Chapter 32 Frozen hearts..will they melt by Deepti

Chapter 32

“What??”, he asked coolly without paying any attention to her.

“Don’t act so smart as if you have no idea about what I’m talking”, shouted Kushi who was totally frustrated with him.

” For your information,I don’t act. It was YOU, who gave your Oscar level performance in front of that Abhay”, replied Arnav.

“Oh really!! Then what is it which you did there??”, asked Kushi.

“I just helped you out. What else!”,  replied Arnav very casually.

“Was that HELP??? My foot!! How could you lie like that? Did I propose  to you? And that too at an age of 14?  What might have that Abhay thought about me”, asked Kushi, throwing both her hands up in the air.

“Why are you even worried about that? Let him think whatever he want’s to “, replied Arnav with his super cool attitude.

” How can I not be worried? And what else did you say? Ha!  I was after you for three long years?? Did you ever have a look at your face in the mirror …any time?”, asked Kushi, pointing her hand towards his face.

As he glared at her, she quickly pulled back her hand.

” Open your mouth and all that comes out is pure lies. BIG FAT LIAR!!”, muttered Kushi.

“ENOUGH!! ZIP IT !!! Not a word more”, yelled Arnav bringing the car to a sudden halt.

Kushi literally jerked in her seat in reaction to both his actions.

” And what were you calling me??? Big fat lair?? Then what are YOU?? Elder sister of Satya Harishchandra??”, asked Arnav.

Kushi looked away and preferred not to respond to him.

“I’m talking to YOU, DAMMIT!! Answer me!!”, yelled Arnav.

Kushi took a  deep breath and turning towards him she said, “Just few seconds ago you asked me to shut up and now you are asking me to give an answer. It would be really helpful if you could decide  and let me know what you want me to do. Should I talk or should I shut my mouth?”

He looked at her sternly and pressed his foot on the accelerator, continuing the ride.

As Kushi shook her head, ” Why did you say that it all started when you were born and when I was three? Wasn’t that a big fat lie??”, came the next counter from him, though his eyes were glued to the road ahead of him.

“Oh come on!! That was something which came out spontaneously. I never planned to speak anything like that”, said Kushi turning towards him.

“Same here!! Neither did I  plan  for anything. I just said whatever came to my mind at that moment”, said Arnav throwing a glance at her.

“Then when he asked us who proposed, why were you hell bent on proving that I was the one who proposed to you? Couldn’t you just say that you did it? Isn’t it quite natural for the guy to take the lead in matters like this?”, asked Kushi, crossing her hands.

“EXCUSE ME!!Why would I say anything like that? It’s your problem.So you should be the one who should take the responsibility for everything…isn’t it”,  said Arnav, hearing which Kushi just gaped at him.

“Moreover you should be thankful to me for your entire life for helping you to come out of this mess”, added Arnav.

“Oh really!! When he asked us why doesn’t anyone know about us, you didn’t even open your mouth. It was me who gave him a very convincing reason and closed this issue for once and all”, boasted Kushi.

“Yup! I have to agree with that! You and your emotional blackmailing!! Indeed, it was quite effective. As a matter of fact I feel that you should go ahead and marry that Abhay. You won’t find anyone who could be as gullible as him. Poor fellow!! I wonder where he kept his brains”, taunted Arnav.

“I don’t need your suggestion regarding whom I should marry. And for your kind information I won’t marry any brainless fellow. My man  will be the one with brilliance!!”, declared Kushi arching her eyebrows.

“I agree. It’s quite natural for you to crave for something which you don’t have. Actually you should look for someone with two brains. One for himself and the other one to do the thinking for you”, suggested Arnav, hearing which Kushi gaped at him.

“What do you mean?? Do I look like a brainless person to you?”, asked Kushi flaring her nostrils.

“Nope!!You don’t look like one…you are the one, Kushi. If you want you can check with anyone you know”, said Arnav, smirking.

“Argghhhh…it’s useless to talk to you”, said Kushi as she crossed her arms and looked out of the window, pursing her lips.

“The feeling is mutual!!”, replied Arnav as he stopped the car in front of their house.

As Kushi looked at him seriously, he too looked back at her and realized that he kind of liked her all riled up. Her flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes which are craving to turn him into ashes, and her pursed lips. May be he wouldn’t mind to sit in the car and stare at her for a while. But since Kushi had no such plans she huffed and puffed and hopped out of the car.

She found her way around the car and was all set to take the patio stairs when Arnav called out, “WAIT!!”

“Now what??”,asked Kushi stopping in her tracks not bothering to turn around.

“Don’t you think you forgot something vital”, asked Arnav, as he got off the car and leaned onto it.

“What did I forget??”, she asked herself and as she instantly found the answer, she turned around. Giving him one of her sweetest smiles, she took a step towards him and said,”How can I forget it???But if you are waiting for me to say thanks for the BIG help you did…then..” and paused as she came closer to him. Just inches away from him and looking straight in his eyes she said, ” YOU BETTER DON’T!! “because I’M NEVER GOING TO THANK YOU!! GOT IT!!! AT LEAST NOT IN THIS LIFE”.

Once she was done declaring her ultimatum, she stared at him for a brief second spitting fire with her eyes and blew the fringe which was falling on her face. She turned around as her job was done and took a step towards the patio stairs.But the next moment she felt a strong pull on her hand.

She looked like a warrior princess to him,blowing that fringe of hers and Arnav had no clue what happened to him watching her like that. Grabbing her right hand, he pulled her with all his might, making her crash against his chest.Before she could realize what happened to her,he caught hold of both her shoulders and turning her around,pinned her to the car and looked at her intently.

This sudden action of his made her to involuntarily place both her hands on his chest, while he placed his on the car, trapping her between the car and himself.

As Kushi looked at him frightened, he got satisfied and said, “You were saying something.. didn’t hear it properly.Come again!!”, as his eyes traveled along the length of her hands and stopped near his chest.

Becoming aware of where her hands were resting, Kushi pulled them back instantly and said,”I was saying….”. She couldn’t further as it became hard for her to speak with him at such a close proximity.Though he maintained a gap of few inches,the warmth emanating from his body was enough to make her nervous.She bent her head not able to meet his gaze and looked at the floor searching for words.

“Complete it…What were you saying Kushi??”,  asked Arnav huskily.

She looked up  gathering all her courage and said, “I… was…saying……that…I … will.. never … thank…you”.

“Really!!NEVER???’, inquired Arnav.

She shook her head declaring,” NEVER!!”.

“Hmmmm.. How about now?”, he asked leaning on to her.

“NO”, said Kushi pressing herself against the car.

“NOT EVEN NOW??”,asked Arnav, leaning further bringing his face closer to hers.

“Uhu”, replied Kushi shaking her head. In spite of being frightened  she was not ready to accept defeat and thank him.

“Hmmm….not even now???”, asked Arnav  bringing his face closer to hers, while still maintaining a gap between their bodies.

Seeing his nose which was only two inches apart from hers, Kushi froze for few seconds as a new tension took root in her belly.

“Tell me Kushi…not even now???’, he asked, tilting his head, seeing which she was scared to even think of his next move.Born form that fear was a courage which made her to react instantly and using all her strength she pushed him away with both her hands.

As that move from her side was so unexpected, Arnav staggered creating a few feet distance between them.And before he could grab her again, Kushi sped from there without wasting even a fleeting second.

As he stared at her disappearing figure Arnav couldn’t help but think, “Gosh! She is something!! In an instant she gets all riled up and the next instant she acts timid. And the very next moment she depicts her boldness. How does she switch gears in such a short span!!”

Whatever it was he concluded that he liked to watch her in all her shades.

“God!!What is she doing to me!!”, thought Arnav, raking his hands in his hair, for thinking so much about her.

As she entered the living room, Kushi was relieved to see all the women there.Knowing that she was now in the safe zone, she stopped to catch a breath and then started breathing heavily as if she had been cut down on oxygen for the past many minutes.

“Kushi, what happened to you and why are you panting like that? Did you come home running,all the way from Rajiv Chowk?”, asked Anjali seeing Kushi who entered the house and stood by the couch panting.

Kushi raised her right hand asking Anjali to wait for an answer and filled a glass with water from the jug which was placed on the coffee table. She started sipping the water greedily when, “How did you come home? And where is Arnav ?”, asked Aarthi.

Before she could reply for that, “I’m here Mamma”, came the reply from behind.

“Did you both come together?”, inquired Aarthi.

“Yup!!”, said Arnav.

“Then what’s wrong with her?? Why is this P.T.Usha sweating like this as if she took part in a marathon. Wasn’t the AC in your car working?” asked Anjali,addressing Arnav.

Hearing Anjali’s words, Kushi’s hand instantly went near her forehead and she started wiping the sweat off it. Her heart was still pounding vigorously and she didn’t dare to look back in his direction.

“No idea what’s wrong with her Di.But the AC in my car works just fine”, said Arnav who walked past Kushi, looking at her with a  smirk on his face.

“And what’s that on your cheeks Kushi”, asked Sakshi studying her daughter’s face.

“My cheeks??? What’s on them”, asked Kushi feeling her cheeks with both her hands.

“Don’t know…looks like you applied too much blush on them. When will you girls stop ruining your skin by layering all those chemicals on your face”, said Sakshi.

“Maa I didn…..”, said Kushi who stopped midway seeing the  smirk on his face which was fast growing, staring at her cheeks.

Swallowing  the words in her mouth she said,,”I’ll be right back” and ran towards her room escaping from further interrogation, while Arnav joined the women and sat on the couch with a tiny smile, lingering on his face.

Devyani who had noticed the way Kushi flustered seeing Arnav was now content seeing the smile on her grand son’s face. She was sure that somethings has definitely started between the duo and was glad about it.

As she entered her room, the first thing Kushi did was, checking herself in the mirror. As she observed her cheeks she realized how red they had turned.

“What’s wrong with them??? Why are they so red when I didn’t even apply anything on them?”, wondered Kushi.

She pulled some facial tissues out of the box and started rubbing her cheeks to get the color off them.But even after multiple wipes, when she found no change, she gave up her attempts, discarding the tissues.

“This is all because of that grumpy fellow!! Whenever he is coming near me, this is what is happening to me!! It was way better in our childhood.Whenever we fought or argued he used to just shout at me or stop talking. But what’s wrong with him now? Why is he coming on to me,trapping me like this??Making my heart pound!! And what is wrong with this heart of mine??”, she said putting her hand on her heart. “Why is it beating so vigorously whenever he comes close to me?”, she asked herself.

“Sometimes I feel like it’s going to burst  and I’m gonna die. And this is all because of HIM!!”, concluded Kushi.

“Looks like he is planning to kill me by giving me a heart attack!! I shouldn’t let him succeed in his mission.I have to do something!! I can’t let him affect me like this..”muttered Kushi biting her nails.

She thought for few seconds and then looking at her reflection in the mirror, she said, “You have to stay away from him Kushi….as far as possible…it will be safe for you and your heart”.

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