One Day At A Time

Chapter 8 - Misled

"St-stop calling him a monkey, Arnav! He is an amazing guy. I know his ways are all weird and brattish, but inside, he has the softest heart. We both know it."

"Wow, the defence lawyer for Kabir is ready with her sword to fight the world!"

She frowned. "Very funny! And don't make fun of him in front of me, Arnav. I don't like it. Not everyone is as perfect as you are! There are mere mortals like him and me in this world too!" Khushi spoke with a slight irritation in her voice.

Something about the way she said it, irked him. He wasn't expecting her to react this way. He knew she and Kabir were close, but not close enough to warrant this kind of reaction. It felt like they were together as a team, and he was an outsider. The thought disturbed him, but he masked it.

"Who said you are not perfect?" He asked, looking straight into her eyes.

The question hung in the air between them. The look on her face changed the moment he uttered the words. She stared at him for a moment and recovered quickly.

"Want to check with my mum?" She giggled and waved him goodbye.

Arnav was pensive as he watched her leave. Why would Kabir hide this from him? He stood still outside her door, troubled, unable to understand the need for this secrecy. He had come to meet her father for some work but decided against it and went back home.

***

"Where on earth are we going? You just missed the turn, Kabs!" Khushi asked Kabir as she saw them pass by the restaurant they were supposed to meet his friend. Girl Friend!

"Relax Khush. There was a last-minute change in the venue. I am taking you to this jhakaas new restaurant. You will love it! She will come there." Kabir replied as he made his way through the evening traffic

"Kabs, my father will kill me. This whole thing better be quick. Why the hell didn't you tell me about this before? We could have done this some other time!" Khushi muttered nervously looking at her watch.

"Almost there Khush, next turn and we are at the restaurant."

They passed a huge roundabout and turned into a road that looked like it was cut out from a forest. The restaurant they parked in front of seemed almost like a farmhouse.

"Holy cow! This place is beautiful, Kabs!" Khushi squealed as they walked through the marbled lobby of the restaurant.

Kabir walked towards the reception desk and spoke to the receptionist. She pointed them towards the garden, and they walked towards it, taking in the interiors as they passed by the enormous main lounge. Huge windows with large embroidered curtains, dark coffee coloured candlelit tables, soft instrumental old Bollywood music— she loved it all!

"I am glad you like it. It is a new startup by my friend, his father technically. Remember my friend, the snobby Aarav? The loaded guy with nothing else to worry about in life?" Kabir chuckled as he saw her eyes gleam with excitement.

An attendant ushered them to a table in the garden area through a stone path near a huge pond. There were over a score of glittering diyas floating over the water illuminating the entire space around it, a sight which left Khushi awe-struck.

"Do they light these every day, Kabs?" Khushi asked him softly, staring at the golden lights flickering over the water body in semi-darkness.

"How can simple stupid things like these make you so happy and excited, Khush?" Kabir chuckled, staring at her face.