LOVE OR ARRANGED ?

CHAPTER XXXVI

AADHYA'S POV

We have reached the airport and have been waiting for Minnie to bring my luggage. I again tried reaching her, but she rejected my call. "Arush, can you try to reach Viraj once. Minnie isn't answering my calls." Arush dialed Viraj's number, but we heard the ring from behind us. We turned to see a sulking Viraj and an overexcited Minnie walking beside him with a leather bag in her hand.

"Sorry for the delay, I just can't deal with your cousin's delay sometimes," complained Viraj. Minnie glared at him, while Arush and I chuckled at his words. Minnie handed me the bag and said, "I have packed whatever you have asked for Sweety, have so much fun and please return at least 2 days before my wedding, to attend my Haldi, mehendi and sangeet." Arush immediately said, "Only if you promise that nobody disturbs our privacy." I elbowed him in his stomach, while Viraj and Minnie were making a deal with him.

"Oh woman, stop manhandling me already. Anyways, let's keep moving inside now," Arush said and Viraj and him fist bumped each other, while Minnie hugged me and whispered, "I don't mind becoming a Maasi soon, but if you don't want a baby yet, remember to keep it safe." She moved back and winked at me, before pulling Viraj along with her and waving us bye. Arush looked confused at her behavior and asked me, "What was she saying you?" I tried to stop the blush that's trying to adorn my cheeks and said, "You know how crazy she is, let's go now."

It wasn't really a tiresome process and within half an hour we boarded the jet. Few minutes after the take-off, an air hostess came towards us with a glass of chocolate milkshake for me and orange juice for Arush. We kept talking for some time and I started to feel sleepy. Arush showed me the room with a queen bed and basic amenities. I slept immediately as soon as I hit the bed.

"Love, please wake up! Have some lunch and sleep again. You didn't even have your breakfast properly," Arush softly said stroking my head. I slowly opened my eyes and asked him, "What's the time, Arush?" He handed my mobile to me and I saw it was almost 4pm. I sat straight on my bed and asked him, "Why didn't you wake me till now Arush? It is almost 5 hours since I slept. I am so sorry Arush, I left you alone and slept like this."

I was continuously telling him sorry when he placed his finger on my lips and said, "Stop it, Love. I too slept after you and woke just an hour ago. I know you didn't have proper sleep from so many days and didn't have a heart to wake you when you were sleeping peacefully. Anyways we are not going to be sleeping much from tomorrow." I blushed at his words when he chuckled and added, "Uffo... stop having a dirty mind, Love. I am saying we will be exhausted with the whole site-seeing."

It was late night by the time we reached Switzerland. Despite the severe cold outside, I couldn't just stop admiring the beauty of Zurich even in the dark. The snow, the lights and the night sky made everything looked so beautiful. We soon reached to B2 Boutique Hotel where we are going to stay for the next 4 days. As soon as we entered our suite, I went to take a warm shower to beat the exhaustion from the journey.

When I came out of the bathroom in my bathrobe, I see Arush looking nervous or should I say somewhat embarrassed. I moved towards the dresser and see everything neatly arranged. I ask Arush, "Did you unpack everything already? We would have done it together." He walked towards me and said, "Uh, I just wanted to make it easier for you. I know you are tired. Uh..." I looked at him skeptical and asked him, "What happened?" He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Uh... I unpacked everything except your leather bag. Maybe you can unpack it later."

"What is with this Uh... Uh...Arush? Why do you even look like that? Nervous and all," I asked before moving to the bag and open its zip while looking at Arush. The bag falls from the table and all the clothes fall from it. I gape at the clothes with my mouth wide open. They are not my clothes but sheer fabrics or what they have to be called "LINGERIE" and how did they come here when I didn't even pack any. Uhhh... Minnie... You are so dead!

I feel heat rushing into my cheeks and ears. I look at Arush who is looking as embarrassed as me and I immediately throw them into the bag and push the bag into the closet before shutting it tight. Arush rushes to take a shower, while I wonder what to change into as my nightwear are just those flimsy fabrics. I keep banging my head on the closet door, when Arush taps on my shoulder and I get startled and turn back. "You didn't change yet!" I gave him an awkward smile and he grabbed his clothes to change and went into the washroom.

I looked at his clothes and I knew what to do. I grabbed his black sweatshirt and changed into it, which actually looked like a dress on me reaching to the mid of my thighs and almost looked like an off-shoulder dress. I put on my boxers under them which actually is a good thing that I packed them, though the sweatshirt is covering them. I walk into the dark patio and look at the glowing lights of Zurich. It is too cold out and my dress isn't helping me much. Arush walks and hugs me from behind. "Do you want to eat anything, Love? You must be hungry." I lean into him and say, "No Arush! I'm good. You should order something if you are hungry, or I can boil some milk for you."

"No! I am not hungry too. We can go out in the afternoon, so that gives us a long time to sleep tonight. Come inside, I will adjust the room temperature, looks like your hands have become cold," he walked inside saying so. I was kind of feeling shy to walk into the room in this dress, luckily it is too dark here for him to see what I am wearing. Maybe I should just wait here till he sleeps, suggests my brain.

"Love get inside now, don't want you to catch a cold now, do we?" Arush spoke from inside. I took baby steps into the room and closed the patio door and when I was about to draw the curtains, I notice Arush's reflection on the glass door, standing still and looking at me intently. I draw the curtains close and turn back to see him, still in the same position. I shudder under his gaze and break the eye contact with him and look at my hands and appreciate my bridal bangles.

I get nervous on hearing Arush's quick footsteps approaching me. In the very next moment, he pulls me towards him with his hands on my waist and I just don't dare to look into his eyes. He lifts my head by holding my chin softly and makes me look at him. His eyes are radiating with love and passion, this makes me turn beet red and I immediately look down, biting my lower lip with my teeth out of nervousness.

"Love, please don't make this hard for me by doing this. They are mine to bite. You don't need to wear that lingerie to look sexy. All I need to see is you in my shirt every day like this, to make my heart swell with pride that you are mine. I would love if you kept rubbing your scent on all my shirts. God, you don't even know how much you keep pushing me to the edge every day, Love. I am really fighting hard to control myself," he pecks on my lips, and I hug him tight, loving the feeling of being in his arms.

I shriek when he lifts me off the ground and tighten my grip on him for support, by wrapping my hands around his neck. He softly places me on the bed and the dimly lit lights are really making the atmosphere in the room too hot. He covers us with the thick quilt and places a soft kiss on my forehead and whispers, "I love you, Aadhya! More than I can ever tell you how much you mean to me." I can hear the depth of his emotions in his voice. He slowly slips into a deep slumber, and I keep watching him till sleep takes over me.