Chapter 16

As soon as the lecture ends, Khushi scurries out of class to wait near corridor grill.

The sun of winters is casting bliss rays all around trying to match the sheer bliss of her life. The notion of being insanely loved instead of plain-love is thrilling enough to never get tired of thanking Allah. Arnav's hard work for their love has paid off otherwise today she would have been probably getting married to that player Owais. Yes, a player. She thoroughly checked his social accounts and they were blasted with the innumerous clicks with sticky sweet friends.

Proud aside, Millions, billions and trillions thanks to Allah that she is the wife of the best husband of the world.

The phone vibrates, switching her thanking slot to a peaceful beam. The pop up message from husband no doubt holds immense power.

"Reached. Waiting." She re-reads to feel the closeness.

"Date with Manhook Sahab?" Ahmed teases and she just shrugs her shoulder with a silly smile.

"Rock the time, babes." Aiman winks and she figures the double meaning.

Acknowledging their tease by heart, Khushi hustles her steps out of the block.

"Hey, wait. We all are coming to see you off." Her friends call from the top of stairs and she impatiently waits for them to be quick. She cannot let her handsome husband wait much.

He is standing cross-legged against his luxurious vehicle. The girls pass him giggles and many must have thrusted their phone number chits, too, but man... they are trying their luck too late.

Formally, he comes ahead to meet her friends. When he mingles with her squad, not quite minding the presence of two boys, she feels at peace.

"Should we go now?" He hints her of his low patience.

"Yes, husband." She repeats collective Khuda Hafiz and gets along him.

"Why does the designer want to see us again?" Khushi inquires.

He nods at the watchmen whom he has fed special instructions about the safety of his wife and opens door for her to get in. As they put on their seat belts, she creases her brows. Her answer was due.

"Well, I decided we should rest."

Her brows curve more at his vague answer.

"Explain, please?" Khushi murmurs and grabs the juice bottle from the cardboard. She is suddenly thirsty... The hunger has also touched her stomach.

"Any chips... Um..." She raids the snacks herself. Grabbing the half folded packet, she begins munching on them, still waiting for her answer.

He takes a deep breath while smoothing the car on main road. "I guess, we should ask about health first, shouldn't we?" He feigns to be hurt.

"Macho man, would you please share a thing or two about your health?" She shoves two chips in his mouth and giggles at her childish act.

"The usual." His solemn tone upsets her chirpy mood. The concern about him weighs higher.

"What? Arnav, my love, you can't keep skipping sleeps." She tries to reason with him. He shrugs, knotting tension in her stomach.

"I have taken the permission of Sameer Dada Jaan. We both will spend the entire day and evening together and then dinner will be at your home." He informs, purposely avoiding the question.

"Why can't you sleep without me?" She fumes with resentment.

"Khushi..." He attempts to melt her perilous mood and save his plan of having degree moments with her.

"Don't Khushi me. I am clearing it again to you that I would never forgive you for not asking out for Rukhsati right after Nikah." Her emotions are stirred. This is how she is. Her soul goes brittle at the mere mention of his pain.

He parks his Corolla alongside the almost empty road under the shady tree.

"Now, why are we here?" She snaps, showing her upset mood.

"You are so wife like." He raises his one brow, flirting with her.

"If you care to recall, I am your wife." She shows him the ring he had slid into her finger after the kiss on beach.

He mischievously winks at her, stagnating her anger and she melts into a bubble of shy laughter.

Sighing, he double checks the locks of windows and doors and sets his chair almost to back to lay.

Her mouth hangs in query. They were supposed to be romancing!

Paying no heed to her ditched-feelings, Arnav seizes her hand and brings it to rest against his heart.

"I will take you for shopping once I am up from nap." He plainly informs, leaving her with hanged-mouth. His action has once again calmed her oceans of underestimation of her existence in his life.

"Till when you will attend the classes?"

"Today was the last day. Have to act like a typical bride from tomorrow." Tomorrow will be the Mayoon function. She did not take much pre-weddings offs to save them for post-wedding. How smart of her!

"My bride." He murmurs with closed eyes.

Sighing, she manages her seat to his level, desiring to scrap away barriers and easily reach out to lullaby his hair.

"You are mine only." She softly murmurs but his active ears capture it, bringing a stretched smile on his face.

The tranquil swooned face of the dear Mankooh reminds her about all of her previous cringes for not being his sukoon. He corrects her each time with his actions.

How luckier would she be?

Where would have she found a man like him?

The respect for him increases twenty folds when he pays her respect. Except kiss, she was shy and reluctant about him touching her body and he complied with her resistant. Religiously, they are free to be with each in all terms but socially, the Rukhsati is still pending. Sometimes, she fanaticizes about his unpaneled self and drug kisses and some bed movements. A little won't hurt, right?

Phew!

She releases off the tension while admiring his sleeping self. She wishes to seize these moments in her palm and not blink for lifetime.

***

The flared nose of groom-to-be apprehend the ladies. He was supposed to be springing with glee.

"Hey, you okay?" Dadi Jaan enquires, having a doubt about a couple fight.

"How can I be when I was unaware of having almost half a crore payment to clear off." He scoffs. Being a man, it was insulting to him when he casually took his wife to their family designer for some private outfits for their honeymoon and he hinted him of delayed payment.

"Come clear, Arnav. We already have so much to look after due to your rushed marriage." Kiran snaps back at his odd and embarrassing behavior in front of some closer relatives.

"I went to Ranjha's boutique today to try outfits. And there I was hinted that his payment of our family's last function is still left."

"Oh my... Arnav. I am so sorry. I have no idea how it skipped my mind." Aaeidah springs from her seat as she recalls her mistake.

His anger subsides at the instant apology. "Aapi... I did not expect it from you." His tone somewhat goes normal. "It was insulting in front of my wife." Everyone titters at his focal point.

"The immense respect she holds for you would not have been budged by a centimeter." Kiran adds, cooling off the matter.

"Fine, fine, but next time inform me beforehand." He blabbers while rushing to his room. He must have sounded a love-sick. Bam! If Moiz gets to know, he would be punched hard. By that he remembers to drag him up here first tomorrow morning. He is too concerned about a month impregnate wife.

***

"Aaeina Dekh k Bolay Ye Sanwarne wale....

Ab tou be-maut Marein gy, Mere marne Wale..."

(The dresser said looking into mirror,

Now my admirers will die for no reason!)

Khushi Arnav Raza Meer bursts into a loud snicker as her husband starts another brilliant Ghazal.

The appealing colors are spread everywhere. The fairy lights have lit the surrounding depicting the sunup jubilancy spread in a newly bounded couple's life. The huge exorbitant lamps are providing more sophisticated aura to the brilliant décor of marquee.

Yeah, tonight is Arnav and Khushi's Mehndi night. The crazy bride and groom do not care if people come and enjoy. Their focal point is to enjoy themselves and thus both are singing for each other with competent lines, cheerful laughter and naughty winks. Collar mikes are proving essential and easy for the lighter touch.

"Acha, now my turn, right?" She questions with a confident tone only a comfortable bride can have.

At his nod, she begins the magic of her voice.

"Jab Saamne Tum Aa Jaate Ho

Kya Jaaniye Kya Ho Jaata Hai

Kuch Mil Jaata Hai, Kuch Kho Jaata Hai

Kya Jaaniye Kya Ho Jaata Hai"

(When you come in front of me

Don't know what happens to me

I get something and lose something else

Don't know what happens to me)

The desires stir and he could not control but pass her a smug smirk before making his reply.

"Dekh kar Tumko Yakeen Hota Hai

Koi Itna Bhi Haseen Hota Hai

Dekh Paate Hain Kahan Hum Tumko

Dil Kahin, Hosh Kahin Hota Hai"

(Seeing you, I discovered that

One can be this beautiful

When I meet you

I lose my heart, my mind.)

The mob hoots with deafening claps and they promise each other something through their eyes.

She pushes back her front curled tendril and he losses himself once again in her brilliantly dolled up self. She has spent almost a crore on her complete range of wedding dresses. It gave him immense happiness when she tapped his arm to light off his pocket if he wants to see her adorned-self on all of their wedding events.

Though their marriage is happening on a short notice, they are not ready to compromise on anything. Each and every arrangement is precisely made, making sure no one faces any kind of trouble.

***

Seductive Feeling.

Wild Desires.

Burning Yearns.

Your peace gets abolished when you fall in deep kind of love with someone and your heartbeats also get in sync with your lover. The situation goes worse when you cannot keep your lover under your surveillance. To provide comfort to the heart, you are then compelled to take some illogical steps.

His brown orbs darken as if they are under the effect of strong sedatives. But if they are gauged keenly, one can see they are under the heavy attack of desires.

Her soft snores accelerate as he bends down to her fresh face. Her evening curls have gone loose and prettier.

He grips the headboard to maintain the balance and keep floating in the urge to touch her, kiss her, express his love to her.

He himself gets scared at her startling reaction; she scowled and waved hands in air to save herself.

"Ssshhh... Khushi, my love. It's me." He feeds her sleepy mind with his existence and worry creases begin to soft.

"What the hell, Arnav! Was this some good way? You scared me to the death." She utters with heavy pauses. Her breaths are still shallow and held. How scared she was to imagine some robber has broken into her bedroom with vile intentions.

"Ya, Allah..." She tries to calm herself down and he fetches her a glass of water.

"Okay, okay, now don't make me feel guilty." He says irritated while handing over the glass to her.

"I am warning you about this attitude-filled tone, Mr. Arnav Raza Meer." She warns him before grabbing the glass from his hand.

Her tone scares him momentarily but now he is usual with them. What more lovingly would be in this world than her real reactions? They were always used be indulge in cat and dog fight but then he had started to shut her down fearing his own soaring emotions.

Getting calmed, she passes him the million-dollar smile. "Yes, sir. What brought you here?" She enquires while making space for him on bed. Before he could answer, she scrunches her nose to sniff the specific aroma.

"Pizza..." He clears her confusion and points to the box laying away on the table. "Um, Yaar, I was hungry. Moreover, we did not get time to have dinner of our own mehndi." He reasons, hoping she would not kick him out.

"Ummm... I was feeling little hungry, too." She literally jumps out of the bed and lights on the night bulb spreading dainty yellow light.

"Jaldi Aa Jayein na. It will go cold otherwise. And please don't expect that I will microwave it for you at this hour of night." She flips back her curls and opens the box to pick out the biggest slice.

"Ehm." He comes to take his place right beside her on the Deewan. Their bodies touch and she literally forgets to breath.

"You take this first piece. I am too idiot." She covers up her nervousness by giving him her slice and slides up to left in act of picking up a new slice for herself.

He smears the ketchup on his pizza slice and begins taking the relishing bites.

"How did you come?"

"Bribed the security guards, creeped the garden, saved twice from your Khalu and Phuppi while climbing stairs, jumped to your gallery from the corridor, then finally from window into your room."

She chokes hard at his long explanation. It was just a pizza. He could eat alone. Why such efforts?

The ocean of love hits her hard and she blushed deep despite her extreme resistance. "Arnaav..." She emotionally takes his name to say something.

"Order!" As usual he gives her the courage to speak her heart out.

"Would you keep loving me like this?" She shakes her head with closed eyes alike kids. "If you won't... Mar Jaon gi." Her eyes drip down a few tears and he immediately gulps down the half chewed bite.

"Ew. That concludes in sinful thoughts. You should only think of the night we would be spending together."

With thick tears still in eyes, she goes breathless at his change of talks.

He claps her hands in his and kisses the top with sheer affection. "You are extremely dear to me. and you know why have I come to you?"

She shakes her head, cherishing the peace.

"To tell you how much your husband is dying to express his love." He puts forwards his desire and she jolts up straight. Why does he want to test her patience?

He places his hand on her shoulder which is almost bare in her night shirt. Her body fires up as his breaths heat up her shoulder and neck side.

Shyly, she turns to face him and spend moments of admiration.

"Even the wait of a night now is torturous." He complains while nuzzling her face and jaws. She grips his biceps for support and fills her thirst of touching him. "I am dying for you." He murmurs against her lips and places a few open mouth kisses there. "You damn evil also did not allow me to kiss you since our Nikah Kiss at beach."

"Um..." She moans, being too helpless to fight back. All of her limits have melted against his kisses and grip. She cannot think of anything else of him.

"I had to bribe the authorities to give risk alert." He had done illegal deed that evening but dream of kissing her deep on beach had to be fulfilled and thus the security alert kept people at bay and luckily no one was there when they landed.

"Please." She pleads for more at the smooches. Her full body is crying for his touch.

"I want to love you damn much." He pulls her more into him to show how much lunatic he is after her.

As soon as his hungry mouth crashes onto hers, they hear almost faltering sound of a vase.

Abruptly, they take their respective places on Deewan and swoops to hold new slices of pizza to feign more naturally if someone invades in.

The door opens and Mrs. Yasmeen stops to her place in shock. She was overwhelmed with the thought of her sparrow's last night in their home and thus wanted to pat her head while she enjoys her tranquil sleep.

"Ahem. Assalam O Alaikum auntie. Come, join us." Arnav fumbles onto his words. The drumming of his heartbeats will surely take the best of him someday.

"No. you people enjoy. And Khushi, must sleep well after the pizza party with your Mankooh." Yasmeen shuts the door as she leaves.

Arnav narrows eyes at Khushi, tagging her accountable to him for this insult. "No, why on earth would a bride to be keep her room's door unlocked?"

"I forgot." She meekly answers.

"Forgot? Idiot, I would have made a direct entry from door rather than jumping from here to there."

"Haww... Everyone has to pray price to achieve the prize." She reasons, lifting her head high.

"Huh! Which left in half." He blabbers.

"Come clear." She scrunches her nose, chewing the now cold pizza.

"Your mother not only highlighted that I am still your Mankooh but also did not let me enjoy the fruit of my hard work." He accuses clearly.

Her mouth opens wide in shock and they both giggle at his desperateness.

With vile imaginations, he serves another slice to himself. "I wish to not wake up with sore throat." She starts the civil conversation. The night was really tiresome with continuous singing and dancing.

"Same. We were literally out of control."

"I really pray that these fluffy cheeks don't catch bad eyes."

His condition is no different. It's as if happiness is injected into them and it is circulating in their bodies rather than the blood.

"Focus on your meal, Khushi. Its already cold" He hints, finding her lost in admiring him.

"Yea."

"You need to stay healthy and active. Weddings nights are mostly not easy." His hoarse voice induces fear in her and she forgets to blink eyes to catch the deep meaning of his words. So, everything will be real. Their hugs, kisses, mating... Phew! She with all strength hopes to not go blank in anticipation. How beautiful sight will it be when she would ty to leave the bed in mornings and he would pull her back to cozily snuggle into her.

She feels a sensational touch on side curve and nearly jumps on her place. She looks at his poker face and damn he is daring to laugh at her.

"You can't bare my finger on you. How would you, you know...?" Arnav passes dirty hints with one brow raised and she stands up with stumped foot.

"Hey, finish your meal first." He goes all concerned.

"First, you stop saying such words." She demands with arms folded against her chest.

"Um, what to do?" He gives her innocent expressions. "Mummy has taught me to always aware others with truth." His childish tone put her in awe.

She shakes her head knowing he would not be stopping because he has never left his rightful position.

"Sit." He notions her and she sits quite close to him. Her dupatta free state is airing raw emotions in him. Revenges have to postpone till tomorrow.

"Hasta la vista baby." He kisses his fingers and pats her cheeks with them before flying out of her door.

She beams hard after locking the door. How beautiful everything has turned out to be.

Now, she was sure the shenanigans he did after finishing the extra-large pizza with her would not let her sleep. Still, she tries for next two hours to fail miserably. She grabs her mobile and feels guilty to have it on silent. There are numerous messages from Arnav. She quickly checks his last seen and feels relived of finding it of a minute earlier only.

"I damn hate you. You ruined my pretty bride sleep. How will I manage everything tomorrow?" She cringes in voice note.

He sends her a few laughing emoji.

"Meri Jaan, you must try harder to enjoy your bride-sleep because once you are Rukhsat with me, I can't promise you easy nights."

She listens to his voice note on repeat, having her whole body shriek out for him.

"Huh. Will decide on what you gift me on wedding night!" She texts this time.

"What more you be wanting having this servant at your service?" He also texts.

"Ew. My husband is too handsome to be a servant." She sends the voice note again.

"Oo... I am your husband?" He texts referring to how her mother treated her.

"Khair hai na Jaan e Mann... Is Ishq mein Imtihaan aur Bhi Hain."

He laughs hard at her teasing voice note.

"Just a day, Mrs. Arnav Raza Meer, then I will show you how husbands actually behave with their wives."

"Good husbands." She replies to get the indirect assurance that he would not act like typical husbands who goes all animal on their wives.

"Your husband." In assurance, he just says two words before allowing her to try harder to sleep.

Strained eyes of bride would surely not look good and if she feels a bit sleepy during the function, she will literally kill him for intruding her beauty sleep.

***

I KNOW THIS UPDATE IS AFTER A HUGE GAP. BUT HEY *COMMENTS* MOTIVATE ME

How Have You All Been These Summers? I Enjoyed A Lot During My Internship At The Pride Place. There Is A Lava Of Patriotism Bubbling Inside Me After Being A Part Of ISPR💚🇵🇰  This Is Only A Little Fulfillment Of My Dream. Have To Work Hard To Achieve It Completely. And I Must Add See Dreams And Strive To Bring Life In Them. Yo!