14

The car moved with the same kind of grace he did. It was something she had noted absently in the morning and now she just couldn’t stop looking.

The traffic moved smoothly as he drove , his arms flexing every once in a while. The cool blast of air was a relief as Khushi kicked off her sandals and settled back against the plush seats.

“You don’t play any music when you are driving?”  She asked, her eyes not leaving him.

“No”, he glanced at her, “There might be something on the radio”, he shrugs with a smile.

She pushed on a button and the tunes filled the car. An old Bollywood tune finds it way through.

Arnav glanced at her once again, looking mildly surprised.“I didn’t think…this era of music?”

“Buaji listens to it. Every weekend, she would put it on and do all the chores while we just lay around…”, she trailed off, immersed in memories of a time when she was sixteen. A time when her world was comprised of only Payal and Buaji.

“That sounds like the ideal weekend”, he smiled knowingly.

She found herself far more relaxed than she had been minutes ago. The traffic which usually drove her up the wall now seemed like a breeze.

But that peace was short lived as he changed the gear in a movement which left her breathless again.

God! She was behaving like an idiot.

But she couldn’t blame herself. No one had looked that sexy while driving in the history of mankind. She was sure of it.

———

Khushi stepped out into the balcony, where Arnav was arranging all cutlery. HP, the chef had greeted them with a smile half an hour ago, before retiring for the day.

“Smells good”

He looked up, his eyes flaring up with a glint, “Tastes even better”

She ignored the stutter in her heart and sat down, grabbing a fork as if her life depended on it.

Coughing, she gathered her wits,”NK and I have decided on a lot of things. We are prepared to have a team meeting tomorrow”

“That was fast”

“Hardly. Aman has everything and everyone on standby mode. We just have to set it in motion with a plan”

“Who are you doing for the main issue?”

“Dhruv Singhania”

He paused while he served her. Just for a second. But a second long enough for her to notice.

“Really”, his tone dulled down into plain ominous.

“Yes, why?”, she frowned, his reaction was suggestive of something amiss.

“Nothing. I am sure the meeting will go well. If you have any queries, you can call Aman anytime. This was his baby after all”

“Rhapsody?”, Khushi mused, still wondering about his reaction.

“Yes, it was something he came up with in college. But the scene back then was not that friendly to mixing politics with glamour. It was seen as frivolous. But things have changed”

They ate quietly after that. But she could tell that Arnav was not that at ease. She guessed it had something to do with Mr Dhruv but she didn’t want to guess mindlessly.

“Aman never married?”

Arnav sighed, “No. He wanted to. Years ago. But she was forced by her family to marry someone of political alliance”

Khushi gasped, “Oh, that’s…”

“Reality “, Arnav said wryly. “Parisa Khan*, daughter of Ahmed Khan. You must have heard of her”

“Of course. That’s tragic. And there’s nothing they could do? After all these years”

“Khushi, these people are not living lives for themselves. For Pari, being with Aman was the only risk she ever took. In the end she couldn’t fight her father’s ambitions and expectations”

She looked at Arnav staring unseeingly at the Lucknow night sky. So much of life lived, so much pain felt and yet, there wasn’t a visible scar on them.

———She was reading her book, glancing every now and then at the door, waiting for him to step out.

She wished she could thank Payal for picking out silk nightwear. It made her feel less awkward in front of him. He was such a man…she didn’t want to feel like a girl beside him, against him. Especially since, she had gone down the rabbit hole of the internet version of Lavanya Kashyap, a women as effortless as she was beautiful.

She needed to stop!

The click of the door signalled his arrival, as he brushed a towel against his wet hair.

Dressed in all black, he looked like a modern day Adonis. “Couldn’t sleep?”, he asked, his voice now a husky timber.

“Not yet”, she whispered back.

He slipped in beside her. But she could sense it. The tension in his shoulders. The state he had been in since dinner.

Moving close to him, she settled against the crook of his arm as he gently moved her to lay against him. He looked content with that.

But she wasn’t.

Everything that she witnessed today. His power, his demeanour at work, his touch in the elevator and goddamn the way he drove his car had left her spiralling into the web of desire.

With a tremble, Khushi slid a hand across his chest.

He let out a breath, “Khushi”, he groaned into the silence.

She leaned forward, as if drunk on him. Kissing his jaw, she tilted her head to press her lips against his.

A sharp sensation of pleasure assailed her as she felt his warmth. All muscle and hardness. He was not good for her health, she thought faintly as he deepened the kiss.

Sliding her tongue against his, she melted into the kiss. Completely unravelled, Khushi tugged at his shirt.

He broke away just for a moment to strip his shirt off. Her breath came in gasps at the sensations his touch induced. She traced her hands all over his sculpted torso, even as his skin erupted in goosebumps.

Flipping her on her back, Arnav loomed over her. Kissing her hard, he parted her clenched thighs. She shivered as he settled in between them.

With a groan, he angled her head better to kiss her deeper. She kissed him back, moving along with him.

It was overwhelming . The scent of him, the weight of his body, and the way he held her was driving her to ruin.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. A gesture which could have been mistaken for nothing by anyone else. But not him.

Slowing the kiss down, he peppered her with pecks, before pulling away and letting her see his eyes. Moving her arms over his shoulders, Khushi pulled him closer.

Utterly, completely ruined.

-----Author's note:

*Parisa Khan is indeed a tribute to one of my favourite authors of the ipk ficverse , Jalebijane aka Maya😅

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