FF: Intezar ke Pal-Kuch Kathe Kuch Meethe Not - Pg 76 Jul 3rd - Page 45

Originally posted by: Viji79

 

Paal manam maaradha pacha kozhandha naan. See I don't even know about the ways.

How have you been my favorite readers?  

I am back with the next update on Intezar ke pal... such mein yeh to mujhe bhi intezar karva raha hai.

A Quick Recap : Arnav and Khushi find themselves once again in Havelock, while the rest of the family have a wonderful time in Kerala at Iyer uncle and Kutti maami's farmhouse where they celebrate NK-Maya and Anjali-Ajay's tala deepavali(first Diwali for a newly wedded couple)

 Buaji, Naani, Akash and Payal rejoice when they hear from Arnav and Khushi that they were returning back.  Their ruse had worked and All was well with Arnav and Khushi.

 Now, read on, hit like and comment my darlings.

 Intezar ke Pal Kuch Khathe, Kuch Meethe(English)  

Disclaimer: These pictures have been procured from public internet sources and have been used merely for illustrative purposes.  I do not own any rights to these.

Note: Do not copy.  My works are copyright protected. 

Part 11 

Sankadevi Returns

"I once had a thousand desires. But in my one desire to know you, all else melted away." 
 Rumi

July 2014,

Shantivan, Delhi.

            "Not just a Happy New Year, but a happy new beginning to a fresh new chapter in our lives Arnavji."

Arnav stirred and shifted, his eyes wide open at the sound emanating from the figure sleeping next to him.  "There she goes, dreaming aloud again," he murmered, propping up on his elbow and bending closer to decipher what Khushi was mumbling about.  A delighted smile spread on his lips, when he realized that she was dreaming about their Havelock trip, exactly as he had been. 

He had long since given up trying to explain the magical connection that Khushi and he seemed to share; being able to detect each other's presence when they were close to each other, communicating with their thoughts when far apart, and now having their dreams linked.  It seemed like when they spoke, was when they sometimes had a standoff.  And yet even then, somehow they seemed to be headed for the same goal no matter how much they argued with each other.

He slipped out of the bed after tucking the long body pillow partly under her belly to support its weight, just the way she like it, and strolled over to the recliner where the Book of memories lay open.  He was yet to contribute his share of memories to the scrap book.  Sure, he had maintained a journal as a teenager, but had eventually abandoned it as yet another liability that weakened him and left him vulnerable to anyone that found it.   But that did not mean he did not have them.  Infact, his memories were etched for eternity and stored in the safest place possible, where no human could reach with out his permission, his heart and mind.  And now that sleep seemed to have evaporated, he might as pull out those precious moments and relive them in leisure, he decided, glancing at the clock face that indiciated it was three in the morning. 

            "Last winter had to be the most interesting phase of the entire process, for I got to experience a new Khushi almost every single day, sometimes every other hour.  There was no saying what she would do.  It was like she had all these multiple Khushis living inside her that she would pull out at the drop of a hat...", mused Arnav Singh Raizada, reflecting back to the days that had followed their return from Havelock in early November.  Khushi had had her monthly soon after their return to Delhi, their passion filled nights in Havelock not withstanding.  However, they were committed to the decision they had made in the Andamans - to start a family...  He merely had underestimated just how motivated Khushi could be.

November - December, 2013

New Delhi.

            "Khushi... KHUSHI... KHU..." His words trailed as he heard the clattering footsteps come to a halt and his gaze fell on the tinkling silver bells that were still swinging on her anklets.  He quickly lifted his irritated chocolate eyes to meet his wife's placid hazel ones. 

            "What's the matter Arnavji?" she enquired, one hand patting her chest reassuringly and the other still holding the ladle that she had been using to stir whatever it was  that she was cooking for dinner.

            His expression rapidly turned to suspicion at her barely surprised countenance.  She had anticipated this, which meant that she probably had a hand in this.  Eyes narrowing dangerously, he demanded, "This is your doing?  Right?"

            "What's my doing, Arnavji?" Khushi feigned trying to bide some time, part of her feeling sorry for his plight, for the weather was turning distinctly cold and a pre dinner soak in his hot tub was one of his favorite indulgences during winters, especially after a grueling workout.

            "Khushi, this water is frikking cold."

"It's not cold Arnavji but, what do you call it... luke-warm.  Yes.  It's luke warm." She replied, adding a flutter of eye lashes to placate him.

"Really!" he said between clenched teeth and before she could blink an eye he snaked out his arm, pulled her hand, plunged it into the tub, and planted it on his chest.

Khushi gasped at the sudden contact with the cold water and turned shocked eyes towards him.

Arnav pressed his lips together into a thing line and lifted his eyebrows sardonically as if to say I told you so Khushi'.  He crossed his arms across his chest as she pushed herself up to kneel beside the tub, waiting for her to explain.

"Pardon me Arnavji.  I had no idea that the water would cool this rapidly.  Sssorry." She said in a small voice, her face penitent.

"Hey, hey.  It's ok."  Arnav said straightening at the sight of the slight tremble of her lips and the expression on her face.  "But why Khushi, Why?"

Khushi cleared her throat, her gaze faltering as an overwhelming self- consciousness engulfed her.  Stepping away from the tub, she looked at her husband's perplexed reflection in the mirror and setting her chin at an angle as if steeling her resolve, she said, "I had read on the internet that long baths in hot water will harm you."

"What the!  Harm me?  What are you saying?"  Blurted an utterly bewildred Arnav, who had stepped out of the tub and stood wrapping a towel around his waist.  It was getting curiouser and curiouser with every passing second.

Khushi turned quickly, her nose red as a cherry tomato as she replied in a rush of words," yes, harm you.  Especially now, when we are trying to conceive.  Now do you understand what I am saying?" And before he could react, she fled out of the bathroom, down the stairs into the safe haven of the dining room.

Arnav stood speechless, as comprehension dawned.  His wife had been scouring the internet with a zeal that was second only to her ardent wish to be pregnant.  On one such day, she had read out aloud, unaware of his presence a few feet away, about how hot baths were detrimental to male fertility.  Shaking his head, he decided to dress and headed downstairs for dinner.  Little did he know there was more in store for him.

************

            "Arnavji, Khushi has put together a special dinner thali(plate) for you ," said Payal genially, when Arnav made a move to pick the bowl of daal. 

"Ok." He said shrugging.

"But bhy?  Arnav bitwa eej my kostin.  Are you seekh?  Hello hai, bye, bye!" exclaimed maami with a twist of her powdered nose, partly affronted that she did not get to taste the special thali and partly curious as to why there was a need for one in the first place.

"Manorama, Kusi bitiya is taking this special effort because she cares for chotte's wellbeing and good health.  Do you understand?  Had you spent some time taking care of my son in this manner, you would not be wondering Bhy? Right now," came Devyani's prompt rejoinder, much to the chagrin of Manohar who pleaded mutely with his mom, while patting his Mano on her shoulder to placate her.

Arnav turned puzzled eyes towards Akash when he caught him exchange a secret smile with his wife.  Perplexed he questioned, "Akash, you seem to be in a good mood.  Anything I should know?"

 "Nope. Nothing Bhai, it's just that lying ahead of you are just good days and ... " Akash trailed his reply at a sharp nudge from Payal.

"What the!" Arnav  muttered under his breath wondering what was up, when Khushi waltzed in balancing an extra large thali in her hand that she set in front of him with a flourish.

"Are you not going to eat my child?" questioned mamaji

"Why not Mamaji.  Arnavji will not be able to finish all this on his own now, will he? Arnavji, you are not averse to sharing are you?" quipped Khushi oblivious to the astonished expression of the pariwar wale.

"Buaji was right, This eej return of Sankadevi, Hello hai, Bye, Bye" sang maami, while Arnav who was too famished to protest merely pushed the plate to wards her and dug into his first bite of roti.

            One bite, and he fairly choked.  It was as if a tiny volcano had erupted in his mouth.  Quickly reaching for the glass of cold water to ease the flames in his mouth, he shot her a look of undiluted bewilderment.

            The family who caught Arnav's glance and the resultant pout on Khushi's face, quickly gauged where this would lead and promptly made themselves scarce. 

            "Khushi, What the ...  Are you trying to kill me? This has nothing but garlic and tonnes of chilli pepper in it. "

"Arnavji, chilli peppers are a boost to your system and garlic has numerous proven benefits." and Khushi went on to ramble about the beneficial effects of the various ingredients in the dishes, while Arnav looked on in disbelief. 

Somewhere in the middle of her nervous speech it dawned on him that this was yet another outcome of her research on boosting their chances of conception.  "Crazy girl" he muttered under his breath as his heart flooded with mushy warmth at the antics of his well meaning but eccentric little wife.  He silently picked the spoon he had dropped earlier and proceeded to gulp down the contents even as his mouth burned and eyes stung with tears, while his mind followed her animated explanation.

************

            "Khushi must be asleep by now" he mused switching off the study light and stretching his arms up to ease the stiffness in his neck, as he made his way to their bedroom.  It had been an unexpected conference call with AR's newest business partners in America, and much as he would have liked to, he could not have left it to Aman to handle on his own. 

            He skipped flicking on the light lest he woke up a sleeping Khushi and was gingerly feeling his way towards the bed when a flash of red by the pool caught his eye.  Drawing closer to the windows he pulled the drapes back fully to reveal Khushi sprawled elegantly on the pool chair. He walked over to sit by the chair next to her and took in her delicate figure clad in the red saree he had bought her for her birthday, her arm thrown across her forehead left her parted pink lips in the spotlight, and her even gentle breathing indicated she was fast asleep. 

Clearly she had not dressed up just to sleep.  She must have slipped into slumber while waiting up for him.  With a sudden pang of guilt he bent down to pick her in his arms when she stirred and opened those soulful eyes of hers to his. With a lazy smile she wound her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips.  Before he could even recover from his stunned surprise, she moved and pushed against him, her curves pressing with an unprecedent urgency against his hard planes, deepening her kiss with a frenzy.  Her hands and lips were everywhere till the blood pounded in his head and the breath caught in his lungs.  His mind was fast beginning to shutdown when he sensed a subtle tension in her body.  Amidst the trembling need and hot desire lay a tenuous tension in her frame that was entirely new and it gave him the much needed anchor to regain his sanity.

Firmly but gently he grasped her hands, unwound them from his neck, chuckling at her protesting moans.  This had to be yet another part of her elaborate antics today he decided in a flash.  He cupped her face and leaned his forehead against hers, fighting to bring his ragged breathing back to normalcy.  This woman had the power to set him up in flames with a mere glance.

To his dismay he heard a stifled sob and felt warm damp tears on his forearm.  He lifted her face up and looking deeply into her eyes asked, "Khushi what's the matter?  Are you ok?"

Khushi sniffled and swatting his restraining arm away, straightened in the lounge chair muttering, "How do you expect me to be ok Arnavji?  I could not even manage to do this properly."

"Even this?  What were you trying to do?" he puzzled.

"So now you add insult to injury by feigning incomprehension.  Are you?  See, the fact that I have to explain what I was trying to do means that I failed. Failed miserably in ... sss..." she struggled a bit before spitting out the words " I failed miserably in my attempt to seduce you." 

She whirled around to look at him accusingly as he struggled to contain the gurgling laughter welling up in this throat.  Little did she know how much she had churned him mere seconds ago, and here she was calling herself a failure.  Despite his best efforts, his shoulders shook with mirth and Khushi rushed to him and shoved at his chest whilst tears of embarrassment ran down her cheeks,  "Oh! be quiet Arnavji.  Here I am trying in earnest and all you seem to be intent on is making fun of me."  

Arnav drew in a sharp breath and grasped her arms as she made contact against his chest for the third time, and pinned her against him, binding her in his steely arms till she stopped squiggling before he confessed in a husky voice that felt like velvet against her cheek, "Khushi, You have no idea how well you had succeeded in seducing me.  I was laughing that you could even consider yourself a failure when all you have to do is to look at me to make me burn for you.  Just like you did moments ago."

She raised stunned eyes to his, and smiled in pleasure when he looked deeply into hers and nodded.  "Then why did you stop Arnavji?" she demanded petulantly.  Arnav sighed and loosened his hold on her.  Grasping her hand he led her back to the chair and continued

"Khushi, first, I want to hear you tell me what's going on?  Is this season two of your swami act or is it the return of Sankadevi?  What's with the cold water in my tub, extra spicy and garlicky food, and now, this Bollywood style seduction... What and why are you doing all this?  What's the matter with you?" 

Khushi sighed, "Arnavji, I have no idea any more what I am doing.  Ever since we returned from Havelock, I hoped I would miss my period, and since I have not, my every waking second is consumed by thoughts of maximizing our chances of conceiving.  I am so sorry, for subjecting you to eat such spicy food" she ended, laying her head on his shoulder.

Arnav smiled indulgently as he stroked her silky hair.  "Khushi, relax, have some faith in you and me.  We are both young, healthy and in love.  You just need to relax.  You wondered why I stopped.  I stopped because I sensed your tension vibrate through your body.  You were too tensed and wound up, something you have never been in my arms before.  To finish what you started would have been the most natural and pleasurable thing for me.  But Khushi I care for you beyond this.  You have tried things your way, now listen to me will you?"

Khushi nodded like a little girl eager to make amends.  Arnav smiled yet again as the incongruity of his role stuck him.  Here he was, about to initiate his loquacious wife into the art of conversation and connecting intimately with loving gestures that did not need to culminate in bed.

"Sit with me a while and let us talk.  Tell me what else were you upto besides scouring the internet in search of a hundred and one ways to torture your laad governor," he smirked. 

Khushi chuckled and snuggled next to him.  Handing him the glass of milk with honey, she said, "I think you should drink this.  The food must have scorched your tongue.  This milk with honey will not only soothe your mouth but is also..."

"Is also beneficial for me.  Especially now, since the internet has undoubtedly revealed to you that it happens to be an aphrodisiac.  Right Khushi?" he teased, raising his brow and giving her one of his sexy lopsided smiles.

Khushi punched his hand playfully and reached for the cup of tea that he held out to her, when he paused and pulled his arm back slightly.  In response to her questioning gaze, he said, "Khushi what kind of twisted logic is this that you cut me off from my evening dose of black coffee in your pursuit of babies, and yet you drink your nightly cup of tea.  This isn't fair."

"Arnavji..." wailed Khushi with a beseeching look in her eyes, while he threw his head back in laughter, and handing her the cup, drew her closer to him as they leaned back in the chair and gazed at the heavens. 

They made conversation long into the night, one sipping his honeyed milk and the other her milky tea, all tense thoughts and anxiety melting as the steady fire of love replaced the quick flash of passion that had simmered moments ago between them, enveloping them in its cozy warmth as they forged deep rooted connections with each other under the starlit night.

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