Contract Commitment ▪︎ARSHI▪︎

•Eleven•

Arnav was a man of vast experience, he had many a tale to tell and a multitude of advice he yearned to pass around, for all of this he thanked the events within his life that pushed his maturity to grow a little stronger each and every day. Without pain, one wouldn't know what comfort felt like, without hate love was meaningless, purely because you wouldn't know how good it was if you had nothing to compare it to, so he supposed he should be grateful for this moment.

But he wasn't.

It was Jussie Smollett who said: "There's not one human being on the planet earth who has never felt, at some point, unaccepted. At some point in our lives, we feel like we're not good enough, but we have to step back and realize that we are" and for as long as he could remember, he'd agreed, but that wasn't the case anymore.

Forever had passed with him craving to be enough for the woman he'd die for, yet here she stood with a metaphorical gun in her hand that shot bullets of silence when he needed her to scream as loud as her lungs would allow that her ex was wrong. She would be his demise and the worst thing was not that he didn't mind, it was that she didn't and that couldn't be anymore clearer if she tried.

Clenching her fist, Khushi grit her teeth and offered the man before her a blood-chilling scowl that tightened her chest. "Get. Out" she ordered sharply.

Smirking, Nav ran a hand down his cheeks "Not got an answer?"

"I said" she hissed, "Get out of my office!" Waiting for the door to slam, she turned quickly only to bump into her husband's hard chest. Raising her head slowly, her eyes filled with tears "Arnav, that-".

Cutting her off with a finger on her lips, he brushed his own against her hairline. "Don't" his voice cracked, he couldn't take false excuses right now and he had no right to be mad at her for her feelings either. It was him who'd pushed her into taking things further and it was he who'd fallen in love- it was not her job to catch him or play party to his fantasies.

"No, Arnav" she grabbed his wrist, flinching at the way his heel pushed a rose petal into the ground as he tried to get away.

"No, Khushi" he turned his head slightly, head shaking in replacement of the words that'd break his heart if he spoke them aloud. Loosening her grip, he shrugged her away, dropped his head and hurried as far away as he could.

Allowing her shoulders to slack, Khushi swiped away a stray tear then knelt to gather the strewn petals. Holding the stem to her chest, she exhaled loudly. It wasn't meant to be like this, it wasn't meant to hurt, not with him, she'd married him for that exact reason. If there was no love, there would be no expectations and therefore no pain, yet somehow all she felt was a heart-shattering ache that begged her to down something alcoholic to numb the feeling she was no longer familiar with.

Danny frowned at the sight in front of him before shutting the door quietly so as not to bother her. "Hey, baby girl" he helped her up.

"I fucked up, Dan, real bad and-" she quickly fell silent, admitting the fact she wasn't sure if it could be fixed would only create a reality she wouldn't even wish on her worst enemy.

"I can help you win him back".

"Who, Arnav?" She looked up hopefully, because God she wanted that, she wanted her best friend back. He was the only man to make it all okay, the only man worth the hassle, the only man who'd taught her that love could be fulfilling in a different way.

"No, Nav" his eyes rolled back, "Of course Arnav, silly". Cupping her face, he spread her lips sidewards into a smile, "Now, show me those pearly whites and let's get to work because there ain't no sunshine when he's gone and rain ruins my hair". Winking at her, he shoved her into her chair and tapped his teeth with a pen while looking over at her.

"What?" Looking around, she huffed. "Staring at me won't fix this".

At that, he laughed loudly, so loudly in fact that he ended up choking on air that led him down a path of spluttering and chest smacking. "I just find you funny".

"Funny? Right now?" Her brows joined. This didn't really seem like a funny time, but then again, her best friend was a clown, so what did she expect?

"Yes!" He would explain why, but what was the point? She was far too stubborn to listen and this was one of those things she had to realise by herself, he'd just gently nudge her in the right direction. Although he couldn't deny how much he wanted to shake her by the shoulders and scream in her face that she was indeed in love with her husband, he'd save that as a last resort.

Kicking her legs up onto the desk, she crossed her arms impatiently. "Come up with anything yet?"

"Actually" Danny perched on the desk, "I believe I have, it won't be easy but it'll be worth it" he reassured. Tricking his boss/best friend into seducing her husband so she'd see the truth perhaps wasn't the best idea ever, but he'd been single for far too long and deserved a little fun.

"I'll do anything" she sat forward, eyes wide. "I love him, Danny, he's my best friend". Dropping her gaze, Khushi sniffled sadly. "I can't lose him".

"And you won't" he grabbed her hands in his, "I promise you that". Operation make Khushi realise her love was ago, hopefully, he'd get a little bonus cheque this year for the extra hours he was about to put in or maybe a cheeky nude of her hubby? Well... a man could dream.

•••

Khushi had hidden in her bedroom for a good three hours now, passing time by redoing her hair, checking her phone for cheerleading GIFS from Danny and reassuring herself in the mirror. Never in her life had she been the first person to start things, she'd kind of counted on Arnav to move their relationship forward, but since this seemed like the only way to show him her ex was forgotten and she was willing to do anything to fix what had been broken, she had to do what had to be done.

"Danny are you sure this will work? I don't want him to think I just want sex" she shuddered at the thought.

Waving her thoughts away with his hand, he laughed. "He knows you, he knows you wouldn't use him like that, this is just about showing him that you want to take things further and you do want that, right?"

"Well, I" frowning, she huffed, "I'm not opposed to it I guess" shrugging again, she threw her body back on the bed. "Sex makes things messy, I still worry one of us will catch feelings and get our hearts broken, I don't think I could survive falling in love with a man as good as him if he didn't love me back". Voicing her fears had always been something she actively tried to avoid, but she knew it was time, to be honest with someone who could help.

"Khush, you do know how obvious this all is, yeah?" A shake of her head almost made him smack his head against the wall due to her ignorance. "You could love him and that's what scares you, he's everything you've ever wanted and it's up to you if you think he's worth the risk, if you trust him enough not to break your heart, but you have to decide once and for all, you're either all in or all out, you can't be in the middle". Leaning a little closer, he smiled warmly "You have to let yourself get close enough to him to see the truth your heart is beating for, if a friendship is what you want then go and tell him that, if you want more then go ahead with my plan". Not giving her a chance to respond, he cut her off.

Deciding now was better than never, she yanked the door open and made her way to his office with one thing and one thing only in mind. "Arnav, can we-".

Turning to her, he placed a hand up to stop her then pointed to the phone by his ear.

Scowling, Khushi shoved her tongue into her cheek then quickly snatched the phone and cut it off.

"KHUSHI!" Arnav bellowed, hand massaging his forehead the second her face dropped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout, I just" taking a seat atop the desk, he crossed his arms over his chest, "I don't have time for this right now".

Walking forward, she pushed his hands down and stepped between his legs. Ignoring the confusion so clear on his face, she moved his hand to the buckle around her waist then waited for him to make a move.

"What is it you want me to do, Khushi?" His voice was husky as he looked her up and down. God, she was beautiful and so tempting when she stood before him in long stiletto heels and a black coat to match. He wanted her, he'd always wanted her, but he didn't want to go forward if she didn't want him.

"Take it off" her voice was quiet, almost unsure. Gasping when he ripped away the coat that quickly slid to the floor, she allowed her hair to fall like a curtain beside her cheeks to hide the pink growing darker each time she met his gaze. She knew this could all go so wrong, but every time with him felt so damn right and she needed this, needed him to make her feel good again, the consequences mattered none when his hands were on her body and his lips burning her skin.

Arnav was angry, he'd been angry all day and he was much more angrier now. He'd allowed it to get this far and now she was using her body as an apology for a sin she hadn't even committed. He didn't want to hurt her, he never would, but he yearned for her to punish him, for her nails to scratch lines of betrayal down his back and her teeth to imprint a mark on his skin that would promise she'd hurt him this way and not hurt him with someone else. Tucking his finger beneath the lace garter, he rose his head "Tell me what to do?" He almost begged.

She'd never seen him like this, so ready to fall on his knees and follow every order like he owed her that kind of thing. "Show me what a husband does to his wife" freezing when the words left her mouth, she startled. Was that really what she wanted? Before she had a chance to think of it, he'd spun her around and pulled the zipper of her bodice down.

Twisting her by her hips, he slid the straps down her arms, following the trail with his lips as he tore away the material that blocked his hands and lips from her skin. Swiping items from the desk, he hurled her onto it swiftly then shrugged off his jumper.

Biting her lip, Khushi released a shy moan as he gripped her thighs. Throwing her head back, her hair dangled over the edge in a dance only for him. Dragging his head upwards, her fist clenched around his hair as he kissed her neck and shoulder a little too roughly.

"I can't be nice, not tonight" Arnav warned, he wanted her to know exactly how he felt, he wanted her to feel all the emotions he'd gone through the entire day, but most of all he wanted to give her a reason to stay, a reason to pick him like he'd picked her.

"I trust you" she sat up a little, reaching for him as she did.

Grabbing her wrist before she could touch him, Arnav smirked as he lifted her into his arms. Placing her on the bed, he tied both her wrists to the bed post then crawled atop her. "I'm going to drive you mad, Khushi, again and again and again, I won't stop until you're screaming my name the way you used to scream his" leaning down to her ear, he chuckled hoarsely. "I'm going to show you how it feels to want someone so badly, I'm going to turn the tables, baby, this time it will be you wanting me".