Chapter 16! Enjoy folks...not sure how this one turned out.
Chapter 16
Lucknow was woefully dreary. At least, that's what Shyam Manohar Jha believed. While many fell for the so called charm this place had, to him, it was filled with memories of a broken childhood, a broken family, a broken existence. In many ways, SMJ and ASR were alike. Both of them died in Lucknow and were reborn in Delhi.
He wasn't always like this. Before he was Shyam Jha, he was Shyam Jhawar, son of Shobha Raichand and Manohar Jhawar. He had lived a comfortable life, not as lavish as the elite, but comfortable. His father did odd jobs here and there that brought in money. They were the perfect middle class family.
But then his mother had decided to wh**e herself out to Malik sahib, her boss. Then she had to go off and die while his father had died of heartbreak. The last thing his father had said to him was Destroy those Maliks, whatever the cost. And Shyam had taken his late father's words to the heart.
It was no coincidence that he had met Anjali Singh Raizada at the Durga Mandir four years ago. Malik may have changed to Raizada, but that woman was still the spawn of his foe. He hadn't been the least bit surprised to find out that Malik Sr. had committed suicide, or that his wife had followed. No, he knew Saroj Malik was a weak woman who couldn't bare the fact that her husband was having an affair.
However, this wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. Right now, Shyam had bigger fish to fry. Right now, he had to plan the death of his wife...
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"So Chote, are you and Khushi planning on going to Mr. Khurana's party?" Anjali asked eagerly at dinner time. She noticed how Akaash seemed to be a little demure today and how Payal kept on shooting Khushi and Arnav congratulatory looks.
Arnav put down his fork. "Di, we said we'll let him know. I mean, the two of us just got married, should we be stepping out into the spotlight this early? Plus, what if we both have work or something other to do."
Everyone turned to Akaash, waiting for him to throw a dirty comment on what Khushi and Arnav would rather be doing other than going to the party, but the man wisely kept his head down and just ate.
"What did you do to him?" Khushi asked Arnav softly. The response she got was an incredibly sexy grin that made her heart flutter and warmed her to her toes.
"Let's just say that brother dearest will never mess with us again." He rumbled before promptly freezing, his eyes widening and face taking on a reddish tinge. Arnav had just implied that there would be more times like last night where Akaash would try to 'mess' with them.
Khushi caught on to this as well but let it go. Seeing Arnav's reaction was far more rewarding than blushing even deeper.
"Please come na?" Anjali pleaded, using her puppy dog eyes. "It'll be fun! Vivek Uncle and Aunty will be there, we'll all be there! Please?"
Do not look into her eyes. Do not look into her eyes. He chanted in his head. While he used anger to get what he wanted, his sister used her sweet voice and childish facial expressions. Unfortunately, they both worked every time to make her get what she wanted from him. Luckily, Khushi was there.
"Di! How was your day today?" And Khushi had just successfully prevented Arnav from answering. God bless his wife.
Seeing Anjali's blissful face scared Khushi. Over the past couple of days, Khushi had been dropping hints here and there that it was time that Anjali got a checkup, just to see if everything was normal. Anjali hadn't been feeling too well, and probably would go. A blood-test was required, and she hoped that Anjali had taken her advice. Of course, Khushi could just search for Anjali's medical records to check if she had gone today, but that was a big violation of privacy. She wasn't going to do that to her own sister-in-law. Di would tell them herself.
"It was lovely. Today I went to the mandir and to Dr. Modi's office." Arnav glanced at Khushi who nodded slightly. He was confused at his sister's behavior. Why was she so happy?
His question went unanswered as dinner went by. The looks that Khushi shot at Anjali were not helping to ease his tension either. His wife looked uneasy. Just then, HP came in with the house phone and handed it off to Nani.
"Rathod-Sahib ka phone hai Nani-ji."
Nani put the phone on speaker so everybody could hear.
"Arey Vivek bitwa, kaisan ho aap?"
Khushi winced at her father's exuberant tone. "Maa-ji! Main bilkul theek hoon! Tell me this, how is my little Pari doing with her Rajkumar?"
Everybody, including Akaash, looked at the 'Pari' and 'Rajkumar' while concealing laughter. Those two were more like Lion and Lioness as opposed to a fairy and a prince.
Khushi hid her head in her hands. Fathers were so embarrassing!
Anjali took the phone from her grandmother."Your Pari is doing fine here Uncle!" She waggled her eyebrows at Khushi and Arnav. "Don't worry. And as for your Rajkumar, he loves his Pari too much!"
It was Arnav's turn to be embarrassed. Loves his Pari too much? Where did his sister come up with this stuff?
"That's good to know." Khushi's mother's voice came from the phone. "What we called about was to ask if those two were going to come to Sunil's party."
It took Arnav a second to remember that Sunil was Khurana's first name. Khushi groaned. Why did her mother have to bring up the damned party?
"That's what we want to know as well! So Chote, Khushi bitiyaan, what's the answer?" Nani asked rather imperiously proving that she was a Raizada.
"Do we even have a choice anymore?" Arnav growled to Khushi.
"No." She replied shortly, not wanting to think of the repercussions of this party.
"Well?" Vivek's tone was impatient.
Khushi sighed. "Yes, we're going." She astutely ignored the cheer of triumph from her father and mother.
"Excellent! I'll tell Sunil right away." The phone clicked shut without a goodbye from either side.
For the longest time, Arnav and Khushi just sat there thinking about everything that could go wrong that this party.
****************************************************************
The following days passed in a blur for Arnav and Khushi. No one in Khushi's office except Atman commented on the sudden addition of a ring to her finger. The necklace was tucked away so no one could see it. Her subordinates knew better than to question their boss...unless they wished to die a slow, painful death.
***
With Arnav, everything was the same except his annoying PA kept on giving him longing glances. She would sometimes glare at his cabin door at some random memory and stalk off in anger. Arnav was ready to fire her at this erratic behavior, but then he remembered how hard it was to hire a competent employee and let it go.
Lavanya Kashyap still had hope that she would be able to nail ASR, but we all know differently. She is no competition for our KSR.
Arnav and Khushi were dreading Saturday. Khushi ardently prayed to her Devi Maiyaa to create some even that would keep them from going, but nothing happened.
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Finally, Saturday arrived. The married couple had thrown themselves into their work that day and tried to be home late on purpose. Unfortunately, Anjali herself had the sense to drag Arnav out of the office two hours prior to when he usually left with Akaash and Payal in tow. She had already told Khushi to come home and knew that her sister-in-law would be home because she wasn't as stubborn as Arnav was.
At 5:30 that evening, the entire Raizada family sans Shyam was getting ready to go the Khurana Mansion. How fun.
"Di! But seriously, I don't have anything to wear! Uncle said that this was an Indian formal event, but I have no saris or lehngas except the wedding one!" Khushi tried to convince Anjali that this was the reason why she couldn't go.
Anjali rolled her eyes and decided that Khushi was just as stubborn as Arnav was. "Khushi, do you think that we didn't realize this?" At Khushi's flushed face, Anjali laughed. "Mami and I went out yesterday and bought you some clothes for this function and the ones that will follow. Come, let me help you!" And with that, Anjali dragged Khushi to her room and made her put on the one sari that she knew her Chote would love: the red one.
Though Khushi most definitely appreciated the beautiful material and color of the sari, she changed into it mechanically like a robot. Red. It was Arnav's favorite color, and knowing Anjali and Mami, they had probably bought her all red clothes, just to please her husband. It wasn't that she hated red. No, it was quite the opposite. Red brought out the green in her eyes and the paleness of her skin. But it just seemed wrong for tonight. It was the color of love, of lust, of passion, of rage...okay, the last one didn't fit the context...
She had to admit though, she looked very good. The design on the cloth was not heavy at all, just some simple silver diamond studded flowers. Not knowing what to do with her hair, she just curled her bangs and let it flow out. Hm, I really need a haircut, she decided as she studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was nearing her mid back. How do I manage it?
With a sigh, she halfheartedly put on some kohl to emphasize her innocent eyes. There. Simple yet drop dead gorgeous. The lady in red. A snort escaped her. The lady in red was the epitome of that which was elegant. She was the clumsiest woman in the world. Anyone who really knew her could attest to that.
Great. Now she was dressed. The hard part was going to be walking down the stairs without ripping her dress.
***
To say Arnav was angry about going to this party was like saying... ' that Arnav was angry. Akaash quietly sat in the guest bedroom watching his brother put on his tie and suit jacket. It seemed like the clothing had somehow offended his Bhai judging by the way Arnav was glaring at them. Over the past couple of days, Arnav seemed to have forgotten his anger at Akaash and was redirecting it towards this party. What was so bad about going?
"Bhai?"
"Bhai?" He asked again when Arnav didn't answer him.
"Bhaaaiii?"
"What Akaash!" Arnav turned around, fire spewing out of his eyes. Akaash immediately backed down with his hands in the air.
"Woah. Nothing. Just wanted to ask if you were alright..."
Arnav spun around, looking at himself in the mirror and grunted. "I'm fine. Chalo." He didn't wait for Akaash to answer. Arnav just walked out of the room and went downstairs leaving a confused brother behind.
"Bhai bhi na, bilkul pagal hai. Well, I guess that's why he married Khushi..."
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The second Arnav saw Khushi, he figured he must have had a heart attack because he stopped breathing for a moment. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in that red sari. No! Not again! First the wedding and now this? He wasn't supposed to notice how that sari hugged her figure perfectly, how the blouse was low cut revealing her heavenly cleavage, how he could make out the flare of her hips, how her navel was only covered by a flimsy piece of silk, how her neck was accentuated by the mangalsutra that he had placed on her. He wasn't supposed to, but he did.
What he didn't notice was the way Anjali nudged Mami who nudged Nani who took a picture to show her future great-grandchildren. Where did she hide that camera? That's not my secret to tell...
Khushi came up in front of Arnav feeling a bit nervous. The way he was looking at her gave no doubt as to what he was thinking. "So, how do I look?" She asked, partly to tease him and partly because she really wanted to know his opinion.
"Stunning." Arnav replied absently, forgetting that he was surrounded by his family who would tease him about this incident for years to come.
And then he realized where he was and cleared his throat. "I...I mean, you look decent." He tried to sound indifferent, but failed spectacularly.
Khushi's heart soared at his heart felt words. He thought that she looked stunning.
"You look pretty good yourself." She mumbled not looking into his eyes. He always looked good in his suits.
"Okay, okay. Stop ogling each other! You have the rest of your lives to do that!" Anjali clapped her hands together to get their attention.
"My lady." Akaash said, holding out his arm for Payal which she took while giggling. "My Lord."
Arnav shot Khushi a look that said 'there's no way in hell that I'm doing that.' Khushi just shook her head. Of course he wouldn't. But it would be nice if he would.
The Raizadas piled into two cars each with separate drivers. It wouldn't look good if Akaash and Arnav drove to such a high profile event after all.
Khushi, Payal, Arnav, and Akaash were in one car while Mami, Nani, Anjali, and Mama were in the other. They had agreed to meet the Rathods at the party itself. This posed a problem for Arnav and Khushi who would be met by a gaggle of gossip-craving journalists outside of the Khurana Mansion. Hopefully, Aman would be able to diffuse some of that so they wouldn't meet with the media until they got inside the house.
It
seemed as though Aman had done a fine job indeed. There was not one
camera flashing as the two pearl white cars pulled into the driveway.
***
The car
ride there was filled with mindless talk, certainly not the kind that
Arnav involved himself in. He sat next to the driver while Khushi,
Akaash, and Payal were in the backseat. He opted to listen and found
that he learned a lot about his wife. He learned how she hated when
Patel tapped his pencil against the desk, how sometimes Atman would
barge in to her office and hand her a cup of coffee just when she
needed it the most, how she wished it would rain again, how she was
excited to see her parents, and so on.
More than once, he had to stop himself from smiling. His smile would no doubt scare the driver who already seemed frightened that his boss was sitting next to him. Arnav wasn't in the mood for an accident at the moment either.
***
The second the cars stopped, Arnav hopped out of the car. He wanted to get out of this party ASAP therefore he must get into the party ASAP as well. He saw how Akaash got out and held the door open for Payal and figured he should do the same for Khushi...just to keep up appearances.
Khushi was startled to find that Arnav opened the door for her. She was so startled, that she tripped over her sari and stumbled, making Arnav grab her by the shoulders to stop her from falling.
"Careful Khushi!" He winced as she held his arm...tightly. That was some grip she had!
"Thanks Arnav." Khushi said, standing tall. She was confident that she wouldn't fall now, even if she was wearing heels. Arnav still was holding her. "Um...you can let me go now." She held back a laugh at his stricken expression.
"Right...well, we should go in now." He muttered, holding out his arm to her. She looked at him in surprise.
"What? Like it or not, we have to play the part of a perfect couple so..." He shoved his arm right in her face, telling her to take it.
Khushi grudgingly wrapped her arm around his, ignoring his bulging bicep and focusing on not tripping over her sari again, her confidence from before gone. They walked a little faster after realizing that everyone had gone in before them.
At the entrance, her parents were waiting. Aparna immediately threw her arms around her daughter. "Beta! You look beautiful! And you Arnav. How dashing!" She hugged him as well much to his embarrassment.
Khushi watched as he awkwardly tried to struggle out of her mother's grip. He looked adorable.
"Now now Arnav, don't try to steal my wife from me." Vivek smirked at his son-in-law while shaking his hand. "Sorry we couldn't stop by before. Work had me tied down. Now come, let's meet everyone." He didn't wait for an answer and dragged Khushi and Arnav into the throngs of people who were giving them odd looks. After all, it wasn't every day that you saw Arnav Singh Raizada being embraced by Vivek Rathod's wife in full public view with Khushi Rathod at his side looking oh so beautiful.
***
Mr. Khurana was in the center of the hall entertaining the other guests, most of whom were old...er and starved for some juicy new information. And who is jucier than Arnav Singh Raizada and Khushi Rathod, the gems of the media?
"Vivek! Anmol!" Mr. Khurana called to Arnav's Mama and Khushi's father. "Come here and bring everyone!"
With each step that Arnav took, it felt like he was being dragged down into some torture pit with no escape. He recognized most of the people by Khurana too. There was Mehta and Patwardhan and Singh and Chopra all standing, watching as the party of ten came towards them. Arnav forced a smile and shook hands with each other elderly men, nodding at their wives. Singh had a daughter who looked to be about sixteen who was giving Arnav and Khushi awestruck looks.
"Sunil!" Vivek embraced his old friend. "Thanks for the invite!"
"Thanks for accepting." Khurana said, briefly smiling at Arnav. Arnav was very aware that a camera was clicking away at the gathering, but he wasn't sure if it was the paparazzi or a personal photographer.
He was also aware that there were several pairs of wandering eyes which landed on his wife who looked slightly uncomfortable at all the male attention she was receiving. Did no one notice that she had a mangalsutra and ring on, that she was his? Well they didn't because people see only what they want to see. The eligible bachelors in the room saw Khushi as a vulnerable piece of meat, completely forgetting who she was and what she could do.
Arnav slid a little closer to Khushi, shielding her from those who were looking at her with lust in their eyes. She shot him a grateful look and relaxed. This action did not go unnoticed by the photographers who were in fact the paparazzi. For some reason, Khurana thought it would be great to publicize this event. They eagerly snapped pictures of a supposed couple who had eaten together at an upscale restaurant a few days back. Now they were sure that something was going on between the two...
"Commander Rathod!" Khushi looked up to see Mr. Mehta, another friend of her father's smiling at her with crooked yellow teeth.
"Sir." She replied politely. She had only met him once or twice, but he just repelled her. Maybe it was because he smelled like cigars all the time.
"I heard about Singhania. Nasty business there. And here we thought he was a good man." He inched closer to her causing Arnav to take one step toward her as well.
"Yes well, he had it coming." Khushi said, masterfully masking her anger towards the man with a winning grin.
Mehta smiled again and pivoted to Arnav, shaking his hand. "And you Mr. Raizada. How have you been?"
"Just fine Mr. Mehta." Arnav turned on his ASR charm. "I hope that our deal is still going to go through?"
"Of course! It would be disastrous otherwise."
The ladies were not interested in this business talk and quickly turned the conversation to something else.
"So Aparna, my Rohit is looking for someone and is very open to an arranged marriage. What do you say he and Khushi meet sometime?" The wife of Mr. Mehta said in a falsely sweet voice.
Arnav tried to stifle a laugh. He had the misfortune of meeting Rohit Mehta once. That kid was only twenty years old. He would never consent to marrying an older woman. And besides, what woman would want to marry that spoiled brat anyway? It was a good thing Khushi was already married...
"Woh, actually, hamari Khushi -" Aparna was not able to finish the sentence because Rohit Mehta and the daughter of Mr. Chopra came ambling towards them. Speak of the devil and he shall arrive.
"Rohit beta!" His mother clapped in excitement as the man-child stopped right in front of Khushi who shared an amused look with her mother. "Rohit, this is Khushi."
Khushi nodded pleasantly at the younger man and looked to the girl by his side instead. The girl couldn't have been older than nineteen and yet she was making eyes at her husband who was doing a remarkable job of ignoring her.
"And this is Pooja." Mrs. Chopra introduced her daughter to the crowd, but mainly to Arnav who was currently looking at the clock much to the Chopra's annoyance.
"Nice necklace!" Rohit exclaimed all of a sudden causing everyone in the vicinity to look at Khushi's neck as well. This made Arnav wonder where that kid's eyes were before he looked at Khushi's neck. That made Arnav want to kill Rohit.
A sudden intake of breath was heard and the married couple knew that this was the moment they had been dreading.
"Yeh...yeh toh...mangalsutra hai!" Mrs. Singh exclaimed loudly. And of course, the entire hall fell silent at that one woman's incredibly high pitched voice.
Khushi wanted to melt into the floor at the looks she was getting from everyone.
"Commander Rathod, you're married?" Mr. Chopra exclaimed with disbelief. "To who? Is he here? Do we know him?"
Behind them, the Raizadas watched this scene with smiles on their faces. It would be fun to see how Arnav and Khushi handled this...
Before Khushi could answer, her mother did for her. "That's what I was trying to tell you before! Our daughter is married!"
All the men under thirty except for Akaash and Arnav looked like they had lost their favorite toy.
"Oooh! Who is he Khushi? Where is he?" A woman by the name of Jyoti Kapadia asked. She was an acquaintance of Khushi's and one of the only women that Khushi could tolerate at these types of functions.
"Wait! I know! Is it Rohan Khanna, you know that guy who was all over you last year. I mean, I know that you threw a drink on his face, but the whole love-hate thing is cute. Or maybe it's Neil Patel!"
"I'm right here!" Said man exclaimed from the bar.
Khushi stared at her friend before looking at Arnav who nodded tersely. Lovely, it would her who would tell everyone of their marriage. "No it's-"
She was cut off by Jyoti. "Oh! Now I know. It has to be that Inspector from England right? Fletcher you said his name was? I mean, how romantic is that? The super sleuth from India falls in love with the hot cop from England?"
Mr. Khurana looked from Khushi to Jyoti and wondered if he should be the one to tell that woman the truth. Arnav looked positively murderous and he could see that Khushi was rapidly losing her patience.
"Ten bucks that Bhai will lose it." Akaash whispered to Payal. "Look at him. Do you see that vein on his forehead. It looks like it'll pop anytime." His wife shot him a glare and turned back to the drama. They should make a soap opera on Arnav and Khushi's life. Everyone would watch that...
"So I'm right na? It's Flet-"
"No. No it's not." Arnav's voice smoothly interrupted whatever the woman was going to say. The anger was not unnoticed by anyone in hearing range. He didn't want to hear a single word about this damned Fletcher character, nor did he want to hear about any men who fancied his wife. His eyes swept across the room, finally landing on Khushi's.
"I'm her husband. She's my wife."
Stunned silence met his statement. Arnav snaked a hand around her waist and drew her towards him so she was pressed against his side. He lifted her left hand to show the world the finger which held his mother's ring. "Her name is Khushi Singh Raizada."
"NOOO!" Pooja Chopra wailed in agony. She had dreamed about meeting ASR for ages and had jumped on the chance to come to this party even though she was one of the youngest here. She had wanted to impress the man and hopefully entice him. But now she found out that he was married!
Everyone, including her own parents wisely ignored the girl's outburst and focused on the couple again. Pictures were being snapped at a rate of one photo per ten seconds.
"Yeh sach hai Devyaani-ji?" One of the guests asked Nani.
She smiled widely and place a hand on both Khushi and Arnav's shoulders. "Ji. They got married in front of us!"
By this time, all the guests were situated around the two, including a couple journalists who Mr. Khurana had personally invited. Excitement was apparent on all of their faces.
Mr. Khurana led the couple (much to their anger) to a table and forced them to sit. He forgot that this was ASR and KSR he was dealing with and thought of them instead as a young couple in love.
"So tell us Mr. Raizada, when exactly did you two meet?" Arnav looked straight at the man who asked him that question. He wasn't someone he recognized.
"Twenty
five years ago." Arnav replied curtly.
"We're all childhood friends!" Akaash piped in. "Well actually, Bhai and Khushi hated each other...but it must have changed into love somewhere along the line." He mused loud enough for people to hear.
"Vivek, Anmol! You two didn't tell us that you knew each other for so long!" Mr. Patwardhan spoke.
Mama rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "The Rathods have been our family for a very long time. Now our bond has been cemented by the union of Arnav bitwa and Khushi bitiyaan." He looked at the two fondly.
Khushi and Arnav on the other hand, were currently fuming at their family. It was their (fake) love life, shouldn't they talk about it?
"Aha! So I was right! It was a love-hate thing." Jyoti declared. Khushi looked at her incredulously. She was still going on about that?
"You're absolutely right Jyoti-ji. Ever since these two could talk properly, they've been fighting. Over everything. When Chote was five and Khushi was three, they fought over who would watch what cartoon...for five hours. By that time the cartoons were finished!" Anjali added, shooting her brother a smirk.
Arnav inwardly groaned while keeping his stony mask in place. His sister had just called him 'Chote' in front of the media. This could not be good for his reputation at all. And why was she recalling all of their childhood mishaps? It was like she was trying to embarrass him on purpose...
The reporters recognized the woman who had just spoken as Mrs. Anjali Jha, the older sister of Mr. Raizada. What else could she tell them?
"Don't forget the incident with the parathas. They had an eating contest to see who could eat the most without puking. Surprisingly, Khushi won" Akaash was aware of the the looks he was getting from Arnav and Khushi but he ignored them. True, he had angered the two a lot over the past week, but this felt like it was worth it. And when worst came to worst...the pictures were his savior.
Anjali smacked her head. "The parathas! How could I forget?"
"Di!" Khushi yelled. "Yes, we both remember the paratha thing very well, but that's hardly conversation for now." She turned to the expectant crowd. "Listen, Arnav and I have known each other forever. He knows me as well as I know myself, and the reverse it true as well." Khushi placed her palm in Arnav's, congratulating herself for acting so well. "Isn't that right, honey?" She was really enjoying the pained look on Arnav's face.
"Yes, sweetheart. That's absolutely true." That's it. This was hell. This was definitely what hell felt like.
"Mr. Raizada, if you're married to Commander Rathod, then are the rumors about you and Sonam Kapoor true?" Someone else asked. "She tweeted that she had met you at a fashion show and you two hit it off. Now, there are no pictures to back up that claim, but we want to hear it from you!"
Arnav gave that person a blank stare. First, he had no clue who this Kapoor person was, and second, what rumors? "Would you mind telling me who that is, and what fashion show? I haven't been to one in two years now."
"Arnav, you really don't know Sonam Kapoor?" Khushi asked him not feeling jealous at all because she knew that her husband was the subject of many ridiculous rumors.
"Am I supposed to?"
"The daughter of Anil Kapoor? Surely you've heard of him!"
"Who?"
"Anil Kapoor...the actor. Taal, Biwi No. 1, Mr. India?"
"Khushi, you know I hate movies."
"I plan to rectify that."
"Never."
"Too late."
"Don't you dare make me watch those movies."
"You can't stop me dear."
"Khushi..."
"Arnav..."
"Do they realize that they're in front of people?" Vivek asked Nani quietly as he watched his children fight. She just laughed and gesture to the awestruck look on everyone's faces. Some were eagerly scribbling down every word that the two were saying.
"This is something they've never seen before. Let them have some amusement."
The reporter coughed, gaining the couple's attention. "So I'm guessing that's a no."
Both of them shot him a "what do you think?" look.
"Well then!" Mr. Khurana shouted, saving the two from more questions. "I think that we've interrogated these young folks enough. Come, dinner is served!"
Luckily,
the Raizadas and Rathods had a table with the Khuranas and were kept
from any unwanted attention. Mrs. Khurana obviously did ask some more
questions, but they were able to keep the romance stuff to a bare
minimum.
***
The rest
of the evening went by surprisingly well. Sure, they were accosted by
people who congratulated them and asked for the wedding pictures, but
over all, it was fine. All Arnav and Khushi had to deal with was the
younger generation who alternated between throwing the pair lustful
looks and shooting them jealous glares which amused the couple to no
end.
The paparazzi was able to get several great pictures of Arnav and Khushi just standing next to each other, of Khushi smiling at something Akaash said, of Arnav smirking at Khushi, and even one of Arnav holding Khushi's hand. What they didn't know was that he had only done that so she wouldn't trip and fall as they were leaving...
***
Once in the comfort of Shantivan, Arnav and Khushi finally let their breaths out and collapsed on the couches. "That didn't go too badly." She remarked.
He snorted. "Just wait. We'll be page three news tomorrow." Arnav recalled all the times he had looked at that page and still had five fingers left over on each hand.
She laughed. "Yes, but they'll get bored of us soon. We'll be flavor of the month and then get discarded to something else."
Arnav glanced at her figure which was curled up on the couch. Everyone else had gone to bed so they were the only ones here. She was still dressed in that ravishing sari that he so desperately wanted to unravel. Yes, that thought really had entered his mind and no, he did nothing to dispel it. Arnav's heart sped up as her head turned towards him, one curled bang resting over her eyes. She smiled at him lazily.
He wanted to get up and sit next to her, but wasn't sure how to do that. Would it look too forward? Would she be scared of his proximity?
"So, will you change your name to Raizada now...in public I mean?" Mentally, he was berating himself for asking that question. Who asks that type of question?
Khushi was genuinely surprised at his question. "Well, everyone knows me as Commander Rathod so, I really don't know. I mean, my name is Khushi Singh Raizada. Whatever the public decides, I'll go with it."
His heart jumped out of his chest. I mean, my name is Khushi Singh Raizada. Why did his last name fit so well with hers? "Oh." He said lamely.
She looked at him quizzically before sighing. "You must be tired after tonight. Why don't you sleep?"
Arnav didn't answer her, choosing this moment to get up and sit next to her. The only indication that she felt his proximity was the slight widening of eyes.
"I could say the same about you." Arnav murmured, aware of the heat that emanated off her body.
Khushi was about to go nuts. All she could feel was Arnav at this moment. He was playing havoc with her mind and thoughts. Why had he come next to her? The only option she had was to get far far away from him.
"You know what!" She exclaimed brightly. "You're absolutely correct. I am tired." She bolted upright, not realizing that the pallu of her sari had become entangled inside the cushion of the couch. With each step she took, the pallu elegantly descended to the floor, the sari slowly unraveling itself. Khushi was too wound up in her emotions to notice.
But Arnav did.
Oh indeed Arnav did. The second she had stood, he had as well, trying to stop her from walking. He couldn't though. His fantasy was coming true, and he definitely couldn't stop his thoughts. Not after he had seen the milky expanse of her bare back. He felt himself closing in on her, taking the red material of her pallu with him.
Khushi froze as soon as she felt cool air hit her body. Immediately she looked down only to find that her pallu was magically missing. All that remained was her blouse which barely covered her chest as well as the petticoat to the Sari. How could she be so stupid?
Wait...how did the thing slide off of her in the first place? Arnav? Did he do that, did he disrobe her? Yes, that was the only explanation. That sick, perverted, besharam, nalayak, handsome, sexy, IDIOT!
Suddenly, Khushi didn't care that she was barely clothed or that Arnav could see her. All she was focused on was beating him until he was black and blue for having the audacity to do this to her! What the hell was he thinking?
She
turned around swiftly not expecting to crash into a wall which was
surprisingly pliable. Wall's weren't supposed to thud though, and
neither did they have hands. Hands which were currently wrapped
around her waist...and wandering.
***
Arnav had fully intended to wrap the veil around her and leave before he did anything irrational. However, the moment she had collided with him, he had automatically put his hands around her to stop her from stumbling. Turns out that was a terrible idea.
Her skin felt like silk under the rough pads of his fingers. He couldn't help but let his palms rove over the skin that had been unveiled to him like a miracle. Her head was directly over the left plane of his chest. He was sure that she could hear his heartbeats.
***
Arnav. That was the first thought that registered through her mind. Arnav was the wall. Arnav was thudding. Arnav's hands were currently causing goosebumps to pop all over her skin. Khushi's hands clutched his shoulders for support. Without it, she was sure she would fall down. Now she knew what being 'weak in the knees' felt like.
"Let go Arnav." She whispered. There wasn't much more she could take of this sweet torture.
His response was to bring her even closer. "If I do, then don't blame me for what I might do." He growled huskily in her ear, nipping it slightly, enjoying her shiver. "Do you know how good you look?"
"W...why did you remove my pallu?" Khushi couldn't bring herself to be confrontational with him, not after what he had just uttered.
He chuckled against her ear, their chests vibrating together from his laugh. "I didn't. It got stuck in the couch. See, it's in my hands now." Arnav brought the material in front of her eyes so she could see. He nearly laughed at her bemused expression. Khushi looked so much like a small child as opposed to the woman she was.
She risked taking a peek at his face and promptly gasped. Arnav looked like a hungry predator, his eyes ablaze with want, with need. His lips were parted slightly and she could see that his pupils were dilated. His brow was covered in a light sheen of sweat. All were classic signs that his Sympathetic Nervous System had kicked in.
Or as normal people called it: arousal.
Khushi
pushed him away, grabbed her pallu and wrapped it around herself. No,
this...this couldn't happen. This was not a marriage with benefits.
This was a marriage to save the life of their Di. This was a fake
marriage. If consummation had taken place, they couldn't get an
annulment!
But would it be so bad Khushi? A part of her mind asked. If Arnav became your husband for real, would it be so bad? Can't you see yourself living with him, having kids with him, growing old with him? Her breath caught in her throat. Yes, yes she could. She could picture that. They would have two kids, a boy and a girl. The boy would be older so that he could protect his younger sister who would be Arnav's princess. She knew that he secretly loved children. AR Design donated to three different orphanages on Arnav's orders.
She could see herself with him, lying on the same bed they slept on, but in very different positions. She could see a lot, and that was what scared her.
Arnav
watched as Khushi withdrew from him emotionally. He knew that he had
an effect on her, and she knew that as well. Khushi liked control,
and when it was taken from her like it had been just now, she was
confused. Her pulling away angered him. He knew it shouldn't, that he
was in the wrong for overstepping his boundaries, but still it did.
Somewhere over the past week, he must have forgotten the real reason
for getting married.
He couldn't let what may have happened between them go. He needed closure, and knew one way to get it.
"Arnav." Her voice broke him from his thoughts.
"Wait Khushi. Before you say anything, let me say sorry. I...I got a little carried away. But please, may I ask one thing from you?" Arnav hoped this would work.
She looked at him, shrewd eyes roaming over his face, trying to figure out what he was up to. Khushi pulled the pallu a little closer to her. "Kya?"
Arnav sucked in a breath and released it. "Let me hold you tonight." Please don't deny me. I just want human contact.
Khushi stared at him in utter shock. "Wh...what?"
He caught her hand and hauled her up the stairs not stopping until they were in their room. Arnav sat her on the bed and looked her in the eye. "Let me hold you." He repeated forcefully. "And 'no' is not an option. Mark my words, I will not back down."
She could only gape at him. "Why?"
"Because I want to." It was as simple as that. Plus, he knew that she would take this as some sort of challenge and try to turn the tables on him.
That sparked her anger. "Oh? So just because you want to you decide that you can hold me? Well what if I want to hold you?"
A smirk lit up his face. She fell into his trap. "Then go ahead."
"Fine!" It was then she realized what she had said and what he had answered. Her face now matched her attire.
"Fine."
Arnav held back a snort as she stormed off to the bathroom to change. He himself hastily changed into his track pants and sweater before settling himself into the bed.
Khushi came out still quite angry. But her anger was directed at herself, not him. She had allowed him to rile her up. This was happening more often these days, and it was all the man who was currently on the bed's fault.
He patted the space next to him suggestively. She shot him a glare of pure loathing and plunked down on the bed stiffly.
"Come closer Khushi, I don't bite." Unless asked to.
She scooted towards him until there was a foot of distance remaining. Why, why had she not used her head and taken up his non existent challenge?
Arnav watched her through hooded eyes. The tension scrunched on her nose was adorable. He wanted her to come even closer, but it was clear she wouldn't. Well, if you won't, then I will.
In one swift movement, he toppled her to one side and lay down behind her. His head rested on top her hers, his arms once again around her waist, sneaking their way inside her shirt. "Goodnight, wife." He murmured in her ear.
Khushi resisted struggling in his grasp. That would be pointless. And his fingers felt heavenly against her. He had already decided to not let her go, so shouldn't she do the same? With a naughty smirk playing on her face, she turned around in his arms so that she faced his chest. A feeling of pleasure jolted through her body when she heard him inhale sharply. Two can play at this game, Arnav.
Khushi wrapped her arms around his waist, purposefully sneaking her hands under his sweater to feel the taught skin of his abdomen. His muscles contracted under her touch giving her a sense of power. Devi Maiyaa, protect me. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his chest.
"Goodnight,
husband." She pressed herself against his groin seductively, reveling in his hiss from the unexpected contact.
Alright, Arnav thought with a slight groan, tilting his pelvis away from her, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...
***
Haule haule ho jayega pyaar...
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