Chapter Thirty Three

"Khushi, could you come here please?"

"Coming Papa," Khushi hollered back.

Khushi and Divya had been working in the kitchen, preparing lunch. With Arnav away, Khushi was able to give more time to the housework, hoping that this would give her points in Divya's chart. However, with Arnav away, some of the work load poured onto her, as well as Aryan, so every now and then, Khushi would have to ditch the housework for the office work.

Going to Aryan, Khushi did just that, taking a bit more time than she had hoped. And unfortunately when she was coming back into the kitchen, she heard Divya muttering about her all over again, just like she had been since the first day she heard her. It was only getting worse and worse by the day, and Khushi was worried.

Little did Khushi know that this time, she would hear so much more.

"... and gajar ka halwa, yet I'm making it," Khushi heard Divya complain. "What did she say? I'm in the mood for gajar ka halwa and I bet Papa would love it! Too bad Arnav isn't here," she mocked and then twitched her lips. "Wants it all but doesn't do shit, stupid villager."

Khushi pursed her lips, trying not to let her words hurt her.

"I swear, what the hell did her parents teach her? To put her feet up and relax in her in-laws? Then again what would she learn, the bitch's parents don't even like her," she cackled.

Khushi looked down at the floor.

"And Aryan? Oof, Aryan... always getting the opposite impression of people. You bring a daughter in-law in and instead of making her work, you're still making me work! She's not my bahu, she's my daughter - chi! Where are you and where is that low-class villager? Daughter? My foot!"

Divya stirred the halwa angrily. "Get it through your head Aryan, she's not what you think; you always get people wrong. Then again it's normal of you to do so. You're doing it now with this bitch like you did with Shalini."

Khushi's eyes widened at the mentioning of her deceased mother in-law and she looked back up.

"Shalini," she mocked with disgust. "What was so good about her anyways? Yet you fell in love with her," the woman pouted. "It shouldn't have been her!"

Shouldn't have been her, Khushi wondered.

"Khushi bhabi," a worker hollered.

Divya immediately snapped out of her rant and straightened her spine. Khushi backed away from the doorway immediately before Divya turned around and saw her. Khushi looked down the hall and saw one of the workers hollering for her, so she quickly went that way. When she got to the worker, she saw Divya poking her head out of the kitchen, seeming somewhat relived, as if Khushi hadn't heard what she said.

But boy was she wrong!

"Khushi bhabi," the worker began, bringing Khushi's attention back to her, "your phone."

Khushi nodded and took it, seeing that Arnav had called her three times. Calling him back quickly before he went crazy, Khushi left to Arnav's study, feeling the need of privacy.

"Khushi, where were you," Arnav said when he picked up the phone.

"Hello to you too, I'm fine," Khushi frowned.

"Don't give me that, why didn't you pick up your phone?"

"Arnav relax, I didn't have my phone near me. There's no need to shout."

Arnav was about to say something when he sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Khushi sat down in a chair by the fireplace. "Is something wrong," she asked softly.

"Nothing, just stress. And without you here, I have no distraction."

Khushi smiled softly. "It's only been a week. This week will fly by, promise."

"Fly by? As if! I can't focus and I cant stop thinking about you."

Khushi blushed. "Really?"

"Yeah. It was so bad, I got hard during a meeting."

Khushi's jaw dropped to Arnav's audacity. "Arnav!"

"What? It's the truth!"

Khushi shook her head. "Unbelievable."

"It's not my fault! You try staying away from you for a week. Oh wait, you can't!"

Khushi held back her laugh. "Someone's cranky."

"Am not!"

This time she couldn't help herself. "Cranky-pants!"

"Khushi-!"

"Cranky-pants, cranky-pants," she sang.

"Khushi it's not funny, do you have any idea how awkward that was. I had to wait for everyone else to leave before I could adjust myself."

Khushi laughed harder, unable to help herself at all.

"Khushi," and she knew Arnav was frowning.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it!"

Arnav huffed and sat down on the bed.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I won't laugh, promise."

"Yeah right, you'll just laugh after you hang up."

"Then I won't hang up."

"Is that so?"

"Mm hmm. If you'd like."

"If I'd like? Khushi would you do everything I say?"

"Yes."

"Even if I told you to jump off a cliff?"

"Yes."

"Khushi, I'm being serious."

"So am I."

Arnav was quiet for a moment. "Khushi that's absolutely ridiculous!"

"What-"

"No, that's just completely ridiculous! You'd just do it just because I said so? Where the hell is the logic behind this?"

"Arnav-"

"No Khushi, it's absolutely wrong!"

"Arnav, calm down. I wouldn't just do it because you said so. Besides, you'd never say that."

"I think I just might," he said angrily.

Khushi chuckled. "You'd never say that."

"And why wouldn't I?!"

"Because you can't live without me."

Arnav remained quiet and for a moment, Khushi wondered if he was still there. But her heartbeat said otherwise, and she knew that he was a having a moment, and she knew she was absolutely correct.

"I love you," Khushi said softly.

Khushi heard him sigh. "I love you too," he replied.

Khushi leaned back in the chair. "I wish you would come home early."

"Me too baby, but I can't," he sighed.

Khushi hummed, toying with her mangalsutra.

"Stop toying with your mangalsutra," Arnav said.

Khushi paused. "How did you know I was doing that," she asked, glancing around the room, secretly hoping he was actually here.

"Because you always do that when you think about me."

"Do I?"

"Mm hmm; you do it while lost in thought, so you never realize it yourself."

"How can I focus on what I'm doing when my mind is focused on you."

"I know," he replied, and Khushi could hear his smile.

Khushi looked down at her mangalsutra, still unconsciously toying with it.

"You also do it when you're being bold," Arnav teased.

Khushi's cheeks filled with blush while her eyes widened. "I do not!"

Arnav laughed. "Yes you do, baby, yes you do."

"When?! I never do that!"

"Again, you do it unconsciously. Usually you bite your lip while doing that."

"What the- no I don't! You're just trying to make fun of me."

"Trust me baby, I'm not. I'm replaying those moments in my head right now and to be honest, I'm hard as fuck right now."

"Arnav!"

Though secretly, Khushi was a bit turned on.

"I can't help it," Arnav defended. "It can't be helped when you've got such a sexy wife," he teased.

Khushi didn't say anything, feeling her body react instead.

Arnav groaned. "You're biting your lip and still toying with your mangalsutra, aren't you?"

Khushi scrunched her eyebrows and looked down, realizing that Arnav was right - she was still playing with her mangalsutra and she was biting her lip.

She released both. "I hate it when you're correct."

Arnav laughed. "I'm gonna let you go right now; I need to take a long shower."

Khushi pursed her lips. "Only shower?"

Arnav could heat the little taunt in her voice. "Any other ideas?"

"Maybe," Khushi blushed.

Arnav shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Why didn't you come with me Khushi?"

"I'd like to," she whispered.

Arnav inhaled sharply. "Khushi...."

"Yes," and again she was toying with her mangalsutra.

Both were quiet for a moment, erotic visions playing in their head. Unfortunately, the sound of the hotel line ringing snapped both out of their dirty thoughts. Khushi heard him take the call and asked them to put the person on hold, then pick up his phone.

"Khushi, I have to go."

"Okay," Khushi said sadly.

"I'll be home soon, I promise."

Khushi looked down and nodded, even though Arnav wouldn't see her do so.

"Take care of dad and of Dai Ma, okay? Bye, I love you."

"I love you too," and the two hung up.

Take care of dad and of Dai Ma, okay?

This last bit rung in Khushi's head, bouncing off from one end of her brain to the next.

Papa I can take care of, but Dai Ma....

Khushi stood up and absentmindedly walked back and forth.

What does Dai Ma have against Ma? Papa said they were best friends. But then-?

Khushi remembered the last of what Divya had said:

Shalini! What was so good about her anyways? Yet you fell in love with her! It shouldn't have been her!"

'It shouldn't have been her'? What does she mean by that? I mean it's not like she-

Khushi paused, her eyes widening as her hand paused on her mangalsutra.

"Oh my gosh," she breathed.

Could it be? But that's just... does Dai Ma love Papa?