Arhi SS: Fighting Dragons |Epilogue-Pg 42, Thank You Pg 43 (17/3)| - Page 5

Khushi and Arnav sat on her bed for a while, her resistance waning as he continued to push food into her mouth. She had only tried biting him once, her small white teeth piercing his skin. He had glared at her and simply continued, and she was forced to acquiesce. As time passed, Arnav became gentler. He didn't know how long he sat there, feeding his wife roti, dal, and chawal.

It was a simple meal, but the action of feeding her was inherently intimate. As her lips closed on the last bite of chawal from his fingers, he froze. His breathing grew heavier as he stared at her, both of them absolutely still. His eyes traced her face, starting from her hairline, down to the tiny upturned nose, completely avoiding her eyes. He knew that if he looked her in the eyes, the uncomfortable tightening of his groin would be irreversible, and there was no telling what he would do. His eyes traced the gentle curve of her neck, down to the soft line of cleavage that was just barely visible. He shuddered slightly. He knew his wife was beautiful, but he had never realized just how attracted he was to her. He was treading dangerous waters, and he knew it.

He was jolted out of his tracing of her body when he felt a small push against his fingers. He glanced up to see her pink tongue darting out of her mouth, licking away the last bits of dal from his fingers. He swallowed painfully as she licked her lips, letting out a satisfied sigh. He tightened his fists, trying to maintain some semblance of control over his body. He coughed uncomfortably and stood up.

"I expect to see you at dinner from now on." His voice came out huskier than he expected, and Arnav winced at the obvious effect she had on him. She nodded slightly, before turning back towards the single window in her room and looking out at the sky.

"You know, if you want to, you're always welcome on deck. You're my wife, and this is as much your boat as it is ours." With that, Arnav turned and walked out of the room, clenching his jaw and hoping that his wife hadn't realized the impact of her body on his.

When Arnav and Khushi were out of each other's sight, they both let out a sigh of relief.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Arnav walked down the stairs to the lower level of the boat. He stumbled slightly as his eyes took time to adjust to the darker atmosphere. It was hardly the dingy, unkempt quarters one would expect from the lower level of a ship. Rather, it was beautifully decorated, filled with trinkets and pictures lining the walls. A single bed rested against one end, covered in a pristine light pink bedspread and a soft, fluffy pillow.

"Di?" Arnav called, looking around for the most important woman in his life.

"Chote? Itni raat ko, aap yahan? Itna der kyun hua?" Arnav turned to see the delighted face of his older sister. She walked with a limp, but her face was absolutely radiant as she gazed at her precious younger brother. Her eyes lit up as Arnav walked towards her, gently assisting her towards her bed.

Anjali Singh Raizada was Arnav's weakness. Arnav and Anjali had been inseparable since the moment they were born. After the death of their parents, Arnav had taken it upon himself to be her personal protector. And he felt that he had failed greatly. As his sister sat down, the uncomfortable barrage of memories assaulted his brain.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Shyaamji! Shyaamji! Humein chodiye! Please, Shyaamji, let me go!" Anjali sobbed as her husband dragged her out of their room. He laughed maniacally as he pulled Anjali with him to the main room, where the bodies of her parents lie.

"See! Your parents are gone. You have no one to protect you anymore, Miss Malik. What value do you have to me anyway? You're imperfect. Ugly. You have a limp. No, you are not fit to be a Queen. A Queen, must be perfect." An evil smile graced Shyaam's face as he thought about the one girl he wanted to have.

"A Queen, is someone like Khushi. Yes. I will have to rid myself of you, and I will marry that innocent soul. Or would her beloved parents not let me? They wouldn't want her to be tainted by a bas***d, would they?" Anjali sobbed, and Arnav stood there, horrified as Shyaam insulted his sister.

"Take me, Shyaamji! Take me! But leave Khushi. Please leave her. She's so innocent, so naive. She's just twelve years old! Please leave her!" Arnav's blood boiled as her heard his sister's cries. He had never hated Khushi as much as he had then, despite the fact that none of this was her fault.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Anjali studied her younger brother as he chatted animatedly about his day. Something was bothering him, she knew. Was it Khushiji, again? Anjali wondered.

Her brother had yet to realize that the woman he had married was none other than Rajkumari Khushi Kumari Gupta, his childhood partner in crime. Unbeknownst to Arnav, Anjali had snuck out of her room late at night to go see the girl her brother had married so suddenly. She had been shocked to see the face of her childhood friend. She was sure Khushi had been taken by that sorry excuse of a man that she had once called her husband. Anjali shuddered as she thought of Shyaam. The dirty man had the audacity to think of a child in such... indecent ways. She thanked Devi Maiyya that her friend had been spared, silently hoping that she was still as innocent as the twelve year old Anjali had left behind.

Anjali had always had a soft spot for the youngest child of the Guptas. Khushi was a darling, and despite her mischievous streak, had a heart of gold. Anjali had been devastated when Arnav had left Khushi vulnerable to Shyaam, only taking Aakash and herself. She knew Arnav blamed Khushi for Shyaam's misdeeds, despite the fact that Khushi had not been to blame. Khushi had never realized her beauty herself, and at the time, she was a mere child of twelve. But Arnav had always had a temper, and when he was mad, there was no saying what he would do.

So Anjali was absolutely thrilled when she realized that her brother had ended up marrying the beautiful girl, as their parents had planned. She realized Arnav had no idea that this was the same Khushi, and had simply assumed that it was another girl by the same name. She mentally rolled her eyes at her brother's obliviousness, but what could she say- he was a man, after all. She could only hope that the sweet heart of Khushi would melt the ice surrounding her brother's soul.

Chapter Four