Arhi SS : Chemistry #1 [ Completed ] - Page 28

Arhi SS : Chemistry - Part 4

Arnav watched as the cool wind mussed up Khushi's hair. The soft silky stresses flew about, distracting him from looking straight ahead on the road. At her request, he had rolled down the windows of the car. She wanted to feel the cold that had recently set into Mumbai. He had rejoiced when she had not thrown a tantrum at him, for dragging her out of the conference venue. Knowing, how annoyed she had been with Sheetal and his closeness, he had decided to end this wonderful day by spending some precious moments with this beautiful woman, who seemed so relaxed and calm at the moment.

"Stop staring at me. It is creepy... you know," she whispered softly, without opening her eyes to look at his embarrassed ones. He smirked and replied nattily, "Yeah I know what you mean. I was feeling quite creeped out the entire time I was talking to Sheetal." He saw the blush creeping up her neck, covering her soft cheeks. She still had her eyes closed, now trying to conceal the emotions within her. He had the sudden urge to brush his fingers across her pink cheeks, wanting to feel its creamy softness. Would she react badly if he did?

With an inhuman effort, he reigned in these impulsive desires and concentrated on the road. They had almost reached their destination, which he had kept as a surprise from her. As the car came to a halt, she opened her eyes to see that they had reached H2O, a small restaurant by the seaside, at Marine Drive. It was also the only hotspot for water sports and other activities in Mumbai. Khushi sat stunned in the vehicle for a few moments, till Arnav walked around and opened the door for her.

"Why are we here? For a midnight coffee?" she asked casually, enjoying the weather. Arnav picked up the bottle of wine from the backseat and held her hand, leading her towards the backside of the restaurant. Talking to one of the guards on duty, they made their way towards the shore. Even in the dark, he noticed Khushi's surprise and more so her rounded eyes, that twinkled with excitement. He heard her animated shriek, "Are we going boating?"

He nodded slightly, taking her to one of his small private yachts. It was one of his exorbitant expenses. However, it was also his most priced possession. Not many people knew about this and he hadn't invited any girl ever, to go on a boat ride in his entire lifetime. Somehow with Khushi, things felt special. This moment felt amazing and being with her felt right.

Soon they were comfortably settled into the yacht, which was sailing its way into the vast Arabian Sea. He felt Khushi's excitement, as she bounced about the small vessel, looking around. Everything about her seemed different. There was a tangible energy that he felt, when he was around her. A pull so alluring, that he wanted to be swept always in the current, without thinking of its consequences. What magic had she cast on him that he did not seem to care of its repercussions?

Arnav was a man driven by success. He rejoiced victory and loathed defeat. However, with Khushi, he had lost semblance whether he was on the winning side or losing side. Her excited chatter broke into his trance. "Arnav, this is brilliant. This yacht is so beautiful. Since when have you owned it? And thank you for brining me here. I love the ocean and have rarely ever sailed. The setting and atmosphere is so beautiful and romantic. I feel like I am floating into oblivion, amidst a thousand stars, swept away on the rising waves of this endless ocean."

Arnav smiled, hearing the excitement in her voice. She was such a child, he mused. You got to be kidding me, to think of her as a child! Look at how hot she looks. Her perfect curves wrapped in that tight blue dress. Smoking hot! He could not keep his traitorous mind from once again admiring her untainted beauty. "I have owned this yacht for four years now. I had bought it on my birthday and my Nani named it Arnav' after me... it means the ocean. I thought it was a perfect place to celebrate our success and mark the beginning of new friendship. What say?"

He uncorked the bottle of wine and poured two glasses, as they sat looking at the glimmering skyline of Mumbai. The boat had now come to a standstill, as it swayed on the surface of the arcane sea. "To new beginnings and the success of RG Group," Arnav said clinking his glass against hers. She echoed his words and took a large swig from the glass.

Arnav did not remember the last time he had simply sat around like this in a comfortable silence with someone. She was unusually quiet, probably enjoying the beautiful weather and her drink. Breaking through the silence he asked, "What do you see yourself doing, five years from now Gabbar?" Khushi laughed at the use of her new pet name and said cheerily, "Well, if you allow me, I would love to come onto this boat and spend most of my time here." Laughing at her answer, they eased into lighthearted conversations. He soon realized that a Khushi, buzzed lightly by wine, was a complete parrot who could talk non-stop.

The cool breeze, the twinkling stars, the romantic ambience, the swaying of the yacht and the wine, was doing its magic; and from what Khushi was talking, Arnav's focus had shifted to the way her lips moved. Her perfect plump lips beckoned him for a taste of them. Her closeness to his body did not help matters. He leaned in slightly, taking in her scent, mixed with the salty air of the sea. She smelled divine, enticing, alluring... so lost was he in her that he leaned further, her face so close to his, that an inch more and he would get to taste those delicious lips.

She stopped talking, her breath coming in puffs. Her eyes rounded in surprise taking in his closeness. However, he rejoiced when she did not pull away. His dazed mind had lost semblance of what was right or wrong. He swiftly diminished the last few inches between them, as his lips claimed her soft ones. It was at once, both shocking and unexplainably expected. The cool wind blew across, surrounding them in a warm cocoon. He felt her stiffening for a mere moment, before her lips gently moved against his.

Groaning in pleasure, his arms went around her petite form, gathering her close while deepening the kiss. He felt her trembling in his arms and realized that she was cold. Much to his dismay, it wasn't because of the kiss but due to the chilly weather. Reigning in his deep craving for her, he pulled apart. His hands moved in frenzy to remove his jacket. He placed it around her and gathered her close once again, to continue where they had left. In a few seconds he realized that she had gone completely rigid in his arms.

Looking into her shocked eyes, he realized that the magic spell cast around them was broken due to the interruption. She now looked at him in utter shock, her hands going up to touch her lips, where she had just been kissed. He was shocked himself, at his wonton behavior. What was it about this woman that made him lose all sanity? With his heart pounding in the chest, he moved a few inches away, giving her the space she required.

For f**ks sake... he himself needed some space... some distance from her to control his wayward thoughts and feelings. It felt like the universe had altered for them within a fraction of second. He could not deny that the fleeting kiss had shaken him to the core. He could not remember one woman he had been with, for which he had felt even a zilch of what he felt for her a few moments ago. This uncontrollable desire had changed his beliefs in passion... it was something much more than he could comprehend.

Seeing her flushed face in the mellow light, he had the urge to once again pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless... till every little discomfort she felt, evaporated into nothingness. However, he knew it wasn't the right time to pursue these unwarranted sensations. He had to apologize to her and bring her out of this awkwardness. They had just begun their working relationship and their friendship was too raw to risk at this moment.

Despite not being convinced with his own thoughts, he softly mumbled "Khushi... I am sorry. I shouldn't have... I mean we shouldn't have... Can we just forget something like this happened between us?" He saw her shifting restlessly in her seat and then she looked up at him. Her eyes were going to be the death of him. Were they so transparent that he could read her inner turmoil? She was not only embarrassed, but she was confused as well. Were her eyes demanding an explanation of what just happened between them?

He could read the hesitance in her stance, as she gave a short response to his question, "Hmm its ok... I think it is the wine that made me feel so woozy." He sighed in some relief. He could definitely not blame only the wine for his actions. There was more to it... much more that he would ever let himself believe. The yacht swayed over the uneven waves, as if mocking them of the rippling currents within themselves. He could sense her perplexity, the silence from her end letting him know of how shaken she truly was.

The minutes that followed seemed to be longer than a lifetime. The comfortable silence from earlier was now replaced with a tangible undercurrent, making them aware of each other's presence. Arnav felt her each moment, he heard her each sigh, he grimaced at her each frown. Things had changed between them and he wasn't sure of how to take things forward from here.

In a few short minutes, they had made their way to the land, driving quietly in his car. He saw Khushi, visibly shrinking towards the window of the car, as if even his nearness would affect her in some way. He let it go for the moment, vowing to make things back to normal between them. He tried convincing his heart, that once they were back in office, they would again fall into the comfortable working zone. As he dropped Khushi outside her home, she merely mumbled a soft thank you and goodnight before rushing off into her private haven. Arnav sighed as he drove away, the physical frustration now transforming into emotional annoyance as well.

x--------------------------------------------------x

One infuriating, tormenting, annoying week had taken a toll on Arnav. It had been six days precisely, since the conference and his midnight rendezvous with Khushi. The next day being Sunday, had kept Arnav wondering about his reaction to her... the tender kiss and how it had shaken him from within. All he could think of was her luscious body enveloped within his. She fit perfectly into his arms, making him wonder about how quickly he had been drawn to her.

Arnav wished he could simply blame it on physical attraction. However, one could never lie to oneself. He knew that what he had felt at that moment on the yacht was beyond what he had felt for any other woman in his lifetime. Not that he had a string of girlfriends to boast about, like the media published it to be. Yet, his little experience had taught him to pull away from any woman who tried to make a place in his heart. He could not bind himself to anyone... because it simply hurt and ruined people.

His mother's death had scarred his father for life. He had seen his father walk around the house, aimlessly, for most of the nights through the years that followed. He himself had felt the hollowness at home, the warmth that had suddenly gone missing. As much as love could make you rejoice in its glory, it could equally take you to the pits of despair. There was no chance that he would allow any other woman to touch his heart, like his mother did. Separation was too painful an emotion to repeat into your life over and over again.

However, what he wanted from Khushi was mere friendship. He knew he had crossed that fine line twice already in two freaking weeks. And he was repaying for his folly; by the silent treatment he got from the woman in concern. After that night on his yacht, she had distanced herself from him. The next day at work, she had been completely aloof, the warmth somehow disappearing. He sensed her uneasiness around him and got annoyed at the way she avoided him.

Did she really believe, that avoiding him could solve any problems that had cropped up between them? Did she think that distancing herself would make things any less awkward? He was utterly disappointed, when she snubbed his every move towards a conversation, which he believed was required. Khushi merely responded to him regarding work and made sure Aman and Jai were always present, while they discussed the future of their companies.

He would be lying if he said that it did not matter to him. Because the truth was that her indifference irked him... her cold demeanor annoyed him to the extent that he had six sleepless nights in a row. Things had started affecting his work, as all he could think of, was ways to apologize to her. But why should he say sorry? Clearly what happened between them was mutual. Infact he had already apologized to her and she had forgiven him. Then why was she behaving like a heartless woman now?

He laughed at his current state. For a man who wanted to keep his own heart locked to any intruders... wanted to keep it away from coming alive with any emotion, he was upset because Khushi was being heartless. What an irony! By Friday evening he was in a desperate need of a drink and some tranquil sleep. Winding up his work sooner than usual, he was about to shut down his laptop when he received an unexpected call. After a brief conversation, he made a quick exit from Gupta Industries office.

In half an hour, he was comfortably seated at a luxurious cafe in Hotel Oberoi, across a very excited Sheetal Kapoor. "Well, it looked like you would never ask me out, so I thought let me make the first move," Sheetal said too sweetly, much to his annoyance. When she had called him up a while ago, to ask him out for dinner; he had thought it was best to go out with someone to distract himself. One hazel-eyed beauty had ruined his peace of mind and he thought it best to just hangout with someone as beautiful as Sheetal to get him back to normalcy.

How wrong had he been, was the only thought that crossed his mind, while sitting across Sheetal. All he had been doing for the last fifteen minutes was to compare Sheetal with Khushi. Everything about her seemed lackluster in comparison. Even the heavy coat of makeup, the designer attire, the pouting of her lips, did not stir him one bit. The thought of lips, took him to another woman, whose lips had tasted like ecstasy. This is an extremely wrong move, Arnav. You are done for. Instead of diverting your mind, you are thinking about Khushi even more. Going out with her best friend, only complicates matters. Arnav soon realized how complicated matters could get!

He tried to focus on what Sheetal had been talking for a while. Discussing about Harvard days was easier, discussing old friends and quirky professors. Even though Sheetal was a very proud and boastful woman, she was intelligent and that made conversation slightly interesting. However, he could not stand her highhandedness and curtly cut-short her conceited statements. He had known about her crush even during college days, and had feigned ignorance to her advances. She was basically not his type of woman and when he sat to think about, who really was his kind of woman ... at this point, only one face flashed across his mind.

Arnav groaned mentally, for once again losing his focus and thinking about Khushi. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting like an obsessed lover? He would definitely need to put in more efforts to not think about her. However, it seemed like the entire universe was conspiring against him... as Sheetal's phone rang, through the chaos in the caf. Arnav did not know it was Khushi on the line till he heard Sheetal speak to her. "Khush... ya... No I can't right now. I am out on a date. Yup! Dinner with Arnav... Ya... Hmmm... Arnav Singh Raizada. How many Arnav's do we know Khushi? Yeah, having lots of fun. Ok. Bye!"

The conversation was quick and Arnav almost had a heart attack thinking about what Khushi must be thinking about him... about this date. This was not a freaking date, you stupid fool! Things could not get any worse for him than what they were right now. Yet, whenever he thought on those lines, things got even messier. He was kissing Khushi a week ago, and now he was on an assumed dinner date with her best friend.

It was character assassination at its best. If Khushi was giving him the cold shoulder throughout this week, he was sure she would break the Raizada-Gupta alliance the very next minute. He needed to come clean in front of her and that too as soon as possible. He did not know why, but he did not want Khushi to misunderstand him. He needed her trust, for his own mental semblance. The tricky part was, that he had done everything to simply rile her up, the exact opposite of what he wished for. In short, he was screwed!

Part 5