FF: It's Not Right - Chapter 11

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Chapter 11

Khushi avoided Arnav's gaze for the next half hour as Nani explained to him that first they would be selecting some girls from Lucknow and then if Arnav wished he could meet one or two before making his final decision. He had remained virtually silent the whole time and similarly avoided looking at Khushi but she could almost feel the anger emanating off him. 'You're a goner today. You need to think of a way to escape before this Lord Governer breaks his vow of silence.

'Okay Khushi dear? I'm going to go and lie down for a while since I feel a bit tired.' Nani got up and touched Khushi's shoulder affectionately.

Khushi nodded at Nani mutely and decided this was the best moment to make her escape, 'actually Naniji, I should be going as well, it's a bit late and my parents will be worried.' She started to stand up and watched as Arnav also stood up in sync with her. 'He's really going to kill me today.'

'Khushi wait, I need to speak to you.' Arnav spoke in a calm, controlled manner.

Khushi looked pleadingly at Anjali but apparently the woman was blind both to Khushi's deperation and the anger evident in her brother's voice and she left behind Nani to let them talk.

Arnav started walking towards Khushi and she in turn walked backwards until she felt a pillar behind her back. She could see the look in her eyes and knew this wouldn't be a good day for her. 'Devi Maiyya, protect me.'

'Khushi Kumari Gupta! Who the hell do you think you are?' Arnav couldn't believe the nerve of this girl. 'How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my life before you'll understand?' He grabbed Khushi by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. 'Tell me Khushi! What is all this wedding bullshit? I told you to tell them! Why didn't you?'

'I...I...I didn't want to...'

'What Khushi? Why do you have to do this? Why do you have to be like this? I told you specifically to tell Di and Nani that I wasn't going to get married and instead you tell them to find me a selection of girls to choose from? It's my own fault, I should have realised I could never trust a girl like you! I can't believe I actually thought you'd finally given up interfering in my life.'

Arnav saw Khushi's tear filled eyes start to brim over but he continued in his anger, 'But no, why would you do that huh Khushi? Tell me, how much do I need to pay you before you finally leave me alone? I know girls like you. Anything for money isn't that right?' He finally ran out of steam and let go of Khushi's hands and stepped back to run a hand through his hair as he saw Khushi had moved on to full on sobbing.

'Khushi, please, don't you understand how hurt my Di and Nani are going to be because of your lies?' His voice was now back at a normal level but instead of responding, Khushi turned and ran out of the front door still crying.

Arnav sighed to himself and deliberated for a whole 30 seconds before he followed behind her.

'Who does he think he is? The only reason I even did anything was so his sister and his Nani would be happy,' Khushi had stopped at the gate to wipe her tears then she stepped onto the road and had just lifted her hand to signal a taxi when she felt her arm being grabbed again.

'I'm taking you home.' As usual Arnav didn't wait for an answer and began walking back towards the drive dragging Khushi behind him.

'Let go! I don't want to go with you, I can go by myself!'

Arnav practically hauled Khushi into the car, did her seatbelt and slammed the door shut. He took a minute to breathe and calm himself before he got into the driver's seat and did his own belt. Khushi was looking out of the window, arms folded and muttering to herself angrily.

'He's the one always running after me and he thinks I won't leave him alone? Who told him to follow me and take me home?'

With traffic and all it took about 40 minutes to reach Khushi's house and neither of them had spoken a word since they got in the car. Forget speaking, Khushi hadn't even looked at him once the whole time. Arnav kept thinking back to her tear stained face and he had almost begun to apologise numerous times but then he thought to himself, 'why should I apologise? All I did was speak the truth. How could she lie to Di and Nani like that after I told her exactly what to say!'

Khushi had unbuckled her seat belt and began to get up almost before the car had stopped when Arnav put a hand on her arm. Despite herself, despite all her anger Khushi felt butterflies in her stomach at his touch. She stilled, but still didn't look at Arnav.

Arnav sighed audibly before he began to speak, 'look Khushi, you have to understand Di means everything to me. By telling my family I'm willing to get married all you're doing is giving them false hope. I don't want to see my Di disappointed Khushi. Can you understand?' Arnav tried to control his frustration at Khushi still refusing to look at him.

Khushi could feel her eyes start filling again. Did he think she didn't care about Anjaliji and Nani? Although why would he? Why did his family matter so much to her? She nodded her head while still facing away and asked quietly 'can I go now?'

'Fine.'

***

Arnav couldn't sleep. He'd spent the evening arguing with Nani and Di about his, thankfully now nonexistent, wedding plans and he already had a headache which would only be 10 times worse in the morning if he didn't sleep enough but he just couldn't get to sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Khushi; Khushi laughing, Khushi smiling, and mostly Khushi crying. He realised he probably shouldn't have said all those things but she just made him so angry. Yesterday she'd been different, she hadn't been Khushi Kumari Gupta, that interfering fly in his ear that refused to go away. He didn't like admitting it but he had actually enjoyed talking to her yesterday. But today... today she was back to her usual self. Arnav liked things in his life to go his way, without any help from anybody else. Why couldn't she just accept that?

***

Khushi finished her tea and finally made her way to bed. It had taken one session of jalebi making, a handful of pakoras and 3 cups of tea but she had finally calmed down and reached her decision. He wanted to be left alone, fine by her. She'd already been doing that for the past month anyway. 'He's the one that forced his company on me these past two days, it's not like I was dying to see him or anything. I won't see him, I won't even think about him again.'

As Khushi lay in bed no matter how hard she tried she could do nothing but think about Arnav. Yesterday she'd almost convinced herself that maybe he wasn't as bad as she'd thought. Maybe she'd been mistaken in her opinion but today had just proved he was exactly the same as he had been the first day they had met. Tears slid slowly down her cheeks onto her pillow as she tried to shut out the memories and sleep.