For the first time all evening, Khushi finally took a good look at Arnav once she was seated beside him and it was then that she finally realised he was wearing a black sharwani. He caught her taking him in and she smiled at him before quickly looking away. God he looked sexy!
Nani moved forward and proceeded with the shagun ceremony. Everyone beamed with happiness as they watched, glad their their children had found happiness in each other and that they were preparing to start a new life together. Buaji and Garima had tears in their eyes, their Khushi soon wouldn’t be theirs.
Khushi had periodically turned to Arnav and had tried to read his expressions. She noticed how he had been beaming throughout the ceremony, regularly taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.
Once the rasam was done, Nani turned the Shashi and Garima and smiled.
“Shashi ji, your daughter is now ours! And you don’t have to worry, she will be the darling of our family. We will treat her with the same love we give to Anjali and Payal.”
“Thank you, and you Arnav, for both choosing my daughter and taking a stand for her today. I know you will all keep her very happy.”
Arnav smiled and nodded, but quickly got to his feet when he saw Anjali and Shyam glaring at him, gesturing for him to touch Shashi’s feet.
“Shashi ji, would it be possible for all us elder people to go and talk about other arrangements.”
“Of course, please follow us to the other room.”
The elders left to discuss what was to happen next and the youngsters stayed behind, talking excitedly about the function that had just happened and about all their plans for future functions. Arnav casually put his arm around Khushi and pulled her closer to himself.
“Hey babe.”
“Hi.”
“So, you’re officially mine!”
“Not officially. I become yours officially after the wedding!”
“Who are you trying to fool. You’ve been mine right from the first moment we both properly looked at each other. By the way, did I mention that you look beautiful?”
“Thank you, you look incredibly hot.”
“You look hotter. In fact you look so hot that I want to take you upstairs right now. Can I take you upstairs?”
“What do you plan to do there?”
“Someone’s got naughty ideas in her head hasn’t she? I want to make love to you for so long and so hard that you can’t move tomorrow morning.”
Khushi bit her lip and felt her cheeks heating up as he nuzzled into her neck.
“I’d love that!”
Both Arnav and Khushi got caught in the moment and completely forgot that they were surrounded by their siblings. Bringing his face to hers, Arnav smiled as he leaned in to kiss Khushi. As if on autopilot, Khushi too moved forward. Their lips touched ever so lightly, but they both felt the insane fireworks go off around them.
Anjali was the first to notice what was happening and cleared her throat loudly. Arnav and Khushi jumped apart and looked at their siblings feeling extremely awkward.
“Ahem, chote, as much as I have no issue with what you two are doing, would both like to pay attention and help us plan YOUR wedding. Or would you both rather we just let you carry on and we do all the wedding planning for you.”
Arnav ran his hand through his hair and gave his sister a sheepish smile while Khushi kept her eyes on her lap, feeling too shy to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Nanav, you’ll have plenty of time with Khushi on honeymoon. But I don’t think you need it, seeing as your honeymoon period started a long time ago!”
“Nanheji, they have to go on honeymoon, after all it’s time to ‘bond’ every couple needs their honeymoon. Why I remember our like it was yesterday. Rani Sahiba, do you remember how much bonding we did during out honeymoon?”
There was scattered laughter throughout the room and Anjali blushed before punching her husband on the arm. Khushi looked around in awe at the people sitting around her. They were all so open with each other. She decided that if she was to be a part of this family, she too would have to speak up and actually interact with them properly.
“Payal bhabi, tell us, how was your honeymoon?”
“Horrible, all Akaash did was sleep all day! We barely went out to sight see and there was no time at all for shopping.”
Akaash turned to his wife, his eyebrow raised. He then turned to Khushi as he offered his side of the story.
“Yes I did sleep all day, but someone has left out a vital part of the story. You should ask her why I had to sleep all day. But I’ll save us all time and tell you all. It’s because someone wouldn’t let me get to sleep until the early hours of the night. If she wants, she can tell you why we were up so late every night.
Again there was scattered laugh and Payal blushed. Anjali came to her sister-in-laws rescue and diverted the attention away from Payal.
“Chote where will you guys go on honeymoon?”
“Wherever Khushi wants to go.”
“Where would you like to go Khushi?”
“I don’t care as long as I’m with my husband.”
“Then it’s settled, Saale Saab, you and Khushi ji shall have your honeymoon in the storeroom at home!”
“What, no way Jijaji! There’s no space for one man to lie down in there, how will me and Khushi both fit?”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to manage. After all, the less space there is during the honeymoon, the better right?”
The group burst out laughing and Khushi hid her face in Arnav’s chest. Lavanya who had been watching the scene that was playing out in front of her, laughed. She couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with happiness for Khushi. The people who were sitting around them right now were some of the best people she had ever met and she was so glad that they were so open and fun. She just knew Khushi would have a great time with them.
“Please stop teasing my sister! Her honeymoon is private and all details of the honeymoon are confidential and should stay between her and Jeej. But of course as her sister and best friend, I will know everything…”
“La! You know I wouldn’t tell you!”
Before Lavanya could reply, the elders of both family came out, causing Arnav and Khushi to jump apart.
“We have decided that the engagement will be the day after tomorrow and the rest of the ceremonies will start after that. We have decided that this will happen as soon as possible as we want it be done before Khushi and Arnav have to go back to university at the start of next semester.”
Everyone nodded in agreement and began talking excitedly.
“But Nani, with everything being so soon, Chote and Khushi won’t have time to go on honeymoon?”
“They will leave as soon as the wedding ends. That will give them 5 days for their honeymoon.”
The Raizada’s and Kashyap’s embraced each other, excited that this was happening and so soon.
They sat around for a little while longer before the Raizada’s decided it was time to leave. As they greeted each other and slowly left, Arnav hung back and waited for his family to leave and for the Kashyap’s to be out of earshot before he turned to Khushi.
“I’ll FaceTime you tonight. Be ready.”
Before Khushi could reply, Arnav dropped a quick kiss on her cheek and left.
*****
It was later the same evening and Lavanya was finally settling down after a long evening. After the Raizada’s had left they had got changed and then got straight on to tidying up the house before sitting down with their parents and discussing all the things that needed to be done within the next few days before the engagement. Khushi was in the bathroom and Lavanya was waiting for her to come out so that they could finally actually talk about everything that had happened today.
Just as La picked up her own phone, Khushi’s laptop, which she’d left on was now ringing, signifying that someone was FaceTiming her. Lavanya answered the call upon seeing that it was Arnav. She waited as the call connected and waited for Arnav’s face to pop up on the screen. When he did finally appear, Lavanya got the shock of her life and instantly averted her eyes. Arnav was sitting in front of her without his shirt on.
“Arnav What the hell! Please put your shirt on!”
“What the? Lavanya?”
“Yes!”
“Where’s Khushi?”
“In the bathroom. Where’s your shirt, do I have to tell Khushi to buy you one?”
“No Lavanya, I don’t see the need to wear a shirt when I’m talking to my girlfriend. It’s not like I have anything to hide.”
“Yeah true, she’s seen it all hasn’t she?”
Eyes still averted, Arnav and Lavanya laughed at the last comment and it was then that Khushi walked back into the bedroom. She came to sit down beside Lavanya and said hi to Arnav. La said bye before passing the laptop back to Khushi.
“Hey darling.”
“Hi handsome.”
“Has Lavanya left?”
“Yeah, she’s sitting in her bed.”
“But she’s still in the same room?”
“Yes, why?”
“Fine go to an empty room and take the laptop with you.”
“Why?”
“Just do it! I want to talk to you in private.”
Khushi looked to Lavanya who simply smirked. Khushi left and made her way to the guestroom.
“Ok I’m here.”
“Good. Now lock the door and close the curtains.”
“But why?”
“Just do it!”
“Ok, ok, laad gavarnor.”
Khushi went over and locked the door and closed the curtains. She flipped the lights on before coming back to sit on the bed.
“What now and what are you up to?”
“I just wanted to see you.”
“Oh seriously? Is that all? Why did I need to lock everything and close everything? You can see me na?”
“Because we need privacy for I want you to do for me.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Arnav smirked and Khushi felt herself getting a little tense. Was he going to make some sort of strange request?
“Strip!”
“What!?”
“What did you think I meant when I said see you?”
“See me, like this!”
“Oh gosh Khushi, why would I want that? And look I’ve already done what you would have wanted me to do; I’ve only got my boxers on!”
“Arnav, stop being silly, if you really want to see me, we’ll go out tomorrow!”
“Oh we’ll do that, but this is going to be fun as well.”
“I refuse to take my clothes off!”
“Then I refuse to meet you tomorrow!”
“Oh don’t be mean!”
“Please baby, I want to see you.”
“Fine.”
Khushi grumpily placed the laptop on the bed and stood up.
“God this is so awkward!”
“Just imagine it’s me taking your clothes off.”
Khushi looked at herself, took a deep breath and slowly pulled her kameez over her head. Once off, she slowly put it aside before turning back to the computer screen. Arnav on the other side gasped. She looked amazing. No matter how many times he saw her in her underwear, she still took his breath away every single time. There she was, stood before him in a black lacy bra. Arnav could feel himself harden, how he wished he was there with her, to touch her, to kiss her…
“Your shelwar has to go.”
“What!”
“Babe, do it. Please.”
Khushi took a breath and then undid the strings on her shelwar. Arnav gulped. Khushi stepped out of them and it took her a moment to have the courage to look up to the screen and take in his expression. Though she had stood before him in nothing but her underwear before, doing it like this made her feel so much more exposed, so much more vulnerable. Arnav on the other hand was sat there, taking her in. There she was, in nothing but two pieces of skimpy black material and he couldn’t do anything about it.
“God I want to touch you and kiss you.”
“I want to feel your touch on my skin.”
“Tomorrow baby, I promise!”
“But engagement preparations!”
“We’ll think about that then. Khushi… Take your bra off…”
“Arnav!”
“Babe, we’ve got this far.”
Khushi shook her head but turned around all the same. Arnav saw her hands go to her back and she unclasped her bra. She pulled it away and turned, excruciatingly slowly. Her checks were bright red. Arnav’s mouth fell open. She looked amazing and instantly he regretted his decision because it made him want to be with her. He desperately wanted to be with her desperately. Khushi looked up and she could tell that he was fighting for his self control, that perhaps he hadn’t thought this rendezvous through properly.
Arnav shifted and Khushi got a slight peak of him, it was evident he was hard. She felt herself flush further as it brought back all the memories of the two nights they had spent together and it made her long for him. To be with him, to be in bed with him. To be touched by him, to be intimate with him again…
“What now?”
“Nothing, we don’t have to do anything, we can just sit and have a normal conversation… Or we could have a sexy conversation, it’s up to you…”
“But like this? Shouldn’t we get dressed again?”
“No, it’s so much more fun to do it like this…”
To begin with, Khushi felt extremely self conscious about the fact that she was sitting before him, naked. But after a while, she stopped thinking about it and they fell into a regular, easy conversation.
“You’re damn sexy.”
“I know, you’ve mentioned it at least 4 times in the last half an hour.”
“I’m going to have to go now Khushi, I desperately need a cold shower!”
With that, Arnav bid her goodnight and then disconnected the call. Khushi closed her laptop and looked at her clothes that were strewn all over the floor. Picking each bit up, she looked at the clock as she got dressed again. It was well past midnight, so she decided to sleep in the guest room.
Pulling the last of her clothes back on, she shook her head as she smiled to herself.
“He’s mental, but I love him.”
Tanzeela’s Creative Writing Corner 