~ArShi SS~ The Vampire Knight - chap 9 page 121 - Page 5

She knocked Master's door. Standing outside, waiting like an obedient child. Sometimes, her innocence really made him wonder what times was she living in. She was all of 22, knew much more than an average human about the existence of vampires, had had her own parents slaughtered before her eyes at the tender age of 6, and still shone brighter than sunshine. From where did she find the strength to smile so much, he failed to understand.

Where as he shut almost everyone out, she gladly invited everybody in. She could empathize with even a dead ant for god's sake! How did she do all this?

She was so vulnerable emotionally, yet she excelled in weapons training. Even better than Arnav had done at his time.  She was one of the best on field.

But for Arnav, Khushi never was a hunter. No.

He just could not allow her to hunt those slithering creatures alone. No matter how much she claimed of being the strongest, he would never let her on the night rounds alone.

It was after all, HIS duty to protect her. Why did Master let her learn in the first place? It would have been easy for him to do his job had Master not given in to her pleas for weapon wielding.

The door opened with a creak, making Arnav smoothen out his face's worry lines.

"You called for me, Master?" Arnav asked. Much like a cadet on duty. No matter what the conditions existed in reality, it would still be war to Arnav.

Vikram saw his all grown-up god-son with exhausted eyes. More than 9 years had passed and still his eyes had those steely frozen depths in them. As if he still was a soldier on war. When?? When would the day come when he would understand that the fight was more political now than physical. It was not about killing vampires anymore. It was more about keeping everything a secret. Faking peace. Making sure public thought everything was peachy...

He sighed. More at himself than at the prevailing conditions. How much had he changed. And how much he missed the old Vikramaditya Dev. One who was feared by those damned vampires. One who would never plaster a smile on his face and shake their cold dead hands.

He felt his face soften automatically as his eyes landed on Khushi. How different had she turned out from what he had expected. But then, so true to her name. He smiled a little, at the absurdity of it all.

"Yes Arnav, and you can ease up a little. I am not sending you on a hunt, as much as you would like me to!" Vikram said the last line a little too sternly. Hinting him. And felt contented when he saw Arnav's face harden up a bit. Good! He thought.

"You and Khushi are going to come with me tomorrow... For the annual gala... It's high time you met those who matter, so that you spare them ATLEAST."Vikram added.

"Gala?", Arnav spat out, "Why? Master, I am ready to be punished every other way. But I am not going to a place where I have to breath the air they are consuming as well!"

He felt Khushi tugging his jacket from behind, as if to control him. If anyone understood Arnav's anger completely, it was Khushi. Didn't he use it mostly on her??

"Gala? That means we are going to a Party, Dad?" Khushi stepped in, anticipating another showdown between the two hot-headed men. None ever saw the others perspective and ended up going at each other's throats for hours.

Vikram saw what she did there. Emphasizing a little too much on the 'DAD' she used. He smiled, it was impossible not to.

"Yes beta, WE are going to a party. Make sure you dress appropriately." Vikram doted on her.

"Okay then dad.. We'll get going now.. Too much work to do.. Bye." She gripped the still silently seething Arnav from there, towards the door to escape, before Master said something else and all gates to hell opened. She would better separate the two very volatile substances away from each other.

"Wait. I am not finished with you, Arnav." Vikram said, " You are free to leave, Khushi."

Arnav let go off Khushi's hand. Urging a very visibly tense Khushi to leave. And when she still refused to move, he shut the door on her face.

Arnav closed his eyes, breathed in, and prepared himself to face what he had come here for in the first place. 

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Much Love

Anky