Chapter 12! Thanks for your kind comments that do wonders for my psyche! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Now starts the 'marriage arc'. Who wants to see how Arnav and Khushi fall in love?
Chapter 12
Shyam Manohar Jha watched with detached
disbelief as his brother-in-law had gotten married. At first, he had
thought that this was a joke, all an elaborate prank, and that by the
end of it, someone was going to shout "GOT YOU!", and laugh about
it later. But that was not the case.
Arnav Singh Raizada had gotten married
to his worst enemy...the law.
Khushi Rathod was every man's wet
dream, that much could not be denied. She had lethal beauty, eyes
that drew a man in, lips the color of ripe berries, and a body to die
for. He had noticed her for the first time four years ago when she
had come over to meet her new jijaji.
He had considered going after her at
that time, pegging her to be the submissive type. Anjali had painted
Khushi to be a sweet, caring, good natured girl. What his then fiance
had failed to mention was that she worked for the CBI, which was even
worse than the police. Ever since then, he had steered clear of her,
always behaving his best with her, doing nothing to make him
suspicious of her Di's future husband.
Now though, now she was his
brother-in-law's wife, his saali-sahiba.
She would be around constantly, keeping an eye out on Anjali. She was
a threat. And for the first time, she was one threat that he couldn't
take care of. So now, for the time being, he would lay low and play
the part of a good brother-in-law.
***************************************************************************************
As
Arnav and Khushi descended from the mandap, Nani was there, tears in
her eyes. The two quickly bent down to touch the woman's feet. Her
hands rested on their heads, warm and comforting. Devyaani Raizada
pulled her grandson and granddaughter-in-law up.
Immediately
Khushi threw her arms around her and pulled her into a huge hug that
only Khushi could give. "Nani! Now you're really my Nani!"
Arnav
stood in the background, watching as she went on hugging the elders,
including Payal's family who seemed a bit shell-shocked. She lingered
around her mother the longest, burrowing her face into Aunty's
shoulder. He could tell that she was trying not to be emotional about
it.
Arnav
knew that her family meant the world to her, and that leaving them
would be hard, especially her mother. He knew all too well how it
felt to be separated from a mother. The pain had never left him.
"Arnav."
He jumped as Anjali said his name. Not Chote, he realized, she had
called him Arnav.
His
sister's eyes bored into his own with a seriousness he had not seen
in years.
"Di?"
He asked hesitantly. Was she going to question their marriage?
"If
you hurt her, I will kill you." Her tone was steady.
Arnav
stared at her with disbelief. Had he just heard his sister correctly?
Had she threatened to kill
him? What was this world coming to? Shouldn't it be the other way
around? Shouldn't she threaten to kill Khushi if she hurt Arnav? Did
Di love Khushi more?
"What?"
"You
heard me correctly. If you hurt her, I will never forgive you Chote."
Anjali limped towards her brother and ran a hand through his hair, a
smile back on her face. "I can see how much you love Khushi. This
marriage proved that to me. I can't believe that you are married to
Khushi, to the girl who we hoped you would marry. This is our wildest
dream. So please, don't hurt her, because if you do, you'll end up
hurting yourself! And I don't want that, for you or for her." She
wrapped her arms around Arnav, pressing him closer.
He was
lost for words, taking in everything that Anjali had just said,
especially the whole "you love Khushi" part. If only
you knew the truth, Di. We did this for you.
"I
won't Di, I won't ever hurt her." He wasn't telling a lie. He could
never hurt Khushi.
She
released him, eyes shining with tears. "I know." Anjali whispered
and kissed him on the brow.
"Okay!
It's time for pictures of the bride and groom!" Akaash yelled,
waving a camera around like a madman.
"Bhai...Bhabhi!
Hurry up!" He huffed impatiently when they didn't react. Of course
Akaash Singh Raizada knew that his new sister-in-law was very
temperamental and that she would react to being called bhabhi.
Which
is why he wasn't surprised in the least when she stomped over to him,
nearly tripping over her elegant attire, dragging his unfortunate
brother with her and came to a halt right in front of him.
"Let's
get this over with." She grumbled, much to the amusement of those
present.
"Smile!"
Akaash said, raising the camera. Neither of them did.
Akaash
sighed and lowered the camera. "Alright you two, you're married
now. At least look like it! Bhai, put your arm around Khushi and
Khushi, lean into Bhai. And Bhai, if you can't smile, then at least
smirk for heaven's sake! We're going to end up making this picture a
portrait after all! Look happy on your own wedding day!"
Arnav
simply stared at his younger brother who had all of a sudden gained
the courage to order the ASR
around. He didn't care if it was his wedding day. He was NOT about to
put his arm around Khushi.
The
way she fit in his embrace would definitely make him do something
that he regretted.
That's
why when Khushi snuggled onto his shoulder, her arm around his waist,
pulling him closer, he yelped.
Yes,
Arnav Singh Raizada yelped...just like a dog.
"Khushi!"
"What?"
She asked in a bored tone, inwardly pleased at his surprised
reaction.
"What
do you mean 'what?' Tum kya kar rahi ho?" He faced her, his arms
crossed around his chest. She withdrew her hand from him and placed
them on her hips, completely oblivious to the fact that Akaash was
happily snapping photos of their 'fight'.
"I'm
posing for the photo, unlike someone else I know." She retorted,
eyes flashing dangerously. Arnav, much to his discomfort, found
himself enjoying this vixen's attitude.
"Khu-"
"Pose
with me now Arnav or I swear you're going to be sleeping on the couch
today!" Khushi interrupted him.
Her
outburst was met with wide eyes from both him and her. What she had
just said registered in her mind seconds later. Hey Devi
Maiyyan! What did I just say? Oh no! The teasing will never stop now.
Arnav on the other
hand, was currently picturing Khushi on his bed, both of them
burrowed deep in the covers, her head on his chest, his arms around
her, protecting her, without clothes, just skin on skin...ARNAV
JUST SHUT UP! He had just told himself to shut up...unbelievable!
However, despite his inappropriate thoughts, he complied with her request and pulled her closer to
him, his hand coming in contact once again with her bare waist,
sending jolts of awareness down his arm as well as her stomach.
"Happy now?" He
grumbled, blocking out the way she felt against him.
"Incredibly."
She muttered back, squirming at his touch, plastering a wide smile
for the camera while he smirked ever so slightly.
There were two
reasons for this smirk.
One was because he
was glad that she was as annoyed as he was about this photo. The
other was because he had this odd manly pride running through him at
the way she melted at his touch. His fingers moved over her waist,
gently rubbing the delicate skin in that area. He could feel the how
her stomach tightened when his hand roved over it. The way he
elicited this reaction from her pleased him immensely.
She was utterly
lost in his touch and he was lost in touching her.
"Perfect!"
Akaash's voice snapped the two out of their befuddled minds and
brought them back to reality. Arnav released his wife as if
electrocuted while Khushi consciously adjusted her pallu.
As Akaash was
showing the pictures of the 'happy couple' to the family, Khushi and
Arnav took it as an opportunity to stretch their strained muscles.
They didn't know how long they had been sitting, but it had been
extremely uncomfortable, especially for Arnav in a suit.
They made their way
over to the empty seats and sat down.
"So we're really
married now. In the eyes of the law and the heavens." Khushi stated
quietly.
"I don't know
about the heavens, but yes, we are married ' for real." Arnav
replied just as softly.
Silence descended
upon them even though they could still hear the excited chatter from
their families.
Khushi looked at
her mother and father, talking jovially with Mama and Mami. Guilt
shot through her. They were so happy, everyone was. What would they
do once Khushi had to leave? What would they do when they learned the
real reason behind this hasty marriage? What would they do when they
learned that the son-in-law of the Raizada house was the lowest scum
on earth?
She didn't know,
and frankly, she didn't want to know. Hurting the people who were
family would break her. No matter how strong she claimed to be, there
was only so much pain a person could handle- emotional or physical,
before a person broke.
"Did we do the
right thing Arnav?" She asked suddenly, taking him aback. Her eyes
never left his own as they engaged in a staring contest. "Is this
the only way to protect Di?"
He ran a weary hand
through his hair, letting out a long breath. "I don't know if it's
the only way, but it is the best one. Look Khushi, marriage...I know
it's daunting. But like I said before, you'll be living here now,
keeping an eye out on Di. Wouldn't it look odd if you came here every
day? Eventually people would come to the conclusion that there was
something going on between the two of us because why else would you
come here? They would make us get married anyway. So yes, I think we
did the right thing."
She nodded, taking
in his explanation. He was right. Even if she did come here everyday
claiming she wanted to talk to Di, it would look quite odd. Di
probably wouldn't believe her. She shook her head.
Arnav Singh Raizada had really pulled off the lie of a lifetime.
Unbelievable.
"Wah wah
Ram-ji. Jodi kya banayi."
"Is
Akaash...singing?" Arnav asked Khushi incredulously. She looked at
her brother-in-law who was steadily making his way towards them, a
grin on his face.
"Yes." Akaash
didn't sing half bad, although this particular song irked her.
"Bhaiyaa aur
Bhabhi ko, badhai ho badhai. Sab rasamo se badi hey jag mein dil ki
dil ki sagai." He ended his song with a bow and large applause
from everyone present.
"For some reason
this reminds me of a scene from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham." Khushi
mumbled low enough so only Arnav could hear her. He looked at her
confused as he had never seen the famous movie. She just shook her
head at his ignorance and vowed that one day he too would watch the
three hour long movie.
"Okay! Now it's
time to enter the house. HP has set everything up for a proper Griha
Pravesh. Chalo!" Anjali shouted excitedly.
Wait...Griha
Pravesh? Meaning that he was going to carry Khushi over the
threshold? Absolutely not!
Khushi caught the
expression on his face and pinched him causing him to scowl at her.
"Don't you dare back out of this. You're the one who decided to get
married this way so now you have to go through all the traditions.
Rasame nibhaane padegi. And don't you dare drop me."
His scowl deepened,
but his mind had taken a turn into gutters. They would have to carry
out all the traditions right? Including a Suhaag Raat? If
he thought that last night's thoughts about Khushi and him involved
in a suhaag raat were dirty, then his thoughts right now were
absolutely filthy.
"Fine." He
grumbled, not voicing his true thoughts as they might get him killed.
The party of
fourteen made their way to the front of the house. Khushi realized
how hot it was. She could feel the sweat forming on her brow because
of this veil that her mother had made her wear over her head. She
couldn't imagine how Arnav was feeling in his black suit.
***************************************************************************************
As they approached
the front door, Nani stopped them, and ordered the groom's side of
the family to come inside except for Arnav. That left just four
people on the outside.
Anjali, who had
disappeared for a few minutes came back with an urn filled with rice
and coins and a bowl filled with watered sindoor.
"Okay Chote, now
you carry her over the threshold and set her down nicely."
Anjali ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument, not that Arnav
could have argued anyway.
He bent down and
swiftly put one arm around her legs, the other encircling her back.
She gasped at his quick movements and flung both arms around his neck
to steady herself.
Time seemingly
stopped as hazel met caramel. All Khushi felt was his arms holding
her, carrying her as if she were as light as a feather. His gaze
never left hers as he walked towards the door, relishing the feel of
her in his arms. She could feel his muscles flexing with each step he
took.
Too soon, she was gently lowered to the floor. Arnav made
sure that he didn't drop her.
Khushi looked at
her mother, unsure of what to do now. Aparna mimed putting her foot
in the red liquid and kicking the urn over. Ah, now Khushi
remembered. She had seen this scene many times in Indian dramas. The
brides did this before entering the house.
Slowly, she dipped
both her feet into the sindoor-water mixture. Balancing on her left
foot, she kicked the urn over with such force, that the rice-coin
mixture was emptied completely while the vessel that carried it
rolled under a couch.
Everyone looked at
her with shock, including Arnav.
"What?" She
asked innocently. "I had to knock it over."
"Yes!" Akaash
exclaimed between snickers. "But it's not a football. You only had
to tap it over, not kick it!"
"Oh." She
mumbled, looking down. She really wasn't cut out for this. Then she
realized that everyone except the Guptas were laughing hysterically.
Even Arnav had a small smile on his face.
She placed one foot
on the rice, leaving her footprint there. Then the other. A smile
that could light up the whole room appeared on her face. Khushi had
just taken her first steps into this house as a bride.
Akaash hit Arnav
gently on the shoulder. "Stop staring at my bhabhi, Bhai."
"What the?"
Arnav glared at his brother. "I wasn't staring at Khushi!" Or
was I? But can anyone blame me? We are married after all. Don't
married couples stare at each other? Payal and Akaash do it all the
time. Wait...why was I staring at her in the first place?"
"Don't try to
deny it Bhai. You were staring at Khushi. Right Payal-ji?"
The demure woman
contained her laughter at her brother-in-law's expression and just
nodded. "Sorry jijaji, Akaash-ji is right. You were staring at
Khushi bhabhi."
"Oh, so my
husband was staring at me?" Khushi asked, her feet now clean of the
vermillion. She stopped in front of Arnav, a smirk on her face.
"Isn't that nice."
His jaw clenched at
her tone. "Shut up Khushi."
"Woah! Bhai,
Khushi, what did I say before? No fighting!" Akaash intervened
before they started landing punches on each other.
"Tum dono bhi
na." Anjali shook her head. "Wait, before we have lunch, there's
one more thing. Chote, Khushi, come here." Anjali gestured for them
to come into the living room where a bowl of what looked like milk
was set in the middle of the table. "One last rasam."
Both of them
stifled groans. Wasn't the shaadi over yet?
"Di, yeh sab kya
hai?" Arnav asked tiredly.
Anjali shook her
head at his tone. "There's a ring in this milk. The two of you have
to find it and whoever gets it first will have be the dominant one in
this marriage."
A challenge!
That was the thought that went through both of their minds at the
same time. None of them could back down from a challenge.
Khushi
and Arnav got into position, hands ready to enter the milk.
"And
GO!"
Khushi's
hand dove into the bowl, followed by Arnav's. She searched the bowl
for the tiny object when suddenly her hand became intertwined with a
larger one. Arnav. She
wouldn't look up, she wouldn't notice how his palm felt in hers. She
had a mission, and Khushi Rathod never failed a mission.
Arnav
let go of Khushi's hand as soon as he had touched it. He wouldn't let
her throw him off track. Seriously, how hard was it to search for
something so small?
The
milk sloshed out and onto the table. They were making a mess.
Finally, Khushi caught hold of something and raised her hand out of
the milk victoriously only to see another hand holding hers.
Both
off them had grabbed the ring at the same time.
"NO!"
Akaash groaned loudly. "This means that Bhai and Khushi will keep
on fighting for control. What have we gotten ourselves into?"
That
was the same question that ran through Khushi and Arnav's mind as
well. Still, the two of them ignored their family and stood.
"So,
now that this is done, can I change now?" Arnav lazily took off his
suit jacket and tossed it on the couch.
"Absolutely
not!" It was Aparna who spoke.
"Kyun
Maa?" Khushi was very close to whining. She didn't want to wear
this sari anymore no matter how beautiful it was. The blouse was too
short for her liking and revealed quite a bit.
"Kyunki
the bride and groom can't enter the room until their suhaag
raat." Her mother giggled.
"WHAT!
I never heard of this?" Arnav yelled. He needed to change, his
clothes were drenched with his own sweat.
"Neither
have I." Khushi added, mentally slapping her mother.
"Honestly."
Anjali sighed. "Usually, people don't get married at the time you
two did. The ceremony ended by one in the afternoon! Don't you
remember that my wedding started at four? By the time it was over, we
could have the reception at night and then...well, you know." She
trailed off, a blush adorning her face.
Arnav
was sickened by the love struck expression on his sister's face while
Khushi was trying not to picture her new sister's Suhaag Raat with
that snake.
Speaking
of Shyam, he was grinning like a lecher as memories of that night
flooded back to him.
"Unless
of course, you two prefer a Suhaag Din?"
Mama winked at the two suggestively.
No,
they didn't want that. The teasing would be ridiculous.
"Fine,
we won't go to the room, but at least let us change!"
"Wait,
speaking of clothes, we need to have Khushi's things delivered here!
She doesn't have anything except the dress she wore here today!"
Vivek exclaimed.
Khushi
realized her dad was right. And then she blushed...deeply. Her stuff
would be next to Arnav's. Her toiletries next to his. They would
literally be sharing their lives now. He would see her inner-wears,
he would see how she got dressed, and what clothes she wore. If that
thought didn't put a blush on her face, then what would.
Arnav
was also contemplating Vivek Uncle's statements. He was going to have
to share. Since he was a child, Arnav didn't like sharing anything.
Not his toys, not his clothes, not his food, and most definitely not
his room. But he was the one who demanded that they marry, so he
must pay the price.
"Well,
just have Monty Uncle pack my clothes for me and bring over the
things in the bathroom. I don't need anything else." Khushi said,
her blush dying down.
"Chalo!
Aap sabko bhook lagi hai na? Let's eat to celebrate the marriage of
Sale-Sahib to Khushi-ji." Shyam said, his eyes lingering on
Khushi's bare waist for a moment too long, something that neither
Khushi nor Arnav missed.
Arnav's
eyes narrowed at his brother-in-law's lust filled gaze that was
focused on his wife's
body. He pulled Khushi towards him, his arm around the same waist
that Shyam was staring at. Thankfully, she didn't resist. Instead,
she too wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him even closer.
"That
man really has no shame." She whispered loud enough for him to
hear. Khushi for some reason, felt safe in his arms, protected
almost. When he had looked at her, she felt very different then when
Shyam did. Shyam repulsed her...but Arnav...just Arnav's gaze was
able to send her stomach spiraling, in a good way.
Arnav's
response to her words was to shield her from Shyam and lead her into
the kitchen, completely unaware that Akaash had taken this
opportunity to snap several more pictures of his Bhai displaying an
emotion other than anger.
***
The
food was already laid out, courtesy of the Prakash brothers. As
expected, Arnav and Khushi sat at the head of the table. What the
Raizada household was capable of doing in such a small amount of time was
astounding.
"Okay
you two. When we asked how you fell in love, Khushi, you cleverly
dodged the question. But enough is enough. Tell us!" Her mother's
voice silenced the other conversations as everyone was eager to hear
this story as well.
Khushi
carefully glanced at Arnav who was seemingly engrossed in eating his
rice. Idiot.
As
always, the talking fell on her. "Alright. Well, aap sabko pata hai
that Arnav, Di, Akaash, and I
have been together since childhood." The table nodded and she
continued. "Even though I always considered Akaash my brother and
Di my sister, Arnav's always been different." At this, he stopped
pretending to eat and looked at her, interested in what she had to
say.
Khushi
took a sip of water, aware that she had captured Arnav's attention.
"I dunno. There was always something between the two of us,
something that neither of us could define until some time ago." She
shot him a genuine smile and he hoped that she wouldn't make him look
like a fool in love.
"Anyway,
it was maybe four years ago, when I had just become a senior agent,
and Arnav had just launched AR Design that...that I thought I had
feelings for him." She didn't look at him, making it appear as
though she was shy. But Khushi knew better. She knew that if he
looked her in the eye, he would be able to tell that this wasn't a
lie, and that would lead to a very
awkward conversation.
"I
know that the Guptas will find this hard to believe, but behind the
"Angry Young Man" that everyone else sees, another person exists.
And that person is my
Arnav." Her hand found his. She ruffled his hair slightly, much to
his discomfort.
"He's
always been so closed off, even when we were kids. He never let
anyone know what he was really feeling. But that night when his
company was going public, that was when Arnav just let go."
Arnav,
on his own volition, leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple,
causing her to gasp ever so slightly. Her cheeks became the color of
roses, her eyes averting his.
"I...I
confessed all my fears to her that night." Arnav said quietly. It
was true. She had tracked him down that night and made him sit down
just so they could talk. He found that telling the truth was so much
easier than lying. But why did the truth sound so much like a love
story?
"Chote?"
Anjali was surprised that her brother was admitting this. She always
thought that her brother never told anyone what he was thinking, but
she was wrong.
"Yes.
That night, I just talked to Khushi. And she listened. I told her how
I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing, how I didn't know if
this company would even be successful, how I hoped that M...Maa would
be proud of if she saw me." He paused for a moment, his grip on her
hand tightening. "And then Khushi just slaps me across the back of
my head just like when we were children. Isn't that right?" Arnav
smirked at her and she had the decency to duck her head in
embarrassment. "Khushi told me that Maa would always be proud of
me, and that if I looked up into the sky at night, the brightest star
would be her. Then she squeezed my shoulder and hugged me before
running away. At that moment I knew, I knew that the company would be
fine, that I would be fine. And it turns out I was right."
Khushi
swallowed the lump in her throat. He remembered! He
remembered what I had said to him! He remembers that hug!
The
table was silent. They digested what Arnav and Khushi had just said
with varying emotions.
"So,
when was your first kiss?" Trust Akaash to break the silence with
an awkward question.
Arnav
spluttered, nearly spitting out the water he was drinking. "Kiss?"
Him? Kissing Khushi? Must. Control. Mental. Images.
"A lady never
kisses and tells, Bhai. Especially not in front of her
parents" Khushi replied, smartly avoiding the question. "Did we
hound you about Payal? No."
"Fine fine."
Akaash grumbled.
Lunch went on like
that, with family members asking various questions about their
supposed courtship, and them lying through their teeth...most of the
time.
There was one
question that was directed at Arnav. His response to it stunned both
him and Khushi.
"Arnav-bitwa?
Aapko kabh pata chala ki aap Khushi-bitiyaan se pyaar karat ho?"
Nani had asked.
He had stared at
his grandmother for a full minute before answering. "Nani, to tell
you the truth, I don't think I know what love is. But with Khushi,
something happens to me. I can be myself. Like she said, I can be
Arnav, not ASR. So if you're asking me when I realized that only she
can make me feel this way, then I suppose that happened when she held
me when I had nightmares, told me everything was going to be alright,
that she was right there. If that's love, then it happened when I was
sixteen years old."
His voice had held
such sincerity in it, that no one, not even Arnav himself doubted his
words.
****************************************************************************************
By the time lunch
was over, it was well past three. The bride and groom finally could
change into something more comfortable. However, the women had said
that Khushi would have to change back into her sari for the most
enjoyable part of the wedding...the Suhaag Raat.
All of her clothes
had been delivered and were currently waiting to be shelved in
Arn-...sorry, their room.
The Guptas had left
sometime after tea, acting considerably friendlier towards Khushi and
Arnav. Payal didn't seem as scared of her anymore, even asking Khushi
if she could call her 'jiji'. Khushi had immediately agreed because
she had never had a younger sibling before and Payal had always
wanted an older one.
At around seven,
her parents had left, promising to visit tomorrow. That was a tearful
goodbye, a bidaai of sorts.
Arnav watched as
Khushi was taken upstairs by a giggling Anjali and Payal with Nani
and Mami trailing behind. Then, he himself was carted off to another
room by Akaash, Mama, and ugh Shyam.
"What the?"
Akaash cleared his
throat and adjusted his glasses. "Not 'what the' Bhai. As the only
newly married man here, it is the duty of the more experienced
married men to tell you exactly what to do...mera matlab hai...you know...with bhabhi." Akaash whispered the last part, waggling his eyebrows at Arnav.
Arnav stared at his
brother. What the hell was he talking about? Did Akaash really think that he didn't know what happened on a Suhaag Raat?
"Chote Sale-Sahib
is absolutely right!" Shyam seemed a bit too enthusiastic to
Arnav's liking. Well...the man is a pervert...
"On this night,
you will cherish your wife, make her yours in body and soul."
Arnav clenched his
fists at Shyam's statement. Did you cherish my sister? Didn't you
promise never to hurt her? What happened to that? How dare you
lecture me on cherishing someone you hypocrite!
He forced his voice
to be calm. "Listen, while I'm so grateful for
your...advice, it's alright. I don't need it." We won't be doing
anything anyway.
"Bhai...I don't
know if you've noticed, but you and women don't exactly go hand in
hand."
Arnav scoffed, his
male ego bruised. "Akaash, women fall at my feet!"
"And how many
have you picked up?" His younger brother retorted. When Arnav kept
his mouth shut, Akaash grinned. Victory was his.
"I really don't
know how you became known as a Casanova to the media Bhai. Before the company
started, you had two girlfriends, and after it started, you've never
been seen with a woman except those models who I know that you don't
have any attachments towards. Yes, women swoon at your sight, yet you
ignore them. So excuse us for trying to help you. This time, you have
a woman who's never going to leave, and we don't want you to screw up
the most important night of your life up because you didn't take our
advice."
Arnav was not sure
that this conversation was actually taking place. His younger brother was lecturing him on how to deal with women. "Whatever, I'm
going to see my wife now. It is our Suhaag Raat after all."
"Bitwa! Before
you go, wear this!" His Mama's voice stopped him from leaving the
room. The older man was holding a plain white kurta with matching
bottoms. They looked like the clothes that Akaash wore to bed.
"Why?" He
asked. Couldn't he just keep his sweater and pants on?
"Tradition,
Sale-Sahib, tradition. It's only for one night. And don't you think
you should surprise Khushi-ji? After all, she did wear that sari for
you today. It's the least you could do." Shyam was leering, much to
Arnav's anger. The disgusting man was probably imagining how Khushi
looked in that sari. Damn! He should have gotten one that covered her
from head to toe...like a burkha, so no one could stare at her.
"No. Khushi
doesn't care what I wear." And with that, he left the three men
standing in the room while he bounded up the stairs, wondering what
the women were doing.
***
Khushi sat on
Arnav's bed which had been turned into a marriage bed, dressed in her
wedding sari, listening to the four women giving her advice
on...on...things.
Khushi wasn't naive, she knew exactly what a man and woman did on their wedding night. The problem was, she had never done any of those things and therefore was playing the part of a scared, virginal bride very well.
She was sure her
face was beet red. Anjali had taken the lead in this conversation,
telling Khushi all the intimate details of a man. She had said how at
first, it would hurt a bit, but get much better as time went
on. Then Payal...shy, quiet, Payal had given her tips on how
to pleasure her husband. The worst part was, Khushi was actually imagining herself doing these things to Arnav!
This conversation was leaving her scarred
for life.
On one hand, her
sister was telling her how her first time with Shyam was. On the
other hand, she was learning how her brother was getting his pleasure
from Payal. Nani and Mami were just laughing in the back, taking
mental snapshots of Khushi's face.
All of a sudden,
there was a knock on the door.
"Kaun hai?"
Nani called, already knowing who it was.
"Nani, it's me.
Let me in to my own room!" Arnav's voice seemed irritated to
Khushi. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had received the talk.
Anjali gently
draped Khushi's pallu over her head so that it veiled her face. "Have
fun." Anjali winked at Khushi before opening the door.
Arnav took one look
at his room and was promptly gagged. What the hell did they do?
When did they have the time to put all those flowers there? "Di,
yeh sab...kya hai?"
Anjali grinned
naughtily. "Are, don't ask so many questions. This is all part of
the Suhaag Raat. Now go." She pushed him into the room causing him
to stumble slightly. "You're wife is waiting."
Nani, Mami, Anjali,
and Payal all left his room, huge smiles on their faces.
"Unbelievable."
he muttered. It was then that he finally noticed the figure who was
situated in the middle of his bed. Khushi. Her knees were
drawn to her chest, her face veiled by the pallu of her sair leaving
her waist completely visible. Although he couldn't see her face, he
sure that she was as annoyed about this as he was.
"Arnav?" Her
voice was hesitant, scared almost.
"It's me Khushi."
His voice sounded husky, sending shivers down her spine.
All the annoyance
left him at her prodding voice. She sounded so innocent, sounded like
it really was their wedding night.
As if he were a
moth drawn to a flame, he walked towards the bed, noting the that
roses adorned it. Her favorite flower, her scent. Everything in this
room was driving him crazy.
Khushi felt him
approaching the bed and her heartbeats involuntarily started
increasing. Her breath became shallow as he sat on the bed, so close
that she could feel his heat.
She looked so
vulnerable, so...appetizing. On their own accord, his hands
shot out and removed the veil from her head, letting it drop.
Her face was
revealed to him, so beautiful, so pure. He couldn't help himself. One
long finger trailed a path across her forehead, wiping some of the
sindoor in her parting away. He had put that there. The finger
traveled down her face to her neck, where the mangalsutra he had
placed on her lay. The black beads felt cool under his fingertips and
her neck felt hot. He could see how her erratic pulse beat in the
side of her neck, wondering if she could see how his did as well.
"Arnav." She
stopped herself from moaning at this touch.
"Hm?"
"What are you
doing?"
"I have no idea."
She caught his hand
before it could travel down any further, wondering what had gotten
into him.
"Arnav!" Her
voice was more forceful this time, snapping him out of his daze.
He stared at her
neck, not meeting her eyes. What had he been doing? Had he really
been touching Khushi? Just like a husband would do to his wife of
their Suhaag Raat? Well it wasn't my fault. He argued with
himself. Her neck was just there, waiting to be stroked. They
don't make necks like that anymore.
Khushi watched with
mild amusement as various emotions flitted across her husband's face.
He might think that he was the sane one, but Arnav Singh Raizada was
as pagal as she was. Khushi could still feel his fingertips grazing
her face, her neck. She could feel everything he couldn't say
conveyed through that simple yet scorching touch.
Finally, Khushi had
enough. She wanted to change into her nightclothes and simply sleep,
but Arnav wasn't moving.
"Utho!"
"Nahi." He
replied back petulantly like a child. What had gotten into him?
She picked up a
flower petal covered pillow and smacked him across the face with it.
"Will you get up now?" She asked innocently.
Arnav clutched his
nose ' the spot where the pillow made contact. How dare she hit him
with his own pillows! No, this wouldn't go unpunished! He picked up
his own pillow and whacked her as well, watching in delight as her
eyes filled with fire and her face became red with anger. Ha!
That's what you get for messing with Arnav Singh Raizada.
"You!" She
yelled, grabbing the pillow and getting some more hits in. She was on
her knees now, the pallu of her sari completely off, exposing
everything.
"Yes me!" Arnav
replied, on his knees as well.
Both of them used
the pillows as if they were swords, thrusting and parrying with the
soft things.
This wasn't a
pillow fight, it was a pillow war, each side not backing down. If
Khushi hit Arnav across the head, then Arnav would do the same. For
every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The two of them
were so engrossed in their war, that they didn't notice that the
pillows had been split apart, the stuffing flying everywhere.
***
Three doors down,
in Akaash and Payal's room, Anjali sat with her other brother and
sister-in-law, discussing Arnav and Khushi's marriage.
"Shh!" Cried
Akaash all of a sudden.
His sister and wife
looked at him in confusion. "Kya?"
A naughty grin lit
up Akaash's face.
"I can hear
noises!"
***
Back in Arnav's
room, both bride and groom lay back on the bed, exhausted. Arnav
glanced over at Khushi, noting for the first time since their fight
began that she was only wearing the blouse and skirt to her sari. He
saw the way her chest heaved up and down and groaned inwardly. The
women beside him was so tempting, like the ripest fruit for his
picking.
"Arnav!" She
sat up abruptly.
"Huh?"
Khushi looked at
the bed and then back at him. "What did we do?"
"What do you
mean, what did we ' oh." Arnav realized what she was
talking about. The bed was...wow. Had they done that?
Pillow guts lay
mixed with flower petals, the covers on the floor. His white sheets
were stained with the red from the roses. He would end up having to
get a new bed. It looked like someone had massacred the pillows or...two people had gotten a bit too feisty in bed.
They looked at each
other for a moment before Khushi burst into laughter, plopping down on her back. "Can you believe this?" She choked out. "It's like
we're kids again!"
A snort escaped him
at the sight of her laughing, another one joining in, then another.
Soon, those snorts turned into full blown guffaws.
Khushi stopped
laughing and turned to Arnav, shocked. There he was, clutching his
side, face lit up in what could only be mirth, looking ten years
younger, his chest moving up and down. The sound that was coming out
of his mouth was one that she hadn't heard in years. His laughter.
She couldn't
remember the last time he had laughed. After his mother died, Arnav
had closed himself off, occasionally cracking a smirk. It was rumored
that his rivals and employees had never seen ASR smile. That was a
shame because a true smile from Arnav Singh Raizada was enough to
melt the toughest hearts. And his laughter...his laughter was
infectious and innocent, just like he had once been.
Arnav stopped
laughing, his heart feeling lighter than it had in years. He saw
Khushi looking at him, her eyes carrying what looked like happiness.
She touched him lightly on the cheek, her one action reigniting dirty
thoughts in him.
"You look very
good while laughing." She said softly. "You should do it more
often."
He didn't even have
a chance to reply because she got off the bed to go find her
nightclothes and went into the bathroom.
Arnav just lay
there on his bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying her words in his
mind. He had laughed. On his own. How many years had it been
since he had last done that? He couldn't remember. She had helped him
laugh.
Khushi. Happiness.
His happiness? He didn't know.
Arnav was very
still as she emerged from his bathroom and came on the bed again. She
wore only a loose t-shirt along with pajama bottoms.
She lay next to
him, keeping an adequate distance between their bodies. There was an unspoken agreement that neither would sleep on the recliner.
"Arnav?"
"What?"
Khushi turned on
her side and propped herself up on one elbow. "I just wanted to say
thanks."
He faced her. "For
what?" What did he deserve a thanks for?
She smiled. It
always marveled him how she could smile so easily while for him, it
was just too hard. "For giving me an amazing wedding."
Arnav's heart
stopped for a millisecond . An amazing wedding? There was nothing
amazing about it. It was so hastily put together. This wasn't a
wedding that one would expect from names such as Raizada and Rathod.
She seemed to read
his thoughts. "Arnav, no matter how much you think I'm
disappointed, don't be. I really liked our wedding."
Our wedding.
They were married now. Well, they had been married when they got
married, but now it felt so real. He, Arnav Singh Raizada, the man
who had promised never to get married, was married to none other than
his ex-arch rival, Khushi Singh Raizada.
"You're
welcome." He heard himself say.
The
room descended into silence, the two occupants not sure what to do.
They certainly were not going to engage in activities that one
usually did on a marriage night.
"Khushi?"
Arnav decided to speak.
"Kya?"
Arnav got up and
turned off the lights, preparing to go to bed. "Thanks." He
whispered almost inaudibly.
A soft smile lit up
her face. She didn't have to ask what for. She already knew. "You're welcome."
With that, the
married couple slipped into deep sleep, unknowingly clinging to each other, still tired from the events
that had transpired throughout the day.
High above them, a
Goddess smiled at the peaceful couple, blessing them. And then she sighed in exasperation.
Only Arnav and Khushi Singh
Raizada could have a pillow fight to commemorate their
Suhaag Raat.
Precap: Who is Shyam Manohar Jha?
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Edited by vedu22 - 11 years ago
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