Chapter 57
OS 2: Finding Khushi
Part 17
Sec 3
Khushi left the godown, and walked to the road. It was late evening, and a balmy breeze was blowing. It stirred the strands of hair lying against her cheeks, and she shut her eyes to draw in a deep breath of pleasure.
She opened her eyes and stood still, surprised.
Arnavji was standing, leaning against his white car, his arms crossed.
She walked up to him, slowly.
"Arnavji, aap...?"
"Hmmm.."
"Kya hua?", she asked, nervously.
"Does something have to happen before I can come to see you?", he asked, a smile on his lips.
"No.. but... Are you on your way home from the office?", she asked, wondering what he was doing there. There were just two days to Jiji's wedding.
"Hhmm.. I came to give you a lift home.", he said.
Khushi smiled. "Buaji's house is just around the corner."
Arnav opened the car door, and waited for her to take her seat.
"Arnavji...", she protested.
"No excuses, Khushi.", His voice was soft but very determined. "Or I will follow you home."
Khushi swallowed. She quickly took her seat.
Arnav shut the door, taking care to ensure that the ends of her dupatta were well within the car. He walked around the car, and took his seat.
He made no move to start the car.
The dusk was marred only by a street lights. Men & women went about their business, unaware of the speaking silence within the car.
He looked at her in pleasure. The silky hair in a neat plait, the flimsy dupatta, the light blue suit, the cloth bag, her fingers clutching each other in anxiety, scared of what he was up to, her breath coming in rapid gusts...
Arnav smiled slightly, and caught hold of her hand.
"I just wanted to give you something, Khushi.", he murmured.
Khushi looked into his eyes, and her eyes slipped unconsciously, hopefully to his lips...
Arnav placed a gift-wrapped packet on her lap, and murmured in her ear, "Sorry to disappoint you, Khushi."
Khushi blushed and lowered her eyes to the packet.
"Sh..shukriya...", she muttered.
He looked at her. Her head was bowed over the packet, her fingers were clutching it like a lifeline... He smiled.
"Khushi.. you can open it, you know...", he reminded her.
"Ji..ji..", Khushi stammered and opened the packet.
In it was a sari. Red. With beautiful gold work done on it. Khushi stared at it, open-mouthed.
Arnav watched her astonished face with pleasure. She gently touched a gold design as though it would fly away if she touched it too hard.
"For me?", she asked, unable to believe that Arnavji would gift her something so beautiful.
"No. I was thinking of wearing it for Payal & Akash's wedding." He quirked his eyebrow.
Khushi burst out laughing, the picture of Arnavji in the sari tickling her no end.
Arnav chuckled along with her, enjoying her mirth. Inducing people to laugh had never been one of his achievements. That was, till he met Khushi...
"Liked it?", he asked.
Khushi nodded. "Very much."
"So, thank me.", Arnav requested.
"I did.", Khushi frowned.
"You know what I want.", he whispered, looking at her lips.
Khushi blushed a fiery red. Now she was a perfect match for the sari. She turned her head away to look out through the window.
Arnav sat waiting.
She peeped at him. She knew that he would not budge unless & until he got what he wanted.
Khushi turned her head to look at him. Arnav strove to look as harmless as he could manage to look.
Slowly... slowly, she leaned forward.
Arnav could feel his heart thumping, every nerve in his body eager for her touch, every sinew braced for the gentle torture...
She pressed her plump, soft lips against his lean, hard cheek. He closed his eyes in a hiss of pleasure.
As he felt her withdrawing from him, he leaned forward, unwilling to let her go away from him, and quickly captured her lips with his.
Arnav slipped into his coat while barking orders into his phone. There were a hundred & one things to be seen to before the wedding. NK was helping Akash dress. He hoped he wouldn't make the groom wear his sherwani inside out...
He looked impatiently at the clock. Khushi & her family must have arrived.
"The caterers have to be here by 6, Aman.", he instructed.
He listened to his private secretary, and then continued to check all the details.
Khushi walked into RM behind her family & Jiji, anxiously fiddling with the pleats of her red saree. Where was he? Would he like her in his gift? She looked down at herself. Was it too transparent? She adjusted the pallu over her shoulder.
Anjali, Mami, Mamaji, & Nani welcomed the Guptas in, hugging Payal & Khushi.
"From today, your Jiji is ours, Khushiji!", declared Anjali, laughing. "If you want to be with her, you will have to marry Chotey soon & join her here."
"Haan, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Today she bill be Payal Akash Singh Raijjada, no more Payal Kumari Gupta!!!!", laughed Mami.
Nani smiled, "We are stealing both your daughters away from you, Madhumatiji! One today, and the other soon."
"Le lo, le lo, Nandkisore!", smiled Buaji. "They have been eating my head for the past 20 years and more. Now you can bear them."
All laughed.
Khushi looked at a blushing Jiji. Today, she wouldn't be returning with them. She would become Akash Jiju's wife and would stay on in RM. She would be alone tonight. And every night... Khushi swallowed hard to hide her tears.
As all the others moved towards the living room, Anjali took one look at Khushi's face, and said softly, "Khushiji, can you do me a small favour?"
"Ji."
"Chotey hasn't come down yet. The guests will be arriving soon. Can you go up to his room and ask him to come down?", Anjali pleaded nicely.
Khushi gulped. How could she say 'No'? Did she really want to say 'No'? She wanted to see him, see his smile, hear his husky voice call her name... It made everything alright. He made everything alright. Safe. Always. Even when he was angry... All that mattered was that she could see him, be near him...
Khushi nodded, and lifting the trailing hem of her sari, climbed the stairs to his room.
Arnav ended the call with a sigh of relief and turned to go down to her when he saw Khushi standing near his door, a hand raised to knock on the open door.
"Khushi...", he whispered, his eyes lighting up.
She literally took away his breath. She looked gorgeous in his designer sari, the red material clinging to her curves, the gold work giving her a regal air.
"Anjaliji... She wants you to come down. The guests... The guests will be arriving now...", she murmured, her eyes drinking him in, feeling much better now that she had seen him.
Arnav strode to her, and cupped her face in his palms.
"Kya hua, Khushi? Why are you upset? Did anyone say anything to hurt you? Who the...?"
Khushi placed her finger against his lips.
"No one.", she whispered.
"Then why are you upset?" His worried eyes looked into hers.
Khushi threw herself into his arms, hugging him for all she was worth. Arnav wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his warmth.
Burying her face against his neck, she whispered her complaint like a child, "You are going to take my Jiji away from me."
Arnav stood silent for a moment, his eyes wide in shock, and then he smiled.
"Stay here with her. Don't ever go back.", he suggested, hoping desperately that she would acquiesce.
But Khushi was lost in her own world of injuries.
"Aap ko pata he, we have never slept apart in the last 10 years. When Amma wanted to exile me for causing a scandal in Lucknow... because you aired the video clip of me falling into your arms... Jiji had to accompany me to your stupid Delhi. Because I am scared of sleeping alone..."
She clutched him closer still, burrowing into him, uncaring of her make up & fine clothes, wanting only his warmth, his company, the comfort that only he could provide... If only she could crawl into his clothes...she would be warm forever...
"Marry me, Khushi. I promise you, you will never have to sleep alone then. Never, Khushi. Not even a single night." His whisper sounded like a loud proclamation in the silent, waiting room.
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