Children? Navya immediately sat up. anant followed suit. navya didn't know what to say. She was so shocked by what anant had just told her.
"We can't. We've already had this conversation." navya said.
"I know we have, but that was when we'd just met each other, and we lived in separate bedrooms. I thought maybe since we're actually living like husband and wife, it would make sense to think about children now." anant explained.
"I-I'm not ready for children. It's a big responsibility to have children, and we aren't in love. A child needs a loving family." navya replied.
"We don't have to be in love. We can just love our child." Anant countered.
"No." navya said simply. 3
"navya, you're being unreasonable." Anant stated. His voice seemed calm with no hint of anger.
"I'm sorry," navya apologized.
"Don't be. I don't need you to be sorry. I need you to be my wife." The desperation was apparent in his voice. Anant inched closer to navya. His hand slowly traced down her arm. He laid her back down on his bed and hovered over her.
"I don't..." navya began.
"Just for tonight." Anant interrupted. He kissed navya's cheek and began to nuzzle her neck.
Navya's body stiffened. She felt Anant kiss down her neck. She suddenly pushed him off and sat up again. Anant groaned in frustration.
"Dammit navya," Anant said, irritated.
"I'm sorry." navya said quickly. "I really am."
"Isn't the point of getting married to have children? What the hell is the purpose of a marriage with no children?" Anant replied. 4
"Not all couples have children. They get married because..." navya stopped.
"because they love each other and want to be together for the rest of their lives." Anant finished what navya wanted to say.
navya looked down uncomfortably. Anant sat up and looked at navya.
"Look, every businessman has children so that those children will grow up and take over the company. It's why my father, who absolutely loathes children, had me, and it's why we need to have children. Now navya, I'm trying so hard to make you comfortable. We have to have children sooner or later. I'm not thrilled about the added responsibility, but our children are the only one who can take over the business. You understand, right?" Anant explained. His gazed was so intensely fixed on navya that she couldn't bear to meet it. 5
"I understand." Navya replied in barely a whisper.
"Good. You're right. Now isn't the time, but one day..."Anant trailed off.
"Of course. One day." navya agreed, giving Anant a fake smile.
"Great. Goodnight navya." anant said. He laid back down and turned his back to her.
navya laid down beside him. Her eyes were fixed to the ceiling. She sighed knowing she wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.
Payal sat at the kitchen table with a serious expression on her face. She clutched her coffee mug tightly as she focused on her thoughts. When Anant and navya came downstairs and joined her in the kitchen, she didn't even notice. +
"Payal?" navya said, trying to get her attention.
Payal didn't respond. Instead, she kept looking off into space.
"Payal, are you okay?" navya tried again.
"Didi! I have to tell you something. Don't be mad." Payal said suddenly.
"Why would I be mad?" navya asked, a little worried.
"Just promise you won't be." Payal replied.
"Okay. I promise. What's wrong?" navya said. Anant had overheard their conversation and was just as curious to know what was on Payal's mind.
"I think I've decided on NYU. I can start in the spring term, in late January." Payal announced.
"Why so soon?" Anant asked.
"She's behind." navya answered for Payal. "She didn't start in the Fall term because she was here."
"Well then starting in Spring is great, Payal! NYU is amazing. You'll love it. You know, Rajiv also studies there. He did his undergrad there and he'll be working on his MBA there as well." anant said.
"Why would I be mad, Payal?" navya asked seriously.
"I want to live in the dorms...not here." Payal admitted.
"You can't live by yourself! New York City is dangerous!" navya exclaimed.
"I'll have a roommate. I won't be alone. Living in the dorms will let me make friends and meet people and I'll have more fun. It's part of the college experience." Payal explained.
"I lived at home and went to college. It was just fine." navya countered.
"But Didi! This is America! It's different here." Payal said in desperation.
"Navya, I think Payal may have a point. Dorms are safe, and living on campus just completes the college experience here. I think it's a good idea for her to live on campus. NYU isn't far. You can visit often, and she can come here on the weekends if you want." anant argued. 1
navya thought about it. It all made sense, but she couldn't just let Payal live alone in New York City.
"But..." navya started.
"Please Didi!" Payal begged.
"Okay, but you're visiting often. And I'll visit you whenever I want to. I mean it Payal. Don't be surprised when I just show up." navya warned. She tried to keep herself from smiling. Payal's enormous grin wasn't helping the situation.
"Yay! I'm not going to back India AND I'm living on campus!" Payal shouted excitedly. She engulfed navya in a huge hug.
"Okay okay that's enough." navya said, pulling Payal away from her, "So why NYU? You spent weeks mulling over colleges. Now you just choose NYU like it was the easiest decision you've ever made."
"Well, Rajiv convinced me." Payal admitted, blushing.
"Rajiv?" navya questioned, looking at Anant, who smiled at her.
"Yeah. You know, he goes there. He went for four whole years like Jija-ji said, so obviously he knows what he's talking about." Payal explained.
Anant was ecstatic! He knew Payal and Rajiv would hit it off. If anyone, Rajiv would be there to look after her once she moved into the dorms on campus. Even though Rajiv no longer lived on campus, his apartment was close enough.
"I'm going to go call him." Payal said quickly, as she practically ran upstairs to her room.
"So Payal and Rajiv." Anant said with a grin once Payal left.
"You were right. They'd be great together." navya agreed. "I just can't believe she's leaving."
"She'll be right in the city, navya and she'll come here during weekends. Don't worry." Anant said sincerely.
"Anant, about last night..." navya started.
"It's fine, navya. Don't worry about it." anant interrupted. He left to talk to the chef about what should be prepared for breakfast. 3
Navya sat down in the living room. The newly added pressure to have children combined with news of Payal's upcoming departure didn't sit well with her. navya felt lousy. Her only sister was leaving, and now Anant was upset with her. It was a little too much to take in. She could hear remnants of Payal's blissful chatter as she animatedly talked to Rajiv on the phone. A wave of anxiety flooded over navya. Anant came into the living room and sat beside her.
"Breakfast will be ready soon. Tonight, there's a party. Hiten is hosting it. It's a New Years party. Be ready at 9pm. Do you think Payal will want to come? I know Rajiv will be there. I invited him myself." Anant casually spoke as if none of last night's conflict bothered him.
"Sure, she'd love to go." navya replied.
"Are you alright?" Anant asked her.
"Of course," navya said quickly.
"Navya, don't worry. Rakesh won't be there. Hiten and I have arranged for extra security and we've informed them that Rakesh should be nowhere near the premises." Anant explained.
Navya hadn't even thought about Rakesh being there! Her thoughts were on the conversation she and Anant had last night and Payal going to NYU. That last thing she needed was Rakesh to worry about.
"Let's go have breakfast," said Navya. She stood up, in a hurry to get into the kitchen away from this conversation. She took a step and suddenly stopped. Pain ruptured in her head, and she felt dizzy. She gripped the sofa to try to balance herself. She felt a strong pair of arms around her waist, steadying her before darkness consumed her.
navya woke up a few hours later. She took in her surroundings. She was tucked into anant's bed. The lights were off, but sunlight shining through the windows illuminated the room.
"Are you okay?" Anant was sitting on the sofa, getting some work done on his laptop. "You fainted."
"What?" navya said, surprised. "I fainted? Why?" navya started to get up.
"Don't." Anant stopped her. "I called a doctor. She said it was because of stress and that you should be fine if you take it easy for the next couple of days. She presecribed some sleeping pills to make sure you get a good night's sleep every night." Anant explained. He made his way over to the bed.
"What time is it?" navya asked.
"You were out for a while. It's around six now." anant answered.
"You didn't go to work." navya noticed.
"Someone had to take care of you." Anant smiled.
navya could've sworn her heart skipped a beat.
"Didi! What happened? You fainted!" Payal heard Anant and navya talking and came running into the room, concerned for her sister.
navya winced at the volume of Payal's voice.
"I'm fine, really." navya tried to convince Payal.
"I don't believe you." Payal pouted.
"Payal, I'll be okay." navya tried again. "The doctor said so."
"Maybe we shouldn't go out tonight." Anant interjected.
"Where were you going?" Payal asked out of curiosity.
"All three of us were going to go to Hiten's New Years party tonight." Anant replied.
"Another party!" exclaimed Payal. navya again winced. Her head was pounding. "Sorry Didi," Payal said a little more quietly.
"No, we should go." navya said.
"Didi, you need to rest." Payal replied.
"Actually Payal, I think you should go...with Rajiv. Neha will also be there and, of course, Hiten will look out for you. You'll have a great time." anant said.
Payal looked unsure.
"But Didi..." She started to say.
"I'll take care of her. Don't worry." Anant interrupted.
Payal looked at navya for her permission.
"You go have fun." navya smiled weakly.
"Thank you Didi! What am I going to wear? Should I call Rajiv? Oh my god!" Payal said excitedly. She quickly hugged navya and exited the room.
"You should go too." navya told Anant.
"Who will I dance with though?" anant replied innocently.
navya blushed. Oh how she enjoyed dancing with anant! She felt bad that Anant couldn't go because of her.
"Payal will be fine. I'll call Rajiv to come pick her up." Anant said, leaving navya by herself.
Navya couldn't let Anant miss his best friend's party. He'd already done so much for her. The least she could do was manage a little headache for him. She got up slowly, careful to steady herself once the dizziness set in. She made her way to the closet and chose a designer anarkali. It was a deep blue in the upper torso area with red and gold stripes down the skirt part. There was heavy embroidery throughout, and it was totally appropriate for a late night terrace party. She decided that the venue allowed for heavier eye makeup and got started with that. After an hour of grooming, navya thought she looked quite presentable. She looked over at the clock. It was almost eight o'clock. Anant said they'd leave at nine.
"Navya," Anant's voice sounded from the bedroom.
navya emerged from the bathroom.
"You look...patriotic." Anant commented.
Navya's face fell. Patriotic? What was that supposed to mean?
"You look like the American flag." Anant said, taking in her appearance.
"You don't like it?" navya asked incredulously. She thought she looked rather okay.
"I love it. You're beautiful as always." Anant said with a smile. "But we're not going anywhere."
"Anant, I'm fine, really." navya replied. "You can't miss your best friend's party."
"You aren't feeling well. We can't take the risk." Anant countered.
"Anant, please." navya pleaded.
Anant hesitated. He didn't want to deny navya but he was concerned about her health. He looked at her again. She was completely ready to go. She must've put in a lot of time and effort into her appearance because she looked beautiful.
"Okay, we'll go but only because it would be a crime to keep you inside while looking like that." Anant said with a smirk.
navya blushed. She was happy they were going, and she was even happier that Anant kept telling her how great she looked.
"But seriously, Navya, if you feel sick at all, we're leaving." Anant said.
"Of course," navya agreed.
"Okay I"ll get ready and we'll go." Anant said turning towards the bathroom.
"Is Payal ready?" navya asked, moving towards the door.
"Oh...she already left. Rajiv came and picked her up a few minutes ago, so it'll just be us." Anant explained.
"Okay, I'll be downstairs." navya said. She sent Payal a text message as she descended the stairs, informing her that she and Anant were coming as well.
The chef had prepared dinner. Anant and Payal had already eaten, but navya hadn't had anything all day. She sat down as one the maids served her. She was finishing up when Anant came sauntering down the stairs.
"Are you ready?" Anant asked, as navya hurried to wash her hands and grab a coat.
"Yeah, just about." navya replied.
Soon the couple were relaxing in Anant's expansive black limo on their way to Hiten's party. After nearly an hour, thanks to the New York City traffic, they pulled up in front of a ridiculously tall skyscraper. Large crowds of people packed into Time Square, waiting for the ball to drop and the announcement of the arrival of the new year to sound off. navya looked at the skyscraper. It looked plain, and there didn't seem to be a party going on anywhere in the near vicinity. anant led her into the fancy lobby of the skyscraper. He too her into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. A security guard welcomed them as soon as the elevator door opened.
"Name." said the scruffy-looking security guard, who didn't even offer a smile.
"Anant Bajpai." Anant replied.
The security guard searched the list. His eyes widened slightly when he finally got to Anant's name. He started speaking with another security guard. Then, he turned back to anant.
"Welcom, sir. Arty here will take you over to the VIP area." he said. This time, he had a wide smile plastered onto this face.
"Thanks." Anant said a little unsurely before he motioned before he held out a hand to navya. She eagerly took it and they followed the other security guard. They were taken up a flight of stairs onto the roof.
Only the roof didn't look like a roof. It was completely decorated. There was a dance floor, fancy lighting, and even a hot tub. Two grand buffets lined two sides of the roof. The DJ was blaring this year's hottest hits as couples danced on the dance floor. The security guard weaved Anant and navya through the crowd and up another short flight of stairs. There, they were met with a lounge area with a private buffet and its own wait staff. The walls were nothing but glass, and the view over Time Square was stunning.
"Anant!" Hiten came out of nowhere and engulfed Anant in a hug.
"It's nice to see you too." Anant said, trying to pull away from Hiten.
"Bhabhi! Thank god you came! Anant told me you two were going to miss my party." Hiten said with a fake hurt expression.
"We'd never miss this, Hiten. It's stunning." navya said, referring to the venue.
"Hiten, do you plan to stay in this glass box all night or are you actually going to mingle with your guests?" Anant asked, noticing that there were only a few people in the room compared to the massive crowd outside.
"I'll get around to it. I just need some me space, you know." Hiten said with a goofy smile. "I can't wait for this ball to drop. Let's which of these lucky ladies will be fortunate enough to kiss these delectable lips." Hiten said animatedly. 1
His eyes landed on navya.
"Don't even think about it." Anant said in mock anger. Hiten grinned innocently.
Eventually everyone left the VIP room and proceeded to mingle with the rest of the crows. Navya found Payal talking with Rajiv, and she and Anant also met with Nikhil and Neha.
"Didi! You look so beautiful!" commented Payal.
"Thanks Payal." Navya said. She sneakily fingered some icing off of the piece of cake Payal was devouring. Anant smiled at her.
She was looking radiant, and she seemed like she was having a good time. Anant felt relieved. He took a seat beside her and started chatting with Rajiv. His attention was on navya though. He couldn't help himself from stealing glances at her. She was just so beautiful. His attention shifted to Hiten, who was trying really hard to flirt with some girls. Anant knew he'd just invited them because they were attractive.
Finally, midnight was approaching. Everyone watched the ball. It's gorgeous crystals and bright lights demanded everyone's attention. Everyone stood up and started cheering as the ball started to drop.
"Ten, nine, eight," the crowd went wild and started counting down the last ten seconds before the start of the new year.
"Three, two, ONE! Happy New Year!!" The crowd erupted in joy. Streamers and confetti came bursting out of cannons that were located at each corner of the rooftop.
Couples shared New Years kisses. Some even dived into a full on make out session right in the middle of the rooftop. navya was confused. Everyone around her was sharing a kiss with their significant others. She saw Nikhil and Neha share a kiss. Even Hiten had found himself a willing girl. navya turned to Payal, expecting to find her just as puzzled as she was but instead saw Rajiv plant a chaste kiss on Payal's cheek. Before navya could say anything, she felt someone pull her away, dragging her from the crowd. +
"Where are you taking me?" navya asked, surprised. She was taken away from the crowd and pulled toward the VIP lounge.
"Come here." Anant said pulling her into the empty VIP lounge.
"What are we doing here?" navya asked, amused.
Anant didn't answer her. He simply watched her, admiring her beauty. He took a deep breath and walked closer to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. navya's eyes widened in surprise. She tried to move away from him, but his hold on her tightened. She instinctively looked down. Anant's face inched closer to hers. He searched her eyes for any sign of resistance, but she refused to meet his gaze. He gently moved her chin up with his fingertips, forcing her to look at him. He moved closer until they were barely inches apart.
Anant kissed Navya.15
Their lips met, and passion erupted between them. navya felt an unfamiliar charge build up inside of her. Her senses fogged up and she couldn't think straight. Her hands rested on anant's chest. One of his hands cupped her cheek as the other arm stayed firmly around her waist. The kiss was gentle, but passionate. Suddenly, fireworks beamed over the New York City skyline, as if a celebration of Anant and navya's union had commenced. 2
Anant gently pulled away, breaking the kiss. navya was left breathless. Colorful lights from the fireworks flooded the room. anant smiled at her.
"Happy New Year, Navya." he whispered, pressing his lips to her cheek. Navya blushed.
"It's so beautiful here." navya said, turning around to watch the fireworks.
Anant wrapped his arms around Navya, hugging her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder And Place A soft kiss on her neck and shoulder and proceeded to watch the fireworks with her in his arms.
"To the New Year! Wishing everyone a prosperous year. Let's hope this year brings more parties, more money, and more love!" Hiten raised a toast, welcoming the new year.
The crowd raised their glasses and cheered. Rajiv, who doesn't drink, and Payal raised their glasses of juice. After she and Anant rejoined the crowd, navya quickly raised a glass of water Anant handed her, while he himself took a glass of vodka from the bar. Hiten raised another toast and wished then announced that the party will go on all night long.
"You're going to have a huge hangover tomorrow." Anant commented as Hiten downed a shot of tequila.
"Whatever. Tonight is my night! Party on!" Hiten slurred carelessly.
"Didi! Where'd you go? You missed the fireworks." Payal came running up to navya.
"I saw them. They were wonderful!" navya answered. She eyed Anant as he talked with Hiten. "By the way, don't think I didn't see what happened between you and Rajiv." navya said mischieviously1
The color from Payal's face drained instantly. A blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Didi, I..." she tried to say, "It's how they celebrate the New Year here."3
"Save it, Payal." navya said seriously.
"But Didi, it won't happen again. I promise. Rajiv is sweet. I told him he could." Payal was nearly in tears.
"Payal! I was just kidding." navya said quickly, hiding a smile.
Payal looked at her suspiciously.
"Really, Payal. I like Rajiv. Just don't let things go too far. You aren't married yet." navya warned. 2
"I almost had a heart attack!" Payal exclaimed. "Do you really like him?"
"Yep. I do. You two are cute." navya admitted.
"I like him too." Payal said quietly.
navya laughed and Payal joined in.
The rest of the night passed in exuberance. Everyone was in a fantastic mood, and the party continued on for hours after midnight. When Anant decided to leave, the party was still going strong.
"Hiten, I think we're going to call it a night." Anant told his best friend.
"What? No! The night's still young." Hiten pouted.
"We should go. Payal looks like she's about to pass out in exhaustion." Anant mused.
"Are you sure you can't stay?" Hiten asked sadly.
"I'm sure, but this was one hell of a party, man!" Anant replied.
"Yeah I know! I'm so glad you ended up coming. It would've been so boring without you." Hiten said excitedly.
"Really?" Anant asked, unconvinced.
"No! I would've had fun either way, but they party was even better with my best friend here." Hiten laughed.
Anant, Payal, and navya said goodbye to Hiten and all their friends. Payal didn't have a chance to say bye to Rajiv. She was too afraid navya would see them again, so she settled for a distant wave goodbye. Payal was asleep as soon as she settled into the limo. Anant looked a navya. He was glad he'd finally kissed his wife. He enjoyed it, and he hoped navya did too. She hadn't said anything about the kiss, but she reacted positively. Anant took that as a good sign.
"Are we there yet?" Payal said groggily, waking from her brief slumber.
"Almost." navya answered.
"Wake me up when we get there." Payal said with a yawn.
navya rolled her eyes as Payal settled her head onto Navya's lap. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Anant's mansion. navya gently shook Payal awake as the limo came to a stop. All three of them were tired. Anant jumped in the shower, while navya made sure Payal got to bed alright. She could barely keep her eyes open. Anant was still taking a shower when navya went back to his room. She quickly changed into something more comfortable, and she took off her makeup. Only then did her thoughts go to the kiss she and Anant shared.
She wondered if people in America celebrated the new year with a kiss at midnight or if Anant really meant it. She smiled to herself as she thought about how great his lips felt on hers. After somewhat of an internal conflict, navya decided that if Anant kissed her goodnight, then he meant the kiss and their relationship would move closer to that of a normal husband and wife. And if he doesn't, then maybe it was just the heat of the moment that possessed him to kiss her. navya wasn't sure if she wanted Anant to kiss her again, she knew she wouldn't refuse him.
She sat at the edge of the bed, trying not to look as tired as she felt. Anant's phone started ringing. navya hesitated. She wasn't sure if it was appropriate to answer his phone. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID. Hiten was calling. navya answered it.
"Hello?" navya said unsurely.
"Anant? Why do you sound like a woman?" Hite slurred. He hiccupped and continued, "Are you cheating on Bhabhi?" He asked in a loud whisper.
navya smiled and shook her head at Hiten's intoxicated state. He wasn't thinking straight.
"Hiten," navya said, trying to get him to quiet down.
"Anant! I need you to come back! Everyone left me." Hiten shouted into the phone.
"Hiten, calm down." navya said.
"I neeeddd a woman in my life!" Hiten said in a singsong voice. He was beyond drunk. navya was unsure what to say. She wished Anant would hurry up so that he could talk to his best friend.
"I hate that you left. You should've stayed. It sucks that you're married now. We could have gone to the bars and hit up some hot women." Hiten said, still believing he was speaking to Anant. navya let out an involuntary gasp. What kind of trouble did these two get into before she and Anant got married?
"Hiten, Anant is..." navya started to say.
"Anant! He's my best friend!" Hiten interrupted. He was so drunk, he couldn't even keep up with the conversation.
Anant emerged from the bathroom. navya immediately held the phone out to him.
"It's Hiten. He's really out of it." She said.
Anant took the phone from her.
"Hiten?" He said, concerned. "What are you talking about?"
Anant looked pensive as he listened to Hiten talk.
"Don't you dare get in a car. You're in no shape to drive." Anant chided. "Okay, I'm coming. Just don't move."
"navya," Anant turned to navya. "Hiten is being an idiot. I have to make sure he's okay."
"Okay, sure." navya replied.
Anant left, still talking to Hiten on the phone. navya worried about Hiten. He sounded so drunk. He was completely out of his senses. Hopefully, Anant could handle him. She felt too tired to stay awake and wait for Anant to return. All she could think about was the goodnight kiss that never happened.
When navya woke up the next morning, Anant still wasn't home. He'd probably spent the night at Hiten's house. She looked at her phone. There weren't any missed calls or messages from Anant. navya checked on Payal, who was still asleep. She must've been really tired, so navya thought she should let her sleep in. She made her way downstairs in search of some breakfast.
A loud gasp escaped her as she was met with a figure sitting at the table. She wasn't expecting to see Anant. Anant looked at navya, surprised.
"Are you okay?" he asked unsurely.
"I...Did you come home last night?" navya asked.
"Yeah I did." Anant replied.
"I...didn't hear you." she said.
"You must've been too tired to notice." Anant replied with a chuckle.
"Is Hiten okay?" navya asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah. He was as drunk as he's ever been, but he passed out soon after I got there. He'll be fine though." Anant answered.
"I'm sorry I answered your phone. I had no right to." navya said quietly.
"It's okay. I don't care. I have nothing to hide." Anant smiled.
Anant wondered if navya would say anything about the kiss they shared last night. He wanted to talk to her about it, but Hiten needed him. He didn't want to upset navya by talking about it, so he thought it best just to leave the matter alone. He would've done just that, but every bone in his body was telling him that he should kiss her again. He needed to kiss her again.
navya went into the kitchen to see what else had been prepared for breakfast. Anant followed her.
"Navya, I..." He started to say. He heard footsteps approaching the kitchen, and suddenly a brilliant idea came to mind. 1
He grabbed navya by the waist. She looked at him, shocked. Anant pulled her close and kissed her. He immediately felt relieved. He'd been wanting to kiss navya again since last night. Anant hands stayed firmly around navya as he pulled her closer. navya felt herself being pushed up against the counter. Anant's lips were still on hers. Anant heard a gasp followed by hurried footsteps. He smiled against navya's lips. Slowly, he broke the kiss.
"Anant," navya said, surprised.
"I think it worked." Anant said, peering out of the kitchen.
"What worked?" navya asked.
"Payal saw us." He answered, nonchalantly.
"She what?" navya's eyes went wide.
"She saw us...kissing." Anant repeated.
"You kissed me...so she would see?" navya asked incredulously.
"Navya, husbands kiss their wives. Payal has barely seen us touch each other. We need to be more believable. Don't you think?" Anant said with a smirk.
"That's the only reason why you..." navya trailed off. She was a little heartbroken that Anant didn't kiss her because he wanted to. 2
"Yeah, sorry if I.." Anant started.
"No, don't be sorry." navya interrupted. She went to go see where Payal went.
"Payal, are you up here?" navya called as she ascended the stairs. She walked into Payal's room.
"Didi," Payal was blushing. "Sorry I walked in on you and Jija-ji..."
"It's okay." navya said quickly, a blush creeping onto her own cheeks.
"I've never really seen anyone I know kissing like that. Ma and Baba never even held hands in front of me." Payal giggled.
"We didn't mean for you to see us." navya blushed even deeper.
"Didi, do you love Jija-ji?" Payal asked all of a sudden.
Navya hesitated. She wasn't expecting Payal to ask her something like that.
"Not yet, but I'm starting to. Soon, I'll learn to love him." navya couldn't stop herself from blushing. She looked down.
Payal smiled widely.
"It must be so great to be falling in love. I'm so jealous." Payal admitted.
"When you get married, you'll fall in love too." navya said, hopefully.
"Do I have to have an arranged marriage?" Payal whined. "A love marriage seems so much more romantic, you know. And Rajiv..."
"Rajiv?" navya interrupted with a smiled.
"Well, he's around, and he's nice." Payal tried to cover.
"Sure, Payal, whatever you say." navya grinned. She knew that Payal didn't know about the plans Anant had of fixing her marriage with Rajiv once he's settled a little more. Payal would no doubt be ecstatic. navya could tell Payal had some sort of crush on Rajiv.
Anant paced nervously in the kitchen. He felt extremely anxious. The physical attraction between him and navya had reached a whole new level ever since he kissed her. It was getting increasingly difficult to be civil around her. He had remained celibate since they got married, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to stay that way for much longer. He hoped that all that talk of children would convince her to give in and finally consummate their marriage, but that's not what happened. He decided that the best plan of action would be to just leave. He couldn't deal with this right now. Besides, he needed to check on Hiten to see if he was alright. 2
anant knocked on Hiten's apartment door after he'd driven into the city. No one answered. Anant, being Anant, took the spare key that was hidden in Hiten's secret spot and let himself in.
"Hiten!" Anant called as he entered.
He went straight to the bedroom, knowing the Hiten would still be asleep. He definitely was not a morning person.
"Wake up!" Anant shouted.
Hiten mumbled something inaudible.
"Come on Hiten. I need some advice. Come get drinks with me." Anant hit him hard with a pillow.
Hiten popped up and looked over at the clock.
"No more drinking." he said, pouting. Last night's hangover had taken a toll on him.
"Okay then, coffee. Come on. Get dressed." Anant countered.
Once Hiten was fully awake, Anant made himself comfortable on the sofa and turned on Hiten's massive plasma screen TV. He mindlessly watched whatever was on til Hiten came out, ready to leave.
"Let's go." Hiten dragged his feet to the door.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" anant asked, amused.
Hiten sat in the passenger seat of anant's sports car, sulking.
"Nothing. Girl trouble, man." he admitted.
"Wanna talk about it?" Anant asked.
"No." Hiten pouted.
Anant gave him a look as he pulled up to their favorite cafe.
"Yes." Hiten gave in.
They exited the car and walked in. The hostess perked up upon seeing them.
"Well hey there, just two?" she asked, giving Anant her best I'm sexy' look.
"Yeah, just two." Anant confirmed.
They followed her to the back of the cafe. She took their drink orders and gave Anant wink as she walked away.
"How the hell do you always get all the women? You weren't even trying!" Hiten complained.
"Oh please. Stop being a baby." Anant replied. "What's your problem? Did you meet a girl last night?"
"Several." Hiten smirked.
Anant rolled his eyes.
"And?" he prompted.
"Nothing. None of them were interested. One even asked me to set her up with my hot friend.' That bitch!" Hiten said with irritation.
"Damn, it must suck to be the friend of such an amazingly attractive guy." Anant joked.
Hiten pouted even more.
"Maybe I should just get married." He said quietly.
"Why do you say that?" Anant asked, knowing Hiten wasn't the type to settle down.
"Guaranteed action every night." Hiten answered. 7
Anant nearly choked on his coffee. He looked at Hiten incredulously. This was the last thing he needed to be talking about right now. +
YAY!!!! Anant and navya FINALLY KISSED!!! TWICE!!! Poor Anant. He's starting to become restless haha. Anant and Hiten are going to have a seriously enlightening conversation. I just didn't want the chapter to go on forever. Some drama to come! Also, no cliffhanger this time!
Tell me your reaction to Anant and Navya's kiss!! I'm anxious to know how incredibly excited you all are now that they've kissed. +
COMMENT AND Like more than ever!
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