ISHQIYA PART 3

PART 3:

(Cafe Central, Amar Colony)

She sighed in relief when her family was done with their queries. Giving them all the details including his and her exact words Khushi Gupta finally gave up on the pretense. Acting can never be her thing. It requires patience and energy. But Khushi felt like a completely drained vessel. 

But she was ecstatic knowing that her plan had worked. Rajeshji lost his glow after their conversation on the balcony. The man did not even wave goodbye while her family appreciated his gentlemanly ways. Little did her parents know that Khushi Gupta had successfully frightened the would-be groom.

She did an impromptu jig inwardly of course. The obstacle in her and Arnavjis path had been removed so easily. Thanks to her intelligent mind.

Lost in her thoughts Khushi forgot about Arnav Singh Raizada who was restlessly waiting for her in a Cafe close to her house.

Half an hour later Khushi was flipping pages of her favorite magazine plopped on the bed. Hmmm. Nyka has a really good collection of beauty products. It won't harm her to order a few things for herself. She mused. The vibrations of her phone broke her concentration. Distracted by the new Maybelline lipstick collection Khushi answered her phone.

Hello...

WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GUPTA?!?

OOPS!

YES...OOPS...BIG OOPS...YOU FORGOT YET AGAIN KHUSHI!

SORRY SORRY SORRY...I will be there in 10.

Hurry up Queen of Lajpat Nagar. Or else I am leaving.

No no. Aati hoon. Sorry bola na. 

(I am coming).

And then he hung up on her making Khushi pout. He is very angry. But she cannot help it. Today was hectic for her. Not wanting to boil the hot furnace inside Raizadas brains she rushed to the washroom.

Arnav Singh Raizada was sitting in the cafe impatiently with a frown plastered across his face. He is known for his punctuality. But unfortunately, he fell for a girl who is known for her absentmindedness. They are like chalk and cheese.

Khushi must be on the way now. He thought. His gaze drifted to the table ahead of him where a couple sat awkwardly giving each other shy smiles. He instantly recognized the body language. They were a pair of new lovebirds. The sight took him back to the past. Memories flashed in his mind. 

One Sunday he stood in his kitchen frying his famous fish fry. This was a family tradition. The men in his family were supposed to spend quality time with their loved ones by taking over the kitchen duty once a week. His Baba did it for them. And under his wings, he too learned the art. Unfortunately, his neighbors in the opposite building always complained about the fumes of his fish.

Thankfully they left a few weeks ago. Now there won't be any such complaints. Or so he thought. Because as soon as he flipped the fish a loud voice disturbed his peace.

Hey Devi Maiyya! Itni kharaab smell? Amma ye kahan ghar le lia humne.

(Oh god! Why is it stinking so bad? Amma why did we buy a house over here?)

Khushi...

Aye hello...You...in the opposite building! I am talking to you. Close your kitchen window. Now!

The screaming voice agitated him. Again and again. So putting his fish away he leaned out of the window to see a young woman holding a spatula in her hand trying to scare him.

He gave her his famous smirk and pretended to tremble in fear. This further agitated the woman. And for the first time, Arnav Raizada felt intrigued.

She resembled an angry kitten.

A waiter placed Arnavs ice tea on the table and gave him a polite smile which he returned. He chuckled looking at the beverage, recalling his ice tea fiasco with Khushi.

Once Arnav's bike was blocking Khushi's scooter and even after she repeatedly called him to come down to shift the two-wheeler Arnav denied the request standing coolly on his balcony. He sipped his ice tea and appeared to be all innocent to the frustration of Khushi Gupta.

You Are Crazy! I am requesting you to shift this...this good for nothing machine of yours. And you are acting all innocent?!? 

When Arnav started whistling she lost her cool and kicked the bike with all her force. A loud 'bam' made him look down again. The vehicle laid on the ground at an odd angle to the horror of Khushi and Arnav.

What The!! Pagal ho tum!

(Are you crazy!)

Humein gussa dilane ki kya zaroorat thi?

(Who told you to push my buttons?)

That did it. No one got away after hurting his baby. His precious motorbike. Annoyed by Khushi Kumari Gupta he poured the rest of his ice tea on her. She shrieked feeling the cold drink and ice cubes.

Now this will help you cool down Khushi Gupta.

Batameez insaan. Bangaali hain na. Pareshan krne ki siwa kuch nai aata.

(Illiterate man. Only a Bengali can do such a thing. All you do is create problems).

Aaye Guju tumne badi degree le rakhi hain na tameez mein. Bike ki haalat dekhkar smajh aarha hai.

(Oi Guju you seem to be a degree-holder in mannerism. The condition of my bike is proof).

He was pulled away from his train of thoughts by the sounds of jiggling anklets. For a second he was sure that Khushi Gupta had arrived. But it was a false alarm. A woman with heavy oxidized jewelry had entered the cafe.

Anklets. The sound was so irritating once. But then there came a point in his life when the same sound started soothing his nerves. Three months back a shocking incident took place in Gupta's house. 

Arnav had planned to put firecrackers on Khushi's porch steps. It was the night of Diwali. Payback was in order. That evening he was strategically placing the crackers for scaring Khushi Gupta. 

However, a scream from Khushis house startled him. And then he saw smoke coming out of her kitchen. Something was not right. So he rang her doorbell twice and began to tap his feet on the porch.

Suddenly the door opened and a crying Khushi clutched his collar begging him to save his Amma. The pain and helplessness in her eyes shook his insides.

ARNAVJI AMMA...PLEASE SAVE HER...BACHALO...PLEASE...PLEASE...MERI AMMA...

(ARNAVJI MA...PLEASE SAVE HER...SAVE HER...MY MA)...

That was it. Khushi's desperate pleas for help made him rush to her kitchen which was on fire. And Aunt Garimas saree was burning at an alarming rate. He coughed involuntarily due to the smoke.

GET A BLANKET NOW!!

AND A BUCKET FULL OF WATER TOO...

An hour later the entire neighborhood was standing outside the Gupta house. A doctor was treating the acute burns on Arnavs hands. While a nurse was checking the Blood Pressure of Garima Gupta. That night Arnav became the savior of Guptas.

On the occasion of Diwali, Arnav Singh Raizada gained new respect in the eyes of Khushi Kumari Gupta. In fact, for a while, she showed signs of PTSD. And again Arnav hated to see that fear in her eyes.

So when Khushi dropped a big thank letter along with a couple of burn ointments on the Raizada porch step he read and reread the letter with a silly grin on his face. The sweet gesture made him more fond of her. 

They started chatting with each other from their balconies and Arnav even helped Khushi to cope with her nightmares. Meditation, breathing exercises, yoga he researched everything to support Khushi in those hard times.

The chime of his phone alerted Arnav. Blinking once he checked the message from Khushi. Reading the text he sighed exasperatedly. He will have to wait some more. 

Aunt Vimla is alert. 

This made him drift back into the flashbacks. Initially, when he and Khushi had exchanged numbers the two were just friends. Slowly their equation started to change into something else. He cannot pinpoint the exact moment the two fell for each other. 

Maybe the day when he was stuck in Dehradun due to the bad weather. He had not answered her calls because of network issues. And his battery was dead by the time he was on his way back to Delhi.

Three days later when Arnav had returned he was greeted with tears, punches, and a warm hug. Khushis desperation and Arnavs assurance had reached a new emotional level that night.

Or maybe he fell in love with Khushi Kumari Gupta the day when his mother shared the news of Khushi's alliance on the dining table one night.

Arnav you should have heard Garima the other night. She was so overwhelmed with the news of Khushi's proposal.

What...?!?

You don't know? The whole neighborhood is talking about it. The boy's family is affluent. I am so happy for Khushi. She is a sweetheart.

His spoon had fallen on the floor with a loud thud. He felt like someone was heaping flaming coal onto his heart…Onto his very soul…

And the pain. Her mother's words were excruciating.

That night he could not sleep. Khushi had been ignoring him for a while. His calls and messages were left unanswered. Arnav had planned to rectify it soon. He was prepared to clear any sort of misunderstanding. But this. This had left him speechless.

He closed his eyes trying to get rid of the images of Khushi Gupta happily married to another man. Being in love with him. Having babies with him. 

Thankfully his torturous worst-case scenarios ended when Khushi barged inside the cafe banging with a waiter creating a ruckus. He heard it all. Her apologies and the waiters attempt to run away from her. 

Arnavs eyes flipped open. Unlike the rest of the cafe, he admired the vision that greeted him. Hungry for her attention he began to wave enthusiastically at the bewildered girl who returned the wave with a confused smile of her own.

Finally, she plopped down on the chair in front of him. Her tired eyes made Arnav feel slightly guilty. She was up since morning because of this whole arranged proposal thingy. He should have let her rest. 

But his poor heart just wanted to keep this angel in his pocket and run miles away. Living in a deep forest would be interesting. Maybe they could have a little cabin of their own. And a treehouse. Khushi loves them. Thoughts and ideas swirled around him. 

Khushi Kumari Gupta drank the remaining ice tea from Arnav Raizadas glass. The man was lost in his thoughts and Khushi was too thirsty to bother for asking his permission. Anyways they will be sharing a life soon what's wrong with sharing a drink? She mused.

She tapped her feet on the foot of the table for a while. Trying to be patient. She allowed him to enjoy his daydream. However, when her man started smiling like a fool Khushi lost control.

She pinched him bringing the man back to the real zone. He acknowledged her loudly. Khushi gave him a teasing smile in return.

Arnavji aap kahan kho gaye? Ek to hum aapse milne aaye aur aap hain ki...

(Where are you lost Arnavji? I sneaked away from my house just to meet you and look at you...)

Oh, Khushi? Do ghanta wait krwake aane ka bahut shukria.

(Thank you, your majesty, for being here after 2 long hours).

Agar ladai hi krni h to hum chalte hain.

(If all you wish for is an argument then I better leave).

She was about to push her chair when a warm hand held hers in a firm grip. Khushi lifted her eyes to see a different emotion in Arnavjis eyes.

Khushi. Don't. I almost lost you to that Rajesh. Tumne andaaza bhi nai hai kitna mushkil tha mere liye ye sab.

(You have no idea how difficult it was for me to tolerate all this).

Rubbing her thumb over his palm she tried to assure her man. She had an idea of how difficult all of this was for Arnav Raizada because they were in the same boat. The only difference is that it took her a little longer to realize what they shared was more than friendship.

Pehle nai pta tha Arnavji. Confusion tha. Par ab sab clear hai. Now I know that I cannot be happy with anyone else but you.

(Initially, I did not know. I was confused. But now everything is clear).

Aisa hai to abhi tak woh three special words kyun nai kahe?

(If that's the case then why have I not heard the 3 special words from you yet?)

Aaa ha ha ha aapne konse lakhon baar bola dia.

(Ha ha ha, as if you have confessed a million times).

Lifting a single eyebrow he simply smirked in her direction. Khushi knew this gesture pretty well. He was up for a challenge. She shook her head and tried to pull her hand but in return, he only tightened his grip.

When she stared back in surprise Arnavji raised her hand and kissed her palm soundly.

Khushi turned red. She was not into PDA and Arnav Raizada was not helping her. Something in his eyes told her that now he was unstoppable. This was just the beginning.

So...

So...

Arnavji!!

Khushi!!

Will you keep teasing me?

She pouted making an adorable face. Her all-time favorite weapon. It worked like a charm always. Arnav Singh Raizadas eyes widened while his jaw dropped in surprise. He replied in a trance.

No...I won't.

Very good. Good boy.

She patted his hair making the man shake his head in disbelief.

What the? I am not your personal puppy Khushi.

The two bantered for a few minutes. Talking about general things. They even ordered a plate of nachos to snack on. Finally, after some time Khushi moved the conversation to a more serious subject. 

Arnavji this time we somehow managed to get rid of those Aroras. But we won't be this lucky every time.

You are right Khushi. And don't worry. I have thought of something.

I am just waiting for Aman's call.

Amanji?

Khushi bounced her knees in the excitement of meeting Aman Malhotra. He had been MIA for a while now. She last saw him 2 months ago on Arnavs birthday.

 Amanji is a pure soul with a beautiful heart. A man who possesses a great sense of humor. When Arnavji had introduced the two of them they had hit off immediately. Aman Malhotra and Arnav Raizada were school friends whose friendship amazed Khushi.

Amanji loved to gossip about the long line of girls who used to flirt with her man during schooldays. And Khushi relished the juicy details to the surprise of both the friends.

Yes your BFF Aman Malhotra. 

Phir to koi gadbad nai hogi. Amanji to humare hi aadmi hai.

Then there won't be an issue. Amanji is our man).

After spending some much-needed quality time together, the two lovers chose to walk in the garden around the cafe. It was twilight. Khushi's favorite moment of the day. And watching the gleeful expressions on his girl's face Arnav felt like the king of the world with his beautiful queen walking beside him. Slowly he entwined his fingers with hers. The slight tremor in her body made his heart do a happy dance. Khushi's words drew his attention to her face.

Aasmaan kitna khoobsurat hai na.

(The sky is so beautiful).

Sahi kaha. Ye taaron jaisi aankhen aur ye chand sa chehra. Aasman toh waqai khoobsurat hai.

(Exactly. These twinkling eyes and this bright as a moon face. Yes, the sky is beautiful).

ARNAVJI?!

WHAT?!

Aap please aise flirt mat kra kijiye na.

(Don't flirt with me please).

Kyun? Tumse nai flirt krsakta?

(Why? Cannot I flirt with you?)

Hey Devi Maiyya. His flirting will give me a heart attack one day. I am already so close to my deathbed. I don't need another cardiac arrest. She mused looking everywhere but him. But her flying heart was not ready to rest at all. Feeling all the more anxious by his proximity Khushi started blabbering without any filter.

Aap itni husky voice mein flirt krtein hai ki humare dil zor zor se dhak dhak krne lgta hai. Aur itne paas khade hone ki kya zaroorat hai thoda door...

(When you flirt with me in such a husky voice then my heart starts skyrocketing. And why do you have to stand so close to me...)

Realizing that she blurted out the contents of her heart Khushi's orbs almost jumped out of her eye socket. And a dark tint of red spread all over her cheeks. She gulped as Arnavjis gaze turned more intense. Her feet moved back on their own accord and he started advancing in her direction. With a sweeping glance, Khushi realized that they were in a dark corner of the park with no one around. She continued her retreat till her back touched the bark of a tree.

Khushi tried to move away but found Arnav Raizadas arms on either side of her head restricting her movements altogether. Suddenly it was only her shallow breaths that echoed around them.

Kya kaha tumne Khushi? Tumhari dil ki dhadkan tez hojati hai?

(What did you say Khushi? Your heartbeats escalate because of me?)

Haan...Nahi....matlab...

(Yes....No....I mean...)

Moving closer the man pushed Khushis fringes behind her ear and leaned towards her. Khushi Gupta had no choice but to shut her eyes.

 I believe that I can be your cardiologist. Chalo batao kab dhadkan tez hojati hai? 

(Now tell me what's the exact issue with your heart?)

Ar...Arnavji...hum...aap...

(You...I....)

Oh, toh dhadkan tez hone ke sath sath mere paas aane se tum stammer bhi krti hoon. Interesting Khushi Gupta.

(Oh so apart from the heart-flying thing you also stammer around me).

Feeling a sudden peck on her already warm cheek Khushis eyes flew open. Giving her a cheeky grin the man leaned away and folded his hands across his chest.

Curbing her nervousness Khushi started walking ahead leaving an amused Raizada behind. Palming her cheek she again looked behind her only to see the man jogging towards her. Khushi turned around and increased her pace.

Ye Bangali to jaan leke chodega.

She muttered taking two steps at a time. But soon he joined her with a playful smirk on his face.

Did you say something Khushi?

Kuch nai.

(No nothing).

Lal hai.

(It is red).

Kya?

(What?)

Tumhara muh tamatar jaise lal hai. Sharm aarhi h Khushi?

(Your face looks like a tomato. Feeling shy huh Khushi?)

Shut up Arnavji.

Pursing her lips she tried to hide her smile from the naughty man who was hellbent on teasing her. But this only made him flirt with her more. He tickled her, pulled her hair tie, and even stole a few pecks...all the courtesy of Khushi Gupta. The love and life of Arnav Singh Raizada.

To Be Continued.