He Loves Me Not - Part 11

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Chapter 11

“Arnav wait” Khushi runs behind him outside the restaurant. He is walking back to their car and it has suddenly started raining. She loves rain but she knows he hates it for some reason. He never liked drenching in rain, enjoying the water pouring on the body, probably he had some bad memories attached to it which she never dared to ask.

Arnav hurries to the car. He knows she will either follow him back to take her own ride back home. A woman who has lived in London can manage to travel alone in her home country too. He crosses the road and manages to reach the other side.


“Arnav… you got to listen to me..” she shouts from the other side.
“Go home Khushi Gupta” he yells back without even looking at her. Khushi tries to cross the road but the vehicles are continuously passing by, halting her steps.
“You cannot always run away from your wishes” she shouts back.

Arnav realizes she has been trying to cross the busy road to stop him.

“Take a damn cab and go home. I am not interested to talk further on this” he replies turning back.
“I won’t go anywhere” she snaps.

Khushi is totally drenched in rain whereas Arnav has managed to find a small shed to cover himself under, until the driver gets his vehicle. The distance between them is hardly few meters but she fails to cross it because of the speedy vehicles. But she continues to try.

“I am not a teen girl whom you can fool around and run” she continues arguing from the other side.
Arnav looks elsewhere. He has called the driver already and has no clue how long will it take for him to come here from the parking area. When the road becomes clear of vehicles for few seconds, Khushi decides to cross it, she fails to register a speedy truck honking at her to stop and move back.

“You cannot control my life and your feelings for me, Arnav. Give up that attitude” she shouts again while crossing.
“You give up your foolishness Khushi Gupta” he shouts back.

The truck honks again and this time from a closer distance than before. It diverts Khushi’s attention from Arnav for a second and she realizes she is in the middle of the road, with a heavy truck coming towards her speedily. She freezes, her eyes widening in shock and fear of the upcoming danger. But before the truck could hit her body and kill her, a pair of arms cocoons her and twirls them both to the edge of the road. The Truck passes by, honking badly, the driver yelling something fowl at them for daring such an act and being blind towards such a deadly accident.

Khushi’s heart races. She instantly feels her body sensing the man who has wrapped his arms securely around her waist. Her head is resting on his chest, somewhere close to his heart which is beating in the same erratic way like hers. She is safe.. he saved her. The rain keeps pouring on them, blessing their togetherness. She knows what it means to him to be drenched like that and if he still ignored his fear its only to save her, because he feels for her, he always did. As their breathing starts to become normal again, she slowly raises her head and meets his eyes. It is so full of concern and warmth for her, similar to what she had seen in them on his birthday night..

“Humari dhadkane… ek hojati hai” (our heartbeats sync) she mumbles at him, the same dialogue which he had spoken to her that night..

His eyes soften as if recollecting the moments of their encounter on that other night. He might not confess it but his actions, his feelings for her are been conveyed through his eyes and they are clearly indicating that he wants her, the same way she has wanted him… always!!
Suddenly, something freezes his expressions again, the grip with which he had been holding her forearms so far start to loosen up. He pushes her away from him as the light of his car advances towards them. He turns his back again and walks to the car, getting inside and driving away from this place.. from her.. while she keeps hoping she has conveyed him enough what they have and hope that it has put some senses in his overshadowed brain.

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

Gupta Apartment

Khushi sneezes badly in the morning, coming out freshly showered from her bedroom.

“Khushi, take this” Buaji quickly offers her hot ginger tea. “It will help ease your cold”
“Thank you, Buaji” Khushi thanks her and sneezes again.
“Instead of thanking me, why don’t you take care of yourself better? I don’t understand how you stayed in London all alone? How you managed in times of sickness like this?”

Shashi keeps the newspaper aside.

“That’s because she never fell sick there. That weather suits her more than here” he taunts.
“Morning Dad” Khushi greets him and sneezes again. Buaji softly caresses her back.
“True Shashi.. We have to send her back to London then.. She will be happy and safe there” Buaji comments.
“No” Khushi denies almost instantly which draws the attention of Shashi and Madhumati on her again. “I mean… My work here is yet to finish. How can I go?” She sneezes again.
Buaji sighs whereas Shashi continues his suspicions.

“Looks like this time we have to make some arrangements to send you to London permanently then” he mutters.
“What do you mean, Dad?” she sits on the couch, opposite to him, sipping the hot tea.
“Means… I have some friends of mine whose sons work there in London. I think you should meet them and see who fits you the most?”
Khushi’s eyes widens.
“Fits? Are they clothes that I can try and see which one fits me the most? What are you talking Dad? Be clear”

Shashi moves forward and places his hand on her head, caressing her hair lovingly.

“I am fetching a Son-in-law for me”

Khushi almost drops the mug from her hand but Shashi grasps it.

“Relax” he mutters. “I am in no hurry but this has to start somewhere”
“Dad”
“Wait.. I am not finished yet” he interrupts.
“If you have someone else in your life, tell me. I will talk to him and his family and take the matter forward. But if you don’t have anyone else, then I don’t see any harm in you meeting the man of my choice”

Khushi is in a fix. She cannot tell her father yet that she is in love with his Boss’s son. Until Arnav confesses his feelings for her and wishes to settle down with her, she cannot tell her father about him at all.

“I need time” she snaps.
“Time for what? Finding a groom yourself or telling me the name of the man you have interest on?”
Khushi gulps. Looks like her father is sharp than her. He already is suspicious she is liking someone.
“Means the same dad. I will tell you who he is but I need some time for that”
“How much?” he asks.
“Few months”
“That’s too long” he nods in denial. “You have 3 months to tell me who he is, or else I will find someone else”
“Dad, you cannot fix my marriage without my will”
“I wont darling” he replies. “I am just saying I will find the guy who is suitable for you, making friendship with him and bonding with him will be your duty”

Khushi shuts her eyes. This is all going beyond her actual scope. She sneezes again.

“Why don’t you take an off today and rest?” Madhumati asks her.
“No Buaji. I have work to finish. I cannot stay home and rest” she gets up and walks back in her room.
Buaji sighs in disappointment and makes her way to the kitchen again. Shashi stares blankly at Khushi’s room door. Though he has given Khushi one-month time, he will still keep an eye on her and see why she is actually so much interested in AR Group and that family? He already has a slight hint now but he will not conclude anything until he has any proof. But as a father, he wishes he never gets any proof like that because he cannot see her daughter’s heart breaking.

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

Shantivan

Arnav is ready for work but he is fetching a Tie in the closet, the one which matches with the shirt he is wearing. And in the process, a box drops from above the side drawer and the contents of it slides on the floor. It’s the Pompom of her sleeves she was wearing yesterday. When he had gripped her forearms to save her from the vehicle, the pompom tore from her dress and he somehow didn’t realize it was in his fist until he returned home late night. He wanted to throw it off but he couldn’t. Hence, he saved it with him.

He leans down and picks it up, shutting it back in the same box and dumping it very much away from his eyesight, in the closet.

“Ayush” Revati comes inside.

Arnav slides the closet and turns to her.
“Mom”
“Is Ayush here? I thought he is here talking to you” she replies.
“No.. I didn’t see him today morning yet”
“Ohh”

She finds Arnav not wearing a tie yet. He is holding it in his hand though.
“Let me help you with it” she extends her hand and he willingly gives the tie. She starts knotting it around his neck. It’s a very rare moment for Arnav when his mother shows so much interest in him.
“Sheetal is off to Maldives” Revati informs.
“She told me that”
“Hmm. I thought she is very much in distress because of your attitude but seems like she knows how to keep herself happy”

Revati pats Arnav’s chest gently.
“Women don’t take time to pick interest on a man and the worst is that they don’t take time in losing interest in that same person and moving on. I want you to be careful Arnav. Don’t lose your relationship with her. She is your fiancee”

Her advice is genuine and for his good, he knows that but he simply cannot resist himself today from putting forward his own experience about the other type of women.

“There are also few women Mom who don’t lose their love interest, doesn’t matter what they get back from him.”
Revati is confused why he said that. Arnav suddenly realizes he has given his mother a hint which she should not be very sharp in analyzing anytime soon.
“I will go find Dad” he murmurs and leaves the room. Revati feels a difference in Arnav’s behavior today and she has no clue what or who made it possible? He has never cut her words, neither bothered to shed a different point of view over her advises. This is the first time.

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

“What are you doing here, Dad?” Arnav asks his father whom he finds in the garden, planting a small twig.
“Arnav.. Come here.. Help me water this.. My hands are dirty” Ayush commands.

Arnav sighs in disbelief. His father is like a maze for him.

“Who does gardening in a three-piece suit dad?” he asks coming forward, while rolling his sleeves to avoid his shirt from getting dirty.
“Ahh” Ayush laughs. “Anything is possible with me, Son”

Arnav waters the plant and also cleans his father’s soiled hands.

“Thank you”

The gardener returns back and hands Towel for them to wipe their hands. The two men then start walking back to the house.

“That plant is a creeper, but it was dying living in the shelter of the other plant. So, I took it off and planted it separately. Now it will grow on its own, fearlessly” Ayush explains.

Arnav smiles. This has such a deep significance in his life too. So far he has always worked, did things in the shadow of his adopted parents. Will he ever be able to detach from them and take decisions of his life on his own?

“How was your dinner date with Miss Gupta?”
“It went well” Arnav lies.
“I could see that. But you got drenched in rain last night. I didn’t like it, Son” Ayush stops and so does Arnav. Ayush pats Arnav’s arm. “I know you hate enjoying rain”
Arnav gulps. He truly hates to enjoy rain because it brings back the memories of his distressed childhood when he spent his days without any food and shelter, under the branches of trees on the streets. He would have died of cold someday had this man not taken him under his shelter.  But last night, his fear had to be parked aside as he had to save Khushi from being hit by the truck.

“I am fine, Dad” he assures.
“Okay.. if you say so. How is the Software work going? Did you happen to keep an eye on that?”
“I did… Khushi Gupta will finish training the team in a month and then we will be good enough to free her from our payroll. Plus, we still have to send her the cheque. When do you want me to do that?”
“Please do that immediately Arnav. She has done her part and she is good at it. We cannot hold her from having that money which we promised. I wish we could utilize her skills for other works too. She is a useful resource. What do you think?”

Arnav didn’t want that to happen. It will only mean keeping Khushi for some more time in their office, giving her more hopes.

“I don’t think so Dad. She also has applied in some London offices. She might get a call anytime”
“Oh” Ayush sighs. “Okay, we will see that later. Now let us enjoy some breakfast. Come on”

To be Continued.


NEXT PART


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