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Chapter 153

rulama

@rulama

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]

(Thanx a million, Naughtymallu!)

FINDING KHUSHI

Part 42

Section 2

Arnav watched the mehendi lady etch LGR on Khushi's palm, studying Khushi's face as she focused all her attention on the mehendi, ignoring him.

When the lady was done, Khushi brought her hands close to her face to look at the LGR. It was perfect. She pushed her hand under Arnav's nose to show him the initials of his name.

Arnav bit back a smile, and extended his palm to the mehendi lady. "Please write C on my palm." he said.

The lady smiled at him and picked up her cone.

Khushi pushed his hand away. "C? Who is this C?" she glared at him.

Arnav swallowed his smile, and extended his arm. Khushi pushed it away. The mehendi lady looked at the squabbling couple and smiled.

"You won't dare to write any other girl's name on your hand." Khushi concluded. "I will kill you. So it must be for me. C for Chamkili!" she gasped. "You want to write C for Chamkili?"

"I was thinking C for Crazy, but Chamkili is fine too." Arnav smirked.

Khushi pretended to be outraged. "Awww!" she exclaimed.

Arnav turned to the mehendi lady. "Or maybe you can write S for Sanka Devi."

Khushi's eyes bore into him, leaving behind holes.

"Or P for Parmeswari."

"No!" said Khushi, dissuading the lady.

"Or J." Arnav suggested.

Khushi's face brightened. "For Jalebi Rani?"

"I was thinking Jhalli Rani'" Arnav smirked.

Khushi lost it. "Arnavji, aap'" she jumped up in affront.

Arnav, who knew when to retreat, got up and moved away on hasty feet. Khushi, in a flurry of skirts, ran after him. She glared at her hands full of mehendi. If her hands were free, she would strangle Arnavji! And enjoy doing it!

Nani, Mami, Buaji, & Anjali watched Khushi chasing Arnav around the hall. Arnav dodged all her attempts to reach within arm's length of him by darting between pieces of furniture with dexterity.

"Anyone would think that our Chotey has been practicing running away for years!" Nani commented with a smile.

"Acha he, Saasumma!" said incorrigible Mami. "He bill (will) need it in the phuture (future), aphter (after) marrijj!"

Anjali giggled.

"He Parmeswari, leave Arnav Bitwaa!" Buaji hit her head with her hand. "Are you children to run around like this? Titliyyaa, you will trip and fall, Nandkisore!"

Nani giggled. "Anjali Bitiyaa, I think they were cat & dog in their previous births"

"Taam (Tom) Arnav & Jerry Khussi!" Mami said.

All chuckled.

"No wonder she is like this! She watches cartoons with the children of the neighbourhood, Nandkisore!" Buaji exclaimed.

Arnav ran up the stairs to his room. Khushi followed, trying not to fall flat on her face.

Arnav ran into his room, knowing that he could be sure of privacy there. Khushi, unsuspecting, walked into the trap. As soon as she was in the centre of the room, Arnav dashed to the door and locked it.

Khushi stood looking at him, her breath caught in her chest, her breathing suspended. The scheming, devious, crooked'. Arnav Singh Raizada! She could not think of any other derogatory word at that point of time.

He stood looking at her, a predatory look in his eyes, his gaze roaming over her alluring form in the green lehenga & red dupatta. Khushi gulped and tried to cover her waist with the dupatta, trying to move it over herself with nudges of her arms. Her hands were totally useless. She glowered at the mehendi.

Arnav smiled.

Khushi frowned. She mistrusted that smile of his.

As she watched, he began to walk towards her on slow but deliberate feet. Her eyes widened. His left foot' his right' then his left' his right' Khushi looked at her useless hands, and with a huff, turned and ran out of the room through the door that opened to the poolside.

"Khushi'" he called as he ran after her.

She circled the pool, trying to keep maximum distance between them. He Devi Maiyya, He Devi Maiyya, she chanted, as she ran in a clockwise direction. Arnav changed his route, and tried to reach her by taking the anti-clockwise path. She turned and ran away from him.

The edge of the dupatta that had been tucked in the waistband of her lehenga fell away, exposing the slim, creamy lines of her waist.

Arnav swallowed hard.

Khushi grit her teeth. She had 2 useless hands, a lover on the prowl, and a dupatta that refused to stay on her body! How was she to manage? She lowered her eyes to see if there was any way she could repair the damage.

This was the chance he had been waiting for. He moved in for the kill. Before Khushi could say, "Arnavji!", he was close to her. So close that she could feel his breath on her cheek.

She glanced up, startled.

"Now where will you go?" he asked, his voice a mere thread.

Khushi looked into his eyes, her breath coming in choppy waves.

"Arnavji'" she whispered.

"Hhmmm?" he asked, his lips coming closer and closer to her.

Khushi tried to move back, but his black recliner blocked her path.

She tried to slip away, but his hands clasped her shoulders, making it impossible for her to move an inch.

"My hands'." Khushi whispered. "The mehendi'"

"You don't need your hands to kiss me." he whispered back.

Khushi blushed. "I' I am not going to'" she paused.

"No?" Arnav asked. "Then I am afraid you are not going to leave this room." he smirked.

Khushi stared at him.

"Kiss me." he invited in his bedroom voice. Khushi gulped and gasped for air. "Then you can leave. Otherwise'"

Khushi looked into his wicked, chocolate brown eyes. How dare he look at her like that? How could he smile at her like that? He knew it made her knees feel weak and her body tremble. He was deliberately trying to give her a heart attack.

Khushi looked at his lips. The sinfully delicious curves beckoned her. Her own lips trembled.

Slowly, she moved closer to him. Her hot eyes lingered on his lips. He waited, his heart in his mouth, for the sweet touch.

Khushi fell on him, ravaging his defences, plundering his lips, taking her fill of the hard curves, pressing herself against him.

Arnav felt his heart stop, and then race at breakneck speed.

The hunter became the hunted.

Ganesh looked through the patterns religiously. Anamika looked at him, amused beyond words.

Finally he said, "They are all good."

Anamika smiled.

"You have beautiful hands." Ganesh said simply. He lifted her hand in his, looking at the long, well-shaped fingers. "Any design will look good on you."

Anamika lowered her eyes, and then said softly, "Pick any one."

Ganesh selected a design with floral patterns, with many small flowers hidden in creepers.

Anamika handed it over to the mehendi lady, and said, "This one."

"You like it, Anamika?" Ganesh asked. She hadn't even glanced at it.

"How can I dislike it if you like it?" Anamika asked simply, her soft voice just for Ganesh's ears.