"Khushi!" The voice called out from behind and Khushi turned to see it was Anjali walking towards her with a worshiping plate in her hand- giving they were in a temple. Khushi smiled at her and waited for her to catch up.
When she was just few feet away, she greeted her. "Hi Anjali Di, how are you?" We began walking together out of the temple at a slow-even pace.
"Oh, exhausted! Do you know how hard it is to convince Chotey for a birthday party?! By the way, you're coming tonight, right?"
Khushi went silent and when Anjali repeated the question, she politely nodded. With the effect Arnav was starting to have on her, she wanted to stay away from him. But seeing that Anjali insisted she come and also the fact that her sister, Payal, was now their daughter-in-law, she had a direct connection and even after wanting to, she couldn't rid herself from the equation.
"Great! See you tonight then. Don't be late, Khushi!" With that, she left and Khushi stood rooted in the place, thinking things through. She had promised Anjali she would go. But did she really want to face him? After he had practically and indirectly proposed to her? Yes, a part of her wanted to see Arnav and wish him. And then, the other part of her warned she keep her distance from him. That it wasn't right to feel this way about him.
"Hey Devi maiyaa! [Oh Lord] Save me!" She sent out a silent, pleading prayer before driving her car back home.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As the guests came in one after another and wished Arnav, he half-heartedly smiled back at them; his eyes wandered towards the door every second. A part of him was worried on whether or not she would come. He wanted her to come. But every passing moment she didn't come, his heart sank.
"Chotey?" Anjali came up to him. He turned to face her.
"Yes di, is everything alright?"
Anjali laughed and Arnav bore a confused expression. "Chotey, I should be the one asking you that! What's wrong? Are you not happy? I know I sort of forced you into throwing this party..."
"No di, it's okay. I did want a party and I am having fun." The later was clearly a lie but he made it pretty convincing to his sister and directed the topic away, asking her to go sit and not walk about much. She had just had a surgery and shouldn't be putting much stress on her leg.
"Khushi!" Anjali exclaimed as she saw her past Arnav. His heart skipping a beat, he quickly turned around to see her enter in a white colored strapless dress. Seeing which, his smiled brightened further. It was the one he had bought for her. He tried to not grin like a goof but he couldn't help it! Khushi walked up to them, a nervous smile on her face and greeted Anjali and replied back to Payal's hug as she had walked up to the group by then as well.
She was about ready to turn to Arnav when her niece, Payal's daughter pulled at the bottom of her dress, asking for her attention. Khushi chucled at Riya's cute expression and leaned over to pick her up. Riya pointed towards the food corner and made Khushi take her there forcibly, even after Payal ordered she not as she had just ate.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Khushi!!" Anjali called her over.
"Yes di?" Khushi excused herself from the group of ladies and walked over to where she sat.
"Could you please go call Dhruv? It's time for him to go to bed." Anjali asked, refering to her five year old son, Dhruv. Khushi nodded as Anjali informed, "He must be around somewhere.. Last time I saw him was when he was going up the stairs."
Khushi took off to find him. After almost searching the whole house, she found him and Riya playing on Arnav's bed as he sat in front of his laptop. Working. For a second, she wanted to say. What man works on his birthday when a party is being held downstairs?! But then chose to ignore it. He was, after all, Arnav Singh Raizada.
"Dhruv. Riya!" She walked in the room towards them. Arnav instantly looked up. "Let's go. Sleeping time!" She nudged both of them and helped them get down the bed before turning around to walk out with them but they ran off a little too far ahead of her.
"Khushi." His authoritative voice stopped her from moving another inch. Then, his gaze softened and intensified. Seeing that, she started feeling conscious and fidgeted with her fingers, a slight blush forming on her cheek. "Thank you." He said, meaning it. It was not often that he spoke those words.
Stunned, her head jerked up to face him, searching his eyes for an answer. "For coming." He finally cleared the unsaid words after moments of simply looking at each other.
"I- I came because of Di." She fumbled, trying to cover up. He smirked. Is that so? His eyes seemed to be asked. She continued in try to convince him. "I couldn't say no to her."
"Right; for di." He went around her, "Then why are you wearing this dress?" He barely whispered in her ear as he stopped right behind her. As he spoke this, he ran a finger down to her wrist from her elbows. She gasped in and tried to ignore the shiver it sent down her spine. She didn't want him to know it was affecting her. Even though he was behind her and not able to see her face, he was confident it was having an affect on her, for which he smirked.
Composing herself, she spoke. "Di's calling," implying she needed to leave. She slipped her hand out of his and quickly took a step away but he caught it back.
"Funny. I didn't hear anything." He pulled her, her back crashing into his chest. "Except... your heart racing away."
She shut her eyes, at being caught and decided to finally drop it. She turned in his hold. Shocking Arnav with her smirk, she replied, "Now you're hearing things, Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada."
"Then why don't you tell me what I want to hear? Maybe then I won't have to imagine and humor myself."
She blushed, knowing what he was implying towards. She brought her free hand up towards his face and lightly covered his eyes. Then going up on her tippy-toes, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Happy Birthday," She spoke lightly, very softly, in his ears. He could feel her cheeks blushing as she smiled.
She hadn't expected what he did next. Before she moved back, he turned his face and kissed her just by her ear. Her eyes went wide at the unseen surprise. "Thank you." He teased. She proceeded to go back on her feet when his other hand snaked around her waist and held her against him, forcing her to go on her toes again. "Now, what I really want to hear." He demanded in his usual The Arnav Singh Raizada voice - just a pinch of amusement added.
"And if I don't?" She challenged him, actually thinking she had a shot.
Alas, she was, like others, at the weak end when opposite him. He raised his brow at her audacity to challenge him, to defy him, once again leaving him bemused. He jerked her closer to him, their bodies touching each other. His finger dug into her skin around the waist. With his other hand, he played with her hair and moved it aside on one shoulder. "You're not leaving till you do, Khushi Kumari Gupta." He stated it for her in clear terms.
She didn't know why she was stalling the moment. While getting ready, she had decided she would reply to his question. Lowering her eye lids, she softly added, "Singh Raizada," indirectly answering. For a brief second, his hold on her loosened, taken aback at what she'd just said. In that short moment, she rushed out of the room, blushing hard. It took him seconds to recover before following her out downstairs to the party.
There she kept herself busy, teasing him and purposely moving away every time he tried to catch up to her. It had to end with her running into the waiter and the water falling on her and the glass shattered on the floor. It would have shattered on her feet had Arnav not jerked her back - seeing the harm before her as her eyes were preoccupied looking behind trying to run afar.
"Khushi!" He scolded her, fear instantly risen within. He then turned to glare at the waiter and was about to yell at him. She knew what would follow. Hence, she kept on soothing hand on his arm to divert his attention to her.
"I'm fine," she said and motioned for the waiter to leave before he was fired from his job for no fault of his. "I wasn't looking." She calmly reminded him.
"Your dress..." He looked down, convincing himself nothing had happened.
"It's just water. It'll dry off." She said, glad it was the glass with water than fell on her and not the wine glass next to it. She excused herself to the kitchen but he insisted she use his room, in case she wanted to change. She assured him she wasn't going to change but still let him take her to his room. Inside, she lightly spotted the dress with tissue to soak the water away. He watched her leaning on the wall.
"Did I tell you? You look beautiful" He said taking a step towards her.
She smiled and instead of just accepting the compliment, she complimented back. "Your choice, after all."
He chuckled, feeling proud. He was Arnav Singh Raizada and he had chosen Khushi to be his wife and the dress for her. Both had to have been special for that to happen. He stood right in front of her. Pushing a hair-lock behind her ear, his thumb caressed her cheek. "May I?" He asked politely.
They were alone. He didn't have to ask but he wanted this, if she too wanted it. He wasn't going to force her. She nodded, giving him approval. "I Love You Arnav." She said just before he kissed her, gently and deepening it with each passing moment.
Parting, he said, "Thank you for coming into my life, Khushi, and making me feel alive. I love you."
It was a lot for her to take in. After all, she had just been kissed by the one she loved and the one who loved her back just as much. Their first and last love. She knew she wanted many more such nights and days alike in her future life with him. It was their night she'd never forget. Their moment.
.The End.
~
Cricket
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