Chapter 42

Khushi was headed to her office after almost an hour. Simran was taking this quite seriously and wanted to double check everything. Khushi was still a basket case of emotions. Her brain was now functioning better and she had a clearer picture of what she had blurted out last night. "Maybe Arnav was drunk too and wouldn't remember as well?" she thought hopefully. She knew that was not the case as he had obviously began preparations for the press conference. "What would she tell him?" as she nervously gazed down at the floor.

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Most of the day had passed by busy for both Arnav and Khushi. They had both avoided each other, uncomfortable with last night's fight. Arnav was getting ready to leave when Aman entered. "ASR - Do you need anything before I go home?" he asked.

Arnav was about to say no when he remembered the RSVP list. "Aman - have u heard from Lavanya? I saw that she is attending the fashion show.

Aman fidgeted from side to side. He took a deep breath as he realized ASR's ex fiancé would be returning for the first time since her broken engagement with ASR. “She confirmed via email that she would definitely be coming. I thought you had approved her name on the guest list" he stammered.

"Yes I did approve her name as an invited guest. I was just curious as to her details. Well if you hear any information from her then let me know. Enjoy your evening." he said while walking out himself.

Khushi was downstairs waiting for Arnav when Akash joined her. He gave her a weird look.

Ji?" she questioned with a puzzled look.

"Khushiji I heard from NK Bhai that you were dressed to kill last night" teased Akash, not missing a chance to tease his saali.

Khushi gasped in surprise " She would not spare NK!" "Jiju I can't believe you are teasing me!"

"Why Khushiji? Don't I have the right to tease you once in awhile. Looks like the Raizada family traditions are too boring for you" as he adjusted his glasses and waited for her reaction.

"Jiju looks like you are jealous! Don't worry I will get a similar dress for Jiji too" she answered back haughtingly.

"Please do Khushiji." as he burst out laughing upon seeing the look on khushiji's face. “Both brothers are shameless!” she thought to herself.

Arnav joined them and Akash proceeded to tell him that his car had been sent to the mechanics, and if he could ride with him. Of course Arnav had no issues. He was actually a little relieved that he wouldn't be alone in the car with Khushi. " What if Khushi was regretting her decision to marry him." he thought with a heavy heart as they headed towards the car.

Upon arrival the first thing they all noticed was the weird looks on Di, Aarav, Mami, and Nani's face. His family was terrible at trying to keep a secret as they glanced obviously to one another.

"Chotte - you and Khushiji go to the guest room to freshen up. I have had some clothes sent there." ordered Anjali.

"Why the guest room Di?" as he tried to analyze his family's faces and figure out what they were upto.

"Chotte you just go and I will tell you after you freshen up."

Arnav gave them a weird look as he headed to the guest room. Frankly he had too much on his mind to try and figure out what was going on.

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They had just finished dinner. Dinner had been a relatively quiet affair for Arnav and Khushi. The rest of the family had participated in their usual conversation. Anjali cleared her throat, and Aarav immediately caught Anjali's eye. He stood up from the table and requested Arnav and Khushi to follow him. Aarav led the way as the entire family followed. Khushi gave him a curious look but Arnav shrugged, silently telling her that he did not know what was going on. Di opened the door to with an excited look in her face.

Khushi and Arnav looked around in surprise. Their room was different. They admired the new paint colors and curtains. Khushi really liked the contrast of colors and the rich maroone curtains were much better than the old one. She delicately fingered a new butterfly shaped crystal that had been chosen as a decoration, as a reflection of her nickname Titaliya.

Anjali: Priya and her team decided to work late last night since you two were busy. They came early this morning and finished up as much as they could. Go and see the new finished bathroom.

Khushi peeked in and let out a gasp as she observed the lavishness of the bathroom. The two marble sinks was the first thing that caught her eye. They perfectly complimented the grandeur of the area. The interior paint matched their room and fresh flowers had strategically been placed to liven it up. She noticed an area between the sinks which seemed like a perfect space to keep some of her personal items. The tub was still situated on the entrance to the left. The shower area had been redone with tiles, achieving a very classy appearance.  

Arnav was quite pleased with the updated washroom. It had a new and modern feel to it. The entire room had been redesigned very tastefully. The walk in closet was quite spacious and He wondered what Khushi’s thoughts were on the room.

Payal interrupted his train of thought as she professed his liking for all the new additions. Everyone agreed and headed out to their respective rooms, to give Arnav and Khushi a little bit of privacy.  Arnav saw Khushi running her fingers through the curtains. “How do you like the room?” he questioned.

“It is very nice. I can’t believe this is the same room. Feel this fabric, it is extremely soft. I love the colors as well. Did you see the size of the closet? Who needs such a big closet?” as she rambled her thoughts on. He was glad that she liked the room. However, Arnav was anxious to talk to Khushi about last night. He took a deep breath and then asked “Are you feeling ok after last night?”

 “I am perfectly fine.” Khushi whipped her head and replied in a panicky tone.

Arnav prodded deeper as he said “Do you remember anything about last night?”

Khushi gazed down at the floor nervously. She stared at her own feet as she meekly answered yes.

“Yes. So you remember everything that you said last night?” he inquired watching her fidget with feet.

“Hmm. I think I hear Naniji calling me. I will be right back.” as she tried to make an escape.

Arnav was quicker and in two strides reached her and lifted her in his arms so she couldn’t flee anywhere. “I don’t hear anyone calling you. Even if they are this is important.” as he held on to her tightly. He would be damned if he would let her bolt.

Khushi wished she could simply go hide and crawl into a hole somewhere. She avoided eye contact as she spoke with a trembling tone. “I remember but the alcohol influenced me to say a lot of things. I didn’t mean to say them. Can you put me down now?”

“So are you saying that they were false? You know one of the effects of alcohol is that they force people to speak the truth. So don’t pretend with me.” he spat angrily.

“What do you want me to say? Just tell me and I’ll say it!” she said indignantly .

“The truth Khushi! Tell me the truth! Why do you feel that you are not worthy enough for me? Who has put these thoughts in your head?” as he placed her feet on the floor and cupped her face gently.

Khushi was worn-out of this entire drama. She was trying her best to avoid this conversation as she knew it would hurt him, but he was being stubborn as a mule! If he wanted answers then she would give him answers! “Why are trying to place the entire blame on me? You obviously don’t think I am worthy to be your wife in all aspects since you have been hiding me from the media! But I guess Arnav Singh Raizada never imagined that he would be marrying a simple middle class girl from Lucknow! One that doesn’t know English or does not prefer Western clothes! Or one who is not extremely modern!

Arnav shut his eyes trying block out the anger and pain that he felt cursing through him. “When did you first begin to feel this way?”

“When I met Sheetalji, that was when I realized all your previous girlfriends were similar. When I watched you play basketball with you, I realized that I didn’t even understand the game. When she talked about your past memories of food, I realized that I hadn’t heard of foreign dishes. In many ways she was similar to Lavanyaji. Both were career oriented and extremely western. I am positive that all of your girlfriends were like that. But not me! I’m nothing like them! as she slumped her shoulders dejectedly and wiped away the tears. She wished she could find solace in her bleeding heart.

Arnav gently embraced her hand and led her outside to the poolside. He sat her down on the lounger and sat beside her.

“Khushi – my life turned upside down after my mother’s death. I had very different views in life. I have not hidden the fact that I had many girlfriends. They really meant nothing for me. I didn’t have very many friends so I dated simply to pass time. I came across certain kinds of women due to my nature of work and dealing with models. I went to Harvard in a foreign country. Girls like Sheetal are the norm there. So obviously most of the girls I dated there were similar.”

Khushi silently listened as he continued on.

“But Khushi after Harvard I came back to India. I knew that I didn’t want to settle there. You are the only girl whom I have ever truly loved. With that love comes a sense of protectiveness and concern. I am fiercely protective of those I love. I was terrified of what would happen if I introduced you to the media because of my own actions!” he looked away as he continued to pour out his thoughts. “I released the clip of you falling in my arms in Lucknow. The media would easily put two and two together and the thought of anyone speaking ill of you is simply intolerable for me. Girls like Natasha have nothing better to do than rile people up. If it was not one thing it would be another. With my ex-girlfriends I never cared enough to think through the consequences of being seen with them or photographed with them. My motto was any publicity is good publicity.”

“You know how special you are to me right? Then he could you think that I was embarrassed of you? How could you think that I cared about the fact that you can’t speak English or what kind of clothes you wore! How dare you think any of that matters to me!” he yelled.

She winced upon hearing his confession. She had really misconstrued things. What she had thought was embarrassment was actually his way of shielding her and protecting her. Yes they were from two different worlds but what they shared was true love. “I know you love me Arnav, I guess I was trying to be a better wife and to fit into your world.” she admitted emotionally.

Arnav listened to her innocent confession. His mind went into a tailspin as emotions claimed the better of him and he slammed his lips furiously into Khushi. He kissed her harder and urgently. He bit her lip, to which she gasped and his tongue snaked in her mouth. His tongue explored her mouth and he lifted her again. Her hand instinctively clutched his collar as he carried her into the bedroom.

He went down and placed her on the bed. His mouth went straight to her neck, where he nibbled, kissed, and sucked. His hands roamed her body freely while he continued to suck a sweet spot on her neck.  He let his hands work his magic on her body, savoring the softness of her skin. He took a deep breath, taking in the sweetness of her jasmine scent. His lips gently caressed her lips, which were soft as rose petals. He looked into her eyes to find them smoldering with desire. Khushi was passionate on so many levels and he loved that about her. His hands were still inside her shirt as he rubbed her back slowly. 

He kissed her passionately as his hands now settled over her thin waist, wanting to feel every inch of her. Their tongues danced together and he drew small circles around her belly button. One hand continued to tease her navel as the other traveled upward. He felt the satin cloth and stroked her nipple, over her bra. He could feel like her nipple getting hard yet he continued to feel it over the cloth. She moaned slightly in his mouth expressing her own yearning to feel more. Desire coursed through him as he unclasped her bra. He removed her clothing and immediately began sucking one of her rosy peaks. His other hand was now erotically massaging her other breast, delighting in the softness of her mounds. Her moans turned him on even more as he went on to satisfy the other nipple, sucking ravenously. He was determined to shower his with his love.

Her aching need for him was getting heightened with his tantalizing touch. She slipped her hands underneath his shirt and marveled at the firmness of his body. She unbuttoned his shirt and threw it recklessly on the floor while her hands wandered and caressed with a mind of their own. The feel of his sculpted body and muscles heightened her arousal. She felt his hardened form press into her urgently as he removed the remainder of her clothing. She felt a tingling sensation on her thighs as his hand caressed her bare thighs. Slowly and seductively running his hand up and down her thigh as his fingers made their way to her wet sex. Her senses danced with excitement as those very fingers grazed her feminity. She whimpered at the loss of his touch, craving it so desperately. His lips trailed down her body as those very fingers returned to fondle her core. The sensations in her stomach spiraled he continued to wreak havoc on her most intimate part. She opened her eyes at the loss of touch only to feel him near her entrance.

She arched her with illicit waves of pleasure flowing through her as he entered her. They moved in sync with each other as he thrusted in and out of her. The sensations in the pit of her stomach were now spiraling out of control as she gripped his shoulders tightly. His muscles tightened as he felt his own release near. She felt his hot breath near her ear as he whispered “I love you Khushi”. That sent her over the edge as she felt the ripples of mind-blowing pleasure flow through her body. She let a low scream while her body continued to spasm in delight.  

Arnav grunted as his own body was brought to the brink. Enjoying their special moments in the comfort they provided for each other. He moved his body, no longer on top of her, as the sheet came over them. She snuggled closer to him as he wrapped his arm around her waist. She looked around the new room feeling content. It was almost symbolic, how their talk had taken place on the culmination of the new room. It was like a new beginning, she smiled.

Or so she thought!