Love could be that strong #YourStoryIndia

Chapter 43

*Unedited*

The next day Khushi mentally strengthened herself and got ready for her office. Madhu was a little hesitant and wanted her to take a rest. But Khushi was determined to go and face Arnav. She wanted to leave for once and all. Now it didn't matter to her what he thought about her. She knew that no matter how hard she tried, he would always end up blaming her. So it was useless to cry over a relationship that never had trust, as trust is the foundation of any relationship. 

Khushi opened the door of her cabin and was surprised to see that it was beautifully decorated with flowers. The decoration automatically bought a smile to her face and she stood there gaping at the beauty of the room. Never in a million years had she thought that her dull, boring cabin can look this beautiful. She asked her colleague to make sure it was still in her room. Her colleague assured her that she had not been transferred to some other floor. The mysterious smile that her colleague wore confused her. Everyone in the office was extremely happy and they even had a two-hour lunch break, which was a first considering they usually had a forty-five minutes break which was cut short due to some meeting or other. 

Madhu was rehearsing her lines for today's shoot. She was trying her best to focus but the secret that she knew was eating her alive. After the shoot, she requested the director to give her a break and went out to search for Rishab. On further inquiry, she found that Rishab was out of the country for an outdoor shoot. He was filming for a chase sequence which would take approx two weeks. She decided to wait for two weeks as she wanted to confront him face to face, not over some phone call.

Arnav was impatiently waiting for Khushi in his office. He had specifically ordered Khushi to bring him his files twenty minutes back but there was still no sign of her. It was close to seven at night and he had deliberately asked Khushi to stay back and complete her work. Just because he wanted to take out Khushi for a dinner. But looked like someone was hell-bent on ruining his date. Finally, he stood up and decided to pay a visit to Khushi himself. He constantly reminded himself not to lose his temper. He wanted to be on his best behavior and to prove himself to Khushi. As soon as he was about to knock on her cabin's door, he heard her laughter. She was freely laughing with some and said a couple of 'you are too cute too.

How dare he!! How dare he flirt with my Khushi!!!

An enraged Arnav slammed open the door only to come face to face with his own nephew sitting in Khushi's lap. Of course!! The biggest enemy of his love story was none other than his own nephew Kush. He knew he shouldn't have underestimated the five-year-old villain. 

Kush got up and hugged Arnav's legs while he playfully ruffled his hair. Khushi glanced at the clock and her face paled. Oh God, he was here to accuse her of not being punctual. She was about to deliver files to his office when Kush barged in. And how could she say no to those puppy eyes? 

Arnav: Hey champ. Who dropped you here?

Kush: Mumma. 

Arnav: Okay. Where's she now?

Khushi: (Intervenes) Anjali Ji left. You have to take him home with you.

Arnav silently groaned. Even his own sister was hell-bent on destroying his already ruined love story.

Kush: No mamu (uncle)!! I will go with Khushi. (Grins at Khushi) Right, Khushi?

Khushi smiled at him but then glanced at Arnav who seemed to be deep in thought. She could see gears turning in his head.

'Screw it he was going with the plan. Arnav decided to play along with Kush.

Arnav: You must be hungry Kush. What about dinner?

Kush: Yay!! I love you. But we will get ice cream, right?

Arnav: Of course. (To Khushi ) Meet us downstairs in ten minutes Khushi.

Khushi was surprised to hear him call her by her first name in the office. And then she suddenly realized that he expected her to go out to dinner with him and Kush. Oh no no, Mister!! Never in a million years. She had promised herself that she won't associate with Arnav Singh Raizada outside the office. 

Khushi: I am not going anywhere with you.

Arnav: Please Khushi.

She didn't know what surprised her more. The fact that Arnav just said 'please' to her or the fact that this time his eyes didn't hold dominance or anger but hurt and sadness.

Kush: Please Khushi. (Grabs her hand) Please. I promise I will be a good boy.

Arnav: (Tries to make an innocent face) You will say no to a five-year-old? (Sighs) Let's go, Kush.

A little later Khushi was in the car with Arnav and Kush on their way to some restaurant that Arnav refused to tell more about. He was acting very nicely, just like the old Arnav. Khushi was expecting anything but this since his outburst last night. Ten minutes later they reached the restaurant and the manager greeted them. The restaurant oozed wealth and Khushi felt underdressed in a pair of denim jeans and a formal shirt. The manager lead them out of the building to a secluded area near the pool. 

Arnav's heart was thumping loudly. He never felt this nervous. Not even when he failed his class test and his class teacher called Anjali for a meeting. He tried to calm down himself but failed. he was nervously anticipating her reaction. Okay, that's it. They stepped outside and the table came into the view. His gaze was locked on Khushi's face. A soft gasp left her lips when she stared at the candlelight table set for the two of them. A small smile graced her face and her eyes twinkled. 

Perfect. 

Arnav: Shall we? 

And with that, he offered his hand to Khushi. A dark blush coated her lips and she nodded. He could see that she was still wary of him and he knew he had a long way to go. He gently grabbed her hand and pulled out a chair for her. Like a complete gentleman, he made sure that she was seated without any discomfort. But then he got the biggest shock when he saw Kush sitting in his chair and bouncing happily. Of course, how could he forget that Kush was here? He grumbled under his breath and asked the waiter to bring one more chair.

Khushi was still in a mild daze. Was she really out on a date with Arnav Singh Raizada? Maybe this was normal for him to go out and have dinner like this by the poolside. Deep inside she knew that this was not common for him but she refused to acknowledge it. She was very much hurt by his words last night. The next hour went happily with Kush talking almost all the time and with Arnav staring at her shamelessly. She tried to avoid his gaze but the jerk was hell-bent on staring at her creepily. After dinner Kush wanted to out for ice cream although Khushi had eyes for a typical chocolate walnut cake that she saw on a couple's table just when they had entered the restaurant. 

As soon as Kush was out towards the ice cream counter with Arnav's trusted bodyguard/chauffeur, a cake was placed in front of Khushi with 'I am sorry spelled on it with icing. Khushi turned around and found Arnav bending there on his knees in front of her.

Arnav: I am sorry. I am the biggest fool on this planet. I hurt you Khushi. I blamed you for things you never did. Hell, I called you those terrible words last night. I don't have words to tell you how much I regret it. I know I have caused you a lot of pain. I promise to never do it again. All I want is to see you smile forever and ever, not just for today or tomorrow. I broke your heart and by doing so I broke mine. I unknowingly lost the most precious thing in my life. I am terrible at displaying my emotions but you are the only one who understands me. I'll do anything and everything just to take away all the hurt you feel. Please let me set things straight.