Chapter 1
[MEMBERSONLY]
Prologue
Arnav Singh Raizada felt exhilaration go through his body ashe rode his Royal Enfield up the winding roads of the Western Ghats. He waspassing through the famous 'green route' of the Ghats on the way from Bangaloreto Mangalore. The breathtaking views began right after the Hassan district andturned all the more picturesque at the town of Sakaleshpur. This route was afavourite of the trekkers who came there to rejuvenate themselves as they hikedthrough the evergreen tropical forests that blended with lush valleys, majesticwaterfalls nestled in the folds of the hills, gushing rivers, and the grey,misty skies. He had trekked on this route a few times in the last few years.
He remembered the first time he had made this trip to Mangalorewhen he joined the mechanical engineering course at the Sai College ofEngineering. Even though there was an airport in Mangalore he more oftenpreferred to take the flight from Delhi to Bangalore so he could take a roadtrip to Mangalore along with his buddies who lived in the city of Bangalore. Asthe wind hit his body with full force, he increased the throttle a little more.
It was afternoon when he rodehis bike through the busy streets of Udupi but refrained from stopping therefor lunch and drove straight to the beach resort at Malpe. He sat at a table ata makeshift shack close to the beach and looked at the vast ocean ahead. As thewaves crashed over and over again on the shore, thoughts began to whirl in hishead. These thoughts had been his constant companions for as long as he couldremember.
Howcould you do this to me?
Try to understand
What are we going to do with him now?
He will have to stay here
No!
There is no other choice!
Whywas life so unfair to some people while some enjoyed a carefree blissful lifefree of burdens and obligations? Some people called it fate. But Arnav did notbelieve in those things. He believed that it was people who created undesirablecircumstances and blamed it on fate. His fate had been decided by other people'sbad choices people who he was unfortunately associated with. He couldn'tcontrol his past but he would make sure he would be the one controlling hisfuture.
This was his final year and after that, he would be flyingoff to study Masters in the United States. He didn't care about the University.All he wanted was to leave the country. There was nothing left for him here.There was nothing left for him after his mother had died ten years ago.
Loud squealing brought him out of his reverie. He spotted agroup of people a little farther. Payal and her friends had arrived. He didn'treally want to be here but Payal had insisted and he didn't want to refuse her.It was just that he wasn't too thrilled to be in the company of her classmates.He spotted them as they sat under the shade of umbrellas, engrossed in theirown world of revelry. Arnav's thoughts went back a year ago when he had seenthem all for the first time as nervous first year students during a session offriendly ragging. Payal, with her good looks, had instantly attracted theattention of most of the male students, juniors and seniors alike.
Suddenly, Arnav noticed a girl in the water. She wore abright red t-shirt. Her braid hung down her front like a rope as she stood inthigh deep water. She was farther than she should be, he thought. Her back wastoward the ocean and her entire attention was toward the group. She seemed tobe lost in thought. There was a huge wave coming toward her and she wascompletely unaware of it. What the hell?
Arnav sprinted toward the ocean and dived into the waves. Inthe nick of time, he had caught the girl before she was swept away by the wave.When he carried her back to the shore, he noticed her glaring at him.
'Let me down!' she yelled athim.
Taken aback at her erraticbehaviour, he put her down on the sand and held her arms. 'What the f-' he swore, 'you were going to be sweptaway!'
'No, I wasn't!' she shotback, 'I am a champion swimmer I am used to swimming in the ocean.'
As he watched in disbelief,she shrugged off his hand and walked back into the water.
Later that night, Arnav stood in the night club of theresort, holding a bottle of beer in his hand. The DJ was playing all thepopular bollywood songs to which the crowd was dancing away in a frenzy. In thehaze of smoke, he could see dark bodies moving, glittering, as light flashed onthem now and then. He had to get away from Payal and her gang for a little bit.There was only so much he could handle.
From his vantage point, henoticed the firebrand of a girl Khushi, step into the discotheque. Payal hadintroduced him to her sixteen year old sister who was visiting her for theweekend. She looked like a deer caught in headlights as she slowly made her waythrough the crowd. It was obvious she was looking for her sister. She stood inone corner looking at the crowd in a daze.
He saw Payal walk up to her, and after a brief exchange,Payal left Khushi to join her friends on the dance floor. He saw Khushi headingback toward the exit, but suddenly, she seemed to have changed her mind as sheturned around and made her way to the bar counter. It looked like she wastrying to order something but the crowd at the counter made it difficult forher. Then, a man approached her and offered her a drink. She politely refusedthe man and turned away from him but the man became persistent.
Without further thought,Arnav walked up to her.
'I have been looking all overfor you,' he said, 'What are you doing here?'
Khushi turned around. Shelooked thin in her skinny jeans and t-shirt with her collar bones jutting out.She had left her long hair loose. Her face was completely devoid of any makeup.
'I I was trying to order adrink.' She stuttered. 'A soft drink.' She added in a rush.
He turned to the man next toher. 'I think you can leave can leave now.' He dismissed the other man rudely.
'No!' Then man slurred,obviously a little drunk. 'Who the hell are you?'
Arnav's eyes turned to slits.'I think you should leave when I am asking you politely.'
'How dare you?' The manpushed Arnav's shoulder.
Arnav held the man's hand ina crushing grip, bent down and spoke in his ear. 'If you don't leave her aloneright this instant you son of a b@#$%^, I will drag you out and break all yourbones one by one.' He said in a chilling voice.
The man held his bruisedwrist and stepped back, pain and fear clearly written on his face.
Arnav turned around andgrabbed Khushi's hand and walked away from the bar counter.
Taking her back to her roomwould be a great idea, but he heard himself asking, 'Have you had dinner?'
'It's alright I am going toorder room service.' She replied quickly. 'Didi asked me to do that earlier.'
'But you decided to defy her.'He said, staring down at her.
Khushi looked away from himas tears threatened to drop from her eyes.
God help him but he couldn'ttake it. 'Come with me.' He led her to a table nearby. 'Sit here. I will beback soon.'
In a few minutes when he cameback to the table, she was right where he had left her. She seemed to havecomposed herself. As he took his seat opposite her and she looked at him herface twisted with curiosity.
'What did you tell the man?'she asked him, as she leaned forward on the table. 'Did you hurt him?'
He shrugged his shoulder. 'Iasked him to leave.' He left out all the gory details and changed the topic. 'Whydid you come back?' He questioned her.
'I always do that,' shereplied with a smile, 'whenever didi tells me something I do the opposite.' Adimple had appeared on her cheek. She looked innocent and alluring all at thesame time.
Arnav had a good mind to getup and bring Payal here so she could take care of her sister.
'I am sorry!' she suddenlysaid. When he raised an eyebrow in query she continued, 'Earlier at the beach Iwas rude.'
'That's okay.' He dismissedit.
'It's just that -- I wasembarrassed when you carried me like I was a child.' Her face was flushed. 'Iguess you were worried about me.'
Arnav decided to keep silentas he sipped his beer. Khushi looked at the crowd on the dance floor, her eyesalight with excitement.
'Do you want to dance?' Heasked her.
'No I can't dance.' Khushishook her head, her eye wide with anxiety.
'How will you know unless youhave tried it?' He took her hand and pulled her to the dance floor.
Arnav had no idea why he was doing what he was doing. Butwithin a short time, he realized that Khushi was a natural. In no time she hadlearned the steps and was soon matching her rhythm to the music. Excited at hernewfound confidence she emulated others and improvised. Then the music changedto a popular song and she began to dance. He was pretty sure she wasn't payingattention to the lyrics of the song about body shapes and the smell ofbedsheets, but he wasn't sure why he was so attuned to it tonight. He stoodstill and just watched her. As she danced with unconscious sensuality, shelooked simply stunning.
Suddenly there was a tap onhis shoulder. 'Sir, your food has been served on the table,' a waiter had comeup to them.
He grabbed her hand. 'Khushicome, let's get you fed.' He ushered her back to the table.
'Dancing is so much fun!' Shebreathed. 'Can I go back and dance after I eat?' She gathered up her long hairand tied it up in a bun. There was a sheen of sweat on her face and throat.
'I have to go.' His tone wasclipped. It was more for him than her.
Once she had eaten herdinner, he stood up. 'I will take you back to your room.'
At the door to her room,Khushi looked at him. 'Thank you.' Shesaid softly.
Arnav tilted his head. 'Whatfor?'
Suddenly she raised herselfon her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. 'For teaching me todance!' She stepped back looking up at him with her big doe like eyes.
Of his own volition, his hand moved up to undo the bun, sothe hair fell down her back like a waterfall. He looked at her for a fewmoments and said. 'It was nice to meet you Khushi. Take care.' He stepped backand walked away from her as fast as his legs could take him.
Hewas not in the habit of giving in to his impulses but he was close to doingjust that tonight. Giving himself a good mental shake, he got on his motorcycleand rode into the night. He had to remind himself that she was Payal's littlesister. He didn't need anything like this at this time of his life.He had a girl friend for God's sake!
Chapter 12 (Thread #2)
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