Raghu came up to where Ratna's car was parked. "Madam, I got the negatives. I'll get the photo printed tomorrow." "Don't bother, Raghu" she said, "Give me the negatives. I'll ask you to get the photos developed when the right time comes. For now, I think these negatives will do. Thank you Raghu" She asked him for the negatives and she handed him an envelope with cash in it. "I don't think I need to tell you to let this remain between us, right Raghu?" He nodded while opening the envelope, and grinned to see the huge stack of notes. "Right Ma'am. Do let me know if anything else is to be done" She smiled with a nod and rolled the windows up as she told the driver to start the car. She looked at the negatives in her hand and grinned, "Khushi, Khushi, Khushi... I pity you. I'm not against you, darling. I just want Arnav. Actually, it's not even about making him mine, anymore. I want him to pay for his insults. He rejected me. And now, it's my turn to make him regret for every single word he's spoken against me. He will have to break down in front of me. He loves you a lot, right? His love for you will shatter him. He will have to pay for rejecting me. And for that to happen, I can do anything... just, anything" She placed the negatives in her purse and rested her head against the headrest of the car's leather seats.
The next morning, Arnav had already landed at Mumbai airport and was on his way back home. When he had spoken to her last night, and she had told him that she was waiting for him, he wasn't able to wait until his flight next morning. He had asked Aman to cancel the ticket and book a ticket with the first fight available. Aman said that he would stay back for two days and handle everything. And since Arnav trusted him, he left everything in his hands and rushed back to India.
As soon as the car was parked in the driveway, Arnav walked into his house in quick, long strides. He tiptoed up the stairs and stood in front of Khushi's room door. For the first time in thirty years, he felt a strange shiver down his spine as he turned the knob of the door. When he stepped in, he felt his heart race as he saw her asleep. Standing next to her bed, he looked down at the sleeping beauty. Her long hair was splayed over the pillow and it was the first time he noticed that she had really long lashes. Her lips were in a pout as she breathed. But that was not all that his eyes beheld. His gaze ran down her graceful neck and paused at the swell of her bosom. He could help but notice that she wore nothing under that scrap of a spaghetti top. For a moment, he was tempted to stretch his hand out and run his thumb over those prominent tips. He let his gaze roam over the rest of her body. Even though she was a foot shorter than him, her legs appeared to be a mile long in that tiny pair of pink shorts. He was mentally thankful that she had kicked the sheets away. He carefully sat next to her and watched her as she breathed peacefully in her sleep. She was beautiful and with each passing moment, he fell deeper in this abyss called love. He couldn't have asked for anything better. If there was someone called The Almighty up there, then probably He was rewarding him for all his endurance of pain by giving him Khushi. He stroked her cheek and smiled as she stirred in her sleep. As his thumb ran over her bottom lip, he saw her part her lips. Arnav looked on, as if in a trance. His fingers moved over her neck, and even though she was in her sleep, she reacted to his touch, for she arched her head back. A soft moan escaped her lips as his index finger ran along the skin just above her breast. "Khushi..." he called out in a soft hoarse voice, clearly affected by her reactions, and she opened her eyes.
For a moment, Khushi was confused if she was dreaming. The touch of his hand felt so real and she hoped he was right here with her. "Arnav..." she responded groggily and saw him smile at her. When he smiled, she felt her heart flutter. All her confusions about love and lust vanished and she couldn't care less about anything else in the world, except for his hand over her body. She felt those tingly sensations return with a vengeance as his fingers ran over her pert tips through the thin fabric and she closed her eyes as she felt tremors course through every fiber of her body. A terrible hunger and ache washed over her as his hand moved from her breast to proceed downward. Arnav almost lost his control when she bit her lower lip as his hand ran over her midriff. She felt him slip his hand under her top and touch the bare skin of her belly. His lay his hand flat on her, with his palm resting against her navel. In a torturous pace, his hand over upward and she prepared herself for the sensations that were about to hit her. He stopped, fearing that he would lose control. Arnav heard her groan in frustration and her eyes flew open when he withdrew his hand suddenly; and when she realized that he knew she wanted his touch, she felt herself turn red with embarrassment. He smiled and stroked her cheek, "I love it when you blush" he said to her in a soft voice. She looked at the floor, unable to meet his gaze. She did not know why she was beginning to feel so shy around him. When he got up from the bed, she held his hand, "Where are you going?" He smiled without looking back at her, "I need to freshen up and probably get some sleep. From the minute you told me last night that I am to expect a woman who is willing to be my wife in all true sense, I haven't been able to get some shut eye." She blushed to a darker shade of pink. Gathering some courage, she tugged at his hand, asking him to turn around to which he obliged; and she said, "Don't go..." Turning around, he looked into her eyes with warmth, "I'm not going anywhere. But before we step ahead, I want us to do something else..." She seemed confused and he sat next to her on the bed. "Khushi, I want to take you on a date this evening" He grinned as he saw her expressions change from confused to surprise to happiness. "Will you..." "Yes" she answered him. She knew he was not a person who did flowers and chocolates, yet here he was, asking her on a date. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. He hugged her back, inhaling her feminine scent. She was like a drug to his system. Pulling away from her, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead. Then, without a word, he got up and left the room. She smiled and touched her forehead where his lips had been just a few seconds back. "I'm falling for him and there is no doubt in it. Khushi, you're a gone-case" She hugged herself and fell back on the bed with a wide grin.
Minutes passed and she was still lying on her bed when she heard Arnav calling out for Hari Prakash. She had forgotten to tell him that Hari Prakash had asked her permission and taken a day off as he wasn't feeling well. Each of his call to Hari Prakash made her realize that Arnav was slowly losing his temper. Pulling on a robe over herself, she stepped out of her room and ran towards his.
"HARI PRAKASH!" Arnav screamed and Khushi shuddered. Arnav was in his bathroom. "Arnav..." she called out, causing him to be taken by surprise. "Khushi? I called for..." "Yeah, Hari Prakash had informed me that he wanted a leave today. He wasn't feeling well. So I asked him to take rest and gave him an off today." She did not hear any response from him. "Arnav, you needed something?" "Errr... yeah... I needed my towel and bathrobe" Khushi saw the towel on the bed. She picked it up and knocked on the door, "Arnav, I cannot find the bathrobe. Here's the towel" "Come in. The door isn't locked." He said, causing her to freeze. He must have sensed her hesitation, for he said, "Relax. I am in the tub, not in the shower. You can come in" Khushi's hands trembled as she slid the door open, and without looking up, she held it out to him. He seemed to be amused. "Khushi, you need to hand it to me. That is, unless you want me to stand up and get it myself" She looked up at him, turning red, with her inner goddess hoping that he would stand up and she could get to see him... Whoa! Whoa! Khushi, stop! "Don't be silly!" she said and took a few steps to him, while holding it out to him.
"My arms aren't that long. You'll have to walk over here." He said with a small smile. She loudly sighed and slowly walked toward him. "At the rate you're going, it'll be Christmas by the time I'm out of this tub." She picked up the pace. "Here you go." Her heart raced with a mixture of apprehension and excitement as she saw his bare upper half, lathered up. And much to her surprise, he grabbed her other hand and pulled her toward him. She lost her balance and ended up kneeling by the tub. Her face was close to his and he gently held her hand. Her other hand still held the towel. "Say my name, Khushi," he softly requested. "Arnav," she whispered. The very nearness of him was making her weak. He could have asked anything from her and she would willingly do it, without another question. "Say it again. I like hearing you say it." "Arnav." He smiled. "You're beautiful, Khushi." He stroked her cheek and she closed her eyes. He drew her closer and kissed her. She responded to the softness of his lips, forgetting all about the water in the tub or her embarrassment at being with him while he was naked. He reached up and drew her into his arms. She parted her lips and he slid his tongue into her mouth. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered as his tongue touched hers. She touched his soapy arms and shoulders, feeling every bulge of his muscles. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against her. Both chose to stay silent. She felt him smile against her face. "Khushi..." he said her name softly. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I need to get out of the tub now. You may have to just step out. That is, unless you wanna see me getting out. Ii don't mind you looking at me." She leaned away from him, threw the towel at him and gave him a mock glare before stomping out of the bathroom. She heard him laughing as she walked out of the door and smiled as she smacked her head.
Four hours later, Arnav woke up. He had had a good sleep after a good shower. He pulled a t-shirt over his head and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He was hungry. Waking up after a long nap always made him hungry. Walking downstairs, he saw that Seeta had placed food for him on the table. Eating to his heart's content, he went back upstairs. Now that his tummy was happy, he decided to let his heart have its share of joy too. He opened the door to Khushi's room and saw that she was busy reading a book. She was lying on her belly and was unaware of his presence. He tiptoed to her and grabbed the book after sitting next to her. It happened so fast that Khushi did not even acknowledge his presence. "What are you reading?" he asked. "Arnav, give that back," she protested, reaching for it. He turned away from her, sheltering the book so she couldn't take it away from him. He read the title of the book and knew that it was a romantic fiction. "You're reading romance, I see?" "This isn't a guy book, Arnav." She struggled to grab it from him but he was too strong. "That is even better. I need to understand women." He needed to understand her. Maybe he could figure her out better if he read something she was interested in. He opened the book to the page she had been reading. "Let's see what exactly you like reading in this book."
He read, "Nathan gazed longingly into Michelle's light green eyes, his heart flowing with the love he felt for her. "I've looked for someone like you all of my life," he whispered, his voice a warm caress against her cool fair skin. "You are the sun that shines by day and the moon that glows by night. You are my north star that guides me safely to the welcoming home of your arms.'" Unable to stop himself, he burst out laughing. "Oh dear lord! This is ridiculous!" She groaned, mortified. "Fine. So I like mushy, ridiculous books. Will you please give it back now?" He ignored her plea. "What guy says stuff like this, Khushi?" "Just the ones in those books, Arnav. Men aren't romantic by nature. Why do you think a woman wrote the story?" "Is this what women want to hear?" He fought her off of him as she reached for the book. "If I told you this, would you fall in love with me?" I already am in love with you, Arnav, she wanted to say, but chose to huff instead. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced back at her. "I could think up cheesy stuff like this to tell you, if you'd like me to." She frowned, thinking that he was ridiculing her. "No thanks." "What's the difference between having this guy say it or me say it? Is it because this guy appears to be more handsome in your head?" "There's nothing wrong with the way you look. You're quite handsome" she said before she could stop herself. He grinned at her. "So you find me handsome, eh?" She didn't answer him. "Come on. Why won't you answer the question? I find you beautiful. In fact, I often daydream about you. Do you want to know what we're doing in those daydreams?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her. She looked away, before he could see the blush on her cheek. "No, not really." She knew his thoughts too well and chose not to hear it out loud. "It's pretty good stuff. In one fantasy, we finished what we started in the bathroom." "I've heard enough. Please, stop." He grinned and turned his attention back to the book. "I still don't see what you like in this cheesy stuff" "He's saying he loves her. It's a happy moment." "Oh. Got it." Though he really didn't get it, he decided to humour her.
"Okay. Let's see what happens next." He resumed his reading. "Eyes glistening with tears, Michelle softly confessed, "For many nights I hoped for those words to fall from your lips. Now that I have heard them, I can believe in love again."" He chuckled. "What the! Khushi? Really? You like this? This is silly!" "Which is exactly why you should give it back!" "But you love these books, so there must be some redeeming quality in them. Obviously, you wouldn't waste your time if all of this sentimental mumbo jumbo filled all the pages." "I happen to like that sentimental mumbo jumbo." "Really?" "Yes" She shrugged, "Now give my book back"
He narrowed his eyes at her but did not say a word. Instead, he continued reading, ""You no longer detest me?" Michelle asked. "No, I do not, and I am sorry I ever did," he replied, his words a soothing balm on her heart." He looked at Khushi. "Why did he hate her?" "Because she killed his brother, but she killed him in self-defense. He didn't realize it when he was forced to marry her, so their marriage starts out rocky." "Hmm... Misunderstandings, forced marriages, falling in love... Doesn't that remind you of another couple?" he pointed out. She sighed. "This has nothing to do with us. The people in this book don't exist." "Alright. So what happens next?" He picked up the book to begin reading again. "You don't need to read anymore, Arnav. You've already seen how boring it can be." "Not to you. You love this stuff." He held her at bay while he read, "Wrapping his strong, sweaty arms around her luscious, slender body..." He paused. "Why is he sweaty?" She shook her head, looking away from him, "Because he just returned from battle. Now can you please give me my book?"
What didn't she want him to read? Now he had to know what caused her embarrassment. He read, "Wrapping his strong, sweaty arms around her luscious, slender body, he brought his lips to her full ones and kissed her. He kissed her with all the passion that built up in him since their last coming together as husband and wife. Desire flooding through him, his mouth descended to her breasts and he ran his tongue over..." He sat up. "Whoa!" Glancing at her, he realized that she intentionally ignored him. His interest peaked; he read the rest of the chapter in silence while Khushi simply looked away, biting the tip of her nail. When he was done, he said, "I had no idea romance books include sex scenes." She did not answer. He set the book down and gave her a good look. "Are you ashamed to have a sex drive, Khushi?" "No. I'm ashamed you know what I'm reading." "Why? This is good stuff." She hid her face in her hands. "Come on, Khushi. I mean, if you can't read this with your husband, who can you read it with? Hey, I got a great idea! Let's act it out." Her head shot up and she shot him a shocked look. "What?" He shrugged. "It would be more fun than just reading about it. Besides, we're married. Aren't you curious to know if it's like what the author wrote?" He motioned to the book as he handed it back to her. She reluctantly took it, without looking at him. "Don't be embarrassed. You have great taste in literature." And who knew what kind of inspiration she would bring to the bedroom with the material she read? The possibilities were quite many and it excited him. She rolled her eyes at him. He decided to back off from saying anything else about it. "Alright, I'm going to leave you with your book and your imaginations." She sighed in relief, as he got up and walked to the door. Just before closing the door behind him, he said, "Oh Khushi! If you come across the next sex scene, you can simply imagine me doing that stuff to you. I'll be mighty pleased" Without waiting for a response, he closed the door. She slumped into the bed. If only he knew that she had already imagined million such things being done between them. She resumed reading her book, only to have a furious blush on her face as she read what her husband had read a few seconds back.
The rest of the day passed very quickly. Khushi spent her time by reading the book, while Arnav spent his time by sleeping. At around 6 PM, Seeta knocked on her door. "Saheb sent this for you" she said and held out an envelope to her. Khushi nodded and opened the envelope after Seeta left. "I'll pick you up at eight o'clock for our date." It was a hand-written note. She held the note close to her chest and bit her bottom lip. Two hours to go, she thought and got out of bed to get ready for him.
At eight o'clock sharp, there was a knock on her door. She took a deep breath to calm her anxious heart and opened the door. Arnav almost gasped when he saw her. She looked like she was made to kill; yet no less divine than an angel. The black netted saree showed off her feminine attributes and his hands itched to touch her creamy waist that was adorned by the pearl and stone waist chain. She had worn her hair up, and a few strands that escaped the chignon fell on her neck, teasing her nape. She wore dangler earrings and completed her look with a dash of strawberry gloss. She looked up to see Arnav staring at her in awe. She could not comprehend why such a handsome man would be taken with a simple girl like her. She saw nothing extraordinary in herself. Yet, he treated her like she meant the world to him. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in his tuxedo. "You look wonderful, love" he said as he leaned closer and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "You look handsome yourself" she whispered. He held his hand towards her, and she slipped her hand in his. There was something different about this evening and they both didn't know it; not yet. "Shall we?" he asked after he kissed her fingers. Khushi nodded shyly. The night was young and had a lot more in store for them.
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