Arhi FF: Tangent Worlds. Ch-6.

                                  TANGENT WORLDS                                                                  Chapter-6
                               Some Unrevealing...s

Khushi felt the continuous piercing gaze on her back. She was scared and angry... but she was also alone, hence she decided to work on the scared part, leaving out the anger part for now. She thus decided to move from there, but the gaze though giving her goose-bumps was strangely... warm... and she couldn't stop herself as she turned her head slightly... her eyes for some unknown reason halting on a black suit clad figure some distance from her... He had his back towards her and seemed to be talking to a saree clad figure standing in front of him. Khushi felt a strong urge to know who this woman was, and so forgetting all about her fallen luggage or her very inelegant posture, she craned her neck further to catch a glimpse of the woman who stood secure under the shadow of the tall, black suit clad man. But that was hardly required, for the very next second he bent down and a dark-rough-skinned middle-aged woman, elegantly wrapped in a cheap seeming saree came in view. Well, the adjective cheap was relative actually, for the man with her, who was at the moment touching her feet, looked every bit as expensive as the Rolex of his wrist-watch, Armani of his suit and Prada of his shoes. The staring could have gone on for quite a while, but the woman smiling down at the man, frowned slightly and then her dark eyes locked with her hazel ones. Khushi turned back embarrassed at being caught blatantly peeking and stumbled once again, but getting herself and her things together this time she all but ran towards the exit.

Arnav heard the loud stumbling, hurried ruffling and some supposedly hushed mumbling behind him, and was instantly reminded of the lass in red. He turned back, wanting to catch a glance of what lay behind the fiery red and gold shawl, but all he glimpsed was a black slithering snake erupting from within the all-consuming flames, as the woman ran towards the exit as if chased by the hounds of hell.  He was bewildered at that bizarre need he felt to wrap that black shiny snake around his skin and feel its texture. And that need in him was strong... very strong, really strong, like gravity almost... pulling a stray drop of rain, directing its course, deciding its destiny. Bizarre, isn't it?

"Arnav bhaiya!" the happy chirping voice demanded his attention, as if it was her fundamental right, and he gave it to her because it really was. A rare honest smile graced his lips as he ruffled her curls.
"How was your vacation Palak?" Arnav asked the chirpy kid.
"It was great Arnav Bhaiya, I did so much masti. No no, actually it was also a little boring, you see there were so many people there and I didn't know anyone but they were all very nice and they all knew me. Amma said, they were all our family but they were so many I haven't seen such a big family ever. But the wedding was fun. The bride was so pretty, fair and all dressed up and oh, red is now my favorite color. But the groom wasn't very nice and not at all handsome, not like you or Aakash bhaiya. He was black as coal, poor Kuhu di, she is so pretty... But then I am also black as coal and you know all the kids down there teased me and called me Kali Ma, and most of all that irritating Jagiya..."

"Breathe bitiya breathe, your Arnav bhaiya is not going any where." her mother said smilingly when Palak showed no sign of stopping in the near future.

"Okay bhaiya I'll tell you rest of the story at home." she smiled at Arnav Bhaiya.
"So there is more to it?" Arnav said with a teasing glint in his eyes, something reserved exclusively for his doll and she made a face at it. He gave her an indulgent smile and then led them towards the car park.
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"Hmmh, yehi natija hota hai zyada angrezi batiyane ka." muttered the woman in bright magenta saree, as she reentered the front lawn.
"Aree Bahenji, I heard some gossip, but is it true?" a woman in peacock-blue saree asked in a hushed voice.
"Aree what did you expect, where the elder goes, the younger follows, aur kya." the pink saree woman sported the look of the worldly wise.
"Guptaji's elder daughter you mean? But didn't she die in some accident in Delhi, a few months ago?"
"I'll believe she's dead when I see her dead-body. Kaun jaane kahan muh kala kiya hai ki apne parivaar wale bhi sab palra jhad rahe hai. AH! looks can be so deceiving, who could have ever thought that the ever shy and quiet Payaliya would bring shame to her family. And their younger one, hey bhagwaan, she was born a tornado, what better could you expect."
By then their high-pitch-hushed voices had managed to gather a little crowd. Well isn't a bite of juicy gossip better than the juiciest of sausages at such gatherings.
"What are you talking about Bhabhi ji?" enquired a round bellied man in a Bhagalpuri silk kurta.
"Aree wo dulhan bhaag gayi, aur kya." replid the woman in magenta.
"Kya?" several voices echoed all at once. The news spread in a flash and soon there were people assembling in big and small groups, like a pack of wolves gathering around the carcass of the dead, staking their claim on the bits and pieces of its bloodied flesh... feeding and flourishing...cold-blooded... un-caring... unflinching even.

Society in its complete glory!'  Sumeet entered the front-lawn and grimaced as the casual callous bitterness hit him right in his throat, he had an urge to throw-up... without the natural sweetness of his life, without his Khushi, how was he ever going to swallow even a single slice of life. His shoulders slumped, he felt tired, the kind of tired one feels after experiencing every minutest detail of each and every micro second of heart-break... the tiredness one feels from holding on to that last bit of a shredded almost non-existent thread, that you know you should let go of and yet you don't, you can't... the tiredness of knowing and yet pretending to not know... of feigning hope to even yourself. But now was not the time, a lot had to be done, he would rest later, after all somewhere in his heart he knew that this tiredness was going to last through his life.
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Khushi stepped out of the station, struggling with her luggage and trying to take out the paper with the exact address of her current accommodation when out of no where she was swarmed with a flood of auto-walas and taxi-walas. She stood there shocked and harried with no idea of how to handle the situation and the fact that these were all strangers and men and some were very strange men didn't help either.

"Madamji auto karlo"
"Kahan jaana hai madam"
"Aree madam taxi karlo."

"Bhaiyaji, South Campus chalenge?" she tried hiding the nerves that were threatening to drown her that very moment.
"Haan haan madamji change na" one of the auto guys answered.
"How much?"  she didn't really know what to expect.
"Bas 450, madamji." even her grossly exaggerated thought process couldn't have imagined that.
"Kya?" she almost let out an involuntary shriek. "Leave it bhaiyaji I'll ask someone else."
And yet a few minutes later she was still standing with auto and taxi-walas surrounding her, asking 400 and 500 bucks for the ride and for someone who could have booked a taxi for the entire day, visiting very nook and corner of Lucknow in barely 300, this was unimaginable and ofcourse unethical.
"Madamji, come with me, I'll drop you there in just 100 rupees." a slightly dark, burly man approached her.
"Hmm!" this was getting weirder with every passing minute. But the taxi driver didn't give her another minute to process things as he just got hold of her luggaege and gave it pull. Khushi was still in two minds, the scale dripping more towards accepting the ride though.

"Tell me you are not THAT stupid!" she heard someone hiss, a force pull at her and losing her stand at the abruptness of it, she lost her footing, which was already quite precarious with that burly man in the process of pulling her luggage from her hand, and fell face forward. She anticipated the fall, the collision with the hard-cold ground, the pain that followed and the public humiliation that more often than not tagged along. But to her utter shock, none came. Well, she did feel something solid underneath her, but it wasn't cold... and what was that sound, that rhythm? After days of restlessness, she felt tired and this rhythm, this almost musical beat was now lulling her to relaxation, pulling her to sleep and covering her with a pleasant, aromatic haze. She felt someone lift that warm haze off of her face; she could feel the rough yet warm touch of something skimming through her facial plane. She felt too lethargic to open her eyes, the haze was too comfortable to let go of. And then out of nowhere she shivered, that slightly roughened touch was somewhere down the slope of her neck, the newness of that intense pleasure robbed her of her breath. The rhythm of her own thudding heart brought her back to reality. Reality had never been so gloriously destructive, Khushi Kumari Gupta had an epiphany then, this was the visual manifestation of sublime... yes that was it... those eyes, those stormy orbs staring right into her soul.
"J..J..Jii?" Khushi blinked her eyes, unable to comprehend the situation, both his accusation and her reaction. But the accuser seemed just as dumbfounded as her. What was he looking at, Khushi wondered and what was that look. The slightly darkened patch of skin around his eyes resembled a bank or maybe a muddy beach shaded under the shadows of his long lashes and the centre of it all, the centre of her universe in this bizarre moment, probably on some parallel timeline, his eyes. Those fathomless oceans of coffee or maybe sepia, ah! the aesthetically pleasing miniscule differences of colors seemed outrageously frustrating to Khushi at the moment. She craned her neck a little, pulling her face further closer to his eyes for a more concentrated inspection, desperately wanting to know the exact color of those murky oceans.
The spell was broken then. The moment she had craned her neck, twisting awkwardly in his tight grasp to get closer to him, looking deeper into his eyes, a slight frown marring the planes of her forehead, as if she was trying to read his eyes... read him and there was nothing scarier for Arnav Singh Raizada than someone trying to figure him out... someone who knew him and as he glimpsed a tiny shred of understanding in her eyes, he was jolted out of the warm, strangely familiar haze that seemed to have enveloped the two of them. He straightened himself, righting her in the process.
She was gawking at him, with no idea of anything whatsoever. And, finally in control of himself, he gave a slight push to this despicable... beautiful... no absolutely despicable... enchantingly beautiful creature in front of him. What the f**k was wrong with him', he mused. She let out a shocked yelp at that abrupt and according to her completely uncalled for push, bewildered at what she had done to deserve the verbal and physical lashing that she was getting now and that too by some strange man, whom she didn't know and who probably didn't know her. But then it struck her...
"Could it be?" she mumbled under her breath.
"Where the hell do you think you are going?" his voice was steely, opaque and so were his eyes, completely devoid of the penetrable depth that she had witnessed just a while ago.
"Hey Devi maiya!" she was sure now, his question had confirmed all her doubts. Ofcourse, how could she not see, he was one of his father's men, and they had found her already? What was she going to do now? She hadn't even started with her search yet and she had already been caught.
"Raksha karna Devi Maiya." She called her guardian deity for help and did the first thing she could think of... Twice in the same day, she ran for her life. Longer legs and quick reflexes, however, gave her pursuer immense advantage over her and twice in the same day Khushi Kumari Gupta was caught before she could actually flee. His tight steely grasp binding her, bruising her and... branding her...
"What the f**k are you trying to do? What was this stunt for?" Arnav was genuinely amazed and excessively annoyed at this strange woman in front of him.
"Dekhiye hum chilayenge." Khushi gave her aggressor a fair warning... though her staggering voice didn't make it sound as threatening as she would have wanted.
"Aacha! Chillao." He said simply, not a single dip or rise in his tone.
"Choriye hamen... D..dekhiye h..um sach mein chilaenge." She warned him again, though the threat seemed as convincing as Harry Potter without Voldermot.
"Chillao." He hissed.
"See, I am telling you right in the beginning, don't try to force me, hum Lucknow nahi Aayenge." She said with some steel in her voice, finally.
"Kya?" Arnav was dumbfounded once again.
"yes, you heard me, you'll not be able to take me back to Lucknow, I will shout and gather everyone around and then they'll all beat you to..."
"What the f**k are you on about? Why would I take you to Lucknow? Hell! Why would I take you anywhere?" both were at a loss of word because of the strangeness of the situation now. Khushi was the first to figure out that there was some miscommunication and that she was safe for now... Probably.
"Then what were you yelling at me for? What do you want from me?" she asked, completely confused now.
"Well, I was just trying to take the measure of your idiocy." He said matter of factly and it was the plainness of his tone that affected her more than what he said.
"Ji!" her eyes were huge as saucers.
"Were you really going to take his cab?" he asked in all seriousness.
"Ji?" she was still unable to comprehend anything. Did she hit her head somewhere recently?' she wondered.
"Are you really so dim-witted as to actually hire his cab?"
"Wha..." but he didn't let her finish.
"Didn't it occur to you as to why would someone offer you their services for less than half of the normal rate?"  he was genuinely intrigued by her apparent naivety now.
"Ji wo..." what was she to say now. Well ofcourse she had acted very foolishly and worst of all she had acted without thinking.
"This is Delhi you know, not More's Utopia." He had said it in a flow but then he wondered if this girl clad in bright salwar-suit and with that lost look on her face would actually get what he was implying. But the recognition in her eyes told him, she did. And to his utter frustration, this bewildered him all the more. She knew about Thomas More but lacked basic commonsense?' he thought astounded.
"Come, I'll drop you to your destination." The absolute surety of his tone brooked no argument and the way he tugged at her hand, pulling her with him left no space for even its possibility.
But, there was only so much that Khushi could take and this strange man had crossed that line long ago. HOW DARE HE!' she heard a roar somewhere inside her and in that moment, neither commonsense nor common-courtesy mattered. Everyone and everything ceased to exist in this parallel universe that had just the two of them and boiling hot rage... loads and loads of it. She'll show him!'
Arnav Singh Raizada was not used to resistance. He ALWAYS got his way. Hence, the magnitude of shock he felt when he felt resistance from her was very new and almost incomprehensible for him.  He frowned and then turned back coming face to face with a fuming woman...
"So, going with this taxi driver who offered me a relatively cheaper rate was dumb but accepting a free ride in some stranger's car is smart and logical?" And Arnav Singh Raizada was dumbfounded.
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 It must have been pink, a shade brighter than the dull one and a shade duller than the bright one, the just right shade. These niches that ran along the walls of the entire room must have been white on the inside, the plainness of the color emitting an almost sublime light when lit with colorful candles. The ceiling seemed to have been some shade of white, off-white maybe, and right from the centre of it, probably from that huge nail a huge chandelier would have hung. And when the sun would submerge into the horizon, retiring to its chamber after a hard day of work, rejuvenating itself for another, then this palatial figure would have come to life. Incandescent lights peeking from the niches, while hundreds of candles in the various crystal shells of that aesthetically humungous chandelier bathing the environment in its warm glow. It must have been warm then...' but suddenly the cold started to creep inside her as the creaking of the bed hinges filtered through her subconscious and she struggled once again, desperate to drown the noise...

Evenings would have been beautiful and mornings lazy... well, that part of their existence survived the rough hands of time. Well, ofcourse things were different now, the huge chandeliers, the harmonium, the tabla, the music, the dance, the colors, the life... they weren't needed anymore. And to think about it, what were they anyway, mere accessories, useless decorations? Who had any time for such useless garnishing anymore... now they got straight to the meat.'

The sound and rhythm of meat-slapping amplified... breaking the chain of her thoughts, breaking through the protective walls her mind attempted to build her every single time... And then the rhythm ceased, instead the pressure on her shoulders increased, making her bite her lips in an failed attempt to suppress the pain... the sound changed to that of continual grunting... and then finally the wetness... around her thighs and even a little of it on her lower-abdomen. That piece of meat invading her body finally withdrew, slumped and satisfied. She just lay there as he got off her and laid by her side for a little while... but time was running short, after all  he had purchased her for two hours only and her boss was pretty strict about timings... now didn't they say that time was everything.' She just laid there as he dressed and before leaving he leered at her naked body once again, and then as if unable to stop himself, squeezed her breasts... she felt the pain and wanted to shout but she knew he owned her for about three more minutes and being a modern day corporate man that he was, a CEO of a relatively newer foundation at that, he knew the worth of every second and every penny. She saw an animal in him and was afraid that he would bite her, but no... all her fears were ill formed, he knew what the ground-rules were, leave no mark behind'... he was human after all.  

She laid there as he finally left, staring into nothingness. But ofcourse that was too good to last...
"Aree Jhunki, madamji has asked you to get ready, your next customer is already waiting in the hall so, don't bother with bathing right now, just cleat up all the mess and use some perfume. But see to it that not a single sign of your previous engagement remains here when the new client enters. But ofcourse, you already know the rules, it's been a few months since you have been employed here." and with a smile she left the room.

Jhunki got up from the bed and then moved towards the small attached bathroom. As she put her hands on her inner thighs, attempting to wash of the wetness, the bitterness, the pain... she knew it was futile. The conspicuous amount of wetness didn't surprise her anymore... after all that was the one thing that all men wanted to give to her... expecting absolutely nothing in return... for she was sure of one thing... none of that wetness was hers... Jhunki's... or Payal Gupta's.

To be continued...

AN: Hey guys! SO how have you all been? I hope you've all been having loads of fun with the approaching winters. Now to the update, so it been many months since I last updated Tangent Worlds, I am well aware of my mistake and apologize for the same. But at some level I wasn't very sure about whether or not I wanted to take this story forward, lack of much response from my readers being the key factor here. But then I got a few mails wherein people requested be to continue with this story and so I decided that even if I have just one reader I'll write for that one reader and of-course for me, because I love writing and this story in particular is very close to my heart. So, the updates would be fairly regular from now on and I do hope that some of you would take some time out and write your thoughts about this story, so as to better help me develop it.
  
PS: Chamkili Update by tonight :)
Lots of love,
Srija

Arhi SS: Chamkili. Part-10, 'The Raizada Men.'

            
So, before I start with the update I want to dedicate this part to my lovely friend on India Forums, Gita, or as she is popularly known, mem1. She was generous enough to write an entire section about my writing on her brilliant thread 'Musings of Arnav Singh Raizada' and this dedication is my little way to express my gratitude for all this free publicity :) Love you dear :)

                   The Raizada Men!

“Okay Mr. Raizada, I understand your frustration but I’d expect a well educated and proficient man like you to respect the professional decorum of my work place.” Dr. Sinha said in a calm voice while looking through the forms that Mrs. Raizada had filled as per the hospital requirements, not even sparing him a single look. And to the credit of the said Mr. Raizada, he had the decency to look visibly embarrassed at his previous conduct. He mumbled a hasty apology that to his further annoyance went unacknowledged.

“Okay, so Mrs. Raizada your form says that you are twenty-three and that you have been married for almost a year now.” Dr. Sinha looked directly at Payal.

“Ji.” she replied softly.

“Hmm! Now I need to ask some questions from you before I proceed with the second level of diagnosis. And these questions are of an intimate nature, so are you comfortable with your husband here or would you prefer some privacy.” Payal looked a little unsure at this and before she could make her mind her husband spoke for her,

“Ofcourse I’ll stay.” Dr. Sinha wondered if she had imagined the hint of panic and vulnerability in his voice.

“Well, it is not your choice to make Mr. Raizada.”

“Ji, I want him to stay.” Payal said trying to defuse the tension that seemed to surround the trio. And her husband did seem a bit relaxed after that.

“Sure.” Dr. Sinha said , her voice still calm, cold and devoid of any sort of emotion. Payal felt a little intimidated by her.

“So, Mrs. Raizada is your menstrual cycle regular?”

“Ji.” Payal replied in a small voice, she knew that they were seeing a gynecologist and these were the most obvious sort of questions to expect and yet she couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable.

“Do you keep track of the dates of your cycle?” and at her patient’s slight nod she further continued, “when did you get your last period?”

“More than three weeks ago.”

“So you are expecting your next cycle somewhere around this or the next week? I see. Do you face any physical discomfort during or around your cycle?” Dr. Sinha asked while taking notes,

“Nothing severe, just slight cramps in my abdomen on the first day.” Payal started feeling a little at ease, probably owing it to her doctor’s professionalism.

“Anything major in the past?” the Dr. Krishna asked.

“No.”

“Okay, so in the initial stages of your marriage were you on any kind of contraceptive medication?” Payal looked a little confused and so the doctor clarified, “birth-control pills?”

“Yes, I used Sronyx for about six months, but I haven’t been taking any medication for the last four-five months. Doctor do you think that these birth control medicines could have had done some permanent damage to…” Payal couldn’t finish, unable to continue for the fear of actually getting an answer.

“See Mrs. Raizada we wouldn’t know anything unless we run some tests but yes continual intake of birth control pills is not a very safe method and one with long-term side-effects. Anyway, no need to panic for now for if taken under correct guidance they are also one of the simpler ways to avoid pregnancy and there are many couples who actually prefer pills to other methods.” she tried to comfort her patient while making her aware of the harsh but no less real medical facts. This had always been Dr. Krishna Sinha’s way, striking perfect balance between sugar-coating and an almost robotic insensitivity.

Aakash tried to soothe his wife, lightly patting her shoulders, while silent sobs rocked her frame despite all her efforts to control them. Their doctor gave them a much required moment before continuing further,

“Look Mrs. Raizada we should not arrive at any conclusion for now, lets just wait until your tests are done. Please don’t worry sometimes these things take a little more time than normal and even if there is some complication we will try our best to find a way around it.” she smiled at Payal and received a forced teary one in return. She gave Aakash a list of prescribed tests as they stood up and he shook her hand thanking her, but they were halted in their process of leaving as Dr. Sinha further added,

“Oh Mr. Raizada, here are some prescribed tests for you as well. Please get these done as soon as possible.”

Aakash looked at the prescription, a look of bafflement on his face, while his wife’s face mirrored the same.

“Well doctor I think there is some sort of misunderstanding, our appointment concerns my wife only.”

“Oh! Okay so have you been seeing some other doctor?”

“About What?” a look of utter bewilderment crossed his face.

“About this… this right here.” Doctor Sinha said showing him the prescription still in her hand, before adding further,

“Mr. Raizada, you do realize that there is a 50% likelihood of you being the physically inadequate one, right?” the frustration finally showed on her face following his ridiculous behavior. Aakash knew better than to argue at this point. He quietly took the papers from her hands and they were about to leave when once again Dr. Krishna’s voice stopped them.

“Oh! Also I have mentioned a site on the prescription, I’d request you to visit the site for you can find some brilliant advice on dietary and other such factors that effect fertility. And one last question, now though many people are oblivious to this but many a times, inability to reach mutual climax could affect fertility. Now in case of men it is relatively easier to both attain and decipher it, but female sexuality is relatively much complicated. So I hope both of you do share a mutually satisfying physical relationship?” she looked at the couple questioningly while they stared at each other for a moment before stuttering their answer,

“Yes.” claimed Aakash.

“Ji.” his wife followed the suit.

While they left the cabin, Dr. Krishna Sinha was left wondering if she saw a look of confusion in their eyes for just a second there…
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“Good Lord! Is that Arnav Singh Raizada?” Samay’s eyes zeroed on the tall, handsome man sitting opposite his boss, continuously staring in their direction. His colleague who had just straightened herself and was about to thank him for breaking her fall stood frozen there for a moment as she heard his excited whisper. Finally collecting herself she followed Samay’s gaze, hoping against hope that just maybe… just maybe Samay had made some mistake… And yet the next moment she found herself staring into a pair of deep brown eyes, glowing… glowing with something that… that gave way to a not very comfortable, fluttering in her stomach.

“I don’t know if you know this but he is like the LeBron James of the Indian fashion industry.” Samay whispered again. But all his comments and compliments fell on deaf ears for Khushi stared unblinkingly as her lover stood up and straightened his coat. She knew that look… it spelled disastrous trouble for her. Oblivious to all else, she saw her tormentor take measured steps in her direction. She had seen that graceful walk enough number of times to know that in that instant he was the embodiment of Devil himself. Her breath got stuck somewhere in her throat as her husband stood less than a foot from her.

“Are you alright?” he asked her in a gentle voice. Nothing out of normal about his question or his tone, it seemed just a gentlemanly gesture and yet Khushi knew better than to override her instincts that screamed at her to just disappear. Arnav Singh Raizada the passionate lover and the possessive husband not reacting to the sight of his Khushi in someone else’s arms was just too good to be true.

“And thank you Mr.?” Arnav looked directly at Samay questioningly and yet Khushi could clearly see signs of recognition in his eyes.

“Joshi. Samay Joshi. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Raizada.” he held out his hand for Arnav, before further adding,

“And what exactly are you thanking me for?” Samay asked a little doubtful of what he might hear, after all the elder Raizada was quite famous for his cynicism.

But Khushi knew. She was one hundred percent sure of what would follow and yet she hoped and prayed with all her heart that she was wrong. After all Lavanya did say that she had already told him that she didn’t want anyone at KaLa to know…

“Oh, for saving her, Khushi here. You do know that she is Khushi .Singh .Raizada, right? My . Wife.” and all her hopes of him ever understanding her crashed once again as her husband Arnav Singh Raizada staked his claim on her… very conveniently dropping the Kumari Gupta from her name.
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“No, you cannot play in our team.” Anurag, the captain of the Junior Basket Ball league of Faith Academy gave his verdict.

“But why? I qualified in the selection round and the Coach let me in.” Aarav reasoned with his senior.

“Yes Anurag, he got in fair and square.” another kid piped in, while others shook their heads in support of this claim

“No he cannot play with us, my mom said kids from good families like  us should not mix up with such boys. Just ask him his father’s name? Or leave that, just ask him what the SR stands for in his name? Anurag mocked demeaning Aarav.

 “And he calls himself ASR.” Aarav stared at him unblinkingly, his eyes stinging due to all the effort he was putting in to block the flow.

“So ASR , do you know what kids like you are called in our society or should I spell it out for you.” Anurag said menacingly. Aarav wanted to run from there, to hide somewhere so that no one could ever find him… so that no one would call him that one thing that he knew was true about him. But no, he was ASR and he wouldn’t let out these insecurities, even at barely nine his pride wouldn’t let him. And so he did not run or hide, he just stood there staring at him. The other kids had also made their distance from him, in fact some had actually taken a few steps back.

Anurag blinked his eyes, while Aarav maintained his cold stare, finally forcing his senior to look elsewhere. He then kicked the ball, catching it and then finally throwing it towards the hoop. It fell right into it. Truly saying, it wasn’t really a very difficult or heroic shot, like in the movies but making it right did mean a lot to him. He then took slow steps towards the exit of the playground, convincing himself for the nth time in his life that it didn’t matter, that he didn’t need these guys or anyone else… not even his dad. No, he was fine… because life didn’t give him a choice.
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“What the hell was Mr. Singhania thinking? How could he let Khushi work with us and that too on such an important project?” Celina groaned in frustration before continuing further,

“That young witch queen has destroyed his mental faculty, I knew it, I told you that this La bitch would destroy KaLa one day.”

“Celina, there is nothing we can do about it, so why the hell are you even fussing about it. What, are you going to go tell that ageing idiot that his fiancé is a conniving witch?” James tried to reason with her for what felt like the millionth time in the last fifteen minutes and now even the ever cool James showed some signs of irritation.”

“Oh don’t challenge me James, you know I can. And bloody hell I will. What the fuck was he thinking, she is Arnav Singh Raizada’s wife. KaLa’s biggest competitor’s fucking wife! I don’t give a fuck about this Singhania empire but I have bought twenty percent shares of KaLa with all my life’s savings and I cannot afford to lose it.”

“Celina please calm down, we’ll talk to him about it, but not like this, you need to calm down first. Okay listen, you just take the day off and relax. It’s anyway post lunch and we have nothing major lined up for now. Just relax and don’t worry I’ll inform Mr. Singhania.” but Celina didn’t even stop to acknowledge his statement and rushed out of the room, flinging her hand-bag around her shoulder with force. She stepped out, shutting the door behind her and moved towards the main entrance/exit… while the figure standing pressed against the wall near Celina’s cabin held her breath.
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For the last forty-five minutes, since the moment Arnav Singh Raizada had staked his claim on his possession, her, she had stayed locked in a stall in the ladies room, hearing to the endless taunts of the each and everyone, who were unaware of her presence. They had all cursed her for trapping a man so out of her league and then had accused her of working as an AR spy at KaLa. Some wondered if Lavanya was also involved in all this, after all she was ASR’s ex-girlfriend. In fact some even claimed to have heard Lavanya and Khushi talking about taking over KaLa.

Khushi dragged herself towards her cabin,  Koyal’s taunts still ringing in her ears. Celina’s accusations felt like a sharp slap across her face, and the sting was still there. Lost and unfocused she entered her cabin and was further distressed by the sight of her egoistic fool of a husband standing against her desk.

“What the hell Khushi! Where were you? I looked for you all over the place, I even called home to check and Lavanya is still looking around in the office.” Arnav came next to her in a flash and berated her for her childish behaviour.

“Did you have anything important you wanted to talk about Mr. Raizada, for you seem to have created a ruckus over not finding me?” she said in a flat businesslike voice.

“Khushi why are you acting like this? I was worried about uyou.” his hands reached out to cup her face, but she took a step back just then.

“See Mr. Raizada, if there is nothing work related you want to talk about, I suggest we wait until this evening.” and saying so she turned back, only to be pulled in her husband’s embrace as he locked the door and pushed her against it, pushing his body against hers, staring deep into those pools of hazel. She didn’t push him and didn't make any other physical attempt at distancing herself from him. But the very next moment he was thrown off-guard as once again her flat cold voice pierced his ears and then his heart…

“Okay Mr. Raizada, I understand your frustration but I’d expect a well educated and proficient man like you to respect the professional decorum of my work place.”

__________________________________-

To Be Continued…

Author's note: hey guys, so how was this? Comments and criticisms are always welcomed, in fact they keep me going. Oh and this is not it, there is a little surprise for you guys here, a peek into a one shot that I am working on, will probably update it in like two three days, tab tak ek jhalak...

On a Highway to Hell…

It all happened in the expanse of one day, one bloody freaking awesome day. One fucking day fucked up her entire world

She wasn’t a bad person… or a bad sister… or a bad daughter… Or so she would have said… Nope not just said but actually believed with all her heart and mind up until this morning and everyone would have vouched for her, she was more than sure. Heck, they would vouch for her even now. For they still lay wrapped in the warm cocoon of ignorance. Looking at the happy content faces of her mom and dad, she felt a sharp pang of envy and in that moment she had an epiphany, ignorance indeed was bliss, that Gray dude got this crap right and all those people who advocated knowledge were bloody sadists. Well whatever, she had seen the light and there was no going back now. Kushi Gupta had made a deal with the Devil himself…

How was it guys? Do lemme know what u thought of it. And for now I shall take my leave.

Toodles

Srija :)

Arhi SS, Chamkili: Faces.

                          FACES        
Chamikili:

Arnav Singh Raizada

Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada

Anjali Singh Raizada

Aakash Singh Raizada

Payal Singh Raizada

Devyani Singh Raizada {Nani}

Manorma Singh Raizada {Mami}

Lavanya Kashyap

Sheetal Kapoor

Aarav

Samay Joshi

James Potter

Celina Goldsmith

Dr. Krishna Sinha

Hey guys do let me know what you thought of these characters, specificaly the new ones. And yes, as more characters come along I'll keep adding those to the list.

Arhi SS: Chamkili. Part 9- 'Laying the Groundwork'

Hey Guys, this has been written in almost one go and I have not even read it twice, so please forgive the typos. Anyway here is the update, hope you guys like it, please do let me know.

                                 Laying The Groundwork...

Samay noticed Khushi’s bent head, her continuous mumbling and her nervous fingers wrapping and unwrapping the duppata around her fingers, she looked adorable and he couldn’t help a slight smile from taking residence on his handsome visage. He saw James’s twisted smirk and right then he knew what was to follow, well ofcourse he did, after seven years of his friendship with James he would know at least that much, wouldn’t he?

James then turned towards Celina, who herself was sporting a slight smile on her face. Lavanya had told her that they could trust Khushi on this project, but Celina had had her qualms about this recruitment and they were valid ones, considering Khushi didn’t have any form of formal training or degree, in fact even Mr. Singhania had shared her doubts but he had had to put his guns down in front of his much younger and if you asked Celina much shrewder fiancée. But she would have to give it to Lavanya, Khushi seemed promising and the best part was, the promise in her was so very unique, one of a kind probably and the no formal degree thing probably played a part here.

“Okay guys now as our colleague Khushi has very accurately pointed out, the fact is that there is indeed nothing extraordinary about these clothes.” James paused for a moment, smiling at Khushi as she stared at him wide-eyed. He then continued,

“So that’s the challenge people, we have to find a way to add that missing bit of extra to the ordinary.” James finished his little speech as others busily took down notes.  

“But remember these clothes are daily-wears so the fancy frilly stuff has to be to the bare minimum, we’ll probably have to invent some new techniques here, its not gonna be easy. Other factors that we need to keep in mind are the climatic conditions of Europe and particularly Spain and choose the textile material likewise. Also the fact that our clients want to hire an Indian firm for this job means that they obviously want some Indian ethnic touches to these designs.” Celina finished highlighting some of the major pointers of the project and then signaled Samay to takeover from there.

“Now James and Celina have already said most of it, so I am just going to add a little bit here. Now as you all know the project is quite profitable, and not just financially but otherwise too, as this would mean opening of a new market for us. The Armada’s is a huge firm and is perfect for launching KaLa into the Spanish markets, and this stands true for many other Indian firms as well, so it goes without saying that we have very tough competitors in the run for this project. And well it goes without saying that the contract goes to the lowest bidder.  Hence, apart from designs and textile and other such stuff we also need to focus on cost management. So guys we need to hunt for cheaper stuff but the compromise on quality has to be minimal and designers we’ll need your special assistance over here for whatever little flaws the textiles might have the supremacy of designs needs to cover it. In short we need to get the best designs done on okayish textiles.” he bestowed a sexy smile particularly on his female companions sitting in the conference room before continuing further,

“Okay people I am not going to bore all you creative types with my bland money talk, Celina and I will be handling the financial aspect of this project so we’ll be in constant touch with you guys but for now moving ahead I would now request my co-project manager, the lovely lady in blue to start with her presentation.” saying that he winked at Khushi making her realize that she was the lovely lady in blue. She blushed a little feeling somewhat uncomfortable but then moved to the centre and started with her presentation,

“ Samyji, Jamesji, Celinaji, Koyalji, Rishabji, Sonalji…” all the eyes were now rounded and fixed on Khushi, Koyal and Priya were in fact trying hard to control their erupting giggles, while a playful smile played at Samay’s lips… and surprisingly this time it reached his eyes.

“…Abhayji, aap sab ko hamari taraf se namaste.” Khushi smiled broadly at all he co-workers before continuing further.

“So my presentation is about the Indian ethnic wear and frankly speaking I don’t really know a lot about designing and I am really nervous right now.” she said while wiping a thin layer of sweat off of her forehead, and resumed once again whilst stammering a bit initially.

“So… I… I… Oh yes I am here to talk about the chicken-kari, an exquisite Lucknowvi specialty. Okay so the basics first, two most important things about Chicken-kari are, the compatibility as well as the contrast between the thread used and the ground fabric. What I mean is you cannot use very thick thread on a silk cloth, while on cotton almost all threads work, also the color contrast between the base material and the thread is indeed very essential. And I won’t speak much about color coordination for all of you sitting over here would have better knowledge of such technical intricacies than me, as for me, anything that appeals my eye, mostly clothes with gotas stitched to it.” She then started pairing various fabrics with suitable threads, while talking about the uniqueness of each. A few minutes later Celina interrupted her,

“Khushi don’t you think this silken fabric a little fragile gor this thread, it might rupture the cloth.” Celina said pointing towards a particular combination.

Khushi instantly realized her mistake.

“Oh I am sorry Celinaji, this must have slipped unnoticed, I’ll be more careful next time.” Khushi apologized and corrected the combination, while Celina smiled and patted a shoulder lightly. The meeting then continued as everyone pitched in their ideas for the project. Khushi sat there a little excited and a little bewildered…
_____________________________________

“Are you hundred percent sure about this?” Sheetal frowned slightly as she heard whatever the person at the other end of the phone line was saying.

“Okay just keep track of all the happenings around this and keep me informed.” She said in a conclusive tone and then kept down the phone before dialing once again,

“Yes Sneha, could you please tell me whether or not Arnav is free right now, I need to discuss something important with him. Please set up a meeting at the earliest possible.” she asked Arnav’s PA. She knew better than to call him on his mobile or his office line directly, she needed to maintain a completely professional front, it was very important for her plan.

“I am sorry ma’am but he is not in his office.”

“Does he have an appointment or a meeting some place else?”

“I am sorry ma’am but I have no idea as he got his schedule cleared for the next two hours, so its probably not work related, I guess its personal.”

Sheetal felt a little sting in her heart on hearing this, for she had a faint idea what this ‘personal thing’ could probably be. Well there was nothing she could really do about it and so she decided to wait those two hours, she’ll see him then, and anyway she needed to think this through, her plan needed to be flawless, the stakes were too high. But the real question was, did she really want to do this…
_____________________________

“Hey Khushi, Mr. Singhania wants to see you in his office.” Samay informed Khushi who was busy discussing the design plans with Koyal and Abhay.

“Oh! Okay! Koyalji Abhayji I am sorry that I have to leave in the middle of this but we can continue once I get back, until then could you both please think of some color combinations for the chicken-kari garments and we can discuuss the cuts and designs once I get back.” Khushi asked a little apologetically.

“Yeah sure!” Koyal replied while Abhay just nodded his assent. Khushi then moved towards Mr. Singhani’s office and soon Samay catchedup with her.

“Samayji I know where the office is, you don’t need to follow me, I won’t get lost.” Khushi smiled at Samay walking beside her, not too close but not far as well.

“Oh right! I just keep forgetting that you are not eight anymore.” he smiled at her before quickly adding,

“Nothing much has changed though.” he then winked at her.

“Ji?” Khushi frowned in confusion. He smiled and said,

“Nothing.” Well flirting with someone who had no clue about flirting was actually kind of lame.

“ So, how is Payal?”

“Jiji is fine. She is also married now and the best part is we are both married in the same family. It’s like a dream come true, you know I always thought that we’ll both be separated once we got married but…” Khushi kept rambling on but Samay was no longer with her, he was sixteen again and back in Lucknow, and lost in those beautiful dark eyes that were looking down coyly as she struggled to control her deep blushes and that shy smile that lingered on those beautiful lips despite her best effort to control it. She was a vision, a vision so enchanting and breathtaking that his mind was often tempted to conjure her image when he was alone. He wondered if things would have been different had he not left Lucknow all those years ago or had come back sooner to claim what was his. Well it was useless wondering and Samay Joshi did not indulge in anything that utterly useless. He was brought back to present as the peon’s shoulder crashed into his, Khushi was still busy rambling about her in-laws and her sister, he cut her in,

“So Khushi, what did you say your husband’s name was?”

“Ji Arnavji.” she blushed a little at the mention of his name.

“And your and Payal’s husband’s are brothers, you said right?”

“Hmmm.”

“So do all of you live in the same house?”

“Yes. Maniji, Mamiji, Di, Jiji, Jiju, Arnavji, me, Hari Prakashji, Om Prakashji and lakshmi. Actually there is also mamaji, Jiji’s sasur, but he has been away for quite sometime now.” Khushi chatted happily.

“Oh that’s must me nice, I am sure. So what are your husband’s like, I can tell your Arnavji is really amazing by the twinkle in your eyes.”

Khushi smiled coyly at this, she couldn’t bring herself to talk about Arnav at this point and so she just started talking about the awesome life, she was pretty sure her Jiji and Jijaji had.

“Aakash Jijaji is also great, he loves Jiji so much. And he is a very nice man, level headed and very dedicated towards his work and family, he also helps Arnavji with the business.” Samay couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of jealousy, they all had each other while he was alone in this world, all alone.
__________________________

Aakash sat beside a conscious and fidgety Payal, truth be told he himself was no less nervous. He looked at his wife and squeezed her hand trying to reassure her, she struggled to smile at him… to smile for him.

“Mrs. Payal Singh Raizada.” the peon called stepping into the hallway.

“Yes.” Aakash replied on her behalf.

“The doctor will see her now.” the peon said signaling towards the cabin. Aakash and Payal stepped towards the cabin.

“Hello doctor. Aakash Singh Raizada and this is my wife Payal.” he shook the doctor’s hand and took his seat while Payal folded her hands n a quite namaste before taking her seat.

“So Mr. and Mrs. Raizada, how can I help you?”

Payal’s head was still bowed as she felt her husband give her hand a comfortable squeeze once again.

“Well the thing is that we have been trying for a child for quite sometime now but…” he felt a little uncomfortable and so left the sentence hanging.

“Ok, how long have you been trying? Well the thing is the younger generation nowadays is so habituated to everything instant that they don’t realize that somethings just take sometime and its just normal.” she looked at the couple sitting across the table.

“Well I know that Dr. Sinha but it really been a while now, in fact we have been trying for almost six months.” Aakash looked a little exasperated and did a very poor job a hiding it from the two women in the room.
____________________________

Khushi realized that she had been continuously rambling and apologized for it, Samay just smiled at her and joked about how it was just a side-effect of womanhood. Truth be told, Khushi was actually beginning to feel very comfortable around him, so very herself in such a short span of time that thinking about it now, she was quite surprised at herself. And to think that just yesterday she had almost literally ran for her life on seeing Samayji in KaLa. Was it a sense a familiarity and belonging you felt when you met another brown skinned Indian in a far off country, say England. Well she did realize that it indeed had a lot to do with her Arnavji. In fact the way he had maturely handled her little panic attack last night had made her realize just how stupid she was being about this whole crush thing. Wow she did it again, she smacked her head mentally as she realized that this entire morning she had been calling her Laad Governor names for the same mature response that she was praising right now. As she neared Mr. Singhania’s office she wondered if everyone’s brain was as messed up as hers or Devi Maiya had shown her some extra love in that department. Well, the latter seemed more probable.

Lost in her thoughts Khushi didn not see the slightly raised ground near the cabin door and stumbled on it. She closed her eyes anticipating the fall, as well as the physical pain and the social embarrassment that would normally follow a fall, but none came. To her astonishment she felt two strong hands grasp her around her waist…

That was how Arnav Singh Raizada saw his wife when he turned towards the door following Mr. Singhania’s gaze… he saw his wife in the arms of ANOTHER MAN…

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: Ok so while at home I have nothing much to do and so I started watching IPk from the beginning for the fourth time (oh yes I have all the episodes saved on my Lappy :) ) and thats when I realized that there are many factors and many plots and sub-plots and major and minor characters that made IPK a sensation. And I wanted to attempt to bring that back... if I am successful to bring even one percent of the old IPK back , my work's done :) So this chapter was mainly about laying the groundwork for all that is to follow and believe me friends there is a lot. So please do let me know what you thought of this update, your response keeps me motivated :)

Love,

Srija :)

Arhi ff Chamkili. Ch-8B. 'That Which is Unsaid'-2

                                                  

Hey guys, this chapter here goes out to my friend Lara, for literally forcing the story out of me. Lara believe me when I say this story wouldn't have been going on if not for you. Love you dear :)

                                                                Ch-8B  

                          That Which is Unsaid      

      "Why me Devi Maiya? Why Me?"

 Khushi finally let out a frustrated growling plea as this silent contemplation was getting too much for her. She was supposed to meet her project team in less than an hour and she was still struggling with a colorful mountain of ground fabric that needed to be coupled with suitable threads, which was... well just another heap of unorganized mess. Khushi knew that chickankari was no child's play and when working for a reputed fashion house one could never be too sure or too perfect and was also aware of her highly unprofessional behavior and in fact hated herself for it, but then she was helpless, for the thoughts of a certain Rakshasha Laad Governor just wouldn't leave her alone. She desperately needed her tension buster, her darling jalebis, unleashing all her tangled thoughts into the twisted knots of her favorite sweet, whether  or not anyone got it but jalebi making was cathartic for her. But then again she couldn't risk being branded 'the Sankadevi of KaLa', it was a little too soon for that. While cursing the bane of her existence Raizada she shuffled her jhola and pulled out a box of chana, finally sighing in relief.

Last night she had been petrified, oh yes as much as the Rakshasha loved her, cherished her with a passion worthy of a prince charming, the fact remained that he was after all the Rakshasha of her life. And so when she had come face to face with her past she was shaken, quite literally in fact and had ended up hallucinating about the multiple ways he could, or better still, multiple ways he most definitely WOULD torture her, using methods, which if you asked her were as plausible as Arnav Singh Raizada murdering her with a pechkas and Salman Khan offering his condolences on her death. But then when she had finally come clean, confessing her past sins, he had done the one thing she had never imagined in her wildest of dreams he would do, he had laughed. Laughed in that honest child-like manner, for her it was nothing short of magical and so she had stood there, spellbound in that moment, forgetting the regrets of her past and disregarding whatever their future held. But if she could revisit the moment, she most definitely would and for reasons more than just wanting to hear him laugh again. She would then , hear him laugh once again but then when  he stopped she would ask him, why did he feel like laughing? Why was his response so different from hers? For she had almost died of jealousy when she had come to know of Sheetalji and his past but knowing about Samayji didn't seem to bother him at all, so then was she too immature for him, were they not as compatible as she thought they were? But then he had been jealous of Nanheji, oh yes she was sure of it, so then why not now? Or... or maybe he just didn't love her anymore... But before she could pursue this thought any further Celina knocked at her cabin door updating her about the meeting in twenty minutes and a hassled Khushi was back to her heap of unsorted textile and tangled threads.

The meeting started with Celina and James' combined presentation on the current fashion trends in the European market with special focus on Spain, they showed some images of the ethnic Spanish male and female costumes but then soon James added

"But well this is not exactly what our buyers are looking for, their target this time is the everyday wear, here are some pictures to give you a better idea." And Celina put on a slide show of people at malls and offices and parks and pubs.

"So guys any comments?" asked Celina after the slide-show was over. And all was quiet for a while as everyone raked their brains trying to figure out what it was that they were missing. And just then Khushi blurted,

"Its nothing extraordinary!" it was the first thing that came to her mind and honestly speaking she didn't really intend on saying that out loud, she was, well just thinking aloud. All heads turned towards her and with raised eyebrows and slight tilt of her head Celina signalled Khushi to continue further. A wave of panic engulfed Khushi as she wrapped the end of her dupatta around her finger and wondered if what she said offended Celina or James in anyway, she knew that they were the most experienced professionals in their team, what if the designs they had just shown were in fact designed by them. And in that moment of utter helplessness she turned towards the only familiar face in that entire room, Samay Joshi. She didn't know why she felt a little guilt somewhere deep within while turning towards him for some semblance of moral support... a little bit of warmth in that cold board room. Samay smiled at her and that smile urged her to go on. But that wasn't enough for her, nobody ever was... she needed him, her Arnavji in that moment, right by her side, holding her, filling her with his essence, his warmth, his power. She knew he would come to her aid whenever she needed him and' he did. Closing her eyes she smiled a little as her Arnavji made an appearance in front of her mind's eye, and she knew everything will be alright.

"Celinaji, Jamesji I didn't mean to offend anyone and I am sorry if I did, Devi Maiya ki kasam it was totally unintentional. All I wanted to say was just that I see people wearing dresses like these everyday, jeans, skirts, t-shirts and the likes, there was nothing new about these designs. But then again I hardly know about the technicalities of designing..." she trailed off.

Samay smiled at her response, he had always known that she had that something in her... something that with a little push could lead to great things. And he for one had always acknowledged and admired that spunk in her. For a moment there he was taken back in time when he was a 12^th grader and she was probably in her 4^th grade, and a certain teacher, Mrs. Prakash probably had made it her business to lure students to her private tuitions guaranteeing them better marks in exams if they joined her private classes and when Khushi had found about the same, she had made heaven and hell meet fighting against the injustice. Samay could still see the almost impractical verging on stupid valor in her, only Khushi could inspire  in him the contradictory emotions of respect and pity at the same time... this woman was an enigma and Samay found himself getting helplessly drawn towards her... He found himself wondering what her husband was like...

Author's Note: Hi guys, so once again too little, too late, huh? But yarron life has taken a really tough turn and out of no where I find myself living in a flat with a friend, trying to manage everything on our own, and well that is after five years of continuous DU hostels. Anyway, I am slightly tired of all the cooking and cleaning and m hence headed home for the next 20 days. Now I am not sure if the internet would work well over there, but if it does I would be updating the 3rd part of 'Untouched' very soon followed by 'Tangent Worlds'. Finally I just want to say, sorry for the ramanchi regarding the teaser, I was having some fun guys 

Love Srija