Chapter 7
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[MEMBERSONLY]
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your wonderful comments. Arnav has a
proposition for Khushi. Read on to find out.
Desert Rose ' Chapter 6
Arnav Singh
Raizada was more formally dressed than Khushi had ever seen. He wore a charcoal
grey three-piece business suit with an immaculately white dress shirt. His tie
was light grey with black lines criss-crossing in diamond shape patterns. His hair
was combed back severely from his forehead and a pair of aviator sun glasses
covered his eyes. This morning, Laad Governor looked like he was posing for the
cover page of GQ!
'What '..what are you doing here?' Khushi was
flustered.
'I knew you had an appointment with
Manav this morning.' He took off shades and stared at her coolly, 'I thought we
should talk.'
'And
Dr. Manav just jumped up and left so he could accommodate your whim.' she said
bitterly.
'Well, don't blame him. I have some
influence around here.' He said smugly.
'Yeah I know. He told me how you funded
this clinic for him.' Khushi drew a breath. 'That was very charitable of you. But,
someone should have told you that charity begins at home.'
'Exactly.' He agreed to her surprize.
'That is what I wanted to discuss with you.' He moved to the desk and sat on
the edge of it, looking smooth and relaxed.
'Are you telling me that you are going
to allow Payal to see Akash?' she asked directly.
'Of course not.' he said.
'Then, what else there to talk about?'
she walked past him to the door.
'I wouldn't do that if I were you,
Khushi.' His menacing voice stopped her in her tracks. 'I am not done talking
here.'
Khushi felt her mouth dry up and heart
beating erratically at the tone. She looked at him lounging there, totally in
control of the situation, and anger shook her voice.
'I don't want to talk unless you change
your attitude toward Payal.'
'Where is she right now?' he drawled.
'At the hotel.' Khushi looked at her
watch again. 'And she will be wondering where I am.'
His mouth twisted, 'I am sure she would
have found some entertainment.'
'What is that supposed to mean?'
'You know I saw her dancing last
night.' He sneered. 'She was so '..uninhibited.'
'Then your brother must have been a
good teacher,' she returned. She smiled inwardly as she saw his lips tighten.
She continued, 'I am just curious to
know how your brother turned out to be working with the groom, as a low level
employee? It seems an odd way for a future millionaire to earn a living.'
'You think a man's inheritance should
be handed to him on a plate ---- without any hard work or responsibility from
his side?' His voice was suddenly harsh.
He shook his head. 'No, Akash will work, in every branch of our business
undertakings, and at every level, from the lowliest menial job to top
administration.' He paused. 'Good management skills comes from actual work experience,
not just a degree.'
'And I suppose you have a lot of it.' It nettled her that what he
had said made so much sense; that he had thought of making Akash a more responsible
person instead of allowing him to become a useless rich brat like many rich people
tend to do.
Khushi couldn't imagine Laad Governor
doing menial jobs he had mentioned above. But from what Dr Manav had told her
earlier, he had erected his company from scratch.
She said, 'And Anjaliji ---- did she
also have to work?'
'No. In our families, it is different
for a woman.'
Not where I come from, thought Khushi
wistfully.
Aloud, she said, 'And I suppose her
marriage was arranged as well? Did she at least have a say in that? Or did you
interfere in her life telling her who she should spend her entire life with?'
He said tautly, 'Firstly, it is none of
your business.' He continued, his eyes cold as ice, 'Secondly, I care for my
family. I am responsible for them, and for all those who depend on me. I cannot
afford to slack off in my responsibilities.'
'And they all just stand in line and
heed your every command?' Khushi found it hard to believe.
'They know where their duty lies,' he
returned flatly. 'So don't get your hopes too high. Your sister has no place in
Akash's life.'
'And if Anjaliji were in the same
situation as Payal ---- what would you do?' she demanded, her eyes flashing.
He said softly, 'If he had any love for
his life then he wouldn't want to be found by me.'
Khushi was shocked at the menace that
laced his words. Breath hitched in her throat and she suddenly had the urge to
escape. She turned around and ran into the sanctuary of the garden, hoping
there would be a way out.
But it was not to be. The garden was completely
surrounded by high walls.
The sun shone brightly, blinding her in
its glare. The heat was getting to her,
sweat trickling down her neck. She walked to the fountain, and let the cool
water play on her wrist, as she strove to calm her screaming pulse.
As she looked around her in the beautiful
green garden, she had to remind herself that she was in Rajasthan ----- where
people were known to have killed for honour. She had read articles that
chronicled horror tales of how a couple was killed by the girl's own family
because she had fallen in love with a boy from a different community. She felt
a shiver go up her spine.
Arnav had followed her into the garden
and stood watching her, his hands in his pockets. He had discarded the jacket,
and the sleeves of his white shirt had been turned back to reveal his tanned
forearms. His tie was loosened, and a few strands of his hair had escaped it
confinement immediately lessening the severity of his face.
His gaze was almost meditative,
lingering on the few strands of hair that had escaped the constriction of her
clips covering her cheek, the quiver of her parted lips, and the trust of her
rounded breasts against the thin material of her plain blue kurti. She was
covered from neck to ankle, but she might as well have been naked, she realized
as she nervously adjusted the glasses on her nose.
She had never been so physically aware
of another man in her life before, or so helpless in controlling her own
reactions. Her dhak-dhak began slowly
and he wasn't even close!
The silence between them was charged
---- dangerous.
As he advanced in her direction, she
took a step back, and found her dupatta had caught fast, anchoring her, to the
spot by the trailing briar of a bush of those pink flowers that had surrounded
the fountain.
'Hey Devi Maiyya.' She twisted,
struggling to free herself, shying away with a yelp as Arnav walked across to
her. 'I can manage.' Her voice sounded oddly breathless.
'Be still, you are making it worse,' he
cautioned sharply. 'I don't want to end up providing you another saree today.' Images
of her in the saree flashed across his mind making him swear under his breath. With
infinite care, he detached her dupatta from the clinging tendrils. 'Nor any
further marks on your skin,' he added quietly.
'Thank you.' Khushi swallowed,
smoothing her dupatta over her neck.
'You are welcome.' There was a note of
veiled amusement in his voice. He leaned past her deftly picking the pink
flower from the bush.
'So soft,' His voice was husky. 'So
beautiful.' He brushed the velvety petals against her cheek, moving her hair
out of the way. 'So unique.' The flower touched the corner of her mouth making
her gasp. 'Do you know what this flower is Khushi?'
He was standing close enough for her to
feel the warmth emanating from him.
'It's a Desert Rose,' he continued down
her jaw. 'This rare exotic flower doesn't
need to be watered often''.' He was brushing the damned flower against the
pulse in her throat now, moving down to the demure rounded neckline of her
dress, his gaze following the path of the flower.
Her breathing had become uneven, her breast
heaving up and down against the thin, revealing fabric.
He continued, 'Making it perfect for
the hot desert conditions.'
Suddenly
he looked up into her eyes, his eyes blazing like the sun above them. She was
actually beginning to shake under its intensity ' hot molten chocolate''.like the baazigar of her dreams!
Oh, God, she thought dazedly as a hot
flush washed her from head to toe. What
is happening to me?
She was supposed to be the cool one,
the girl who was practical and in charge, and she couldn't allow him to destroy
her equilibrium like this. He was playing some kind of game with her, and she
knew it, even if she didn't fully understand what it was.
She stepped away, firmly putting some
distance between them. 'Is this the purpose of your discussion ---- to talk about
rare exotic flowers?'
'Is that what we were doing?' It was
not my intention --- however enjoyable.' He smirked, the molten eyes darkening,
letting her know he had been well aware of her body's involuntary reaction to
his caress. He said, 'If you can behave like an adult and stop running, I have
a business proposition for you.'
'What kind of proposition?' asked
Khushi warily.
'A financial deal. I realized that I might
have been a little rash yesterday. It's just that you took me by surprize when
you landed in my house unannounced.'
'A little?' she asked incredulously.
'Did you think that Payal would just forget about Akash? That she'd make no
effort to find him?'
He shrugged. 'There are girls who brush
away things like this and put it down to experience.'
'But Payal is not that sort of a girl,'
she said desperately. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading to him for
understanding. 'I wish she was here to convince you.'
'It would prove nothing.' He said
flatly. 'I wonder if she would have been this enthusiastic to find him, if he'd
just been an employee of AR industries instead of being a Raizada.'
'She didn't know about that until very
recently, and she hadn't really believed it.' she said wearily.
'And now?'
'Nothing has changed.' Khushi
hesitated. 'I haven't told her anything 'yet.'
'Why not?'
'To protect her from the hurt of
knowing she's not considered good enough for your family.'
His mouth tightened. 'Don't you have
any elder to speak for you?' he asked.
Khushi shook her head. 'We're alone.'
'Then any negotiation has to be with
you.' He paused. 'I am willing to deposit a suitable amount of money in your
sister's name, which if invested wisely will provide child support ---- under
certain conditions.'
Khushi tensed. 'Conditions?' she
repeated. 'What conditions?'
'She will have to sign a legal document
that would state that she would be entitled to the agreed amount if she
promises to stay away from Akash.'
She couldn't believe what she was
hearing. Arnav Singh Raizada was proposing to buy Payal out of Akash's life.
She said shaking with fury, 'And if
Akash tries to contact Payal after he recovers?'
'He will not.'
Utter confidence that his brother will
not go against him. She said, quietly 'As simple as that.'
'That's how it has to be,' he said. 'Or
no deal. I want this to be done before it gets worse. And you should be
grateful for this offer,' he added icily. 'I saw the way she was dancing
yesterday at the hotel. Does she know for sure Akash is the father of her
baby?'
Khushi's face flamed. 'How dare you say
such a thing?'
'Why not?' he flung back at her. 'Why
should I think she is a saint? And you Khushi, you are no different either.'
He tossed the flower away from him
suddenly. He came closer and held her roughly, crushing the soft flesh of her
upper arms. 'If I wanted you, I could take you, and we both know it.'
His words fell into a hot stinging
silence.
The blood was pounding in Khushi's head.
She shrugged off his arms angrily, drew back her arm, and slapped him hard
across the face.
'What the f***!' he swore as his hand went up to touch his bruised cheek.
She saw anger and disbelief flare in
his eyes, then he reached for her, and she dodged past him, and ran for the
open glass doors.
She ran across the doctor's office, her
heart pounding furiously in her chest. As she stepped into the reception area,
she found Dr Manav and Anjali, their faces mirroring their surprize.
'Bye,' Khushi said breathlessly, and
kept running.
Her legs were still shaking under her
when she arrived back at the hotel. Luckily she had found an auto waiting just
outside the clinic and got into it, huddling at the back, resisting the urge to
peek outside to see if Arnav Singh Raizada was still chasing her.
Khushi thought about what she had done
and a shiver went down her spine. He had totally deserved it though. He was so
used to women falling all over him for his sexual charm that he had taken her
silence for compliance.
Well, the sting of the slap will remind
him that he was wrong about her.
And he was wrong if he thought that
Payal could be bought off. Not if she could help it, she thought savagely.
There wasn't enough money in the world!
At the hotel, Khushi found Bhairav
Chauhan's wife giving her a venomous look as she tried to pass by her. Before
she could take one step toward the stairs Bhairav called her from behind.
Khushi turned around.
'Khushiji.' Bhairav looked extremely
uncomfortable. 'There has been a mix up in your reservations. Your room has
been booked for other people --- it was
a booking which my wife had made earlier and forgotten. I hope you understand.
You will have to vacate your room tomorrow.'
Khushi felt butterflies in her stomach.
'But you can't do that Bhairavji! I
have booked for 10 days and I paid in advance,' she protested.
He put his hands together, 'Please
forgive me Khushiji. I will return all your money.'
'This is not fair Bhairavji. Instead of
refunding the money, can't you just find me another place to stay?' Khushi saw
Bhairav's wife sneering at her from her spot outside the kitchen.
What was going on here? Was this
anything to do with what had happened with Arnav outside the hotel yesterday?
She knew there would have to be repercussions.
Bhairav looked even more uncomfortable.
'This is the Camel Festival season Khushiji. I doubt if there will another
hotel available at this rate. I am sorry I will not be able to help you here.'
'What?' Khushi was getting more furious
by the second. 'Are you trying to tell me you will not be able to find another
room in the whole of Bikaner? Tell me Bhairavji, would Arnav Singh Raizada have
anything to do with this?'
Bhairav went visibly pale. 'Khushiji,
this is not easy for me, but please leave my hotel. I will give you back your
money.'
Khushi lifted her chin defiantly. She
said, 'Don't worry. I don't want to stay in your hotel anyway!'
She was almost in tears as she went
upstairs to her room. She couldn't escape Arnav Singh Raizada's wrath could
she? He must have called the hotel and instructed Bhairav to chuck her out.
I should have kept my temper, she
thought as she paced the room. What would they do now? They would have to
return to Delhi. Would Payal be able to bear all this? And Akash, in his blank
confused world won't even know.
Now she would have to find Payal and
break this bad news to her. She went to the night stand where she had put a
small idol of her friend, philosopher and guide. Hey Devi Maiyya show me a way please!
Suddenly, the phone in the room rang
and the Khushi was told that she had a visitor --- Anjali. Sent by her brother to check if she
had left or not, no doubt. Khushi picked up the pink bandhej saree, put it in a
plastic bag and left the room.
On the stairs she met Anjali who was on
her way up. She looked up at her and smiled mischievously.
'So,' she said. 'You survived the
storm. Kudos to you.'
'Oh.' Khushi paused, taken aback. 'You
---- you know what happened?'
'The look on Chotte's face was enough
to tell me,' she explained. 'My brother is not used to opposition.'
'Then he will have to get used to it,'
Khushi drew a furious breath. 'Because I will be fighting him every step of the
way ---- even if he gets me kicked out of this hotel. You can tell him that.'
'What do you mean Khushiji?'
'Your brother tried to buy me off, and
when I refused he instructed the hotel to throw us out. We have no place to
stay as of tomorrow.'
Anjali's brows snapped together. She said
flatly, 'No, Chotte would not do such a thing. I think there has been a
misunderstanding.'
'But Bhairavji didn't deny it when I
asked if your brother was involved,' Khushi argued. 'And I did make him very
angry.'
'Yes.' Anjali's voice took on an amused
tone. 'More angry than I can remember. Generally Akash is the temperamental
one. Chotte is usually '..cold as ice. So it is good for him that someone, for
once, is not doing as he says --- especially a woman. She smiled. 'Come
Khushiji, we need to talk.'
Khushi followed her to the restaurant, surprized
at the turn of events. She took a seat at the table while Anjali ordered for
some tea.
'Why are helping us Anjaliji?' she
asked her in a low voice.
Anjali took Khushi 's hand in hers.
'Akash is my baby brother. I want him to be happy. And I know that he will be
happy only with Payal. He told me all about her you know. I am absolutely convinced
that Akash will get back his memory if he sees her.'
Khushi wasn't sure what Anjali was up
to. She wondered if she dared get her hopes up.
'So Chotte offered you money.' Anjali
said adding some sugar into her tea.
'Yes.' Khushi flushed stormily at the
memory.
'Don't blame him too much Khushiji,'
Anjali said calmly. 'I think life taught him at a very young age that
everything and everyone has a price. And then what happened? You refused?'
Khushi took a sip of tea. 'Not really,'
she said carefully. 'I '.. I just lost my temper.'
'That is a good thing then.' Anjali
pondered over what she had said. 'That gives you an excuse to stay ---- and
continue your discussions with Chotte.'
'I don't think that will possible
Anjaliji.' Khushi paused. 'Your brother won't want to see me again.'
'Really?' Anjali smiled as she glanced
past Khushi. 'Then why is he here?'
Khushi twisted round in her chair in
time to see Arnav Singh Raizada, storming into the hotel his face a thunderous
mask.
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