Chapter Three

Arnav froze. "…w-what?"

Lavanya nodded. "Khushi is blind."

"What?! How can that even be possible?!"

"Anything is possible."

"But… no. It can't be! … she needs her vision back."

"The doctor said that she could never see again."

"What?!"

Lavanya nodded. "Which is why I need your help."

"My help? What for?"

"Be with Khushi."

"What?!"

"Please be with Khushi."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're the only person I know who loves her very much."

"You need to get your facts straight because I don't love her-"

"Arnav, you know deep down that you do! That you still have those feelings that you've always had for her!"

"No I-"

"Arnav stop lying! Please-"

The bell rang.

"Lavanya?"

The two turned and saw the children coming out of room 207 and Khushi came out behind them, calling Lavanya.

"Lavanya? You're still here?"

"Uh, yeah, actually… um, I'm talking to a friend."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm meeting him after three years."

"Ah, a guy friend, huh? Nothing special?"

Lavanya chuckled. "No Khushi, he's like a brother to me," she said, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Oh! Sorry," she said, looking a different direction, seeming like she was talking to the wall.

Arnav just looked at her. He really felt bad for her.

"So who's your friend," Khushi asked.

"His name is Arnav," Lavanya said, looking at him.

"Nice name," Khushi smiled. "Hi," she held her hand out, "I'm Khushi."

Arnav slowly crept his hand out and shook her hand. "Hi."

Khushi held onto it and Arnav got confused.

"Oh, sorry," Khushi said. "See, the thing is, I like to feel people's hands so that I can remember them."

"Oh," Arnav nodded in acknowledgment.

"Think of it as in the movie Fanaa, how Kajol did it in the movie?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Arnav remembered how Khushi used to love that movie. She would always say that there was a girl in the movie who looked just like her. Of course, no one ever saw the resemblance and said she was wrong. Khushi would keep whining but everyone disagreed (of course, we know the truth).

"Um, Khushi," Lavanya said, "I'm gonna go check on the kids and make sure their parents picked them up."

"Okay," Khushi smiled.

Lavanya left, giving Arnav a look before leaving.

"Arnav?"

Arnav looked at Khushi. "Yes?"

"Don't tell me you feel uncomfortable just because Lavanya left. I mean usually when two people meet and the common person leaves, the two new people get awkward."

"Oh, no, no. It's nothing like that."

"Follow me," she said, still holding his hand.

Khushi walked them down, Arnav surprised that she knew which way to go.

"If you're wondering how I know, I've gotten used to the place and have it memorized," Khushi said, as if she had read his mind.

"Oh."

Khushi led him into her office, and she went to her desk and sat in her seat, Arnav sitting across from her.

"So Arnav, what do you do?"

"I'm a business man. I run AR Group of Industries."

"Wait, you're THE Arnav Singh Raizada? Owner of AR Group of Industries?"

"Yeah…?"

"As in THE Arnav Singh Raizada, who's company is spread all over the world?!"

"Yeah."

"Oh my gosh! It's a pleasure to meet you sir," she said, holding her hand out.

"Please, call me Arnav," he said, shaking her hand again.

"This is so cool! I'm a big fan!"

"Really?"

"I have been since your father was in charge."

"Oh," he said, pretending he didn't know.

He already knew that Khushi loved his company. She always had cut outs and fashion magazines with articles of AR.

"Are you interested in fashion," Arnav asked, already knowing the answer.

"A lot. I actually wanted to be a designer. But then fate played its game so… yeah."

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Don't be - it wasn't your fault."

Arnav wondered if it could have been.

"So what brought you here?"

"Huh? Oh, um… well, Lavanya called me and told me to meet her here," he lied.

"Oh. Cool."

An awkward silence passed.

"I um, I should get going," Arnav said.

"Okay. You are a business man after all, always busy."

"Yeah," and he got up.

"It was nice meeting you Arnav."

The way his name sounded from her sweet voice soothed Arnav.

"Nice meeting you too, Khushi."

He turned to leave and when he walked out of the room, he peered in from the small window. Khushi was reading something, feeling the braille letters. Arnav felt bad again and then left.

*~*

Arnav walked into the storage room. He had just arrived home and could only think of the storage room. He went in and looked around for his stuff from three years ago. He found the crate where he had put everything away in after the incident.

He went through it and found the broken picture frame at the bottom. He picked it up, looking at the photo. Khushi looked beautiful, her smile wide and bright. Arnav thought about the Khushi from three years back, and Khushi now. There was a big difference from then and now. Although she smiled, her happiness wasn't entirely there.

Khushi was now alone, dealing with darkness in her life. She had Lavanya, her best friend, for support, but Arnav knew that wasn't enough. He looked down at her picture again and made up his mind.

Fine, he thought, I will try.

And then something popped in his mind.

But wait… if Khushi is here… then… then where is he?