Burning in your Love (Parts 4, 5, 6, & 7) - Page 21

Part 7 SAGAI 4: My Prickly Rose

Khushi blushed, her cheeks as coral as her lehenga.

He took a step forward. She took a step backwards. On the way, he snatched a coral rose from a floral arrangement perfuming the room. Slowly but surely, he forced her against the wall. She leaned against it, panting, looking at his face, his eyes, his lips... as he came closer still. He braced himself with an arm against the wall above her head, and looked down at her.

"You look like a rose...", he said, "...with thorns..."

Khushi glared at him.

"I am a prickly rose?"

"My prickly rose. That's the difference. And I wouldn't have it any other way." He swooped down and landed a soft kiss on her flushed cheek.

Khushi looked at him, speechless, her heart racing like an express train.

"Close your eyes", he said.

"Why?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"No."

"Wise girl...", he laughed silently.

She closed her eyes.

He touched her forehead with the soft petals of the rose, and then slowly moved it down, drawing the features of her lovely face with it. Over her eyebrows it went, her eyelids, the straight line of her nose, the nose ring, cheeks, ears, chin... Khushi shook in anticipation of the soft touch of the fragrant petals, her breath coming in short spurts...

The rose petals faithfully traced the outline of her full, parted, trembling lips, and paused for slow seconds at the centre of her lower lip.

He then moved the rose over her tender, swan-like neck which arched to let it touch her more thoroughly. He rested the rose at the neckline of her lehenga...After a long, silent, still moment, Khushi opened her eyes to see him looking at her with hungry, needy eyes.

She lowered her eyes, suddenly shy, feeling weak at the new, unfamiliar sensations that his touch and proximity aroused in her.

She needed space. He needed it more!

He moved to the other end of the room and tried to get his uneven breathing and his shaking hands under control. After a while, he returned to her.

He, for the first time in their acquaintance, put his arm around her shoulders, and gently guided her towards a loveseat by the wall. He took her right hand in both of his, and took the bull by the horns.

He said in a low voice, "Khushi, I have hurt you many times in these 13-14 months, more times than I can count. My words, my actions...I don't know why, Khushi...when I feel that you are going away from me, I lose control over myself. My anger rules me. And as you and Di have often said, when I get angry, my brain stops working. I react blindly, in reflex, like an animal ...dropping you from a height in my office, forcing a contract on you, making you do impossible tasks, assaulting you in Lucknow, taunting you after you got engaged ... I have done many things to you that I am ashamed of, Khushi ... and one of them was insulting you when you were wearing a lehenga in a boutique when you had gone shopping with Di & Lavanya.

Do you know how beautiful you looked that day, Khushi? Like a doll...like a dream come true...a fairy on earth ...and I wanted to touch you to see if you were real. But when I reached out my hand, you pulled back. I had been touching you whenever I wanted, where ever I wanted for months...you had never protested. In my mind you were mine ... to touch and hold. And when you moved away from my touch, I knew you had done it because you thought of yourself as an engaged woman. The very thought that you could put another man above me, could give another man right over you...it was the worst blow you could have dealt me. For one moment, I lost it. I don't know what I said ... it must have been something terrible... I am known for my caustic tongue...and it is never more caustic than when I am hurt...It took your tears to bring me back to my senses."

"Khushi", he kissed her palm, "I am so sorry...I never wanted to hurt you...but ...I am so sorry..."

Khushi pulled her hand away from his. He looked up, lost, bewildered.

She leant against him, her head resting against his shoulder, her arms curled loosely around his arm.

"How did you know that I was reminded of ...?", she swallowed her tears.

"I know."

They stayed silent, cuddled against each other for long moments.

Then Khushi whispered, "Did you like the sherwani I selected?"

"Yes."

"I was searching for one you would like...without frills and large, gaudy designs, without any fuss. Simple, plain with elegant work. Something like you..."

Arnav smiled.

"The colour..."

"The colour?"

"I picked cream because...you look good in cream ... bilkul..."

"Bilkul...?"

"Bilkul Salman Khan Ki Tarah..."

"What the..."

Arnav drove home slowly, trying to stretch the time he had with Khushi and make it last forever. He would have to drop her off at Laxmi Nagar after dinner. And then ... the whole night without her. He would be able to see her only at the sagai the next evening. And Di had invited the whole world and its relations to the engagement. His house would be crawling with people. Even at the best of times, his tolerance of other human beings was suspect. And in large numbers...and that too when all he wanted was to get Khushi to himself...It would be torture of the worst kind...

Finally they reached the road leading to RM. He had to take the turn towards his house now. Arnav paused for a second. And then drove away from his house, leaving Khushi bewildered.

"Let's go for a long drive", he said. Khushi smiled in pleasure. In all her innocent love, she put her right hand on his thigh and squeezed. Her left hand held the coral rose to her nose, like a Mughal queen in a picture.

The muscles of his jaw clenched. His hands tightened around the steering wheel.

Khushi smiled happily, unaware that she had just pulled her lion's tail.

Part 8 SAGAI 5: The First Kiss

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/2941270/burning-in-your-love-part-8-9-10-11-12-and-13

Lovely update.. Thanks for the PM.. :)