Arna...v j..i,. ....I... someone might come in.' Khushi blurted out her fear in a go,

Arnav raised his eyebrows, did she took this seriously ? this coming from his Khushi? It must certainly be his lucky day.

'Then where would you suggest?' Arnav said with a suggestive glint, he is sure that she might going to back off, real soon.

'Your new cabin.....it's is better than this, its too...too open.' Khushi said the first part with her usual laissez faire, while the second half was a mere whisper; her eyes had lowered .... staring at her husband's Berlitz shoes.

Pulling her with him Arnav practically dragged her to his new cabin.

'Arnav ji? Kya kar raha hai aap ' Khushi managed his name after being dragged most of the way. ( what are u doing arnavji )

Arnav stopped abruptly, making her come crashing into his chest, his hand went around her waist to support her weight,

'Arnav.......Call me Arnav, this 'Ji' tirade has gone on for long enough.'" There was a calmness to his words,while his eyes said a different story all together.

'Per, hum..no, no I couldn't, it's just so-'

'Personal, it sounds personal. Like a wife should address her husband.'

'Per Arnav ji, it's just that, you are so elder than me, I would feel I am disres-'

'What!' Khushi could not finish her warpath; Arnav was still stuck at 'elder'.part

'What did you say?' He waited, waited with an abated breath, maybe, maybe he had heard her wrong. And let her diminutive form off his body.

'Kya? Kya kaha humne?' Khushi let out her bewildered words, at his action of suddenly letting her go. ( what ? what had i said ?)

Hey Devi maiyya! What did I say?

'About me being elder than you.' Arnav let the words out with a grind and with a look of utter disgust on his face; he could not empathize with the whole scenario.

'Wohi toh Arnav ji, I could never utter your name, it would be a disrespect. Amma always says that regardless of the relation we have with people, we should never call our elders with their first name.'

'ENOUGH!' Arnav bellowed, he bore his eyes into her un-susceptive ones; Arnav could not believe this she think he is a freaking old uncle which need that Ji' tirade to show respect

'We have mere 7 years gap, not for F*ck's-sake a decade!' Arnav said with a snap, he was losing his temper by the second.

'Per Arnav ji, you are still elder than me, I would feel uncomfortable.' Khushi said in a small voice.

'And what about, what I feel? Huh? I want to spent time with my wife, she invites the freaking world to it; I want to kiss my wife, she averts her face, because she is shy! What do I do Khushi? Should start calling my wife, Khushi ji too? For my MOTHER taught me to respect people regardless of their f*cking age!' His pitch increased with every syllable and Khushi actually winced at the last few jabs.

'Go Khushi, get the hell out of my sight, before I say something that might hurt you. As is it I have over the year said enough.' Arnav turned and left.

He could not have taken more than 5 steps, when he heard.

'Rukkiye!' Khushi ran and collided into his arm, 'Hum bolte hain na, aap aise mat jaiye, please.' (stop........am saying , please don't go )

Arnav stopped, his heart was palpitating with an unfamiliar pace, his ears had gone extra sensitive, while the hair on his nape now stood proudly in anticipation of her voice.

'Ar-Arna-Arnav.' Khushi took a deep breath, while her cheek blushed furiously, shaming tomatoes.

Arnav turned towards her, caught hold of her right arm jerking her form on to his and put his left hand on her heated face, making her look into his impossibly black eyes.

'Again.' It was a statement, where his aroused senses had taken over, his voice was gruff and demanding.

Khushi just shook her head in denial and if possible, she blushed further.

'Khushi, say it.' Arnav's voice was insistence personified, but the urgency to his voice was matching his eyes, that stood awaiting her breathy voice, to utter his name all over again

When she looked at the floor again and did not say anything,

, Arnav moved his thumb to her lips and slid the rough pad of his thumb over them, dislodging them from their original position, dragging them with the motion of his thumb; as if savouring his name on her succulent lips. All this while his eyes traced the havoc his thumb created on her lips.

'Arnav.' Khushi took his name by surprise this time and his thumb stopped midway, while his eyes flew to hers, there was a shine in her eyes that was reflected in his too.

'Arnav, do I still get punished?' Khushi slightly moved her body into his

he was taken aback with her action and stood still, while his brain was processing her words.

"Oh the minx was playing THE game, with the Grandmaster! Oh! What fun!

'Nope, not a punishment.' He paused, to judge her reaction; a victorious smirk emerged on her lips that had uttered his name just a few seconds ago.

'Three punishments, actually.' Khushi's eyes went into disarray at his words.

'Three? Why three suddenly?' She said with curiosity and flared nostrils.

'First, the original punishment-' Khushi nodded in acceptance.

'Second, for calling me old-' Khushi's nose scrunched up 'but I never called you old! I said-'

Arnav interrupted her 'I know what you said! But 'old' was implied.' Khushi nodded grudgingly.

When Arnav did not immediately continue, Khushi asked 'And third?'

'Interest.'

.