Arnav stood in his balcony, looking at the setting sun, lost in thoughts. The sky had turned a beautiful shade of red, reminding him of the beautiful blush that had spread on the cheeks of Khushihours ago. He felt his heart quicken at the thought of the girl that was living next door to him for the last one and half year. He closed his eyes, envisioning the beautiful face of the girl who had managed to capture his every single thought- His Khushi.
A year and a half ago, when Khushi Kumari Gupta had moved to the flat next to his, Arnav had never imagined that he would one day be standing in the balcony of his apartment lost in her thoughts. But it seems, the universe had something else planned for them. He laughed to himself, remembering how restless he had gotten because of her absence on her front-door for a mere week.
She was special, he had realized the day he had seen her for the first time, standing at her front door talking to a delivery girl. He was about to enter his apartment when for a brief almost inconspicuous moment their eyes had met and he had felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Her eyes were the color of honey, they shone, sparkled with happiness, with mischief and they made him skip a heartbeat every time he looked at her.
They didn't talk much, but they had had enough conversations for him to realize that she was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Every morning, when he was about to leave for office, her beautiful smile greeted him giving him a perfect start to his day. Three weeks after their first conversation, Arnav could no longer stop himself from knowing everything about her. Now, normal people would introduce themselves and befriend the person they want to know about but Arnav Singh Raizada, son of Arvind Raizada, a prominent industrialist and businessman, and the heir to the AR Group of Industries was in no way normal, and thus he decided to get all the information about this honey eyed angel with the help of his trusted friend and manager Aman.
A few days later, Arnav found out that his "smile mate" as she had started to call them was an employee in his own office and worked in close proximity with his father. He groaned, destiny had played another one of its games and Arnav was sure to get caught very badly in the middle of it all. How will he keep up the pretense of being the IT guy if she was to work so close to him in his father's damn office!!
The story behind the IT guy lie was a long one and this was not the right time to recount it. For now, Arnav was busy recollecting how he'd spent the last one and half year falling slowly and steadily in love with the girl living three doors away from him.
Like Khushi, it wasn't love at first sight for Arnav but a love at many sights. The love that he had mistook as a passing infatuation, attraction, curiosity had taken It's time to embed itself firmly in his heart. Everyday, Arnav would fall a little more in love with her smile at the doorstep of his apartment, with her hardworking nature when he watched her immersed in her work from his cabin (which he had managed to get fitted with one sided tinted glass so that he could see her but she couldn't. Yes he had changed his cabin too, just so he could see her. He'd admit to it unashamedly.) with her innocence and positivity as he watched her jump from one place to another, interacting with and befriending every one of his staff's people. (Yes he felt jealous!).
A year had passed since their first encounter, and was getting impatient with every day that passed. Somehow, she was getting more and more beautiful with the passage of time and was physically hurting him to stay at the door of his apartment and stop himself from grabbing her by her waist to kiss her senseless but he knew that he couldn't do anything like that unless he wanted to scare the poor girl away from himself.
"Control yourself Arnav, be very patient." Arnav would think every time he looked at her in the morning as they both smiled at each-other.
A few weeks down the road, all of a sudden Khushi stopped showing up at the doorstep. No reason, no explanation. He'd still see her every day, working in the office, talking to her colleagues, but somehow, he knew that something was different, something was wrong. Her absence for a whole week rang so many alarm bells in his mind that he couldn't stop himself from paying her a visit and asking her if everything was okay.
It was a sunday, and surprising himself he was at the doorstep of Khushi Kumari Gupta ready to press the doorbell of the apartment. His heartbeat sped up as he pressed the doorbell, his fingers turned damp as he stood waiting for her to answer the door.
A few seconds later, the door of the apartment opened and Arnav smiled softly up at her. She was dressed in a casual salwaar Kameez, playing with the hem of her veil looking incredibly nervous and yet so incredibly cute that Arnav had a hard time trying to control his smile.
"Hey. May I come in?" He asked softly, making her look abruptly up at him. He looked straight into her eyes, losing himself in her honey colored eyes. Khushistared back, innocent, beautiful and so damn much in awe of something that Arnav didn't even know that he owned. She moved, suddenly, as if waking up from a dream and allowed him inside the house. He walked in, looking intently at her as she stared back nervously.
"I'm Arnav, by the way.. I don't think I've told you that before, or have I?" Arnav asked.
"No you haven't." She responded with a quiet whisper making me smile sheepishly at her. How could he have forgotten to introduce himself, he thought just as she smiled back telling him her name.
Right. I don't know her name either. He thought, trying not to smirk at her
"I missed this exchange." I said truthfully, referring to the exchange of smiles that was on standby for the last one week. She looked positively shocked. Did I say something wrong? "Wh-what?" She stuttered, clueless and surprised.
Arnav's eyes softened at her. "You haven't come to the door since last week, are you fine?" He asked her in a tone of voice that clearly conveyed his concern for her. Even though he saw her everyday in the office, the morning tradition was something special between them, something that he never wanted to lose.
"I am." Khushi replied, but Arnav saw right through her lie. "You're not a very convincing liar Khushi." He said flashing her a mischievous smile. She looked down at her feet, embarrassed at being caught. Arnav smiled at the adorable little bean standing in front of him.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" Arnav asked, curiously, eager for a positive response. Khushi nodded, making him smile widely and for once, he couldn't stop himself from touching her cheek. As soon as his fingers brushed her soft cheek, he felt a jolt of electricity passing through his hand.
Damn you Khushi! He thought as he made his way out of her apartment sparing her a last fleeting glance only to find her looking at him, her cheeks had turned crimson red. He smirked, happy on seeing his affect on her.
Mine.
Only Mine.
I know it doesn't really take the story any forward, but I feel that I needed to give Arnav's version of events too. The story will now shift to third person narrative and finally, move forward.
I guess that I have in the "chatter" department. So, Do tell me what you think of this chapter.
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From Smile Mates To Soulmates
FanfictionA journey of Two strangers who became everything to each other. Cover Credits @sujzwriter
