Ek Duje Ke Vaaste

Part 23

Arnav was in office. He had his laptop opened infront of him but he could hardly work. The intimate moment that they shared this morning kept flashing before his eyes, making him even more embarrassed as he thought how he had lost control.

He closed his eyes and thought: pata nehi khushi kya soch rahi hogi... (don't know what she must be thinking)

He picked up the phone and thought of calling her to make things easy. He dialed the land line number. Khushi picked up the phone and as she said hello, arnav didn't know what to say. He searched for words but couldn't get the right ones. He hung up. But khushi guessed who it was; and the thought of arnav again drove her crazy. She went to the kitchen and started making jalebis. Everytime she thought about the incident made her go absolutely red. The family members came back in the evening. Anjali walked into the kitchen and saw heaps of jalebis in the kitchen.

Anjali: khushiji yeh itne saari jalebi...( so many jalebis...)

Khushi didn't answer; she was still lost while she continued making jalebis.

Anjali held her hand and said: khushiji aap thik to hai na? aur aapke gaal aise lal kyun ho gaye? (are you alright?why are your cheeks red and why did make so many jalebis?)

Khushi looked at anjali and said: gaal..lal.. then looked down at the heaps of jalebi and screamed: hey devi maaiya yeh humne kya kar diya..itni sari jalebi...(cheeks red) (oh god what have I done)

Then turned to anjali and said: di hum woh.. (di actually)

Anjali laughed. Hearing them speak, nani and mami also entered the kitchen. Mami looked at the jalebis and said: helo hi bye bye kahin tum mithai ka dukan kholne ka to nehi soch rahi ho na? itna sara jalebi kaahey banai...kahin humrey arnav bitwa ko bijnezz typhoon se halwaai banana ka irada to naahi hai..helo hi bye bye (do you want to open a sweet shop? Why did you make so many sweets? Do you want to make arnav a sweetshop owner from a business tycoon?)

Khushi said: hum..humey pata nehi chala ki hum kaise (I didn't know how i..)

Nani: koi baat nehi bitiya...lekin aap yeh bataiye ki aap pareshan kahey hai (no problem..but why are you so tensed)

Khushi: pa..pareshan...nehi to..nehi naniji...hum bas aise hi (tensed..no I am not.just like that..)

Arnav came back from office and called from outside: diii

Hearing his voice, khushi's heart stopped beating. Anjali walked out saying: aayi chhotey (coming)

Anjali came out and said: kya baat hai chhotey? (what happened?)

Arnav: di..khushi kaha hai? Looking anjali smile he covered up saying: I mean.. Mujhe woh actually coffee chahiye tha to..(where is khushi?) (I mean I actually wanted coffee so...)

Anjali giggled and said: khushiji?? Chhotey poochho mat..unhone itne saarey jalebiya banai ki kya bataye (khushiji? Don't ask..she has made so many jalebis that I can't tell you)

Arnav: what?? Jalebi??

Anjali: haan chhotey tum believe nehi karoge..itne hai ki purey dilli mein baatne se bhi khatam nehi honge (yes you won't believe there is so much that even if you distribute it in whole of delhi still you won't be able to finish)

Anjali continued: aur sabse maazedar baat yeh hai ki unhe pata hi nehi chala ki unhone kab itni saari jalebiya bana daali (and the funniest part is she didn't even realize when she made so many)

Arnav: unbelievable!!

Anjali: bohot cute hai khushiji (she is very cute)..chhotey tum kamrey mein jao hum tumharey liye coffee bhejtey hai (you go to your room..i am sending coffee for you)

Arnav went to his room; a smiled curved up his lips and his heart raced looking at the place near the cupboard where he was so close to khushi this morning. He knew exactly khushi was acting weird, his condition was no better. He waited for khushi, hoping she would come with his coffee. But he got really irritated when he saw hariprakash walk in.

Khushi on the other hand kept hiding in the kitchen. It was time for dinner after a while and khushi knew that she had no choice but to come out and face arnav.

Khushi spoke to herself: hey devi maaiya ab hum kya karein, ab to aur nehi chhup saktey (what do I do now? can't hide any longer)

Mami heard her say this and said: helo hi bye bye...tum yahaan hidez and seekzz khelat ho? She looked around and said: par tum hide kissey karat ho? (you are playing hide and seek here? But whom are you hiding from?)

Khushi: k..koi nehi mamiji..hum bas.. (no one...I was just)

Mami: yeh tum aur tumra defective headwaa humka samajh maa nehi aawat hai helo hi bye bye (I cant understand you and your defective brain)

Soon everyone gathered for dinner.

Arnav's heart started racing at the thought of seeing khushi the moment he came down, but he didn't want to show any desperation. Khushi was still not to be seen.

Anjali said: arey aj khushiji ko kya hogaya.. (what happened to khushiji today)

Mami: helo hi bye bye lagat hai uska brainwa ka check upzz karane ka pari...thodi der pehele kitchen maa hide and seekz khelat rahi woh bhi akele (seems we need to get her brain checked..she was playing hide and seek in the kitchen alone sometime back)

Arnav looked away and suppressed a smile

Anjali called out: khushijiii khushijiii..jaldi ayiye khana thanda ho raha hai (khushiji..khushiji...come fast..the food is getting cold)

Khushi said: aayi di. (coming di)

Arnav looked up from his plate and saw khushi come out from the kitchen. She came out and her eyes met arnav's. He looked at her in such a way that she froze again.

Mami noticed her again and said: helo hi bye bye ab statuezz kaahey ban gaayi (why did you turn into a statue now).

Arnav looked away quickly and khushi came and sat on the chair and started fidgeting with her dupattaa. Throughout the dinner time both kept stealing glances at each other.

Khushi was really nervous after dinner was over as she knew she had to go to her room. She entered the room after a while, hoping arnav would be asleep but got nervous when she saw him awake. He was studying a file. Khushi was extremely shy to face him. She just walked past him when arnav held her hand. She closed her eyes as her heart skipped a million beats.

Arnav came infront and said in a husky voice: khushi..relax!

He held her hand and made her lie down on the bed and covered her with the blanket and he took the recliner. This one move from him helped khushi come out of the uneasiness that she faced the entire day.