At Last (IPKKND Secret Romance #4)

Chapter 5: Kheer

That evening, Khushi sat on the sofa, sorting through her bangles and arranging them onto the holder Arnav-ji had bought for her. She hummed Salman-ji's latest hit as she worked, and looked up as her husband entered their room. A wonderful, sweet aroma wafted from the bowl he held in his hands. Her tummy gave a little growl.

"Do you have food?" she jumped up eagerly.

"Your Jiji made me kheer. I think I married the wrong sister."

"Hawww," she pushed at his chest, "Don't tease like that! Anyway, Jiji makes wonderful kheer! You don't know how much I've missed Jiji's cooking."

But he stepped away, holding the bowl out of her reach.

"Arnav-ji!"

"Arnav," he corrected with a smirk, "You agreed to call me Arnav once a week after our wedding."

Hey Devi Maiyya, I was hoping he'd forget! But this Laad Governor never forgets anything.

"Arnav-ji," she complained, reaching for the bowl again.

"Khushi," he leaned in for a kiss.

She pouted into the kiss, still trying to reach for the kheer.

"I think you might like food more than you like me," he observed.

"Fine," she huffed, and retreated outside with a bang of the poolside doors.

He followed a few minutes later, changed into his night clothes, the bowl of kheer in one hand and a stack of thick envelopes in the other. Khushi, busy inspecting the pink blooms on one of his plants, watched out of the corner of her eye as he took a seat at the outdoor table.

"These are pamphlets from all the colleges in Delhi," he remarked casually, "You should look through them."

Warmth replaced all her irritation as he turned to her. "You want to support yourself, Khushi, and I want to support you. Pick anything, do anything you want. Mohan will drive you and pick you up if I can't."

For the second time that day she was speechless, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness. She rushed to his side and threw her arms around him. Arnav-ji pulled her into his lap, cradling her head against his chest as he stroked her hair.

Khushi broke their silence a few minutes later. "Thank you, Ar-Arnav."

She tried to hide herself, blushing, but he lifted her mouth to his with two fingers under her chin and thanked her with a kiss. Then he reached for the kheer.

"You missed your sister's cooking?" he asked as he fed her some.

Khushi nodded as she swallowed, and he kissed her forehead tenderly. She took the spoon and fed him the last of the kheer. He smiled before kissing her again. Their kiss lengthened, deepened, and a now-familiar heat fluttered within her. He took her hand and slid it under his shirt, and this time she left it there, relishing his warmth. He groaned softly when she moved her fingers, and his fingers traced patterns on the skin left exposed by her blouse. She sprang away.

"Someone might see!" she glanced at the stairs leading to the terrace.

"No one can see."

"I'm ..." she fought for some control, "I'm going inside."

She hurried away, snatching a change of clothes from the wardrobe before locking herself in the bathroom. Her fingertips tingled as though they could still feel the warmth of him. She felt his hands on her back when she closed her eyes.

Hey Devi Maiyya.

She washed, changed, and made herself ready for bed. When she emerged, he was sitting in bed, against the headboard, with his laptop in front of him. He looked up as she approached. Her heart skipped several beats.

"Come here, I want to show you something," Arnav-ji put the laptop aside.

He pulled her into his lap, taking a moment to kiss her cheek, and then placed the laptop in front of her. The screen was lit up with a picture of a gorgeous beach, all white sand and turquoise blue water.

"This," he said, scrolling to the next picture, "is where we're going in a few days."

"Wow," Khushi breathed, "it's beautiful!"

"I thought you'd like it," she heard the smile in his voice even though she couldn't see it, "a week in the Maldives."

He clicked to the next picture. "And this is where we're staying."

It was exquisite. A small house decorated in sumptuous white and dark woods, covered with windows that opened onto a huge balcony. It was surrounded by water. He showed her more photos, each more magnificent than the last, and Khushi wondered at how much her life had changed. It looked like heaven, like it couldn't possibly exist in the same world she'd spent her life in.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Yes. A lot. Thank you."

His lips were suddenly at her shoulder, kissing their way to her neck. She shivered and let her head fall back on his shoulder. The laptop disappeared from her hands, and then he was leaning her back against the pillows, pressing into her, and kissing her. Always, kissing her.

Two minutes later, she couldn't remember her own name.