Arhi SS: Highway to Hell. Part 2.

                                  Highway to Hell

                                    

                                   Part 2

                                                         

It took her another few seconds to realize that his hand still rested on the curve of her waist and staring in her eyes he seemed completely oblivious to it. She gave another smile and then moved her hitherto fixed on him gaze to the conjunction where his slightly dark hand was molded around her olive colored waist. Following hers, his gaze also came to stop at the erotic sight and enamored by it, his brain took a few seconds longer to register the inappropriateness of it, at which point he finally took his hand off her, a little too reluctantly though.

“I am sorry.” He said in a straight voice.

“Why?” she asked in a husky tone, a loop-sided smile and the quirk of an eyebrow followed. Her eyes twinkling like a novice’s who had just had his first taste to heroin.

He frowned at her and she wondered if she glimpsed anger mixed with slight discomfort in his eyes. ‘Was he judging her? Did he belong to the group of men who believe that sensuality was a whorish trait and than only sluts smiled at strangers? Well, she had to admit that it was a possibility for such men were in majority in… well everywhere. Did he know her father?’ Her thoughts were running at the speed of infinity per second but it was at the last thought that she finally panicked. ‘For god’s sake what the hell was wrong with her? She was at her house, at her sister’s engagement and was blatantly flirting with a stranger. She needed to do some damage control right that moment.’

“I… I mean you saved me, I should be thanking you for that and here you are apologizing for no reason.” she offered him a shy smile. When he still seemed off, she wondered if the damage done was irreversible. ‘What if he discloses their little adventure to her dad? Will she be forced to get married to some mamma’s boy in the same mandap as her Jiji? Will she do it?’ It was a fact universally acknowledged that Khushi’s imagination competed with light for a speed championship and that no clear winner had been announced in the last twenty-two years. Was that about to change now, for in the next moment she pictured her self wrapped in a red saree, sitting demurely next to a faceless man, while Payal sat adjacent to her in a similar red saree and with a similar faceless man.

“I… I was wondering if you are from the bride’s side or the groom’s side?” she tried to initiate small talk once again but her slight stammering gave away her obvious nervousness… well, obvious to him at least. He was a smug smart man, the two titles often competing for precedence. And finally he bestowed a loop-sided smirk on her.

“Well, neither actually, miss?”

“Khushi. Khushi Gupta.” She replied, trying to reign in her frayed nerves. He smiled in acknowledgement and gaining a little courage from that she continued,

“Yes, actually I am the bride’s sister. But you never introduced your self.”

“I am the manager of the firm that is catering for the event.” He smiled in a polite manner and Khushi let out a sigh of relief. And of course, nothing went unnoticed by him.

“Pardon me, I don’t mean to pry, but I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying just now. He must be a terrible person whoever he is, I am sure. And I am not sure, but I thought you were referring to your sister’s fiancé. I was just wondering that if he is so wrong for her then how and why exactly is this wedding happening?” His voice laced with sincerity… over flowing with it in fact.

Khushi belonged to that sub species of humans who weaved stories… Nah, she loved to weave stories around anyone and anything that had the misfortune of crossing paths with her. Nothing out of ordinary there! The crazy bit was, she also belonged to that little sub-sub-section who voiced… nah, loved to voice their crazy stories. And so when the opportunity presented itself, she decided to go for one of her crazy rides and take the deliciously handsome stranger with her. This was going to be fun. But, of course she had no idea how much.

“You see Mr.?”

“Singh.”

“Yeah, so you see Mr. Singh, I should not be telling you this but then there is absolutely no one with whom I can talk about this and keeping it inside is getting just so difficult, in fact impossible with every passing day.” Khushi turned away from him and then sighed dramatically before continuing further.

“But for some reason I just cannot hold it back anymore and don’t they say that at times it is so much better to talk to strangers, to open yourself up to someone distant for those who know you just don’t care or even want to understand.” She added a slight sniff as a prelude to her story.

“Mr. Raizada.” He arched his brow at her in question. Khushi wondered if she had seen some shock there initially. But not giving it a second thought, she just continued without missing a beat.

“Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada, my Jiji’s fiancé.” She said in a way of expaination.

“Oh, right!”

“He saw my Jiji at a golgappa stall last week and lost his mind.” Khushi gave a dramatic pause, expecting the handsome stranger to say something. But the fact that he didn’t did nothing to dishearten her and she continued,

“I don’t blame him, my Jiji is exceptionally beautiful and anyone can fall for her. But there is a limit to any kind of madness and this man… he has crossed every limit imaginable. First, he pursued my Jiji and asked her out, but she politely denied him. Then, he went to my parents and asked for her hand in marriage and my Jiji begged him to leave her alone and that she was in a relationship with Jai and yet, this stone of a man pursued her relentlessly. He even went to the extent of purchasing majority shares in my Dad’s firm and then blackmailed my family with it.” She once again halted, stifling a little sniff in her duppatta and then turned her back to him.

“What choice did she have? She, in fact all of us had to bend to the manipulations of that vile man. Bloody uncleji!” At that she once again turned towards her singular and singularly handsome audience. Her voice laced with anger and yet, the mischievous twinkle didn’t escape Mr. Singh’s sharp eyes.

“I offer my condolences, Miss Gupta. I am sure he must be a very despicable man, your Jiji’s fiancé, your Brother-in-law. What did you say his name was?”

“ASR” Arnav… Khushi was unable to finish as another voice overlapped with hers.

“Arnavji!”

Payal came to stand right beside her and Khushi took a moment to comprehend that Payal had taken the name of ‘he who shouldn’t be named’… well at least not with such respect and tenderness. And where was he anyway? Payal was not the shouting types, she was very soft spoken, so Khushi craned her neck and looked around nearby, analyzing every face in the vicinity and yet, no one seemed to fit the image that she had created and so she looked at her sister for some hint when she saw her looking at someone. And following her gaze… her eyes finally met his… for the second time that evening… a hazy barrier between hazel greens and chocolate browns… the haze cleared and realization dawned… 

Loads of love,

Srija :)

Arhi FF: Chamkili. Part 13- 'A Plan and Another Plan'

                                Chamkili

                                                Part-13       

  A Plan and Another Plan...

Sheetal looked around her new apartment. It was an apartment with two bedrooms, a drawing room and a spacious kitchen. The apartment was more than just decent, lying some where between decently spacious and well furnished to luxurious but subtly so, not the blatant grandness of Shantivann. She liked it in fact. The only problem was it lacked something or rather someone crucial. There would be time to dwell over her miseries soon, but at the moment she needed to be focused on the little boy who was slumped on the couch, uninterested in his surroundings… lost in fact. That’s not how an eight year old responds to a new house.

Sheetal had struggled her way through motherhood. There was no lover to hold her hand in the delivery room as she screamed and cried. There were no mothers or mother-in-laws to guide her through it… to tell her that she needs to support her baby’s head while holding him. There were no sisters and sister-in-laws to tell her that when an infant cried it didn’t always mean he was hungry… no one to whisper soothing words in her ears when her baby got his first anti-viral shot… or to accompany her to his school for his first PTA meeting. No, she had to learn everything on her own. She was just thankful that Aarav was not a very difficult child. Even as an infant, he would only cry and seek her attention when in utter discomfort. And as he grew, he learnt to live by himself as well. He wouldn’t fight with the other kids in the park and then run over to her for protection. He wouldn’t cry in front of her when other kids would hit him or whine to make her read him a bed-time-story. He wouldn’t ask his mother to take an off on his birthday and bake him a chocolate cake or to take him to Disney-land. No, he understood her situation, their situation and adapted to it. He had grown to be as independent a kid as he could be. And sometimes, like right now, Sheetal would look at her son, lost in his own world and wonder that if she disappeared right this moment would he even notice that she was gone? She still couldn’t find an answer and that unsettled her. Finally unable to take it anymore she headed to her room, a little physical distance was easier to handle than immeasurable emotional distance.
_____________________________________

“Whatever you say Khushi, I am fine with any destination you choose.” Arnav said as he opened a cabinet drawer in his office, searching for a file while speaking to his wife over the phone.

“Arnavji, please help me here, I don’t know anything about these things and on their online tourism pages every single destination promised to be heaven on earth.” Khushi said, A little irritation evident in her voice as her husband’s nonchalance had irked her a bit.

“Khushi, seriously just pick any place you like and I’ll arrange everything. Believe me it’s all the same, crowded beaches or swarming mountains; packed churches or crammed museums. Just pick any place and make it fast, I’ll have to give Aman instructions for arrangements.” He said, finally finding the file and then coming back to his desk.

“Arnavji, why are you being like this? I am taking so much pains for our holiday, scrolling through the internet pages and looking for authentic sources and asking people’s opinion and… Well, you know what, let’s just forget about. And anyway I have just started with my job and you are clearly too busy…” She couldn’t continue further as she felt a lump growing in her throat and she was pretty sure that those treacherous tears would soon betray her. She was about to disconnect the call when she heard his pleading voice.

“Khushi, Khushi listen to me, I didn’t mean it that way. The thing is just that these holiday destinations have always seemed quite tedious to me and believe me I really don’t have any specific preferences as such…” But he was cut short as his wife regaining her composure a little bit had cut in.

“It’s really okay Arnavji. I know you are a very busy man and I wouldn’t want to be a distraction of any sort. And I understand that what you said last night was probably just pillow talk and I took it too seriously (and made a fool of myself, she though to herself.). Don’t worry I won’t hold your words against you. It’s really fine.” Though hurt, she wanted to make the situation light.

“Khushi, you are getting me all wrong. Of course I want us to spend some time together alone and afar from the official or domestic environment. It’s just that all I really need is…” he paused for a bit and then his eyes held a teasing glint and the next he spoke his voice was husky and his tone teasing.

“… a comfortable room, a sturdy bed and YOU, sweetheart. These are the prerequisites, all else is manageable. Oh, and ground rules we won’t be spending much of our time outside the room so it really doesn’t matter where we go.” Arnav knew his magic was working as he could hear her heartbeats constantly accelerating, in complete sync with his… Hamesha.

“Arnavji… aap… hum… wo hum… wo.” Her cheeks were stained as was her nose, and if they didn’t give her away, the glazed look in her eyes would surely do the trick.

“Any questions Khushi?” He asked, his voice still husky and his tone dripping with mirth. “Well, let me elaborate, an AC because well, I am used to it. The bed has to be sturdy, because when we were barely warming up and testing the fields, we broke a bed, so now that things are really in action and the cricket match is on, we should be more careful. And finally, my dear wife, I need you… to ravish again and again and again, testing the sturdiness of the bed and challenging it. What do you say to that?” he smirked imagining the three Os on the face of his blushing bride.

“Arnavji please stop. We can’t talk about all this over the phone.” He heard her breathless plea.

“Baby, I haven’t even started yet. And believe me we can do a lot more over the phone.” He paused but as he had expected, he didn’t hear anything but her errant breathing. And the next moment she had disconnected the call. Arnav had a cocky smile on his face, proud of the fact that he could fluster her, arouse her so much even on the phone. Arnav made a mental note to call her more often; he enjoyed a flustered Khushi way too much to resist. He wondered what her response would be to dirty talking. He couldn’t wait to give her lessons on that.
_________________________________________

It had been more than a minute that Lavanya had entered Khushi’s cabin and she was still to notice that 5”6 figure standing right in front of her desk. The blush stained cheeks and glazed eyes told Lavanya more than she wanted to know and couldn’t help but smile a little at her Chamkili’s condition.

Well, Khushi had been working at Kala for over a week now, and though the initial response of everyone was very friendly, but since her husband had pulled that stunt in her office, things had gone pretty much down-hill from there. Lavanya was more than glad that she was there for Chamkili for except her everyone in the office was barely formal with her. Every single person openly distrusted her and was secretly jealous of her. Her team-mates were in fact worse than others, most of them barely speaking to her, and some even hostile to her. Khushi hadn’t said anything to anyone but Lavanya had taken things in her hand and given everyone except Celina James and Samay an earful. The external hostility had ceased then, but of course the impact was limited to external hostility only and that was an open secret. Celina and James though conscious of her were at least cordial and Samay, being the absolute delight that he was, was the only one who was genuinely friendly with her, helping her through all the obstacles of this professional world, when she wasn’t there. Despite all, she was happy for her friend because naivety, charming as it may seem, wasn’t really a thing to cherish for life. And the inhospitable circumstances at the office were in fact just what Khushi needed, to get a taste of the real world. She needed to know it for she would have to face it, if not today then tomorrow, so why delay the inevitable. And here at least Lavanya was there to guide her through all this. Their friendship had shone brighter than ever in these last few days. A girl-friend was definitely a must for every girl.

Deciding that she had waaited long enough and that it was time to snap Khushi out of it, she cleared her throat a little loudly and her Chamkili was back with her.

“Umm, Lavanyaji when did you come? I…I was just thinking about something… I mean some new designs. How about we design something in a combination of red and pink?” Khushi blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

“That’s a great idea Khushi…” Lavanya paused for a bit and saw Khushi in the process of exhaling a breath of relief and so quipped suddenly,

“Only, we already have two designs in the red and pink combination and to top it all it was already your idea.” Lavaya had a knowing smile on her face.

“Wo, Lavanya ji I… I was just thinking about… I wo…” Khushi was struggling to frame a coherent sentence and so Lavanya finally came to her rescue.

“Khushi, believe me I really don’t want to know what you a thinking about. Of course I do have a fair enough idea of what it might be, but I’d rather not scandalize my innocent mind with details, especially during the office hours.” Lavanya finished with a sly smile on her face and Khushi all but burned with embarrassment. Now, Lavaya would have loved to take thid=s forward but right now she was way too busy to continue. She hadn’t even had a mani-pedi this entire week so…

“Okay okay, now stop blushing, I have to tell you something important. Actually, the client meeting with that Spanish firm that was to happen today, it has been postponed to Monday and Mr. Kapoor said that the client has demanded that the entire designing team be present in the meeting. So, yeah that’s it. Okay then I’ll see your in the team meeting later. Bye” And saying that she turned and left.

Had she stayed even a second longer, she would have seen the blush disappear from Khushi’s face as it paled in shock. For, just about a minute ago Arnavji had called her to inform that their tickets to Paris were done and they would be leaving the next day for their week long holiday. Now, with the meeting on Monday, Khushi didn’t know what to do and worst of all she felt terrified imagining the ways Arnav might react to this new piece of information.
___________________________________________

Arnav felt like he was at the top of the world. Just the thought of spending an entire week with his wife in a far away country had him giddy with excitement. Not too long ago he had informed Khushi about their final bookings and had also like a thorough gentleman made her aware of all the plans that he had for their honeymoon and of course every single one involved her and a sturdy bed. Well, sturdy tables, chairs, shower stalls, walls and doors would also do, after all these were variables, she was the only constant in his life as well as his fantasies.

Someone knocked at the cabin door and he all but grumbled a very reluctant come-in. Sheetal walked in with a small smile on her face and after they had exchanged pleasantries, Sheetal then gave him some papers for his signatures. He was flipping through these papers, conscious to go through every single one of them, while having a light conversation with Sheetal about her new flat and Aarav. The last sheet remained now and Arnav frowned slightly as he wasn’t aware of what the paper said.

“Sheetal, what is this.”

“Oh sorry, I had thought that I would talk to you about it befor giving out the papers but I guess it just slipped my ming. Actually Arnav, I remember you saying that you wanted AR to focus extensively on its developing over-seas market and so when a friend of mine told me about this, I thought I might as well just ask you.”

Arnav was busy going through the paper. It was fairly simple Arnav decided as he picked up the pen. Well, of course he’d have to run a background check on this company before taking any final decisions and since the papers only required him to give his official permission for a formal presentation. He would go through the designs later, he decided. Well, he was absolutely sure of Sheetals capability as far as designing was concerned.

Sheetal collected the papers and then walked out of the room, now an evil smile on her face.

To be continued...
Love,
Srija :)

New Arhi SS: Highway to Hell. Part 1.

           Highway to Hell…

Current Day:
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 after all. And all those people who advocated knowledge were bloody sadists. Well whatever, she had seen the light and there was no going back now. Khushi Gupta had made a deal with the Devil himself…

One Month Ago:

“Jiji, are you absolutely sure about this?” she stood there listening to whatever hr Jiji had to say and then continued.

“Jiji, promise me you are not doing this under any kind of pressure.”

“Okay Jiji, if you say so, I’ll just take your word for it... for now. Anyways I’ll be there in a weeks time, we’ll talk then and I want to know everything, such evasive lines wouldn’t do then, okay?” she kept her phone down and for the millionth time in the past month pondered over the name, Raizada. But there was nothing that she could do about it, not for a while at least, not from New-York.
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One Week Ago:

It wasn’t until the next month that Khushi finally arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Her family was there to receive her however, she had also expected a certain Mr. Raizada to be there, after all wasn’t he her would be Jeejaji? And wasn’t he supposed to pamper her and win her favors and all that crap they showed in cheesy Bollywood movies. Was he really the Dickhead, her initial instinct had said he was? Well, she’ll find out now and pretty soon too, for now that she was in Delhi, where would he go? Or as they say, he could run but he could not hide. And if he was going to get married to her darling Jiji, then he’d have to impress a certain Khushi Kumari Gupta first. And with just one week left for their wedding she would have to be quick with both the planning and the execution.

It was time for their face-off finally, Khushi Kumari Gupta would soon meet Arnav Singh Raizada… a bloody sister stealer.

“What the hell is wrong with these people?” Khushi wondered for the millionth time in the space of just two hours. She could hardly believe that all the over-dramatic crap that she had only seen in Karan Johar’s and Yash Raj’s cinema {which btw, she was forced to watch, first by her Khan crazy sister and later by her best friend, NK, who was also well, a Khan maniac} was actually happening right in front of her eyes, in her own bloody house. “Why the hell was everything so pink and blue?” And the color theme that had been finalized for the wedding didn’t give her much respite either… “Red and gold… like really? Could it get anymore Ekta Kapoorish?” And then there were all these aunties and uncles, who had nothing better to do but try and fix her up with theirs sons or their son’s cousins or their son’s cousin’s cousin, well practically any single man in his mid twenties, who shared community ties with her. Khushi was tolerating all this madness for the only person whose big deer eyes and puppy-dog pout could get her to do practically anything… her elder sister Payal Gupta. And well, also there was this added motivation of meeting her Jeejaji, well actually the eagerness was melting a bit too fast since  this evening, a man who would agree for an arranged marriage and especially these bloody pink and blue drapes shouldn’t be all that hard to figure out.

She got a mock-tail from the bar. She wasn’t stupid enough to drink in front of her very puritanical parents, who had of course set up a bar on the occasion for what would the society people say otherwise, but would never in this life approve of their daughters even smelling it… typical! Hiding it was an option but then Khushi was not an addict, no, she knew how to keep things under control and so the risk out-weighing pleasure, made it a non-profitable option. Rebellion, on the other hand, though fine sometimes was mostly just stupid and Khushi for one always preferred the smart way. So, there she was, at the bar, swirling her drink and giving some final touches to that faceless image she had been building up the whole day. Her sister had outright denied her any pictures for she said it would build up the suspense. “Suspense my ass!” She mumbled irritably. Payal could really get on your nerves sometimes; she just hoped that the loser she was marrying could handle it. Well, Payal could deny her the picture, but Khushi had a very functional sense of logic and a very creative imagination which she put to work right that moment. 

‘Suits, well what was a business man without his suit; spectacles, probably square and gold-rimmed as of-course nothing portrayed intelligence and maturity better than a defective eye-sight; a little bit of a pouch, now didn’t it signify prosperity; and then the cherry on top, the widely prevalent and highly idealized ‘yes mom’ attitude, for who else would agree to such ridiculous color schemes.’ She didn’t realize when her silent contemplation turned into audible mumbling and neither did she notice the shadowy frame behind her.

“Jiji said he is 31, must be some uncleji type and of course, who else agrees to a marriage without even dating for a bit? Poor Jiji, Devi Maiya knows what she is settling for and she is so young, barely 24 and getting married to some bloody uncleji. So unfair!”  Khushi was busy grumbling and failed to notice the stern gaze narrowed on her. Lost in her thoughts, she also failed to see the slightly raised platform and tripped, expecting cold floor, she clenched her eyes but instead felt a warm presence around her.

She slowly opened her eyes. Sure she wasn’t falling anymore, but now she was drowning… both helpless and happy she didn’t even attempt to fake a struggle as those chocolate brown orbs threatened to consume her. His eyes narrowed over hers and hers flickered in response. A little too far-gone already she took a moment to collect herself and then finally straightened her body moving out of his arm’s circle. ‘Was there a little reluctance she felt in his body?’ Khushi mused.

A little physical distance was much needed to make her brain functional again and once it was at her disposal she finally gave the Adonis in front of her a once-over. ‘My my! Things aren’t looking too bad now, are they? Seems like I just stumbled over my spice choice of the week.’ And with that thought she smirked sexily at the devilishly sexy and she could bet, deliciously yummy young man in front of her.

AN: Hey Guys! Now, this is going to be a short one. six to eight parts long and very concrete. I have decided to make it more action oriented this time. Well, actions are rendered implausible and in fact impossible without emotions, so there will definitely be an exploration of that as well. However, compared to my other stories, this one will be fast and focused. Hope you guys will like it. Do let me know what you thought of it.

Love,

 Srija :) 

Arhi ff: Chamkili. Ch-12, 'Things Come Around'

                                       Chamkili
                                                                                           Ch- 12
              
                                                   Things come around...

"Anjali? Is that you?" the voice called her once again and she had no other option but to turn around.

"Hello Mayank...I I meant Professor Sharma... Umm H..hello." she hated herself for being that stammering mumbling fool after all these years... she was shocked to see the kind of effect that he could still have on her.

"I never thought I'd see you here after all these years. I must say it's a very pleasant surprise." She blushed a bit at that and then hated herself some more. She hated him too, for being the calm composed collected man that he always was. Why could he still affect her when she...

"Why don't you come inside, we could chat for a while, if you are not busy that is." Prof. Sharma asked.

"I... Umm... I actually I have to see someone in the office. Yes, I have some work with the college administration, that is why I had to come here." The temptation to spend a few more moments with him was strong, but stronger was the urge to escape.

"Oh, okay! So you must not be delayed on my account. But Anjali, why did to come over to the left wing, the administrative office is in the right wing?" he asked out of genuine curiosity and maybe a little bit of hope...

"Wo actually, someone from the office sent me here to find one of the staff members, so I had to come."

"Oh! Well, I saw you in front of my office, so I thought maybe... Anyways, who are you looking for?" as if on reflex, her face turned towards the door on her left and there it was, a shiny black board with golden engravings that said, Dr. Mayank Sharma. Her cheeks stained red with humiliation and she was glad that she wasn't facing him at the moment. She took a second to compose herself and then faced him.

"Umm! I... I... Wo I was looking for someone from the administration but he is not here, apparently he has left already." She felt her breath catching a bit. Why was lying to him so difficult for her, wasn't she supposed to be the mistress of deception?

"Well, okay then, you must not delay yourself on my account. Bye Anjali." He smiled at her and she all but grimaced in an attempt to return his smile.

As she moved towards the administrative block she willed herself to not turn back and she would have been successful, had she not heard the sound of the door opening. She turned back. What did she expect, that he would be standing there, looking at her retreating back or maybe following her... But no, all she saw was his retreating back as he entered his office. She didn't know what to think as she limped towards the exit, tears that she had managed to keep in check until then had free reign now. What had gotten into her, why had she come here? What pleasure did one find in ripping the old wounds open?

He tried to resist for a while but then gave up, just one glimpse, one last glimpse. He turned towards her and saw her limp on her way. He wished that she'd have accepted his invitation... that he had had the courage to call her back... that he could rush to her side and walk beside her... match his step to hers... that he could claim what he had always wanted, desired... needed... that he could claim what was his and be claimed as hers. But you don't always get what you want or even need, so many wouldn't really die of starvation otherwise. Well, life indeed was a bitch! And with a final sigh of resignation he closed the door of his cabin as her limping form faded from his sight.

----------------------------------------

Her eyes seemed a bit puffy, was it from her incessant crying last night or the longish sleep, she wasn't sure. She spared another glance at the wall clock which showed that it was way past the puja time or even the breakfast time for that matter. She didn't feel like hurrying today, after all even Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada deserved a half-day once in a while, didn't she? She didn't want to think about last night, she held her pride very dear to her and the moment it was shredded into pieces wasn't a very appealing memory for her. But very soon she realized the irony of it, for in not wanting to think about last night, she was forced to do just that. She stretched for the millionth time and cajoled her body to comply with her mind and leave the bed, but the tiredness still weighed her down and giving up she slumped on the pillow once again, promising herself that she would lie down for just ten more minutes. 

Today it felt different; the tiredness, the weighing down, it was all different today and good different. It was the kind of tiredness one feels after getting rid of a heavy weight that they have been carrying for quite some time... the kind of tiredness that comes after resting for a while, resting after giving up your arms. She felt like... like one feels after displaying all their cards on the table. But the slight agitation or nervousness or vulnerability that one feels in such a position was missing, for there was one factor that was always constant, the fact that her husband, a blind fool that he was, loved his wife more than anything in this world and even if on nothing else, Khushi could bet her life on that one truth.  That was her last thought before succumbing to sleep once again, a smile on her face. She was glad it was Sunday. 

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Devyani Raizada was sitting in the living room, her favorite Lakshmi was in her arms and though her hands smoothed her fur, it was more out of habit than love at the moment for her thoughts were far far away. Things seemed unnaturally calm around Shantivann and she felt slight shivers thinking about what might follow. Their home seemed to have lost its soul. The ever happy Khushi bitiya seemed to have lost her zeal for life and the warmth that always exuded from Payal had been missing lately. And to add to her miseries, last night when she was returning to her room she had heard some muffled sobs coming from Anjali's room. She had wanted to rush to her, to envelope her in her arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright. But she doubted how persuasive she would have been when she didn't believe it herself.  And so crushing her protective impulse she had come back to her room, a helpless, defeated mother.  Now days she often found herself wondering, if she would be able to face her daughter when that inevitable time came.  She wasn't really sure anymore.

With a resigned sigh she moved towards the table. Khushi bitiya hadn't come out her room today and though Devyani preferred to maintain her distance giving the kids their space, she was beginning to get quite worried now. But just as she was about to send someone to check on her, she saw her darling Bahu descend the staircase and come to stand next to her.

"Maaf kijeaga Naniji, I know I am very late today." Khushi said; her head bowed down, she wondered why she felt so much guilt for waking up late once in so many months? Would Aakash Jiju or Arnavji feel the same, she wondered, or was it an unstated rule for just the female kind? 

"Aree Bitiya, koi baat nahi, I was just worried about your health. Are you okay?" Nani asked while caressing her hair. Khushi smiled at her and thanked her guardian goddess for giving her the best sasural ever.

"Accha Naniji, I'll just go and check if the lunch is ready." Khushi had just turned when she saw Payal bringing out the various dishes with HP in tow.

"Aree Jiji, I am so sorry, you had to do everything by yourself today. I am so lazy and stupid. Sorry Jiji." She said, now following her Jiji to the table and then helping her in setting it up.

"Koi baat nahi Khushi, you anyways have a tendency to overwork yourself, it's good to relax a bit every now and then." said the wise elder sister and younger daughter-in-law, who herself didn't have a single memory of waking up late, ever in her entire life.

Khushi made sure that lunch had been sent to the office for Arnav and Aakash and Sheetal; she enquired about NK and was told that he had gone to meet some of his friends and would be dining out today; and that Aarav had basket-ball practice after his classes today and so would be late. And so, finally the women of the Raizada house-hold settled down themselves.

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As the clock struck eight, the door bell rang and Khushi was reduced to a nervous mess in a jiffy.  She hadn't had talked to Arnav after last night and now she wasn't sure about how she was going to face him. In retrospect, being caught with the DNA test reports and then bursting at him about his past relationships, didn't sound like the things done by a mature wife.

Arnav came inside and moved straight to his room, his eyes searching for his wife, who was at the moment hiding behind the main door. He had expected to find her in the bed-room and was quite confused when he didn't see her there.  Arnav went down to the living room after changing into his casuals and saw Khushi helping Payal in setting up the table. He walked towards her, but the moment she caught his eyes, he saw her shuffle back to the kitchen, all the while avoiding his gaze. He frowned a bit at her weird reaction, wondering shouldn't he be the one avoiding her after last night. Anyways, she'd have to come to him during bed-time and he'd take care of things then.

Everyone had settled around the table and Khushi and Payal were busy serving the family members.

"Di, have this khatti dal, I am sure you'll like it, its Jiji's specialty." Khushi smiled at Anjali. She was worried for her, Anjali seemed lost these day, only surfacing when in company of others. Otherwise, she just seemed to be lost in another universe. Just a few days ago, she had seen Anjali trying, trying to be her normal self, and not just for others. But now as she looked in her far off eyes, she seemed to be slipping away...

When everyone had started eating Khushi looked around and frowned at not finding either Aarav or Sheetal.

"Aren't Sheetalji and Aarav coming for dinner today?" she asked to no one in particular.

"They must be busy packing. They are leaving tomorrow." Came her husband's curt reply.

"Leaving?" many voices questioned all at once, all eyes fixed on the man sitting to the right of the Raizada matriarch.

"Well yes, she came as a guest so why are all of you so surprised to hear that she is leaving." His eyes fixed on Khushi as he said this.

"No chote, it's nothing like that. We were just a bit surprised at Sheetalji's sudden decision to leave." Anjali explained. She had become so used to having Aarav around that for a moment it really hurt to think that things would be changing very soon. She hoped her brothers were planning a family soonish... she wished she had a family of her own...

"She found a place, the agent called her today. And she doesn't want to take any risks by delaying it, so they are shifting tomorrow." Arnav explained his voice free of any emotions.

Everyone then once again settled for their dinner... all but one...

------------------------

Khushi had been pacing the room for quite some time now, guilt eating at her conscience. Of course she was the reason. She drove them out. Arnavji would do anything for her that much she knew, but that he would be willing to throw a helpless mother and her son out of the house the very next day hadn't occurred to her.  How would Devi Maiya ever forgive her? She'll have to talk to Arnavji, she decided.

Arnav entered the room to find his enchanting and ever elusive wife chewing at her lower lip, thinking something and murmuring every now and then. She looked as irresistible as ever, but Arnav knew better, he was prepared to keep his urges under check, for a little while at least. They needed to talk.

"Khushi?" she didn't respond, still lost in her guilt trip.

"Khushi?" He went to her and shook her, rudely bringing her out of her reverie.

"Arnavji, why did you do this? I didn't mean this when I said that last night. I was just a little angry and so I shouted at you but I never wanted you to throw them out of the house. Please Arnavji, what will they do? Where will they go? I... I" and she couldn't speak further as her eyes teared up. Trust Khushi to go all mellow-dramatic over the silliest of things. But then this was the same woman who had given Shyam a second chance for Di and given him, her biggest tormenter, place in her heart.

"Khushi." He paused and gathered her in his arms. "No one is going to rot on the streets. As I told you downstairs, Sheetal's agent found a house for them and so she is shifting. It has nothing to do with me or you. And do you think I am cruel enough to throw a woman out on the streets on some weird impulse." At that she raised her eyebrow at him and he understood. "Aacha aacha I know I can do that, in fact I have done that... but those special treatments have always been reserved for you sweetheart." He chuckled lightly as her mouth made a big O. He had been longing to kiss her for a while now and he decided to do just that.

"I cannot get enough of you and if we don't have some alone time soon, and I mean day and night alone time, not these bits and pieces, I am pretty sure I am going to lose my mind baby." Arnav said in a breathless husky voice, as he languidly caressed her left nipple. Their entangled bodies were still a little moist from their passionate love making and their breath was still a bit shaky. It hadn't been even five minutes yet, and her beast of a husband was already clamoring for "alone time" again, Khushi mused and blushed pink at the thought of their 'alone time' activities.

"Khushi, I was thinking it's time we went on our honey-moon, it's a long overdue, don't you think?" Khushi blushed at that. These few hours at night brought her to near exhaustion and even then she was sure, that her husband let her sleep for those few hours out of mercy only. If he were to have things his way, she was pretty sure, she'd die of the pleasure he brought her again and again and again... Her Arnavji was insatiable and the thought of spending days and nights alone with him, at some place where no one knew them, brought her to a state of nervous anticipation, his fingers massaging her breasts and pinching her nipples didn't help either... what would he do to her then? It was beyond her thought.

Arnav saw his wife blushing profusely at the mere mention of the word honeymoon, and this same woman was not five minutes ago, writhing underneath him in pure pleasure, complete abandon, chanting his name again and again even in her state of near breathlessness...  The memory aroused him once again. But he wasn't sure if Khushi would be ready again, so soon. Should I give her a little more time to recover?' Arnav mused. But all his doubts were cleared the moment her felt her nipples pebbling under his fingers. With an evil grin he moved atop her body.

"A honeymoon is coming your way sweetheart, so be ready and I don't plan on leaving you this easy then..." Arnav drawled as his lips trailed along her collar-bone. "How about I give you a trailer... tonight?" And with that his teeth sank in the upper curve of her right breast as his hand squeezed the left one. She gasped and held on to his arms with all her life... ready for the ride she knew he would take her on.

AN: First of all thanks a lot to all my readers for bringing Chamkili this far, believe I would have stopped writing long back if it wasn't for such wonderful and adamantly nagging readers. So thanks a lot for helping this story reach a hundred pages... Hoping it reaches another thread pretty soon too

I am not very happy with the way this chapter shaped up, I've been writing this during my free office hours but I do hope to see your comments and likes for this update, for that is what keeps me going.

Love,

Srija

Arhi FF, Chamkili. Ch-11, 'It's All in the Past.'

                                    
                                       It's All In The Past...

When Khushi finally arrived home, it was quite late and she was glad that no one was there for if Nani or Anjali would have been there, there would have been an array of concerned questioned and had Mami been there, some inbhestigation would have followed, and presently she was in mood for neither. And as for her husband, well what did she expect from him, that he would stay there even after she shouted at him, that he would mollycoddle her, grovel even, if need be. Her husband was one Arnav Singh Raizada and he didn’t grovel. Her head had been on the verge of bursting with all the personal and professional troubles and so she decided to make herself some ginger tea. With that in mind she moved towards the kitchen, not wanting to disturb Hari Prakash for her own selfish reasons. But as soon as she reentered the drawing room, she could hear some faint musical notes floating in the air around her. And forgetting about the tea for the moment, she made her way in the direction of the song instead.

She found herself standing outside the guest-room, the door was shut, not locked though and she stood there wondering what the social protocol was in such situations. The musical notes were in some foreign language, probably English so she didn’t really understand the lyrics. What she did understand however, was that those notes vibrated with sadness… melancholy even. The only words she could catch sounded something like cats…moon…dad…son… what kind of a song was this, the jumble of words made no sense to her and yet she felt like she understood it. In that moment, she knew who was behind those closed doors and so without hesitating for another second she pushed the doors and there he was… a lost little boy… fighting his demons… all by himself. She knew what it felt like; she had fought that war almost all her life.

He was still oblivious to her presence and she wasn’t sure how to approach him, the similarities that he shared with her Arnavji or even the simple fact that he was just a kid, didn’t give her any lead right now. And so she just stood there, quietly listening as the high notes of that foreign song attempted to and yet failed to drown his soundless hiccups.  ‘Where was his mother?’ she wondered, ‘Weren’t mother’s supposed to feel their child’s pain from anywhere, making a mockery of all those cartographers who attempted to draw borders across the face of earth? She still believed that her parents, though worlds apart were still with her, every step of the way. Then why was Aarav, whose mother was so close to him, so helpless… so alone?’ 

Khushi felt her frustration rising at her helplessness, her inability to cure this broken child and her anger at her husband knew no bounds.

“Where the hell is she?” Arnav Singh Raizada felt his frustration mounting as soon as he entered the room and figured out that his arch nemesis, who also happened to be his lover, was nowhere to be found.  He had been on an edge for quite some time now and all the frustration could just burst out any moment now. But just when he was about to shout for her, he heard her foot-steps behind him.  Facing the door he assessed her from some distance for a while. She seemed lost somewhere, unaware of his presence and that frustrated him all the more. How could she be so unaware of him when he could feel her every pulse as if it were his own.  Insecurity… no such blatant insecurity had never been such a defining feature of his existence until Khushi and ofcourse he hated her for making him feel like that.

His nails were digging his palm as he fisted those into tight balls. And the next moment he was right beside her.

Khushi jerked out of her thought and let out a shocked gasp as she felt someone roughly pull at her arm… and ofcourse who else could it be. She wondered why she felt even that momentarily shock at such rough pulls and grabs now, even after being the sole recipient of such callous roughness for more than a year now. 

“Where were you, I was waiting near your office all this time and then you don’t even have the courtesy to inform me when you left?” Arnav said in a dangerous tone.

“Courtesy?” Khushi looked at his hand that had held her upper arm in an almost painful grasp and then let out a small wry laugh before continuing, “Who asked you to wait for me? I didn’t.”

“And since when do I take orders from you?” Arnav wasn’t going to back out either.

Khushi let out another dry laugh, ‘Men… such fickle creatures they were, in one moment of passion and pleasure you become the centre of their universe… nah… their entire universe and in another they disregard your very existence.’ But she didn’t utter these words, for her motive right now was not to rile her husband up… No, she actually wanted to talk to him.

“Aarav seems a little upset today, I was wondering when Sheetalji would be coming back.” Khushi said her tone emotionless. She saw a flicker of concern cross his eyes but the steel was back in a blink.

“I do not want to talk about Aarav or Sheetel and you know that very well.”

“What do you want to talk about?” She said trying to jerk his hand away from her arms.

“About us and you know that very well. Khushi I… I” he stammered a bit, trying to figure out what would be the right thing to say here. But he was cut short by Khushi.

“I think you should go and talk to Aarav…” and before she could finish Arnav continued,

“Khushi, today… in your office I don’t know…”

“… after all both of you seem to share a special connection…” the fire in his eyes burned brighter than before.

“…I don’t know what happened to me… I mean lavanya had told me that…” Khushi had seen the warning in his eyes and yet chose to ignore it.

“I think we should maybe call Sheetal ji and find out when she’ll be able to come…” and the next moment she found herself suffocating between two solid walls… the cemented on at her back and the steely muscular one pushed against her chest, almost painfully pressing her breasts.

“Khushi!”

 “Khushi stop this madness this moment, okay.” she stilled, still locked in his arms.

“Khushi I knew… I mean Lavanya had told me… that you didn’t want… that you wanted…” Arnav found himself at a loss of words. How was he supposed to justify or even explain his action after accepting that he knew about her choice and still didn’t respect it?

“When has it ever mattered?” he heard her voice, low and distant. He shivered, but this dampness had nothing to do with November.

“When has it ever mattered Arnavji… what I choose, what I want. It has never meant anything, not to you… not to anyone else.” His hold on her arms slacked, not letting her go but also not really holding on to her. No one spoke for a while. Both felt that cold dampness spreading… the silence multiplying… breeding… feeding on that sickening dampness. But he wouldn’t let it defile their relationship.

“Khushi please listen to me. See I know what you wanted and believe me, when I first reached there I had that in mind. I… I hadn’t planned on revealing your relationship with me. But then when I saw you… and him… I… I just don’t know what happened…” he was cut short once again as his phone started ringing right that moment.

“You should take that, it might be something important.” said Khushi, but he had already disconnected the call.

“Khushi, I want to talk about what happened today, please let Me.” he had started to lose his patience now. She stayed silent and he continued.

“Khushi, when I saw you with him, I don’t know what happened to me… you know, right, you of all people know what it dos to me, seeing you with someone else.”

“Ofcourse I should know, I am your wife after all and its my duty to understand you, to fulfill your desires and to cater to your needs, oh and how could I forget, to follow your orders as well, right Mr. Raizada? But what about you? Why is it that you don’t have to fulfill any of these duties, that you are not answerable to me as I am to you?” Arnav stood there quietly listening to all her complains. It was good, better than her silence ofcourse, this was his Khushi, the one who fought her own battles.

“Why is it that an innocent crush that I had on someone as a kid disturbs you so much that you can not tolerate the sight of that person, even for a second and yet I am expected to happily live under the same roof with your old flame, who now means nothing to you? Must I remind you that I am not the one with a string of lovers in my past? Have you thought about me, about how insecure and how unsubstantial I feel in front of those faceless Shreyas and Cindys.”

“Is that what all this is about, Sheetal?”

“It’s not about Sheetalji or Samayji or anyone else Arnavji, its never been about anyone but us. I love you Arnavji, I trust you with my entire being, why can’t you love me… trust me the same way? What have I done so wrong? Why must you always punish me? What have I done to deserve this?”

“Khushi, I…” 

“I don’t have it in me Arnavji... not anymore. Please I cannot go through all that once again.” she saw guilt on his face and continued.

“We have been through all this before… you accusing me of having an affair, you blemishing my character, the hatred in your eyes and the venom in your words, I survived it once Arnavji, but I don’t have it in me anymore. The cracks have still not healed and if you put me through all that once again I’ll break, I… I won’t be able to survive it. Please Arnavji… Please.” and she broke into uncontrollable sobs as Arnav hugged her to himself. He stood there, holding her, trying and then failing at gathering the broken pieces of his wife’s heart. There were very few moments when his wife’s Herculean spirit crumbled… when her vulnerability blatantly stared him in his face and what he hated more than anything was to be the reason for all this. He wanted to whisper soothing words in her ear but words failed him. He wanted to run soothing circles on her back but his hands seemed paralyzed. And so he just stood there, a broken woman in his arms… his broken woman in his arms.

 ‘Why did she decide on coming here… what did she expect to find or rather who?’ Anjali Singh Raizada was harassed by a multitude of questions as she entered the campus of Ramjas, her college. Memories, from what seemed like another era, invaded her, hunting through the dusty corners of her mind. Most of those memories weren’t pleasant and she was glad that they were nothing more than occasional visitors now. For who would want to remember seeing humiliating pity in every single eye, hateful sympathy in every single gesture and that demeaning compassion that one shows towards an unequal, secretly feeling glad that you are not in their place. She was pretty sure that like those pity-filled eyes were the only thing she still remembered about her companions, her limp would be the only thing that they remembered about her. She wasn’t Arnav Singh Raizada’s sister then, no she was just the girl with a limp, she was pretty sure that’s how her batch-mates would recall her.

She had often wondered in thee last few weeks if that was the reason that she fell for the charms of Shyam Manohar Jha, the man who saw beyond her limp. The man who saw or at least pretended to see the woman, not the limp, not the name, not the past, nothing but the woman that she desired to be… nah, that she was… for he was not the only one… and with that thought the dustiest recess of her mind saw some light again. Just like our eyes lose all sense of sight when suddenly exposed to light after being suspended in darkness for a long time, similarly the images that came rushing back to her now seemed blurry… disjointed… formless… fragmented… surreal almost and for the first time in years she didn’t try to push them back. The memories were hers and she was now ready to claim her rights on the same… even though he…

“Anjali Singh Raizada?” a familiar voice stopped her in her track.

A funny thing about long forgotten memories, sometimes they are better as just that… memory.

It had taken some time and a lot of cajoling and soothing but he finally been able to put her to sleep. And now that he looked at her calm visage, he felt a little at peace, finally. But sleep eluded him, there were a few things that Arnav Singh Raizada could not handle and Khushi’s tears had topped the list for quite a while now. He had seen today that just how broken and insecure she was. How could he have missed on all the signs, now that he though of it all those little, wordless gestures blatantly stared him in his face and in all her unspoken words he could hear her restlessness, her insecurity, her fear. Realization had finallt struck, but that was not the end, hell it was not a Greek tragedy that was bound to end in destruction. He was Arnav Singh Raizada, and though a little late this time, he still knew that he would get things under his control and that too very soon. He dialed a number on his cell,

“Aman, I need you to do something for me and it’s not work related.”

Lots of love

Srija :)