Tonight is Forever

Khushi felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Shyam was getting bolder by the day and a constant feel of unease had settled in her stomach. It made her jittery during the day and kept her awake at night. She constantly looked around her to avoid him. A sense of paranoia engulfed her especially after what happened few hours before.


She had just finished cooking when she felt sticky hands roughly grab her wrists. She immediately froze in shock, a sense of fear and disgust settling in her stomach.


"Khushi-ji what are you cooking for me tonight."


His smile had a sinister twinge to it as he looked at her with lust-filled eyes.


She tried to pry her hands away, but to no avail.


"Let go off my hands or I swear to god'."


"What Khushi-ji? What will you do?" His smile sharpened as he looked at her like a man possessed.


"Will you call out to your pati-dev? He doesn't care about you, I know all about that." His dry laugh echoed off the kitchen walls.


She forcefully ripped her hands away from him; his sharp nails left a gory trail on her delicate skin. She bolted from the spot without giving him a second a glance.


She walked towards the outer room where she tutored the children. There was something about children that always lifted her sprits, perhaps because she never grew up; her life sort of stagnated after her parents' death. But even that wasn't able to lift up her forlorn disposition. More than disgust, genuine fear pulsed through her. She felt helpless and very much alone.


The fear had seeped in quite unexpectedly, especially since she stopped coming in his way. Even through his harsh words, there was something there that made a sense of security wash over her. The feeling was very absurd and Khushi hated herself for feeling it.


After a quite dinner by herself and a half baked lie to the family about how she ate while cooking, she made her way toward their room.


She can't remember when it stopped becoming his room, but it happened and she was stuck on it. Everything in the room screamed them- His sober coats next to her colourful suits, her off- beat beauty products next to his deo and hair gel, the Salman Khan poster amidst the expensive art pieces- all of it cried Arnav and Khushi. For someone on the outside it represents the room of lovers- their lives intricately woven. But of course Khushi knew better, they could never be lovers. Not when he hated her with every fibre of his being. The dull ache in her heart returned as she remembered his cruel words.


She slowly opened the door and was met with sight of her husband sprawled on her side of the bed clutching her pillows. An instant feeling of relief flowed through her, why she has no idea. She hadn't seen him in two day and she pathetically admitted that Arnav Singh Raizada was definitely a sight of the sore eyes.


His legs were haphazardly spewed about and his hands were on the back of his head while he snoozed like a child. The ever present lines on his face, due to all the over thinking he did, were eased out. Anybody who has seen Arnav sleep would never be able to believe that he was the same Laad Governor who had a perpetual frown on his face. His perfect jaw line was slightly pressed up against her pillow and his lips were pouted in a delectable fashion.


Something snapped in Khushi, maybe it was Shyam's growing addiction or maybe it was because she missed him too damn much. Whatever it was she found herself quickly in front of her husband. Then she did something that was clearly suicidal. But she was just tired of all the fear, the self loathing. She could always deal with Arnav. That was never a problem.


Without pondering on her thoughts, she quickly slid into bed next to her husband. He immediately accommodated her, slightly curling over to give her space. It was almost instinctive and Khushi relaxed, all her worries left her. After all where was the space for thought process with Arnav Singh Raizada pressed up against her.


She tangled her limbs with his and threw her arms about him. Screw the world. Tonight she just wanted to be. Wanted to believe just for a moment that everything was right. She could go back to being annoying and he to Laad Governor mode tomorrow. For tonight they were Arnav and Khushi.


--


To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He was completely blown away to find his wife completely pressed up against him with her face inches away from him. She left absolutely no space between them. Her hands were about him pressing their chest together and her legs were tangled with his in an intimate manner. She had made a mattress of him as she snoozed on his shoulders.


For two days she wasn't anywhere in sight and he was completely lost. The clinking of her bangles, the jingling of her payal, her loud voice and colourful demeanour all anchored him to the world. There was a blaring silence in his life without them.


He was supposed to hate her but he couldn't. He wanted her to leave him alone but her absence left a vacant space in his heart. He wanted to hurt her but every tear she shed pierced his heart to the very core.


He looked at the sleeping angel in his arms and how she was clinging on to him like a lost child; he lost control of the last thread of sanity left in him. He completely engulfed her in his embrace, pushing her further into him, on top of him.


This was so wrong, but why did it feel so right? Why did it feel like she was meant to be in his arms, in his bed, right next to him?


He can't remember when she became a necessity in his life. But he didn't care, screw the world. He didn't want to think about anybody else, not Shyam, not his Di. Tonight he wanted to feel only the delectable minx sleeping in his arms. Tonight they were Arnav and Khushi.