Part 18 As a father...

Arnav and Khushi were shocked to see Ratna fainted. In no time Arnav lifted her in his arms and, ran to her room.

Khushi stood looking at his action awestruck. How easily he lifted his mother...! He not only lifted her but also RAN, taking her. Ratna was not a bulk woman. At the same time, she was not thin though. It was not easy to lift her alone. Arnav was seemingly naïve, but he was not. He had a super strength. That was why he uprooted the four-foot-high tree that day when he fought with the guys in the Botanical garden. She thought.

She followed Arnav to Ratna's room to find out why she fainted.

Arnav sprinkled water on her face. Ratna opened her eyes slowly and sat on the bed.

"What happened to you, aunty?"

"Suddenly, everything went dark..." she lied, and Arnav knew that.

"Did you have lunch?" Khushi asked.

Ratna caught the point and nodded no. That was also a lie because she didn't want Khushi to think differently.

"That's why you fainted..." Khushi said.

Ratna nodded yes.

"Do you know what I thought?"

Ratna looked at her like, What?

"I thought you were shocked knowing your Chotte's decision of bringing me here," She laughed.

Ratna was suffocated. That was the real reason for her to faint. Why did not she faint if her son did something that was not his cup of tea?

Ratna got off the bed.

"I'm sorry beta... I welcomed you unpleasantly"

"Nothing to worry, Aunty... go and eat something, first"

Ratna nodded ok.

"Mom, Khushi is here to clear all her doubts. That's why her father sent her here"

Did her father send her here? Of course, they were friends but was her father that broad-minded to send his daughter to her male friend's house to stay with him?

"That's why I brought her"

"That's nice to hear..."

Ratna looked at Khushi and asked,

"What would you like to eat, beta?"

"Anything prepared by you will be great... I became a fan of your dexterity... thank you so much for sending lunch for me"

"It's my pleasure..."

"Go, Aunty, eat something" She insisted again.

"I will eat... before that, I will arrange for your stay"

"I don't think I will have time to sleep. I have a lot to study... we will be in the living room. What say Arnav?"

Arnav nodded ok.

"Chotte, the computer is in your room... how will you study here?" Ratna asked.

"I will teach her only the theory part and will teach practical papers in the college," Arnav said.

"Whaaat? Won't you teach me practical papers?" Khushi asked shockingly

Arnav was silent.

"So what if your computer is in your room? Should not I enter your room?"

Arnav looked at Ratna.

"He doesn't mean it, beta... he might have thought of not making you embarrassed"

"Why would I be embarrassed? I'm very much comfortable with Arnav. Don't you know that Arnav?"

Arnav was silent. Ratna wondered as he did not deny.

"You know Aunty, Arnav agreed to come to our college trip only for me"

Ratna looked at him, getting thunderstruck. Arnav was going on the college trip? She wanted not to faint again. Arnav's silence confirmed that he was going on the trip.

"At first he was not ready to come... after that, he agreed... only for me... am I right Arnav?"

Arnav was silent.

"Say yes... then only Aunty will trust me. Otherwise, she will think I'm lying"

Arnav looked at Ratna and nodded yes. Ratna was overawed. She smiled contently, whereas Arnav sighed inwardly. He knew what his mother was thinking. This was why he didn't tell her anything because he didn't want to give her FALSE hope but he was unable to stop Khushi from giving her hope. Khushi was doing that unintentionally and he could do nothing.

"Come... you can stay in this room..." Ratna said, pointing at a particular room next to Arnav's.

"Is it a guest room?"

"Maybe, from here on, we can say it is a guest room because you are the first guest who is going to stay here"

"Is it? Don't your relatives come here?"

"No... because we don't have close relatives"

"Strange..."

"I will bring you tea. Have it" Ratna went to the kitchen.

Khushi ran her eyes in the living room.

"Your house gives me a pleasant feel you know," She said smiling, and walked to the going-to-be guest room.

Arnav stood not knowing whether he should follow her or not. She liked the room very much. It was compact like a kids' room.

"Arnie..." She called him, sitting on the bed.

Arnav walked in.

"This room is so cute... I liked it very much" She was so glad.

Arnav smiled. Khushi opened the window of the room and looked outside. She saw an umbrella-like hut without walls in the backyard.

"Arnie... What's that?"

"We just spend time if we get to be at home"

"Let's go there..." she said gleefully.

"Not now... we will go tomorrow morning"

"Why not now?"

"It's already started getting dark... there would be venomous insects... that's why"

"Ohh..."

Keeping her bag in the room, she came out. At the same time, Ratna came with tea. Khushi sat on the couch, taking a cup.

"Thank you, Aunty" she sipped it.

"Mmmm... so tasty..." she said relishing it.

Ratna smiled. She could not still believe Arnav brought Khushi to their home.

"Aunty, I did not want to sleep but study but after seeing the guest room bed arrangement, I so want to sleep, covering myself with a quilt. The room is so awesome..."

"It was Arnav's childhood room. He was there until he was ten. After that, he changed his room"

"How could you give up on such a cute room?" she asked.

"It's because I'm not CUTE..." he said making Ratna dumbfounded.

"Who said, you are not cute? I always find you cute..." Khushi laughed, making Ratna thunderstruck.

Khushi looked at her and bit her tongue.

"I'm sorry Aunty, I always tease him like this"

ALWAYS? was the only word that rose in Ratna's mind.

"He talks less and he reacts less but smiles a lot... that's why I said he is cute..."

Ratna smiled mildly. After finishing the tea, Ratna stood up.

"You guys carry on..." She went to the kitchen.

Arnav sat on the couch next to Khushi and took his book out. He taught the chapter in which she had doubts.

After a while,

They heard a calling bell sound. Arnav was about to go to open the door, but Khushi pulled him back and opened the door. Arvind was standing at the doorstep.

"Hello, uncle..." she smiled and was disappointed because Arvind was not surprised to see her.

"How are you, beta?" he asked.

"Do you know I'm here?"

Arvind nodded yes.

"Oh... did you meet Dad?"

"Yes..." he smiled.

She sighed.

"Have you had something, beta?"

"Just had tea, uncle"

"Make yourself comfortable, beta"

"I'm so comfortable here, uncle"

Arvind went to his room smiling. Khushi again sat with Arnav.

"Let's continue..."

They concentrated on the lesson. Ratna went to their room, taking tea for Arvind. She saw Arvind sitting on the bed, looking down.

"Why are you looking dull?" She asked giving him the teacup.

"SP sir called me and said Khushi is coming to our place with Chotte"

"So...?"

"He TRUSTS Chotte..." he said looking at her firmly.

Ratna didn't know what to say.

"He said, he sent Khushi to our house because he trusts Chotte...! I don't know where this will take us, Ratna. I could sense SP sir likes Arnav. What will happen if he gets to know the truth? If he denies accepting him, what will be Chotte's state? He will break down, Ratna... I don't think it works" he said feeling distraught.

Ratna felt helpless because she knew what Arvind said was not wrong. If SP had liked Arnav, it was because he didn't know about Arnav. Khushi also seemed interested in Arnav. What would be her reaction if she got to know the truth? Ratna was restless.

Khushi had dinner with Raizadas chitchatting as usual. After dinner, Khushi came to the guestroom to change her clothes. She was wearing a pencil-fit jean. So, she decided to change it.

She got into a night dress and kept her jeans and shirt in her bag, folding them nicely. That was when she got a call from Shashi. She attended it with a smile.

"Hello, SP sir..." she chuckled.

"Mmm... you sound happy"

"Dad, do you know how beautiful this guestroom is... it's so cute..."

"Is it?"

"Yeah... it's a wooden room. The bed has a curtain..."

"Oh..."

"It's Arnav's childhood room"

"That's interesting"

"Yup... Did you have dinner?"

"Yeah... you?"

"Just now we had"

"Are you going to sleep?"

"No way, Dad... there is a lot to study"

"Will you?"

"Then? Why did I come here?"

"To let your man know what's there in your heart..."

"Dad..." she rolled her eyes.

"Go on..."

"May I ask you something?"

"Anything"

"How did you send me with Arnav for night stay? Do you trust me to that extent?"

"It's not about trusting only you... the opposite person should also be trustworthy,"

"Do you think Arnav will take advantage of the situation?"

"No... I don't think so... I just answered your question. I sent you there because I want you to get what you want. I know you love Arnav but I don't think Arnav will accept you easily... maybe it's because I'm SP. I don't want my designation to be a hindrance to your happiness. That was why I let him know that you matter to me"

Khushi was stunned. How simply she judged her father...!

"And, I called Arvind and told him that you are at his place. I said I trust Arnav. I bet, they will not sleep tonight but will be with you to save my trust"

"But, Arvind uncle said he met you"

"No, I called him purposely and asked him to take care of you. So, there is no chance for anything unpleasant to happen"

"You don't trust Arnav, right?"

"How could I trust anyone blindly? I just met him this evening. I found a kind of hesitation in him. I don't know why. Whatever... this is my daughter's life. I will have to settle it down as per her wish..."

Khushi was speechless. She didn't know there was a lot behind his father's decision to send her to Arnav's house. How brilliantly he sent her with Arnav coolly and asked Arvind to look after her...! After all, he was a policeman...she supposed.

To be continued...

To be continued...