ArHi FF: Checkmate!-T2 (completed) - Page 75

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Part 58

Arnav swallowed the lump that he could feel in his throat. He couldnt get enough of what he had read, he could'nt accept that he had reached the end of the year entries- He kept going back again and again to see if he had missed any page- He longed to live those moments that she had described in her memoir,He turned to some random page that he had read already, and read it hungrily as if to catch something that he might have missed when he read it earlier, and he felt as if by reading those little wishes of hers, her longings for him, her desires, her delight, her estacy, her fears, her apprehensions, her perilous adventures- again and again- he would somehow miraculously go back to live those days again- near her- with her- fulfilling her wishes, being a part of her happiness and sadness, keeping her safe, and just being by her side when she needed him.

Arnav was so lost in thoughts that he did not realise the elapse of time nor was he aware of Kushi approaching the slide door. A sharp gasp from her brought him out of the trance, drawing his attention to her as she stood against the slide door. He had been so overwhelmed by what he had read just now that he didnt realise that she was actually throwing draggers at him with her eyes.

Infact he was looking at her so tenderly, expecting her to look into his eyes to empathize with his feelings that he was subject to at that moment, that he was taken aback when she ran towards him and took the diary away from his hands. His surprise was short lived however, as his astute mind sprang to his rescue, opining him to play it cool. He called out to her retreating back with a smirk playing on his lips

"Do you maintain a similar one like that for this year too? I would like to read it"

As expected, she lashed at him as she turned back

"How shameless can you get?"

"I dont see any reason to hold myself from expressing what I feel- to my wife" Arnav told with a devilish arrogance as he walked towards her "If I feel brazen, I show it"

He knew he was riling her up and he smirked further when she snarled at him while her face grew more flushed with anger

"I dont bother how you feel right now- you are perfectly free to feel prudish or arrogant or romantic or whatever you feel like- as far as you dont intrude my personal space"

The smirk was wiped off his face, hearing her final words..He had expected her to react angrily to his remark, but he didnt expect her to get back at him this intensely- and he didnt like it even a bit.

Kushi turned to get into the room once again, but was taken by surprise as she felt herself hurled across the walls adjoining the slide door. She glared back at a pair of brown eyes as it glared down at her.

"What did you say just now?" He snarled at her, gritting his teeth

"I am sure, you got what I meant to convey" She replied back coolly.

Her nonchalance to his obvious anger, pushed him further to the edge as he grabbed her arms and squeezed it mercilessly.

"Would you care to explain what you meant by personal space?" he snapped at her

"This diary is mine- You knew very well that I didnt want you to read it when I took it back from you in the evening"

"There is nothing in there that I ought not know" he yapped at her, tightening his hold on her further, making her flinch in pain.

He loosened his grip on her a little- albeit slowly, and closed in further on the distance between them. Though it was reflexive move, his shrewd eyes didnt fail to notice the change in her demeanor that this move effected upon her.

"But that doesnt change the fact that the diary is still mine and I didnt want you to read it.. Does it?" she told him as she shivered a little against the sudden coolness of the wall upon which she pushed herself further, intending to put up some distance between them.

Arnav who was well known in the business world for his traits in observing the opponent, for any signs of exhibit of weekness, was quick enough to notice Kushi's discomfort- He decided to cash in on her momentary display of upheaval.

"yes it doesnt., apart from the fact that those letters are addressed to me-" he replied back throatily as he further invaded the space between them. "and I dont remember any prevalance of personal space in our past that demanded the other to stay clear off it" He told her in a husky voice intermingled with a tinge of haughtiness in it. She was however smart enough to notice his change of approach- afterall she knew this man in and out.

She drew in sharp breath as she felt his stubble and lips on her neck

"Back off" she hissed at him as she put in her diary held hands on his chest and shoved him with all her might

"What the " Arnav muttered angrily.

He was taken aback by surprise as he realised that she had actually pushed him away

"Kushi why do you do this Dammit?" he barked at her

"Arent you smart enough to understand the reason yet?" she yelled back at him

"No I dont! I dont see any goddammed reason for you to back away every single time I try to get closer to you" He told her, ignoring the small voice at the back of his mind which told him that he indeed knew the reason.

"Oh alright then- you want a reason- do you? " she asked him, pushing back some of her locks which escaped the confines of the back of her ear. " Ok Listen- its very unfortunate that I dont happen to be one of those innumerous opportune craving models who would do anything for a chance to fluant your designs or those attention seeking, love sick girls who sport a crush on you, who would give a limb and an arm to stand here letting you do whatever you want even after you have crushed their self respect under the heels of your shoes"

That was it- Kushi bit her lips trying hard not to cry as Arnav stood there in stunned silence as her words sinked in. As Kushi dashed inside hurriedly not wanting him to see her eyes brimming with tears, Arnav grabbed a glass vase by the stand near the wall and flung it across the pool walls. He watched with helpless anger as he watched the broken glass peices caused ripples in the water in the pool.

"aaahh"

Kushi's tone of agony made him instantly forget his anger and rush back inside to see if she was alright.

***

Kushi had come rushing in with tears streaming down her cheeks as she heard the shattering noise of the glass vase, that she hadnt remembered that the furniture in the room had been rearranged to accomodate Arush's crib. She got hurt as she dashed right into the wooden office table and let out an involuntary cry of pain.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

She turned back to look at Arnav, even though she had switched off most of the lights in the room after she put Arush to sleep, The soft lights were enough to highlight the concern on her husband's face- He had come running after her at her slight indication of pain- even after she had hurled those hurtful words at him. She felt fresh tears streaming down her face as she desperately tried to wipe them off, and limped to the wardrobe and tossed the diary carelessly into the wardrobe- She did not care about its secrecy anymore.

A surge of sympathy took over Arnav's anger looking at his wife's state.

"I need to tell her it was all a lie- she needs to know" he mumbled to himself as he walked towards her

"Kushi, look, I know why you are this angry- But there is no need to be this upset over what I ---" but before he could finish he was interupted by her.

"If you think I am angry at your stupid lie on the night of my return- then save your speech- Because unfortunately I know too much about you to catch your lie even in the dark" she told him not caring anymore about her streaming tears as she walked over to the bed.

To be continued.