Lavanya attacked Khushi and both went staggering back.
"Dude I missed you so much!"
Khushi chuckled. "Same here. I brought you a present too."
"Aww! Thanks! But first, tell me - did you go everywhere I told you to go?"
"Yeah, and you were right - Soho is the best place to shop! And omg guess who I saw at Brighton Beach? Matt Bomer!!"
"Eeeeppp!! You're kidding!"
"Nope! He was shooting at a restaurant there!"
"OMG!!!"
"I know!!!"
Kinjal came in and tugged on her earlobe. "My goodness girls, you two are gonna make me deaf if you two keep it up."
The two girls giggled.
"Sorry Mumma," Khushi pouted.
Kinjal smiled. "So what do you guys wanna eat? Pakoras? Jalebis? Samosas? Everything?"
The two girls looked at each other and then at Kinjal. "Everything!"
*~*
"Dayum girl," Lavanya remarked. "That's like your what? 23rd jalebi?"
"That's surprising," Kinjal retorted. "Wait till she gets to her 33rd."
Lavanya blinked. "Damn. But that's not good for you Khushi - it will get back at you in the future," Lavanya said, pointing her finger at Khushi."
"No way," Khushi said. "I work out so I'll keep fit. Besides, even if I don't, I have my family genes running through me," Khushi said as she went over to her mother.
"What do you mean," Lavanya asked as she bit into her samosa.
"My mom also used to eat as much as I used to. And look at her - thin as a stick."
Kinjal waved her hand. "Oh please! I'm not a stick. I'm bigger than a stick. More like a tree's trunk, I would say."
"Not a very big one, that's for sure," Lavanya said. "Saying a tree trunk would make you fat."
"Exactly," Khushi said.
Kinjal rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
The three gals chuckled. Kinjal was making her famous butterfly shrimp, when a worker came in.
"Madam, there's a call for you," she said.
"Who is it," Kinjal asked.
"From the company."
"Ugh! Okay, I'll be there in a few."
The worker nodded and left.
Khushi looked at her mother. "Why do they need you?"
"Well I am co-owner so they must need my authorization on something. I dunno," she shrugged, lowering the flames and then left to get the call.
Khushi looked at Lavanya. "So tell me - what did I miss?"
Lavanya's eyes slightly widened and then she looked away. "Nothing."
Khushi scrunched her eyebrows. "Really?"
"Nothing important. You know, the usual," and she gave a nervous chuckle.
Khushi felt weird about it, but decided not to say anything. Kinjal came back in and continued with her cooking. Soon Karan came home and they all sat down for dinner. Lavanya stayed over for the night, so Kinjal prepared snacks for them, knowing there would be no sleeping for them tonight.
Khushi and Lavanya switched into pjs and the two sat on the floor holding their pillows.
"So did you meet anyone this year," Khushi asked.
"Well...."
"Oh my gosh! You met someone?! Do tell!"
Lavanya blushed. "Well... he transferred in and...."
"And...?"
"Well, it turned out that... that he's one of Arnav's friends."
Khushi's eyes nearly popped out. "What?!"
Lavanya nodded. "I was catching up with Arnav while we were walking around campus, when we saw him. Arnav knew his name and the whole thing, what-not, and I had class with him and I was blushing slightly-"
Khushi gasped. "You? You blushed?! No way!"
"Yes, I can blush," Lavanya pouted.
Khushi chuckled. "It's surprising."
"Gee, I'm sorry! I didn't know I couldn't blush and needed permission to do it," she said, crossing her arms.
"No don't take it that way! Continue the story, please please please!!"
Lavanya rolled her eyes. "Fine. So Arnav was talking to him and I stood there and... well, Arnav noticed me blushing and, well... he had me engage into the convo and had us start talking from that day."
"So did you two hook up?"
"Well... sorta."
"What do you mean by 'sorta'," Khushi asked making air quotes with her hands.
"Well, we started to get along, becoming friends and what not. Then the flirting started and... yeah."
"So we're getting there?"
"Hopefully. He's so cute Khushi!! And... I dunno, he's just different. He gives me these weird feelings I've never felt before."
Khushi blinked. "Who are you and where's my best friend?"
Lavanya made a face and punched Khushi's arm slightly and Khushi went into hysteria.
"Sorry! I was just kidding," Khushi chuckled.
Lavanya sat and pouted with her arms crossed. "Better be."
Khushi giggled. "Oh, I just remembered that I was supposed to hit Arnav up."
"Really?"
"Yeah. One sec."
Khushi got up and went to get her iPad. She went on Facebook and saw Arnav had left a few messages.
A: hey kush!
A: hello!
A: you left me ='(
Khushi couldn't help but to smile. Her? Leave him? Never.
K: sorry! Lavanya's over so I was busy
And instantly, Arnav replied.
A: oh sure, have the best friend over and there you go! Forget the other best friend, right? -__-
Khushi giggled.
K: I can never forget you.
Khushi hit enter and then gasped. Oh no! What if he- better cover up quick!
K: especially with that big head of yours =P
A: hey! My head is perfect!
K: for a monkey =P
A: i'm not a monkey! =(
Khushi giggled.
K: *runs to Arnav and hugs him* don't be sad, be Khushi =D
A: you mean be pagal =P
K: hey!!
A: *runs over to Khushi and kisses her cheek* don't be grumpy, be happy =D
Khushi blinked. Kiss me? Again?
Lavanya looked at Khushi and then at the convo. She saw the kissing thing and her eyes widened.
Oh no, Lavanya thought.
"Um... I'm gonna go to bed," Lavanya said.
"What? Why," Khushi asked
"I'm tired."
"You? Tired? Never!"
"Well I am so I wanna sleep," Lavanya snapped.
Khushi flinched. "Oh... sorry."
Lavanya sighed. "Sorry Kush, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just... I'm just worn out. Especially after all that food."
Khushi smiled lightly. "Understood."
Lavanya smiled. "You should get some sleep too."
"Sure. After I'm done talking to Arnav."
"You should just sleep now."
"I'm fine."
"The more sleep, the better."
Khushi scrunched her eyebrows. "Um, okay... what's going on?"
Lavanya looked away. "Nothing," she said grumpily and went to bed.
Khushi just looked at Lavanya confusedly. What was that about, she wondered.
A: ?
A: anyone there?
A: yoo hoo!
Khushi snapped to the sound of the pings! She looked at the screen.
K: oh, sorry.
A: what's wrong?
K: nothing, just Lavanya acting up
For a moment, Arnav didn't say anything, and then wrote:
Did she say anything?
Khushi scrunched her eyebrows?
K: about you? No
K: why?
And he instantly replied.
A: nothing
Khushi looked at her screen suspiciously.
K: is there something you two are hiding from me?
A: no what would we hide?
Khushi looked at her screen with her eyes scrunched.
K: true. Anyways, it's getting late and you should get some sleep
A: you're not pushing me away are you.
Khushi felt her heart clench.
K: I could never do that
Khushi wondered what he would say to that.
A: me neither
Khushi smiled lightly.
A: g'night. Laters baby
Khushi felt her heart trip up, when she remembered.
K: you read it too, didn't you.
A: Lav made me. Besides, I used to say it before I read it
K: *scoffs* sure you did
A: =/
K: <3
A: =D
K: lol
'Kay. G'night.
A: g'night.
Both logged off and Khushi headed to bed. As she laid there, Khushi stared up at the ceiling. She looked at Lavanya and then back at the ceiling.
I know you two are hiding something from me.
Khushi looked at Lavanya again and then at the iPad. She unlocked her iPad and got a picture of Arnav out.
And I will find out.
