Sunday 15 September 2013

BTL - Chapter 7



Kiss her...yes, he was going to bloody kiss her!...Arnav ran an agitated hand through his hair as he thought about what had transpired a few minutes ago...he paced along the length of his room as the tantalizing visual of Khushi's soft, dewy parted lips kept playing in a loop inside his head...the way she had licked her lips had really been the last straw...he knew that it really would have been a point of no return if he had not gained his control in time.

Dammit! Why was this happening now...yes he was attracted to her...like a bloody moth to the fire, but at least here he knew that he would burn if he got any closer...these kind of feelings had no place in his life...he always expected too much out of life and all he ever got were lemons...and no! He will not make bloody lemonade...damn those optimists!

He would live his life, the way it was...on his own...he does not need anyone else in it...least of all Khushi! He had always stayed away from any kind of relationships...be it short term or long...he preferred being a loner cause that's what he knew best...and he could not play with Khushi in this way...it wasn't fair on her.

He stripped off his sweaty clothes before stepping into the bathroom for a shower and adjusted the water to a comfortably cool temperature...the water calmed his heated body and his extra heated thoughts as he relaxed under the soft stream...the best thing for him to do right now was to finish his novel and get the hell out of here...he knew at the pace he was going, he might just finish the novel sooner then he had anticipated...but the thought of leaving this place was making him uneasy...why?

He turned off the shower as he took a towel off the shelf and dried himself with it...he rubbed his hair to get rid of the extra moisture and wrapped the towel around his hips...he was still in his disturbing thoughts when he stepped out of the bathroom to come face to face with the last person he wanted to see...Khushi

Khushi gaped at him as he stood there shocked...probably shocked to see her standing there with a cup of coffee in her hand...trembling hand to be exact...and why wouldn't she be trembling...when a man as perfect as Arnav stood in front of you in nothing but a towel, it was inevitable...and right now the trembling in her hand went all the way to her knees...turn around Khushi...turn around dammit!

Finally her addled brain registered what was being commanded and she turned around at once, but the coffee cup being filled to the brim with the fragrant coorg coffee, splashed some of the dark rich liquid on the floor...making her quickly place the mug on the nearby table before she looked around for something to wipe it off... "Uh...I think there is a rag here somewhere" she said as she started looking around the room...anywhere but at him

"Its ok Khushi...i'm sure VK will get it cleaned...did you need anything?" he asked coming out of his shocked state to observe the energizer bunny in front of him...he was holding back a laugh as he saw her scuttle around his room trying to find a damn rag...she finally stopped at his words as she stood stiffly and pointed towards the coffee on the table

"I..uh, got you some coffee...actually today is Smitha and Chikappa's off...I mean, they are going into town to visit some family...so...i thought i'll get you your coffee...anyways, I gotta go" she said as she started walking towards the door "Wait...why are you facing away from me?" he asked her amused by her reactions to his nearly naked form.. "I hope your'e not embarrassed?" he said as she quickly turned around

"Embarrassed? Me? Pfftt..its not like i have not seen naked bodies before...I mean, naked men...ha..half naked men...I have never seen those...fully naked ones that is" she shut her mouth and her eyes as her verbal diarrhea continued "I gotta so...see you at dinner..." she said quickly before rushing out of his room and dashing towards her own...Arnav finally laughed as he picked up the now tepid coffee muttering 'pagal'...how the hell was he going to stay away from this madness!

...

Khushi sat filing her nails as she waited for her email to boot up...the connection was really slow today and it was irritating her to sit at the desk while her email loaded...finally when the familiar 'ting' of the new mails came up on her screen, she kept the emery board aside and started going through her mails...as she deleted some of the unwanted mail that littered her mailbox, one caught her attention...the subject line having the word 'Naked' in it

She groaned as she deleted it along with the rest of the junk mails and closed her eyes trying to forget what had happened a few hours ago...apart from being mortified for blabbering rubbish in front of Arnav, she had gone ahead and started at him like a lunatic...so what if he had a greek God's body...she did not have to act like such a fool! How was she going to face him now! Plus that man really did not emote...except for irritation and shock, she had not really seen any other emotions crossing his face.

She clicked on her mails absentmindedly as she recalled the conversation she had with VK earlier
"Arnav saab had soo many reasons not to like the other houses...in fact one house on the neighboring Kadamba valley was more perfect than this one...you know the one that Capt'n Nair owns? And he was getting it at a better cost than ours...but he said it was too beautiful...what kind of stupid reason is that?! I think he never really wanted to look only for other houses...such a waste of time!" he had grumbled as a delighted Khushi had run into the kitchen to make coffee...obviously for him...

But then, she never had thought that the next few minutes will go as it had...she had knocked on his room before opening the door...her plan was to keep the steaming mug of coffee on the table and rush out, but as luck would have it, the damn shower door had opened at the same time she had walked in...and the fool that she was, she had stood like a mannequin and started at him...his oh so...shut up khushi!

...

Arnav looked at his freshly typed chapter, pleased with the kind of progress he had made in just one day. He saved his work and closed the laptop before walking to the balcony to light up a cigarette...he dialed his researchers number and told him a few other things he needed worked out for the new character and the new twist he was planning for his story.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette and leaned his forearms against the creaky grate as he looked down into the valley...the calm early evening breeze ruffled his hair as he snuffed his cigarette and breathed in a huge lungful of air...so pure!...he kept looking to spot the last point of the endless valley as his thoughts once again shifted towards the one person he was trying to avoid...both mentally and physically

He had seen her reaction to him earlier...he knew that she too was affected by him...even his stunt earlier in the day had left her breathless...but what was he thinking...he needed to get his thoughts sorted, there was no place for all this...suddenly the beautiful scenery looked like a deeply stretching death valley in front of him...one which would swallow him whole if he did not step back right now.

He tightened his fists as he willed himself to think about something else...about the characters in his books...but nothing was working...the calm and peace he had felt a minute ago was now replaced by restlessness and unease...he was just about to go back into his room when his phone rang making him walk inside, towards the coffee table he had placed it on.

He saw the name flashing and grimaced before picking up the call "Hey dad.." he said as a deep voice at the other end commanded his attention "Arnav...what is this? Why have you taken such a long leave from work? And why did you not tell us? Where are you anyways?" he said as Arnav held the phone away from his ears till his tirade stopped

"Hello dad, thanks for asking about me...I am fine, how have you been?" he said in a sarcastic tone as his fathers angry reply vibrated though the phone "Seriously Arnav...stop being juvenile...what is the meaning of taking a month off from work and going to do, God only knows what!" he said as Arnav's jaw stiffened under the usual disdain his father showed for his elder son

"I'm not being juvenile dad..I needed some time off, so I took a few days off...I've been working non-stop since the past few years...I am sure I deserve this break...as for where I am, you need not worry...I am at an amazing place and thoroughly enjoying myself, thank you!" he said as he heard his father sigh from the other end "Arnav...I know you deserve a vacation, but you are visiting us in a few weeks right? So taking such a huge leave.." he said as Arnav let out a deep breath

"I am not coming home for the holidays...whats the point anyways! All you guys keep doing is comparing me with my baby brother...who according to you is more successful than me...and I'm happy for him...and I'm happy for you too...at least one of your son's has made it big!" he said with a sneer as his father's calm tone turned angry again

"Why do you always have to bring Akash in between...the poor boy has worked hard and is running a successful empire now...and yes, we are proud of him...but that does not mean we are not happy with what you are doing Arnav, your job pays really well too" the father said, his voice again an octave lower

"Dad...you are happy, not proud...and as far as Akash's success is concerned, the empire he is running is his father in laws! If Payal's father had not taken him on and given him the reins of his so called empire, Akash would still be in university struggling to finish his damn degree!" Arnav said in an irritated tone as his patience wore thin "Anyways dad...I really don't need this right now...thanks for inquiring about me, but I am fine and I am alive..." he said as his father interrupted him

"Enough Arnav...I too don't see any point talking to you...but you should have told me about this change of plans you had...I had invited the Kashyaps over this time...you know how they have been asking about you for Lavanaya" he said as Arnav closed his eyes and pursed his lips in exasperation "For the millionth time! I do not want to marry Lavanya Kashyap...Period!" he said as he held the bridge of his nose between two fingers

"And please don't pretend that I don't know why you want this marriage to happen...maybe your dreams of finally seeing your elder son managing an 'empire' would come true, but no thank you..I am not interested!" he said as he walked inside his room "And now id you don't mind, I have work to do...say hello to my mother...does she even remember me by the way?" he asked before he cut the call and threw his phone on the bed.

His father had definitely succeeded in doing something Arnav had been struggling with for the entire day...drive someone's thoughts away from his mind and make him more miserable than he already was and felt!

2 comments:

  1. Awesome chapter
    Family trouble?

    Khushi's reaction was hilarious

    ReplyDelete
  2. just read the last 5 chapters

    just Khushi's blabber

    Loved her reaction to a nearly naked Arnav

    Arnav should just tell his father about his writing career
    just to shut him up

    ReplyDelete