One Step Closer (IPKKND FF | Complete)

Chapter One

"Don't touch me! And in the future, don't even dare!"

Khushi spat the words at Shyam and ran for the rooftop terrace door as fast as her shaking legs could carry.

Her skin was still crawling from the disgusting man's touch, Shyam's sleazy voice ringing in her ears. Khushi couldn't think clearly and wasn't watching her steps - all she knew was she needed to get as far away from this snake as possible. Devi Maiyaa, protect me, she muttered under her breath.

Halfway down the corridor she ran headlong into someone, and felt a pair of strong arms bring her to a halt. Once again Khushi had, without any planning, run into the arms of the one man whom she needed the most.

Devi Maiyaa had heard her and obeyed.

Arnav was stunned. Of course, he had been looking for Khushi, had seen her go in this general direction, had finally extricated himself from everyone to find her, to talk to her, to finally tell her...

And now, just like that, here she was, running headlong into his arms again.

Suddenly all those words he'd meant to say to her dried up in his throat, and his heartbeat quickened, speeding up to that distracting pace whenever Khushi was near.

Gently steadying her by the shoulders, Arnav realised she wasn't just doing one of her typical 'I have no idea where I am' walks, daydreaming in her jalebi queen fashion and running into everything and everyone. Especially himself.

No, Khushi was white as a sheet.

Something was wrong.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a low voice, still the go-to phrase he had used so many times. Lately it had become a flirting device, since he knew so perfectly well how his presence and nearness was affecting Khushi, and loved seeing her lips tremble as he leaned in to tease her. 

This time though, Arnav's tone was simply filled with genuine concern - he could tell that right now was not the time to play games.

Khushi was shaking like a leaf. She looked up, realising she was in Arnav's arms, and winced in pain - Arnav was holding her right where Shyam had bruised her arms just moments ago.

"Khushi, what happened?" Arnav asked.

She blinked, and started stammering for a response, but nothing coherent came out.

"Arnav-ji..." was all she managed to muster, but that one word, his name, that was enough for him.

Arnav's heart was full. After denying and avoiding his feelings for months, the stubborn man had finally admitted how much Khushi really meant to him, how much he really cared.

Once Arnav Singh Raizada committed to something, there was no stopping him. And this time, he was committed to Khushi. For good.

So he did the only thing that made sense at that moment, he listened to his heart, just like Di had urged him so many times. Just last night Arnav had finally realised that, yes, there was indeed someone who could take his breath away and who would become his lifeline. You'll feel as though your very breath will stop if you don't have her.

Arnav tightly wrapped Khushi in his arms, pouring all the bottled-up concern and affection for her into one simple gesture.

"Khushi, it's okay... I'm here," he whispered.

Wrapped in Arnav's warm embrace, enveloped in the musky sandalwood scent of his cologne, Khushi finally started coming back to her senses. Despite everything, this man felt like home. He always had.

Khushi's memory flickered back to their earlier meeting by the hallway mirror and the unspoken promise he'd made with her own bindi. She had felt that she knew precisely what Arnav-ji was going to say to her, if only they could catch a moment by themselves, alone. Her heart had been galloping when she was waiting for him on the rooftop...

No, wait.

The message written on the mirror had not been from Arnav. The horrible altercation with Shyam came flooding back, and despite holding on to Arnav, Khushi felt as if the whole world was spinning, as if Shantivan's polished floors had suddenly given way.

The way Shyam-ji had just held her, had declared his limitless love, it was all so perverted and wrong, so terribly, terribly wrong! It had been such a huge mistake to keep his dreadful behaviour a secret! Devi Maiyaa, please help me.

There was only one thing she could do right now, before it was too late. Even if it was already too late.

Khushi disentangled herself from Arnav's arms and drew a deep breath, composing herself as best she could.

"I... need... I need to tell you something important. Right now."

They were just a few paces from Arnav's room, and Khushi pulled him through the familiar door without ceremony. Startled by the sudden change in her demeanour, Arnav was growing really concerned now.

"Khushi, you have to tell me what's wrong!"

"It's about Shyam-ji," she whispered, staring at Arnav and only half-realising what she was about to unleash.

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