Tere Liye | ✔

Chapter Nine - The Looming Danger

Still, he waited there in the hall, having his part of the fun when Khushi tried explaining that they were simply out for a dinner. 

"But Khushi, weren't you feeling sick and needed rest?" Payal pointed out, faking confusion on her face and batting her lashes in pure innocence. 

Anjali nodded in agreement. "Yes, Khushiji. Did Chotte take you to a doctor too before the dinner? Or did he himself cure you?" 

An roar of laughter followed Anjali's teasing as Khushi turned scarlet red before excusing herself from the commotion. Arnav followed her soon after with a huge grin, making them laugh even harder. 

They had been worried sick last night when they learned about Arnav and Khushi's absence. On top of that, when neither of them picked up their phones, unwanted images just ran in their minds. That was until realization dawned at them - that too when Akash and NK had laughed at their panicking selves. The duo had absently-minded pointed out that Arnav and Khushi had barely spent enough time together after marriage and thus, they must be out together.

That was when they thought about that as well and realized alongside that in their worries and need to spend some family time together, they missed to show understanding towards the newly wed couple.

Guilt had spread through them and they had made a mental note to be more considerate in the future which soon followed with another note - tease them once they got back. After all, it's not every day ASR would give them a chance to embarrass him and though they were unable to do that today either, Khushi's red face was still a sight to behold.

_______________

Arnav had left for office later that day after a brief romantic encounter with Khushi and for the first time since their remarriage, neither him nor Khushi felt a void when they departed from each other for a few hours. 

Khushi in fact seemed more happy than ever, as she spent her day chatting with Payal, Anjali and NK without worrying about the lack of communication in her marriage. Her radiant face did go unnoticed by Anjali and Payal who felt at ease to see her smiling like that. 

By the time it was evening, the trio was with NK in his room, watching a bunch of Salman Khan's movies and simply laughing and enjoying together. Payal had left briefly when Khushi expressed her request to drink her Jiji's handmade tea which was approved by both NK and Anjali. So now, she was returning back to the room with the tray of tea.

In her hurry she might have missed a running Aarav and ended up bumping into him.

She yelped, preventing the cup of tea from falling on the boy and almost burning her own hand in the process.

"Oh God, Aarav I'm sorry. Are you hurt?" She kept the tray aside and held Aarav's shoulder, frantically searching if he was burnt by the piping hot liquid. Not finding any injury, she heaved a sigh of relief and stepped back, only to notice a pair of small yet raging eyes staring back at her. 

"What the!" His teeth grounded as he pressed his jaw together. "Can't you see where you're going?"

Payal frowned, momentarily taken aback from his leaking rudeness.

"Aarav, I said I'm sorry. Are you, are you hurt somewhere?" She asked, still trying to make sense of the new avatara she was seeing of the usually quiet boy. 

"Will your sorry make up for the damage you caused to my shoes?" Instead of replying, Aarav quipped, making her look at his leather shoes over which the tea had managed to drop. The material was thick and easily prevented his skin from burning. 

A wave of humiliation flowed through her as she lifted her eyes up at Aarav again, to find him still glowering at her. 

"Well, if you're so concerned about your shoes then you shouldn't have been running around like that." She said, her voice unusually frigid. She took the tray she had kept on the small square stool and walked past him only to stop at his remark.