Chotte

“But why would I ask him how small he is Lavanyaji? I know how tall he is.”

“Chamkili, it’s my turn to train you now so you have to do exactly what I say. Next time you’re alone with ASR you need to say: ‘before we get married, I need to know how chotte you actually are.’” Lavanya was genuinely happy for Arnav and Khushi’s upcoming wedding, having moved on in her life months ago, but she wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to get some amusement out of the situation.

“But he’ll just say ‘what the..?’ or ‘you know I’m 6 foot Khushi’ then what?”

“Then, you need to repeat ‘how chotte are you exactly?’ just like I did. Okay?” Lavanya would have never been brave enough to make a joke like that with ASR but she knew Khushi could and still have a hope of being alive the next day.

***

“What the…?”

As predicted. And so, Khushi repeated the question, this time trying to put as much emphasis on the word as Lavanyaji had. “How chotte are you exactly?”

“Excuse me?” His eyebrow was raised and there was suddenly a glint in his eye.

Khushi felt like she’d fallen into a trap of some sort but couldn’t understand how the situation had turned around so quickly.

They began their familiar dance and he stalked her across the room, her own steps faltering backwards until she felt the door against her back and stopped.

“Do you really want to know Khushi?”

His voice was pure silk, it flowed over her skin, giving her goosebumps and making her shiver. She instinctively closed her eyes as he took the final step towards her. He put one hand on the door next to her head and another on her waist.

“Khushi,” his face was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek.

She raised her cheek infinitesimally expecting to feel the twin pleasures of his soft lips and rough stubble but instead she felt a jerk at her waist and found her hips being pressed against Arnav’s.

Her eyes flew open and met his which were dark and hooded, full of promise.

Khushi had watched movies, had read books, conducted furtive giggled conversations with school friends and thought she had a good understanding of men and marriage. But now there was a man pressed up against her she felt the looming spectre of wifely responsibilities that would be expected of her in a month’s time.

“Do you want me to answer your question now Khushi?”

Her mouth was dry, she swallowed heavily and clutched his biceps. There was a pooling warmth low in her stomach she didn’t understand.

“Rehne do, tum seh nahi paogi.”

He let her go and stepped back with a smirk.

Khushi suddenly felt relieved and bereft at the same time. She realised there must be so much more she didn’t know about marriage but couldn’t wait to be taught by the beautiful man in front of her.

Arnav who sensed her disappointment and stepped back towards her and said “prepare yourself Khushi Kumari Gupta because in a month’s time you won’t have any more doubts about just how wrong that name is,” before pressing his lips to her cheek in a lingering kiss full of promise.