Next to Impossible Part 19 To the Place...

 Part 19 To the place…

The next day

Arnav finished the regular practice with Khushi. He was irritated by Sheetal’s continued calls. He was not ready to hear her over-emotional dialogues. In fact, he was not ready to see her face too. He didn’t like the dirty game played by her.

 

Arnav came to college as usual. Aman and NK waited for him.

“Sheetal asked for you,” Aman said.

“She is calling me continuously. I didn’t attend them” Arnav said irritatingly.

They saw Sheetal standing on the way to Arnav’s class. Arnav didn’t give heed to her and behaved like, there was no one called Sheetal.

“Arnav…” She called him.

“Aman, what’s the first period?” Arnav asked while checking the book as if he didn’t hear her.

“Accountancy” Aman said.

“Oh… then I should be in the class. Did Khushi come?”

“Yeah, she came”

Sheetal stood biting her jaws. That was the limit. This was going overboard. She wanted to sort the issue right away because she didn’t like to be behind Arnav.

More to her annoyance, Arnav smiled at Lavanya. She could not tolerate it. Arnav hinted by his action, that Lavanya was much better than her.

She came to Aman.

“What’s wrong with Arnav? why is he behaving like this?”

“It’s because I told him what you did”

Sheetal was shocked to the core.

“Is this how a friend would be?”

“Then? Would a friend be like you? Messing within friends?”

“Aman, you know me…”

“Got to know just yesterday how low you would stoop”

“Yes, I stoop low… why did I do that? Don’t you have sense? Don’t you see how Arnav is roaming behind that low-class vermin?”

“Mind your words, Sheetal…  you have no right to insult anyone… I warn you”

“Oh, she became more important than me for you too?”

“I just said you are wrong. if you think this way, I don’t care”

Sheetal left the place fuming.

“I think she became mad,” NK said.

“She would have been… from the beginning,” Aman said.

Sheetal tried to talk to Arnav on the phone but Arnav didn’t attend her call. She was scared to meet him in person because she didn’t want to get insulted by Arnav in front of Khushi. To Sheetal’s disappointment, Arnav was with Khushi all the time. Of course, he intentionally did that. That was her punishment for irritating him by playing a dirty drama.

 

Evening

Sheetal waited for Arnav but she was annoyed seeing him going with Khushi. Arnav stopped as Aman called him. Aman came to him and whispered.

“Sheetal is planning to attack you in your house”

Arnav looked at him shrinking. Aman nodded yes.

“When?”

“Today itself…”

“Is it?”

Aman blinked his eyes.

“It’s not easy to avoid her all the time. So try to shut her mouth”

Arnav nodded ok and started the car.

“Is track maintenance over?” Khushi asked.

“Not yet. It will be over tomorrow”

“If it is so, I would have gone home with Preeto”

“Why? Won’t you come to me if we have no practice?”

“Not like that… Sheetal is already angry with me”

“So? Are you scared?”

“She thinks I separated your team”

“Everyone knows who separated our team”

Khushi frowned to see Arnav driving the car on a different route.

“Where are we going?”

“To the place where you belong to…”

“Means?”

“Means, you are a girl who should live like a queen…”

Khushi frowned.

“You are exaggerating…. I suppose” she said.

Arnav chuckled.

“Ok… I will correct my stance… you are a girl who should live in the palace like a place”

Khushi rolled her eyes. She saw the car getting into a colossal bungalow.

“What place is this?” She asked panicking.

“Come and see it by yourself”

“Please Arnavji, I don’t want to come there. I never stepped into such a place in my life. I’m scared” she said panicking.

“Hey… relax… why are you nervous when I’m with you? don’t you trust me?”

Khushi gulped down.

“I’m here… don’t panic…” he said lovingly.

Stopping the car, he opened her side door. He blinked his eyes like, get down. Khushi got out of the car hesitating.

“Come…”

Arnav walked with her. He pressed the calling bell. Someone opened the door and left. Arnav entered and looked at Khushi.

“Come on…” clutching her hand, he pulled her inside.

Khushi came inside with a jerk and stood, looking at the palace-like bungalow. She blinked her eyes unbelievably. She had seen such bungalows in movies but never thought such bungalows existed in real. She gulped down. Arnav was looking at her smilingly.

“Arnavji, please let me go… people in this bungalow will not like to see a simple girl like me” She tried to go out.

Arnav tightened the grip of his hold on her hand.

“Khushi…”

She twisted her hand.

“Khushiiiii”

She looked at him.

“There is no one in this house except me because this is my house”

Khushi looked at him thunderstruck. She ran her eyes on the house. Was this Arnav’s house?

“You said you are alone in your house?”

He nodded yes.

“Are you living alone in THIS house?”

“Mmmm”

“Are not you scared?”

Arnav chuckled.

“Why? Is this bungalow seeming a haunted one?”

“Why do you need a so big bungalow with many rooms?”

“This bungalow was constructed when my mother was alive. Of course, senior Raizada constructed it for us. At that time, he would not have thought this bungalow would come to me…” he smiled.

Khushi could not understand how Arnav lived in that bungalow all alone.

“Khushi, will you ask all the questions standing at the doorstep?”

Khushi moved in slowly.

Showing the couch,

“Sit,” he said.

Khushi took a seat.

“Hariprakash…” he called.

HP came to him.

“Bring something for Khushi”

“Jee” HP went to the kitchen again.

“Let’s go to my room…” Arnav said.

Khushi nodded no hesitatingly.

“I will come another day”

“Why? Don’t you trust me?” he asked teasingly.

Khushi averted her gaze without answering.

“Ok, wait…”

He headed to his room. That was when Burger rushed to him as usual. He saw Khushi there. Taking a turn, he ran to Khushi. Arnav was horrified to see that. he thought Burger would bite Khushi. He rushed behind Burger.

“Burger… stop…” he shouted.

Khushi looked at Burger and identified, it was the same dog she saved in the evening. Burger hoped on Khushi and caressed her face with his as Arnav strictly taught him not to lick. Arnav stood, looking at them surprisingly. Burger rubbed the band-aid in her hand making a sound. Arnav raised his brows.

“The dog you saved this evening is Burger?”

Khushi nodded yes.

“What the…”

Khushi was taken aback.

“What happened? Is saving your Dog a crime?”

“Dhruv…” he shouted.

Dhruv came out of his room in his short pants and sleeveless T-shirt. He was surprised to see the same girl who saved Burger from falling onto the bike.

“What happened to the Burger?” Arnav asked.

Dhruv was silent.

“Did you lie to me?”

“I was on the call. He jumped off the bike and chased a cat. It was unexpected. This girl saved him”

“Thanks, Khushi,” Arnav said and then glared at Dhruv.

“By the way, when did you start getting friendships with people who travel in AUTO?” Dhruv asked.

“From the time I started, realizing that the friendship is not about car and auto…” Arnav snapped back.

“More than that, she is not a random girl but a State Gold medal winner. So, don’t talk without knowing her”

Khushi saw the trace of surprise on Dhruv’s face. He went back to his room. Arnav looked at Khushi and said,

“Don’t start feeling bad about what he said. He shut his mouth after knowing your capacity… think about it”

“How long will you be lifting me?” She asked smiling.

“Life long…” Came from him without a second delay. That made Khushi bombshell.

“This is my PET Burger. I thought to introduce you to him but before that, you guys had an intro” he smiled.

HP came with dry fruit juice and served it to them. Taking it, Arnav sat in front of Khushi.

“Hariprakash, prepare dinner. Khushi will have dinner with me today” Arnav said glancing at Khushi.

“Jee…”

Arnav looked at Khushi and asked,

“Do you have any problem in having dinner here?”

“Amma will be waiting for me” she hesitatingly said.

“Khushi, according to her, you are in practice. Then, how would she wait for you?” Arnav said.

Khushi was silent as he was not wrong.

“We will complete our dinner at 7:30 and go to your house soon. Ok?”

Khushi nodded ok slowly.

“Ok. I will come getting fresh. You can do it in the guest room if you are scared to come to my room” he said teasingly.

“One minute…” She stopped him.

Arnav looked at her lifting his brows.

“Why do you bring me here?” She asked.

“Think…what I said…” Arnav went to his room.

Khushi so wanted to play with Burger without THINKING what he said but she could not. What he said made her nervous. When she asked him, ‘Where are we going?’ he said,

“TO THE PLACE YOU BELONG TO” and brought her to his house.

To be continued…