Locked - Part 6

 

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Chapter 6



Day 4


Khushi’s POV


Arnav Singh Raizada didn’t let me cook the entire day yesterday neither he allowed me to do the dishes. All thanks to the little bruise on my finger and he gave me liberty to take rest. He is the sweetest guy I have met so far, though on the exterior he poses to be someone else. So today morning I decide to return his favor and give him a day off. I am sure he will be happy if I do so. Poor guy, he had to handle the entire kitchen, plus water the plants in the garden and all of this wearing his Bluetooth earpiece so that he could do some business too. I liked how he commanded people to get the job done but then there were times when I hated how rudely he talked on the phone to his employees if they missed any deadline. Whatever he was, I was slowly able to see the real him, as the days of our quarantine passed. Only 10 more days and we will part ways but I promised myself to stay in touch with him. Always!

I come down, next morning, after a shower and see him already in the kitchen, speaking to someone on the Bluetooth earpiece.

“I know Sheetal. That’s why I called you this morning, didn’t I? I miss you too.”

What? I swallow nervously recalling this Sheetal was the same beautiful woman whose picture I saw on his phone yesterday. But so far, he was ignoring her calls then why did he call her today?

“Okay now stop crying. I am just… just so damn busy here that I had seriously no time for you.” He continues turning around and sees me.


I wonder if he knowing I am present here will change his tone or his mood but it doesn’t. He is still the same.. Nice.. and soft to the woman on phone.


“Let’s meet up when I return. I want you home when we reach Shantivan, okay? I have got all your cosmetics and stuff too and they are untouched. Hope you will like them.”


He wants her to be home? Who the hell is she? Definitely his girlfriend. No one calls Ex at home otherwise. And he has bought gifts for her? Cosmetics? I know he only has one sister and that’s Anjali.


Arnav smiles at me but I don’t return him one. If he was so committed, why did he flirt with me? Why did he make me feel like he was attracted to me right from his di’s wedding? I take out the pan to make Dosas. We had ordered some readymade dosa batter for today’s breakfast and its common for all four of us.

“Okay, sweetie, Bye. Will call you later.” He says and disconnects. “Uff.”


I don’t react, just keep stirring the batter to check the consistency.


“Good morning..” He greets me first.

“Morning” I say but there is really nothing good about this morning.

“How’s your finger?”

“Perfect.” I mean it. I don’t want to sit idle anymore and see the other three working.

“You sound upset.. Is all okay back home?”

“Of course” I snap.. “How about your family? All okay back there in Shantivan?” I turn to him.

“Yea. Pretty well. Finally, I got time to speak to Sheetal. Poor woman.. misses me badly.”


The grin on his face tells a lot to me. I really want to ask if she is his girlfriend but I don’t want to know and break my heart right now. The suspense however killing is better than dying right at the spot. I am behaving like a teenage kid who just got to know her crush has a girlfriend already.

“Bhai..” Akash enters the kitchen. “Did you speak to Sheetal? She messaged me this morning which I saw now.”

“I spoke to her just now.”

“Great. She loves you so much. I wish you had spoke to her yesterday but… I know how possessive she gets at times. So all good between you two again?”

“Yea, all good. Felt nice talking to her and sorting the issues we had.”


Wow!! Just wow! I bang the spatula on the pan in anger which startles both the brothers.

“Hey… slow down.. You look… frustrated” Akash mentions.

“I am fine. Now will you two stop talking and let me cook? I am hungry.”

Arnav frowns and glances at Akash.

“Women and their mood swings” He taunts.

“Shut up” I yell.

“No Seriously.. I can handle only one woman like that at a time. For now, I am done handling Sheetal..”

“Oh right” I scowl. “It is better you handle only one woman forever in your life and stop thinking about others. That will benefit a lot of woman around you.”


As if Akash senses the heat between us, he clears his throat. “I will go see what Payal is doing. You both continue.”

“Please take him along.” I insist. “I don’t want any disturbance in the kitchen. I can get the breakfast ready for everyone, alone.”

“What?” Arnav groans. “Are you sure?”


Before I can answer, Arnav’s phone rings again and its Sheetal’s photo on it. Damn!! She is calling him again? He spoke to her just now. Please ignore the call. Don’t answer Arnav. Don’t. I want to say that loudly but I control myself and watch him picking the call.


“Hey.. what happened?” He pauses.. “Sorry, it skipped my mind. I Miss you too. Happy. Now bye”


He laughs and disconnects and my blood boils.


“Can you please go out and talk?” I glare at him again. “Your phone calls are very annoying.”

“You told me that yesterday” He smirks. “What’s wrong with you? Whose face did you see the first this morning?”

“Apparently, yours.” I respond. “Now please let me cook. Move.”

“I didn’t even touch you dammit. Why are you so hyper today?”

“That’s how I am.. You have a problem?”


He removes the Bluetooth earpiece and steps forward, then pins me to the Kitchen slab behind. I am glad Akash has left us.

“This is my kitchen too and I will be wherever I want to be and do whatever I want to do. You cannot ask me to stop Khushi Kumari Gupta.”


Fine.! Then all he will get from me is a silent treatment henceforth. He doesn’t let the argument continue and walks out.


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


Arnav’s POV


I have no freaking clue what is wrong with Khushi today. Since morning she is behaving totally odd. First, she had a problem with my phone calls, then she didn’t like having me in the kitchen alongside her. Even during breakfast, she hardly spoke to me whereas she didn’t show that same ignorance to Akash and Payal. Then when I was watering the plants, she was in the balcony talking to someone on the call but whilst I kept glancing at her, she didn’t even looked in my direction once. Something was fishy. I believe she had mood swings problems but not to this level. I had to find out but not before making a few official calls and I wasn’t getting my Bluetooth earpiece. I asked Akash and he told me to check in the kitchen as that was the last place, I had used them this morning. I went there and saw Khushi eating an apple leisurely, sitting on the kitchen slab. She had worn an apron and her dupatta was lying beside her.


“Did you see my Bluetooth earpiece?” I ask looking for it everywhere.

“Those little black color buds?”

“yes.” I hope she has seen them. “You have seen them?”

“I have” She gets down the slab and makes a move to the sink to wash her hands.

“Great. Where are they? I need them to make a call.”

“You call from those? I thought you use your phone to make calls.”

I roll my eyes.

“Khushi, stop fussing. I have a business call to make. Where are they?”

“Somewhere” she keeps strolling in the kitchen, doing the chores and I have to block her way finally.

“Will you just give them back? I need them dammit?”

“You wont get them.”

“excuse me?”

“You heard me right. I am annoyed by your frequent personal and official calls.”

“PERSONAL OR OFFICIAL?” I tease. “Be specific.”

“Both” she shrugs looking elsewhere and now I can finally see why she is like this. Today morning she heard me talking to Sheetal. Is that why she is so odd to me today? Is she jealous?


Well I don’t have time to deal with his right now

“Khushi..” I come back to the subject. “I seriously need them back.”

“Keep looking. You still wont find them”


Heck!! What is she playing at?

“Fine” I nod snatching her Dupatta from her table where she had kept it nicely. “You wont get this even till you return them.”

“Arnav, don’t.” she snaps. “That’s my dupatta.. It means something to a woman.”

“Just like my Bluetooth earpiece means something to me. You want this..” I wave her silky dupatta in my fist.. “Then return me whats mine.”


Saying that I am off the kitchen. And I mean it. During lunch, she keeps wearing the Apron over her dress as the Dupatta is still with me. I have hidden it safely in my room. Payal asks her why she is not ready to take off the Apron but she gives some excuse and throws a cursing glance at me. I am glad we are not involving Akash and Payal in this silly game. It’s just between me and her. When Akash and Payal do the lunch dishes, Khushi keeps searching for her Dupatta and I enjoy seeing her do so. I had craved for my Bluetooth the same way.


I take a nap at afternoon, locking my room door so she couldn’t come there and get it when I am asleep. She knocks my door thrice but I don’t open. During evening tea she is pissed off and that apron is still on her body.. I wonder when she is going to take it off. It’s night and we cook silently in the kitchen, together without speaking a word to each other. I have messed with her enough today and I know her patience is finally slipping. So, after dinner, I get back in my room to make a call to Di. I haven’t spoken to her today.

While I continue talking to Di on the video call, Khushi suddenly barges in my room.


“Arnav, where is my Dupatta? I swear if you don’t give me that now.. I..”


Her jaw drops as she realizes I am on a video call and Di can see her.

“Umm.. I .. I am sorry. Didn’t know you were on a call. I will come back later.”


She runs out before I can stop her. A blush creeps on my face as I turn back to my 10-inch tablet screen. Di chortles and I know how well she can read my expressions.


“You have started hiding girl’s dupattas, Chotte?” Di teases.

“What? No.. I mean.. yes. Just hers.”

I soon realize how that might sound and try to cover up.

“She was irritating me this morning by hiding my Bluetooth earpiece. You know how much I depend on them. That’s why I stole her Dupatta. Let her search the whole house, she still won’t find it.”


I hope I wasn’t grinning like an idiot. I know what Di might be thinking. But she is almost right. If I was attracted to Khushi before, now I have started liking her. Staying together under one roof with her is benefitting.


“Chotte, its bad manners to hide a girl’s dupatta like that. GO give her right away.”

“I know di. I will. Promise.”

“She is cute by the way.. Khushi right? Her name itself is so sweet. Do you both often fight or be cordial too with each other?”

“We don’t always fight. I don’t know what happened to her today. From morning her mood is off. Anyway..” I exhale. “Let me return her dupatta first.”

Di laughs.

“All the best”

“Thanks. I need one.” I reply disconnecting the call. This is the first time Di has not teased me over a woman despite seeing Khushi in my room.. fighting for her Dupatta. Is that a sign that Di has stopped fixing me with women or does she want to give me a chance to do this myself this time? I unlock my closet and take out Khushi’s dupatta. I don’t want to return this to her unless she gives me back my Bluetooth earpiece but since its really not cool and Di told me the same, I decide to be the first to put an end to this Nok Jhok between us.


Khushi is in the balcony of her bedroom, standing alone and watching the dark sky.. Its cold and she has taken out the apron she had worn the whole day. Since her door is open, I get inside without knocking.. There is something about this woman which pulls me to her every single time I have seen her. Tonight is no different. She hasn’t sensed my presence yet and I take a minute more to admire her. The weather is a bit cold today as if it had rained somewhere and the same cold breeze has flown here. The moment I see her rubbing her arms, I stride to her and drape the Dupatta over her upper body, from behind.


She startles as she feels my touch and for a moment, we both don’t move.. My hands still clutch her arms, over the Dupatta that I have covered with… with Khushi’s back touching my chest.. I want this moment to stop right here.. like this.. with Khushi in my arms.


“Happy?” I whisper in her ears and she moves away from me and turns around.

“Thank you” she snaps. “Though I hadn’t expected you to be so nice.”

“I tend to be a lot nice during nighttime” I tease


A smile finally pops on her face.

“Is it? This proves you are not a man wolf then.. They tend to be a lot dangerous at nights, I have heard.”


I laugh and so does she but soon she stops laughing and looks away. The same frustration which she had on her face in the morning is back. She gets back in the bedroom and opens a drawer where my Bluetooth earpiece is. She picks them and hands it to me.


“You can now call girlfriend and talk for as long as you wish.”

I am taken back.

“Girlfriend?” I repeat.

“Sheetal. The one who called you this morning.. Oh sorry.. You called her this morning and then she called you back only because you skipped telling her you missed her.”


Is that what it is? She is angry because she thinks Sheetal is my girlfriend? Damn!! I like this.. I so effing love this jealousy on her. So for now, I don’t wipe off her insecurities wanting to see where this leads us to.


“Thank you, Khushi. Good night” I say turning back to the door.

“Good night” She almost shouts. “And sweet dreams… of Sheetal” She adds tauntingly.

“I will.. dream of my woman..” I reply reaching her door. “Even if you don’t say that.”


She clenches her jaw and I do my best to hold my smirk. Damn!! Jealousy looks cut on this woman!! So Effing Cute!!


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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