Chapter 14: Glimpses of The Tom-Boy

Once in the washroom, all hell broke loose as the ladies tried to change in the small space, Anjali being dramatic as usual.  Khushi had pulled herself out of the gown and into a pair of black shorts and tan sleeveless top.  She stood in front of the mirror fighting with the bobby pins in her hair when Anjali and Payal tumbled out of their respective cubicles.  All three of them now stood lined up in front of the mirror, undoing their hairstyles.  Khushi looked mortified when Anjali pulled out her make-up box.

“For the love of God Anjali...it’s three in the morning!  Why do you need to redo your make up?!”  She exclaimed.

“My finace is on the plane with me!!  I have to look my best!!”  Anjali was hysterical as she tried to fix her eye shadow.

Lavanya walked out of her cubicle less than gracefully, tripping over nothing at all.  Accidentally, she pushed Anjali, causing her to smudge her eye shadow further.

Everything froze for a few seconds, Lavanya looking scared, Anjali looking shocked, and Payal seemed weary.  Khushi looked between the three of them, shook her head and went back to wiping her face free of the make-up with a wipe.  She nearly poked herself in the eye when Anjali let out a screech.

“La!!!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!”  Lavanya said in a rushed tone, fumbling around for a wipe.

“Here...take this...it doesn’t look too bad...”  Payal tried to help.

Khushi stood transfixed in her spot as the three women bickered and argued like teenage girls freaking out over getting ready for prom.  Having had enough of the yelps and screeches and high pitched sounds, Khushi made a circle with her index finger and thumb, and used it let out a loud whistle.

“Before I go deaf...Lavanya, take my spot here...Anjali, stop fussing...Ro has seen you without make up countless times and Payal...finish what you have to and make sure these two don’t fight.”  Khushi reprimanded them. 

This was why she didn’t get along with most women.  Stupid arguments over useless things.  Sure, she had adapted to a new dressing style and had even started using light make up but at heart she was still less girly than normal.  Today, in one evening, she’d had too much girly-ness to handle.  She grabbed her duffle bag and turned to walk out of the washroom when suddenly, she burst into chuckles.

The weirdness and stupidity of the situation had Khushi laughing out loud as Anjali, Payal, and Lavanya also joined in slowly, realizing why they’d been fighting in the first place.

They were still giggling and laughing when they stepped out of the washroom.  As the laughter echoed louder than any of the others, Arnav’s head snapped around to look at her.  Akash, Rohan, and NK also followed his gaze and found themselves getting lost in their respective women.

“What’s so funny?”  Rohan raised an eyebrow as he slid his arm around Anjali’s waist.

“Girl things.”  Lavanya waved him off.

Khushi shook her head.  “I thought I was going to go deaf...”

“You will...in time.  Considering how much you crank up the volume on your iPod...you’re bound to go deaf sooner than most people.”  NK stated in a parental tone.

Khushi shot him a dirty look as they started making their way out towards the awaiting jet.  As she turned to follow the rest of them, she caught Arnav staring at them woefully.  It took everything in her power to not sigh out loud.  All of them started chatting in their own little sub groups as they made their way to the plane.

“He doesn’t like me, does he?”  NK questioned with a chuckle.

Khushi looked at him apologetically.  “He takes time warming up to people...I’m sorry on his behalf if he’s rude...”

NK shrugged.  “It doesn’t matter...everyone else seems cool with me so it’s easy to ignore him...”

“I wish I could say the same.  I was the closest to him and now...things are so bloody awkward...”  Khushi sighed and looked at NK with a worried expression.  “I need him to be calm and collected...”

“Have you told any of them?”  NK dropped his voice to just above a whisper.

“No...I won’t say anything until after Anjali’s engagement...”

“Am I interrupting?”  Arnav said tightly, scowling at the whispering duo.

Khushi nearly jumped out of her skin at the suddenness of his voice.  She hadn’t realized that he had slowed down to wait for them to catch up.  “Uh...hey...um...no...You’re not interrupting.”

“Can I have a word?”  He addressed Khushi with a nod, ignoring NK’s presence.  Taking the obvious clue, NK excused himself and walked ahead to join the group as they made their way up the stairs, into the plane.

“What’s up?”  Khushi gave him a friendly smile, trying to mask her nervousness.

Arnav slowed down a bit more in their stride and Khushi automatically matched his step. 

“We need to talk...”  Arnav said seriously.

Khushi let out a small humourless laugh.  “Yeah...we do.”  She jerked her head and tossed her curled hair over her shoulder.  She was glad that he was the one who had brought up the topic because for the life of her, she didn’t know how to approach him about it.

Arnav looked at the floor as they walked slowly and quietly towards the staircase which was now empty.  Everyone had already gone into the plane.  With their slowed steps, Arnav’s eyes fell on her feet and he saw a glimpse of black on her pale skin.

The other tattoo.  It seemed to be some kind of quote that he couldn’t make out in the dim lighting.  He stopped at the base of the stairs and looked at her.

“I’d prefer if we could talk alone...”  Arnav paused for a response and she nodded in agreement.

“Look...it’s already awkward between us...let’s not have this conversation before Anjali’s engagement...we’ll talk after that.”  Khushi suggested.

Arnav thought for a minute.  He admitted that he wanted to talk to her as soon as possible and that he didn’t really want to wait until after Anjali’s engagement but Khushi did have a point.  The outcome of their talk was very unpredictable simply because the reactions could not be assumed.  He didn’t know how she would react to everything he had to say to her.  It was best that they put off this conversation until after Anjali’s engagement, lest the conversation take a downhill path rather than the one he was hoping for.

“And until then...can we at least try to be our normal selves with each other?  I’m tired of stepping on eggshells around you...it doesn’t feel right.”  Khushi pouted.

Arnav let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and a smile broke through the worry on his face.  Chuckling, he held up a hand solemnly.  “Scout’s honour.”

Khushi grinned at him and the two stood looking at each other for a few seconds until Arnav waved his hand in front of him, gesturing her to ascend the stairs.

“After you, Khush.”

Khushi’s heart skipped a beat.  Khush.  How she had missed hearing that from his mouth!  Smiling to herself, and feeling lighter than she had in three years, she walked up the stairs with him following closely. 

Khushi stepped into the aircraft and halted abruptly at the sight in front of her.  She was expecting rows of comfortable seats, just like the business class of commercial planes.  She was not expecting a freaking living room.  There were no plane seats here but there were couches, lounge chairs, coffee tables with flower arrangements atop them.  If someone was given a picture of this place, their last guess would be that it’s a private jet—considering that the plane windows were excluded.  What the hell?!

*Image credit: Google*

Absent minded and still observing her surroundings in surprise, Khushi walked in and took a seat next to NK on one of the couches.  She was brought out of her admiration of the aircraft when Arnav sat next to her.  Once again, she had found herself between NK and Arnav.  Perfect.

Once the plane had taken off the runway and began its smooth fly towards Rajasthan, Khushi looked at Akash and answered his query about whether or not she wanted any refreshments.  She turned back to see that NK and Lavanya seemed to be just as stumped with the interiors of the plane as she had been.

“Seriously Anjali...do you plan on living in air or something?”  Lavanya questioned.

Payal and Khushi exchanged a teasing look before focusing it on Anjali.  “Something like that.”  Khushi winked, making Anjali’s jaw drop.

Of course she was referring to Anjali’s little fantasy that she had told them about.  She warned them with her eyes to keep their traps shut.

“It’s not my plane...it’s Arnav’s.”  Anjali rolled her eyes.

“If anyone wants refreshments, feel free to go through the fridge.”  Akash announced as he tossed Khushi a bottle of coke and handed a bottle of water to Payal.

Khushi opened the bottle and took a long swig, while Arnav observed her with amusement.

“I thought you hated soda drinks...”  Arnav stated.

NK gasped dramatically and leaned forward to look at him.  “Khushi hating Soda drinks?  That’s blasphemous!  That simply does not go!  She probably has coke running through her veins instead of blood.”

Khushi slapped NK’s arm, annoyed.  “I don’t drink that much coke...”

NK raised her eyebrows.  “Khushi...you go through a pack of 24 in a week...AT LEAST!”

Khushi flipped him the bird and took another long swig from her can, making Arnav chuckle.

“Well, look...there’s something that hasn’t changed...Khushi still swears and makes rude gestures...”  Rohan said as he draped an arm around Anjali’s shoulder and pulled her closer.

“You guys make it sound like I’ve come back as an alien...I haven’t changed that much...”  Khushi argued, frowning particularly at Rohan.

Everyone got engaged in small talk from that point on, including Arnav.  He, however, still tried to keep his exchange with NK to a bare minimum.  His priority right now was getting as close to the normal relationship he’d shared with Khushi.  He tried his best to keep his attention focused on whatever she was saying, learning new things about her, searching for glimpses of the old Khushi, and secretly celebrating when he did see one.  He figured out that when he focused his attention on Khushi, ignoring NK became easier.

If only ignoring Lavanya was that easy.  Arnav had the urge to punch something, preferably NK’s jaw, when the woman in question came and squeezed herself between the small gap between Khushi and himself.  She began her usual flirty comments and Arnav’s eyes constantly flickered to Khushi to see her reaction.  He didn’t know whether to be frustrated or relieved that she wasn’t paying attention.

Anjali observed the quad in front of her amusedly.  Lavanya-Arnav and Khushi-NK.  Anjali wanted to sigh out loud.  There was obvious tension between three of them and from what Anjali could decipher, Lavanya wasn’t helping matters.  Would things have been different if she and Payal hadn’t manipulated with their e-mail accounts?  Anjali didn’t even want to begin thinking about what would happen when Arnav and Khushi found out.  She knew it won’t be too long before they figured out that they’d been e-mailing each other through the years...It was only a matter of time before one questioned the other about the lack of correspondence...should she and Payal speak to them before they figured it out?  Would it warrant less anger?  Anjali knew the answer to that, crystal clear.  No.  Regardless of when and how they found out, they would be just as angry.

Anjali broke out of her chain of thoughts when someone called out to her.  She looked at Lavanya and raised her eyebrows.  “What?”

“Khushi and NK want to help out with the dances for your engagement.”  Lavanya looked excited about the idea.

“You’re going to dance?”  Anjali looked at Khushi.

“No...I’ll just help with the steps for Payal and Akash’s routine...as well as Arnav and Lavanya’s.”  Khushi said in a no-nonsense tone.

“I don’t want to dance.”  Arnav said frustratedly.  And definitely not with Lavanya Kashyap.

Anjali looked at him with a sad expression.  “You can’t even do that much for your sister?”

“Don’t get started with me about that...”  Arnav warned, lifting his index finger in a warning.

Whether on purpose or not, no one was sure, but Khushi yawned, interrupting the argument before it started.

“Sorry...I’ve slept no more than two hours in the last 48 hours...”  Khushi admitted sheepishly.

“How are you still functioning?”  Payal said, truly impressed.  Payal couldn’t be herself without her regular seven hours of sleep every night.

“Medical school prepares you for stressful and sleepless days.”  NK shrugged, answering on Khushi’s behalf.

“There’s a bed in the back if you want to take a nap.”  Akash tilted his head in the direction of the tail of the airborne plane.

“I don’t appreciate you trying to make fun of me...”  Khushi narrowed her eyes at him while the others laughed.

“Uh...he’s not....there is actually a bed in the back.”  Arnav said bemusedly.

Khushi’s lips formed the classic ‘O’, and the sight tugged at Arnav’s heart.  A weird sense of urgency gripped him then.  All of this was utterly wrong.  It didn’t feel natural.  She was too far.  He needed her closer to him...emotionally, and obviously, physically.  All these old feelings and urges were coming back to him in full swing, as if there hadn’t been a gap of few years between them.

“No way!”  Khushi gasped.  “Get out!”

Arnav raised his eyebrows, his amusement growing, and he stifled a chuckle at her adorably surprised expression.  “I’m afraid I can’t...I don’t want to plummet to my death, you see...but I can show you where the bed is if you want to sleep until we land...”

Khushi nodded and Arnav led her towards the tail end of the plane, aware that Lavanya and NK were also intrigued enough to follow them.  Arnav wanted to groan in frustration.  What did a man have to do to get some alone time with a lady??

A certain memory flashed through his mind at his choice of a particular word:  Lady.

“It’s rude not to ask a beautiful lady for a dance when she’s getting bored, Arnav.”

“Which lady?” 

“You fool! I’m talking about Khushi.”

“Lady??  Her?  No way!  She’s my little Miss Tom Boy.”

Arnav shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips.  The stupid things he’d done and said to mask his feelings seemed more and more pathetic the more he thought of them.

Eat your words, Raizada.

She was, indeed, a lady and a downright beautiful one at that.  And despite that, a part of him longed to see his Khush.  He was seeing glimpses of her right now, when Khushi made a smart Alec comment or when she showed someone the offending finger, or when she laughed openly.  She was dressed in a plain tank top and shorts, not exactly girly but not along the lines of a tom-boy either.

If only he could spend some time alone with her.

What did he exactly intend to do with her alone, anyway?  It’s not like they were going to talk about everything that had gone wrong.  They had decided to wait until after Anjali’s engagement.  And until they did that, he couldn’t discuss his feelings with her, he knew.  So why did he want her alone with him?  He didn’t know.

When gasps escaped the mouths of the people in his company, he realized that they had reached where they wanted to and he particularly looked at Khushi to see her reaction.  He then glanced at NK and Lavanya and saw that Khushi was the least impressed of the three.  Typical Khushi...not too intrigued by materialistic things.  Her surprise was stemmed from the simple fact of the ridiculousness of a bed on a plane.  Not the luxury of it, not the stench of money that reeked from every object in this plane...none of that.

 *Image credit: Google*

While NK and Lavanya were busy with Ooh’s and Ahh’s, Khushi turned to look at him.  “You’ve outdone yourself with this plane, Arnav...”

Arnav shrugged.  “Like I said...I travel a lot and so does dad...when this jet went on sale, I bought it for him more than myself...the more comfortable, the easier for him to fly.”

“Seriously Khushi...we need to buy one like this...a decade from now...”  NK said seriously.

Arnav’s breath hitched, jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed.  We.  Why the hell was this man using ‘we’, referring to him and Khushi as one entity?  The nagging feeling was back.  The feeling he’d gotten at the party.  The feeling that was urging him to notice something, to observe a certain detail but he couldn’t place a finger on it.

Khushi’s free laughter diverted Arnav’s attention.

“I don’t see why either one of us would need one, NK.  We’ll be slaves of the scalpels for years to come.”  She said as she bent to look out of the small window.

Arnav didn’t like this ‘we’ business.  At all.  He looked at Khushi as she watched the small clusters of twinkles below them that were small towns and villages.  The nagging feeling left and his heart was engulfed in a blanket of serenity.  She was here.  She truly was.  He wondered whether he would wake up tomorrow thinking that it had been a dream.

He didn’t realize he was staring at Khushi until her movement made him blink out of his stupor.  She had bent her left leg to take off her strappy gladiator sandals when his eyes caught the dark ink against the milky paleness of her feet.

What the--!    Arnav’s mind jogged back to a recent memory.  As far as he could remember, he’d seen the writing on her right foot.  Maybe he was mistaken.  He squinted, trying to focus on the fine script.

Khushi caught him looking at her foot with utmost concentration and she followed his gaze.

“It says ‘Live. Laugh. Love’.”  Khushi answered the question that was lingering in his mind.

Arnav’s eyes snapped to her face, somewhat flustered at being caught.  “It has sort of become my life motto.”

*Imagine on Left Foot, Same Placement*

*Image credit: Google*

“And this one...”  Khushi turned her body so that the outer surface of her right foot was visible.  “This one says ‘Dance like no one is watching’...again something I follow quite closely...”

*Image credit: Google*

It wasn’t until Lavanya squealed in approval that he realized that they still had company. 

“That sounds like something I should get...but I’m afraid of how painful it would be...”  Lavanya eyed the elegant script on Khushi’s foot with an awestruck expression.

“It depends on where you get it...the pain level differs...for me, this anchor and the butterfly on my shoulder blade were the least painful...”  Khushi caressed the small anchor on her hand, making the tattoo on Arnav’s hand tingle, as if she was caressing the matching tattoo on his hand instead of her own.

Arnav was itching to ask where her last and fifth tattoo was.  Moreover, extremely curious about what it would say.  Would it be another quote?  Another symbolic picture?  Something random? 

His eyes involuntarily and quickly scanned her exposed arms and her legs and found no traces of any ink apart from her feet.  Arnav found himself frowning at the tattoos on her feet.  If he didn’t have a foot fetish before this night, her tattoos were to be blamed for this particular interest he was sure to develop in the near future.

Their conversation drifted back onto the topic of dance since it was something common that Lavanya, Khushi, and NK shared.  Arnav played the role of a silent listener as they made their way back to the others...the main reason for going to see the bed all but forgotten.

By the time their plane landed on the runway in Rajasthan, surrounded by a dull brightening of the pre-dawn sky, Arnav was extremely exhausted from lack of sleep, being overwhelmed at her presence, and being jealous of a certain Mr. Kohli.

The row of four SUVs which was there to pick them up was loaded with luggage and tired humans, who instantly fell asleep as the vehicles moved smoothly towards Sheesh Mahal.

*

Khushi sighed and closed her diary before leaning her head against the headboard and closing her eyes.  This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.  This wasn’t a part of the plan.  This wasn’t what she had prepared herself for, although, now that she thought about it, she probably should have.  She pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache started making an appearance—a result of lack of sleep, alcohol, and overwhelming feelings.  She opened her eyes tiredly and looked at the wall clock which showed that it was a few minutes past 3pm.

She had a blurred memory of filing out of the SUV and exchanging quick good night hugs with the group before following a housekeeper to the room, where she was to stay.  She had discarded her sandals, plopped down on the bed, and had immediately fallen asleep.  When she opened her eyes next, which was about half an hour ago, her heart had felt heavy and carried a dull ache that she had learned to ignore years ago.

She opened her diary, her only constant companion of these years, and read the new entry that she’d just penned down minutes ago.

I’m supposed to be stronger than this.  I’m not supposed to feel this way anymore.  It’s been three years, for the love of God!  I had made sure that I was ready to face him again then why is it going down the road I don’t want to journey along?  I hadn’t expected meeting him to be easy.

And I sure as hell hadn’t expected all these feelings to resurface with a force this strong.  It’s not fair.  It’s not fair that he’s an epitome of control while my heart goes up in flames at the mere sight of him.  I’m supposed to be over him then why is it that all I want to do is run to him, throw myself into his arms, and tell him...tell the world...tell them what exactly? 

It can’t possibly be that easy to fall in love all over again with the person who shattered your heart, the person who dated a horde of women before your very eyes, and the person who estranged you for three years.

Yet, it had happened in the matter of a moment.  The moment I saw him at the party, all the walls around my heart crumbled.  Every feeling, every emotion woke up again stronger than before.

 I know this will lead to heartbreaks.  It’s wrong to feel this way.  It’s wrong of me to put my heart through that torture again because it will be the same this time around too:

I will remain in love with him and he won’t fall in love with me...just like last time.

If only she knew how absolutely wrong she was. 

If only she knew that his heart had broken years ago just like hers had. 

If only she knew that she had been able to put her heart together and put up walls around it while his remained broken. 

If only she knew that he wouldn’t break her heart this time...but...

She would break his further.

Chapter 13: Awkward With a Capital 'A'

I'll leave the music pick to you guys.  But I debated between these three songs for ArHi's slow dance and I couldnt pick one to post...so I'm posting all three!  But my personal fav for their situation is linked as a youtube video in the beginning of the chapter.

Heart's Content:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJdkEpSYEBM

There are the Moments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLki_8q-LLA

*Blue = Arnav's inner monologue/thoughts*

*Pink = Khushi's inner monologue/thoughts*

Arnav and Khushi moved in synchronization with each other and with the music.  Arnav looked at her nervously, while she looked back at him oozing confidence.  It wasn’t typical that Arnav Singh Raizada felt nervous but the woman in front of him seemed to be looking through him with her intense gaze.

In some distant part of his mind, he was still sorely aware that he hadn’t said a word to her.  He was sure that she noticed this too.  How could she not?  Who doesn’t notice it when someone goes all quiet around you?  And the way she was looking at him right, he knew that she was waiting for him to say something.  It was almost as if she was trying to read his mind to see why he wasn’t saying anything, or rather what he couldn’t say.

She studied him keenly.  Up close, she noticed that he hadn’t changed that much.  The same face, the same haircut, the same complexion.  The only two changes were the tired and sad eyes, and the absent smile.  His hand on her back was exceptionally warm.  She felt as if he would burn her skin where he touched her.  His questioning yet distant glance was making her jittery.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”  She said at last, unable to take the awkward silence.

“Like what?”  Arnav blurted and then cursed himself.

Like what.  Like what?!?  You meet your best friend...the woman you love...after three long years and the first words you say to her are ‘like what?’  Kill yourself Raizada.

“Like...like you’re trying to see someone else instead of me.”  She answered back.

The corners of his lips lifted into a small smile.

Did someone nudge me on my sternum or was that my heart trying to jump out?  Khushi swallowed.

“Maybe because I am...”  He paused.  “You’ve changed, quite a lot.”

“You’re the one to talk!”  Khushi raised an eyebrow challengingly.  “Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, the sharp, ruthless businessman, known for his arrogance and temper?”

Arnav’s jaw clenched minutely and Khushi regretted her words for a second.  Arnav knew what changes had come forth in his personality.  He wasn’t particularly proud of the fact but he couldn’t help it.  There was too much frustration and anger within him and it had to be directed towards something or someone.

“Khushi...I was talking about the way you dress and carry yourself.”  Arnav dismissed her comment.  “I mean...the last time I saw you in an evening gown was at prom.”

Khushi shrugged.  “I guess the old wardrobe got lost somewhere along the line when I was trying to at least look like a doctor.  Can’t really be going out there to treat patients in sweats now, can I?”

“And the butterfly tattoo?  I thought medical professionals frown upon tattooed colleagues.”  Arnav stated non-chalantly but secretly wondering why she had gotten it.  The anchor tattoo on her hand was to represent his and her friendship...the butterfly tattoo......it couldn’t have anything to do with NK, could it?

Khushi gave him a smile and he swallowed to keep his throat from constricting.  Her smile still did wonders to him.  It was like a bright ray of sunshine on a gloomy day.

“I got it after my first week at medical school.  Remember how Bauji used to call me ‘titaliyaa’?”  Khushi chuckled.  “I’d finally begun my journey to the dream that he’d seen for me...so I got a tattoo as a symbol of that beginning...”

Arnav visibly relaxed, making Khushi wonder why the sudden change in his posture.  Her mind instantly tried to form the reasons he must have come up with for her tattoo.

“And...I think it’s just a stereotype....”  Khushi shrugged gently.  “The whole deal with doctors with tattoos...in any case...my tattoos are concealed, so it doesn’t matter.”

Tattoos?  Plural?  But the anchor on her hand isn’t concealed....  Arnav’s brows knit together in confusion.

“The one on your hand is visible.”  He blurted out his thought.

“That’s the only one that’s not hidden...all the others are...and most of the time, we have gloves on anyway...” she said as if it’s the most obvious fact in the world.

“All others?”  Arnav stopped moving and raised an eyebrow.  Exactly, how many did she have??

Khushi squinted at him.  Surely, one of the other four friends of theirs would have mentioned things to him...why was he acting so aloof?  He was questioning as if trying to verify whether or not she was the same Khushi he knew.  So she had changed a little but so had he!!  Why the hell was he making things weirder than they already were?

Calm down Khushi.  Calm down.  Deep breath in...And breathe out.  Think of your happy place.  You’re in a dance studio.  You’re rehearsing for your performance.  There’s a plate of jalebi and a can of coke sitting on the table for you after.  Your exams are done and it’s a beautiful day outside!  Life is good.

“Including the one we got together...I have five...”  Khushi started moving again, breaking him out of his frozen state.  This whole conversation was so damned ridiculous! 

“I can’t believe that of all the things we could talk about, you’re focusing on tattoos...I mean...I’m sure you have interesting stories for me from the fashion world...”  She wiggled her eyebrows.

Arnav smile widened a tad bit.  “You’ve picked up an accent...”  He said, finding a topic to jump to, eager to learn more about her and the changes in her from the last three years.  The more she talked, the more obvious her newly adapted accent became.  He has heard this before...where?

“I know...”  Khushi chuckled.  “Payal and Anjali mentioned it...”

“I’ve heard it before but I can’t place a finger on it...”  He admitted after a few seconds of deliberation.

Khushi scoffed and looked irritated as she held his gaze.  “Really Arnav...were you always this....this...stupid?  I mean...isn’t it obvious what accent it is considering where I’ve been for the past three years?”  She was, indeed, getting irritated now.

“I don’t know where you were.”  He bit out, taking her by surprise.  Unreasonable, he knew.  She wasn’t blaming him or anything.  His was just his frustration at himself getting the better of him.

This time, Khushi stopped moving and looked at him with widened eyes.  “What?”

Arnav dragged in a deep breath.  “I don’t know where you were all these years...Di and them never told me and I never asked.  So no...I can’t tell what accent you’ve picked up.  Maybe I have always been this stupid because I can’t seem to figure things that are fairly obvious but apparently I can’t help that.  So if you would please excuse my inability to recall a freaking accent.”  He said in one breath, sounding a lot like ASR than Arnav.

He closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down. 

FUCK!!  WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!  He reprimanded himself mentally.

He can’t be channelling his bottled up frustration and anger at her.  It wasn’t her fault.  Yes, they desperately needed to talk things out but this was hardly the place or the time for it.  He could feel her eyes on him and he could tell that she was still surprised. By the new information or by his tone and anger...he didn’t know.

He looked at her, apologetic for his slip of control over his temper.  “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to be rude...”  He smiled awkwardly at her.  “I just proved the media right again about my temper, didn’t I?”

Khushi forced a smile and started moving to the beat again.  She lowered her eyes to the floor for a couple of seconds before looking back up at him.  She took a deep breath in and sighed.  The only way to make this easier was to keep talking because clearly, silence only amplified the tension.

“The accent is Australian.”  She said in a small voice.  “I’ve been in Sydney for the past three years...”

You would have known if you had replied to my damned emails!!  She wanted to scream but she held herself in time. 

She was here for Anjali and Rohan’s wedding.  She wasn’t going to create any scenes, especially tonight.  She would find another appropriate time to demand answers from him and to answer his questions, which she knew he had.  She could see the wheels turning in his head, producing question after question.  She was dreading this conversation with him...whenever it happened...it was not going to be easy.

“You haven’t picked up the Indian accent though.”  Khushi changed the topic awkwardly, trying to put the spotlight on him instead of herself.

Arnav looked amused at her statement.  “I travel a lot...meetings and conferences.” 

Silence befell them then.  Khushi scanned the crowd for NK and saw him dancing with the girl Anjali had introduced earlier as Lavanya.  She continued to look around, trying her best to ignore looking at Arnav because for the life of her, she couldn’t come up with something more to say.  Her treacherous eyes moved back to his face, however, when they didn’t find purchase on anything interesting.

It was futile to try and avoid the elephant in the room.  Maybe talking about it will help?

Damn, I need a coke...or Jalebi...Khushi sighed internally.

“I never thought things would be so awkward between us.”  Her voice was barely above a whisper as she finally addressed the obvious tension albeit reluctantly.  What if he wasn’t feeling awkward?  What if it was just her??

His expression became sad, his eyes weary and guilty.  “So you noticed it too?  I thought I was imagining things.”

“It's too obvious to ignore or imagine, Arnav.”

A few seconds passed as they searched each other’s face for some hint or something...anything that could help ease things between them.

“What happened to us?”  He asked painfully.  The question was eating away at him and he just had to put it out there.  Maybe she knew the answer. Maybe she could put him out of his misery for a few seconds.

Khushi, however, felt a wave of anger build up.  She hated being unaware of things, she hated being blindsided...and that’s exactly how she felt right now.  She was given bits of information by the others through emails but there wasn’t much to put together to complete the puzzle.  The puzzle of what happened with them, what happened to Arnav.  And he was asking her what happened after he was the one who started playing the whole ignoring games and aloofness and lying and betraying??

“You tell me, Arnav!” She shot bluntly.  “What the fuck happened?”  She didn’t sound ladylike at all, but she could give a flying monkey’s ass at the moment.

Arnav looked at her for a few long seconds, taken aback.  He was expecting the questions, of course.  He knew she would ask eventually.  He didn’t expect it to be so soon, though.  He hadn’t even had a chance to plan out how or how much to tell her.  Where exactly to begin?  Should he ask his questions first?

Neither had to say anything further, however, because Akash poked his cousin in the back, grinning foolishly.

“No hogging the lady...”  Akash winked at an annoyed Arnav and held out his hand for Khushi.  “May I mademoiselle?”

Arnav threw Akash a dirty look while Akash looked back at him sheepishly.  Khushi’s eyebrows rose a little higher on her forehead as she watched the two brothers amusedly.  Well, there was something that she hadn’t expected.  Akash looking almost scared of his cousin brother??  Khushi had the feeling that if she accepted Akash’s offer, Arnav would get angry.  She didn’t want to be the reason for a brawl between two brothers!

Luck came to Khushi’s aid and the soft song faded out, giving way to another techno track.  Within seconds, the dance floor was trembling with the vigorous steps of various individuals.  Anjali, Rohan, and Payal joined Arnav, Khushi, and Akash.  Arnav and Akash were still staring at each other, one angry and the other sheepish, when NK and Lavanya joined the group.

Akash’s audacity to try and take away Khushi from Arnav was forgotten immediately as Arnav’s eyes zeroed in on NK’s hand on Khushi’s back.  Exactly where his own hand was moments before Akash had interrupted.  Arnav’s hands clenched into fists and his jaw clenched tightly.

Anger bubbled up in him once again and without a word to anyone, he walked away, joining Aman at the bar.  He held on to his glass of ‘Manhattan’ tighter than necessary, threatening to shatter the crystal.  If his knuckles were protesting, it was nothing compared to the effort the glass was putting in to not shatter in the hands of this man.

The more frustrating part was that he didn’t know what exactly he was angry at.  Himself for what he’d done to Khushi?  At that bitch who was the reason behind their fight before she left?  At Akash for interrupting their conversation?  At NK for keeping his hands on Khushi more than necessary?  At Khushi for being alright with NK touching her?  Or at Khushi for being perfectly herself after these years whereas he had turned into an angry blob of mass?

“Easy on that ASR, you’ll hurt yourself.”  Aman tried to pry the glass out of Arnav’s hand.

Arnav’s hearing senses were on a hike while his visual senses were working over-time.  He was keenly observing Khushi and a certain Nakul Kohli.  Every time he saw them, an uneasy feeling nagged at him, as if trying to point something out.  Only...he couldn’t.  He’d already grown tired of seeing that man with his Khushi.  He didn’t want to dwell too much on what their relationship was.  Khushi had said he was a friend.

At that precise moment, the man in question, NK, walked up to the bar counter and slid in the little gap between some woman and Arnav.

“Hey...a Jack Rose cocktail, please.”  NK smiled kindly at the bartender.

Arnav snorted.  Jack Rose cocktail??  What are you?  A twenty year old girl?  Might as well order a damn pina colada. Arnav smirked triumphantly at the feeble excuse of an insult.  The things jealousy makes you do.

The rude sound caught NK’s attention but his expression turned friendly when he saw Arnav.

“Oh hey!  How come you’re sitting here?  Aren’t all your friends on the floor?”  NK acknowledged Arnav with a friendly thump on the shoulder.

Arnav’s head snapped around to look at that insolent man’s offending hand on his shoulder.  He willed his eyes to spew fire and reduce the man’s hand to cinders but it didn’t work.  That irritated him even more.

“I don’t dance.”  Arnav spat coldly, shoving NK’s hand off of his shoulder as gently as he could manage.

NK twitched his lips, half in annoyance, and half in amusement.  Arnav’s irritability amused him but his hostility towards him, NK felt annoyed about.  What the hell was that about, anyway?  Why Arnav seemed to obviously dislike him, was beyond NK.  Of course, NK hadn’t missed Arnav’s insulting snort when he had ordered the drink, but he wasn’t going to go there.  He wasn’t going to comment on it.  He had only met these people today and it wasn’t prudent to get in the bad books of any of Khushi’s friends.  He would be the better man here and continue to be friendly towards this jerk called Arnav Singh Raizada.

Arnav raised his hand up to run it through his hair in a frustrated gesture when NK’s eyes landed on the anchor tattoo on the man’s hand.  Never mind.  Change of plans.  If Arnav was going to get on NK’s nerves, then NK would do the same.

“Not even for your best friend?”  NK smirked.

Arnav looked at him, clearly surprised.  NK jerked his chin towards Arnav’s hand which now rested on the bar counter.

“Khushi told me the story behind the tattoo.”  NK explained with a shrug.

“Seems like she has talked about me quite a lot.”  A smug expression settled on Arnav’s face.

Ha! Raizada-1, Kohli- 0.  Arnav smirked to himself.

“Not really...Just when I asked about the tattoo and every now and then your name slips in the conversations about your pranks and stuff.”  NK looked over his shoulder and glanced at the group of people that surrounded Khushi.

“You said you don’t dance?”  NK looked at Arnav challengingly.  “But you were dancing with Khushi a few minutes ago.”  NK chuckled.

“I was trying to get a few moments with her to catch up.  That’s it.”  Arnav’s eyes flashed.

 How dare he question me about what I do or don’t do?

“Oh.  Yeah...”  NK looked thoughtfully at Khushi and then back at Arnav, who held his gaze with the confidence of ASR.  “You two have a lot to catch up about.”

Arnav frowned.  What the hell is that supposed to mean??

“What do you mean?”  Arnav blurted.  Something about NK’s statement had touched a sore spot and there was no stopping his queries anymore.  It had suddenly made Arnav very restless.  Something about the way NK said it...something about the tone...something that was like a splinter under his skin.  He hated it.

“I told you I’ll get my drink, NK...”  Khushi walked up to them, interrupting the conversation.

Moments ago, Khushi had seen NK and Arnav at the bar, talking.  She’d nearly had a heart attack then.  Here she was trying to keep NK out of the lion’s mouth but no...NK was willingly trying to get himself killed.  She had rushed over to interrupt their conversation as soon as possible, mainly because Arnav looked like he was ready to break NK’s jaw!  With NK’s unfiltered chatter and Arnav’s impatience and dislike for him, the outcomes of a “conversation” between the two would definitely be disastrous.

“I just thought I’d order it for you...it should be ready any minute.”  NK smiled widely and moved a little to his side so that Khushi could take her spot between the men, acting as a barrier.

As if on cue, the bartender slid the drink towards NK, who in turn pushed to towards Khushi.  Arnav felt like an idiot now.  So he had ordered the drink for Khushi...great.  and here he was, forming stupid insults in his mind because NK had ordered what’s known as a feminine drink. 

You’re ridiculously stupid, Raizada.  If not your age, at least act like the freaking businessman you are!  Why give this man so much importance?  Focus on Khushi.  Khushi.  Your Khushi.  Focus, Raizada, Focus Dammit!

Khushi sipped on her cocktail quietly and slowly, buying herself time, trying to delay the moment where she would have to say something.  None of them spoke and Aman, who had been a silent spectator to NK and Arnav’s word exchange, just looked at them as if waiting for an explosion.  Seeing the expression on Arnav’s face, it couldn’t be far away. 

Never in her life had Khushi been in such an awkward position.

Get used to it Khushi...it’s about to get worse.  A sigh escaped her involuntarily and both men turned their heads to look at her.  She shook her head sideways in response to their questioning gaze.  She just wanted this evening to be over.  She wanted some alone time, some distance from Arnav, some distance from NK, some distance between NK and Arnav, and above all, a good night’s sleep.

NK shifted from one foot to the other, visibly uncomfortable.  He hated being in awkward situations and this was Awkwardness personified.  Besides, he didn’t know what the hell the matter with this Arnav character was but the man was freaking strange.

“I’m just...gonna make a call...yeah...I’ll make a call!”  NK excused himself, leaving Arnav and Khushi standing with Aman, who was still observing slyly, trying to make sure Arnav didn’t catch him.

“She looks so happy...”  Khushi noted genuinely as she observed at Anjali dancing and laughing wholeheartedly.  The way she looked at Rohan with pure love and joy made Khushi’s heart clench in longing.

Arnav followed her gaze and couldn’t help but smile.  “Yeah...she’s happier now that you’re here though...I know she hid it well but she was pretty upset until you showed up.”

“I wouldn’t have missed her wedding for anything...I promised them I’d be with them through every ritual.” Khushi looked at him and smiled.  Arnav gave her a genuine smile as well.  The smile faded as soon as a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Hey baby...”  Lavanya drawled as she walked up to them at the bar.  “Come...dance with me.”

“Enough Lavanya.  Stop irritating me.”  Arnav looked at her disapprovingly.  The last thing he needed was for Khushi to think that him and Lavanya were involved in any manner.

“Ouch...that’s not very gentleman-like.”  Khushi chuckled.   She liked Lavanya.  The woman was friendly and, just like Khushi, loved to talk.  A lot!

“Right?  You would think that for someone who’s so popular in the fashion world, he would have better social skills.”  Lavanya winked at him, irritating him further.

“Maybe my presence is putting him off...”  Khushi rolled her tongue into her cheek and placed her glass back on the counter.  “I’ll catch you guys later.”  Khushi winked at Lavanya, and before Arnav could even form a reply, Khushi was gliding away and into the crowd.

Now, what the hell is that supposed to mean???  People have got to stop dropping these cryptic little sentences around me and then walking away! Arnav fumed.

*

The rest of the evening, Khushi had spent trying to keep NK and Arnav as far away as possible.  The last thing she needed right now was a brawl.  She couldn’t have been more glad when the party ended and they filed out of the hall and into the limo that would drive them to the airport. 

Arnav kept himself busy on the phone; however, his ears were set entirely on the loud conversation going on in the car.  He had gathered from the conversation that NK and Khushi were classmates and colleagues.  Apart from studying together, they were students at some dance school.  Right now, they were talking about some funny incident that happened during a practice.

They reached the airport and pulled out their respective bags which contained a change of clothes.  Khushi pulled out her small duffle bag as well, making Anjali click her tongue in annoyance.

“Dad has planned this so thoroughly...I mean...you have a change of clothes and everything!  I’m so annoyed with him!”  She whined, making everyone else roll their eyes.

Khushi tugged at Rohan’s elbow and gestured him to slow down as everyone made their way into the building.

“Can you make sure Arnav and NK stay as far apart as possible while I’m gone?”  Khushi muttered.

Rohan sniggered in an attempt to control a laugh.  “So you noticed it too?  I’ve been worried about Arnav all evening...”

“Yeah, me too...but I’m worried about NK more than Arnav...I mean, let’s be realistic...chances of NK getting hurt are higher.  That lad governor can be so unpredictable!”  Khushi sighed defeatedly.  “I need a coke.”

“I’m sure there’s some on the jet, Khushi...and don’t worry...I’ll keep them away from each other...just...hurry up, will you?”  Rohan glanced nervously at Arnav.

Khushi understood.  No matter how much one tried, once Arnav lost his temper, no one could control him.  She used to be able to, but whether or not she’ll have that skill now, she didn’t know.  NK didn’t like violence and so he wasn’t likely to start anything but he couldn’t control his chatter.  And his chatter would definitely annoy Arnav to a dangerous extent.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”  Khushi smiled at Rohan gratefully and sped up to catch up with Anjali, Payal, and Lavanya.

Chapter 12: The Surprise Gift

Anjali's Dress:

Payal's Dress:

"I'm so sorry that I am not there."

This time, Arnav's head whipped around to look at the stage.  Indeed, she wasn't there in person but her beautiful face was glowing with pure joy on the large screen. 

"Trust me...I really wanted to be there and see you all again.  It's been three years and I have missed you all so so much.  I guess we would have reminisced about old times if I was there so I thought why not do this instead?  It's not professional...I don't even know if I did a good job with it...but I just had to make sure you guys take a walk down memory lane today.  So think of me but don't miss me too much as you watch the video...I love you!"

And then her face was gone and replaced by a group picture of theirs that they had taken when they had newly moved in to the penthouse in Canada.  As the music started, a small smile played on his lips and he absent-mindedly ran his left thumb over the tattoo on his right hand.  The tattoo that represented the bond him and Khushi shared.  Anjali, Payal, and Khushi often sang this song, albeit completely off-key.  It was "their" song, as they'd called it.  Of course, Khushi would have chosen this song as the background music for the video montage she had put together.

Hum, rahen ya na rahen kal

Kal yaad aayenge ke ye pal

Pal, ye hain pyar ke pal

Chal, aa mere sang chal

Chal, soche kya

Chhoti si, hai zindagi

Kal, mil jaaye to hogi khush-naseebi

Hum rahen ya na rahen yaad aayenge ye pal

Akash and Payal quietly took their seats as the pictures continued to change on the screen at regular intervals.  Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen as the five friends truly took a walk down memory lane.

Hum rahen ya na rahen kal

Kal, yaad aayenge ye pal

Pal, ye hain pyar ke pal

Chal, aa mere sang chal

Chal, soche kya

Chhoti si, hai zindagi

Kal, mil jaaye to hogi khush-naseebi

Hum rahen ya na rahen yaad aayenge ye pal

There were all sorts of pictures in this slideshow.  From candid photos to poses to photo booth snaps.  She had even included some recorded clips, in mute, that displayed the bond all of them had shared.  There was a small clip playing right now that showed how everyone had become the target of Arnav and Khushi's surprise water balloon war against them.

Shaam ka aanchal, odh ke aayee dekho woh raat suhani

Aa likh dein hum dono milke apni ye prem kahani

Hum rahen ya na rahen yaad aayenge ye pal

As the slideshow went on, the pictures and clips became more recent.  There were pictures in this video that Arnav had never seen before.  Apparently, he had been the victim of numerous candid pictures taken by the others while they made faces next to him as he slept...sometimes on his bed...sometimes the dining table.  His heart had skipped a beat when a picture of him and Khushi sleeping on the couch had come up.  Both slept head-to-head, his resting on her shoulder while hers rested on his shoulder, their legs were dangling off of the armrests on the opposite sides.

Meri chaahat ko rakh lena jaise koi nishani

Hum rahen ya na rahen yaad aayenge ye pal

Arnav glanced at Anjali and found her dabbing at her cheeks with a tissue.  He glanced at Payal and found her doing the same.  He swallowed back the lump in his throat and clenched his jaw when he felt tears prickling at the back of his eyes.  God, how he missed her!

Hum rahen ya na rahen kal

Kal, yaad aayenge ye pal

Pal, ye hain pyar ke pal

Chal, aa mere sang chal

Chal, soche kya chhoti si hai zindagi

Kal mil jaaye to hogi khush-naseebi

Maybe she didn't hate him like he thought she did.  It wasn't as if she had excluded all of his pictures or had tried to minimize the pictures that he was in.  Arnav's heart did sink when he saw the last few pictures"undoubtedly from Khushi's last birthday with them.  The birthday that Arnav had missed and hence his absence in the pictures too.

Hum rahen ya na rahen yaad aayenge ye pal

Hum rahen ya na rahen yaad aayenge ye pal

The last picture hung for a few moments longer.  It was a snapshot of the five of them sans Arnav at the airport.  Even though everyone tried to smile in the picture, none of their smiles were genuine.  Khushi, in fact, looked like she'd been to hell and back.  Hair tied in a messy ponytail high on her head, her eyes red and puffy as if she had been crying, her right hand clenched in a fist and put up to show her tattoo.  Arnav got the feeling that that gesture was her way of including him in the picture, to make up for his absence.  Memories of that day tried to cast their web on his mind but he resisted. 

The screen faded to white and then turned off as the lights got just a tad bit brighter.  As if they had communicated silently, Anjali and Payal stood up simultaneously and gathered themselves in an embrace as the crowd broke out in a small applause.  Akash, Arnav, and Rohan exchanged knowing glances as each of them reeled in the fun-filled past they had until things had gone wrong for Arnav and Khushi.  her departure had changed the dynamics of the group and each one of them yearned to have the old bonds restored.

Just as the two women pulled apart, the lights turned off again, momentarily drowning the hall in completed darkness.  Then a spotlight hit the center of the stage a few seconds later.  Everyone turned to look at the woman who stood up there with her back facing the crowd.

She was dressed in a floor length open back dark purple gown. The fabric hugged her curves in the right places, giving her a sensuous look.  Her brown hair was done up in an elegant side-swept hairdo, leaving her right shoulder exposed.  There was an intricately designed butterfly tattooed on her exposed shoulder blade.  It stood out starkly against her milky skin.  She looked graceful just standing there.  An aura of elegance and confidence surrounded her.

Arnav recognized the evening gown immediately.  It was one of his personal designs from their most recent collection.  The silver strips attached in an abstract way to give the open back a windowed look.  If he hadn't known better, he would have bet that this gown was custom made for the woman who was wearing it right now.

Must be Lavanya.  Arnav groaned inwardly. 

Lavanya Kashyap, a drama and dance professor at the Delhi University where Anjali taught.  Anjali, Lavanya, and Payal had become good friends in the couple years that they'd known each other.  Arnav, however, found her irritating with her sly glances and flirty remarks.  It irritated him and she knew that well, which is precisely why she continued to flirt with him.  She loved irritating him, despite his infamous temper.

The woman raised a microphone to her mouth and sang.  The very lines from the video which was playing seconds ago.

"Hum Rahe Ya Na Rahe, Yaad Aayenge Yeh Pal..."  This time, she was perfectly in tune.

Arnav's heart started thundering in anticipation and his limbs felt numb, having realized that she was standing here in flesh and blood.  Mere twenty steps away from him.

She turned around to face them with a wide grin on her face and at the same instant, the lights came on again.  Arnav's knees suddenly felt like they would give away any second.  Anjali and Payal were already running towards the stage, squealing.  Akash and Rohan soon followed, leaving Arnav standing in front of his seat, flabbergasted.

There she was.  Khushi Kumari Gupta.

Anjali and Payal had gathered Khushi in a big hug, not caring that all their dresses were getting wrinkled or that their hair and makeup would mess up.  They were meeting after three long years and nothing mattered more than that.  So they stood there, gathering each other in hugs, smiling and crying at the same time.  Even Rohan's eyes were misty.  Akash broke away from them momentarily and announced that the dance floor and bar was open and that the guests could make their way there. 

Arnav stood still, refusing to move or even blink, lest she disappear.  His heart threatened to jump out of his chest, his throat felt choked, his knees weak, and his head swam.  He watched Anjali hug her again and shed a few more tears.  Payal followed suit as well.  Khushi's sudden appearance at the most unexpected time had taken them by surprise, yes, but it had completely stunned Arnav, to say the least.  He couldn't remember how to move.  He was staring at them like a fool, unsure of what his face expressed, what his stance was.

Then her eyes caught his and everything shifted.  Everyone else blurred out of his vision, and his eyes only saw her.  Her face glowed with the joy of seeing her friends tonight.  She hadn't shed a single tear, unlike the others.  She gave him a genuinely dazzling smile and he felt the corners of his mouth automatically lift up in a smile as well.  He found control over his legs again and took a couple of steps towards them.  His heart still thudded uncontrollably but he liked it.  He had missed that erratic heartbeat of his.  It used to do that when he was around Khushi.  It had succumbed to a boring rhythm ever since she had left.

The group also collectively made their way towards Arnav and they met halfway between the stage and their table.  She looked up at him, still smiling, and moisture finally rushed into her eyes.  Seeing him here hit her with a force she didn't know existed.  She realized, in that moment, exactly how much she had missed him.  The odd vacancy that existed in her life felt filled again.  He had indefinitely made a spot in her life and heart and three years of separation hadn't changed that.  She knew things won't be the same as they were three years ago for he had changed and she had, too.  But, eventually, Arnav and Khushi would fall back into their Raizada-Khush patterns, she knew.  But until then, she was just happy to have her friend back, to see him again.

"Arnav."  She whispered his name as if it was her most favourite word in the vocabulary.

Before he could even blink, she had closed the distance between them and hugged him.  So attuned to this gesture, his arms automatically found their way around her and he held her close, afraid to let go.  The sense of completeness and familiarity was overwhelming, even for the apparently ruthless ASR.  He was sure he was dreaming and that when he woke up, she would be gone.  Then, he felt her tremble in his arms and he realized with a pang that she was trying not to cry.  The realness of the situation drove home.  She was really here.  Khushi pulled away from Arnav but her warmth still engulfed his excited heart, refusing to let it go and fall back into the cold, dark abyss it had hibernated in for the past three years.

"I can't believe you're actually here!"  Anjali giggled, wiping away a tear.

"Of course I'm here!  I promised you I'd be here, didn't I?"  Khushi, now standing next to Arnav, turned to face her.

"B-but the e-mail you sent..."  Rohan started.

"It was a part of the plan...I was supposed to surprise you and clearly...I have."  Khushi beamed.

Arnav and Rohan glared at Akash.  "You were in on this??"  Rohan accused.

"What?  No!"  Akash defended himself.  How the hell had they gotten to that conclusion?  Of course!  Of course, they would think that he and Payal knew about this because they were the ones who presented the video before she actually showed up!

"No one here was in on it...I sent that DVD to Payal...it was the perfect alibi...it would make you think that I actually won't show up..."  Khushi smiled.  "Thank God it worked out perfectly...I thought I was going to be late..."

"Wait...when did you get here?  Where's your luggage?"  Payal questioned.

Khushi rolled her eyes.  "I got here mid afternoon...and my luggage is at Buaji's place...your house, to be precise."

"You've been here all afternoon?"  Anjali gasped.

Khushi had been in the same city, merely a twenty minutes drive away from Raizada Mansion, where Payal had spent all day, preparing for the evening.  Khushi couldn't have done this alone.  Someone had to have filled her in on the day's agenda; otherwise Khushi wouldn't have ended up at Payal's house.  There was a traitor in the group who hid such important information!  Anjali's eyes scanned over their faces carefully, half listening to what Khushi was saying.

"yeah...it took everything I had to not hike a cab to Raizada Mansion and see you guys there...I decided to be more filmy with my entry...to satisfy Anjali's Bollywood buds."  Khushi giggled, making Arnav's heart flutter.  That sound was the world's third best melody to his ears.  The first best being his mother's lullaby and the second best being Khushi's laughter.

"And before any of you ask me any more questions...Amma is here with me too, she will be getting on that flight with Buaji tonight and I will be on that flight tonight with you guys.  Yes, I have been planning this ever since I got the details of the party from Anjali.  And Buaji was in on this for the past week and Arvind uncle found out today."  Khushi said in one breath and picked up a champagne flute from the waiter passing by.

Offended gasps were heard.  Khushi bit her tongue.  Damn.  She wasn't supposed to tell them that Arnav's dad knew about this.

"Dad??"  Anjali yelped. "He knew??"

Khushi smiled guiltily.  "Umm...yes?  But in his defence...he only found out this evening...I needed to tell someone about Amma's attendance...for the flight tonight...and...He drove me here tonight."

Anjali and Arnav shared a glance.  "So that is where he was tonight??  He told us he had some dinner with Singapore clients!"  Anjali crossed her arms, annoyed.

"It would have spoilt the surprise, Anjali...stop being dramatic.  Let's go and get your make-up fixed."  Khushi nudged her chin in the direction of Anjali's face.

Rohan gasped.  "Look at you...you're talking like a girl...hell...you're dressed like a girly girl too...I mean...the gown...the heels...the jewellery!  Where's Khushi Gupta and what have you done to her?"

"I'd tell you...but then I'd have to kill you."  Khushi winked at him and left with Payal and Anjali, presumably towards the restroom.

Arnav's eyes caught the butterfly tattoo on her shoulder.  Was that fake or real?  It was then that he noticed her.  Really noticed her.  She was different.

No longer was she a clumsy girl who bounced and tripped from one spot to another.  She was gliding gracefully across the hall in heels!  Silver strappy heels to be precise.  Gone were the running shoes.  She had put on weight in the last three years.  The healthy kind of weight that filled out a woman's figure.  She no longer looked like a young girl.  She had transformed into a curvaceous and graceful woman.  Her face had matured too, replacing her baby fat with femininely defined bones and planes.

Arnav blinked and broke out of his thoughts when someone clicked their fingers in front of his face.  Annoyed at having been interrupted, he turned to blast whoever it was but shut up seeing the person.

"Where are you staring??  I'm over here..." She drawled in a flirty tone.

Aman, Rohan, and Akash suppressed their chuckles.  Lavanya's flirting always irritated Arnav- simply because she reminded him of someone unpleasant from the past.

"His best friend is back and I think he has gone into shock."  Rohan chuckled, earning a glare from Arnav.

"Anjali and Payal have gone to the restroom."  Arnav said curtly.

Lavanya winked at him and walked in the direction of the restroom as well.

"Dad is so dead."  Arnav bit out a second later and pulled out his phone, undoubtedly to make a call to his father.

"I think your old man is smarter than to answer your call at this time...I bet you he knows that you'll be pissed off."  Rohan took the phone out of Arnav's hand.

Akash and Rohan were marvelling at the surprise of it all while Arnav listened silently, his eyes running over the crowd every now and then to catch a glimpse of her.  It felt like forever before the four ladies finally found their way back. 

"She's beautiful..."  Aman said as he eyed Khushi.  Arnav looked at him with a heated glare, feeling the possessiveness rise in him again.  Aman squirmed away from there, cowering under the intensity of Arnav's glare.

Arnav turned back to look at Khushi in time to see her waving him forward.  His brow furrowed in confusion.  Why was she waving him over when she was walking towards him anyway?  He was just about to take a step forward when he realized that she wasn't looking at him.  She was looking over his shoulder and behind him.

Before he could turn around to see whom she was waving at, a man dressed in a white suit walked past Arnav and took a step towards Khushi who had just reached them.  Khushi placed a hand on his arm casually, making Arnav clench his jaw. 

What.  The.  Hell.  Who the f**k is that?!

"Guys...this is Nakul Kohli...my friend..."  Khushi introduced, Anjali and Payal exchanged a glance.   "And NK...this is my cousin, Payal...and her boyfriend, Akash."

"Hi Nakul..."  Payal extended her hand.

"Hey...please...call me NK."  NK shook Payal's hand and then Akash's.

"This is Anjali and her fiance Rohan...the couple of the night...Lavanya, Anjali's friend" Khushi beamed and paused as the people in question shook hands with NK.

"And this is Arnav."  Khushi smiled.

NK raised an eyebrow, interested, as he extended his hand towards an angry looking Arnav.  "Ahh...so you're Arnav..."

Arnav raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, his hand gripping NK's more forcefully than necessary.  "So you've heard about me."

NK shrugged.  "Khushi talks a lot."

"I do not!"  Khushi gasped indignantly.  Everyone turned to look at her and simultaneously gave her a look that said Really?'  "Oh fine...so I talk a lot.  I can't help it.  I have too much to say..."  Khushi smiled sheepishly.

"Good...let's put that to use and get you introduced to some people!  We have so much time to catch up once we get home..."  Payal quipped and everyone scattered as they started mingling with the guests that remained in the dinner hall.

The fact that NK never left Khushi's side had already irked Arnav.  He felt a wave of temper rising and disappearing as his glance flickered between NK and Khushi.  The comfort level between NK and Khushi was like sand in his eyes.  He hated it.  The way their hands casually found each other, the way she seemed alright with it, the way he kept tucking a lose tendril of hair away from her face, the way she touched his arm or shoulder when she introduced him to someone.  All of it was irritating him to no extent.  It was the Joel scenario all over again, except this time, Arnav had to witness all this.

Arnav usually didn't judge people in the first meeting but right from the moment he had seen NK, he was sure of one thing: Arnav didn't like him.  He didn't know why.  But he didn't.  Somehow, Arnav felt as if NK had replaced his place in Khushi's life.  He sulked by the bar with Aman as he saw the others walk into the dance area and dance away to some fast-paced song he didn't recognize.

He didn't know whether to be happy or sad.  Khushi was here, in flesh and blood, in front of him.  She had returned as a gorgeous lady but he sort of missed the tomboy look of his Khush.  It used to set her apart from the other women.  Apart from her appearance, another thing was obvious to Arnav:  There was a void between them.  He hadn't missed it.  It was staring him in the face.  There was a weird awkwardness that existed between them that wasn't present between her and the others.  He hadn't said a word to her since they'd come face to face today and she hadn't particularly said much to him either. 

He was confused too.  She hadn't replied to his e-mails in three years but she had happily given him a hug when she saw him today.  As she had met people around the hall, she laughed freely and chatted animatedly like she always did, not even realizing that Arnav wasn't accompanying them.  While his gaze followed her everywhere, her eyes didn't search for him even once.  Like right now...she was so taken by the others and that NK, she hadn't even spared Arnav a glance.

Little did he know that she was, in fact, too aware of his intense gaze on her to turn around and look at him.  She knew his eyes had followed her everywhere from the moment they had parted till this very second.  She wasn't a fool.  She hadn't missed Arnav's interaction with NK, as brief as it was.  Though not as close as Arnav or anyone from her old group, NK was the sole good friend she had made in the last three years.  She had taken an instant liking to NK's chatter and jokes and lively personality.  But as much as she knew Arnav, she knew that his possessiveness would eventually resurface, assuming the fact that the lack of communication hadn't severed the bond they had once shared.  From her end, she had overlooked the communication gap, but whether or not he had, she didn't know.  Too much was unknown and uncertain as of now, which made Arnav and her friendship highly unstable.

Minutes later, the fast song slowed considerably and couples took over the dance floor as they swayed gently together to the soft melody, Khushi and NK included. 

NO! 

Arnav refused to think of them as a couple.  Khushi had introduced NK as her friend.  That's it.  A friend.  No more, no less.  He watched on, feeling the green eyed monster in him roar violently as he saw Khushi giggle freely with NK as he whispered something in her ear.  Why the hell was he holding her so close??

"Dance with me?"  Lavanya poked Arnav's shoulder flirtingly.

Without removing is eyes from Khushi, he grabbed Lavanya's hand and made his way to the dance floor.  He didn't care that his lack of attention on Lavanya may seem rude.  He couldn't look away from Khushi.  He was trying to revitalize the image of hers he had in his mind.  He was mentally making those small changes to her old image that was in his mind.  He felt the anger rise in him, bit by bit, the more he watched NK and Khushi together.  He hadn't felt this type of possessive anger in years!  Seeing her tonight had made him realize, in its truest sense, that he loved her today as much as he loved her three years ago, if not more.  The distance of three years had done absolutely nothing to change that.

Arnav watched as NK removed his hand from her waist to brush away a tendril of hair from her forehead.  Arnav's grip on Lavanya's hand tightened in response.

"Ouch...ASR..."  Lavanya tried to pry her hand from the painful grip.

Her efforts fell on deaf ears because at the same moment, Khushi's eyes had caught his and she had given him a small smile.  Arnav let go of Lavanya abruptly and excused himself as politely as he could manage.  He walked directly to NK and Khushi and saw the surprised look on her face when she saw him approach them.  Was that a tinge of fear in her eyes?

Yes it was.  She was aware of the look Arnav's face portrayed right now.  The last time she had seen that look was when Anjali and Payal had tricked her into a date with Joel.  Arnav was looking angry.  If a Rohan and Anjali's description of Arnav's worsened temper was anything to go by...she was afraid that Arnav would hurt NK...physically hurt him.

But Arnav surprised her by gently poking NK's back to get his attention.  NK turned to look at him.

"May I?"  Arnav jerked his chin in Khushi's direction, indicating that he was asking for the dance.

NK turned to look at Khushi, who nodded gently in affirmative.  NK placed Khushi's hand in Arnav's and with a smile walked away from them.

Arnav and Khushi stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other, hand-in-hand.  The tension between them was too obvious to ignore.  The unasked questions weighed down on them both.  Khushi put up her best poker face as he pulled her closer.  She successfully concealed the tremor that ran up and down her spine as his heated hand was placed against the bare small of her back.  She held his gaze confidently as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Then they began to sway to the music.