FF: It's Not Right - Chapter 51

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Chapter 51

For once Khushi was glad it took half an hour to reach the Raizada house. She had calmed down considerably, recognised Arnav’s offense for what it was and even planned her own counter-offense. So excited was she to begin that she completely walked into Dhruv who was loitering in the entryway, his eyes fixed on his phone.

‘Oh I’m so sorry Dhruv! Are you hurt? I didn’t see you there.’

Dhruv brushed away her attempts to check him for injury. Khushi was so slight it would have been more conceivable that she came away injured from their collision than him. ‘No I’m fine. I was waiting for you actually.’

‘Me? Oh Dhruv do you think you could wait? I just have to go and speak to Anjaliji about something really important.’

‘No it can’t. Step into my office.’

He really is that Laad Governer’s brother Khushi thought as she found herself led towards a storeroom. Since this was the Raizada house, the storeroom was almost bigger than Khushi’s kitchen but still a storeroom nonetheless.

Khushi brushed some dust away from her shoulders while Dhruv took a seat on an upturned bucket, realised it was impolite and put him at a height disadvantage and stood up again. ‘I assume you have a plan.’

‘What?’

‘A plan. You must have a plan! You can’t let Arnav bhai win.’

‘Win? Win what?’

‘I don’t know; whatever it is that’s going on with you two. I know there’s something but now he’s telling Di that he wants to marry some Lavanya chick? What is that? You need a plan!’

‘No, no, no! He said that? He said he wants to marry Lavanyaji!?’ Khushi’s brain went into overdrive. Arnav telling Anjaliji he wanted to get married was clearly a ploy to get her to say ‘I love you’ to him but would he be so cruel as to involve Lavanyaji and give her new hope?

Khushi sat down on the bucket, dejected. She had thought Arnav had changed, could he still be so callous? ‘I was going to write a suicide note.’

‘What? Suicide...? No! Isn’t that a bit drastic? He didn’t say he was going to marry Lavanya just that he wanted someone like her! No Khushiji! I know what he’s like; this is all probably just his way of getting you to admit you like him. Come on you can’t kill yourself! Please! You don’t understand bhai! His parents they...’

The change from mini-businessman to abandoned orphan was so sudden Khushi didn’t react at first until she realised he was on the verge of tears.

‘Dhruv! Dhruv! Calm down! Please! I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’m not going to kill myself, honest!’

‘You promise?’

It was there again, that almost frightening similarity to Arnav. The eyes although much darker, spoke to her in exactly the way Arnav’s did; crying out for comfort and support.

‘Dhruv it was only a joke. I was going to... I thought I would write a... Hey Devi Maiyya! How stupid, why don’t you ever think about these things Khushi? How could I do that to Arnav? After his Amma and Babuji... I’m such a horrible person.’

‘You... you know? Did Di tell you? ’

Khushi bit her bottom lip and shook her head wondering if she’d said something wrong. What if Dhruv didn’t already know?

----

Arnav was looking at his watch once again when he heard the creak of wood signalling the front door opening. He quickly made his way over, anxious to see her and hear what cute insults she had lined up for him. He got to the door even before she’d fully opened it; smirk in place and grudging acceptance of her declaration of love planned out in his head.

‘What took you so long?’

Instantly he realised something was wrong. She didn’t look up at him with fiery eyes and a retort on her lips as he’d expected but looked away and rubbed the palm of her hand across her eye.

 ‘I was just... in the... bathroom.’

‘Khushi? Have you... have you been crying?’ He tried to hold her chin, tilt her head so she would look at him but she brushed his hand aside and walked past to the living room where she was met by an excited Anjali.

The lump in Arnav’s throat grew as he watched Di talk about all the plans she’d made for his wedding. It was almost as if she intentionally wanted to instigate Khushi. Ordinarily Arnav would have taken great pleasure in Khushi being questioned about his choice in women but today she seemed lifeless. She nodded in all the right places and smiled but Arnav could see her smile was forced and her eyes dim.

This wasn’t what he wanted; this wasn’t what he had expected at all! He’d expected Khushi to shout, maybe push him around a little but then she would give in, she’d know he wasn’t serious but still fall into his trap.

When Di began to describe her ideal sister-in-law he could no longer bear it. ‘Khushi, come with me. I want to talk to you,’ he commanded. He walked away not waiting for an answer and subsequently missing the excited gleam in Di and Nani’s eyes.

Even the way Khushi was walking was subdued and he found his concern being overridden by his temper as he closed the door to his room behind them.

 Even if she was angry, she should say something to him! She should shout at him, demand to know what he was even thinking of by suggesting getting married to someone else. She shouldn’t be quiet, she shouldn’t shut him out and she definitely shouldn’t be crying!

‘Khushi, look at me!’

She raised her head a fraction but still didn’t look him in the eye. ‘Khushi!’ He pulled her towards him until her chest was flush against his and she had no option but to look at him but before he could say anything she interrupted him.

‘I understand Arnavji. I should have just accepted your proposal when you... I don’t know what I was thinking expecting you to... it’s okay. I know... someone like you and someone like me... You don’t have to worry. I’ll help Anjaliji, I will! We’ll find you the... we’ll find you the best wife.’

And then with a sob that tore at his heart, she wrenched herself out of his arms and out of the door.