Warrior - Chapter Thirty Three

Finally, when all of the partying and rituals are over with, not only am I relieved, but my in-laws are as well. Gone were all of the fake aunties, which meant I could finally be in peace, rather than deal with their jealous, beady eyes.

Not that I cared, but like come on! Find another hobby!

I sat down before the vanity and worked on removing the masterpiece that is my makeup. Arnav was busy downstairs helping the other guys to clean up a little, but he had said he would be up in ten minutes or so. At first I didn't understand why he had told me that, but then remembering the occurrences of what had happened earlier, I understood.

As I continued to remove the makeup off of my face, inwardly, I repeatedly told myself that Arnav would be entering the room soon. My eyes would repeatedly dart at the door through the mirror, darting back and forth from my face to the doorknob.

It's only Arnav, it's only Arnav! There's no need to lock the door, just wait... wait... wait-

The door opened slowly and in came Arnav. His eyes immediately landed on me and I look at him through the mirror. His look of concern is very obvious, so I flash a small smile to end it. He gives one in return, then I watch him shut the door behind him and lock it. As soon as he does it, I feel relief spread all throughout me, even though I try to not feel that way.

Arnav goes into the closet and I focus on removing the rest of my makeup. Not long later, he came out, all freshened up, changed, and ready for bed. However, he instead sits down by the coffee table and opens his laptop, and starts working on it.

"Seriously," and I can't help but to scoff.

Arnav looked up at me over his laptop. "What?"

"Are you really working right now? When it's almost time for bed?"

"There's a few emails I have to get back to," he smiled sheepishly.

Ah! ...well, there's no doubt that there's a ton waiting for me.

"I should take a page from your book," I said as I stood up.

"Mm, I'd say take it, but save it for tomorrow. You look tired."

I mean I didn't get the sleep I should've last night....

"Neither did you," I replied, crossing my arms and tilting my head.

"Touché," Arnav grinned. 'Tell you what - by the time you're all changed up and ready for bed, I'll be done with my stuff and be ready for bed as well."

"Oh? Bet."

Arnav smiled and nodded in return. "Bet."

With a small smirk on my face, I headed to the closet and grabbed my nightwear, opting for a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. I quickly changed up and freshened up as well, and when I returned to the bedroom, I find Arnav's makeshift-bed prepared on the floor, Arnav sitting on it.

"Told you," he smiled.

But I'm not amused at all. "I still hate the fact that I've kicked you off of your bed."

"Khushi, you didn't kick me off of anything. I chose to sleep on the floor, remember?"

He smiled at me, then fluffed his pillow and laid down. I quietly and slowly made my way to the left side of the bed and sat down on the edge, looking down at Arnav.

"This isn't right," I finally said.

Arnav looked over at me and then he turned to me, resting his head on his hand. "Why not?"

"Because it isn't."

"I think it is, roomie. Think of it as you having the upper bunk and me having the lower bunk."

"This massive island of a bed of yours can hardly be described as a bunk of a bunk bed," I frowned.

Arnav only shrugged in return, though he is smiling.

"I can sleep on the floor," I insisted. "You-"

"Khushi, I'm sleeping on the floor and that's final," he said softly.

I can't help but to scowl. "Way to be stubborn."

"Just like you?"

I gaped at him. "How am I being stubborn?"

"Because you refuse to listen to my request of me sleeping on the floor on my own terms."

I opened my mouth to say something but immediately shut it when Arnav arched his brow. Instead, I let out a low growl and Arnav chuckled in return. He settled back down on his makeshift-bed and restrd his arms beneath his head. Twitching my lips, I settled into the bed, getting beneath the covers and making myself comfy.

"I'm shutting the lights off," I announced.

Arnav only hummed in return and I turn the lights off. I make myself comfy in the vast bed, and even though I have this entire large bed to myself, I stick to the left of it because I felt more comfortable - I was closer to the windows and away from the door.

"Khushi," I suddenly heard Arnav call out.

"Yeah," I replied, staring up at the ceiling.

"When we go to your place tomorrow," he began, "I want that while we're there, the same rules apply."

My eyebrows scrunched up on their own. "Excuse me?"

"I mean that for the week that we'll be staying at your parents' place, I'd like to sleep on the floor there, as well."

By his tone, I can tell that he's smiling.

"Arnav-"

"Please, Khushi? All I want is your comfort and for you to feel safe."

I don't know why, but something within me swirled and bubbled. And for whatever reason, my eyes start to sting as I start to feel overwhelmed.

"So... what do you say," Arnav asked softly.

I gulped away the small bundle that had closed up my throat. "If that's what you want," I finally said.

Arnav doesn't say anything in return, but I hear the soft sigh he lets out. 

"Um... good night then."

"Good night," he responded.

I pulled the covers over me a little more, snuggling into it as I slightly balled up. Last night I was too tired to take anything into account, but tonight it's different. Tonight, I'm much more massively aware of the massive bed, which is mostly empty. I hardly take up any space of the bed, there being so much space to my right. Even as I spread my right arm out, it does nothing to cover up the space. Heck, you could probably fit at least five more people after the span of my arm and there'd still be space.

And I'm expected to sleep on this alone?

Glancing over at the foot of the bed, I find that I can't even see Arnav. I let out another sigh and bring my gaze back up at the ceiling.

Will there ever come a time where Arnav and I will share this bed together? Will there ever be that much trust between us for that to even happen? When it comes to sexual relations, there's zero thought of it, nor any intentions nor desires of it, so I don't care about that.

At least, not now anyways. After all, we'd have to be at that point first. Yet here we are, not even sharing a bed, heck, not sharing any feelings for one another- wait, what the fuck am I even thinking?!

Suddenly, I feel my heart thump and then it calms. The feeling is rather odd, and I find myself placing my hand over it.

What the fuck was that? Why did it-? How-?

Ugh, I can't even deal with this! It's late! I barely got any sleep last night and if I keep it up like this, I won't get any tonight! That's the end of all thoughts, it's done, good night!

*~*

Khushi...

I am surrounded by darkness. I have absolutely no idea where I am, but an eerie fog surrounds me. Nothing about this feels right, nothing about this feels secure. And that voice-

Khushi...

It feels as if something is crawling up my spine and I instantly flinch and turn around, finding nothing. I pat over what I can reach of my back, but my hands find nothing.

What the fuck-!

Khushi...

My eyes widen in horror and I whipped back around to see a dark figure with beady red eyes smirk at me - his smirk. Before I can even register it, the figure dashes at me.

Get over here you bitch!

I shoot up in bed with a gasp, completely disheveled. In my state, I noticed something dark beside me.

No!

Without another thought, I dashed to the corner of the room to hide. I pulled on the curtains to cover me as I hyperventilate, but peek out to check where he is. Nothing of the room feels familiar, all of it seeming foreign, until my eyes spot something on the floor.

Arnav.

Throwing the curtains out of my way, I dashed over to him and start shoving him.

"Arnav, wake up! Arnav, please, wake up! He's here! He's going to get me! Please wake up!"

It doesn't take long for sleep to cut away from him, my excessive shaking pulling him away from his state of sleep. 

"Come on, Arnav, you have to get up before he gets me! Please wake up, just please wake up!"

I see something in his eyes snap, his sleep completely gone. In a snap, he sits up and turns to me.

"What do you mean? What-?"

But I cut him off. "Arnav, you made your promise, you promised you'd protect me, he's here now, he's going to get me, he's going to hurt me, he's going to get me, he's-"

Arnav caressed my cheek with his hand. "Hush," he soothed. 

I shake my head. "No, Arnav! He's here! He's going to get me! He's-"

"No one's here Khushi," he said softly. "Other than you and me, there's no one else here. See? Look."

I try to shake my head once more, but Arnav takes hold of my face within his other hand as well, then looked me in the eye.

"You're safe, Khushi. There's no one else here but us, I promise you. It's just us."

I stared into his eyes, unable to believe it at first. But when I see that he's being sincere and honest, I start looking around the room.

There's no one else here but us.

But- wait!

"He's on the bed, Arnav, he's on the bed, I saw it, he's going to get me!"

"Okay, okay," he said softly, "let me check."

He went to pull away but I quickly caught hold of his wrists.

"No! No, i-if something happens to you, w-what about me? Who will protect m-me?"

"I'll be okay, Khushi. I promise. If you want, you can hold onto my hand while I check, okay?"

Should I? ...but what if he's really...? 

Looking back at Arnav, I nod and let go of his right hand. He stands up as I tighten my hold onto his left wrist and hide behind his legs.

"It's okay, Khushi," I heard Arnav say. "You don't have to hide. There's no one on the bed."

Huh?

Peeking out from behind his legs, I looked up at Arnav to see him looking down at me.

"It's safe," he smiled softly.

I look from him, to the bed, and back. "B-but the figure... I saw the d-dark thing, I-I saw it beside me, o-on my right."

"Here, let me show you," Arnav said softly, and he reached down and picked me up, placing me to my feet.

Even as he does, I keep my grip on him and hide behind him.

"See Khushi? It's nothing, it was just he duvet."

The duvet?

Peeking out from around him, I see the duvet is bunched up on the side.

"You must've thrown it off of you in your sleep," Arnav said softly. "But there's no one else here, Khushi. I promise."

But the thing... it....

It was all a nightmare.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as my head bowed and leaned against Arnav's arm.

None of that was real, he's not here, and I'm still safe.

I feel Arnav move, so I pulled back. He turned to me and with his free hand, he caressed my cheek.

"Are you okay," he asked softly.

I simply nodded in return, though I feel like a bobblehead as I do.

"Here," and Arnav moved us over to the bed.

Arnav had me sit down, and then he poured some water for me in a glass and handed it to me. I briefly let go of his wrist to take hold of the glass because I simply didn't have the strength to hold onto it with one. I gulped the entire thing down, then handed it back to Arnav. As soon as it's in Arnav's hold, I once more take hold of his left wrist. Arnav notices it, glancing at his wrist as he placed the glass back down. He then crouched down before me, looking up at me.

"Feeling better," he asked softly.

I shake my head from side to side.

Honestly, I don't know,

"Here, let me help you back into bed."

Arnav fixed up my pillow and I laid back down on it. He pulled back over the duvet, though he only covers me up about halfway.

"Get some sleep," he smiled softly, and he turned to leave.

But my grip on his wrist simply would not release him, only allowing him to go so far. I watched as Arnav's eyes darted from his wrist to my eyes.

"Khushi-"

"Please don't leave me alone," I breathed.

Arnav simply looked at me, stunned. "I-"

"Don't leave me alone, Arnav."

A shudder crawls up my spine, causing me shake. Arnav must've felt it because he moved back towards me.

"Hey, it's okay, Khushi. You're not alone, I'm right here to protect you."

Arnav bent down and placed a kiss on the top of my head, but my grip refused to let him go.

"Don't leave me alone," I whispered.

I felt Arnav pull back slightly and he looked me in the eyes. "I won't."

I can't help but to smile in relief and Arnav returns a soft smile of his own. He glanced at the space besides me, then looked back at his makeshift-bed.

"I'm going to have to get my pillow, Khushi. Is that okay?"

I nod but I don't let go of him. Instead, I start crawling towards the end of the bed and Arnav moves along with me. As I keep my grip on his wrist, he uses his free hand to get his pillow, then I crawled back up to my spot. Arnav maneuvers his way around me as I hold onto him, placing his pillow down. I see him hesitate for a moment, but then he finally laid down and I do, too. I keep my hold on his left wrist and with my other hand, I take hold of his left hand. Something about it spreads warmth and comfort through me, and that eerie, scary feeling is gone. Letting out another sigh, I make myself comfortable, snuggling into his hand, and once again fall asleep - this time with no issues at all.