"So explain to me why you want to deceive your family? They all seem wonderful," Khushi asked unsurely as she stood awkwardly in what was now her new bedroom. She wasn't sure if she could call it a bedroom as it was the size of her old apartment.
Arnav didn't reply.
"What are you going to do at the end of the month?" She asked again. "Once we 'break-up' it will only encourage them to restart their search for a Bahu." Khushi was just failing to understand the logic behind Arnav's plan.
"I'll cross that bridge when I reach it." Arnav replied.
"You'll cross that bridge when you get there?" Khushi taunted, "Have you even thought this through properly?"
"Khushi Kumari Gupta, you learn to watch your tongue around me. Learn your limits."
"Excuse me? If I remember correctly Mr. Raizada it is you who needs my help. Despite what you may think of me, I am perfectly capable of looking after myself as I have managed for the past sixteen years of my life. I have nothing holding me back from walking back downstairs letting your family know exactly who I am and leaving this house." Khushi threatened.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Why yes, I believe I am."
"Do you even know who I am?"
"Arnav Singh Raizada apparently," She spat.
"So you've never heard of me before?" He questioned, his anger ebbing away and being replaced with slight amusement.
"Er, no?" Her eyes darted around in confusion as if hoping that there would be a clue somewhere on the walls of the room.
"I am the owner of AR Industries, the current leader in the fashion Industries;" Arnav explained.
"Is that supposed to impress me?" She sneered haughtily, but Arnav saw through her lie as her eye betrayed exactly how impressed she was. "I bet that it's family business that was passed down to you. You know you have the walk and the stance of a typical Indian heir; you even talk like one too - no doubt from being told by your father that you will be the heir to the company since birth. All that arrogance, ego and anger - the signs of a spoilt child."
"How dare you!" He all but screamed. Khushi subconsciously took a step back from the man in front of her who was seething with rage. "Don't assume you know a thing about me Ms. Gupta. My company is where it is right now because of me and only me. It was my hard work that has me where I am today as a multi-billionaire. You have no idea what I went through to be where I am today so don't you DARE JUDGE ME!"
Khushi walked away from him as he started walking towards her. However, she realised that her plan flopped as she was now encased against a wall with his arms either side of her.
"My father died a long time ago and he was nothing but a ******* to me, my sister and my mother. He's the reason why my mother committed suicide. So don't even start to talk to me about him or put him on a high horse where he does not belong. His brother chucked my sister and me out of our childhood home as soon as our mother died. It was my Nani, Mamiji and Mamaji who took care of my sister and I. My Nani sold her house to send me abroad to study; my Mamiji sold her jewels to help me set up my business. My family went through a lot of hardships to now hold a high standing in society. So don't you dare Khushi Kumari Gupta, don't you dare." He slapped his hands against the wall forcefully.
Khushi whimpered, she felt bad for saying those things to him. Tears welled in her eyes.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
Arnav laughed sarcastically, "Of course you are, now that you know the full story. You're just like everyone else I meet, so judgemental, you easily categorised me without even understanding me first." He turned away from her.
"How can I understand you? You have been nothing but cold to me since we met and don't tell me that you were generous to me. This is nothing but a business deal for you; you needed a girl to pretend to be your girlfriend. Yet you stand here in front of me telling me that you are this massive business tycoon. Tell me Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, if you are this huge business tycoon surely you must have a girl at your beck and call; someone who would have easily agreed to pretend to be your girlfriend?" She questioned him, her finger jabbing against his hard chest as she punctuated the last few words.
"You're right, I could have. But I respect my family enough to not to bring any girl to the house. Yes, I could have brought any of the good looking models from my office but none of them would have pleased my family. In fact, my family would have been repulsed by their behaviour, and even I owe it to them to not degrade their beliefs and hurt their feelings like that." Arnav informed her as he caged her between the wall again, watching as she unsuccessfully attempted to keep a distance between them.
"And I do please your family?" She whispered, as she stared into his eyes; feeling as if she was melting into the expressive chocolate pools. "But you hardly know me. How do you know that I'm not a high class call girl?" She asked him, her eyes wincing as she called herself such things.
Her breath hitched as he moved closer to her, his hand slowly reached up to tuck her fringe back and rested against her cheek.
"Because your eyes give you away; first impressions are everything," He whispered back holding her gaze.
Suddenly it felt as if the temperature in the room had raised dramatically, the hairs on Khushi's body tingled at the electricity that was flowing between the two of them.
They both jumped a few feet in the air as a sharp knock at the door caused them to spring apart even further; however, they had not been quick enough as Anjali caught the compromising position her brother and Khushi had been in.
She looked at their 'deer caught in headlights' expression and suppressed the grin that was fighting to form on her face.
"I just brought you some spare towels in case you needed them," Anjali spoke up, hiding her laughter. "You should change out of your wet clothes soon, and the family's waiting downstairs to have dinner, we haven't had it yet since we were waiting for Chotte."
"Di, you should not be waiting this late to have dinner it's bad for your health, you know that I always come home late these days-" Arnav stopped mid-sentence as he realised what he was inadvertently admitting to, since his Di was under the presumption that he'd been spending his evenings with Khushi.
Khushi watched him with scrutinising eyes at how differently he acted around his sister; gone was the hard, arrogant business man and was replaced with a loving younger brother. The siblings' love was visible to the naked eye and Khushi could clearly see that they both cared for each other greatly.
"Yes Chotte, but at least now, you'll be coming home early seeing as Khushi is here," Anjali teased mercilessly as she walked out calling back, "Don't take too long!"
Khushi blushed as she looked at Arnav who was bearing holes into her body with his scorching gaze once Anjali had left.
She grabbed the bath towel and robe and rushed into the en-suite bathroom muttering something along the lines of taking a shower.
Arnav stared at the closed door for a moment before deciding to do the same as he left for his room.
As soon as he walked in, he stripped his jacket, vest, tie and shirt hating the way that it was clinging to his body. He slapped his hand against the wall wondering why this girl was affecting him so much; because he didn't like it one bit.
8