Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Arhaan's P.O.V.

I got shocked and couldn't help uttering, "Have you gone mad?", as I heard her uttering smilingly, "Do you by any chance like me?"

I mean is this a question to ask like that!

Just ridiculous.

And if nothing was going on between them, then what was there to talk for this long time!

Then getting me all confused, Khushi gave me a weird type of look and uttered again, "Preety, as you know I am a married woman now, so leave it, dear."

I uttered under my breath, "Preety? Wasn't she talking to that guy!!!"

Khushi spoke up again, "Preety, talk to him straight that you don't like him. What is there to think this much!"

Khushi kept talking on phone for a little while after that and all I just kept thinking, "Didn't Rifan call her? I clearly saw his name on the phone screen. Then how come it's Preety?"

Cutting off the line, Khushi turned to me and spoke up like she heard me, "It was Preety, Arhaan. You talked to her before, right?"

I just nodded at her and she smilingly uttered, "Some guy is after her and Preety is totally irritated at that."

Without bothering to answer her on that topic, I asked her, "Didn't that guy call you earlier?"

Before she could answer, we heard Esha uttering, "Aunty?" as she entered our room.

She was holding a book. Showing that to Khushi, she uttered, "Won't you teach me?"

Khushi smilingly took the book and uttered, "Of course. I will, sweetie."

Then glancing at me for once, she spoke up to Esha, "Let's go to your room. Your mama is working here."

Esha nodded and Khushi left the room taking Esha in her arms.

When she left, I caught the sight of her phone on the bed side table and to answer my curiosity, I forwarded to check for myself even before I could realise that.

When I got she was really talking to Preety and before that she talked to that guy but seeing the time duration of phone call with Rifan which was not even 2 minutes, a smile crept on my lips.

I kept staring at the phone screen only to get startled as out of sudden, Vai spoke up, "Arhaan, what's the matter yaar? What's there on Khushi's phone that is making you smile like this?"

I immediately kept the phone on the table and forwarded towards my table as I uttered ignoring vai's question, "Nothing vai. What brought you here?"

Vai uttered in a teasing tone, "Can't I come here without any business work?"

I uttered in my defence, "I didn't mean that, Vai."

Vai spoke up smilingly, "I know. Anyways did you talk to Khushi about?", without letting vai complete, I spoke up, "No vai. I also don't think Khushi will agree with us on this. But I am not going to leave it anyway. If I hadn't known this, then the case would have been different but when I know all these, I can't just leave it as it is."

Vai kept silent for a while and then utted with a serious expression, "Okay then. Let's hold a party the day after tomorrow. We need to get closer to them to get them."

I nodded at him and he left my room.I concentrated on my work then.

At dining table, vai announced about the party. Api got all excited hearing it. Khushi just smiled at her. May be it was just for maintaining formality as there was nothing like real happiness on her face.

But as soon as vai uttered, "Areesha, give Khushi's family a call tomorrow and invite them to the party.", the smile got wiped off from Khushi's face and she turned to me all blankly.

May be this thing made my determination even more firm to destroy them.

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Khushi's P.O.V.

When Rifan called, I took the phone from Arhaan as he was working and I thought, he would get disturbed if I talk here and got near the poolside.

He just called me to inform me about the cancellation of classes of the next day.

I cut off the line after thanking him for informing me this. As soon as I cut off the line, Preety called me.

I answered the call immediately only to hear her utter, "Who were you talking to? I got your line busy."

When I uttered, "Rifan", she uttered confusingly, "Rifan? But why would you?" only to make me realise that I didn't tell her about the recent happenings of my life.

I explained all the things to her only to hear her say, "Alhamdulillah. That's great year. I hope you get to have all this support and love always, dear. You deserve it."

Hearing Preety, I smiled and uttered, "Tell me about you. How's everything going there with you? All good?"

She replied in her as usual excited tone, "Everything is good and guess what? I happened to meet your childhood friend."

With uttered confusion, I asked her, "How come? And you didn't even know her. How did you recognise her?"

"At first, I didn't know who she was. She was sitting being all sad near the college library. I couldn't help talking to her. While talking at some point, I got to know she was from the same school of you. She immediately recognised you when I mentioned. She still misses you Khushi. She seems to be a nice girl."

Hearing her, I remembered the old days with her and uttered, "Yeah, right. We were used to be best friends back then." only to hear Preety uttering in a complaining tone, "Then what about me?"

I just smiled at that but didn't utter anything only to get her uttering, "Tell me. Who is your best friend now?"

One thing came to my mind then..

Arhaan uttering, "Let's be friends." and I kept staring at Arhaan who was all busy with his work.

Preety uttered in a irritated tone, "Khushi?", I spoke up immediately, "It's you, Preety."

I knew she was smiling for sure and I spoke up, "What are you doing now?"

She uttered in an irritated tone, "Not again." getting me all confused.

I uttered, "What did you say?" and she uttered, "I just came back from college yaar and you know, a guy is just following me all around. I just saw his car passing by my place."

Being confused, I uttered, "Who is he?" only to get her saying, "How would I know! You know once he asked me about the direction of a place as he was new but after some time I got to know from your friend he is a local guy here. Just ridiculous! I just hate guys."

As she was saying all this, I kept smiling silently but got all startled when Arhaan got to the poolside and asked me inside.

I didn't get to hear Arhaan properly as I was fully on phone call.

To tease Preety, I uttered then, "Do you by any chance like me?" only to hear Preety's shocking voice, "Khushi! You..".

I couldn't help went on teasing her then, "Preety, as you know I am a married woman now, so leave it, dear."

When Preety got silent, I got serious and after completing our conversation, I kept the phone on the table and turned to Arhaan.

While talking to him, Esha entered the room and I left the room with her.

After dinner when I got back to room after knowing there will be party after tomorrow and my family would be invited here.

Remembering something, I turned to Arhaan and spoke up, "Arhaan, is it really important to call my family here? It's not like they will be here to congratulate you on your success."

When he gave me a blank look, I uttered while keeping my head down, "If you don't want, I won't attend your party also."

Without bothering to answer me, he asked me all of a sudden, "Do you want them to pay for whatever they have done to you?"

I couldn't help uttering, "No." immediately as the words of vai started playing in my mind, "Just because of you, Ammi isn't with us Khushi. It's all because of you."

I didn't know when my eyes got all teary until Arhaan uttered my name being all concerned, "Khushi?"

I just forwarded to washroom after uttering, "Arhaan, please." only to make him all silent.

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Arhaan's P.O.V.

Just one word of her family was enough to make Khushi all teary but still all she gets supporting them every time.

How could her father and brother be like that when she loves them this much!I just don't understand this.

At night when she fell asleep on bed, I just kept staring at her lying on the couch.

When I woke up in the morning, I was properly covered by a comforter and my head was on a pillow.

Getting confused, I sat on the couch and looked for Khushi but she wasn't there. I got into the washroom and by the time I got out, Khushi was setting the bed.

Seeing me, she uttered, "Why did you sleep on the couch last night?"

Without answering the question, I asked her, "You put the comforter and pillow?"

She nodded at that and spoke up, "Yes. But why did you sleep on the couch? If there was any problem, you should have woken me up."

I spoke up immediately, "I just fell asleep while working." and forwarded towards the washroom.

Getting freshen up when I got out, Khushi wasn't there. After breakfast, I got back to my room to get ready for office. When I saw Khushi entering the room, I spoke up looking at her, "Get ready. I will drop you to college."

But when she spoke up, "But Arhaan I don't have ", cutting her off, I uttered in between, "Not now but you have classes later, right? Go first and spend time in the library. Make some notes."

I also thought in mind, "Yeah, that will be good, won't it?"

But no. She spoke up otherwise, "But Arhaan..", being unable to handle it, I uttered in irritation, "Khushi, what is the problem with going to college with me? Is it that necessary for you to go to college everyday with that guy, Rifan?"

Khushi gave me a confused look as she uttered, "I have no class today, Arhaan. That's why I said no to go to college with you and besides, I have never gone to college with Rifan. What do you mean by everyday?"

Hearing her, I got totally silent.

What should I answer now!

What's the matter with me!

Then she spoke up again, "Arhaan, I don't know what you are thinking but there is nothing going on between Rifan and me. I normally don't talk to other guys but on the admission day I ended up taking help from Rifan as I lost my purse that day. We are not even friends. He just called me last night to inform me about the classes. That's it.

And he knows, I am married. I didn't introduce you as my husband that day because I thought you won't like it."

As she uttered the last sentence, she kept her head down.

I just kept standing there while feeling all guilty as I again thought of her like that.

Giving it a thought for a while, I looked at her with a little bit of smile and got near her....