Moments (IPKKND Secret Romance #2) (aka Our Moments)

Chapter 18: Khushi

9th January

Come outside.

Khushi looked at the text that'd just arrived. Confused, she threw on a shawl and ran to the front door. Arnav-ji was standing in the doorframe when she opened it.

"Hi."

"What are you doing here, Arnav-ji? It's past midnight."

"I know," he offered his hand, "I missed you."

They sat on the divan outside. He'd insisted that Khushi wrap a blanket around herself, and she kept glancing at him, worried that he was cold.

"I .. uhh ... I actually came here to tell you something," he avoided her eyes, looking uncharacteristically anxious.

Her heart thudded in fear.

What could be so important that he drove here at midnight to tell me?

"Khushi, the thing is, I've been hiding something from you."

He reached out to take her hand and then stopped, seeming to rethink the action. He sighed.

"There's no easy way ... Khushi ... I've been married before."

The world faded away. All she could hear was the rushing of blood in her ears and the echo of his words. I've been married before. It felt like a pit had opened in her stomach and threatened to swallow her whole.

"Wh-what?"

"It was before I met you. I don't even know where she is now."

Khushi gathered herself up, her sorrow quickly turning into the kind of anger that burns quick and bright.

"You were almost engaged to Lavanya-ji, and now you're telling me that you were married? How could you, Arnav-ji? How could you hide something like this from me?"

Arnav-ji looked away. "I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"Tell me everything. Right now!"

"Sshhhh Khushi, all of Laxmi Nagar can hear you."

She hadn't realized her voice had risen.

"Okay, fine," she fought the tears that threatened to overwhelm her, "Get in the car, let's go somewhere where we can talk."

He drove them the lookout he'd taken her to weeks ago. Delhi lay stretched out below them, a reflection of stars that shone above. Khushi broke their silence as soon as they were parked.

"Tell me everything. Don't leave anything out."

He fiddled with the steering wheel as he spoke.

"Like I said, it was a long time ago. Our friends thought it was a good idea, and I guess we had nothing better to do, so we agreed."

Khushi frowned.

"It was arranged in a couple of hours actually," he continued, "One of our friends was the priest. We took vows in front of a fire. We used powdered chalk for sindoor. Her mangalsutra was a chain of flowers, and the ring she gave me was made of ... licorice, I think? It was something edible."

What?

"Afterwards, everyone said we had to kiss, so I kissed her on the cheek. But I didn't want any germs so I spent the rest of the day with a bottle of mouthwash."

"How ... how old were you?"

"Uhh ... I think I was seven. She was six, I think, slightly younger than me."