Chapter Five

Arnav's secretary locked up the office and left, and Arnav walked home. He walked into the kitchen and found Khushi. She was resting her head on her right hand, her slightly dozing off. Her head nodded to the left, almost falling out of her hand, and she woke up instantly.

"Oh! Arnavji," she got up and went over to him. "When did you come? Has it been too long?"

He shook his head. "No. I just came."

Khushi nodded. "Aap betiye(You sit). I'll go heat up everything," and she went to do so.

Arnav sat down at the table and watched Khushi as she heated everything up and poured everything into different bowls. She came back and forth, placing the bowls down on the table. Once she came in with the last bowl, she sat down and rearranged some the bowls and then looked at Arnav, only to see that he was looking at her.

She didn't know why, but him looking at her gave her butterflies in her stomach and she wasn't a girl like that. But Arnav, a person she had barely known but had seen her whole life for as long as she could remember, managed to.

"Arnavji?"

Arnav broke from his stare and looked at the food. Khushi looked around and then at Arnav. He seemed lost in thought, so Khushi just served him.

"Arnavji?"

Arnav looked at her and she gestured to his plate, lifting her eyebrow, looking at it, and then at him. He looked down at the food and then side to side, and then he began to eat. Khushi watched him as he ate, but he just didn't seem to into it. He looked lost, slowly chewing on his food.

Khushi looked at his food and then at him. He was lost, already finished with what was in his mouth, but he didn't take anymore.

"Arnavji? You don't want to eat anymore?"

Arnav didn't reply. His lips had parted, but Khushi understood. She took the plate and took some food in her hand and held it out for Arnav. He looked down at it and then at her. Khushi didn't know why she wanted to feed him, but right now she did.

Arnav opened his mouth and Khushi fed him. This continued on until the plate was empty. But that didn't stop the two from looking at each other. They looked away at each other, Khushi trying to figure out why all of a sudden she was feeling attracted to him, and Arnav trying to figure out why she had the sudden change of her character after their marriage.

"Khushi!"

It was Anannya and the two broke away from trance.

"J-ji Ma," Khushi hollered back.

"Chote aagaye(Is Chote back?)?"

"Yes Ma," Arnav hollered.

Anannya left to her room and Arnav walked away to wash up. Khushi put all of the food away and then headed upstairs. She found Arnav placing down his phone and then taking off his shirt.

Khushi was mesmerized. His chest was so lean and sculpted. For a moment she forgot he was her husband and got jealous, not wanting any woman, living or dead, to see the glory hidden under. Arnav noticed Khushi looking at him and realized his state, so he got out his pjs and took it to the bathroom to change.

Khushi went to get her nightwear, when her phone rang. She looked at her iPhone and saw that it was her dad. At Dev's party, she hadn't spoken a word to her father. Her phone continued to ring and she ignored it. Just as it ended, Arnav came out and Khushi went in. Within a few minutes, she came out to see Arnav watching the flat screen. He was watching a re-run of "Them Themselves."

"I mean come on! We all know Khushi for how she is!"

Khushi froze.

"And for those people who don't, well, it's time you caught up!"

Khushi watched as the screen changed, flashing the letters K-H-U-S-H-I individually. It striped down and then showed her face.

Khushi looked at Arnav to see his expression, but he didn't have one. He just looked straight at the screen. Then again, he was a politician - figuring him out would be difficult.

Khushi looked back at the TV to see her shaking her hips side to side, her hair flying around as she moved her head. She couldn't believe Arnav was finding out the truth this way. She thought of telling him but now….

"Khushi! Khushi,"the cameramen yelled out. "Khushi, what are your plans now?"

"My plans? Uh… download new music, go home to my studio, and dance my *bleep* off!"

Khushi froze and looked at Arnav as he got up and turned the TV off. He turned to her and Khushi looked away. Arnav was once again mesmerized. Her nightwear was a plain red sari, which was seducing him even though she wasn't doing anything. But the look on her face made him drop his gaze.

"Arnavji-"

"Khushi, before you say anything, just tell me one thing."

"… ji(yes?)?"

"Why?"

"Meaning?"

"Why? Why did you change for?"

Khushi just blinked.

"Tell me Khushi. Why?"

Khushi looked side to side. "Please Arnavji, don't ask."

"Why not?"

Khushi looked at him. "Because you know why."

Arnav scrunched his eyebrows. "What?"

"Arnavji, just look at how I was," she said, turning the TV back on. "Why do you think."

Arnav didn't say anything.

"Arnavji, you're a huge political figure. I was just a daughter of a man who was a part of your family political business. Do you think a party girl like me fits to be the wife of a big politician?"

"Khushi, it doesn't matter-"

"Yes it does, Arnavji! It does!"

"Says who?"

"My dad!"

Arnav looked away and then went up to her. "Khushi forget what he said."

"But he's right."

"Is not."

"Is too."

Arnav held her shoulders. "Khushi I don't care. Be yourself!"

"Arnavji I can't! If I were to then imagine what everyone would think! People wouldn't vote for you!"

"Why not?"

"If you can't control your own wife how would they expect you to control them?"

Arnav caressed the left side of her face. "Khushi forget about what others think. I want you to be yourself. Okay? Want. Besides, I always wanted a wife who was free and not constricted. Khushi, you are like that," he said, cupping the other side of her face. "Please be the way you are."

Khushi looked into his eyes. "Why?"

"… so that I get a chance to get away from all this stuff too."

Khushi just looked at him.

"I want to have some fun too, Khushi. I want to do something for myself once in a while. If you act the way you are…."

Khushi understood and held his hands. "If you say so, then I will, Arnavji."

The two got stuck in a trance, when all of a sudden an ad on the TV went really loud, and the two broke apart. They felt completely awkward, both looking away from each other.

"Um… Khushi?"

"… ji?"

"You think… you think you could help me experience it?"

Khushi's eyes shot wide. "M-ma-matlab?"

"I mean… you know… figure out the night life?"

Khushi gulped and got really nervous. Was he really asking of it from her?

"I want to know what that kind of life is like. You know, going out, going to a club, getting drunk, dancing, that stuff."

Khushi let out a deep breath. She was thinking it all wrong. "Um… sure. … when?"

Arnav turned to her. "Tonight."

"Kya? Tonight?"

Arnav nodded.

Khushi looked him up and down, realizing how serious he was. "Fine." She nodded to the right to motion and said "get ready."