Chapter 18

     Next morning as he sat sipping his coffee after breakfast he glanced at Payal ,who was on the phone. Hearing her replies he understood she was talking to Khushi. 

"Ok then, I will pick you both from there,  Be ready by 10.30 " Payal hung up the call and looked at Arnav who was watching her.

"It was Khushi, She has some shopping. we are going to Phoenix mall".  Payal informed him.

"Oh.. Ok.. "

His face fell hearing that, he was looking forward to visit them after sometime. Payal noticed the change in his expression. 

"If you are free today, then we will all go together- Akash is also coming." She suggested him.

"yes bhai , It's been awhile since we hung out together." Akash warmly seconded Payal's suggestion.

Arnav's eyes lit up with recognition and his face became suffused with a sudden glow of happiness.

"Thik hai,  But I have some work outside, I will be back in half an hour . we can leave by 10.15 , Is that fine?"

"Yaa sure, it's only 9 . you finish your work and come"  Akash replied looking at his brother's spirited face.

Arnav left the house immediately taking the car key with him. Payal and Akash looked at each other and smiled.

    After almost two hours, they reached Gomti Sadan. Akash and Arnav waited in car while Payal went inside the house. He knew Payal purposely sat in the passenger seat , so that he can sit with Khushi and Muskaan in the back.

 Khushi got into the car carrying Muskaan ,settled on her seat and then She noticed Arnav who was sitting near to her.

"Hi" He greeted her with a smile. Khushi ignored him and looked at her sister through the mirror with angry eyes. Payal ignored her sister and looked outside through the window.

"Chale ?" Akash's voice broke the silence.

"yes.. lets go. " Arnav answered him from the back.

    Arnav looked at his daughter who was sitting on her mother's lap. She was looking cute in the pink floral dress with matching shoes. He gently poked her cheeks to get her attention. She turned towards him with slight irritated expression on her face. He gestured her to come to him. He was not sure if she will come or not but he tried his luck.  To his surprise she came to him. He looked at Khushi hugging Muskaan close, She was looking outside the window ignoring both of them. 

    After half-an-hour drive they reached phoenix mall. After parking the car Akash took Muskaan from his hands and they walked towards the babyoye outlet.  After spending almost 45 minutes there Khushi selected few dresses for Muskaan. When she reached the counter to pay the bill, Arnav was already standing there carrying a basket full of dresses. she did not object him when he silently took the dress from her and paid the bill.

Arnav came out of the outlet and joined the other three who were waiting for him outside.

"Bhai they both want to go to ethnicity outlet. we both will take Muskaan to the play area upstairs until they finish their shopping."  Akash told him as soon as he approached them.

"Ok.." He agreed and took Muskaan from Payal and walked towards the escalator along with Akash.

 "Why didn't you tell he would be joining us?" Khushi charged at her sister when Arnav and Akash were out of her sight.

"Woh agaye to kya hua?" 

Her sister's response made her irritated.  She marched towards the ethnicity outlet without saying anything further, Payal followed her quietly with a small smile.

    Khushi selected some Kurtas for Payal,  sarees for her mother and buaji. For her bauji she picked two sets of Kurta pyjama. She wanted to buy a lehenga also for the upcoming ethnic party at office, but couldn't find anything good. 

She paid the bill and left from there. When they were walking towards the escalator a purple colored lehenga caught her eyes. It was a display piece in the Jashn outlet. 

"I want to buy that. In Dubai you won't get this type of dresses." She pulled Payal towards the outlet pointing at the lehenga.

She asked the sales girl for the color change of the same lehenga they displayed. She selected a peach colored one from it and went inside the fitting room to try it giving her handbag to Payal. When she came back from the trail room, Payal was nowhere to be seen in her place Arnav was standing with her bag in his hand. 

"Where is jiji?" She asked him while taking the bag from him.

"She went to use the washroom."

    When she was walking to the counter her phone started to ring. It was from her office in Dubai. She placed the dress on the counter and answered the call. She finished her call in 5 minutes and came back to the counter, but she could not find the dress she selected. 

"He paid the bill already mam, the package is with him" The lady informed her eyeing Arnav who was standing outside the shop with the package in his hand. 

She slowly walked towards him and took out money from her purse and extended it to him. He looked at her with a sober face.

"I don't want money from you Khushi." His voice was filled with irritation.

"Listen Mr. Raizada, I let you pay for Muskaan's dress because I accepted you as her father but that doesn't mean that you have to pay my bills too, I am not your wife or girlfriend " She blasted at him.

"Khushi please... Please keep it as a gift from me." His tone was soft this time.

"How exactly should I take it? As a gift or ..tip? I don't want either from you. "

She caught his hand and placed few notes on his palm and stormed off from there. Arnav remained there recalling the day he insulted her long back when she went to shopping with lavanya.

When they entered  Mezban to have their lunch, Akash noticed Arnav's mood was dull. He looked at Payal with questioning eyes who responded with an expression 'no idea.'.Don't know what happened in a span of 10 minutes.

Khushi prepared pediasure for Muskaan and handed over it to Payal after she finished feeding her banana.

"May I?" he asked Payal looking at the feeding bottle. 

    Payal smiled at him and made Muskan lie on Arnav's lap and gave the bottle to him. He inserted the nipple of the bottle gently into her mouth and watched her sucking on it hungrily. Once the milk was finished he placed the bottle on the table and rocked her gently on his lap. After few minutes she slept keeping her mouth little open.

   Considering his dislike for kids in the past, never in her wildest dreams would Khushi have expected him to be a doting father. He was very much arrogant to the outside world. The only person to whom he always showed his tender side was Anjali. She also witnessed it few times. He is treating Muskaan like a princess. The way he was talking to her, carrying her, feeding her, to be honest -all those made her very happy. This is what she wanted for her daughter , a father's love. But until when? until she leaves for Dubai..? This is only temporary.. She put her thoughts away and joined the discussion they were having about the food served.

Akash and Arnav left after dropping them at Gomti Sadan. After entering her room, when she was changing Muskaan's dress , she saw a chain with a small pendent around her neck. AMK was engraved on it. AMK which stands for Arnav, Muskaan and Khushi.

Love,

ST