KHUSHI GUPTA

"Hey." Jai sat down on my bed and looked at me with a huge smile on his face, I tried to smile back and then looked away. I hated the encounter with Arnav, because now it had taken me back where I had started from.

"You want to go somewhere tonight?" He asked.

"I am not in the moods." I shrugged as I stood up and walked away from him, I was really try, but this just felt so uncomfortable, acting like everything was okay.

When Arnav told me very clearly that he dint want me in his life, I made my decision, I decided to ignore his existence and pretend like I dint know him, it did work a bit and then Jai was also around to help, he would take me places to keep my mind distracted and stuff and it was great, until last night, when I had to face Arnav.

Lying to him wasn't easy, but he needed to know what he had lost so I lied to him that I was with Jai but I really wasn't, and now I was wondering, if actually being with Jai would make moving on easy. Would it?

"Why are you doing so much for me? Trying to make me feel all better?"

"Because that's what friends do." He smiled, I smiled back, this time genuinely, as I walked towards him and threw my arms around him holding him into a tight hug. I wish there was a way I could just forget about Arnav, I hated feeling this way.

I had some clear their throat so I broke the hug and looked at the door, Aditi was standing there looking at us in shock.

"When did this happen?" She asked as she walked in.

"What?" I looked at her in confusion.

"You and Jai... I mean I still think he's not of your class but you looked cute together for a moment there." She laughed.

"There's nothing like that, we're just friends." I shrugged.

"There could be something if you want." Jai said, I looked at him with my eyes wide open. Seriously Jai, this is the time you chose to tell me what you feel?

"Aww he's interested. I mean of course you are Khushi Gupta, only an idiot wouldn't be interested." Aditi laughed, I gave her a look, she was basically a second version of me, and she would never want me to date a guy that wasn't of my class and right now she was supporting it, why?

"I know I don't fit in your criteria, especially because I am not of your class, but imagine, after I finish my studies and start working I would earn really good." Jai looked at me hopefully, he was the only person I had told about Arnav and everything that happened between us, so why was he even willing to put himself in between this mess?

"Can we talk about this later? Right now I need to talk to Aditi." I said to Jai, he nodded as he headed out leaving us alone.

"What the hell! Why are you doing this?" I asked her angrily.

"Because I don't know what's going on with you Khushi. It's been a while now, I've just been noticing how sad you seem, I know there's something bothering you and maybe you aren't telling me because we drifted apart. I just need you to be okay Khushi, even if it means dating that guy, he's been trying to make you happy, he puts a lot of effort for you, and if he's going to make you happy I don't mind it." She smiled.

I wish I could tell her, I really wanted to tell her, but after whatever that happened between Arnav and Saakshi, Aditi would never understand me, so I couldn't tell her.

"But I don't feel that way about him Aditi."

"I am sorry, I dint know. I just walked in and saw you two and I thought maybe there was something."

"It was just a friendly hug."

"Okay, I dint know. I'm really sorry Khushi... just know you can always talk to me, I just want to see you like before, right now it seems like something is missing and I don't even know why."

I nodded as I stood up and grabbed my bag and my car keys.

"We should leave for college." I said as I walked out and Aditi followed me. Jai was waiting for me downstairs in the hall, he stood up as he saw me and we both headed to my car while Aditi went to hers.

"So..." Jai said as I started driving.

"So?"

"What do you think about what I said earlier?" He looked at me nervously. Honestly, right now I couldn't even think about anything, I just dint know what to do or say to him. he had been very helpful to me this past few weeks and I dint want to hurt him, but I dint feel anything towards him, all I felt was for Arnav and it was breaking my heart.

"I don't know..." I shrugged, I really wished we could arrive to college as soon as possible so I could avoid this conversation, I dint want to have it.

"I know you don't feel a thing for me Khushi, all I'm asking for is a chance, if you date me, maybe you will start feeling."

"And what if I don't?" I asked, he looked at me silently for a moment and then looked away. Thank God it stopped.

The drive thankfully too was pretty short as we weren't met with much traffic, I pulled over to the parking lot, parked the car and rushed out quickly, trying to escape this situation but at that exact moment, Jai grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"I am willing to try it, even if it means that it would end." He looked at me seriously.

"So that you can get hurt? It's not logical Jai." I shrugged.

"Look at me Khushi, look into my eyes, don't you see anything? I feel a lot towards you, and even if it means getting my heart broken by you, I'd do it, as long as I get to be with you. I just... You're here waiting for something to happen that might ever happen, Arnav doesn't bother, if he did, he would be here, telling you he wants to be with you but he's not. You need to move on, and maybe I am not the one you can move on with but maybe I can be the one to help you, we just have to try." He cupped my face looked me and looked me into the eyes seriously.

He was right but I couldn't do it, not when I knew I might never feel a thing for him, he kept on staring at me for a while and then slowly moved closer towards my mouth, looking at my lips, I knew he wanted to kiss me, and if I dint stop him he will and I dint know whether I wanted him to kiss me.

"Get off her." I heard Arnav, and in no moment, he had grabbed Jai's shirt, pulled him off and pushed him away as he fell on the floor, I looked at Arnav in confusion, he was filled with rage.

"How dare you!" I looked at him angrily, what was he even trying to do? If I dint want Jai to kiss me, I would have told him, he dint have to come in between after he made it clear that he dint want to be with me.

"You said you had feelings for me!" He looked at me accusingly.

"And you said you dint want to be with me, so what do you expect me to do Arnav? Stay single because you can't be with me and you don't want to see me with another guy?" I shouted at him angrily.

I understood his point and left things, I stop trying because that's what he wanted, so why was he acting this way now?

"I can't! I just can't do this. It's hurting me Khushi." He looked at me sadly, his eyes were moist, it was as if he was trying hard not to cry.

"I can't see you with someone else, it's been breaking my heart since last night and then right now when I saw him kiss you... it... it just... hurt so freaking bad. I don't know what to do Khushi." He looked so defeated.

I couldn't help him though, he was the one to make the decision, he had made it and I tried so hard to change it but it dint work, so how did he want me to help him now?

"I will hurt you." He said.

"Yes, I've heard it Arnav, so many times."

"I don't want to hurt you. But I don't want to be without you. I don't freaking know what to do." He stamped his feet angrily on the floor.

"You know what I want Arnav, I was very clear, you too were very clear with what you wanted, I just don't want to be confused or to hang in between things. Think, and make a decision about what you want and then tell me." I said.

"But you... you're already dating him."

"I am not. I just lied to you and I don't even care, I am just done with this mess Arnav, seriously." I said feeling embarrassed, first lie then tell the truth, what even Khushi. I turned around deciding to walk away, maybe it was finally time to move on.

"Wait. Don't go please." I heard him call me out, and suddenly my heart was full of hope, I just hope that when I turned around though, he wasn't going to shatter all my hopes.