FF: OP and JP's Matchmaking Agency - Part 2

Please note I retain sole ownership of all the works of fiction on this blog so please do not reproduce or alter my work and claim it as your own.

 
Part 2

Arnav suddenly realised exactly where his hand was and where they were. He pulled his hand back at the exact same time that Khushi moved away from him obviously having come to her own realisation about the situation.

He stood up abruptly and tried the door again as if it would have somehow magically unlocked itself in the past 10 minutes. 'OP! JP! Where is everyone?'

'Om, I don't care what you say, I'm opening it!' Jai Prakash struggled with Om Prakash who was holding on to his arm and unlocked the door. 'Sorry, Chote Sahib, we didn't know you were inside.'

'Where the hell were you? We've been locked in there so long and now you come? Don't think that...' Arnav stopped as Khushi practically ran past looking at the floor and went out of the kitchen.

He gave OP and JP a severe look before storming out of the kitchen himself making sure to go in the opposite direction to Khushi.

'See look what you've done. You've just made things worse Om!'

Om Prakash thought for a second before speaking, 'no, I'm not wrong. I know what I saw. We just have to try again'

'What? No! Please, don't do anything else. You're going to get us fired for certain.' Jai Prakash pleaded although he could see a familiar smile on Om's face that he recognised as a bad omen for himself.

'Look Jai Prakash, do you want Chote Sahib to marry Lavanyaji? No, right? So you have to help me!'

***

Arnav sat up in bed, finally accepting that he wouldn't be able to sleep any time soon. He kept thinking about Khushi and the storeroom. He couldn't understand exactly what had happened. What had he been thinking, telling her about his heartbeats like that? What had he meant? And what did she think he'd meant? And then running off like that. Was she embarrassed? Angry? What?


***

'Finally. I think that's perfect' Om Prakash smiled as he admired his handiwork. It had taken him and Jai Prakash three hours but he was finally satisfied with the result.

Jai Prakash only looked on grumpily, 'does this mean I can go to sleep now?'

***

Khushi waited at the door nervously. She didn't know what to expect today, she wasn't completely sure she understood the events of yesterday. Arnav had first taken blame for the vase she broke, then he'd given her the silver coins she'd wanted and then he'd held her hand and asked if she felt the same 'dhak dhak' he did. Of course she did, was that even a question he had to ask? Couldn't he hear it every time she went near him. But then... she'd never been able to hear his heart. Why would his heart beat faster when she was around?

'Khushiji!' Om Prakash smiled widely as he opened the door. Arnav had just cornered him and asked him about telling Khushi about the coins when he'd heard the door and made his escape. Now he'd just have to avoid Arnav for a couple more hours and everything would be fine. 'We're so glad you're here early, we need you to make Jalebis for Diwali.'

Khushi nodded and plastered a fake smile on her face. 'Please, please make Arnavji go to work today please,' she made a silent prayer as she followed Om Prakash to the kitchen.

***

'Jai Prakash, take these upstairs to Chote Sahib's room. And make sure to say Khushiji sent it.'  Om Prakash handed the tray to Jai Prakash ignoring the apprehensive look on the other man's face.

'You're going to get us both killed or fired, you know that right?' Jai Prakash however took the tray. He did want the same outcome as Om Prakash however he wasn't convinced about his methods.

***

Arnav knew Khushi was avoiding him but he was glad for once. He wasn't sure what he would say to her if he did see her, what was she expecting? Was she even expecting anything?

'Khushiji sent this for you.'

Arnav turned his head automatically but he waited until Jai Prakash had gone before examining the contents on the tray. His vase had been fixed. Sure there were a few places where you could see the joins but it was practically as it had been before. Arnav instinctively picked up one of the jalebis that were also on the tray and bit into it as he tried to figure out what Khushi had meant by fixing his vase for him.

Khushi knocked timidly at the door and waited for it to open. Om Prakash had told her Arnav was calling her in his room and she bit her nails in nervousness and anticipation of what he might have to say to her. He opened the door and Khushi just stared. Arnav was munching on a jalebi with an anxious expression on his face which she imagined to be similar to the one she always wore when eating jalebis to clear her mind.

'Khushi? What are you doing here?' He looked confused but he still moved aside to allow her to come into the room and closed the door behind them.

Khushi saw the vase immediately along with the plate of jalebis next to it and went over to look at the vase. 'You fixed it? Oh my god, I'm so glad! I was so worried that I broke it and you didn't even say anything. Why did you tell Anjaliji that you broke it? You know you should have just shouted at me because then it would be over, rather than me spending all night thinking about it.'

Arnav almost choked on the jalebi he was eating, 'you spent all night thinking about a vase?  I couldn't sleep because of you and you spend all night thinking about a stupid vase?!' He hadn't planned on shouting at her and immediately regretted it as she started to look scared and nervous. He was about to apologise when she picked up one of the jalebis herself and began biting into it in the same way she always bit her nails.

He suppressed the urge to laugh at her cuteness and adopted a straight face before asking 'you mean you didn't fix my vase? But Jai Prakash said...and yesterday... the letter... and you knew about the coins... What the? Oh someone is getting fired today!'

Khushi swallowed down the jalebi as she heard him speak and stepped closer to Arnav, 'fired? You're firing me because you couldn't sleep? That's not my fault! Why were you even thinking about me?'

'What? Khushi I'm not going to fire you. And I didn't spend all night thinking about you!'

***

'See, I told you! He's going to fire us!'  Jai Prakash put his head into his hands. They were sitting on the stairs above the poolside and with the French doors open could just about hear everything that was being said. Especially when Arnav was shouting.

'That's what you're concentrating on? Didn't you hear? He said he thought about her all night!' Om Prakash would have jumped for joy if there had been any space and also if there wasn't the very real danger of tumbling down the stairs and ruining all his hard work.