IPKKND FF: WICM - Link for new thread Page149 - Page 16

Arnav stared at Khushi's bent head, she was told that today she could sit down and tomorrow she would have to be up earlier to help with the early morning chores and cooking. Her hands were folded and put into her lap, and Arnav could not resist, he shifted slightly so his thigh rubbed against hers and then placed his hand over hers, giving it a tight squeeze.

That caught her attention. She looked up as soon as his thighs touched hers, and then when his hand squeezed her own she felt a swirling sensation in her stomach. Their moments were usually interrupted so it being interrupted now was nothing new.

"Khushi remember you have to go to Amma's and Bua's for the phag phera" Payals voice was as cold as ice. Shards flew with her eyes but no one noticed everyone continued on, apart from Arnav.

He felt her hands curl up even more under his, her knuckles had turned white from all the pressure she was exerting.

"Khushi bitiya won't you eat anything?" Nani asked, her eyes skimming her breakfast plate.

"Yes Nani…Nani do I have to go to my maayka?" Khushi asked, still looking at their joint hands.

"Off-course bitiya it's a traditional custom, it must be done" Nani's voice was soft, but there was a firm-ness within it.

"Ji" was the only thing Khushi could utter. Breaking her hands away from his she began causing havoc on her stomach.

Although she broke the contact they had just shared she was grateful that his thigh was still placed against hers. It was cooling, refreshing, almost like a representation of his shoulder, bare, open, ready for her to rest upon it.

_ _

Arnav knew something was definitely cooking in his wife's mind. Her flinching to him was one thing, but reluctant to go back to her maayka was something else entirely. 'Didn't all girls like going to their maayka?' He was definitely confused. This girl is going to make me run in circles, he concluded to himself whilst buttering a third piece of toast.

_ _

Breakfast was definitely a grand affair she thought to herself. These Raizadas definitely were fully English. The only person who was actually eating a paratha was nani, she looked around the table, and it was either cereal or toast. She was determined that tomorrow she would wake up early and cook something she would actually like to eat.

_ _

Arnav sprinted up the stairs to grab his briefcase, hearing the tinkling of anklets behind him. 'She' was behind him.

"Jhet-ji" Payal uttered in the confines of his bedroom.

"Kya Payal" His mouth spitting her name in disgust.

"Woh- Khushi aur aap neh….mera matlab hai…" Payal's sentence remained un-finished as Khushi burst in. Her own anklets signalling her entry.

"Payal, if you would excuse us I would like to talk to my wife alone" His voice nothing but steel.

Excusing herself, Payal began to mutter curses under her breath. Not liking the way Arnav was already falling for Khushi.

Looking at his wife he saw her clasping her hands again, her knuckles already turning pale. 'What is with her and hands?' He said to himself. Striding towards her he placed his briefcase down and took her hands in his, preventing her from causing herself more damage.

"What is wrong Khushi?"

"Woh Arnav I wanted to ask you something?"

"OK" Arnav said slowly

"Could you drop me anywhere but my maayka?"

Arnav thought about it, a good length of time. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him so he couldn't help but ask why.

"I just do not want to go" She told him with a shrug, her eyes looking at the red rug on the floor.

'Liar' He accused her in his mind, something else was cooking but she just wasn't going to tell him A part of felt rather intrigued, wanting to know but melting at her reluctance, realising she needed time to adjust. And another part begun to get angry, why was she so bloody damn mysterious. Couldn't she just tell him? Unfortunately the latter won.

Unconsciously his grip on her wrist tightened, and ASR possessed the former Arnav.

_ _

Khushi felt that grip and winced, her body was accustomed to receiving blows harder and larger but it still hurt. Her eyes began to sting. Looking up she saw his eyes in murderous rage and her own closed, counting until it all stopped, hiding until it all stopped. Being the coward she was until it all stopped.

Seeing her tears Arnavs gripped slackened. Normally if he were angry he would coil his own hands into balls of fire, but having his grip on her wrist led him to strengthen that same grip and hurt her.

Controlling him he told her he had no say in it, she had to go.

_ _

Khushi opened her eyes, she expected it to last longer, and normally it did. She didn't feel it when his tight hold on her slackened she just felt numb, the usual feeling. Only when he told her he had no say was when she realised nothing of the sort happened. He hadn't hit her. Moving away from him, she kept her distance, walking on those ever so long legs to stand on the other side of the bed, keeping it as an effective barrier.

"I shall drop you now and then pick you up later" He told her, shrugging himself into his blazer jacket.

Walking around to her side of the bed he took her elbow into a firm grip and led her downstairs, where she bid adieu to her new relatives and made her way to her husband's car.

_ _

The journey to the house was a short one, and was kept in silence. Neither of them spoke, not wanting to discuss what had happened in their bedroom a couple of minutes ago. But one of them was hell bent on finding out what led her to close her eyes in such a surrender, while the other was accepting her fate, no matter how many times she wished to change it, it always took a U-turn and dropped her off at the same stop.

Reaching the Gupta house Khushi hopped off and waved goodbye to her newly wedded husband, entering the house which destroyed her.

_ _

Watching her wave Arnav waved back, and looked in his mirrors to back out of the narrow passageway.

He was determined to find out what was wrong, there was no question. Whilst driving he played back the events that happened after he got married to her. They arrived at the Raizada Mansion, were sent upstairs, spoke the whole night and then she had fallen asleep within the cocoon of his arms, and he done nothing to stop it, was that bothering her? Being in close proximity with him? He was used to women fawning over him, bowing to his every command, being ready when he said so, but she clearly wasn't happy with his touch. Arnav saw red, he completely forgot that as soon as Payal had entered into the picture everything changed, the only thing he could acknowledge was his newly wedded wife did not like being around him. 'Well so be it Mrs.Raizada' He told himself.

_ _