Arranged Marriage (ArHi) Thread 11 Pt 65A Pg82 NEW! 21/02 - Page 50

Khushi pleated her yellow sari in the bathroom, her hands swiftly pulling at the fabric, wrapping it between her pinky and thumb, and hurriedly twisting them, before tucking them in. She grabbed a pin and quickly pinned them in place. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her large koh;-filled eyes staring back at her, the yellow sari in stark contrast to her pale complexion. She had had a restless sleep last night, continuously waking up, and looking at her husband, who lay completely still. That is how he slept. He would lie completely still, on one side, and hardly ever made any move in his sleep. It was on those rare occasions when Khushi would unconsciously make her way towards his side, that he would adjust to her curled up against him, but since coming back from Australia, that hadn't happened.

She had been too wrapped up in her father's health initially, and suddenly off-late, she had found herself obsessing over what her husband thought of her. A knock on the bathroom door startled her out of her thoughts, and she turned around to open the door. Arnav stood on the other side, already dressed in his office wear. His white crisp shirt neatly tucked into his black pants, a black Armani belt around the pants that hung low on his hips, his black pointed shoes freshly polished, and that scent invading her senses. She wasn't sure what cologne he put every day, but she had to stop herself inhaling deeply as he stepped inside.

"Is it time to go?" Khushi asked, her eyes meeting his, and he looked at her silently for a second before nodding. "Oh! Give me 2 more minutes" She said as she turned around and grabbed another pin. Her hands trembling due to an unknown reason, she struggled keeping the pallu and blouse together as she brought the safety pin to pin it in place.

Arnav's hands covered hers, and she stilled, her hands immediately withdrawing as a warmth spread over her. The pallu slipped from her hands, and collected at the floor, and Khushi immediately coloured as she stood in front of Arnav in her blouse and half-done sari. Her heart hammering in her chest, she immediately bent down to grab the pallu, her hands shaking again. She immediately wrapped her other arm around her stomach and she wished the ground would swallow her so she wouldn't be standing here in front of the mirror, with Arnav standing behind her.

Arnav stood still and Khushi could feel his eyes boring into her as she stood up and quickly adjusted the pallu over her shoulder. She shuffled her feet, as she messily bunched the pallu on her shoulder as reached for the safety pin again with her other hand.

She was acutely aware of how Arnav had not moved yet, and so she stilled, her eyes finally raising and meeting his through the mirror's reflection. Khushi's heart stilled and she sucked in a shaky breath, her hands clutching onto the pallu bunched around her shoulder. Her arm once again wrapped itself around her stomach as she tried keeping still, unsure what to do. She wanted to tuck in the strand of hair behind her ear, she wanted to avert her gaze, to bite her lip and to cover her face. She wanted to check her reflection to see how she looked, she was certain that she looked like a mess with her pallu unpinned, her face blazing red, and her body trembling.

But she stood still. She stared at Arnav, taking her time to take in his features. His face stoic, his hands clenched at his sides, and time seemed to slow down. It felt as though they had been standing for a while, but Khushi was sure that it had only been a few minutes. She finally cleared her throat and broke to eye contact. Her palms suddenly sweaty, she held the pin tighter and brought it to her shoulder, but it slipped. Her fingers were too slippery, and she cursed under her breath as she bent down to pick the safety pin, but Arnav placed a hand on her back to stop her, and Khushi froze. Feeling the warmth of his hand on her back, her breath stilled, and her eyes widened slightly. She stood back up slowly, her eyes unwavering from his reflection in the mirror, which gazed at her briefly, before he looked down, bent and grabbed the safety pin from the floor, lying next to her feet.

He stood up, and then turned her around. Khushi's gaze fell to the base of his neck as she stood in front of him, too scared to look him in the eyes. She finally took in a sharp breath, as she felt her heart accelerate, and then exhaled slowly, her mouth parting slightly. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of her sari, and Arnav grabbed the pin and brought it closer to her shoulder, holding the pallu in place with the other hand. She questioningly rose her eyes to him, wondering how he knew what to do, but then looked away again, unsure if she had the right to ask him this question.

Had he done this for another woman? Was there someone else in his life before her for whom he had helped her tie a sari? How many were there? Was there someone that he had loved.

Her breath hitched at that thought, and she frowned, an annoyance and restlessness settling in her stomach. She wasn't sure what was happening to her, but she suddenly felt a deep resentment for the man in front of her, He lifted the blouse at her shoulder, so he could place the pin through the inside, so it would be hidden from view. Her shoulder twitched at the contact, and she looked down, her gaze landing at his feet.

"Khushi," He said, his voice an octave lower, and Khushi's eyes snapped up to meet his, her stomach immediately clenching. Her hands twitched to grab the front his shirt and pull him closer, but she immediately forced that image out of her mind.

"Can you please move your hair?" He asked, and Khushi realised that her hair had fallen over her shoulders when she had looked down, and was now covering his hands. She nodded and immediately took the weight of her hair in her hands as she swept it away and placed it on the other shoulder. Khushi looked back up at him and noticed that he had stepped closer. His face was angled downwards as he looked at her, his eyes no longer cold or unemotional, but a shade darker. She noticed that his breath was slightly laboured too, and her body automatically turned so she was angled into him. Her hand rose and rested on his chest, feeling his breathing deepen. They continued to gaze at one another, and Khushi tiled her head up.

Everything seemed to fade away for her as she continued to gaze up at Arnav, waiting to see what he would do, but at the same time wanting to take the lead, rise up on her tip-toes and kiss him.

Where were these thoughts coming from?! Khushi wondered, but she still couldn't look away. The curiosity in her wanting to know if something would happen. If he liked her, if he was attracted to her. She waited, her eyes starting to feel heavy, but she forced them to remain open, occasionally dipping down to his lips, before meeting his eyes again. He took another step closer, the pin now forgotten in his hand, the hand that was holding her blouse now resting against her shoulder and Khushi inhaled deeply as his cologne invaded her senses. Her hand immediately clutched onto his shirt and she relished in the feel of his body beneath the shirt.

She asked herself, and her body stiffened up as she realised that she was very blatantly making it obvious that she wanted him. Her eyes immediately looked away from his and her cheeks turned red. Something shifted in the atmosphere, and Arnav's grip on her slackened as well. He did not step away and Khushi stayed put as well. Her breathing deepened, and she bit her lip to keep herself from saying anything. The hand that was on her shoulder stayed there, the thumb resting on the bare skin between the shoulder of the blouse and her neck. Khushi dared to look up at him again, well aware that her eyes would give away every emotion, but Arnav had his eyes closed.

When he opened them, and looked at her, he took a step away from her and Khushi's heart stopped for a second before thundering in her chest, waiting for his rejection.

"We need to drop you to the hospital. Let's go, Khushi"

And with those words said, he turned around and left her alone in the bathroom.