Chapter 4: Thanks

 

No, this couldn't be happening. How could she do this? This was going to be much worse to handle than he had thought. Arnav grabbed a bottle of beer and made his way towards the poolside. He sat there by the side of the pool, drinking from the bottle, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Arnav tilted his head up a bit to see Khushi standing there. What was she doing here? Arnav thought, wasn't she suppose to be downstairs watching her sisters engagement?

"Are you ok?" Khushi asked him. Arnav turned his face back to in front of him and took another sip of alcohol from the bottle. Khushi quickly moved her hand forward and grabbed the bottle out of his hands and said, "You are already too drunk and shouldn't drink anymore."

Arnav was too lost in his thoughts to notice that she had just grabbed the bottle out of his or understand a single thing she had just said. Khushi went and placed the bottle inside his room on the table and came back to sit next to him near the pool.

Arnav finally came out of his trance and looked in his hands. Then he started looking around him, "Arre, where did my bottle go?" he said while still trying to find it. Then he noticed Khushi sitting next to him, or maybe he wash just dreaming he thought to himself. Why would she be here, in his room, at this time?

"Are you fine?" Khushi asked him again once he had glanced at her. What the?! Arnav thought, she just spoke. Arnav moved it hand forwards and placed it one her shoulder hoping it would pass right through it, assuring him that she wasn't here; but instead of passing through it, his hand made contact with her milky white shoulders. he moved his hand around her shoulder to make sure it actually was her. Khushi felt shivers run down her arms as Arnav's hand wandered in her her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked him

"I as making sure to we're really here, and that I wants just day dreaming," Arnav replied, " And by the way, what are you doing here anyways?"

"Oh, Di told me to call you to say that the ring ceremony is in half an hour, so you should come downstairs..." Khushi started off,"...and I saw you left downstairs in an angry tone and looked very depressed..." her voice trailed off.

Arnav took his hand off her shoulder, and looked up in front of him to his reflection in the water. "Do you want to talk about anything?" Khushi asked him hesitantly hoping that he would atleast say something.

Arnav wasn't their kind of person who was good at words, nor did he like to share his emotions with anyone. But he could no longer hold his emotions all to himself anymore. So he started to talk, his eyes still on his reflection, "I was going to propose to her..."

"Who?" Khushi questioned him.

"Lavanya..." Arnav replied

"You mean the girl who came with a baby and her husband is NK?" Khushi said kind of surprised that he wanted to marry the girl who is now his cousins wife.

"Yea, she was the one," Arnav said with tears that had now started flowing across his cheeks. Khushi placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "You don't have to share this if you don't want to." But Arnav had no intention of stopping now that he had already begun. Arnav took her hand of his shoulder and held it in his hand, he didn't know why, but it felt right to do so. Khushi was about to move her hand back but decided to leave it there knowing that he probably needed the support now that he had already started talking. Arnav went on and explained to Khushi how Lanvanya and him had grown up to be friends and wanted to get married been they were younger; how he had gone to propose to her yesterday and found out she was already married and today he found out that the guy wash is own cousin.

Throughout his talking, Khushi squeezed his hand a bit at times, letting him know that she was listening.

"Arnav, everyone has that one person come in their life that will love them, maybe it's just someone else for you and not Lavanya," Khushi said

"Yea, maybe you're right," Arnav relied and looked up from the pool to her face. When he moved his face up towards her, Khushi noticed the dried up tears on his cheeks and blood shot eyes. Without thinking twice about it, Khushi moved forward, placing her hands around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. Arnav was at first surprised by her gesture, but finally slid his arms around her waist and hugged her back.

"It's going to be all right," Khushi said into his ears

"I hope so," Arnav managed to whisper. They finally pulled say from the hug and Khushi looked away getting embarrassed realizing what she had just done. Arnav got up and placed his had out infront of him, for Khushi to take, Khushi looked up at him with a confused face.

"Hurry up and take my hand, your sister and my bhai are getting engaged in a few minutes, and we have to get down there before batons comes looking for us," Arnav said with a slight smirk on his face.

Khushi placed her hand in his and pulled herself up. She straightened het lehenga and was about to walk when she felt her dupatta getting caught. She turned around to find it caught in Arnav's watch. The both glanced at each other smiled. Arnav removed the dupatta from his watch and held open the door for Khushi. Khushi stepped out of the room and made her way downstairs, Arnav following behind her.

"Arre, Chotte and Khushiji, where were you guys?" Anjali asked them as the noticed them come down the stairs

"Woh...Di...hum..." both of them started and glanced at each other not knowing how to explain this

"Achha, well forget it. Hurry up and come stand by the stage, it's time for Payal and Akash to exchange the rings." Anjali said as she grabbed both of their hands and dragged them to near the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Mamaji started off, "it's my pleasure to have I invited you all here for the engagement of my son, Akash Singh Raizada, with the daughter of Sashi and Garima Gupta, Payal Gupta." The audience applauded.

"And now we would like for them to exchange rings," Mamji said.

First, Akash placed and emerald green ring on Payal'a ring finger and Payal placed a gold one on his. The crowd broke into applause again and went forward to congratulate the couple.

"Jiji I'm so happy for you and Jijaji" Khushi exclaimed as she hugged her sister

"Yea yea, I know, now I just have to wait till the day you get engaged," Payal replied back teasing her sister.

"We'll jus see when that day comes," Khushi replied, "and where are Amma and Babuji?" Khushi asked?

"Oh, they had to drop off Buaji at her house so they left early," Payal replied. The guests had started leaving by now and only the Raizada's, Khushi and Payal were left.

"Akash, why don't you drop Payal home?" Anjali told Akash.

"Of course Di," Akash said smiling back at his Di for giving him alone time with his fiance.

"And Chotte, could you please drop of Khushiji at her house," Anjali told Arnav

"What the?! Di! Why can't Akash take her also, they're going to the same hou..." Arnav began only to get a death glare from Anjali, then it hit Jim that the couple probably wanted some time alone. "Sure, why not," he replied back sweetly.

Arnav motioned for Khushi to walk in front of him as he followed her, Khushi got into the car and pug one her seatbelt. Arnav did the same and drove out of the driveway. The car was filled with an awkward silence, neither of them knew what to say after what happened today. The entire driveways filled with silence. Finally they had reached Khushi's house. Khushi undid her seatbelt and opened the door. Before she could step out, she felt a tug on her wrist and turned around to find Arnav holding her hand.

Arnav turned his head towards her,"Thanks."

"For what?" Khushi asked him

"You know. For bring there for me and helping me open up," Arnav replied still looking into her eyes.

"You're welcome and goodnight!" Khushi said as she stepped out of the car

"Wait! Do you want to have coffee with me tomorrow at around 2?" Arnav asked her. What the?! Did Arnav Singh Raizada just ask a girl out for coffee?! No! He hadn't asked her out! This was just a way of him thanking her for what she'd done. Yea, that's it.

"2? I have an interview tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow?" Khushi replied hoping that he'd still be ok with it

"Sure I'll call you," Arnav said

"But you don't have my num--" Khushi said but was cut off when Arnav took her phone from her hands and placed his in hers.

"I'm going to add my number into you're contacts and you do the same," Arnav said. They both did that and exchanged phones back.

"Ok, bye" Khushi said

"Goodnight," Arnav replied as he drive away and Khushi entered her house.

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