Hello everyone. A merry Christmas to all of you. I might not reply to every comment but I do read all of them. Thanks for your comments and to all the silent readers. Well Ritika what you said in previous epi is absolutely correct. Thanks for that…I didn’t knew how to put it but I’m glad you did that. Still I’ll try to be clearer so that you aren’t confused. And yes Janvi I’ll definitely write a poem especially for this ff. Thank you everyone. Here we go…
Recap: Rithik’s conversation with his parents regarding the engagement, Rithik’s message to Khushi, Khushi blackmailing Shailesh, Shailesh meeting Arnav.
The sun had started its journey to hide himself and let the moon takes its place. The brightness of the sun had diminished as an orange coloured hue was scattered in the sky. She asked her driver to stop the car. She came out of her car still dressed in formals as she went towards the house. The house was almost decorated. The sweet scent of flowers draped at different places had filled the environment, the cacophony reached her eardrums as she saw servants being ordered to hurry up and everyone busy in preparations. Her eyes rolled as she saw the entire decorated house. She climbed the staircase as she knocked on the door of a room. As soon as he opened the door she hugged him in excitement. He was startled by this as he said smilingly, ‘Relax Khushi. Excited!!! Let me guess.’ Saying so, he closed the door and made her come inside as they both sat on the bed facing each other. ‘The work is done’, he said with a hope. She grinned as she nodded in a yes. They hugged again as he uttered a thank you. She lowered her voice a bit so that no one gets a whiff as she said, ‘It was also because of you. You also had provided some information against Mr. Shailesh.’ His head drooped as with a pang of guilt hitting him he conveyed his feelings, ‘Sometimes I think I’m using you and above all what I did with Shailesh uncle…he is my friend’s father after all.’ She lifted her hand and placed it on his shoulder as she comforted him, ‘Its ok Rithik. You are not using me in fact I’m helping you. If you had married Tanvi then you would not have been able to love her and give her rights. It’s better to mend it now.’ ‘But I don’t want you to harm him’, he had uttered with a concerned look on his face. She gave a faint smile as she said, ‘Ok I’ll not harm him.’ Shivanya’s image formed in front of his face as he grinned and then uttered with a fake seriousness, ‘If this engagement happens than I’ll not leave you.’ ‘Oh really’, she said squinting her eyes as they both grabbed a pillow each and started fighting.
He suddenly stopped and looked towards her as he said, ‘What’s this? You have come to an engagement dressed in formals.’ She cheekily smiled as she said, ‘What’s the need when the engagement will not happen? I’ll get dressed on your engagement with Shivanya.’ He smiled at her and said, ‘You have to get dressed at least for other people today and by the way he has not yet came up to cancel the engagement.’ She patted his shoulder as she said, ‘He’ll come definitely. Suppose he comes when you are about to put the ring on her finger and cancels the event. How dramatic it would be.’ They both laughed at this as she asked about Shivanya. He replied, ‘She’s coming in ten minutes and I have asked her to bring a dress for you as I knew you would not come dressed here.’ She widened her eyes as she asked him how he knew. ‘I should know at least this much after all you are my bestie’, came his prompt reply. He got up from bed as he took her hand and asked her to get up. He pulled her gently as she acted to be weary. ‘Now go to the guestroom and get ready. I also have to dress up.’ Hearing him, she went towards the door as he shouted, ‘Don’t make faces now.’ She smiled hearing him as she came out of the room.
After a brief talk with his mother she was given directions of the guestroom. She was walking towards the directed area as she noticed Tanvi in a room. She decided to keep a watch on her as she knew she was not what she appeared to be. She was about to enter when she saw Shivanya coming with two bags. Shivanya stopped near her and they both hugged as they then entered the room. Tanvi was typing on the phone when she saw them at the door. She kept her phone aside as she welcomed them in. Shivanya handed over the dresses to them as they both checked out their dress. ‘This is so beautiful’, Khushi said being awestruck. ‘Yes, it’s really nice’, Tanvi said this with a faint smile on her face as her mind was working towards her next step. ‘Thanks both of you,’ Shivanya uttered as the smile on her face had lit her features but still there was a feeling of discomfort which had swept her as she was sad due to this engagement. Khushi kept her hands on her shoulders as she turned her towards the door and muttered, ‘My friend Rithik has a very poor fashion sense. So I would like you to impart certain tips to him.’ They both giggled as Shivanya went out of the room heading towards his room. Tanvi was irritated by this as she looked them in anger. She was expecting Khushi to also go away from there but was surprised when she didn’t buzzed. She inquired her with curious eyes, ‘Aren’t you going? I mean you have to get dressed up so…’ Khushi interrupted her by saying, ‘Actually I thought of changing here only. I hope you don’t mind.’ She saw the expressions on her face as she knew that Khushi was not the one who would give a damn about her wish. She complied by giving her a fake smile.
Upon her insistence, Khushi went into the bathroom to change her dress first. She sat on the bed as she clenched her fist and hit it on the bed. She decided to act towards her plan now. She quickly closed the door and being sure that no one was peeping or had eyes on her she started working on the dress. After a few minutes, she lifted the dress by her hands bringing it in front of her. She eyed the zipper of the top which she had damaged and smirked. She quickly kept the dress on her lap as she composed herself, bringing an innocent look on her face upon hearing the latch sound of the bathroom door. She smiled as she her coming out of the bathroom. She complemented her and then went in to change.
***
She was excited about meeting him. Though it was not the first time that she was meeting him, yet every time she would move towards him her heart would flutter. Her sister’s warning stopped her in her tracks but her heart overpowered her mind as she continued to walk. She knocked the door but found out it to be open. She decided to go in but then stopped thinking that he might not like her entering without asking.
He had come out after having a shower as he heard a knock sound again. ‘Please wait,’ he uttered as he quickly got dressed up. He was looking at himself in the mirror, styling his hairs as he remembered about the person at the door and asked the person to get in. He was looking at the mirror still wondering who could be waiting for so long at the door. He saw her reflection in the mirror as a wave of happiness surged in him. He started thinking how good they looked together, admiring them standing together in the mirror. ‘Rithik,’ her voice brought back him to reality as he slowly moved towards Shivanya. He wanted to hear her voice again. “Congratulations” was the second word he had heard her utter. A tear came in both of their eyes as they both turned away from each other. They quickly wiped away that drop as they both again turned towards each other and smiled. However, their smile was a disguise to hide the pain their heart was enduring. A silence was between them as both kept looking into each other’s eyes. She turned her gaze away from him and started moving towards the door. He stretched out his hand in order to stop her but he was unable to utter anything. He kept looking at her as the distance between them kept on increasing until she vanished from his sight.
***
She was all dressed up as she gave a victorious smile and muttered, ‘This is my first step Shivanya. I’m sur after this your clientele base will surely be affected. Just wait and watch what will happen with you from now onwards.’ She peeped out of the bathroom as she saw Khushi still there. She hesitantly came out from there and sat in front of the dressing table looking towards Khushi. Khushi looked strangely at her as she said, ‘Why are you facing this side and not the mirror?’ ‘I don’t want to look now at the mirror. I’ll look once the beautician finishes her work’, Tanvi replied. Khushi turned as she looked at the beautician entering the room and starting her work. She looked at Tanvi suspiciously, trying to figure out what she was up to.
*****