Before he could complete the remainder of his apology he saw something whiz towards him and fall on him. He held the body to support himself from falling down and before he could react he felt a pair of quivering lips upon his.
Arnav's eyes closed on their own accord when he felt a pair of quivering lips upon his, the lips providing the only source of warmth in the wet weather. It was Kushi's lips, Kushi had kissed him. The awareness of this knowledge exhilarated him, the kiss reassuring that he had done the right thing and that their life could finally begin. Kushi had never kissed anyone quite like this before, but when she saw Arnav waiting like this for her, completely drenched, just to apologise to her, in spite of the fact that the events of today were a result of her doing, she wanted to do something to tell him that his apology and persistence had finally moved her, brought down those barriers forever. She didn't intend the kiss to be a intimate display of attraction or affection, it was an expression of her own apology and her acceptance of new beginnings.
Arnav understood the wordless message and he let the kiss remain just that; a kiss, a mere touch of their lips, a mere coming together of their paths and possibly their lives together, a promise to do their absolute best to make this marriage work. He didn't extend the kiss and let Kushi take the lead.
He was a man who had shared many a kisses in the past, but the innocent gesture from Kushi had filled him with a warmth and glow and for the first time he had realised that a kiss could be more than just a gesture of physical intimacy.
Shortly Kushi moved her lips away from his and tried to take a step away from him, for she wasn't sure if Arnav would perceive the kiss in the same way as her. Arnav held her hand and pulled her to him, holding her close to comfort her, embracing her with a lot of tenderness. Their apologies continued to fill the air around them, Arnav for all the mistakes he had done in the past and Kushi for not giving him a chance. A few moments later when they could no longer stay under the water, Kushi invited Arnav to her home. Arnav accepted the offer and when Kushi was about to walk to her home, Arnav held her arms. Kushi looked at their entwined arms, Arnav took a step to reach her and then the two of them walked hand in hand, each of them taking a step towards a new phase in their lives, together.
Much later once Kushi had changed into a fresh set of clothes and Arnav had dried himself with a towel in the bathroom, they both sat in the living room which was partially lit by a candle with glass of tea keeping them company. They both tried to keep the conversation light, each of them scared to talk about anything serious, lest the spell was broken.
'Why didn't you wait inside your car?' Kushi asked while she took a sip of the hot tea, the tea spreading its warmth inside her body.
'I left the car at the garage for service. Its been a year since I bought it.' Arnav replied while taking a bite of the biscuit Kushi had served with the tea. 'These biscuits are good.'
'Oh! Is that why you were waiting under the tree?' She asked him innocently. She had assumed that he had waited in the rain for her, she found the whole idea rather dramatic yet a bit romantic.
'Of course Kushi. Did you want me to wait for you outside even if I had the car?' He asked her in a teasing tone. Kushi looked away blushing, the real intention behind her question had become obvious.
'Either way, car or no car it doesn't matter. I would have still waited here to apologise to you and change your mind.' He reassured her.
Kushi nodded her head in understanding.
'I'm hungry do you want to eat some food?' Arnav asked Kushi.
Once Arnav picked up dinner from 'Happyji's Dhaba,' not far away from bua's home, the two of them ate their dinner in companionable silence. Once dinner was over Arnav helped Kushi clear the plates and clean the table.
They both sat on the small wooden framed couch in the living room, each of them a little apprehensive of how they must approach the discussion.
'So...'
'So...' Kushi giggled nervously, while locking and unlocking her fingers.
'So how do you want to do this?' Arnav asked looking her in the eyes.
'I want us to spend some time together to see where it leads. I need time Arnav. All of this has been so sudden.'
'I understand. This time lets do it the right way. Lets get to know each other and hopefully if things work out well, then you can move into our flat.'
'Our flat?' She asked him with a raised eyebrow.
'Of course its our flat Kushi and you know it too.' He replied confidently.
Kushi looked away and once again she began to lock and unlock her fingers, as if she were unsure about something. Arnav saw the obvious signs of her nervousness.
'Anything you want to ask or share Kushi?'
Kushi looked at him for a moment and then moved her eyes away and nodded her head in the negative.
'Kushi you are a terrible liar. Its obvious something is eating up your mind. Please come out with it.'
'Woh.. There isn't a better way to ask this, but it still needs to be asked. We are starting this new journey together and I need to know this for sure.' Arnav looked at her with a tiny bit of amusement, she did look very cute when got nervous. 'Do you... erm... do you love her? I mean do you still love Lavanya?'
Arnav smiled at Kushi, he then took Kushi's hands in his. 'No I don't. We loved each other at one point and for whatever reasons, we ended it and now we have drifted apart.'
Kushi smiled at him, his response reassuring her, clearing the one big fear and apprehension she had carried.
'Are you sure about it Arnav?' She asked to ensure that this time there won't be any going back.
'Yes, Lavanya and I were finished two years ago. Plus I'm a married man now Kushi.' He repeated his line from two weeks ago.
Kushi continued to hold his hand, in a few seconds he pulled her towards him so that she would lean onto his body. The couple spent rest of the evening in the warmth and secure knowledge of each others companionship.
--------------------
'Wow! you look stunning.' Arnav remarked when he saw Kushi walk to his car wearing a red anarkali salwar for their first date together. Kushi blushed and turned her face away and then thanked him. He drove her to a small but old restaurant in Old Delhi to treat Kushi to her favorite street food.
'These pani puris are awesome. Yumm...' Kushi moaned while gulping down another savory puri filled with spicy water. Arnav tried to ignore the mental images her innocent moans were producing.
'Are you still in touch with your family?' Arnav asked as a way of distracting himself the vivid mental images his mind were conjuring up.
'Not with my Maasi. But I'm thinking about calling them soon. You know at least stay in speaking terms.' Kushi said after taking a big gulp of water to wash away the spicy water. Once Kushi had agreed to give Arnav another chance she had felt that it was probably time time to call her Maasi. She felt that she owed it to them, as they had taken care of her.
'What about you Arnav?'
When Arnav hadn't answered, she added, 'Arnav, for what it counts Naani and Di are extremely apologetic. To hold them responsible for the entire mess is wrong, I'd say.' Kushi tried to make Arnav see sense.
'I can see your point Kushi but I need time. I have forgiven them for what they did to me, but I don't think I can forgive them for what they did to you. Maybe because I still cant forgive myself for that.'
'Don't you think its time though?' Kushi asked him as she held his hand placed on the table.
'I'll think about it.' he replied pensively and then brought Kushi's palm close to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
After their lunch Arnav dropped Kushi at Sharanya's place. Before leaving the car, Kushi thanked him for a wonderful time. Arnav held her hands and thanked her in return. 'Thank you for giving me a chance Kushi.' He then kissed her forehead.
-----------
The following weekend Arnav drove Kushi to Agra on a day trip. They had left early in the morning. They had seen the Taj by the day, spent time walking around the gardens holding hands and then had shopped a little bit. By the time it was evening Arnav took Kushi to a quiet spot by the river bank of Yamuna along Taj mahal. The river bank offered a very picturesque view of the magnificent Taj by the night with the dark sky and stars shining over it. They had spread a blanket and both of they lied on it looking at the Taj.
'This is so beautful. I dont feel like leaving.'
'We dont have to leave leave,' Arnav replied while grazing her arms with his fingers.
'The last time I had come here was with my parents, I think I was six years old back then.'
Arnav listened to her intently, this was the first time Kushi had talked about her parents. 'The stars are so beautiful, I have never seen anything quite like this. Do you know when I was a little younger, when I'd have a bad day at home or another altercation with Maasi, I used to sit in the terrace and look at the sky. I'd imagine that the two brightest stars in the sky were my parents. You know that one and that one.' Kushi pointed out to two stars that were shining more brightly than the others.
Arnav put his hands across her waist and pulled her flush against him spooning her, thereby trying to make her feel warm.
The gesture further brought down her barriers and Kushi willingly shared a part of her past which she had not shared with many. 'It was nearly seventeen years ago. They were returning from a wedding in the outskirts of Delhi. Since I had school the next day they had left me the neighbours. A group of drunken men, some of them influential had hit my father's car. My father died on the spot, but my mother was still alive and tried to get up. When these men realised she was alive, they ran over her purposely to kill her for good so that they didn't leave back any proof. Some of them were eventually convicted but they escaped with negligible punishments.' Unknowingly the tears trickled down Kushi's cheeks.
'Shhh Kushi...' Arnav held her more closely.
'After they went away I had a tough life. My Maasi bless her, in spite of everything she took me in. But I had never felt that I was ever wanted. Like if I came late after school, no one would be bothered or worried for me, except for Payal occasionally. So I started imagining that the two brightest stars in the sky were my parents and I would speak with them, tell them about my fears, my concerns, laugh, cry everything.'
A few seconds later Kushi turned back to look at Arnav's face, 'You must think I'm crazy.' She smiled softly with her tear ridden eyes.
'On the contrary, I don't, I think its very sweet and shows the deep bond you have with your parents.' Kushi nodded her head and turned her face back to look at the skies.
'Which of these stars do you think my mother is?' Arnav asked. 'I think its the one next to your parents.' He pointed to a star in the sky.
'I'm sure your parents are complaining to my mother about how terrible a man I have been in the past. Probably they are even telling her to ask me to remove my hands from your waist.'
It invited a giggle from Kushi and gradually the two of them shared something more deeply connected to their past, finally letting in each other.
'Thanks for walking all the way to my doorstep.' Kushi said while fidgeting with the home keys, the silence of the night, the tension in the air making her nerves a little jittery. Something had changed between them today. It felt like they had taken a big step today towards cementing their relationship.
'Thanks for today evening Arnav, I have never had such a good time. You are a nice man Arnav.' And then she stood on her toes to place a soft kiss on Arnav's lips. But before she could take her lips away, Arnav imprisoned her body using his hands and pulled her in for their first proper kiss. He parted Kushi's lips with his and kissed her thoroughly, making her dizzy and breathless. Kushi let Arnav take the lead and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face more closer. She felt an electric jolt go through her when she felt his tongue intimately. This was her first proper kiss and she had never experienced something so magical, something that set her whole body on her fire. And when Arnav bit her lower lip, Kushi had lost all her inhibitions and without realising where she was, she moaned his name loudly. The moan egged Arnav, but before he could take it any further, before he could move his hand to her lower back, to feel the dip of the curve of her waist and more, they heard Madhumathi say, 'Kaun hai nandkishore, is that you Kushi bitiya?'
The sudden intrusion made both of them pull away immediately. Arnav ran his fingers through hois hair and swore under his breath.
'Well at least that sorts out one thing.' Kushi looked at him wondering what he was inferring. He then whispered close to her ears, 'I can now confidently say that chemistry wise we are compatible too.' Kushi felt a shiver run up and down her spine.
---------------'Arnav can I help? I feel guilty about making you cook.' Arnav had invited Kushi for dinner and was busy whipping up a meal in the kitchen.
'It's okay Kushi. I can manage.'
'Well that's great then. Because I have sort of fallen out of love with cooking in the past two years. I'd manage with Maggi three sixty five days in a a year as long as I don't have to cook.
'Don't you worry about that, you will get better food than Maggi. I assure you of that. I can cook for both of us once you move here.' Arnav then placed a kiss on Kushi's nose.
'I have been invited to my manager's son's second birthday party tomorrow. Can you imagine an adult like me at a kids birthday party. Gosh!'
'It looks like someone isn't a big fan of kids.'
'Oh no I love kids,' Kushi said while taking a small bite of the pasta using the spatula that Arnav had used for stirring. 'As long I don't have to spend more than an hour with them.'
Arnav looked at her questioningly. 'To be honest I'm not sure if I ever want kids.' Kushi approached the subject hesitantly. Whenever she had talked about it in the past, people had reacted in a way that made her feel like she had committed an unpardonable sin.
'Well that makes it two of us. I'm not too particular either.'
Then Arnav proceeded to switch off the oven. Once that was done he turned back suddenly. 'You do know how children are made right?'
'What kind of a question is that? Of course I know. I'm hardly a babe in the woods.'
'Really?' He asked with his eyes filled with amusement. 'Chalo we need to test that. Why dont you give me a sample.'
Saying this he lifted Kushi and pretended to take her to his bedroom. Kushi was screaming and giggling both at the same time. He dropped her on the couch in his living room before and kissing her thoroughly there by shutting her up effectively.
-------------'Arnav can I ask you something?
Just give me few minutes Kushi. Let me send out this presentation.'
Kushi walked to the balcony in Arnav's apartment. She looked at the kids playing cricket near the parking area below. 'Why are you with me?' She asked him without looking at him.
Arnav put his laptop away. Over the course of the last few weeks Kushi had asked this question in different ways and he had tried to answer it to the best of his ability. But for some reason it still seemed to bother her. He walked towards Kushi and held her from behind. 'We are married Kushi. I didn't want us to give up on this without fighting. And see how good we are now together. Happy?'
He then kissed Kushi's ears. Kushi turned her face to smile, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She was a tad disappointed that even after three weeks of seeing each other all Arnav talked about was his responsibility, his guilt, his sense of moral obligation never about his feelings for her.
--------
'Wow you guys look good together.' Kushi had brought Arnav to meet Sharanya over dinner. Sharanya was accompanied by her own long term boy friend Vinay. The two men had hit off immediately and had gone to the pub to get them all a few drinks.
'So how is it going between you two?'
'Fine Sharan.' Kushi replied.
'Kushi out with it.' Sharanya prodded.
'Arnav is amazing. I'm having such a good time with him. But every time I speak to him about our relationship I get the feeling that he is with me mainly because he wants to do the right thing.'
She then added, 'You know Sharan, I'm just like any other women, I'd like to be reassured that he likes me that he has feelings for me.'
'Don't you think it may be because he has just begun to spend time with you. Men are bad at stuff like this. Getting them to talk about their feelings, takes time.' Sharanya reassured Kushi.
Kushi nodded her head, maybe Sharan did have a point.
------------------------Kushi looked at her watch. It was quarter past seven in the evening. She had been waiting outside Arnav's apartment for nearly twenty minutes, yet there were no signs of him. They had planned to meet at seven at his place. She took out her phone and tried calling him again and once again her call was directed to a voice mail. Arnav had always been punctual in the one month they had been seeing each other, so she hadn't expected this. Her irritation was slowly increasing especially after the kind of day she had. Her Manager had informed her that she would be needed in Mumbai at the earliest to fill in for a colleague who had been taken very ill, who was working on a FMCG account to launch their latest beauty range. She hadn't expected the request she made with regards to a transfer to Mumbai during her early days in Delhi to materialise this soon. What were they going to do now?
She had brought up this with Arnav earlier and he had in fact encouraged the idea. He felt such a move would be beneficial. The bulk of the media deals were agreed in Mumbai as against Delhi. He shared his long term plans of starting his own media agency, to offer media consultancy and solutions and told her that Mumbai would be perfect for it. But this sudden development would upset all their plans.
How could Arnav and she spend time together staying in two different cities? Could they pursue a long distance relationship, until Arnav decided to move to Mumbai? And would Arnav be willing to move as she hadn't committed to living together, yet?
While she was lost in her thoughts a haggard looking Arnav walked to his flat.
'Where have you been? I have been waiting for over twenty minutes.'
Arnav didn't respond, as one of his neighbours was trying to eaves drop. This irritated Kushi further.
Once Arnav unlocked the main door, Kushi walked inside and dropped her bag and turned around to speak to Arnav. 'I have been waiting for twenty minutes, standing outside your flat to be precise. Why didn't you answer your phone? Why didn't you send me a message to tell me that you were running late?'
'Where are you set of keys?' Arnav walked to the couch to get rid of his suit jacket.
'I dont carry it with me all the time, Arnav. That doesn't answer my question. Why did you not take my calls or answer my messages?'
'I sent you a message around four to tell you that I might be running late. Did you not get it?'
Kushi nodded her head in the negative.
'The battaery in my phone ran out which is why I didn't get any of your calls.' Saying which, he looked for the charger and plugged his phone in.
'Where were you?' Kushi asked with her hands on her hips, readying herself for an argument.
'I was at a funeral after which I participated in a remembrance gathering for the deceased. Can I get a hug at least now?' He asked her tenderly, his eyes showing his vulnerable side.
'Oh! I'm sorry Arnav.' She went and held him in an embrace. Arnav felt his muscles relaxing under Kushi's calming touch.
'Whose funeral was it?' Kushi rubbed his back soothingly
'It was Sid's. He died in a car accident.'
Kushi stalled the movements of her hand. 'Sid? You mean Lavanya's brother?'
'Yes.' Arnav replied while sensing that Kushi's tone had changed.
Kushi moved her head back to look at Arnav in the eye. 'Did you see her today?'
A/N- This update comes from an extremely sleep deprived author and goes out to all the moms out there. You are all awesome!
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Fan Fictions
Shiv Shakti
CID
