Hi friends!
So here is a continuation of my story Mehbooba. In this chapter, you will see the green monster within Arnav. See how Khushi deals with this new side of ASR. Read and review.

Mat poochu mujhe kitni mohabbat hai unse...
Baarish ki boondh bhi agar unhe chooh le to aag si lg jati hai dil mein...

Rage.

Bubbling anger.

The urge to pounce and punch.

Jealousy.

It had always been the other way around. Girls desired his attention. Obsession and possessiveness for Arnav Singh Raizada existed amongst the opposite sex. He was the popular Arnav. So now when the tables turned Raizada felt the odd burning sensation that turned ugly with every passing second.

The new emotions left him blinded. He did not understand what happened to him. One moment he was across the stage watching Khushi dance with the man. And then the very next moment he found himself avalanching towards the two of them.

The music had changed and the rest of the crowd joined the stage for a group dance. But Arnav kept reliving the ugly sight that induced jealousy within him with every step. Like broken tape, the sight of Khushi and that man kept playing before him. It burned him. The stinging tentacles of the vision continued to throb in his heart.

Reaching the man Arnav grabbed the guy close to Khushi and dragged him away to the backyard. He sensed others following him. However, Arnav Singh Raizada did not give a damn about it. NK who had followed him instantly, tried to grab his hand but the enraged Raizada pushed back with full force making the man fall with a thud sound. Reaching the the backyard he slowed down and then halted his movement. Several screams echoed around simultaneously.

"What the hell are you trying to do Arnav? How dare you touch my cousin?"

"For god sake, Arnav stop trying to spoil mine and Payal's wedding!"

"Stop it, Arnav! Are you nuts?! You cannot hurt Rajeev!"

The last one seemed like a warning from Khushi Kumari Gupta, with a hint of compassion for the so-called Rajeev. Arnav sneered at the man who did not step away in fear. Rather the guy simply crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in return. Arnav felt the smugness rising from him. Rajeev Sharma had the support of Khushi. And this support gave him the confidence to speak before the great ASR.

"Whats the problem dude? Did someone take away your toy? And now you are unhappy. How sad right?"

"SHUT UP YOU FOOL! Agar kuch pata na ho to apna muh nai kholna chahiye. Got it?"
(If you don't know anything then it's better to keep your mouth shut).

"Waise jaise tumne bet lgakar muh bandh rkha tha?"
(Very similar to the way you did after that stupid bet, right?)

That did it! One second Arnav was controlling himself and the next second he blindly punched him hard on the mouth. Screams were heard from all directions. But that one comment from Rajeev Sharma created a monster that wanted out immediately. One thing led to another and the so-called Rajeev gave him a nasty bruise below the eye.

Somewhere in his mind, ASR knew that this is not a solution to deal with his jealousy but unfortunately, Rajeev's timing was not good enough. And frankly speaking, Arnav knew that the guy verbalized only the truth. Naturally, Arnavs desire to be punished for his errors made him more violent. Suddenly a hand on his shoulder made ASR give up the fight. While on the other side, Payal and Akaash held a messed up and bloody Rajeev.

"Why? Why do you always ruin things for everyone Mr. Raizada?"

"Usne tumhe haath kaise lagaya?!?"
(How dare he touched you?!?)

"It. Was. Just. A. Dance."

"Usne. Haath. Kaise. Lagaya. You know how possessive I am, Butterfly... don't you?"
(How. Dare. He. Touched. You).

Butterfly.

Fluttery.

Beautiful.

Difficult to catch.

Arnav's eyes were on fire. He could see a reflection of his emotions in Khushi's eyes The two stood just an inch apart. Flaming passion burned inside Arnav watching the woman of his dreams so close to him. He wanted to grab and kiss the daylights out of her. Unfortunately, Khushi understood his predicament and retreated with a gasp. Thankfully the rest of the group diverted Arnav Singh Raizadas attention. Specifically Payal Sharma's threatening words.

"Either you leave the wedding or try to behave Raizada."

"I won't do either of the two things. So why don't you tighten the leash of your good-for-nothing brother..."

"Stop this nonsense, Arnav. Right now. Don't get violent with Rajeev or else?"

"Or else what Khushi Kumari Gupta? Marogi kya?"
(You will raise a hand on me?)

"Zaroorat lagi to woh bhi krungi!"
(If needed then yes I would!)

"Toh maaro na. Isi bahane haath to lagaogi mujhe."
(Then hit me. At least you will touch me then).

With a frown on her face, Khushi Gupta dragged Payal along with Akaash followed by Rajeev. Khushi turned around one last time to glare in his direction. But the woman turned scarlet as Arnav gave her a flying kiss. As blood pooled around Khushi Gupta's cheeks Arnavs smile widened. That one reaction from her sign was enough proof for him. The girl still had feelings for him. That assurance made his day.

###

Aman Mathur leaned against the pillar of the gazebo with an exasperated look, as yet again Arnav and NK chose to argue with each other. After the action between ASR and Rajeev, his two friends indulged in a heated argument regarding Khushi Kumari Gupta. Aman knew that somewhere in his heart NK still felt guilty for dragging Khushi into the bet fiasco. That one incident changed so many lives.

"I am not leaving the farmhouse without Khushi, NK."

"Is she willing to talk about the bet thing? Have you reconciled?"

"No. Abhi gussa hai. Par woh manegi I know it."
(She is upset right now. But she will give me another chance I know it).

"You are a stubborn fool."

Aman tried to think of a solution. Anything to help his best friend get the girl of his dreams. He was trying to come up with different ideas when suddenly he remembered a particular show that his sister had forced him to watch one day. Hmmm. Aman recalled how in that romantic Turkish drama Sanem and Jaan were locked in a freezer. Smiling to himself Aman straightened up and closed the distance between him and Arnav.

"It would be nice if the two of you were locked in the same room. Tum dono araam se baat krsakte ho phir."
(Then you both can talk without any interference).

Both Arnav and NK stared back in disbelief. Aman knew that such a cheesy idea would bring out different reactions from his friends. Rolling his eyes Aman Mathur grabbed Arnav's shoulder. He wanted to make Arnav understand how this would work in their favor. Thankfully Arnav seemed intrigued by the idea. Aman could see a twinkle in his eyes.

###

"I am sorry about all of this Rajeev!"

Khushi apologized yet again as Payal applied ointment to his brother's swollen face. She knew that watching her dance with another man had triggered the monster within Arnav Singh Raizada. It was just a dance and the man had crossed limits by getting physical with the sweet guy, Rajeev.

Butterfly. After ages, he had used the word. It held a lot of warmth as always. She tried not to recall the moment. He was almost nose-to-nose with her. His eyes held a desire to touch her. Thankfully she read those feelings and retreated from his form.

The manipulative ASR finally made an appearance at Payal's wedding. She witnessed a possessive streak within Arnav today. Khushi had met the dark passenger within Arnav once before. She had witnessed his cruelty on that fateful day when the man had brutally crushed her dreams. She shook her head trying to get out of his thoughts.

"Relax beautiful! Never fear when Rajeev is near. Chill. Thoda maara maari ho jati hai in between the boys. But you can make it up to me..."
(Such rough tacklings are frequent between boys).

"Please do tell? Tumhara mood acha krne ke liye hum kya krskte hain Rajeev?"
(What can I do to make up with you Rajeev?)

With a glint of mischief in her eyes the man whispered something conspirative making Khushi grin widely. Nodding in approval the woman went to the kitchen to fulfill the demand of Payal's brother. The man knows how to lighten up her mood. Amused by his request she brought the thaal of ladoo batter. Together with Rajeev, she shaped them into round balls.

The two of them giggled like silly kids having a gala time making the laddoos. Rajeev even offered her one to eat. When she denied the man told her that he would not tell anyone, not even Manorma Auntie. That made her laugh like a hyena. After an hour of fun and laughter, Khushi retired to her room but not before giving her digits to Rajeev. The guy was pouting for her number and she did not have the heart to spoil his mood.

###

"......You know I have the skills of a hacker. All I have to do is drop a text using Payals number. And she will be there in a few minutes."

Aman Mathur explained his plan in great detail ensuring Arnav that nothing will go wrong. Initially, Arnav Singh Raizada was skeptical about the idea. However, it did sound appealing to him. Aman knew that ASR's previous attempts of talking with Khushi Gupta had failed. He could not see the miserable expressions on his best friend's face anymore. So he coaxed Arnav to agree to this one twisted idea. And finally, the loverboy agreed.

"This one opportunity will give me plenty of time with Khushi. That's all I need. A chance to explain my side of the story. Thanks, Aman."

The two shared a manly hug and smiled in triumph. Seeing the hopeful look on Arnav's face, Aman finally sighed in relief. The past 6 months without Khushi had taken a toll on his best friend. The popular guy of Doon College had turned into a hollow shell consisting of nothing but emptiness. Khushi Kumari Gupta had left a void in Arnav's heart. Only she could heal him.

Aman knew that Arnav had done wrong with Khushi. But Mathur believed in second chances. And as a friend, he only wanted the best for the both of them. Maybe this one night would bring happiness to both of these heartbroken souls. A happiness that has been missing for a while now. With only good intentions in mind, the man executed a plan to ensure that Khushi gets to hear everything about that unfortunate day and its after-effects from ASR.
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To be continued.