Arhi FF: Humsafar. Chapter 18 up! - Page 13

"Kya soch rahi hain?" Aaliya's voice boomed in the empty kitchen where Khushi was sitting peeling off the oranges for breakfast. On seeing her sister lost, she asked again: "Ya yeh poochon ke kis ke bare main soch rahi hain?"

"Tumhen koi aur kaam nahin hai humen tang karne ke ilawa?" Khushi asked in an annoyed tone and turned her face sideways partly to cover the blush that crept up her skin. She was thinking about the way she had warmed up to Arnav and how they were coming close to each other day by day.

"Arey wah! Main ne toh sirf poocha tha bus. Aap ko nahin batana toh main Arnav bhai se pooch leti hoon."

"Aaliya!" Khushi yelled and wished that she could hide somewhere from embarrassment because there in his track suit was Arnav standing looking quite bemused at the sight in front of her. She looked at her little sister who was smirking and trying her best not to laugh out loud.

"I needed water." He said breaking the silence and Khushi dashed towards the fridge and filling a glass with water gave it to him so he leaves soon and not see her all flustered but when has her devil of a sister listened to her?

"Acha hua Arnav bhai aap aagaye. Dekhiye na, Khushi aapi kin..."

"Aaliya, tumhen koi kaam tha na?" Khushi cut her off with a glare warning her through her eyes not to speak any further and she did take on the cue and left the matter. However, she didn't back down from teasing the couple, one of which had turned a pretty shade of red and the other one was drinking water but enjoying the former's plight looking at her through the rim of the glass.

"Ab aap log chahte hain ke main yahan se chali jaon toh theek hai."

"Aisa kuch nahin hai. Mujhe jo chahye tha, mujhe mil gaya." Arnav got up and left but not without a meaningful glance towards Khushi who gasped and looked into his eyes before continuing with what she was doing earlier. She looked anywhere except her sister who had her eyebrows raised.

"Arnav bhai ne double meaning baat ki ya sirf mujhe laga?" Aaliya asked in such a tone that made Khushi laugh and Aaliya too joined in. They giggled like schoolgirls and Arnav smiled looking at them through the kitchen door, mesmerized by the sight. Khushi stopped feeling someone's gaze and saw the caramel orbs looking at her which she had come to secretly admire. She was becoming shameless! She asked through her eyes what is it and he gestured his hands towards his room, her mouth opening to form an O'. Nonetheless she left the kitchen in pretense of going to the washroom and making sure there was no one around, she fled to his room panting for breath. She was about to knock on the door when it opened and before she could react, she was pulled by Arnav inside and the door closed behind her.

"Saare neeche..."

"Don't worry, dad ko main ne bol diya hai. He'll take care of that."

Only then she visibly relaxed and then awkwardly stood there with his hand on hers and looked here and there not knowing what to do. Asking her to sit down and relax, Arnav went to the cupboard and took out a gift bag. Smiling to himself and hoping she would like it, he went to where she was sitting and gave it to her: "I bought this for you."

"For me? Can I open it now?" Khushi asked surprisingly and excitement bubbling in her. Like every girl, she too loved gifts and getting it from you husband had something special in itself.

"Yeah I told you that we have to attend this party. I want you to wear it, if you like it of course. And please go ahead. Not that it'll reduce my nervousness but please." Chuckling at the nervous Arnav in front of her, she opened the box carefully and her breath hitched for a moment. She gazed at the stunning dress that lay in the bed and got up to check herself in the mirror by putting the anarkali on her. She turned around and the words unknowingly left her mouth.

"It's beautiful."

"Really? Are you sure? Red's my favorite color and I've never seen you wearing it before so I thought..." His words were cut off by the softest thing on his right cheek. And within a second that feeling ended while Khushi stood there with a shocked expression reflecting the same shade as the dress.

He repeated what had happened a moment ago in his mind. He had heard Khushi speak that the dress was beautiful and still not satisfied he had went on to explain why he chose red when he felt her hands holding his shoulders and tiptoeing she had given him an innocent peck on his cheek while saying: "Thank you. I love it."

She was herself surprised by her behavior and looked into his eyes to see him bemused with a small smile playing on his lips and shrieked when his arms came around her and he hugged her tucking her head under his chin. Placing a kiss on the top of her head he said making Khushi blush even more and hide herself further in him: "If I had known that this will be your response then I would've bought the whole shop."

Khushi sat late at night in her room only to admire the gift her husband had bought her. It wasn't just a gift, it was just that he remembered her when he away. It was this thought that made her smile all the more. She swept a hand across the dress once again to feel the soft material of it and blushed thinking what happened today. How was she going to show him her face after what she had done? She was becoming shameless day by day but he was her husband and he had assured her too that she had every right on him. And honestly, she felt guilty. Guilty that the baggage of her past was the only thorn in their lives but no more. She trusted Arnav with her life and today was just her moving a step forward to embrace the reality. Arnav was doing so much for her. So with new found determination, she kept the dress aside safely and climbed up the stairs of the terrace where she knew Arnav would be waiting for her. And he was, waiting for her with a serene smile playing on his lips. He turned around sensing someone's presence and smirked at her. Here she had given herself a whole hour pep talk and his smirk had just melted her into mush and she looked down feeling shy all over again.

"Kya hua?" She looked up to his mischievous smile and understood where this conversation was going.

"Kuch bhi toh nahin." She shrugged nonchalantly and tried to be normal about it. There was no way she was giving away anything but when he stepped a little too close to her and held her hand, she reduced to a stuttering fool.

"I...main...wo"

"I...main...wo kya khushi?" He asked wrapping his right arm around her waist mimicking her and not getting any answer, he looked towards her and flicked her nose with his index finger and said: "Laal ho gayi." While Khushi could only hide her face in embarrassment and what better hiding place other than her husband's embrace would be?