Moments (IPKKND Secret Romance #2) (aka Our Moments)

Chapter 13: Khushi

21st December

The thrill of wearing his ring would never fade away. It'd only been four days since he'd gifted it to her, but Khushi had already taken it out dozens of times, slipping it on her finger and letting it catch the light when she was alone. It was beautiful, to be sure, but that wasn't why it fascinated her. It was a promise. His promise. Everyday, it reminded her that they'd dreamt a future together. A future that came closer with every hour that passed.

Khushi finished pouring the tea in Shantivan's kitchen. She had to talk to Arnav-ji about Babu-ji's appointment tomorrow. She carefully balanced a cup of sugar free tea and some snacks on a small tray and made her way across the house. Feeling someone's stare on her - that prickling at the back of her neck that spoke of close observation - she turned at the bottom of the stairs. Nani-ji and Anjali-ji were sitting on the couches, absorbed in preparing for the pooja they were hosting tonight. No one was paying any attention to her.

Arnav-ji looked up at her knock and threw her a brief, tight smile before returning to his laptop. Something had gone wrong yesterday, she knew, and he'd spent most of the night trying to fix it. Khushi sat on the floor, feet tucked under her, and carefully set the tray on the table. He frowned at this, but was distracted by a phone call before he could say anything.

Arnav-ji sipped the tea while talking, and in a brief pause, offered her the cup too. Khushi's pulse stuttered as she drank, the intimacy of sharing a cup still new and thrilling. She'd discovered that she didn't mind sugar free tea after all - although it helped to have jalebi on hand to counter the lack of sweetness! When he was finished, Arnav-ji closed his laptop and removed the Bluetooth device from his ear, giving her his full attention. He frowned again, and then pulled her up to sit on the sofa beside him.

"Don't sit on the floor," he admonished.

Khushi looked down at their hands, where he was idly running his thumb over her knuckles, and then up at him.

"Arnav-ji, I don't think I'll be able to come over tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"Babu-ji has an appointment with the doctor. I was thinking that Jiji could come over and help Anjali-ji finalize some of the details, and I would go with Amma."

He sighed, releasing her hand and sliding backwards to lean against the back of the sofa.

"Okay. I'll send Aakash to pick up Payal in the morning, and I'll drive you and your parents to the hospital."

"No!"

"What do you mean, no?" his voice lowered.

"I mean ... Arnav-ji ... think about it! How would we explain why you're driving us? They only know that I worked for you."

"Firstly, you don't work for me, or anyone else in this house. Not any more. Secondly, I already drive you to and from Shantivan every day, I visited on Diwali, and my brother is marrying your sister. Is it such a stretch that I would offer to help?"

Khushi, seeing that he was on the brink of anger, reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. He used it to pull her into his chest, and they sat there for a while - he outstretched on the sofa, and she half-sitting, half reclining, her head on his shoulder and her hand over his heart.

"Khushi, would you stop me if we were married already?"

"No," she admitted.

"Then don't stop me now."

. . . . . . .

Later that afternoon, Khushi stood in the kitchen making Nani-ji a tonic for her headache. Anjali-ji had tried to stop her, saying that a servant could do it, but Khushi had insisted. Arnav-ji's family was hers too. The tonic was almost finished when she felt him approach. A minute later, his hands were on her waist as he stood behind her.