ArHi FF-Married To A Stranger- Updated 11/1- Pg 35 - Page 7

Arnav closed the doors of the honeymoon suite, as Khushi looked around the decorated room. A floral canopy covered the bed, with a layer of rose petals. The towels were shaped like a heart, and a hot meal awaited the couple at the candle lit bistro table. A soft waltz tune played in the background. Arnav started to take off his tie, when Khushi started to panic. Was he going to strip? Were they really going to have a real nuptial night? Did he expect it? She sat on the bed, realizing that it was a water bed. She propped right back up, when Arnav chuckled. He took off his coat and started to unbutton his sleeve buttons as Khushi's heartbeats started to grow faster.

Dhak, dhak, dhak, dhak.

Arnav walked towards Khushi, as she gulped hard. He walked toward her, as she backed up towards the wall. "She's the shy type," Arnav thought. He smirked. She bumped into the wall, when Arnav leaned into her saying, "Do you plan on staying in your wedding dress the whole night?" He walked away to the bathroom, laughing, "It must be really uncomfortable, huh?" Khushi breathed a sigh of relief. Phew, thank God he didn't expect anything from her.

The two dressed into their comfortable clothing. Khushi felt shy in her Victoria's Secret nightgown, one that she had specially selected for her nuptial night. With anyone, but a stranger. She had nothing else. Had she known that all was going to happen? Arnav noticed her awkwardness, but felt it hard to stare at her luscious, sensational figure. At the same way, Khushi kept on glancing up from her meal at the now bulging out abs of Arnav. He had a 6-pack. It was real. How they wanted to embrace each other!

Their daze was broken by a ringtone. Khushi's phone was ringing. She picked it up, as Arnav went back to his meal, pretending to not listen to the conversation. Khushi picked up the phone to her sister, Payal, who bombarded her with questions. Questions she would answer only if she herself had an answer to them. Who was he? Where is he from? What's his family like? Did you meet him before? How? Etc. She tried to keep a straight face, as Arnav occasionally looked at her to see what was the matter. Khushi's eyes started to fill with tears, as Payal scolded her for eloping. For leaving her family.

Arnav noticed this. He snatched the phone from her, and firmly spoke into it, "Excuse me, you are making my wife cry. And I can't stand her tears. Please hang up." Khushi was amazed, and her mouth formed an oval shape. How dare he talk to her sister like that? Erm, his sister=in=law. Arnav hung up the phone. The phone rang again, when he picked it up and opened the balcony sliding door and dropped it into the abyss. Deep in her mind, Khushi smiled. When Arnav came back, as a part of customary and default reaction, she questioned him. "Arnav, what the hell did you just do?" He shrugged, "The phone made my wife cry, so I threw it away. Don't worry, I'll get you a new one. I'm a good husband, am I not?" He winked at smiled. Khushi laughed, "Yes, too good." The couple had just shared their first laugh.

"What's up with this sister of yours? You got married, it's your life. What does she care and have to do with it?" Arnav asked, as he opened his laptop to check his emails. Khushi guiltily broke apart the towel heart dry her hands as she sat down on the red, leather sofa. "Well, all these years, dad and didi have been dependent on me. I did everything for them. But now, they need to stand on their own. I never had a real life. I'm a writer, but was always caught doing house work or taking care of my father. At an extent, I was fed up. I needed a break-" Khushi said. Arnav interrupted her, "Hence, you thought, Why not get married on a national television and take a risk?" Khushi nodded and laughed. That was not her exact thought, but it was somewhere around there.

"To be honest, I could use this marriage too. I need to claim my dad's property. But according to the will, I have to be legally married to inherit the money. If not, it goes to my relatives." Arnav said, closing his laptop and sitting next to Khushi on the sofa. She moved her hair away from her face, and moved aside one inch away. Noticing this, Arnav started again, I spoke to my friend, who's a lawyer- Mohit. He said that we could annul this marriage in a month and pretend like it never happened. I told him to proceed, and get it done. While that happens, you can establish you career as a writer and I can claim my property. Deal?" Khushi nodded, "Deal."

"Cool. You stay out of my way, and I stay out of yours. We just have to still have that public display of affection for the press, so they don't suspect our little agreement here." He walked away, giving her a quite long kiss on the cheek. Khushi was shocked and her mouth took the oval form again, her hand now on her blushing cheek. "What was that?" Arnav said without turning around, "Look outside." She looked outside to a group of photographers and press writers, who smiled up at her.

"This is going to be a long month," she thought, sighing. She walked into the bedroom, to a shirtless Arnav rummaging his bags for a shirt. "Or maybe not." She giggled, and closed the door behind her, pulling the curtains.