FF: Temporary Insanity - Part 9

Read all previous parts of this series over here.

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Part 9

Arnav spluttered and coughed as he came to the surface, 'what the hell Khushi?!' Arnav waded towards the edge of the pool and glared at Khushi.

Khushi stood frozen unable to believe that she had actually pushed him. Not that he didn't deserve it! What did he mean he wanted to have children with her? And what had he been doing flirting with Dhruv's girlfriend? Not that he knew Suhana was Dhruv's girlfriend but that was besides the point!

Arnav began to push himself up and out of the pool as Anjali came through the doors followed by Akash and Payal.

'Bhai, why are you swimming fully clothed?'

Arnav shook his head in disgust as he took his waterlogged phone out of his pocket before throwing it onto the chair in an exaggerated motion making sure Khushi realised what she'd done. 'Don't even ask. Anyway, why are you here? What do you want?'

Anjali looked at Arnav confused before she turned to look at Khushi. 'I'm really sorry Khushiji, I got you all excited about marrying Dhruv and now he... I'm so sorry.'

'No Anjaliji, you don't have to be sorr..'

Arnav paused in wringing out his shirttails of excess water, 'you shouldn't be sorry Di! Dhruv is the one that's going to be sorry! Don't apologise on his behalf.'

'Chote! He's in love, people don't think when they fall in love, it's not his fault.'

'Love?! Is that how he expresses his love? By attacking her?'

Khushi had been deep in thought still trying to understand Arnav's actions when she looked up at what he'd said? 'What? No Arnavji, he didn't attack me! I was just shocked because he...'

Arnav stopped listening to Khushi as he noticed Suhana and a now fully dressed Dhruv walking through his room to the poolside holding hands. He rushed forward grabbing Dhruv by the collar and pulling him forwards, 'What the hell is wrong with you?! First Khushi, now her? When the f**k did you turn into some sort of sex starved maniac?'

'Bhai, seriously you've got everything wrong!' Dhruv struggled against Arnav's grip as Khushi, Anjali and Akash all pulled the two brothers apart.

'Chote! Stop this at once! What has gotten into you? Dhruv didn't attack Khushi and he doesn't love her either! He loves Suhana.'

Arnav looked down at Khushi who was still holding onto his arm to try and confirm if what he was hearing was true. She let go as soon as she realised what she was doing and Arnav continued to look at her perplexed. None of it seemed to make any sense at all, how could Dhruv and Suhana be in love already? They'd only met an hour ago and hadn't even spoken to each other yet. However if it meant that Dhruv didn't love Khushi Arnav was more than willing to accept anything that Di told him.

Anjali turned to look at Khushi apologetically, 'but Khushiji, you don't worry. We'll find someone for you. You know actually Suhana has a a brother or what about N.K...'

'Di, NO!'

'What? Chote? What's wrong?'

Arnav pulled Khushi back towards him, 'Khushi is not marrying NK or anyone else for that matter.'

'But Bhai she has to get married to somebody,' Dhruv said cheekily having finally recovered from his almost beating.

Arnav narrowed his eyes and glared at him, 'shut up Dhruv! Di you wanted Khushi to be your sister-in-law but Akash and Dhruv already have girlfriends and NK is a joke, no way is Khushi marrying him.' Arnav ignored Khushi's sounds of protests next to him, 'so the only other option is...' He trailed off hoping Anjali would get the message without him actually having to admit his lapse in controlling his emotions.

Anjali continued to look at him in confusion, '...Chote?'

'Di..?'

'Bhai, are you saying you and Khushiji?'

Arnav nodded his head in agreement at Akash, thankful that at least one of his siblings possessed a working brain.

Anjali's mouth opened wide in shock, Akash smiled almost knowingly and Dhruv and Suhana high fived each other while Payal looked on anxiously, 'but Arnavji what about what Khushi wants? Khushi, say something.'

Arnav groaned in frustration at Payal's interruption. He held Khushi's hand in his as Khushi continued to try and squirm away from his grasp while shaking her head violently. He'd brought Khushi here intending to tell her he loved her and wanted to marry her and instead it had turned into a drama perfomance with about 10 extra characters that he really didn't need as witnesses. 'Enough! Khushi's going to marry me and that's final! Now everybody get out!'

'But Chote, Payal's right if Khushiji doesn't want...' Anjali couldn't finish her sentence as she found herself being dragged away by Dhruv and Suhana while Akash gently ushered Payal out of the room as well.

Arnav watched them go and waited until they'd closed the door behind them before he let go of Khushi's hand.

'You want to get married? To me?!' Her voice was so high pitched and squeaky it almost hurt her own ears.

Arnav folded his arms across his chest and moved so he was facing Khushi directly, 'why don't you want to marry me?'

'What? I don't... I... because I don't want to make some sort of deal with you! I want to marry somebody who loves me!'

'I do love you!'

'What?'

Khushi's mouth had fallen open again in shock and Arnav took a step back away from the pool just in case, 'why are you acting so shocked? You already knew that! Now stop being stupid and tell me why you won't marry me!'

Khushi closed her mouth and her eyes and breathed in deeply trying to focus her thoughts which were all over the place running through the events of the past few months and days trying to make some sense of them. She opened them again to find Arnav still staring at her expectantly. 'L... Love? You didn't say anything about love! You just said you wanted to have children! And then you said you wanted to get married. You didn't say you loved me!'

'Well that's what I meant! Now do you or do you not love me back?' He kept his tone sharp and abrupt as if his life didn't hinge on her answer although he knew very well that it did.

Khushi felt herself getting short of breath as she avoided his piercing gaze. Was it true? Did he mean it or was this all some sort of sick joke and once she admitted her feelings to him he'd laugh it off and humilate her for even daring to think above her station.

'Kh... Khushi?'

The hesitation in his voice had her looking up away from his still wet shirt to his face where she could clearly see the sincerity in his eyes. She took a deep breath in and smiled shakily before she nodded. 'I... I lo... love you.'

Arnav paused and relaxed smiling widely before he took a step closer to Khushi who looked down at her feet in embarassment blushing profusely. He put a hand under her chin lifting her face so she was facing him. 'I love you too Khushi Kumari Gupta.'

Khushi closed her eyes as Arnav began to move his face towards hers, her heartbeat increased and her lips parted involuntarily.

Arnav grinned at the sight that she presented in front of him, almost begging him wordlessly to kiss her. It showed great restraint on his part that instead of taking her pink luscious lips under his own he put his hands onto her shoulders and watched as her eyes flew open in shock as she felt the ground beneath her disappear and fell into the water with a large splash.