Hameshaa -Thread Two- Ch14 To 26 - Page 21

Chapter 18

I see you!!

Khushi was extremely happy as it was the day she was been waiting for from last month. She finished her daily chores inside the kitchen and swiftly ran towards the river to take a quick bath. She placed her towel onto one of those tree branches and hoped inside the water. A shriek left her lips as her body came in contact with the cold water of the river.

She washed her hair with some shampoo and smelled the fragrance with her eyes closed in delight. A grin formed on her lips as she towel dried her hair getting out of the water. She wrapped the huge towel around her wet form and ran towards her house hurriedly.

She entered inside her room and found Tamarai looking at her with disbelief as she removed her new red sari from the bag. She grinned at her mother and then closed the door to change into those clothes. Tamarai poured one cup coffee for Khushi as she knew Khushi was upto something, but what she could not guess at all.

Khushi emerged out of the room, a vision in red. Her hair left open and her forehead adorning a small cute bindi. She was wearing this matching bangles and had clutched onto some paper as if her life depended on it. Tamarai asked her about the matter but Khushi said its all a surprise and left from there after bidding bye to her mother and sisters.

She reached the resort and signed the attendance register. The new guy on accounts had eyes only on her as she rushed through the people towards the house keeping section not really caring what people said about her clumsiness. Well, she had almost dropped the stamp pad from the table and Jayammal had caught the same in mid air. Khushi thanked the elderly woman and left from there.

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Munisamy watched Khushi with delightful eyes as she took a half day off and rushed outside the resort. She was waiting infront of the grocery store for the jeep to arrive. She struggled with the pallu of her half sari as she looked at the piece of paper in her hands with dreamy eyes.

The jeep arrived after few minutes and she climbed onto the back seat along with other people who were off to Kodaikanal. Her heart thudded against her ribcage as the vehicle started from there.

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Khushi hid behind one of the vehicles which was parked infront of the gate. The men was already searching for her and she knew if she get caught this time, there was no possibility of her surviving without getting assaulted. She looked around for some help but the road was deserted and there were no sign of people across the colony.

"She is not gone so far... I bet.." One of the men said as they frantically searched for her in the parked vehicles. Khushi felt her heart in her throat as she looked at the men with horrified eyes. She started moving from one vehicle to another and then reached a huge truck which was about to move from there. Before thinking about anything she climbed onto the same. it was a regular truck which transported cow's from one farm to another. She looked at the animals with gratitude as she hid behind them. The men came and looked over the truck and left from there. Khushi breathed a sigh of relief and clutched onto her knees.

She thanked the almighty for helping her out this time. She did not know where the vehicle was headed to. Only thing rang inside her head was, she had to get away from that filthy place at any cost. If there is no one to help you, you ought to help yourself through everything. She wiped her teary face vigorously and looked at the starry night which hovered over her.

Her eyes twinkled as she looked at the shimmery view the sky created. Her heart was a mess as she remembered Sugandha's sad face. I owe my life to her. if it was not for her, I would have never made out of that place safely. She cried for her lost friend and cried for their helplessness.

She was tired and has not had anything from past 24hours. She searched inside her bag for anything but there was nothing except of some clothes and her books. She noticed a small pouch inside her bag and opened the same with trembling hands. Her eyes almost rounded as she found some rupees inside. She could not thank Sugandha enough for helping her out. How was she going to repay her? She did not have any answer for that.

Khushi's eyes caught a box of cool drinks placed in the back of the seat and she took one out of the same to soothe her parched lips. The driver and helper was busy chatting about something and they did not notice her in the back of the truck. Khushi fell into a deep slumber after she drank the whole bottle.

But she heard them talking about something related to Chennai and the heavy traffic in the morning time. She was half asleep as she was afraid, and was not safe yet to have a carefree sleep inside that truck.

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Arnav reached the Madurai airport and took a cab from there till Kodaikanal. The smile was never leaving his face as he felt himself more near to her. One month had passed without seeing her. However, he was away from her for so long period, but her thoughts were never out of his mind.

He stuck his head out of the vehicle like a child as the car drove through the beautiful highway. The sides of the roads were a vision as his eyes danced in happiness seeing the greenery. He impatiently checked his wrist watch every now and then. The wait was killing him like anything. He wanted to be the resort as soon as possible.

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Its been almost 2 weeks since Arnav had started going for the college. And for his excitement he had got a part time job at Amer Fort as a temporary guide. The travelling expense was the only thing he was having difficulty to manage after he had joined the new college. But with the new part time job he was pulling it so well.

He grinned looking at his first ever earned money. 5oo rupees that was a tip from one of the foreign tourist who liked his briefing about the fort and its historical facts. They even hired an elephant for the sight-seeing of the fort which only increased Arnav's wages. First day was not bad at all as he secured the money into his wallet and kissed the picture of Jesus.

He had made few friends at the college and it did not felt like an alien place to him now a days. But, there was one thing which disturbed him the most. Suzanne, and the way she had started staring at him whenever they crossed their paths. He knew she was interested in him, but asking a girl out and that too a senior was not something he had planned to do.

He was affected big time, but did not had he guts to admit the same. he was there to study not to stalk some senior chick. His trance broke as he found Suzanne standing right infront of him, her arms crossed over her chest and a beautiful smile adorning her perfect cute plump lips.

He smiled back at her nervously and waited for the unexpected.

"Umm...Arnav...there's a party at my house in the evening... you wanna come...?" She asked hesitantly ignoring the curious looks of their college mates who walked past them. Arnav was lost for words; he did not know what to say in reply. He liked her company but thinking about her nuisance of friends with her at the same venue made him hesitant to accept her proposal.

"Err..." Arnav stared at the stone cold face of Anirudh who was standing behind her and down casted his eyes.

"Ohh...Please I am not used to denials... you should really come... um... I want you to come...seriously.." She said inching closer while Arnav gulped hard looking everywhere except her face.

"Okayyy...I will try..." He said hesitantly ignoring the deadly glare from Anirudh.

"Here' s my address.." She shoved a piece of paper into his hands and left from there. Anirudh was little surprised by Arnav's answer. He was not expecting Arnav to agree for the party. He fumed and stomped away from there. Arnav smiled to himself and walked towards the class. He was too excited for this party and with that he would get to see Suzanne's house and will get to spend some time with her, which he was looking forwards from days.

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Arnav reached Kodaikanal in the afternoon and his face lit up instantly as he found Munisamy standing at the front gate of Hotel Hilltop. He walked towards the man and hugged him. Munisamy was little taken aback by that gesture of Arnav.

"How are you, Siirr?" Munisamy asked his voice almost choking from the little gesture of Arnav. Arnav smiled at the man and stood infront of him his arms crossed over his chest.

"I am perfectly fine... tell me.. neenge epdi irukkinge?" [How are you doing?] Arnav asked winking at him. munisamy looked at his Sir with a surprised glint in his eyes. He shook his head as if trying to clear something off his head and then looked at Arnav.

"When did you learn all these words?" He asked surprised instead of replying to his question. Arnav giggled and walked towards their jeep holding two bags with difficulty. Munisamy ran behind him and snatched the bags away from his hands. arnav settled onto the passenger's seat and looked at the man who was busy placing his luggage inside the boot.

"Tamil Movies... with English subtitles...obviously..." He grinned and Munisamy gave him a thumbs up expression. He shared the happenings of his one month vacation to Munisamy while he talked about resort and new stuffs to Arnav.

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Khushi waited at the front gate holding a box of sweets, her face shining with happiness. Worker's were signing their register's and walked towards Khushi with curious smiles on their tired faces. Khushi flashed a smile at them and then extended the sweet box infront of them.

They all took the sweets one by one and asked her the reason behind al this.

"I have passed the 12^th board with 86%..." She grinned widely while everyone congratulated her for her successful completion of school. She searched for Munisamy but he was nowhere to found. She waited and waited at the gate and then asked to the accountant about the same.

A loud blow of horn startled her and she looked towards the road. Her eyes widening instantly. The front gate got opened and she froze looking at the person who got out of the vehicle with a smile on his face. She almost dropped the sweet box from her hands as she heard that husky voice once again.

"Hi... sweets? For me?"

Arnav asked eyeing at the box and then at her surprised face. Munisamy came to her sides and shook her shoulders to get her back to normalcy. She smiled weakly and extended the box towards them. His eyes drank in her sight clad in his favorite color. She had her hair open and there was no sign of jasmine flowers. He looked at her pink cheeks and took one piece from the box.

"I...I...I got 86% in the 12^th board exam... and..." Arnav cut her off midway as he congratulated her.

"Congratulations Khushi...I knew you are going to top this..." He said excitedly while Munisamy shook his head agreeing with him.

"After all our Khushi is very hardworking..." Munisamy said patting her cheeks and left from there. Leaving Arnav and Khushi to themselves. Khushi looked at him as if she could not really believe he was there, right infront of her, in all his true self. Arnav smiled at her and took one more laddoo from the box. She was too lost in him and did not really notice when he placed a small box in her free hand and squeezed the same.

"Thank You for helping me...I would have never achieved this without you... I am really thankful to you for everything you did for me... I don't know how to return back your favor.." Khushi said sadly and found his retreating back stiffening at her words. He turned around and looked at her teary face and gulped hard.

"You are welcome..." He said with equally sad voice and left from there. He did not like when she said thank you to him. he did not help her for this uncountable thank you's from her. he really wanted her to achieve something, just like she yearned for.

Khushi knew why he was sad at once, he did not appreciate it when she said thank you to him. and now the fact that he liked her made her all the more restless. She looked at the small box in her hands and then at this retreating back.

"I am sorry..." She whispered and left from there. She opened the box before she reached her house. And her eyes widened instantly as she looked inside. It was a beautiful pen. A historical one from Rajasthan she assumed.

She had to had to do something special for him, for this beautiful gift. And she will start from saying yes to this. She wont return the pen back as she had did with the light. she was not aware of a certain pair of eyes upon her as she rushed inside the house from the backdoor.

Tamarai watched her daughter's delighted face and reached for her sides. Khushi looked up at her mother and then showed the pen with intricate designs on the same. tamarai's eyes widened and she patted Khushi's cheeks lovingly.

"Arnav?" She asked as if already read Khushi's mind. Khushi was little taken aback by that questioning glint in her mother's eyes and before she could ask anymore. Khushi hugged her surprising her completely.

"He's angry...and umm...sad because I said thanks to him... what do I do now to make him feel better?" Khushi said hiding her face in Tamarai's pallu. Tamarai cupped her daughter's already flushed cheeks and whispered something into her ears. Khushi grinned widely and ran away from there, clutching the small purse in her hands.

"Careful.." Tamarai yelled at her and she shouted an "Okay" back at her mother. Her heart thudded against her ribcage as she made her way towards the road.

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Chapter 19 : Payasam

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No updates for this weekend as I am off to attend a family function!

be back on Monday!😳