'Well deal with it Aman! Tell them to give a quote or back out so that we can then look for other firms. I have had enough of this delaying business, if they are not interested then fine, AR doesn't need them, we can easily find other firms.' Arnav barked into the phone waking Khushi up with a jolt. She squinted around the room.Where was she? And why could she here Arnav's voice so clearly? Had she fallen asleep at LaANK? As the dim room started to come into focus, so did her memory and her temporary disorientation due to sleep heaved.
She was in the room next to the study. It shared a common wall, hence she could hear his voice so crisply in the morning. Great what a start to the morning, being woken up by Laad Governor's voice. Yawning and stretching she turned to the side table to look at the time, her watch dial told her it was six-thirty. What?!!! What was wrong with Laad Governor, why was he awake so early and why was he screaming at poor Aman ji? Poor guy, he was always in a state of panic due to his Royal Highness. She really pitied him for being Arnav's PA. 'I wonder if he even manages to get some sleep, but knowing Laad Gorvernor he probably has him working even in his sleep. Poor fellow.' Yawning some more, she pulled back the bed cover and decided to get up as she knew sleep was out of the question with Arnav pacing and shouting in the room next door.
'OH-NO...CRAP- Aaargh!! Ow-wow wow-wow. Ow!' absentmindedly she had tried to get up on both her legs while stretching and now found herself flat on the floor, clutching her leg, which slipped due to the cast that had disbalanced her. 'Ugh...Khushi Kumari Gupta...what will come of you...ugh now how do I get up...ow...seriously, yo-' she stopped suddenly in mid scolding of herself, when she realized she was no longer alone in the room. Arnav was standing at the foot of the bed, concern on his face, which changed to awkwardness seeing her sprawled on the floor with her kameez askew.
'I...um...I heard your scream, so came to check on you...I uh...I was in the next room, that's why I heard it...' he added the last to make sure she didn't think he had been standing outside the room for her or something...he didn't want her to think that he was concerned about her, even though he was otherwise he wouldn't have spent half the night in the study listening for any noise that may tell him she was in discomfort and would have made his routine call to Aman at this hour from his room rather than the study, but he had seen her stumble on her crutches last night when she had taken their leave and retired to bed, NK had gone to her rescue again but as she was going to bed he had reminded him that it would be more appropriate for Anjali take her, which she then had, leaving a slightly stubbed NK who had hoped to carry her again if the crutches troubled her.
They both stared at each other in mute awkwardness, not knowing what to say next. Khushi too embarrassed at being found in this situation in front of him, yet again,why was it that he always found her in the most precarious of situations? She adjusted her kameez and looked around for her dupatta which she had thrown off only God knew where last night. She spotted the damned thing, it was lying in a heap at the corner of the bed, near Arnav. Perfect. It had to be next to him didn't it?! She tried to grab for it in but ended up not even reaching the bed let alone the edge of it, as the cast made it hard for her to sit-up or extend her body. Spotting her discomfiture he followed her gaze and spotted the dupatta. He picked it up without a word and handed it to her. She took it in silence. All the while staring at him, trying to understand why he was being so considerate all of sudden, she didn't trust his calm, considerate side as it generally was followed by some sort of mayhem. He didn't look at her, but kept his gaze averted, whether because he didn't wish to embarass her further in her lack of composure or because something about her put him off, she couldn't tell and as much as she wished it was because of the first, something made her suspect that it may be the latter.
'Umm...are you going to help me up?' Khushi asked after a while. She had been waiting for him to turn around to help her but he hadn't, he had just stood there. She had tried to get up herself but it was pointless, she couldn't, thus she finally asked him out of annoyance, one, because she couldn't do it herself and would have to resort to his help and two, because he was standing there like an oaf not even offering her his help. Had he not come in the room for that very reason, because he had heard her scream, so what did he expect that his presence would suddenly get her to stand up straight without any support? While that may be so on a day when she was not in a cast, his mere presence would make her alert and erect, but today even if she tried she wouldn't be able to.
'Oh..right...here give me your hand...' he stretched out his right hand and took hold of her left and then in one fluid motion had yanked her up with emmense strength and grace, before she had registered that she was standing again she found her head buried between his shoulder and neck from where she could smell the sweet scent of his mouthwash and aftershave, while the hand he had used to pull her up with rested on the small of her back as the other fetched her crutches from behind her.
A moment later she found him pulling her out of the embrace and placing her arms into the crutches and then all his support was gone and she was standing properly on the crutches managing her weight perfectly a feat she had not managed ever since she had gotten the crutches. She looked up at him in bewilderment. What had he done?
'I resized the crutches for you,' he shrugged reading her amazement on her, 'now you should be able to balance properly, it was set for a taller person, that's why you kept on disbalancing, now you wouldn't need anyone's assistance...' his voice trailed off as he remembered NK's hand on her waist the night before.
'Oh...uh...thanks' Khushi said after a moment, not sure whether she should be. For he was responsible for her condition and he had still not apologized for his behavior the previous night, plus he had made it quite clear right now that he didn't appreciate coming to her "assistance", hence had re-sized the crutches for her to ensure she needed none. Not that she was complaining she was much happier to not have to use him for support but one could be a little less abnoxious about the inconvenience they felt when giving help! It wasn't her choice to be here, Anjali and Payal had made her come, for when she had declined going back with Payal seeing the anger in Aakash's eye, they had both insisted she come back here. Plus it was his fault that she was here in the first place, if he hadn't left her at that house she would never have lost consciousness due to fear of the dark and loneliness, thereby would not have been caught in the demolition.
That night had been horrific. Her worst nightmare of having no one to go to, of being left all alone had come true; for where was she to go to in the dead of the night, she had spend it out in that dreary house. The house where Anjali's marriage had broken. It's history further sent shiver's down her spine. She had run around the house trying to find a room where the electricity would work, but it seemed that since Anjali was no longer living there the power had been cut, none of the switches would turn on, either that or someone had switched it off from the mains. She had finally found a candle in the room under the stairs, where she had spent most of the night. However, as Fate had it, the candle extinguished sometime before dawn leaving her in velvety darkness. That's when the paranoia and fear set in, causing her imagination to heighten to such an extent that she finally passed out, only to wake up and find the whole house crumbling down around her after the sound of a huge explosion. She had tried to run, get out of the house before it buried her with it but the wall next to her blasted away, causing the pillar that was holding the ceiling to break too and submerge her. It all felt like a terrible nightmare when she woke up later in the hospital only to find that it had all happened and not only that but worst was still happening, as the accident had revealed her deluded pregnancy giving her a pain more pure and real then the one she had received at the hand of the dilapidating house.
'Knock Knock.' NK's accented voice brought Khushi back to the present, where Arnav was still standing about a metre away from her, in his grey and black casuals, hair soft and falling lightly on his forehead, as he had not gelled it crisp for work yet. She liked this look of him. It blurred his roughness, giving him a kinder look. That's what was different about him, she had been trying to decipher why he seemed less merciless ever since he had walked in and finally realized it was because he was not in full ASR mode yet, he was still at home and so was his Grand-Mother and Sister's Chotay, not cold ASR. 'Morning Khushi and Nannav. How are you doing? I see much better, you have gotten a better hang of the crutches.' NK noted, as he drew Khushi yet again out of her thoughts.
'Morning Nanhe ji, yes I a-' she began replying to NK who had now come into the room, but was cut off rudely by Arnav.
'What are you doing here?' he asked rather harshly. Then, as if realizing his tone amended it and tried in a little more polite tone, 'I mean this early, I thought you don't wake up before nine, never have made it to work before that time.'
'Oh Nannav, Nannav always the crude observer. Yes I generally wake up a little later, not all of us have insomnia like you Nannav.'
'I sleep just fine thank you very much.' He answered back curtly.
'Yes so you say, only I never see you, no one does, your always on the phone with some work thing or the other.'
'Well one cannot run a business empire with their eyes and minds closed for half the day, NK.' Replied Arnav tersely. 'Anyway I don't see what my sleeping habit has got to do with you being here in Khushi's room,' he said ratherly possessively, 'at seven o'clock in the morning.'
'She's the one who called me here and so for her I had to come.' NK replied with a happy smile.
'Hunh?! When did I call you?' asked Khushi now, joining the conversation in confusion, she knew she talked in her sleep often, but since when had she started calling people and conducting full conversations with in her sleep? She wondered, while Arnav stared at the pair in disbelief.
'Well you didn't exactly pick up the phone and call me, but rather came to me in my thoughts and made me come here.' He replied rather dazed. Causing Arnav's temper to rise along with Khushi's discomfort.
'Excuse me?' Khushi choked out.
'Uuh...what I mean to say is that, you know how last night you mentioned about not knowing how you would go to work so when I went home I thought a lot about it and then it clicked that I could -
'Pick her up and take her to work. You won't have to NK, as she lives here, I can do that, considering I go to LaANK too. No need for you to spoil your morning sleep when I am here.' Arnav said through gritted teeth.
'What? No, not pick her up silly.' This label, further bubbled the fury his presence in Khushi's room had stirred. 'What I was going to say is that I figured that as it will be difficult for her to come in, with her cast, I could drop her work here for her. You know her sketchpad and other things that she will require, every evening and then pick up anything that she needs to get back to the office in the morning, thereby she can continue to work.' Ended NK optimistically.
'Well I still don't see why you need to be here, when I can do that too. Considering Ilive in the same house as Khushi it makes more sense that I pick and drop things at the office for her. No need for you to go out of your way when I am already here.' Said Arnav, not at all prepared to have NK over at his house day and night. He didn't want their relationship to grow into something more, he told himself it was because of what he knew about her character but deep down inside it felt like there was more to it, however, he ignored that annoying little voice which made him question his every decision in regard to Khushi. She wasn't someone he should be thinking too much about or spending time with, but he would have to for the next month as she would be at his house and he would have to keep a close watch on NK and her...for NK's sake.
'Ummm...yes. Well...yeah I know you could too...but I just thought that...' NK said in a put out voice at the prospect of losing his excuse to see Khushi everyday, when a thought occurred, 'I mean you generally don't like running these sort of errands, you know that are out of your way, I on the other hand don't mind especially when it's Khushi, for her I'd be happy to do anything.' He smiled. Khushi smiled back, forcefully, wondering when the boys would end their great debate and leave her room, they may have been awake for hours but she had just woken up, she didn't enjoy having company without having brushed her teeth. But more importantly a girl had to go in the morning, didn't everyone? Well she wasn't interested in surveying the whole world's bladder control in the morning at the moment, all she knew was that her's would be beyond control in a little while and these two men couldn't figure out who would drop her sketchpad and pick up her sketches, who cared who did it? What was the big deal, but, no, apparently it was, for now Arnav was arguing again.
'Uh...it's not out of my way NK, like I said I live here, all I have to do is pick up any of the sketches she is done with in the morning when I leave and bring her back anything she requires in the evening, when I come home. No big deal.' He concluded. Really then why the big dispute, thought Khushi furiously.
'Well yeah...I guess, I mean if you are fine with it.'NK said stumped out now.
'Yeah I am.' Arnav said triumphantly as he folded his hands across his chest. Okay, great, can you leave now?!!! Was all Khushi could beg for in her mind, but didn't say aloud as it was against her teaching to kick her guests out no matter what, ugh why did Bua ji have to drill these ridiculous notions in her? What was one supposed to do if their bladder was bursting Bua ji? She remembered asking that when Bua ji had been teaching her and Payal etiquettes of a well brought up girl.
'Uffo Sanka Devi, stop asking nonsensical questions and pay attention.' Had been her exasperated reply.
'No I really wish to know Bua ji, what if you really needed to go and you are hosting a party then?'
'Well Parmaishweri I would make an excuse about checking something in the kitchen and go relieve myself. Ok?'
'You mean you would lie, Bua ji?' had asked a wide-eyed ten year old Khushi, shocked that her Bua ji had just said it would be ok to lie.
'What? No. Khushi. Stop twisting my words and listen to what I am saying about how you should behave in front of guests, no. No more silly questions.' She had thundered, quite riled up with Khushi.
'Khushi, are yo- wow, what's happening here?' Anjali stopped short in the door-way seeing the party settled in Khushi's room.
'Oh I just came to see Khushi.' Replied NK.
'From across town?' Anjali asked amused.
'Hunh...what? Oh yeah. Well I was driving into work and thought I would stop by and check on her, also see if I could bring in something for her from work, you know...' NK said a little sheepishly, he hoped Anjali wouldn't interrogate him and make him look foolish like Arnav had and to his happiness she didn't.
'Oh, that was very thoughtful of you. Well now that you are here, please do join us for breakfast before you go...and what about you Chotay...' She turned to Arnav.
'Me? Oh I came in here, because I heard Khushi stirring so came to check if she was ok.' Arnav explained.
'I was asking if you would join us for breakfast, or leave like you generally do...but thank you for explaining your presence here.' She smiled, enjoying herself. Both the boys were acting like they had been caught doing something shady and now were trying to cover themselves up.
'Oh, right. Yeah, I will join you.' Arnav muttered, as he walked passed her.
'Showing concern for Khushi and joining us for breakfast, is this really my brother?' Anjali teased, turning towards him.
'Haha...don't push it Di. I only checked on her because I heard her fall and because you said I should be a little more considerate towards her since I am responsible for her condition. That's all.' He clarified.
'Khushi fell? Is she ok?' Anjali asked in alarm peeking behind her at Khushi whom NK was chatting away with.
'She's fine, just stumbled. I resized her crutches, she should be able to steady herself better on them now.'
'Hmmm...by the way Chotay...I say a lot of things, but never before have you listened or abided by them, then what's so special today that you took heed of my words?' Anjali went back to tease him, seeing Khushi was fine.
'Di...'Arnav gritted his teeth.
'Ok fine, fine I won't pester anymore. Ok? Let Hari Prakash know that you and NK will have breakfast with us so that he can make both your teas too. I'll go rescue Khushi from NK's mindless chatter, poor girl looks like she needs to go to the bathroom but is too polite to say so...' murmured Anjali as she went into the room as Arnav walked in the direction to his room, happy to hear Anjali was going to get rid of NK when he stopped at her comment about Khushi needing to relieve herself.
'Di, how can you tell by looking at her?' he asked, as a smirk formed on his lips.
'How can you not, just look at her face, it's all strained.'
'That could be because NK isn't even bothering to ask her to sit down, she must be uncomfortable on her crutches.'
'Or because she needs to go, it is morning time, she has just woken up.' Anjali reminded.
'Well then if that's the case she should just say so...'
'Yeah right, just say in the presence of company that she needs to go, really Chotay...' Anjali scoffed.
'Why not? I would.' He shrugged, trying to figure out why it was so wrong.
'That's because you are you, Chotay. But she is a cultivated girl and knows it's impolite to say she needs the toilet, especially in the presence of men.'
'So what she will hold it in until the person doesn't leave or someone realizes she needs to go and excuses her?' Anjali nodded. 'That's insane. If you need to go just go. Why wait for some xyz person?!! Please don't tell me you do this too Di.' He mocked.
'Of course, it would be impolite otherwise.'
'What rubbish. This is so stupid, who comes up with these messed up rules. Just go when you need to, it's a natural human need everyone will understand this if not anything else.'
'Uff, Chotay, you're a man you won't get it. So let's stop discussing it, especially on Khushi's expense poor thing. I should really rescue her now.'
'Fine, whatever, but Di, promise me one thing...'
'What?'
'That if you ever need to go to the bathroom in my presence you will do so and not follow some retarded rule that will cause you bladder problems. Okay?' she laughed and nodded, then turned to head into Khushi's room, while Arnav went to his, shaking his head at the thought of Khushi holding out throughout his and NK's banter. If that was the case, Di was right, poor girl indeed.
She was in the room next to the study. It shared a common wall, hence she could hear his voice so crisply in the morning. Great what a start to the morning, being woken up by Laad Governor's voice. Yawning and stretching she turned to the side table to look at the time, her watch dial told her it was six-thirty. What?!!! What was wrong with Laad Governor, why was he awake so early and why was he screaming at poor Aman ji? Poor guy, he was always in a state of panic due to his Royal Highness. She really pitied him for being Arnav's PA. 'I wonder if he even manages to get some sleep, but knowing Laad Gorvernor he probably has him working even in his sleep. Poor fellow.' Yawning some more, she pulled back the bed cover and decided to get up as she knew sleep was out of the question with Arnav pacing and shouting in the room next door.
'OH-NO...CRAP- Aaargh!! Ow-wow wow-wow. Ow!' absentmindedly she had tried to get up on both her legs while stretching and now found herself flat on the floor, clutching her leg, which slipped due to the cast that had disbalanced her. 'Ugh...Khushi Kumari Gupta...what will come of you...ugh now how do I get up...ow...seriously, yo-' she stopped suddenly in mid scolding of herself, when she realized she was no longer alone in the room. Arnav was standing at the foot of the bed, concern on his face, which changed to awkwardness seeing her sprawled on the floor with her kameez askew.
'I...um...I heard your scream, so came to check on you...I uh...I was in the next room, that's why I heard it...' he added the last to make sure she didn't think he had been standing outside the room for her or something...he didn't want her to think that he was concerned about her, even though he was otherwise he wouldn't have spent half the night in the study listening for any noise that may tell him she was in discomfort and would have made his routine call to Aman at this hour from his room rather than the study, but he had seen her stumble on her crutches last night when she had taken their leave and retired to bed, NK had gone to her rescue again but as she was going to bed he had reminded him that it would be more appropriate for Anjali take her, which she then had, leaving a slightly stubbed NK who had hoped to carry her again if the crutches troubled her.
They both stared at each other in mute awkwardness, not knowing what to say next. Khushi too embarrassed at being found in this situation in front of him, yet again,why was it that he always found her in the most precarious of situations? She adjusted her kameez and looked around for her dupatta which she had thrown off only God knew where last night. She spotted the damned thing, it was lying in a heap at the corner of the bed, near Arnav. Perfect. It had to be next to him didn't it?! She tried to grab for it in but ended up not even reaching the bed let alone the edge of it, as the cast made it hard for her to sit-up or extend her body. Spotting her discomfiture he followed her gaze and spotted the dupatta. He picked it up without a word and handed it to her. She took it in silence. All the while staring at him, trying to understand why he was being so considerate all of sudden, she didn't trust his calm, considerate side as it generally was followed by some sort of mayhem. He didn't look at her, but kept his gaze averted, whether because he didn't wish to embarass her further in her lack of composure or because something about her put him off, she couldn't tell and as much as she wished it was because of the first, something made her suspect that it may be the latter.
'Umm...are you going to help me up?' Khushi asked after a while. She had been waiting for him to turn around to help her but he hadn't, he had just stood there. She had tried to get up herself but it was pointless, she couldn't, thus she finally asked him out of annoyance, one, because she couldn't do it herself and would have to resort to his help and two, because he was standing there like an oaf not even offering her his help. Had he not come in the room for that very reason, because he had heard her scream, so what did he expect that his presence would suddenly get her to stand up straight without any support? While that may be so on a day when she was not in a cast, his mere presence would make her alert and erect, but today even if she tried she wouldn't be able to.
'Oh..right...here give me your hand...' he stretched out his right hand and took hold of her left and then in one fluid motion had yanked her up with emmense strength and grace, before she had registered that she was standing again she found her head buried between his shoulder and neck from where she could smell the sweet scent of his mouthwash and aftershave, while the hand he had used to pull her up with rested on the small of her back as the other fetched her crutches from behind her.
A moment later she found him pulling her out of the embrace and placing her arms into the crutches and then all his support was gone and she was standing properly on the crutches managing her weight perfectly a feat she had not managed ever since she had gotten the crutches. She looked up at him in bewilderment. What had he done?
'I resized the crutches for you,' he shrugged reading her amazement on her, 'now you should be able to balance properly, it was set for a taller person, that's why you kept on disbalancing, now you wouldn't need anyone's assistance...' his voice trailed off as he remembered NK's hand on her waist the night before.
'Oh...uh...thanks' Khushi said after a moment, not sure whether she should be. For he was responsible for her condition and he had still not apologized for his behavior the previous night, plus he had made it quite clear right now that he didn't appreciate coming to her "assistance", hence had re-sized the crutches for her to ensure she needed none. Not that she was complaining she was much happier to not have to use him for support but one could be a little less abnoxious about the inconvenience they felt when giving help! It wasn't her choice to be here, Anjali and Payal had made her come, for when she had declined going back with Payal seeing the anger in Aakash's eye, they had both insisted she come back here. Plus it was his fault that she was here in the first place, if he hadn't left her at that house she would never have lost consciousness due to fear of the dark and loneliness, thereby would not have been caught in the demolition.
That night had been horrific. Her worst nightmare of having no one to go to, of being left all alone had come true; for where was she to go to in the dead of the night, she had spend it out in that dreary house. The house where Anjali's marriage had broken. It's history further sent shiver's down her spine. She had run around the house trying to find a room where the electricity would work, but it seemed that since Anjali was no longer living there the power had been cut, none of the switches would turn on, either that or someone had switched it off from the mains. She had finally found a candle in the room under the stairs, where she had spent most of the night. However, as Fate had it, the candle extinguished sometime before dawn leaving her in velvety darkness. That's when the paranoia and fear set in, causing her imagination to heighten to such an extent that she finally passed out, only to wake up and find the whole house crumbling down around her after the sound of a huge explosion. She had tried to run, get out of the house before it buried her with it but the wall next to her blasted away, causing the pillar that was holding the ceiling to break too and submerge her. It all felt like a terrible nightmare when she woke up later in the hospital only to find that it had all happened and not only that but worst was still happening, as the accident had revealed her deluded pregnancy giving her a pain more pure and real then the one she had received at the hand of the dilapidating house.
'Knock Knock.' NK's accented voice brought Khushi back to the present, where Arnav was still standing about a metre away from her, in his grey and black casuals, hair soft and falling lightly on his forehead, as he had not gelled it crisp for work yet. She liked this look of him. It blurred his roughness, giving him a kinder look. That's what was different about him, she had been trying to decipher why he seemed less merciless ever since he had walked in and finally realized it was because he was not in full ASR mode yet, he was still at home and so was his Grand-Mother and Sister's Chotay, not cold ASR. 'Morning Khushi and Nannav. How are you doing? I see much better, you have gotten a better hang of the crutches.' NK noted, as he drew Khushi yet again out of her thoughts.
'Morning Nanhe ji, yes I a-' she began replying to NK who had now come into the room, but was cut off rudely by Arnav.
'What are you doing here?' he asked rather harshly. Then, as if realizing his tone amended it and tried in a little more polite tone, 'I mean this early, I thought you don't wake up before nine, never have made it to work before that time.'
'Oh Nannav, Nannav always the crude observer. Yes I generally wake up a little later, not all of us have insomnia like you Nannav.'
'I sleep just fine thank you very much.' He answered back curtly.
'Yes so you say, only I never see you, no one does, your always on the phone with some work thing or the other.'
'Well one cannot run a business empire with their eyes and minds closed for half the day, NK.' Replied Arnav tersely. 'Anyway I don't see what my sleeping habit has got to do with you being here in Khushi's room,' he said ratherly possessively, 'at seven o'clock in the morning.'
'She's the one who called me here and so for her I had to come.' NK replied with a happy smile.
'Hunh?! When did I call you?' asked Khushi now, joining the conversation in confusion, she knew she talked in her sleep often, but since when had she started calling people and conducting full conversations with in her sleep? She wondered, while Arnav stared at the pair in disbelief.
'Well you didn't exactly pick up the phone and call me, but rather came to me in my thoughts and made me come here.' He replied rather dazed. Causing Arnav's temper to rise along with Khushi's discomfort.
'Excuse me?' Khushi choked out.
'Uuh...what I mean to say is that, you know how last night you mentioned about not knowing how you would go to work so when I went home I thought a lot about it and then it clicked that I could -
'Pick her up and take her to work. You won't have to NK, as she lives here, I can do that, considering I go to LaANK too. No need for you to spoil your morning sleep when I am here.' Arnav said through gritted teeth.
'What? No, not pick her up silly.' This label, further bubbled the fury his presence in Khushi's room had stirred. 'What I was going to say is that I figured that as it will be difficult for her to come in, with her cast, I could drop her work here for her. You know her sketchpad and other things that she will require, every evening and then pick up anything that she needs to get back to the office in the morning, thereby she can continue to work.' Ended NK optimistically.
'Well I still don't see why you need to be here, when I can do that too. Considering Ilive in the same house as Khushi it makes more sense that I pick and drop things at the office for her. No need for you to go out of your way when I am already here.' Said Arnav, not at all prepared to have NK over at his house day and night. He didn't want their relationship to grow into something more, he told himself it was because of what he knew about her character but deep down inside it felt like there was more to it, however, he ignored that annoying little voice which made him question his every decision in regard to Khushi. She wasn't someone he should be thinking too much about or spending time with, but he would have to for the next month as she would be at his house and he would have to keep a close watch on NK and her...for NK's sake.
'Ummm...yes. Well...yeah I know you could too...but I just thought that...' NK said in a put out voice at the prospect of losing his excuse to see Khushi everyday, when a thought occurred, 'I mean you generally don't like running these sort of errands, you know that are out of your way, I on the other hand don't mind especially when it's Khushi, for her I'd be happy to do anything.' He smiled. Khushi smiled back, forcefully, wondering when the boys would end their great debate and leave her room, they may have been awake for hours but she had just woken up, she didn't enjoy having company without having brushed her teeth. But more importantly a girl had to go in the morning, didn't everyone? Well she wasn't interested in surveying the whole world's bladder control in the morning at the moment, all she knew was that her's would be beyond control in a little while and these two men couldn't figure out who would drop her sketchpad and pick up her sketches, who cared who did it? What was the big deal, but, no, apparently it was, for now Arnav was arguing again.
'Uh...it's not out of my way NK, like I said I live here, all I have to do is pick up any of the sketches she is done with in the morning when I leave and bring her back anything she requires in the evening, when I come home. No big deal.' He concluded. Really then why the big dispute, thought Khushi furiously.
'Well yeah...I guess, I mean if you are fine with it.'NK said stumped out now.
'Yeah I am.' Arnav said triumphantly as he folded his hands across his chest. Okay, great, can you leave now?!!! Was all Khushi could beg for in her mind, but didn't say aloud as it was against her teaching to kick her guests out no matter what, ugh why did Bua ji have to drill these ridiculous notions in her? What was one supposed to do if their bladder was bursting Bua ji? She remembered asking that when Bua ji had been teaching her and Payal etiquettes of a well brought up girl.
'Uffo Sanka Devi, stop asking nonsensical questions and pay attention.' Had been her exasperated reply.
'No I really wish to know Bua ji, what if you really needed to go and you are hosting a party then?'
'Well Parmaishweri I would make an excuse about checking something in the kitchen and go relieve myself. Ok?'
'You mean you would lie, Bua ji?' had asked a wide-eyed ten year old Khushi, shocked that her Bua ji had just said it would be ok to lie.
'What? No. Khushi. Stop twisting my words and listen to what I am saying about how you should behave in front of guests, no. No more silly questions.' She had thundered, quite riled up with Khushi.
'Khushi, are yo- wow, what's happening here?' Anjali stopped short in the door-way seeing the party settled in Khushi's room.
'Oh I just came to see Khushi.' Replied NK.
'From across town?' Anjali asked amused.
'Hunh...what? Oh yeah. Well I was driving into work and thought I would stop by and check on her, also see if I could bring in something for her from work, you know...' NK said a little sheepishly, he hoped Anjali wouldn't interrogate him and make him look foolish like Arnav had and to his happiness she didn't.
'Oh, that was very thoughtful of you. Well now that you are here, please do join us for breakfast before you go...and what about you Chotay...' She turned to Arnav.
'Me? Oh I came in here, because I heard Khushi stirring so came to check if she was ok.' Arnav explained.
'I was asking if you would join us for breakfast, or leave like you generally do...but thank you for explaining your presence here.' She smiled, enjoying herself. Both the boys were acting like they had been caught doing something shady and now were trying to cover themselves up.
'Oh, right. Yeah, I will join you.' Arnav muttered, as he walked passed her.
'Showing concern for Khushi and joining us for breakfast, is this really my brother?' Anjali teased, turning towards him.
'Haha...don't push it Di. I only checked on her because I heard her fall and because you said I should be a little more considerate towards her since I am responsible for her condition. That's all.' He clarified.
'Khushi fell? Is she ok?' Anjali asked in alarm peeking behind her at Khushi whom NK was chatting away with.
'She's fine, just stumbled. I resized her crutches, she should be able to steady herself better on them now.'
'Hmmm...by the way Chotay...I say a lot of things, but never before have you listened or abided by them, then what's so special today that you took heed of my words?' Anjali went back to tease him, seeing Khushi was fine.
'Di...'Arnav gritted his teeth.
'Ok fine, fine I won't pester anymore. Ok? Let Hari Prakash know that you and NK will have breakfast with us so that he can make both your teas too. I'll go rescue Khushi from NK's mindless chatter, poor girl looks like she needs to go to the bathroom but is too polite to say so...' murmured Anjali as she went into the room as Arnav walked in the direction to his room, happy to hear Anjali was going to get rid of NK when he stopped at her comment about Khushi needing to relieve herself.
'Di, how can you tell by looking at her?' he asked, as a smirk formed on his lips.
'How can you not, just look at her face, it's all strained.'
'That could be because NK isn't even bothering to ask her to sit down, she must be uncomfortable on her crutches.'
'Or because she needs to go, it is morning time, she has just woken up.' Anjali reminded.
'Well then if that's the case she should just say so...'
'Yeah right, just say in the presence of company that she needs to go, really Chotay...' Anjali scoffed.
'Why not? I would.' He shrugged, trying to figure out why it was so wrong.
'That's because you are you, Chotay. But she is a cultivated girl and knows it's impolite to say she needs the toilet, especially in the presence of men.'
'So what she will hold it in until the person doesn't leave or someone realizes she needs to go and excuses her?' Anjali nodded. 'That's insane. If you need to go just go. Why wait for some xyz person?!! Please don't tell me you do this too Di.' He mocked.
'Of course, it would be impolite otherwise.'
'What rubbish. This is so stupid, who comes up with these messed up rules. Just go when you need to, it's a natural human need everyone will understand this if not anything else.'
'Uff, Chotay, you're a man you won't get it. So let's stop discussing it, especially on Khushi's expense poor thing. I should really rescue her now.'
'Fine, whatever, but Di, promise me one thing...'
'What?'
'That if you ever need to go to the bathroom in my presence you will do so and not follow some retarded rule that will cause you bladder problems. Okay?' she laughed and nodded, then turned to head into Khushi's room, while Arnav went to his, shaking his head at the thought of Khushi holding out throughout his and NK's banter. If that was the case, Di was right, poor girl indeed.
*****
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