CHAPTER 7

                                            

One month later

Arnav is really confused these days. He feels very different. When he gets up every morning he feels an unexplainable excitement. He smiles without any reason these days. There is an extra jubilance in his steps. Nowadays he doesn’t care when girls fawn at him. It doesn’t interest him. It seems like his interests and preferences have changed.

All this was okay. But what confused him was the strange dhak dhak that he feels when he is around Kushi. Whenever she is around he feels something strange. Somehow he could no longer look at her as his sister’s best friend. Something has changed. He has started seeing her like a woman, simply a woman.

Suddenly he has started to notice the twinkle in her eyes when she smiles; how her hair fans her face while she is busy in her work; how soft and dainty her hands are. In fact he has started noticing more and he felt guilty about thinking of his friend in that way. He passed it off as an infatuation. He tried to focus on his work; even other women. But nothing reduced what he felt for Kushi. He was in for deep trouble.

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Kushi finished her rounds and was looking for Arnav. It was already 4pm but she had skipped lunch as she was busy with an emergency. What she needed now was a coffee and she is searching Arnav to know if he wants one too. They usually have coffee together. But on not finding Arnav she headed to the cafe opposite. She placed the order and turned only to find Arnav leaving hurriedly from the cafe with Lavanya on toe.

Kushi(calling out): Arnav...Arnav....

Arnav: Huh...uh Doctor.

Kushi: I was searching for you.

Arnav: Oh...actually I took a break earlier today. Also Lavanya needed a coffee. So she asked me to join her.

Kushi looked at Lavanya who was looking at Arnav with a half wondering and half questioning expression.

Arnav: ok doctor, my break is over. I have to get back to duty. Enjoy your coffee. Bye.

Kushi (shrugging): Ok. Bye

Arnav left with Lavanya and Kushi smirked behind his back.

Kushi: So finally Mr. Bachelor is dating, huh?! Should I tell ANjali? No, she won’t give him breathing space. Moreover Lavanya is Viren’s cousin. Hmm they are adults; let’s see if they are taking it forward or not.

“Maám, your order”.

Kushi: yea coming.

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Another Day

Arnav was having a busy day at work. He had to come early and was on toes the whole day. He hardly had any breakfast and had to skip lunch too. It was late evening when he got time to breathe. He took a break and went to grab a coffee. He stopped in front of Kushi’s cabin. He was having half mind if he should ask her to join or just leave. He thought it was high time he end this hide and seek game. In all this he was losing a good friend and he didn’t want to throw mud over their friendship. He decided to end this teenage lover game and knocked on her cabin. No one answered even after 2 knocks so he opened the door slowly calling out her name. Her cabin was empty. He sighed and left for the cafe. First a cappacuino then everything else!

But when he walked into the cafe he almost dashed into Dr. Jackson and Kushi. Dr. Jackson was a senior doctor of their hospital. Around 40 years old, divorced twice and have one son who stays with his mother. Current wife is 15 years younger to him. He is a well known flirt, but a harmless one at that. He is highly handsome with sharp manly features and not to mention a well toned body which is neither lean nor muscular even at this age.

Kushi: Arnav? Seems like you are busy these days.

Arnav: Huh...yeah. Had a...(eyeing the way Jackson had his arm over Kushi’s shoulders) sort of busy day today.

Kushi: Me too, skipped lunch again. Just now grabbed a cappacuino with Jonny!

Arnav raised an eyebrow seeing her addressing Jackson by his first name. She always had negative opinion about him; even called him a womaniser, now what happened?!

Kushi: Thanks for the coffee Jonny. Arnav is my friend, I will just keep him company for sometime.

Jonny: Okay sweetheart. See you later.

He kissed her cheek slightly to which Kushi smiled and Arnav boiled inside.

He left and Kushi and Arnav settled on to a table after placing his order.

Kushi: okay tell me what’s up?

Arnav: I think you have news to share!!!

Kushi quirked an eyebrow. Arnav mimicked the same expression sarcastically.

Kushi ( realizing): Oh Dr. Jackson!!! Oh I was too stressed out and just chilled out for a while.

Arnav(unbelievably) : Chilled out with him??

Kushi: Why are you air quoting my words? I was having my coffee when he joined me and I couldn’t resist.

Arnav(smiling irritatedly): I am air quoting because you seemed to be the same person who always badmouthed about this woman, about how much of a jerk he is, flirt, womaniser he is.

Kushi: Oh I just spend a few mintues over a coffee with him, nothing else. I have seen his latest wife, she is so beautiful for him to chose me over her.

Arnav( with a funny angry face): Why are you disappointed while saying that? You want to be chosen over her?

Kushi: What? Arnav what has got into you? Are you stressed with work?

Arnav looked down taking a deep breathe and said more to himself : Yes I’m stressed with ‘work’.

Kushi: I was having my coffee when he came and asked if he could join. I didn’t want to but then it would look rude if I resisted. So he sat with me and we chatted for sometime. ( Seeing Arnav’s pointed look) No he was not flirting with me. In fact we had more of a professional conversation.

Arnav: Then what was that kiss and ‘sweetheart’and ‘Jonny’.

Kushi ( waving her hands): Aah! That he was just being friendly and I was being polite. You know actually he is a nice man but his flirting nature and his marital record makes people talk ill. Only when we get to know a person close we realize what he or she is.

Arnav ( jealous): Seems like ‘Jhonny’has made quite an impression on you.

Kushi ( grinning): Truth be told, yup. He is just like the man I want in life. Looks so rough and manly, suave personality and deep voice. It’s so sad that all good stuff is already taken. Sigh!

Arnav felt 3 4 bullets being shot into his heart as he slowly dropped his head to drink his creamy cappacuino. Somehow the coffee didn’t taste good today. He thought it was due to the heaviness he felt in his heart hearing Kushi’s expectations about her dream man! But he realized it was not so when Kushi reminded him that he didn’t add sugar.

Sugar can make the coffee tasty but can it reduce the dhak dhak or the stone over my heart? No Kushi, no, you have absolutely no idea!!!!

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Few weeks later

Arnav knew what he was feeling for Kushi; he also knew it was wrong.

I shouldn’t be thinking of her with a romantic incline. She is elder to me, my sister’s best friend, and my best friend. If Di comes to know then she will kill me. Hmm Kushi’s reaction too won’t be quite different from my sister’s. Hell I’m sure she absolutely has no feelings for me.

But what should I do with my feelings? I tried running away from them, ignored them, and even tried to date other women. I tried concentrating on work to avoid such thoughts. I kept distance from Kushi. I hoped that maybe if I spend lesser time with her I will get out of this attraction. But nothing is working in my favour.

Is it just an infatuation? Maybe initially it was. She is a beautiful woman and I’m not blind. But that alone did not pull me to her. It was she as a person more than she as a woman that made me notices her. Also by then our relation status changed. She became a very close friend of mine, a very special friend. We had a comfortable situation, then when did it change?

Was it the Holi day? When I saw her childish self? Or was it when I saw her laugh heartily that night? Was it during our friendly banters?Was it that day when she cried before me? Was it that day when I met her again in Di’s kitchen, her mouth swollen with the cake I baked? Was it when I teased her endlessly? Or was it that day all those years ago when she walked into my bedroom to meet her friend’s little brother? This feeling was there, somewhere there deep within; but I never realized, or never wanted to realize.

But now what? How am I going to go ahead with this????

He saw Kushi playing in the sea. Anjali and Viren were also with her. It was weekend and they were chilling out at the beach. Arnav and Lavanya were getting a sunbath. Lavanya who was talking to him saw that Arnav was lost in thoughts. She shook him.

Lavanya: Arnav?

Arnav: Hmm?

Lavanya: Where are you lost?

Arnav looked at Kushi.

I have two options – either bury these feelings forever and act as if nothing changed or embrace this feeling and face the consequences. So what should I do? Should I let go of Kushi or pursue her?

He saw the smiling face of Kushi who was having fun splashing water at Anjali. Three seconds passed and Arnav has made his decision.

Arnav: Nothing Lav, was just taking a decision in mind.

He got up and moved towards Kushi. He joined the fun and started splashing water and playing with her. In between splashing water Kushi was about to fall into the water. Arnav pulled her into his arms to save her fall but didn’t let go. Instead he held her firmly against him with a cute smile intact on his face. Kushi turned to face him feeling his firm hold on her. He was smiling down at her; Kushi felt something strange by the way he was looking at her but then brushes it off when Anjali pulled her more into the sea. She continued having fun unknown to the fact that a decision has been made which is going to alter her life completely.

NOTE:

Arnav Singh Raizada has made his decision. But how is that going to affect his life? Wait and see.

Little busy so short update.  I’m sorry.