OS: And then he shut the door...

Khushi was lost in thought, complaining about Lard Governor's behavior, she thought Jiji entered the room and shut the door behind her.

Khushi, still flustered and confused, rambled on... "I don't know how he could dance with me like that... But it doesn't matter to me, I don't care...probably to him..."

She stopped mid-sentence... sensing something was amiss... that uncomfortable feeling one has when one's being stared at... she looked up and saw Arnav standing by the locked door...

Her heart pounded against her rib cage... she thought of something to say to him... after all, what did all this mean? She'd been strung like a yo-yo... by his now-hot-now-cold attitude since they'd first met! She was confused!

"I...uh... mm... " and then she turned, thoroughly embarrassed... and closed her eyes... like a li'l kitten that closes its eyes and thinks it's invisible...

"Devi Maiyya... I hope he goes away," she mumbled to herself as she hugged her lehenga to her, breathing hard...trying to calm herself.

She couldn't hear a sound, and for a brief second thought maybe, just maybe he'd walked out. Just as she started to heave a sigh of relief, she felt his silken touch on her back, his fingers gently caressing her, making love to her soft skin, as they reached out to untie the dori on her blouse.

Her breath caught in surprise, she didn't know what to do... the male scent of him mixed with his subtle cologne... was so intoxicating.. she couldn't think straight...

Ever since Diwali when he backed her against the wall, and nearly kissed her, but the very next moment, had been so callous, she'd wondered... and then thought, she'd give it right back to him when she had the chance.

But now, she was frozen to the spot... she tried to take a small step forward, away from him... and she felt the gentle tug of the dori coming undone...

She could feel his warm breath on her neck, as he closed the gap between them and said, "So, Khushi... who do you think won today?"

Khushi's hands gripped the lehenga tighter, and she tried to unsuccessfully calm herself before replying in a ragged, out-of-breath voice, "I... I mean... Uh.. I don't..."

"You don't... what?... care.. mmm? " he continued, unperturbed by her. His fingers traced a line along her back to the ornate clip on her choli... and paused there.

"Do you care if this comes off? Or... maybe you don't," he whispered into her ear, his breath fanning her cheek. He'd moved closer, and she could almost feel the texture of his bandh-gala against her near-bare back, and suddenly, his left hand, clasped her waist, and pulled her against him.

The sudden action caused her head to jerk back... and his lips touched her earlobe, for a fraction of a second. He moved fast... nibbling gently as she gasped... and then held her tightly, as she struggled, or at least made an effort to.

Her lehenga dropped to the floor, as his other hand reached out to grab her wrists and bring them close to her chest. She was now imprisoned in her arms... his lips traveled down the side of neck, to the pulse at the base of her throat.

"Your heart sings another tune, Khushi," he said in that sexy voice of his. There was a rasp in his tone, and a pause. Her senses surrendered to him, all she could feel was Arnav, holding her, kissing her... his heart beating against her, as fast and furiously as her, his touch betraying the tenderness that she had seen in his eyes during their performance.

A wave of new sensations that she'd never experienced before, engulfed her. She let the moment take hold of her completely... reveling in the comfort of his closeness, the pleasure of his touch...

"Oh Gosh... you're making me lose my mind," she heard him mumble against her skin.

And then she came back to her senses. "Arnavji," she said softly... "We both did," as she turned in his arms, pulling her hands away from his.

Her hands hesitantly crept up his torso, as if wanting to wrap themselves around his neck, but stopped at his chest. It was almost as if she was unsure of how he would react.

He looked down into her honey-glazed eyes, and was lost for a minute there... "we both... did what?" he asked, trying to pick up the thread of their conversation.

"We won... Arnavji, you... you said you lost your mind just now, and I lost my heart onstage yesterday... to you," she whispered, with just a hint of mischief playing on her face!

He threw his head back, and laughed again for the third time. She smiled but was still unsure of what his laughter meant. After all, she'd seen too many mood swings... so she waited... with bated breath.

And then, as if reading her mind, he gazed back at her, and pulled her close against him and closed his mouth on hers, kissing her hard, chasing away all apprehensions and doubts!

As she wound her arms around his neck, and pulled his head closer to her lips, her last rational thought was, "Thank God he shut the door!"