Part 28 Confession

Khushi ran out of the classroom to meet Arnav. She was distraught with his decision and wanted to ask him why. She knew how much he adored his job. After she saved him from Seema's issue, why did he make such a decision? She could not conclude.

Khushi saw him heading to the parking lot. She rushed to him and stood in front of him. Arnav looked at her and was about to roll his eyes, as blocking his way was her regular action. But he stopped seeing her restless face. He didn't know what happened to her. He waited to know the matter.

"What I heard is true?" She asked in between her hard breaths.

"What did you hear?" He shrank his eyes.

"Are you going to resign from your job?" She asked with teary eyes.

Arnav was stuck. How did she know about his decision? He was sure the principal would not have revealed it to anyone. Then how did the matter leak?

"How do you know?" he asked.

His question itself became the answer to her question. He didn't ask who said it, but how do you know?

"Why did you make such a decision?" She asked disappointedly.

"Don't you know?" He asked seriously.

"Am I the reason for your decision?" She choked.

"Undoubtedly, you are the reason for my decision, " he said, with a hidden meaning.

But she was not in a state to understand that.

"What else would I do if you were continuously nagging me?" He asked, making a face.

Khushi gulped hard.

"Did you make such a decision because I nag you?"

"Then what? I am a professor here, and you are my student. You spread the news that our fathers are friends and they fixed our wedding. In addition, you have done something that no one would imagine.

Then, I should decide something before it's too late... Right?"

"Please don't do this. I will not nag you anymore, " she says, looking down.

Arnav was taken aback. Was that Khushi who said that? Although he was surprised, he was dissatisfied too. Here, he was even ready to sacrifice his job, and this girl was in another perception, without understanding why he made such a decision. What the hell! He didn't like what she said. Nagging him was what made Khushi unique. If she stopped nagging him, how would she be Khushi?

"Oh... Will you be without nagging me?" He asked sarcastically.

Khushi was silent. She cursed herself for crossing her limit. Because of her mischievous behaviour, Arnav decided to resign from his job. She felt bad about his decision.

There is a famous saying: Our mind works perfectly and gives many ideas when someone is in trouble. But when it's about OUR problem, our brain gets stuck.

That was the same thing happening with Khushi. She didn't think deeply about why Arnav resigned from his job because she never expected him to resign. How could she think that he would prefer her over his job?

"Don't I know how mischievous you are?" He smiled.

"Please don't do that. I will do what you say..." She said like a good girl.

Arnav looked at her sharply. What happened to her? Wasn't she supposed to be happy about his decision? He smiled inwardly and decided to play with her. How many days had she troubled him! This was his turn. He folded his hands.

"What will you do? What could you do?"

"What do you want me to do?" She asked.

"Don't ask me that. I will not give you a choice..."

"Don't you like me?" She asked in a low voice.

"What do you think?"

Khushi was silent. She was not sure whether he had liked her. Of course, he took care of her. But, he also said, he was concerned about her because she was his student.

"You like me as a student," she said, in a gauzy tone.

Arnav frowned. Was Khushi that dumb? Which professor would hug his student just because he was concerned for her?

"Wow... How accurately you have understood me..." He said, not smiling.

"Please, change your decision..." She pleaded.

He sighed.

"Sorry, Khushi... If I decide once, I will not change my mind. I'm going to resign from my job, and that's final," he said, getting into the car.

Khushi felt dejected. Arnav looked at her through the rearview mirror, who looked sad. He drove off smilingly.

Khushi stood looking at his car. She should have been happy about his decision because that was the only hurdle that made Arnav hesitate to accept her. But she thought Arnav made the decision and got upset with her.

Arnav hadn't wanted her to know about his decision for three months until he quit the job, but now she has heard about it. So, it was better if he kept the reason hidden from her. Then only he could control her. Otherwise, her condition would become upside down, and he would have to run away from her to escape her. Arnav chuckled.

Khushi didn't get sleep. There was not even one per cent chance in her mind to think that Arnav was solely doing this for her.

The next day

Arnav came to the college running his eyes, expecting Khushi, but he didn't find her anywhere. He waited for the second period to go to her class. The bell rang for the second period. He went to her class with excitement. His energy drained, seeing her place empty.

"Where is Khushi?" He didn't hesitate to ask Jane.

"She hasn't come, sir." She said, referring to the person who was supposed to ask him the same question.

Arnav wrote test questions on the board, thinking about her. Though he was in the class, his mind was not there. Why didn't she come to the college? Was she alright? Or, did she have a fever again?

He came out of the class while removing his phone. He dialled Khushi and waited for her to attend to it, but she didn't attend the call. That made him restless. He lowered his hand and went to the staff room.

He wanted to visit her place to find out why she was absent, but there was a meeting in college. So he gave up the idea and kept trying the number, but no response was received.

The meeting ended only at 6 o'clock, and it was already dark outside. He didn't think going to her place at that time was right. So, he didn't. Her aunt would have returned by now. She might have asked her to take a rest. That was why she would not have come to the college. He consoled himself. Yet, he was tense as she didn't answer his call.

He decided to talk to her in person the next day. To his disappointment, she didn't come to the college the next day either and didn't attend his call either. That seemed to make him different. Was she fine? Why the hell didn't she answer his call! What was wrong with her? Arnav was alert. Was this only about her health? Or, something else? She was upset when she spoke to him about his resignation. Did she take it seriously? He understood that she didn't take the issue as he wanted. She took it utterly opposite to him.

When he was about to leave her class, Jane came to him.

"Sir, one minute..."

Arnav looked at her.

"Sir, why didn't Khushi come to the college? Is she alright?"

Arnav didn't know what to say. When he himself was not clear, how could he answer?

"Didn't you call her?"

"I did, sir, but she didn't answer my call. Could you please ask her to call me if she calls you?"

Arnav nodded and left. An unknown restlessness suppressed his heart. What happened to her was the only question that raised in his mind. He came to the staff room and wrote a permission letter, which he submitted to the department head.

"I have important work. I have to go..." He said.

As Arnav never asked for permission before, he sanctioned it. Arnav started the car and headed to Khushi's house with conflicting thoughts.

He stopped the car and pressed the calling bell. The door opened, and it was Khushi herself who opened it. She was stuck seeing Arnav at her place during working hours. He looked at her sharply with bubbling anger, even though he was relieved to see her fine.

"Why didn't you come to the college?" He stepped, making her move back.

"Where's your phone? Didn't you check how many calls I made?" He asked with rising anger.

Khushi didn't answer but kept mum. As she didn't answer, he held her upper hands.

"I'm asking you something, Khushi... Why didn't you come to the college and answer my calls?" He yelled.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and she squeezed his heart.

"What's wrong, Khushi? Why are you crying?"

"When you don't want to continue your job, what's the point for me to continue my studies?" She asked, looking down.

Arnav was shocked. His guess was correct. She took his words seriously, but from a completely opposite perspective.

"What point do you talk about?"

Khushi was silent. He dragged her close to him and shouted,

"Answer me, damn it..."

"What do you want me to answer? I know what your job meant to you. I know you adored it, but now you are ready to resign. Because if I, you had an idea. You got the idea because I'm nagging you. I became the reason for the drastic decision. I made you consider leaving your job, which you respected like anything. How could I bear this?"

Arnav rolled his eyes.

"I'm not wrong. What I thought about you is absolutely right. You... are... crazy! " he said, adding spaces between words.

Khushi looked at him, feeling bad.

"Your brain is stuck, I suppose. Yes, because of you, I decided to resign from the job, but not in the way you think. I decided because I think I can leave my job, but YOU...!"

Khushi looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Khushi, do you think I would resign my job just because you nagged me? You are doing that from day one, damn it... Did I ever get irritated with you? Yes, I adore my job... Still, I do that, but now my priority has changed. I have something to adore other than my job... YOUR LOVE...!"

Khushi was taken aback. She could not believe it was not a dream.

"I adore my job, that's why I decided to resign, because the job has some respect and responsibilities. Of course, people think our wedding is fixed by our parents, but my mind doesn't accept the excuse because my mind knows the truth that this is not an arranged marriage but a completely LOVE MARRIAGE."

Marriage? Was that Arnav talking about their wedding? What did he mean by "love marriage"? Was he ready to marry her? Khushi felt dizzy.

"This is why I decided to resign from my job. Because I think you are more important to me than my job. I can find another job, but I'll never get a crazy girl like you..."

Khushi's eyes teared up, but with happy tears. She prayed that she should not wake up and think this was a dream. How could the crazy girl believe the man who never showed her hope of light accepted her love? Was it true that he wanted her over his job? Wasn't his job everything to him? Did she supersede it? She bit her lip to control her overwhelming sensation. But she could not stop herself. She threw herself on his chest and cried, hugging him. Arnav smiled. He might have expected the same reaction from her. He reciprocated the hug and kept his cheek on her head, smilingly.

"I can't believe you accepted my love. I thought you resigned the job because you don't like to see me..."

"Stupid girl..."

Khushi snuggled more onto his chest, smiling.

To be continued...