Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha

Chapter 26

"Tell me again." Arohi said quietly as she snuggled closer in Arjun's arms.  Arjun smiled.  "Arohi, I love you."  Arohi grinned and wrapped her arms tighter around him.  "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing those words coming from your mouth." she said sweetly.  Arjun pulled away a little to look down at her glowing face.  "I should have said them sooner." he said quietly, as he kissed her forehead and pulled her back against his chest.  "Yes, you should have." she giggled, as he tickled her ribs.  A few moments later Arohi forced herself to pull away. "I should get going over to Rashi's."  "She's probably waiting for me." she said.  Arjun nodded.  "Are you spending the whole day there?" he asked suddenly.  "No, Rashi is going to the spa for a few hours this afternoon so I'll be back then."  she answered.  "Okay, then you should have a few hours to spare before her sangeet?"  "I want to take you somewhere." he said.  "You do?" she asked hesitantly.  "Where?"  "No, I'm not going to tell you where?"  "I'll show you." he replied. "I'm going to go meet up with some old friends this morning, I'll see you when you get back." he added.  Arohi nodded as she walked out of the room and then peaked back in.  "Did you forget something?" she asked.  Arjun shook his head and then smiled.  Folding his arms across his chest he said "I love you Arohi." "I love you too Arjun." she replied as she tilted her head to the side and gave him a sweet smile.  Minutes later Arjun was still staring at the now empty doorway.  "I love you Arohi." he repeated softly, a smile still lingering on his lips.

"What is this place?" Arohi asked, looking around in surprise.  They had just hiked up along side a cliff for the last 30 minutes.  A place that Arohi had never heard of, let alone seen.  "How much longer?" Arohi asked as Arjun helped her up a particularly steep step.  "Not much longer." he replied.  Arohi frowned.  That's what he'd been saying for the last 15 minutes.  But 5 minutes later Arjun finally pulled her up to the very top.  Panting Arohi leaned against the cliff and drank thirstily from her water bottle.  But as she finally caught her breath and took in the magnificent view she let out a little gasp.  "This is amazing." she said completely in awe, as Arjun grabbed her hand to bring her forward.  "It is, isn't." he said, drinking in the view infront of him.  From their vantage point they could see the whole city, and it was breath taking.  "I came here lot in my younger years."  "When I was confused, when I needed to make major decisions like moving to Mumbai and starting my business, most of those decisions were made here."  "It's my spot." he said softly.  Arohi squeezed his hand.  "Have you ever brought anyone else here?" she asked.  "No, only you." he replied, cupping the side of her face and giving her a deep, delicious kiss.  Arohi's heart squeezed so hard as he pulled away, and then slipped an arm over her shoulder pulling him to her.  They stared out at the beauty for a long time.  As they sat, they leaned against each other, and for once it was Arjun doing the talking, as he told her just a little bit about those younger days.  19 was young to go off on your own, to take such a risk but he never doubted that he would make it.  Arohi looked up at him, pride evident in her eyes at not only the man he had become, but the boy that he was then.  "We should go." Arjun said after awhile.  Arohi loathed to even think about leaving such a tranquil place, a place where Arjun shared a little of himself with her.  But she knew Rashi would be waiting.  "Thank you for sharing this place with me." she said, as they started to leave.  Arjun grinned.  "Now that I've shown you something from my childhood, it's your turn."  "You're going to have to share something with me too." he teased.  Arohi grinned.  "Tonight at the party you'll see plenty from my childhood including Abhi, my first crush." she said with a smirk.  Arjun narrowed his eyes.  "Abhi huh?"   Arohi nodded.  "He's so cute."  "Wait until you meet him."  "I fell in love with him when I was 16." she said.  "I don't think I ever really got over him." she said with a grin.  Arjun frowned as they reached the bottom.  "Never got over him huh?"  Arohi shook her head, a mischievous smile on her face.  "I'm going to need to meet this Abhi and see what's so special about him that my wife is still thinking about him!" Arjun said gruffly, as he strode towards the car missing Arohi's giggles. 

"Damn!" Arohi snapped as she tried to reach the back hook to her choli.  "Hooks should always be in the front!" she muttered to herself.  She was wearing a royal blue and emerald green lengha choli with kundan embroidery.  A soft net duppata, lay draped on the chair next to her, waiting to be pinned.  Leaving her choli unhooked she started working on slipping her chooria and thick kundan bangles on to her wrists.  Her nerves were on high alert today becauuse her and Shefali were performing a dance number at the sangeet, and Arjun was going to be there to watch it!  Ofcourse he'd seen her dance just the night before, but the difference was that she didn't know that he was watching.  Biting her bottom lip nervously, she gave a big sigh and then looked up into the mirror to see Arjun come up and stand behind her.  He was wearing a black kurtha.  She didn't think she'd ever seen him in Indian attire before, he looked so handsome that she couldn't help but stare at him.  Seeing her undone choli he asked "Need help?"  Arohi nodded, and then suppressed a gasp at the feel of his fingers against her skin.  She watched him, watching her, in the mirror and she couldn't help but blush at her wayward thoughts.  As he did up the last hook he leaned down and kissed right above the hook.  "Beautiful doesn't begin to describe what you look like today." he said in a soft husky voice.  Arohi blushed prettily and then watched as he pulled out a jewelry box.  "This is for you." he said as he slipped out a familiar emerald necklace.  Arohi gasped as she turned around and looked first at Arjun and then at the necklace.  "That's the necklace we saw in the display window of that jewelry store, when we were in London." she said breathlessly.  Arjun smiled.  "The one you liked but wouldn't buy yourself." he replied, slipping it around her neck.  Arohi couldn't stop looking at the beautiful necklace.  "I knew it would look beautiful on you." he said, stepping back and looking at her.  Arohi stood up and faced him.  Her fingers gently skimming over the necklace.  "Thank you." she said a little teary eyed.  "I love it." she added.  "You're welcome." he replied, handing her the earrings and an emerald ring he'd bought for too."  "I want you to have beautiful things."  "I want you to have everything you desire." he added.  Arohi wrapped her arms around him and said "I have everything I could possibly wish for and more."  "I don't think there's anything else I could ever need or desire as long as I have you." Arohi said.   "Well then these little gifts are what I desire for you." he said with a smile.  "And ofcourse it's completely up to you if you want to spend time thanking me appropriately for these gifts." he teased.  Arohi pulled away, swatting his chest playfully.  "Oh so the gift comes with a price huh?" she said.  Arjun pulled her back into his arms.  "Not a price,  but a token, a token of your love." he teased back.  Arohi rolled her eyes and then giggled as Arjun nipped at her neck, planting soft kisses.  "How important is it that we be on time for this party?" he asked, kissing along her collarbone.  "Hmmm." Arohi answered, as she felt herself responding to his kisses, and then as his words sunk in, Arohi gasped.  Pushing at his chest until he finally let her go with a sigh.  "Don't even think about it Arjun." she warned, slightly out of breath.  Arjun held up his hands, "I wasn't thinking anything you yourself weren't thinking." he teased.  Arohi felt herself blush as she saw Arjun's knowing smirk.  She was never going to get ready if he stayed in the room with her.  More likely then not instead of dressing he'd soon be helping her to get undressed.  "Out." she said pushing him to the door.  "Arohi," he said a little bewildered but out he went.  "You can make it up to me tonight." he called as the door shut on his face.

"I don't know how or why I let you talk me into this?!" Shefali muttered, clearly agitated as she paced upstairs in Rashi's bedroom.  "Shefali, stop freaking out."  "It'll be fine." Arohi said, trying to reassure Shefali that their dance performance would be just fine.  "Maybe we should have a shot." Shefali suggested suddenly.  "And maybe we shouldn't!" Arohi replied.  That would just go over wonderfully, them showing up drunk for the dance.  Truth be told, Arohi herself was plenty nervous.  Arjun was there and there was something else, something she wasn't even quite sure of.  Just some niggling feeling that wouldn't go away.  Brushing it aside, as just nerves she pressed a hand against her stomach.  Hearing the door open Rashi's cousin called "ready?"  Arohi took a deep breath and with an unsteady smile on her face, she grabbed Shefali's hand.  "Let's do this!" she said pulling her friend out the door.

Ishq hai,Teri aankhon ke matvaale
Kaajal ko mera salaam
Zulfon ke kale kale
baadal ko mera salaam
ghayal kar de mujhe yaar
tere paayal ke jhankar
hey soni sone,teri soni,
har adaa ko salaam