Silent Whispers

Chapter 24: Forever Soiled

Khushi walked out of her front door, trying very hard not to step on the coral dress flowing down to her feet. If it was up to her, she would never have chosen such an elegant outfit for the night. It required much more attention than she could afford. But alas, she didn't have a choice.

After being harassed by an excited Lavanya on skype, there really was no way around it. So, she gritted her teeth and let Jaya excitedly curl her hair and set her make-up. When they were done, Khushi could barely recognize herself in the mirror. Whether it was the way she stood, or the way she stared at her reflection, something was very different. The only word that came to her was ethereal. 

By the time Khushi arrived on her driveway, however, all worries of her dress vanished without a trace. Leaning on a sleek black BMW, Arnav looked nothing less than Adonis himself, in a black tuxedo, gelled hair and a clean-shaven face. For a second, Khushi couldn't remember how to breathe.

"You look beautiful," Arnav murmured suddenly, staring spellbound at her.

A smile spread across her face, the sting from their conversation on the phone earlier that evening lessening into nothingness. She felt elated to see him react, to see him care. It meant she wasn't just another pesky little intern for him.

"Thank you," she replied.  "I'm assuming I passed the look test?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "You aced it."

Khushi grinned.  No matter what happened in the past, no matter how much she reminded herself of control before stepping out of the house, there was nothing in the world that kept her from his charm. And just like that, they settled back into their usual banter without any awkwardness at all.

The ride to the party was surprisingly short. When Khushi stepped out of the SUV, suddenly excited for the event, she couldn't help but be taken back by the venue. It was a magnificent mansion, decked up in countless fairy lights, all glowing underneath the night sky. Really, the rich and elite had too much money to spare. 

"I told you this was a prestigious party," Arnav unexpectedly whispered in her ear.

Khushi gulped, feeling goosebumps run down her arm. What was with him and proximity? Did he not realize just how distracting his presence could be?

Arnav stepped back and handed his car keys to a valet nearby, before saying, "Shall we?"

She nodded. And to her great surprise, he wrapped his arm around the back of her waist in response.

"I hope your brother hasn't given you a curfew tonight," he said, gently leading her up a short set of stairs to the main entrance. "There are many people I need you to meet."

"That sounds worrisome," she said, regaining her voice. "Are you planning to set me up with someone tonight?"

"If I did indeed want to set you up with someone, then why would I bring you here instead of a nice, candle-light dinner somewhere?"

She snorted. "Oh please... we both know you just pretend to flirt with me. You don't really mean it."

He looked at her. "Are you sure about that?"

Khushi didn't know what to say. Despite usually being able to differentiate between his serious and funny side, at that moment she had no idea if he meant what he said, or was simply, pulling her leg.

Luckily, they had reached the front doors by then, where a small group of photographers with blinding cameras, swarmed them.  After a relentless photoshoot of sorts, during which Arnav's arm around her somehow fell away, they entered the main hall.