My Imperfect Mr. Perfect - Chapter 27
Only when Arnav spoke to Sheetal, did Khushi remember her presence with them.
And with that came back the worry of Sheetal's attraction to Arnav...
She needed to speak to Arnav about this soon, she decided.
But little did she know that right now, she had something much bigger to be worried about.
Because all this time, unknown to them, someone had been watching their every move.
From the time they entered the mandir, to the moment they sat back in the car – their every movement was being noticed...
A big storm was coming their way, and they had no idea...
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While Arnav was driving, Khushi kept stealing glances at him, not knowing how to broach Sheetal's subject.
"What is it Khushi?" asked Arnav, startling Khushi.
"How did you...?"
"I notice everything about you Khushi," he replied, gazing at her lovingly for a fleeting moment, before turning his eyes back to the road.
Khushi smiled at his words, and somehow they gave her confidence to bring up the subject of Sheetal too.
"Oh really? So you must also know how I was feeling at the temple?"
"What do you mean?" Arnav asked, unsure where this conversation was going. Her tone had a very slight hint of accusation in it, and he wasn't sure why. "You're happy right? I mean... we did everything that you wanted right? We gave the offering, we stayed for the pooja... is there something we've left out, Khushi? I can still turn the car around..."
Arnav didn't want any of Khushi's wishes to be unfulfilled. She was going out after a long time and he wanted her to be happy – and if there was anything he could do to make that happen, then he would do it.
"No nothing like that Arnavji... we completed everything I wanted to. And most importantly, you came inside the temple with me, so I'm happy – no, very VERY happy in that respect."
Although Arnav was content hearing that, he didn't miss her 'in that respect' at the end. "Ok, so what else is it, that's bugging you?" he asked.
"Ummmm... Leave that," she said, and before he could say something she asked, "How long have you known Sheetal Di?"
Arnav raised his eyebrows at the unexpected turn of conversation. "A year or two... why?"
"Nothing much – I was just wondering..." replied Khushi.
"Oh right... Sheetal is a wonderful girl. I mean... she was the first genuinely nice girl I had met... She's a perfect combination of a traditional and modern girl. She is a modern girl, but she never forgets her values... She is a great sister – I've seen how much she cares for Aman and it's so nice to see their bond..."
Khushi couldn't help the tinge of jealousy that she felt, hearing so many praises for Sheetal from Arnav's mouth. "Oh... nice..." she said, trying to smile.
Arnav knew something was off as soon as that reply rolled off Khushi's tongue.
"Khushi? What is it?" he asked, getting more and more curious and worried at the same time.
"Nothing Arnavji! Look, I'm perfectly fine!" she said, a little too brightly.
Arnav sighed before driving into a deserted road, and parking at the side.
He turned the ignition off and readjusted his position on his seat, so that his body was facing Khushi. "Now tell me Khushi. Why are you sounding so off ever since we've come from the temple?"
"Ummm... nothing..." Khushi just wasn't sure anymore. Arnav has known Sheetal much longer than he has known Khushi. In fact, the days he spent with her are probably nothing in front of the years he has known Sheetal.
So now, when she would say something against Sheetal, will he believe her?
"It certainly doesn't look like nothing to me Khushi. Come on, out with it," he said, not giving up.
Khushi just sat there looking down into her lap, fiddling with her fingers, not saying anything.
Arnav may be soft with Khushi, but he also had ASR in him, and ASR doesn't exactly have the largest amount of patience in the world.
So after about a minute Arnav ran out of patience, "LOOK at me when I'm talking to you Khushi!" he raised his voice, making Khushi jump slightly.
Khushi hesitantly looked up at his face, though not meeting his eyes.
"Now tell me, what's wrong?" he asked again.
Khushi just didn't know how to say what she wanted to, so she just sat there trying to figure out how to start.
But of course Arnav's patience has already run out, "Bloody hell Khushi! Just tell me what's wrong damn it!!!"
"Sheetal Di is attracted to you!" she blurted out.
"Huh?"
For the first time ever, Arnav Singh Raizada was gobsmacked. All his previous impatience and anger dissipated into thin air. Because right now, he needed all his brain power to process what Khushi had just said.
"I said, Sheetal is attracted to you," Khushi repeated.
Arnav was gaping at Khushi for a few moments, before he let out a small chuckle.
"Khushi have you become so possessive of me, that you can't even bear another girl within 10 feet of me?" he laughed.
Seeing Khushi's still serious expression, his laughter eventually stopped and he said, "Khushi there's nothing like that ok? Sheetal is like... a sister for me. Maybe not even that – you have nothing to be jealous of Khushi," he reassured, with a smile on his face. "And plus Sheetal would never see me like that. I'm her brother's colleage/friend – so she would never see me in that light. You're probably just reading too much into things."
"Of course you won't believe me – after all you've known your Sheetal much longer than me, so why would you take my side? Why would you listen to anything I say against her? I should have just kept quiet," Khushi said disappointed, turning around to face the window so that he can't see her face anymore.
"Khushi," he tried.
"No it's ok Arnavji. I was wrong. I admit it. Let's go now," she said, trying to end the topic, still not turning around.
"Khushi don't be like this," he tried again. "Look at me Khushi."
Khushi didn't respond.
Arnav abruptly got out of the car and strode over to Khushi's side, yanking the door open.
He was about to pull her out when he remembered that she had twisted her ankle and she probably couldn't stand up.
So he lifted her up, catching her unaware, and turned her on the seat so that she was facing him.
"What are you doing?!" she protested.
Arnav bent down on one knee, gently lifted her injured foot and placed it on his thigh.
"Thoda dard hoga, (It will hurt a little)" he said softly, looking into her eyes.
The moment Khushi looked into his mesmerising eyes, which were now filled with so much love for her, she forgot all her tantrums. How could she remain angry when he looked at her like that?! She didn't even hear what he'd said – all she knew and saw were his soulful eyes...
The spell broke when Arnav twisted her foot abruptly, making her immediately grasp his shoulder, while wincing in pain.
But moments later, when the pain receded, she realised that she could now move her feet around, without any pain.
Khushi didn't have long to contemplate the wonder of Arnav's magical hands, because she was pulled out of the car seconds later.
And before she knew it, she was backed up against the closed car door with Arnav's hands placed either side of her, trapping her effectively.
"Khushi," he called huskily, his breath washing over her lips.
"Hmmm?"
"Who do you belong to?" he asked, bringing his lips closer and closer to hers by the second.
The feel of him so close to her was completely messing up Khushi's senses.
"Hmmm?"
Arnav slid his arms around her waist, before pulling her flush against his body.
"Who do you belong to?" he repeated, letting his lips linger over hers.
"Y-you..." she managed through this sweet intoxicating haze.
"Who do I belong to?" he questioned, skimming his nose along the expanse of her neck before nuzzling his head in the crook her neck.
"M-me..." she replied, letting her one hand run over his back while the other ran its fingers through his hair.
"So does Sheetal have any place between us?" he asked, letting his lips travel up her neck, and eventually landing a breath away from her lips.
"N-n-no," Khushi replied.
And before she knew it, Arnav slammed his lips on hers, finally giving into his craving as well as her own.
He showed her through the kiss how much she meant to him, how much he 'loved' her, how much he wanted her.
And he allowed her do whatever she pleased with him, showing her that he was hers and hers only.
When they both pulled back for air, Arnav leaned his forehead against Khushi's, letting their breaths mingle together as they fought to bring their breathing back to normal.
A while later, Arnav started, "Khushi, there is only one girl who matters to me in my life. And that girl is standing right here, in my arms." He gave her waist a little squeeze for emphasis. "No one else matters."
"Arnavji, just because you are not interested in other women, it doesn't mean that they are not interested in you," she tried to explain.
"Come on Khushi, if it had been anyone else I would have believed you. But Sheetal? I've known her for years and she'll never see me that way."
Khushi just shook her head at his ignorance. "Duniye keliye aap ASR ho, lekin ladkiyon ke maamlemein aap jese buddhu koi nahi hai, (For the world you are ASR, but when it comes to girls' matter no is as dumb as you)" she said, lightly tapping his forehead.
"What the?! You called ME buddhu (dumb)? How dare you?!" He wasn't able to digest the fact that Khushi had just called him 'stupid' to his face – to HIM!!! THE ASR who was the best businessman in the whole of India!
"Of course! How could you not notice how she gives you extra attention whenever you are close to her? How could you not notice how she uses every chance to touch you or brush against you? How could you not notice the way she tries to act more feminine whenever she is next to you?" Arnav was just completely blank... After all, he hadn't noticed any of these things with Sheetal.
Seeing Arnav lost for words, Khushi just smiled – he looked so much like a lost child right now.
"Only my Arnavji can be ASR to the world and still be an innocent child when it comes to girls," she said, pulling his cheeks.
"I'm not a child Khushi, for you to pull my cheeks," he said frowning, pulling her hands away from his cheeks.
"Really?" she asked, in a playfully doubting tone. She quickly pulled his cheeks again, giggling at his annoyed expression.
She reached up again to repeat her action but this time Arnav caught her hands and brought them behind her back, plastering her body to his.
"I said. I'm. Not. A Child," he said. And then he leaned closer and asked, "Do you want me to prove it to you?" in a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.
"Okay, okay, I give" Khushi gave in, still smiling. She got up on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on each cheek, her hands still bound by his.
"But Arnavji, you seriously need to believe me when I say that Sheetal is attracted to you. I know you're still not sure, but we're going there now right? So when we get there, just watch her every move discreetly and tell me then if I'm wrong. She will use every opportunity to brush against you, to gain your attention, to make you interact with her. Trust me. If I'm wrong, then I will do anything that you tell me to," Khushi said.
She really wanted Arnav to be aware of this – although Sheetal hadn't done anything major to get Arnav, Khushi was just uncomfortable knowing that Sheetal wanted her Arnav.
"Ok fine. I'm still not sure about this, but I will watch her today and see if you're right or not. And don't forget your words – you have to do ANYTHING I say if you are wrong."
"Hmm ok – but I know that I'm definitely not wrong about this."
"We'll see..." said Arnav. And then a moment later, "Damn it! Sheetal is going to be suspicious if we go so late! We left at the same time as her and... Let's get going!" he said, rushing to the driver's seat while Khushi got into the passenger's seat. And within seconds they took off towards Sheetal's house.
Surprisingly, at the end, it was Sheetal who came home late. She got there almost half an hour after Arnav and Khushi arrived at the house.
"What happened Sheetal?" Arnav enquired, as soon as he saw Sheetal enter the living room. "How come you are so late? We all left at the same time...?"
"Voh... I tried to take the shortcut, but then there was a car accident on the way, so the road was blocked and I got held up, that's why."
Just then Aman entered and having heard the conversation on his way inside, he said, "Really? I just came using that path and the roads were fine – and there were no signs of an accident anywhere..."
Hearing this both Arnav and Khushi looked at Sheetal, waiting for a reply.
"Voh... Bhaiyya... You're coming just now right? You must have come after the route got cleared. That's probably why you didn't see anything," she explained.
"Ohh yh, probably," replied Aman, before he headed upstairs to freshen up, as he'd just returned from work.
Later when they all sat down for lunch, Sheetal got up to serve them lunch, and Khushi wanted to volunteer to help because she didn't want Sheetal to be all over Arnav using this chance. But then Khushi stopped herself from volunteering because she knew that this needed to happen so that Arnav would see Sheetal's intentions.
Sheetal started to serve everyone the food, and when she got to Arnav, she took extra care in serving him, which Arnav noticed with confusion.
And then all of a sudden, saying that she'd forgotten a dish in the kitchen, she left to the kitchen.
And seconds later she returned, with the dish casually.
Only it wasn't casual at all. When Sheetal had been serving the food at first, she had been dressed very modestly in her sari, with everything covered up, just as it had been at the temple. But when she came out of that kitchen 'to get the dish she forgot' her sari was adjusted lower, revealing her waist, and her pallu pleats were just a little smaller, giving ample view of her breasts and waist from the side.
All of this wasn't going unnoticed by Khushi, who was putting in all her effort into not gritting her teeth and fisting her hands, seeing another woman trying to seduce HER man.
Luckily for Khushi, she wasn't the only one who noticed these changes.
Arnav narrowed his eyes as he took in the slight changes in Sheetal's appearance and immediately, he turned to look at Khushi.
Khushi met his gaze and subtly gestured towards Sheetal, to which Arnav gave a slight nod, letting her know that he had noticed it too...
Sheetal then walked towards the table, not having noticed that little exchange between Arnav and Khushi. As soon as she reached Arnav, she leant over with the excuse of serving him the curry, brushing her bare waist and her breasts against his shoulder in the process.
Khushi who was already boiling inside saw this and she saw RED.
But Khushi knew that she couldn't scream or make a scene but she HAD to do something.
Just a moment after Sheetal's side had made contact with Arnav's shoulder and arm, Khushi shouted, "STOP!!!"
Everyone was startled with Khushi's outburst, including Sheetal who had jumped back with the shock, much to Khushi's satisfaction.
The second Sheetal's body made contact with Arnav's, he'd gone rigid, feeling utterly disgusted inside.
So when Khushi shouted, Arnav was partially startled but mostly happy to find that Khushi had saved him from that revolting touch.
When Khushi touched him, it felt so right. But when Sheetal made contact with him, every cell in his body was telling him to push her away.
Arnav could see – no, feel the fire that Khushi's eyes were spitting at Sheetal. Although she tried to cover it up, Arnav could see right through it.
'My little tigress,' Arnav thought, smirking to himself.
"What happened Khushi?" asked Aman, who was completely oblivious to this silent/unconscious war between Khushi and Sheetal.
"Ummm... Voh..." Arnav looked on with amusement as Khushi struggled to come up with an answer. "Voh... Arnavji doesn't like kharela!" she said, when she spotted the curry in Sheetal's hands to be of kharela.
"Really?" Sheetal asked. "I've known him for so long and I never knew he didn't like kharela...?" she trailed off, turning to Arnav, hoping he would defend her and say that he actually did like kharela.
"That's because I never got the chance to tell you, Sheetal. I mean... the opportunity never came I guess..." Arnav replied, obviously supporting Khushi. But at the same time, he wasn't lying either – he really didn't like kharela.
"Oh..." Sheetal felt disappointed and also jealous that Khushi knew something about Arnav that she didn't despite the fact that she knew Arnav for longer. And on top of that, Arnav was speaking on Khushi's side! Couldn't he have at least lied, that he liked kharela for her sake?
"It's ok Sheetal Di, at least you know now. Next time you won't make the same mistake," Khushi said, with a sweet smile.
Arnav just felt like kissing Khushi at that moment itself, seeing her possessiveness over him.
Oh how much he loved his angel...
First of all, guys thank you so so much for your support. I'm so blessed to have such understanding readers in such a situation.
For those who don't know, my dad is in hospital – he's in the ICU and his heart, liver and kidneys are not in a good state and life is just really hard at the moment. Please please please spare 3 seconds in your prayers for my dad if you can. I don't know what I would do without him... Please please please pray for him.
And as for updates – don't worry, I won't stop updating, but life is really hectic. I'm literally running to and from hospital, university and home. It's tempting to just give up writing, but I won't for you guys. I will continue to update every week – give or take a few days. But there might be slight delays, but please bear with me for the moment.
Sorry I couldn't get up to the part I wanted to in this chapter – but I promise in the next chapter there is a big twist so look out for it.
Anyways do tell me how the update was and please please please like/comment. Your response is my motivation.
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