Yaadein - Part 34

 

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Chapter 34



Khushi touched her trembling lips to believe what he just confessed. Arnav wanted her not just for their son and a happy family, but also for himself. She might have still expected him to confront it someday but his desires to take the marriage vows again, stunned her.

“I want to give you some time to think on this, but we have wasted 7 years already Khushi and even wasting the next 7 minutes now pricks bad” he added stroking the pad of his thumbs over her cheeks.


Every fiber in her body burned as he caressed her skin. Their ice creams were long forgotten.


“What if my memories come back?” she swallowed. “And I hate you again? What if I demand to get away from you again?”

He pulled her face closer. It was hard to keep looking in each other’s eyes being that close.

“I will fight for us, I promise. I am never going to let you leave me Khushi. I know you were never easy to impress but I will try and keep doing that until you love me back”

Her body bloomed knowing the efforts he was ready to put to mend their relationship. 

“I might never forgive Anjali and she still means a lot to you” she warned.

“I will live with that” he interrupted. “I don’t think I can forgive her either but if I do and you don’t, I know you will never do anything that will hurt her or the family, which is enough for me. I am not a man who would force his family on his wife. You are free to choose whom you wish to talk and whom to avoid”


He was being too generous.

“Okay” she mumbled.

Arnav leaned his head back to see her properly.

“Okay what?”

“I will think about it”


Her formal reply didn’t go well with his current bodily reactions. Not that he was expecting Khushi to jump in his arms or kiss him happily forgetting and forgiving him for all the odds they faced. But.. she could have said more… she could have given him something to get going until she clears her stand on this. Khushi read his inner turmoil and hence explained.


“When I stepped in Shantivan for Aarav again, I knew I wanted to stay there forever. That’s why I asked you to give me the rights of living as your wife for that much period. The past misconceptions untangled but we still have a lot to fix before we… we take a step ahead Arnav”


He nodded absently, his chest lifting and falling roughly.

“I deserve to wait, I know” he replied. “Take your time Khushi but let’s set this right. Not just for Aarav.. but for us too”

He brushed a hair strand and placed a kiss on her temple. It was hard to be this close to her yet be in limits. All these years he had secretly craved to touch her again someday but tonight, he limited it to a gentle kiss. Khushi watched the longing in his eyes as he pulled away from her.

“Lets go back home” He cleared his throat.

“I will buy some ice cream for Aarav in case he asks where we had been”

Arnav agreed followed her to the ice cream shop again to pay for it. The drive back home was silent. He actually felt a fraction of the weight lifting off him as he confronted his feelings tonight. They will share a future together; he knew that but the wait to see it all happen without any hinderances was killing him from inside.


*****************


The next morning, when Arnav was getting ready for work, Ayush entered his room.

“How was your long drive last night?” he teased.

“Great. We had ice creams” Arnav replied fetching a tie.

“You talked to her? Told her you want her to stay forever?”

“Hmm”

“She agreed?”

Now he paused his actions and turned around.


“Look around dad. She would have been in this room had she agreed that easily”

Ayush waited for Arnav to share the details and to know how exactly he and Khushi had decided to progress. Arnav told him everything.

“That’s.. fair” Ayush shrugged and smiled. “We should give her time. At least you both are on the same page now. All you got to do is make way to each other”


Arnav fiddled with the tie, restless of the current situation. This was even more frustrating.. To be so clear what he wanted, having her around him and yet unable to claim her as his own. Ayush read his problem and patted his arm.

“Make your way to her.. she might take time but not step back. That’s a huge win my son. Take a step towards her and show her what you are willing to give her, which you both have missed all these years”



Arnav exactly knew what his father was talking about. He had to woo his wife and make his way to her heart again. The knock diverted their gazes on the door. Khushi came inside holding a freshly brewed cup of Coffee for Arnav. He had asked Hari Prakash to send him coffee in the room until he dressed up for work. Since Hari Prakash was arranging their breakfast at the table, she decided to deliver it on his behalf.


“Your coffee”

Arnav took the cup from her mouthing a quick thank you, the tie hanging lifelessly around his neck. Ayush made his way out giving them some private time which Arnav didn’t lose to grab.



“Will you mind?” he asked gesturing his tie which needed attention. She eyed at him in surprise. “Not if it’s too much for you” he added.

She moved closer and grabbed his tie to knot it around his neck. Time and everything else in the world ceased to matter for him having her that close. He sipped his coffee, while his eyes kept gazing her face as she silently knotted his tie. It was hard to decipher what she was going through, doing this little favor for her husband. It looked so natural asking his wife to help him dress up. He had missed a partner in the last seven years, terribly and now that he had one, his fingers itched to pull her closer, do things to her that would make her blush.


As if she read his mind, she shot him a look in between and Arnav swallowed his dry throat to think of something else.

“Did I do this before?” she asked. “Help you with the tie?”

“Never”

He didn’t have to recall much. Khushi and him never had this kind of bond in their marriage earlier.

“I won’t mind if you help me with the tie occasionally” he shared his wish. It took her a lot of control not to blush. She knotted the tie and stepped away to give him a quick look. The suit was bespoke and his shirt and tie were immaculately matched. His cuff links gleamed with elegance. Overall, this man was perfectly dressed for business and when she met his gaze again, she realized he had caught her staring.

“Can you please drop Aarav to school today? I have to head for work too after a long time. Dad said its important. So”

Arnav checked his watch.

“No problem. I will drop him”

“Thanks” she smiled. “Finish your coffee and head for breakfast”

That was all she said before leaving his room… Correction.. Their room. He could wait to share this room with her again.


****************

Gupta Office


Khushi barged in the conference room, dressed in a formal shirt and pencil skirt. It had been ages wearing such outfits and she felt alien coming back to work after such a long gap.

“Hey Dad” she reached her father and gave him a hug.

“Sorry for calling you at such a short notice. I hope you didn’t have to reschedule your homely chores”

“Just one which Arnav took up happily – dropping Aarav to school” she replied turning her laptop On. “What’s the progress so far? What did I miss?”

“Not much…”

And then they talked business for the next few hours.


“I will go” she told her father who was surprised she was ready.

“No wait.. I cannot let you go like that. My daughter is not single anymore. She has a family here and Ayush told me you and Arnav had been on a drive last night..”

Khushi’s face heat up.

“Have you both decided to stay together? Forever?”

Khushi nodded.

“Of course, we have. But this time he wants it not just for Aarav”

Damn!! She wasn’t able to talk about it openly to her father. She was extremely shy.

Shashi laughed and gave her a hug,

“I am so happy for you. At last, my daughter is going to get the best in her life”

“And I am going to give them the best too, Dad. I don’t want to repeat what I did earlier with that family”

“I am so proud of you” he kissed her forehead. “So, tell me will you really go to Auckland and handle this for a week?”

“I will. I know that Client better and I have dealt such issues before there. I should go. I will speak to Arnav and convince Aarav too. I am sure they will understand”

“I don’t doubt that” Shashi agreed. “Arnav knows his wife is also a business woman so he will understand your commitments towards work”

Khushi checked her watch. It was time for lunch and she decided to meet Arnav in his office to quickly discuss this thing. Waiting till evening for him to return home will be difficult.


****************

AR Office


Just like every other time Khushi came here; the staff was too surprised to see her again in AR office. That’s when she recalled they were yet to be told that their boss has reconciled with his wife and they will see her often around him henceforth. Sheetal was speaking to the receptionist outside Arnav’s cabin when Khushi reached there. The receptionist greeted her but Sheetal had to poke.

“He is busy on a call” Sheetal mentioned.

“Sure he is” Khushi smirked and turned to the receptionist. “Tell him I am here please”

“Yes Ma’am”

Khushi then eyed back to Sheetal.

“I see you lurking around his cabin too much”

“Excuse me?” Sheetal snapped.

“For work I hope”

Sheetal knew she was taunting.

“And if its anything apart from work..” Khushi inched closer almost intimidating Sheetal. “then you will have to face me before him”

A cold sweat broke on Sheetal’s face which didn’t go unnoticed to Khushi. She stepped back and turned to the receptionist again.

“You should lower the AC. It’s hot in here. Right Sheetal?”

Sheetal had no words. She had never accepted the truth of Arnav’s wife entering back in his life. But seemed like now she will have to face this woman more often.

“Khushi?” Arnav himself came outside the cabin to welcome her. Khushi strode to him.

“Sorry for coming here uninvited. Had few things to discuss”

Arnav didn’t reply to her instead, turned to the receptionist.

“Next time my wife is here, don’t make her wait. Just send her in the cabin”

“Sure Sir” the woman nodded.

His authoritative tone was enough for Sheetal to understand she had no chance in Arnav’s life anymore. He was never available for her and now with Khushi back… he was taken.


As soon as they were in the cabin, Khushi took a sigh of relief.

“I see you have a problem with Sheetal” he mentioned casually holding his grin. He had realized this the last time she was here.

“I will have problem with every woman who eyes on my husband”


Now she talked like she used to in the past!! Possessive!!

“She is harmless. But if you want me to warn her then I can”

“I have warned her enough. If she still doesn’t understand, I think she deserves a warning from you then. I know she is a good asset to your company, but is she crosses that line, I …”


She paused seeing Arnav grin at her. What was she doing? Acting like a possessive wife who cannot tolerate other women even looking at her husband? Arnav reached her and rubbed her arms gently to calm her down.

“I will take care of her if that happens. Now tell me what got you here?”



Right! She had to calm down and talk to him about the problems other than Sheetal.

“I have to fly to Auckland this weekend. A Project there needs my attention. I will be gone for a week. Will that be okay with you?”


No, that was not okay with him. It was just last night that they decided to be together forever and now she had to leave for work? Khushi read his face.

“I would have sent dad or someone else but, this is my project and..”

“One week wouldn’t extend, will it?”

“Can’t promise that. But I will make sure I wind it up within a week. I don’t want to stay away from Aarav either for so long” she groaned in frustration.

“Just Aarav?” he asked glumly.

Khushi met his eyes.

“His father too, yeah”

His mood visibly lifted.

“His father?” he laughed. “Not your husband?”


Her grin was sheepish. She had asked time from him to process this new reality between them but if he talks like that, she would easily slip her control in few days.

“I don’t know how husbands actually behave. Don’t have those memories Mr. Raizada. But I have seen you as Aarav’s father so that’s whom I am going to miss as of now”


From the spark that lit his amazing eyes, she could guess he liked her reply.


“Lunch?” he asked checking his watch.

“I didn’t have yet”

“Good. Let’s go out and grab some lunch together”

He didn’t her a chance to debate. She was hungry and what more could she ask for than having a lunch with her husband, outside their work premises?


To be Continued.

NEXT PART
 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Standalone Romance Book 1 from Mr & Mrs. Series

Kabier and Aashi's is a marriage of utmost convenience. Everything about the marriage is wrong yet Aashi falls for her tycoon husband who has no time for her. While Kabier is busy earning billions, Aashi battles her solitude until she decides to give up. Jealousy creeps in Kabier's heart when his wife's friend comes into the picture. Will Kabier realize Aashi's worth? How will he woo her back? 

A romantic tale of arrogant Business Tycoon Kabier Sehgal and his Former Miss India Wife Aashi Sehgal with sparks of attraction, love, jealousy and a happily-ever-after. 

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EXCERPT

He clasped her wrist and led her aside. 

“Mr. Sehgal I..” 

“Kabier” he interrupted. “We are getting married soon. Stop calling me Mr. Sehgal. Call me Kabier” 

Aashi sighed in relief. That meant he would not cancel the wedding. 

“Okay” she mouthed. 

“Now listen to me carefully Miss Aashi Sinha” 

“Aashi” this time she interrupted him. “Call me Aashi” 

His brow raised. 

“Smart” he mumbled. “So Aashi, I want you to think once again. I am late today on our engagement; I cannot assure I wouldn’t be late on our wedding. I keep travelling and I might not take you along. I will be busy at work and might not entertain your phone calls or messages. I can be a busy husband. So, think again. Do you really wish to marry me? This is your last chance.” 

She swallowed. All this sounded threatening. But wasn’t it too late to ask? Her mother was a heart patient. If she steps back now, it might affect her. 

“I will” she nodded affirmatively. 

“Why? Give me one reason apart from the one I already know. That I paid for your mother’s surgery” 

He had a right to know why she agreed to his proposal. So, she told him. 

“Because my mother believes you will be a wonderful husband. She sees that quality in you to protect me for a lifetime”