When he turned to leave, his eyes fell on Khushi who was sitting on a bench of a tea stall next to the vada pav stall he was. He halted on his steps as he stared at her with a confused smile, questioning her through his eyes 'What are you doing there?'
Khushi waved her hand at him, calling him to join her. Arnav locked his car with keys as he walked towards her and joined her, sitting beside her on the bench.
"Do you want to eat vada pav here?" he asked.
Khushi nodded her head, smiling at him as she didn't have to speak anything for him to understand her wish.
"Bhaiya do cup chai lana! (Bring two cup of tea)," Arnav shouted to the man preparing the tea.
As they waited for tea, Arnav handed the plastic bag to Khushi, gesturing for her to eat vada pav. Khushi took one and gave it to him and then took another for herself.
"Frankly speaking.. I thought you would never want to see my face after I reveal my truth to you," Arnav said in a soft surprised tone with her gesture.
He was about to take a bite of his vada pav when Khushi stopped him immediately in panic mode, "No.. don't eat Arnav ji!"
Arnav looked at her shocked, taken aback by her sudden behaviour, she almost yelled at him as if he was committing a crime for his eating his poor harmless vada pav.
"Wait!" Khushi was trying to supress her giggles after his reaction. She raised her vada pav to him, wiggling her eyebrows, "Kuch yaad aaya? (Do you remember it?)"
Arnav nodded his head, "Yes. The day we became friends. We cheered our friendship with vada pav."
"Haan! That's why I asked you to take me here Arnav ji.. so we forget the bitter moments we recently went through, start afresh and create new beautiful moments together as friends. This time our friendship won't be built on lies, but truth.. and we will built a long-lasting one this time," Khushi said. He could see a firm belief and determination in her eyes to make their friendship work this time.
A soft faint smile appeared on his lips as he blinked his eyes at her, "Done!"
He raised his vada pav too and bumped lightly with hers, "Cheers to our friendship!"
"Cheers to our friendship!" she said smiling chirpily, then she started eating her vada pav.
"Itni si baat ke liye mujhe heart attack dena jaroori tha kya (Was it necessary to give me a heart attack for such a small thing?)" Arnav asked dramatically rubbing his chest.
Khushi giggled heartily.
Arnav smiled mesmerised, watching her laugh freely. He could feel a change in Khushi after the recent incidents in their lives, she seemed to be more vocal about her feelings with him, she isn't showing much hesitation while talking to him and finally he's getting to hear her speak more than two or monosyllabic answers from her on her own will, not by him forcing her to talk.
A teenage boy came with their teas and handed it to them. When he left, Arnav looked at Khushi's side while sipping his tea, he asked, "Are you free this weekend?"
Khushi thought for a while, then she nodded sideways, "I've few assignments to complete."
"Will you be able to complete before weekend? If you want, I can help you with your assignments. It's because since Nani, Mami and Mama are leaving to Lucknow this weekend to attend a relative's wedding, Di is planning a trip to Nainital. You're my responsibility when our elders are not present. That's why I need to take you with me," Arnav explained to her.
Chapter 18 - Cheers to Friendship!
Start from the beginning
