The Learning Curve - Chapter 25

 Confessions of a different kind...

"What the! Khushi...how the hell does she know about kissing? What is she taught at school?...you better keep a watch on her khushi...I want every boy 10 feet away from her...I..." arnav said as khushi got up and came to sit in the chair next to him "Shh...arnav...stop!..breath!" khushi said as arnav calmed down and looked at her "She likes me..." khushi said with a sweet smile as arnav pulled her close to himself "No Khushi...she loves you...just like her father does" 

Khushi looked up suddenly when she heard Arnav speak those words…her mouth was slightly open making arnav chuckle at her expression "What? Just because I didn't say it…" he started saying and stopped looking at the nervous look on her face "Hey hey…" he said holding her cheeks in his palms, he tilted her face upward and made her look at him " Don't be upset…" he started saying when khushi's eyes teared up.

"Arnav…I'm not upset…I…I just…" she started saying when he hushed her "Its ok Khushi…I know what you're thinking…you don't have to say it till you don't want to…I don't want to pressurize you into saying something when you are not ready for it…" he said lovingly as khushi shook her head again "No arnav…I'm just really overwhelmed…I mean…I cannot believe that someone could say that to me…and I'm not afraid to acknowledge or say those words to you…its just that…" she said trying to make sense of what she was blabbering when arnav held her hands giving her strength.

"Arnav…all my life, I have been alone…yes I had Buaji and then Shilpa di with me…and I can never question their love for me or mine for them…but I always wanted someone to love me…someone I could spend my life with…someone who is for me…so it's…Arnav I've never said those words to anyone…in fact I don't even know what love is…I just know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Anaya…I can't imagine a future without the two of you…and I don't know if I can express it in just three words.." she said as arnav embraced her tightly, his own eyes misty at the thought of her growing all alone…all those years craving for someone's love.

"I'm here now khushi…and Anaya too…we are yours…and only yours…I don't know how, but you have made such a deep place in my heart that it cannot beat without you in my life…in our life…I love you khushi…and I don't need you to say it back…because I know you do too " he said as khushi sighed in happiness, she snuggled closer into arnav as he held her for a while more

"You know Khushi…I have had too many regrets in life…I have wasted too much time staying away from people I love…who love me…and I don't want to waste another minute, another second…I know you may think this is going too fast and I know we agreed to take this slow…but I can't help loving you…I can't…" he said as khushi pulled him closer to her and kissed him full on the mouth..she wound her arms around his neck and splayed her fingers into his hair as arnav bent down to kiss her back in equal fervor…when they broke apart, khushi stroked her finger on his cheek as she shyly said "me too…"

...

"Arre titaliya…what are you saying? Who is this boy you are talking about?" buaji shouted from her phone, khushi held the phone away from her ears as she smiled at her buaji's surprised voice "Buaji…i'll tell you more in details soon…In fact, I'm planning on coming to Delhi next weekend…will tell you everything then" khushi said as she said her goodbye before pouring herself a glass of water in the staff room.

It had been two weeks since their confession of sorts and things could not have been better...khushi now used to go to the mansion every day to spend time with Anaya and Maggie; after putting Anaya to sleep , arnav insisted on coming all the way to leave her home…not that she minded because that was the only time they got to spend together..and obviously the perks of having him over at her's were too satisfying.,,he had gotten pretty close to Shipa di as well, who could not help but praise arnav about absolutely everything...for her, he was the perfect man for her khushi.

Just yesterday arnav had told her that he's taking anaya over the weekend to Delhi to sort some property stuff out, apparently there was some property under payal's name which was to be transferred to anaya, but due to some issue it was held up. Finally the papers had gone through and they had to personally visit with anaya to take possession of the land.

When khushi's face had become sad at the prospect of not seeing both of them for three day, especially the weekend since they spent nearly all of it together, arnav had suggested that she should join them too...it was a fantastic idea since this way she could finally make arnav and anaya meet buaji..she had thus thought to at least inform her of this instead of just turning up with her future family...her family...she smiled as she packed her bag for the day...it all seemed so surreal!

...

Arnav was pacing his office restlessly as he waited for the clock to chime 4...he had made a point not to call khushi during her school hours since she was always running around from one class to another...he finally breathed a sigh of relief as he picked up his phone to make his urgent call...he smiled as she picked his phone on the first ring, knowing that he would be calling her "Hey..." she said sweetly and waited for arnav to speak "hi gorgeous.." he said in his usual husky tone which always sent goosebumps down her body.

"So, have you left? I was thinking we could all go out for dinner tonight...I mean it is friday, so holiday tomorrow...oh and you can always sleep over...we could have our own pajama party...pajamas being optional off course" arnav said naughtily, making khushi laugh and blush at the same time "God Arnav...you can be so besharam sometimes!" khushi giggled as she agreed for the dinner and promised to get dressed and reach the mansion by 7:30

...

"Pa! Please wear the jeans and white shirt...khushi ma would love you in those!" anaya said excitedly as she sat playing on her iPad in arnav's room...after the day they had disclosed about their relationship to anaya...or rather she had figured out, anaya had insisted on calling her khushi ma...khushi had hugged her tightly while stroking her soft hair, whispering her thanks for the recognition anaya bestowed on her...after that day all the mansion would hear was, khushi ma this and khushi ma that...though she still called her ms gupta in school

"Hmmm...you think so? I thought she likes me in black" arnav said holding a white and shirt over his frame in front of the mirror "Nah...she likes you better in white...now please get ready! Maggie and I have been ready since half an hour..." she whined as a grumbling sound from her stomach made her giggle "Looks like someone is Hungry!" arnav said as he went to change inside the bathroom.

It had been another 15 minutes after that and it was nearly 7:45, but khushi had still not turned up...he picked up his phone to call her, but her phone only kept ringing "What happened pa..where is khushi ma?" anaya asked arnav who shrugged his shoulders "She's not picking up...must be on her way..she probably got delayed getting a rickshaw...I know i should have sent mohan to pick her up" he said as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

They waited another 15 minutes before calling her again, but once again she did not pick up..Arnav was now a little bit worried since it just wasn't like khushi to ignore calls or keep her phone on silent...she usually texted if she was getting even a minute late...where was she!Arnav wondered...he looked at a grumpy anaya, now bored with her iPad..she was lying lazily on his bed as he tried khushi's number once again.

"Maggie...!!" arnav called out loudly after he had called khushi for the third time and had not gotten a reply...he waited till maggie came to his room "Why don't you give anaya some milk of something light to eat? Its already 8:15 and I think khushi might have gotten stuck somewhere...we may get late for dinner..." he said as maggie nodded and went to take anaya downstairs "I'll feed her something till khushi gets here...we'll be waiting down" maggie said as arnav nodded absentmindedly...he really was worried now...khushi was nearly 1 hour late.

He thought it would be best to call on her home phone to check if in-case she has not left, so he tried that as well..but once again it just rang without anyone picking up...he immediately called Shilpa's number, thinking she may know when khushi had left for here...but unfortunately for his rotten luck, her mobile kept coming switched off..'What the!' he exclaimed as he ran a shaky finger over his face, trying to calm his terrified self...what if something happened..

No!...she is fine...she's probably forgotten her phone...and she may have gotten stuck in traffic...after all, it is friday night...he took a deep breath and called aman to message him shilpa's home number...he had not stored it on his phone, but the yellow pages would help...he waited for a few more tense minutes as aman's text beeped with shilpa's home number...he called on it immediately but here too no one was picking up.

At this point, arnav was really shit scared...he dropped everything and ran down the stairs "Maggie...the dinner's cancelled...i think...i think something is not right...I can't get through to Khushi...you and anaya have your dinner and if Khuhsi comes here, just call me immediately..." he whispered to a worried maggie, making sure anaya does not hear any of it..he turned towards his daughter who was happily sipping on her strawberry milk "We are not going out tonight baccha...so eat your food and go to sleep ok" he said trying to pacify her

"But why? I wanted to show khushi ma this dress that she had got for me ..why is she not coming here? She's never so late!" anaya whined which made arnav close his eyes and pray that all was well...he forced a smile on his face as he faced his little girl "Khushi got held up somewhere baby...so i'm going to get her...You'll see her tomorrow morning ok?" he said as anaya pouted but nodded. He quickly gave a grim look to maggie before running out of the house and into his SUV.

"Sir? Did you get through to Mrs Iyer? I can try and get some of her other neighbor's number perhaps?" aman's voice came on arnav's bluetooth as he drove like a maniac towards khushi's house...he cursed bombay's traffic which had seemed to get worse on today of all days "Yes that would be great aman...I could not get through to Shilpa...i'm heading there right now..." he started saying as he got a call from an unknown number on his call waiting.

"Aman, i'll call you back" arnav said before ending aman's call and picking up the other one, but as soon as he picked it up..it got cut...he wondered if the call could be from khushi...maybe she really had forgotten her phone...and was now stuck in traffic somewhere...she must have finally gotten time to call him from a payphone or something...he concluded as he called on that number right away, he turned his cra towards khushi's colony...as the phone got picked up and an automated IVR started running on it...making his heart stop...

"Welcome to Arogyanidhi Hospital, if you know the extension, please press now...otherwise please dial 1 for accidents and emergencies, 5 for ambulance service and 9 for reception..."