This one is a small tribute to the CV's who just simply love this word AUKAAT!!!
* * *
Khushi stepped on to the picturesque lawns, carefully lifting her lehnga so as not to dirty the hem, or trip, god forbid! 'These heels were a bad idea,' she scolded herself, missing her comfy jootis, as the spindly heels dug into the soft soil of the lawns.
As she looked around the groups of people already gathered, she realized she was terribly late. Curse you, Arnav Singh Raizada, she muttered, quelling the rush of desire that went through her as she recalled him in her room earlier. It was because of him that she was lateā¦ it had taken a rushed trip to the bathroom, to get her bearings back, and also so that the hairdresser could not see her aroused state! She had splashed enough cold water on her face to turn herself frigid, before she walked out composed and sat at the dresser to let the lady do her magic on her long tresses.
Arnav felt her presence even before he turned from the far corner of the lawns where he was standing with a group of business associates, his back to the house.
'Don't turn,' his head warned immediately, as he turned around slowly, with complete disregard for the warning bells. As everything once more faded into oblivion around him, he excused himself from the group and started walking towards her as if being pulled by a magnet. 'What are you doing?' a sane voice asked inside his head, 'where are you going? and what are you going to say to her?'
Ignoring all the warnings, he continued his slow walk, his eyes never leaving her hesitating figure standing on the poolside steps looking about her. She was delicately holding up her lehnga, from which peeped pearly white toenails ensconced in the strappy sandals that he had seen at her bedside. He hair had been swept up very professionally in an elaborate arrangement of curls and glittered as if tiny stars were embedded there. Some stray ringlets had escaped and were sensuously falling around her face and neck. Arnav had a sudden urge to move them aside, to have access to her sensitive swanlike neck.
His careless walk was stopped as he saw Di suddenly appear beside Khushi, taking her by the hand towards where nani was sitting.
'ASR', the familiar husky whine, diverted his attention to Lavanya, who was walking towards him in her standard black attire. 'How do I look?' she pouted at him, twirling around as she neared him. 'You always look stunning, Lavanya,' he answered in his auto pilot mode, his eyes never leaving the other vision in black who had now reached nani's table and was raising her delicate hands in a 'namaste' as she was being introduced around. He remembered those hands on his lips as while ago, and turned sharply away from her towards Lavanya, who was now hanging on to his arm. She dragged him across to where some more business associates were waiting to meet with him.
* * *
The evening progressed slowly for Khushi. She felt totally alone amid everyone who knew each other one way or another. Jiji too was completely monopolized by mami; being introduced and photographed the entire time. Regretting her decision, or rather her parent's decision, to come here alone, she walked unnoticed to an isolated corner of the lawns and leaned gratefully against a tree to rest her aching feet. And to top it all, she was now getting terribly hungry too!
She took off her sandals and dug her aching feet into the cool soft grass, leaning back against the tree with a sign of relief. Opening her eyes after a couple of seconds, she found herself looking directly into a pair of molten eyes that had been the cause or her torment for some time now. He stood a few yards from her; phone in hand, conversation forgotten, staring unabashedly at her.
'Great,' muttered Khushi under her breath, feeling inadequate leaning there against the tree, minus her footwear and hidden from the rest of the party. 'Is this some conspiracy, devi mayyiya,' she questioned his presence wherever she went! 'Am I not be rid of him at all,' she moaned.
Alarm bells rang loudly in Khushi's brain, and she fumbled around with her bare feet trying to find her sandals in the dark and make a run for it back into the party. 'Uff! Where were they,' she fumed, as she found the scrutiny of his gaze unnerving.
Breaking eye contact finally, she looked down to try and locate them lifting folds of her lehnga slightly. Khushi gasped audibly when she felt his warm hands on her slim ankles, and looked down to where he was now kneeling at her feet, shocked at the swiftness of his movement.
He lifted one ankle gently, and stared at the slim silver chain that encircled it, the small bells tinkling in the still of the night. His other hand reached out for the sandal that was also downturned in the grass beside where they stood.
Khushi stood transfixed as he gently took her ankle and put the sandal back on first one foot and then the other. She was clutching the tree behind her as if her life depended on it, as feelings she didn't know existed, were erupting in her fuddled brain. Before she knew it both her feet were neatly shod in her sandals and he stood swiftly trapping her between the tree and himself.
Khushi felt the ground beneath her feet crumble and reached out to hold on to his arms. His biceps flexed under the dark fabric of his suit, as he felt her clutch at him to steady herself. 'Get out of my way,' Khushi whispered, hating herself for that not sounding as forceful as she would have liked it to. Refusing to look up into his eyes, she spoke to his silk tie instead. The heels added enough height, making her fit perfectly into his embrace, as he continued to ignore her wishes and stare at her as if mesmerized.
He lifted his hand off her shoulder and stole it to her neck where there was a ringlet that he felt the urge to tuck behind her ear. When his hand touched her neck, Khushi's looked up into his face, alarmed. 'Didn't you hear me?' she tried to thump at his chest with both hands to push him away.
'There seems to be only one way to shut you up, Khushi Kumari Gupta,' Arnav muttered as he caught both her hands swiftly in mid air and swooped down on her upturned face taking her lips in a savage kiss. A stunned Khushi could only cling to him further as the force of his mouth unsteadied her slight frame. Her eyes widened in shock, and her lips parted involuntarily as Arnav continued his assault on her soft lips.
None of them realized when the brutality of the kiss softened into sensuality and Khushi clung on to him, as feelings she had never experienced before, created a whirlpool inside her. Her hands released from his grip crept instinctively up around his neck and into his short, cropped hair. As he turned his face to deepen the kiss, her hand crept down to cup his jaw, feeling the coarse stubble under her soft palms.
She felt his calloused palm at the nape of her neck, holding her steady while the other crept from her waist to the exposed small of her back. 'Khushiā¦' his raw moan against her lips, registered somewhere in her numb brain. She whimpered her displeasure as his lips moved away from hers and nibbled their way towards her ear now. Khushi threw her head back wantonly, giving him access to her slender neck, where his lips burned a passionate imprint.
It took all of Arnav's will power to lift his head and stop them from going any further. The thought of where they were, and her welfare brought him to his senses soon enough, 'though a cold shower would have worked better', he thought to himself.
'Khushi', he said gently. She opened her eyes and gave him a blank look, her glazed eyes trying to understand what was going on. He watched in wonder, as the soft glazed look slowly changed to horror and her hands left his shoulders in a jerk to cover her own blushing cheeks.
'Khushiā¦' he began trying to reach out to her, but her agonized voice stopped whatever it was he was going to say 'what did you just do?' came her horrified whisper. 'Is that what you think my 'aukaat' is after all?' she sobbed 'youā¦
'You weren't exactly stopping me were you', his curt voice stopped her mid sentence, wanting to hurt her as much as he was hurting.
And before he could take in her hurt expression and tear filled eyes, he pushed her roughly against the tree and stormed off towards the party.
Khushi stood in shocked silence, her world crumbling around her. The tears had miraculously stopped and a chill was seeping into her. This was as much as her 'never-say-die' spirit could take. Every time he had humiliated her, brought her down, shown her aukaat, she had bounced back, covered her hurt and moved on without holding any grudges. But this evening was different. She just stood there like a dead statue against the tree, mindless of the time or place.
He had shown her exactly what he thought of her this time ā cheap and available. And he had gone ahead and tried to prove that. And what had she doneā¦ fallen like a ripe fruit into his arms! She shuddered at the thought and slowly pushing herself off the tree walked towards her room across the lawns.
She didn't remember how she made it across the crowded lawns, as she walked as if in a trance towards the haven that was her room. She needed to be alone.
She shut the door behind her and leaned against it with her eyes shut, head thrown back. She could feel nothing, at all ā no anger, no pain, and no fear ā nothing!
Like a zombie she walked towards the dresser and sat there, removing her jewellery one by one. Her eyes whet to the reflection of the bed and images of Arnav and her entwined there this evening flashed in front of her. Stricken eyes turned away from the bed and focused on her reflection instead ā her beautifully done up curls all a mess, her glazed tear streaked eyes, red nose and ā¦ swollen pink lips, bare of the pink gloss that she had applied carefully earlier that evening. As a hand went up to touch her lips, Khushi felt the dam burst inside her and threw herself on the bed, sobs racking her slight frame.
* * *
He had regretted the words the minute they escaped his lips. And like always, his only recourse was to hide behind his stern demeanor. He was aware of her not returning to the party. His eyes kept straying back to that corner where he had just shared the most mind-blowing experience of his life. Her soft responsive mouth had been the sweetest thing he had ever tasted, and letting go of her had been the hardest. If he had not taken charge, there would have been much more she would have been angry about right now, he consoled himself. 'Where the hell was she,' he looked worried towards the cluster of trees. It was then that he saw her walk out slowly totally composed moving slowly towards the house. His worried eyes followed her walk across the lawn, with a frown on his face. Something was not okay, he noticed, and stopped himself from following her. Once again he felt inadequate and remorseful of what had transpired. She had just gotten under his skin, and much as he was trying, he could not do anything right. He couldn't be with her, and he couldn't be away from her.
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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