Her eyes were closed, Hands shaking uncontrollably as they clutched the book in an abnormally tight grip. There were tear marks, as if she had just had some sort of a breakdown just moments before he had entered the library. It wasn't normal for Arnav to care for someone, to show any kind of emotion. He had been exposed to the cruelties of the world at an extremely early age. He had been forced into growing up overnight after losing his family sans his sister to a fatal accident and that in turn had made him a cold-hearted human being. But this girl, sitting a few chairs away had changed something in him. She had unknowingly, melted the ice that had accumulated in his heart. Unknowingly though, she had affected him like no one in this entire world had.

"Excuse me" Arnav couldn't stop himself from walking up to her. She looked into his direction, terrified at the sudden tap on her shoulder.

The fear that he saw her eyes the moment she looked at him made Arnav to flinch, his heart clenched painfully.

He hadn't been a scholar in terms of emotions, But Arnav knew that whatever he was feeling in this moment was in no way good.

"I'm sorry to have startled you, I just wanted to know are you okay?" He asked politely, not wanting to scare her any further.

The girl nodded, shakily. "I'm fine. Thank you." She said in the politest of voices, But for some reason, Arnav knew that she was lying.

"I'm Arnav Singh Raizada." Arnav introduced himself to her.

"Khushi. Khushi Rathore" Khushi mumbled in response.

Arnav sighed, "Look, Khushi I'm aware I'm probably coming across as a creepy person, But I'm genuinely worried for you. Are you really okay?" He asked.

Khushi didn't reply.

Arnav sighed, "Okay.. I'm probably sounding too stubborn, but you're practically alone here and for some weird reason, I can't leave you alone here when you're clearly not looking okay. Please talk to me."

"Thank you for the concern Mr. Raizada, I'm not the kind of girl you can trick by doing all these things. Please do me a favour and leave me alone." Khushi almost snapped at him, A strange fear settling in her eyes.

Arnav's gaze softened at her.

"I'm not the kind of person you're thinking. Don't be scared, I won't hurt you." Arnav said softly, He could clearly see her getting nervous and to some extent scared of him.

Khushi gulped, Desperately trying to put up a brave front. She was aware that it was very late. The library was almost deserted, and no one apart from herself, the man in front of her, the night-time watchman and the Night-time library incharge were there.

"Please leave me alone." Khushi's voice came out weaker than she had intended it to be, but Arnav moved a little away.

"Look, I'm not here to harm you. My sister had borrowed a couple of books from the library and I was here to return the same. I just saw you sitting here and had an urge to ask you if you were okay. Nothing else. You need to stop being scared of me." Arnav didn't know why exactly he explained all of this to her, but he needed her to stop being scared of him and explaining seemed to be the best thing to do.

Khushi nodded, "Er.. Thank you."

"You won't find a cab around here easily, It's really late. If you don't mind, May I drop you somewhere? Or arrange a cab for you probably?" Arnav offered.

"I'll manage Mr. Raizada." Khushi whispered.

Arnav bit his inner cheek, He had been acting way out of character today, He had never been so insistent with anybody else.

But she was definitely something!

"Try to think practically Khushi, Delhi and especially this area isn't safe for girls at this time of the day.. er, night." Arnav insisted.

Khushi sighed, How could she trust a mere stranger?

"As if you got everything after trusting your family." Came a voice from the far corner of her mind.

"I.. I know I'm being a little too clingy." Arnav chuckled "I'm sorry if I'm creeping you out."

"At least you're concerned." Khushi whispered inaudibly.

"I live in Greater Kailash, Can you drop me there?" She asked

Arnav smiled softly, nodding at her. "I certainly can."

***

Arnav was sitting in his cabin, frown lines clearly visible on his forehead. His mind was drifting back to the events of last night.

Khushi, The girl he had met last night in the 24-hr library. The girl whose thoughts didn't let him be in peace the whole of last night hadn't left him even now. There was something, that was amiss with her.

He couldn't name it, of course. But..

Khushi..

***

After years, Khushi was smiling to herself. It was as if, She had completely forgotten the mess that her life was. And it felt good for a change. Not remembering the torture that her own family members had turned her life into.

The reason for this smile was a certain Arnav Singh Raizada, The man she had met in the library last night. He was worried for her on seeing her all alone in the deserted library. It had.. Obviously been a mistake to let the mask down and allow herself to be vulnerable.

Anyone could've taken advantage of your..

And what could you have done to protect yourself?

She was lucky that it was Arnav. He dropped her back safely, She knew.. that she wasn't successful in concealing her vulnerability at all, But he understood, strangely.. She knew he did. He hadn't tried to make her uncomfortable in any way. He had.. maintained his distance.

Something in her heart had prompted her to trust him, and she was glad that it wasn't a bad decision.

***

1 week later

Arnav stepped out of his SUV wearing a crisp black business suit, looking around he spotted a lavish 7-star hotel cum restaurant.

"Great place." Arnav thought to himself.

He had just taken a few steps in the hotel's direction when his phone buzzed to life.

"Hello? Yes Aman I'm in front of the hotel." Arnav spoke into the receiver of his cell-phone.

"They should've informed me that earlier. Okay, I'll come back to the office right away." He said, a frown forming on his handsome face.

He had just driven past a nearby park when he caught a familiar figure sitting on the bench, Arnav frowned looking at the time in his Rolex wrist watch.

6:30, And it was slowly getting dark. He got down from his car, walking towards the figure as if being pulled by an invisible force.

"Hello there" Arnav smiled looking at Khushi. "You mind if I sit here?"

Khushi smiled back, Shaking her head a little "Hello, Mr. Raizada."

"So you remember me." Arnav exclaimed. Childlike mirth dancing in his expressive brown orbs, Khushi chuckled.

"I don't come across nice people very often, so those I do, I don't forget." Khushi said softly

"What were you doing here?" Arnav asked

"Finding Solace in the silence of this place, In a city like this... It's particularly hard to find a place like this all quiet, and soothing." Khushi said softly.

Arnav nodded in agreement.

"Isn't it strange that every time that we've met, We've met in odd places, and that too so unexpectedly." Arnav commented

"Yeah."

"With myself always startling the heck out of you!" Arnav chuckled

Khushi smiled, "You didn't startle me today." She said truthfully.

"Well.. I'm so glad about that. I hope we're now friends?" Arnav asked.

"I am sorry?" Khushi was taken by surprise.

"I'd take that as a not now.. I can understand it's a little too soon."

"I'm.. sorry." Khushi sighed "I'm just a little too much of an introvert."

"I can understand, It's probably too soon. I guess we should let it sink slowly." Arnav said softly

Khushi smiled.

***

All that Khushi needed was a little time, Time to make herself comfortable in this new-found friendship, time to accept these sudden almost unforeseen changes in her life and Arnav was ready to be the patient one this time. He waited for Khushi to ready herself, to accept him.

It did take time.. But, It was all worth it.

It was almost like she was living a dream, Khushi was smiling like she hadn't in years, She was laughing.. after what felt like an entire lifetime. The next few months, felt like the best few months of her life. After years, Khushi felt like her old self, crazy, prankster, with those twinkling eyes and broad smile. Khushi was living her childhood all over again.

The childhood she never really lived.

***

Five months, Of utter perpetual bliss. Khushi and Arnav had opened up to each-other, become an integral part of each-other's life.

"It's actually worth it, Sneaking out of the house to meet you." Khushi confessed one day to Arnav.

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that." Arnav beamed.

***

There was always an unmistakable twinkle in Khushi's eyes, whenever she was around this man, not that she was the only one.

Arnav, whose life was all about Work and work alone was looking for excuses to meet Khushi almost every single day.

The only art Arnav could never really master, was the art of making excuses. The excuses that he made never really worked with neither his manager cum best friend nor his sister Anjali.

***

"You know Khushi, When I had met you.. I had no idea that you were so crazy!!" Arnav chuckled.

Khushi looked up at him, smiling. "I'm not crazy!" She protested pouting adorably.

"Oh you of course are crazy, I still remember the way you pranked that supermarket guy." Arnav said smiling cheekily.

"You have to admit that it was really funny." Khushi defended "And you were an equal part of that prank"

"How dare I deny." Arnav chuckled. "And yes, it was funny"

Khushi bowed dramatically.

"You've scared me, you know that? You're a little devil." Arnav exclaimed.

Khushi grinned. "Do you remember his face when he fell in the middle of the supermarket."

"Poor guy." Arnav made a pitying face.

"Now don't act like that, You were the one who distracted him while I tied his shoelaces with each-other." Khushi said matter of factly.

"Khushi.. When did I even say anything!" He cried dramatically making Khushi laugh out loud at his expense.

***

Arnav was a completely different person around this girl. According to him, Khushi was the best thing that had happened to him in years. After the death of his family, The 14 year old Arnav had buried himself somewhere deep down, but that Arnav always resurfaced whenever Khushi was around. Her laughter, Her crazy self was so infectious that it always managed to convince Arnav to help her in her crazy plans.

"If someone saw me this way, having a Pani-puri competition with you, My ASR reputation will be in mortal danger." Arnav remarked.

Khushi chuckled. "Then why do you opt to stay with this crazy girl?" She asked gulping her pani-puri

"Because I am very selfish Miss Rathore and I need you in my life like my next breath" He thought

"Because I like to be with you." Was what he said instead.

Not yet Khushi, It has to be a little more special.

***

"Khushi" Arnav smiled at her, She looked up smiling back. Her smile was something he could die for! Everytime she smiled, The world stopped for him. He could sit at one place and stare at her smiling face for an eternity altogether.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful your smile is?" Arnav asked, Still lost in her face. He could clearly see her cheeks getting painted in tinges of red and her smile widening a little more as a reaction to his question

"More than once." Khushi grinned, Arnav took her hands in his own over the table, and lifted them to his lips. Khushi was still smiling, This was nothing unusual, He had, countless times before kissed her hands, Her palms, Her knuckles and even her forehead.

It was a surprise, How Khushi had never found Arnav Singh Raizada's gestures to repulsive, He had a special power over Khushi which the girl herself could never explain.

"I wonder why I let you do this." Her voice was barely above a whisper "I wonder why.. I never have the urge to push you away."

Arnav looked at her, to find her looking at him in a kind of a trance, Her hazel eyes clouded in a strange confusion.

"Khushi" Arnav frowned, suddenly letting go of her hands, which he noticed were still being held by him. Khushi withdrew her hands, resting them on her lap.

Was everything not okay just seconds ago?

“I had no intentions of making you uncomfortable Khushi.” Arnav said softly, He would never want her to feel uneasy about being with him.

“You.. didn't. You never do, You always make me feel the exact opposite of what he..” Khushi bit her lower lip, causing Arnav's frown deepened.

“What's wrong Khushi?” Arnav asked, “Is everything Okay?”

He was suddenly reminded of the day he had seen Khushi for the first time, He cupped her face. His eyes reflecting nothing but pure concern for girl standing mere centimetres away from him, Their breaths mingling with each other.

Her eyes held the same fear that was present in them that day in the library, He gulped watching her as she withdrew into a hard shell.

But he could see right through her, Her eyes had gone blank, The innocence that was always so evident in her doe shaped hazel eyes had been replaced with something he couldn't recognise.

"Don't go into that shell." He begged, no words escaping his mouth and yet, he knew that she understood. A lone tear escaped her eye before He felt her soft body colliding with his hard one.

"Arnav" Khushi whimpered, burying her face in his chest, Her whole frame shaking with sobs. His right hand found its way through her hair, caressing her hair in an attempt to calm her down while the left one was wrapped around her waist securely holding her close to his chest. 

***

.

I'm back with a Two/Three shot.

This story was started long back, it just never really reached a conclusion. I got busy with other stuff and this story kind of got forgotten. I hope now that I've decided to publish it I'll be able to complete it.

I got this idea when I was watching the end scene of Alia Bhatt-Randeep Hooda starrer Highway but ober the months the plot has been written and rewritten quite a few times.

Okay. I hope you like this story.

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