He Loves Me Not - Part 18

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Chapter 18

Khushi wears her pair of earrings. That belongs to her mothers. She had kept all these jewels for her so that when she grows up, her mother had decided to send all these jewels with her in marriage. The word Marriage doesn’t mean a thing to Khushi anymore. She had dreamed all of this with a man and he crushed it because he had promised to keep his Foster parents wishes to the priority. With a will to change his belief and make him accept what his heart wanted, Khushi had come to India but things changed drastically when he openly cleared it to her and doesn’t matter how much efforts she puts in winning his love, she will never have him.

Tears pool in her eyes as she finishes dressing up for meeting Akash Sharma today. She has seen his picture already. He seems to be a nice man but she has no plans to be his wife. She wants him to reject her but if that happens, her father will find another man and the chain will continue until one of them agrees. She has no energy to extend this drama. But she would still do it for her father and his happiness.



Her phone starts ringing. She walks to the bed to answer. Her body stiffens seeing the caller id.

“Arnav?” she murmurs.

Did he come to know she is going to see another man today? Or is this just a normal call? She has to strong and not let him know she is still weak for him. She presses the green button and accepts the call.

“Hello”
“Khushi..” his tone is urgent and serious. “What am I hearing?”
“How would I know what you heard?” she tries to behave cool.
He inhales deep.
“Khushi I am serious. And I know you are aware what I am trying to ask you.”
She zips her lips. So, he got to know. Fair enough.
“Why are you doing this?” he continues asking. “Is someone pressurizing you?”

Khushi lets out a sarcastic chuckle.

“Excuse me? Who gave you the right to ask me that?”
Arnav flares his nose. She is doing this on purpose. Earlier he avoided confronting her and now she is repeating the same. But instead of beating round the bush, he wants to talk this openly.
“You won’t be doing this by your will. I know where your heart is” he replies.

Khushi feels like he just pinched her aching nerve.

“You knew where my heart is and yet you crushed it below your feet. You should have thought about me then Arnav. There is nothing you can do now. If you have called to ask me why I am doing this, then listen. I am doing this for my father. Don’t think only you are allowed to keep your parents happy. Even I love my father and I can do anything for his happiness. Does that answer your question?”

Arnav swallows hard. He knows she is unhappy but by accepting a proposal from someone else she is going to ruin all the remaining joy of her life too. So in order to make her understand she is doing wrong, he tries to poke her even more.

“I thought you are among those who can stay single for a man only because you didn’t get him. But you proved me wrong today Khushi. And please, don’t give me excuses of making your father happy. If you wanted, you could have postponed this event for some more time”

Khushi is hurt by his thinking.
“You can get married to whoever you want, but you cannot see the woman who loves you choosing someone else over you? Such a hypocrite you have become Arnav Singh Raizada. I didn’t know the past few years would change you to this extent. And guess what? I had one percent of remorse for doing this event today but listening to your words I am convinced how wrong I was. Kindly do not interfere in my personal life anymore. That’s the only way we can be happy in our respective lives with the people we choose to live”

She hangs up and sits on the bed sobbing. This is insane. How could Arnav think all that? She agrees he is hurt by her decision to meet the suitor her father chose but that doesn’t give him any right to point on her love for him. He has changed in the past years. The innocent boy he was earlier is no longer there inside him. He knows only to hurt her now whereas the one she knew he was before only knew to care for her. There is so much difference.

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

An Hour later

“Please come in Akash” Shashi welcomes Akash Sharma inside the apartment. Madhumati comes out from the kitchen and greets him. Akash bends down and takes their blessings. Shashi is overly impressed by that gesture and so is Madhumati.

“I am sorry for coming late. The road was jammed” he smiles.
“Oh that’s very common here” Shashi pats his back. “Come sit”

Akash sits on the couch.

“So, tell us something about yourself. How does Raj Mathur know your family?”
“Raj Uncle is like a godfather to my family. My father worked in his Company in London for almost 10 years in a very senior position and then he retired”
“Oh I see. And you are a Chartered accountant”
“Yes Uncle and my job is going great too. I have to travel abroad at times but that’s not an issue. I am here for my office work. Will be around for a month.”
“That’s good”

Shashi looks at Madhumati..
“Call Khushi outside Jeeji”
“Yes she is making tea.. I will send her out”

Khushi pours the tea in the mugs for everyone. She is still unable to believe she is doing this. And then Arnav’s earlier call is not letting her be normal again.
“Khushi.. is the tea ready?” Buaji gets inside.
“Yes”

She clears her throat and takes the tray in hand. Buaji pinches her cheeks.

“He is very handsome. You will like him”

Khushi rolls her eyes. No matter even if the world’s handsome man proposes her for marriage, her heart will still beat for someone else… for her Arnav. Buaji leads Khushi out with the tea cups. Akash smiles at her as Khushi takes a seat next to her father, opposite to Akash.

“Hi Khushi” Akash greets.
“Hello”

There is total silence in the room while Khushi serves tea to Akash.
“Thanks” he sips the tea. Shashi picks his mug too.
“So you are looking for opportunities in London?” Akash asks her.
“Yes. Have applied in few companies already”
“That’s great”
“Akash” Shashi interrupts. “For now Khushi is working in AR group. She has created a software for them and is currently training AR employees on using the Software”

Akash is impressed. Their talks continue. Khushi is very passive in the conversation. Though she had shown interest in participating for this meet, she is now skeptical if she has taken the right decision or not. In the hope of keeping her father happy and Arnav out of problems, she is messing with her own life and giving false hopes to someone else too.

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

AR Office 

Arnav is sitting in his cabin, unable to concentrate on work. His talks with Khushi didn’t go well. He has hurt her again by poking her unnecessarily. How much more is he going to torture that poor soul? What has she done to undergo so much of pain? She just loves him unconditionally and expected him to accept it but he has failed her at every step of life. And now the matter has gone out of his hands. She has started seeing proposals for marriage. He still recollects what his condition was when Ayush and Revati suddenly asked him to think about marrying Sheetal Mathur. He already was aware through Aman how Sheetal is and despite that he thought of giving this a chance only considering his parents wanted him to do so.

He knows what Khushi might be going through today. He cannot wait to know what happens with this proposal. He would get details of it through his father because no matter what Shashi Gupta will keep updating him.

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

Two hours later 

Akash gets up to leave. He was here for more than an hour and did most of the talking with Shashi and Madhumati. Even Shashi realizes that Khushi is hardly participating.

“I hope to see you again soon Akash” Shashi exclaims.
“Sure Uncle. And it was really nice meeting you all. But..” he pauses. “If you don’t mind and it is alright with Khushi, then I would like to take her out for Dinner tonight”

Shashi is confused. He doesn’t want to take decisions on Khushi’s behalf. He looks at his daughter who is equally muddled.

“Uhh..” she tries to speak.. “Not dinner Akash. But Coffee would be fine. Will that be okay with you?”
“Sure.. Whatever suits you” he replies flaunting his cute smile. “I will pick you up by 6:00”
“Okay. Bye”
“Bye”

Shashi waves at Akash as he takes the elevator. Once he is gone, they all enter the house again. Khushi takes a sigh of relief. She was really feeling suffocated. She is about to return back to her room.

“Khushi wait.. I need to talk to you” Shashi interrupts.
She stops.
“What is this Khushi?” Shashi asks. “You agreed to meet him and that’s why I called him here. But the way you behaved was so cold. If you don’t want this to proceed, we can stop”
“I know dad” she gulps. “And I am sorry. But I am trying”
“Trying for what?” Shashi questions “Is there anything you hiding from me? I am worried now”

Khushi bites her inner cheek to suppress her emotions from mirroring on her face.
“No.. Don’t be worried. This is just new to me and .. .I didn’t know how to face it.”

Shashi sighs and hugs her.
“Just relax. It is not that I am getting you married tomorrow. You take as much time as you want and only when you are 200 percent sure of this, we will move forward”

She is glad her father gave her that liberty.

“One step at a time?” she asks him, raising her chin.
“Yes” he nods. “One step at a time”
Khushi hugs him again, letting her tears roll down her cheeks.

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

Coffee Shop – Evening 

“Thanks” Khushi sits on the chair which Akash pulls for her. “Cappucino or Latte?” he asks
“I am more of a Black coffee types” she replies. Arnav loves Black Coffee and hence it became her favorite too.
“Okay” he chuckles.
“Whats there to laugh?”
“No.. sorry.. But I think only those people who are depressed or broken in love drink black coffee” he comments.

Khushi narrows her eyes.
“So which category you think suits me?”
Akash leans back and stares at her.
“Umm… Broken in love has more possibility”
Khushi sighs nervously. He caught her right but she doesn’t know if she has to accept it at this stage before him.
“Anyways, we are not here to talk all that and spoil each other’s mood. I will go get some coffee”

He leaves at the self service counter and returns back in few minutes.
“Let me be very honest with you Khushi. I am not very sure where this proposal stuff is going to lead us but until we both know what we really want, why not be friends? I would love to have one more girl added into my friends list” he winks.

Khushi likes his attitude.
“So there is a list huh?” she slowly starts being comfortable.
“Yea.. a long one. We will discuss that when the right time comes”

He raises his coffee mug and asks her to do the same

“Cheers for friendship” he shouts.
“Cheers” Khushi finally lets out a genuine laugh. Akash is a nice man, just that she can never take him or anyone else as her lover. Not in this birth for sure.

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

AR Office – Next day

Aman knocks the cabin and enters inside.

“Such a beautiful day it is, isn’t it?”
“Not today, Aman. Please, I am busy”
“Are you?” Aman bites the apple he got along with him. “I heard from Pam that you cancelled all your evening meetings yesterday and so far, you haven’t decided if you will be attending any conferences by afternoon. Why is that? I hope you are doing fine. I mean … your health”

Arnav frowns at him.

“What will happen to my health? I am absolutely fine” he lies.
“Good. That means you wont be shocked if I share something with you”
“Share?” he raises his brows.
“Hmm.. I heard Khushi saw a marriage proposal yesterday”

Arnav rolls his eyes.
“I know that. And nothing is shocking Aman. She has all rights to choose a man and stay happy”
Aman laughs.
“Yea.. I am glad you took it so positively. Anyways, I saw the ‘Could-be’ groom. He is handsome. Want to see?”
Arnav has no clue how can that happen but before he could ask, Aman shows him some picture on his mobile. Arnav freezes. It is Khushi with some unknown man. She is wearing RED and even smiling.

“He is her suitor” Aman introduces.
“Where did you get this picture?” his voice held a sharp note of anger.
“What do you mean where? I met them in the Coffee Shop last evening. And they looked fabulous with each other. I asked for a picture and they willingly gave. Don’t they look like made for each other?” Aman mocks.

Arnav fists his fingers. Made for each other? Definitely not. He shoves Aman’s hand to stop displaying that image to him for longer.

“Why do I care how they look with each other?” he tries to show unaffected.
“True. Why do you care? If you had cared, today you would be standing next to her in the picture, not this guy”

Aman keeps the phone back in his pocket.

“Just for your information. His name is Akash Sharma, a Chartered Accountant in London. He is here for a month. I am sure by the time he leaves, they might plan for getting engaged. But again, this doesn’t matter to you, does it?”

Arnav stiffens. ENGAGED?


To be Continued.


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