ArHi FF - Band Baaja Baraat Chp 2C pg 18 - Page 11

Chapter 2C – Wooing Khushi

The cell gave a text alert as soon as Arnav stepped in his room, he looked at Khushi's name and deleted the text without reading, "I don't know, where from here Arnav, I don't have an answer to your question," Khushi's answer had kept playing again and again in his mind as frustration had mounted. Throwing the cell on his bed, he went to change. Under the shower he could hear the faint ring tone but he continued leisurely with his shower. 10 missed calls later he emerged from the bathroom, flopping down on the bed, he picked up the cell and powered it off and fell back on the pillow. He had just closed his eyes when the phone on his bed side table rang.

"Damn it Khushi, what," he almost growled, "what do you want, now?" he didn't pause to let her answer, "When you don't know the answer to my question, when you don't know where things between us stand and you want time, and when I am giving you time," he had chewed on every word, "why the hell are you not taking it?" he had chosen offence as his defense against the heart ache that had descended in his chest.

"I," Khushi couldn't continue for a few seconds as she felt a train hit her, "I just wanted to know if you had reached home safe and you," there was a catch in her voice, "you didn't reply and I got worried. Bye" and she hung up quickly.

Banging the phone on its cradle Arnav covered his face with his hands and swore. He had once again made her cry. "Damn it!" and a cushion went flying across the room.

The next morning found Khushi pacing her room, she kept looking at the wall clock and every time her eyes looked hopefully at the number 9 and as soon as the hands were where she wanted them to be she picked up her cell and dialed Payal's number.

Ten minutes later and nothing had changed for Khushi. Payal had decided to be the pigeon and avoid the problem by looking away from it.

"I don't go to business dinners," she had said, "I went once, almost fell on my face when I teetered on my high heels! One 'tch' from Akaash and that was it for me!" Khushi suspected that she had heard a sniff.

"After that I said no, he didn't insist and then it was understood between us," Payal had finished.

"But Di!" Khushi had had a hard time taking this in, "you are then missing a part of his life, not that a wife should crowd, but what is your life? The mission impossible of making Manorma Aunty happy?" Khushi protested.

"Khushi, let it be. Let me live my life the way it is. Akaash loves me, I love him, the time we spend together is the best thing that has happened to me, so if I can't be with him for some time, I really don't care!" Payal had said with finality in her tone.

Opening the door she stomped out of her room to collide with rock solid chest of Arnav. A sharp pain pierced through her nose and hit her head leaving her unable to see anything for a few seconds.

"Damn it! Khushi are you alright?" he asked bending his head down to take a closer look.

Khushi batted her eyelids to keep back the tears that seemed to be too ready these days to slide down her cheeks, "Yes……sss…yes I am fine! I didn't see you!" she managed to say without a catch in her voice.

"Come, let me have a closer look," he clasped her hand in his to take her in the room.

Subtly, Khushi pulled away her hand but Arnav didn't let it go unnoticed and grabbed it again and this time tightly, "sit here and look at me!" he told her but she continued to look out of the window.

"Khushi! Please.." Arnav's voice was soft, was apologetic, regretful.

With a defiance she turned her head and looked squarely at him, "What do you care? Last night all I got was Damn it!" and her voice broke in the end, her nose was all red as she tried to control her tears.

With a jerk he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her head, he said, "I was angry," he hoarsely whispered, "frustrated, all that you said yesterday made me feel like a person who was sure that he had reached his destination only to come face to face with a dead end," he paused, "Khushi, you have no idea what you mean to me! The mere thought that you may leave me had left me breathless!"

Very slowly, Khushi too wrapped her arms around him, "I didn't mean to but you have no idea of the misery that I felt, am still feeling, I can't help but extrapolate that one date onto my whole life, I know this is silly but…….." she stopped.

"Don't rush things," he had pulled her away and now stood facing her, "one step at a time, one brick at a time to build this and just breathe! Ok?" he asked gently.

She nodded, took his face in her hands, raised herself on tiptoe, bent her head to side and kissed him, kissed him long, with an urgency of a lover who had got a chance after a long long time, "I love you!" she whispered breathlessly against his lips.

"Will you come with me today?" Arnav's voice was laced with hope.

"Arnaaav," an uneasy feeling rose in Khushi's stomach.

"No, nowhere very public, only you and I, what do you say?" he looked hopefully in her eyes.

"Only you and me?" Khushi asked playing with the buttons of his shirt and looking at him with her saucer eyes.

He smiled a "Yes!" and bent down to kiss her forehead only to freeze at a shrill "Haye re Nand Kisore!"

-_-_-

A few explanations later, Arnav made it to his car when Anjali called him.

"Yes, Di?" he asked hurriedly buckling his seat belt.

"Yes, what Arnav? I have been waiting in the office for the last one hour and there is no sign of my brother who was supposed to get me started," Anjali's voice dripped of anxiety and Arnav could imagine her pacing the office.

"Di, I am sorry but something had happened and I needed to see to it urgently……. But wait, where is Akaash? I had told him to introduce you to everyone and show you the designs department!" Arnav was driving as fast he was talking.

"Yes, the "everyone" part is done," Anjali said dismissively, "he called everyone in the main hall and introduced but nothing about the design department!" there was still some unease in her voice.

"Di, relax! It is your first day. You can do nothing and still go back home to announce how tired you are!" Arnav was smiling at her eagerness, "I'll be there in the next 15 minutes, order two coffees, I will first have coffee with my Di!"

"Ok," finally Anjali's voice had a smile to it.

"Bye eager beaver!" he cut off the call.

-_-_-

Arnav stopped the car in front of a huge iron gate, they had come quite a few miles outside the city and had turned off the highway to get to the farm house. Arnav had planned a quiet evening with her away from the city.

"Wow!" exclaimed Khushi as they entered the place and she set her eyes on the never ending lawn that had been kept amazingly well. A little distance beyond she could see a clump of trees which she guessed were fruit trees.

Arnav braked in front of the house and they got off. What had looked like a moderately sized place, turned out to be huge once they entered inside. Arnav took her to a room to place her bag there and then showed her the entire place. The last stop was a huge swimming pool, the fascinating thing about it was it that it was neither in the open nor an enclosed one. A huge sky light above brought the sky in clear view, enormous French windows opened into the back lawn lined with trees.

"Let's eat first and then I'll show you the gardens, ok?" Arnav asked Khushi who happily nodded and went with him.

An hour and a half later, they came back after walking around the whole area. Khushi had been mesmerized by the gardens, especially a small rose garden that Arnav had planned himself and taken care of over the years. They had talked about Arnav's mom and how he always missed her whenever he had faced difficult situations in life. "Having someone to turn to and just empty your heart is being lucky!" he had said and Khushi knew exactly what he felt, she hugged him to let him know she was there to share his woes.

"Want to go for a splash?" Arnav asked.

"I don't know how to swim," Khushi screwed up her face.

"I'll teach you, you go and change. I am waiting," Arnav started to walk away.

"Change?" Khushi asked cautiously.

"The swim suits are in your room," Arnav informed as he himself headed for his room.

Biting her fingernail, Khushi too headed for her room, "Hmmm swimsuit…" she thought.

Some fifteen minutes later, Khushi cautiously entered the pool area. She had chosen the most modest suit she could find, it was one-piece after all. She looked around for Arnav but couldn't see him. Taking a sigh of relief she quickly headed for the pool stairs. She gave out a slight yelp as her body came in contact with the cold water. Just then she saw Arnav's head pop out at the other end of the pool and she waved at him.

Arnav waved back as he smiled mischievously at Khushi's choice. While placing the hot pink one piece amongst the two pieces ha had been sure of her choice. While he knew it was maximum coverage that Khushi might have looked for she had totally disregarded its hotness factor. Yes it was one piece but sexy as hell with its halter neck tie, suggestive zipper front, and scooped back, while its high cut legs, he was sure, highly complimented Khushi's long, slender legs. He front crawled towards her.

Khushi got goose bumps as Arnav came near. "Why am I so nervous?" she asked herself trying to calm down, "it's not as if I have never been totally at ease with him," she reminded herself of the day when she had visited Arnav while their families were with each other at the Gupta house. By the time Arnav reached her Khushi was blushing furiously at the thought of that day.

"Hey! I didn't even do anything and yet look at your beetroot face!" he teased her as he sat with her a stair below.

"Let's start our lessons!" khushi stood up quickly, only to sit down again when she saw his gaze go up her legs as she rose.

Hiding a lopsided smile, Arnav went in taking khushi with him, " I don't know how am I as a teacher, so if I lash out at you then do ignore," he warned.

As Arnav guided Khushi through floating technique on her front, she had a hard time keeping her breathing in control as she was too aware of his hands supporting her at her tummy and the water made the whole experience surreal. As Khushi struggled with floating, Arnav decided to switch to back float as he himself had found it easier when he had started his lessons.

An hour later, both of them were on stairs, Arnav with his legs sprawled out and Khushi with her arms wrapped around her knees, " I need to learn how to swim!" Khushi was excited beyond words.

Chuckling lightly Arnav nodded, "Ok then I'll get you in one of the coaching classes at the club," he said.

"I had always loved water but the control that swimming gives you is way beyond that!" Khushi opined standing up and wading through the water spreading her arms, enjoying the buoyant feeling. Turning towards him with the setting sun behind her, she stretched her arms above her head and smiled radiantly casting a spell on him. Locked in trance, Arnav went towards her, their eyes latched on to each other's. The water lapping gently against her body had given Khushi a heady feeling and her body tightened as Arnav came towards her. Looking down at her, he slowly took her in his arms and bent his head to kiss her. Both moved in unison towards the pool wall and stopped as Khsuhi's back came in contact with it. Bending down further, Arnav let his lips rove over her face and neck as one of his hands went up her thigh and found its way to the front zipper and his fingers pulled at it defying all sanity. The other hand snaked around her to caress her smooth back. Khushi's lip parted letting out a whimper as his lips sought the exposed cleavage making her throw her head back instinctively arching towards him. Fighting for balance by placing her hands on his shoulders, she used the buoyancy that the water afforded her to wrap her legs around him.

Emboldened by her response, Arnav's finger pulled the zipper further down and nuzzled the exposed silken skin swamping Khushi under a flood of emotion until she could no longer think. Her senses reeled as she lost herself in the whirlpool of desire when Arnav started to trace the exposed breasts with his tongue ; the cool water coupled with her lightheadedness made it all the more difficult for her to maintain any control at all. Sensations ran like electric pulses thorough her body, "Arnav please," she moaned wanting more.

Misreading her moan, Arnav sighed against her skin, sending small electric shocks through her body, and slightly moved away and zipped her up before kissing the nape of her neck saying, "I love you!"

In response, Khushi hugged him tightly as her arms went around her neck, "I love you!"

Picking her up, Arnav went up the stairs to the patio to lay down on the recliner with her. Cradling her head on one arm, he put the around her waist he kissed her.

"With every passing day, I find it harder and harder to stay away from you Khushi. I need you to be with me," Arnav laid his heart open, something he equated with giving his reins in someone else's hands. Even with his Di, he had never been completely open about his feelings; in fact after his mother had passed away, he had never shared his feelings with anyone.

"I am not going to ask you to give up who you are and I will be with you all the way wherever you need me. Khushi, while my life is an alien concept for you, marriage is the same for me but unless we step forward in this journey how will we know whether we can make it work or not," his voice was soothing as he tried to reason with her, "me or……. Or anyone else, it will be a new life for you, adjustments will be expected even if you marry someone who is more like you in lifestyle, but do similar life styles matter much? Or that we both complement each other, complete each other?" he ended with a question.

It was dark now and the lights around the pool had turned on giving the whole area an ethereal look and the gentle breeze added to the aura of the place. Khushi turned her face away for a while and closed her eyes briefly before turning back again to look into his eyes. Holding his face between her palms, Khushi pulled him towards her and kissed him instead of answering. As the intensity and passion soared, Arnav lost control and reciprocated her advances. Sooner than a blink, Arnav had taken over with Khushi following and copying his moves. He nuzzled against the neckline where her breasts peeked over, however, this time he used his teeth to pull down the zipper and his hands pushed away the fabric completely, leaving her open for him rove over.

"Khushi!" his voice crackled with emotion and his eyes turned amber lit by an uncontrollable want.

"Arnav," she moaned, intoxicated by his touch, his kisses, his looks, "Please!" she requested breathlessly, holding on to her sanity by tethers.

Breathing deeply, Arnav shifted and kissed her lips lightly before hoisting himself up in a sitting position, facing away from Khushi, his gaze fixed on the gently splashing water. His breathing was jagged; heart pounding in his ears and Khushi getting up and embracing him from behind didn't help make it better. He could feel that she hadn't yet pulled up the zipper but did not trust himself to turn and do it for her so he just placed his arms above hers and passed his fingers through hers.

"With you I am uninhibited, ready to rub off the limits that I have drawn for myself, daring enough to face come what may, however, I don't know why the thought of marrying you ever since that date gives me goosebumps, uneasy feeling in my stomach and I can't help but feel morose about the whole idea," she sighed against his back, "I feel this constriction in my throat and have the premonitions of being trapped in a life not of my choice," she ended with a kiss on his shoulder blade.

Arnav swallowed the lump in his throat, "do you think it was easy for me accept the idea of marriage? Apart from having apathy towards religion, I had witnessed enough of this idea to be completely thrown off it," he paused, "but with you I thought…. I think that I can, we can make through it."

"Are you hungry?" Khushi went totally tangential, "because I am!"

Laughing lightly, Arnav stood up and extended his arm to help her up, "Come, let's eat," he smiled at her.

-_-_-

An hour after midnight, Arnav's cell started to ring and it rang once, twice and thrice before Arnav finally realized that it wasn't a dream. Squinting his eyes, he tried to make out who was calling but he couldn't see anything through his sleep filled eyes.

"Yeah?" he managed in a groggy voice.

Someone took a deep breath at the other end and he then heard, "ok, I'll give marrying you a try," and then the call was cancelled. Exhausted, his head hit the pillow straightaway but a smile now had embraced his tired face.