Chapter 9

sorry for huge delay, work travel and all that :( here goes hope you like this one.

Chapter 9

The atmosphere in the car could be cut with a knife, something he wanted to avoid at any cost with Khushi who was already so distant to him.

He looked in the rear view mirror and sawher sitting in the passenger seat quietly. Turning on the radio for it to be inthe background he breaks the silence.

“What does he have to say for himself ..?”

“His 4 year old wants go on a school trip and you already gave him a pay rise at the start of the year and in light of all the mistakes he’s made recently he couldn’t approach you.”

Sighing disappointingly even now, he gives in sooner than he normally would have maybe that’s what a presence of a wife played.  “He can return back to work next week.”

A glimpse of the softer side came through in him yet again and she smiled.

…

Being back home felt different for Khushi but as soon as she got into the house she wished to see her mother, a quick but affectionate hello to her sister but walked further into the house to ring her arms round her mother.

Garima who was perched on the side of a bed was folding laundry. Instinctively happy to see khushi she hugs her tight.After a momet she pulls away, like expected from a  mother theres only one question.

Khush ho? “Are you happy?”

Poised with so much attention on her daughter it was impossible to lie. Khushi nodded positively, she was..

Then why are you crying…? Garima shakes her head seeing her daughter in tears ..of overwhelm it seemed rather than any sadness.

Weren’t emotions a funny thing they couldn’t keep this up for long, Garmima being the mother is true to the upbringing she’d always given Khushi and that  was  to be strong.

“Dry your tears go and serve him tea..can’t leave him with Payal for too long” they laughed towards the end.

…..

Taking a call in the corridor of Gupta house ASR happens to overhear the conversation between mother and daughter.There was nothing as vivid as seeing and hearing something like that for himself. Something he was responsible for, walking out back into the lounge he sees Payal. Khushi’s sister who has put out sugar free jalabies for him or maybe they weren’t and she was trying to poisen him.  Payal wasn’t fond of ASR.  He took a seat on the sofa in front of the plate of orange sweets and watched her as she seemed to be counting earnings from the sweetshop.

His mind bobbed from the room where he had overheard Khushi cry and towards those jalebis.

“You put her to aside for 3 years, cant expect her to be laughing about that.”

A honest comment from Payal their who wasn’t interested in being polite and carried on with her work.

ASR watched his mother inlaw walk out into the lounge to greet him and Khushi quietly slipped into the kitchen.

Once his greetings with Garima were over,ASR made his way into Gupta house kitchen.

Khushi was making traditional tea behind the kitchen counter. For some reason she was quick to recognize his footsteps now and turned around.

I needed to wash my hands, he said putting his hands up in front covered with Jalebi syrup.

“Ji..” she said nodding, he walked towards the skin whilst she fetched some water in a steel jug from a pot.

He thought turning the tap would be sufficient but it wasn’t.

“thereis no water after 11 am, she explained” a reminder that Gupta house andRaizada house was very different.

Khushi poured water over his hands to allow him to wash them and he took the opportunity to pay attention to what he cared more about – her.

“Tumtheekh ho?” (Are you okay?) he asked as she handedhim a towel once he was done washing his hands.

“He looked at her intently”

She nodded a yes

“Sure..?”

He asked again and this time she smiled,yet knowing that he was an intelligent man and was likely to read her well.

Listen I could do with making a call to check on Akash, is there somewhere quiet I can go?

Jihamara kamra magar  (Yes..myr oom..but) .. she hesitated for a second that’swhen Payal walked by them to get something out of the fridge and added  - “Don’t worry I took down the poster of Salman khan from your bedroom.”

Khushi cringing a little and hoping  he didn’t hear that.

Raising his eye brow a little in surprise he looks at her in surprise. And I thought I was the only man in your life..

You are, she says quickly but falls shortof explanation,

“Hmm, I’m not impressed Khushi, I’m not impressed we’ll talk about this later.” He says possessively with a touch of mischief in his eyes.

…

On return to Raizada house Khushi ends up falling asleep in the car and ASR silently drives. The silence giving him time to think about whether he had done right by Khushi. Those years between the after marriage. She seemed so innocent in her ask of life, fragile. Had those years prepared her as he wished or failed her?  Had he failed her?

…. Later that day

Downstairs in the house Khushi is with therest of the women in the house browsing the jewelry collection. A pair of greenearrings adorned in gold catch her eye.

ASR watches Khushi from afar from a floor above whilst on a call with Aman. She of course catches his attention whilst Aman has part of it.

“ASR need you to review the amended collection before it goes on launch – let me know when you’re free and we’ll set up a catwalk.”

“I’llgo on your word Aman if you think its fine I’m happy” ASR having a lot of trust in Aman doesn’t really need to hear every word of the conversation, however Aman as ever does it work with ample degree of accuracy.  “Be better if you had a look”

“Okay bring home the sample, I’ll take a look and then sign it off.” Agreeing ASR puts the phone down all the while his eyes on Khushi hedials a number.

Khushi’s phone down in the lounge rings, amongst mami, nani and others who are making a bit of noise fussing over the gold seller Khushi takes the call.

Seeing the phone display as Mr Raizada takes the call aware In the back of the mind that he ought to not be far but had maybe left the house for something.

Watching her all the while she goes on naively to take the call..

“You can have every piece of gold that man has to sell if you finish off what you started this morning.”At first just wanting to see where he was she looks around and catches him on the staircase landing.

Their eyes lingering for a second until Khushi realizes she’s been teased and cuts the call.

Announcing to the women she wants no jewelry she gets up to leave the room making ASR chuckle, but in a moment past amusement he was very aware that closeness between the two of them was required.

…..

That evening as Khushi walked into their room she saw two gift bags she opened one to uncover a  small jewelry  box and some earrings. They were the very green emerald earrings that had caught her eyes earlier in the evening. A smile was evident on her lips, no one had ever paid so much attention to her as to pick up on her unspoken desires. The second gift bag surprised her somewhat, inside It was  a lingerie set a little embarrassed by the thought of it Khushi puts it to a side. Pays more attention to the earring, putting them. They were beautiful but then looks back at the othergift bag.

….

Some time later.. Khushi who is in her own space, retiring for the evening now in a night robe overhears ASR at the poolside in conversation with Aman over the phone. It seemed as though Aman wasbeing scolded and the more she overheard the more she realized it was for nofault of his own.

Seeing him pace up and down at the poolsideKhushi taps him on the back.

She gets a look of attention from him as he turns to her .. his eyes ask what it was she needed. Was the aircon remote broken again or the Piano, but it was non of those.

Just her expression silently spoke of needing so say something else and that is when he put his call on hold for her.

“Hmm..are you alright?” he said looking at her inquisitively but kindly.

“Ji”…see responded a little unsure it seemed

“Woh “she began and seemed to get stuck after which she stepped a little closer even tip toed even it seemed for a moment to which he decided he would dip his head a little for her so she could comfortably talk in his ear.

And she did, a innocently so..

Confessing Aman wasn’t to blame, she’d mistaken the contents of that bag as a gift to her. For a split second there was a little murmur of awkwardness for Khushi.

Well that’s alright, no harm done, the words come in installments telling that he was a little surprised but per nature he took everything in his stride.

Finishing his conversation with Aman to put the matter to a close – “its okay Aman, pick this up tomorrow.” He cuts the call.

“I’ll change, I’m a little uncomfortable” she mentioned before leaving the poolside, the poor thing was finding this really difficult leaving it for ASR to dawn on that his innocent wife was wearing one of AR lingerie pieces.

ASR takes a few steps into the bedroom,gives thought to the innocence that was his wife for a moment before throwingis phone and Bluetooth a side for the evening.

Not intentionally but he happened to notice that the  rest room door was opengiving him adequate view of Khushi in the bathroom. The gentlemanly thing would have been to look away and he did for a moment, but the husbandly thing was to wait a moment or two more, and so he took another glance.

As Khushi dressed down from her bathrobe  AR’s new red range against her complexion and figure caught his eye.

It wasn’t like he didn’t know of her figure he’d slept beside her for some days now not many but enough to have held her,and how can he forget that little taste of intimacy he was so close to but he gave in on a day ago.

Watching Khushi struggle to unfasten the bra, he waits a second more before turning away yet she continues to struggle.

The fastenings are  impossible and just when she feels she’s stuck for life Khushi hears some very defined footsteps approach and stop behind her. As she looks in the mirror she sees him. Understandably reluctant to be before him in so little, khushi’s eyes dart and then fixate on the bathroom floor.

She hears and feels him creep up behind her, his steps against the tiles go silent as he stops behind her. Taking a glace into the mirror to see her reserved thovzere is something in the moment that is attractive about his wifes innocence. She may be reserved but he wasn't.

Moving away Khushi’s hair sat against her back to a side over her shoulder to reveal her back and the bra fastenings she was battling with it seemed. She could hear him sigh, a worry passing her that it may be due to her incompetence or maybe, a judgment upon her body.?

Contrary it seems as she hears him pick upthe phone out of his pocket and scold Aman for marketing a bad product. Khushifelt instantly bad for Aman, her husbands words were short sharp and punishing.

Ending the call his tone for her however is very different,

You may have just saved me a lot of money, Mrs Raizada.. he comments getting khushi’s attention now.

He noticed how she was always quick to defend those that  were subjected to his wrath.

“Itni buri toh nahin hai, Its not a bad design thoughI like it .”.

“I don’t if I let this get to market I’ll have the population of men writing to me complaining that they can’t get their wives out of their underwear.”

It wasn’t the sort of language Khushi was used to being around that was the evident in the way she chose to stay silent.

He turned her around gently using his fingers tips on her shoulders..

Again she felt to embarrassed to look at him, covering her bra with her hands. He tucked one of his finger tips undertone of her bra straps and pulled it down, and then the other,

“It should be easier to remove now”..he said making her wonder why on earth she hadn’t thought of that.

Meine dekha tum aaj Gupta house par udaas lag rahi thi..is everything okay?

Ji.. she replies In avery wifely  way.

“It would be good if we could talk a little bit more Khushi” he says with genuine worry to his tone of voice, it seemed he wouldwalk away now.

“Aap kuch dino mein, chale jayeyenge, loat ke aayegena”, (you’ll be leaving in a few days, you’llback won’t you?)

Well of course he was going to be back whatan earth gave her the idea he was going forever. His walk had stopped and heturned back.

 ..look at me  Khushi did I or did I not promise you that you’d get everything you want. He watches her loose confidence again and kicks himself mentally for being so,well being so Raizadaish! Lifting her chin for her to meet his gaze her one flick of the eye lashes catches him by chance and makes him smile.

She had no idea how beautiful she was in this moment and every that he had spent with her in the last couple of days.

He couldn’t hold himself for drawing into her lips, pecking them softly and she flinched.  Sometimes words weren’t enough. “You’ll welcome me home with akiss just like this when I return,  think of this as practice. ”

She was an incredible nervous wreck yet he was accommodating, his lips gentle, feeling his fingertips run down her shoulder and to her back Khushi realized she was on show to him.

From neck kisses, to his hand trailing her figure, when ASR realized he was initiating what was their long overdue wedding night pushes the rest room door a close with a kick.  Lifting her up on the bathroom counter he makes himself heard as he continues to kiss, caress and feel her his own need for seduction growing.

“Tellme when to stop..” he aids her with a cue for when things get too much.

…

Nextmorning: ASR watches Khushi sidestepping him all morning. Peaking over hisnewspaper he Is slightly amused but equally conscious that this would get onhis nerves soon enough. Were all wifes like this after their wedding night hethought to himself.