22. OS 18. Too Tempting to Resist (Part 22)

Part 22

Her throat was dry. Not entirely due to the hot weather, she thought. The culprit stood by jiju, staring at her as though he could see through her.

Hmmppffff... She would deal with him later, she decided.

Khushi looked longingly at the glasses of water arranged artistically on a silver tray near her and then at her hands filled with wet mehendi. 'Hey Devi Maiyya, why couldn't you make me thirsty before I showed my hand to the mehendi lady? How will I drink water now?' she asked crossly.

ASR watched her with eagle eyes.

Khushi looked around. Maybe she could find somebody who was free to help her.

Payal was looking at Akash's name written on her palm and blushing. Akash was looking at her as though she were the eight wonder of the world and he a traveller.

Khushi grimaced. Did love make one a nikamma? What was this blushing and preening and becoming self-conscious just because a man was looking at you? If it were golgappe, she could understand the concept. But for a mere man.....The uncomfortable picture of her panicking when jiji's jetji came close to her flashed through her mind and flustered her.

One hazel eye glanced at him for a second and quickly moved away. His molten chocolate eyes were still on her.

Paani. She needed water. Tatkal prabhav se. Immediately.

She looked around with wide eyes. HP was walking towards the kitchen.

Khushi jumped up and making her way through the ladies seated on mattresses on the floor, reached the kitchen.

"Hari Prakashji," she called.

"Khushiji, how can I help you?" HP asked, smiling.

"Water. A glass of water," she gasped, feeling like a fish left to die on dry land.

HP obligingly poured out a glass of water. As he was about to hand it over to Khushi, mami's call sounded.

"HP! Jaldi aa jao. Mami needjj your helpwaa," she called.

HP jumped.

"Aap jaiye," Khushi smiled.

HP left.

Khushi looked at the glass of water on the kitchen counter. She looked at her hands.

How could she drink it without her hands?

Maybe if she bent down and sipped from it? Or licked it like a dog?

"Hey Devi Maiyya!" Khushi grumbled. "This is too much! I am going to wash off this mehendi."

Devi Maiyya apparently trembled at this threat.

A hand appeared from behind her and took the glass of water.

"Aww," Khushi gasped and turned around to shout at the thief, only to stand open-mouthed and silent at the sight of the Rakshas holding the glass.

"You wanted water?" he asked, his voice mellow.

Khushi turned her head away.

He held out the glass.

Khushi looked at it and at him. What was he going to do with it? She didn't trust him one bit.

Arnav took a step closer to her.

Khushi stepped back.

He took one more step towards her and before she could move back, he took the glass to her lips.

He watched as her lips parted and took a sip of the water.

He swallowed hard.

Her eyes stayed on his as she drank deep.

When she was done, he set the glass aside and made to leave.

"Sh..shukriya," she whispered.

He halted, nodded and left the kitchen.