A PROMISE : PART 9 complete - Page 5

( An hour ago, Payal came to visit Khushi in Buaji's house. She sneaked Arnav in with her too. Buaji and Garima went for some work outside.)

"NO, Arnav Ji!

Never say anything negative like this.

You are perfect.

And please Mr. Arnav Sing Raizada, do not speak like this about my LAAD GOVERNOR, you have no right. He is all mine and I have not given anyone permission to talk about him. He is perfect." Khushi smiles back the sweetest smile, claiming her portion, announcing her rights, defending her love.

Arnav's face still holds a trail of unknown remorse.

" Khushi! I am not perfect, I am damaged, dear.

"You do not know how resentful I have been. I hated the fact a girl like you existent in real life. Someone I can fall for and fall like this. I am not sure what happened to me. How I survived all these days without you. My life was ok. I was winning. To me money, fame, name all was that mattered. To me life was only about winning deals, winning properties, making a name for myself. Reaching a place that no one could touch.

I am damaged Khushi!"

"Arnav Ji! Please. Enough. I do not want to hear anymore of these. I am tired and enough, just enough please. You are worrying too much. We will get through this. And as I said, you are perfect."

Khushi brings herself closer and puts a hand on his shoulder. Signs him to seat on the bed and relax. Payal peeks in and says: "Khushi! Buaji called. She and aama will be out for a while and they have changed plans. You and Arnav ji can talk a bit more. Akash will pick me up and I will be back in a few hours."

She carries on: "Arnav ji! Akash will call you or you can call him if you need to be picked up."

She turns around and walks away. Arnav stands up and follow her to the living room from Khushi's bedroom. "Payal. Thanks. You have been a big help. Thanks for understanding us and for supporting Khushi. I am giving my words that, when everything comes out in surface, you will not be sorry that you chose Khushi and my side. It will all make sense. I am also happy that Akash and you have a good understanding going. Please keep this between us four. NK need not know , unless it is dire . ok?"

Payal smiles and replies: "Arnav Ji! No need to thank me. Khushi is my sister and you are my brother and brother in law. So I will stand by you two. No matter what. A and after what Khushi has been through with Shyam, she needs a lot of healing.

" As a sister I am also very thankful that you take such good care of her and you stood for her honor."

"Ok, I got Akash's call. I will be back soon, please do not come out to open the door is needed. Let Khushi do it. Buaji should not know of this in any way."

Arnav: "ok Payal , I will take care of it. Bye."

Arnav closes the door and locks it. Closes the curtains and checks outside for anyone looking at the house. Since last night, he have been having a bad feeling that something is not right.

"Buaji seems to pissed off at what dadi ji said and why is dadiji so upset with Khushi? Nothing makes sense. He married her and she is his wife. Period. Why would they care of how he married and what rituals were done and not done? What would they say if I just got other register's office and sign a marriage document? It will be lawfully done. No one can say anything. If this s*** goes on I will just take her to a marriage register and seal the deal. I cannot put up with this anymore.

If only Khushi was ok with it, there would have been no problem.

Why did she need to have things complicated?

Why can't she see me love and accept me the way I am?

I will make it right and win her back in every way possible. If this prolonged torture of rituals is what she wants, then I will give her all and more."

A small hand closes in on his shoulder.

A tiny finger traces a pattern on his back.

It starts from the bottom of his neckline, down on the center of his collar and slides onto his back.

A tiny trail.

A tingling sensation.

A touch.

It slithers on his grey t shirt and forms its own unique pattern inside his soul.

Something stirs up.

An unusual sensation.

An invitation.

A call.

He feels like heaven. Like a portion just came down and persuaded him in its arm.

The finger reach almost the mid of his back and stops. The pressure rises a bit. Another small fingertip joins the first one. Now there are two burning stream of touches, tempting him, testing him, alluring him.

Arnav smiles a wicked smile. He talk to himself : 'does this girl even know what she does to me? How a small touch on the back can turn lethal for me and for her in a second? A fraction of a second I can lose my cool and can take a move that she will regret forever. What is she thinking? Should I stop her or should I get lost in my new sensation and cherish this for a bit more?'

Before he can reach a decision the finger or rather the fingers starts to shift positions. They start to make their way down form the middle of his back to a few inches lower. They stop around a few inches away from his belt. They stop and think and then the palm joins. She is rubbing his back very lightly .

On and on.

Back and forth.

A simple , soft pressure, igniting a complex, compelling feeling.

The inside of Arnav mourns for the touch to continue.

A wave of intimate offering.

A wave of mysterious beckoning,

A lustful harmonized hymn.

Arnav turns a bit and can see her reflection in the mirror in the opposite room. The mirror is old and broken. The glass seems very gloomy. For a man of his stature, these sort of furniture seems like old junk. The washed out curtains the stained floors, broken roof, broken walls . He could never think of him being staying or living in a place like this. But now , at this very moment, he can willing give up whatever he has, whatever he possess, whatever tiny bit of luxury he can afford for this: simple reflection of a girl. THE GIRL. HIS GIRL . rubbing his back with a love filled, mesmerizing eyes.

He can trade the whole world for that piece of old, shabby, gloomy, broken mirror.

Khushi is smiling. A reassuring smile.

The way she always does, when a big problem is simmering down . ' she has a unique sense of calmness . Something that pulls me in. something that I crave. Something that challenges me, ignites me, drawn me in. and she has no clue what she does to me. How valuable she really is? I was a fool to let this girl pass me by without making her mine? How dumb could I be that I let my ego come in the way of getting her for myself. She was there as she is now.

Beautiful, calm, serene. I messed her up.

I messed myself up and I messed us. Me and my stupid ego. If only had I listened she would have been happily mine. None of this sh** would have taken place, Damn it !'

"Arnav ji?

What are you thinking?

You are awfully quiet. Is everything ok?

Am I talking too much?"

Khushi stops what she was doing, Arnav smiles back at the broken mirror and thanks his fluke, yet again. He never was the type to believe in luck, destiny. But now he started to believe that there must be a connection . Someone or some power orchestrating the whole thing. "she is everything that I am not, she is every bit of good that I am not, she carries all the qualities that are unheard to be in me. She is the anchor, she is my stone. My brick. She might think I am the strong one, I am the one solving everything, but here in this part I am the weaker link. I have seen a woman withstand so much, stand against such torment, yet be so calm.

So in control."

"Arnav ji?

What are you thinking?" Khushi seems very edgy. She holds his shoulder with both hands and turns him towards her.

She tiptoes up towards his chest and looks him directly in those melting caramel eyes.

"Are you ok?

Without saying a word, Arnav starts to laugh out loud.

The same, life altering laugh that he reserves for very rare occasion.

Khushi misses a beat. Then another.

She ogles him with her own hazel eyes and tears fill up. Filling up to the brim waiting to take a dive down her cheeks. She hurriedly swipes away the betraying tear and smiles. 'will he even know how I crave for this? For him to be so open? For him to let me in his heart like this? For him to bring down the boundaries and let me see through? I can die in a single second if he asks, I can give up my entire world for a trade of his laughter, I can give myself to him, in anyways he wants. How in the world could I be so lucky to have him as mine?

I love this man and I can rest my existence in those eyes of his."

" Ok Arnav ji! You need to stop laughing and eat something. Did you have food last night ? You cannot be so careless. Please tell me what you want. I can make anything." Khushi intentionally turns her eyes the other way and loses her grip form his shirt. Her lets him go and steps a bit backwards facing the kitchen. It was becoming too much to handle. If she stayed with him like this, looking at the alluring laugh then, God forbid she would have done things; she would definitely repent in the next second.

Arnav stops for a fraction and follows her to the kitchen.

He clearly detects her tactics and cover up for her intentions. His heart filled up with joy when he saw, how easily she changes colors from cream, to pink and then to various shades of red. Her eyes sparkle at his touch, her breathing starts to race.

"Hmm, Khushi , what do you have that you can offer me ?"he smiles a remarkable smile.

Khushi is now completely at a loss. Because she knows there isn't much she has in the kitchen that is ready to eat and there is rarely anything in the fridge. Umm, she can go out and get him some food from the shop nearby. But if he lets me, then.

Khushi: biscuit?

Arnav: nah

Khushi: tea with no sugar ?

Arnav: nah.

Khushi: pakoras? Will take a few minutes to make.

Arnav: no

Khushi: hmm, so chapatti with day old daal?

Arnav: NO way.

Khushi: umm, oh yes I have chips in my bag. Chips then?

Arnav: umm. Nope.

Khushi: channe? I still have some left from what you gave.

Arnav: are you kidding me?

Khushi: apples or watermelon? I can cut them .

Arnav: eww ! no.

Khushi: eww? Oh ok. Ummm what else? Jilebi?

Arnav: what?

Khushi: but is not sugar free.

Arnav: you really think I will eat that?

Khushi: no.

Arnav: no what? You thought I won't eat that, still you asked? Or no, you thought I will eat that?

Khushi: I mean, sorry. I know you do not like this. I mean you are not allowed to have it with sugar.

Arnav: Khushi! Oh my head is spinning.

Khushi: what?

Arnav: oh Khushi! I think I might faint. I need sweet.

Khushi: "Arnav ji! Oh no. I told you to eat something. Please take a bite of the sweet. Let me get the jilebi. Wait'

Without giving him a chance she bends down and takes the jilebis out of the fridge. She unwraps the box and takes on in her hand. Arnav smilingly backs up and seats on the counter top of her kitchen. He raises his hand and rubs his forehead. He rolls his eyes and acts to faint. Khushi's face loses color and grabs him from the front. He balances his weight with her one arm and holds the jilebi in the other.

Khushi: "here, please open your mouth, fast. I have got sweet. Oh My Arnav JI!" her eyes swell up and a pearl drop like silver tear ends on Arnav's hand.

Arnav: Khushi?

Khushi: hmm?

Arnav: I said sweet. Remember? I did not say salty.

Khushi: what? How can jilebi be salty? What are you speaking of?

Arnav: this, what is this tear? Salty , right? ( he giggles)

Khushi: you are not feeling bad right? You just made it up to get me tensed.

Arnav: yes. I did. I pretended so you can worry some more for me.

So what will you do? Not feed me for that?

Khushi: Arnav ji. You know I worry and if I see you like this, something happens. Nothing else matters if you are feeling bad. Nothing. I will do anything required to make it go away.

Arnav: are you sure you can do anything?

Khushi: yes. And why will I not?

Arnav: I said I need sweet. You remember that much right?

Khushi: yes. So?

Arnav: so give me some sugar.

Khushi: but you said, you were pretending and not feeling bad. What do you mean?

Arnav closes his hands on her and lifted her up in his arms in a jiffy. Backs her on the wall on the right and surrounded her with both of his arms.

Khushi feels trapped as she felt a million times before.

Khushi: no, Arnav ji, let me go. Do not cheat like this. Not fair.

Arnav: do I even play fair?

Khushi: no. but you should try. I was asking what food you want? And you again prison me. Not right!

She makes a grumpy face and looks down .

He inches in closer and almost touches her dupatta fabric, draping her shoulders and more. Khushi inhales and closes her eyes to take as much as possible of his : fragrance, the musky smell, the heavy breathing, the feel'..Same ASR style, same arrogance, same smirk in the face, same glare in those caramel eyes.

Vise versa: He was drinking her in. her bones felt like melting. Each and every cell in the body shivered up and churned in their own tune. The choked up feeling she had before, came back in full swing. The breathing finally decided to stop .

The Drama that he was doing to tease her, now was becoming her reality.

She felt light headed.

Dizzy.

Fading.

Drowning in his stare.

He inhales a big one and raise his right wrist on top of her face. Opens the palm wide open and places it on her lips, covering her lips with his palm. Her eyes open in shock. Thumb on her chin, little finger on her nose. Khushi's eyes opens wider and in surprise. Not knowing what to expect, not knowing what to think or do.

She keeps silent and still, waiting for the unknown. He presses his palm a bit more tightly on her lips and then brings his head down. Khushi could feel her pulses run wild, her head spin and legs giving up.

A warm breath.

A warmer skin.

ARNAV KISSES HIS BACK OF THE HAND. LANDING ON HIS SKIN, BUT CREATING A HAVOC IN HER INSIDE.

Her breath stops for ever, brought back by a frozen shiver down her spine.

Her unexpected, expected took place.

Arnav pulls her up and lays her on her bed, clearly knowing that she will not able to think, move or feel after what he just presented her. Before leaving for the day, he closes in on her ears and whispers:

"I SAID, I NEED SOMETHING SWEET, RIGHT?

SEE?

I GET WHAT I WANT.

SWEET.

AND IT WAS YOU."

Khushi keeps her eyes fixed on him, while he jumps out of the window like a wild cat and vanishes into the day light. She closes her eyes and shouts out loud into the pillow in an incredible, wild accepting smile.

His last words lingers in her ears'''.

"THIS WILL HOLD YOU UNTIL, I GET YOU TONIGHT."