A second chance at happiness : Chapter 9

Back in her hotel room, Anjali stood by the window, staring at the dazzling lights of the city below.

The conversation with Anuj kept replaying in her mind.

His smile.

The way he had listened to her.

Most of all, the way she had felt when she was with him.

She glanced at her phone.

For several minutes she simply held it in her hand.

Then, before she could overthink it, she dialed his number. They had exchanged numbers in between the dinner.

"Hello?" Anuj answered almost immediately.

"Are you busy?" Anjali asked softly.

"Not at all. Tell me..."

A smile spread across her face.

"I was thinking... since we have tomorrow free and you mentioned your flight is after midnight, would you like to explore Dubai with me? I mean if you don't have any other appoinment?"

Anuj sat up instantly.

"Are you asking me out, Ms. Raizada?"

Anjali rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her.

"I'm asking if you want to go sightseeing."

"Absolutely.."

They spent nearly an hour discussing places they wanted to visit—the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and the famous desert viewpoints. By the time they ended the call, both were looking forward to the next day like excited teenagers.

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Khushi enjoyed the pattern he followed this week. 

Every afternoon, just as her last lecture ended, a familiar black SUV would appear outside the college gates. And every afternoon, her best friend Mukku would be ready with a new joke.

"Look, look! Your personal chauffeur has arrived," Mukku whispered dramatically, peeking through the classroom window.

Khushi rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face betrayed her. "He is not my chauffeur."

"Of course not. Chauffeurs don't stare at their passengers like they're the most precious thing in the world."

Khushi blushed instantly.

Outside, Arnav leaned casually against his car, sunglasses hiding his eyes but not his attention. The moment he spotted Khushi walking out, his expression softened.

Mukku nudged her. "See? There it is. That look. Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada is hopelessly gone."

"Stop it, Mukku!"

"I'm serious. Every day for the last week he has come himself to pick you up. Not the driver. Not Aman. Him. And he even joined you for lunch in the canteen with all of us making up some excuse of being somewhere near to collage during lunch time."

Khushi couldn't deny it.

Arnav's schedule was always packed with meetings and business commitments, yet he had somehow arranged his evenings around her college timings. Every day he waited patiently outside until she finished.

As they approached the gate, Mukku folded her hands dramatically.

"Good evening, Jiju."

Arnav smirked. "Good evening, Mukku."

"Thank you for returning my friend safely every day."

Khushi covered her face in embarrassment.

"Mukku!"

"What? I'm just being grateful."

Arnav chuckled. "You're welcome."

Mukku leaned closer to Khushi and whispered loudly enough for Arnav to hear.

"Have fun on your date."

Khushi's eyes widened. "It's not a date!"

"It absolutely is."

Before Khushi could protest further, Mukku waved and hurried away laughing.

Arnav opened the passenger door for her.

The small gesture warmed her heart every single time.

As they drove away, Khushi glanced at him.

"You know she isn't going to stop teasing me."

"Good."

Khushi turned toward him in surprise.

"Good?"

Arnav nodded. "At least someone is saying what I'm thinking."

A blush spread across her cheeks.

"Arnav ji..."

A smile tugged at his lips.

Instead of driving toward Shantivan, he took a different route.

Khushi noticed immediately.

"We're not going home."

"No."

"Then where are we going?"

"A long drive and then dinner."

She blinked.

"You have been attending classes, assignments, presentations, and somehow still managing everyone at home. "

Khushi stared at him.

He kept his eyes on the road.

"And I wanted some time with my wife."

Her heart skipped a beat.

A few minutes later they arrived at a beautiful rooftop restaurant overlooking the city lights.

The evening breeze was pleasant as they settled at a quiet corner table.

For the first time in days, Khushi felt completely relaxed.

They talked about everything and nothing—her professors, Mukku's endless teasing, family gossip, and Arnav's work.

At one point Khushi smiled softly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Why have you been coming to pick me up every day?"

Arnav set down his glass.

The answer came without hesitation.

"Because you're important to me."

Khushi looked down shyly.

"You already know that."

"I do."

"Then?"

He reached across the table and took her hand.

"Sometimes knowing isn't enough. Sometimes people need to feel it."

His thumb brushed gently across her knuckles.

"I've spent years expressing myself through actions rather than words.  I wanted to make sure you never doubted your place in my life."

Khushi's eyes grew emotional.

"You matter to me, Khushi. More than work. More than meetings. More than anything else."

Arnav immediately moved his chair closer.

The rest of the evening passed in comfortable companionship, filled with laughter, shared desserts, and stolen glances.

When they finally returned home, Khushi realized something.

The daily pickups had never been about convenience.

They had been Arnav's quiet way of reminding her, every single day, that no matter how busy life became, she would always be one of his highest priorities.

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The next morning, after breakfast, Anjali and Anuj met in the hotel lobby.

Anjali looked effortlessly beautiful in a comfortable white top and blue palazzo pant, while Anuj wore a casual black shirt and denims.

For a moment neither spoke.

"You look nice," Anuj finally said.

Anjali felt her cheeks warm.

"Thank you. You don't look bad yourself."

"Only not bad?"

She laughed.

"Let's go "

Their first stop was the towering Burj Khalifa.

Standing at the observation deck, Anjali stared at the breathtaking view of the city.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Anuj wasn't looking at the city.

"I know."

When she turned toward him, she found him looking directly at her.

For a second, neither moved.

Then Anjali quickly looked away, pretending to admire the skyline.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of laughter and shared moments.

At Dubai Mall they wandered through the aquarium, argued playfully about souvenirs, and clicked countless photographs.

At Dubai Marina they enjoyed a leisurely walk along the waterfront.

Later they drove toward Palm Jumeirah.

The scenic views, the sea breeze, and the relaxed atmosphere made the entire day feel special.

They sat quietly near the waterfront, enjoying ice cream for sometime.

As evening approached, they watched the famous fountain show together.

The lights danced across the water while music echoed through the air.

Anjali found herself standing closer to Anuj than she realized.

Their shoulders brushed occasionally.

Neither moved away.

By the time they returned to the hotel late in the evening, both were exhausted but happy.

As they reached infront of her room, Anjali looked at him with a bright smile.

"Thank you for today."

Anuj smiled warmly.

"No, thank you. I haven't enjoyed a day this much in years."

A comfortable silence settled between them.

"Good night, Anjali."

"Good night, Anuj."

They headed toward their rooms, but both carried the same thought in their hearts.

What had started as a simple day of sightseeing had become one of their most cherished memories, filled with laughter, companionship, and a growing bond that neither of them could deny anymore. 

She entered the room by 8 pm. 

When she checked the phone she saw messages from Nani, Akash, mami, Arnav everyone was reassuring her to be strong, that they all are with her, and they will fight Shyam together in court etc etc.. 

The depressing reality waiting for her in India suddenly hit her in full force.  

Since the dinner yesterday she was totally in a different world with Anuj, Now its over. 

She lied down on her bed absentmindedly after freshening up in her nightwear. 

The life she lived till now came to her mind. And then the beautiful moments with Anuj. It was an unexpected happiness she got for a very short time.

Then Anuj sent her a message informing his plan to go back to Delhi has been changed , instead he is going to UK by tomorrow afternoon to attend some other meeting. 

She kept looking at his message. 

After several minutes of hesitation, she picked up her phone and sent him a message.

"Would you like to come over for a while? I'd like to spend some time with you."

The reply came almost immediately.

"I'll be there in few minutes."

Her heart began beating faster.

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door.

When Anjali opened it, Anuj stood there, looking slightly nervous yet smiling.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked gently.

Anjali stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

For a moment neither spoke.

The comfortable friendship they had built over the past two days suddenly felt different.

More personal.

Anuj looked at her carefully.

"Is everything alright?"

Anjali smiled softly.

"Yes. I just didn't want the evening to end yet."

Something warm flickered in his eyes.

They settled on the sofa and talked, about collage, about their siblings, about many other things except the feelings they had for each other.

Anjali wanted to tell him that she liked ... no.. loved him but she couldn't for some reason. 

On the other hand Anuj also wanted to confess his feelings, but he stopped himself. 

After sometime she switched on the Tv and opened youtube and clicked on a song link she saw first.

A few seconds later, the soft notes of "Pehla Nasha" filled the room.

"It's a beautiful song."

"It is," he agreed, never taking his eyes off her.

As the music played, Anjali stood up and walked toward the center of the room. For a moment she seemed hesitant, then she extended her hand toward him.

"Dance with me?"

Anuj looked at her offered hand and then at her face.

"You know I could never refuse that."

He took her hand gently with a smile.

Anjali felt she is melting seeing his smile. She felt the familiar rush which she used to feel whenever she saw him smiling.

She knew this is leading to something else but she didn't care. 

She is living her life on her terms for the first time. 

She was not sure if she will be meeting him regularly once they are back in Delhi. She wants to cherish every moment she spends here with him.

The familiar melody surrounded them as they began to sway slowly across the room.

Neither was concerned about perfect dance steps.

They were simply enjoying the moment.

Anjali rested one hand on his shoulder while Anuj held her close, maintaining a respectful but affectionate distance.

The lyrics seemed to echo their unspoken feelings.

He knew something was bothering her but he doesn't have any right on her, so he decided not to ask her anything about her personal life.

"Anjali... I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk to I am here as a friend."

Their eyes met. 

Neither looked away.

Her eyes were reflecting something which made his heart flutter. 

Slowly, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"If this is too much, tell me and I'll leave."

Anjali shook her head.

"I don't want you to leave."

The distance between them disappeared.

She closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly.

He hugged her back and they remained like that for few minutes.

She lifted her head from his chest and looked at him in his eyes. 

They both slowly came closer than they are until their lips met.

After few seconds they parted for air, resting their foreheads against each other.

"Anuj can we spend this one night together ?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He gently cupped her face like she is the most delicate human in this world. 

"Are you sure Anjali.?"

In response she caught her hands which cupped her face and placed it on her waist and circled her arms around his neck. She slowly went close to his ears and whispered.

"I am very sure Anuj, only if you also want the same" her whisper tickled him.

Her response was the last test of his patience. 

Both of them fought of dominance when they reached for each other again.

It was surprising and exiting of both of them to feel the same intensity of their own feelings from the other.

They expressed their feelings to each other with the deepest form of physical passion. 

The clothes they wore were thrown across the room aimlessly and they found each other like it was their only chance to make love.

They did not know what they have in future all they knew was they need each other now everything else became irrelevant. 

The sound of their passion filled the room, both of them were uncontrollable , and they did not care. 

Once they climbed down from the peak of passion they looked at each other covered in sweat.

"Can we hug and sleep like this if you don't mind?" Anuj asked her with puppy eyes.

This man is impossible. Anjali smiled and hugged him in the bare form and pulled the blanket over both. They drifted into sleep in few minutes given the exhaustion of the deed they have done for the last few hours. 

It was early morning 6 am when her alarm rang. She saved it for her training. Today she felt annoyed when it disturbed the most beautiful sleep she had in ages.

She became aware of the position she was in. She is in her birth suit so is the man who is sleeping with his head on her chest and hands on her waist with their legs wrapped around each other.

She quickly turned off the alarm not wanting to wake him up, but was too late for that.

She realized her movements against him was doing something else for him and without shying away boldly she felt her effect on him again by moving herself against him.

His eyes darkened, similar to yesterday night.

"Do you realize what you are doing to me?"

"yes I do and I want to see how long you can hold back?" She teased him.

"I cannot hold back for another minute Ms. Raizada. I plan to devour you again right now"

"Then what are you waiting for? Do it.. We only have few hours left.."

"Your wish is my command" 

He smiled and pinned her down when the room witnessed the same passion they shared previous night.

Love,

ST