I apologize, but my exams got over two days ago and it was my 6th semester finals, and trust me they weren't easy so even though i did write a chapter during ny exams, I wasn't convinced with it. So then two days ago I deleted that entire piece and wrote a new is with a brain that was actually functioning properly. I'm here now and I really hope you enjoy the chapter.
Teasing, Secrets, and Young Love!
"Khush, mail me your Company Law term report from last semester please?" - A
16 May, 09:25 pm
"I'm out right now, will mail it when I get home, okay?" - K
16 May, 09:27 pm
"Out where? And yeah okay, there's no hurry :-)" - A
16 May, 09:27 pm
"Charcoal, payal and her school friends were going and I was bored so she just asked me to tag along." - K
16 May, 09:31 pm
"why didn't you tell me? I could've done something about your boredom ;-)" - A
16 May, 09:33 pm
That brought a smile on my face, and I mischievously replied to his text,
"and how would you do that, may I ask?" - K
16 May, 09:38 pm
"I can think of a few things ;-)" - A
16 May, 09:39 pm
was his instant reply,
"like?" - K
16 May, 09:42 pm
I prompted, stepping on very dangerous territory,
"like me sneaking into your room like last night and... it was quite entertaining, don't you think? ;-)" - A
16 May, 09:44 pm
I knew I shouldn't have asked him that, Ughhh! I have got to be the biggest duffer in the world, giving him chances to tease me when he already does only that all the time, and last night...
As my mind drifted off to last night and the events that had lead to it, forgetting my phone that lay on my lap, while payal and her friends continued their discussion on some new clothing brand, I vaguely registered a faint ringing noise...
The day before, 12:45 pm
It had been two weeks since our first date, and well, our only date. Not so surprisingly, Arnav wasn't the regular university boy, and I for some reason admired that about him. He wasn't the typical romantic, he didn't understand the idea of formal dates and neither did I. If you could call the two of us going out with our friends for lunch or him dropping me home if we got off early, Dates? sure we went on dates. But no, nothing formal. We had become closer than ever, we had our moments, we were comfortable on a more intimate level, we were subjected to grade A teasing from our friends and we would take it all bravely, but when and if it got too much, Arnav would just throw an arm around me, pull me closer and tell our friends to back off.
Today was one those days, our friends were after our lives and although i didn't mind it when my girlfriends teased me in Arnav's absence - I would actually enjoy it, but being teased alongside arnav, that was downright embarrassing, and oh our friends could be real ruthless.
I was sitting in the cafeteria with lavanya, piya, Nk, Aryan and Naina, talking about what courses to take the next semester, when my eyes fell on Arnav, who had just entered the cafeteria and was looking around with a slight frown, trying to locate us in the crowd. I shot my hand in the air and waved at him, my main focus on removing that frown from his adorable searching face. As I caught his attention, his eyes found mine. He raised an eyebrow and looking straight at me gave out that lopsided smirk that only he could make look sexy, and as I blushed slightly at his undivided attention, he winked at me in that sinful way that had my heart beating faster and my mouth dropped open with a shocked gasp with such public flirting. Someone was in a playful mood today. But before i could ponder much on that point, he was seated right beside me, one hand holding mine on the table while the other pushed my chin upwards to close my mouth. I blushed further, my cheeks burning up.
"K, you're so smitten, Hahaha"
Nk guffawed as I broke out of my reverie, thinking of a response but before i could come up with one there were plenty more comments and teasing,
"oh she's smitten alright, that too with this bozo..." Naina commented, pointing at Arnav,
"Really K, what did you see in him?"
came la's shot,
"Exactly! I mean, why him when i was there..." Nk teased and I felt Arnav'a hold on my hand tighten ever so slightly, and momentarily distracted from the teasing, I looked sideways at him, only to find him staring straight at NK, his jaw clenched, and I thought what had made him angry. But when I heard la's voice again, I looked away from him and tried to concentrate on my ruthless friends.
"oh come on NK, admit it, you never stood a chance. I mean, just look at Arnav..."
I let out a chuckle as I thought back to how she was ridiculing him two seconds ago and now... I heard la sigh dramatically before she continued,
"...I swear arnav, if khushi wasn't my best friend, I'd definitely have hit on you."
She winked at arnav and I felt him chuckle lightly beside me. Not able to help myself, I retorted back to la's jibe,
"Moti, ek akash se pait nahi bharta tumhara?"
"ooo possessive... hayeee meri jaan, khushi, akash toh purana ho gaya, besides I'm sure he won't mind..."
"What would I not mind?"
Came the voice from behind la, akash had creeped up behind her from somewhere. I laughed openly at la's shocked face before answering akash's question, who had by now pulled out a chair and with a quick kiss on la's cheek, sat down beside her.
"La hitting on arnav, akash. That's what you wouldn't mind."
"But he's your boyfriend, right?"
Akash said amused, looking pointedly at me and I blushed. Yes we were dating but I still wasn't accustomed to people referring to arnav as my boyfriend.
Then looking back at a grinning la, he teased,
"kya lavanya, get over arnav, the boy is committed now. Kawaaro ko dhoondo meri jaan"
I watched in awe as la giggled like a school girl at his comment and leaned against his shoulder before tilting her face upwards slightly and kissing his jaw. I adored them as a couple, they were so beautiful together, I often called them an established couple, as if they'd already lived a whole life together.
"So, how's it going love birds? I hear khushi here is quite smitten by you, arnav. La tells me she keeps gawking at you all through classes, is it true?"
Oh god no! Not akash too. I sighed sadly. We were back to square one, Mission tease khushi was back on in full swing.
"Are you jealous akash?"
Oh no! Arnav was joining the gang, someone dig me a hole in the ground.
"Hahaha, nahi bhai, tum rakho tarroo ko."
This time I didn't let Arnav respond and retorted angrily with a pout,
"Don't call me a tarroo, you, you, IDIOT"
"Tarroo ko tarroo na bolun toh kya bolun?"
came pat the reply
"Don't!"
I warned, slightly leaning forward in my seat, slipping my hand out of arnav's and positioning myself in a threatening stance.
No, don't take me wrong. Akash was really a dear friend, I'd known him since the time he'd wanted to propose lavanya and he was an absolute sweetheart but he could be annoying as hell whenever he wanted.
"Tarroo..."
"Akash, Don't!"
"Tarroo Tarroo Tarroo..."
"Only staring at Arnav doesn't make me a tarroo, okay?"
"So you admit that you ogle at Arnav?"
That pathetic smirk, I wanted to wipe it off of his face, smack him hard on his head, Ughhh!
I stood up so I could go around the table and throttle akash today, but fortunately for that ass, I was pulled back abruptly in to my seat, arnav's left hand tightening on my wrist as he held it in his lap, while he pulled my chair closer by his leg and draped his right arm across my shoulder, holding me close, a small smile playing on his lips as he spoke,
"Okay guys, enough for the day, stop teasing her now."
"Arnav for how long will you play Mr. Safeguard?"
Akash shot at my expense again, but one glare from Arnav and he shut up. Yes that's my arnav!
I gave out a huge grin in akash's direction with a challenging raise of the eyebrow before I snuggled sideways, in arnav's very warm and welcoming embrace, escaping from the annoying idiots that were my friends, who unknown to me, were all awww-ing at us both.
The night before 1:00 am
I was lazily lying on the couch, watching tv when my phone buzzed under me, next to me, oh somewhere near me. I patted my hands around, beside me, and of course I found it buzzing under me.
-1 new message
Awake? - A
I chuckled softly, of course I was, and he most definitely knew that. Wasn't he the one who had always called me a night junkie?
Instantly I replied, with a smile on my face,
"You need to ask? what is it?" - K
Message sent.
Thirty seconds, and my phone buzzed again,
1 new message
what's up? - A
What was wrong with him? Why was he being so... formal? No that's obviously not formal but its so... un-him... God why am I playing with the language?
"Again Arnav, what is it?" - K
Message sent.
and then the texts turned into a conversation as my phone started ringing,
"You're okay na, khush?"
"Of course Arnav... what is this about?"
"Nahi, woh akash and la, they went a little overboard today. I was just wondering about you over that."
I openly laughed at his concern before replying,
"There's nothing new about that, baba. I mean the girls tease me all the time."
"That's okay, but akash shouldn't have talked to you that way. He's brutal with the teasing."
"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I'd subjected him to when he started dating la. So its really oka..."
"But he called you a tarroo and you were angry at ..."
"Aray, ever thought who came up with that term? I used to call akash that when he would blatantly stare at lavanya and anyways I don't care if he calls me a tarroo as long as its you I'm staring at..."
Crap! What did I just... Oh god! Why? why me? why do I keep embarrassing myself? dig me a hole right now, someone... But then I heard his voice,
"I see..."
"Hmm..."
That's all I could manage,
"Right... So you're up and well, not upset as I'd thought... so I should go back home then I guess... Yes, I'll go bac..."
"Wait, what? I mean go back from where?"
"Your place, I thought you were upset so I sort of came over, kind of..."
"You WHAT?"
"I came over... so I may be standing outside your house right now..."
"ARE YOU CRAZY? IF POPS SAW YOU I'D BE DEAD, YOU TOO, ARNAV YOU..."
"Hey calm down khush... It's not like I'm inside your room or anything"
"You go home arnav, right now, I'm warning..."
"...On second thought, I think I'll come in, you have that window in your room facing the back of the house right? Open it for me, I'll just park my car and..."
"You're doing no such thing Arnav, I'll kill you, go home and..."
"...and I'm climbing up that ladder that was outside your store room, I'm coming up to your room, aahh ... its a little wobbly... aahh... phew, bach gaya. Open the window na..."
I turned around sharply to see Arnav pushing against my sliding window so it would, well, slide left. But of course it wouldn't budge, I'd locked it from the inside.
My mouth gaped open as I registered the reality. He was really here, at my window. And then the panic set in... I saw him place his phone in his pocket and grin at me and then I completely lost it. Running towards the window, I started doing all sorts of hand movements to send him away but he just kept grinning.
It was when I saw him rather than heard (for I was that dazed) him knock on my window when it all clicked and I opened the window harshly , almost hurting my fingers in the process, and pulled him in before securing the lock back on the window.
Then I turned around and found him already settled on my bed, his back supported by the headboard while he hugged a pillow to himself, grinning victoriously.
I narrowed my eyes at him and with hands on my hips, walked upto where he sat. Glaring fiercely at him, as if my stare could put him on fire alone, I pulled the pillow out of his grasp and threw it away.
"Leave"
I gritted through my teeth, trying so hard to not shout at him for this foolishness. Any time now payal could barge in to watch tv in my room, or to fix the internet, or to talk to me, or ... Crap! The door.
Immediately turning around, I rushed to the door and secured the lock. Turning around o breathed a sigh of relief and exhaled softly. That was when I noticed him, still sitting in the same position, happily smirking away, and I fumed, his nerve , to sneak into my room this late in the night, when my entire family is sleeping on the same floor, we could get caught any second and then pops would probably have a ...
"So I'm allowed to come over this late if your family isn't around?"
he rose an eyebrow at me, challenging, but...
"wh..what?"
I stuttered out,
"You said it was foolish of me to sneak into your room when your entire family was sleeping on the same floor. So, I'm allowed to do so if and when your family is away?"
Crap! I really said that out loud? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I mean what the hell? Why do I keep embarrassing myself? But its arnav, my arnav, there's nothing to be embarrassed about right? But he's smirking at me. The devil! Evil man, idiot, moron...
My very important conversation with myself was interrupted by a soft
"Khush, come here."
And as if entranced by his voice, I walked towards him. Next thing I knew, he had pulled me by my hand and then flipped us over, so he was lying over me, his weight pressing me deeper into the mattress and then my heart started beating faster than one would run for a marathon, my breathing shallow as I absorbed the proximity between our bodies, something was going to happen, I could feel it, feel it so strongly, and then... it happened...
"Aaahh..."
Arnav instantly muffled my scream by placing his hand on my mouth, I, of course kept screaming against his hand for a while. So taken by the shock I was, that I couldn't think of any other reaction. All my presence of mind allowed me to do at that moment was to scream.
When Arnav realized that his attempt at stopping my screaming was useless he resorted to plan B, which was very ... effective, I think... oh of course it was effective. Bloody moron, he knew his kisses always sent me in a daze.
I didn't even know when his hand was replaced by his mouth and all my screams had drowned into sighs of pleasure. As he pulled away, I stared at him, eyes wide, lips parted, rosy hues on my cheeks. But then the cause of the shock came rushing back and I pushed him off myself and saw in horror as he stumbled off the bed and almost let out a loud curse,
"What the f..."
but I was quick on my feet and jumping off the bed I clamped my hand on his mouth before he could speak any more. I glared at him and silently ordered him to gay shut, waiting for it to go away, for the shock to subside but it just wouldn't go, or rather SHE just wouldn't go, and so the knocking continued
"KHUSHI! Open the damn door before i actually go and wake ma up"
I didn't reply, I couldn't... How was I supposed to reply to my sister who was hell bent on breaking down my door when my secret boyfriend (well secret to my family only, including my sister payal) stood inside my room at 2 in the morning?
"KHUSHI, I'm warning you, open the damn door. I've been standing here for fifteen minutes and I need my hair dryer back, right now. Open the door or I'm calling maaa... WHAT THE F..."
I had rushed to open the door the second I'd heard her scream my name, ma would wake up any second and I most definitely couldn't afford that. And then I had to clamp my hand on her mouth and muffle all the curses she let out at arnav's presence in my bedroom at 2 in the morning.
Subconsciously I cursed payals for finding this very night to stay up and take a late shower when she always, ALWAYS kept lecturing me about not staying up late, and always ALWAYS went to bed herself at sharp 12 every freaking night. The day or rather night, was cursed, there was no other explanation.
Anyways, coming back. So a little while later when I was sure Arnav had locked the door of my room and Payal had signalled with her eyes that she wouldn't scream, I let go off her and stepped back, only to collide into arnav's chest while he subconsciously brought his hands to my waist to settle me, his hands unconsciously staying there for display. I watched as Payal's eyes followed his movementsand as she took in our comfortable stance, her eyes rose back up. With eyebrows slightly raised, my older sister asked in a lethal whisper hat had my entire body shivering with fear,
"What the f*** is going on here?"
***********************************
An hour and a half later, I sat on my bed holding my sister's hands in mine, while Arnav sat next to my bed on my red bean bag. We had just narrated our entire story to her, well I'd done the narration, for whenever arnav tried to open his mouth payal would shut him up with a glare. I waited with bated breath for her reaction, for her verdict, I needed my sister on my side, I just couldn't imagine ever NOT having her on my side.
She had asked in between our conversation as to why she didn't know about this when my friends did and I'd told her that I was scared, so so scared, and that had been the complete truth and she had understood, no further questions were asked. I was still scared but I knew she understood my plight, I was scared, Maa would never agree, well all that was for later but she knew and understood, and I was relieved of half my stress at her silent promise.
But now I waited for her verdict, if she thought this was right, if arnav was right, I needed her to tell me, assure me, so I waited.
With an exaggerated yawn, she got up from my bed and walked to the door while my eyes followed her, arnav also turned around to stare at her, when she turned around before opening the door and spoke, with a finger raised towards Arnav,
"You! You're a nice boy Arnav, but you hurt my sister once and I'll make sure you don't see the light of day again."
There was such menace in her words that I could actually see arnav flinch back. I smirked inwardly, my sister was the most angelic devil, how I loved her, but my thoughts were interrupted,
"While you, my darling sister, I love you, but a few years down the line, you're going to be dead meat in ma's hands, and I can't wait or that day."
Grinning wickedly at the two statues that we had become, she left the room closing the door behind her.
I had only let out an exhausted sigh when the door opened again and I jerked up from the bed, and the devil that she was, she laughed at my plight,
"Oh and Arnav..."
she drawled, and arnav suddenly stood up and started talking, while walking towards the window he'd come in through,
"yes, payal I'm leaving, don't worr..."
She laughed again, and I smiled knowing her, she would do something nice now, and she did,
"Arnav, you can stay, for an hour. I know I hogged all your time with her. So, enjoy! I'll look out for you two"
And with a wink thrown his way, my angelic sister was off.
I laughed at her antics, laughed at the relief I felt, at the burden that had been lifted off my shoulders, laughed as I locked the door after her, laughed as I walked back to arnav, laughed in delight as I hugged him close and then, then I smiled. Smiled as his arms automatically wrapped around me, smiled into his chest as he pulled me closer still and smiled as he placed a tender kiss on my forehead.
We stayed like that for a while, content, happy, and both smiling,
"You know, I think I just fell in love with your sister."
And then I laughed again, laughed as I looked up from his chest, laughed as my hand went around his neck, laughed as I pulled him down and placed my lips on his, and then I smiled, I smiled against his lips, smiled as he kissed me back, smiled as he took control, and then I smiled as I pulled back,
"Mine!"
I whispered, as I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck, standing on my toes, only for my head to be pulled back the very next second for an urgent kiss, this time I couldn't laugh, couldn't smile, all I could do was gasp into his mouth till I couldn't breathe and moan in delight till I hadn't lost all inhibitions. And then he pulled back, and I sighed as he bent down to place a kiss at the crook of my neck before he whispered against my skin,
"I love you, khushi..."
And then he was kissing me again as I reveled in his first declaration of love.
Back to Present
"Khushi, let's go, Tani is dropping us home."
I jerked as payalshook me by my shoulder.
Looking around, I realized, the dinner was over and well, payal was asking me to get up and... where was my phone?
I got up and looked around frantically for my phone, I found it under my chair and was shocked to see 17 missed calls, all from Arnav. Oh god! I was so doomed.
I didn't have time to call him back as payal dragged me out of the restaurant and into her friends car. And let's face it, talking to arnav on the phone in the presence of my sister's friend would just be awkward, so I decided on calling him back when I was in the safety of my bedroom.
As we got home, I bid good night to payal and went to my bedroom, too exhausted to stay up late. Our parents were staying at my uncles's place as a gathering they were attending at his place would be running late so they'd be coming in the morning.
As I entered my bedroom, I closed the door and secured the lock, walking to my cupboard I took out an old baggy white shirt, went to the washroom - not caring about switching on any lights, I stripped out of my clothes and put on that shirt. I was feeling hot so decided on discarding the idea of pjs for the night. The weather had turned warm in the past few days and this was just the heat getting to me.
Stepping out of the washroom in just my night shirt, I blindly reached my bed and without any further ado fell luxuriously on the right side of the mattress.
"Why didn't you return my calls?"
WHAT THE HELL???
My eyes flew open as I sat up in surprise, my hand pulling the covers around me to cover my inappropriate state of dress. He couldn't be here, could he?
But he switched on the lamp on his right and with the light flickering on, I was graced with the truth, he was sitting on my bed, in all his handsome glory, relaxed and calm, except his eyes, I could sense his anger blazing through his eyes. But only two active thoughts fought for place in my head,
1) He was here, again!
2) And I was doomed for good, again!
Oh lord help me! This was going to be a long night... Sigh!
A/N - I love all you people who liked and commented and specially you mav who kept pushing me to update. Thankyou for having faith in me and waiting for so so long. About the chapter, I've always wanted to write a "sneaking into the girls room" scene which doesn't end typically, and so I wrote this.
Lots of love,
Sonia
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