Arshi: Off The Stage (On-hold)

27

"You didn't call me for breakfast." Aman said as he took a seat next to Khushi. Arnav did not like that.

"Hi." Aman said, greeting Khushi and she smiled at him in response.

"I never call you for breakfast." Arnav deadpanned.

"True." Aman said, nodding.

The waiter brought them their drink and Khushi tried to drink the hot liquid as fast as she could.

"The grapes are too sour, don't you think?" Aman asked, turning to face Khushi

"I didn't taste it, so can't say." She replied. Aman suddenly pushed his fruit bowl to her.

"You just called it sour, I'll pass." She said and Arnav laughed.

"What?"

"She has a sweet tooth. She doesn't want to ruin the taste." Arnav said earing an eyebrow-raise from Aman.

"You know her too well?" Aman asked and Khushi bit her lip. How would Arnav get himself out of this situation.

"Well, I observe things around me. She left a bite of her waffle for after she finished her drink. I had breakfast with her and she had way too much sugar on her plate."

Aman nodded in understanding.

Khushi was impressed. Why did she even doubt him? He wasn't Arnav Singh Raizada for no reason.

"I need to go call my parents." Khushi said bringing her phone out.

"I will see you guys later." She said as she rose from her seat.

"Sure. Oh yes, you should call Payal as well. She asked me to tell you." Arnav said while Aman just waved his hand.

Khushi walked away and took one glance at the table before exiting the restaurant. The waiter was headed there, to clear her plates, while Arnav's eyes were fixed on her. She held up her phone to indicate she would text her and he gave her a subtle nod.

********

"You already spoke to Payal and Akash?" Aman asked as he took a bite of his toast.

"Yes, they are ahead of us in time zone. I caught a hold of them earlier."

"How did the meeting go?" he asked and Arnav summarized what Payal and Akash had informed him.

********

Khushi walked outside, and found a nice spot with good internet connectivity. She called her parents first. They were glad Khushi had arrived safely. Garima was pleased to hear she was sharing a suite with Lavanya and not in a single room.

Next, she called up Payal. This time, it was a video call. Khushi was very happy to see how excited her sister was as she explained how she handled the meeting. Payal loved to work and Khushi was happy for her. Payal did not share her mother's sentiments when she got to know about the room situation. Khushi wasn't sure what issues Payal had with Lavanya. From the minimum interaction she had with the latter, she seemed like a good person. Then again, Khushi did not work with her every day. Khushi decided not to let her sister's aversion for Lavanya affect her actions.

After the call, Khushi opened chats to text Arnav. She already had an unread message from him.

Let me know when you are done with your calls.

She smiled and typed into her phone.

I am done. I am near the fountain.

She took a seat nearby as she waited for him to reply.

Trying to ditch Aman. Sorry to keep you waiting.

Khushi chuckled when she read his response. She knew she could help him out and typed furiously into her phone.

********

Arnav was trying his best to come up with an excuse. What could he say to make Aman not stick to him? Aman was his best friend and knew him well to see through his excuses. His phone pinged and he opened it to see what Khushi said.

I will call you now. Tell him you need to attend it and tell him to go ahead.

Arnav made sure to keep a straight face as he read the message. Soon, his phone rang and Arnav stood up saying it was urgent.

"See you later." He heard Aman say and waved at him as he rushed out of the restaurant.

********

Arnav smiled as he saw Khushi held up her hand to protect herself from the blazing sun as she waited for him near the fountain she mentioned.

"Hi." He said as he walked up to her.

"You are finally here. I thought I'll melt by the time you reach." She spoke.

"Let's take a walk?" He asked and she nodded.

They held hands as they walked in the shade provided by the trees, not caring about who saw them. They laughed along with each other as they shared stories they had from their lives before they met. It was a good thing, being in their own bubble, sharing the small moments together. 

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