FF: It's Not Right - Chapter 29

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Chapter 29

'Okay so first problem is what do you tell your parents? Just say you're with me?'

'I can't lie to them Abhi!'

'Well when they think you're working late and you don't correct them isn't that a lie?'

Khushi grimaced and threw a cushion towards him. She'd come over to Abhi's house for lunch and they were now sitting on his couch, ignoring the blaring TV in the background.

'There's only two options: you lie or you tell the truth. Now, your second problem... slightly harder.'

Khushi waited for Abhi to continue but he just looked at her and gave a shrug.  'Abhi! Please!'

'I don't know what to say Khushi. I mean I... I knew this would happen, I knew you'd get too involved and I honestly don't know what to say.'

'Help me! Tell me how to not get so involved, not get so into this whole thing! It was supposed to be casual, separate, and nothing serious! Now we're going out on weekends and he's phoning me at home!'

'Why can't it be serious? I know you... okay me, I know I thought that he was just messing around with you but it's been a month now and he seems.., I don't know he seems pretty serious about it so... maybe?'

Khushi tried to control the bubbling happiness inside her at the thought that she meant more to Arnav than she'd expected. Everything was just so confused in her head; she wasn't sure what she wanted from Arnav, she wasn't sure what she wanted from herself.

---

'Oh my god! Is that it! It's so pretty! Wow!'

Arnav breathed a sigh of relief as he heard her exaltations. Khushi had been silent ever since he'd told her to stop pestering him about where they were going and shut up and he'd begun to wonder if he'd been too harsh again.

Khushi stared in wonder as Arnav drove closer to the field where there was a gazebo seemingly in the middle of nowhere all lit up with fairy lights and decorated with flowers. It reminded her of the garden in which Arnav had first apologised to her and she'd spilled all of her innermost secrets out to him. She was so caught up in looking at the gazebo she didn't realise when Arnav had opened her door and held his hand out to her.

Arnav looked at her eyes sparkling brightly in awe as she stepped out of the car, the two hours he'd spent on the phone arranging the setting to perfection had definitely been worth it.

'Arnavji, it's so beautiful!'

Khushi made to pull her hand away from his but Arnav tightened his hold on her fingers and she looked up at him, her brows knitted together in surprise. They'd never held hands before, but it felt right, her small hand fit so well in his larger one and he held onto it until they reached the gazebo where there was a table set out in the middle. Arnav pulled a chair out and put his hands on Khushi's shoulders, 'Happy Anniversary Khushi.'

'What?!'

Arnav grinned at the sight of her shocked face as he pushed her down gently onto the seat before taking his own. 'It's our one month anniversary Khushi.'

'I didn't... but... Oh god! I didn't even realise!'

Arnav shook his head and rolled his eyes as Khushi continued to reprimand herself for forgetting the date as he signalled the waiters who were standing discreetly in the corner to start serving.

---

'This was so nice Arnavji! Thank you so much! And I'm sorry again, I really didn't remember!'

Arnav put his hand out across the table for her to take and stood up leading her towards the other end of the long gazebo where there was a low sofa against the side. 'I already told you, you don't have to keep apologising Khushi.'

'I know, but I just feel so bad,' Khushi was having trouble containing her happiness, the evening was perfect and Khushi had no doubts anymore that this was something more for Arnav. He wouldn't celebrate an anniversary unless he was serious would he?

Khushi looked deep in thought and Arnav snapped his fingers in front of her eyes to make her notice him.

'Arnavji, what's this?'

Arnav smiled as he remembered her asking the exact same thing last time he'd given her a present, 'well if you opened it, you might find out.'

This time his pink wrapping paper received more attention as she removed the wrapping slowly and almost reverently revealing a small black box underneath.

Khushi opened the box and her mouth fell open as she recognised the necklace inside. 'How did you..?' When they'd gone shopping for Anjali's present the necklace had caught her eyes, so beautiful in its simplicity but she'd known Anjali wouldn't like it and had disregarded it immediately without even letting Arnav know she'd liked it.

Arnav took the necklace out of the box and moved Khushi slightly so she had her back to him and put the necklace on her, 'I notice everything about you Khushi.'

Khushi could feel his breath tickling her neck as he spoke and closed her eyes to the sensation as she felt his lips replace his warm breath. She tilted her head slightly giving him more access and sighed as he trailed kisses up her neck until he reached her jaw.  Khushi opened her eyes as Arnav put his hands on his shoulders again and moved her around to face him.

Arnav cupped her chin with one hand and moved her fringe back with the other before he captured her lips in a tantalisingly slow kiss. He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue until she parted her lips for him, and he dipped in tasting her, teasing her, cherishing her.


'Now that was a kiss,' he said as he pulled away to see Khushi with her eyes glazed, cheeks flushed and lips swollen.

Khushi didn't speak but leaned forward putting her own hand on his cheek and pulling him towards her. The kiss this time was anything but slow and she dug her hands into his long hair desperate to get as close as possible. Arnav put his hands on her waist and pulled her onto his lap before he pulled at the tie on her hair and ran his hands through her hair releasing it from the plait.

---

She had her arms around him, her head resting on his chest listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as he played with her hair, twirling it around his fingers and then releasing it again and again. 'I didn't get you a present though, Arnavji!'

Arnav smiled and placed a kiss onto her head, 'you can give me my present right now.'

She lifted her head to look up at him with her big brown eyes desperate to please, 'what?'

'Stop calling me Arnavji,' he said as he leaned down to kiss her again. 'Call me Arnav.'

'But... how can I?'

'It's simple,' Arnav said between kisses, 'Ar-nav. Just two syllables.'

'But...' her words were cut off with another longer kiss before Arnav moved to kiss her along her neck, stroking her hair as he did.

'Why don't you wear your hair like this?'

Khushi tried to concentrate on Arnav's words as he nibbled at her skin. She had considered leaving her hair loose today but thought it would arouse too much suspicion from Buaji. But she had at least worn a different style dress for the first time tonight since all their other dates had followed straight from work she'd never been able to dress up. The pink and white anarkali she'd worn would be thoroughly creased now she knew from sitting on Arnav's lap and from all the clutching at her waist that he'd done. 'I... it's too... it's too long to leave loose every day... gets in the way...'

'Mmm, I see,' Arnav said sweeping her hair aside and over her shoulder as it usually was. 'I do like that I get to see this gorgeous beauty spot all the time though,' he said biting at the darkened spot next to her ear, 'drives me crazy!'

---

'Erm... can you take me to Abhi's house instead of mine?'

Arnav paused in opening her door to look down at her, 'what? Why? It's nearly 11, aren't you going home?'

'I am... I just... I didn't say I was going out with you tonight.'

Arnav's eyes narrowed, he was already feeling annoyed at the thought that he wouldn't see Khushi for two weeks and what she was suggesting wasn't doing anything to appease him, 'did you say you were going out with him?'

Khushi recognised the flaring anger in his eyes and she didn't want to ruin what had been a perfect night, 'no, no! I just erm... no it's fine, it's fine. You can take me home.'

Arnav clenched his teeth together to stop himself saying something he would later regret and opened the door for her to get in. He then walked slowly around to his side to calm himself down before he got in.

Khushi pulled down the mirror and redid her plait quickly, although most of her pins had been abandoned on the floor of the gazebo where Arnav had recklessly thrown them when opening her hair.

He reached out a hand to smooth away her fringe and tuck it behind her ear, his hand lingering against her neck as he did. 'I'll miss you.'

Khushi smiled and lowered her eyes, feeling ridiculous as she felt tears prickling at her eyes. He was going for two weeks, not two years. 'I'll miss you too, Arnavji...' His raised eyebrow had her laughing and correcting herself quickly. 'Arnav. I'll miss you too Arnav.'

Arnav smiled as he began to drive. Nobody else called him Arnav; it was always Chotey, Bhai, ASR, Arnav bitwa, Arnavji or Sir. Never just Arnav and it felt nice to hear the name from her lips, free of any suffix, any attempts at respect that he knew he didn't deserve. Not from her at least, never having given her any reason to do anything but hate and loathe him in the past. It would be different now though.

---

'They've gone out to lunch for Sir's birthday, but they should be back anytime now.'


'But his party's tonight isn't it?'

'Erm yes, but Abhi Sir doesn't know about the party so he doesn't know he'll see Khushi Madam later so...'


The receptionist trailed off as Arnav turned his back on her and went back out to the car park. He sat in his car answering emails, looking up every few seconds to see if Khushi and Abhinav had returned. His flight was leaving in two hours and he'd called her this morning to say goodbye but he still wanted to see her one last time. He leaned his head back against the seat as he remembered last night. It was the only anniversary he'd ever properly celebrated, not counting the times when previous girlfriends had turned up with cakes or presents and he'd humoured them, providing his credit card if they were ever bold enough to demand a present from him.


He heard her sweet tinkling laugh through his open window and sat up immediately catching a glimpse of her as she left Abhinav's car. The first thing he noticed was the loose hair. It should have pleased him, he knew loose hair suited her better but the fact that she'd practically flatly refused his request last night and now was flaunting her long 'unmanageable' hair for her boss had him clutching the steering wheel in rage.


She was even wearing more make-up. Arnav had spent hours of his life hunched over pictures of made up models and he could recognise the extra foundation and blusher even from a distance. Why was she putting so much effort in for a normal work day when she seemed to make almost no effort at all for any of their dates?


It couldn't be for the party, he knew every single detail of that party inside out and he knew Khushi was planning to get ready at the hotel they'd booked after she'd sorted out all of the decorations so it was obvious all of this extra embellishment was for Abhinav's benefit.


Arnav willed Khushi to notice his car, almost desiring the inevitable confrontation but she didn't look up and he watched as she continued an animated conversation with Abhinav, not even registering the distinctive, large and looming white car.