BOUND TO BE

Part 20

Part 20 

After a long drive of about twenty minutes, the car came to a halt. By then Khushi's head was more jumbled up. Arnav too had no luck in cooling down his temper. He knew his actions were not justified, moreover, he had no explanation either. It was as if he was driven by some strange force. 

.

Still unsure what she had done, Khushi finally initiated the talk. Time was running and she had to make her way to the hospital as well. Her Babuji was still in the hospital. She was not worried, since they had passed that stage now. In fact, they were all relieved. The operation was all success and perhaps he would be home in a day or two, depending on his post operative recovery.

"You should not have pulled me like that in front of the kid. And what will Anjali ji and Nani ji think, taking me away this abruptly. Did you not see how disturbed Arun was?" 

.

Soon after his nephew had fed him, Arnav had rushed to Khushi, held her arm tight and tried to walk out. Khushi, seeing the look of shock on Arun's face, had held his arm to stop him, unclamped his fingers from her arm coolly without showing any anger. 

 "Beta, give this to your mamma" and she had sent the little boys away with a cookie, displaying a wide fake smile, before following Arnav out of the door.

 She left him to explain to his sister, which he had done, rather pathetically by just informing he had some work with her.

 .

Arnav pulled her arm out of her duppatta. "What is this?" he asked pointing the glass bangles in her wrist.

.

"What do you mean, what is this? Its my hand, and please it hurts." Khushi tried to wriggle her hand out, while he tightened his hold.

"Khushi, stop wriggling. Where are your other bangles?"

Khushi saw red. How dare he? "Aap se matlab? Why should you care? Please leave my hand." she tried to be polite in spite of the fire bubbling inside her.

"Khushi tell me where are your gold bangles? And what's happened? Why are you not happy?" he didn't know how to put it, "I.. a.. I.. I mean I can see dark circles under your eyes."

"Leave. My. Hand. Please"

Arnav instantly obliged. He had not see her this angry at all.

"Don't tell me this is the important work you had with me. Don't you feel you are crossing the line here?"

"Don't talk to me like that. " Arnav tried to come forward, and Khushi felt the seat belt tighten around her neck as she automatically moved behind in her seat. 

There was a tense moment where both didn't talk. But Khushi wasn't finished yet.

 Very calmly but with firmness, she asked,

"How do you expect me to treat someone who pulls my hand so harshly and drives me to this" she looked around through her window, not coming to conclusion, she continued, "This, this, Devi maiyya knows what place. Away from the city without a word and dares to ask me where my bangles are? Is there a good way to react to this. Do tell me." 

Arnav felt stupid when she put it that way, but he wouldn't back down now. He needed answers. She has been taking a lot of his time, rather all his time, even when she was not in front of him. He knew he was unreasonable, but that's what he was. She better get used to it.

"Khushi for the last time, where are they?" Folding her arms in front of her chest, with the duppatta still, covering her wrists, she asked even more, calmly, annoying him further,