"Because I'm
Arnav Singh Raizada and I can. Huh uh huh," Khushi said imitating
him.
"I heard that," Arnav said smiling while he looked at her.
"Great! Because you were supposed to hear that," Khushi replied back angrily only making Arnav's smile grow bigger.
They both entered the plane and put their handbags on the top shelves and sat down in their seats. Khushi was to the right of Arnav, next to the window. Arnav noticed Khushi fidgeting with the scarf around her neck while staring out the window, "Khushi, are you okay?" he asked.
"Ye..yea. I'm f..fi..fine," Khushi answered back but Arnav didn't completely feel that she was telling the truth, something was definitely wrong.
"Please put on your seatbelts, we are about to take flight," the voice over the intercom said.
Khushi put her seatbelt on and Arnav did the same. He looked back at Khushi and noticed that she was still fidgeting with her scarf with her right hand, and her left hand on the arm rest. As the plane started moving a little bit, he noticed Khushi began biting her lower lip and her grip on the arm rest tightened. So she's afraid of flying, Arnav thought to himself. He extended his hand forward and placed it on top of hers. Khushi felt sudden warmth on top of it; she saw that Arnav had placed his hand on his.
"Don't worry," he said nodding. At first she was shocked at the fact he had found out she was afraid of flights when she hadn't even told him. But then she tightened the grip on his hand and said, "Thanks." Khushi went back to looking outside through the window.
About half an hour later, she felt the need to go the restroom; she turned around noticing that Arnav was still staring at her and her hand still in his. She tried to free her hand from his grip.
"Arnav let go of my hand," Khushi said
"Why? Are you ok?" Arnav asked concerned if she still was afraid.
"Arnav, we are already up in the air and the plane has been moving steadily. Also, I need to go to the bathroom," she said.
"Oh sorry," he said letting go of her hand letting her pass by. Khushi came back about 5 minutes later and sat down in her seat.
"How are you feeling now?" Arnav asked her.
"Fine, better than before. It's usually the beginning and the landing of the flight that bothers me," Khushi said. The air hostess came around and handed them their food.
"So how many times have you been to London before?" Khushi asked him while eating her food.
"I've been there a few times. When I was in college, a few of my friends and me went there for like a week while we were on break. And then I got their often for a business meetings and sometimes fashion shows," Arnav said.
"Hmm," Khushi said while eating her salad.
'Yea, actually one of my friends, Maan ended up getting a scholarship to a college in New York also when I had gotten accepted. So we both went their together, he then got married to his girlfriend and they are now settled in London. They're actually the ones who have invited us to stay with them," Arnav said.
"Did you say Maan?" Khushi asked.
"Yea, why?" Arnav asked.
"That name just sounds very familiar to me, but I can't remember how," Khushi said trying to think.
"Maybe you might recognize him when we meet him," Arnav said. The air hostess came around and took their finished plates.
"Are you sleepy?" Khushi asked him.
"No, why?" Arnav said.
"Great! Then lets tall," Khushi said folding her feet up on the seat and facing towards Arnav with her back against the window.
"That's what we have been doing...," Arnav said looking at her sitting position with a confused expression.
"Uff ho! I meant as in tell me about yourself," Khushi said.
"So what do you want to know about me," he said folding one leg on his seat, then turned to the side so that he was completely facing her.
"Um. Everything!" Khushi said.
"Everything?" he asked lifting his eyebrow.
"Yea. Like where did you grow up, your childhood, friends, hobbies and other things," she said.
"And why do you want to know all this? Are you planning on writing a biography on me?" he asked.
Khushi looked away from him slightly. Truth was that she was actually starting to like him and wanted to get to know about him before she moved forward. But there was NO WAY that she was going to tell him that. She felt her face getting heated from his gaze; she looked up to find Arnav staring at her.
"I asked you a question?" he said.
"I'll tell you the reason later, just answer the questions now," she whined.
"Later? Promise?" he asked.
"Yea, yea. I will tell you later,' Khushi said.
"Okay. Well I grew up in Mumbai for pretty much my entire life. Mm...let's see. I never really had a lot of friends when I grew up, very few that I actually knew closely. Aman was one of them... but he ditched me and ended up marrying my sister," Arnav said while chuckling.
"Aman's your friend?!" Khushi asked.
"Yea, we've known each other since elementary school and have been friends since," Arnav said.
"Oh, so just like Payal and me?" Khushi said.
"What??" Arnav asked confused.
"I said just like Payal and me. We've known each other since elementary school and have been friends since," Khushi said.
"But aren't you both sisters though?" Arnav asked still confused.
"Actually we aren't. My parents died when I was 12, and Payal's parents accepted me as their own daughter instead of sending me to the orphanage," Khushi said lost in her thoughts and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'm so sorry Khushi, I didn't know that," Arnav said, "I didn't mean to make you cry."
He put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug.
"I will never be able to repay them for what they did to me," Khushi said, "They have never made me feel like I'm not their daughter and supported me all the time. If it wasn't for them, I don't know where I would be today."
"Shh Khushi, it's okay," Arnav said patting her head.
Khushi realized the position they were in and suddenly pulled away, "Arnav, I think we should sleep," she said and got out a blanket to cover herself with.
One moment she wants to talk, next she wants to sleep. Ajeeb hai ye. Arnav thought to himself and smiled. Khushi went to sleep, but Arnav had already slept during the day so he stayed awake. Khushi had her head on her seat, but in her sleep, she moved it to the left so now it was on Arnav's shoulder. Arnav looked at her and smiled, she looked cute when she was sleeping.
Arnav took out some magazines and decided to pass his time with them. An air hostess came up to him, "Sir do you need anything?"
"Yea, could I have some water please?" Arnav asked and the air hostess poured him a glass of water, "Here you go Sir and anything for your fiance?"
"Fiance?!" Arnav asked.
"Yea, the one who is sleeping with her head on your shoulder," she said. Arnav looked to his right and noticed that Khushi was sleeping with her head on his shoulder. She had been asleep for the past half an hour that the silence made him forget that she was even there. He smiled at her sleeping figure then turned back to the hair hostess, "Well she's actually not my fiance, but could you leave a glass of juice for her, I'll give it to her when she wakes up."
"Yea, sure thing," the air hostess said and handed him a bottle of juice and an empty cup.
"And if she isn't you fiance, is she your girlfriend?" the air hostess asked.
"Almost," Arnav replied while looking back at Khushi.
"Well all the best," the air hostess said and left. The sound caused by the moving carts the air hostesses were using made Khushi wake up from her sleep. She looked up at Arnav and smiled, "Good morning," she said but instead of a reply all she got was a laugh from him.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Khushi it's still night, you only slept for like half an hour," Arnav said still laughing.
"KYA?!" Khushi said and turned to look out the window to notice that it was still dark out, "I thought I had slept for a long time though."
"Not really," Arnav said back with a smile on his face.
"Hmmph," Khushi said and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Arnav asked.
'I'm jumping off the plane, can't you see?" Khushi said sarcastically while removing her handbag from the shelf above their sets.
"Haha. Very funny," Arnav said while going back to read his magazine. Khushi removed her sweater that she was wearing and put it in the bag.
She put the bag back where it was and moved to sit in her seat. Right when she was moving past Arnav, the plane entered heavy clouds causing for the plane to not be very stable and she lost her balance. She had expected to land on the ground, but instead found herself in Arnav's lap.
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