Chapter 3
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everyone,
Thanks for all your wonderful comments.
Khushi and Payal have arrived at Bikaner in search of Akash. Is Khushi
successful in her quest? Read on to find out.
Desert Rose ' Chapter 2
KHUSHI
and Payal arrived at Bikaner early in the morning. The travel agent in Delhi
had informed Khushi that they would have to take a bus to Bikaner which was the
nearest city, as there was no direct transport to Raisar. He also told her that
she would have to stay at a hotel in Bikaner.
Hotel
Sagar was small, spic and span but quiet basic in its amenities. They had been
lucky to get this room at the hotel as January was the time of the camel
festival at Bikaner and almost all hotels were fully booked.
Khushi
looked at Payal lying down on the simple but clean bed. They had showered and
had some breakfast in the room. She was beginning to feel the effects of her
pregnancy and had been miserably sick on the bus trip from Delhi to Bikaner. .
The temperature in Bikaner was pretty warm and she had agreed to Khushi's
suggestion that she should rest and leave the initial enquiries about Akash to
her sister.
'Khushi,
why don't you let you hair down and take off those glasses? You are not going
to work.' Payal said.
'That's
ok Jiji, I am not going to a wedding or anything,' said Khushi as she looked at
herself in the mirror. She had put on a lemon yellow chikan suit with a
knee-length kurti which was thin and comfortable for this hot weather. She had
tied up her thick long hair in a bun and fastened it with a hair stick. She had
applied some light kajal to her eyes and brown lipstick on her lips. Khushi had
started dressing like this to add some age to her face so that her clients would
take her more seriously. This look had also helped her in keeping eve teasers at
bay. Now, she was just used to this look. She adjusted her glasses on her nose
and picked up her handbag.
'You
get some rest ok? I will be back soon.'
Khushi
had been tempted to cancel this whole wild-goose chase after she had made a
call to Palak's cousin in Jaipur. She had explained without going into detail
that she was trying to find someone called Akash Raizada belonging to a town
called Raisar near Bikaner.
'Raizada?'
Across the distance, she heard the sharp intake of breath. Then, 'I am sorry, I
cannot help you Khushiji. I would advise you not to proceed further in this.' A
pause, 'I am serious.' After he had rung off Khushi was left with a host of
unanswered questions. Why had he reacted
like that on hearing the name?
She had
been warned off, she realized uneasily. She could only hope that Akash wasn't some
kind of a criminal. Maybe he wasn't even in Raisar, but in jail somewhere.
But
could she tell Payal her suspicions, and burst the bubble of optimism and
anticipation which encircled her? Maybe she just had to let her find out for
herself, she concluded resignedly.
But how
on earth was she going to start her search? Khushi thought as she reached the
reception.
'Khamma
Ghani madamji.' Bhairav Chauhan, the hotel's burly manager greeted her, 'Can I
help you with something?' He had a thick black moustache and a booming laugh
but the warmth of his welcome had been quite honest. His hindi had a Rajasthani
touch to it and Khushi was intrigued by its exuberance.
'As a
matter of fact, you can,' she said carefully, 'would you by any chance know a
family called Raizada ---- with a son named Akash?'
The
genial smile vanished as if it had been wiped away. He looked startled, and
almost apprehensive, 'Why madamji?'
She
said lightly, 'Oh our families used to be -----acquainted. I believe they come
from here, and I would like to see them again. That's all.'
There
was silence, then, 'Raizada? Bhairav shook his head, 'I don't know the name
madamji. You have come to the wrong place.'
'I
don't think so.' She gave him a level look. 'Are you sure you haven't heard of
them?'
'Absolutely.'
He paused. 'You are on a holiday, madamji. You should relax. Go and visit the
palaces and temples. Don't waste time looking for these people.'
And if
this wasn't another warning I'd be damned Khushi thought, watching him walk
away to help other guests who were waiting for him. What was going on here? It
was the same message she had got from Jaipur; keep away from the Raizada clan.
Everyone
knows them, but they don't want to talk about them, she thought, a prickle of
wariness running down her spine. Yet somehow, for Payal's sake she had to
penetrate this wall of silence.
She decided
to go back to the room and see if she look up a phone number and address in the
yellow pages. And as Bhairav suggested she should probably think about doing
some sightseeing while she was here in Rajathan before getting down to the real
business. She had found some brochures listing the beautiful Junagarh fort,
Lalgarh palace, Deshnok temple and a few other places.
As she
reached the landing to the first floor, a voice below her said urgently,
'Madamji.'
Glancing
down, she saw one of hotel staff Guman, who had been shown them to their room
when they had arrived. He gave her an ingratiating smile. 'You want Raizada?'
'Yes.'
Her heartbeat quickened in excitement. 'Do you know him?'
'Who
doesn't know him?' he said smirking weirdly. 'All the ladies want him.'
God,
this Akash Raizada seemed to be a perpetual Casanova! 'Then can you tell me how I can find him?'
asked Khushi exasperated, not liking the way he was jeering at her.
The man
fidgeted, sending a slightly furtive glance back over his shoulder. 'It is not
easy for me, you know '''.'
Khushi
understood perfectly. She extracted a 100 rupee note from her purse, and handed
it over.
'He is
at his haveli in Raisar ----- Shantivan.' He whispered conspiratorially.
'Where
is it?' Finally, Khushi was thrilled to have found some lead.
'It is
about 20 kms from here,' he said gesturing toward the far away desert. 'I can
give you the directions.'
'Is
there a bus? Or can I get an autorickshaw?' Khushi asked hopefully.
'No bus
madamji and no autorickshaw will take you there. But I can give you my scooter,
if you know how to drive,' he added at Khushi's dismayed look.
'That
will be great, thank you so much!' said Khushi emphatically. When she saw him
looking at her purse she realized that he expected her to pay upfront for that
as well. She gave him a few more notes.
'Thank you
madamji,' he leered at her. 'But remember'..whatever happens, you can't tell
the boss that I told you all this ok?'
She
nodded her head warily and continued on up the stairs to their room.
In
their room, she found Payal fast asleep and she left her a brief note explaining
that she had stepped out to do some exploring. There was no point to getting
her hopes up right now.
As she
stepped out of the hotel, she saw Guman talking to another boy in low tones, as
they looked at her surreptitiously. She thought she heard the words "Raizada ki
aurat". She looked for the scooter
and found it parked at the said spot with the keys in the ignition.
This
was obviously what they had all been trying to warn her about, she thought, as
she headed out of town on the road Guman had indicated.
Poor
Payal, had given her heart to a worthless piece of womanizing scum. Well, he
wasn't going to get away with it.
Raizada ki aurat'.what
a tag to be branded with she thought with disgust. But I'll make him pay for
it, she vowed under her breath, if it's the last thing I do.
Whatever happens'' the
waiter's words crept into her mind. An odd thing to say, she thought. Almost
like another warning. And in spite of the intense heat, she suddenly felt
strangely cold.
**
Khushi
brought the scooter gingerly to a halt on the muddy verge, and wiped the sweat
from her forehead.
When
she had started from Bikaner, she had encountered some traffic as the city with
bustling with tourists who had come to Bikaner to see the sights the city had
to offer. Bikaner had still retained the medieval splendour that pervaded its
lifestyle. It was an enchanting desert city which came alive with music and
dance, undulating lanes, colourful bazaars and bright cheerful people ' except for
Guman of course.
She had
looked at the colourful bazaars and made a mental note to go back there for
some shopping. She had always been fascinated by colours since childhood. She
was also one of the few people who dreamt in colour. She had seen tons and tons
of fabric on display and had been tempted to turn her scooter around. But she
had continued on as she knew that she could not delay this any further.
Now, as
she sat on her scooter looking at that road ahead, she began to wonder if the
weirdo Guman had sent her on a wild goose chase. All she could see was an
enormous expanse of burning hot sand. So this was Thar ----- its pristine
beauty and tranquillity mesmerized her. It had a rare inexplicable beauty in
its vastness.
She
massaged the base of her spine with a faint grimace. Guman's scooter was no joy
to ride. The steering had a mind of its own, and the brakes barely existed. If
she had to do an emergency stop'.
Not
that there seemed much chance of that. In the last 5 kms she hadn't passed
another soul, except for some cattle, sheep and dogs that had come chasing
after her.
She
sighed, as she eased the clinging kurti away from the damp heat of her body,
imagining herself getting drenched in a rain shower. How she wished it would
rain right now.
One
more bend in the road, she told herself. Then she would go back.
She
started the scooter, and set off, trying to correct its ferocious wobble on the
corners. In doing so she almost missed the haveli altogether.
She
came to a halt, dirt flying under the tyres, and stared at the letters carved
into the two stone gateposts ahead of her.
Khushi
dismounted with care, propping the vehicle against the wall confident that no
one would dare to steal the piece of junk.
Suddenly,
an armed security guard stopped her and barked a question to her.
'My
name is Khushi Gupta, and I have come from Delhi to see Mr Raizada.'
These
people had an armed security guard at the gate, she thought. Hey Devi Maiyya,
what am I getting into?
The man
stared at her for a moment, then spoke into the intercom. He then told her she
could go in.
Beyond
the gates, greenery shadowed a lengthy driveway. Right, she thought, tilting her
chin. Let's see this irresistible Adonis who causes such havoc in people's
lives. She set off along the driveway, moving with a brisk confident stride
that totally masked her inner unease. Though she knew she was on the right, it
did little to calm her nerves.
The
drive curved away to the right and Khushi saw more greenery with purple and crimson
bougainvillaea, and small trees with beautiful pink flowers which she had never
seen before.
And
beyond that, the palatial haveli loomed large in all its splendour and glory. Khushi
was spellbound at the beauty of the haveli. She felt like she had entered into
the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
The
haveli was completely white with numerous little windows or jharokas. Each jharoka had beautifully carved
arches, supported by equally beautiful columns. Murals or frescoes, depicting
the Rajasthani lifestyle adorned the exterior walls.
Khushi
slowed, staring round her. Had Akash told the truth about his background to
Payal after all? Just as she stood looking at the huge maindoor, wondering
where she should knock, someone opened it and let her in. He then left her
standing there and went inside.
Khushi
realized she was standing in a courtyard, surrounded by balconies on three
sides. She saw more of the similar architecture on the inside. As she walked to
the middle of the courtyard she heard someone talking. She followed the voice
and turned right toward the entrance to what looked like a room. She took one
step inside and was zapped. She had just stepped into a state of the art,
high-tech gymnasium!
As she
stared around in bewilderment, she saw a man lifting weights, talking to
himself. He was shirtless and Khushi felt her heart beating slowly and unevenly
as his biceps bulged with each lift, the muscles on his back flexing,
glistening with sweat.
He looked magnificent. He was
well above average height, broad shouldered and narrow hipped, his bronzed body
lean, muscular and perfectly proportioned.
He was
good-looking too, she recognized dazedly, his almost classical beauty of feature
redeemed by the inherent toughness and strength of his mouth and chin. A man to be reckoned with.
The day
old stubble on his cheeks, the splattering of hair on his chest and the sensuousness
of his mouth put him in the league of ''..baazigars.
What was she thinking? Khushi stemmed
that thought as she saw him staring at her in the mirror. His eyes were dark,
long lashed, holding an odd glitter.
Like
cold fire, she thought.
He took
a bottle of mineral water and drank. Khushi watched mesmerized as some of the droplets
trickled down his chin, his throat onto his muscular chest, finally disappearing
into the waistband of his sweatpants.
Khushi mouth
suddenly felt dry. She knew that displaying himself like this in front of her
---- a woman, and a stranger ---- was a calculated intimidation tactic. But if
he expected her to blush or faint, or run off screaming like some frightened nymph
from mythology, he'd be disappointed, she told herself, refusing to let the
deliberate affront get to her.
He turned
around and said, 'Will you stop staring and tell me who you are and what you
want?'
She
realized he had been talking on his blue tooth device and was now addressing
her. His voice was low and drawling, with a slight accent. She realized he used
a lot of English words. She hadn't expected this. Payal hadn't told her.
Payal, she thought with a
kind of despair. No wonder she had fallen for him hook, line and sinker. But
she couldn't understand why a sophisticated man of the world like this had
encouraged her inexperienced sister, even for a moment? She couldn't imagine a
man like this attending the wedding of a middle class colleague of his. It made
no sense at all.
'Well?'
His voice prodded at her impatiently. 'You have forced your way in here. Speak
up!'
She broke
out of her trance flustered, 'I '..I am Khushi '..Khushi Gupta'' Don't pretend
you don't remember '..'
He
shrugged. 'The name sounds vaguely familiar.' He sounded bored.
'Are '..
are you Aa ___?'
'Yeah I
am ASR.' He snapped.
ASR'.. Akash Singh Raizada. Hey Devi Maiyya she
was hoping it was not him.
'So
what do you want?' he barked at her. 'Or do you plan to spend the whole
afternoon staring at me in silence?' In a few long strides he stood in front of
her.
She
involuntarily took a step back. 'I am sorry.' What am I apologizing for? she
asked herself in disbelief. 'You aren't exactly
what I expected.'
'Nor
are you,' he said enigmatically. The brilliant eyes went over her, lingering on
her breasts and thighs and long, slim legs, making her uneasily aware that the
heat had made her thin garments into a second skin.
'But it
isn't important.' His tone was dismissive. 'Say what want to, and go.'
All her
worst forebodings were confirmed. He didn't care about Payal, or the baby. Her
sister's sole attraction to him had been her innocence. Now it was gone, he didn't
want to know.
She
said stonily. 'You know why I'm here. Don't you think amends should be made?'
'For
what? A roll in the hay most young girls enjoy these days?' The contempt in his
voice lashed at her.
Just
because other girls might behave like sex-crazed idiots, there was no need to put
Payal in the same category, she thought in furious anguish. Hadn't he realized
she was different ---- that she had actually believed whatever corny seduction
line he had handed her?
'Unfortunately,
there have been consequences.' She hated the smile which twisted his mouth. 'Or
have you forgotten there's a baby on the way?'
'There
is nothing wrong with my memory,' he said. 'The question here is about intention
--- you probably think that a child with Raizada blood might have a claim on
Raizada money.' He shook his head. 'I am not a fool, you see. I am prepared to subject
the paternity of this child to every test available to medical science. But can
you afford to fight me?' The studied insolence of his gaze scorched her again. 'I
don't think so.'
'No,'
she said indignant at his insinuations. 'Nor would I dream of it. Obviously
your responsibilities mean very little to you.'
'You
are wrong. They mean a great deal. Do you think I will submit to pressure from
a girl who has behaved like a s**t, and now wishes to benefit from her
dalliances?' His drawl intensified, 'I happen to know that girls with low class
upbringing often resort to such tactics to entrap rich men.'
Her
hands curled into fists at her sides, and her voice shook a little as tears
welled up in her eyes.
'You've
made your point. I'd hoped you might have some shred of decency in you, but clearly
I was mistaken. However, you won't be troubled again. The baby may not be
brought up in the lap of this kind of luxury ----' she gestured scornfully
round her '---but it will be welcomed, looked after and loved, and that's far
more important. It wasn't money I came for, but something more fundamental.
Something you wouldn't understand.'
She
paused, struggling to control her voice. 'And, thinking about it, although the
baby will be illegitimate, it will grow up without knowing what a complete jerk
its father was.' She drew a deep and shuddering breath. 'I wonder how many more
lives will be ruined before you mend your sick behaviour?'
'You
have the audacity to talk about ruined lives?' He took a step forward and held
her upper arms in a punishing grip, and she felt his anger touch her like a
blast of lightning. 'How dare speak to me like this?'
'Because
it's the truth!' She said her eyes flashing at him, 'Leave me''. you are
hurting me!'
She
turned and walked away from him, back rigidly straight, tears streaming down her
cheeks.
Of all
the hateful, disgusting things he'd said, it was the gibe about their upbringing
that had hurt her the most.
He must
have known she was a virgin, yet he had deliberately set out to seduce and
destroy, using all the potent virility and sexual charisma he possessed in such
abundance to undermine her resistance.
My God,
I was aware of it myself, she thought, shame mingling with anger. And I was
only with him for a few minutes.
She blotted
out that line of thinking instantly. What
was wrong with her? This man clearly regarded himself as some Laad Governor,
to whom every woman was a potential victim for conquest, and she disgraced
herself by even acknowledging his attraction.
But
what had he been doing, flirting with a young girl at a wedding? she asked
herself. Was it for some sort of a bet ---- or some other kind of sick joke?
If so,
why go on with the pretence once Payal had returned to Delhi? Promising to come
over ---- claiming there were going to be married. All those phone calls ---- all those lies?
Unforgivable,
she thought as she dragged the blasted scooter upright, and kicked it into
grumbling life. She wanted to get away from the enchanting haveli, and its
owner, as fast as she could --- breathe some untainted air!
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