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

Chapter 14: Arnav

25th December

"Why are you hissing like that? It's hurting me, not you."

Arnav sat on his sofa while Khushi held his hand, hissing through her teeth as she tended to the gash across his palm. She applied antiseptic cream and blew on it to ease the burn.

Her eyes were wide-eyed and earnest when she looked up, "I know how much it must hurt. I can't stand it when you're in pain. And you were hurt helping my father."

Her concern for him touched something deep inside.

Arnav had gotten hurt while unloading her father's wheelchair from the car yesterday. In hindsight, he realized that he shouldn't have forced Khushi to let him drive them. His car wasn't properly equipped for handling the wheelchair and it was too high off the ground. If Khushi had gone without him, she would've arranged more appropriate transport.

"Arnav-ji! Sit still!"

He hadn't realized he was moving. "Sorry."

Still, Arnav thought it'd been a fruitful day despite the incident with the wheelchair. Khushi's Amma had been incredibly nice, thanking him repeatedly and asking him questions about what he did. He liked her; she was direct, thoughtful, and honest, traits she'd passed on to her daughters. He suspected that she saw, and understood, more than she let on. She had little in common with Bua-ji, which honestly, was a relief. Bua-ji was warm - extremely kind at heart - but prone to exuberance, whereas Garima-Aunty seemed more sedate.

Arnav also liked Khushi's father.

When they'd met for the first time on Diwali, he'd been shocked to see how unwell he was. He'd known that Khushi's father had suffered a stroke. He'd paid the hospital bill himself and seen the list of treatments that had been administered, but seeing Shashi-Uncle in the wheelchair, unable to talk, was something else entirely. In the weeks that had passed, however, Uncle had made significant progress. He'd smiled at Arnav and seemed well on the way to recovering movement in his arms.

"Pass me the bandage."

Arnav handed her the roll. Khushi didn't look up as she wrapped his hand, frowning in concentration, and her fingers were gentle on his skin. He'd hidden the wound yesterday but he hadn't been able to hide the bandage this morning. Predictably, she'd scolded him for the entirety of their drive before insisting that she be allowed to tend to it herself.

He'd taken the doctor aside after Uncle's appointment, and had been told that while the progress was remarkable, it could be years before Khushi's father regained the use of his legs. That afternoon, after dropping Khushi and her family in Laxmi Nagar and getting his hand checked by a doctor (he was relieved that he wouldn't need stitches), Arnav had called Aman. He'd asked his manager to look for a car that could be modified to accommodate all of Uncle's needs, including a ramp in the back for easy access and floor restraints to hold the wheelchair in place while they drove. His only stipulation was that the car be white and less than two years old. If Shashi-Uncle was going to be in a wheelchair for a while then Arnav didn't want them riding in taxis and buses.

If Aman had any questions about why Arnav was looking at a new car after purchasing a Honda sedan last week, he didn't ask. Arnav had bought it for Khushi – she couldn't learn to drive in the Toyota – and he hoped that she'd like it. Instead, Aman had reminded him that the new purchase would bring the Shantivan fleet to a total of six vehicles and that the garage would need to be extended. He'd arranged for an architect to visit next week.

Khushi, finished with her ministrations to his hand, pressed a lingering kiss to his wrist before resting her head on his shoulder. Her fingers traced idle circles on his upper arm.

"Are you still not talking to me?" Arnav took her hand and twined their fingers.

"No. I'm not talking to you. Why didn't you tell me that you were hurt?"

"Hmmm, it sounds a lot like you are talking to me," he kissed her temple.

"No."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed each finger in turn. "I didn't want you to worry."

Khushi lifted her head to look at him.

"I'm not made of glass. I won't break. I can handle it."

I know baby. But I need to protect you.