Part 15

Khushi was having tea with Garima. She was delighted, seeing Ratna coming to her house. She was bored sitting at home as she was on her holidays.

Khushi: Hi Aunty.

Ratna: Hi baby.

Khushi: Is Nanne at home?

Ratna: Yah, both the brothers are at home.

Khushi: I'm really bored, Aunty.

Ratna: Nandu and Chinna both are in the living room. Go there. I will come after a while.

Khushi's mind planned something quickly.

Khushi: Yah aunty. I just want to make a call but I'm not getting a proper signal. Don't know where did Mom keep her phone?

Ratna: No worries baby, use my phone. She passed her phone to Khushi.

Khushi: Thank you, aunty. (looking at Ratna's phone) the charge is low aunty.

Ratna: Ohhh. Then ask Nandu to put it in charge.

Khushi: Okkiii.

This is what she expected. She came outside pretending like dialing someone's number. She kept it in her pant pocket after putting it in silent mode. She headed to RM to catch Arnav red-handed. Arnav was working on his laptop while NK was watching TV. Both looked at Khushi but Khushi looked at only one. NK.

NK: Hi Khushi, how do you do?

Khushi: I'm bored Nanne.

NK: But why?

Khushi: My friends went to their home town. I have no one here to spend with. She said while doing something on her mobile.

NK: Ohhh sorry Khushi. I was also busy, so I couldn't give my time.

Khushi: It's ok Nanne. Check my what's app status.

NK removed his mobile and checked it.

NK: Woooow... that's really good. It's your childhood photo. I remember this snap.

Khushi nodded yes. She checked the "seen" list. As she expected Ratna's name appeared in the "seen" list.

Khushi(frowning): Disgusting.

NK: What happened Khushi?

Khushi: Ratna aunty has also seen my status.

She said looking at Arnav. He stayed calm without reacting. His eyes glued on the laptop screen.

NK: What's there if Mom would have seen it?

Khushi: I changed it just now after coming here.

NK: So what?

Khushi took out Ratna's mobile from her pocket.

Khushi: Because aunty's mobile is here. She asked me to put it in charge.

NK: What!! Then how she could have seen it?

Khushi: That's what I'm asking. Is anyone using her number in what's app web?

NK couldn't resist his eyes from looking at Arnav.

NK(stammering): I have no idea Khushi.

Khushi(giving Ratna's mobile to NK): Put it in the charge.

NK nodded yes and inserted it into the charger. Khushi expected some wired expression from Arnav but nothing happened like that. He really surprised her. She saw a content smile on his face.

Did he like to be trapped by her? He is the king in failing her predictions. He does what she didn't expect and never does what she expects.

More to her surprise, for the very first time, Arnav's name appeared in the "seen" list. Because there was no need to play hide and seek anymore.

.........

After Khushi's holidays.

Arnav came to his cabin after submitting the project details to his crew. There was no work today as he completed his segment and is free now. He opened FB and started scrolling it down. He saw Khushi updated her latest picture and she looked gorgeous as always.

There were 128 likes and 62 comments. He clicked the "comment" and started reading. It's all like, "So good, wow, gorgeous, beautiful". He smiled. His hand got stuck when he read the comment "urging me to touch you". He gritted his teeth. It was from Vignesh. He was the same Vignesh who requested Khushi to accept his friend request. He behaves with all the girls in the same way. That comment indicates "5 min". Khushi must be in college. She should not see this. She will get upset. In a few minutes, he hacked Khushi's account using his skill and blocked Vignesh after deleting the comment.

Though he deleted his comment his blood seething to kill Vignesh. How dare he do that after knowing that "Khushi is close to him?" It will be better if Vignesh will not come in front of him, he will break his head against the floor then.

He didn't feel to do any work after that. He searched every post of Khushi. There was nothing to worry about. He sat there relaxing. Suddenly something was striking his mind. He got horrified. He looked at the clock, it was only half an hour left for the last bell. Khushi will leave from college in half an hour. He left the office hurriedly.

Khushi came out of the college with La and Archana. They bid bye to Khushi and went inside the hostel campus which was next to the college. Khushi started her bike and accelerated it. When she came to a small lane, she stopped seeing Vignesh blocking her way. She looked at her surroundings. There was no one in that small lane. Khushi prefers this route to avoid traffic, instructed by NK. She gathered courage and got down from the bike.

Khushi: Why are you blocking my way?

Vignesh: How dare you block me?

Khushi: Block? What are you talking about?

Vig: Don't pretend like you know anything. Do you know who am I? Don't think you can go against me. What will you do, if I really touch you?

He started moving towards her. Khushi perplexed about his rude behavior.

Khushi: Behave yourself. It will be good if you keep your distance from me.

Vignesh: Let's see what "bad" will happen to me if I touch you.

He extended his hand to touch her. The next second, he fell on the floor. He touched the corner of his lips feeling pain. He saw blood on the tip of his finger. He lifted his head and was horror stuck seeing "beasty Arnav". Vignesh tried to run but Arnav kicked him and he got hit on the tree. Arnav punched his stomach while Vignesh screamed in pain. Khushi was shocked seeing Arnav in anger wrathful. She came to them and shouted.

Khushi: Arnav stop. Stop it Arnav.

Arnav didn't hear anything. Khushi clutched his bicep but she couldn't hold it as it was so vigorous. She dragged him a bit and Vignesh fled from there using the chance, taking his bike. Arnav was supposed to chase him but Khushi didn't allow him to do so. She stopped coming in front of him blocking his way. He looked really beasty. Khushi stunned seeing him like that. He was looking at her and she also was looking at him. It was not an eye lock. Their minds were in a different whirl.

Arnav sat on his bike without uttering a single word. He started his bike and waited for her to start. Khushi was not come out of the shock yet. She was more shocked about Arnav's act than Vignesh's. She could feel his boiling blood from his reddened eyes. His tightened nerves gritted jaws, everything looked scary. They were looking at each other. Khushi gulped hard. She started her bike nervously. Arnav followed her with the same speed as her bike. Khushi was watching him through the rearview mirror and Arnav knew it.

They reached home. Arnav stopped his bike and came to her. Keeping his hand on her bike's hand bar...

Arnav: Don't use that path anymore. Prefer the main road no matter how much traffic is there.

He said with a penetrating gaze. Khushi didn't get the courage to deny him. She nodded yes. He went inside the house.

Khushi's nervousness was not estimated. She closed her eyes. The scene of Arnav hitting Vignesh flashed inside her closed eyes. How harsh? How Aggressive? She opened her eyes jerking. Why he reacted like a "possessive lover"? Didn't he insult her? But he himself told that he didn't say that in that sense. Why not, he says anything clearly? If he didn't care about anything then why did he get angry at Vignesh? How did he reach there at the right time? Was that a coincidence? What was Vignesh talking about "Blocking"? When did I block him? Was Arnav's hand in that too? But how? She sat on the bed and drew her feet up onto the bed, pulling her knees close to her chest.

What was the actual issue? She was pressurizing her brain but nothing worked. She didn't get any clue about Vignesh. Her silky hair fell on her confused eyes. She lifted her face as her mobile started ringing. It was her Navy school friend Vaishnavi. Khushi's face lit up seeing her name. She attended it delightfully.

Khushi: Hi Vaishu ... how are you?

Vaishu: I'm upset Khushi. Very upset.

Khushi(panicking): why?

Vaishu: because of you.

Khushi: What I did?

Vaishu: I saw your post on FB and that comment. Who the hell is he? Thank god you deleted that comment. First, block that rouge Vignesh.

Khushi was alert. She sensed that something was going to get cleared.

Khushi: What are you talking about?

Vaishu: I'm talking about Vignesh's comment.

Khushi: What he commented?

Vaishu: you are asking as if you know nothing?

Khushi: Yes, I know nothing.

Vaishu: What!! Then who deleted it? Is there any chance of Vignesh himself deleting it?

Khushi: No. it's something. I think it must be Arnav.

Vaishu(excitedly): You mean your Allav?

Khushi: Mmm.

Vaishu: That's really great. Are you guys together? Thank god at last you went to him. Hope you opened up your heart to him.

Khushi: What do you mean?

Vaishu: Come on Khushi, Don't I know your heart?

Khushi: Shut up.

Vaishu: I will be shut. But please you don't be. please say what you feel for him.

Khushi(stammering): I can't understand, what you are talking about.

Vaishu: Don't cheat yourself Khushi. I agree you were friends in childhood. But do you really think whatever you are having in your heart can be only friendship? You were ten years old when you got separated from him. But "he" was the only topic which you often spoke with us. There was not a single day you didn't talk about him. What was that?

Khushi: I don't want to talk about it anymore. It's over.

Vaishu: Over? Really? I don't know what has happened between you two. But I won't agree that it's over.

Khushi: Leave it Vaishu. Tell me what was Vignesh's comment?

Vaishnavi explained what she saw on FB. Khushi was confused. Arnav must have seen Vignesh comment that's why he was so frustrated. But how that comment got vanished?

Vaishnavi: I just wanted to smack his face Khushi.

Khushi: It was already done by someone.

Vaishu: Really? Who did that good job?

Khushi: Who else other than Arnav?

Vaishu: What? just now you told me that everything is over?

Khushi was silent. what could she say?

Vaishu: It's so nice to hear that he smacked his face hearing your words.

Khushi: No. I didn't know anything about Vignesh's comment. Arnav deleted it before I saw it.

Vaishu(teasingly): ohhh.. someone said that everything is over but see, she even shared her password with him...

Khushi: No. I didn't share it. I don't know how he found it.

Vaishu: My God... Really? So still he is taking care of you then. Anyway, I'm damn happy he is with you Khushi.

Khushi: No Vaishu what you are thinking is not true.

Vaishu: I don't care it's true or not. But I'm sure it can't be "FALSE"

Khushi: I don't know what to say. Now let me deal with the issue.

Vaishu: Deal it cleverly. Try to simplify it, please don't complicate it.

Khushi: Mmm. She disconnected the call.

Khushi(in mind): So it's Arnav who blocked him... But how did he do that? (She stiffened). After all, he is skilled in computers. His college project itself is "How to hack college Wi-Fi password" then what so hard for him to hack my FB password? But who gave him the rights? Who is he to do that without my permission? He wants me to be in the limit but he can cross the entire limit or what?

She Remembered NK's convo. "He learned to speak by actions". Is this what NK said? Arnav really cares for me? If so then what's the problem in saying that openly? Why the hell he is behaving like this? What the hell actually he wants? He has to answer...

To be continued...........