FF - Plot twist

Chapter 7 - Hide and Seek

"Khushi, as much as I want to spend time with you, I cannot do that. Since Akash is not here, I have to take care of his load of work too. So, I have to go."

Getting no response from her, he wondered if she even listened to what he said but little did he know poor Khushi is stunned, seeing his whole new side. Snapping his fingers, he brought her out of trance.

"Got what I said?" he asked to which she nodded.

"Now GO before I devour your luscious lips." He frightened her and saw her galloping towards Gupta house the next second.

Laughing naughtily, he started his way towards ARd. He was surprised with his own behavior. This is just totally unlike ASR. He is being the old Arnav again. And the reason is none other than his lady love, Khushi.

"I will never let you go Khushi, no matter what..!" he thought with a smile.

**********

Here, Khushi stood outside her house with the bouquet and sweet box Arnav gave. She was all stupefied. "I can handle Arrogant ASR. Stubborn ASR. Angry ASR. Devil ASR but this... this naughty ASR is what I cannot manage. Hey Devi Maiyya! Please help me."

Taking baby steps towards the door, she heard buaji saying, "Hai re NandaKishore!!! Kahaa reh gayi yeh Sanka Devi!!! (HNK! Where is this Sanka Devi?)"

Looking at the bouquet and sweet box in her hand, panic gripped her. "HDM! I cannot let buaji or Amma see these. If they see these gifts, they will ask me 1000 questions. Then what will I answer? They will eventually find out about Arnavji's proposal. Ohhh!! How do I get in with these? I cannot just throw them. Ek din yeh Laad Governor hame maar hi daalenge! (One day this LG will kill me!)" Khushi thought angrily.

Rushing to the back side of their house, she hid the bouquet and box, and returned back to the front door. Taking some small pebbles, she threw them at the door one at a time. Soon Buaji appeared furiously shouting at everyone near her vicinity asking who threw the pebbles.

Taking this chance, Khushi sneakily entered inside through the back door, taking the gifts with her and hid them in her room. Taking off the ribbon, which was wrapped around the bouquet, she placed the flowers in a vase and kept them beside her Devi Maiyya idol. Before Garima or Buaji get in, she ate all the Jalebis, stuffing them in a record speed which resulted in making her feel nauseous when she thought of Jalebis.

**********

The following days were not normal for Khushi. She thought without seeing Arnav, she can think straight and can have some peace but she was wrong. Even without seeing him, days felt like roller-coaster ride for her.

Early mornings, Khushi would receive a boxful of Jalebi and a bouquet with a love card as a bonus. She would either eat all those Jalebis or distribute them to her neighbors' kids. She almost hated the word Jalebi, if not for her obsession for them since childhood.

But that's not the worry. Big trouble was when she had a bouquet with a love card in her hand when buaji was around. She did everything in her power to hide it from her family, mainly buaji. She cannot just let them know about Arnav's proposal, thinking about Payal, Anjali, Shyam.......everything and everyone, but her.

Yeah, she did call Arnav many times, asking him to stop sending her gifts but every time in reply she got, 'This is the least I can do for my girl...' stressing 'MY GIRL' every time, he goes on with his flirty talk in the little time he got to talk with her. He enjoyed her cute and angry arguments to the core where as she felt like strangling him.

In all that frustration, two good things happened for her. One, she dropped the idea of leaving Delhi because she FINALLY realized running away never solves any problem; instead it makes others think that they are coward. Two, Khushi again started Buaji's Chikankari work. From sewing to embroidery, she started making them to their neighbors'. She has a family to support financially, right!

**********

Ten days passed in a blink. Khushi sat on her bed, embroidering a saree, furiously. She just had had a half KG Jalebis all by herself as she did not find any kids to share them with. Buaji and Garima entered the room and found her cursing someone, obviously Arnav.

"Titaliya!!" buaji called her, bringing her out of cursing Arnav spree. Buaji frowned finding a small chunk of jalebi near her lips. "Ee kaa hai? (What is this?)" Wiping off the piece with a cloth.

"Voh...voh Jalebi buaji. I felt hungry so I had some......How...how is this? *Showing them the saree she embroidered* This is for Pramela masi. This color and design will suit her, na?" Khushi asked quickly, lest they find out the Daily Jalebi tale.

"Arre, yeh toh bahut badiya hai Nanda Kishore! Maanna hi padegi, tum toh bahut talented ho.(Wow, this is very beautiful. Must agree, you are really talented in this work.) " Buaji and Garima praised her for her unique designs.

"Haha, thank youuu!!!" Khushi sang. "Today jiji is coming back. I can't wait to meet her and tease her." She said naughtily.

Getting no response, she raised her hear. She looked at their faces and found them weird, like they are hesitating to say something. "What happened? Do you have something to say?"

"Voh...bitiyaa.....hum voh...." Garima started.

"Please Amma. Don't hesitate to ask or tell me anything." Khushi said, making them both sit on the bed and she sat on a chair opposite to them.

"Voh, titaliya....... It has been 10 days since Devyani ji and Anjali bitiya came her with Arnav babua's proposal, asking your hand for their marriage. What have you decided?" Asked Buaji.

"KYAAA!!! You knew about the proposal?? Then why didn't you talk anything about it till now??" Khushi nearly yelled.

Cupping her face, Garima said, "We did not want to push you to take decision bitiya."

"Last time we did a terrible mistake by forcing you to get engaged with that..that Shyam. Without even knowing completely about him, how can I...i.." Buaji said, with a heavy heart.

Khushi rushed and comforted her, "Buaji, it is not any of your fault. It is written in my fate. But Devi Maiyya did save me, right? So, please don't blame yourself for what happened."

Buaji cupped her face, "Tum Sanki ho, par bahut Samajhdaari bhi ho titaliya. (You are crazy but you are very understanding and matured too.)"

"Voh to hai. (That I am)" Khushi said winking at them.

Laughing weakly Garima said, "Only if Anjali bitiya is strong enough to know the truth, to face her husband's dark side and only if her family did not trust him blindly, we could have told them the truth."

Sighing weakly, they agreed with her.

"Voh sab chodo Nanda Kishore! (Leave all that.) What have you decided about Arnav babua? He is not at all like what we thought at first. We will be very happy if you accept this proposal bitiya." Buaji said.

"And you don't have to stress, thinking about this. Take your own time and decide but remember, it has been already 10 days. Don't take too long." Garima said, caressing her cheek.

"I...I need some more time."

Nodding their head understandingly, they made their way towards the door.

Before they can leave, Khushi asked, "Amma, Buaji.....Can I go and visit jiji? I miss her."

"Theek hai Nanda Kishore! (Okay.)" saying that, they left.

"I am coming, Mr.Raizada. You will have to pay for all these tension-filled days of mine, my sleepless nights, almost panic-attacks, for threatening me saying that you would tell buaji about my plan, for making me play hide n seek with bouquets and mainly, for almost making me feel grossed out at the mere sight of Jalebi." Khushi swore furiously.

To be continued...