Chamkili. Ch-5, 'I Know.'

                           CHAMKILI

                      Chapter 5: I Know!

               

“Aahh!”

An almost silent sigh escaped the confines of her lips as she felt his lips descend on hers. It was like… like after being lost in the big-bad world, running around in the sun to find her way back, the scared little girl gets the first glimpse of her house. It was like coming home.

It’s funny, hilarious in fact, the workings of a certain Raizada’s over-worked brains. It was excruciatingly objective one moment and then deliciously impulsive the next. Well after all, he was ASR, the man who had built an entire empire from the scratch in less than four years, owing it to his immaculately sharp business sense and a very strong will. But then had become a goner, an impulsive fool, being pulled into the glittery depths of those almond eyes the very moment he had seen them, involuntarily of course, but he had lost himself to her in less than a breath.

 His lips held hers captive, coaxing them to spill out all that she had left unsaid.

 The tip of his tongue tracing the shape of those passionately defiant lips that held the sole right of saying, no scratch that, screaming things that he didn’t like hearing and yet withholding so much… so much that he craved to know.

He opened his eyes, needing to see Khushi, to be sure of the tangibility of her presence. He could never be too sure when it came to her, for in moments like these it seemed like she didn’t just own his heart but had also bribed his mind to play games with him. A slight smile tugged the corner of lips at the thought of his innocent little wife bribing his hoshiyar dimag. Opening his eyes he saw her face. Pain was gone but its shadows lingered, and Arnav Singh Raizada cursed himself for being the reason for his love’s pain, when all she had ever given him was happiness, contentment and bliss. His Khushi.

Her lips had finally given up under his adamant ones and had parted to welcome him home, well she loved keeping him on the edge, his little minx, but just then he heard a voice somewhere,

“What the!”

Where did the voice come from, near… far… well he wasn’t too sure at first, but then reality of where they were and what they were doing and the impropriety of the same struck him, and most of all, concern for his coy-ready-to-blush-anytime-and-anywhere-wife brought him crashing down from the high he was floating in just moments ago.

“Aarav? Shit!” he sweared under his breath as he withdrew his inquisitive tongue from his wife’s delectable and incredibly sweet mouth.   

Khushi felt the loss instantly. She felt bereft, cheated almost, and then angry, at the impudence of that insensitive man to bring her to this ethereal heaven and then withdraw, just like that. HOW DARE HE! The rebel in Khushi felt alive with the challenge and she moved her hands from his shoulder, snaking it around his neck and then finally splaying it along his oh-so-soft hair, bringing herself closer to his form, reluctant to let go and as if challenging him to make her.

But then she felt a pair of reluctant hands hold her arms and disentangle her from what was hers. Her eyes still shut, she frowned, and moaned her displeasure, and then his hands came up to her slightly pink cheeks, caressing her as he whispered in her ears,

“Khushi.”

Her eyes fluttered a little and then finally opened.  And Khushi was scandalized. Well probably even more than the eight year old present in the vicinity.

“Hey Devi Maiya!” Khushi exclaimed as air got caught inside her and she forgot to breathe.

Arnav predicted the exact moment when those innocent eyes went wide in horror and when just seconds later were cast downwards in bashfulness which was very soon followed by the deepest blush in the history of blushes, but then Khushi was the unchallenged victor when it came to blushing games, wasn’t she.

 That unabashed, despicable man had the audacity to take pleasure in her misery, she was sure she even heard him stifle a chuckle. And in a matter of minutes, no seconds, well whatever, Khushi thought for the second time ‘HOW DARE HE!’

Everyone present in the room was looking downwards, as if something very interesting was going on with their toe nails. And Anjali had covered the eyes of Aarav, the only one who had been incessantly looking at the real interesting stuff going on right in front of his eyes, what a pity!

Amidst all this, Arnav Singh Raizada was having a tough time controlling his urge to laugh out loud at his poor, innocent wife’s condition, and that control-freak of a husband couldn’t control and chucked barely covering it with the sound of clearing his throat, that sadistic Rakshasha, thought Khushi. Finally finding his voice back, Arnav addressed his scandalized and yet bemused family,

“Khushi must be tired, I think she should rest. Aakask?”

“Ji Bhai” came a flustered reply.

“Inform the commissioner that his services are not needed anymore. Khushi has found me.” Arnav couldn’t help but feel warm as he said the latter part of the sentence. And the intensity of it leaving his younger one all the more bewildered,

“J-J-Ji Bhai.”

“We’ll head to our room. Khushi?” And he clasped her hand in his and almost dragged her up the stairs, as she seemed to have grown thick roots in that short span of time, unable to move and was glad for her Laad Governor’s coercion, for once.

But just before turning around the corner for their room, Khushi glimpsed faint hints of some powerful emotion flit across Sheetalji’s face. What was it? Anger?… jealousy?… sadness?… or just plain simple discomfort at witnessing something so intimate at display? Was she reading too much into all this? She didn’t know.

No one witnessed that lone tear that rolled out of her dark beautiful eye and made its way towards her incredibly soft cheek that longed to be caressed despite acknowledging the futility of that longing. Understandably, a woman’s heart is not one of the simplest things that Devi Maiya created. She hastily wiped the lone proof of her aching heart, and affectionately looked at the so-obviously-in-love-couple. This was all she had ever wanted and… this was the only thing she would never get. But, no, pity was the last thing she wanted, even if it was self-pity. And that brave woman donned a smile on her face, she had promised herself that she would smile for those who loved her… that was the least and maybe all she could give in return. If only someone could see beyond those mesmerizing, beautiful smiles of Anjali Singh Raizada…

What good was his vocabulary, if he couldn’t find words when he most needed them? He cursed his stay in the US and wondered if knowing Hindi could have helped him better, for English seemed no good. How do you apologize for breaking your love’s heart again and again? How do you apologize when you know you have already been forgiven? How do you say ‘I love you’, when you feel like a selfish bastard even while saying that? He turned around to face Khushi, her eyes were still lowered. He desperately wanted her to look into his eyes and read what he couldn’t articulate in words. His eyes were his last hope.

“Khushi.” he whispered, for he could not find any other word that could better express what he was feeling.

She heard the faint whisper of her name in his heavy, husky voice, as she felt the sensual roughness of his palm against the silky softness of her cheeks and she raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

Khushi knew that her husband’s eloquence was limited to his business presentations and that words more often than not failed him when it came to expressing his emotions. And she had made her peace with that. But right now as she witnessed the whirlwind of emotions in his eyes, she knew that every language in the world had cowered today to the emotions of one mighty Raizada. 

“Hum jante hain.” She didn’t need words either.

And she snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him towards herself, while rising on the tips of her toes to meet him along the way as her lips captured his in a tender kiss.

Arnav Singh Raizada had panicked the moment his Khushi had disappeared from that deserted roadway. But now as he saw Khushi, peacefully sleeping, carelessly curled around his body, he questioned himself, why did he panic? Due to some supernatural power or maybe because of the stupidity inherent in her, his pagal but cute wife loved him with all her self. And even if her Devi Maiya, he so didn’t believe in, appeared in front of him with all those numerous hands, (multifunctional eh,?), sitting on that tiger or leopard or whatever and told him that his Khushi had left him, he would just give her a dirty look and leave. Khushi would, no, could never leave him, and that he was sure of. But then why had he panicked? Well, he didn’t know and he didn’t care. Khushi was here, her soft, pliant body curled up against his and all was good in the world again. He caressed her face with his knuckles and Khushi, though deep in sleep leaned in to his touch, so attuned were the lovers to one another.

Arnav whispered a husky ‘good morning’ in her delicate ear and dropped a whispery kiss on her slightly parted lips when she stirred a little. Those enchanting eyes were the first thing she saw, and she knew it was going to be a very good morning, indeed.

“Arnavji.”

He heard her slightly hoarse morning voice, and saw that innocent child like smile, feeling a surge of love, possessiveness and something else, he couldn’t quite put in words erupt somewhere within his core. It was at moments like these that he, the mighty Arnav Singh Raizada, felt threatened for he knew his soul would die if he ever lost this magical being, his wife, his love. He saw her gaze drift towards the sheet that barely covered her breasts and then rise to meet his eyes. Was it the awareness of her naked self, barely concealed from his roving eyes or was it the message she had seen in those roving orbs, but in an instant the child-woman in his arms was replaced by a shy sensual nymph, fully aware of her womanhood. Her eyes lowered as she pulled the sheet up to her neck and tried to disentangle her form from his, but he didn’t seem in the mood to let go just yet and pulled her to him more firmly,

“What’s the hurry Khushi. They will anyways do it, so let’s just make it a little more fun for them by having some fun ourselves. Hmm?” he said while nuzzling his nose on her shoulder blades and drawing some avant-garde paintings around her naval, making her shiver. 

“Huh?” Khushi wasn’t sure what was going on in that devilish mind of her Laad Governor and the things he was doing to her weren’t helping her think either.

“The family Khushi. They’ll tease us relentlessly after our little escapade from last night and the fact that you have missed arti wouldn’t help either. So why don’t we miss breakfast as well and give them some more stuff to tease us about. Hmm?”

His foot was now caressing hers while his lips bent to taste that delicious blush marring the perfect white of her neck.

“Hey Devi Maiya!” squealed Khushi as realization dawned upon her. And with a jerk she got off the bed pulling the sheets with her and turning her back to that unabashed man lazily sprawled across the bed in just the clothes he was born in. She checked the wall clock and almost jumped when she saw it was already quarter past nine.

“Hey Devi Maiya, how could I have slept for so long. What will Naniji think. Buaji had said that I didn’t have the qualities to be a perfect Bahu and I have proved her right. Bechari Jiji, she’d have had to make the breakfast all by herself.” She gave her husband a dirty look while admonishing him,

“It doesn’t affect you, I know, you love to see me suffering. Just one angry look and they won’t dare tease you but me, they’ll torture me the entire day. How am I going to face them? Why do you put me through all this?” she looked at him with those beautiful pleading eyes and her tormentor couldn’t help but shamelessly laugh at her misery.

“This Laad Governor will be the death of me one day.” She cursed under her breath and scurried off to the bathroom.

Arnav couldn’t imagine a better start for his day and he was determined to never settle for anything less. Teasing his wife had recently become his favorite pass-time and a flustered Khushi, he enjoyed the most, well maybe second most, as a flushed and aroused Khushi was a vision beyond the wildest imagination of even the best of artists and he had copyrighted that as Arnav Singh Raizada’s private property, forever. A proud and indulgent smile crossed his face at the thought.

Khushi stood in the kitchen brewing coffee for him and tea for herself. It was almost five in the evening and Arnav had called a while ago to say that he had left for home and would be here by five. She wondered if Sheetalji would accompany him. Nani and Anjali had gone for some satsang and Payal and Aakash had just left for some business party. HP was busy cleaning the store-room while Mamiji was busy catching-up on her quota of beauty-sleep that she had missed last night because of one Phati Sari. And Aarav had gone out to play, or more like practice basket-ball all by himself, such a perfectionist, so much like her Arnavji. It had been an eventful day, but the events were not much to the liking of Mrs. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada. The  entire family mercilessly teased her. Mamiji had said something about the side-effects of not having a proper honeymoon at breakfast making Khushi blush the brightest shade of crimson, and her Laad Governor’s feet under the table were not helping. And well, this was just the start of a very long day that she had to face all alone for her tormentor had escaped to the safety of his office, that Rakshasha!

At five past five, when the door-bell finally rang, Khushi ran to get it and said in an irritated voice as she opened the door,

“You are late.”

“Hello beautiful. How was your day?” and he smirked, not needing an answer, as he knew already, irritating his wife all the more and she narrowed her eyes while he strode towards the living-room.

A while later as they sat in the living room having their respective beverages and Khushi was delivering one of her best tirades to date, telling him all about the torture she had to go through because of him and admonishing him for it, the door-bell rang again.”

“Who could it be? Naniji said she won’t be back before eight and Jiji Jijaji had just left.” Khushi was going-on with her monologue when Lavanya came there.

“Lavanyaji.” Khushi was very happy seeing her friend.

“Hey ASR.” Lavanya greeted him and he nodded his ‘Hi’, and she then turned to Khushi.

“Hey beautiful! How was your day?” Khushi couldn’t help but smile looking at her husband who was diligently trying to cover his smirk.

“Anybody care to tell me, what’s the joke?” Lavanya frowned.

“Oh nothing Lavanyaji, it was just something from earlier today. Anyways I am so glad that you could visit us today, I wanted to thank you for last night. If you wouldn’t have been there I don’t know what would have happened. I was so distraught and…” One look at Arnav’s face and Khushi felt guilt clawing at her for bringing up last night again. A ghost of pain flitted across his eyes and Khushi didn’t like it, she preferred the mirth that was there when he teased her. She bowed down her face.

“Oh Khushi that was nothing and I am sure you would have done the same for me.” She smiled at her friend, attempting to ease the heaviness that had suddenly enveloped the surrounding. She continued then,

“Khushi, actually I had my own reasons for coming here today.” She paused for a bit before further continuing,

“Khushi you see, Mr. Singhania, my fiancé designs to spread his business here in India as well. In fact that was the main reason for our trip. Now, the thing is, some of our partners from Italy wanted to see some samples of Indian wears. And, well we don’t have much time, as they’ll be here by next week. So…” she trailed.

“So? Do you want Arnavji’s help? Should I talk to him?” and she looked at him, he gave her a weird expression, as if saying, ‘I am right here!’ But before Khushi could start cajoling her husband, Lavanya interrupted,

“No Khushi, I don’t need ASR’s help. I actually came here to ask for yours.”

“Me?” Khushi was a little shocked.

“Well yes. Actually, I know that you were into that ‘chicken-curry  and gota’ thing, so…”

“Lavanyaji, mein…”Khushi was not sure of her ability to pull-off something that huge, but truth being said, her nervousness was tinged with excitement.

“Khushi I know you can do it. Just think about it, ok? And if your answer is yes, then we can discuss other details, like working hours and money and other such stuff. And Khushi I’ll be there with you, ok? So, just give it a thought.”

Khushi wanted to do it. After all she was never the sit-at-home type. But she was concerned about what Arnav may think about it, considering she would be working with one of his potential rivals. The last time, when she had started the dabba business, she had deliberately wanted to irk him. Back then she threw it at him as a challenge, but today she desired his consent. She looked at him and found his eyes on her face, searching for something?

“Arnavji?” she voiced her concerns in that single word as their eyes met.

Lavanya was oblivious to the silent conversation taking place between the lovers and the new Lavaya hated it when women looked towards their boyfriends and husbands before choosing the color of their shoe or deciding, if or not to take the job. And she was just deciding to intervene and make Khushi understand that it was about her, and not about ASR, and that she had all the rights to decide for herself. But then she saw Khushi smile first and then heard ASR’s voice,

“I know.”

PS: Hey guys, just wanted to remind that this SS is placed after the basket-ball match and so Sheetal's truth is not out yet, Arnav has not gifted Khushi the catering company and Aakash and Payal are still very much there.

PPS: I hope you guys liked it and please do let me know, what you thought of this chapter, both criticisms and compliments are heartily welcomed. But please do comment :)

PPPS: Will be back with the 2nd chapter of 'Tangent Worlds' soon, so look out for it. Until then,

Toodles

Srija :)

Arhi OS. 'That I Love You Dammit'

Hey guys! How u doing!
Now this is a very short story, once again on the eternal lovers Arshi. Now this one I had written way back in August, when Arnav had said a frustrated, "I LOVE YOU DAMMIT", after a failed attempt at suhagraat with our Bitiya ;) 
So without any further ado, here is the story, hope you guys like it :)

                                  'THAT I LOVE YOU DAMMIT'

Did that really just happen? She was wearing a smile on her face... She could still feel his warm yet aggressive hold on her arms... The fire that he had created was still burning, outside and inside. She touched her face and it was moist, trailing her fingers upwards, she tried to locate its source and yes they were her eyes... Her eyes that have not blinked, for god knows how long... Her breathing seemed to have stopped, the air trapped somewhere inside... The only thing that said she was alive was the sound of her heart...DHAK DHAK... DHAK DHAK... Her heartbeats seemed to have crossed all bonds of modesty... Leaving her feelings, her emotions, her Self naked...

"THAT I LOVE YOU DAMNIT!"

Yes, he had said it before, but back then she could not see that look in his eyes... A voice over phone proclaimed his love for her... It seemed too good to be true, that a man who had left her crying on the airport would declare his love for her in a voice so passionate, so urgent, as if he wanted to make sure that if these were to be his last words, it should be the declaration of his true feelings for her, "I LOVE YOU KHUSHI." ... Back then it seemed so unreal... But today... She could feel his urgency in his touch... She could hear the passion in his voice... She could see his unabashed love in his eyes...And she knew it was real.

Rituals, Customs, Social Acceptance... all these mattered to her... But what mattered the most was THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER... She felt estatic...And in that moment it hit her...What message did Radhe Krishna give to this world... Why is His name taken with Radha and not Rukmani, his wife... And then she understood...or rather acknowledged for the first time ever what in her heart she always knew... True love... A love like theirs DID NOT NEED A NAME... She has to find him... let him know that she belonged to him... and he to her...She could feel her face getting warm at this thought...

"THAT I LOVE YOU DAMNIT!"

His own voice has been ecoing in his head for quite some time now... And this time it didn't make him uncomfortable... he didn't feel the urge to silence it... He loved her and she loved him, what more was required, he could truely not understand... Sje had said that untill the pheras are not done they could not be one... But he already felt one with her... Their hearbeats were one...Their dreams were one... Each and every breat they took depended on the other... His breathing would stop even at the thought of losing her... And still she said , they were not one... They couldn't possibly be one untill the pheras.

He tried to understand for once the significance of these pheras... Di had told him once that they signified promises that bound the lovers for eternity... But are these promises bigger than the PROMISE OF LOVE... And why this desire for the Bind when what they had, what he cherished was the Bond... THE BOND OF LOVE... He could not stop himself from wandering in those dusty lanes of the past... He knew his parents took the pheras amidst the encantations of mantras... But what good was it? He had wondered why his Di wanted the Pheras, having witnessed their futility herself... And once again the Pheras could not bind them... What was it that they lacked... He knew it was that BOND... And he had promised Khushi that BOND... The Bond of love, that he knew was above any of the social bindings... He understood theSPIRITUALITY of LOVE, its MEANING, its sense of BELONGING... He also understood the RAWNESS OF PASSION... Almost BRUTAL... What he failed to understand though was the social sanction of love... Because he had himself witnessed its futility.

But then it was Khushi... She was different... She still had her beliefs intact... And that innocence, that faith made her all the more beautiful... It made her who she was and he loved her that way... He would never want her to change... So pheras would make her comfortable... HAPPY... and in her words, their relationship COMPLETE and MEANINGFUL... Well and good... if that is what makes her happy.

His musings were disturbed by some loud voices and it took him a little while that it was Dadi, shouting at someone... And another moment he knew who it was... And in another moment He was by Her side... He loved her and he would not stand her being abused... Once again the question was about pheras...He thought to himself, here is an excuse... Khushi can have her Pheras without I having to let go of my EGO... AWESOME

And at the very same moment she thought...Okay I know love matters the most... But I wouldn't mind some BONUS... THANKS DADI.

have fun guys :)

Srija.

One Shot (OS). Sahib, Biwi aur Dusri Aurat

So this story, or One Shot, I had penned down, sometime ago, when the Sheetal track was going on and so now I thought why not just post it on my blog as well. This story is my take on the track, and also how I see life. Why is it important to be or to like one or the other? Well of what I have seen of life, it plays majorly in the grey shaded areas, wherein black and white both exist. A relatively new take on the 'other woman' after all every other person who is not Khushi is not necessarily bad or even evil

                                  Sahib, Biwi aur Dusri Aurat

"So what did you tell them?" asked Rishab while sipping his coffee.

"I told them, Arnav is not the father of my child." Sheetal replied in a calm voice.

"And why would you do that, wasn't this Arnav-Aarav business the main reason for coming back to India?" Rishab's voice was tinged with apprehension. While Sheetal remained quiet, her memory trailing back to just about an hour ago.

 The office was almost empty except for Arnav and Sheetal, and Sheetal was also almost done now so she approached her Boss's cabin to inform him that she was leaving. But as she neared his cabin, she could hear voices. 

"Who is that? Probably Khushi." thought Sheetal to herself.

"How could you do this Arnavji? I love you more than my life, I love you even after all you did to me. I trusted you when no one else would and this is my reward? You betrayed me Arnavji." and this was followed by silent sobbing of a broken woman.

Sheetal decided to go inside, but as she pulled the door a little the sight stopped her in her tracks. Arnav was holding Khushi, it seemed as if the woman would fall if her husband didn't support her. He took her to the chair and settled her there and was now hovering over her. Arnav cupped Khushi's face tenderly and asked, 

"What happened darling! Why are you so upset?" his voice was tinged with tension and nervousness, the state of knowing the answer and still not wanting to know it.

" Khushi, I have been noticing this since the last few weeks, you are not yourself anymore, you are not my pagal wife anymore. Please tell me darling, what is this about."

"How could you do this to me ..." but Khushi's complains were swallowed by Arnav as he took her in for a hungry kiss. Kissing her desperately, as if there was no tomorrow, as if letting go of her lips meant the death of his soul. And Sheetal saw this, not just the kiss, but what it meant for the two, how two souls were intertwined in such a way that separating them even slightly meant killing both.

Khushi broke the kiss first. Silent sobs still shaking her uncontrollably. Arnav saw her delicate figure, he noticed that she had thinned even more over the last few days. Of course he had noticed, she had not been eating well lately. She looked really weak, almost sick. Well he knew that she had been sleep deprived for sometime, he knew she had just pretended to be asleep by his side, he knew it because he had done the same. Her eyes looked hollow, shadowy rims surrounding the glittery depths. He wouldn't admit it ever, but even while others might have described her with adjectives like ghastly, to him she looked hauntingly beautiful, almost sublime.

"Hauntingly beautiful!" Where had he heard this before? He wanted to remain focused but still his mind wouldn't listen. "Could you really ever control your mind?" It was funny that of all the people, ASR would raise such a question, a man who had boasted of his controlling abilities almost all his life, until, yes until this wrecking phenomenon called Khushi happened, and a slight smile played on his face, but it was cut short when reality nudged him in the ribs, as he heard her sobs and saw her trembling form.

His wife now lay scattered on the floor, and he sat right beside her, one of his hands on her hands and the other slowly massaging her hair. What did he intend through this physical contact, he was not sure. Did he want to impart power, give away his everything to her? Or take. Take what he needed at the moment, something that only his Khushi could give him. An assurance of love that everything would be alright in the end. His mind once again trailed back, visiting an address not very far off, when his Khushi had took him in her embrace, when she had embraced that fourteen year old boy whose nights had been haunted by a nightmare, a nightmare he knew was not just a nightmare. Would she hug him again, will she find it in herself to put it all together, just this once. Rectify his mistakes like she has always done. Build again that home which years ago his own actions had ruined, back when he didn't even believe in the possibility of that home for him.

Well maybe the caller and the receiver were not holding the telephones to their ears all the time, but their connection, the telepathic wire that connected their souls was connected, all the time. And maybe that was the reason that Khushi was asking herself the same question at the very same moment, did she have it in her, to put it all together, all over again. Well to be honest, she could do it, she was prepared to do it, after all when she had agreed to marry Raizada, she knew what mess she was getting into, and at this point an almost invisible smile played on her lips, which very soon died as she realized that it was different this time, very different. This was about putting things behind, pretending all the while that nothing happened while knowing it in your bones that it did, and that there was no way to undo it. Right at that moment, she felt his lips on hers again and it seemed wet, a little more than usual. Was it because of her tears, she thought trying to open her eyes after a while and as the daze left her slightly she saw tears, his tears, a broken man kissing her. Kissing her with such gentleness and yet such desperation that it seemed that his heart might actually break in two pieces if she pulled back. But wait he had her heart now, so will it be her heart shattered like a broken mirror if any of the two let go, even for air? 

Did he know? She asked herself while looking into his tear filled eyes still as close to him as humanly possible. And she knew the answer. No test reports were needed anymore, as she saw her fear mirrored in  his eyes. She wanted to believe him. No, she did believe him. All he had to say was a "NO" and no report not even her Devi Maiya would be able to convince her that he was after all a man, mere mortal, a selfish one at that, and especially when it came to keeping her with himself, and that it was almost natural for him to lie. Nothing, just a NO from him and all would be fine once again. But why wasn't he saying anything. Her mind was hazy, not able to form any clear patters, any coherent thought as she kept repeating soundlessly, "say No please just say NO" all the while kissing him, not wanting to separate even for air, he was her air.

Unobserved by the lovers, a pair of eyes were watching the whole scene unfold. While Sheetal saw him hold her, oh so possessively, she tried remembering when had he held her like that in their seven months, six days old relationship? Ya ya she knew the answer, never. When she saw him kiss her, kiss her for his love, his life, to hold himself together, to survive, she remembered all those times she had kissed him, oh yes he would never initiate a kiss and even when she did all she could feel was cold almost mechanical lips against hers for a very short minute maybe. And then that silly college fool Sheetal would use all her imagination to make it feel warm and to make herself feel wanted and needed when she thought of him and his mechanized kisses in retrospect. No, she could never let this happen, she of all the people knew very well how much a broken heart hurt. She hurriedly made a call. And then decided to intrude, just one last time. She knocked the door, in fact she had to knock for quite sometime before she heard the sound of the two bodies separating and probably moving a little apart trying to gather themselves and then without waiting for an invite, because she knew she wouldn't get any, she walked in, avoiding the two pair of eyes which, however were also trying to avoid her, she purposely moved towards the table where she had earlier seen Khushi keep some papers and had assumed what they could be.

"Oh god just one last time let me hurt them, well I know they don't deserve this and I have absolutely nothing against them. But this little thing would be my little revenge for all the times they have unintentionally hurt me, especially now with all the soulful kissing and all and also because she knew this would probably be the last time she could even try to do this because of the course of action she had just decided to take. And so she almost whispered a "Hi!" to Khushi and then moved towards Arnav saying she was done for the day and then lightly hugging him. She felt his body stiffen at the light touch and that little bit of thread she had used over time to sew her little heart broke again, well she had no one to blame now, did she? Just a few seconds and she moved away, but she had felt the cold this time, maybe she had lost her imaginative powers over time, she'll have to work on them again. And she smiled slightly at her silly mental note.

The silence in the room resembled that of a cemetery, she could feel Khushi's anger, almost see it in fact and almost touch their pain. Well she just couldn't take it anymore, so she casually moved to where Khushi had dumped the papers before under the pretense of keeping the files she had brought with herself. She looked at the papers and pretending to be intrigued by what it was she lifted it. She had seen two bodies shift slightly as she picked up the papers but then probably both decided to act against their first impulse. Just about then Khushi's phone rang and she saw her pick up her phone after quite a few rings, well of course she wouldn't want to appear weak in front of her rival. Sheetal knew exactly what this call was about. Well, now all she had to do was to try looking all shocked and horrified after looking at the DNA reports, she didn't really need to see the papers to know that these were indeed DNA reports. But first it was her turn to be surprised, genuinely surprised that is, as she heard a slap, oh yes she first heard it and then felt it. No it wasn't Arnav, but to her surprise it was his demure wife Khushi. Well the woman has gone through a lot on her account lately so she could maybe let go of this one thing. And then she surprised herself by her acting skills, first pretending to be shocked then guilty, as she said,

"You know then."

"Oh yes. I just received a call from the hospital and they told me about a certain dirty trick a certain someone has played." came the wife's haughty reply. And this was followed by silence for a while while everyone tried to take in what had just happened

"I am really sorry Khushi. This is all my doing. I really don't know why I did this, why I acted in such a selfish manner."

But it wasn't Khushi who spoke, but rather her husband.

"What?"

"Well, I am guilty here." she made a dramatic pause almost enjoying her new found talent, ya ya she was weird and she knew it but then who isn't?

"Arnav I am guilty of manipulating these DNA reports." and She continued, "I know what I did was evil, but who doesn't want a luxurious life if given a chance. I am really sorry Arnav, Khushi. Please forgive me, though I know you never will and I cannot complain." and tears flowed down her face, from god knows what secret source, she hadn't planned on tears.

"You did what?" and angry ASR was back. "You bloody almost ruined my life, our life. You almost killed us, you wicked bitch." "Just leave and don't ever show us your face again or I will kill you. I promise, BITCH, I WILL KILL YOU." and his tone told her to not take it lightly.

"What! he said he would kill you, seriously! Now who would have thought back at college that ASR could be so horribly dramatic." Rishab sounded more amused than anything else.

"Well I don't blame him or them. When your past stares you in your face, what is one supposed to do?Especially when that past has a face, face of a child, who will never even let you think, ar delude yourself that it never happened. When I first proposed him in college he had made it very clear that he was not capable of love. No blurry lines, no maybes, just a simple statement, stating fact, 'I don't love." He used to be so arrogant, he thought he could actually control things." A wide smile on her lips as she continued, "You know Rishab, I almost felt a sadistic pleasure, seeing that arrogant man broken, terrified to lose his love. Oh yes! love got him, finally. He is a new person now, you wouldn't even recognise him, if you met him now."

"Hmm! Well actually if you think about it, who could have ever thought that one day he'll find love." Rishab said, a playful smile on his face.

"We don't find love Rishab, it finds us. And believe me if it was we who had to find it, I would have had dibs on a certain Mr. ASR long back." Sheetal reflected his playfulness.

"And I would have called dibs on you, the very first moment I lay my eyes on you." his voice a curious mixture of subtle playfulness and subtle genuineness.

"Rishab we have went through this, many times."

"I know, I know. You don't need Arnav or me, for yourself or for Aarav. You are a strong independent woman, blah blah blah. But I need you Sheetal, I always have and I always will."

"Rishab. I really don't know what to say." and a little pause followed while both tried to collect their thoughts."You know today when I saw them kissing gently holding on to each other at first. And then when I quietly peeked in one last time, and saw them fiercely kissing as if locked in some kind of tongue battle, I knew what true love was supposed to be like. No what true love really is." she stopped for a while and then continued again, "What if we don't find that. And believe me after seeing their making out session I am not settling for anything less." she smiled playfully at this, making a joke out of all things, as she always did when Rishab proposed her.

But he was not going to take a no this time and her last dialogue was all he needed as he leaned and kissed her full on her mouth. After a while when they broke, Sheetal's face was tinged with a slight red, as she said, "Oh you should have just done this long back than trying to persuade me with your arguments for all these eight years." And Rishab knew he finally won her, his life.

Unnoticed by them, a figure had been watching them all along, listening to all their talks and finally a tear escaped her eyes as Anjali Raizada turned back, moving towards the main gate of the hotel, thinking to herself, "Hey bhagwaan! just once, just this once forgive me for lying, for I don't have the courage to tell Chote or Khushiji what the truth is. And that woman, my sweet little bhabhi has sacrificed all her happiness for others all her life, wouldn't you allow her to be a little selfish just this once? And then Sheetalji doesn't really need Chote, she is strong. Oh someone needs to cite her example, to make people understand that 'the other woman' needn't always be bad and evil, you know. But Chote, he needs Khushiji and Khushiji needs Chote, to even be able to survive. Please god forgive me just once." And she bumped into someone right at the gate, she hurriedly muttered her apology and was going to move out when she heard a familiar voice call her,

"Anjali Singh Raizada! ASR! is it really you?"

And she lifted  her head

"Vedaant Dikshit?" her voice was slightly more high pitched than normal and her cheeks a little flushed. After all, this is what happens when you meet your first crush after a long long time, nai?

"So a piece from the past again, what would this be like?" thought, Anjali Singh Raizada.

PS: Here this was my second attempt at story writing, thanks a lot for sparing your time and reading it

Srija saying,

Toodles :)

Tangent Worlds. ch,1: the scream

Hey guys! What's up?
Now, here I present another of my Arshi or more like IPKKND Fan Fic. Unlike my earlier work, 'Chamkili', this story doesn't take off from some point on the show, but is infact entirely mine, with ofcourse the exception of borrowing the much loved characters from the Fourlions popular hit, 'Is Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon?'  I have been practically living with this story for the last few days, trying to figure out how this would work, and what my characters should be like, and what turns and twists would make it more appealing. And well after a lot of thinking, I finally decided to give up thinking and just go with the flow and take the story as it comes.

Here now I have crossed my fingers, as I present to you another of my creations,

                                          TANGENT  WORLDS

                                
                          
                              Chapter I: The Scream

“Aaaaa!!”

Someone had screamed. There was so much that some incoherent noise could explain when one of the greatest devices of man, language, coherent language, failed.

“AAAAAAAAAA”

There it was again, and louder than before. Desperation was blatant in it, as if someone was hanging on to the last shred of fear… and hope. And then all went quiet. Still as death and dark as the color black.

She turned around in that impenetrable darkness, trying to see through it and failing miserably. She had to locate the direction of the scream, or…

Silence surrounded her, making the darkness all the more terrifying. She scrunched her eyes close in fear, praying her constant companion, her guiding light, her Devi Maiya, to show her light, to make her hear that scream once again, just once… she knew she would be able to figure it out then… She will have to and SHE WILL. And in the very next moment, her eyes opened wide. She heard that voice again. But unlike the desperate scream that seemed so persistent on finding a way-out, she heard broken sobs. They sounded… beautiful, almost melodic, and her heart wrenched listening to that beautiful, mesmerizing music that followed Tragedy in his wake, spellbound by the magic that he created, Tragedy, her master.

Feeling something break inside her every time she heard those sobs and then feeing the void those fractures created deep down as she heard the silence, she began her pursuit. There was no need to hurry anymore, whatever was at stake, was lost already, she had known that when those violent screams had become gut wrenching sobs and desperation… despair. Now all she wanted was to delay the moment, just pull the reins on time, if she couldn’t move it back, and suspend even if momentarily, that which awaited her, for she knew it was there somewhere, hidden but there. Her steps were slow and seemed to follow innately the rhythm so unique, and yet one, that all knew, the rhythm of despair.

And finally she could see it. A bundle of white outlined against the surrounding darkness. She could have easily confused it with something lifeless and unnecessary hadn’t she already known, but she did. She started leveling herself to come face to face with that rocking and sobbing bundle… And then she saw it, just what she didn’t want to see. The tear-streaked face lifted up and looked her in the eye, and there she saw it, ugly naked despair dancing and celebrating her newest conquest. There wasn’t a sight more dreadful that she had ever seen, and she knew the memory of it would haunt her for life and perhaps even after it. She heard that voice again, a hoarse whisper… or a sigh of resignation was it?

“Khushi!”

PS: Hope you guys like it and please do give your opinions, there is nothing more than words that can encourage a beginner like me. And yes a lot more is to come, so stay tuned. :)

Signing off for now,

Srija Singh

                                           

Chamkili. ch-4 'Shadows in the Dark'

                                                        Chamkili

                                           by Srija Singh

                                                                             

                                      Chapter IV: Shadows in the Dark

November had knocked the doors and was warmly welcomed by all. The seasonal visitor was accompanied by its ever faithful companions, the Chill and the Mist. Night got dressed in his jet-black robe and was riding his horse, Dark, thinking about the overtime he was supposed to endure for the following three months, at the very least. The Wind was clattering her teeth together cursing the Chill that had decided to pursue her like a road side Romeo, despite her consistent refusal to his proposal for the past… well since the beginning of time. The Wind couldn’t help but wonder, why did people, and especially those drowning in romance or engulfed by misery took her teeth clattering as some sort of whisper, as if she had nothing better to do. She was sure, this girl or woman or girl, oh whatever, sitting or actually leaning was having the very same thought at this very moment.

Khushi sat leaning against a road-side tree, facing the wilderness that flanked the roads of South Delhi. She could hear her, uh … hear Arnavji shouting her name like some mad man in his fit of madness.

“KHUSHI! KHUSHI! Answer me Dammit! KHUSHI!”

Khushi willed away his voice and instead she tried focusing on the sound of the wind blowing and the rustling of the leaves. She wondered what the wind and the leaves were talking about, could it possibly concern her misery, she didn’t know. She needed to talk almost as desperately as a drug addict needed heroine, but she had to control the urge as she was sure her husband would hear even her slightest whisper. But couldn’t he also hear her heart-beats? Or maybe he used to… who knows.

Arnav’s heart told him to wait, to search her once again. His heart knew Khushi was there some where, hiding… from HIM. But he wasn’t the one to be ruled by his heart always and decided to listen to his oh so brilliant, in fact brag-worthy Dimag that told him it was stupid to run around in the wilderness again and again and that if Khushi would have been here, he would have found her, already. And so adhering to the callings of his superior brain he decided to head back to Shantivann, where he hoped Khushi would have gone, furious over him. He reversed his SUV, deciding to follow the same route he took while coming here, hoping to catch his Khushi on her way to their home… though, he should have learnt to listen to his heart in matters pertaining his Khushi.

Some time passed and the cries of her name faded and she knew he was gone, he was gone… just like that! He left her alone in this dark wilderness, but didn’t he vow to protect her, to stay by her side forever, then how could he just leave. But the noise of the receding car confirmed her fears that he was indeed gone.

A sigh escaped her lips finally. She got up and walked towards the road. And a while later if someone would have passed that deserted road they would have seen a woman with tear streaked face and silent sobs standing in the middle of the street alternately looking towards the two opposite directions and yet not taking a step towards either.

After some time passed, well she didn’t know how much, she started walking, lost in her own thoughts.

‘Where does this road go? Where am I going? Where would I reach if I walked to the end of this road? What would I do if squares came? How will the turns I take affect my journey and what if I don’t turn anywhere, I don’t make any choices and let the road guide me, pursuing it to its end?’ her mind was blank. And still a small voice escaped her lips.

“How did I come here?” She stopped in her tracks as the images of a happy, truly happy girl, dancing with a broom, trying to cheer her Jijji and Amma came to her mind. ‘Was that really me?  Sure of her actions, knowing what was right and what wrong, and trying to make the wrongs right… But she seems happy, truly happy, how could that be me? And if that was the real Khushi then who was this shadowy figure standing alone on this deserted road in the dead of the night. “A NOBODY.” Arnavji’s voice boomed in her mind, silencing every other thought. She needed to talk to someone at that very instant and no, Devi Maiya or Lakshmiji wouldn’t do this time. She needed some answers. She looked at her mobile, there were thirty-seven missed calls from her husband in the past one hour, but she couldn’t deal with him right now. She dialed the very next number on her call-log. Lavanya picked up on the second ring.   

“Lavanyaji. Hum Khushi…”

Twenty minutes later the headlights of her car fell on a shadowy, almost stone still figure with only the slight involuntary trembling giving away the figure as a real woman, who otherwise could have been easily confused with a beautifully carved statue. La parked her car and came out to see Khushi, a dark, shadowy figure, leaning against some random tree-trunk, lost in her own world, not taking any notice of the commotion around her, her face streaked with dried tears, silent, involuntary sobs rocking her slim form at irregular intervals. La wondered what caused the constant trembling, cold? Or pain perhaps? La’s first thoughts were ‘is this really Chamkili? The Chamkili? My Chamkili?’ Tears escaped the confines of her eyes, but NO, she knew she had to be strong she couldn’t let her best friend suffer a fate like hers or… maybe worse. ABSOLUTELY NOT. She rushed by her side and shaked her out of oblivion,

“Chamkili. Chamkili. What happened? Are you okay? Chamkili.” Though Lavanya had wiped off the tears from her face in a desperate attempt to be strong, or atleast seem so for her only friend, who needed her, and La could see just how desperately she did, and yet the fear in her voice and her stance was palpable.

Khushi stirred from her semi-unconscious state and gave a small guilty smile to Lavanya.

“Lavanyaji you came. I am really sorry for troubling you in the dead of the night, but I didn’t know who else to call. You are my only friend here. And Arnavji… And I tried, I really did, I tried to find my way back home. But I couldn’t seem to move and everything became so hazy. And Arnavji said… And I got lost, I didn’t know where this road went and where I had to go. I don’t know where my home is anymore and Arnavji…”

“Ssh Chamkili. Look at me, you’ll be fine. I am here now and I will take you home, okay…” and the forts couldn’t hold anymore as Lavanya broke into sobs only to be shocked out of her state as Khushi almost screamed in her faint voice,

“NO.” the effect of mere attempt making her shake even though the sound wasn’t very strong, but no less sure.

“Okay darling, let me take you over to my place, okay? But we need to leave right now, you just relax sweetheart, I have got you.” La tried to soothe her friend while helping her on her feet, but it gave way and Khushi felt herself harshly falling on the ground…

At that very moment Arnav jerked the car to a stop. Something pinched at his heart and it hurt, it hurt a slight bit more than it was already. He knew Khushi needed him, and he needed her even more. He moved out of his car and slammed the door shut, and still the loud bang couldn’t penetrate the thumping of his heart that roared in his ears. He was almost deaf with that roar and still he could hear her sobs from some where, some where… but he didn’t know exactly where. If only he would hear his heart… or rather hers that was now with him, he would have gotten all his answers. He was halfway to their house and still something told him, that it wasn’t the place he should be at that moment. Somehow he knew, his heart did, that she was not there.

 “Khushi!” a tortured, almost animalistic growl escaped his throat as her name penetrated through the Mist, disrupting further its chaotic pattern.

He had to do something. He fished out his cell-phone and called home, fighting an urge to call Khushi for the 40^th time, he needed to be more pragmatic and he knew that an upset, angry KKGSR was no better than an upset, angry ASR.

“Di, please call Khushi.” Pleasantries and preambles have their own time and place and Arnav knew that it wasn’t this.

“Khushiji? But you took her with yourself, just an hour ago or so. How could she be home? Chote is everything okay? Is Khushiji okay? Did you two fight again?” Her brother’s tone and question had alerted Anjali’s senses that something was not quite right and post-Shyam Anjali didn’t hide from problems, she faced them head-on.

“Di just call me if Khushi comes home and don’t let her leave before I get home.” He paused for a second before continuing further, “And if necessary lock her in. Okay?”

“But Chote…” her brother didn’t wait for her reply. Nothing but his Khushi was important at the moment.

Arnav sat back inside the car. Taking a moment to decide his course of action, finally deciding on heading back to the same spot where he had lost Khushi almost an hour ago. Having made his mind he reversed the SUV and headed back making a few important calls on the go.

… She prepared herself for the solid ground, for the pain, she called out to him but knew he wasn’t around, she had run away from him, from her Arnavji. But it never came, the cold, hard ground, the expected pain. Lavanya’s hands came around her in a swift motion, helping her up and even when Khushi stood on her woobly feet, La didn’t let go and kept her arms strongly around Khushi, helping her towards the car. Once there she helped Khushi inside and tied the seat-belt, and even though in a semi-unconscious state, the act, very familiar to Khushi now, reminded her of her Prince, her Rakshasha, her lover and her love, her Arnavji and a small sigh broke from her lips,

“Arnavji!” How could one man mean so many different things and make her feel such varied but no less intense emotions. She’d never know, for though love was a revelation and yet when your lover was Arnav Singh Raizada, it was no less a mystery.

Her sigh once again refreshed the stock of tears in Lavanya’s eyes. But holding herself together she came to the driving seat and drove off towards her house.

Arnav’s car came to a halt with a screech and he thought he had heard the sound of a receding car just when he had arrived. Terror filled him and he rushed towards the direction of the noise and… Silence.

“Khushi!” Another of his heart wrenching screams made way and this time it didn’t go unheard.

“Damnit!” Arnav bellowed. Standing there in the middle of no where, he turned around, taking in the surroundings, trying to find Khushi. Something struck him and triggered a distant or maybe not so distant memory. Images of him manhandling Khushi and shouting at her flooded his memory. It was the same place where in his fury he had broken the frame containing their picture, where he had accused her of having an illegitimate relationship with Shyam.

‘…Because you don’t have a character.’ His voice roared in his mind torturing his soul. Why did he do it always, torture her and in the process torture himself, inflict unbearable pain on her that made his heart bleed as well.

“Sadomasochistic moron” he reprimanded himself.

 Back then he had questioned her character and today he had nullified her very identity.

‘… A NOBODY.’ His own voice tormented him once again.

Arnav Singh Raizada needed to get it straight that he and Khushi were two halves of a whole and that he was as much her as she was him. He knew very well that he was wrong then and that he was wrong now. That he had wronged her beyond all justifications and still she had somehow found it in herself to understand him, forgive him, to accept… no, embrace him with all his vulnerabilities and deficiencies… to love him with all her soul. Will she be able to do it again or had he damaged her… damaged their relationship beyond repair? A frustrated growl escaped his throat as he banged his hand on a nearby tree.

Lavanya would have stopped the car, had not Khushi’s faint touch and the look in her eyes told her otherwise. So she kept driving, torn between two people she loved, probably the most. And hence almost three hours later when Khushi opened her eyes and the haze finally cleared out, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. Momentarily disoriented and then shocked, she was about to shout when she saw Lavanya enter the room with two mugs of steaming hot beverages, adrak wali chai, she could recognize the smell anywhere. Taking a sip Khushi said,

“So you still remember?”

“Huh?” Confusion apparent in Lavanya’s tone.

“I meant the tea. You remembered exactly how I taught you.”

They both smiled, reminiscing the old days when they had both lived in illusions, one believing that the one she loved, loved her back and the other that her dhak dhaks when near a certain someone were the doings of acidity and had nothing to do with the man in question. Not a single word was said and no one knew how and when their silent smiles turned into full blown laughter. And when it finally stopped Lavanya cautiously breached the unavoidable topic.

“Khushi, are you happy?”

“Aree Lavanyaji why wouldn’t I be.” Khushi answered in a tone she hoped was convincing enough. “Oh your tea is growing cold, let me warm it up for you. Where is the kitchen? And I must say you have a beautiful house. By the way, how long are you going to stay here, in India. And…”

Khushi felt her friend’s hand on her shoulder and she knew she coundn’t dodge her. And if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to anymore. All her life she had kept many secrets buried in her heart for the happiness of those she loved, never letting anyone see her hurt, well Arnav was an exception to that rule. But with Lavanya equations changed. She was unrelated yet her own, she was distant and still close. Khushi wanted to be free of the load she had been carrying for what seemed like forever now.

“Lavanyaji, how did you meet him. I mean, you dated right?”

La was not sure where Khushi was going with this. But well, she had nothing to hide.

“Umm. Let me think. I think it was at that party… oh no, yes now I remember. I was already working for his company but I had never talked to him as such. And then there was this big fashion event and I was handling the backstage stuff. But then one of his models messed up, some drug issue you see, and I handled the situation by calling in one of my model friends for help, well actually offering her a hefty amount in return and also making all the necessary arrangements, like fitting and stuff, and finally I managed to pull it through. ASR was very impressed with my ability to handle this last minute mess and he immediately promoted me to his PA’s post.” Lavanya paused here for a short while, not being able to decide as to whether or not she should narrate what followed and finally decided to choose some details and leave out others. “Well, then he sent me some expensive present and asked me out for a business party and we both wanted similar things and so a relationship of convenience started, and that’s just it.” She didn’t venture into further details, not wanting to upset Khushi any further.

“I stumbled off the ramp and fell into his arms.” said Khushi in a barely audible whisper.

“Sorry?” Lavanya wasn’t sure what Khushi was going on about.

“That’s how I first met him, stumbling and falling off the stage in front of a huge sophisticated audience and landing straight into his arms. In fact there was an entire coverage about the happening, something called ‘aise dhoondhti hai or phasati hai aaj ki larki ek ameer sajan’ something along the line.” A small smile played on her lips and La followed the suit.

“Lavanyaji, I still remember how badly hurt I was back then but as the time passed and I fell deeper and deeper in love with him, even such troubling memories would make me smile.” Khushi drew in a long resigning breath and continued further,

“But, that is how it is, that is how it has always been. I stumbled into his life, his world, I don’t belong here. What did Poojaji say, ‘Harvard weds Halwai…’ and hurt as it may but that is the truth of my life, our life. It’s not my place to be, its not…”

“Conventional! I agree. But don’t you dare say that it’s not right because there isn’t a thing more right that I have seen in my life.” Lavanya squeezed her hands gently, smiling at her friend warmly.

“But Sheetalji and you, you belong here. It would have been so easy, so natural.”

“No Khushi, it might have been more convenient and customary maybe, but not natural. Natural is what you share with ASR. The love, the chemistry you share is a gift that nature doesn’t bestow on every other person. Believe me.”

Why did Khushi sense some pain in Lavanyaji’s last words, she couldn’t tell. And Lavanya continued,

“But Khushi, I am missing my Chamkili.”

“Jii?” Khushi wasn’t sure what Lavanya meant.

“My Chamkili was a woman of spirit, someone who could light up a room with her smile and not someone who hid her tear-streaked face in shadows. Truly saying, for a moment I couldn’t recognize the woman I saw on that deserted street. For she wasn’t my Chamkili and that I was, no actually, I am sure of. Who was she?”

“A NOBODY” Khushi didn’t realize that she had said it out-loud and the moment she did, she was sure Lavanyaji would hear Arnavji in those words.

“What the hell do you mean.” Lavanya’s anger escalated as she realized the extent to which Khushi was suffering and also realized the extent to which Arnav was responsible for it.

“Did ASR say that? Did he? How dare he? You are bloody too good for him. He should probably worship you, bow down in front of you and here he is calling you a…”

“But he did.” Khushi’s faint voice did nothing but confuse Lavanya a little more,

“Hmm?”

“I mean he did bow down in front of me.” And images from a few days back floated in her memory, images of Arnav offering himself to her in their sacred haven, their Eden, their mother’s garden. Her eyes moistened as she recalled his words, ‘tum mujhse kahin zyada aachi ho, special ho… tumhare saamne banta hai.’ and a small smile crossed her face. Khushi didn’t hear Lavanya’s shocked gasp as she was no longer in that room with Lavanya, she was with her Arnavji. And with a sudden movement she got up from the bed, her restlessness very palpable,

“I have to see him. I need to be near him. Hey Devi Maiya why did I leave him. I have to go to him, right this moment.” And she started running, only to be stopped by Lavanya but Khushi wouldn’t listen anything, not even the practical fact that was not very safe driving in Delhi at 3am. She just knew she had to be with him, anyhow. And finally Lavanya relented.

Khushi entered Shantivan, and the commotion there disoriented her for a second and then she freaked. There were armed men every where. ‘Had something happened? Was everyone okay? Did Shaymji do something again? Di? Arnavji, where is he?’ But not a single word made it out of her mouth. And then she saw him. He was at a distance, talking over phone, no literally screaming over it and she could hear each and every word very very clearly.

“I don’t give a damn about your position and my language. I want my wife with me right now, don’t you fucking get it! Involve more forces if you have to, I don’t care. I just want her. NOW.”

No one told him she was standing behind him. Well, he didn’t need anyone telling him, he could feel her presence as the hair on the back of his neck rose acknowledging her presence, as the odorless air brought to him that fragrance that was exclusively hers, that he had become addicted to. As he felt his heart near again, for the one who had it was near him. And like hell would he let her leave again, EVER.

He turned around with a jerk, shocking Khushi out of her trance and the next thing she knew, she was pulled in his arms and his lips invaded hers in a kiss that spoke just one thing. POSSESSION.

PS: Dedicated to all my readers and very specially to my dearest friends lara3110 and Nidsubh007 for believe me when I say I am a very lazy person and after the show ended I might have given up on this story, hadn't it been for your constant insistence and encouragement. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Loads of love :)