He Loves Me Not - Part 17

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Chapter 17

Shantivan 

“Bolo” Arnav shuts the door of the guest room where Sheetal has accompanied him to talk.
“What was Khushi Gupta doing here?” she snaps without wasting any time.
Arnav presses his lips into a thin line.
“Dad called her to help Mom drape Saree”
“Oh wow” Sheetal laughs with sarcasm. “She got that degree from London? To help people dress up?”

Arnav fists his fingers.

“You don’t need to make fun of that Sheetal. She came here to help Mom. Mom’s dresser was away hence Dad called Khushi and that has nothing to do with her degree. We should be thankful she didn’t deny Dad’s request”
“Well, why will she deny?” Sheetal scoffs. “I don’t like her Arnav. And let me tell you very clearly, I feel she has a motto for coming back to India. Otherwise why would she suddenly jump here during our engagement?”



Arnav swallows hard. Sheetal is quick in joining the dots. Hope she doesn’t use her brain again and fill the missing gaps.

“It can be a coincidence” his tone is not confident.
“I don’t believe it is a coincidence. I know these middleclass girls. That’s their life’s motto. To grab a rich brat and marry him for their own monetary benefits. She is clearly eyeing on you, I myself saw that when I stepped in here”
“Stop judging her” Arnav scowls striding towards Sheetal. “Only because you saw her helping me, doesn’t give you the rights to judge her character. I know Khushi from years. She is none of this”

Sheetal doesn’t like to hear that. And seeing Arnav getting frustrated to even hear anything against Khushi is annoying her all the more. Arnav realizes he shouldn’t be shouting at his fiancée but make her understand this calmly. He clutches her forearms.

“I know you too Sheetal. You were not like this. What is wrong with you these days? Since when did you start being so bitter towards others? I always thought you are well-spoken and a matured woman who knows how to handle relationships”

Sheetal moves her gaze away from him. Arnav has started analyzing what real character is but she won’t let him uphold that for long.
“I don’t know what happens to me when I see other girl around you. I get jealous Arnav” she makes the perfect excuse to escape from this situation.

Arnav is unmoved. A woman is expressing something so sensitive to him and he is incapable to tend it. The only woman whose words have started mattering to him now is Khushi Gupta and even if he wants to change that, he cannot.

The door knock breaks his chain of thoughts. Arnav opens the door and finds Aman standing there.

“hey… where had you been? Didn’t see you for a long time” Arnav questions.
“Yea.. I had to go drop Khushi home”

Arnav is confused.
“Drop her? Why? She got her vehicle, didn’t she?”
Sheetal joins them.
“Don’t feed his ears Aman. We are already going through a lot of issues between us right now. Don’t exaggerate them”
Aman frowns.

“He is marrying you. He should know what you capable of, your qualities I mean” Aman mocks.
Sheetal rolls her eyes.
“whatever. I will see what Aunty is doing. Excuse me”

The moment she leaves, Aman tells Arnav how Sheetal damaged Khushi’s car. Arnav is shocked to hear that.

“I cannot believe this” Arnav mutters. “How can Sheetal destroy Khushi’s vehicle only because she saw her and me together?”
“You got to be serious now Arnav. Things are happening at lightning speed these days. You have that wand in your hand to end all of it and make peace with everyone.”

Arnav goes quiet. He knows what he has to do. Sheetal got this suspicion because he couldn’t control his feelings towards Khushi. If he governs that, he can keep everyone happy. That’s the only way he could think which can suit everyone.. especially his parents.

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

Gupta Apartment

“You should have taken care of yourself before jumping to help others” Shashi shouts at her with worry. He is bandaging Khushi’s finger which was bruised while saving the flame in Shantivan.

Ever since she has returned back home, she has not talked much. This concerns Shashi.
“I didn’t want their efforts to go waste. You know how auspicious it is for the flame of the Diya to keep burning during such Pujas?” she asks her father who plainly nods.
“I know. And your sensitiveness towards this makes me proud of you Khushi. I am glad even after staying abroad for so many years, you didn’t forget any of these traditions and their importance”

Khushi fakes a smile.

“But you look very sad. What is it? I am sorry for making you go there without your will”
Khushi holds her father’s hand.
“Dad.. .Dont be sorry. I know you just wanted to help your boss and I wanted to help my Dad. So, thats cool. Okay?”

Shashi is glad to see the real smile back on his daughter’s lips. He cups her face.

“Keep smiling like this. That keeps me alive and kicking”
Khushi blinks in agreement. She has no clue how long she will be able to fake the happiness on her face. Soon Arnav will get married to Sheetal and that one incident will be enough to break her forever. But she has to try.

“Why did Aman Mathur drop you? Where is our car?” Shashi questions.
Khushi has prepared a lie for that. She couldn’t tell her father that Sheetal did it.
“Uhh.. It got punctured so Aman dropped me and said he will ask someone to service our car”
“Punctured? But I had serviced it last week only”
“Dad.. It’s a machine. Anything can happen. And Whom do you care the most? Me or your car?”

Shashi laughs and pinches her cheeks.

“Of course, you baby. Now go to sleep. It’s late. We will have to take a cab to Office tomorrow.”
Khushi nods. She is sad that tomorrow once again she will have to face Arnav if he happens to come to her floor for any work. Earlier she waited and even prayed he would pay a visit so that she can take a glimpse of him but now it only hurts. She wants to end her office routine and the best way to do this would be collecting her cheque and also winding up her Training to the AR employees regarding the Software. The quicker she does this, the earlier she will be able to be relieve from that burden.

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

AR Office – Next day

Khushi is working at her desk when the peon comes and hands her the car keys.

“Ma’am, ASR Sir has sent these for you” the peon says.
Khushi takes the keys and the peon leaves. Why did he send the keys? Aman was supposed to get her car serviced. That means Arnav got to know what his Fiancée did. Well, its good he knows what that woman is capable of. She keeps the car keys back in her purse and that’s exactly when her office communicator blinks. She opens it and finds Arnav Singh Raizada, the CEO of this Company actually typing a message for her.

‘I am sorry about your car. Got it serviced’ 

Khushi swallows hard. She wants to ignore that message but decides to respond instead.

‘So much sensitiveness for a machine? Wish you had shown some for people apart from the ones who adopted you’ 

She knows he will be angered to read such a reply but he deserves it. She changes her messenger status as “DO NOT DISTURB” and continues working. Arnav tries to reply but because of the status she has chosen on her office communicator, none of his messages are sent away. He punches his desk and exhales. She is messing with his heart before and his mind too. He is trying his best to keep himself occupied in work, but he cannot. Her face keeps flashing before him and every time it does, he only sees her looking at him with hopeful eyes.. the same look which he had seen hers on his 22nd birthday.

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

A week later  – Gupta Apartment

Shashi is all set to leave for work when the phone call from Raj Mathur, Aman’s father got all of his attention. He is so loud and happy talking that Madhumati simply cannot resist coming to his room and seeing what the matter is.

“Oh Sure.. Thank you very much Mathur Sir. I..  I will surely meet the boy. Yes Yes” Shashi continues speaking over the phone and after a minute more hangs up.
“Shashi.. Whose call?” Buaji asks.
“Jeeji. Feels like the God called himself. We have a proposal for Khushi”
“What? Proposal?”
“Yes.. You know my Boss’s friend.. Mathur Sir?”
“Yes I do”
“He had called. Seems he knows a family who is in London and they are well to do people. They are looking for a bride for their only son Akash.”

Buaji gets very curious to know all the details.

“What does the boy do?”
“He is a Chartered accountant in London. Earns well and also very cultured boy. I am sure Khushi and he will make a great pair. As it is, we were looking for some Indian family settled down in London for Khushi. This family seems perfect.”
“Oh” Buaji smiles. “But they must be rich and we..”
“Jeeji…” Shashi sighs. “They are upper middle-class family. Not really rich like Raizadas and Mathurs. So, I don’t see any problem with that too. We can easily handle their demands. I am not going to lose this opportunity. Where is Khushi?”
“She has gone to Office an hour ago”
“Never mind. I will talk to her once we get back home. I have given her enough time to think and tell me if she has picked anyone for herself. If she still has not made her choice, then I will propose her to meet this boy, Akash. He is coming to India tomorrow for some work. This is the best time I can call him here and fix their meet”

Buaji is happy to grasp all of this.

“If Khushi gets married to a nice guy, what else do we want” she adds.
“Yes Jeeji. I want my daughter to be happy and get all the love she deserves”
“I wish the same”

Buaji already starts dreaming what the wedding will be like.

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

Same night – Gupta Apartment

Shashi explains Khushi everything about Akash and his family. She is sad to know that her father already found the right proposal for her… or at least that’s what he thinks.

“Dad. Its too early” Khushi points out.
“Who is asking you to marry him tomorrow? Just meet him, Khushi. And you told me there is no one else you seem interested in. So whats the harm in meeting?”

Yes, she lied to her father today that she never had feelings for any man yet whom she wants to marry and settle down. That she feels single yet and is open to look for proposals. But she didn’t know her father would trick her in arrange this meet so soon. She hadn’t even known that Mathur Sir had called up himself to share this proposal? What’s happening? Can this be Sheetal’s Mathur’s idea to get her away from Arnav? If she is anywhere related to this, then Khushi decides not to leave that woman at ease either.

“Khushi… I am sure you can do that much for me and Buaji”
“That’s blackmailing Dad” Khushi interrupts.
“Okay, If you think caring for my daughters wellbeing is blackmailing then.. I wont insist you on this further. You want more time to decide, take it. I wil call up Mathur Sir and inform you have denied seeing Akash”

Khushi goes quiet. If her father informs Raj Mathur who will in turn tell his daughter Sheetal then that woman might take things more seriously and complicate Arnav’s life. She cannot let that happen. Plus, she wants to see how Arnav Singh Raizada will react to her proposal?
“Fine. I will meet Akash. When is he coming here?”
“Tomorrow but I have called him to meet us on Wednessday”
“Cool.. .Is he coming here or …”
“I have called him home. Don’t worry, me and your Buaji will be there with you when he comes”

Khushi smiles. That’s really helpful. She doesn’t want to meet any guy for marriage and give him fake hopes.  If her father and Buaji will be around, it will be safe.

Two Days later (Wednesday)  – AR Office

“Dad, please ask Mr. Gupta to attend the Raheja group of companies Conference. I have another meeting lined up” Arnav informs his father who meets him in the lobby of their office, just while he was going out.
“Oh, that’s not going to happen boy” Ayush denies. “Shashi is on emergency leave”

That picks Arnav’s attention for sure. Suddenly the thought of something bad happened to Khushi strikes his mind.

“Emergency leave? I hope he and his family is doing fine” he asks.
“Yes, no one is ill. Don’t worry. Seems some family is coming to see Khushi. All happened at a very short notice so he couldn’t inform me prior. Never mind, Rohan is covering him today. I will ask Rohan to attend the meeting. You go and finish yours”

Ayush pats his back and is about to walk away when Arnav stops him. He is shaken to hear whatever his father just told.

“Family? To see.. Khushi? what… what does .. that mean??” his voice is shaken too but Ayush fails to recognize that change in him.
“Dear Boy.. They are looking for marriage proposals for Khushi. Seems like they have got one they desired. Some London boy. I am happy for Shashi. It is going to be a big relief for Shashi once his daughter gets married in the right family.”

Arnav freezes. Khushi is ready to see marriage proposals for herself?

“Arnav?” Ayush clicks his fingers. “Where are you lost?”

Arnav comes out of his stance and fakes a smile.

“Nothing Dad. I should leave”
“Alright.. See you at Eve”

Arnav nods and makes his way to the Exit. There is a serious alarm ringing constantly in his ears.. It’s more disturbing than a fire alarm.. It’s hard to imagine the woman who has so much of love for him getting ready to see another man as her suitor!! He removes his phone and dials Khushi’s number. It is possible that her family is pressurizing her otherwise she won’t be agreeing to do this, would she?

To be Continued.


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