A THING CALLED LOVE :(1-39)PART49 IN NEW THREAD - Page 6

A THING CALLED LOVE

2.

Arnav just found Khushi…

or

Khushi just found Arnav …

Arnav is driving on a dark road.

Slight ray of sunshine is deciding on beaming on them both.

The horizon is still, damp and blurry.

But there is an unknown feeling lurking around the environment.

For the first time in life, for the first time in many many years Arnav is feeling content.

"Content" is a difficult word in his dictionary.

He is a fighter and winning is his game.

And in this game contentment comes at a very huge price.

And he has paid his price.

" The adorable creature or the mysterious haze: sitting beside him is the root cause of his contentment".

ARNAV turns around and takes another full look at her.

Her milk white saree, each and every curve, each and every thread:

he skims around the edges of her hair, trail down his sight on her breathing heart.

"IS SHE REAL?"

Arnav refuses to get into that assumption. I DO NOT CARE…if its real or not, if I am dead or alive.

I just want this heavenly sight to last and be by my side : ALWAYS !!!"

Arnav smiles at her and waves his look on the road.

Khushi hasn't spoken a single word since she came into the car.

She fastened the seat belt, went through the CD case, now she is going through the magazines.

She is calm, composed, rested and numb.

Only time she made a sudden move was when Arnav hit 150 KMH with his car. She held the dashboard with both hands.

As soon as Arnav noticed, he brought down the speed.

Arnav is smiling, "Poor Khushi, even in my drems and hallucination she is holding on to the dashboard. ….lol…"

Arnav starts to laugh in is head.

LOCATION: ARNAV'S HOTEL RECEPTION AREA

4.55 AM

Its early morning and only two guards and 2 valet boys are standing in front of the hotel. As soon as the blue Maserati halts in the drive way, the two boys run to the car for the keys.

Arnav slowly parks the car and looks at her.

She takes a deep breath and then gives a soft and minute look at him.

But she doesn't look into his eyes.

She takes off the seatbelt and gently steps out of the car. She fixes her saree again.

Without looking back at Arnav, she goes into the hotel lobby and stand there…waiting….

Arnav just cannot justify what is happening.

He is astonished beyond his limit.

He gives the boys his keys and comes in the lobby.

Suddenly something strikes him. He can touch her and find if she is real or not.

Or he can ask someone else , if they can see her or not. Arnav feels very stupid, but this is the only way.

Arnav walks to the elevator, Khushi slides behind him, trailing his as an obedient follower.

Arnav stops for a second and looks at the name tag on the the elevator boy. Its written HARRY.

He decides to ask Harry about the mystical being that is standing next to them…..he plans……

Arnav :

"How are you?"

Harry: totally taken aback, because its been a week or more, and Arnav never noticed him, let alone talk politely.

Harry:

" Sir ! Thank you for asking, I am very good. How are you?"

Arnav:

"I am good. So how is it going?"

Harry:

"Umm…..Sir, it is going very good. Thanks. Hope you have good plans for today."

Arnav:

"So how is work?"

Harry:

"Very well, thank you."

TING !!! the elevator bell rings.

The elevator comes to the new temporary suite " the penthouse" that Arnav is having for his stay. The last one, beside the beach got damaged, due to his accident. So they are mending it.

Harry:

"Sir! Here is your room key. Enjoy your stay".

Arnav:

"Damn it ! Are we already up?"

Harry:

"Yes Sir."

Arnav

" Why the hell did you come up so fast?"

Harry: ( perplexed ….)

"Sir ! I am sorry, I did not understand you."

Arnav is frustrated. :He reluctantly steps out, and so does Khushi.

Arnav turns around, thinks for a second and shouts:

"Harry ! wait…umm..what do you think about the lady?" Arnav points to his right side.

Harry:

Looks around , still dazed. Replies:

"Sir ! I am sorry Sir, what lady are you talking about ?

There is no one beside you now."

Arnav looks behind him and there is no Khushi…

"WHAT?"

" Umm ………..the one in the white saree."

" its alright Harry, never mind, I am losing my mind anyways."

He looks at Harry once again and then rushes to his room.

( Khushi is standing alone, behind the large tree pot. Her entire thin body is blocked by the potted plant.)

He opens his room, khushi enters. She turns the lights on and goes straight to the bedroom.

Arnav is speechless. He follows her in……..

With all his might and power, he manages to utter a word: " Khushi?"

She steps back and looks at him.

He closes his eyes and whispers: "Khushi? Are you for real? Or am I dreaming?"

" I have had enough and I feel like collapsing, I want you to be here or I will just lose it for real. Are you here? Please babe, say something."

Arnav waits another minute with eyes shut closed…..anticipating…then he opens his eyes to see her reaction and waits for hearing her voice.

"Please Khushi, say something, anything, I just need to know you are here. Shout, yell , force, whisper anything…but please, please say something, I cannot bear your silence. "

Inch…….. by inch…………. Khushi comes closer to him.

She stops only a feet away from hime.

She takes her right hand and bring it up slowly towards him.

She holds his left hand in her own.

Arnav shudders.

Khushi speaks softly :

"ARNAV JI !"

ARNAV is speechless and cannot believe his eyes or ears.

Even her touch seems to be hazy.

Her icy cold finger on his hand, freezes him up in tracks.

He jerks up.

"Why is she so cold?"

THE THING CALLED LOVE

3

She pulls him slightly, she pulls him slowly in the bedroom and makes him seat on the couch.

She touches his shoulders with her two hands and gently hold them. She trails along the white cotton shirt and touches his body, his collar bone and contacts his face , she touches his face where the glasses had cut him

''..her finger feels like a feather , her touch like a silk yarn.

She slides her finger on his chest.

On his neckline.

Arnav is totally puzzled, dazed and in shock.

The entire phase of seeing her, bringing her in his room, elevator. And now her touch.

"And what is she doing?"

"Oh, please if this is a dream, then make it last long'."

One by one she unbuttons his blood stained shirt.

She takes it off and through it on the table side.

She moves smoothly on his wounds.

On his arms, where it has been stitched.

Arnav can feel his pulses throb with excitement.

He can feel her.

He can feel her touch, her perfume and intoxicating aroma of her being by his side.

Every ounce of his manly sculpted body starts to ache and ooze with exhilaration.

He prays that this touch will be longer, deeper, more forceful.

Arnav's head spin.

A night of operation, huge amount of bleeding, the sedative drugs, the accident, the fight, the drive, the searching, the craving and heart break all hits him at once.

His body gives in '..he feels light headed.

He whispers, " I need to lie down, please Khushi, just be with me'ok? Just be here when I wake up. There is so much to say,

so much to deal with'.just stay tonight'ok?

Just be by my side''."

His words get jumbled up and incoherent.

Khushi pulls his half naked body close to her chest, inch by inch she wraps him around with her two arms. Arnav can feel the cold presses of her glass bangles.

And softly she pushes him on the bed.

Arnav glides on the bed. Eyes closed, just taking each second by its own, savoring each touch, each shift, each small air coming out of her on his chest.

Every morsel of his existence wants to ''..fight to stay awake and enjoy the moment with his deity.

But his body caves in.

He feels her hand on him again. But her touch now feels warm.

She is cleaning his wound with a warm damp cloth.

A sound of water.

His face is touched by the same hand, his face is now wet and damp.

Someone pulls his shoes off.

Lifts his feet on the bed.

A quilt'

The pillow adjusted'..

A soothing breeze'warm from the beachside.

A sound of a glass. Someone is pouring something'.its liquid.

His head lays tilted on her hand.

She pulls him even closer. His upper body rests on hers.

Her warmth is comforting.

Arnav can feel her heart beat from the folds of her saree draped on her chest. His body is aching for a better contact. His skin twinge with need'''..But he cannot even master the energy to look at her or bring her even closer.

She lowers him a bit'suddenly some warm liquid and a hard glass like object touches his lips.

Milk?

Arnav vaguely recognizes the flavor. Yes its milk. He gulps the whole glass in a jiffy.

Two small pills are shoved into his mouth. Some water.

He swallows the pills.

She wipes his face off.

Gently with great care she puts him back on the bed ''''.tucks him on his pillow.

She turns off the lights beside him.

Pulls the quilt more on him.

He even feels a soft lip brush along his forehead.

Arnav drifts in a wonderland.

Her delicate fingers weave into his hair. Stroke by stroke he fades into a beautiful slumber.

His physical pain gats masked by the soothing console of having her beside him.

His eyes get heavy and he slowly melts into a peaceful spell.

But his consciousness wakes him up the next second

'''''..'.KHUSHI !!!

Are you here? Will you be here? I need you, I need you'..Khushi.

I need you when I wake up. Just promise me, you will not leave when I''.I'.

(15 minutes later''')

Screech !!!

A piece of fabric gets almost torn.

Arnav yanks the milk white chiffon'''''he grabs the saree and wrenches it off her shoulder

and pulls it hard with every ounce of energy he had remaining in his tired body.

He two folds the saree on his palm '''' and yanks it off her body ''.