SS: 6 Din, Ladki In! - Part 8

Read all previous parts of this SS over here.

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Part 8

'Would you like another drink Payal?'

Payal looked up at him suddenly as if she hadn't seen him before and Akash wondered if he had something on his face. He tried to wipe the side of his face surreptitiously but she just continued to stare. The party had been doing so well, he'd invited her to watch the fashion show beforehand as well and they'd talked about how well it had gone and all the different clothes.

'Is something wrong?'

Payal shook her head, 'no, no. I just... You haven't stuttered all night.'

'Oh. Erm.. I... I well, I don't...' he shifted uncomfortably on the spot, transferring his weight from one foot to the other. 'I don't actually have a stutter. I was just... really nervous around you because I... well I liked you and then I just seemed to st...stutter.'

Payal raised her eyebrows in shock and disbelief. 'Because of me? You've been stuttering around me for 5 months? Just me? Nobody else?'

Akash shook his head, smiling at his own ridiculousness.

'Well then how did you manage to overcome it and ask me out?'

Akash averted his eyes and looked around the room, his gaze falling on Khushi sitting in a corner, her eyes closed as she leaned back against the wall. 'Erm let's sit down Payal.'

---

Khushi had been rushed off her feet the last day and a half making sure absolutely everything was perfect and she had been glad of it in one way because it kept her mind off Arnav. She hadn't been able to catch him alone since their little conversation in the closet yesterday although she was unsure what she would say to him if she had.  Having finally finished the clean-up of the show she made her way into the hall reserved for the party, found herself a cool dark corner and sat back hoping for the party to end quickly so she could go home to her warm and comfortable bed.

'Tired?'

Khushi sat up with a start, not moving her head but looking at Arnav now seated next to her holding out a glass from the corner of her eyes. She took the glass of coke hesitantly with a small smile and nodded suddenly feeling awkward and incredibly nervous.

'So, we were going to talk.'

'Erm... yes about my new job,' she took a sip from her glass hoping the cool liquid would ease her parched throat and make some of her nerves disappear. If only she drank she thought as she shot a sidelong glance at the amber coloured liquid in Arnav's glass, she could do with some Dutch courage right now.

'There is no new job Miss Gupta. I thought I made that pretty clear yesterday. You're staying at AR.'

His heavy handed speech and matter of fact way of discussing her future as if it was already decided and she had no say in the matter at all made her blood boil. 'Excuse me?! What makes you think you can decide whether I'm staying at AR or not Mr Raizada? I thought I made it pretty clear yesterday that I'm leaving! I don't want to be your assistant anymore! Would you like me to give it you in writing... oh wait I already have!'

She had stood up and was prepared to storm off when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist and he pulled her back towards him. When his other hand came to rest on her waist Khushi realised he'd put his drink down somewhere when she hadn't noticed while hers was still held in her hand, currently acting as an obstacle between their two bodies.

'Sir! What are you doing?' She hissed at him, looking around the room hoping nobody had noticed their close proximity.

Arnav raised one eyebrow and pulled her even closer. Khushi could see the coke in her glass splashing around the sides, threatening to spill over. 'You seem to have forgotten everything we discussed yesterday Miss Gupta. You're my date, remember?'

Khushi's eyes widened but before she could speak he let go of her wrist, took her drink out of her hand and set it on a table behind him.

'And I didn't say anything about you being my assistant. Not beyond the one month of your notice that is anyway. You want to design, then you can do it from here. You don't need to go to Mumbai to do that. AR is a much more reputed company anyway, you know that. It will open a lot more doors for you in the fashion world than Balani ever would.'

Arnav was slowly moving their bodies around in a circle and Khushi was finding it hard to concentrate on his words rather than his body. They'd never been this close before and she was agonizingly aware of both of his hands at her waist. Her own hands were hovering above his arms, not quite touching his biceps. 'I don't... I can't... Sir, I want...'

'Arnav. Call me Arnav.'

'S... sir?'

'Call me Arnav, Miss Gupta.'

'I...' Khushi shook her head lightly, trying to clear her thoughts. 'I can't... I can't work for you sir!'

'Arnav. You won't be working for me. I don't have anything to do with the interns, you know that.'

'But... sir, I don't have the qualifications you need. Everyone will think... they'll know I only got the position because of you.'

'Because of me?'

'Because we...'

'Because we...?' He interrupted her and repeated her suggestively, inching slightly closer.

There was that damned smirk again! Khushi took a small step backwards only to have him pull on her waist and bring her crashing into his chest.

'Because we what Miss Gupta?'

'It's Khushi!'

'Call me Arnav,' he countered.

'Because we work together! Because I'm your assistant, they'll think you're giving me preference.'

Arnav smiled and stopped moving them, so now they were just standing, his hands still burning through her dress at her waist. 'Not at all. They'll think I'm giving you preference because you're my girlfriend. And they'd be right.'

'GIRLFRIEND?!'

---

'6 din, ladki in? 6 din, ladki in!?'

Akash winced as Payal's voice grew higher every time she repeated it. 'Payal I'm so sorry, I never meant to play with your emotions, I really do like you and I just didn't know how to...' Then for the second time in two days Payal shocked him by bursting out into peals of adorably tinkling laughter.

'I knew it!' She said taking deep breaths in between bouts of laughter, 'I knew Khushi was up to something! Especially when you two went on that date! I mean no offence Akashji but you're not her type at all!'

'Hey!' Akash said with a hint of offence before he joined Payal and began to laugh himself.

---

'Well that's what you'll be by the time you start the programme,' Arnav shrugged his shoulders as if he was telling her something as simple and unarguable as the time of day.

'What?! I am not going to be your girlfriend sir!'

He glared at her, instantly reminding her of the guests and media in the room surrounding them any one of whom could hear her if she spoke too loud. 'It's Arnav!'

Khushi couldn't help but grin; 'now you know how I feel all the time!'

Arnav put his hands around her waist so he was now holding onto his own wrist behind her back and pulled her forward. Khushi held out her hands onto his chest keeping them apart somewhat but the lower halves of their bodies were almost flush against each other. 'Well then, Miss Gupta, you call me Arnav and I'll agree to call you Khushi. It would be really weird if my girlfriend called me 'sir' all the time,' his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, 'we'll reserve those names for the bedroom from now on.'

'Sir!' Khushi's eyes were in danger of falling out of her eye sockets if they opened but a fraction wider. 'Sir we don't even like each other!' Khushi pushed at his chest trying to wriggle out of his hold.

'Is that so?' Arnav said lifting a hand to softly push back a tendril of hair behind her ear. 'You're wrong Khushi, I do like you. I like you very much. And I know that you like me too.'

Khushi swallowed heavily, her eyes darting unconsciously from his deep brown eyes to his lips and back again. She couldn't deny that when she'd first started working at AR she'd had an embarrassingly huge crush on him. It had eventually diluted into grudging respect while he'd been with Lavanya and then grown to warm affection ever since. 'But... but you've never...'

'Never what? Never told you before?' His hands were now sliding slowly up and down her back, his fingers tickling her spine. 'If I had, what would you have said?' He didn't wait for her to answer but continued, 'you would have accused me of replacing one assistant with another and attempting to do the same with my girlfriend.'

'You mean... When you broke up with Lavanyaji?! You liked me back then?'

'You my dear,' he tapped her nose lightly with his index finger, 'were the cause of the break up and in fact the reason she quit. Did she not tell you?'

Khushi shook her head, her eyes fixed on his.

'I thought she must have, you were so snappy at me for weeks afterwards.'

'I... I thought you just got bored of her and dumped her that's why I was... female solidarity and all that you know...'

It was his turn to shake his head, 'I didn't get bored with her; I just got highly interested in you.'

'Oh.'

'Oh indeed,' he lifted both his eyebrows and his mouth lifted slightly at the corners.

'But... sir, that doesn't mean I can just accept the internship! That's even more unfair now! What will people say?'

'I don't care what people say! You're not moving to Mumbai and you're not leaving AR. It's simple. You either accept the position of design intern or stay on as my Assistant. Personally I prefer the latter, it gives us more time together but I understand you want to further your career so either option works for me.'

'Sir!'

'Khushi, if you call me 'sir' one more time...'

'What? What will you do, sir?' She didn't know where the sudden urge to tease him had come from but she regretted it as soon as he replied.

'Oh Miss Gupta, you have no idea what you've let yourself in for!'

---

She was kissing him. She was kissing him! They'd been out on the balcony talking when suddenly she'd wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down and kissed him! Akash had only kissed someone on two previous occasions and this kiss was better in comparison in every single way. Payal was considerably shorter than he was and he had to bend over quite far to kiss her so he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up off the floor as she deepened the kiss.

---

He was kissing her. He was kissing her in a closet! He'd pulled her along and taken her to the same closet as yesterday, being a lot gentler this time as he pushed her in and followed, neglecting to turn on the light bulb and then he'd kissed her.

If Khushi was to describe it in poetic terms there would be fireworks and stars involved but as it was Khushi lost all ability to think. Every sense was taken over by Arnav as he teased her lips with his own, his tongue sweeping inwards and swallowing her moans. He move done hand up to her nape, burying it in her hair and angling her head for further pleasure as Khushi clutched the collar of his shirt, holding him captive, in case he should take her to such heights of pleasure and then abandon her mid-way.

Khushi groaned in disapproval as he pulled away from her lips and feathered kisses along her cheek and jaw down to her neck.

'Khushi.'

'Mmm,' Khushi murmured and Arnav licked her collarbone as she did before returning to gently nip her neck.

'Say my name.'

'Hmmm?'

'Say my name.'

'Aa...Arnav...'

'Khushi?'

'Hmmm?'

'Say yes. Say you'll stay.' He'd moved his head back up and was speaking against her lips now. His lips were now moving against hers and touching them lightly as he spoke. She kissed him this time, her tongue reaching out to seek his but he pulled away. 'Please?'

Khushi nodded, unable to speak coherently her hands were now holding the sides of his face, her fingers curling into the edges of his hair as she pulled him down to meet her mouth once again.

---

'Hey Bhai, hi Khushi. Where have you two been?'

Khushi blushed and smiled nervously at Payal who was looking at her curiously.

'We were just sorting out the terms of Kh... Miss Gupta's new contract. She's decided to enter our design programme.'

'What? Wow! That's amazing Khushi! You're going to stay in Delhi?' Payal hugged Khushi tight, pleased that she wouldn't be losing her best friend to a new city.

'I'm so happy for you Khushi,' Akash hugged Khushi as well whispering into her ear as he did, 'and thank you so much for everything.'

Payal and Khushi talked for a while about how great it was now that she wouldn't be moving and Arnav noticed Akash silently staring at him. 'What is it Akash?'

 'Erm... Bhai, you have some lipstick on your...' Akash pointed at Arnav's lips where the corners were stained with remnants of bright pink lipstick.

Arnav lifted his hand quickly wiping it away while Payal looked at the three of them in shock.

'I'll just go and get us some drinks. Coke, Khushi?'

Khushi nodded while looking down at her feet knowing that her entire face would be flamed red.

'You and Arnav sir?!' Payal pounced on her as soon as Arnav had left, 'I knew it! I always knew you had a crush on him! So did you use your '6 din, ladka in' plan on him?'

'Oh my god! Akash sir, you told her?! You weren't supposed to tell her!'

'Why shouldn't he tell me?' Payal held Akash's hand protectively. 'I can't believe you would do something like that to me, I thought we were friends!'

Khushi instantly jumped to console Payal apologising profusely until she noticed Akash's smirk. 'Hey! I got you two together and now you're ganging up on me? That's not fair, you should be thanking me!'

'Sorry,' Payal held one ear apologetically and pouted. 'Go on; tell us, did you use '6 din, ladka in' on Arnav sir?'

'What the...? 6 din, ladka in? What the hell is that?'

'No, no I didn't!' Khushi groaned in embarrassment, bringing her hands up to cover her face as Arnav came up behind her.

Arnav stopped next to her and held out her drink to her before inclining his head towards Akash and Payal's interlinked hands, 'and... when did this happen Akash?'

Akash let go of Payal's hand instantly, 'it's Khushi's fault! She made me do it!'

'Akash!' Payal and Khushi both called out as Arnav looked at them all in bewilderment.