Warrior - Chapter Forty Two

 It wasn't long later when Arnav and Babuji came back. However, when they came back, their hands were completely full.

What on earth...?

Gomez and a maid helped them out, placing everything on the dining table.

Payal came walking into the room, confused. "Uh, weren't you guys out for a walk?"

"Yes we were," Babuji smiled.

"Uh... huh," she muttered, watching as Gomez and the maid took food out of the bags. 

I crossed my arms over my chest. "So did you decide that you wanted to eat back the calories you just walked off?"

"No," Babuji chuckled. "Actually, Arnav wanted to treat everyone."

I looked over at Arnav Singh Raizada, who was smiling.

What happened last night- stop it!

Amma came walking in and immediately her eyes widened. "Wait is that-? Pani puri? Really?"

Looking away from Arnav, I see that Amma is right. It is pani puri.

Amma and Payal immediately got excited and quickly sat down at the table. While they all got animated, I couldn't help but to stare. Old memories flashed before my eyes, feeling as if I were actually living in that moment in time.

"Khushi?"

"Huh?"

Snapping out of my memories, I looked up to see everyone staring at me.

"Well don't just stand there," Babuji grinned. "I know how much you love eating pani puri, so no need to pretend and act all proper in front of Arnav," he teased.

Arnav smiled his small, polite smile and then looked at me.

Uh.... "Uh, actually, I have a really important phone call to make. I'll just, uh... I'll be right back," and I quickly left the room, rushing to the study.

~

I don't know how much time has passed, but I'm done going through some important emails, not to mention my phone call with Ivy. 

Looks like next week I'll be back at the golf course solidifying another deal - great!

And no, I'm not being sarcastic, I actually am looking forward to next Friday. Three day weekend, here I come!

A knock at the door brings my attention away to the door to see Arnav.

"Hey," he smiled his soft, polite smile.

"Hey, come in."

"You've been gone a while," he said as he walked into the room, looking around.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize-"

"That's okay," he smiled, and he sat down in an empty chair before my desk. "This is nice."

"Thanks. This used to be Babuji's study back in the day, but as he stepped back and saw me getting more and more serious, it became mine. I'm sure he'll be using this now and then until squirt takes over."

"Hmm," he nodded, still glancing around.

I looked Arnav up and down for a moment. "You okay?"

Arnav's eyes met mine. "Are you," he asked softly.

And I don't know why, but I immediately looked down.

"Hey," he said softly, bringing my attention to him. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Given the past few nights? I know I can.

Letting out a sigh, my shoulders sagged. "It's nothing, honestly."

"It didn't look like nothing when you were staring the pani puri down."

My eyes immediately met his. "What?"

"I saw the way you were looking at them. You seemed lost at thought at first and... well you looked surprised for a moment, in a good way. Then... there was a hint of anger in your eyes."

Wait, really? I didn't even.... He noticed these things?

"So again, it didn't look like nothing," he said softly.

For a moment, I just stared at him. In the past, if I ever reacted like this, no one would ever notice nor catch a thing. Yet Arnav....

How...?

Blinking away, I looked down at my lap. "I, uh... um... I...."

Shit, why can't I talk?

"Take your time," he said softly.

I glanced back up at him before looking away once more. "Uh... I... I... I can't."

Without another thought, I stood up and headed out to leave, when Arnav spoke.

"Is this about last night?"

Immediately I came to a halt and looked back at him. "What do you mean?"

Arnav stood up from his seat, looking down at the floor. "I mean... when you came to me last night."

Shit! That actually did happen? But I thought-! But-! ...huh?

Arnav walked over to me, but he didn't say anything else, waiting for me.

Fuck! So that wasn't a dream in a dream? I actually went to him? What the fuck-! I-! Huh?

"I... uh... I...."

What the fuck do I even say?

"Was it another nightmare," Arnav asked softly.

No! ...but a memory of one, yes. But then again....

Shit, why is this stupidly complicated?!!

Pursing my lips together, I just hummed - he can interpret that however he wants.

"Oh.... You okay?"

I nodded, looking away.

But wait - if that really happened then how...? "How did I end up back in my bed, alone?"

"Oh, uh...." Arnav reached back, running his hand over the back of his head. "Um, I didn't want you to be uncomfortable on the floor, so I, uh... I carried you back to bed," he said, his voice getting smaller and smaller with each word.

He carried me back to bed? He actually carried me? Me? ...well, shit!

Guess I'm not so fat after all- bitch, focus!

I looked over at Arnav and noticed that his cheeks were slightly red.

Wait a minute... is Arnav Singh Raizada blushing? Just because he carried me to bed?

Well then again, he is a virgin that's never been involved with a girl in any way so....

Huh. "Oh...."

"Yeah...."

We both stood there awkwardly for a moment. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first awkward moment we've ever had. At least, I think this is the first one... right?

"So, um... are you okay?"

Well now that I know that it actually happened and it wasn't a dream within a- oh wait, that's not what he's talking about.

"Honestly, Arnav, it's nothing, it was just a few memories playing through my mind."

"Bad ones surely, since you looked angry."

"I-"

"Don't try to lie, Khushi. I'm positive they were bad ones."

Leave it to Mr. CEO to figure it out correctly. "Yes," I admitted.

Arnav gestured for me to sit down, so we went back to the desk and sat down in the chairs before it. He didn't say anything, waiting for me to continue.

I let out a heavy sigh. "It's stupid, really. It was just old memories of when I would get pani puris from the stalls back in the day, and how I would always enjoy them, eating them excessively like a fat pig! And then...."

"...and then?"

"And then I remembered the last time I went to a stall."

Confusion was clear on Arnav's face, him tilting his head as he looked at me.

I can do this! "After the... after the divorce, uh... well Payal thought it would be a good idea for us to go out, do the things we used to love doing before, so she suggested for us to go out and eat street food, so we went to a pani puri stall and.... While we were eating, Payal spotted a friend, so she had quickly gone over to say hi. I was getting another pani puri when... when...."

My fists clenched up tightly, my nails digging into my palms. Suddenly, Arnav placed his hands over mine, and my hold loosened. Arnav pinched his lips together, giving a small smile to comfort me.

He really is such a nice guy... isn't he?

I looked down at our hands. "There were some girls that I knew from school at a nearby stall. I guess they saw me so that's why they were talking about me. I had no idea at first, but then I overheard them. Whether they were purposely trying to make sure that I heard them or not, I have no fucking clue but.... They were talking about my divorce."

Arnav's eyes slightly widened.

Taking in a deep breath, I let out a heavy sigh. "They were talking about... about what he almost did to me."

His jawline immediately tightened as Arnav gritted his teeth. "What did they say?"

My eyes widened immediately on their own - Arnav Singh Raizada sounds mad, and I mean mad - angry mad.

And I've never seen anyone react this way for me.

"What did they say," he repeated, sounding even angrier.

Fuck! "Uh, they... they were making comments like I was overreacting, that I was being too excessive. ...one of them even said - and I quote - why is she so affected for? It's not like he actually raped her."

Arnav recoiled back, completely astounded, while I only looked down at our hands. It was clear that Arnav couldn't process the words that had come out of my mouth, still in complete shock. Finally, he spoke up.

"Fucking bitch," he snarled.

Holy shit! Cussing and anger? Now this is a side of Arnav Singh Raizada I've never seen.

His eyes met mine. "I hope you went up to her and put her in her place."

"No," I said lowly, shaking my head. "I wasn't the way I am today at that point in time. I haven't seen her since then; apparently she got married to some guy outside of town so she's moved away."

Arnav muttered some curses below his breath, but I was pretty sure I heard fucking bitch.

Well damn, Raizada.

His clenched jaw slightly loosened. "So you're going to let that bitch ruin one of your favorite street foods?"

What? "What?"

"Are you going to let that one memory of that rotten bitch's words ruin one of your favorite street foods?"

"I... how did you-?"

"Babuji told me while we were out for our walk. We passed by a stall and he told me how much you loved eating pani puri before. So I thought I'd surprise you and treat you, as well as everyone else, since you had a nightmare last night but...."

That's why he got the pani puri? For me? To cheer me up?

"You didn't have to do that," I said softly.

"I know. But I wanted to."

He... fuck.

"Their words don't mean anything," Arnav said, looking me directly in the eyes. "None of their words matter, especially none of that bitch's words."

Arnav....

"I know you're strong Khushi, I know you're a warrior. So I believe in you, and I know you won't let these motherfuckers affect you in any way whatsoever."

Wait, he just called me... he actually called me a warrior.

"I believe in you."

A wave of emotions surged through me, and although I hate getting emotional like this because it wasn't who I was, I couldn't help it. I allowed for myself to feel them, and I threw my arms around Arnav, hugging him tightly.

It amazes me how this stranger - this guy that I didn't even want to marry because I ridiculed arranged marriages due to what had happened to me - is the only person to ever stand by me like this. Everyone else looked at me like I was the issue, like I was the problem - that everything was all my fault. My family tried to be there, but they messed up in their ways, especially due to emotion. But this man... this man....

He truly is something else.