Chapter 62: Immeasurable Matured

The content of this story belongs strictly to the author, -Archi-. Any unwarranted use/copy of it is not encouraged and is strictly prohibited.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Immeasurable

Arnav took a deep breath as the opening night of Keyes came to a culminating end.

The time read one o’clock in the morning and he had just bid goodbye to the last of his guests –or rather his mother’s kitty party friends, all with flushed cheeks and giggling laughs all thanks to the free bar– congratulating him for the restaurant and wishing him good luck. He was polite and patient with them, just like Satya taught him to be, and waited until they were all safely back in their cars before closing the doors, the stress and tension finally leaving him.

It had been a good event, all things considered. Minus his conversation with his father, from which he had to take several minutes to recover, the night went on flawlessly. Most of the food was consumed enthusiastically, the fan favorites were obvious and would definitely make it on to the weekly specials, and all the critics seemed to have genuine smiles as they left. Hopefully, they will be kind to him in the papers and blogs tomorrow.

Like Khushi had said, he had done his best. The result was out of his hands.

The reminder of Khushi brought Arnav turning around to scan the restaurant. The only ones left were his cousins, all very excited for the real party, Saket settling the accounts of his wait staff and some of his chefs, all taking a well-deserved break in a far corner. Khushi was sitting with Bhagi and Dev, laughing and completely carefree.

What wouldn’t he do to keep that smile from never leaving her face?

He may have argued with Shankar earlier that evening, enraged about the far-reaching and never-ending control of his father in his personal life, but the truth is, Myra measured up to nothing in front of Khushi. That distinction had been clear from the time he had fractured his leg and had the moment to appreciate just how deep-rooted Khushi was in his life. So yes, he was very thankful for how destiny worked out.

But he also couldn’t look past the ugly truth: his family, truly, never believed or supported him. He would forever be the youngest, aimless child, who would not be allowed to make decisions for himself. As that realization seeped through, Arnav couldn’t help but empathize with Khushi, realizing just how much she suffered under Alok Raj Gupta’s tyrannical rule. No wonder she was so angry and unwilling to forgive him.  

Or maybe, that’s how all parents were in the end, and Arnav was just expecting too much out of them. Whatever the case may be, it was best for his own sanity to put it behind himself and move on. From now on, the only person that mattered to him was Khushi. The rest, as the saying goes, was water under the bridge.

“I think,” came Saket’s voice. “That congratulations are in order.”

Arnav blinked out of his thoughts to see his manager handing him a glass of champagne.

“Yes of course,” Arnav answered, accepting the drink and waving goodbye to the last of the wait staff as they left. “But to you for doing such a fantastic job – I owe you a signing bonus.”

Saket chuckled. “For now, this drink will do.”

Tinkling their glasses with a quiet ‘cheers’, the two of them sipped their champagne, enjoying, perhaps, the first silence they were allowed to have in the last month. It was very rewarding, but as expected, didn’t last very long.

“That critic from the New Delhi Times seemed pretty pissed as he left,” Saket muttered. “Apparently he had specifically asked for a vegan main course, but there was no such request in his RSVP.”

“So, what did you do?”

“Apologized profusely for starters, even gave him extra dessert, but he was acting so entitled… I kinda wanted to punch him in the face.”

Arnav chuckled. “Sucking up doesn’t suit you, Saket.”

“It suits nobody if you ask me,” he grumbled. “Maybe if he opened a restaurant of his own, he would see how friggin’ hard it is to keep track of everything. Besides, I’m very sure he made up that vegan crap just to find an excuse to give us a bad review.”

“It’s fine,” Arnav said calmly. “Bad reviews are a part of the deal.”

“I know, but we wasted a whole meal on this guy… that’s just unhealthy for the bank account.”

Arnav snorted. “Not more than the people who came here to eat for free and won’t even mention us on their websites tomorrow morning.”

Saket sighed. “True.”

“So, where’s your wife?” Arnav asked, trying to change the topic. He had worried enough for an evening; it was time to make peace and move on. “Why didn’t you bring her?”

“Oh, she would have been bored, especially with me running around… plus, it’s probably a good idea to keep her away when my BP is about to go through the roof.”

Arnav frowned. “Wait until Khushi hears that.”

Saket laughed. “Your Khushi is exceptionally kind… which I’m assuming you already know since you married her.”

“I do,” Arnav answered, feeling his heart swell. “But how so?”

“She found me once every hour all evening, took me outside for five minutes and made me drink a glass of glucose.”

That was, indeed, a very ‘Khushi’ thing to do.

“You’re a lucky man,” Saket finished.

“I am,” Arnav admitted without hesitation, glancing at Khushi.

“Do you finally have time for me now?” came a twinkling voice.

Arnav took a deep breath and turned to find Lavanya, dressed exquisitely in a low-cut black dress, smiling at him from ear to ear, holding up a gift-wrapped rectangular box.

“What’s this?” He asked, looking at the present, realizing it was a stupid question the minute it slipped out of his mouth.

“A gift,” Lavanya replied. “For such a successful opening… although after that little taunt in your speech, I’m not sure whether you deserve it anymore.”

Arnav excitedly took the package out of her hands. “Oh, lighten up. You know I love you.”

Lavanya rolled her eyes and waited for him to unwrap the box.

Arnav tore through the gold colored wrapping to find a white satin ribbon inside –a tie – with the name of the restaurant Keyes printed in black numerous times over, forming an abstract print. It was dainty and alluring and oddly, very familiar.

“Like it?” Lavanya asked smugly.

“It’s beautiful,” Arnav answered, racking his brain to see if he had chanced upon a similar looking tie previously. “But why does it feel like I have seen it before?”

“It’s Khushi’s handwriting.”

Arnav gasped, the cursive writing clicking into place. Of course it was Khushi’s writing, he had lost count of the number of times he had seen her sign off on reports, leave little post-it notes for him if she had an early shift… but how on earth did his sister get the idea to imprint it on a tie?!

“See,” Lavanya continued with a smirk. “We don’t just gossip about you on our shopping trips, we do useful things too.”

Arnav glanced at her, failing to find words. “H-how…?”

Lavanya shrugged. “It was easy…This restaurant and Khushi are the two most important things to you, so I took the liberty to combine them together.”

Arnav simply pulled her into a tight hug. Even if his parents never understood him, there were at least his sisters, who stood by him.

“Thank you,” he told Lavanya when they stepped apart. “It’s the second-best gift I have ever gotten.”

She frowned. “What’s first?”

Arnav’s eyes automatically glanced over her shoulder, his gaze turning straight to Khushi, still laughing merrily away as Bhagi handed her a drink.

“What are Bhagi and Dev doing?” Arnav asked suddenly, unable to help the frown spreading up his face.

Lavanya looked behind her and said absentmindedly: “Nothing, they are just getting her drun–”

She broke off mid sentence, her eyes widening in fear.

It took everything in Arnav’s power not to scream. “What did you say?!”

Lavanya shook her head. “Nothing… I said they are getting her a drink.”

“What kind of a drink?” Arnav asked with a cold glare.

She struggled to find an answer.

“You know full well Khushi doesn’t drink!” Arnav snapped. “Why on earth would you–”

Lavanya dropped the pretense. “Oh relax,” she said nonchalantly. “It’s just booze. Khushi needs to loosen up–”

“No she doesn’t!” Arnav fumed. “Spiking someone’s drink is illegal Lavu–”

“Right, when should I expect the police to arrive?”

“I’m serious! You know how I feel about getting girls drunk–”

“Arnav, calm down. It’s just vodka and she isn’t at some strange party–”

“That’s not the point–” Arnav broke off upon catching Dev hand Khushi another glass. Alarmed, he stuffed the tie inside his blazer and sped off, Lavanya following at his heels, grumbling.

His fingers closed around Khushi’s wrist just as she lifted the drink to her lips. Her eyes met his in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, appearing quite composed.

Arnav slipped the glass out of her hand. “Nothing,” he murmured, sneaking in a whiff of the glass. He couldn’t smell anything off, perhaps he came just in time.

“Ready to go home?” he asked Khushi, who was watching him carefully.

Dev and Bhagi exclaimed in unison: “What?!”

Khushi blinked and laughed. “Did you guys practice that?”

They didn’t reply and instead stared at Arnav with indignance.

“You can’t leave,” Dev protested. “The party didn’t even start yet!”

“Look around,” Arnav muttered seriously, watching Khushi carefully from the corner of his eyes. “The party is long over–”

“What about the afterparty?” Bhagi asked. “Come on Bhai, it’s tradition–”

“Not tonight,” he replied curtly.

“What afterparty?” Khushi asked curiously. “I hope it doesn’t involve people pushing me into the pool–”

“No, of course not,” Bhagi replied quickly. “We were just pranking you at the farmhouse that day Bhabhi, we would never have gone through with it.”

Dev added: “Besides, you look hella sexy today–”

“Watch it,” Arnav warned.

He backtracked at once. “I mean you look too beautiful today to push you in a pool, assuming there was one here you know.”

Khushi chuckled, this time her voice a bit more high-pitched than he was used to hearing. “You guys are cute, but I don’t look nearly as good as Arnav tonight.”

Arnav almost dropped the glass he was holding. He looked wide-eyed at Khushi while Lavanya jumped in at once and asked with a wide smirk:

“And how good does Arnav look tonight?”

Khushi bit her lip.

“As good as chocolate ice cream?” Dev offered with a snicker.

She shook her head, still hesitating.

“How about vanilla?” Bhagi suggested with a chuckle. 

“Even better,” Khushi mumbled, looking at Arnav with almost a giddy grin.

She was drunk.

He could see it clearly now, in the way color rose to her cheeks, in the way a silly smile was clouding her eyes, in the way she was twiddling with her hands. The question was, how much?

“Better than usual?” Lavanya pressed.

Khushi nodded, unaware of all the eyes trained on her. “There is something about black,” she began as though talking to herself. “It’s–”

Arnav cleared his throat, thinking very fast. “I think we should get going, don’t you have an early shift at the hospital tomorrow?”

“Let her talk man,” Dev interjected, looking very amused. “Her voice deserves to be heard.”

Arnav glared at him. If they had indeed schemed with Lavanya to get Khushi drunk, all of them were going to be in serious pain tomorrow. But for now, it would  have to wait. There were more important things Arnav wanted to do that night.

“How about,” Lavanya said quickly, perhaps sensing that Arnav’s vein was very close to bursting. “We play a game?”

Arnav opened his mouth to protest, but Khushi beat him to it. “No, he’s right,” she lied smoothly. “I have an early shift tomorrow.”

Thank. Freaking. God.

As Arnav let out a breath of relief, Khushi stood up, surprisingly steady and wrapped her arm around his. Ignoring all of Dev and Bhagi’s protests, Arnav handed the restaurant keys to Saket, who volunteered to stay behind and lock-up once everyone went home, hurriedly wished his remaining family good night and walked out into the cool night with his wife in tow.

Khushi was very quiet during their short walk to his car. He had sent his driver home with some of his guests, who appeared too tipsy to drive, earlier on. So, it would be just the two of them.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked as soon as they were safely buckled in.

Khushi smiled, her hands fiddling familiarly. She did it every time she was nervous. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he replied sarcastically. “Maybe because Bhagi and Dev were slipping vodka into your drinks.”

Khushi shrugged, not at all bothered with the information.

“Are you not mad?” Arnav asked with surprise as he drove through the almost empty Delhi streets.

“I know them too well to be mad… they are kids,” she said, with almost a hint of affection.

And that’s what makes you so different, he thought to himself. He remembered only too well what Myra’s annoyance used to be every time a family gathering was called. And even when she would reluctantly attend, she stayed in a corner, keeping mostly to herself.

But Khushi, his Khushi… no, she was miles away from that. She took sport in the stupid jokes, often making some herself. It was so heartening to see her treat them as her own.

“Oh look!” she said suddenly.

Arnav turned to see her pointing to an ice cream stall. He hit the brakes as a reflex, bringing the car to a complete stop in record timing. Khushi grinned sheepishly, knowing full well what he intended to do.

“So, what flavor will it be Dr. Gupta,” he asked formally, unbuckling his seat belt. “Chocolate or vanilla? Or something even better?”

Khushi turned red at the reminder.

“Oh, now you’re blushing,” he continued mockingly. “Back there, you were ready to pour your heart out for everyone to see without even blinking an eye.”

“But you do look good in black,” she mumbled, unapologetic.

Arnav grinned. He knew that, she had told him so once before.

Promising to be back in two minutes, he exited his BMW and hurried across to the street to get two chocolate ice creams. When he turned back, he saw Khushi standing at the front of the car, trying hopelessly to hop on to the hood.

He laughed. Although he would never admit it to Lavanya, maybe lacing Khushi’s drink with alcohol was a good idea. It brought out an inexplicable vulnerability in her, something that he didn’t quite understand, but was definitely enjoying.

“Need some help?” he asked, when Khushi groaned in annoyance.

She nodded, her red lips pouting in the slightest of frowns. Arnav handed her the two cones of ice cream, before clasping her delicate waist and gently lifting her to sit on the hood. He held onto her a second longer than what was strictly necessary, breathing in her scent.

“Thank you,” she whispered shyly, not missing anything.

Arnav simply took one ice cream cone from her hand, keeping his torso pressed against her dangling legs. “Cheers… We did it.”

“You did it,” she corrected, wasting no time to dig in.

Arnav spent more time watching her devour the chocolate soft serve, than eating his own. It was a clear night; the stars were shining brightly down on them, while the moon played hide and seek with a few hazy clouds. Khushi’s saree was glimmering in the soft light, her eyes bright and innocent.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten,” he murmured after a few minutes.

She met his eyes in confusion, her mouth full with ice cream.

“You were going to tell me why I bother you, remember?”

She swallowed, nervous. “N-now?”

“Why not?”

She looked around the empty street, the ice cream stall owner having packed up for the night just a few minutes ago. “Here?”

“Do you want an audience?”

Khushi blinked, trying to collect her thoughts. “I… I… I don’t know where to begin.”

Arnav leaned forward, his hands circling her waist once again. “Start from that night in the rain… why didn’t you let me kiss you?”

She tried to look down at her lap, avoiding his eyes. But he was having none of that. He tilted her chin up with his index finger, demanding an answer.

“It’s very stupid,” she admitted in a small voice. “You will laugh.”

“Khushi,” he said seriously. “It’s me. What is it that you can’t tell me?”

Probably lots of things, his mind interjected. Afterall, he had only known her for a few months. How did that compare to her brother or her mother, who spent decades with her?

Perhaps it was her tipsy state of mind, or his unrelenting tone, or perhaps like him she did not want to waste any more time, but whatever it was, it was enough for her to finally speak up.

“What... what if I’m not good enough?”

It was such a random, unexpected question that Arnav wasn’t even sure if he heard it right.

“What do you mean?” He asked, gentle.

Khushi tried to lean back, but his arms tightened around her waist. He couldn’t tolerate any more space in between them, literally and figuratively.

She took a deep breath, as though steeling herself. “What if I’m not as good as Myra?”

Arnav couldn’t make head or tail of her question, but seeing how she was avoiding his eyes, he knew it was something she had been thinking about for a while.

“Your question makes no sense,” he answered. “Because Myra and good never belonged in the same sentence.”

“But you loved her.”

“Exactly, lov-ed-”

“And you probably have many fond memories... how... how am I supposed to measure up to that? I’ve never even been on a date Arnav, I don’t even know how to kiss someone... and you... you’ve been through it all. You know what you want and what you don’t... what if I am not better than Myra in all those things?”

And Arnav finally understood. The reason she held back that day in the rain, even though she wanted to kiss him as much as he did her, the reason she avoided having this conversation until now, the reason why she never wanted to talk about Myra... she was insecure. She may have understood his plight as a friend, she may have supported and encouraged him as a partner, but as a lover, she felt she wasn’t good enough.

She couldn't be more wrong!

“Khushi,” he said softly. “It’s fine if you’ve never been on a date, it’s fine if you don’t know how to kiss someone... this isn’t rocket science that you need to do a PhD in. This is love... this is letting your heart feel the way it wants to without attaching all these unnecessary complications.”

“Easy for you to say… You’re probably a good kisser.”

Arnav had to bite back a laugh. “Look at me.”

She refused.

And that was the end of his patience. Holding her delicate face with one hand, he angled her chin towards his and captured her mouth, not caring that they were literally in the middle of the street, open and vulnerable for anyone to see.

Khushi froze at first, caught by surprise at his sudden onslaught, but she soon relaxed in his embrace, letting him savor her soft lips, even opening her mouth to let his tongue tease her.

It was all of his dreams coming true and more! Feeling her sweet breath against his mouth, her entire body heaving against his, her waist encircled in his arms...  Arnav wouldn’t be surprised if it all turned out to be just another dream. It was that divine.

They broke apart after a few minutes, trying to catch their breaths, even though their hearts were screaming for more.

“See?” He told a flushed Khushi. “There’s no science behind kissing.”

She shakily reached up to tuck a few stray hairs behind her ear, utterly speechless.

“Yes, I was in a relationship before,” Arnav admitted. “Yes, it used to be a big part of my life... but if Myra was what I wanted, if Myra was some kind of stupid standard I was looking for, then why on earth did we break up?”

Khushi listened intently.

“So you see, this isn’t some kind of competition between you and Myra... Because she failed long before you even entered my life. You think I have everything figured out when it comes to love, but the truth is I didn’t even know what I wanted until I met you... And that’s all I want now: you. I want you with all your nerdiness, with all your inexperience, with all your fears... do you know what that makes you?”

She shook her head.

“It makes you immeasurable... which means the question of you measuring up to Myra shouldn’t even come into existence.”

This time it was Khushi who leaned in and seized his lips without a warning. One second Arnav was looking into her hazel brown eyes, and in the next, he could feel her hands climbing through his hair as her tongue danced against his. This time, they weren’t holding back.

“Let’s go home,” Arnav murmured, a sudden urgency overtaking him.

It had to be one of the longest drives he ever endured. Khushi was careful not to look at him through the entire journey, acting almost as though she would combust into flames if she met his eyes. And perhaps it was for the best, for only Arnav knew what kind of restraint it took to concentrate on the road in front of him instead of all the things he wanted to do with her.

After twenty treacherous minutes, they finally pulled into the parking lot of their apartment building. Khushi wobbled out of the car, whether from nerves or excitement or fatigue, he didn’t quite know.

“It’s my heels,” she explained when she unexpectedly caught his speculating eye.

Oh. That was an easy fix.

Arnav effortlessly swooped her up into his arms, earning a quiet yelp from her in the process, and made his way to the elevators.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Khushi murmured, embarrassed.

Luckily, owing to the late hour, the floors were mostly deserted.

“Oh but I did,” Arnav whispered back, pulling her an inch closer so that his breath fanned her face. “I can’t have you slip away from me again… look how many days we wasted while you tried to find a scientific explanation for kissing.”

Khushi’s cheeks grew enticingly pinker. “I knew you would laugh at me.”

Arnav kissed her forehead, only because it was in reach. Otherwise, he would have found her lips. It was proving to be very effective at silencing her doubts.

“Who's laughing?” he replied, stepping out of the elevators into their dimmed penthouse. But the smirk on his face stayed put. “All this time I was thinking the problem was that you had no feelings for me, when in reality, all you needed was practice.”

She tried to keep her composure as he gently set her down in the living room. “Now you’re just being smug.”

“Of course I’m being smug,” he said unabashed. “Not only am I with the most beautiful girl in the world, but the most beautiful girl actually likes me back.”

“She more than likes you back.”

Arnav pulled her against his chest. “How much does she like me?”

For that she had no answer, except to kiss him.

Arnav felt exhilaration run through him as he responded to her, feeling her deeply, properly, no longer worried about what it meant or what she was thinking. Without the shackles of doubt, his desire soared high. And he made no effort whatsoever to hide it.

“Wait,” Khushi gasped after what felt like an eternity.

Arnav stopped for the tiniest of seconds, his arms still bound tightly around her, his fingers coyly undoing the hooks of her blouse.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, wondering if he was going too fast. “Do you not want…?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I mean, w-wait here.”

Untangling herself from his arms, she hurried into their bedroom. Arnav waited, bemused, wondering what it was that couldn’t wait until morning. When she didn’t return in five minutes, he strode in after her.

“Khushi, what’s going on–”

He stopped short, for what he saw was not his bedroom, but a piece of heaven. The entire room was covered in rose petals of deep maroon while tall white candles shimmered in every nook and corner. The curtains were drawn back to allow the moonlight to filter in, while the distant high-rise buildings slept by in ignorance. And right in the center, stood Khushi, the love of his life, her hair tousled, her eyes smoldering, and her lips swollen from his onslaught that evening.

Something very deep awoke in Arnav. Something he couldn’t explain, something he knew would stay with him for as long as he was alive.

“Surprise,” Khushi said, a titillating smile on her lips.

If it was any other day, Arnav would have tried to find words to thank her, to tell her how beautiful the room looked or would have even asked her why she went to such great lengths when she had already given him everything he wanted. But that night, after all that he had been through, with the success of his restaurant only hours old, Arnav didn’t want to find words. No, he wanted to show her just exactly what her gesture meant to him.

Crossing the room in two large strides, he pulled her close, burying his face in the hollow of her neck. Her arms came up around him in instinct, as though they have been intimate like this for eons now.

He didn’t stop there, however. Holding her tight, he began to place soft kisses on her shoulder.

“I just thought,” she mumbled, distracted with his touch. “Since the restaurant i-is… done now…”

Arnav wasn’t letting her speak. He continued trailing up her neck, stopping to nibble on her soft ear lobe. She shuffled nervously, his advances perhaps still feeling very foreign.

“Arnav… listen–”

“I want you,” he said, letting one of his hands climb through her waist length hair, up her exposed back, feeling the gentle curves of her shoulder blades. “I want all of you.”

And it was true. He wanted to kiss every inch of her, he wanted to touch her as he pleased, he wanted to hold her, and cuddle her and make her his in a hundred different ways.

Khushi blinked, a strange sort of understanding overtaking her doe like eyes. “I am yours,” she answered, cupping his face. “Every single cell belongs to you now.”

He held her gaze for just a second, reveling in the magic of her eyes, before turning her around so that her back was pressed against his front. His hands slipped underneath the pallu of her saree, snaking their way around her bare waist.

She shivered upon feeling his skin, but leaned back all the same, letting him have his way with her.

“You have no idea how long I wanted this, how long…” he trailed off, grazing the exposed hollow of her neck while slowly undoing the remaining hooks of her blouse.

She sighed in content, closing her eyes. 

“And when I saw you tonight,” he continued, lifting one of his hands to feel the innocent black beaded chain around her delicate neck. “I just knew.”

Her blouse came undone.

“Knew what,” Khushi murmured, her voice vaguely curious. She was having a hard time keeping her breathing in check. 

Arnav tugged the short butterfly sleeves off her shoulders, letting the blouse slowly slide down her arms, taking the pinned pallu along with it. Her breasts popped free, looking magnificent in the dimmed room.

“I knew,” he replied hoarsely, circling both in his all too eager palms. Khushi sucked in a sharp breath, goosebumps appearing on her skin.

“That you were mine,” he finished, toying with her buds, rolling them expertly in his fingers.

Khushi suppressed a moan.

“Look at me.” It wasn’t an order, but there was an undeniable authority in his voice.

She turned around, her cheeks blazing, her eyes still closed. It was so strange to see the usually confident Dr. Khushi Kumari Gupta crumbling into a blushing mess in his arms.

He cupped her cheek. “If there is something you don’t like, you have to tell me.”

Khushi bit her lip.

“Because this is supposed to be as much fun for you, as it is for me.”

She hesitantly met his eyes. “It is.”

He knew that from the way her body was reacting to him, but it was nonetheless arousing to hear her say it.

“How about this?” he teased, lowering his head to tug on one of her nipples.

Her fingers clutched his clothed shoulders, a gasp escaping her pursued lips. She stood a little rigid in front of him, waiting for him to go on.

“Relax,” he whispered, planting quick soft kisses all the way up to her cheek. She melted a little at that, but he could still feel the tension in her frame.

“We don’t have to go on,” he told her seriously, a small part of him wondering if maybe this was all too much for one night.

She shook her head. “I-I want to.”

Arnav couldn’t help but grin. “What do you want?”

“You.”

“Good try Dr. Gupta, but you will have to do better than that… show me what you want.”

Khushi took her time to respond, a shy smile playing on her face as she decided what to do. Finally, with shivering fingers, she began to tug on his blazer –he was still fully dressed– pushing it back on his shoulders and rolling it down his arms.

Arnav nodded in appreciation, as she dropped it on the floor and moved on to his shirt. With tantalizing grace, she unbuttoned it, pulling one sleeve at a time until he stood bare-chested in front of her.

She ran her palms across his shoulders, down over his chest, as though trying to memorize the contours. Arnav closed his eyes, reveling in her delicate touch, when her hand came to a stop at the center where his heart lay. Could she feel how loudly it was thumping? Perhaps she did, because the next thing he felt was her cheek against his chest: she was listening to his heartbeat.

“See what you do to me?” he purred, stroking her hair.

He felt Khushi’s grin, and she unexpectedly turned her face to kiss him on the chest.

“You have no idea how long I have been wanting to do that,” she whispered.

And she didn’t stop there. She continued trailing her kisses much like he did along his chest, up to his neck, before standing on her tiptoes to find his lips.

Arnav groaned. He let his hands drop to the soft curve of her hips, pulling her roughly against him. He knew she felt his arousal when she took a quick breath in, failing miserably to be discreet about all the new things she was discovering that night.

“Don’t think,” he told her. “Just give in.”

Then dropping to his knees, Arnav undid the safety pins holding the bottom half of her saree together, making sure to leave a line of kisses on her soft abdomen. Khushi ran her hands through his hair –a feeling that almost sent him over the edge– a soft sigh escaping her lips.

He worked fast, first pulling on the last of the saree pleats and then on the satin underskirt, until she was completely devoid of clothes. Daringly, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss.

Khushi trembled. “Arnav.”

He stood up and scooped her into his arms in one fluid motion, setting her down only on their vast king-sized bed.

She looked so beautiful in front of him, the moonlight casting passionate shadows along her silky skin. How many times did he fantasize about this moment? How many dreams he endured, imagining, hoping and wishing to hold her like this? But none of them had even come close to her real form.

“Arnav?” Khushi called, blushing under his sensual gaze.

He grinned. Would he ever get over the effect she had on him? Probably not, he thought to himself, crawling on top of her, careful not to put too much weight and yet, feeling every inch of her skin against his.

“You are so beautiful,” he told her before taking her right breast in his mouth, this time fully, his tongue whirling over her sensitive buds.

She squirmed underneath him, her hands finding his shoulders, sometimes pushing and sometimes pulling. All she could manage to say was his name. Over and over again.

Her voice seemed to have cast a spell over Arnav, for he grew even harder, his lips working more feverishly while his hand slipped in between her legs, his fingers inching towards her wet folds.

She whimpered when he found her sensitive core.

Arnav hadn’t dreamed, even in his wildest, most exotic dreams, how gratifying it would be to please her like this. No matter how many nights they would spend together in the future, and he knew there would be a lot, this one would forever be special.

Khushi succumbed into a heaving mess very quickly once he started massaging the sweet spot in between her hot crevice. Her nails were digging into his back, her senses going into overdrive, her body starting to hum.

“Oh Arnav, I-I can’t…”

He silenced her with a kiss. “Don’t think,” he reminded her gently, for he knew only too well what must be going on in her head. “Enjoy it.”

When he felt she was ready, Arnav stripped off the remainder of his clothes and settled on top of her once again, his knee gently pushing her legs apart.

“You’ll tell me if it hurts?” he asked, looking into her frenzied eyes. No matter how well he prepared her, he knew it would hurt, tiny as she was.

She nodded, bringing her petite arms around his neck.

Arnav positioned himself at her entrance, pushing himself inside as gently as he could. Khushi flinched.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, hating that she was uncomfortable.

She silenced his fears with a longing kiss. “You can never hurt me.”

In some remote corner of his heart, Arnav felt a tinge of uneasiness. He knew that wasn’t true, there were lots of things about him that could hurt her, maybe not physically, but definitely emotionally. But he wasn’t going to bring them up tonight, not now, when both were on the brink of ecstasy.

So, tucking away his fears, Arnav continued, inch by inch, until he was buried fully inside her. Khushi was looking at him, her face betraying nothing but bliss.

“How do you feel?” he asked, curious.

Her answer was simple: "Complete."

Many moons later, when Arnav would recall this moment, he would realize with a pang that she was absolutely correct.

Khushi completed him.

She was the half of his life that was worth living, the half that he cherished more than anything else, the half that pushed him to move forward. Without her beside him, it was not his body that was empty, it was his soul.

But at that moment, all Arnav felt or could comprehend was their love condensing into a passion like no other.  

Throwing all caution to the wind, Arnav began to move at an exhilarating pace. And despite being a novice, Khushi kept up with him, much like how she walked with him in life, shoulder to shoulder.

It didn't take long for them to reach their climax, deprived as they were of each other for so many months now. But when they did, Arnav couldn't help but feel as though he was a man reborn.

For the first time in his twenty-eight years of life, Arnav felt as though he had everything he could ever want.

___________________________________________________________________

A/N: Surprised to see me? 

Firstly, thank you for sticking to this story and reading until here. I'm so sorry I disappeared, my life out in the real world is as hectic as ever. Chapters now take weeks for me to write instead of days... but as someone of you who have read my work since the beginning (a decade ago now) know, I always come to back to finish my stories. So here I am trying to get the last few chapters of this story posted before the New Year. 

I know a lot of you have sent me messages, I really appreciate the concern. I will definitely get back to you once I finish writing... please give me a little more of your patience. 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, definitely the boldest I have ever written ❤️

Lots of love,

Archi

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