WW About Last Night (Apr30-May08 2012)) - Page 13

May 1, 2012 09:26

It is not often said--and not said often enough--that there is a significant dark side to love. And though she had never intended to love this difficult disobliging man, Khushi had, in reluctant increments, eventually fallen for Arnav Singh Raizada. And, now she loved him so completely that all claim to independent happiness was forfeited. This was the dark side: If Arnav was disturbed, she could not be happy. Even when she did not agree with the nature of his disturbance.

She watched a frown gather on Arnav's forehead as Yash lead Anjali into the Gupta House. They were alone so she took his face in her hands and forced his attention on her.

"He is not Shyam," she pointed out, mildly.

Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say.

"What?! Do you think I want to hear that? Did you know what Shyam was until he showed himself?" Arnav snapped. "Unbelievable logic!" He removed her hands from his face so they dropped to her side.

Khushi stiffened at his misdirected anger.

"Don't bark and snap at me, you...you YOU Snapster!"

"Snapster? What the f*** did you just call me?" His frown deepened at this unwelcome baptism.

She replied by threatening him with an index finger under his nose, her eyes narrowing, "Don't use that word in my presence!"

It would have been a fine thing if her husband had simply apologized and hung his head in shame. But, this was Arnav Singh Raizada. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and with a slight smirk, he asked, "what word?"

"You know!"

"What word? Snapster?" he toyed with her.

"The F word!" she said, boldly in English.

He was now smiling openly at her, thus elevating her fury. "Ah, the F word," he mimicked. "I can't promise to not use that word, Khushi. Because, I like that word." He stepped closer and without touching her, he leaned towards her and requested in an intimate low voice, "Let me hear you say it, Khushi! I'll enjoy hearing it from your sexy mouth."

Khushi balked at his audacity. How dare he provoke her sexually in this moment when she was furious! "You think I won't say it?" she challenged.

He shrugged to imply that he would believe it when he heard it.

Khushi dismissed him with a cool glance. She approached the stairs and lifted her saree practically to her knees. She looked over her shoulder. She had his fullest attention. Now was the moment.

"F*** off!" She dropped the words, enjoyed his horrified startled response, and then raced up the stairs.

She entered Buaji's house, breathless but triumphant. Infuriating man!

Several sets of expectant eyes descended on her. The eyeballs then shifted to the space behind her, where they expected to find Arnav standing.

Khushi said, "he'll be in shortly. He had to take a phonecall..."

She threw a look over her shoulder and found that indeed her husband was talking on the phone. Humph! Devi Maiyya had gifted her with a lover with whom she was telepathically connected--but with whom standard conversation usually failed.

She turned back to greet Buaji, her parents and Mrs. Malhotra--all who were in animated discussion with Anjali and Yash about the Lucknow weekend. Little Khushi's request for ice cream was going unheard, so Khushi swept her into the kitchen where she spooned a dish of strawberry ice cream into a bowl. She sat the girl on the kitchen counter with bowl and spoon and turned to the pantry to look for ice-cream wafers.

When she turned back, she found Arnav casually leaning against the counter, next to Little Khushi.

She met his eyes bravely.

He lifted an eyebrow, and stated, "there is a vast difference between how I use that word and how you just used it?"

Khushi shrugged, "is that right?" She was aware that a four-year old was absorbing every word of their conversation. With her eyes she made her husband aware of the same.

He looked at Little Khushi and asked her, "how does your father punish you when you use a bad word?"

"No story at bedtime," the girl replied promptly, dipping a wafer into the ice-cream.

Arnav met Khushi's eyes and promised her, "no story for you tonight then."

"I'll manage without," she replied sassily.

Arnav said to Little Khushi, "do you mind?" Without waiting for the girl to reply, he stuck his index finger deep into her bowl, scooped up some ice cream and when Khushi opened her mouth to protest, he stuck his entire finger into her mouth.

Khushi's mouth instinctively closed around the digit, and their eyes collided over the action.

"Strawberry?" he asked, in a low voice.

Khushi nodded and ran her tongue teasingly up, down and around his finger.

She was gratified to see his eyes darken in that familiar way, both forgetting that Little Khushi was observing them.

"Are we interrupting you?"

They turned around to find Yash and Anjali standing at the entrance to the kitchen.