Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 44 - Initiation

The family was already at the dinner table when Akash and Arnav arrived home from office. Shyam was there too, Arnav noted with a grimace. Well, he might as well hear their honeymoon plans, then.

The brothers joined the family, exchanging grim looks as they sat next to their respective wives.

"I have something to share with everyone," Arnav said, once everyone had been served.

"Khushi and I – after the incident – we..."

"I asked Arnavji to take a holiday for a few days, because of everything that has happened," Khushi cut in helpfully, to his great relief. Arnav couldn't imagine saying the words "honeymoon" out loud to his family. "He has agreed to take me to Mussoorie."

Everyone looked up at this. "Chotay! Really?" Anjali gushed, beaming at him. His grandmother and sister had been plotting ways to get him and Khushi together in some romantic setting for ages.

"Yes. Akash has agreed to take care of things at work," Arnav said briskly. "And I will work remotely, of course, but –"

"Uff, Chotay, work, work, work. I'm so happy you've agreed to go on a holiday with Khushiji! You really need it, after all that has happened."

"Wow Nannav, honeymoon, huh? Better late than never!" NK piped up. "But why Mussoorie? Why not Mauritius, or Maldives?"

"Khushi's always wanted to go to Mussoorie," Arnav said, looking at his wife. It was true, he realized, as she blushed. Damn that Shyam for stealing this as well.

"Hello hi, bye bye! What will Phati saree do on a beach? She likes local only," Mamiji said, before faltering under Nani's glare.

"Why Manno, you thought Haridwar was romantic enough for us," Mamaji quipped, oblivious to his wife's glare.

"I've asked Aman to arrange everything. We are going tomorrow," Arnav said briskly. "Akash will drive us to the airport" He glanced at his phone. "The flight's at 11, tomorrow, so we should be there by 10 at least."

"Sure Bhai," Akash said with nonchalance that rivaled Khushi's.

"How romantic," Di said happily. "But what's with all these sudden plans? Get married in one day, go for your honeymoon tomorrow... when will you be back?"

"In a week," he replied. Then, with a sudden stroke of inspiration, he added. "Please don't tell anyone outside the family. Police are still looking for my assailant, and I don't want my whereabouts to be known to people outside the family. In fact, Khushi and I are going to avoid being seen as much as possible. We will probably stay in most of the time –"

"Hello hi bye bye," Mamiji said. "If you mean to stay in the room all day, why go all the way to Mussoorie? You can stay in your room here with Khushi for a week!"

Akash snorted. "Maa, you say whatever comes to mind," he said hastily covering his snort with a cough.

Shyam stood up, his chair dragging loudly across the floor. "I – I just remembered some work," he said, and hurried away. Arnav looked at Khushi and Akash. They had been watching him too.

"They're getting away from you, Manno," Mamaji said. "How can they spend any time alone in this house, when you are busy doing detective work?"

Mamiji protested, as everyone broke into giggles and chatter.

"Better get out of the room, Nannav!" NK said in a sing song voice. "I'm sure there will be lots to see in Mussoorie, besides Khushi ji!"

Arnav glanced at Khushi, who was blushing. He raised his eyebrow at her. 

She ignored him resolutely.

—

"That went well!" Khushi said gleefully when they were back in their room. "You did very well, Arnav ji. Maybe you'll become an actor after all."

Arnav grinned. "You're enjoying this?"

She shook her head. "No, it makes me a little sad. I wish we were actually going to Mussoorie."

"To stay in the room the whole time?" He teased.

"No!" She declared, going to the wardrobe. "If we went to Mussoorie, we would go out everyday. We would walk around, eat everything, try out all kinds of things. We would get out of the room early morning and return late at night. We wouldn't spend any time in the hotel room at all, except to sleep."

"Sounds like a terrible holiday."

She was pulling out their clothes from the wardrobe. "Do you stay in your room the whole time, when you go for a holiday?"

"Honestly, I can't remember the last time I went anywhere on a holiday. And yes, if we were on a holiday together, I'd want to spend all my time in the hotel room.."

She was stuffing their clothes into luggage bags now. "That's silly. What would we do in the room all d–" she stopped, blushed, and resumed packing.

"Hmmm?" Arnav said, enjoying this silly conversation immensely. "Not all hours of every day, then," he said, walking up behind her. "Maybe we can do alternate days. One day we go everywhere you want to go. And then the next day we stay in and do everything I want to do..." he flicked the pompom that hung from her sleeve, brushing her arm lightly.

She had stopped stuffing clothes into the bags. "W-what would you... w-w-want to ...d-do?" she said, shivering at his touch.

"Why are you so scared, Khushi?" He asked softly. He leaned forward, and whispered, "I wouldn't want to do anything that you don't want to do."

She fumbled as she tried to zip up the bag. "I'm not scared," she said in a shaky voice.

"Really?"

"I'm not scared."

"Is it the heartbeats again, then?"

She turned around. He stepped toward her – one step, and she stepped backwards, one step. He looked pointedly at her feet.

"I'm not scared," she insisted. He took another step forward. She hesitated, and took a step forward too. He bit his lip to conceal his smile, and took another, experimental step forward. She stepped forward, matching him. Okay, then. He took two slow steps forward, and she mimicked him again – two steps forward. They stood toe to toe.

"You're not scared?"

"...no."

He traced a finger lightly up her arm. "How about now?"

She exhaled heavily, closed her eyes, and shook her head.

He leaned in, face close to hers, and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "And now...?"

"No," she said in a whisper, eyes still closed. He kissed her on the forehead, and then on her cheeks – first one, and then the other. She didn't move.

He cupped her face in his hands, and she lifted her arms to place them on his shoulders.

"Khushi, I'm going to..." he said, his voice husky with want. She nodded, eyes shut tight.

He tilted his face, and touched his lips to hers, softly. She pressed up against him, her arms around his neck. He encircled her waist with one hand, and deepened the kiss. She made a sound, somewhere between a sigh and a moan, and returned his kiss, running her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer.

Their kiss morphed into something that threatened to go beyond his control. Something desperate, fueled by the intensity of both their desires. When they broke apart, he forced himself to calm down. They couldn't let this go further. Not now, it was too much, too soon. He didn't want to make things awkward. Not when they had this whole charade to play out tomorrow.

He backed away, with a pang of regret as he saw the disappointment in her eyes. "We should sleep," he said in a still rough voice. She nodded, and turned back to the packing, glancing at him over her shoulder as she put the rest of the things in their bags.