“Khushi!” N.k squealed delightedly as soon as he spotted us
emerging from ‘Chocolate Story’.
“What the!”I muttered irritably.
Why did that dumb N.K. have to follow khushi around like magnet!
“What the hell do you want N.k.?” I asked rudely. Khushi
looked at me and elbowed me in the ribs whispering ‘Behave’.
“ Oh I was just looking through that Book Store upstairs and
then came across this....so I bought this for khush, since she enjoys reading a
lot!” N.k said cheerfully, pulling out a thick book from the paper bag. It was
Hitler’s Autobiography ‘Mein Kampf’.
“Khushi doesn’t enjoy reading Autobiographies.” I said
shortly, without giving khushi a chance to so much as open her mouth.
She
looked round at me surprised again at how much I knew about her. But, I refused
to meet her eyes, glaring at N.k. who now looked disheartened.
“ I’ll get another book for you khushi. I didn’t know that
you...”
“Oh no Nk.! Just because I have never read and Autobiography
doesn’t mean that I won’t enjoy reading it. Besides, I have been hearing a lot
about this one, so I’m definitely gonna keep this. Thank you so much for this
lovely gift.”Khushi cut N.k off, smilingly and I looked at her in disbelief.
She was actually entertaining that stupid and foolhardy N.k!
I gazed at her and the smiles that she gave to that generic boy made my heart
pinch. Just polite smiles. I told myself,still I couldn’t rein in my jealousy
so I decided to separate the duo fast to keep my sanity intact.
“Khushi, let’s go and search for Payal and Akash. I think
I’ve annoyed her enough for a day. I don’t want her to get restrictive orders
put on me.” I said solemnly and pulled khushi with me without waiting for her
response.
She barely managed to get hold of the book that N.K. was
handing her over and muttered a swift goodbye.
“What was that Arnav?Why are you always so rude with
N.K?”She asked frowning.
I clenched me hand. Did she really didn’t notice that N.K.
was all but smitten with her.
“Because I don’t like the way he sticks to you...like ants
on jaggery.” I snapped, looking rather annoyed. Khushi stared at me while I
stubbornly refused to meet her eyes even once. I wonder whether jealousy that
was simply burning my insides was evident on my face too.
“Why does it bother you?”Khushi whispered, asking the very
question I didn’t want her to ask. I could feel her intense gaze on me.
I looked in the deep hazels of her eyes and lost grip on
myself.
“Khushi, I...I...lo....”
“Khushi! Bhai!” Akash broke our reverie and we turned look
at him, waving frantically from the entrance of the ‘Gaming Zone’.
Sighing in relief and grateful of this interruption, I
silently led, what I thought a very disappointing looking, khushi towards him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We started for our school after a sumptuous dinner of
mouth-watering pizzas and desserts in ‘Dominos’.
I settled in beside khushi as Akash kept Payal engaged while
Aman and Anvesh didn’t dare to come within two feet of me after the morning
debacle. Exhausted after the outing, the bus was wrapped in a peaceful quite as
we moved towards the school.
Though khushi sat beside me, none of us spoke, and the
awkwardness was almost tangible. I was worried. Maybe my words back then were
too much...maybe khushi couldn’t keep up with me now that I’ve shown her a
little bit of what I really felt for her, maybe she could understand my
unspoken words..my feelings...perceptive she was. All the same, I knew the
equation in our relationship had changed due to those hasty words of mine and I
will have to deal with the repercussion.
I was gazing out of the window, lost in my thoughts when
suddenly I felt a warm body snuggling up to me. I looked down to find khushi
fast asleep, nestling into me, clutching my shirt tenaciously.
I stared at her, my breath hitched at the sight of her
cherubic face aglow in the silver of moon. Her supple lips slightly parted as
she breathed evenly and her tresses caressing her face. I had never seen any
sight more beautiful than this!
I gazed at her, utterly lost in her beauty till I noticed
she was shivering. The night air coming through the open window was quite
chilly. So, carefully, I extricated my arms from her grip and shut the window,
taking care as to not to jostle her.
Khushi slept like a baby in my
arm as we trundled through the silent streets of Dehradun to our school!
I didn’t get much time to dwell on the happenings in our
outing the next day as I was all sucked
up in practicing for the final match of C.B.S.E Cricket Tournament which was
scheduled the day after.
I sweated it out with my team right from the dawn to
afternoon and then retuned back only
when the Sun beat down our necks to have lunch.
I took a shower...nothing can be more refreshing and
invigorating than a shower to relax after an absolutely tiring day, and then
moved to Study area to find my friends or more so to find khushi. I entered the
room to find Payal, Akash, Aman and Anvesh ensconced together in the far
corner. Khushi was nowhere to be seen.
“Hi”I greeted them tiredly, looking around for khushi and
right on the cue, as if she knew I was waiting for her, as if she could tell
how much anxious I was on not seeing her, khushi entered the cafeteria.
She was followed by her usual gang of friends who were
giggling themselves stupid over something. I gazed at her in astonishment as
she turned around and definitely gave her friends a right little left, right
and centre before making her way towards us furiously. I had never seen her
that angry.
“Khushi, what’s wrong?” I asked as I watched her
belligerent, frowning face. She stormed towards me and pulled up a chair beside
me.
“Khushi did someone say anything to you? Did anyone hurt you?”Payal
demanded, flexing just like a fierce tigress.
Suddenly someone wolf-whistled
from the other end of the cafeteria and we looked around to see some khushi’s
classmates staring pointedly in our direction and smirking.
“Now really!”
Khushi snapped.
“Are you going to tell us what happened?” Akash asked.
“Its...its that stupid Mrinal! Well...he kind of...he said
he likes me and asked me to be his girlfriend today!”Khushi said wrinkling her
cute, little nose, dropping the bomb on me.
Khushi slept like a baby in my
arm as we trundled through the silent streets of Dehradun to our school!
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteShravaya dear, thank you so much for your lovely comments dear! I'm so grateful that you liked it.
Anonymous, aww I can't stop blushing on reading your comment dear! Thanks! By the way, if you don't mind then please drop your name next time when you comment!
I hope you'll like this part too! I know I'm not letting go off khushi's past just yet, but this is not the right moment.I'll reveal it soon.
Love
Don't worry dear im willing 2 wait coz im really enjoying how the story's progressing slow & steady....not too much rush, aww fufurious khushi. .. waiting for arnav's reaction.
ReplyDeleteDat was indeed a bomb :D Cummon, Arnav, buck up :) Gr8 update Akansha :) ;)
ReplyDelete