11. The hunter

                                    

                                          
Khushi was busy fixing the generator, concentrating intently, and he counting her changing expressions while in the process. She said "ho gya [it's done]" and gave it a whirl. The generator gurred and stopped. He so wanted her to succeed, but the generator didn't yield. Finally he said, "Mai try karta hu [I'll give it a go]". 
Khushi looked at him disbelieving, "Aap..aap theek karenge? Jab hum nhi kar paye to aapse kaise hoga..[You! you will give it a try? If even I can't fix it, how can you?]", he got miffed at her mistrusting, condescending tone. 
Of course it's a challenge for him now. Others agreed, "Arey beta Damadji ko try to karne do [Khushi, let him try at least]" already impressed with his hot and humid I-don't-care-but-I-can-do personna.
Don't you get the feeling that he likes this sparring? It excites him..someone not scared of him, not kowtowing...and someone so pretty too. Suddenly there's spice and myrrh in the air among all the pink and chaos.
Arnav tightened a screw here, replaced a wire there and put the screwdriver behind his ears after a while. He then pulled the string of the generator and the machine roared. Everyone clapped happily while both shared a look ignoring the celebration, Arnav now upping his eyebrow at her smirking, "See how it's done!?".
Not letting her impressed visage show on her face, Khushi hmphed at him and left from there. Arnav also followed, not letting her go so easily and trying to rub it in her face.
He broke out in a run, when suddenly he slipped and fell...on a cow dung.
Khushi turned and laughed out loud.. everyone in the vicinity gathered, and the look on his face.. oh my, all of ASR's wrath came crashing down.

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
"Enough!! Don't even say a word", putting his hand up in the air he threatened when Khushi was about to mock him at his state. She resumed her place, stifling her laugh. The neighborhood aunties suggested to clean him up and he yelled at her, "Mai fir se us hand pump pe nhi ja rha [I am not going at that hand pump again]", recalling the insult he felt the last time he was in the neighborhood, his vulnerability not helping a bit.
Then Khushi mimed at him, making a snake shape in the air for should I hose you down? An inside joke coming back when the last time he had asked her to keep her mouth shut and she had mimed the conversations with him - they had been fighting then too, but still unable to not talk.
"What!!!" he asked in irritation.
She pulled the hose and sprayed him up, his anger even more fueled by the water.

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
Then he saw her giggling, smiling, enjoying herself hosing him down, and he just let her. His expressions changed - indulging, somehow just used to the madness now. Watching her being Khushi he could let go from within, get lost in the unnamed feelings of his heart.
His expressions changed again - challenging, an I-will-get-you-for-this glint entering his eyes. He steps closer to her, his predatory need coming back, determined this time, hunger filled, ready to pounce. 

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
The sheer force of that walk made her step backward, the hose fell down from her hands and she made a run for it.
Arnav followed her again, the crowd dispersed, just letting the two be, to sort this out among themselves, man and wife.
***
To be continued...
Glossary:
hmphed : okay this is not a word, I just created it for emphasizing the sound*hmph*
kowtowing : being a yes man
miffed : offended
mimed : using hand and face gestures to convey something, like in dumb-charades!
visage : a person's facial expression
***
Hehe..any guesses for what comes next!? 😋😋
Comment your views...and press that ⭐ below..yup that one! ⬇️