Being The Missus

Chapter 8 - Good Times

Khushi returned home after dark. Tired and weary but the smile couldn't be replaced. Even though carrying a sleepy Aarav should've been the last thing - she couldn't help but feel the warmth of his honest love.

"I see you are back." Khushi stopped in her tracks; it had been ages since she'd heard that tone. NK kept his chips away, recognizing the fury emanating from his cousin. Ushering a sleepy Aarav from Khushi's hold, NK walked away but not before whispering a few words to Arnav;

"It's not what you think, never has been - never will be."

Arnav grunted in response, a flare of jealousy rising when he saw the signs of true happiness on Khushi's face. He walked up to her, placing a few photographs on the table. "I happened to come across a newspaper article how they'd mistaken you and a random man as a perfect family with Aarav. Surprisingly this celebrity journalist recognized you and has her doubts splashed on the papers-"

Arnav continued, his voice shaking with fury; "Where is ASR? Who is this man? The perfect family, but not with the legend? And so on..." Khushi chewed her anger, knowing it was his jealousy talking.

"It was nothing; I just went out to help-"

"And you couldn't ask me? You chose NK as your bloody chauffeur?" Arnav snapped.

"Mind your language Arnav! He's been here more for me-"

"Oh don't start with that again. Yes I know the drill because I know I'm not everything in your life." Arnav shrugged his shoulders; his eyes were red from hidden tears. He was aware that he was a useless husband if only Khushi hadn't made it obvious.

"Arnav, you're taking this wrongly." Khushi tried to pacify, but Arnav pulled away from her. "There was no need for me to tell you the equation between Shanaya and I or what she said about her past. But for a silly reason, I wanted you to keep your trust on me when I saw that you weren't comfortable with us." Arnav told her, fixing a mild drink for himself.

To his surprise Khushi just nodded, picking up her handbag; "Thank you, I'm grateful for that. But pray tell me why Aarav was born 16 months after you left her? Anyways, I didn't know I had to prove my fidelity-"

"It's not that damn it! Of course, I know you wouldn't cheat me, but this is a petty way of getting back at me." He spat, fists tight. Khushi frowned, goosebumps spreading across her skin.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you saw the kiss," Arnav whispered, running a hand through his hair.

"I can't believe you thought I'd give media a bite just to get back at you, what in the world has happened to you!" Khushi snapped, storming off to the bedroom leaving Arnav alone in the hall.

---

Two days passed, neither of their egos allowing a conversation to start between the two. He knew his possessiveness and fear of NK excelling him made him want to punch his gut. If only he hadn't taken it out on Khushi.

I probably proved how better NK is. Arnav thought bitterly.

Much to his dismay, the entire office knew that he had a tiff with his wife. Courtesy Arnav was calling every second girl Khushi and peeking at the office door.

She had to come!

He sent a message that he didn't have lunch.

Hariprakash walked in, empty handed.

"No food?" Arnav asked, his eyes wide.

"Khushi didi said that you preferred Italian over what she cooked." Hariprakash rattled, torn between his loyalties for the husband and the wife.

After a few minutes, Arnav shot himself with insulin, knowing that the next few words were the stuff he never dreamt in a nightmare.

"Call NK."

---

If Olympic athlete Milkha Singh was present in AR office, he might have been surprised at how a tiny, frail woman beat his record speed at running.

Taking two steps at a time, every employee stepped aside as Khushi Roy stormed into her husband's cabin.

There lay her man, wheezing in pain. "Khushi I-" Arnav stopped as NK thwacked a wet towel on him. "What the fu-- *cough*-- NK what are you doing?" Arnav bit back a growl as NK slapped another towel on his face.

"Nannav you have a fever! 39 DEGREES FEVER." NK stressed at a hassled Khushi.

"Over actor." Arnav shook his head, cursing as NK slapped another towel on his skull. Khushi winced at the way NK kept on thrashing the towels on his cousin's face.

"NK slowly! Is Arnav even sick?"

"KHUSHI!" NK jumped, falling into Khushi's arms as he sobbed about how Arnav over-injected himself with insulin and fainted. Khushi tried to struggle out of a now wailing NK's embrace.

"Abbey let her come to me!" Arnav rolled his eyes.

"Khushi I thought I'd become a vidva (widow)!" NK beat his palm on his head.

"WHAT!" Arnav and Khushi screamed, and she swiftly turned to find Arnav holding his head, falling back on the couch.

"Uh-I mean that I thought you'd become a wido-" NK never got to complete that sentence as Khushi slapped him right across his face. "Never say that again!" Khushi threatened. Arnav chuckled in the background, falling back to silence as Khushi ran to her husband, touching his pale cheek.

"Agreed we had a fight, but that doesn't mean you had to fall sick to talk to me!" Khushi slapped his shoulder, then took him into a tight hug. "You selfish brute! Do you ever think what would happen to me if..." Her sobs muffled into his chest as she held him close.

Arnav melted a smile on his face. "Khushi-" He stopped when NK mouthed "ACT SICK."

"*cough* I mean that I'm sorry." Arnav whispered, his performance breaking when Khushi cupped his face and shook her head, "No I'm sorry, I'm such an i***t to fight like this when I almost lost you the last time you traveled. Now that you're about to leave to the USA, I shouldn't have-"

"Shush," Arnav placed his finger on her lips, his protest cut off by NK's fanatic jump to continue being sick. Nodding nervously, Arnav fell back on the sofa as Khushi screamed in fright.

"ARNAV!"

"I'm alive!" Arnav cut in, holding her hand "I just want you to know I-" NK slapped his own head, ushering Arnav to feign illness.

"*cough* I mean, I love you. When I fainted, I realized that I'm nothing without you. And honestly I feel like that every day. I hate fighting with you. So that is why I call-" Arnav stopped as NK thumped Arnav's chest too hard, in the act of patting.

"Isn't that enough Nannav, now sleep on because you are SICK." NK gestured, and Khushi hurriedly agreed.

"But I can't sleep without Khushi; you are my everything." Arnav weakly smiled as Khushi pressed a soft kiss on his lips. Satisfied with his patch up plan, NK whistled his way out of his cabin when Hariprakash re-entered.

"Arnav sahib good news! NK convinced Khushi didi about your fake illness-oh, um..."

Oh-oh.

---

"Arrey Chote, Nandkisore, you’re finally home?" Nani’s heart always bloomed with pride when she saw her grandchildren.

“Nani don’t call me a little one!” Arnav grumbled.

“Nani, not Nandkisore - please!” NK pouted.

“Okay okay, but why are your cheeks red?” Nani chuckled as her grandsons touched their cheeks and exchanged a stare.

Don't tell Nani that we got slap-

"Naniji, Arnav sahib, and NK sahib lied about Arnav sahib's illness to get Khushi didi to the office because she stopped speaking to Arnav sahib after a big fight. So when Khushi didi got to know it was a false act, she slapped them both and walked away." Hariprakash said, completely missing the death glares sent his way.

"Aww my sweet grandsons, you didn't think that allowing your cousin and his wife to have a conversation would have solved the matters... right?" Nani twisted NK's ear and then turned to Arnav, catching hold of his ear "And you, what would have gone if you just said sorry!"

Khushi looked up from her kitchen, a small smile settling on her face as Nani reprimanded the two men as if they were little boys. Biting her lips, she felt a little bit bad because, in spite of her husband's horrible acting and her friend's terrible antic, the entire thing was cute.

"It's ok Naniji, let me speak to him." Khushi smiled, dragging a relieved Arnav away.

"Arrey Khushi! Save me too!" NK whined as Khushi blatantly ignored him.

Oh God, who will save me from this mess!

"Hello, ma’am is Miss. Roy here? Sir wanted me to speak to her regarding the latest transfer of his shares in her name." Aman stepped in, smiling as Nani left.

"Thank you so much, Aman! Mate ask for anything, and I'll give it to you." NK hugged the ecstatic Aman. Gulping slightly, Aman nodded as he eyed Anjali strolling around the hall, having memorized every nook and cranny of her home.

Oh NK, I'll need that favor soon!

“I-uh-I’m going back to my office, give these papers to Miss. Roy,” Aman said.

There, the Chief Legal Officer of the biggest media company in Asia did not have the guts to even say ‘hi’ to the one woman he liked.

---

"It's ok." Khushi smiled, watching the relaxed grin on his face.

"Thank God. Otherwise, I couldn't have afforded another one."

"An act of mollifying me?" Khushi asked.

"No, asking NK for help!" Arnav replied, still wondering why he ever took that i***t's advice. Why was that chimp even born! Keeping his briefcase aside, he noticed the grin on Khushi's face fading.

"Hmm, but in all seriousness let me tell you a few things. One, please don't assassinate my character like that again. I love NK with all my heart, but that's the way I love Payal jiji too."

"Khushi I-" Khushi raised her hand, interrupting him.

"No Arnav, there are only a few times when I'll smile. You need to know that I have a fear that one day you'll get up and realize you don't want me and I don't know where I will go. Trust me when I say you're everything. Secondly... Aarav's birthdate doesn't with the story Shanaya told you. If she has lied about one thing, how much of the rest is true?" Arnav frowned, his joys wiped out by Khushi's valid questions.

Shanaya

The kiss

The fact that Khushi saw everything

Arnav grabbed her shoulder; his eyes were dark with desperation "Khushi... that time, I pushed her away. It’s nothing.”

“I know, and I hope you can go beyond jumping to conclusions. It’s not the first time." Khushi sighed.

Arnav held her hand, silently promising her.

"Khushi-,"

“See Arnav, I love you for who you are. A workaholic, an atheist, slightly loveable and largely annoying!” Arnav smiled at her description.

"Thank you," Arnav replied, his smile falling at her tired face. He cupped her cheek, wondering how to justify himself.

"Khushi no one can love like you," He smiled sadly, rubbing her tear "I don't think even I can love you the way you do."

---

This was a catastrophe.

A. Huge. Disaster.

Akash stood still as Payal jumped into his embrace, his eye narrowing on the two bright pink lines of the stick.

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