Chapter 9
OS 2: Finding Khushi
Part 7
Section 1
Her phone rang.
Khushi opened one bleary eye, pulled his coat closer to her, and looked around. What was the noise? Oh'her phone...
She fumbled to take it.
"Hellooo!", she croaked, her open eye now closed.
"Khushi, where is your payal?", his urgency made his voice more husky than usual.
Khushi frowned. The stupid things people asked when you were asleep!
"Sleeping. Beside me. What else will she do at night? Do bhangra?", she yawned.
Arnav's mouth remained open for a few seconds before he caught on.
"Not your Jiji. Your payal. The one on your feet. Your Amma's payal''", he made it clear.
There was silence from the other side.
Her sleep left her as though it had never been. Her hand clenched around the phone as tears filled her eyes.
Arnav cut the call. He had got his answer from her silence.
Khushi lay on her side, weeping silently, taking care not to disturb her Jiji's sleep.
A shadow appeared at her open window. Her eyes widened. A thief? A thief! A scream rose in her throat.
She looked around, frantic. Anything to hit him with' Buaji's belan' Babuji's umbrella' Phuphaji's walking stick'.. Her eyes widened in hope. Yes! Phuphaji's walking stick'
She jumped out of bed, and ran to the corner of the room on fast but silent feet. She grabbed the old walking stick and ran to the window, hiding herself In the dark, holding the stick in position to crack one on the thief's head.
A leg' then the next leg came in through the window'.. Khushi gulped in fear. He Devi Maiyya!
A male body entered the room, his head slightly bent to enter through the window comfortably.
Khushi closed her eyes and lifted the walking stick up in the air to bring it down with full force on the intruder's head.
The next thing she knew, the stick was out of her hand, falling with a soft clatter on the ground, and she was pushed back against the wall by a hard, warm, male body against her soft one.
Khushi's eyes remained shut. The familiar scent of his body calmed her, and the feel of him against her took away the last of her senses'..
Panting, she opened her eyes.
His face was close to hers, its lean lines looking leaner and more dangerous in the dark...
She gulped. And opened her mouth to ask'.
He clamped his hand over her mouth, pressing her deeper into the wall, his chest as hard as a wall, his legs crowding hers''. She squirmed. He pressed deeper into her.
Khushi couldn't breathe. And the feel of him against her'' Her heart was thudding fit to kill her'.. and his heart was thudding loudly too. She could feel his heart beat'. Khushi swallowed, her mouth dry. She would die if she didn't get him off her'.
She bit his hand. He jumped back with a soft yelp.
"Sshhh'", Khushi said, placing her finger against his lips to silence him. "Jiji will wake up!"
Arnav glared at her, rubbing his hand.
She pushed him away. He moved away reluctantly.
"What are you doing here? Have you taken to patrolling Laxmi Nagar at night in your spare time? Making sure that your investment is safe?", she hissed.
Arnav stared at her. She had no idea how right she was'.
"Where the hell is your payal?", he bit out.
Khushi took a moment to swallow the lump in her throat.
"What does it matter to you?", she asked.
"Farak padta he, dammit!", he caught hold of her arms and shook her. "Where is your payal?"
She remained silent.
"Tell me, dammit! Did you sell it?" His eyes bore into hers in the dark.
Khushi shook him off. "It is my mother's payal, not your mother's. I can do whatever I want to do with it. I don't need your permission!"
Arnav caught hold of her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Don't talk to me like that!"
Khushi glared at him and tried to free herself.
"Come out with me.", he ordered.
"Where?"
"To the moon.", he said, sarcasm filling the words.
"Acha! To the moon! I didn't know you went there frequently'", Khushi tried to match him.
"Fast.", he instructed.
Khushi pushed him away and stood her ground.
"OK. I will wake up your parents and Buaji. And your Jiji. Then we can take their permission and go out." He crossed his arms & cocked his head.
Khushi gasped. "Are you mad?"
He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the window.
"Wait! Let me get my dupatta!", she protested.
Arnav rolled his eyes. "It is one in the morning! Who is going to be up to see you without the dupatta?"
"You! You are awake!", she grumbled as she went in search of her dupatta.
Arnav looked at her with intent eyes, but she was too preoccupied with searching for her dupatta without waking her Jiji.
Arnav walked closer to her bed, and began arranging her pillows under the blanket to make it look as though she were in bed. His hand halted half way through. What was his coat doing under her pillow? He pulled it out.
Khushi picked up her dupatta from the floor, and put it around her neck. She turned to leave to find him holding his coat in his hand and looking at her, a question in his eyes.
Time stood still. The evidence of her vulnerability to him was in his hands. And there was nothing she could do to throw him off track. They stood staring at each other, feeling their hearts gallop.
Finally, she said, "You wanted to go somewhere'?"
Arnav nodded. His fingers let go of the coat, leaving it to lie on her pillow. Grabbing her arm, he left the room through the window.
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