10 Why?
Part 10: Why?
Khushi walked inside, taking Arnav's bike key.
"Khushi, give me my key..." He shouted, sitting on the bike.
"Come inside. Then only you will get the key." She walked, not looking at him, but showing him the key.
Arnav sighed with a hidden smile and followed her.
"Ramu kaka..." Khushi called someone.
A man in his late fifties appeared in the living room.
"You came, Baby?" He asked.
"Yeah, he is Arnav..." She introduced him, mentioning no relationship.
"Namaste..." Arnav greeted him.
"Are you studying in Baby's class?" Ramu Kaka asked.
"No, I'm studying in college, no kindergarten, " he said, controlling his laughter.
Ramu stood frowning as he didn't understand the counter.
Khushi dropped her jaw.
"Kaka, this is why I said don't call me baby..." she whined.
"I used to call you baby from when you were born..."
"Oh, that means, you started calling her baby when she was a baby..." Arnav smiled at Khushi.
"Han han... Everyone is baby once..." Khushi said, pouting.
"Yeah, but it's too rare to call baby even after they become a young girl."
"It's my mother who called me like that. Didn't your mother call you with such a name?"
Arnav was stuck. His mother used to call him Chotte, yet he nodded no.
Khushi looked at Ramu, sulking.
"Kaka, prepare something for Arnav."
"No no no... I have to go..." Arnav said.
"Go... Take your bike tomorrow morning." She said.
"Khushi..."
"I know you will go to the office. You can go later. Now come with me."
She walked.
"Where?"
"To the magic world..."
"Khushi, give me my key..." He sighed.
She put the key in her pocket, making him perplexed.
"Shut up and come", she went upstairs.
Arnav, who followed her, said,
"I don't like anyone ordering me."
"Is it? I like ordering for my beloved ones..." She said, making him smile.
He intentionally said, "If you like doing that, do that with your beloved one. "
"That's what I'm doing..." she said casually.
"Am I your beloved one?"
She nodded.
"From when?"
"From the time I saw you..."
Arnav was stuck.
"I heard about love at first sight, but this is the first time I hear about 'beloved one at first sight."
Ramu Kaka came with samosas. Taking a plate from him, she forwarded it to Arnav.
"I don't like Samosa", he said without taking it.
"What do you like?"
"I like nothing..."
"Lie..."
"Why?"
"No one could be without liking anything. At least something must be there..."
Arnav was silent.
"Seeing your silence, I think I guessed it right."
"Mm..."
"What do you like?"
"I won't reveal my liking"
"Why so?"
"People will use it to get me under their control"
"Is getting you under control that easy?" she asked sarcastically, and Arnav looked at her sharply.
"I will reveal my liking. Yet, I won't let anyone get me under their control. And I disagree with you. You are not such an easy nut to control. It will happen only if you want to be under their control."
Arnav was stunned. She was right. Taking him under control was not that easy. It would not happen until he wanted it.
"I have to go. Give me the key..."
"Ok, if you want your key, you should do what I say"
"What?"
"Promise me you will take me to the college daily."
"I'm not running a taxi service..."
"When did I say you are running a taxi service? Promise me, or else, go by taking a taxi..."
Arnav sighed.
"Ok... I will pick you up daily. Give me the key..."
"Good boy..." She said delightedly and tapped his cheek, making him flinch.
She gave the key.
"Bye..." Arnav was supposed to leave but stopped when Khushi called him.
"One minute, Arnav..."
"Do you know why I brought you to my home?"
Arnav silently looked at her.
"To check you..."
Arnav shrank his eyes.
"If you don't like me, you would have gotten irritated with my behaviour, but you didn't regret coming here."
Arnav gulped hard.
"So, you are indeed my beloved one..."
Arnav turned opposite her and walked, fighting with a smile. He liked Khushi. She analysed his attitude simply because no one had ever done it before.
He went to the office and returned home late as usual. He saw Raizadas in the dining room. He went to his room and got fresh without showing hurry. He didn't like to eat with them ever. He just did that for Khushi when she visited RM.
He came to the dining room only after everyone had left. HP served him dinner. Subhadra came and sat with him.
"How was your day?" She asked.
"Good..." He said, thinking about Khushi.
Subhadra wondered because Arnav always said, 'as usual'. That was the first time he said, GOOD.
"Is it? What had happened that made you say GOOD?"
Arnav stopped eating for a while and continued eating. Subhadra noticed it.
"What did your friend say?"
"Who?" He asked, frowning.
"Khushi..."
"Nothing..."
"Didn't you meet her?"
"Mmm..."
"Yeah, you would meet her every day..."
Arnav was silent.
"Yet, didn't she say anything?"
"Mmm..."
"She seems a nice girl... And, I'm sure she likes you"
Arnav didn't say anything, ate silently, and left the place.
He saw Dhruv standing outside his room. Without giving him a heed, Arnav entered his room.
"I'm waiting for you only," Dhruv said.
Arnav looked behind.
"Tell me..."
"Where did you go with Khushi?"
"Why should I answer you?"
"Arnav, she is supposed to be my girl..."
"What does 'supposed to be' mean?"
"If I had been at home when she came here, I would have been her friend. She would have accepted me as her friend. My father and her father would have been given as a good intro..."
"So?" He asked with attitude.
"Arnav..."
Arnav showed his palm.
"Whatever you said might have happened... But nothing had happened. For your information, she became my friend even before coming to RM. We weren't introduced on the day, but we talked like good friends. If you have doubts, ask your father and mother. And, I didn't stop her from being friends with you. I didn't interfere with her likes. If she likes to be your friend, I have no problem. I won't stop her. So could you stop talking about her to me?"
"Will you not stay away from her?"
"Why should I?"
"Until you are close to her, she won't be my friend..."
"It's not my problem."
"Stay away from her, Arnav..."
"I won't... Definitely won't..." Who are you to order me?"
"Arnaaaav..."
"What? I told you I have no problem if you become her friend. You too behave the same. Or else I won't be good all the time... Mind it,"
He got into the room and closed the door. He lost his temper. How dare he say Khushi was supposed to be his girl! After a long... After his mother, he got someone for himself. How could he say so! Would she be Dhruv's girl if he had been home when Khushi visited RM? He punched the wall wrathfully. He overlooked the nail in the wall. The skin was removed, and blood oozed. Taking a piece of cloth, he wrapped it around his hand.
The next day
Arnav went to Khushi's house to pick her up. He pressed the calling bell. Khushi opened the door and smiled at him brightly.
"Wow, you came?"
"Didn't I promise? I always keep my words..."
"Ohhhh..."
"Give me your number. From tomorrow, come out when I give you a ring..." He took his phone to save her number.
"Tell me..."
Khushi was supposed to tell him her number, but stopped seeing a wound in his hand. She held his hand, stunning him.
"What's this?" She asked, panicking.
"Just dashed on the wall..." He lied.
"It doesn't seem like that. Did you fight with anyone?"
He nodded slowly. How could he tell her that he was fighting within? He didn't know why he became restless when Dhruv addressed her as his girl, why he felt like kicking him hard, or what was happening with him.
To be continued...
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