ArShi FF: Homebound

Chapter 15: Hatched

"Nannav, Masi said she didn't call me! Why'd you say she called me?" NK questions curiously while strolling into Arnav's room, breaking the undisturbed silence.

Arnav shoots his cousin a quick glance while his fingers keep typing on his laptop. Unbothered to make up another lie, he ignores the question and shifts his focus on the screen again. "I'm busy, NK,"

NK frowns and shrugs it off, rolling up the sleeves of his leather jacket. He looks around the room, before leisurely taking a seat on the bed. That too, right next to a now very annoyed Arnav who's still typing away on his laptop, sitting on the edge of the green recliner.

"Can I help you?" Arnav impatiently asks, his monotonous tone subtly giving away his irritation.

NK scoots closer, resting his right hand on his chin, as if in deep thought. "You know, Nannav, I've noticed that whenever I talk to Khushi ji or make her laugh, you get mad and start yelling at either her or me,"

Arnav's fingers come to a slow halt, and he stops typing to look at his cousin. For some, crazy reason, he suddenly feels like a schoolboy getting caught by the principal.

"Be honest with me – do you not like Khushi ji? Is that the problem?" NK asks, genuinely worried.

Arnav's initial reaction is a sigh of relief. So NK doesn't know about how he feels for Khushi. But then, the relief turns into utter bewilderment. Did his cousin just ask him if he dislikes Khushi Kumari Gupta? Unbelievable!

How does he tell him that all the yelling, the fighting, the jealously isn't because he dislikes Khushi, it's because he likes her way too much. Too much to endure for his sanity.

He doesn't say this though, because he doesn't want the first person to know about his feelings for Khushi to be NK, of all people. No way in hell.

"I don't have time for this, NK," Arnav quickly replies, breaking out of his reverie and resuming typing angrily away on his keyboard.

"Nannav, mere bhai, seems like you're hiding something from me. Brothers don't keep secrets man!" NK playfully punches Arnav on his arm, to which he earns a stone cold glare. He retracts his arm, purses his lips and nervously laughs. "Okay bro, I'll leave, tumhare naak se kooa aa raha hai!" (There's a well coming out of your nose)

Arnav sighs, although he secretly enjoys whenever his cousin mixes Hindi words up. It can be endearing – only sometimes. "Kooa nahi, dhooa." (Not "well," it's "smoke")

"Yes, yes, dhooa! See you later Nannav," NK leaves his room, still wondering about why his cousin always seems so weird around Khushi.

It doesn't make sense if Nannav dislikes Khushi ji. On one hand, they are always arguing or fighting, but on the other hand, I've seen the way they look at each other. NK, mere bhai, something is definitely black in the daal. He ponders, remembering all the interactions between them during Payal and Akash's wedding that gave him hints about what may be going on between the two.

He remembers the Sangeet rehearsal, when he practiced waltzing with Khushi but instead of looking at him, her eyes were stuck to Arnav, who was gazing right back. He remembers the night of the Sangeet, when they danced to Teri Meri and looked like a hero and heroine straight out of a Bollywood movie. Of course, it could be nothing, but what if there's more to it?

Then he recalls the memory of when Arnav came into his room at the hospital, asking all sorts of questions about love.

"Well, this is kind of personal," Arnav slowly said.

"Go for it, Nannav, tell me already!"

"Have you ever been in love?"

NK's expression went from curious to surprised to totally and completely amused.