Part 9

Khushi woke up as tiny rays of light hit her face. "Please jiji, let me sleep some more. I've had a beautifully strange dream and now want to recover. Please." Her hand picked up a pillow by her side and placed it over her head. She took a deep breath and recognised his scent. In her dreams?! Was that possible? Just her oversized imagination. Stretching her legs and arms, she tried to hit the edge of the bed but found only vast soft space. Had she shrunk? She heard a door open and close and she caught his scent again.

She opened her eyes gradually. In front of her, Arnav stood. A towel wrapped around his waist. Her eyes lingered upwards. His hair was wet with little tracks of water flowing down to his eyes and lips. Her stomach fluttered as though a thousand butterflies had been released in her. Breathing seemed like a chore but it was essential to prevent her from passing out. She had thought that he looked amazing when he had clothes on but now, standing partly naked, he looked absolutely divine.

"Devi Mayaa, have I died and gone to heaven?" Khushi pondered. Instantly his eyes glittered and his lips stretched to a smirk, as though he had heard. Had he?! She didn't just say that out loud?! She watched as his eyes scanned her. Oh great! She felt a puddle developing between her legs and cursed herself. This was going to prove more difficult to restrain from him. But she had to win, or at least put up a fight.

"Khushi, isn't that a contradiction in terms. You call me Rakshas and then you expect to find me in heaven?" he edged closer.

Her breathing hiked further and her heart thump as though it was a drum being played in an orchestra. Her eyes smarted with the intense heat radiating from her cheeks and she wondered whether could she die from internal combustion. She had seen some documentary about it a while back and it scared her immensely, thinking of someone sitting on their chair and then suddenly feeling intense heat and blowing up in flames. She shut her eyes to try and get rid of the image but then images of him standing with just a towel invaded her consciousness. The heat increased.

"Please Arnavji, put some clothes on."

"Why khushi. Am I making you hot?"

"No. Whatever gave you that idea? I'm as cool as a cucumber?" and an awful liar.

"Oh really? So the redness in your cheeks and chest is a normal morning occurrence?"

Arnav folded his arms across his naked chest, highlighting his naked shoulders, strong biceps and muscular arms, a chest with the right amount of dark hair. Her attention drifted downwards to his firm, flat, tight belly. His towel clung to his hips and left little else to imagination. Khushi felt the urgent need to swallow. She definitely needed a cold shower. So much for her 'cool as cucumber' image. She looked down at her kurta pyjama. He was right. she was red and worse, her nipples stood taunt to attention and clearly visible through the white kurta pyjama. She grabbed the duvet to her chest but that move just brought his gaze down to her chest. Bad idea!

He just smiled and then made his way across to the cupboard, sensing that she needed space between them. "Khushi, get up and get dressed. Today will be a long day and I'm sure my family will be planning some form of drama as well."

Khushi struggled to remove her eyes away from him. Now with his back to her, she felt not as embarrassed. Afterall, a woman could ogle her husband, surely. Marriage gave her the right, she rationalised. How could a guy look so inviting even from the rear. His shoulders were broad and tapered to a thin waist. He had a tight muscular bum that made her breast tingle and her thighs weak.

"Like what you see Khushi?"

"Hmmm"

"I can show you more." He turned to face her, again the smirk on the face remained.

She watched in horror as his fingers played around his towel. "No. I'm going to have a shower." Immediately she was on her feet.

The room filled with his laughter. "Make it cold Khushi. You look like you need it."

Khushi growled and walked to the bathroom and stood amazed. The size of Arnav's bathroom was bigger than her room at home. There was a massive wet area and then a large round bath in the corner of the room. Towards the wall, approximately halfway through the room, stood a large marble dresser with 2 in built sinks and a large mirror. This was every girl's dream bathroom. Khushi smiled. If she ever needed to get away from Arnavji, she would happily settle in the bathroom. She found a soft white unused towel hanging on the radiator and her clothes from yesterday neatly folded on a hanger near the wash basin. She had to give it to him, he was proving to be more thoughtful as the minutes passed. Yes she was alone but then with him by her side, she felt complete.

She removed her kurta pyjama and placed it by the side of the bath. Tip toeing naked she grabbed the warm towel and entered the wet room, lined with sparkling blue mosaic tiles. There were three taps but one rain shower head that appeared from the ceiling and a side thin rectangular shower head protruding from the side. Khushi looked around but found no pail. That's fine Khushi, just use the shower. But which tap corresponded to which head?! Hai Devi Mayaa, why does it have to be so complicated. She could experiment but what if she burnt herself or worse, broke the bloody shower. She would never hear the end of it from Arnavji. Dejected, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her. She was not bothered with the thought of changing back to her clothes. More hastle. He was her husband now, and eventually he would see her naked. So she wrapped in a towel would be a nice compromise and besides, with the way he was teasing her this morning with the unnecessarily slow speed of getting dressed, she could tease him back as well.

Khushi twirled her long hair into a bun and ensured that her towel was tucked in well. "Arnavji, I need your help please."

"What is it khushi? How long does it take you to have a shower?" Arnav stood frozen at the doorway. His eyes darken and she could see his chest rising and falling rapidly.

So you are not so immune either. Good. Khushi smiled. "I cant find the pail and I don't know what the taps mean?"

He stood silent.

"Arnavji? Are you okay?" she tried not to laugh.

"Khushi, are you trying to kill me or push me to a limit? I agreed with you that you will have the final word when we make love but if you go around walking with just a towel and looking so irresistible, I might actually ravage you here without giving you a choice."

"What about your performance this morning?"

"What performance?"

"I'm sure it normally does not take you that long to find your boxers and clothes."

Arnav edged forward, indirectly cornering khushi into the wet room. "Did it affect you Khushi?"

"No."

"Really?" His fingers grab a twirl of her long hair that was lose and he placed it behind her ear.

This sent shivers down her spine and her thighs again felt weak. Khushi cursed her body for being such a traitor.

"Arnavji, move please." She stammered. Her heart pounding loudly.

"Why Khushi? Do I affect you?"

She stared into his deep dark eyes and nodded.

"How much khushi?" he smirked.

"Ummm. A lot."

"Good. I think by the end of the week, we should be sleeping together."

"We are already sleeping together Arnavji." Khushi said and immediately her hands covered her mouth. Idiot!

"I didn't mean that sleeping, I mean by the end of the week, I will make you mine in every way." Arnav whispered, intentionally placing his lips along her neck. He then placed a string of kisses on her bare shoulder. "Now, back to the shower." He showed her the functions of the taps though khushi's attention was only on him. How his masculine smell was making her weak and she contemplated whether would they last a week, before they took their relationship to the next level. If her body had its way, it would be within the 24 hours.

Khushi!!! You cant be weak!!! Need to be strong. Man like the chase, particularly men like Arnavji. But she was far to deep to head that voice. Who cared about other men? She only cared about Arnav and right now he stood ever so close to her that she was sure she would need to be a nun to resist him. Since she wasn't a nun, her chances of resisting him were almost non-existent.

"Khushi?"

"Hmmm." She was lost in his eyes. Nothing he was saying was reaching her. She was already imagining what it would be like to be intimate with him. She wasn't aware of when he actually turned the tap on but as soon as a stream of cold water hit her back, she screamed. "ARNAVJI?!"

"Yes dear?" Arnav stood with her as they both were drenched with cold water falling from the rain shower.

"It's cold."

"I know. It's what we both need at the moment."

"But you are getting drenched?"

"I can have another shower with you and both of us can be put out of our misery."

"Not now Arnavji. We are going to be late for pooja."

"Who cares about the pooja. I have my own goddess here to worship."

"Hai Devi mayaa. Don't say that. Devi mayaa will get angry with you."

"No she wont. She knows how we feel and afterall, haven't you always said that Devi Mayaa controls everything. So by your argument, she has a role to play in bringing us together in this shower. So we shouldn't disappoint her, should we?" Arnav placed his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "This gives singing in the rain a whole new meaning, don't you think."

Khushi tried to resist smiling but his wet lips were so inviting. "Arnavji. Please. Let me have a shower and let us be on time for pooja. We are already in so much trouble. Please. I'll make it up to you later, I promise."

"How do I know this is not some kind of trick to get me out of here?"

"Well I do want you out so that I can have a shower in peace without my heart racing and my body feeling like it is a battery being constantly charged." She placed her hand on his wet shirt. "And this is not a trick. I will make it up to you later. I'm even willing to give you a little trailer to entice you for later."

She leaned in, her arms wrapped around his neck and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

When they broke for air, Arnav stood back and grabbed a clean towel. "Interesting trailer." He smiled as he removed his wet clothes and stood there in his boxers. Using the towel, he dried himself and then wrapped it around his waist. Khushi felt like this was dj vu except now she was standing under chilly water and still felt hot. He leaned slightly in and readjusted the thermostate. "Better khushi?"

"Hmmm."

"I mean the water temperature Khushi?"

"Yes. Its nice and warm."

He placed his hands into the stream to test it to double check. "Yes. It is the right temperature. Don't want you to get a cold and affect your health and our baby's, do we?"

Khushi felt her cheeks become hot. With the rate they were going, she could easily see herself getting pregnant fairly quickly. Maybe that was not such a bad thing afterall, since it would mean it was one less lie.

She watched as Arnav walked to the bathroom door. He turned around and smiled. "Don't stand there too long daydreaming Khushi. Have your shower and get dressed. I'll wait for you and then we will go down together for the pooja. I also have a lot of things planned for today." He winked and then stepped out in to the room, shutting the door behind him.

Khushi finally let her towel fall. She breathed a sigh of relief though part of her wished that he was still in the bathroom, holding her under the beautiful shower. Well, need to save something for the next time. The next time? She could only smile as her imagination took charge.