SS - WILL LOVE FINDS ITS WAY?(3)

CHAPTER-3

Green- Present

Purple-past

 

After her unexpected announcement in the lunch, Khushi remained silent throughout the day. She didn't know what made her to say about Arnav not taking Spicy food before everyone. After dinner, she directly went to the terrace and sat down holding her knees and leaning against the wall. She looked up at the stars as if asking the answers from her dead parents. Suddenly she saw Arnav sitting beside her.

 

She was about to get up when she heard him say "Hi!" There she was trying the best to avoid him but again he came next to her. This time instead of avoiding she thought of replying him, may be the last time. "Hi!" she replied with hesitation.

"How have you been Khushi?"
Before she could reply, she saw all her friends approaching and she went away without looking back at him.

Next Day

The mood of festivity was set among all the faces who were roaming around, doing the works. Both Akash's and Payal's house were decorated with flowers and lights showing their magnificence and grandeur.

"The Mehendi is one of my favorite pre-wedding rituals" exclaimed Khushi while pinning her dupatta. "Even mine" Payal replied excitedly.

 Payal, the bride wore a heavy embroided green lehenga with red choli and now all ready to go down. Khushi wore a simple sleeveless floral pink Anarkali salwar suit and Lavanya preferred a designer saree.

"Get ready soon girls", Mrs. Poonam, Payal's mom called the girls for the third time in the last five minutes.

"Aunty, just 2 minutes" Lavanya replied doing the final touch up on her face.

"Payal, this color would be apt for your dress" Khushi gave a last minute suggestion for the eye-shadow.

"No Chamkili, that would be little darker. How about this one?" Lavanya suggested from her side.

"Yeah! And how about dual shade?"

"PERFECT" Both Khushi and Lavanya screamed in unison, confusing Payal more.

"Oh My God! Just leave me girls. I'm perfectly alright with this" Payal replied them and pouted seeing her friends winking at each other.

"So, this was to trouble to me" Payal said more as a statement than a question and ran behind them as they left the room and started running around but stopped seeing her Dad. He smiled seeing his daughter and soon Poonam came and called the girls to the living room on the ground floor.

The girls walked down the stairs and passed the whole ladies group and seated themselves on the fluffy mattress particularly decorated for the bride.  After flipping through many designs, Payal finally decided upon a pattern and showed to the mehendi designer to proceed with that while Khushi chosen her design long back. As per the custom, the mehendi was brought by Groom's family and Akash's mom blessed her soon-to-be daughter in law.

 

"Beta, you too choose a design" Mrs. Priya, Akash's mom asked Lavanya who was sitting uncomfortably.

 

"Aunty, I'm allergic to mehendi. The chemicals and their after effects...

"she replied making an irritating face.

 

"No beta. These are freshly grinded from the henna leaves only yesterday and home-made mehendi cones. They would do no harm." Payal's mom replied and Lavanya readily started searching for a design for her.

Mrs. Priya smiled and left to her home to carry on the ritual there.

*********
"No Pleases Akash! You are going to have a little mehendi on your hand as per the ritual" Akash's mom ordered.

"Dude! Please agree and do it fast. Let's go the girl's place" NK requested.

"No! You are not going anywhere and particularly to Payal's home." Akash's mom ordered seeing NK's curiosity.

"No.. Mom. He is just joking. We will go to our room and watch movie." Akash replied.

"First mehendi!"

Akash gave up and showed his hand in defeat to his mom where she wrote "A.P" for Akash-Payal in small font. Akash smiled and was about to leave when NK stopped him and showed his hand making Mrs. Priya to raise her eyebrows.

"Aunty N.L" he smiled cutely while the women who were there laughed seeing NK. Arnav who was witnessing all these could only utter "Unbelievable!" seeing his crazy friends.

In Akash's room

"Dude, let's keep the volume of the TV high, so that Aunty wouldn't doubt us"

"No... Mom is so clever. I will be dead, if she found me going there"

"What shall we do?" NK roamed around the room to find out a way.

Arnav sighed seeing the duo in front of him and started checking his mails in his BB.

"IDEA!" NK shouted loud and ran towards Akash.

"Akash, BBM!"

Akash smiled as he understood NK's plan. "I'll send you the instant photos from my BBM to you. But I can't go alone. I'm scared of the ladies out there. Nannav, you come along with me!"

"What? No way!" Arnav replied in shock.

"Nannav, you have to come with me. Wont you do that for our dear Akash" NK asked holding Akash's chin while Eb-ing Arnav.

"Bro! Plz go" Akash pleaded with his innocent face making Arnav to agree and looked at NK. "NK, send some nice snaps!"

"Dude! Don't forget that you are talking to a professional photographer. Nannav come let's go"

"Go through the terrace" Akash reminded them again.

Both NK and Arnav jumped the little distance that separated both houses. They silently descended through the stairs of Payal's home and hided in first floor as the view was clear from there. NK went to his dreamland seeing Lavanya in saree.

"NK..NK.." Arnav hit him on his shoulders, to bring him back to the reality.

NK took his mobile and started clicking Pictures and started sending them to Akash through BBM. After sending some good amount of photos, he started to click Lavanya and started to drool, he turned to the other side to check Arnav where his eyes were totally observing every move of Khushi. Not wanting to disturb him, he continued with his own work.

"What letter shall I write Ma'am?" Mehendi designer asked Payal.

"A"

"N for me" Lavanya replied with a smile.

"Khushi.. Yours? Payal asked shaking her shoulders.

"Huh?"

"What letter do you want in your pattern? Lavanya asked her again.

"Nothing! I don't want any..." She replied and looked at Arnav who was watching her with wide eyes.

Khushi was enjoying the pattern drawn on her palms when she suddenly felt his presence. Feeling uneasy, she looked around only to find Arnav staring at her from first floor. She was shocked to see him in there in Girl's mehendi function. Then seeing NK clicking the pictures of Payal, she called Payal to inform the same and dropped the thought when Arnav shook his head as if saying her not to do that.

Khushi sighed and continued chatting with Lavanya while Arnav continued staring her. As the time passed, the stare was more powerful sending shivers to her body. She was completely lost in thoughts when Payal shook her asking for the letter to be written on her palm.

Arnav smiled seeing Khushi's angry poking face on him. His thoughts went back to the Mehendi of his sister's marriage that happened during their 3^rd year of their college.

"Khush, come here!"

"No Arnav, everyone is here around me. I can't come"

"I don't know. You are coming here in five minutes. And I don't need any excuses. "Saying that he disconnected the call.

Khushi silently tip-toed to the kitchen of RM, holding her heavy lehenga.

"Why are you so late?" Arnav asked her angrily.

"Arnav, I can't come just like that. Besides, Anjali Di was sitting next to me."

"I hate excuses!"

"And I hate you!"

"Really?" he asked biting her earlobe.

"Ouch! Arnavvv"

"That was for coming late"

Khushi turned to the other side angrily while Arnav snaked his arms around her bare waist tickling her with his fingers and turned her to face him.

"Ahh..Ahhh... Arnav stop.. stop it"

"Shh..  Anyone might hear you"

"Let them hear then. Let them know about the Rakshas Arnav"

Seeing Arnav's angry face, she diverted the topic.

"Look at this Arnav. Your name is written in this pattern. Search for it" Khushi showed her mehendi to Arnav.

"What will I get if I find my name?"

"Nothing in particular. Maybe an excuse for biting my ear."

"Whattt?" he again started to tickle her waist.

"Okay, OKAY, A Kiss!"

"I'll get that anyway. Anything new?"

"Ummm..  Ummm..  "She started to think seriously, while Arnav was enjoying her expressions which were priceless.  

"Nannav... come lets go before they get hold of us" NK dragged Arnav while Arnav was still staring Khushi not willing to come from that place.

 ~~~~~~~~~