Chapter 23 - Blow Us Out? No You Can't!

First off I'm really sorry for the really late update! I had a bit of a writer's block session :P. So to make up for it, a very very very long chapter. And a whole lot of Arshi ;). 

Warning: Mature content (though not much) but still, the first word of the mature part will be in red, so you can miss it out from there. 

We’re going down, 

and you can see it too. 

We’re going down, 

and you know that we’re doomed. 

My dear, 

we’re slow dancing in a burning room. 

– John Mayer

Arnav ran through another door and entered yet another corridor, only to join a large crowd of people. They must be coming from the atrium, he thought to himself and quickly shoving them out of the way he began to run in the opposite direction.

"Hey watch where you are going man! And the fire exits this way!" A man grumbled as Arnav shoved past his shoulder, he felt anger rise inside of him rapidly and had to hold onto every ounce of patience left inside him to prevent himself from taking a step back and punching the man in the face. He continued to run through the crowd, scanning the faces to see if Khushi was possibly in between them, but there was no sign of her.

****

She tried for the third time but Arnav was not picking up. "And this stupid alarm had to go off right now too!" She moaned to herself as she stuck the phone to her ear once more then followed a crowd of employees into the back corridor. People were moving down in groups, it was a large building and hoards of employees were rushing to get out. It was an unexpected alarm and that created panic, but her heart was thudding away, grasping at the unknown, a dozen horrible scenarios playing through her mind. Her legs felt weak and her fingers trembled as she attempted to keep herself calm, the fear rising through her too much to control. She started pushing through the crowd more quickly now, gaining speed, her legs carrying her at a pace that she herself was not able to comprehend, adrenaline pumping through every artery of her body. She kept her eyes on the door that led to the last corridor, her goal set, through the door, along the corridor then out. If she had to run home, she would but she prayed that Arnav picked his phone up before that. "Pick up pick up Arnav! Please pick up!" She exclaimed pressing his number once more, tears streaking down her cheeks, when suddenly a body crashed into hers, her eyes closed on the impact, expecting to fall back against someone else, but that's when she felt strong arms go around her back, holding her in place, preventing her fall...

****

Arundathi attempted desperately to free herself, she slid against the rough ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, her body rustling against the fallen leaves. She winced in pain, the gashes on her legs cutting at her. She pulled at what felt like a twig and her left hand almost gave way, the pain rippling up it from the effort almost paralyzing. The light from the main road wasn't enough on the ground, she could barely make out shapes and then the sound of footsteps growing nearer, "Thump thump thump" in between her own ragged breaths made the hairs on her body stand up. Her plans of an escape was quickly slipping through her fingers. She grabbed at what felt like a rock, the mud around it damp and it clung to her fingers, she grasped it and pulled once more but it came off in her hand and she fell back to the ground. She could see a torchlight approaching towards her fast but her foot was stuck, her body drenched in what felt like a mixture of sweat, blood and grime. She could feel her body gradually giving way, the lack of food weakening her body and it's failing attempts.

****

People were still rushing past them but for Arnav it was almost as if time had frozen, his arms went around her, hugging her closer to him, taking in her fragrance, the knock of her heart against his, the warmth in her skin as he closed his eyes for a second, nestling his face against her neck as the relief of it all hit him in its entirety. "You're okay. You're okay. Khushi thank god," he murmured more to himself than her. Khushi suddenly pulled out of the embrace, her eyes wandering over his face, taking in his grim expression, as it quickly changed and panic overtook his features once again, confusing her all the more.

"A... Arnav what's wrong hunni?" She questioned, her brows arched as she placed her palm on his cheek, but his eyes were focused to the distance as he looked around him, planning the best way to proceed. "Arnav?" She mumbled again as more people continued to push past them, breaking him out of his state.

"Khushi... Khushi we need to go," he mumbled already grabbing her hand.

"What?! Arnav, why are you here?" She questioned, pulling his arm back.

"Khushi I'll explain everything to you once we get out, but for now we need to go!" He exclaimed then began to pull her with him, pushing everyone out of the way, she followed watching his back, completely bewildered.

****

Aakash moved through the crowd of people streaming out of the office block, glancing through each face but couldn't seem to locate her. Where was she? Wait! Shit! Had she not turned up for work? He continued to push through the people and finally reached the main door. Avoiding the questioning glances he pushed through and walked into the building.

****

"So do you mind telling me what's happening?" Khushi questioned again as Arnav reversed all the way out of the car park, glancing left and right then ahead, focusing his eyes on something in the distance then back behind him till the back of the SUV was on the main road. "Arnav! I thought we weren't supposed to keep any more secrets!" She exclaimed, suddenly having had enough of it all, a tinge of hurt to her voice. She had thought it was all over, that he wouldn't keep things from her anymore.

Turning the steering wheel back full circle and increasing his speed he sped off along the road, then onto the slip road and indicated onto a stretch of country road. She kept watching him, his face a perfect mask of calm as he changed the gears, not really realising that they were going the wrong way. Pressing down on the gas till it hit the speed limit, he re-checked his rear view mirror to make sure that they were not being pursued and breathing a silent sigh of relief he finally looked towards her, the hurt too evident in her features as her mouth curved down. He had to look away from her darkening hazel orbs to coherently think through how he would put it. In the end he moved his hand off of the gear knob, focusing on the road ahead and and placed his hand in hers, her fingers interlaced through his almost immediately as she expectantly watched the side of his face. "Khushi," he began quietly, his husky voice calming her senses ever so slightly, "jaan, for now we need to get away from Aberdeen," her eyes widened instantly and he allowed himself a seconds glance towards her, the shocked expression in her face and then an inkling of fear.

"Bu... But Arnav, why?" She managed to stutter out.

He squeezed her hand, giving her another reassuring glance, "jaan just erm dont't freak out okay? I mean..."

"What do you mean don't freak out? Arnav! You have got to be freaking kidding me on! You bring me all the way from India to here and now you're like don't freak out!" She exclaimed, harshly removing his hand from hers then glaring with undiluted fury.

Arnav sighed deeply, feeling himself to be on the brink of loosing his own cool. "Khushi just calm down okay. Can I get you out of Aberdeen first and then we'll talk everything out," he tried again, his jaw set as he continued to gaze ahead of him.

"Fine!" She stated in the end, giving up, not wanting him to get into an accident then sat back in her seat, her arms folded in front of her and remained that way till the end of the journey.

****

It was a large house, most of the outer walls comprised of glass panels. She could see large mountains in the horizon, the sun still peaking through them. There was a lake down below, opening onto a tiny pebbled stretch, with large trees waving ever so slightly to a slow cool breeze surrounding it. She didn't even know where she was, she hadn't paid attention to the signs or the way they had headed, but she knew they were still in Aberdeenshire, he hadn't driven for too long. As much as she wanted to revel in the breathtaking beauty of the scenery in front of her, it did nothing to calm the storm raging through her mind. It made her think though, how much more did she not know about him? Her best friend, her boyfriend, how much was there still to find out? She turned around suddenly at the sound of the door opening, only to immediately meet his eyes, which were now a dark shade of brown.

He watched her for a few seconds, letting the extremity of the situation properly sink in, going through every possible way in which he could provide an explanation. He appraised her carefully, the way in which she quickly folded her arms in front of her chest, her angry gaze not wavering for a second as she quickly walked up to him. "Okay, Khushi just calm down for a minute," he said before things could get any worse.

"No Arnav! I will not calm down! What is going on?! Why can't you just tell me what's going on? Why are we running? Why can't we just fight them?!" She screamed, now furious, slightly shaking with anger. Then on seeing his hands clench into fists, the furious expression on his face she quickly dropped her gaze, realising that she was pushing him over the edge, that he was possibly just trying to keep the situation calm and she watched in horror as he smashed the glass he was holding to the floor, a dozen glass shards rattling against the wooden floor and the slow spread of cool water as it rapidly seeped into her toes.

"Fine! You want to know what's happening? I'll tell you what the fuck is happening!" He screamed, turning himself around to glare at her, his eyes the colour of rusty metal. Khushi moved back sligtly, almost crouching away from the sudden blast of anger irrupting out of him. "I don't know where the hell Arundathi is and Aakash was minutes away from reaching your office!" Her eyes widened in fear but he continued, "and now I don't know what to do! I don't know how to protect you! I don't know how they are going to go about things! Aakash has been in contact with a man that has connections to the Russian mafia! I cannot!" He exhaled deeply, looking away from her, his anger too far out to notice Khushis trembling form. "Khushi this is why I told you that you shouldn't involve yourself, that I would sort it out. That we shouldn't have this relationship," tears trailed down her cheeks as her whole body shook from the fear engulfing her, combined with the shock of his words and then another realisation. Did he not want this relationship anymore? Was he already sick of protecting her? He sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a mere second, allowing his mind to cool off, "Khushi I'm simply trying to..." he stopped mid-sentence finally noticing Khushis state, "Khushi?" He whispered, placing his hand on her arm only for her to throw it aside as she moved the back of her hand to wipe her cheek, her eyes distant. "Khushi I'm sorry I didn't mean to..." He attempted once more, but she stilled suddenly, moving her gaze to focus directly at him.

"Take me home," she stated, her voice completely calm and steady.

"Khushi?" He questioned taken aback.

"Arnav drive me back and drop me home!" She repeated, her voice slightly raised, "I can take care of myself."

His eyes widened for a mere second, then as realisation dawned upon him, he dropped his gaze. "Khushi, I didn't mean..." He began to mumble, regretting his outburst.

"Arnav if you won't drop me home, I'll take a taxi!" She cut in as Arnav looked on bewildered.

"Khushi..." But she didn't let him finished, instead she reached for the door and pulled it open, her movements almost robotic.

He walked into her back and placing his hand on the door slammed it shut, blocking her way, "Khushi just listen to me okay," he tried again, his husky voice a near audible whisper, almost pleading in nature.

"Arnav just let me go," she mumbled, nearing tears again, as she tried to push him out of the way, not quite meeting his gaze, when all of a sudden his fingers tightened around her arms making her freeze to the spot.

"Just stop it! Just stop this Khushi! What is wrong with you?!" He screamed, pulling her body closer to his, as she looked up at him shocked. Clenching his jaw he looked away from her, then back again, a lot calmer, "I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm just confused right now, I don't know what to do, it just came out," he finally stated, peering into her eyes.

"Arnav you're hurting me," she mumbled, looking down as he relaxed his fingers around her arm, she took a step back from him, as if she feared his very presence. "I just want to go back to my flat," she muttered wiping away at her tears.

"Jaan," his voice was gentle again as he took another step towards her but she backed away, against the door.

"Arnav I just want to go home!" She reiterated. "I can't do this anymore. I can't take this anymore!"

"Khushi just calm down for a sec, you're..."

"No Arnav! I just want to get away from all of this!" The tears were pouring down her face now, "this is not life! This is torture! I can't," she choked on her tears, her own words, stumbling through incoherent sentences, "and I don't want to annoy you anymore. I don't want to be a burden." Arnav sprang forward, catching her in his arms before she slid to the ground.

"Shh shhh, Khushi you aren't a burden," he whispered into her hair, pulling her closer to himself, sending his arms around her, as her body shook through the waves of sobs racking through her body, "it's okay baby, we'll get through this together," he continued to reassure her, his voice gentle as he crushed her body to his. "Khushi I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said," he continued, his voice heavy with regret, as he acknowledged that he had been the cause for this breakdown, "we're both in this  together and we're both in equally deep." He felt her nod against his chest, "and we can't let her win jaan, we can't let them ruin what we have!" His words were louder, stronger as he re-established the will to fight back within him, this time less for himself and more for her because she mattered more than his own life. Because he would move heaven and earth to keep her safe.

Her fingers trailed around his back, clinging closer to him, seeking comfort in his warm embrace, as her tears drenched the fabric of his t-shirt. "I can't do this anymore Arnav," She mumbled into his chest, completely defeated, she desperately wanted her old life back, the monotony, waking up to a day that would be similar to the day before and knowing that the day after would be exactly the same too.

He slowly traced his hands up to her shoulders then moved her back, letting his gaze drop down to meet startled hazel eyes, drowning in a pool of tears. Cupping her face in his hands he moved it up to peer into them, "you can't give up jaan, you never have. This isn't just your battle, it's ours and I will fight tooth and nail and we will get out of this!" He stated, his eyes conveying nothing but determination, the muscles of his face taunt, as his caramel spheres flared with a glowing fire.

"But Arnav I..." Her lips quivered as large tears rolled down her face. He closed his eyes momentarily, no longer able to handle it and finally crashed his lips on to hers, sending his fingers through her hair, drawing her closer, allowing them to convey the raw passion, the pain, his undying love and his need to not give up. Because in the end this is what mattered, she mattered. Her lips were moving against his now, as her own fingers trailed through strands of his hair, reacting in a similarly feverish fashion, asking him for the comfort, relying on him for the courage. His hands moved down to her waist, pulling her closer, their breaths ragged against each other, mingling in their heated passion. Her nails dug into his flesh, through the fabric of his shirt. He deepened the kiss, his tongue searching out the confines of her mouth as her chest heaved against his, their heart beats pounding away and knocking off of each other in the same frenzied rhythm. She sent her arms around his neck as he lifted her up, not breaking the kiss even for a mere second, his head bent back as she returned the frantic nature of his lips against hers in an equally ardent manner, her fingers trailing the side of his chiseled face, feeling through the contours, the rough stubble, the passion so raw, the actions so pronounced that she could have been floating on air. His hands gripped tighter around her waist, her fragile body as light as a feather as he moved towards the bed, letting her intoxicating fragrance engulf him completely. She felt herself being laid down, her body sinking into soft material, then his body against hers, his lips still moving along with her own, moulding into one. He struggled around her, wanting to make her comfortable, breaking the kiss for a fraction of a second as her eyes snapped open. Hazel spheres with speckles of gold clashing against melted pools of chocolate, the fire of their passion dazzling them slightly and never had she ever wanted to loose herself in him like she wanted to at that very moment. She pulled him in closer, her fingers grabbing at strands of his hair as he moved his head into the space of her neck, she closed her eyes, reveling in the perfect beauty of it, the feeling of his warm breath against her neck, then his lips as she let out a soft moan. He kept his arm around her waist, cuddling her body to his as he moved up her jawline, showering kisses. Her hands moved up his shirt, pulling it up, her palms moving over his skin as he helped her pull it off, engulfing her lips in his once more. His fingers moved over her neckline, tracing her soft skin then onto the button he had fumbled at only that morning, opening it quickly, then the rest, sending tiny shivers down her spine as her fingers dug into his back. Breaking his lips away from her, he sent kisses down her neck, to her shoulder as his finger played with the strap of her bra, whilst her hands went around his waist, fingering round the belt then landed on the buckle, pulling at it till it came loose. He slid the strap of her bra down her shoulder, placing a tender kiss on the place it had been in. She pulled at the belt, sliding it out of his jeans as he sent kisses down the middle of her breasts, cupping them with his hands. He pulled the fabric of her bra down with his thumbs, allowing them to graze the erect peaks of her breasts as she let out a soft moan into his lips. Sending his arm round her back, he unclasped it completely then threw it off somewhere into the distance. Her hands moved down his thighs as she slid his trousers off, then grasped at his flesh as his lips went around her nipple, the other hand fondling and teasing, "Arnav," she moaned, arching her back. "Hmm," he mumbled into her skin as he slid her trousers, then her pants off, she sent her arms round his back again, inviting him in, he continued to trace his lips down her body as he pulled her hip against his, their bodies intertwining and losing themselves in a mingled burning passion as he entered slowly, interlacing his fingers through hers as he rocked her body to their own defined rhythm, as she submerged herself completely into the depths of his desire.

She lay her head back on the pillow as he hushed her shuddering body with soft kisses, "I love you," he whispered, kissing her ear, "I love you," he whispered again, pressing his lips to her forehead, letting them linger there for a few seconds as she continued to play with his hair. "I love you too," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his throat, "and we'll get through this," he finally promised, letting his caramel orbs meet her golden ones.

~

I will remember the kisses, 

our lips raw with love, 

and how you gave me 

everything you had 

and how I 

offered you what was left of 

me. 

– Charles Bukowski

~

This Charles Bukowski quote is the part that was missed out from the poem used in one of the separation chapters, I felt it to be apt as they have now finally become one.

So ya know what to do ;). Please do leave comments. I do love all of em! And will reply to every single one! :D
Thank you for reading!
And leave your IF name if you want buddied ;) xx