Chapter 25

Omoraboti

@Omoraboti

24

Arnav licked his fingers one by one as he finished his dinner. Contentment was written all over his face as he reached for his glass of water and smiled at Khushi. Khushi smiled back at him and put another morsel into her mouth.

"You want another Parantha?"

"No way! I am stuffed. If I keep eating like this everyday, I will have to double my morning routine."

Khushi chuckled.

"You really could put on some weight, you know? And what is with eating so fast? Can't you eat a little slow?"

"And waste time on something so silly as food? Nope."

Khushi did not hide her disapproval and made a face.

"If you eat a little slower, it would not really matter much. And your food will be digested better too."

"Thanks for your concern, Khushi but I have a pretty good metabolism."

Arnav started to get up after finishing the water but had to stop.

"Haww!! At least wait till I finish! Gaadi chhoot rahi hai kya?"

Arnav stared at her pouty face, shrugged and again sat on the chair.

"I hate eating alone."

"I always eat alone, Khushi."

"With me around, some things are sure going to change, Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada."

Khushi stuck her tongue out for a second before she put another morsel into her mouth. Arnav chuckled a bit, amusement evident across his face.

"Like what?"

"Like you will always have two big eyes watching you have your food."

Arnav's smile grew bigger.

"Okay. And?"

"And .. " Khushi stuffed her mouth with another morsel and her words came out in stutter, "Mmm.. You will.. mm .. have to .. mm .. wait till .. mm .. I am done eating too."

Arnav could not but start laughing as Khushi finally finished the sentence fighting with the food in her mouth.

"Should I be scared?"

Khushi again stuck her tongue out.

"Not really. It is not that I will be with you everyday."

Khushi started gathering another morsel without noticing how Arnav's smile faded fast. She did not realize how a feeling of emptiness suddenly grappled all his senses. He suddenly felt a vacuum in the middle of his chest – a strange kind of pain that was hard to explain.

Arnav sat silently watching Khushi eat. She raised her eyebrows once wanting to know what was going on in his mind but he gave her an assuring smile.

What the f*ck was wrong with him?

Khushi served him a simple menu of Parantha and Aloo Gobhi with Sprouted Moong Salad and Yogurt on sides. The moment he put the first morsel in his mouth he felt .. he was home. Two of them having dinner together within the boundary of his own world felt so .. gratifying. She made him feel more comfortable as she kept serving him food and pampering him. To add to that, she prepared the dinner herself. He practically pushed him out of the kitchen a little while after their "silly" kitchen game.

"Arnav Singh Raizada. Aapne hum par apna naam likh diya."

Arnav stilled.. trying not to read more than he needed to. But then he smiled.. a soft, pampering smile.

"Likh diya."

His hands wrapped her in a hug from behind and he rested his chin on her right shoulder, leaning his head sideways against her. He could feel Khushi's hands resting on his own which were wrapped around her waist and resting on her stomach. He could feel her head slightly leaning against his too.

Peace. All he felt was peace. Where was peace all this time in his life?

They probably could have stood like that forever unless Arnav's phone started to buzz breaking through their oneness.

"Dammit," Arnav could not but mutter still standing in the same position. He could not see but he knew a smile was spreading across her face. Even that unseen smile was contagious enough to make him smile. His lips curved into one of his finest smiles before he sighed audibly and slowly started to move away. He took out his phone - standing behind her, with one of his hands still resting across her stomach.

Akash.

He cut the call and simultaneously brought his face down and forward. He placed a soft kiss just below her nape as his hands hooked her laces. He felt her sharp intake of breath and he sighed again. There was so much more he wished he could do to falter her breath.. every now and then. He kissed her nape again and started to pull up the zipper.

Khushi pushed him away by stepping back the moment he was done with the zipper. She turned to face him and started to push him out of the kitchen with her hands placed on his chest.

"Let me finish cooking the dinner. And you can finish all your work in the mean time."

"I don't want to work .."

Khushi chuckled as he pouted but kept pushing him. She knew he knew too he needed to go. He was not resisting.

"All play and no work makes Arnav Singh Raizada .. the owner of AR Designs?"

"Not really."

Arnav sighed again and made a face. Khushi laughed.

"Go, Baba. We will play later. I promise."

Arnav smiled as he remembered how he made up a story to prevent Akash from coming to the apartment tonight. He told Akash that he needed to be at Shantivan since he was worried for Di. Both of them should not be staying out unless really needed. Akash, of course, agreed without much resistance. Arnav felt a slight prick of guilt at making up a story around Di, but then again the excitement of doing something like this, probably after a lifetime, made him feel better. The familiar feeling reminded him of some distant memories of him playing silly pranks on his Di. Memories that were bottled up somewhere – at some dark corner of his heart – were starting to find their way back to him. After many long years.

He smiled as he watched Khushi serving herself another Parantha. He could not remember if he had ever seen a girl eat so much!

It was indeed different around her.

Why did the thought of not having dinner like this with Khushi every night made him feel empty? What made him expect she would always be around?

Was he becoming greedy? Hadn't life taught him better?

Arnav could feel his frustration rising. But he could not afford to ruin this beautiful day. He forced the confusing and depressing thoughts out and rested his eyes on her. He smiled again, for the umpteenth time in the day, as he watched her lick her fingers like a child savoring her favorite dish. He remembered even he was doing the same a while ago .. probably that too after a lifetime.

Khushi sipped little water and stood up.

"Now you are free to go, Arnav."

Arnav watched her pick up the dishes.

"And what are you going to do?"

"I will just put the leftovers in the fridge and clean the dirty dishes."

Arnav too stood up and followed her quickly as she started walking towards the kitchen. He grabbed her by his left hand and stopped her on her tracks.

"You don't have to do all this, Khushi. Maid will come tomorrow and clean it."

"Kya? You will call the maid when I am here? No way!"

"No, I meant.. not when you are here.. but after that she can come and clean all this."

"And all this time these will lie in the sink dirty?"

"Yes.. so what?"

"So what? Nothing."

Khushi squirmed out of his hold and started walking towards the kitchen again. Arnav started following her too.

Arnav leaned against a pillar and watched her turn the tap on.

"You are really stubborn, you know that?"

"Says who?"

Arnav chuckled at her raised eyebrows. He kept standing and watching her as she cleaned the dirty dishes.

"Arnav! Why are you standing here? Go and wash your hand."

"Stop being a mummy."

"All men are so childish!"

"How can you say that?"

"I have one at home. Amma has to keep an eye on Babuji every minute. And the amount of scolding Babuji gets from Amma, is more than Jiji and me receive together."

"That's not going to work with me, Khushi. Don't even think about it."

Khushi halted for a second. She glanced at him sideways and started working again.

"I know."

Arnav suddenly started to feel uncomfortable. The slight change in her voice did not go unnoticed by him. Also her giving in so easily did not go down well with him.

Arnav could not but admit that he was thoroughly enjoying having her around. The feel of being home, the comfort of sharing his day and life with someone else .. these were new yet enthralling for him. But why Khushi had to remind him every time that this was all going to end? This was .. just for a day?

Arnav could feel his frustration rising again. Today was unlike any other day of his life and perhaps, that was why he was enjoying the day like no other. But this one day was creating a craving inside him .. a greed .. to have this feel everyday. To feel at home and to feel at peace.

"I am going to my room, Khushi. I think I .. will hit the bed."

Khushi looked at him, subtle hint of surprise evident across her face. What had suddenly happened to him? She frowned slightly. Then she nodded.

"Ok, Arnav. Good night then."

"Good Night."

Arnav started walking towards his room even though his legs refused to leave the kitchen. He forced himself to ignore the longing he felt – to be with her more, to just watch her washing dishes in his kitchen, having a cup of coffee perhaps in the balcony, watching their fishes, talking to the stars .. Arnav shut his eyes and halted in his tracks. He turned.

"Khushi?"

Khushi turned her head.

"Hmm??"

"Thanks for the dinner. It was .. awesome."

Khushi smiled.

"And .. if you have any other plan .. mm .. if you are staying awake .. give me a buzz, ok?"

"Sure, Arnav."

Some thirty minutes later Khushi came out of the bathroom after a warm shower. Today had been a long day. She dried her hair off a bit with the towel and changed into her night dress. She smiled at herself looking at the mirror as the t-shirt reminded her of the night he stayed back with her in the hotel to take care of her.

Arnav Singh Raizada was indeed an enigma. He was arrogant but caring. He was stubborn but a kid. He was boring but sizzling. He was grumpy but attractive.

As she brushed her hair sitting in front of the mirror, Khushi reminisced her time with Arnav since the first time she had walked into AR. It had been one hell of a journey! She could not but blush remembering how she approached him asking for his time. What really made him agree to her stupid proposal? And what was she really thinking? How did she turn up in this room from that 15 minutes in the AR Headquarter?

A pampering smile spread across her face as she kept remembering their moments together – moments of passion, moments of resistance, moments of insanity.

"Hum dono .. bahaut ajeeb hain," she murmured with a smile.

As she lay awake in her bed for some time, still walking down the memory lane, she suddenly remembered she needed to Google something. She took out her phone and typed in a word for definition. Her reaction was too predictable.

"What the ….?!!!!"

She sat up on the bed in the next instant as her nose and cheeks reddened in a flash. She gaped at the screen and the visions that flashed in her mind only reddened her more.

"Arnav Singh Raizada!"

Arnav was tossing and turning in his bed, disappointed since he had not heard from Khushi even after an hour. So she went to sleep just like that? He kept remembering their last night together in the very same bed. And more of their time together in the balcony when he felt bonded with her at an unknown level. True, he called off the night first. But he did tell her to buzz him, did he not?

"Women!" he grumbled.

A knock on the door brought him back from his reverie. He looked at the door and smirked.

Khushi.

He sat up on the bed and switched on the bed lamp.

"The door is open."

The next moment, Khushi walked into his room casually in a white cotton salwar and an oversized white t-shirt – her half wet hair disheveled; face clean and natural. Arnav felt his breath falter, his smirk vanished. How can someone look so ravishing even in worn out clothes – without any effort even to look good?

Khushi came near the bed and stood in front of him with her hands on her hip.

Arnav swallowed.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was not feeling sleepy so I thought I would bug you. May I?"

"Sure."

Arnav could clearly understand something was going on inside her brain but her face did not give away anything. To his surprise, she climbed up the bed, pulled up the duvet and lied down beside him. Arnav, not knowing what to do, lied down too, glancing at her with confusion.

Few minutes passed in silence and Arnav started to feel more restless. Not knowing what she was up to, was eating him up. When he decided to turn and ask her, she decided to speak.

"Coitus, huh?"

Arnav was taken aback at first and then realized she must have found it out. He smirked.

"Yeah! So you found out?"

"Hmm. I googled."

Arnav wished he were there when she realized what it meant. Did she blush? She must have! Also her mouth must have turned into a perfect "O". How he loved that!

"So want to give me a demo?"

Arnav sat up on the bed as if he was electrified. What the ..?! He stared at Khushi as if she had grown horns.

"Whattt!!??"

"Yes, you wanted to give me a demo. Soo.. are you ready?"

"Ready?! Ah .. are .. are you serious?"

Khushi sat up and faced him – no hint of amusement visible in her face.

"Yes. I am serious. You said life has no meaning without it. Why would I want to miss it?"

Arnav swallowed. Khushi Kumari Gupta! She was unbelievable.

"You .. don't need a demo. I mean .. you know what it is, right? I mean .. I already have given you demo .."

"Fine. Let me give you a demo then. My turn."

All Arnav could do was gasp.

No matter how much he wanted her, right now, for the first time in his life, Arnav Singh Raizada felt nervous around a woman. Only this woman could have him tongue tied. He tried to figure out what to reply but Khushi seemed to have set herself on a mission. She landed herself on his thighs with her own thighs placed on the bed on his sides.

Arnav jerked.

"Khushi .."

"Shhh."

Khushi placed a finger on his lips and smiled slightly – as if in daze. She slowly kept sliding her finger towards his chin and it kept going downward until it reached the pit of his navel.

"Khushi …"

"Hmmm?"

"What are you .. doing ..?"

Arnav could feel her hands lifting the sides of his t-shirt. She slid her hands inside and held him by his waist. Her thumbs started to massage his bare stomach as she brought her face forward. Her face was only an inch or two away from him, her eyes fixed on his lips.

"I promised we would play .."

Arnav could feel electricity passing across his every vein as her whisper reached his ear. He could see her wetting her lips with her tongue. He swallowed.

Only this woman could make him lose himself. Only this woman could move him off his feet. Only this woman could make him feel helpless and yet cherish being ruled.

"Khushi..," Arnav could hear his voice coming out in husky murmur, "I.. was joking .."

Khushi smiled still eyeing his lips.

"I know," she finally looked up and met his eyes, "But I am not."

Arnav shuddered at the intensity of those clear hazel eyes. What had gotten into her? Was she trying to revenge? Or was she just ….

Arnav's thoughts clouded as he felt two soft lips brushing against his own. His eyes closed automatically and she pecked him on his lips again. Then she started to slowly suck his lower lip. Arnav could neither open his eyes nor control the shiver running down his spine.

"Why .. are you.. tasting .. so .. sweet .. Arnav?"

"I ..had .. chocolate .."

Khushi paused her ministration periodically to allow themselves to talk.

"Chocolate? .. Without me? ... Not fair .."

"Diabetic chocolate .."

"Par meetha hai .."

Arnav could not control himself anymore. His hands fiercely wrapped her and tried to pull her nearer but Khushi resisted. She kept the distance between them intact with her hands placed on his chest.

"Relax, Arnav."

Arnav swallowed as he watched her smirk. He already was turned on to the point he had never reached before. What was she up to?

Khushi leaned forward and again started kissing him. Her small pecks slowly started to pick pace and it soon turned into a ferocious battle as Arnav too joined. All the while Khushi made sure Arnav did not have his hands on her. Every time he tried to touch her, she pushed his hands aside.

Arnav felt his t-shirt being slowly pulled up and in no time, even amid the torrent of kisses, Khushi pulled it over his head and threw it away. Arnav felt her soft hands vividly exploring his back and then it reached his front. Khushi broke the kiss after another round of intense battle and looked at him panting. Her eyes were hazy with desire, lips swollen .. cheeks flushed. She smiled at him and did not wait for him to smile back. She started kissing everywhere on his face and started travelling downward as her hands got busy exploring his muscular front.

Arnav lost track of what he was doing. He did not realize when he arched back and balanced himself with his arms placed on the bed beyond him. He felt her every touch on him with his eyes closed – not wanting to see or feel anything else at all. He felt her exploit him everywhere – her bites on his neck, her tongue flicking over his buds, her nails scratching his skin in some feral passion.

Khushi suddenly cupped his face and pulled him near her to kiss him on the mouth again, making him lose his balance in the process. In a second, Arnav was lying on the bed with Khushi flush against him, still trying to eat up his whole being through her mouth. Arnav had no idea how long they kissed but he suddenly felt drained as Khushi broke the kiss. He felt Khushi going back to her seating position again and finally he opened his eyes, still panting heavily. Their eyes met after a long time and they both felt they could make love even with their eyes right now.

Khushi was still panting, her lips parted when she slowly started to pull up her t-shirt. Arnav lay hypnotized as if she had sucked in his all capability to move and watched her undress herself. In a while, she was sitting atop him, too close to his throbbing excitement, in just skimpy red laces and a white salwar. He waited for her to surprise him again but she remained seated, her bosom heaving crazily, her eyes focused on his face. He felt his hand move on its own accord and pull the string of her salwar, unknotting it, letting her salwar fall down a bit, exposing her skin that had never been touched by the sun. He could clearly see the curve along her waist that led to her hip. She was slender, she was tender .. but she was full and all woman. He held her waist by his palms, caressed a bit and then his hands started to travel upward.

Khushi gasped as she felt him cupping her softness and taunting her straining peaks over the laces. She dug her nails into his chest and heard him hiss in pain. In return, she felt him pulling up her laces mercilessly and digging his nails into her soft flesh too. Khushi was in no mood of giving up today and so she lowered her mouth to take in his flesh too.

Rest was a battle for ownership – him over her and her over him.

And all along, Khushi made sure she was on top no matter how much Arnav tried. He never could get her beneath him – not when they undressed each other, not when they explored each other like never before, not when there kisses touched their tender most parts, not even when .. they merged into each other and collapsed after their whole system burst as they reached the peak of their passion. Arnav gave up the moment he felt her taking him inside herself, still sitting on him .. it was a losing battle he was more than ready to lose.

Tonight, Khushi Kumari Gupta redefined passion for Arnav Singh Raizada. And Arnav Singh Raizada embraced his defeat basking in a sense of euphoria that he had never known in his life.

As they lay in bed, relishing the most welcomed fatigue, their minds kept going back to the most ecstatic moments of their life. Khushi lay silently on his chest breathing his unique smell; his soft chest hair kept tickling her cheeks. She could feel him drawing zigzags on her back softly. She blushed remembering what she had done the past hour .. but also a strange feeling of joy tingled her senses.

She never knew she could ever fancy the looks of a man this much. Not that it was the only thing that mattered to her when it came to Arnav.

"Arnav .."

"Hmmm?"

"You are .."

"Hmmm??"

"You are .. you have .. beautiful nose."

"Beautiful nose?"

"Hmm."

Arnav chuckled softly. Nose? Really? That's all she could come up with?

"Arnav .."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you take me to your home today?"

Arnav smiled. He did not feel anything holding him back from telling her why. She had bared not only his exterior but a part of his soul too.

"You introduced me to your parents, Khushi. But .. I cannot …"

He felt Khushi's hands softly grabbing his shoulder.

"My parents are not stars. So the least I could do was .. to have you meet the family I have."

"You have a wonderful family, Arnav. Thank you. And I will tell my parents to find yours."

Khushi could feel his hands wrapping her in a warm embrace. She sighed. She had seen more of Arnav Singh Raizada than she had intended to. She had known the man more than she ever thought he was.

They lay like that for a long time. Khushi started to feel Arnav's hands loosening slightly around her though she was wide awake – her thoughts and feelings fighting to come to a resolution.

"Arnav.."

"Hmm?"

Arnav's voice came out drowsy.

"I did not mean it when I said it but I really mean it."

Arnav did not respond but that did not stop Khushi from whispering more.

"I love you, Arnav."

She could hear him breathing – she could hear his heart beating.

"I love you when you are a baby. And I love you when you are a man, too."

She smiled.

"I love you, Arnav Singh Raizada. And I mean it."

I love the way you look tonight

With your hair hangin' down on your shoulders

I love the way you dance your slow sweet tango

The way you want to do everything but talk

And how you stare at me with those undress-me eyes

Your breath on my body makes me warm inside

Let's make out, let's do something amazing

Let's do something that's all the way

'Cause I've never touched somebody

Like the way I touch your body

Now I never wanna let your body go

Let's make a night, to remember

From January, to December

Let's make love, to excite us

A memory, to ignite us

Let's make honey baby, soft and tender

Let's make sugar darlin', sweet surrender

Let's make a night, to remember, all life long

I love the way you move tonight

Beads of sweat drippin' down your skin

Me lying here, and you lyin' there

Our shadows on the wall and our hands everywhere