I just want to thank every single person that has read/liked/commented or done all three for this short story. I truly am so grateful that you take the time to read them and I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
This will most definitely be the last part for this particular story so please don't leave comments asking me to continue because they only make me feel bad. But as always you can check out the rest of my work over here.
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Hope you like it!
Part 6
Arnav folded his arms looking down at the two men in disbelief. Had he really just found his servants sitting around discussing his love life? 'You don't have to worry Om Prakash. I haven't done anything to your Khushiji,' he spoke sarcastically but there was no anger in his voice.
'Err... Chote Sahib... we...I...' Jai Prakash stuttered trying to think of a possible excuse for what they'd been talking about but none came to mind.
Arnav noticed Om Prakash's look of fear had changed to one of defiance almost. 'Om Prakash, don't you have anything to say for yourself?
Om Prakash took a deep breath before he spoke. 'No... I don't. I did what I thought was right and I... I would do it again.' His voice came out a little more high pitched and a little more rushed than he would have liked but he was pleased by his defiant speech.
Arnav rolled his eyes biting down the urge to tell them both off, he didn't want Khushi running out of the room to defend them. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out his reason for coming there. He held the money out to Jai Prakash, 'I want you to go out and buy some mithai for the whole house.' After a minute's hesitation over whether he wanted to look stupid in front of them or not, he decided the resulting gratitude would be worth the minor humiliation, 'and especially jalebis. Lots of jalebis.'
Om Prakash and Jai Prakash turned to each other immediately almost laughing before they realised what they were doing and stopped themselves.
'But Chote Sahib, what are we celebrating?' Om Prakash asked cheekily, emboldened by his earlier mini speech and Arnav's lack of response.
Arnav sighed disbelievingly at the nerve of Om Prakash but there was no anger inside him. Today was a happy day and one impertinent employee wasn't going to ruin his mood.
Jai Prakash looked up from the money in his hand and held out a large portion of it to Arnav. 'Chote Sahib, this is too much, we won't need it all.'
'Keep it.' Arnav turned around to walk back to his room but Jai Prakash followed.
'But we could buy mithai for the whole year with this much!'
Arnav stopped and gave Om Prakash a brief condescending look over Jai's shoulder before turning back to Jai Prakash. 'The rest of the money is for you two... You have to buy yourselves presents. From me and Kh... From your... From me and my fiance.' He opened the door to his room and walked in before they had a chance to respond.
***
Jai Prakash stood in shock looking at Arnav's door when Om Prakash ran up to him and hugged him. 'We did it Jai Prakash! We did it!'
'No Om, you did it! I'm so happy for you!'
Om Prakash patted Jai Prakash on the shoulder as he stepped back. 'No, no I can't take that compliment. I couldn't have done it without you.' They started to walk down the stairs when Om Prakash snatched the money from Jai Prakash's hand and ran off, 'but I can take your share of the money!'
Jai Prakash ran after him laughing, 'hey! You said when they get married! Not when they got engaged!'
***
Arnav walked back into his room and smiled at the scene before him. Khushi was standing at his mirror, her dupatta strewn across his bed, re-doing her plait. The domesticity of the scene would have probably scared him only a week ago but now he couldn't wait until this was a daily occurrence. He walked towards her slowly and wrapped his arms around her with his chin on her shoulder as he had done earlier in the kitchen. This time instead of stiffening at his touch she melted into it, abandoning her plait and covering his arms with her own.
'Okay I've thanked them, are you happy now?' He brushed his cheek against hers as their gazes met in the mirror.
'I doubt very much you actually said the words 'thank' and 'you'. Are you sure that they did all those things though? The letters? The storeroom? The vase? I just can't imagine it.'
'I didn't need their help, I would have told you eventually! But believe me, if there was any doubt before there definitely isn't now. I caught them talking about us.' Arnav smiled to himself at the word 'us' it made him feel content in a way that he hadn't felt in years.
He saw Khushi smiling back at him in the mirror and he dropped a small kiss on her cheek before turning her around so they could kiss properly.
Khushi let her hands roam on Arnav's back as he ravaged her mouth. Arnav had one hand on the back of her neck controlling the kiss and his other was touching the soft skin on her back that the low neckline revealed. When Khushi felt him pull at her dori she gasped into Arnav's mouth and his hands stilled before he pulled back apologetically.
'Sorry,' He worried for a second if he had pushed Khushi too far, too soon but the thought evaporated as soon as he saw her face. She only looked shy not angry. Plus she was still holding onto his shirt. Arnav smiled widely and tugged at a lock of her hair as he noticed that he'd completely undone her plait again. Khushi smiled back and hugged him tightly, pressing her ear to his chest to feel the heartbeat underneath.
***
Khushi hugged Lavanya as she got into the car, she was so grateful that Lavanya didn't resent her as she'd been expecting but was actually happy for Khushi. But as Khushi watched Lavanya drive away she felt a sense of regret and even self loathing. She'd come to this house to help Lavanya and instead she'd usurped her position.
Arnav watched the myriad of emotions flit across Khushi's face, he couldn't place them all but he was sure that she was feeling unsure about something. There was no way he was going to let her have second thoughts about him now. Especially not after the hour long grilling session he'd just had from Nani about his intentions towards Khushi.
He put a hand around Khushi's shoulders and began to lead her back to the house. 'Come on Khushi, I want to introduce you to my family.'
Khushi looked up at Arnav confused as she walked with him, 'what? But I already know them all.'
'Yes, but they don't know you. I mean they know Khushi Kumari Gupta: employee. But they don't know Khushi Kumari Gupta: future daughter-in-law. Come on.'
Khushi smiled at his efforts to distract her from her thoughts. As they stepped over the threshold she imagined the day when she could drop the 'future' part of the label and just be their daughter-in-law.
Arnav stopped abruptly in the hallway holding Khushi's shoulders to make her stop too.
'What? What's wrong?' Khushi asked being unable to figure out the thoughtful expression on his face.
'One second,' he changed the direction they were going in, instead of going to the living room he lead her to the kitchen where Jai Prakash and Om Prakash were arranging the mithai they'd just brought home onto trays.
They both looked up and stopped when they saw Arnav lead Khushi into the kitchen.
'Khushi first of all, I want you to meet two very important members of my household. This is Jai Prakash and this is Om Prakash.'
Jai Prakash and Om Prakash looked at each other with bewildered expressions as Khushi greeted them as if she'd never met them before.
'Err... Namaste Khushiji,' Jai Prakash spoke first, unsure as to what was going on.
Arnav interrupted him, 'not Khushiji.'
'Then?' Jai Prakash and Khushi spoke at the same time.
'I know!' Om Prakash jumped dropping the mithai in his hand in the process, 'Bhabiji!'
Arnav looked at Om Prakash laughingly, he'd been aiming for 'Chote Malkin' but 'Bhabiji' would be fine by him too.
Khushi tried to interrupt; worried that Arnav would get angry about the familiarity between them. 'No,no. You don't have to. Khushiji is fine.'
Arnav patted her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look when she looked at him.
'Chote Sahib, here's the jalebi you wanted for Bhabhiji' Jai Prakash held a tray out to Arnav happily.
Arnav took a jalebi off the plate and held it in front of Khushi's mouth, 'welcome to the family, Khushi.'
Om Prakash and Jai Prakash looked at each other and then back to Khushi and Arnav with satisfied smiles.
Harry Potter
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Shiv Shakti
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