||~Something About You~||#4 *COMPLETED* - Page 84

As Khushi looked at Arnav's outstretched hand, she knew he was the devil, & she knew he was the death of her. How else would he know her inner most desires? A freakin' dance in the rain??!! Wasn't that stuff that fairy-tales were made with? & Thought's Salman Khan? Couldn't he tell that she didn't even see anyone when he was with her? "Stupid, Rakshas, Laad Governor!" Khushi muttered under her breath.

"Stop calling me names, Red! Look at me! How long do you wanna keep me waiting in the rain for you?!" He stretched out his hands to either sides of his body to show her how truly soaked he was. & then he leisurely rubbed both his hands over his face to wipe away the water droplets from his eyes, & then slowly moved his hands up along his forehead to push the wet locks of his hair out of his eyes, & Khushi stifled the moan that threatened to escape from her throat all of a sudden. She shrugged helplessly as she stretched her arm out towards Arnav so that he could help her outside. Arnav Singh Raizada had murder on his mind tonight & Khushi Kumari Gupta was already half-slaughtered. Resistance at this point was pointless.

Arnav stepped forward & took her hand in his as he helped her out. He reveled at the feel of her soft hand in his rough one & how her hands seem to fit perfectly in his. Khushi came & stood, shaking, a few feet away from him. She ran her free hand up & down her other arm in an attempt to drive away the cold of the freezing waters, & then complained between chattering teeth, "Shh.. I bought this dr.. dress just t.. today! This is my most exp.. expensive dress ever! & now I am st.. standing out in the rain in my best dress because you for.. forced me to & tomorrow it'd be tot.. totally ruined!" & before Khushi could stop her stammering babble, she felt herself being forcefully pulled towards his torso by his hold on her & she crashed completely on his chest, as his arms came up to hold her in a tight, warm, embrace.

Khushi felt warmth spreading through each fiber of her being, as her frozen limbs began to melt from the heat his hold generated, & then she heard him whisper with his mouth inches from her eye level, "You were freezing.. Ab theek hain?" & suddenly Khushi felt it. It was alright. For the first time in days, it felt right. Her life felt right! For the first time in days, she felt like she was in the right place at the right time. For the first time in days, she wasn't feeling restless, she wasn't feeling as if something was very wrong with the core of her existence, some wrong that would never be right. & as the feeling of rightness seeped into her heart, Khushi clutched the lapels of his jacket tightly & pressed herself more snuggly into his body. & his arms tightened even more around her if possible, to the point of almost breaking her delicate ribs, & then she felt him start to move, & moving her along with him to the gentle sway of his body.

Khushi was a brilliant dancer herself, hence she knew instantly that, if there was one thing that Arnav Singh Raizada didn't excel in, it was dancing. She was sure if there was music present at that moment, he would miss all of the beats, & his steps wouldn't sync with the music at all! But that was just it. They weren't dancing to any music. They were dancing to the beats of their hearts, & their heartbeats were in perfect sync with each other. & so as Arnav twirled her around like a princess, tilted her body over his arms like a nymph, lifted her up in the air like a fairy & then held her closer than ever in his strong arms like a precious angel, Khushi felt like she was the best ballerina in the world with the lightest body. & then his intense eyes looked deep into hers as suddenly their movements halted, & they just stood like that, under the rain, with his left arm snaked around her tiny waist, pressing her lower body snuggly against his own, & her left hand held up in the air in his right hand. Khushi knew she was the luckiest girl in the world for that single moment.

& then her luck just grew better. Khushi knew what was coming as she saw his head starting to bend slowly, & her hands shook with anticipation. & Arnav felt that light tremble in her hands being reverberated through his whole being. As he let go of Khushi's hand & waist, & both his hands came up to cup her cheek & the back of her neck to pull her in to receive his kiss, his last thoughts were, he had never felt this way ever. Then theirs lips met.

They had kissed before, but Arnav felt he'd never get used to the electric current he felt everytime his lips touched hers. & as his lips moved over hers, Khushi could feel the tingles shooting from her lips to everywhere in her body, all the way through to the tips of her fingers, & she cupped his nape & slowly made her way to run her fingers through his hair, rubbing her fingers on his scull to assuage the tingly feelings in them. & then she felt his right hand rubbing excruciatingly slowly down from her shoulder through her back to her hips, while his left hand stayed pressed in her hair near her nape, keeping her head firmly in place. Then he gave a firm squeeze to her butt, & before Khushi could understood what was happening, she felt Arnav's hand sliding farther down, & holding the back of her left thigh, he swiftly lifted her slightly up in the air, & to Khushi's absolute amazement, her legs wrapped themselves around Arnav's lower back of their own volition. & Khushi felt the evidence of his passion for her against her own heat. A tremor went down her spine as she felt the most intimate contact of her life for the first time, albeit through their layers of clothing. She felt Arnav's hand running up & down her spine soothingly, reassuringly as he molded her body into his wrapping his left arm around her back, & absorbed her tremors into his own form & sighing blissfully, Khushi deepened the kiss by firmly holding his face in both her hands.

As Khushi continued to devour Arnav's lips compulsively as if intoxicated by them, he continued to drink the rain drops falling down on her lips from her hair & face like he had an unquenchable thirst. & Khushi didn't know about Arnav, but she wouldn't have let go of his lips anytime soon, if she hadn't heard the shrill sound, crude enough to break the magic of the moment, that was Khushi's ring tone. As she wrenched her lips apart from his reluctantly, lingeringly, Khushi forced her heavy eye-lids open with supreme effort & stared straight into his hooded burnt-caramel orbs. Her left hand slowly glided down from his cheek to his shoulder, caressing wherever they touched on the way, while her right hand remained on his face, her thumb stroking his cheek, & as she saw his eyes narrowing dangerously & his lips coming towards hers again, she tilted her head backwards, & said regrettably, "But.. That's Jiji calling!"

She felt his arms tighten around her fractionally & then he closed his eyes momentarily, & seeing the frustration etched in his features, Khushi felt so miserable, that she tried to wriggle herself down on the ground from the circle of his arms. But as soon as he felt her squirming, his arms closed more securely around her, & opening his eyes, he looked into her eyes, & ordered simply with a growl, "Stop that!" Then he effortlessly carried her the small way to the car, & opening the passenger side door, he deposited her carefully on her seat as if she was a delicate china doll. Khushi awkwardly disentangled her entwined arms & legs from around him, & looked down at her lap, averting his eyes, as suddenly the wantonness of her behavior caught up with her. He just had to touch her with the merest brushes of his gorgeous skin, & she went up in flames like a dying phoenix!

& then, Khushi felt rather than saw his smirk, as he said with sinful enjoyment in his voice, "There it is again!" & knowing he was going to tease her about something, Khushi looked up with narrowed eyes, but she immediately leaned back in the seat as she was shocked to find his face just inches from hers as he was leaning towards her, & then the index finger of his right hand flicked her nose caressingly as he said in his huskiest voice, "It's red again, Red!" & then he dropped a quick kiss on Khushi's lips which were parted in a stunned 'o' & shut the door with a firm slam. When he got in behind the driving wheel 3 seconds later, Khushi's mouth was still opened wide, & Arnav contained another urge to smirk by biting on his lower lip & said briefly, "Shut your trap & clip on the seat belt, Khushi!"

That effectively brought Khushi out of her trance & she spluttered, "Home is only 2 minutes awa-" Arnav hooked his left eyebrow up in a challenging manner & asked in a drawl, "Do you want me to buckle you in, Red?" Khushi knew that he was provoking her for all he was worth & despite knowing that, she still couldn't help being provoked. She couldn't help rising to his baits. Such was his power over her! She threw a marginally nasty look at him & clipped the seatbelt on, while he put the powerful car in gear.

As Khushi checked her phone, which had stopped ringing by now, she gasped so loudly that Arnav had to risk a quick glance at her from the wiper-running windshield. Khushi rambled on in a panicked voice, "Haye Devi Maiyya! 4 missed call from Jiji! Anytime now, Bhaiya & Bauji would get out of the house to look for me with washing bats & what not! Khushi ki bachchi, today you are dead! What were you doing when your phone was ringing?" Arnav was immediately about to tell her exactly what she, actually both of them, were doing when her phone was ringing with great relish, but one look at her seriously worried features told him his reminder wouldn't be much appreciated, so he said in a calm voice, "Relax. There's Nikunja now! & it's not even 9.30 yet!" Khushi gasped even louder than before if it was possible, as she started in an admonishing tone, "Are you-? How can you drop me off at home? They'll hear the car & someone is bound come out! What will I tell everyone?" But she was too late as by then Arnav had swerved the driving wheel with an expert flourish & was bringing the car to a halt before the stairs leading upto the main door of her home.

As if on cue, the front door opened & Rohan came out, followed by Garima & Payal lurking by the door. Khushi sagged against her seat, & clapped her hands up to her chest & closed her eyes as she chanted, "Raksha karna, Devi Maiyya!" Arnav nodded at Payal over at the door & said out of the corner of his mouth, "Did you really think I'd let you off anywhere else other than you doorstep, at this time of the night, in a city like Delhi?" & then as soon as Khushi's door was held open by Rohan, Arnav addressed him directly, "South gate was closed, so I entered through the North gate, & saw this one at the 5^th lane, about to get in the car with friends who were going to drop her off home. I thought I'd save them the trip." Rohan nodded at him while helping Khushi in unbuckling the seatbelt & said in a serious tone, "Owe you one for this, buddy! I was thinking of going out any second in this rain!... Aur Bachchi, you know better than this! Payal called you repeatedly! Why didn't you-?" But he was cut off as Khushi jumped down to her feet & said flippantly, "Bhaiya, it's barely 9.30 & I was coming home only. & I didn't notice the calls due to all this getting into the car in this rain."

Then she started climbing up the stairs to where her mother & sister stood, & for a moment Arnav really thought she was going to get into the house just like that, without saying anything to him. & as his hands tightened on the steering wheel with such force that his knuckles looked white, she stopped, looked up at her mother & sister for a moment & then slowly turned towards the car. & the first person she looked at after turning back was her brother, & after regarding him cautiously for a long moment, she finally turned towards the reticent figure behind the wheel, & said in a small polite voice, "Thank you, Arnavji! For the lift home. & for.. getting down in the rain with me.." she paused & stared at his eyes for a long moment, taking Arnav back to their moments under the rain in the park, & then she continued hurriedly again, "I mean, for getting down in the rain to help me in the car. Thank you!"

Arnav looked her over, from the top of her head to her toe, for three full times, trying to imprint this image of this tiny beautiful creature in Red on his mind forever, & then feeling 4 pair of eyes simultaneously trained on him, he nodded curtly in Khushi's direction. As soon as he had nodded, Khushi turned & ran inside the house, passing through between her mother & sister. Arnav wanted to get out of there instantly after she left, but he was stopped by Rohan asking about something that Arnav couldn't concentrate on for the life of his & then he gave monosyllabic answers to Garima & Payal's questions about his family members. & just when he was about to shout out that they probably spent more time with his family members than he did, Rohan thankfully said, they wouldn't detain him further in his drenched state. & Arnav drove off without another word.

~~~

As Arnav was climbing up the stairs to his room, he took the stairs three at a time in his eagerness, & then he stopped at the mid-landing. He was behaving as if he had just returned from his first date! Then he let out a sigh as he thought, Wasn't it a first date? A date which was a date, & not just fine dining as a prelude to routine, meaningless sex. He put his hands inside his pockets & started slowly climbing the stairs again, lost in his thoughts. Maybe he hadn't accurately perceived the ramifications of exploring things further with baby Gupta? But to his defense, he hadn't known until very recently that she would make his ticker of a heart go off in a taboo like that! He hadn't known fate would present her in such a vulnerable state in front of him, that in the end he would be left all unprotected in front of her charms. & he surely hadn't known his.. exploration activities with her would always leave him wanting for more & as a result he'd be forced to explore his own soul for answers. Maybe it would be best for him to take things a bit slow- His train of thoughts got interrupted as his iPhone buzzed in his pocket, & he pulled it out to read the received text.

It was from her:Each moment that I spent with you today.. they were the best moments of my life. Hum har pal jee uthe.. Shukriya.

Arnav stared at the words for some moments & then he decided: Screw taking things slow. Even if things moved at the pace of a bullet train, it wouldn't be fast enough for him now!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anjali took the package & flashed her cutest smile at him, "Thank you Chhote!" & before Arnav could guess what she was upto & move away accordingly, she reached over & pinched his left cheek out in a punishing caress, much to his irritation. Then she explained sweetly, "Issi bahane, you get involved with the pujas in some remote way at least. Otherwise, you couldn't be dragged with 10 horses to participate in one!"

Arnav narrowed his eyes in astonished outrage, "Oh, so it's your ploy! Di-" But Anjali stopped him by holding her hands up, "Achchha, baba, sorry! OK? Now listen, we'll have to send the Shagun for Payal tomorrow. & Su still hasn't finished on the Sarees for Amma & Khushiji's outfits. She was done with Bauji & Buaji's ones, so I am taking them with me now! But it's now your responsibility to bring the rest home with you when you finally decide to go back there just to have dinner & sleep! Seriously Chhote, ghar mein don don shaadiya hain, couldn't you just try to spend a bit more time with us?" & as she saw Arnav rolling his brows exasperatedly, Anjali pouted cutely & stood up, "Ok baba! Don't forget the outfits! Mamaji & Akaash would go home early today to help us wrap the Shaguns. You'd stay here the latest, so Su said she'd bring them to you when she's done. Don't forget them!!" With that, she started walking towards the stairs & Arnav hurriedly went & held her by her elbow & an arm around her shoulders to help her down.

When he came back inside his office again, his face had the look of utmost concentration. He sat down in his chair & picked up the in-house extension & punched a number, & as the other person picked up, talked rapidly, "Su? Send me the designs & samples for what you have prepared for Khushi!" He listened for a while, then said curtly again, "Khushi!... Yes, Di's sister-in-law! Yes, not the other bride, the other one!... Yes, send them all! Hurry up! I am waiting." Then he slammed the phone down & checked his iPhone. He had texted Khushi in the morning, asking if she had classes today, & she had texted back saying, she was on a break after exams & was working on the latest assignments for herself & la, & her Amma, Jiji, & Buaji were going shopping for the wedding, but she was staying in, & only she & her Bauji would be home then. Yes, she had written all that in one text message in reply to his short, concise text. "Paagal!" Arnav said as he shook his head in a disbelieving manner & contemplated texting her again. Then he stopped himself, thinking she might be working on her assignments. Just then he saw a peon bringing a wheel-on suitcase up to his cabin. Arnav smirked, he'll have unbelievable fun selecting outfits for Princess Gupta to wear!

Part 39