OUR HEARTBEATS BECOME ONE!

CHAPTER 4

Khushi opened her eyes to see the vivid setting around her. She was in a hospital room hooked to several tubes. A coarse sheet covered her upto her shoulders. She looked around taking in her surrounding. On her bedside was a vase filled with freshly picked red roses. Khushi smiled at the flowers.

Arnav entered just in time to see Khushi gazing lovingly at the flowers. A sudden pang of jealousy hit him...but he chided himself for it and stepped forward.

"K ...Khushi?" he said cautiously.

The husky voice startled Khushi. She snapped her head around and immediately relaxed to see his face. She smiled.

Arnav moved forward towards her,"Are you alright? ",he asked, concern lacing his words.

"Ji..Ji hum theek hai..." answered a blushing Khushi. Her heart was doing cartwheels. Her demigod was concerned about her.

Unbeknown to Arnav , Payal had entered the room just as Khushi finished speaking . Khushi on seeing her aknowledged her presence,"....Jiji!"

"Jiji?" said a bewildered Arnav. "I am not your jiji! I think your suffering from a concussion! I.." Thats when Arnav noticed that she was no longer looking at him, but her gaze was directed beyond him at the door. Arnav turned around to see a shy Payal looking down and biting her lip to control her laughter.

Arnav was about to defend himself when he heard the most magical tone!

Khushi began laughing, unable to control herself. Arnav turned around to face her and saw she was laughing with her eyes closed. He couldn't bring himself to say anything , much less scold her.... which considering his nature would have been the first thing he would do, when somebody laughed.................. at him!

Khushi opened her eyes and saw Arnav staring at her a small smile playing on his lips.She controlled herself ,but couldn't break the gaze he held her in.She gulped slowly .

Suddenly she heard someone clear their throat near the door. It was Aakash.

"Hello Khushiji! I am glad you've come around. How are you feeling now?"

"Ji I'm fine,shukriya ....umm?"

"Aakash. Aakash Singh Raizada. And this is my cousin Arnav ."

"Ji shukriya Aakashji, .. Arnavji!" she said lowering her tone while taking his name.

Arnav felt a new glow spread inside him on hearing her take his name. Khushi , who had turned to look at him for the instant , immediately turned back when she saw his gaze on her.

"Aur yeh hamari jiji hai...Payal" said Khushi introducing a shy Payal to Aakash.

"Hello Payalji", said Aakash lovingly.

"Namaste!", Payal returned the greeting.

Khushi noticed how Aakash and Payal had taken an instinctive liking to each other. She was overjoyed at the prospect that her jiji had found the man of her dreams....and so had she...had she? She wondered ,stealing a glance at Arnav, who hadn't taken his eyes off her.

The couples' trance was broken when a wailing erupted near the door and an old woman ..in her late fifties ,entered the room, grabbing her head with one arm.

"Hai re nandkishore! Titliya? Payaliya? Tum theek ho? Tum dono ne tho meri jaan leli. Mein shashi babua se kya kahoongi?" The woman would have blabbered on if it hadn't been for Khushi.

"Buaji!" ,said an excited Khushi.

Buaji rushed towards Khushi's bedside and Arnav got up to let her take his place.

"Hai re sanka devi! Ab kya gadbad kar diya tune?"

"Buaji!" retorted Khushi." Humne kuch nahi kiya!..voh toh..."

"Arre bus kar! Nandkishore ka lakh sukar hai ki tum dono theek ho!"

Khushi smiled at her buaji's concern and said, "How would I not be okay? After all I had to come home to trouble you..right?" Khushi winked at her and her bua smaked her head lightly. Khushi feigned to be hurt and rubbed her head.

"Ab chalo!.. lets go home!... I have arranged for your discharge. We can leave now!",said buaji. then turning around to face the two brothers she said," Are you the ones who brought my daughters here?"

"Ji buaji!" ,said Payal hurriedly. "They helped me and Khushi! Buaji this is Arnavji and that is Aakashji", said Payal blushing at taking Aakash's name. Aakash noticed it and smiled.

Buaji walked upto them and said," Jeethe raho bete! May you live a hundred years!",she raised her hands as if to bless them.

Aakash smiled and Arnav nodded turning to look at Khushi again.

Aakash noticed his brothers attraction towards Khushi and immediately said," Buaji?...If I may call you that?" Buaji smiled.

"Please allow us to drop you home! Its very late and travelling alone at this time is not safe."

"Yes! ", said Arnav... suddenly deciding something. " Yes..we'll drop you home."

Buaji released a deep breath and said," Thank you very much bete! That would be very helpful"

And so the party finished the discharge formalities and made their way to buaji's house in Chandni Chowk in Arnav's porshe.

Throughout the journey Arnav kept stealing glances at Khushi through his rearview mirror. Though Aakash noticed it he kept mum but inside his head he had made the decision that this woman was going to come into his brother's life...by hook...or by crook!

Khushi also noticed that Arnav was watching her but she was too shy to return his gaze..though she badly wanted to! Her face had turned red and this didn't go unnoticed by Payal.

"Khushi? Tum theek ho na?" asked a worried Payal.

"ji? ji jiji! Hum theek hai!" replied Khushi now aware of her blushing.

Arnav smirked and drove on.

Finally ,after Buaji made them navigate through a series of impossibly narrow roads, they reached Chandni chowk.

"Arre bus babua, yehi hamara ghar hai!" said buaji.

"Yeh ghar hai?" asked Arnav disbelievingly!

All of them turned to stare at him.

Arnav had not meant to say that aloud. Hell, he had not meant to say that at all! But somehow he just blurted it out, and regretted it the very next second. He tried to mend his stance." I mean, yeh apka ghar hai", he said matter-of -factly.

But Khushi had already taken offence on behalf of her buaji!

"Big laad governor . Acha Khasa ghar tho hai!" she thought. Well she was yet to see the raizada mansion! But for now her buaji's house seemed perfectly alright to Khushi.

She got out of the car, clearly pissed, and walked upto Aakash's window.

"Thank you Aakashji!", she said and without even glancing at Arnav walked up the front stairs to the door, and stood there facing it.

Arnav swore in his thoughts,"What the..? I fight for her! I get hurt and she leaves without thanking me? Bloody hell!I'll teach her what its like to mess with Arnav Singh Raizada..."

He couldn't complete the thought when Payal came to his window with buaji and thanked them both for their hospitality. Buaji went ahead to invite them in, but the brother's...or rather Aakash, politely declined saying it was an untimely hour and they should get going.

Arnav on the other hand was still staring at Khushi, willing her to turn around and look at him, but she just wouldn't." Stubborn female ..",he thought.

"Just like you!" ,said a voice in his head.

He ignored it.

Payal had understood the very second Khushi stormed out of the car, that she had taken offence over what Arnav said. So she tried to mend it by thanking Arnav. But his expression said it loud and clear that he didn't care whether Payal said anything or not! His eyes were on her sister....and they were filled with anger...and even more frightening was the fact that they held something sort of a challenge in them! Little did Payal know that her baby sister would've to face ,not one, but many challenges , all lain by this man!!

She shook her head and watched as the car rounded a bend and disappeared out of sight.

Khushi had reached the door but her mind was still doing repeat telecast of the days events. The first 3/4 made her want to turn around and look at him. She knew his eyes were on her. She could feel it! But the last line brought her back to where she stood and it kept her rooted. Her heart screamed for one last glimpse of her demigod, but her head behaved like a parent and chided her for wanting to see that Laad governor! And again for the second time in their lives,..... the head had ruled over the heart!

The journey to Raizada mansion was quiet. But Arnav never spoke much and Aakash for a change was preoccupied! His thoughts were revolving around two different but interconnected issues.

A part of him was swooning over Payal and yet another was overjoyed at the fact that he had found the right girl for his brother. He couldn't wait to tell his di!

Arnav on the other hand was fighting with his emotions....trying hard not to fall for them. He was driving but it was as if his body was on autopilot . And that's why the two brothers didn't notice that they had reached home even when Arnav stopped his car.

Hari Prakash , who was tending to something in the garden noticed his master's car's entry but was puzzled when he saw no one come out. He was a very superstitious man and the thought of a driverless car, that crossed his mind, scared him! Like all horror movies .....where the actors tend to get that sudden burst of confidence,and where their inquisitiveness gets the better of them at the time of crisis,.... he advanced towards the car, cautiously. He peered in and let out a sigh of relief!

" Saab? Arnav saab?"

"huh? What?..." said Arnav turning to face Hp. "Aargh! ",said a startled Arnav on seeing HP's face squashed against the glass. "What the... Hp? What are you doing?", asked Arnav putting the glass down.

"Ji woh..saab aap utre nahi toh?...",stammered HP. He knew his master's mood very well, and had no intention of being victim to his rage.

But surprisingly Arnav didn't say anything. He got out of the car, and so did Aakash who was brought back from his reverie by Arnav's scream.

They went in and were about to retire to their rooms when,"Chote! Aakash! You've come? What took you so long? Do you know how worried I was?",asked Anjali Singh Raizada,Arnav's elder sister and Aakash's cousin. She limped towards them worry etched on her face.

The question compelled Arnav to think about Khushi ,and he swore under his breath.

"Di woh hum!...", started Aakash but was cut off by Arnav.

"Di , I'm tired! WE...are tired! Gotta get some sleep. Talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight di!".Arnav stormed of to his room.

"But chote?" called out Anjali. She turned her gaze to Aakash who was smiling to himself.

"Aakash?" asked Anjali raising her eyebrows.

"Di....",said Aakash excited. "You won't believe what happened today! You,ve got to..."Aakash couldn't complete when,

"AAKASH!!! GO TO BED! NOW!!!", bellowed Arnav from the first level.

For the first time Aakash chuckled while Anjali stared at him her eyes wide and her mouth open!

Aakash looked at Anjali's expression and chuckled again. Then turning on his heels he walked to his room laughing uncontrollably!

Anjali blinked several times ,confused!

Half an hour later, someone knocked on Aakash's door. He opened it to see Anjali standing there, her expression stating that she wanted an explanation to the events earlier. Aakash ushered her in and made her sit on the bed.

"Aakash..." said Anjali

"Shhh!... Bhai will hear."

"What? "

"What I am about to tell you!"

Anjali looked at him confused.

Aakash continued," Di I think Bhai has found the right girl for himself!"

"WHAT?" shouted an excited Anjali and was immediately shushed by Aakash.

"What?" , she said more softly. "Is this true Aakash? Who is it? What is her name? Is it Lavanyaji?"

"What? No! Why would you think it was Lavanya?"

"Well she is the only female he talks to apart from his di and nani .....and mami." said Anjali matter-of-factly.

"Yes. I mean no! I mean... its not Lavanya. "

"Then who?"

And so Aakash told her about the nights events. About Khushi and Payal. About the fight and how Arnav got himself cut.He told her everything sparing no details.

Anjali didn't fail to notice that Aakash had taken a liking to this Payal. It was clear in the way he took her name!

"What? Chote got cut? "

Aakash frowned. "Don't worry di! He got it dressed at the hospital. He is fine. That's not the point...."

"I know , I know! We need to do something Aakash. We need to make them meet again. We can't let this go" said Anjali excitedly. She turned to Aakash and shook him,"Aakash? "

"Huh? Ji di?" said Aakash who had lost himself yet again in Payal's thoughts.

Anjali smiled knowingly! "We need to bring both these sisters to the Raizada mansion...and make them stay for good! Both Khushi......and Payal." she said ruffling his hair.

Aakash blushed.

" But how di? What should we do?"

" We have to think. Hey devi maiyya help us!"

Little did they know that their prayer would be answered sooner ......than latter!