This is my version of what took place in the hut during the kidnapping track.
Khushi gripped Arnav's hand and tried to keep up with the pace Arnav was running with. Arnav slowed his pace when he spotted the small hut a short distance away from them. He looked at Khushi, he knew she was tired, they had been on the run for what felt like hours. He didn't know his way around the jungle and they were far from any roads. There was no other option, they had to take refuge in the hut. As Khushi tried to catch her breath, Arnav whispered, "A little bit longer..." She nodded and followed Arnav's steps as they moved inside the hut. Arnav shut the door, hopeful the kidnappers would not find the hut. Not entirely for himself, but for Khushi, he couldn't risk her getting hurt.
Seeing the darkness inside the hut, Khushi held Arnav's shoulder in fright. "Kitna andera hai." Arnav held her hand and said, "Mein ek kaam karti hoon... mein kuch light arrange karooge."
Khushi held onto Arnav's hand before he could move away from her. Fear overcame her face and she said, "Nahin aap kahi mat jaye."
Arnav held Khushi's shoulders and made Khushi sit on a stack of hay on the floor. He stooped down in front of her and held her hands, "It's okay Khushi, mein abhi aata okay."
Khushi held his hands tighter and tried to persuade him, "Nahin aap mat jaye please."
Arnav saw his wife's fright he tried to assure her, "Khushi mein abhi aa jaonga... just relax."
Seeing he was not going to listen to her, Khushi tried another way, "Lekin mein aapki saat ah sakti..."
Arnav interrupted her, "Khushi close your eyes..." He repeated himself and she closed them. He smiled at her stubbornness and continued, "Count to 10 and I'll be back in front of you."
She nodded like an obedient school child. He untangled his hand from her hold and got up. He heard her begin, "Ek ... Doon... Teen..."
He shook his head at his wife's counting and a smile appeared on his lips.
Using the moonlight that peered through a slight crack in the hut's wall, Arnav navigated his way around looking for anything to give the place some light.
As she reached to 10 he was standing in front of her. Before she opened her eyes she called, "Arnavji..." He sat beside her and held one of her hands, her eyes flew open and she sighed in relief and she saw her husband in front of her.
He held in front of her a small lantern he found in the corner of the hut along with a few matches. He struck the match and lit the lantern in front of her. The light shone in between them and Khushi smiled seeing she was no longer in darkness.
She looked up at Arnav's face and saw his cut on his cheek, she immediately took her dupatta and dabbed the wound. He looked at her hand and then at her. Seeing him staring at her, she withdrew her hand uncertain of what he was thinking. He shifted the strands of her hair to behind her ear and continued looking at her until he saw a tear on the shoulder area of her shalwar down to the side, making her bra inside visible.
Khushi looked down to see what he was gazing at, he instantly looked away and she covered the area with her dupatta.
Still looking away he said, "There's some clothes in the corner you can change." She nodded and he took her dupatta and draped it like a curtain on the rope hanging across the hut to give Khushi some privacy to change.
He sat on the stack of hay while Khushi changed. He unbuttoned his shirt and remained in his vest as the material of his once soft dress shirt started feeling harsh since he was wearing it for a while.
Sitting on the floor his hands played around with the strands of hay whilst Khushi changed.
His head shot up and asked to the red dupatta made curtain that Khushi was behind, "You said you knew I was not in Scotland... How did you find out?"
Khushi froze behind the curtain and replied, "I knew you were in some kind of trouble." With a pause she continued, "When you called and said..." She started stammering, "When you said that..."
Arnav remembered exactly what he had said to her on the phone... I love you. He had said I love you to her, not for her to find him, but instead because he was held at gunpoint and he thought that was the last time he was getting to talk to his loved ones. He could not die with the fact that he had not expressed his feelings to Khushi, so when he got the chance to talk to her, he immediately said the three words.
He uttered, "I errr.."
She continued tying her blouse and said, "Yes, when you said that..."
He looked up and saw her shadow on the wall, she was tying her blouse. Being a shareef young man he averted his eyes away from her but the husband in him, that was blinded in love and desire could not help but revert his eyes to the wall where he saw her shadow knot the blouse.
He stood up and moved to lower the flame in the lantern so that he would no longer see her shadow on the wall as it was invading her privacy.
Just as the flame dimmed she pulled aside the curtain slowly as she was finished changing. She slowly looked up to see her husband in only his vest which hugged his abs tightly, also exposing his taut muscles and his broad shoulders.
He was blown away, smitten by her, from head to toe he drank in her sight. She was standing in a red blouse that seemed as if it was playing peekaboo underneath her white transparent like sari.
She looked down and gulped seeing him gaping at her. She remembered that look well, how could she forget it, it was that same look he had given her on that Divali night the previous year near the pool where they had almost kissed. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear while his eyes were stuck on her.
He began moving towards her, she hesitantly took a step back with every step he took forward. When he stepped forward the last time and she moved back, she felt the wall of the hut behind her. There was no more room to move. She gulped and shifted to the left but he was faster and he enclosed his hand on the wall.
She shifted to the right side but yet again he caught on and placed his palm on the wall caging her tiny frame in between his muscular arms.
He titled his head and inched closer to her lips, Khushi took that brief second to pry away but he held her hand and pulled her back onto the wall.
He shifted her hair and kissed the crook of her neck. She clutched the ends of her sari and shut her eyes feeling his lips on her skin.
He lifted her into his arms and walked across the hut, laying her gently on the hay, as if she were a delicate ornament.
His hands rested on either side of her tiny body, while he leaned over her. He titled his head and inched closer to her face. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, she turned away and started panting heavily.
Now that she was lying on her stomach, Arnav shifted her hair and caressed the knot that held her blouse in place. He ran his fingers along the length of her thin blouse and began untying the knot. He removed the knot completely and began exploring the length of her bare back with his hands. He placed a feather like kiss in the middle of her back causing her to arch her back while a soft moan escaped from her mouth.
He traced the tiny mole on the right side of her back with his fingers and kissed that spot as well. He glanced at her breathing heavily, he slowly turned her to face him again.
As he called her in his sweet voice, she opened her eyes and gulped.
Just as he was about to lean into her, the sound of thunder from outside resonated in the small hut, Khushi lunged forward and gripped onto Arnav's body. Arnav stroked her back, "Shh Khushi its okay..." She hugged him tighter as she shuddered.
He pulled her into a sitting position and tied the knot of her blouse back. "We'll get home soon. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." She nodded and rested her head on Arnav's chest.
He tightened his grip on her, soon after both of them fell asleep, while the rain continuously fell outside.
The rays of sun hit Arnav's face and he frowned. He turned his head trying to hide from the sun, but it was of no use. He opened his eyes slightly, he looked around seeing he was in the hut. He looked down and sighed in relief seeing Khushi still with him, she was safe in his arms. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Khushi get up, its morning."
Khushi opened her eyes to meet the chocolate brown eyes of her husband staring intently back at her. "Arnavji..."
Arnav got up and helped her up, he checked outside, making sure it was safe to emerge from the hut. Once it was clear, he went back inside for Khushi, he held her hand and they ran towards the nearest road they could have found. They waited for a while before hitching a ride taking them straight to the Raizada Mansion.
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