He Loves Me Not - Part 21

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Chapter 21

The Ice cream chills his throat and quenches his sugar problem temporarily.  At least he is able to talk now and see clearly. Khushi is kneeling before him, holding the cup of ice cream with spoon dipped in it, gauging his expressions.

“Feeling better?” she asks again. He nods in agreement and tries to get up from the floor. She helps him. His body is still burning with fever. You cannot eat more ice cream. It will increase your temperature”

She holds his hand.
“What are you doing here?” he asks in a feeble voice.
She then recollects her real motive of stepping in Shantivan tonight.
“Dad sent some bid file which needs your father’s signatures” she points out to the file which she had kept on the table aside before rushing to help him.
“You should eat something, take your medicines and rest” she adds.



He nods. That was the original plan was. He had come home from office, very hungry and hoping something would be cooked for him. But since their Chef had to go on an emergency leave for a day and his parents had plans of dinner outside, nothing was cooked home. He didn’t want to order outside food and hence decided to make Pasta and satiate his hunger. But he couldn’t control his sugar levels for that long and hence felt dizzy. All thanks to Khushi who saw him at the right time and helped. He would have fallen unconscious otherwise for hours without being noticed.

“I can manage” he tries to shove her arm from his. Not because taking her support is hurting his ego, but because their closeness is affecting him in unknown ways.

She slowly withdraws her hand from his and waits for him to balance his body but he stumbles almost the same instant and she has to hold him again.
“I can see how well you manage. You cannot take one step without me.. how will you reach your room?” she shouts back at him.

Arnav rolls his eyes.

“I am not going upstairs. I have to cook”
“Cook? In this state? Not a good idea Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada.”
“What the”
“Shut up” she snaps. “Sit here while I finish the rest of the cooking for you”

She drags him to the small twos-seater dining table at the corner of the kitchen. This is the perfect place where he can rest while she finishes cooking. He sits but as soon as she turns, he holds her hand.

“You don’t have to do this. I will order something”
“Did nobody tell you, eating outside food in sickness makes you more sick?”
“Khushi” he tries to interrupt but she doesn’t let him speak.
“You are my Boss.. I can at least show some mercy and help him in his bad times, cant I?”
Arnav swallows hard.
“For some time, forget everything we had… or not had between us.. Just take me as your employee who wants to serve her boss in his difficult times” she insists.

Arnav leaves her arm. He cannot argue more. Not because he is feeling sick, but because he has started liking it when she shows such concern for him. She reads his expression and understands he has given her the approval to cook for him.

“Now.. Pasta wont be healthy in fever. So, I will make some Soup first” she exclaims.
Arnav has no problem with whatever she cooks and feeds her. He keeps observing her as she uses the same veggies he had chopped for the Pasta and utilizing it for the soup. She struggles to find all the ingredients and asks him frequently what is kept where. He tells her all. She keeps moving around, switching her positions and completing the soup. She is a fine cook, he can say that by her actions and expertise in the subject.

She pours the freshly boiled soup in a bowl and gets it to him.

“Drink this completely” she commands.

The aroma of the cooked vegetables with the other ingredients she used starts to tantalize his senses.

“It’s too much, I cannot finish it all” he replies.
“I am not giving you a choice. You have to finish this and then eat the main course”
She doesn’t wait for him to accept. She removes some fresh flour from the container and starts kneading the dough after keeping some potatoes to boil. What is she cooking now? Arnav drinks the soup. It’s delicious. Even though it has the taste of a five-star property soup, its homemade and healthy.

While he finishes the soup slowly, she cooks Puri and Aloo curry for him. She serves it in a dish and places it on a table with a glass of hot water. He gets emotional seeing her taking so good care of him. Any other girl in her place would have stopped caring for him after how he behaved with her. He has always pushed her away, even though not by the will of his heart, but mind, she has still given him comfort and support in times he needed. She is a pure soul.

“Good” she takes the Bowl away. “Now eat this and then straight to bed”
Arnav gulps nervously. He should be ashamed to take such favors from her.
“It’s too late. You should eat too”
“No” she denies. “I will eat when I reach back home. You finish this alone”
“I am not going to eat if you don’t” he snaps, leaning back on the chair. The soup has given him enough energy to argue. She reads his mind and then decides to oblige. She serves a dish for herself and sits with him. They start eating quietly.
“Where did you learn to cook so delicious food?” he asks in between. “I mean.. you didn’t stay with your family, so obviously they didn’t contribute to this”
Khushi sighs.
“Internet” she replies. “I surfed a lot of Indian dishes and tried it all during my stay there in London. It helped. And Buaji keeps saying that every girl should know how to cook well. That way to reach her husband’s heart is through his stomach”
Arnav smirks. She doesn’t need to find ways to reach his heart. She is already there now.!! Suddenly he realizes he is not thinking right. He is getting married to Sheetal… not Khushi.

Khushi finishes quickly and then keeps their plates for washing. Her phone rings. She doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“Dad.. I am on my way.. Will reach in few minutes”
“Khushi.. why this delay? Didn’t you meet Ayush Sir?”
“I didn’t. He is… was… not home” she glances at Arnav who slowly gets up from the chair. “I have given the file to Arnav though. He will take care of it”
“Okay, come soon. Will have dinner together”
“I had my dinner dad”
“What?”
“Yea.. I mean.. I grabbed a sandwich on the way home. I was very hungry. You and buaji eat. I will be there in 30 minutes”

Shashi doesn’t question more. He disconnects the call and Khushi returns to Arnav.

“Let me drop you to the room”
“No… I will be fine. You have already done a lot for me tonight. You should go home and rest”
“I will. But not until I ensure you take the medicines”
Arnav knows she won’t listen to him. He allows her to escort him to the bedroom where he tells her to get his medicines from the drawer. She pops the medicines open and makes him gulp them with water. She finds a thermometer.

“Sit” she gestures him to sit on the bed where she can check his temperature. He lets her check his body temperature. “100 degree!!” she shows a sign of worry. “You need a paracetamol”

She finds one in the same drawer and makes him swallow it.

“I will ask Hari Prakash to normalize this room’s AC. You wont shiver or feel cold then”

Arnav lays down on bed while she covers him with the duvet.
“Thank you, Khushi” he murmurs.
“It was my duty” she smiles. Arnav holds her hand.
“It is not your duty to do all this. I don’t blame my parents either. They had no clue I will fall sick. And how is Sheetal supposed to know until I tell her I am sick.”
Khushi passes a sarcastic smile.
“People often realize when their close ones are in problems. You don’t need to officially declare to them about your trouble Arnav. I wonder how did you survive all these years with the Raizadas? I am sure this is not the first time you felt sick. Have they ever cared for you then? At least a bit of what is expected from every parents?”

Arnav grits his teeth.

“How would you know that? You were not here all the time. They have taken care of me enough”
“How? By calling Doctor? Buying medicines? Is that what you call by taking care?”
Arnav doesn’t wish to argue.
“Why do you always judge my parents? They have given me a new life, Khushi. And only because I am supporting their wishes and not yours doesn’t mean they are wrong”
“I am not saying they are wrong. I am just saying they have adopted you .. not bought you as a Slave. If they have right to expect things from you… it is also their duty to understand what you wish for. Stop being blind Arnav because this will never help you in the longer run”

Arnav is speechless.

“I am not making you stand against your parents. I just want them to stand with you, all the time, just like every other parent would support their child.” She adds.

Arnav’s grip on her hand loosens. She raises back on her feet.

“Anyways.. good night. And get well soon”

Giving him a last concerned look, she makes her way out. Arnav shuts his eyes. Whatever she told him now does have a meaning. He always did things which pleased his parents, anything that didn’t made them happy, he rejected. He liked playing drums in his childhood but only because his mother, Revati saw it as a cheap and unnecessary hobby, he decided to quit the music class and focus on studies. If he had told her that he respects her wishes but would still want to learn it for himself, would she mind? Who is at fault in all these scenarios? Has he failed to convey his feelings better to his parents or have they failed to read his heart? Who is the culprit here? They kept on ignoring his wishes because he never took a stand on them. That’s what continued all these years. Maybe if he had poured his heart out to them, they would understand and even accept his wishes. Is it too late to rectify things now? Or is there still a ray of hope?

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

Morning

“Fever?” Ayush touches Arnav’s forehead. He is still on bed, resting. He slowly gets up and sits leaning to the headboard.
“Mild fever dad” he replies. “I am fine now”
“I don’t think you are fine Son. You look tired and need rest. Hari Prakash told me about your fever. Revati and me both were surprised. We would have cancelled going out”

Arnav smiles. He knows his father would have done that. Ayush has always been a generous father and he couldn’t have asked for more.

“Anyways… Don’t come to office today. I will handle it all. Stay home and take enough rest”

Arnav denies.
“I cannot stay home. I have back to back meetings with the client”
“I will handle them boy” Ayush pats Arnav’s cheeks.

Arnav smiles. He feels like sharing something to his father.. About what is haunting him ever since Khushi is back. He wants to know if his father will understand him out of all if he wishes to break his engagement with Sheetal now.

“Dad” he tries to speak. “I.. .I want to talk to you something personal”
“Personal?” Ayush raises his brow. “You need a romantic tip for Sheetal?”
Arnav shakes his head.
“No.. It’s.. its about Sheetal but not what you thinking”
“Okay.. then what is it?”

Arnav swallows the lump of fear formed in his throat. What will be his father’s reactions if he says that he wants to marry Khushi Gupta and not Sheetal Mathur?

“There you are.!!” Revati gets inside the room. “I knew you will be here.” she comes inside with a tray of breakfast.

Arnav curses the timing. He cannot talk to them together. He wants to share it only with his father for now and see what his reactions are. He cannot let Revati Raizada hear it for now.

“Is that my breakfast?” Ayush asks. “That’s so kind of you to get it here”

He is about to take the tray from her but she denies giving it to him.

“This is Arnav’s breakfast. He is ill to come down and eat. Not you”

She places the tray on the bed.
“How you doing this morning, son?” she asks Arnav sitting next to him. Arnav is surprised that his mother got his breakfast here.
“Fine, Mom”
“Good. Eat all of this and take medicines. Sheetal is getting the juice” she grins.
“Sheetal?” Arnav is taken back hearing that Sheetal is here.
“Yes… When Hari Prakash told us about your health this morning, I informed Sheetal. She came here all the way to see you, skipping her morning Yoga classes. Isn’t that the sign of a good wife?”

Maybe it is. But … no one can beat the way Khushi took care of him last night. He was just telling his father the same but looks like he has to hold on.


To be Continued.


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