Part 22 Khushi's Too...

"Khushi, as you are going to go with Arnav, you can be in RM for a while..." Lavanya asked.

Khushi looked at her sharply.

"Please..." She pleaded.

Khushi looked at her contently and then at Arnav. Before Arnav said anything, Ratna did,

"Chotte will wait..."

Lavanya clutched Khushi's hand and took her to her room. Ratna and Arnav spared a glance.

Coming to her room, Lavanya hugged Khushi and cried. Khushi embraced her in her arms.

"Relax, Lavanya..."

"No, Khushi, I'm not sure if any of my close friends would have saved me from the goons, taking such a risk. I missed recognizing you when we were in college. People who were clinging to me did that for some benefit. They always expected something from me. But I didn't even speak to you freely...! Yet, you saved me from the greatest humiliation"

Khushi broke the hug.

"Lavanya, we are not kids to help only our friends. We are grown up now... won't we feel bad for the person in an ambulance that crosses us? Do we know the person? No... it's humanity. Likewise, every girl must save another girl's respect. There is nothing to get emotional. Some people help their friends, and some people make friends by helping others... I'm the second category..." Khushi smiled.

"Thank you so much for what you did..." Lavanya again hugged her.

"My pleasure..."

"Will you come to my party?" Lavanya asked.

"Party? Again?" Khushi asked widening her eyes.

Lavanya chuckled.

"Not such party... only you..."

"That means, it's a treat..."

"No... it's undoubtedly a party"

"Mmmm..." Khushi thought.

"Don't deny... and you can't deny me because I'm your friend now" Lavanya said.

Khushi smiled and nodded ok.

"I will surely come to your party. Now, I'm leaving. I have a lot of work in the office"

"Ok, Khushi... see you soon"

"Bye"

They headed downstairs smilingly.

Arnav was waiting for Khushi in the living room, glancing at the staircase again and again. What were they doing? He supposed. He huffed, seeing them, and stood up.

Ratna smiled at them.

"I'm leaving aunty..." Khushi said.

"Take care beta... keep coming..." Ratna said.

"She will..." Lavanya said.

Ratna and Arnav raised their brows.

"Won't you?" Lavanya asked.

"When did I say I won't?"

"That's my girl" Lavanya smiled.

"Bye..." Khushi walked with Arnav.

"She is a nice girl," Ratna said.

"Not just a nice girl... she is extraordinary," Lavanya said.

"Why did you take her to your room?"

"To thank her..."

"You could have done that here itself..."

"I feel like having someone for myself. That's why... it would have been formal if I had done that here" Lavanya said.

Ratna sensed Lavanya's respect for Khushi became high. Khushi deserved it, she supposed.

Arnav and Khushi came out of RM. Arnav started the car. Khushi buckled the seatbelt.

"Not bad Ms. Gupta... You are following rules"

"I do... and I can't trust the person in the driving seat who is expecting a chance to remove me from his path... He can easily finish me by pressing a sudden break..." she said mockingly.

"You are so brilliant at guessing people... But sometimes you are so mad," he openly taunted.

"Thank you"

"By the way, thanks,"

"Excuse me, Mr. Raizada... You don't have to thank me because I didn't do that for you but for Lavanya. She is my friend..."

"I'm her brother..."

Khushi was stuck.

"So what if you are her brother? You are such a brother who didn't even let your sister know about yourself and what you are doing in the name of business"

"I didn't predict things would take such a terrific turn,"

"It's not a matter of events but about your relationship..."

"Lavanya was not interested in sharing her experience with us,"

"Are you?"

Arnav was silent.

"If you had created such a habit in your family, she would have gotten used to it,"

"If you are stubborn not to agree with me, I can do nothing,"

"Tell me, how many times did you talk to your family members about your business experience?" She cornered.

Arnav was struck. He could not answer because he never did that. So he thought to change the topic.

"It seems you have shared all your experiences with your family members..."

"I do but not everything..."

"Means?"

"I hide things from them that make them nervous"

"What was that that makes them nervous?"

"They will be nervous if I tell them how arrogant my Boss is. So, I hid it from them" she said sarcastically.

Arnav looked at her sharply and asked,

"That means you would not have told them about how you saved Lavanya, fighting like Jhansi Ki Rani, right?"

"Not at all..."

"But you looked messed up yesterday. How did you manage?"

"I said many games held in our office at the party..."

"Games? Like really? Did they believe?" he asked unbelievably.

"Yeah... thank God, they never met you once. Or, else they would not have believed my words. You and games...? No way..."

"Who will conduct games in the office? Are we kids?"

"There is a kid in everyone. It will come out when we feel content and stress-free"

"If it is so, you always look stress-free... but I didn't see you behaving like a kid"

"The kid will peep out only when it meets its LOVED ONCE... definitely not at the Komodo Dragon"

Arnav rolled his eyes and changed the topic. Or else, she would drag all his nicknames out.

"By the way, how did you think of recording the call? Do you know Lavanya would not trust us?" he asked.

"Yes, because it's about LOVE. It's not easy to make the person believe who is in love. That's why I recorded the call"

"It seems you have dealt with many people who were in love..."

"Mmm..."

"Don't you love anyone?" Arnav asked her.

Khushi was stuck for a few seconds and nodded no.

"Why? You said many guys see you as an Angel...! Didn't anyone propose to you?"

"It doesn't matter how many guys proposed to me. What matters is whether I liked one or not"

"Why don't you like any one of them?"

"What are you going to do knowing that?" She asked teasingly.

"Just for a survey"

" I don't want my mind to get blunt. That's why"

"Means?"

"People who fall in love lose their thinking ability because love is not just blind but also senseless. More than that, who loves truly these days? Love has become 'give and take policy' nowadays. Everyone is expecting something from the other"

"That means won't you get married? Marriage also is happening with expectations only, right?"

"Maybe, but risk-free"

"How?"

"It will be my father who will find a groom for me. So, I won't be in expectations..."

"I can't understand your policy" Arnav chuckled.

"Of course, you can't..."

Arnav stopped the car at the entrance of the office. Khushi got down from the car and Arnav went to the parking lot to park the car. Khushi entered the office and saw Akash smiling at her.

"Hi, how are you, Khushi?"

"Doing good..."

"I should appreciate you for your bravery Khushi. I could not believe, being a woman you are so brave..."

"Hello, one minute... what's that, BEING A WOMAN? Could not be women brave?"

"No no, I didn't mean it... in fact, I want Payal to be like that... no fear only fight..."

"Be careful Akash, she may break your nose too..." Khushi teased him.

Akash laughed.

"One minute..."

Taking his phone, he dialed Payal.

"Payal, Khushi is here"

He passed the phone to Khushi.

"Hi, Payal..."

"Congratulations Khushi"

"Don't make fun of me, Payal..."

"Arrey, I'm not making fun... I would have run away if I had been in your place"

"Shall I tell you one secret?" she whispered.

"What?"

"I was also not so brave. Only I know how I shivered... it's all show up" she said, whispering and Payal laughed and said,

"However, you have done that. So, you are a superwoman"

"By the way, congratulations to you too"

"Why?"

"For making Akash fall in love with you"

Payal laughed and Akash blushed.

"See, how he is blushing" Khushi countered.

"He does..." Payal chuckled.

"Oh... it seems you make him blush often?"

"Yeah... a lot... by the way, Khushi, I would like to meet you"

"Yeah, Akash told me"

"Fix a date... we will meet"

"You fix it. I will be there"

"That's nice... what about next week?"

"Yeah, sure..."

"Thank you, Khushi... bye..."

"Bye, Payal..."

Khushi extended the phone to Akash.

That was when Aman entered the office having a smile on his face. He didn't notice Arnav who followed him.

"Hi, Khushi... Wish you Happy Birthday" Aman wished.

Arnav was stuck, hearing that. Was that Khushi's Birthday? Khushi's TOO? He looked at her who was shaking her hands with Aman smilingly.

To be continued...