationship grows from here...

p.s: You have Shyam the bully here! Was that a guest appearance or is he in the story for the course?

Thank you so much for commenting and your feedback! I will try definitely to incorporate more bits and pieces from the show. As for Shyam, he will show up later in the story! Arnav and Khushi's relationship will not be a smooth one in this story (hopefully this chapter gave some indication of Arnav's immaturity), but I hope you enjoy the journey. Thank you so much!