FF- Soulmates and Bedmates, Part 6

Chapter 6 - Misery has company 

Khushi was furiously swimming across the length of the turquoise swimming pool, trying to erase the memory of how it felt sitting on his lap. If she was honest to herself she would admit that she had liked sitting on his hard lap. But why?? Why had she liked being so close to him was not a reason she could easily fathom. She was not even sure that she liked the man, so then why these contradictory feelings? What was happening to her? Maybe Anjali was right, it was high time she met and went out with other guys.

A pair of hazel brown eyes were following her movements as she swam across the length of his pool. She really did have a gorgeous body and that combined with her defiant fiery spirit,  made her allure so damn irresistible. Aranv Singh Raizada never had to work much to get a girl; they all fell for him one way or the other. But Khushi, after that incident in the study, was hell-bent on avoiding him, and it was starting to tick him off. The fact that she refused to succumb to his charms made him even more determined to get her. What had she said when she had got off from his lap ‘don’t ever do that again’... oh he wouldn’t… no he wouldn’t… instead he would make sure it would be she who would willingly sit on his lap and ask for more… no beg for more! Soon enough… for now he intended to ignore her, like she was ignoring him and get on with his work.

**

After her swim, Khushi changed and came down for breakfast when Shyam called Anjali to confirm their dinner plans for the evening. After the call was finished, Anajli informed Khushi that “NK has once again asked you out to join us for dinner tonight and go out as a foursome.  I already told him that you would refuse but he wanted me to ask you one more, so…” Khushi interrupted her mid sentence and said “I will join you guys for dinner tonight. It will be fun for four of us to hang out. ”

Anjali was taken aback for a minute at Khushi’s statement. Khushi wanted to hang out with NK. Since when was she interested in him? Oh well, if that’s what Khushi wanted, then that’s what she wanted. But then inspiration struck… “Bhai what are your plans tonight? What will you do for dinner?” she asked her brother. “Don’t worry about me Anji, I am going out for dinner with Lavanya.” Arnav said. Anjali was quiet for a moment before she brightly chirped. “Bhai, I have a brilliant idea, why don’t you and Lavanya join us for dinner, it will be great to spend time together..” 

A muscle ticked in Aranv’s jaw and that was his only outward reaction at Khushi agreeing to go out with NK. What the F*** did it matter to him who she chose to go out with him. He cared a hoot as to who she went out with and he did not intend to make himself a part of this nonsense, he thought furiously. He was starting to refuse when he saw Khushi choke on a piece of toast at Anjali’s invitation to Arnav. The sadist in him could not let go of this opportunity and he found himself saying instead “You know what Anji, you are right, I do want to spend time with you and Shyam and with my busy schedule, it gets so difficult. Sure we will join you guys.”

**

Doomed Doomed Doomed! That’s how Khushi felt about her upcoming evening plans. She was sitting in the chair thinking gloomily about how wrong things had turned into. She did not really want to go out with NK. The only reason she had agreed to go out with NK was to be free from Arnav’s disturbing presence. And now the Laad Governor himself would be around. She was feeling very pessimistic about her day and what else was in store for her, when Anjali walked in with few of her sarees. “Khushi, Shyam managed to get us reservations at Haveli..can you believe it? It has got a traditional theme tonight…and we need to wear a saree. I talked to La and she is wearing one too. Which one do you want to wear?” Khushi did not want to wear a goddamn saree for tonight’s dinner. “Anjali, I am not sure I want to wear a saree for tonight. Besides I cant even wear it properly and neither can I really handle wearing one! It might just come undone! Why don’t you wear one…I will stick to a suit.” But Anjali would not hear of it and finally just to keep her quiet, Khushi agreed to wear one.

**

It was 6.30 PM already and Arnav was dressed and waiting for Anjali and Khushi to emerge out of that room so they could meet the others at the restaurant.  Why did the girls took so long to dress up anyways, he thought a little irritated, when he heard voices of Khushi and Anjali coming towards him. 

“Anjali do I really have to wear this?”

“Yes Khushi and you look good.

“It’s going to to come undone…”

“No it wont.”

He looked up as they came in and his breath got stuck in the throat at seeing Khushi. She was wearing wine red lace saree that was draped seductively against her curvaceous body. The color contrasted against her porcelain skin making it come alive. He could see glimpses of her bare waist, her cleavage and her flat stomach, with every stride she took. Her long tresses were brushed till they shone to perfection and they swayed gently with each of her step. As she came near he could smell a faint whiff of a lavender fragrance she was wearing. He wanted to bury his face in the valley between her breasts and maybe stay there the entire evening.  

Khushi was busy trying to focus her energy in handling the saree and walking, but Anjali was looking at her brother and smirked inwardly at his reaction. She had deliberately given Khushi a saree in his brother’s favorite color, knowing that he would be bowled over by the impact and she had not been wrong. Time to deepen the blow. “Bhai, don’t you think Khushi looks beautiful? She doesn’t think she can carry a saree off. What do you think?” said Anjali.  

Khushi looked up at with dumbfounded expression at Anjali’s question only to find his indiscernible gaze on her making her falter her step, but he replied without taking his eyes off her, “Yes Anji, Khushi looks very beautiful. Now shall we go?”

**

Dinner was going reasonably well, with the exception of the seating arrangements. They were alternatively seated as a guy and a girl and Khushi had found herself seated between Aranv and NK. NK was cute, but she was beginning to tire of his conversation and she did not even dare to begin to think about Arnav. A slow tension was starting to run between both of them that neither acknowledged. Khushi could not refute it any longer, there were definitely some under-currents between them and the more she tried to run away from him, the more she seemed to be aware of it.  Once or twice their arms had brushed accidentally and an electric current had passed through her at his touch. He was behaving very polite and proper but every time he looked at her, heat sizzled from his eyes. It made her want to throw caution to the winds and do something reckless!

She was feeling restless and started fidgeting around. NK saw this and took the opportunity to ask her for a dance. Khushi didn’t want to really dance with NK but it provided a good opportunity to flee from Arnav’s disturbing presence and she said yes and headed to the dance floor.

NK held her by her waist as they danced, his left hand resting just a little above her curved bottom. A slow fire began to simmer in Arnav at that sight. He wanted to yank NK’s hand from her body and punch his face for good measure. When she had accepted NK’s date in the morning, he had felt a rage build up inside him. He had wanted to shake her for agreeing to go out with another guy, but seeing her in arms of another man was making him loose it. Lavnaya was going on speaking something, which he had no clue about and he wished she would shut up. “ASR... ASR..are you listening? I said let us also go and dance…” Arnav looked at Khushi and NK and then looked at Lavanya and said “let’s go home.” 

NK & Khushi had just come back to the table when Arnav said. “Anji, La and I are leaving, don’t wait up for me, I will be spending the night at La’s tonight.” And left with a surprised but a happy Lavanya trailing behind him. 

Khushi watched their retreating back and a deep pain shot through her heart as she imagined Aranv ‘spending the night’ with Lavanya.

I was not very happy with how the chapter turned out, it's quite different from what I had envisioned but anyways...Feedback and opinions please