Wrapping her arms around her husband, Khushi snuggled up to Arnav and smiled to herself.
“Happy second anniversary baby.”
It was unbelievable. Khushi still couldn’t believe that she and Arnav had already been married for two years now.
Over the last two years they had faced a number of hurdles, nothing major but just little bumps in their journey. For example, for extended periods of time, they were apart due to work. Only last month, Khushi had to go to England due to issues in her main office and Arnav couldn’t accompany her because he had to attend to business in Mumbai.
And even if they were in the same city, there were multiple times when Arnav got home so late that Khushi was already asleep, or sometimes Khushi would get home so late that Arnav was already asleep.
But they we’re grateful for the time that they did spend together and they understood the issues they had regarding timing. It was something that they had come to terms with over the years and had learnt to deal with.
Other changes that had taken place over the years was that Arnav had made Khushi co CEO of AR Designs. This meant that for any major decision that needed to be made, Khushi had an equal say in them. Initially she had straight up refused to accept his offer, but Arnav wasn’t prepared for her to say no.
Picking her phone up, the latest iPhone, gifted to her by Arnav on her birthday, Khushi checked the time and saw that it was still only half 5. Putting her phone back, Khushi pressed herself into Arnav, her body pressed into his. Taking his arm, she placed it on her waist and snuggled closer.
“Khushi what you playing at?”
“Are you awake baby?”
Turning in his arms, Khushi smiled as she took in his face.
“Hi.”
“Good morning. When did you wake up?”
“The first time you snuggled up to me and wished me a happy anniversary.”
Pushing himself up onto his arm, Arnav placed his free arm on Khushi’s waist and pressed a light kiss on her lips.
“Happy anniversary to you too baby.”
They both settled back down, holding each other close and allowed themselves to fall asleep again for another few hours.
*****
“Arnav can you please tell me where we’re going?”
“You’ll see any moment now! Be patient.”
Rolling her eyes, Khushi sat back in her seat again and looked out of the window, trying to work out where they were headed.
After a relatively quiet morning with the family, Arnav was now taking Khushi to a secret location where they would celebrate their anniversary alone. All Khushi had been told about their little get away was that she didn’t need to pack anything at all as everything they needed would already be there.
“You said I’d be able to see any moment. I don’t see anything mr Raizada.”
“You’ll realise right about… Now!”
Turning quickly, Khushi looked out of the window. It took Khushi a moment to take in her surroundings, but soon she realised, they were at the Raizada farmhouse.
Turning back to Arnav, Khushi watched as he smirked and she too couldn’t help but smile. They had only been here once, many many years ago. But the memories of their last visit were still fresh and very much treasured by them both.
As Arnav parked the car, Khushi looked at Arnav questioningly.
Once the car was parked, Arnav got out of the car and made his way to Khushi’s side and opened the door for her.
“Arnav why…”
“I wanted us to go back to London, to that hotel where we expressed our love for each other and where we spent our first night together, but the room we stayed at was booked and I didn’t know if it would be the same if we stayed at another room. So I thought I’d bring you here instead. After all, this place too holds special memories for us.”
She knew exactly what he meant and knew he was right. This place was special. More than special.
Taking hold of Arnav’s arm, he led them into the house. The moment they stepped inside, Khushi gasped as she took in her surroundings.
“Happy anniversary babe.”
His voice was low and husky, his desire evident. But Khushi didn’t notice. She was too busy taking in all the red drapes and the big balloons and the roses scattered all around.
“When did you…?”
“I got Akash and Payal to do it earlier today.”
“You got my pregnant sister running chores for you?”
“She offered!”
“Of course she did Raizada.”
Feigning anger, Khushi turned away but Arnav realised what she was trying to do. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Arnav held her close to himself and kissed the side of her neck.
“Either you can stop pretending to be mad at me, or I can take you to bed and you’ll forget all about your fake anger that way.”
Turning in his arms, Khushi playfully slapped Arnav’s shoulder.
“So what arrangements do you have for us?”
“Well first I have a cake for us to cut and then for you to eat.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll eat you later for dessert, don’t you worry.”
“Arnav!”
Once again, Khushi slapped Arnav’s arm and he laughed.
Taking Khushi’s hand, Arnav led her over to the table where the cake was waiting for them. Khushi looked down at the little chocolate cake and smiled at it.
Picking up the knife that was sat beside the cake, Arnav put it in Khushi’s hand and then held it himself as they cut the cake together. Arnav leaned in and took a bit of the cake and fed it to Khushi. Just as she swallowed the cake, he pulled her into himself and pressed his lips between hers, kissing her deeply. He could taste the chocolate cake that she had just eaten.
As he pulled himself away, Khushi giggled and hid her face in Arnav’s chest.
“I love this, all of this! It’s perfect.”
Arnav held his wife close to himself, smiling because he knew he did a good job. As they broke their hug, Arnav picked up a big brown envelope and handed it to Khushi.
“What’s this?”
“It’s your present.”
Taking it from Arnav, Khushi looked at it highly confused. Slowly, she peeled back the flap and carefully took the papers out. Arnav watched as her eyes moved down the paper, taking the information in. Her mouth kept dropping the more she read.
“No way Arnav, no way in hell. I can’t…”
“You can.”
“But this isn’t you’re decision to make. Nani ji… Mama ji…”
“I held a family meeting and consulted with everyone before I made this decision, they had no objections.”
“Arnav, this is too much I can’t…”
Going back to the papers, Khushi couldn’t help but feel slightly stressed but overwhelmed at the same time. According to these papers, the property they were stood in, was now hers. Arnav had gifted Khushi the Raizada farmhouse.
“Arnav…”
“The farmhouse was in my name before, now it’s in yours. Everything that’s mine is yours anyway so I didn’t see the issue to make this property officially yours.”
“I can’t…”
Taking the papers out of her hands, Arnav took Khushi’s hands into his own and pulled her towards himself.
“You can. I told you, I spoke to everyone and they have no objections. I know Shantivan is our family home, but in time I want to sign it over to mama ji and Akash so it’s officially their home. Whereas I want to keep the farmhouse for ourselves and Di.”
“But then Di’s name should be on the deeds too.”
“I did speak to Di about that, and she said she doesn’t feel that her name needs to be on these papers. She trusts you enough to know that there will always be a place for her in this house.”
“I don’t know what to say…”
“Don’t say anything, just kiss me and let us enjoy our anniversary.”
Khushi wanted to argue, to explain why she couldn’t accept this gift but then she actually thought about. Arnav was right. Whether it was in his name or her name, it would be theirs. After all, Arnav and Khushi were one.
Wrapping her arms around him, Khushi kissed Arnav, bringing him closer to herself. His hands moved under the folds of her sari as he started to push the layers away, getting to her skin. Khushi too let her hands move under his shirt, feeling his toned back.
Breaking the kiss, Arnav lifted Khushi into his arms. Squealing, Khushi held onto Arnav as he properly gripped onto her and slowly made his way up the stairs. Tucking her head into his chest, Khushi smiled and she recalled the last time they had been upstairs in this house. They’d spent the night together and then had a steamy shower together at ungodly hours. But Arnav didn’t take them to his bedroom, he carried on, taking them both up to the terrace.
“Arnav…”
“You didn’t think I was taking you to the bedroom were you? I mean I will take you there, but only after we recreate our last encounter that we had up here.”
Biting her lip lightly, Khushi hid her face back in his chest as she slowly made his way over to the canopied area and sat Khushi down on top of the silk sheets. He moved back in, slowly beginning to unravel her sari and letting it fall down beside them.
The act of undressing Khushi wasn’t as smooth as Arnav wanted it to be and he needed her help to take the pins out, but soon enough, Arnav was left with a semi undressed Khushi. She slipped out of her underskirt and then let Arnav take her blouse off.
Moving back slightly, he took Khushi in, sat there under the fairy lights in nothing but her satin underwear. He loved it when she wore black lingerie, it made her milky skin look absolutely pearly.
Stripping out of his own clothes, he watched Khushi and he put each item of clothing aside. When he had taken even item of clothing off except his boxers, he watched as Khushi’s eyes moved over his body and he smirked seeing her bite her lip.
Leaning in, Khushi captured Arnav’s lips between her own and she moved into him, resting her hand on his thigh while he gripped hold of her waist.
Getting a good hold of her, Arnav lay Khushi down against the silky sheets, his hand roamed over her body, feeling her exposed skin, nearing the waistband of her pants to remove them. Khushi broke their kiss and pushed Arnav off of herself.
“Hey…”
“Wait wait! I need to give you you’re present!”
“I can wait…”
Arnav was ready to move back in, to resume what they were doing, but Khushi shook her head and pushed herself off of the floor and grabbed hold of a blanket. Wrapping it around herself, she got to her feet.
“Give me in minute!”
Arnav was ready to protest but Khushi was already halfway down the stairs. Laying back, Arnav looked at the top of the canopy, waiting for Khushi to return.
She came back a few moments later, her handbag in her hand. Still holding onto the blanket, she kneeled down next to Arnav and opened up her bag and fished out a large brown envelope.
Smiling, Khushi handed over the envelope, pressing a kiss on his cheek at the same time.
“Happy anniversary baby.”
Taking the envelope, Arnav looked at it.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Slowly opening the envelope, Arnav pulled out the file that was waiting for him within. It was a file with the Khushiyan branding on it.
Looking up, he looked at Khushi was confusion in his eyes before slowly opening the file.
He skimmed through the first page and then quickly flicked to the next, and then the next.
“Khushi…”
She’d signed over 51% of Khushiyan.
“Khushi…”
“You can’t say anything. You made me co CEO of AR and the owner of this house. The least I can do is…”
“But Khushi…
Taking the papers out of his hand, Khushi set it aside on the little patio that was beside them. Dropping the blanket that she was using to cover herself, Khushi slowly made her way into Arnav’s lap. Settling herself into his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a light kiss on his lips. Arnav placed his hands on either sides of Khushi’s breasts, giving them a slight squeeze.
“I’ve not done this as a return for what you’ve given me, I’ve done it for my own reasons. A few months back, you said you wanted us to start our family, and I said I wasn’t ready for that yet. Well…”
Blushing, Khushi bit her lip as she slowly took Arnav’s hand and held it in her own.
“I… I’m ready for us to start our family now.”
“You are?!”
Hiding her face in Arnav’s chest, Khushi nodded shyly.
“I’m ready for us to start trying for our baby. And if I do fall pregnant, then I don’t want to have to be worrying about the business, or looking for someone to step in and take my place for me. And when we are blessed with a baby, I want to give all my attention to the baby, I don’t want to have to be worrying about needing to get back to work.”
“I get all that, but 51%?”
“If I left it as 50/50, then whenever you need to make decisions, you’d need to consult with me. This way, you won’t have to bother me.”
Arnav took in all the information that she was providing him with and thought about it all. She had a point and it was all making sense.
“Again, this is something else we can forget about today. Now, we should make the most of our anniversary.”
She was right, but Arnav knew there was no point discussing this at a later date. Khushi was exactly like him, once she had decided on something, nothing would make her change her mind after that.
Taking hold of Khushi once more, Arnav slowly lay her back down on the sheet and moved over her, his hand on her waist as he kissed her once more. He touched her over her underwear, getting a good feel of her before attempting to take her underwear off. It came off in one go and Arnav pulled it away and threw it aside.
Moving down her body, he trailed a line of kisses down her neck all the way down to her bellybutton. Khushi arched back, holding onto him a little tighter. He dropped his hand back down to her thigh and then let it slowly make its way to her inner thigh. He let himself carry on, feeling her shiver under his touch. Khushi held him closer, her nails biting into his skin as she pressed her face into his shoulder, her arms around him tight.
“Arnav…”
Her moaning his name was the undoing of his patience. Pulling away, he stripped her of her underwear and pulled away his boxers.
It was over two year ago when they had first made love, but to this day, every time they did it, it still felt like the first time. The feelings they felt, the way their bodies reacted… It always felt like the first time.
As they came together as one, Arnav and Khushi both sighed, the satisfaction of being joined so intimately taking over all other feelings. This was all that mattered. Them, their love, their being one… All of that mattered far more than wealth and their businesses.
Once they were hardheaded business people, concerned only about success. Now all they needed was love. Love and to be together.
~ The End ~
Tanzeela’s Creative Writing Corner 