Chapter 13

Khushi has not been out alone with a man who was not Anurag. She remembered their first date vividly. It was in a place that sold flattering Dabeli behind their school building. It was late evening after their tuitions and she had worn her ill fitting kurti and faded jeans. It was the time when sneaking with each other mattered more than dressing to nine. However, today, though it isn't a date but only a dinner, Khushi reminded herself once again, that she sees as an opportunity to treat Arnav for all the good things he did for her including her new job.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with mumma?" Khushi asked her son looking at him through the reflection of mirror in front of which she was standing to pull her hair into French plait.

Vihaan shifted his attention from his notebook and looked at his mom with sigh of exhaustion.

"No mumma." He said with hint of annoyance. She has asked him the same question many times in pat few hours and he only gave her the same answer.

Khushi stuck out her tongue at him mocking his annoyance, making Vihaan roll his eyes.

Of course, which six year old will want to skip a birthday part of a friend to attend boring dinner with two adults who refused to let him play games in phone for more than 15 minutes at a stretch?

"Did you pack the gift?" Khushi asked

Vihaan lifted a very messy gift wrapped box that contained a small car toy that Khushi could afford. She chuckled at the generous use of beige tape that made the gift look like it was a bandaged red bundle.

Khushi sat on her knees in front of her son and kissed his cheeks. He was so proud of his flawed handiwork, just like how he is proud of his inconvenient lifestyle. She was glad that he at least had a friend like Mithun and the Chopras who saw him for who he is and not from where he comes. Else, Khushi couldn't imagine leaving her son alone with people who were condescending towards him even for matter of hours.

"Chalo."

***

A huge weight lifted off of his chest when he saw Khushi come with Vihaan tailing behind her. From the moment Arnav and Khushi decided on this so called dinner, Arnav has been in predicament. It is one thing to have dinner with her even in cosy intimate setting of his apartment when he has clear feelings towards her and completely different even when he is in a crowded restaurant sharing a table with her when the soft corner he has for her creeps in now and then disturbing his thought process. If Vihaan comes with them, then he can be a perfect buffer between them. Also, that boy is totally cute and Arnav can't complain about any time he gets to spend with him.

Arnav's relief was short lived as Khushi informed him that they have to drop Vihaan at his friend's two blocks away for a birthday party.

"Don't you want to come with us, Vihaan? We can have ice creams." Arnav tried to tempt the boy.

"But Arnav uncle Mithun's party has magician and clown. "

Now who can argue with that?

So, Khushi and Arnav, after dropping Vihaan, proceeded to the place that Khushi meticulously selected after thorough internet search.

"They are said to serve best kebabs." She said as they both entered the restaurant together.

Khushi consciously twisted a strand of hair that has escaped from properly combed plait and stuck a bobby pin to secure them. Once her hair looked good, she pouted her lips and cursed herself for not having the sense to buy a decent coloured lip balm. Now her lips looked pale and her transparent chapstick had done no help. She took tissues from the side and wiped extra kajal that has left the curve of her eyes.

"You look pretty." A kind old lady who had just walked out of a toilet stall remarked."Now you must go back and not make an impatient man wait more." She winked at Khushi before leaving making her cheeks flare with a shade of red she hasn't seen in her own cheeks.

Arnav must have meant it as casual obligation to compliment when he called Khushi beautiful after they had seated in a table for two overlooking the roof garden. But, the compliment made Khushi's inside shiver. She couldn't help but excuse herself to restroom after they placed their orders. She wanted space to breathe and to correct her messy hair.

If Khushi's memory didn't betray her this wasn't the first time he had complimented her for her looks. He has been discreet but vocal with his compliments on Diwali day and even the day of party. Those times Khushi was a graceful receiver of the compliment. But, now, she felt like she was transported back to being a silly teenager and couldn't help at her cheeks heating up and her lips refusing to stop smiling. It is becoming evident to herself as everyday passes that she has started seeing Arnav as more than a friend and well wisher. She was eternally thankful that she doesn't work with him anymore. Being a straight forward person, she couldn't have handled the amount of pretence and acting needed. She would feel like betraying both of them and been miserable. Thankfully, now she doesn't have to see him every day. It is best for both of them.

Calming herself, Khushi went back to her seat.

"I was going to send search party for you."Arnav joked.

Khushi lacked a proper comeback unlike her usual self. She only smiled and welcomed interruption of the waiter who served their first course.

Arnav and Khushi had talked a lot in the past ranging from something random about world crisis or existential crisis to something sensitive like their past and its effect on them. But, they had never really talked about each other. Just plainly each other, like who they are without scar of their past, what their life without looming dark shadow. Now, they took immense pleasure in discussing about each other like normal humans not worrying about baggage that they carried.

"Why would you do that?" Arnav asked scrunching his nose.

"I was crazy and ten." Khushi said as if it was reason enough. "Also, what is better way to get back at your science teacher for giving a D on your frog drawing than leaving a live frog inside her desk?"

"You must have been one difficult child to handle."

"You bet. My dad actually wanted to have another child, but my mother told him that I was like 5 children together and she will have a heart attack if she has one more like me."

"Then my mom should call me every day and thank me for I was the most well behaved boy as a child."

"You seem like one too."

Arnav made a very diplomatic face. "Except at times."

Khushi lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "Exceptions like???" She was curious.

"Like after my sister refused to share with me her cycle, I used her record note paper to clean dog sh*t."

Khushi put her head back and laughed. "You didn't."

Arnav shrugged smiling. "I liked giving special treatment to Jenny." He said. "Jenny is pomeranian I had, by the way."

"How I wish I had a dog as a kid!" Khushi shook her head in wishful manner. "But my mom said if I had one, then I should take care of it."

"Duh!" Arnav looked at her and scoffed."What did you expect then?"

"I thought like maybe I could just play with it while mom took care of all the 'taking care business'." She hooked her fingers at the end.

"Oh! great. Naughty plus lazy and pampered. You were a different Khushi then weren't you?"

Arnav regretted as soon as he said it for he saw Khushi's smile dim and she looked lost in some thoughts.

"I was." She said after a minute. "My dad loved me more than it was humanly possible. I was pampered and spoiled and like a little princess, you know. That is why his death was hard for me to handle. Now, when I think about it, I just saw Anurag as a replacement to give me same attention and a sheltered life." Khushi sighed deeply. "Well, life didn't take long to prove me wrong, did it?" she chuckled humourlessly. "Before eighteen, I don't remember a single thing I had to worry about and after eighteen I don't remember a single thing I didn't have to worry about." A tiny drop of tear escaped the corner of her right eye. "You know when I was with me dad and we used to cross a road. I didn't even have to look right or left. He will just hold my hand and lead my way and I followed him blindly. And now, I can't even walk in terrace without looking around me cautiously. Such is life."

Arnav didn't know what to say for a long time. He let her indulge in gobbling schezwan noodles. When she wiped her eyes with the tissue and pretended that it was spice of food that brought about tears, he agreed with her.

"It is my treat." Khushi said picking the bill as soon as the waiter placed it on their table.

Arnav looked at Khushi amused. It wouldn't be the first time a woman will be paying for his food. With an ex-wife who choose her times to become female equivalent of chivalrous and a sister who he had no shame exploiting to give him grand treats when he was still in college, Arnav had no ego to pick about it. His worry, however, was that thinking it was going to be him who will pay; he had been extravagant in ordering choosy expensive dishes which he now regretted.  

Arnav was not oblivious to the way Khushi's face fell as she noticed the amount at the end of the bill. If his guess is right, it must be in four figures.

"Erm... Khushi how about we split?" he tried his best not to hurt her ego."We can then have some dessert outside as well. This awesome dinner wouldn't be complete without ice cream."

Khushi bit her bottom lip immersed in thoughts before she let out a forced chuckle and hid her face with her palms.

"God! This is embarrassing." She mumbled from behind her hands.

"Come on, Khushi. It's just me. You have nothing to be embarrassed about." Arnav took out his purse from his pant pocket. "I will pay with card now, and then you can pay me back your share with cash."

As they walked out of the restaurant, Khushi spotted an ATM on the other side of the road and insisted that she withdraw cash to pay him back. Arnav was going to refuse, but caught himself before he could say anything. He simply smiled and nodded.

This is what he liked about Khushi. She was the realistic in the most possible way. She was independent, self reliant, knows how to hold her esteem with someone at the same time her ego wasn't fragile. She didn't need constant ego boost like he had to do with Tanisha or regular assurance like with Archana. Khushi was the most self aware person he has seen in his life. She accepted her flaws as much as she accepted her virtues. With her, he can be his own person; he didn't have to be someone else to appease her. Also, she understood him very well. Even now, had he refused to take her money, she wouldn't see it as him being condescending to her; she will know he is beneath him. She will only see it as him trying to be sensitive to her financial condition and she will find a way to arrive at a solution that worked for both. With her, he doesn't have to have a filter; he can be unapologetically him and expect the same from her. It will be like two people shaping a relationship and not the relationship shaping them.

When Khushi handed him couple of freshly withdrawn notes from ATM, he accepted with no qualms.

They both had crossed one half of the road and were standing aside the divider, when Khushi received a call from Mrs.Chopra, Mithun's mother, to tell Khushi that Vihaan was asking for her. When Arnav saw that there was momentary lull in the traffic and Khushi was still in phone telling Vihaan they will be there in fifteen minutes, not wanting to let go the rare chance at crossing the road quickly, Arnav held Khushi's hand and led her between honking cars and speeding two wheelers, while Khushi followed him unquestioningly lost in her phone call.

It was Arnav who insisted that they don't miss ice cream because of detour they had to take to pick up Vihaan. So, after picking up Vihaan, they parked the car parallel to an ice cream push cart.

"Choices??" Arnav asked as he unbuckled his seat belt.

"Chocolate and Black current." Vihaan shouted immediately from back seat. Khushi turned to look at him and raised her eyebrows warning. "Okay fine. Only chocolate." He said defeated leaning back in the seat.

Arnav turned back and winked at Vihaan indicating he will arrange two ice creams for his favourite kid.

"Boring vanilla for you, I guess." Arnav said to Khushi as he was adjusting his shoe before getting out of the car. Khushi mirrored to him the same look she gave Vihaan making Arnav roll his eyes. "Okay, fine." Arnav mimicked Vihaan. "Sacred Vanilla."

Khushi was hit by a strange sense of déjà vu at the sight from her windows. She saw Arnav bending down to take a peek at the cart and watchfully checking expiry dates on each ice cream handed to him. She remembered a similar scene from years ago, when she was as young as Vihaan and would go out with her parents. Her father will always give in to her request for ice cream and they will stop in front of the ice cream push cart near her house. Her father every time will religiously go to the cart, carefully pick ice creams of their favourite flavour and bring it back for them with a wide grin plastered on his face. Just like how Arnav was walking back to them now.

An eerie heaviness sat on Khushi's heart at the sight Arnav presence with her and Vihaan painted in her mind. It felt so wrong yet in her mind it felt so warming. She knew it was only going to be as good as an imaginary picture and never come true, but just for a second it filled her heart with so much hope that she wanted to weep like a small child.

If Arnav noticed a difference in Khushi's mood, while he handed her the ice cream, then he didn't comment. He was so occupied by the domesticity he felt with their presence and the calmness that it brought to his heart that he would feel like an imposer if he dares to speak and ruin it. So, he decided to let the silence stay so that he can savor more of this moment because for all he knew this might be as close as he could get to feeling whole.

***

1.     I have said this many times and I am obliged to point out again that what I write is on me, what you infer from my writing is completely on you.

2.     If Boss and secretary romance isn't unethical, then boss and maid romance shouldn't be too. Khushi is shifting job not because I don't think there shouldn't be a boss-maid romance angle but because I want separation to develop plot. If you believe I think otherwise, then it is your imagination, not my stand.

3.     Reasons for Arnav's both divorces are based on real life story, of course of two different persons. In first case, they got divorced and both married again. Now, the man even has a very cute daughter. In second case, however, the woman is adamant not to give a divorce. She has explicitly stated that she will not live with him nor let him live in peace getting rid of her. No idea what runs in her mind.

4.     As I have already mentioned, the story is 20 chapters + epilogue. So, already 60% is done.

5.     Stay safe

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