Arshi SS Tumult :: Completed Pg81 :: 17/01 - Page 29

"Thank you," she mumbled with an awkward smile, making a move to open the door but he caught her wrist.

"Why are you in such a hurry to go?" he whispered huskily, and her heart dived unexpectedly. "Am I that boring?"

Her eyes rounded instantly. "No... I..."

He chuckled and winked at her playfully. "I'm just joking, Khushi, but I have to say, you break my heart."

"I... What?"

"You still aren't wearing the bracelet I had given you," he smiled. Her cheeks turned pink in the streetlight. He wished he could see her better. He brought her hand up and kissed the inside of her wrist. She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening, and suddenly he realised they were filling with tears. "Khushi? What happened?"

She swallowed and tugged her hand free. "Nothing. Can I go now?"

"Hey, I'm sorry if I hurt you. Really, what happened, Khushi? Did I say something that hurt you?" A tear slipped onto her cheek and she wiped it away quickly, but he had already seen it. Shards of guilt plunged into his heart. "Hey... I'm really sorry, Khushi... What did I do?"

Smiling tightly, she shook her head. "Nothing," she mouthed. "It's just... Thank you, I had a really nice time."

His lips twisted. He could see through her lie but he also deemed it would not be very reasonable to annoy her about this now. He simply smiled back at her and handed her the customary little box. "This is for you." And to his surprise, a little smile did tug at her rather delectable lips.

"Thank you," she whispered, her tears still fresh there, then she got out and practically ran into the building. Strange, he frowned. What was happening to her now?

***

"It's good that Andrea and Sandy had a party to attend for tonight," Lavanya sighed as she gave Khushi a hot cup of tea. "Or else, they would have seen their ASR's car outside and bloody eaten our lives with their snotty tantrums. It would have been hysteria. Did you get to talk to him?"

Biting her lip, Khushi shook her head. "I didn't get the courage."

"What?"

"I didn't..." she looked up at La with glassy eyes. "He was so sweet to me all along," she smiled. "I didn't have the courage to... to... to ruin it. That's the best word I can come up with, La, I didn't want to ruin it!"

Lavanya beamed at her with understanding and nodded. "What did you do? I mean, where did he take you, tell me everything!"

She bit her lip shyly and looked down at the charm box that lay in her lap. Her finger caressed the little ice skate. "He took me skating. Ice skating this time."

"He sounds like a man very passionate about his profession," La commented with a brow raised. "Even though it might not exactly be a real profession for some people like his parents-in-law-to-be," she added with a wince.

Khushi glared at her briefly. "Yes, he is very passionate about skating."

***

"He Devi Maiyya!"

"Now what are you calling your Devi Maiyya for?"

"I'm afraid will fall," she half-gritted out, half-whined, while he released her elbows and shifted behind her to hold her by the waist.

"Absurd," he muttered under his breath.

She craned her head to stare at him with wide eyes. "How is this absurd? Anyone would be scared! I could break a few bones if I fell down. And the speed at which you are taking me... Have you forgotten that this is a first for me?"

"Khushi Kumari Gupta," he chuckled, turning her around in his arms without stopping, which extracted a loud gasp from her. "This is absolutely absurd if you ask me, because I have promised you I won't let you fall."

She forcefully stopped the smile that was about to form on her lips and shrugged carelessly. "You do manage well on the ice."

He narrowed his eyes. "Have you forgotten that I am a professional hockey player, Khushi? Or is this some kind of a deliberate taunt that I am not quite catching?"

"I had meant to compliment you," she replied very coolly.

He raised his brow. "Oh well, thank you, then." With practised smoothness, he turned her back so as to regain their original position and accelerated their pace.

"How many girls have you brought here for skating?"

"Oh-kay... Why this question right now?"

She shrugged again. "No, just like that. They might find it very tempting..."

Suddenly, she found herself pressed against the glass panelling that bordered the ice rink. "You know what I find very tempting right now, Miss Gupta?" Trembling, she blinked a few times before shaking her head uncertainly. He smirked and flicked her reddened nose before dipping his head to brush his lips against her ear. "Making love to you right now, right here on the rink," he whispered.

Then he pulled back, winked at her humorously, after which he resumed skating as if nothing had happened, but Khushi could surely not say so for herself. She, on the other hand, was rendered speechless.

***

She hoped Lavanya wouldn't see the blush on her cheeks but made she could attribute it to the fact that the heater was on if her friend happened to see it, because this conversation in particular was something she was forced to leave out, unless she wanted any surreptitious teasing. Fortunately, La merely rubbed her hands with a sly delight that made Khushi think of Cupid. It was a silent demand for more.

"Then he took me fishing," Khushi giggled, eying the cute little fish-shaped charm.

"Fishing?"

***

"Has it ever occurred to you that I might not actually want to eat a fish that I have myself caught?" she asked as her mouth twisted with sheer disgust.

He grimaced at her. "Whatever gave you the idea! We are not eating this fish, sweetheart! Far too small!"

"Then?" she gasped with wide eyes. "You won't make me kill fish for nothing, will you?"

He looked at her as if she had lost her mind before bursting into helpless laughter. "No! Khushi, we will fish, but we won't kill the fish!"

She looked at him, clearly confused. "What?"

Smiling adoringly at her naive expression. He gestured her to come closer. When she did, he gathered her in his arms and held her firmly, her back against his front while he reached out for a fishing cane.

"See," he started explaining. "This is a ball of bread dough. You take a tiny piece of it roll it into a ball and place it on the hook like this, okay? Then you hold the cane," he muttered, carefully placing her hands at the right places. "Yes, that's right. You throw the line and you wait."

"For what?"

He chuckled and kissed her cheek, causing a pink hue to colour her face. "You wait for the pull." It came soon and he tugged the line out suddenly. She squeaked on seeing the little fish that flapped it's fins in the air desperately. "After that, very gently, you free it and you let it go back in the water. There you go," he whispered to the fish. "They aren't even big to be eaten, you see," he mused.

She smiled at him, but it soon turned uncertain. "Aren't we hurting the fish, though?"

He grimaced. "Just a little bit. I don't think they would even feel it."

"Why?" she scowled. "Because they are animals?"

"No," he laughed. "Because the skin that get hooked at their lip is like one of the scales on them. It probably won't contain a nerve and just feel like trimming your nails."

Her smile returned with satisfaction from his answer and she took the ball of dough from him.

***

"After that we had lunch and we went for a drive outside the city. It was really very nice."

Lavanya beamed at her, holding her hand tight. "And I really think you mean a lot to him."

Khushi blinked her tears away and shrugged silently. "I'll keep this in my room." She mumbled, pointing at the box. Her eyes stilled on the bracelet, to which she had secretly been adding the charms he had been giving her. She added the ones he had given her that evening with a strained heartburn.

She was being silly. Lavanya was right. He did behave like this meant something to him. She just had to talk to him about her fears. He would understand. Certainly. She would talk to him the next time they met.

"Khushi! I'm getting dinner warmed up, okay? Freshen up and come down."

"Yes, La!"

Just as she put the bracelet back in place her phone rang.

"How are you?"

She smiled as his husky voice brought warm tickles all over her skin. "Fine." She hesitated, then bit her lip. "Did you reach home safely?"

"Are you worried for me?" She could practically hear the grin in his voice. The devil of a man that he was!

"No, just asking."

"Yes, I reached home in one piece, happy?" He chuckled, then his voice turned serious. "Really, Khushi, how are you now? You were upset when I dropped you."

She sighed, sinking into her bed. "I am fine."

"Khushi, you looked like you were going to cry," he hissed anxiously. "What's the matter? Don't you trust me enough? You can talk to me about it, you know?"

She stared out of the window wordlessly for a moment. "When I see you."

"When you see me again you'll tell me about it?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Good," she heard the smile return. "Uhm... I have a match tomorrow, at two in the afternoon."

She smiled at the underlying invitation. "I have an exam tomorrow, at two."

He groaned his dismay and she repressed a giggle. "But in other circumstances, would you have come?"

"I don't know. I am not such a great fan of sports..."

"You could just have come to see me! They say I look quite hot when I am playing."

"Narcissist," she muttered.

He laughed. "That, I am! After the match, I'll be going to the pub with the team, okay? At Stanton's, you know?"

"Hmm..." she pouted, playing with the nose of a pale brown teddy La had gifted her for her last birthday. "Do you drink?"

"Well, after a match it is customary to drink but I don't drink myself to oblivion. Why?"

She winced. "That's not very healthy. Even in little amounts."

"Does that mean you don't want me to drink?" She didn't reply and he chuckled again. "It's okay, doc! I promise I won't drink. Just a glass of wine or champagne but nothing more, promise."

She smiled despite her efforts not to. "Go to sleep early, you have a match tomorrow."

"Yes, doc!"

"I'm not a doc yet!"

"Doesn't matter. Good night, doc, dream about me!"

"Good night," she muttered, shaking her head at his childishness.

She placed her mobile back on the bedside table and turned around to find Lavanya leaning against the door jamb with an amused expression. Heat crawled up her cheeks instantly.

"So?" La smirked. Khushi opened her mouth soundlessly, her brains suddenly empty. "Khushi!" Her friend laughed as she grabbed her hands and twirled her around the room. "You are so cute! No wonder the guy is smitten!"

"I feel ridiculous!" Khushi grumbled, blushing furiously and trying to hide her face.

"What did he say? Because from the look on your face, I know it was him!"

Khushi giggled. "He just wanted to know if I'm okay. And he told me he has a match tomorrow and after that he'll be going to the club with his team."

"Go to the match!" La squealed excitedly, but Khushi was shaking her head with disappointment.

"I have an exam!"

"At the same time? Okay, go to the pub then!"

"La!" Khushi's eyes rounded with stupor. How could she even suggest that. "He didn't invite me!"

"But he told you! He let you know. That, honey, is a disguised invitation! Go there, surprise him!"