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Tumse Kahen Ya Hum Na Kahen
Arnav eyed her warily trying to predict her response before deciding to just ask. 'Khushi?'
'Hmm?' she answered not even turning to look at him. Her attention was focused on the flowers in front of her that she was stringing into a garland.
Arnav sighed before moving to sit on the table in front of her. Forcing her to look at him, determined now that he'd started to finish with the result he wanted. 'If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?'
Khushi's face was a mixture of confusion and fear as she realised it was Arnav speaking and not Anjaliji like she'd assumed. She'd avoided coming to the Raizada house all week since Arnav had broken off his engagement with Lavanya so she could avoid this conversation. Today however she'd been unable to resist Naniji and Anjali's pleas any longer and their assurances that Arnav wouldn't be here at all had helped her decision. 'Erm... I...'
'Are you in love with me?' he said abruptly, exhaling heavily after asking his question but never breaking eye contact.
Khushi couldn't bring herself to break contact either but neither could she bring herself to answer his question. All she could say was 'Oh.'
'That's not an answer Khushi.'
'I just...' she couldn't verbalise what was going on inside her head and she got up from the couch and moved to face the window.
'You what?' He'd followed her and now stood mere inches behind her.
She resisted the urge to turn around and continued to look steadfastly out of the window. 'Why do you care about what I feel all of a sudden?' Her voice was barely above a whisper now and she maintained a lack of any inflection in her tone.
He responded almost immediately in that matter of fact tone he had, 'Because I think you are in love with me and I just want to hear you say it.'
'What?' she turned around in shock and then found herself face to face with Arnav who moved forward, decreasing the small gap between them even more so their chests were against one another.
He moved his hands up to grip her forearms. 'Just say you're not in love with me. Just say it,' his gaze was bearing into her eyes. He sounded desperate, but she wasn't sure whether it was desperation to hear her deny or agree to his statement.
'I'm not...I can't.' She looked away from his piercing gaze and tried to move back but Arnav merely moved with her not allowing her any space.
'You can't what?'
It was almost like torture now. She was sure he must know what her answer was by now and yet he still wouldn't let it drop.
'What is it you want to hear Arnavji? Why are you doing this?' she exclaimed pulling her arms from his grasp and moving backwards.
He just looked at her for the longest time before saying quietly, 'I just want to know the truth.' He then turned around and sat back on the couch.
He had barely sat down before she had made her decision as to what she was going to say but still she couldn't bring herself to say it. His defeated stance as he sat down suggested something to her that she didn't want herself to believe for fear of finding out it wasn't true. Although she knew what she was going to say and anticipated his response she couldn't bear to see his face or even his body movement when she did so she turned her back to his and took a deep breath before simply saying 'yes.'
It seemed almost instantaneous that Arnav had moved by her and turned her to face him. His eyes seemed to search her face as if he was looking for evidence of her honesty there. 'Yes, what? Yes, you love me?' he said breathlessly and almost incredulously.
Khushi couldn't believe the emotions that she saw passing on Arnav's face, or more truthfully she didn't dare to believe them. She merely nodded and looked down suddenly seeming very interested in their choice of footwear.
'Khushi look at me,' he said putting a hand on her chin and tilting her face upwards and looking deep into her eyes before kissing her agonisingly slowly. Sensing her compliance he brought his arms around her dragged his tongue across her lips before it met hers and deepened the kiss.
Khushi's hands were still fisted on Arnav's chest, not allowing him complete access to her body, to her mind, to her. Even the few millimetres of distance between their bodies was unbearable and he pulled back from her lips slightly to move the barrier that she'd created with her arms. Khushi moaned in protest at the brief sabbatical in kissing as her arms were pushed up around his neck. Arnav smiled and took the opportunity to whisper against her mouth 'I love you too' before pulling her even closer and kissing her again. This time he was more passionate, more insistent and more demanding.
He moved his hands lower and pushed the fabric of her dress up to touch her skin which seemed to burn at his touch. Khushi showed her approval by burying her fingers in Arnav's soft hair and pulling his head closer to kiss him with increased fervour and passion.
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