OS (Series): Happily Ever After (Part 3)

 OS (Series): Happily Ever After

Part 3

"Of course I can do two things at once," I stated indignantly.

"Prove it." Akash smirked and Payal shrugged helplessly. Stupid cow. I'll show him!

"I will."

"What are you doing?" Arnav materialised out of nowhere (an impressive feat considering he was almost six feet tall) and was now giving me his usual odd looks.

"Showing your brother that I can do two things at once."

"Rubbing you stomach and patting yourself on the head?" Akash added.

I rolled my eyes. "At the same time," Hello? Is he blind?

"I choose to rise above your childish taunts because I am a capable, emotionally independent, twenty-first century female," I pronounced.

"Listen. Um, can I talk to you for a sec?" Arnav interrupted, which was pretty much the cue card for Payal and Akash to shut up and gawk at Arnav with keen interest. "Alone," he added, glancing nervously at their vulture-like stares.

"Uh yeah. Sure." I got off my chair, curious.

We exited the cafeteria, walking past the rows of lockers (oh, shiny) and into an empty classroom (ew, science). I sat on a desk while Arnav leaned against a wall, hands shoved deep inside his pockets.

I blinked up at him expectantly. "What's up?"

He frowned, in the midst of some kind of staring competition with the space above my head.

"Hello?" I waved my hands in front of his face and he jerked, blinking rapidly.

"About the girl." It took me a second to figure out what he was talking about.

"Mmhm?" I nodded encouragingly because being a good friend is all about helping each other solve problems .

"I think I'm going to follow your advice," he continued.

"Good." Nod.

"And tell her."

"Great." More encouraging nodding.

"About how I feel."

"You go girl! I mean, boy." Nod. Ow! I think I pulled a neck muscle.

"I really like her. Love? I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. I rubbed my neck painfully.

"It's okay." I reached out and pat his shoulder awkwardly. Being a good friend is also about understanding each other's feelings and moods and right now he seemed to be experiencing some sort of emotional crisis.

"She's smart and funny and beautiful. But quirky. In a good way. And she has these big brown eyes that you can melt into . . . and a smile that makes you feel like you're the only person that matters." No wonder he likes her. She sounds so perfect she's probably not even human. Maybe I'm a little jealous. Just a bit. Only because Arnav's my friend, and it's totally normal to feel possessive about your friends ' right?

"She sounds awesome," I beamed.

"Yeah. She is," he murmured softly looking straight into my eyes almost making me topple off the desk.

"And she's sitting right in front of me."

Wait, what?! Shocked didn't even begin to cover it. I sat there, frozen in place, my mind replaying his words over and over again. She's sitting right in front of me. And if I was stunned by his confession, nothing could have prepared me for the way he gently cupped my cheek in his hand, slowly leaned over, and kissed me.

He kissed me.

It wasn't one of those dramatic Filmy kisses ' the ones where the guy grabs the girl.It was feather-light and soft. Lingering. And it made my toes curl, my stomach somersault and my brain short-circuit. My heart was thudding so loud I'd probably deafened the entire Southern Hemisphere.

Scary? More like mind-numbingly, stomach-churningly, hand-tremblingly terrifying.

He broke away and brushed the pad of his thumb lightly across my bottom lip. Once. Twice. Sending tingles down my spine. Then leaned back, regarding me with his dark, bottom-less eyes.

I knew he was trying to gauge my reaction. I knew he had his heart on the line and it had probably taken all his courage and plus some to admit this. I knew this was the part where I was supposed to confess my romantic feelings for him. But I couldn't. There was a part of me that wanted to throw my arms around him and bury my head in his chest. But there was also a large part that was freaking out. Majorly.

I slid off the desk and took a step back, swallowing hard. "I-I'm sorry. I don't . . . I can't . . . It's just . . ." I shook my head trying to clear the confusion, unable to word exactly what I was feeling. Did I even know what I was feeling?

He stared at me hard for a heartbeat, and I saw the shutters come down over his eyes. He nodded slightly before turning around and quietly leaving the room.

I felt like I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life.

So I ran. I ran as I called out to him. I saw him turn around. And at that particular second, I crushed right into his arms, with so much force that he he had to take few steps back to keep us steady.

"You still owe me twenty bucks and a strawberry cupcake," I blurted out moving a few steps back away from him.

He stared.

"Because Payal and Akash are dating now." Still staring.

"So that means I won the bet." Nope. No reaction.

"Are you going to talk or are you just going to keep staring at me like that?" Expressionless stare.

"Fine," I huffed. "Don't talk. But I'm saying what I need to say." Darn it! Still nothing. The guy hadn't moved an inch.

Alright then. He asked for it. I poked him hard with my index finger. I saw the flicker of surprise before it disappeared behind that blank, expressionless mask. So he's still human after all.

"I like you." Poke. "A lot." Poke, poke. " I don't know." Poke. "Maybe even love." Poke, poke. "What I said before . . . was a mistake." Poke. "I freaked out. Badly." Poke. "So yeah. I like you." Pokepokepoke. "(In case you haven't figured it out, that was my declaration of love.)

He opened his mouth and my heart stopped.

"You talk too much." Not quite the response I was expecting. "You're nauseatingly cheerful." Gee, thanks. You really know how to make a girl feel loved you know that?

"You're really weird." What is this? Point-out-all-Khushi's-flaws Day?This isn't funny anymore.

"You're cray and kiddish! You are a gone case, you know that?" If he was so worked up over that why did he like me in the first place?

"And sometimes you speak like you're in some kind of SRK or Salman's Movie." Or maybe he never even liked me. What if it was all some sick joke?

I stepped back, stung, praying that I wouldn't cry. Not now. Not in front of him.

He leaned forward and something flickered in his eyes. "But for some crazy, weird reason I still like you." I stopped breathing. "A lot." My head was spinning. " I don't know. Maybe even love." He threw my own words back at me. Jerk. Insane, unoriginal jerk who I happen to be completely crazy about.

If I didn't like him so much I'd kill him for putting me through that. "You monster!" Ah, screw it. I'll just kill him. "How dare you insult me '" I was cut off because for the second time in my life, Arnav Singh Raizada kissed me.

"Wow," I murmured when he broke away. That's what he's reduced me to, the vocabulary of a four year old. Only a brain transplant can save me now.

He flashed me one of his inducing smiles and my knees buckled. Good thing he was holding me in his strong, manly arms. Wait, did I just say 'strong' and 'manly'? I think my IQ just went into the negative numbers.

Then I remembered. "Hang on a second. I thought you didn't believe in happy endings." I narrowed my eyes accusingly and frowned. Well, tried to. It's hard to frown at guy with a face like that, who has just declared his like-almost-love for you.

He smiled softly and dipped his head so our foreheads were touching. I melted.

"I don't. But I believe in you." 

***

---THE END---

OS {Series}: Happily Ever After (Part 2)

OS {Series}: Happily Ever After

Part 2

"You're weird, you know that?"

" You came to know now?" I muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. After that 'happy endings don't exist' comment, he wasn't exactly at the top of my favourite-people.

"Hey, Khushi" His voice drew me out of my reverie.

"Yeah?"

"That shirt looks nice on you." He half-smiled. I stood there stunned. What the - ? Did he just - ?

A small life lesson: the best way to remove yourself from an embarrassing situation is to excuse yourself from the conversation and bolt in the opposite direction.

"Well. I better get back to the lovebirds!" I beamed cheerfully and made my cool, calm and collected exit.

Correction: clumsy, highly embarrassing, painful exit.

A slightly larger life lesson: 'bolting in the opposite direction' generally doesn't entail tripping over a tree root, landing face first on the ground, getting up, accusing the tree of sabotage, kicking it, killing your foot in the process only to recollapse on the ground and asking the individual you've already embarrassed yourself in front of to 'put you out of your misery'.
***

"I need your opinion."

First came the shock. I mean, King of Existentialism was asking me for my opinion.

"On what exactly?" I replied cautiously.

"I'm kind of . . ." He trailed off looking embarrassed. Kind of what? Operating a drug ring in our neighbourhood and on the run from police? Deep in debt and in need of money to flee the country before lenders bash him?

"Kind of?" I prodded gently. Okay, so maybe 'gently' is the wrong word to use. 'Forcefully' fits nicely. Hey! I was dying of suspense here!

He took a deep breath and refused to meet my probing gaze. "I'm kind of interested in this girl . . ." The blush on his face was clear by now and he grimaced, which of course made him look incredibly adorable. Wait. I did not just think that. It was the alien that momentarily took over my mind. Honest.

"Define interested." Interested? There were a lot of different implications for interested.

He sighed exasperatedly. "You know," He waved his hands around absentmindedly. If he was trying to mime his definition of 'interested' he wasn't exactly succeeding. He scowled at my blank expression. "I mean interested interested." Nope. Still have no idea what the heck he's on about. He shifted as to turn away and muttered, "I thought you were supposed to be good at these things."

And then it hit me.

OH.

Arnav Singh Raizada was in love. Who thought the Iceman was capable of such an emotion?

"I'm not really as heartless as you seem to think I am." Oops. Wasn't meant to say that out loud. I quickly glanced up and reddened as he studied me, a mixture of amusement and irritation.

"S-Sorry. I-I didn't mean . . ." He waved aside the stuttered apology and folded his arms back into what psychiatrists would call: defensive mode.

"And I'm not in love with her. I just . . . like her. A lot."

Aw. He was in like. I would have squealed ' if I didn't think he'd incinerate me with his glare.

"So. What do you think?" How could anyone say no to chocolate brown eyes like that?

And okay, the fact that the he was asking me for advice on the girl of his dreams who was most definitely not me stung ' just a little. But it wasn't because I liked him in that way or anything. He's just eye candy. There is absolutely no emotional attachment. So why does it feel like I've been slapped across the face?

Pasting on a smile I replied cheerfully, "I'm honoured that you'd ask me."

He relaxed slightly and the edges of his mouth tipped up into a resemblance of a smile. It was an awkward, shy sort of smile that made my knees weaken and the air to get sucked right out of my lungs.

"So who's the lucky girl?" I know, I know. Curiosity killed the cat and all that. But come on! I needed to find out which lucky gal managed to win Arnav's heart. Because she had to be Miss Perfect to be able to snag a guy like him, which was why girls like me don't stand a chance. Oh life! Why must you be so unfair?

"I can't tell you."

"WHAT?!" All this suspense, and he couldn't tell me?! "What the hell do you mean you can't tell me?!" I demanded.

And he had the nerve to grin at me. The jerk.

"Let me rephrase that. I won't tell you." He looked so smug I wanted to punch him. Hard.

"Then how can I give you my opinion if you won't tell me who she is?" I beamed triumphantly. Try get yourself out of that one buster!

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You'll figure something out."

Balling my fists, I glowered. "You know what? You are such a monster!"

He stared at me incredulously. "What did you just call me?"

"A monster. All scary and evil to look at but actually only in stories."

"Yeah? Well you're such a Jalebi " Ignoring my expression of surprise he continued. "All sickeningly sweet until you get underneath and realise it's a little bit crunchy." He looked torn between frustration and laughter.

I stood there, shell-shocked for a moment before grinning slightly and admitting grudgingly, "That was pretty good."

He smiled. Arnav's half-grins and almost-smiles were heart-stopping in themselves, but his genuine, full-blown grin? Lethal. If heaven is half as dreamy as Arnav's smile then I'll gladly sacrifice my time on planet Earth.

Our eyes met. Suddenly the air felt thick, and all I could see was him, like we were the only two people that existed. And in that moment something passed between us. It felt new and unfamiliar but at the same time sort of wonderful.

I looked away first, stomach churning.

"I'll see you round," he murmured and disappeared in the sea of students heading back to class.

It was only then I realised I never answered his question.
***

"So what should I say?"

"To who? The girl?"

"No, my grandma," he muttered sarcastically.

I grinned and asked. "Touch-y." Because despite his tough-guy exterior he had a sweet and sensitive soul that needed to be nurtured and cherished and . . .

"Are you going to help me or not?" Like I said, he's sensitive.

"Well, how do you feel about her?"

"I thought we already established the fact that I like her?" he snapped.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. "But go deeper than that. How did these feelings arise? What is it about her that makes you go bananas? Do you walk into walls when she smiles? Or drop all your books when she walks past? Then think about putting all these emotions and feelings into your confession."

His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. "Um, how about: I've been watching you these past few months and I like what I see?"

"That's perfect." He puffed out his chest a little looking pleased. "If you want her to kick you and run to the nearest police station screaming 'stalker!'" I deadpanned. That sure wiped out his self-satisfied smirk.

He glowered. "What do you suggest I say then?" Honestly! Do I have to do everything for the boy?

I frowned thoughtfully. "How about: the moment our eyes collided across the crowded hallway the thudding of my heart and they way you stole my breath made me realise that you were the Syrup on my Jalebi, the twinkle twinkle to my little star - without you I am incomplete!" I concluded with a dramatic flourish.

He threw me a look I interpreted as: and-you-have-the-nerve-to-say-my-suggestion-sucked-you-hypocrite.

"Fine. Come up with your own love declaration then!" I huffed and flounced off but not before I heard him mutter "Unbelievable?" under his breath.

The absolute nerve!
***
"What's the deal with you and Arnav?"

"We're friends."

"Really? So why are you blushing?"

Crap. Was I? "We're just friends Payal."

"So all those lunches you've been spending together, the number of weekends he's at your house, all the classes you walk together to . . .?"

"That's what friends do."

"I don't remember you doodling my name in love hearts and we're friends, best friends."

"I do not doodle his name in love hearts!" A cheeky grin. "Oh haha very funny Payal. We're just friends."

"If you say so."

When you first become friends with someone, it starts off awkward ' filling the conversation pauses, discovering their likes and dislikes, feeling out the boundaries. But after a while you grow familiar and all of a sudden you can't remember what life was like before you became bosom buddies.


Surprisingly, hanging out with Arnav was fun. Even more fun than making funny faces at yourself in the mirror. (Not that I ever engage in that sort of activity. Much.) Sure, he had his moments of elusiveness and tended to be a bit moody
***

"So, about this girl you fancy," I began, wiggling my eyebrows just for the hell of it.

Arnav rolled his eyes, now used to my weirdness, "Fancy? What is this? Pride and Prejudice?"

I grinned. "You wish you were half as enchanting as Mr. Darcy." He shot me a mock hurt expression. Laughing, I continued, "But seriously, I think you should tell her."

"Tell her?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"About how you feel." I looked him straight in the eye.

A minute went by, and then another. Or maybe they were just seconds. But it felt like forever as we stared at each other, neither looking away. And for one fleeting moment I wanted him to kiss me. Needed him to kiss me. For a brief second, I thought he might.

He looked away first and refocused his gaze on the television screen. "Maybe I will," he murmured.

Disappointment was rudely shoved aside by anger and confusion. At myself. What was I thinking? My throat felt dry and I cleared it, pretending the last five minutes hadn't occurred. Temporary insanity. That's all it was.

***

OS {Series}: Happily Ever After (Part 1)

OS (Series): Happily Ever After

Part 1

 

Payal, my elder sister always loved baby sitting. And specially Anjali, her boyfriend's younger sister. But as she didn't want to waste a single minute without Akash Raizada, that's her boyfriends' name. She left me baby sit Anjali.

I sighed as I began giving Anjali some special tips on how to find your perfect match, a match maker that I was from birth.

A sacred job it is!

"The ideal position for your date to put his arm around you is your waist. Any higher ' kick him in the balls and run, any lower ' give him a shot of pepper spray in the eyes."

"Well . . . around the shoulders is sort of . . . friendly, right? But you want him to be more than your friend, and the waist is more intimate. Definitely not how you'd touch a friend."

Suddenly Payal bobbed her head up and down solemnly as I imparted a sacred slice of knowledge us females have of the male psyche.

"Aimee, what the hell are you doing?" She asked and I blinked innocently at my older sister, who decided to poke her head around the door, and currently looked as if she were about to eat me. The cannibal.

"Nothing." See that ring of light around my head? It's called a halo.

She eyed me suspiciously. "Were you teaching Anjali how to pick up guys?"

"Of course not!" I replied indignantly. Honestly, do I look irresponsible to you? "I was just giving her a brief rundown on the fine line between boyfriend and predator."

A pause. "She's seven."

"It's never too early to learn." I smiled knowledgably. Anjali just glowered back, obviously not buying into my incredibly logical reasoning.

"Payal? I have to go now. My brother's waiting in the car outside." Akash strolled into the living room and wrapped his arms around Payal.

I tapped my foot, patiently waiting for them to finish their goodbye kiss (because I'm such a thoughtful, accommodating sister)

Waiting. Waiting. Still waiting. Oxygen anyone?

And that's when I remembered Anjali, who's not allowed to watch them, let alone witness her big brother in the midst of a PDA session with her ex-babysitter. That's Asian parents for you.

So I did what any good sister would do and covered her eyes with one hand and gently ushered her out of the room to the kitchen.

I heard the sound of the doorbell.
"How about you get the Jalebi dough out of the fridge and we'll start some serious making?"
I grinned at Anjali and she beamed back enthusiastically. Jalebi dough itself should be one of the five main food groups; it is that good.

I opened the front door and froze.

"Hi. I'm here for my sis 'I know you."

He was one of those broody, silent yet dangerous types. You know, the ones you didn't want to meet in a dark alley at night. He even looked the part ' tall, black hair, black clothing, never smiling, gorgeous in a terrifying kind of way. But for a guy who emitted a come-within-two-metres-of-me-and-I-will-crush-you-under-my-pinkie aura, his eyes are surprisingly chocolate brown. The kind of eyes you could melt into. The kind of eyes ninety-eight percent of the female population would want to melt into ' possibly including me.

"Arnav Singh Raizada?" I stared at him incredulously, partly because I couldn't believe sweet, life-is-wonderful Akash had a badass for a brother, and partly because good-looking guys don't exactly turn up on my doorstep very often. Feel my pain people.

His eyes narrowed and he grunted. Employing my extensive knowledge of the English language I deciphered that as a yes.

Unperturbed, I gave him my best hostess smile and motioned him in. "I sit behind you in Maths." And daydream about resting my head on your broad manly shoulders, I added silently. He grunted again. Did I mention he doesn't talk much?

We stood in the hallway shuffling our feet and staring awkwardly at each other trying to figure out what to say. Okay, so maybe I was the one doing all the feet shuffling and staring but he wasn't exactly being Mr. Talkative, standing there with his arms crossed, frown firmly in place looking like The Terminator minus the machine gun and Austrian-American accent.

"Do you want to wait in the living room?"

"No. I'll wait here." Wow. Four words. Must be some kind of record.

Silence.
More shuffling.
More sidelong glances.
Aside from the occasional sorry-for-bumping-into-you or excuse-me said by moi, (he'd just stare at me witheringly) we'd never really talked before. He suddenly leaned towards me . . . . . . to get a closer look at the family photo behind my head. (Yeah. Not what I was hoping either.)

"You look like your Dad."

"Thanks?"

He raised an eyebrow (and what a very lovely eyebrow it is).

"Can you smell something frying?" He wrinkled his nose distastefully.

I inhaled deeply. Sigh. Heaven. "Anjali's making Jalebi's in the kitchen."

"I hate Jalebi," he scowled. He isn't remotely human. He's a monster! (Albeit, a very nice looking one.)

One look at my horrified expression and he flashed me another one of his tummy-tingling half-smiles.

"You disagree?"

The shock of discovering my first Jalebi-hater coupled with a glimpse of his smile, I'm surprised I hadn't yet gone into cardiac arrest.

"Disagree? Are you kidding me? You've probably just broken the law."

He frowned, puzzled. "What law?"

"The uh . . . law regarding how thou shall not dislike the sacred Jalebi," I replied giving myself a mental pat on the back for my quick thinking.

"Right." He stared at me like horns had just grown out of my head with little bells on the end that jingled to Christmas Carols every time I moved.

I rolled my eyes. "You need to liven up more." I don't know what surprised him more. My statement or the way I grabbed him by the arm and hauled him into my kitchen, intent on tying him to a chair and force-feeding him Jalebi.

Which is kind of how I came to spend my afternoon baking with Arnav Singh Raizada.

***
Keeping my eyes trained on my sister and her boyfriend, I ducked behind the lemon tree and set up my vantage point.

I smiled triupiently as I saw them in deep conversation. It was me who had made them realise that they were in Love.

It was me who forced Akash to go upto sister and propose her after training him for days together.

Now that Akash was going to propose Payal for marriage, You didn't really think I was just going to leave them there did you? I wasn't going to miss this scenario of watching them finally being together.

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice behind me caused me to jump and hit my head against a branch. Ouch. Rubbing my forehead, I whipped around and saw Arnav standing there wearing a (god forbid) blue shirt (he must have run out of black ones) eyeing me suspiciously.

I glared. "Shh! Keep your voice down! You'll blow my cover!" I whispered furiously, breathing a sigh of relief as Akash and Payal seemed oblivious to anything but each other. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Akash forgot his specs so I brought it over," he muttered. Aw, what a sweetie. No Khushi. This is not the time to be mentally coo-ing over your sister's boyfriend's brother. Focus.

Right.

I turned my attention back to the lovebirds. Or at least I tried to. It's hard to concentrate when you have someone practically breathing down your neck. And it doesn't feel all that unpleasant.

"Is that a video camera . . . are you filming them?!" Geez, he didn't have to make it sound like I was committing first-degree murder.

"Yes. No. Maybe."

"Ever heard the term 'violation of privacy'?" His voice was dry. That's all I could tell because I was making a point of keeping my back to him.

"Can't say I have," I replied nonchalantly.

"What have you filmed anyway?" He stepped closer and craned his neck to get a peek at the screen of my video camera. He wasn't touching me. But he might as well have been. I felt like I was melting. And okay, so I technically might have been filming my sister and her boyfriend without their initial consent, but I'm sure they'd appreciate this fifty years down the track when I showed their grandchildren video footage on how their love blossomed on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

"Aren't they just adorable? They're totally crazy about each other but they're also the shy bones. I mean, I love them both and all but they're a little oblivious if you know what I mean." He raised an eyebrow.

I continued clinging to words like a lifeline. "And because I'm such an awesome sister I've decided to play a little match-maker and try to set them up. I've already gotten Akash to admit his feelings to himself, not that he was all that happy about it, and now look at them." I smiled softly as I watched Payal blush as Akash curled a stray hair behind her ear.
"They deserve to be happy. And being together makes them happy." I glanced up to find Akash staring at me intensely and felt my stomach flip. If I just stood on my tiptoes and tilted my head up a bit them we would be '

"Bet you one thousand they won't end up together."

"Excuse me?" I blinked, stunned.

"I said: bet you a thousand they won't end up together," he repeated slowly.

"What makes you think they won't end up together?" I admit, I may have come across as defensive with a little rage thrown in.

"Come on. Don't tell me you're one of those girls who believe in 'happily ever after'. This is reality. You don't just meet a guy or girl or whatever and ride off into the sunset on your white horse-drawn carriage. People fall out of love. People cheat. People die. Happy. Endings. Don't. Exist." He ground out the words through gritted teeth.

I opened my mouth to retort when I remembered something Payal mentioned before about how Arnav, Akash and Anjali's parents divorced when they were too young. I was a bit fuzzy on the details but apparently Arnav took the ordeal really hard. I fought the wave of sympathy that crashed over me. If he knew I felt sorry for him he'd just get angry. I settled with, "I disagree."

His face easily slipped back into cool indifference. "So, what do say? A thousand?"

"A thousand? No way!"

"Cheap ass," he drawled.

I frowned at him through narrowed eyes. "In case you haven't realised Mr. I've-got-great-big-wads-of-cash-that-I-can-just-use-to-fund-my-gambling-addiction, we are in the wake of a global financial crisis and unlike you, some people are doing it tough in the recession."

He didn't even blink.

"A thousand and a plate of Jalebi."

"Deal!" The second he mentioned the word's 'Jalebi' every single one of my taste buds went berserk. It's like trying to stop smoking when you've been going at it for forty years. Only ten times worse.

"Mmm . . . jalebi. . ." I sighed dreamily.

"Deal" Finally she replied.

***

I just wanted to lift of my mood by writing it!

Hope you liked it!

OS {Happy Diwali}

OS: HAPPY DIWALI

Tonight is the special Diwali night in the neighbourhood as the Raizada house decorated as a bride welcomed its guests for the Diwali Party.

Arnav stood a few distance away from the entrance watching all the guests dressed up elegantly for the function. But there was one special person for whom he waited specially.

He frowned irritated as he waited for her. He had asked her to come earlier for the party lest he would be dam bored all alone and She. She was late as usual.

Suddenly his breadth hitched as he saw his thoughts taking same. His special guest, his best friend forever was finally here.

Khushi Kumari Gupta.

She was her best friend. Arnav and Khushi had been school partners, college partners, dance partners and so were they crime partners too, their family being close friends added it up for them.

Now Arnav joined his father's business empire while Khushi joined her father's. They were now business partners. They always ended up being partners for each other in whatever they did.

They always fighted and argued but at the end of the day they were always together. Best Friends which they were.

Arnav had never thought of anything more for Khushi. He dated many girls but Khushi never did and that always relieved him. He didn't know why.

But today Arnav felt different. As if this Diwali wasn't the same like any other Diwali night. They celebrated Diwali every year together.

But today, for Arnav the fairy lights seemed to glow brighter, the Diya's warmth reached his hearted and he didn't for once hear any bursting of crackers.

Arnav stared mesmerised at Khushi. For the first had he seen Khushi dressed up in a saree and that too in his favourite colour.

RED.

Her hairs left open. For the first time he noticed how long they were and he craved to run his hands through them. He eyes seemed to glow as she took the blessings of his parents and hugged his sister. She was too lively and did mingle with his family very well. His family had always supported her even if it was her mistake and not his, earning him a scolding. But soon she would come to him and say sorry pouting which always did melt his heart.

A small smiled adored his face as the memories spent flashed through his brains.

He saw her smiling and waving back at him, coming toward him in a hugged. Her smile seemed an extra bright and charming today. He hadn't noticed when his hand had automatically, out of instinct had waved her back. And had been doing until she had reached him and had surprisingly stared at him, amused and this had brought her back to reality.

He wished her an HAPPY DIWALI and so did she followed by a bear hug form her. He did hug her back. But this mere hug had managed to excite him as nervousness went down his spine. This was not the first time they had hugged but then what had happened all of a sudden that it all seemed so different. He became stiff and excused himself as he hurried into his room, locking it.

***

Khushi stood in the middle of the hallway as Arnav left her and went by. It was he who was so insistent upon her coming earlier and she had too agreed. Now that she had come he left her and went by.

She couldn't help but feel a little hurt. He always thought her as his best friend but she couldn't help feeling for him even then.

She sighed as she thought that she had fallen in Love with her best friend, Arnav, knowing very well that he didn't love her nor would her ever. He had never ever felt anything of her. His touch was friendly and pure but she could not help but feel butterflies flying in her stomach with his mere touch. Forget touch his close proximity seemed to make her forget to even breath. Come on Forget Proximity, him being with her made her heart speed up and start beating louder and faster, increasing her acidity.

She turned as Arnav's sister had called her, asking her to light the diya's in the poolside which she had seemed to have forgotten.

Khushi made his way to the poolside. The pool side was attached to Arnav's room. They had spent special moments at this place. She couldn't help but feel that maybe her tormented heart would finally get bliss on this very Diwali night.

Khushi jumped as she heard the blasting of a cracker nearby, behind the wall. She smiled at her silliness and patted her own heard. She looked up at the sky and her face lit up as she saw the sky lighting up with colour lights of the crackers.

She loved Diwali. It was on this Diwali night that she had first met Arnav. First fought with him. First time became friends on this Diwali night. At was last year Diwali night that she had realised her feelings for her best friend.

She had made sure that she never let her feelings down in front of him. She never wanted to loose his friendship. She would not be able to live without him. But it hurt when you see your love with someone else. It hurt when you have to hide you feeling from him and smile back as if nothing had happened and force a smile at him.

She sighed as the memories of last Diwali flashed before her. She smiled and she started lighting Diyas.

***

Arnav stared at his Best friend, may be the status had changed a little more to that now with a faraway look. He smiled at his thoughts.

After being in the confines of his room, Arnav had realised what Khushi meant to him. But he couldn't help but feel a little nervous as what would Khushi think when she would come to know about his feelings for her.

No. He would never let his feelings break their friendship. And for it, he was ready to wait. Wait if needed his whole life for her.

He saw various emotions flooding from her face.

From disappointment to hurt. To hurt to love. To love to confusion to determination. And then a content smile as she lit the diya and blew the matchsticks as they ended.

He smiled at her antics. She was everything that he need in his life. But he would have to keep his feeling in check around her. For their friendship.

***

Little did they both know that they both had feelings for each other. If only they could read each others mind and know it all but this not possible.

Khushi was lighting a diya when suddenly he looked up to see Arnav staring at her. For the first time, she saw the depth in his eyes as he stared at her. She gulped as her heartbeats raced forgetting the world around them, they stared at each other, lost in another world.

Suddenly Arnav sprang up as he threw the matchstick she was holding to the ground and screamed at her.

"Khushi! Be care full dammit! What if you would have burnt yourself. Can't you see the matchstick ending."

"Oh! Arnav...I'm really sorry you know. I hadn't just seen. But it's all your fault"

" What have I Done?"

"Because you were staring at me!"

"Oh. Is it? Can't I? I don't think I would have to pay a tax to stare you. Do I?"

"No! But.., You just..You know..I was just kind of.."

"Lost"

"No!"

"Why?"

"Should I be Arnav?"

"Tables turned! Is it Khushi!"

"Don't change the topic Arnav. And Don't. Stare. At Me. Like that?"

"Why?"

"I feel a little uneasy!"

"Why?"

"what why Arnav? And why were you staring at me"

"I just wanted to talk to you! And don't look at me as if I did a crime at just staring at my love!"

"What?''

"Oh! I mean you know! You are my best friend."

"You sure. Just that?"

"Yup! Why you thought something more"

"Yup! Foolish of me to think that way"

"And what were you thinking?"

"And why should I say that to you?''

"And why won't you Khushi?"

"Because..I just can't? Now stop it all here. You have gone crazy."

"It's not me. its you!"

"Oh Ya! That's why you left me stranded downstairs after you asked me to come soon to the party. Maybe you just remembered to call you girl friend then?"

"Girl Friend? Who Girl friend?"

"Sheetal! She said me! Don't lie to me now?"

"Hey! Khushi! Don't cry. You know I can't see you cry ever."

"No! You go to that Sheetal''

"Sheetal is not my girl friend Khushi. I don't know why she is doing it all. Trust me Khushi!"

" Promise!"

"Promise Khushi! And now smile!''

"You are the best! I really really am so happy now!"

"Was some one Jealous?"

"Who jealous?"

"Don't act so innocent Khushi! You were!"

"No I wasn't."

"Okaaay! You sure?"

"yeh!"

"100%?" Saying so he leaned in closer and closer each passing second. Was she really Jealous? Yes! She was. But she would never confess that to him. Ever.

She was about to deny once again when she felt his soft lips on hers. Shivers ran down his spine.

He was Kissing her?

This was what which ran through their brains. They knew they should stop before thing got complicated but neither of them seemed to break first. But live this moment and Cherish this Diwali.

Their first Kiss!

They kissed each other passionately. At first it was slow and nervous of the other person's reaction but soon it went wild.

They finally broke being out of breath as their breaths mingled and their foreheads resting on each other.

They stood motionless as the heard the fire crackers lighting up the sky with bright colours. The poolside decorated with Diya's and Fairy lights.

They smiled at each other.

"I LOVE YOU!"

They laughed. Their laughter mixing up with the loud noise of the crackers. Their eyes sparkling with the Fairy lights. Their arms around each other as their hearts were now at peace.

This year's Diwali too had been special as the Diwali Nights every year. But a little special this time.

Cupid and Psyche lived happily ever after.