FF: D for Desire Th# 1 (Ch 1 - 14) - Page 33

I know I am late! So here is a bit longer update for you .. hopefully the next one will come sooner.

8

Coming back to their table, Arnav noticed Khushi had stopped crying but her eyes were all red and puffy. Her flushed cheeks still had taints of dried tears. Arnav could not but smile a little; she was looking irresistibly cute. She looked up to see him and then her eyes shifted towards his shirt – where a pretty big orange stain was very much evident.

"So, Khushi, do you want me to order for you anything again?"

Khushi shook her head disapprovingly still staring at the stain.

"Are you planning to stare at my shirt through the rest of the evening?"

Khushi looked up at him confused.

"This is a white shirt."

"Yes. So?"

"If you do not wash it immediately, the stain will get stubborn."

"Oh. I will get a new one. In fact, I have more at home. Don't worry."

"Will you please come up to my room?"

"What? Why?"

"I can wash off the stain."

"Thanks Khushi. But it is not needed."

"I insist, Arnav. I could never go out in something like that ever."

"It is no big deal, Khushi. I will just get in the car & drive. And I don't care what others think, ok?"

"But .."

"It is ok, I said. I am ordering for you again, alright?"

Khushi did not say anything more. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. Though she did not want to admit but she had actually been looking forward to the dinner date. And now she had ruined it all by herself.

Arnav ordered food for her again. He gave him a comforting smile in an effort to get rid of the awkwardness. Khushi hardly noticed, busy in fidgeting her dupatta as if her life depended on it. Arnav was busy thinking of how to strike up a conversation when suddenly he was all shaken up by someone almost falling on his lap with a sugar-coated shriek.

"Arnieee!"

Both Arnav & Khushi almost jumped in their seats at the sudden intervention. Eventually, the intruder left a lingering kiss on Arnav's cheek as Khushi watched the scene in front of her, wide-eyed. Arnav stood up immediately and posed a smile to the tall figure standing in front of him.

"Hi Neha! How are you?"

"Oh Arnie! How can I be good when you did not even notice I was around?"

Arnav forced a smile impatiently.

"What brought you here?"

"I was here for a meeting of my next project. And then I saw you .. after so many days. How much I missed you .."

"New project. Great."

Arnav was trying hard to brush her off but she did not seem to have any intention to leave soon.

"Oh My God! What happened to my baby? What is that? Who ruined your shirt?"

"Oh nothing. I just dropped my food."

Arnav was trying his best to cut short the conversation. He could feel Khushi eyeing them intensely and for the first time in his life, he was feeling completely uncomfortable conversing with a model. Models were always like this with him – they knew Arnav Singh Raizada is the prime catch. He was the ultimate bachelor but moreover, being in his good book was a security for their career. Arnav was used to with such meaningless banters but somehow it was feeling all wrong tonight.

"You dropped your food?" Neha exclaimed again. "You want me to believe that? Oh, poor Arnie. Are you alright?"

Her eyes suddenly shifted to Khushi.

"Would you not introduce me to your date?"

"Oh, she is Khushi Kumari Gupta. We are just talking business."

Arnav did not understand why he needed to say that. He never bothered about giving excuses to anyone about who he was with. While he himself was confused, he did not realize what effect his last sentence brought on Khushi.

Neha gestures as if she were relieved.

"Oh! Thank God! I thought you were hooked. It would have been such a loss .. you know?"

Arnav made his disinterest in the conversation very evident.

"So is your meeting over?"

"Yes, dear. I am free now. If you are done with your business talk, perhaps we can share a drink?"

Khushi could feel something burning inside her the moment she saw the girl kissing Arnav. She had started fuming the moment she saw Arnav indulging the conversation. When he had bluntly refused her as a date Khushi was feeling like throwing something at him. She could not take it anymore as Neha now started tugging Arnav with her sleek finger inside one of the belt loops of his jeans. That was it! Khushi suddenly stood up, ignoring the fact that Arnav was smoothly removing Neha's hand from his pants.

"Shall we go now, Arnav?"

Arnav looked at her surprised, her voice was cold and her eyes were throwing daggers – not understandable at whom though.

"Where?"

"My room."

Arnav was a bit shocked at her reply. As the realization dawned on to him, he suddenly started to feel amused – he could smell something green burning. He looked into her eyes questioning. Khushi glared.

"You should clean up. I-M-M-E-D-I-A-T-E-L-Y."

"Yeah. Right." Arnav smirked. "Sorry Neha, we will be leaving now. See you later."

Arnav quickly gave his credit card to the waiter and signaled him to get it signed later. As he started following a striding Khushi, Aranv felt like thanking Neha – did not know why. Staring at them leaving Neha did not forget to mouth, "Bye Arnieee."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Khushi marched into her room on her heels, she threw away her purse on the couch. Arnav stifled a laugh as he could see Khushi was visibly fuming. They have not uttered a single word on the way to her room.

Arnav tried faking anger.

"What was that, Khushi? That was rude."

"Rude?" Khushi exclaimed. "Look who's talking!"

"Of course. We were talking."

"You should thank me that I saved you from that witch." Khushi snapped.

Arnav was completely amused by now and he posed a shocked expression. Khushi hardly noticed.

"How Shameless! Chi! She was all over you. Had not I saved you, she would have eaten you alive then & there."

Arnav, all on a sudden, burst out laughing, not being able to control himself anymore. This girl was crazy! She was jealous and she was mad! Arnav could feel his stomach hurting but he could not stop laughing. He had not laughed like that in a long time.

Seeing him laughing with tears in his eyes, Khushi's anger and jealousy nearly vaporized. Laad Governor did not exist anymore – there was only a man in front of her, laughing his heart out and for the first time, Khushi felt like she really did not know the real man.

Arnav finally could control his laugh, pressing his stomach as it was aching.

"My God, Khushi!" He uttered through his stifling laughter. "I never thought you could be jealous."

"Haan?" Khushi was still dazed.

"She was just a model, Khushi. They think it is part of their job to flirt with me. There is nothing to be jealous of her."

Out of her trance by now, Khushi turned tomato red at being caught.

"Jealous? Who was jealous? Why would I be jealous?"

"Why? May be because .. you like me?"

"No!"

"No? Did not you say me two days ago that you have some sort of obsession with me?"

"Y-ess .."

"Are you confused, Khushi?" Arnav smirked. "You are contradicting yourself."

Khushi suddenly realized she was standing with her back pressed against the well. She did not even realize when she started stepping back as Arnav was stepping forward as they were talking.

"N-n-no." Khushi stammered, highly conscious of their physical closeness. "These are just two different things.. Give me your shirt. I, I will clean it up."

Arnav stood in front of her piercing into her eyes without giving any reply. He smirked slightly at her nervousness; he could clearly feel the sudden rise of tension between them. From the time his eyes landed on her today, all he wanted to do was to nuzzle across the sweetheart neckline of her fitting Kurta. The neckline supplemented her curvy figure with full perfection – inviting a tempting attention to her bosom. He felt as if she were coated with melted chocolate; all he wanted to do was relish the chocolate from her butter soft skin – slowly & tantalizingly. Sitting in front of her in the table, he so wanted to pull her dupatta over the neckline – he did not want the world to see what he was seeing. Arnav could feel his desire for her gradually increasing with every minute passed. She was a nymph wrapped in innocence and it took a lot of his willpower to restrain himself from losing control.

With inches apart from Khushi, he slowly started to unbutton his shirt, still looking into her eyes. As the top two were done, Khushi swallowed.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Didn't you just ask for my shirt?"

Khushi swallowed again. She could see how his eyes had suddenly darkened, almost pulling her into a whirlpool of dark coffee. She could read what was brewing inside his mind because her mind was brewing something similar. Khushi twisted herself away from him suddenly and almost ran towards the bathroom.

"I am getting you a towel."

Arnav unbuttoned his shirt standing there. He did not dare to move because he was failing to trust himself; it was always more dangerous within the four walls. He could feel the desire in him burning to take along the object of his desire into the fire – he just did not want the flame to spread. It was not right, the time was not right.

Khushi called out from the bathroom.

"Arnav, please give me your shirt & take the towel."

Arnav turned and saw Khushi's hand was waving out of the bathroom door with a white towel in her hand.

"What will I do with the towel?"

"Just take it."

Arnav took the towel and handed over the shirt to Khushi. He hanged the towel over his shoulders and sitting on the edge of the queen sized bed, switched on the TV. After a few minutes, Khushi came out with the shirt and nearly froze in her tracks. She could clearly see his bare back and could make out the chiseled body half-heartedly covered with the towel. Saying he was better than her dreams, would be an understatement. Khushi swallowed hard and a soft moan escaped her mouth. Arnav immediately turned and saw Khushi gaping at him. Was she drooling over him? A slow smirk appeared on his face realizing the effect he was having on her.

"Are you done?"

Khushi quickly nodded her head.

"Aaa .. I will just iron it. 5 more minutes."

Khushi quickly went near the iron board and tried to fix the shirt on the board. She was having a hard time concentrating on the shirt; all she wanted to do was turn around & savor every inch of his masculine body with her eyes. She could feel Arnav's eyes on her back and she started sweating. Suddenly snaps of her dreams of him started coming to her like flashbacks. She was so much dazed that she neither realized when the TV was switched off nor did she hear the footsteps ending at her back. The shirt suddenly fell on the floor through her trembling fingers and before she could reach for it, she felt a strong hand brushing against her legs, picking up the shirt. The hand slowly moved upwards brushing her right side occasionally and stopped in front her. Khushi did not move her hand a bit to get the shirt; instead she turned to face him and he was standing only inches apart from her.

"You don't want the shirt? Are you done?"

Khushi looked into his eyes. She saw the reflection of her inner turmoil into his darkened eyes. She knew what she needed – what they needed. Her sense of right or wrong was no longer making any sense. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.

"No." She swallowed. "And no."

Khushi lifted herself up a bit holding the iron board on her back by both her hands on her sides and taking him by complete surprise, gave a soft peck on his right cheek. She got back to her feet and looked up to meet a pair of shocked & electrocuted eyes. Neither moved an inch.

"I hope you don't feel her touch on your cheeks anymore." She murmured.

"Did she drive you that crazy?" Arnav asked half-amused, half-surprised.

Khushi stared into his eyes. Arnav could sense her need to own him. His body stiffened as he could read the desire in her eyes – just as he dreamt of her, taking him over like a roaring lioness.

"Has she touched you in any other place?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because she does not deserve you, Arnav."

Khushi moved up again and kissed his left cheek. She felt there was only one way out as she moved back and looked into his eyes.

"Disappoint me, Arnav Singh Raizada." She murmured.

"What?" Arnav could feel his breathing falter.

"Disappoint me. Prove me wrong. Make me believe you are better as a dream. Make me believe you are just a mere human."

That was it for Arnav too.

"Damn you, Khushi Kumari Gupta."

And his lips came crashing onto hers, giving him in completely into the temptation of her vivid desire. Khushi reciprocated immediately turning the union into a frenzy of passion. They forgot they had ever kissed anyone else before; they felt they had just discovered a new sensation that never had existed in the world. As Arnav's hands hold onto her underarms, Khushi gasped giving him more access to her mouth. Caressing gently, his hands slowly slid down to her waist and Khushi also snaked her hands around his neck. Their hands started caressing each others' backs & sides while their mouths were continuously busy tasting each other as if they were hungry for centuries.

As Arnav's fingers reached the zipper of her dress, Khushi broke the kiss. She moved away and looked into his eyes while his hands also stopped in anticipation.

Arnav's brain was not working anymore. Was she calling the night off – after taking him on the edge of the cliff only to fall into the hollowness below?