Chapter 5: Magic
"Friends?" Khushi looked at his hand reluctantly. It was the first time any man had asked to be friends with her. She had always been somewhat reserved. Even in her teenage years, she had never really considered befriending a boy. It was an unstated rule in her family. No talking to boys. Well, except for her husband of course. And now? Even he did not remain an exception.
She couldn't help the questioning glances that her eyes sent Arnav's way. He, however, returned with a reassuring smile. At this point, she figured, she had two options. One, thank him for his kindness for the past few days and return to her life - at the bookstore, which gave her barely enough money to support herself, or two, accept him as a friend and get an open entry into AR companies to fulfill her dreams.
Giving a curt nod, she raised her hand to meet his, entwining it with her own. His hand felt warm and she felt almost comforted in his tight grip. Somehow, she knew she had made the right decision. Not just for the sake of working at AR companies, but because he was genuinely a good person. He smiled, "Great! Finish your breakfast then, and I'll drop you home."
Khushi shook her head. "N-No Arnavji! You don't have to do that. I..I'll manage." He rolled his eyes, chuckling at the mere notion. "Yeah, right. Just like how you managed not getting run over that car yesterday and escaping those thugs, right?" Khushi's eyes wandered downward, ashamed. "A-Arnavji? I...I'm sorry. I've caused you so much trouble these past few days. In fact, everytime we bump into each other, something or other goes wrong. So..." She fiddled with her shirt. "Maybe it would be best if we didn't meet?"
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Khushi's eyes fluttered slowly above, afraid to meet his. But the look she saw on his face startled her. "Arnavji?" She asked. "Why are you smiling?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Because what you're saying is all nonsense! All this," He declared, waving his hands for emphasis, "was just destiny! If it hadn't been you about to get run over by a car, it would have been someone else! Likewise, if it hadn't been you hurt by those drunks, it would have been somebody else! I would have still tried to save them, just the same! And just because you think you're unlucky, I'm not going to lose the opportunity to make friends with an amazing person! Understand?" Khushi was bewildered. She had met many people in her lifetime, but never someone like him! "And I'm still sticking with my decision to drop you home! So finish up and put on my fall coat. It's hanging over by the door. I went outside this morning. Pretty chilly. And I don't want you getting a cold."
As he was about to leave, Khushi quickly grabbed a hold of his hand. "Wait." She said. He turned around, confused. "Sit down." He shook his head. "But why?" She sighed. "Do you always ask so many questions? Just do as I tell you!" Faking his anger, he sat on the chair opposite to her. "Do you have a first aid box around here?" She asked him. He nodded. "Hold up a sec. Maria!" He called. A stout woman walked out of the kitchen, wearing a white apron over her black dress. Her hair was covered with a thick hair net and her cheeks were bright red. She appeared as if she had just come from a brisk walk in the winter cold. "We need the first aid kit." Arnav requested. The woman, whom he had referred to as Maria, nodded. "Yessir! Right away sir!" Arnav turned to Khushi. "I still don't understand. Why do you need a first aid kit? Is something wrong? Did you get hurt somewhere by those drunks yesterday? If they laid a hand on you, I swear... I'll go and chop them into bits right now!" Khushi shook her head. "You'll see soon enough."
The first aid was brought a few moments later. Khushi opened the box, reaching for the bottle of sterile saline and the roll of gauze. Ripping apart a small part, she dabbed it into the saline and held it out in front of Arnav. "Bring your face closer." She commanded. After he had done so, she lightly placed the bandage on his forehead, healing his cuts from the fight the previous night. He cringed at the slight pain that followed making Khushi quickly reduce the pressure she was applying. "Sorry...." She mumbled as she dressed the remainder of his wounds. Arnav looked into Khushi's eyes, about to refuse the attention that she was giving to his cuts but he couldn't. The second time that morning, Arnav had become a prey to her eyes. The concentration and care that he witnessed in her eyes caused his breath to hitch. Her brown eyes seemed to have some magic in them. He couldn't look away from them. The innocence he saw within them was serene. He had never seen any girl with such simplicity before. He could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest. But the pain that the saline caused on his wounds brought him back from his reverie. "Ouch!" He winced. Khushi looked at him, frightened. "I...I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I didn't see the cut actually! Here. I'll...I'll lean in." Arnav swallowed, nervously. Lean in? Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
He could feel her breath on his cheek as she gingerly applied the bandages. The distance was killing him. Somehow, he wanted to simply wrap her in his arms and never let her go. He didn't want to say anything. Didn't want to hear anything. He just wished that somehow, he could hold this beautiful angel in his arms - whether it was for a second or a century, he didn't care. His heart was thundering in his chest to such an extent that he was surprised that Khushi couldn't hear it. He was glad she couldn't, of course!
"It's done." She declared at last. Arnav was too lost in her to respond. All he could see was the simple yet gorgeous woman standing before him. "A-Arnavji?" She murmured, waving her hand in front of his face. He was silent. It wasn't long before Khushi noticed the direction of his gaze. She clutched the shirt in her hand, feeling the sweat forming on her forehead. This is wrong. A part of her seemed to say. You don't stare at a girl in such a way and simply give it the name of friendship. This is wrong. Get out of this Khushi. Stop it right now. Look away. "Arnavji!" She declared louder, breaking his attention from her face. "Please... stop." There was nothing more that needed to be said. It was clear what she meant. Arnav's face was red with embarrassement. "Oh my god. I..I'm so sorry. I...I don't know what came over me." He stammered. Khushi swallowed, shakily.
"I think... it would be best... if you would drop me home now." She whispered. He nodded. "I understand."
"Friends?" Khushi looked at his hand reluctantly. It was the first time any man had asked to be friends with her. She had always been somewhat reserved. Even in her teenage years, she had never really considered befriending a boy. It was an unstated rule in her family. No talking to boys. Well, except for her husband of course. And now? Even he did not remain an exception.
She couldn't help the questioning glances that her eyes sent Arnav's way. He, however, returned with a reassuring smile. At this point, she figured, she had two options. One, thank him for his kindness for the past few days and return to her life - at the bookstore, which gave her barely enough money to support herself, or two, accept him as a friend and get an open entry into AR companies to fulfill her dreams.
Giving a curt nod, she raised her hand to meet his, entwining it with her own. His hand felt warm and she felt almost comforted in his tight grip. Somehow, she knew she had made the right decision. Not just for the sake of working at AR companies, but because he was genuinely a good person. He smiled, "Great! Finish your breakfast then, and I'll drop you home."
Khushi shook her head. "N-No Arnavji! You don't have to do that. I..I'll manage." He rolled his eyes, chuckling at the mere notion. "Yeah, right. Just like how you managed not getting run over that car yesterday and escaping those thugs, right?" Khushi's eyes wandered downward, ashamed. "A-Arnavji? I...I'm sorry. I've caused you so much trouble these past few days. In fact, everytime we bump into each other, something or other goes wrong. So..." She fiddled with her shirt. "Maybe it would be best if we didn't meet?"
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Khushi's eyes fluttered slowly above, afraid to meet his. But the look she saw on his face startled her. "Arnavji?" She asked. "Why are you smiling?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Because what you're saying is all nonsense! All this," He declared, waving his hands for emphasis, "was just destiny! If it hadn't been you about to get run over by a car, it would have been someone else! Likewise, if it hadn't been you hurt by those drunks, it would have been somebody else! I would have still tried to save them, just the same! And just because you think you're unlucky, I'm not going to lose the opportunity to make friends with an amazing person! Understand?" Khushi was bewildered. She had met many people in her lifetime, but never someone like him! "And I'm still sticking with my decision to drop you home! So finish up and put on my fall coat. It's hanging over by the door. I went outside this morning. Pretty chilly. And I don't want you getting a cold."
As he was about to leave, Khushi quickly grabbed a hold of his hand. "Wait." She said. He turned around, confused. "Sit down." He shook his head. "But why?" She sighed. "Do you always ask so many questions? Just do as I tell you!" Faking his anger, he sat on the chair opposite to her. "Do you have a first aid box around here?" She asked him. He nodded. "Hold up a sec. Maria!" He called. A stout woman walked out of the kitchen, wearing a white apron over her black dress. Her hair was covered with a thick hair net and her cheeks were bright red. She appeared as if she had just come from a brisk walk in the winter cold. "We need the first aid kit." Arnav requested. The woman, whom he had referred to as Maria, nodded. "Yessir! Right away sir!" Arnav turned to Khushi. "I still don't understand. Why do you need a first aid kit? Is something wrong? Did you get hurt somewhere by those drunks yesterday? If they laid a hand on you, I swear... I'll go and chop them into bits right now!" Khushi shook her head. "You'll see soon enough."
The first aid was brought a few moments later. Khushi opened the box, reaching for the bottle of sterile saline and the roll of gauze. Ripping apart a small part, she dabbed it into the saline and held it out in front of Arnav. "Bring your face closer." She commanded. After he had done so, she lightly placed the bandage on his forehead, healing his cuts from the fight the previous night. He cringed at the slight pain that followed making Khushi quickly reduce the pressure she was applying. "Sorry...." She mumbled as she dressed the remainder of his wounds. Arnav looked into Khushi's eyes, about to refuse the attention that she was giving to his cuts but he couldn't. The second time that morning, Arnav had become a prey to her eyes. The concentration and care that he witnessed in her eyes caused his breath to hitch. Her brown eyes seemed to have some magic in them. He couldn't look away from them. The innocence he saw within them was serene. He had never seen any girl with such simplicity before. He could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest. But the pain that the saline caused on his wounds brought him back from his reverie. "Ouch!" He winced. Khushi looked at him, frightened. "I...I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I didn't see the cut actually! Here. I'll...I'll lean in." Arnav swallowed, nervously. Lean in? Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
He could feel her breath on his cheek as she gingerly applied the bandages. The distance was killing him. Somehow, he wanted to simply wrap her in his arms and never let her go. He didn't want to say anything. Didn't want to hear anything. He just wished that somehow, he could hold this beautiful angel in his arms - whether it was for a second or a century, he didn't care. His heart was thundering in his chest to such an extent that he was surprised that Khushi couldn't hear it. He was glad she couldn't, of course!
"It's done." She declared at last. Arnav was too lost in her to respond. All he could see was the simple yet gorgeous woman standing before him. "A-Arnavji?" She murmured, waving her hand in front of his face. He was silent. It wasn't long before Khushi noticed the direction of his gaze. She clutched the shirt in her hand, feeling the sweat forming on her forehead. This is wrong. A part of her seemed to say. You don't stare at a girl in such a way and simply give it the name of friendship. This is wrong. Get out of this Khushi. Stop it right now. Look away. "Arnavji!" She declared louder, breaking his attention from her face. "Please... stop." There was nothing more that needed to be said. It was clear what she meant. Arnav's face was red with embarrassement. "Oh my god. I..I'm so sorry. I...I don't know what came over me." He stammered. Khushi swallowed, shakily.
"I think... it would be best... if you would drop me home now." She whispered. He nodded. "I understand."
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