OS : Cocktail Party Series Love a little

OS : Cocktail Party Series ' Love a little

This is in continuation with the previous OS. Link for the 1st OS is given below:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/iss-pyaar-ko-kya-naam-doon/2574020/os-party-series-you-are-not-invited

"NKji I think we should wind up. We have made enough jalebis"

NK's face fell but he cheered up immediately.

"Hey Kushi since you ve decided to come to the party lets have fun discussing the plan for tomorrow evening."

"Just give me some time NKji. This place is a complete mess & I don't want to give a heart attack to Hari Prakash ji & Anjali Di when they come here."

Anjali who was coming to the living room had overheard this & exclaimed!

"Wow Kushi you have finally started calling me Di. Now I can also call you just Kushi. Since the day Payal & Aakash's engagement was decided I was hoping that u would drop the Anjali ji & start calling me Di. Finally that auspicious day has arrived. Why this sudden change today?"

Having said this Anjali darted a mischievous look at NK. Kushi blushed & avoided everyone's glance. Arnav smiled inwardly. Finally Kushi Kumari Gupta has grown some brains he thought.

Anjali laughed.

"Kushi just leave it. I will ask Hari Prakash ji to clean up the kitchen".

Kushi started hyperventilating.

"NO Di NO. I mean I don't want to trouble Prakashji. I mean he has to help you with all the arrangements for your pooja. Please let me do it". She was actually blabbering nervously.

Anjali was surprised & noticed the Kushi was avoiding her eyes but at that time the panditji arrived & she hurried away.

Arnav decided to go back to his room now that he felt calmer after his little Tete-a-tete with Kushi. He stole a glance at Kushi who oddly was looking at him surreptitiously and'.. Wait a minute was she blushing. This girl was really crazy he thought, shook his head & left.

NK also left saying that he had to call his friends in India to invite them for the party.

Kushi heaved a sigh of relief on finally being successful in getting rid of the mob & rushed back to the kitchen. She grabbed the bowl in which she had prepared separate dough that had evoked NK's curiosity. She looked at it lovingly & then started working furiously with a goofy smile on her face.

Arnav was lounging in his room. He strangely felt lazy & dint feel like working. What the Heck he thought. Let me relax for a few days, take things easy. After all even the work in office was not too hectic these days. Maybe for the next few days he could spend more time at home. Nani & Di would be happy and'.." Wait Arnav whom are you trying to fool. Just accept that you want to see her & her goofy antics & her bubbly smile. He smiled again & just then there was a knock at the door.

He turned to find her standing before him with a wide, goofy smile on her face. She was looking at her chirpiest best. In fact he had never seen her this happy since her engagement. He saw her thrusting a bowl under his nose & he raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"I made this for you. After Di told I couldn't hold myself. I thought you would be happy on seeing this. Don't worry Arnavji I made this with sugar free sweetener. Hariprakashji showed me where the artificial sweetener is kept". She was babbling non-stop & Arnav was completely flummoxed.

He looked at the covered bowl & was confused. He opened it & was flabbergasted.

"WT*"

The bowl contained modak. He clenched his fists & closed his eyes.

"Di told me all about your favourite dish. How your mom used to prepare it for you & you used to love it. I felt very bad on hearing that so I decided to prepare it with my own hands for you. This is a special recipe from my Amma. Please try it. You will absolutely love it. I am not sure if they are as tasty as your mom's but I have given it my best shot. I hope you would feel happy eating it. I did that to cheer you up since Di said that you were sad thinking of your mom. This will make you forget'.."

"ENOUGH" He screamed so loudly that she actually stumbled back.

He flung the bowl onto the coffee table. He was looking murderous & Kushi was shocked to see the anger on his face. After a long time she was seeing the ASR that she met the first time in Lucknow during that ill-fated fashion show in Sheesh Mahal. She shivered at the pure fury on his face.

"What the hell do you think of yourself. Don't you even understand what I keep repeating to you. Butt out of my life. Why the F* do you always keep meddling in my life. What did you think? That I would dance around because you prepared some stupid sweet for me. You think just by eating your bloody sweet you can replace my mom or that I can forget her & the pain caused by her death. How can you be so insensitive? Who the bloody hell do you think you are Kushi Kumari Gupta. Don't think everyone is like you. Fuming inwardly but walking around with a false smile plastered on the face".

Kushi felt as if she had been slapped. She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Arnav came closer & grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't you dare start crying again. I hate all this rona-dhona drama. When you can walk around lecturing me in a loud voice what is right & wrong it's high time you heard some home truths as well Kushi Kumari Gupta. Some people & their love is irreplaceable. Nothing or No one in this world not even the so called Devi Maiyya of yours can ever wipe away the pain caused by the loss of a loved one. Just imagine an 8 year old girl who has cruelly lost her parents in a car accident. Now if you go & hug that girl & tell her see I am here instead of your mom. When I hug think that your mom is there with you & hugging you. How do you think that girl would feel. Do you think she will forget her mom & hug you back. Think Kushi before saying or doing anything. You call me cruel & insensitive. If I am cruel due to my rudeness & arrogance you are equally cruel due to your unthinking innocence. Even innocence can be cruel sometimes & hurt others Kushi & that's what you have done to me many times. Even a few days back during Akash's engagement you automatically jumped to the conclusion that only I am responsible for breaking my engagement. Did you even bother to find out what actually transpired between me & Lavanya. Don't pretend that you actually care for me & my feelings. I can tolerate insolence & hatred but not hypocrisy & lies"

Kushi slowly wiped her tears away, pulled herself from his grip & started walking away.

"Answer me DAMMIT. Why did you do this."

Kushi took a long breath & turned to face him.

"If in the past I have run away from you Arnavji it was not out of cowardice or guilt. It was because I was not sure if you would listen to me patiently without breaking any of my belongings or for that matter even my bones."

Arnav flinched slightly.

"But since you are demanding answers let me give them to you. I understand that you are different from me. While I understand & accept that you don't seem to understand that simple fact. Your way of dealing with pain is anger while mine is smile. You rave & rant when you are in pain. I simply smile & try to make those I love happy with my laughter & goofy antics. That's why even after that jerk who was my fianc for a few days broke my trust I dint break down. Instead I gave him a tight slap, severed all relations with him & walked away with my head held high. You dint even allow me to complete my sentence. I dint cook modak to just please you or impress you. Nor did I claim that this can make you forget your mom. Let me complete my sentence now. This will make you forget that you are alone. Coming back to your example of that girl. I will hug her & tell her that she is not alone in this world. Her mom has left her but her love & memories still linger in her mind & soul. That will always give her the strength to carry along with her life. That hug is to tell that your mom has left you & obviously I can't replace her. I might not be able to love you like her but I will still give it my best shot. I will be there with you to guide you, help you, hold you when you are in pain, hug you when you cry, help you when you stumble, cheer with you when you are attempting something new, laugh with you when you succeed & in general try to give all the happiness in the world. And anyway why should I try to love her like someone else."

Arnav just stared at her. He had never heard her speak like this. Tears were now coursing down her cheeks.

"Love is not like your car Arnav ji. If it breaks down you simply try to fix it, call for another car or simply dump this car for a new costlier one. Love is like your plants. You sow a seed & watch it sprout, spread itself into branches which bear leaves & flowers. Some of the leaves may wither, the blossoms might die but the plant survives. That's an analogy for human heart. Love is a seed which flourishes inside you & spreads across your soul. Just like how you tend to your plants with love & care you need to tend to the people in your life with tenderness & love. The people you love might leave this mortal earth but their love & memories live on in your heart. The day love ceases is the day your heart stops beating."

She took a long breath.

"I am sorry for offending you Arnavji. Maybe you are right. I shouldn't try to interfere in your life. I am really sorry for hurting you. When it comes to you I somehow never seem to know the right thing to do. I always end by angering you or hurting you. From now on I will try my best not to disturb you with my annoying intrusions."

Having said this, she turned, walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.

To be continued'

Kushi opened the box & was stunned on seeing the contents. She just stared at it & then at Arnav.

The way Arnav questioned and Kushi answered back! It was totally fabulous!

I enjoyed the whole update..! I loved Kushi's answer very much..!😉

You are a good writer buddy!

Thanks for the PM! Update soon😊