Part 50 Engagement

Arnav and Khushi came to the college. Arnav looked rigid.

"Hello... why your face is on the first floor?" She laughed, teasing him.

Arnav walked after throwing a glare at her. She followed him smilingly. He came to the last bench and sat. Khushi sat in the small space next to him and pushed him by her shoulder. Arnav moved a bit more.

"Hello, Mr. CBM..."

Arnav didn't respond but took a book and read.

"If you don't talk to me, I will really call you Cold Blood Monster..."

Arnav raised his eyelashes from the book and looked at her.

"Will you be upset with me if you can't answer my question?" She pulled his leg.

"Some questions can't be answered by words because the question is about our LIFE. It needs our whole life to prove"

"This sounds good. By the way, why are you upset? Can't you take it easily?"

"You will also be upset if you face the same question"

"Maybe... but I will be upset after answering your question. If you have doubt, ask me the same question" She smiled.

"I won't... I don't want to do anything that hurts you"

Khushi smiled.

"Ok, let me answer your question,"

Though Arnav was curious, he looked at her calmly.

"I will never get bored of you because I know how to make it interesting. Each of our day and night will be different. Those different experiences will provoke us to find more variations. It will make our life new every day..." She said meeting his eyes. She saw restlessness rising in them.

Arnav averted his gaze suffocating. Khushi tilted her head a little and looked at his face. Arnav had no option but to look at her. She raised her brows and smiled.

"Isn't my answer satisfied you?" She asked.

"You know what... you are so mean" he said in a low tone.

"Why? What did I do?"

"You do nothing but don't miss a chance to make me restless"

"Everything will come to an end soon" She pressed his palm.

"You asked your father to fix our marriage for me... right?"

"Why doubt?"

"Are not you scared?"

"Why?"

"To settle down with me..."

"I didn't even scar to submit myself... remember?"

"I know you don't do this as redemption. Yet, don't you ever feel bad for making such a decision?"

"Let's go to my house"

"To your house? For what?"

"To prove again that I won't feel bad about doing IT again"

Arnav gulped down hard.

"I may be harder than the last time..."

"What do you mean HARDER?" She winked and he got Goosebumps.

Khushi caressed his hand with her fingertip.

"You mean your actions will be harder. Right?" She chuckled.

He didn't reply as she was right.

"I know you will be harder to handle because you will TURN HARDER," She said controlling her laughter.

Arnav closed his eyes.

"Ok... enough of double meanings... Don't feel bad" She tapped his hand.

"Will you be the same after our wedding too?"

"No way... how could I be the same after our wedding? I will always be on your lap if we are at home" She winked.

"Don't you have an idea to complete your graduation?"

"I have a CBM in class. He will teach me"

"If you are sitting on his lap, how could he teach you?"

"I know he will not be in his senses when I'm on his lap but he will compose himself after the session is completed..."

"Do you think I will be like this after our wedding too?"

"Won't you?"

He nodded no.

"Then, how will you be?"

"I will be more rightful... "

"Oh..."

"Possessive"

"Oh ho..."

"Demanding"

"Really?"

"Beyond your imagination"

"Wow... you are making me curious. I should ask my Dad to fix our marriage sooner"

"Sooner means?"

"Next month....?"

"Will you be waiting for one month?" He asked which surprised her.

"Can't you be waiting for even a month?" She chuckled.

He nodded no.

"Ok, I will ask my Dad to fix our wedding next week. What say?"

"I will be the happiest person in the world if you do that"

"You know what, the same man who ignored me once, wants to marry me immediately now"

"It's because of you"

"Yeah, only I know how much effort I put into bringing him on track, no no, correction... bringing him on BED," She said teasingly.

Arnav controlled his smile.

"But, should mention, you became uncontrollable after coming to bed"

"Stop it, Khushi" he scratched his forehead.

"Feeling shy?"

"You are so mean..."

"When will you make me feel shy?"

"I don't think it will happen ever..." Arnav said smiling.

"Thank God, I'm not such kind. If it is so, I would not have made you FLAT..."

Arnav took her hand and clutched it softly.

"You have no clue how much I love you," he said.

"Waiting to get the clue" she smiled.

"My parents are happy like ever before..."

"They will be happier when we get married"

Arnav nodded yes.

The class became silent as the professor entered.

Evening

Shashi came home as planned. He made arrangements to welcome the Raizada couple. The servants were working in full swing, preparing dinner for all of them.

Exactly at 4 o'clock, Raizadas reached the SP bungalow. They were stunned, seeing the arrangements. The main hall looked like a paradise with colorful lights and flowers. Shashi welcomed them, joining his hands.

"Please come, Arvindji"

"She is my wife Ratna"

"Namaste jee"

"Namaste"

"Please take your seats..."

Shashi called a servant and ordered him to bring them a welcome drink.

Ratna and Arvind had it and were highly satisfied with his receiving. It stated Shashi's state of mind and his interest in the marriage.

"Sir, I know how busy you are. We could have arranged it after a week..." Arvind said.

"It's ok. My daughter means everything to me. I can do anything for her happiness. Usually, she won't ask anything for herself. This is the first time, she asked something. How could I disappoint her?"

"Khushi is a nice girl. She will understand," Ratna said.

"You are right. She is an understanding girl. That's why I don't want to deny it. She knows how busy I am. Yet, she demanded me. That means she thinks this is necessary. She would not have demanded me if it had not been important"

Ratna and Arvind wondered. How understanding these father and daughter were...!

"Khushi told me about you and your family. She liked you and your woodhouse very much. She had many dreams in her heart about her future. She lost her mother when she was a kid. It was my mother who brought her up. My mother was everything to her. I did my duty peacefully only because of my mother. She passed away last year. I faced a tough time bringing Khushi out of the grief. After my mother, I saw her being close to Arnav. I didn't search for a reason for their closeness. I don't want to. I understood something would have attracted her towards him. Arnav is a nice boy. I too liked him very much. So, I don't want to raise a question about her liking. I hope you will take care of my child like a mother" Shashi became emotional.

"You don't bother about Khushi. She will be happy in our family. I promise, I will be a mother more than a mother-in-law" Ratna said.

"Yes, Shashiji, Khushi is the only person whom Arnav liked. We are glad to have such a lively girl as our daughter-in-law. More than anything, Arnav will celebrate her like anything" Arvind said.

"Thank you so much..." Shashi felt relieved.

In the meanwhile

College

Lavanya and Preethi came to Khushi smiling.

"Khushi, Preethi's parents agreed to get her married to her boyfriend"

"Is it?"

"Yeah... I'm going to give a treat today. You too join us" Preethi said.

Before Khushi said, ok, Arnav said,

"No... we have some work. You guys carry on"

Khushi looked at him confused. Lavanya and Preethi's faces lost their charms.

"Don't worry guys, I will give you a treat tomorrow. We will enjoy it. What say?" Khushi said.

"It's ok Khushi. We will go for a treat tomorrow" Preethi said.

She and Lavanya left the place.

Khushi looked at Arnav frowning.

"Why did you lie we have an important work?"

"I didn't lie. I really have important work"

"Then you could have left... I would have joined them..."

"Will you go without me?" he asked.

Khushi rolled her eyes.

"Then, you should have postponed your work"

"I can't... it's important"

"What's the big work that you don't want to postpone?"

"Will tell you later... let's go"

Khushi stood making a face.

"Let's go Khushi"

"I need ice cream to chill..."

"Not today..."

Khushi dropped her jaw.

"Won't you get me an ice cream too?"

"Will get you an ice cream SHOP tomorrow. Not now"

"What are you going to do now?"

Arnav started the bike and looked at her. Khushi sat behind him, making a face.

"CBM..." She murmured.

Arnav moved smiling.

Arnav entered the SP Bungalow with Khushi.

"Stop..."

"Why?"

"You said you have important work. Drop me here and you can go"

"That's ok..."

He stopped the bike in front of the bungalow and got down.

"Don't you go?"

"Will go" he walked in.

Khushi followed him frowning. She got stuck seeing Arnav's parents sitting at her house and talking to Shashi.

"Here, the Groom and Bride came..." Shashi smiled making Khushi stun.

To be continued...