The Trampled Butterfly #3 check index for Th4 link

"Can't you send it to Mussoorie?" Arnav enquired over the phone in a frustrated voice. Hearing a 'no' from the other side, he sighed and replied, "Fine, I'll come over to DehraDun," and disconnected the call.

It was one of the wedding gifts for his sister, a sapphire set which he had ordered online from a jeweller in Dehradun and now, they were refusing to deliver it all the way to Mussoorie due to some technical problems which Arnav couldn't make heads or tails of.

He glanced at his watch. It was just 9 in the morning and deciding that he could make the trip well on time, he dressed up and went downstairs in lookout of his chauffeur to drive him to Dehradun.

But the house was unnaturally quiet and observing more deeply, he noticed that no one was present at home.

He walked to the garden where his chauffeur would normally be residing, but instead, found no one there too.

Returning back to the house, he met Dadi who was now sitting on the dining table and getting ready for her breakfast.

"Dadi, where's everyone? And have you seen the chauffeur?" he asked impatiently, glancing at his watch repeatedly.

"Actually, everyone has gone to meet Ranvijay's family taking along the chauffeur. They won't be back till evening."

"What? No one told me anything." He groaned with frustration, plopping down on one of the chairs.

"As if you would accompany them if they told you." Dadi snorted, while one of the servants served her the breakfast.

"You didn't go?" he asked, reaching out to eat from her plate.

"Nah, my knees are becoming very painful these days to travel for too long."

"Should I take you to London to do something about them?" Arnav asked concernedly for his beloved grandmother.

"You know Arnav, take an old car as an example. Once it crosses hundred thousand kilometres or one fifty, all parts wear out. You can replace them and still run the car, but it will still be an old car. Now, I'm just like an old car. But let this old car atleast be classified in vintage collection as an original piece instead of remixed one." Dadi chuckled, but the creases of worry from her grandson's forehead didn't vanish.

"Dadi, promise me that when you need my help you will ask me without any hesitation okay? I'm your grandson and I have full right to know about your problems." Arnav murmured hugging his grandmother.

"I promise." Dadi replied kissing his forehead.

"So why were you searching for the chauffeur earlier?"

"Oh that! I've to go to Dehradun and you know how good I'm with these roads." Arnav chuckled.

"Hmm... I see. Okay, you go and sit in your car. Your solution will be sent to you in few minutes." She replied, winking at him.

"What are you up to?" he asked suspiciously narrowing his eyes.

"Whatever you are upto." She smirked at him, before stuffing her mouth with oats and Arnav had no other choice than to comply with her orders.

o0o

"Dadiji?"

"Ah Khushi." The old lady turned around at the voice only to exclaim out in utter surprise at the sight in front of her. "Oh my dear God! Is that really you?" Dadi asked, adjusting her spectacles at the sight of a red and orange saree adorning Khushi.

"Bless me Dadiji." Khushi walked towards her and held out her folded hands in front of the old woman, who curiously looked at her questioningly, but blessed her.

"God bless you dear. And you look absolutely beautiful. But why are these special blessings for today?"

"Dadiji, it's my birthday." Khushi's face adorned the hugest smile as she declared it excitedly.

"Oh dear, have I forgotten your birthday once again?" Dadi stood up to hug her tightly. "May God bless you with all the happiness of the world so that you have more reasons to smile than to cry in your entire life."

"Thank you and no worries Dadiji. I've gotten used to it by now to remind you and Buaji about my birthday every year." She chuckled, moving apart from her.

"Did you go to church?" Dadi asked, holding her hand.

"Yes, Dadiji. I just returned back few minutes earlier and I prayed for all of you."

"But not for you right?" the old woman's voice softened at the humility of the girl standing beside her.

"God has given me everything I need. I would rather pray for someone who is in dire need than me. See, I prayed for my friend and God sent him to me. I don't want anything else." Khushi replied, the smile simply not fading away.

"Did he wish you?" Dadi asked, referring to her grandson, but she knew the answer beforehand.

"Do you think he ever remembered? I still remember announcing my birthday to him every year and only then he would wish me." Khushi chuckled at the memory about how Arnav would spend the rest of the day apologising to her for forgetting her birthday and come up with a unique idea for a birthday gift to make up for it.

"Khushi, would you do me a little favour?"

"Sure Dadiji."

And Dadi smiled, hoping that her grandson wouldn't disappoint the dear girl beside her on her special day.

o0o

Arnav tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel while he waited for Dadi's solution to walk up to him. His eyes were still focussed on the main door, when all of a sudden, it opened and out walked a figure draped in a red and orange saree. Her hair flowed open on either sides of her shoulders while she held the pleats of her saree and walked towards his direction.

For entire two minutes, he couldn't believe his eyes. Was that really...

Khushi?

Rubbing and squinting his eyes, he looked in her direction once again to confirm whether he was really seeing her or was it just his mind messing up with him. Afterall, he was thinking a lot about her these days.

But when she stopped near his car and knocked on the door, he opened it to reveal her face confirming that it was indeed her.

"Dadiji told me, you needed my help to guide you to Dehradun." Khushi announced, but ended up receiving no reply from him.

How could he reply when his mind was running overdrive with the sight in front of him, while his jaw was hanging down at the surprise?

He felt the same tingly sensation run over his spine, but this time, he was sure his heart was suddenly pumping with full speed than his body was capable of.

"Get in." That was all he managed to murmur amidst the haziness enveloping his mind.

He didn't know what he was thinking. He didn't know what he was doing. Everything was just a blur, until he found her touching his shoulder concerned at his weird behaviour.

"Chotey Saab?"

Those two words brought him right back to the earth and he was greeted with a perplexed face from her side.

"Yeah, directions to Dehra Dun." He murmured, using all his strength to focus on the road ahead of him while he started his car.

But every three seconds, his eyes kept reverting back to her face and every fourth second, he had to forcefully remind himself to look ahead at the road lest his tow down someone under his car.

He had never seen her in a saree before. Were there any words to describe how she looked? Probably not, because he couldn't find any word that corresponded to what he perceived with his eyes.

For the first time, he was annoyed with his car for being an automatic one instead of a geared one, missing numerous opportunities to graze her hand placed on her lap.

He observed how she was looking outside the window, lost in her own thoughts, pointing directions at regular intervals.

"Can I roll down the window?" he heard her voice breaking his reverie, snapping him back into the present.

"Sure." He barely whispered, finding his throat suddenly dry. Lowering the tinted glass, a sudden rush of gale hit him right on his face, along with her hair and he was simply lost as the silky tresses grazed his face delicately like a pearl sliding down a satin cloth.

A huge smile curved up his lips as he saw her putting out her head out of the window and knew she was sticking out her tongue just like she had taught him to.

They were now in the ghats section of their journey and with thick dense forest surrounding either sides of the road, the whole atmosphere was simply ethereal.

He could still remember the first time, they both had travelled in this same route in their childhood.

The Raizadas had decided to go on an outing to Dehradun and little Arnav had eagerly suggested Khushi to also be included in the trip and together they had set out on the journey.

"Wow, your car is so big." Khushi had exclaimed entering the Lincoln Mark. It was the first time she was sitting inside the car and the entire experience had been exciting for the little one.

"Can I sit beside the window?" she had asked in her squeaky little voice, only to hear two big 'No's from the Raizada siblings who had taken over both the window seats leaving her struck in between them.

But after some time, little Arnav had turned around to find a dejected Khushi sitting silently in between them without uttering a word and feeling bad for her, he had pulled her on his lap so that both could share the window.

And just like two little dogs excited at the new found freedom, they had both stuck their heads out of the windows, the winds blowing through their hair, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

"The air tastes so good." Khushi had lolled out her tongue, the cool air igniting her taste buds.

"How can you taste air?" Arnav had frowned with furrowed eyebrows.

"Ofcourse you can. Open your mouth." Khushi had pulled open his lips, forcing him to stick out his tongue and together they had tasted the Mussoorie air.

"Doesn't it taste good?" she had asked with excited eyes.

"Yeah." He had lied that day. How could he explain to that little girl that he couldn't taste anything except for his tongue drying up with the frost?

"Kukku, your hair is blocking my eyes." Little Arnav had growled with irritation as his best friend's hair had whipped his face. But instead, she had turned around to face him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You like my hair? Annyav, you like my hair, don't you?" Khushi had squealed and taking the ends of her shoulder length tresses, she had tickled him all over his face until he had sneezed enough to beg her to stop it.

Fifteen years later, he had actually understood what taste she was talking about.

"Enjoying the ride?" he broke her trance while she turned around to face him with widened eyes and excitement written all over her face and he didn't even have to hear her reply to know her answer.

"Oh! My hair." Khushi exclaimed in horror, seeing her hair sticking to his face because of the wind and immediately reached out to pull it back, simultaneously raising the window to block the wind.

He didn't realise when he had held his breath while her fingers delicately grazed his stubble.

"I was expecting a tickling session with your hair." Arnav smirked, only to have Khushi flash a sheepish smile at him.

"I'm not a kid anymore. I'm grown up, you know." She replied chuckling at him, obviously remembering the old times with him.

Oh, she was definitely grown up. Arnav noticed his best friend for the first time like a man noticed a woman. He observed her lips, glistening with pink lipstick. Her wrists were filled with red glass bangles, which tinkled every time she moved her hands.

Why was she dressed up like this? He wondered, not having been used to see her in this get up previously.

And deep inside, he had to admit that she was distracting him, as if his eyes had been hypnotised towards her direction.

"So why are we going to Dehradun?" she interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to the present.

"To pick up a jewellery set for Anjali."

"Oh, okay." She replied and the rest of the journey was spent in silence only to be interrupted by occasional direction instructions from her and a random song playing on the FM.

o0o

"Mr. Raizada, here's the jewellery set." The shop manager said as he opened the box to reveal the contents.

Arnav carefully inspected it for any signs of defects, but finding none in the amazing craftsmanship, he smiled and closed the velvet box. "It's perfect." He announced and removed twelve bundles of notes, each containing a hundred thousands from his black pouch and handed it over to the manager, who immediately put them on the counting machine to recheck the amount.

With the manager busy with the billing, his attention now turned towards Khushi who was roaming from one section of the shop to the other, her curious eyes inspecting the dazzling collection of jewellery in front of her.

He observed her stopping in one particular section to bend forward, a particular piece of jewellery catching her eye and curious to know what it was, he walked towards her, until he stood right behind her, placing his warm palms on her shoulder, nearly frightening her.

"You want something?" he whispered in her ears, as his eyes travelled towards the case containing a vast collection of diamond earrings.

"Are you crazy? I'm happy with my Lal Bazaar two hundred rupees jhumkas." She smiled, moving aside her hair to show her earrings to him. "Aren't they pretty?"

Arnav smiled back at her words, and he didn't miss her attempt to bury her desires within those words.

"They are very pretty." He instead replied. "Even better than those earrings." He said, pointing at the diamonds below him.

"Sir, here's the change." The manager interrupted the two, as he handed over the bill and the bag to him.

"Thank you." Arnav took the bags and walked outside to his car, Khushi following his heels, when suddenly he stopped midway remembering something.

"Khushi, can you take this and sit in the car? I have one more work left. I'll be back soon okay?" he requested, opening the car for her, while she nodded her head and got into the car.

Arnav hurried back to the jewellery section, walking towards the diamond earrings section. "Hey, can you bill these earrings too?" he asked the salesperson with a huge smile on his face, pointing to the tiny diamond earrings, the same ones that had caught his Khushi's attention.

Yes, His Khushi.

o0o

"Why are we here?" Khushi asked confusedly, as the car drove into the basement parking of a four storey building in the heart of Dehradun. "I thought we were done over here."

"Kukku, you may not be hungry, but I really am. It's already one and it will be too late by the time we reach home. So I decided to have lunch here." Arnav replied, as he parked the car.

Khushi felt the oh-so-familiar butterflies fluttering in her stomach, when he once again called her as 'Kukku'. What was it about that name that made her cheeks glow with warmth?

"Shall we go?" he asked, opening the door and she silently nodded her head, getting down from the car. Before she knew it, his hand was already enveloping hers, their fingers entwining as he led the way to the elevator.

Her eyes widened with awe as the elevator door opened to the restaurant in front of her. It was the same kind like the Ilbert Manor in Mussorie, where she worked every year during peak season of Christmas. Posh, classy reserved only for the elite folks. The closest she had been to these kinds of places was to clear the tables after the customers left. And now, to know that she would be sitting on one of those chairs and dining, simply flabbergasted her.

Arnav stilled on his way, as he felt Khushi's arms grip his own tightly, freezing in her place as if she was hesitant to step in.

Turning around, he arched his eyes to ask her what's wrong and instead, found nervous eyes gazing his own.

He didn't know what made him leave her hand and instead, wind his arm around her waist, his fingers brushing the bare skin peeping amidst the folds of her saree. And holding her in an assuring stance, he led her to one of the tables in the private section of the restaurant knowing that she would be more comfortable in the privacy.

He knew that her eyes were on him the whole time as they walked that ten metre distance towards the table.

And he rewarded her with an assuring smile as he pulled out the chair for her to sit.

Khushi simply couldn't take her eyes off him, as he pulled the chair for her. This was something she had only seen in the English movies which she used to watch with Dadi and now that she received a similar treatment, she suddenly felt out of the place, unable to grasp the reality actually unfolding in front of her eyes.

"Kukku, what do you want to order?" Arnav asked, as the waiter shuffled near their table. When he received silence from her instead, he looked up to find her eyes looking somewhat lost on the table, the menu simply lying open in front of her.

"We'll have two plates of Fettuccine Alfredo pasta and a pan grilled chicken with cranberry salsa." Arnav instead ordered the waiter as the latter scurried away to the kitchen.

He reached out his hand under the table to hold her arm and found her hazel eyes meeting his. "What?" he mouthed silently, giving her hand a little squeeze.

At first, she seemed hesitant to voice her inner thoughts. But after one minute of what seemed to be deep introspection, she spoke. "I've never been to such a place. This is my..." she started only to be interrupted by him.

"First time? Better late than never." He smiled at her reassuringly.

"I don't know how to eat in forks and spoons." She confessed softly, suddenly letting out what was disturbing her for the entire time.

"Well, I can teach you, isn't it? And if you are still uncomfortable, you can cheat and use your hands. I will bribe the waiter to not spread this gossip to entire Mussorie." He replied and that was enough to break the ice for her as she let out a chuckle at his remark.

Khushi stared at him in awe, as tears of happiness suddenly threatened to spill from her eyes. Arnav hadn't even known that it was her birthday and yet, her day was turning special by every minute. For the past fifteen years, her birthdays had consisted of a visit to church early in the morning followed by receiving blessings from Buaji and Dadiji. And then, she would go to the backyard of her cottage, in search of a half melted soot covered candle and lighting it up, she would imagine the trees and the birds singing 'Happy Birthday' to her while she would blow off that same candle, all alone with no one around her to join her celebration.

That was how her birthdays had been for the past fifteen years.

But, today when her birthday was suddenly different, she didn't know how to react.

The food was served and gathering herself together, she picked up the fork and the knife and began to cut through the chicken.

At the first attempt, the fork slipped from her hand, landing with a loud noise on the floor.

And so did the tears start rolling down her eyes.

"I'mmm... so... sorry." She quickly murmured and reached down to pick the fork, but Arnav was quicker than her to grab the silver. Keeping it aside, he picked a new fork and handed it to her. However, Arnav did indeed panic, finding tears rolling down her cheeks. "Kukku, don't worry. It is not as hard as you assume it to be." He tried to console her.

But how could she explain that they were not tears of embarrassment, but something different entirely?

She tried to cut the chicken once again and when she failed once more, she found a fork with chicken on the edge offered to her mouth and looking up, she found a concerned Arnav reaching out for her.

She didn't know when she had opened her mouth and let him feed her.

"Do you like it?" he asked eagerly, as she relished the first bite.

"Your choice will undoubtedly be the best." She replied, but the fact was that this food was nowhere near their favourite Chicken tikka and chole bature. But she didn't want to disappoint him in any way and thus, she continued to eat it, just to keep him happy.

"Move your thumb a bit to the right." Arnav said, as he reached out and helped her by showing the correct way to hold the fork and the knife.

But all she could do was stare at his lips, as his thumb stroked her fingers, suddenly creating a storm within her. However, she bit her own lip and looked away, before her thoughts went wayward.

"You aren't enjoying the food, are you?" he asked a few minutes later, noticing the absence of enthusiasm in her eyes. "And don't lie to me." He warned her, knowing that she would hide her true feelings just to appease him.

"It is really nice, but I'm not used to eating such food." She confessed, only to receive a smile from him. "Then get used to it." He replied in such a serious voice that made her choke on her food, leading her to cough out loudly.

"Chotey Saab, don't joke." She said, reaching out to drink the water.

"I'm serious this time." Arnav stated in a no-nonsense tone and all that she could do was stare at him in silence.

Absolute silence.

As she felt her own throat go dry out of words or replies.

She looked down at her plate, suddenly feeling the same warm and gooey feeling inside her and raising her eyes, she was met with an intense stare from him, his eyes glued to her face, a little smirk playing along his lips.

Unable to meet his eyes, she looked everywhere else except for his eyes. But the occasional glimpses that she managed to get every few minutes of his face, confirmed that he had resolved to not take away his eyes from hers.

Using up all her concentration and energy, she managed to complete the meal in silence.

An hour later, they were in the car and on their way back to Mussorie. Some random old song was playing on the FM filling the silence amidst them. But neither had spoken a word in between.

Arnav observed Khushi resting her head on the car seat, curling towards her side, gazing out at the trees moving past her. Maybe she was tired, he deduced and not wanting to disturb her, he too remained silent.

All was well, until suddenly, he saw Khushi straighten up and exclaim out in surprise. "It's raining!"

"What?" he asked confusedly and the very next second was rewarded with the small drops of drizzle spattering over his windshield.

"It is raaaiiinnniiinnnggg..." Khushi shrieked like an excited kid and he was reminded about the six year old Kukku, who would get very excited at rains.

It was the first rain spell of the year after little Khushi had arrived at the Raizada Manor. The eight year old Arnav had never been a fan of rains and always preferred to remain indoors than to get himself dirtied with the splash of water and mud.

Thus, sitting on the porch, he had silently admired the rain from a distance instead.

Until he had noticed the little Khushi run out straight into the downpours and twirl around with excitement, the drops bathing her entire body.

She had jumped with ecstasy, unbothered if the mud would soil the only shoes she owned.

She didn't even care if anyone was watching her.

And the little Arnav could only stare at her with awe as she pranced around the garden like a butterfly, hopping and skipping from one flower to the other, lost in her own world.

If he had assumed he could be a mere spectator, he was very wrong because the very next minute, she had stopped, only to gaze in his direction with a sweet smile on her face.

And raising her chubby hand, she had called out to him.

"Annyav... Come here and play with me."

And the one person, who hated rain the most had simply been unable to refuse the little angel in front of him. His feet had simply dragged him towards her, and grabbing his hand, she had twirled round and round, under the rain, all carefree and happy as if they were the only two souls in the world.

And that day had been the first time, he had laughed his heart out, realising that their happiness was mutual and linked deeper than they knew.

"Can you please stop the car over there?" Her voice brought him back to the present and he noticed a plain stretch of land, lying just a few metres ahead. "Please?" he heard her plea once again, but he knew he would have stopped the car even if she didn't plead him because he knew how dearly she loved rain.

"Thank you..." Khushi squealed like a little kid, as she jumped out of the car and ran into the rain, transported back instantly to her childhood.

Arnav couldn't supress his laughter as she stretched out her hand to feel the cool droplets grazing down her arms, her excited laughter echoing through the mountains surrounding them.

Only the tinkling of her bangles interrupted her laughter and the sight in front of him suddenly made him warm and fuzzy from the inside. The sight was so serene and peaceful that it threatened to spill tears of happiness from his own eyes seeing her enjoy like this.

The deodar trees surrounding them swayed harder as the gales brushed past them, making them appear as if they too were dancing along with this girl's happiness. The last of the birds chirped and ducked into the branches to avoid getting wet. But this bird in front of him was in no mood to stop. Rather her fun had just begun.

Soon, the clouds looming over them darkened, shielding away the brightness from their life and he didn't miss out the stark similarity in the situation with Khushi's life.

But even the dark clouds weren't able to dampen the spirits and as the rain pounded harder, her spirits only rose higher.

"Khushi!" he called from the window of his car, sitting inside the warmth of the comforts, gazing at his best friend twirling around under the rain, the big fat drops battering her face.

But turning around, she looked at him with those innocent puppy eyes that only wanted to have fun all day, leaving him with no other choice than to sigh and oblige to her demands.

The happiness was clearly etched on her face and he could see the same five year old 'Kukku' in her, just like the first time he had seen her enjoy these rains and it was as if she had suddenly been resurrected back to life.

And witnessing that pure happiness sent tingles of ecstasy down his spine.

The rain was getting heavier by the minute, the drops battering painfully against her, but she still didn't stop.

Khushi twirled and twirled, spinning around in circles as if lost in a trance, completely away from this world and all of a sudden, he felt a tinge of panic, streaking his warm chest inflated with happiness.

The bright sunny afternoon had turned grey and dark, the black clouds looming over them. They were separated by a distance, the distance between the car and the muddy earth, where the two of them belonged to.

He, surrounded by warmth and comfort of his luxury, while she, left to endure the harsh cold of the outside bitter world.

Her eyes were now closed, as she looked up at the sky, holding out the edges of her saree in both her hands ahead of her, to collect the fresh drops of the first rain. But they simply seeped into the fabric, drenching her all the more.

The skin beneath that fabric revealed against the six yards draping her, accentuating her places where he had never ventured before. He averted his gaze, suddenly feeling embarrassed at the direction of his own scandalous thoughts, but there was something within him, that reverted back that same gaze, instilling him with a confidence, possessiveness, a feeling that he was not wrong.

As if he had a right to look at her that way. The way only a man in love looked at his woman.

As the seconds ticked by, he was drawn towards her like a moth to a flame, like an oasis to a parched traveller, like a bird to the open sky, its freedom and happiness.

And then, he heard his phone ring, snapping away his wild thoughts.

"Dadi?" he asked, surprised to hear her voice on the other end.

"Arnav, where are you both? It's raining heavily here. You should have been home two hours ago. What happened?" he heard the worried voice of his grandmother.

"Dadi, you don't worry. I'm here with her. We might just get delayed a bit."

"Don't worry? Arnav, it's raining cats and dogs outside and do you even realise how dangerous it is to drive in the ghats at this time? And as it is, its Khushi's birthday today. Don't you dare spoil her day today with your stupidity." The elder lady clearly warned him.

But his ears turned deaf as the new piece of information slowly seeped into his skin.

It was Khushi's birthday? And that girl hadn't even informed him for the entire day. What the hell!

"Dadi, I'll take care of her and myself. We will be back soon, okay?" And saying so, he disconnected the call, his eyes suddenly burning with annoyance and fury at his best friend.

He had once again forgotten his best friend's birthday. Hell! He hadn't even wished her for the past fifteen years. But she?

There wasn't even a word uttered by her about it for the entire day that she spent with him and this simply made him mad.

Mad enough to open the door and step out into the rain, the very rain that he abhorred, opening the door to their two worlds and bridging the gap between them.

He strode towards her in quick three steps, the mud soiling the black polish of his shoes, the rain drops creasing his perfectly ironed clothes.

But when the distance between them reduced to mere inches, his anger, his annoyance, his frustration simply washed away with the rain and all he could see were those quivering lips adorned with tiny glistening drops of rain, her eyes closed, unaware of the entire world.

He didn't realise when his hands had reached out to cup her face with their own accord. And her eyes dreamily sprung open at the warmth he provided amidst the bitter frost surrounding the confines of her heart.

His fingers, wrapped around the nape of her neck on their own, tilting her head delicately to meet his and before he knew it, he leaned forward towards her, bridging the gap between them irrevocably.

Like the first rays of sunlight streaking the cold night sky.

Like the first bud of spring blooming after a dry winter.

Like the caterpillar emerging out from its cocoon as a new butterfly.

His lips touched her soft ones, as delicately as mother held her new born, his warm breath fanning her face. A big round drop of rain rolled down his head, over his nose, ending on his lips, and mixing with the other drop on her lips to become one, he tasted her.

His unchaste lips had kissed others before. But this feeling that ignited with him when her chaste, untouched lips met his, he knew what he had missed all those previous times.

Raising his eyes, he wanted to gaze into those hazel orbs, to see her reaction, to know if she was feeling the same like him. But instead, he was rewarded with closed eye lids...

And tears.

Even amidst the cold rain, he could identify her warm salty tears, silently rolling down her eyes.

And he moved apart his lips, just mere inches away, his hands still wound around her nape. With his other hand, he carefully moved away the wet strands of hair covering her face, tucking them behind her ear and his thumbs silently moved to wipe away the tears.

"Khushi?" he asked in the softest voice with such concern that she was forced to open her eyes to meet his molten brown ones.

And what he saw within them simply broke his heart.

There was fear and nothing but fear, dwelling in them and he didn't need any explanation.

He shook his head slowly, as a silent plea to not be scared of him, that he was not that monster who had scarred her fifteen years ago.

That she could trust him.

And this time, his eyes gazing straight into hers, he once again bridged the gap between them, claiming her pink lips in a soft feathery kiss, just their skin touching bare to bare along each other.

He didn't know when his own body had started shielding her from the cold rain as he towered over her.

All that he knew was that resting his forehead on hers, he was doing the right thing after a long time. He could feel the hair on his back standing up with ecstasy as he prolonged the kiss with her. The same warm tingly feeling inside his stomach returned, only this time, magnified beyond his expectations.

His hands had glided up her back of their own accord, pulling her roughly against him, moulding his body completely with hers, every contour fitting perfectly, as if they were the cope and drag of the moulds that God created them with.

He broke apart for the second time, to gaze into her dreamy eyes and smiled. "Happy Birthday Khushi. A very happy Birthday to you."

And before she could respond to his wishes, he slammed his lips against hers for the third round of kiss, this time letting all his senses intoxicate her. There was a steady crescendo of his power over her lips, every second filling him with renewed energy and confidence and before he knew it, she had begun responding to his urgency.

It was as if the fire was battling the snow, the rain an outcome of it. Streaks of lightening had begun to charge up the sky, the rumbling of thunder echoing through the mountains, but there was no sign of any end of their intimate kiss. As if they had decided to brave any storm to become one.

The grip of her fingers clutching his shirt for support tightened, as she raised herself on her toes to keep up with him. And when his own hands descended downwards to raise her up, her fingers glided upwards to hold his face tenderly and he was simply lost in her delicate touch.

He finally broke apart, to catch his breath, his head still resting on top of hers, when suddenly, she moved away her face defiantly from him.

"Chotey Saab. This is wrong." She whispered, but her voice croaked proving otherwise.

"I'm not your Chotey Saab. I'm your Arnav, Khushi. Kukku's Annyav." He replied, caressing the sides of her face. "Is that clear?" his voice rose several pitches higher, as if in a warning tone.

"I should go." Khushi tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her.

"Where Khushi? You don't need to go anywhere. You belong with me." He whispered in her ears, as he kissed the soft flesh of her earlobes.

"Why don't you understand Chotey Saab? You do not realise the gravity of your actions." She pleaded with him, to let her go. But he was adamant to hold on to her.

"So you realise huh? Fine. If you have never felt anything for me, then do me one favour. Kiss me goodbye one last time, and I will never bring this up between us ever again." He challenged her knowing that she wouldn't dare to do it.

But to his utter shock, he found her turning to face him, and with eyes reddened with tears, she leaned forward to kiss him and he felt his heart suddenly plunge into the depth of deepest ocean, as if it would never resurface back again.

And here's the song which I picturised for this perfect moment. I feel this song perfectly describes the love of Arnav and Khushi in this FF and this song was the sole inspiration for this FF. Not the video😆 just the music and the lyrics😊

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW7zSD_9QBw[/YOUTUBE]

And I have an announcement to make which you won't like at all.

I'm going on a longish break.

Bas!😆

Why? where? what? how? I'm going to Mars for vacation. And will be back only on 8th june. Yes, it is long but I need to take this break.

But the silver lining is, I will update one or two more chapter in this break. Is that fine with you all? No? My decision still won't change.😆

Remember, my break means break. So you can trust me enough to return back after 20 days. My ex readers of Mirage will know this. All I can say is that I'm a human too and I need some time for myself.

The end.