Part 19 Blink of the eye...

"Dad, I won't ask you to trust Arnav but me... don't you trust me?"

"I do... I know whatever you do will be right and you will not make any decision being emotionally dominant."

"Thank you, Dad..." she smiled.

"Don't be up for the whole night. Let them sleep. Tomorrow is Sunday. You can study tomorrow"

"Ok, dad..."

"Good night"

Khushi came out of the room and saw Arvind and Ratna there. She smiled inwardly. Ratna was reading a book and Arvind was checking his mobile. She came to Arnav and they continued their studies.

After a while,

"Aunty, why are you sitting? Are not you sleepy?" Khushi asked.

"No beta... we usually sleep late"

Arnav didn't react as it was not a lie but Ratna would be up only if she had to wait for Arvind. She would not be up after Arvind reached home. Then why today?

Khushi felt Ratna controlling her sleep. So, she closed her book and said,

"Arnav, I'm sleepy... shall we study the remaining tomorrow?"

Arnav nodded ok.

"Khushi, you come to my room and sleep with me," Ratna said.

"What about uncle? Where will he sleep if I sleep in your room?"

Khushi was not wondered.

"I will sleep on the couch, beta. I used to it" Arvind said.

Arnav looked at them sternly because he knew why they wanted Khushi to be with them. He went to his room said nothing and closed the door.

"Aunty, I would like to sleep in the curtained bed that's in the guestroom..." She said hesitating.

"Ratna, do one thing, I will put the couch in the room, and you sleep there with Khushi"

"But, why uncle? I will be fine alone..."

"No, beta... this is a new place. Looks like a forest... you may get scared if you hear a weird sound..."

"What kind of sound?"

"No no... don't be scared... I just said..."

Khushi nodded ok. She helped Arvind to shift the couch to the guest room. Ratna settled down on the couch, whereas Khushi took the bed.

Khushi noticed something in their house. There were CHIMNEYS in Ratna's room as well as the living room, except for Arnav's room. Even the guest room had a Fireplace that was essentially in winter as it was a cold region. Then why didn't Arnav's room have one?

"Aunty..."

"Haan, beta?"

"I see a chimney in your room and the living room. Even this unused room has a Fireplace. Why doesn't Arnav's room have any? What will he do in the winter?"

Ratna got stuck. She didn't know what to say. Could she say Arnav didn't need them because chillness would not affect him?

"Will he sleep in the living room?"

"Haan, beta... as our house already has three chimneys, he said he would adjust..."

"Oh... but Ooty is so cool, aunty..."

"This is a normal season. That's why the chill is pleasant. You can't keep your feet on the ground in December, you know..."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, we can't even see the sun... the sky will always be cloudy"

"How will you manage the chillness, Aunty?"

"We get used to it, beta"

"You are a Tamil girl, right?"

"Mmm"

"Then how did you marry uncle?"

"He liked me" she said smilingly.

"Oh... is it a love marriage?"

"Kind of..."

"Where did he meet you?"

"My father was his estate manager. We got many chances to meet one another. His father also liked me. So, he proposed my hand to his son. My father accepted their proposal"

"Where are your parents?"

"They passed away..."

"Don't you have siblings?"

"I'm the only daughter of my parents. So is Arvindji... we have no one..."

"Oh, no... Arnie is also a single child"

"Arnie?"

"I meant Arnav..."

Ratna sighed inwardly at her calling style.

They slept after chitchatted for a while.

The next morning

Khushi woke up first and saw Ratna still sleeping. Though it was not winter it was cold. Khushi woke up Ratna.

"Aunty..."

"Mmm?" she opened her eyes slowly and sat on the sofa jerking, seeing Khushi.

"Aunty, relax.... It's me"

Ratna nodded yes.

"Shall I wake up Arnav?"

Ratna nodded ok. She switched the geyser on for Khushi to do her routine. They came out and found Arnav already woke up and looked fresh.

"Good morning, Arnie... when did you wake up?"

"4o'clock"

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"It's not necessary to wake up so early... that's why"

"Give me a few minutes, I will come getting fresh"

Arnav nodded ok. Khushi went to the guestroom's washroom. Ratna waited there until she left. She looked at Arnav and said,

"Don't take us wrong, Chotte. I slept in the guestroom because we don't want SP sir to know we take care of her..."

Arnav looked somewhere.

"We know you and your CONDITION but SP sir doesn't know about it," she said making him gulp down.

She walked to the kitchen and saw a flask being kept on the kitchen slab. She saw tea in it. Arnav prepared it. He always did that if he woke up first. She knew he would not have had it. Yet, she asked,

"Did you have tea, Chotte?"

As she expected, he nodded no. He waited to have it with Khushi.

Khushi came getting fresh. Ratna served them tea with biscuits and went to her room to get fresh, letting them study.

When Ratna came, Khushi said,

"Very good tea, Aunty. It was so pleasant in the chilling climate"

"Chotte prepared it" Ratna smiled.

Khushi looked at Arnav wondering.

"Is it, Chotte?"

Arnav smiled and Ratna chuckled.

"He cooks well you know"

"Wow... it seems you are making your son eligible to be a good GROOM..." She teased Ratna.

She looked at Arnav who smiled slightly.

"Nowadays girls expect their husbands to be good cooks you know?"

Ratna nodded yes.

"Arnie, cook for me one day..."

He nodded ok.

Collecting the cups, Ratna went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

It was 8:30 am. Arnav and Khushi completed a few chapters. She kept the book and stretched.

"Arnie, what about a break?"

He nodded ok.

"Take a break and have breakfast... you guys will be hungry as you wake up earlier" Ratna brought them breakfast. They had it.

"Shall we go to the umbrella hut?" she asked.

Arnav nodded ok.

"Cover your ears with the muffler... you will get a cold or headache"

"Don't you want any?"

Arnav nodded no and went to the kitchen.

"Mom, we will be in the backyard," he said to Ratna. She nodded ok.

They came to the hut through the small pathway that was in between rose plants.

"This place is so awesome..." she said excitedly.

She was stuck, hearing Arnav's question.

"Don't you consider me as your friend?"

She looked at him frowning.

"Whaaat?"

"Yesterday, you said on the bus that you have no one other than your father... don't you consider me your friend?"

She nodded no, making him disappointed.

"You are more than a friend to me..." She smiled and brought a smile to Arnav's face too.

"Then why did you say you have no one other than your father?"

"Just to see how you react to it," She said looking at him sharply.

"Your father understands you well..." Arnav said averting his gaze away.

"Yeah, he does..."

"Will you share everything with your father?"

"Yes, because I am used to it. I will recite everything to him"

Arnav smiled mildly. That meant Khushi should have spoken a lot about him to Shashi. That was why he understood Khushi liked him very much.

"What about you? Won't you talk to your parents?" Khushi asked.

"Not like you and your father do..."

"Of course, I speak everything with my father..."

"What did you tell him about me?"

Khushi smiled.

"Why? Did he say anything?"

"He spoke about you emotionally"

"He is like that... when it comes to me, he becomes emotional"

"Why are you so content with me?"

"Means?"

"How could you be so comfortable and happy with me? No one ever talked to me nicely..."

"It was you who didn't talk to anyone. People are ready to talk to you. They will be friendly with you if you want to be friendly with them. Didn't you see how Vedika tried to get your friendship?" she said controlling her smile.

Arnav smiled looking somewhere as he knew she was teasing him.

"Who knows, she might have become your close friend than me if you had given her a chance"

"No one could become close to me" he didn't say THAN YOU, yet, that was what he wanted to say.

"Why? Without getting their friendship, how could you decide no one can get close to you? you can know only if you give people a chance. Not everyone will SNATCH it from you like I did..." she chuckled.

"I don't want anyone to snatch it though..."

"Why? Don't you want anyone other than me? Am I enough for you?"

"More than enough..."

"Why I'm so special to you?"

Arnav didn't answer not that he didn't want to... he just could not...! He could not say he liked her...! He not just liked her but he LOVED her. He could not say that to her because he knew she would hate him when she got to know the TRUTH. He could not tolerate it. He could not tolerate Khushi's hatred. He would die if she hated him.

"Hello, Mr. CBM, answer me..."

"I would not have spoken to you if you had not forced me... I don't think anyone will give heed to me like you did. That's why you are special to me"

"Will you give heed to your wife at least?"

Arnav was stuck. WIFE? Why did she talk about his wife now? What would he answer? Sometimes, she talked like, she had feelings for him... and sometimes, she talked like his friend. He didn't know what was there in her heart.

That was when Ratna called Arnav.

"Chotte, Khushi's phone is continuously ringing..." She shouted.

"Wait, I will bring it" Arnav went to bring her phone.

Khushi rubbed her palms and kept them on her cheeks smiling. She liked the location so much. She stood there looking at the tea plantation that was a little away from Arnav's house.

Arnav came taking her phone. Khushi saw him and was confused to see his horrified expression. She didn't know what happened to him. She looked at her side and froze to see a snake hanging close to her. She understood she was close to her death. But, as she could not believe it, Arnav reached the place covering twenty feet in the blink of an eye and clutched the snake in his hand.

To be continued...