Broken Angel ArHi SS : Updated Chapter 8!!! - Page 5

The next day the Gupta and the Raizada households were in a state of hubbub because today was Payal and Aakash's Mehndi ceremony. The function was being held at the Raizada house with many preparations done to make it an excellent event. After all, the Raizadas were known for their hospitality and grandeur.

Khushi woke up with a smile on her face. Last night felt like a dream to her but she knew it had happened and that fact caused her smile to become larger. But all other thoughts of the previous day got lost in the chaos of the house, preparing everything to leave for the ceremony. Even amongst all the activity, she realized that she might see Arnav there so she put a little extra effort in getting ready. Her dress was an off white anarkali suit with a broad golden border at the bottom and a belt just below her chest. The area below the belt was covered with beautiful embroidery done in a silvery grey colour with flowers of red woven in places.

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Anjali Jha smiled glancing around once again, happy that the arrangements had finished just in time. The food, singers, mehndi girls etc., everything was ready and where it was supposed to be. She decided to go check on the boys to make sure they weren't getting in too much trouble.

She found Aakash, NK and Chote in Arnav's room, the former pacing the floor while NK was munching on chips while trying to comfort Aakash. And her chote, Anjali shook her head; he was as usual working on his laptop. They looked up when they heard her tell-tale half limp walk, all of them getting up to help her sit on the bed. She smiled at their sweetness and waved them back.

"Aakash tumhare walk karne se Payalji jaldi nahin ajayengi. Woh phir bhi time pe hi aayein gi." (Aakash, Payal won't come any sooner if you pace. She will come when she is supposed to) Anjali chuckled a bit when Aakash gave her a pitiful look in answer, choosing to sit down beside her with a sigh. She rubbed his shoulders comfortingly, fixing his hair while she was at it. NK nodded, relieved that someone was getting through to him. "Yes Di absolutely right. Mein Aakash ko wahi baata raha tha. Tumhare round round chakkars dekh kar to mein dizzy ho gaya."(Yes Di absolutely right. That's what I was telling Aakash. Your pacing was making me dizzy).

"Waise tum itne eager kyun ho rahe ho. Aaj tum Payal se nahin mil sakte." She said, poking him in the stomach teasingly. Aakash turned to her with such a horrified expression that she couldn't contain her chuckles.

"Par di-

"No buts. Now guys be good today okay?" Anjali looked sternly at both of them turn by turn, smiling when they nodded with gloomy expressions.

"Chote, aaj ke din to kaam chor do. Shaadi hai ghar mein."( Chote, leave work today at least. There is a wedding in the house).

Arnav looked up with an annoyed expression on his face and Anjali raised her hands in surrender at his look. He shook his head, breathing a sigh of relief when NK and Aakash went downstairs after Di. He wanted to finish the presentation he was working on, already behind schedule due to Aakash taking a leave for the wedding. But he didn't mind doing the extra work, not when his brother was so happy. Trying to drown out all the noises, he got back to his work.

The Gupta family was astounded by the decorations done for the mehndi. The house was filled with vibrant colours of red, green, yellow and orange; the colours of mehndi and celebration, spreading a happy atmosphere everywhere. Khushi's excitement nearly doubled at seeing the arrangements, always enjoying the energy of a wedding.

"Namaste Di, how are you? You are looking gorgeous in this sari." She said hugging Anjali cheerily, carefully avoiding Shyam who was trying to greet her. She quickly went inside before she was forced to talk to him, looking around hoping to see a sign of Arnav. Disappointment flowed through her when she couldn't find him anywhere; she was looking forward to seeing him. Once a Laad Goverener always a Laad Governer. She quickly righted her expression into a smile when Payal looked at her questioningly, promising herself that she would enjoy the ceremony to the fullest with or without Arnav. But even then she couldn't stop her eyes from straying occasionally, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

He stood up from the recliner, stretching his body to ease the tension. Sudden noises and clapping diverted his attention to the fact that there was a ceremony going on in the house. The Guptas have probably arrived and that's what all the noise is about. With a start he realized something, the Guptas meant Khushi so that means she must be here as well. Arnav quickly went outside, his feet following the direction all the chatter was coming from. As he rounded the corner, he heard music being played as well as a couple of women singing the traditional wedding songs. When he glanced down to the living room, the sight that greeted him pulled his lips into a warm, small smile. Khushi was dancing freely with Di, Nani and a couple of other ladies, not having a care in the world about how she looked doing the silly dance moves. She was fully enjoying herself as the others cheered her on.

Arnav had never really been one to join in the group, opting to say on the sidelines instead, as an onlooker. He never truly felt he fit in anywhere so he preferred to stay at the edge. Looking at Khushi right now, he realized that she looked more comfortable with his family than he had ever felt. His eyes raked her from head to toe, taking notice of how resplendent she was looking at the moment. As if she sensed him looking, she turned to look at where he was standing, her movements slowing down as she got caught in his gaze. Like a moth to a flame, his feet started moving in her direction automatically, wanting to be as close to her as possible. Her eyes followed his descend, making him feel like everyone had disappeared.

She broke his gaze when she was called by her Amma but Arnav stood near the shadows, his eyes following her every move. Although, she wasn't looking Khushi's heart accelerated, her body sensing his penetrating stare. Anjali called everyone to have lunch and Khushi excused herself to go wash her hands. She was walking towards the bathroom when someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a deserted hallway. Her loud gasp died in her throat when her eyes registered who her perpetrator was.

Arnav had backed her against a wall with on hand still holding her wrist while the other one was placed on the wall beside her head, effectively trapping her.

"Arnav ji what are you doing?" Khushi asked, bewildered at his actions. Arnav just gave her smirk in response, bringing his hand up to move the bangs coming into her eyes. His smirk widened her cheeks flushed under his touch, branding his fingers. He brought his face eye level with hers, staring deeply into her deep eyes.

"Kyun? I can't spend some alone time with my girlfriend?"

"G-girlfriend?" She asked him in surprise, tasting the unfamiliar word on her lips.

"Yeah, girlfriend. Kyun? Tum meri girlfriend nahin hui kya? (Yeah girlfriend. Why aren't you my girlfriend?) Arnav loved watching her get flustered, her innocence warming his heart. Needless to say Khushi had never really thought of the term girlfriend ' boyfriend before. But now she concluded that he was right. Though, the word seemed inadequate to describe what she felt for him, this was the term their relationship would be recognized by.

"Haan Arnav ji. It seems I am your girlfriend." Khushi gave him a smile which Arnav reciprocated with his signature half smile sending her already over worked heart into a flutter. Arnav continued looking at her, memorizing how she looked in this dress, at this moment. Khushi used his distraction to dodge her way out of his arms, halting when his hand clamped around her wrist once again. She turned around to find him shaking his head at her with a smile on his face, abruptly pulling her back against his body causing her breath to rush out in a whoosh. Her back was completely aligned with his front; she could feel the hard panes of his muscles through their clothes causing her brain to turn foggy.

Arnav brought his face close to her ear, taking in her heavenly scent before whispering softly.

"Don't you think Khushi that it's about time that you called me Arnav instead of Arnav ji." His breath on her ear caused goose bumps to erupt on her skin. She swallowed hard while nodding slowly. He brought her even closer to him if that was possible, his arms going around encircling her waist.

"Arnav ji please let me go. What if someone comes here?" She said even when she found herself leaning against his embrace. He shook his head and moved her hair to her other shoulder, his touch leaving a hot trail on her skin before whispering, "No not until you say my name."

His lips touched the spot where her neck and shoulder met, causing her to close her eyes at the sensation. His fiery kisses moved up to her ear where he nibbled on her earlobe before whispering once again.

"Say my name Khushi. I want to hear you say my name." Khushi was swimming in a flood of thrilling and unfamiliar emotions, her brain having lost its powers a long time ago. She could do nothing but savour the sensations Arnav was invoking in her with his lips and touch. Warm breath washed over her senses as she heard him utter her name in a plea, " Khushi'"

"Arnav'" she whispered in reply. It was the first time she had said his name without any connotations attached to it and God, how it sent a thrill through his body at hearing it from her lips. With newfound passion he turned her around and dwelled into the sweet expanse of her neck, something he had been longing to do for who knew how long. Her pulse point was throbbing in time with her laboured breathy and he sucked it hard before licking the spot to soften the bruise. She floating in a sea of new and thrilling sensations being invoked inside by him, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly.

"Khushi!" The voice broke through the fog they were enveloped in, Khushi quickly disengaging herself from his arms, their loud breathing filling the air. She hurriedly made her way outside in case somebody came looking for her, "Khushi". His voice made her stop and she looked over her shoulder to see him watching her with desire filled eyes.

"Come meet me in the pool side after lunch. I want to show you something." She nodded her consent, knowing she couldn't refuse even if she wanted to when he was looking at her like that. With that she left him in the hallway.

Arnav rested his head against the wall once she was gone, taking deep breaths to calm his raging emotions. She always managed to make him loose himself, forgetting anything and everything that didn't involve her. Once he had regained enough control that he was certain he wouldn't embarrass himself, he went to the living to eat with the rest of family.

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Arnav excused himself as soon as he had finished eating, claiming to attend an important business call. Nobody suspected anything. But Khushi knew the meaning behind his pointed look before he got up from the table, her mind working hard to find a way to leave undetected.

"Khushi ji, kya aap humein ek favour kar dein gi." (Khushi ji would you do me a favour?) Anjali asked her.

"Bilkul Anjali ji, kahiye."

"Would you please tell OP to check whether the parting gifts are ready for everyone." Khushi quickly nodded, getting up to head straight to the kitchen before stealthily make her way towards the pool side. Once she made it there unseen she send a prayer of thanks to her beloved Devi Maiyya.

"Thank you thank you thank you! Now that I know you are with me, I know that what I am doing is not wrong." As she was busy talking, Arnav stood behind her with his arms crossed and shaking his head with amusement at her antics.

"Don't worry Khushi. You haven't done anything to upset your beloved Devi Maiyya." She jumped at his voice, turning around to find him standing in front of her. He had his eyebrows raised and Khushi tried not to feel defensive about the amused glint in his eyes. She cleared her throat.

"So why did you call me here?" Arnav suppressed his urge to smirk and held up a finger to tell her to wait. She looked on curiously as he went to the table to get something. He came back with a square box in his hands, making her knit her eyebrows in confusion.

"What is that?" she asked curiously, peering at the substance to decipher its purpose. He smiled at her curiosity and he held it out to give it to her. She took it with uncertain hands.

"Open it." Her curiosity was too much to contain so she eagerly opened the box. Inside was a very sleek cell phone , she looked up at him while taking it out seeing him watching her closely.

"Umm' what?" She asked very eloquently. Arnav shook his head and rolled his taking the phone from hands. "It's a phone Khushi", he said exasperatedly holding it in front of her face. Khushi snatched it back, affronted at his mocking tone,

"I know that" she said firmly, holding the phone in front of his face in the same gesture.

"But why are you giving it to me?"

"Because it's for you." Arnav stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Khushi gaped at him for a second before looking at the phone in a horrified expression. She quickly handed it to him along with the box.

"Hum yeh nahin le sakte." (I can't take this) He was very confused by her reaction expecting her to be happy about the gift. After all, he was the one who had broken his cell phone in the first place.

"Why Khushi? Kyun nahin le sakti tum yeh? It's a gift." (Why can't you take it? It's a gift.) She shook her head.

"Arnav this is too expensive. I cannot accept it. Besides it's not my birthday or any other occasion so why are you giving me a present in the first place?"

Even though a shot of pleasure raced through him at hearing her saying his name with such familiarity, he found himself getting upset by her rejection of his gift. He had gone straight to the best electronics shops to buy it for her as soon as he had dropped her home last night. After buying it, he had been eagerly anticipating her reaction to it. Her refusing to accept the gift hadn't even crossed his mind.

"But I picked it especially for you. It doesn't matter if its your birthday or not. I just wanted to give it to you. I was the one who broke your phone in the first place. If you don't like then we could go the shop and replace it with something else." She was already shaking her head before he had finished his statement.

"But I never asked you to buy another one for me. I don't want that. Also this phone costs more than what my family spends in a month. How can I accept it? I can't and don't want to take it. You shouldn't have bought it."

"So you are saying I cant give you gifts now? Huh?" He asked getting more confused and madder by the minute. He couldn't understand her reasoning. To him she was just being stubborn and childish.

"I am not saying that. I just' Don't you get it? I can't accept this kind of gifts from you. I feel like you are buying my forgiveness."

He was hurt by her answer and Arnav Singh Raizada did not deal with being hurt well. He usually lashed out at the closest thing to him and right now, unfortunately for him and her, it was Khushi.

"What?Is that what you think of me? That I would try to buy you?"

She heard how hurt he was by his tone and hurriedly tried to explain that that was not what she meant but he continued on without giving her a chance.

"You know what?I don't even understand you. It's the best goddamn phone in the entire shop. I even had that idiotic ringtone of yours installed. Why can't you just take the bloody thing?!" She was shocked by his outburst, her own anger rising in response.

"Kya matlab hai aapka! You can't just talk to me like that just because I didn't do as you wanted me to. Meri marzi keh mein phone loon ya na loon. Aur meri rington stupid nahin hai! Aapki hai!" She yelled back, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest and looking away in a huff.

At the back of his mind a little voice whispered that maybe just maybe he was overreacting but his ire was on all time high at hearing her shout at him. And how dare she insult his ringtone, it was his favourite song!

"Fine! I don't even know why I bothered. I should have known girls like you are not worth it." As soon as he said it he regretted it, wishing he could take his words back. Her eyes filled with hurt at his response and she turned and walked away before he could say anything else.

He cursed under his breath, throwing the damn box and phone on the ground in anger. He ran a rough hand through his hair making it stand in odd directions, glaring at the now broken phone on the ground balefully. It was all its fault.

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