Chapter 21

It was the day of Khushi's mehendi and all the ladies of both families were gathered in the hall of Shantivan as it was a much more convenient location. Anjali's seven months old daughter was keeping both her mamas very busy while her mother, mami and soon to be mami were getting mehendi applied on their hands. Nani sat on a low stool and watched while Manorama and Garima sat together, trying to choose which design would look better on whose hands. One of the ladies seemed a little worried that the men would sneak into the function but Anjali put her fears to rest.

"Don't worry. Asha is keeping both her mamas very busy. She can be quite a handful you see."

Everyone giggled at that comment because Asha did indeed like spending time with Arnav and Akash and she threw a tantrum every time she was taken away from them. Arnav anyway had a soft spot for her because she was his Di's daughter but the fact that she had been named after her late Nani made her even more special. He spent hours playing with her and it really surprised everyone how the grim and stiff Arnav Singh Raizada was able to handle a little child so well. All the family members knew of course that the reason was Khushi. She had brought out the best in him and they were forever grateful to her for that.

…

Arnav tickled his niece just below her chin and watched in amusement as she burst into peels of laughter. Really there was nothing more delightful than watching her giggle and squeal like that. She was the most adorable child he had ever seen. Akash covered his face with his hands, went near her and parted them with his characteristic 'Boo!' This made Asha laugh even more and both young men watched her as their hearts filled with joy.

As much fun as this was, Arnav wanted to get a glimpse of his to-be bride. He hadn't seen her all day and he was dying to get a look at her. But he couldn't do that while Asha was with him. She would start crying if he left her and he had been given strict orders not to bring her near the strong smell of the mehendi.

…

Khushi watched as a beautiful design was drawn onto her hands. She had picked a very pretty one from the catalogue and had been delighted with the result. The ASR had been drawn onto the inside of her left ring finger, the same one she wore her engagement ring on. She had wanted it there because it formed a direct connection with her heart and she always wanted Arnav's name to be close to her's.

After her mehendi was done she walked upstairs while Payal and Anjali finished theirs. She crept out to the poolside and sat down near the edge so that her toes were just touching the cool water. She sighed and tilted her head upwards as a cool breeze wafted in through the window.

…

Arnav laid Asha down in the cot. She had fallen asleep a little while ago and Arnav had been very careful not to wake her up. He crept out of the room and made his way to the poolside. Once their he was greeted by a sight he had sorely wanted to see since the morning. Khushi was sitting by the poolside dressed in a sky blue anarkali with gold borders. Her hair had been left open but he couldn't see her face as her back was turned towards him. Just as he was about to walk upto her, she stood up and turned around.

A gasp escaped her as she caught sight of him, looking devilishly handsome in denims and a white shirt. His face pulled up into his signature smirk and he took a couple of steps towards her. Very predictably, she took a couple of steps back. This continued until her back hit the wall and she had nowhere to go. Her hands were still wet so she couldn't use them to escape from this position. She gulped audibly as he stepped even closer to her till there was barely an inch left between them.

A wicked smile formed on his face and he brushed his lips on her forehead.

"I love how your forehead crinkles whenever you see me."

His stubbled cheek brushed against her delicate one as he pressed his lips on her right cheek and then her left.

"I love how your cheeks turn pink whenever I'm around."

He moved slightly upwards and slowly kissed first one eyelid and then the next.

"I love how your eyelids flutter when I come near you."

Her heart was beating terrible fast now and she was gulping much too frequently. He bent a little lower and kissed the tip of her nose and looked into her eyes.

"I love how your nose turns red every time I touch you."

She turned a deeper shade of red as he continued his assault on her senses. He moved to the right and pecked her right ear and then to the left to peck the other ear with his lips.

"I love how your ears twitch when you hear my voice."

Khushi gulped as she realized that there was only one part of her face left. Arnav looked into her eyes once more, gave her a lopsided smirk and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Khushi immediately melted into him. The past few months had given her plenty of experience and she was now quite an expert at kissing. Their lips moved in sync as she struggled to get the upper hand because her hands could not clutch his hair. He nipped her lower lip and her mouth opened, giving him access inside. He thrust his tongue in and played with hers till they were both panting and gasping for breath. They pulled apart for a few moments but as soon as they had caught their breath, they went in for round two. There was biting and nipping, licking and tasting as two people madly in love, kissed each other with all they had.

Once the exercise was over Arnav lent his forehead against hers and looked into her glazed eyes. They were sparkling brightly and dancing with joy. Her face was flushed and and her lips were red and swollen. He cupped her face and gently stroked her cheek.

"But most of all, I love you."

…

I know its short but at least I wrote one didn't I? Please do like and comment! 😊