Chapter 15

When Khushi joined Arnav in the living area dressed in her off-white anarkali, high heels, glossy peach makeup, neck devoid of any ornaments and just two huge pearl earrings, he could not take his eyes off of her. She was a vision, and she was his. A renewed wave of 

possessiveness swept over him. Arnav was also dressed to kill, looking dapper in his black suit, black shirt and a dark grey scarf. Combination of their black and white attires was giving them a regal aura. While Arnav was mesmerized by his plus one of the evening, Khushi was nervously gaping at her escort who was oozing masculinity and authority. She had never seen him in a scarf. It suited him so well.

Arnav too couldn't help but notice the vast expanse of skin showing above her deep neckline. Her duppata was hanging on one shoulder giving an unobstructed view of her throat and area below it. He has always seen her in modest dresses, and this sight was alluring him. 'If she looks so delectable in white, how would have she looked in red?'  he deliberated. He had no one but himself to blame for missing that vision, he rued.  'It was for the best. All in its good time'  he consoled himself. He was shook out of his monologue by Khushi's voice.

'Am I looking okay Arnavji?'  she asked fidgeting with her duppata.

How to tell a girl who is looking absolutely ravishing and sexy, that she is looking more than okay, WAY MORE, without sounding cheesy?  he pondered.

'You're looking beautiful Khushi'  he stuck to the convention.

Even a normal compliment like that was rewarded with a lovely smile, making Arnav's heart melt.

'I'll go and check on the kids'  she said before heading out.

He nodded and also followed her to the nursery, where their angles were fast asleep. After kissing the two babies, they left for the party.

While driving to the venue Arnav briefed Khushi that it was an official party. Not very big, neither small. Mostly creme de la creme of business circle and people involved in this particular deal will be there. He told her to tell him if she gets bored, they can come back anytime she wants. She smiled and nodded at his thoughtfulness, making her long earrings stir and brush the base of her neck, beckoning Arnav to kiss that spot. With her looking so enticing by his side how was he supposed to concentrate on serious business talks, he audibly sighed. So much for avoiding red.

They entered the party looking like a power couple to the hilt, making heads turn. But what caught Arnav's notice in the whole party was Akash coming towards them with a smile on his face. To his luck Aman reached them first informing that the client party has arrived and is eagerly waiting for ASR. Arnav grabbed Khushi's hand and headed in the direction Aman had pointed, without wasting any time. In these two days Arnav had pacified himself by arguing that how dear could Akash be for Khushi, if she forgot to contact him for a full year. That thought gave him a lot of peace of mind. Peace of mind which was right now threatened by seeing Akash looking so excited at seeing Khushi. Khushi on her part was solely concentrating at Arnavji warm hand that was engulfing her's at the moment.

'But he does not seem to take notice of it. Maybe its normal to hold hands in these parties'  she let the thought go.

Arnav introduced her to everyone as his close friend. Khushi felt very honored at this introduction. She could see the amount of power Arnavji yielded in this world. She knew he was an important person but was not aware of the extent of his influence. Back at home, he behaved so normal. Except for his occasional temper bouts he never fussed about anything. Here he emanated shrewdness and commanded respect. This party was a huge eye opener for her regarding Arnavji aka ASR's standing in the world of business. She was glad she came and witnessed this side of his.

But an hour into the party and Khushi had started feeling quite out of place. She had no clue about the line of conversation going on in the circle she was standing in. With an exception of smiling back at Arnavji who was looking at her periodically with a slight smile of assurance there was nothing much for her to do there. Before her presence becomes imposition, she decided to put her plan into action.

'Arnavji, I'll just come'  she whispered in his ears.

'Where are you going?'  he asked.

'I'll go and say hello to Akash'  she replied honestly.

'Why? I mean are you getting bored? Do you wanna go back? We can leave'  suddenly all his attention was on her.

'No, No. I just saw him waving at me'  she said pointing towards Akash who was standing in the corner  'and remember I promised him to catch up here. I'll just come. You please don't worry'.

If Arnav was half interested in the party earlier, his full interest now went down the drain at seeing his white angel gliding towards that idiotically grinning Akash Roy.

'Hi Akash'  Khushi smiled as she approached him.

'Hello Khushi. How are you today?  he said.

'I am good. And you? Why are you standing alone here? You don't have friends here?'  she questioned back.

'My dearest friend was busy with the head honchos of the industry. Now that she has time for me, I'll not be alone'  Akash flirted lightly.

'Oh, if it is any consolation, your friend was very bored there'  she mock sighed. 

'Is that so? Now that you are here, I'll keep you entertained mademoiselle'  Akash bowed dramatically and grinned.

'You are so dramatic Akash'  she laughed heartily at his antics.

Arnav was watching these two from the corner of his eyes with his jaws clenched. And after 20 minutes whatever little patience he had, snapped. As Khushi and Akash were chatting about everything that happened in the past year, Aman came there and interrupted them.

'Ma'am, ASR is asking for you'  he addressed Khushi.

'Why?'  she questioned looking over his shoulder where she could see Arnavji talking to someone.

'I don't know. I was just asked to let you know'  he expressed his ignorance.

'Okay. Excuse me Akash, I'll just be back'  she said moving in Arnav's direction.

That was the last Akash saw of Khushi in that party. 

As soon as Khushi reached Arnav, he latched his left hand at the small of her back, on the pretext of introducing her to someone, and then innocently forgot to take his hand back, for the rest of the party.

'Its normal. Don't overreact. Everyone is standing like this only'  she kept chanting in her mind, all the while giving side glances to an ignorant-to-her-plight Arnavji. Only that, he was very much aware of his hand, her reaction and her plight. But he could not risk leaving her to run back to Akash. She will have to be rude to ask him to take off his hand so that she can move, and he was sure she would not do that. He knew her that much, he smirked.  

If Khushi was nervous before in the company of her dashing companion, she was totally flustered now. She had never stood so close to Arnavji, and never had been touched like that before by anyone. She tried as much as she can to calm her rapid heartbeats and relax her stiffened body, while smiling outwardly. She did not get bored after that. Her brain was fully occupied, trying to make sense of the sensations this touch was creating in her body. She could best describe the symptoms as that of a heart attack. Increased heart rate, perspiration, dizziness and weird feeling in her heart. 'But am I not still standing on my two feet? And how in the world can my brain register the musky smell of his cologne at this time? What do I make out of it?'  she helplessly thought.

Just then Arnav turned to his side, his other side, and simultaneously his hand on Khushi's back rode up a little, KNOCKING THE BREATH OUT OF THEIR LUNGS.

'OMG! His ... his hand ... SHIT ... I told them the neckline is too deep at the back. No body listens to me. EVER. Should I move? Will that look rude? Does Arnavji even realize where his hand is?'  her confused mind went into over drive now.

'HOLY F**K**G CRAP!! Is it her ... her skin?'  was Arnav's first thought when his hand rode up on Khushi's back. And his first instinct was to pull his hand back. But something stopped him. The feel of her skin under his hands. Soft, warm and silky. It stopped him. He had envisioned various scenarios, like a peck on her forehead or her cheek, a kiss on her lips, hell even a nuzzle to her neck and her hair as their first proper touch. But never in his wildest dreams did he think of his palm and tip of his fingers on her bare back as one. And it felt heavenly. He did not want to take his hand back, but he knew things will get very awkward between them if he did not. And he had all the intentions to draw his hand back at that moment, had he not seen Akash looking lost into Khushi from a distance. 

 'Well, we have to take a step ahead from somewhere. Why not here? She has to be taken out of her friendship zone. I am doing nothing wrong, Khushi is mine'  his mind took a U-turn.

The irony of all of it wasn't lost on him. A year back he was working hard to get her to build this comfortable friendship with him, and now he has to again work on getting her out of this very comfort zone with himself. Her cluelessness was very cute, but he does not have time to humor it, specially with her random 'friends' turning up on his door step. But however certain he was about his feelings, it did not mean he'll profess them without being sure of hers. And  Arnav Singh Raizada had a plan to overcome that hiccup. He will just have to bring Khushi on the same page as him.

So, his hand stayed on her bare back for a considerable time before leisurely going back to its original place, fueling her confusion and his determination.