Khushi on the other hand was looking around the lavish architecture of the building and that was when she noticed that he was leading her to the back of the hotel. Reaching the garden she looked around and what she saw, caught her breath.
The garden was decorated with fairy lights. Right at the centre was a gazebo in red and white. The whole garden was empty with only the two of them. In the center of the gazebo was a table for two. Turning to her right, she saw Arnav looking at her as if waiting for some kind of response, but she was too mesmerized by the sight presented to her to even react. It looked like one of those sights from the fairytales that she would read when she was young. She tried to speak but when she opened her mouth, she noticed how dry it had become. Licking her lips and clearing her throat she finally turned towards Arnav.
"What is this? You shouldn't have done all this for me. I thought we were just going for a dinner." She pouted.
"Khush, I refuse to have this argument with you. I am here to celebrate my friends birthday and I am going to do just that, weather you like it or not." He replied, quite irritated by her constant refusal to let him do anything for her.
"Fine. I am sorry. Lets go celebrate. And I hope you have enough food to feed me!" she said with a hint of laughter in her voice. He looked at her, amused at how she could never think beyond food. Everytime they would go out anywhere, even if it was work related, she would not let go till she wasn't fed. She was like a little kid who was refused their favourite candy, when not fed on time. He looked at her adoringly at how she could easily change her mood within seconds, she was upset one second and the next she was smiling. He loved how her silly mood swings could get him to smile and love her more by the minute!
In that second he knew he couldn't let go off this opportunity to tell her everything, how he felt for her, what he wanted his future to be like, he wanted to assure her that he would love and pamper her with every breath that he would take. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and the only way he could do that was to make sure that he wouldn't let her go anywhere, that he would keep her with him always.
Taking a deep breath he held out his hand for her. After she placed her hand in his, he led her to the table. He wasn't going to say anything to her just yet. He had to make her comfortable before he took the next step. They reached the table and he took out the chair for her to sit. After seating her down he went to the other side of the table to sat himself. He was trying his best to calm his nerves. He didn't know what to say anymore. All the practice he had done, everything he had wanted to tell her had suddenly flown out of his mind, all he knew was than an angel was sitting in front of him looking like a princess in black. Looking at her, he noticed that she was waiting for him to say something. Clearing his mind, he smiled at her.
"So, well I know everything about you now and the other way round and we are not talking about business here, so what would you like to talk about? Anything you want to ask me or know about me?" he asked, feeling extremely stupid. He had wanted to make her feel comfortable, but was doing just the opposite.
"Arnav, are you okay? Why are you acting so weird?" She knew something was bothering him, she had never seen him so tensed about anything.
Arnav looked at her. He was always surprised by how she would understand what was going on in his mind. She could always look right through him. He knew he couldn't do this anymore, he knew he couldn't keep this to himself for even another minute. He was getting frustrated by the kind of nervousness he felt. Taking a deep breathe, he got up from his seat and held his hand out for her to hold.
Khushi had no idea what was happening, she could see how nervous and frustrated he was feeling but had no clue as to what was happening. She suddenly started feeling nervous herself. It was like all his nervousness was being transferred to her. She saw him get up and walk towards her extending his hand for her to hold. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she kept her hand on his and got up. He held her hand tightly in his and started walking. She looked at him confused, it had been a while since they were walking but he was showing no signs of speaking up anytime soon. She was getting irritated and so she stopped in her track and pulled him back when he didn't notice. She turned him around and he looked up to see her with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Enough Arnav. Can you please tell me what is happening? I am getting scared by your behavior. Please speak to me." She said concerned.
"Khushi, I want to speak to you, I want to tell you something but I am not sure how you would react. I am scared that I might loose you if I say this to you." He said feeling broken even by the thought of loosing her.
"Arnav, I am not going anywhere and you can tell me anything. Please just open up to me and tell whats bothering you." She replied taking a step towards him and squeezing both his hands to give him support.
And he knew it was time, time to finally tell her, time to finally risk everything he had and tell her what she meant to him. He didn't know how to do it, he had never done or even felt anything for anyone ever. But he knew whatever he would say today would come out from his heart. Today for the first time he would shut his mind and let the heart do all the talking. He held her hand and squeezed it tight because he knew what he was going to say next was going to come like a shock to her. He knew she would need support and he would be there to support her. He took a deep breath and took a step forward so that he was standing right in front of her, towering her. He looked right into her eyes, showing her all the love he could and said the next few words.
"I Love You"
There it was said!
She looked at him, frozen. There were no emotions, no expressions that crossed through her mind or face. She was trying to understand what he had said. She couldn't understand anything, it was like the world had stopped. She was trying to place the words that had come out of his mouth into her mind and make sense out of them. She could do nothing except look into his eyes. She searched in every corner of his eyes for any kind of hint of laughter or joke, but found none. She kept looking for anything and everything in his eyes but all she found was love. Her eyes were questioning him but all his eyes gave away was his love for her. She didn't know what to say, she knew she liked him but in that moment, looking into his eyes she knew she wanted this, she wanted to be with him. But in the next second her eyes showed fear, she knew the kind of past Arnav had. She knew the kind of reputation he had, he was not known to stick with one girl for a very long time. She didn't want to be one of those girls who he would just use and throw when he was done. She kept looking into his eyes, waiting for him to assure her that she wouldn't get thrown away by him.
Arnav was waiting with bated breath for her to say something, anything. He had seen the different emotions that had flickered through her eyes. He had even noticed how one minute she had shown confidence and love but the next showed uncertainty. Her eyes had asked him to assure her that he meant what he was saying and he knew he had to do just that. He knew he had to tell her what she meant to him. He took her hand and led her back to their table. Making her sit down on the chair, he kneeled down in front of her, still keeping a tight grip on her hand. He kept both their hands on her lap and looked straight into her eyes and spoke.
"Khushi, I know this has come as a shock to you and I am ready to answer any questions you have and explain everything. I don't know how to start. I know we haven't known each other for very long but I also know that in all this time that I have known you, I have loved you. From the very day that you walked into my cabin and I laid my eyes on you, I knew I wanted you. In the beginning I thought that I might be attracted to you or maybe lusting over you." He noticed the fear that crossed through her eyes, and it hurt him to no ends but he planned to continue anyway. "I thought I would get over you but it never happened, infact my feelings only grew for you by the day until one day when I finally knew that it was you who I loved and I was ready to give up anything for that. Remember the day you had that accident?" he asked waiting for her to relive that moment.
"It was just a normal day. Khushi was getting ready to go for work and was already late. She had rushed out of her house yelling to her sister.
"Jiji I am leaving. I am getting really late and I am absolutely not interested in getting yelled at by Arnav"
"Don't run. And take care. I will see you in the evening." Her sister had replied.
Khushi being Khushi had not listened to her sister and had run out of her house to the main road to catch a cab. She had found one on the other side of the street and was running to cross the street. She had not noticed the bike that was coming towards her until something had hit her and everything had gone blank in her mind.
The next time she had opened her eyes, she had found herself to be on a hospital bed with Arnav right beside her holding her hand.
Khushi was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Arnav again.
"That day, when I had gotten a call from Payal saying you would not be coming to work since you had an accident, it felt as if my world had stopped. She said you had been hit by a bike. I didn't know what to do, all I wanted was to be by your side and so I had done just that. When I reached the hospital and had seen you on the bed, lying lifeless, I couldn't think of anything. I had stayed by your side, making sure that you were okay and nothing would happen to you. Those 24 hours when you had refused to open your eyes I had realized what you meant to me. I had realized that there was no way that I would live in a world where you didn't exist. Those 24 hours had made me realize that my feeling for you was not attraction or lust it was only and only love. Khushi, you already know about my past, you know the kind of relaionships I have had and I cant change whatever wrong I have done, but the only thing I could do was assure you that you're the only one I have ever loved or will ever love. Yes, I love you Khushi and I could do anything to prove that to you." He completed, waiting for it to seep into her, waiting for her to react.
Khushi, on the other hand was shocked. She had never known that he had felt so strongly about her. She was trying to let his words seep in and when they finally did, she was left in tears. She was suddenly sure that there was nothing else that she wanted other than being with this man in front of her. The tears had started to drip out of her eyes.
Arnav had seen the tears and was shocked. He had never wanted her to cry, he couldn't see those tears. He extended both his hands to cup her face and slowly ran his thumb on her cheeks to clear her tears but they didn't seem to stop. He was getting scared. He didn't want her to cry, if she didn't want to be with him, then he would never force her, if she wanted him to leave her then he would do that , if that was what was needed to stop her tears.
"Khushi, shh please don't cry. I'm sorry, if you don't want to be with me or want me to leave you alone then I would do that. Please just don't cry, love." He said tears forming in his own eyes. He felt two hands on both his cheeks and looked up to see Khushi looking at him with tears still running down her cheeks but she was smiling.
"Arnav, I don't know what to say. I am just so overwhelmed. I had never imagined that you would feel so strongly about me. I knew I had feelings for you, but today I know that I love you. I know I don't want anything else except to be with you, be your girl. I love you too Arnav." She said looking right into his eyes. She had noticed the tears that had started falling from his eyes. He was crying yet he was smiling.
Arnav couldn't believe that Khushi loved him. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined her to love him back. He was so overwhelmed with what was happening that all he could do was take her in his arms, the only place where she belonged. He held her tight from her waist while she put both her hands around his neck and cried. She cried into his neck, wetting his clothes, but she was too happy to care about it.
Arnav let her cry while he held her. When she showed no signs of stopping he pulled her away from himself and cupped her face.
"Khush, please stop crying. I cant see those tears in your eyes. Okay, you know what, I have something for you. Would you like to see it?" he asked trying to divert her mind and then noticed the hint of joy in her eyes. He saw her eyes light up in excitement.
"Yes, ofcourse I would want to see it. Show me" she said, extending her hand like a little girl. Actually, she wasn't anything more than a little girl whose mind could be diverted as easily as an ice-cream would melt if kept outside in the sun.
He put his hands in his coat pocket and asked her to close her eyes. While she very excitedly did as asked, he went behind her.
She felt some movement around her before she felt something cold going around her neck. She opened her eyes and turned around to see Arnav and then her eyes went to her neck to see a necklace with a pendant which had 'AK' engraved on it. She was ecstatic to have it. It was so beautiful, with diamonds all over. She smiled and looked up to thank the person for giving her so much joy in such less time. But before she could even begin, he put a finger on her lips and said
"Don't thank me. But you could do something for me. Could you always wear this for me? Never take it out? I want everyone to know that you're taken, that you're all mine. Could you do that?"
"You don't even have to ask for it. I wasn't planning to take it out anyway." She whispered, smiling at how protective he sounded of her. It seemed as if he was marking his territory.
What he felt in that minute could not be described in words. He felt like he could happily die. There was only one thing that he wanted to do now, just to make his day perfect.
"Khushi'" he said in his husky voice which sent shivers down her spine. "I have been wanting to do something."
He lowered his head to her level and came close to her. His lips were inches away from hers and he waited, he wanted her to stop him if she didn't want it. He would never force her.
Khushi could feel his warm breath fanning her lips. She closed her eyes and parted her lips in anticipation and that was all it took for him to move forward. He gently closed his lips on hers sucking them. He wanted their first kiss to be perfect. She could feel his hard lips on hers and it was making her go weak on her knees. She snaked her hands around her neck while she felt his arms go around her waist, pulling her towards himself, giving her support so that she wouldn't fall. At that moment, she felt perfect, she felt like she was finally in that place where she belonged. Nothing could ever make her as happy and content as she felt in that moment. She felt his tongue on her lips asking for permission to go in and she slowly parted her lips for him to enter. She felt his tongue going into her mouth, exploring each and every corner. Her tongue, on its own accord, went into his mouth trying to learn him while her hands went into his hair, holding his tightly.
They slowly parted away, trying to catch their breath, but none of them was ready to leave the other. She closed her eyes taking deep breaths while her moved his hands on her back, trying to calm her down. Finally opening her eyes, she looked into his. There were things that she wanted to talk to him about but that would have to wait, she was too engrossed in this man who was standing right in front of her, holding her tight. She went forward and kept her head on his chest listening to his heartbeats, they were perfect, beating in sync with hers.
"I love you Arnav."
"I love you too, Khush."
