Chapter 8
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[MEMBERSONLY]
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your wonderful comments. When you see an
opportunity you need to seize it with both hands Anjali tells Khushi. Read on
to find out.
Desert Rose ' Chapter 7
KHUSHI
pushed her chair back and stood up, aware that her knees were shaking.
'Have you come to throw us out in
person, Mr Arnav Singh Raizada?' she challenged as he came up to them.
Arnav ignored Khushi and turned his
stormy gaze toward his sister. 'I saw your car parked outside,' he said
gruffly, 'What are you doing here Di?'
Anjali looked up at him and smiled, 'I
thought I should save Khushiji the trouble of coming all the way to return my
saree you lent yesterday.' She held up the plastic bag Khushi had given her
earlier. 'Remember?'
'Yes'.' he said, 'I remember.' He
looked at Khushi, his eyes darkening instantly.
Images of Arnav grasping her bare waist
flashed through Khushi and she hoped her inner turmoil wouldn't show up in her
face.
'I thought I should have some tea with
her before she leaves.' Anjali quipped.
Arnav turned to look at Khushi, 'You
are leaving?'
Khushi's anger rose up a notch at the
surprized look on his face. She said, clearly and coldly, 'You should know. You
are the one who arranged it.'
His brow snapped together in disbelief,
'I am glad you have made the right decision in leaving. But what have I got to
do with it?'
'Because of you, Khushiji and her
sister have been asked to leave the hotel, Chotte.' Anajli explained.
'What nonsense!'
'Of course you are going to deny it.'
accused Khushi.
'I don't lie,' bit out Arnav, his eyes
boring into her angrily. 'I will talk to Chauhan and get to the bottom of this
right away.' He strode toward the reception area.
'I told you Chotte wouldn't have done
this,' Anjali said looking at Khushi, 'I am sure this will get cleared up soon.
Don't worry Khushiji.'
This was easier said than done thought
Khushi, as she sat nervously fiddling with her dupatta. Where was Payal? Hope
she didn't land up here in the middle of all this confusion.
Arnav came back to their table, with an
annoyed look on his face. 'I spoke to Chauhan. It is his wife who wants you to
leave. Apparently, her brother was insulted because of you.'
'Because of me?' Khushi's eyes widened
in disbelief. 'What did I do?'
'You hired that scooter from Guman, didn't
you?' Arnav snapped at her. 'I gave him a piece of my mind yesterday ---- told
him I would have him arrested if he continued to rent out the piece of junk.'
His mouth twisted. 'It wasn't a very pleasant conversation.'
'Guman is her brother?' Khushi asked
blankly.
'He complained to his sister that you
'coerced' him to lend you the scooter. And as she had witnessed your return to
the hotel yesterday, she thinks you are ',' Arnav let the sentence hanging.
'That's ridiculous!' Khushi exclaimed
as the memory of the way he had held her against the jeep flashed in her head.
'She can't turn us out just for that, can she?'
Anjali touched her hand. 'Khushiji, she
comes from a very conservative background. People here tend to become very
sensitive about small things. There is no way she will allow you to stay here
if she thinks a member of her family has been insulted. It becomes a matter of
honour for them.'
She turned toward Arnav and said, 'So,
Chotte looks like Khushiji was right after all. She and her sister are being turned
out because of you.'
'What the ___?' Arnav swore. 'How was I
supposed to know that this would become such a big problem?'
'Then, we have no choice but to set
this right Chotte.' Anjali said solemnly.
'What do mean Di?' he asked warily.
'How can we let two young girls be
turned out like this?' she asked in earnest. 'One of them is pregnant. Since we
are responsible, we have to help them out.' She paused, 'I think they should
stay with us at the Haveli.'
'NO!' Both Arnav and Khushi exclaimed
in unison.
Anjali laughed. 'At least you both
agree on something.' She continued, 'I don't think we have a choice here.' She
paused, 'If not at the Haveli, then they could stay in the guest house. No one
uses it and Lakshmi can take care of them.'
'No Anjaliji,' Khushi protested at
Arnav's stony silence. 'I will find another hotel''
'That is not so easy Khushiji.' Anjali
looked at her sympathetically, 'It is the Camel Festival season and all hotels
will be full.'
She turned around and looked at Arnav,
challenge in her eyes, 'Moreover, it has always been our family tradition to be
helpful to people in need.'
Arnav's face was expressionless but
Khushi sensed a barely controlled temper seething inside.
'I will manage Anjaliji.' She bit out.
'I know that Khushiji, but what about
your sister?' Anjali pointed out. 'Will you drag that poor girl around in her
condition? Please come and stay with us.' She looked at her brother, 'Chotte?'
Finally he broke his silence, 'Okay you
can come stay in the guest house. I will have the car sent to pick you up
tomorrow morning.' He paused. 'It is a short distance from the Haveli, so there
will some privacy.'
The warning was loud and clear. The
Haveli and Akash were strictly out of limits.
'I understand.' She lifted her chin.
'That's good.' Arnav nodded curtly. 'I
will go and make the necessary arrangements.' He looked at his sister. 'I will
see you later Di.' His tone was clipped as his icy glance flicked once more to
Khushi.
Khushi watched him stride away, and
sank back in relief. She said weakly, 'Anjaliji, we couldn't possibly impose on
you like this.'
'Believe me, Khushiji this is the only
way, if you if you want to stay in Bikaner. You have to let go of your fight
you have with Chotte.'
Khushi bit her lip nervously, 'It is
not that simple Anjaliji.'
'Don't worry Khushiji. You will not see
Chotte in the guest house. He never goes there. That is where his fiance used
to stay. It has bad memories for him.'
'Hey Devi Maiyya,' said Khushi hoarsely.
'This is getting worse. I don't think he will want us to stay there ___'
'Stop fussing and listen,' Anjali
interrupted. 'The reason I want you to come and stay with us is because it will
be easier for me to arrange for Payal and Akash to meet!'
Khushi looked at Anjali in stunned
silence.
Anjali pushed back her chair, 'Shall we
go and find you sister now?' she said sweetly. 'I think it is time we met.'
'Yes'.Yes, of course,' said Khushi. 'I
will call her right away.'
Her legs were shaking as she got to her
feet. The full implications of what she'd agreed to were just staring to sink
in. She was about to become the guest of Arnav Singh Raizada! The only solace
being she will not be under the same roof as him.
They found Payal sitting on a bench in
the garden. She was looking at the children playing in the sand.
She listened quietly while Khushi,
explained the situation. She was visibly upset when she heard about Akash's
accident but calmed down as Anjali assured her that he would recover in time
and there was nothing to worry about.
'But, why can't I see him?' she asked
anxiously, 'He needs me.'
'Of course you will see him,' Anjali
cupped her cheek affectionately, 'unfortunately, we have to convince his big
brother before that.'
Anjali looked so sophisticated in her elegant
saree, her simple but expensive jewellery, her neatly groomed straight hair and
perfectly manicured nails. But goodness reflected in her infectious smile and the
affectionate way she touched Payal. Khushi was relieved to know that they had
an ally in Anjali.
'I have always wanted a younger sister
my whole life,' Anjali laughed happily. 'Akash told me I would love you on
sight.'
'Did he talk about me?' Payal asked shyly.
'Of course. He knew I would be happy
for him.' Anjali sighed. 'But Chotte was a different story.' She shook her
head. 'My God, what a fight. The whole of Raisar must have heard it.'
Payal looked upset. 'Akash mentioned
there might be some difficulties.'
'Those two fight a lot,' Anjali said
serenely. 'Though they are four years apart in age, mentally there is a lot of
difference. Chotte, for some reason thinks that Akash will be better off
marrying a girl with a background that is similar to ours. I think he has
already spoken to one family. He was not very happy when Akash came up to us
and told us that he has already made his own choice.
'Then Akash reminded Chotte about his engagement,'
Anjali's eyes filled with sadness. 'Chotte was so angry. Even after four years,
it hurts him to remember.'
'Well, that's understandable,' Khushi
said hesitatingly. But Arnav Singh Raizada didn't behave like he was grieving
any more. 'If he wants this marriage so much, why doesn't he marry the girl
himself?' she said a little sharply.
'Chotte is not interested in marriage
Khushiji,' she said carefully. 'I think it is a case of once bitten twice shy.'
She smiled mischievously. 'But that doesn't mean that he leads the life of a
saint.'
'I know,' said Khushi caustically. 'I
saw him with a lady here yesterday night.'
'Oh that must be Ria Chopra,' said
Anjali, 'She is his event manager. She comes down from Delhi for a meeting to
discuss forthcoming events. She used to be an ex-model.' She added.
There was no doubt that she was an
ex-model, thought Khushi. The off shoulder, short, figure hugging dress had
proved it. But she definitely doubted that events were being discussed in this
so called "meeting". A dull pain started somewhere in the region of her heart.
She stood up abruptly, 'I think I will
go up and start packing.'
'Shall I come and help?' Payal asked
trying to get up.
'No, stay here and enjoy the fresh
air.' Khushi said.
'I will stay here for some more time,'
Anjali said, 'I am sure my future bhabhi would like to know more about her
future husband, don't you Payal?'
Khushi was surprized at the way Anjali
had taken to Payal. It seemed too good to be true. Was Anjali really genuine
about her affections? Maybe she was being unnecessarily paranoid thought Khushi
as she went towards her room.
**
Arnav sat in the office thinking about
the day's events, the sound of Khushi's slap resonating in his ears. He
remembered the last time he had been slapped''
You think a man's inheritance should be handed to him on a
plate? He had asked Khushi.
There was a time he had thought just
that. It was seven long years but Arnav remembered the day as if it was
yesterday.
He had arrived at the Haveli after completing
two years of MBA from Harvard Business School. Before that he had stopped by in
Delhi and spent a week catching up with his friends. His parents had been
overjoyed and had welcomed him and his American friend Jenny with warmth ---
until his dad found out that he intended to go back to the states to pursue a
career in investment banking.
'Dad, Mom I have a job
offer in Bank of America.' He announced proudly.
'Who will run our business
here?' His dad had asked him shocked at his announcement.
'You should sell that factory
to the first good offer,' he had countered carelessly.
'Sell the factory your
grandfather started with so much pride?' his dad had asked him, his face red
with anger.
'It's time to move on dad.
The machines in the factory are as old as grandpa. The factory is running at a
loss and we don't have enough money for a rehaul.'
'That is exactly why I sent
you to America for higher studies,' he said. 'So you could come back here and
turn things around.'
'But dad,' Arnav tried to
reason with his father, 'I didn't really have to do an MBA to run this old
beaten down factory. My MBA is in finance. I want to be an investment banker.'
He paused, 'In fact, I want to settle down there. You and mom could come and
stay with me.'
'Oh my God!' his mother had
exclaimed, 'Are you going to marry that white girl you brought along with you?'
'Mom, Jenny is just my
girlfriend. I am just twenty two years old. I am not even thinking about
marriage right now. I want to concentrate on my career.'
'After all that we did for
you, gave you all the luxury in the world, educated you in the best schools in
Delhi, sent you abroad for your MBA, is this how you repay us?' his dad had
yelled at him.
'Dad, this is not fair. When
you give birth to children it becomes your duty to take care of them. You provided
us with everything you thought we needed. But have you ever asked us what we
want?'
'Stop it Chotte!' his mother
had tried to warn him.
'You have taken a huge loan
for Di's dowry. Have you ever asked her if she was really interested in this
match? She wanted to study further, but you wouldn't let her. Why don't you ask
yourself if you have done the right things before you ask me anything further?'
His mother had come up to
him and slapped him hard across the cheeks.
His father had quietly left
the room after this. 'Never ever talk to your father like that again!' she had told
him. 'You want to go, just go. We don't need you.' She had walked out of the
room in tears.
Anjali who was a silent spectator
during this tirade, walked up to him and took his trembling form into her arms
and had cried her heart out. They had no idea that there was more heartbreak in
store for them. That afternoon, his parents along with their uncle had left for
Jaipur to attend a wedding. They had left for Delhi right after the wedding and
had been killed in the road accident on the Jaipur-Delhi highway.
After the accident, he had been left
with an entire family to take care of ----
his Di, Akash, mami and nani. He had rejected the plum job in the States
to stay back here in India. Because of the huge loans his father had incurred
they were forced to leave the haveli and shift to Delhi.
He had started AR industries. After one
year of sheer hard work, he had managed to earn enough profit to get the factory
going. After that, he kept rising. He had never stopped. His parents would have
been proud of him today. But they would
never know it would they?
That was when his war with God had
begun. Why had He taken them away without giving him a chance to apologize for
the way he had spoken to them? Why had He left him here to live with this guilt
all his life?
He had been trying since then to be everything that his dad
would have wanted him to be ' responsible. Images of Khushi flashed in his
mind. His eyes filled with rage. No, he could never let anything go wrong in
Akash's life. It was his duty and responsibility. He wouldn't let anything or
anyone come in the way. F#$*! He took
the small crystal clock on his desk and threw it on the floor smashing it to
smithereens.
**
When Khushi stepped into the room, it was
dark as the curtains had been drawn to keep the room cool. Khushi couldn't
believe they were going to be leaving this room so soon. Had they just arrived
the previous morning? It seemed longer for some reason. Was it because of him?
Suddenly, the image of Arnav Singh
Raizada rose unbidden in her mind. The memory of the way he had brushed that
exotic flower on her skin, made her close her eyes and heat enveloped her from
head to toe. It felt so real that he might have been there standing in that
small room next to her. So near that she had only to turn to touch him ' to
feel the warmth of his skin under her hand'..
She felt her whole body clench in a
sudden shock of sheer yearning, and stopped, shocked at herself. What was wrong with her? How could she
let her thoughts stray in directions that were strictly forbidden?
Just remember Khushi, she admonished
herself savagely, you are not alone. Ria Chopra was probably indulging in the
same fantasies at this exact moment --- and probably a hoard of those women he
had claimed to have seen half naked, in his fashion house.
No wonder the man had a reputation. Raizada ki aurat'.. she rememberd the
sniggering comments she had heard from the hotel staff. It should be in plural
she thought with contempt, marching into the bathroom. She needed to cool off
and the outside heat was only part of the reason. She let the cool water wash
over her body.
She felt refreshed and more in control
of her senses when she stepped out of the bathroom. She had changed into a thin
faded pink kurti, her hair hanging damply down her waist.
The rap on the bedroom door startled
her. Payal was back sooner that she'd expected. She opened the door with a
smile.
But the smile died on her lips when she
saw who was standing there.
It was the waiter, Guman. The way he leered
at her told her that he was going to be trouble.
She said curtly, 'What do you want?'
'I came to see you madam.' He peeked
into the room. 'You are alone?'
'Come back later,' she tried to push
the door shut, but he was too quick for her, shouldering his way into the room.
'What happened madam?' he sneered at
her. 'You were very friendly yesterday when you wanted information about Raizada.
Now that he is taking you to his haveli, you are trying to act very pricey.'
'How dare you?' Khushi's eyes widened
with shock.
The sneer turned uglier as he looked at
her expression, 'You think I don't know what that means?' His voice became
insinuating. 'You should thank me for telling you how to find him.'
'You've already been thanked.' Khushi
tried not to show how frightened she was. 'Now get out before I shout for
help.'
'No one here cares.' He laughed. 'They
know what you are. One of the numerous women who warm Raizada's bed.' He took a
step nearer, his dark eyes lecherous as he looked at her quivering form. 'Who
would know if I also tasted the honey that Raizada has chosen for himself?'
'I would know.' Arnav's icy voice came
from the doorway behind them.
'Raizada sahab.' Guman turned around
startled. The waiter's face paled visibly. 'I'.I was just joking '.'
Before the man could finish the
sentence Arnav had strode up to him, caught him by the collar and slapped him
hard across the cheeks, twice. He dragged him to the door, 'Listen carefully
you good for nothing scum bug,' he said his voice pure menace, 'If I ever catch
you even looking at her again, I will peel the hide off your back.' He banged
the door shut.
'No..Nothing happened,' Khushi
stuttered shocked at what she had just witnessed. She had never witnessed
violence up close.
'And that is no thanks to you.' He
looked her over. Her wet hair had dripped water onto her thin kurti creating wet
spots. F@#$! His brows snapped
together angrily. 'Are you mad to let that worm enter your room when dressed like
that? Where is your dupatta, dammit?'
Khushi turned red as she hurriedly snatched
her dupatta and covered herself. 'I thought it was Payal at the door or I would
never have opened it. He said such awful things'..' She halted, aware that she
was blushing. 'He'..'
'I heard him.' He was silent for a
moment.
'Why are you here?' she asked him thanking
her lucky stars that he had arrived in time.
His mouth twisted. 'I don't know,' he
said his voice husky. 'I was driving past the hotel and I ---- it was almost as
if I heard '..' He looked at her, his eyes glinting with awareness.
Khushi remembered with horror how she'd
conjured up his image, here in this room and her dhak dhak began slowly.
He continued, 'So I came back --- to tell you that it might not be safe to
stay here tonight. Pack your bags and be ready in fifteen minutes. I will take
you home ''I mean' the guest house.'
'I will have to go and get Payal. She
is out in the garden.' Khushi said in a low voice.
He frowned again, 'I will have Chauhan
go and find her. Pack fast and don't be stupid and open the door to strangers
again.'
Khushi drew a deep breath. She had
enough of his condescending attitude. Laad
Governor! 'Don't call me stupid' she raged. It's all your fault in the
first place. If you hadn't mauled me in front of the entire hotel yesterday we would
still be staying here. Instead we are moving into your house and people are
bound to draw the obvious conclusion.'
'I have never cared about what people think,'
he said tersely.
'But I do,' she glared at him. 'Especially
when I know I am going to be regarded as just another in a long line of ---
willing women,' she added bitterly.
Arnav took a swift harsh breath, his brown
eyes glimmering with a barely controlled temper. 'You have a choice Khushi. Just
accept my offer.'
'Never.'
He turned around and walked out of the
room, banging the door shut behind him.
Khushi sat down on the bed and finally
gave in to the tears that had been threatening to drop for a long time. Raizada ki Aurat 'that is what they
would all think ---- all say as she left. It was a label which would haunt her
until she left Bikaner, maybe even afterward.
She would have to do this for Payal
---- and her baby. But was it only her reputation that would haunt her, she wondered,
as a sharp pain began in the region of her heart.
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