Arnav showed her all around the house and her look of awe at all the details of the house meant the world to him. Though he initially wanted to tell Khushi that she could decorate and design in the place however she wanted, he was now scared at what a mess she would make if she got to make all the decisions. They were for sure poles apart. The number of arguments they had last night over what has to be where definitely made him change his decision. He would have to hire someone with an extremely subtle choices to compensate for Khushi's bold color choices. Aman would have to find someone like that.
Khushi was once again sleeping on top of him in that weird taekwondo pose except they were naked under the sheets.
After all the arguments, they certainly made up in some passionate ways, and he enjoyed teasing her.Angry sex is the best. She turns into such a fiery minx, he can't help pushing her to the edge and having his ways with her.
He shifted a little bit and her nails once again scratched his skin. He touched himself on the neck and could feel the burn of her scratches.
"Fuck !", he swore when he felt how many were there.
Slowly shifting her aside, he got out of the bed and opened his toiletries box and looked for a nail cutter and cut her nails all the while she slept with snoring.
That gotta fix it, he thought and looked at the time.
Shit, he was late.
Once he was done getting ready, he pulled apart the curtains letting the sunlight in making Khushi open her eyes in slits. She slowly got up turning to him totally unaware how sensual she looked. How was he supposed to go to office at this rate. He sure would have cancelled if he personally didn't schedule this meeting a couple of days ago.
"I am leaving for office. You freshen up. Will be back by lunch. I will send a car.", he said giving her a brief peck on her head and lips.
"But..", she started getting up when she realised her naked state and pouted and fell back.
"Just 4 hours. Sleep for some more time..", he said closing the door behind and she slumped back on the bed.
Last night has been best sex she ever had and she is looking forward for more. Now the last two times felt like a joke to her. No, no...they were so beautiful in their own sense but last night was different story altogether.
They were angry one moment and fucking the other moment.
Her throat turned sore at how much she was yelling for Arnav last night.
Thank god, the house was empty and now she blushed at why Arnav chose this house in the first place.
Getting up, she looked for her clothes and found them laying on the floor along with his white shirt and trousers. Putting her clothes aside, she took his shirt and took a whiff of it, it smelled of his perfume and sweat ofcourse. Putting it over her, she walked around to see the house in the day light.
She did like the place. It was big but also cosy. There would not be enough space if both their families wanted to visit here at once, but it was big enough. With 5 bedrooms, study, kitchen, dining area, an entertainment area and a hall, along with gym and a terrace garden, it's a big space.
Khushi wondered how much it would have cost and what she would be called for living with him here, but she silenced her thoughts from thinking further in that direction.
She is going to follow what feels right for her in her heart. She didn't want to be bound by people's opinions and judgement of her.
He bought this for this them, such a thoughtful gesture and she really appreciated that. A few days ago she would have made a fuss about why this place at all, they are always going to stay with the family at Shantivan, they kind of had an argument over that last night too, but he made her understand, they need some privacy at least every now and then and this would be the perfect getaway. Akash got a place for him and Payal too somewhere near too. They would need some privacy and this would give her semblance of a life with which she didn't want to give up despite not wanting marry right away. She suddenly felt a sense of belonging towards this place. Their first place together as a couple. She now wanted to decorate this place to her liking, with a bit of him and her in every nook and corner, she would discuss this with Arnav later, she decided.
Oh no, they didn't do any grihapravesh here, she sighed.
No worries, she will make some arrangements, she decided and headed back to their room.
Quickly having a bath and getting dressed, she checked her purse to find a few thousand bucks left after paying wedding bills yesterday. That should be enough, she thought and went out.
Arnav had told her how the how the place a state-of-the-art security system, just like, Shantivan is upgraded to now and has autolocking door system. The driver - mohan chacha was waiting outside as expected. She asked him where the nearest mandir as and within one hour she got what she wanted and was ready by the time Arnav came home that afternoon.
Arnav started home in the afternoon relatively in a much better mood than in the morning. He had a honeymoon planned for a couple of weeks after the wedding, but all the plans fell out of the window after the wedding was called off, but its fine, he made peace with that. He decided he would give Khushi as much time as she needed to come to him, though Khushi didn't verbalize it all, he understood she had her own insecurities, they were not ready to be a married couple yet. Heck, though he kept telling her he is ready for her, he knew in his heart he is not.
The way he froze when she asked if he had been to therapy ever, he felt real guilty. He loved her right, he trusted her right, then why wasn't he able to tell her dammit! , he punched the steering and the horn blared.
He was angry all of a sudden. Stopping the car on the side of the road, he yelled on the top of his lungs, his own throat burned too and taking a sip of the water, he tried calming himself, but his thoughts went haywire. What if he will never be able to be as transparent as Khushi is, he thought and then laughed. Fuck transparency. Did she tell him about her plans to start the new shop? He got to know from Akash. And even he got to know she didn't tell him anything from her side. Then he isn't obliged to share everything either.
"She would have thought to tell me later may be. Then what? Will I be able to share everything with her?", he thought.
He scrolled through his phone and took at look at their album he complied recently.
"He will.', the answer came without much hesitation this time.
"He will. In three months' time.", he promised himself, set a deadline in his calendar and took a deep breath and started driving back.
-x-
Khushi bought a mat, some fruits, a small devima murthi, a diya, and basic pooja saman and thal and waited for Arnav outside the house. Arnav saw her waiting outside with a bag in her hand and rose his eyebrows in a hi blowing a small kiss to her. She looked very beautiful in that pale pink saree. He never saw her wearing this before.
"I want us to do a small grihapravesh.", she said and he rolled his eyes once again.
Instead of threatening him like she did yesterday, she made puppy face blinking her eyes and what was he supposed to do with that, he agreed.
"Remove your shoes and lets hold this together and step in.", she said handing him the devima murthy and he did.
With Khushi signing some aarti, they stepped in together and walked to the kitchen and placed the murti where she wanted to yesterday in the makeshift mandir in the size of a small carton box. She lit a diya and prayed for a moment and asked him to take blessings along with her and he did.
"Are we done now?", he asked and she nodded and planted a loud sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"yes, yes, yes..", she replied and moved back to the dining space where a mat was laid down with a set of small breakfast trays decorated with flowers.
"looks cute.", he said looking at the small tables. It was probably nothing, but the fact that she made it made them look cute, just like she is.
"this is our makeshift dining area.", she said and started taking out the food he ordered today too.
"I like it.", he said taking out his blazer and waistcoat. It's been forever he had lunch sitting on the floor.
"Here, have some", she said passing on the few fruit pieces she put for prasad. He knew her tricks, but he let it slide.
Having a lazy lunch discussing about his office and all the funny pranks Khushi and Payal pulled on Buaji during their stay in Laxmi Nagar, they had a hearty lunch.
"I can't believe Payal would do that.", Arnav said laughing at one of Khushi's stories.
"Well Jiji is generally calm and doesn't do any shaitani, but I include her in my pranks nevertheless.", she said with a wink.
"Leave them, someone will come to clean them.", Arnav said taking out his phone to call the security.
"I will send in a team of interior designers and you can discuss with them and design the place according to your penchant."
"Arnavji..about that...I want to do that with money I make..", she said demurely and he put his phone aside and listened to her. He knew she didn't have that kind of money right now. What is she talking about then?
"I am listening ..", he said when instead of continuing she waited for his response.
"Not right away, but like when my business takes off and I make profits ...we can start the interior work one step at a time. It will be not as great as it would be if your team did it..", she said with a weak smile but he took her chin in his hands and nodded no.
"I never said that."
"No you didn't, but I am just saying .."
"I would love that. But I have one condition.', he said with a poker face and she stilled. She must have known he would keep conditions. Laad Governer. Terms and Conditions applied.
"What?"
"Everything will be according to my taste. The wall paints, wood colors, wood material, the electronics, the wall paintings, furniture, even bathroom rods and even chandeliers will be according to my taste and my choice of brands..",
"You are saying this because you think I cannot match your budget?", she asked gritting her teeth and his face paled, he didn't mean it like that. He was only saying this because he liked subtle yet classy things.
"I never said that. Do you think you can't and are now twisting my words? I swear I didn't mean it like that, but if you are so underconfident in yourself then may you should rethink before starting this business.", he said smirking knowing how those words would burn her. She needed that.
"No, I am not."
"Let's see then."
"Challenge accepted.", she said getting up and taking her plate along with her and he ran behind taking his own.
"I am planning on going to Ahmedabad tomorrow. Drop me home now.", she said washing her plate without looking at him.
"I will come along.", he offered.
"Koi zaroorat nahi hai. I can manage.", she said with a tight smile.
"Oh, so how are you going?", he asked.
"Train.", she replied.
"Have you made reservations? Hotel booking? Where are you going to stay?", he asked and she didn't answer.
"I will manage after I get there.", she said.
"Oh and how is that ?", he asked and he could see he was pushing her more, she takes more rash and impulsive decisions when she is angry, just like he sometimes does, while he had resources to manage even he takes such decisions, she doesn't and he better make up to her, lest she does something and ends up in trouble.
So, taking a deep breath, he decided to make peace.
"Khushi, this is not some competition.", he said holding her shoulders from behind kissing her shoulder and she relaxed.
"But you made it into one."
"Oh, that is there, but we are in the same team now. I want to see you win this. I really didn't mean it like that", he said explaining himself.
"I am sorry.", she said turning around and hugging him keeping her head near his heart.
"Let me in Khushi.", he asked and Khushi decided she would. She told him about her plans of selling her parent's place in Ahmedabad which is currently just collecting dust and starting their business with that.
"That is a time taking process Khushi. You should hire a realtor. Or why sell at all, if the property has good value, you can mortgage with the bank and get good money, once you earn that money and pay it back, you would get the place back.", he explained.
"Can we do that? With such an old property?', she asked with hopeful eyes.
"We can I guess but it also depends on how old the property is and what is the situation and all that ..so its better you do this systematically.", he said and she nodded, agreeing with him. She hadn't thought about all this. She and Amma planned on going there tomorrow on their own.
"I can come but I have some important meetings scheduled for day after tomorrow for which I will have to return. I can arrange for someone to be with you and help you through the process.", he said making her look up into his eyes.
Her eyes told she didn't like taking his offer.
"Khushi, you said we are together. Are we not really? Did you just say it for my sake? ", he asked and she looked at him with tearful eyes.
"We are. Don't ever ask me that.", she said smacking him slowly on the shoulder.
"Then?"
"We will go there together tomorrow and you can return.", she said agreeing to him and he kissed her pretty mouth as they started making out till Aman's call once again disturbed them.
.-~*~-.