Arnav snuck into her room from the window, and he quickly hid so Khushi didn't see him as he realised she hadn't finished getting changed yet; she was still struggling with the dori(string) at the back. Watching from a distance, he admired Khushi's outfit, taking his time to look her up and down - every inch of her. He had been planning to come and talk to her, convince her that she was making the wrong decision. It had taken him 3 weeks to think of an appropriate way to win her back, and he had only recently realised how close her wedding was coming. Arnav decided that in order to win back her trust he would take her with him, and together they would tell Di everything. The truth about the marriage, about Shyam, everything. Although Di was currently in a vulnerable position, Arnav had to weigh up the possibilities - he could tell her the truth now, winning back Khushi and freeing them both from Shyam, or he could prolong the revelation, losing Khushi forever in the process. Arnav knew that it wasn't a possibility; he couldn't fathom losing Khushi to someone else. The love he felt for her was what had kept him going the past few weeks, she had been his strength without even realising it. Rather than falling apart at the fact that she was marrying another man, Arnav knew that he had to carry on, and not rest until he had gotten her back.
All logical thinking went out of the window when he saw how angelic Khushi looked. Her smooth, curled hair that fell freely down her back, the way her outfit clung to her body in all the right places. Arnav was overcome with desire, and he couldn't hide anymore. Seeing that Khushi was struggling with the dori, Arnav went to help her.
He slowly approached her and gently swept her hair to one side. Khushi shuddered under his touch, and it amused him to see the effect he had on her. He tied the string, manoeuvring his hands down her back. Khushi leaned back into his shoulder and whispered his name.
"Arnav..." Arnav was surprised at Khushi's response - she knew that it was him yet she didn't push him away like he had expected she would. All that drove him now was his lust for her, and now that she was so close he was not prepared to let her go.
"Khushi." He whispered silkily.
Arnav slowly wrapped one arm around Khushi's bare torso, causing her to roll her eyes in pleasure. He began sliding her pallu off her shoulder, and ran his fingers across her collarbone, stopping close to her heart.
"Why is your heart racing so much?" Arnav murmured, and Khushi flushed a deep red. He began planting soft kisses on her neck. Khushi gasped, and revelled in the feeling. She gradually turned around to face him. Seeing his hungry expression, the desire in his eyes, she struggled to form a coherent sentence. One of Arnav's hands was still wrapped around her waist, the other on her neck - something that distracted Khushi to no end.
"What are you..?" But the question remained on her lips as Arnav began to step forward. She kept retreating until he had cornered her. He swept her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek; his kisses started making their way towards her lips. Khushi's chest was heaving, her breath coming thick and fast. Her head told her to push him away, to yell and scream at him for coming near her like this. But her heart wanted him to stay. Her heart wanted him to hold her and never let her go, to whisk her away to a new secluded world, away from any interference.
Instead of yelling all the curses she could think of at him, she whispered a question breathlessly.
"Where were you?"
Within a split second, Arnav had closed the tiny gap that was between the two of them, and crushed his lips onto hers. Khushi, hesitant at first, quickly began kissing him back as urgently as he was kissing her. He pulled her closer, holding her so tight that it was almost suffocating. But Khushi didn't mind. Eventually, their lips broke apart and Khushi found herself gazing into Arnav's eyes. She couldn't pretend that he had no effect on her anymore. His arms were still tightly wrapped around her waist, and her arms were wound around his neck, her pallu lying crumpled on the floor.
Arnav broke the silence that fell between them, his face inches away from hers.
"Khushi, let's go away."
"What? Where?"
"Anywhere, you choose. We can go away from everyone, somewhere no one knows us. We can start again."
"But why..?" Khushi was puzzled, both at Arnav's actions and at his words. She unwound her arms from his neck, realising what she had just done. "And why aren't you with your new girlfriend? What are you doing here?"
"New girlfriend..?"
"Yes, the one who was all over you at that awards show!" Khushi was surprised at the sheer amount of rage she felt. Her anger was fuelled even more when Arnav began to smirk. "What? What's so funny?"
"She's not my girlfriend. She's a business associate; I had to go with her." He paused to look at Khushi. "You're cute when you're jealous."
Khushi gasped. "Jealous?! Why would I be jealous? It's your life; you can be with whoever you want. We're divorced now, remember?" Khushi looked away, not meeting his eyes.
He stroked her face, and Khushi instinctively moved away, already regretting how she had lost control before.
"But the one I want to be with is standing right in front of me, red as a tomato." Khushi looked up at him and was mesmerised by the sincerity and unguarded feeling in his eyes. "I love you, Khushi Kumari Gupta. It's always been you. Come with me, and I'll tell Di everything, I swear."
After a pause, Khushi looked down and shook her head. Her heart wanted to believe him, but how could it, after all the pain he had put her through over this very issue? Khushi blinked back tears as she spoke.
"It's all words. I don't believe you. How can I trust the man who never trusted me?" Arnav was hurt by this, but he allowed her to continue. Khushi looked up to face him. "You just don't want me marrying Arjun because then I'll be free of you."
Arnav recovered quickly and shook his head nonchalantly. "You don't want to marry Arjun."
"What? Do you know every thought that goes on in my mind or something? How dare you come in here and say that!"
Arnav replied matter-of-factly. "If you wanted to marry him so badly, why were you all over me just minutes ago?" Khushi felt her face flush a deeper crimson as she remembered what had happened between them just a few moments before. She turned to leave, and he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. His breath tickled Khushi's ear as he whispered.
"Don't marry him." Khushi was about to respond when there was a knock at the door. She quickly pulled her pallu back on and made Arnav hide, something which amused him greatly. She rushed to the door and opened it; it was Buaji.
"You're still not ready! What are you doing in there?"
"Um, nothing Buaji! I just got a bit... distracted." She said, looking in Arnav's direction and seeing him smirk.
"Okay, just hurry up." Buaji turned to go, and then stopped. "Why is your face so red?" Khushi touched her cheeks, shocked at the effect a few moments with Arnav had on her.
"L-look Buaji, I need to get ready. I'm running late as it is! We'll talk later, okay?" Khushi practically pushed Buaji out of the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Within seconds, she felt two hands on her waist.
"Arnavji, you need to leave. Now."
"There's still time." Arnav stroked her face once more, and Khushi closed her eyes, etching the feeling onto her mind; a vivid memory of the arousing touch of the man she loved. When she opened them again, he was gone.
Khushi felt like there was a void in her heart, a void that could only have been filled by one man, and destiny had proven that they could never be together. Before tears could fall from her eyes, Khushi took a deep breath and composed herself. She looked in the mirror to give herself a once-over when she found a streak of haldi smeared on her face. She lifted her hand and touched her cheek. Arnav must have done this, she thought. She quickly attempted to wipe the haldi off her face, but there was still a ghost of a stain remaining.
The Mehndi & Haldi ceremonies began, and Khushi sat through them, distracted. When asked who's initial she wanted on her mehndi, Khushi looked at the woman in a daze. Payal spoke.
"She wants an A. For her fiance, Arjun. Right Khushi?" Khushi looked at Payal and nodded numbly. As the woman drew the letter on her hand with the mehndi, Khushi found herself wondering who the letter 'A' actually stood for.
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