Chapter 8

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Chapter 10
(3389 words)

It had been two months since Khushi had been kidnapped by Shyam and it had been two months since Arnav had found Khushi in that condition on the warehouse floor slightly wet but mostly naked. The first few days had been torturous because of the constant presence of the police asking Khushi several awkward questions with her answering with those swollen lips of hers where Shyam had slapped her hard. Plus, her head injury was taking time to heal because of the late medical help. And to top that, the fact that Shyam had still not regained consciousness had kept them swinging between the good news of his death or the bad news of him still being alive.

It was only in the second week that Arnav had smiled properly after the incident. Shyam was finally awake and had been crippled for life because of the bullet that had hit his spine, paralyzing his nervous system partially. Served him right!

Khushi had been really strong throughout. She had asked Nani for details about her parents which Nani hadn't previously shared with Khushi when she had come to Shantivan because of her tender age. Nani had then told her all about her parents. But instead of feeling ashamed of her mother's history, Khushi was feeling proud of her - what a strong woman she was who fought against all odds and came out of that hell. But in all this, she admired her father like never before - he had accepted a woman like her mother which most men wouldn't. She was a proud daughter today. And thus, her love for them and gratitude towards the Raizadas only increased.

And despite of the double trauma of the kidnap and her parents' history revealed to her she was answering the policemen's questions bravely and leading her life like she always did which meant she hadn't mentioned or stated or showed her true feelings towards him during this period.

Nani's approval of Khushi shouldn't have surprised Arnav and he was not exactly surprised. He had slumped his shoulders in defeat when Nani had told him that he and Khushi should give each other a chance. His Nani had always wanted him to find his happiness but later had given up because of his reluctance.

And he had tried, sincerely to see her in that light. But every time he looked at her he saw her ripped lips, scars on her neck and the slight slump of her shoulder, his protective instinct towards her would overpower every other emotion. When she had recovered completely, at least physically, he had tried again to reciprocate her feelings for him.

But as much as he tried, he couldn't feel that way for her and he felt helpless. That was the only thing that Khushi wanted, that was the only thing which would make her happy, that was the only thing that he could give her yet he couldn't. Because he wasn't giving himself completely into what she wanted. He always held himself back because he was her guardian and it was his duty to make sure that she got the best as he knew that something better awaited out there in the world for her and that she would one day realize that her feelings for him were only temporary.

And the fact that Khushi hadn't brought up the topic, he didn't either. He called himself a coward but he would rather be that than bring up that himself. Thus, Nani and he had decided that it would be better if they don't discuss the topic of him and Khushi again, unless she brings it up herself.

He was relieved to find that she didn't approach him like she used to which Arnav assumed to be a consequence of her recent encounter with Shyam but she behaved with him normally otherwise; including doing his room and choosing a suit for him like she used to and he let her have her way, wearing the clothes she had picked out for him, every day. He too pretended that she had never proposed to him and had all those conversations with him. It was quiet embarrassing for him anyways.

Khushi had spoken to him this morning about her wish to join a firm and start working, putting off further studies for the distant future. He agreed and supported her decision like he always did. He knew that she would be a dedicated and a loyal employee, the best asset to the firm she will be working with and he would make sure that she got in to the best firm and may be once she goes out in the world, away from him, she will find the best person for her. Nothing but the best for her, he thought and stilled as her words rang through his mind

"Why should I go for something better when I can have the best?"

His head snapped to look at the glass doors which separated the pool from his room and Khushi's. He looked beyond the glass to Khushi's room from the recliner where he now sat. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt arranging some files and papers over her bed. He had always known that Khushi had a slight figure but as he looked at her now along with a mental image of her in the warehouse crying on the floor with her clothes torn away, letting the two images merge together, he couldn't help but think that how fragile she looked.

And just like that, the panic he had felt then came rushing back to him now, again. What if he had never found Khushi that day? What if she was taken away from him forever? What if Shyam had done something irreversible to her? What if he had arrived too late and instead of an alive Khushi in his arms, he had hugged a lifeless one to himself? How vulnerable she had looked! What if the firm that she joined didn't treat her well? What if someone would misbehave with her? What if they hurt her?

And all of this had and will happen because of him. Yes, he blamed himself for it. He shouldn't have mocked her feelings for him. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have left the house without her guard and got caught by Shyam. He had realized during those few hours of sheer agony that Khushi was too precious to be left on her own. He knew that Khushi's sudden decision to start working was a consequence of his non-reciprocation of feelings for her. She was protecting herself from heartbreak. She didn't want any more hurt or pain which would scar her already marred life.

With this, another of her statements came rushing to his mind

"I hope this leaves a permanent mark like the one you have given me!"

Was she talking about a mark in physical sense or metaphoric sense? Either ways he had to find out. He checked her bent back to look for any marks. The way she normally dressed left very little to imagination and even now he could see most of her skin. He got up from his seat as he couldn't help but know what Khushi was talking about then and within seconds he was knocking on her glass doors.

"We are back to knocking now, are we?" she smirked at him as she slid open the door for him. He hadn't come to her room at all after the Shyam incident, making sure that Lavanya took care of her, Nani being too old to even get off the bed. She knew that he was avoiding having that conversation with her, thinking that she is too weak to handle so many things at a time. It was a thing of the past where Khushi had been frail and feebly. She had changed and gained confidence and drawn strength from Arnav. He wasn't weak, then how can she be?

She let him behave as if they never had any of those talks, letting him approach her first and from the presence of Arnav, for the first time in her room since that day was hint enough for her that he wanted to talk about them. May be the thought of her working and separated from him has finally made him realize that he too loves...

But he surprised her when he asked her without any preamble "You said on that day...that...that man has given you a permanent mark on you. What were you talking about then?"

He had expected to find her frightened or look aggrieved at the mention of the mark. But to his utter surprise, she looked up innocently at him, trying to suppress her smile while coming forward towards him.

"When I got to know that you would be coming for the second time to play cards with him, I had tried to escape that place. He had punished me by hitting me with a belt..."

"He did what?" Arnav stopped her speech as he bridged the distance between them, placing his hands over her shoulders, to support him more than her. He had known that she had marks on her body then but Lavanya had never told him that those were belt marks and he could only imagine how bad they must have been.

"I had several long streaks across my back and arms. Thanks to Lavanya and the doctor she took me to, all of them healed without leaving marks behind, except for one" She was now holding the front of his t-shirt in both her hands, the tips of their bare-footed toes touching each other.

"So that one never healed?" he asked as he pushed back the fringes from her face, wondering how much this girl had endured.

"It healed but the mark remained and no matter what creams and medicines I tried, it refused to go. I guess the belt must have hit me on that spot several times..."

"Khushi, stop. I cannot hear all this..." he pleaded, cupping the back of her head and placing her head on his shoulder, he hugged her.

"Will you like to see it instead?" she murmured against his chest "I think it is too ugly..."

"There is nothing ugly about you. Show me" he requested as he stepped out of their hug, looking at her, waiting for her to show him the mark. She turned her back on him in time to hide the smirk that now played on her lips. She tried hard to not chuckle out loud when she heard him gasp.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"

She faced him again while pulling down her shorts, her t-shirt not helping to cover her lacy pale pink panties.

"Showing you the mark..." she shrugged simply making him wonder where the mark is.

"See you don't have to do this..." he said hesitatingly as he turned his face slightly away from the view she was providing him without being bashful.

"I don't mind undressing before you..." she said boldly making him face her only to realize that she was standing too close to him again.

"What have you been watching or reading?" he asked in surprise which turned to shock when she laughed while throwing her head back.

"That's for you to find out, Arnav" she said addressing him by his first name directly for the first time.

His eyes turned in surprise as she took two steps back, turned sideways, offering her left profile to him. He couldn't take his eyes off as she lifted her t-shirt with one hand while the thumb of her other hand hooked down on the side of her panties, bringing it down.

"What the hell is that?" Arnav took an uncontrolled step in her direction, his curiosity taking the better of him while Khushi only looked smug.

"My marks" she said putting emphasis on the s'

He knelt before her, trying to observe the long, embossed, slightly brown mark that ran across her hip bone but his eyes travelled to the other mark' above it.

"Wasn't this painful?" he pointed a finger at the second mark.

"It took all the pain away" she said simply as Arnav continued to stare at his name engraved on her skin.

She had tattooed his name on her body. His name ran above the belt mark in a thick bold writing in blue with squiggly lines underneath it, representing water.

He got back to his feet, holding her hand to bring her t-shirt down. He was torn between being furious at her and admiring her for her insanity and dare. He chose the latter and asked "When did you get this done?"

Before answering him, she strode to her bed casually, not bothering to pull back her shorts and plopped on it as she said, smiling proudly at herself "Three years back"

"You were that sure?" he spluttered out before he could stop himself.

"I am that sure" she smiled back at him.

"Is it permanent?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, just like the belt mark"

"What?" was all that he could manage not able to speak further, and resorted to pacing around her room in restlessness while Khushi got up to put the papers back in the walk-in wardrobe. Khushi had a permanent tattoo on her body with his name and that she had gotten it done three years back! Was this girl so sure about her love for him back then that she took up such a rash step? What if her boyfriend, no not boyfriend, what if her husband saw Arnav's name on his wife's body! He thought back at her words that she wouldn't marry anyone other than him. He tried to imagine what would have happened to Khushi when her husband would have found his name tattooed on her body. This girl was mad, completely mad, he came to the conclusion after going over what she told him.

"Yes that I am" she shot over her shoulder while bending over a drawer, still not wearing her shorts.

"Khushi can you please wear...cover yourself up" he said while turning his back to her.

"Why?" she asked unashamed as she came before him, raising an eyebrow at him. She had practiced this gesture of his for months before she was able to lift one of her eyebrows just like he did.

"Do you feel something for me when you see me like this?" she asked while lifting her t-shirt off her head, standing just in her lingerie before him.

"Khushi, please"

"Arnav, please" she requested while hugging her semi-naked form to his while he kept his hands religiously to his sides, refusing to touch her back.

"Khushi, what are you doing?" he asked in a stressed voice.

"Showing my love to you" she whispered against his collar bone, dropping an open mouth kiss there.

"Khushi, don't you feel shy before me? Why don't you feel the need to cover yourself up before me? Why are you so open before me?" he asked, wanting to know what was going on in the bizarre mind of this girl, to distract her from her ministrations.

Instead of answering she said "You know, he called me your mistress and I know I might sound pathetic at the moment to you, but right now I wouldn't even mind that and wished it was true" She lifted her tear-filled, desperate eyes to his, unashamed to show her weakness to him "I consider you as my own. I can't even start to think what will become of me if we ever had to go separate ways..."

Without thinking, his rigid hands on his sides lifted to cup her face in his hands, brushing her tears away with his thumbs.

"Khushi, are you sure of this?" he questioned her although all her confessions and her tattoo bore witness to the depth and the irreversibility of her feelings towards him. But he had to be sure, just one last time.

"More than my life" she answered without pausing and stood on her toes to place her lips over his, sucking it lightly and then dropping back on her feet "If you can't marry me, I will survive. If you refuse to make love to me, I will survive, but if you ask me to surrender my body to someone, I will die and if you ask me to leave you, I will cease to exist" she finished after kissing him once again on his lips.

"Khushi..." he started in a pained voice, trying to push the lump down his throat "...I have not loved anyone that way since she...she... I divorced Payal. I have been with other women but it wasn't beyond satisfying physical needs. And I can't do that to you. I don't think so I can bring myself to love someone in a romantic way again..."

"Can't you try?" she asked, hopefully.

Arnav looked at the child - no that would be an incorrect term to use for this girl who stood in his arms unabashed of her semi-nudity. He looked at the woman who stood like an open book before him, baring her soul to him, he recollected how much she had suffered at such a young age and how much she would have suffered if she hadn't been pulled out of the hell, how well-behaved she had always been, never arguing back, well-mannered, never demanding or asking for anything...except for him.

Even when her life and dignity had been in danger, she had thought and called out only to him, her hopes attached to him, no matter how absolutely wrong he was for her. He hadn't forgotten how she had latched herself to him when he had hugged her to himself after rescuing her and looked relieved only when he was around.

Her skin bearing his name showed that she could go to any lengths to claim her love for him. He shuddered to think the extent to which she would go if he alienated her from him.

She had effortlessly closed all doors for him, leaving only one open which lead only to her.

Khushi was still looking at him hopefully when he cupped her face more firmly in his hold, resting his forehead against hers in a defeated sigh and whispered, helplessly.

"Make me..."

Khushi looked up to see his eyes closed in agony as he continued to speak, his hot breath spreading warmth over her face.

"Make me, make me approach you, make me feel for you, make me love, make me love you, make me love you as a man loves his woman, make me love you Khushi as you love me, make me love you as you ought to be loved"

He finished with a tear slipping from his eye over her cheek when she tilted her head to touch her lips to his and started kissing him fervently. He had turned rigid against her the moment he felt her trying to deepen the kiss, her tongue teasing his lower lip. Not discouraged by his lack of response, she continued to move her lips over his, taking as much of him as she could while her hand caught hold of one of his and placed it right over her breast and then buried her fingers in the hair over the nape of his neck, standing almost on her toes.

He let her do what she wanted to with him, not stopping her but not participating either. He felt her shiver slightly, her tears wetting his neck, the dejection she felt running through her body, making him feel it too. He couldn't bear to see her in pain again.

So as she removed her lips from over his, he trailed his hand from over her breast to her waist, lifting her light body from over the floor, placing her bare feet over his. She looked in to his unreadable eyes with her wet ones and before she could ask him about the sudden action, he brought his lips down over hers, placing his hand where she had previously made him, pressing her soft skin over the lace and tilted and held her face with the other thinking Whatever Khushi wants"

If the next chapter will be short then there will be a chapter 12. If the next chapter will be long, it will be the last chapter of this story 😊 Also, I will start typing Love Interrupted today. So depending upon the length of the chapter, it will be updated anytime on Saturday :) (which can be delayed to Sunday morning too 😛)

P.S. I am sending the emails now. But will send the PMs tonight :)