Chapter 17

Los Angeles had brought more than one good tiding. The morning after Christmas, Anjali delivered the good news to everyone.

"Chote, Akash, you are both going to be mamas very soon."

Arnav blinked a couple of times as he digested the news. His Di was pregnant and they would soon be graced with the presence of a little bundle of joy. Never being one who was good with words, he engulfed Anjali in a warm embrace communicating to her the exact degree of his happiness which he couldn't express verbally.

Anjali patted his head gently, knowing just how much this news meant to him. A bond greater than mere siblings had always linked them and the silent communication showed just how strong that connection was.

Arnav let her go and gave way to Akash who embraced her and gave her hearty congratulations. After he was done, Payal wished her as well and a third hug made its way towards Anjali. Her eyes were now slowly filling with tears of happiness as the magnitude of the situation finally got to her.

...

She launched herself onto him and clung on as small tears fell from her bright eyes.

"I'm so happy for you Bhaiya!"

Satvik smiled and hugged her even more tightly. This was one of the best moments in his life and he was really glad that he could share it with his loved ones. Khushi looked up with teary eyes and gave him a bright smile.

"Now I have to go and tease Bhabhi!"

Satvik laughed as his pagal cousin skipped away to find Anjali.

...

The two recently married couples were supposed to go to Goa for the weekend but since Anjali had conceived, they couldn't risk an extra flight journey. So it was decided after much deliberation that Arnav and Khushi would make use of the two extra tickets and accompany Akash and Payal to the sunny beaches of Goa.

On arrival they were greeted by an old friend of Khushi and Payal's from Lucknow. Nikita had been their neighbor for almost six years and then her father had been transferred to Goa. So the friends had shared an unwilling goodbye.

Khushi was delighted to see her after so long. The plump and short Nikita had lost weight and her tanned skin and sun kissed locks made her look very different from when they had last met. The three friends hugged each other and caught up on all that had happened in the last few years. Nikita congratulated Payal and nodded her head approvingly after meeting Akash. Arnav had been a little delayed at the immigration counter so when he finally walked towards them, Nikita poked Khushi in the ribs.

"Who's that handsome fellow?"

For some reason that question nettled Khushi and she answered her friend quite sharply.

"That's Akash's cousin and my best friend Arnav."

Nikita noted the slight hint of annoyance in her tone and smirked slightly.

Khushi looked around for a water cooler and spotted one a little bit away. She began walking towards it but stumbled and would have crashed to the floor if it hadn't been for a pair of familiar, strong arms. Khushi looked into the eyes she had grown accustomed to expect whenever she was in trouble and her face relaxed as his grip around her waist became more firm.

"Ahem."

Khushi quickly got out of his hold and straightened her top self consciously. She purposely avoided making eye contact with Arnav in case she lost herself in his eyes again. Arnav on the other hand scratched the back of his head uncertainly and walked off, muttering something about getting a local SIM card.

Khushi looked up to see Nikita looking at her with a strange expression on her face. She lifted one eyebrow and silently asked her what the matter was.

"Best friend huh?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"He's too tall, dark and handsome for that. Seems more like your knight in shining armor if you ask me."

Khushi's eyes widened and her mouth formed her usual o shape. A slow blush crept along her cheeks and she shook her head vehemently before rushing off to find Payal.

Nikita smiled to herself as she watched her friend run away in a fluster.

Denial huh Khushi? Well I'll change that soon enough. Just you wait.

...

Akash looked into her eyes and smiled. Life was rather beautiful. And it helped that he was married to the most amazing girl in the world. They were currently sitting at a wooden table near the sea shore, drinking some refreshing juice. Payal was looking very pretty and a short pink top and a floral sarong. Akash picked up a flower decorating the table and placed it in the folds of her hair. She smiled at him and continued sipping her guava juice.

"Where's Khushi?"

"She didn't have anything to wear to the beach so Nikita took her shopping."

Akash nodded and watched as Arnav dived into the sea.

...

"I am not walking out in this Niki!"

"Oh come on Khushi! It's this or nothing. So decide."

Khushi looked at her sulkily and hung her head. It had always been useless to argue with Nikita and she should have realized that she would never listen to her protests. She walked out of the hotel rubbing her palms up and down her arms, hoping that it would magically cover all the parts of her body which were bare.

She slowly sat down on the towel that Nikita had laid out and began scanning the beach. Her breath hitched when she saw the sight before her.

Arnav had just finished his swim and was walking out of the waters. He was tanned a delicious brown and the sun's rays gave him an intoxicating golden hue. His abs were glistening as tiny beads of salt water cascaded down his body. His chiseled face and jutting Adam's apple looked even more pronounced in the unfamiliar lighting as something resembling a Greek God walked towards the sandy shore.

Khushi gulped a couple of times as she took in every inch of him. He was perfect. The way his hair clung to his forehead because it was wet made him look deceptively young. Yet his body begged to differ. She decided that it was too dangerous to stay in his vicinity for too long and proceeded to get up and leave.

But she was too late.

Just as she got up, Arnav caught sight of her and stood speechless for a good long time.

She was wearing a pair of black beach shorts which seemed to be a lot shorter than necessary and a sort of halter bikini which wasn't as revealing as a regular one but exposed her entire stomach none the less. Arnav had only ever imagined what her figure was like, having got a tantalizing hint that day she had wriggled in his arms. Now that he knew what she looked like, he was stunned. Even though she was really thin, she had very womanly curves which were being flaunted to perfection in her beach ensemble. Her long legs were too shapely for her own good and Arnav slowly began walking towards her, his senses completely on overdrive.

Khushi felt his presence behind her and her heartbeat accelerated on its own accord. She turned around swiftly and was taken aback by the look in his eyes. There was a strange kind of hunger in them, an impatient hunger, and she took a step back uncertainly as he took one forward.

Arnav, though, was not in the mood for games. He took a couple of quick strides and trapped her underneath a large, colorful umbrella.

"What are you doing Khushi?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing to me?"

Khushi got the meaning behind his words and was about to move back in panic but he was too quick for her. He cupped her face with his hands and brought his lips down to touch hers. A current of excitement ran through her mind as she responded to his kiss willingly. She slowly lifted her arms and moved them into his wet hair. As the kiss deepened, she felt his arms go down to her waist and a jolt of awareness passed through her as she felt his strong arms along her bare skin. She almost pulled back but she pressed his lips more firmly on hers, silently asking her to elongate the moment. She complied and they continued kissing until Khushi suddenly lost balance and fell backwards, dragging Arnav along with her. He was startled to suddenly find himself falling and looked down to check whether anything was wrong. The shy smile on her swollen lips and the pretty, pink blush on her cheeks confirmed that everything was better than fine.

"So how am I looking?"

He caught the mischievous glint in her eyes and smirked.

"Much too hot for your own good."

...

Nikita came down to the beach twenty minutes later. She had received a phone call and had hurried in to attend it. Now that she was free, she wanted to see if her plan had worked. Victory was announced when she saw Khushi lying underneath an umbrella; kissing Arnav like there was no tomorrow.

I think this chapter deserves loads of likes and comments. Don't you agree? 😃