Chapter 9
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[MEMBERSONLY]
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your wonderful comments. Am I your guest or
your prisoner Mr Raizada? Read on to
find out.
Desert Rose ' Chapter 8
IT was
late afternoon when they arrived at the guest house. No one talked during the
journey. Khushi, had tried to keep her eyes trained on the scenery, which was
nothing but miles and miles of hot burning sand. At a first glance it looked
like one of the most inhospitable landscapes on earth. Just like the man sitting
next to her, thought Khushi. Payal was also her usual quiet self.
She had been the same when she had been
introduced to Arnav. The meeting had been uncomfortable from both sides. Arnav
had maintained a formality and Payal had been a little intimidated by his formidable
demeanour.
The route seemed very familiar to the
one she had taken to the Haveli for the most part until they had taken a
deviation. The area looked so remote that Khushi wondered if this was a
deliberate attempt to put them in a hidden, inaccessible place easily forgotten
until their money ran out and they were forced to leave.
Hey Devi Maiyya, the money! Khushi hit
her forehead with her palm. In her scramble to get ready fast, she had
forgotten to get the refund from Bhairav Chauhan.
'What?' Arnav asked her.
'Nothing.' She shook her head. No way
was she going to tell him about it. If he knew that every pie counted, then he
would use it to his advantage.
The Jeep swung off the road, and began
to wind its way down a narrow track. It then turned a corner, and there in
front of them was the guest house. It was a two-storey white house with Georgian
windows, a sloping roof coming all the way down to the first floor, complete
with a white picket fence. Anjali stood in the garden filled with desert rose
plants and various varieties of colourful cactus flowering plants. She welcomed
the two girls with enthusiasm ----much to the consternation of Arnav. He picked
up the bags from the Jeep and dumped them on the ground.
'I will be going back to the haveli Di.
I will see you at dinner.' He reversed the Jeep and drove away at full speed,
tyres kicking up some dust.
'Welcome Payal'..Khushiji!' exclaimed
Anjali. 'This is Lakshmi.' she said turning toward the young woman who had just
joined them. 'She is Hari Prakash's wife and she will take care of you when you
are here.'
Lakshmi was a pretty young woman with a
round face and mischievous smile. She wore a navy blue mirror work lehenga
choli with beautiful embroidery. 'Namaste didi,' she greeted both the girls. 'I
will take your bags. Please leave them there.'
Khushi and Payal followed Anjali into
the house. The house opened into a small foyer, with a dining area and a
kitchen on the right. On the left was the living area. The decor in the house was
a complete contrast to the haveli. The marble on the floor was beige speckled
with brown and gold, matching the beige paint on the walls. The upholstery on
the sofa was a combination of beige and green, with brownish-green embroidered
design on the cushions. The silk curtains
were bronze with patterns of green leaves weaved into it. The dark coloured
furniture, though not traditional still had an elegant and classical look. The
chandeliers and light fixtures were made of antique gold and were simpler and
less intimidating than the ones in the haveli. The kitchen was modular with the
cabinets made of solid wood in walnut brown.
'This house is a replica of the house
Chotte had planned to buy in America after he had completed his MBA.' Anjali
explained at Khushi and Payal's wide-eyed perusal of the house. 'He had this
house built five years ago and had the entire furniture shipped from the
States.'
Anjali showed them to a room which was
in the one corner of the house. It was a bright room, painted in yellow with large
windows on one side. The room had a queen bed in the middle with bright floral
prints on the bedding. The furniture in the room was rose wood which was in
stark contrast to the wall colour adding beauty to the room. The painting of a mountainous
landscape adorned the wall behind the head board making the room look like a
page from the Home Dcor magazine.
'I think this room will be good for
Payal,' suggested Anjali as Payal sat on the bed and looked around dazedly.
'This room will be good for both of us
Anjaliji.' Khushi said looking around equally dazed.
'No Khushiji, your room has been
prepared upstairs,' explained Anjali. 'Come on. Payal looks like she could do with
some rest.'
They went up the stairs and walked
through an open sitting area to the bedroom. As she stepped into the room, Khushi
stood completely stunned. A four poster king bed dominated the centre of the
large room. The comforter was embroidered with red and gold silk threads with
several silk throw pillows in the same colours arranged neatly on it.
Everything from silk curtains to the dark mahagony furniture to the persian
carpets reeked of sensuality. This large room decorated in rich red and gold was
clearly the master bedroom ' a room probably shared by Arnav Singh Raizada and
his ex-fiance.
'I'.I couldn't possibly stay in this
room Anjaliji.' Khushi said slowly. 'Is there a smaller room I can take?'
'Sorry Khushiji. The other room on this
floor has been used for storage.' Anjali explained. 'Chotte brings a lot of
items when he travels but hardly uses them. They just get dumped into that
room. I don't even dare look into that room. I am just going to leave that
headache to his future wife.'
'But ___'
'Stop fussing now Khushiji,' said
Anjali. 'Now come take a look at the balcony.'
Khushi walked through the French doors
to the balcony terrace. There was more bogunvillae creepers and other exotic
flowers growing in pots.
'What is that building?' she asked
pointing to a single story glass structure with a sloping roof at the edge of
the back yard.
'Oh, that's a greenhouse Khushiji.' Anjali
explained. 'Chotte had this built a few years ago in the memory of my mother.
She was from Nainital and just loved plants like crazy. But when she came here
after her marriage she was disappointed that there was hardly any greenery
here. My father tried his best to grow plants here for her sake. But they just
wouldn't grow in these weather conditions.
'When Chotte was in America, he learnt
a lot about how plants can be grown artificially in a green house. He had this
built along with this house. Unfortunately, my mother isn't alive to see it.
She would have loved it.'
Anjali fell silent and Khushi
understood the feeling of loss too well. 'Is that the Haveli I see there, Anjaliji?'
she asked her trying to distract her.
'Yes,' said Anjali coming out of her
melancholy mood, 'Beyond the green house, there is a rough beaten down path
that leads to the Haveli. Though it is a walkable distance, I wouldn't
recommend it. We have rattle snakes here.
'Alright Khushiji, I will leave now and
arrange for dinner to be sent over to you.' she said as she walked back into
the bedroom.
Khushi saw her off and came back into
the house still feeling completely dazed. So Arnav Singh Raizada had built all
this in the memory of a world he had left behind.
Arnav had to take responsibility of his family and business
at a very young age.
Achieving so much in such a short
period of time was definitely a commendable quality thought Khushi. But he wanted
to control two young lives ----- a small triviality he wanted to dispose off by
signing a contract.
That was something she should remember
---- foremost to keep the fire of anger and resentment against him burning. She
couldn't afford any more weaknesses where he was concerned. No more aching
yearning to feel his hands weaving a web of delight on her skin.
The kind of spell he knew so well how
to weave. The way he probably enthralled other fools.
But not me, she told herself
vehemently. Never again.
'Everything is going to be okay now,'
Payal said cheerfully, munching on her roti and bhindi masala at dinner.
Khushi stared at her. 'I wish I could
feel as confident as you jiji,' she said wearily. 'Akashji's amnesia has made matters
very complicated.'
Payal shook her head. 'I don't think
so,' she said firmly. 'Di says we must just be patient for a while ---- just
wait for the right time.'
'Really?' Khushi asked sardonically. 'I
don't know how she is planning to do all this.'
'She is not going to do this all by
herself of course,' Payal said serenely. 'Dr Solanki --- Manavji will help
her.'
'Oh jiji you have no idea, have you?'
Khushi asked faintly. 'Dr Manav is very close to Arnavji.'
'It is you who doesn't know Khushi,'
Payal told her confidently. 'Dr Manav is Di's childhood friend. They both
studied school together. '
Poor Dr Manav, thought Khushi. He was
going to be sandwiched between his childhood friend and his benefactor Arnav
Singh Raizada.
Payal went on. 'After high school, Dr
Manav went away to Manipal University to study medicine and returned to Raisar
four years ago.'
'She told you all this today?' Khushi
asked, frowning.
Payal nodded.
'I don't like the sound of this jiji.'
Khushi shook her head. 'What if something goes wrong?'
'Don't forget that we have Akash to
protect us Khushi,' Payal said gently, her eyes shining. 'Everything is going to be fine. I know it.'
Khushi could find nothing to say in the
face of such sincere and passionate conviction.
Later, alone in her room, Khushi looked
around her room in dismay. Her plan to swap rooms with Payal was foiled first
by Lakshmi who had unpacked for her and put all her things in the wardrobe.
Then Payal had disclosed that she could
see the lights of the Haveli from her bedroom window, which made her feel that
Akash was close to her.
Khushi realized that she couldn't say
anything further after this. She would have to bear it.
She stepped into the bathroom to change
her clothes for the night and let out a low shriek. The walls of the bathroom
were made of glass and she could see the entire bedroom from there. She
scurried out of the bathroom appalled. Then she was relieved when she saw that
a curtain had been provided from the outside. She drew the curtains shut over
the glass and went back into the bathroom.
She wondered why would anyone would build
a bathroom with glass walls and then blushed when the realization hit her.
She came out of the bathroom and looked
for a place to put away her jewellery. The nightstand drawer seemed to be the
ideal place for it. But when she tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. She
realized that something bulky had got wedged and she used her comb to free the
obstruction and open the drawer.
Khushi found herself holding an ornate silver
photo frame studded with crystals. It was the picture of a beautiful woman,
with flawless dusky skin, sparkly eyes and a mischievous smile framed by dark
hair that fell in waves around her shoulders.
She looked strangely familiar thought
Khushi just as her eyes fell on the writing across the bottom of the photo.
'To Arnav, With Love, Lavanya.'
Khushi drew a sharp breath. Of course
she thought. It was Lavanya Kashyap, the model turned actress. She'd been a
super model who had blazed across Bollywood in a brief career of a couple of
movies, of which she had been sacked from one due to unprofessional conduct.
After that she had not made any more movies and a few years later, according to
papers she had read at the time, she had died of a drug overdose in a hotel in
Delhi.
She sat down on the edge of the bed. This was Arnav Singh Raizada's fiance she
thought faintly. Is this why he was dead against a love marriage for
Akash? Because his relationship had
ended badly?
Lavanya Kashyap had died alone. In
fact, Khushi recalled the day four years ago, going into work to find Siya, her
employer Mrs Malhotra's daughter, crying. She was a professional photographer
and a friend of Lavanya Kashyap. She had mentioned that Lavanya had been quite unhappy
in her life.
What had happened between the two? Had Lavanya
Kashyap loved so deeply that she had been burned in its fire?
The thought struck her like a blow from
a clenched fist. What had driven such beauty and talent to destruction like
this?
Hands shaking, Khushi put the frame
down beside her bed. She would keep it there, she thought, shivering, as a
timely reminder --- a warning.
She felt suddenly cold. 'Hey Devi
Maiyya,' she whispered. 'He could destroy me too ' so very easily.'
The white horse galloped
toward her in the twilight. It came to a stop a few feet from her and the rider
alighted in one swift motion. As he began to stride toward her, the skies began
to darken throwing him in shadows. He came up to her, pulled her flush against
himself and bent down to touch his lips to her. His eyes'..the colour of molten
chocolate. She felt like she was drowning in their depths. A lightning struck and his face was
illuminated for brief seconds''.
Khushi
sat up in the bed, clutching her heart which was beating erratically'.dhak-dhak. She had been dreaming about
''' not him! Laad
Governor!
She drew an angry breath kicking away
the imprisoning tangle of sheet from her over heated body. What was happening
to her? How could she possibly feel these things about a man who was still
virtually a stranger, and almost certainly an enemy?
'I should never have come here.' She
whispered into the darkness. She sat up, pushing her hair back from her face
and switched on the bedside lamp, to check the time. It was 5.30 AM. She went
up to the French doors, drew the curtains open and stepped out into the
balcony.
She had tossed and turned the entire
night as sleep eluded her on this big wide bed. Finally, she had dozed into a
slumber only to be woken up by the horrid dream.
The sun was just beginning to rise in
the far horizon throwing the entire landscape into hues of grey and light orange.
Khushi gasped at the beauty of the scene in front of her. When she looked down
she found narrow stone steps that would take her to the ground floor. A good
morning walk was exactly what she needed to clear her head she thought.
As Khushi began to walk, she found
herself in front of the green house. She stepped inside and her breath caught
in her throat. The inside looked like a miniature forest with lush green
plants. She walked through the aisle in awe and she found exotic flowering
plants of different varieties. She stood in front of a miniature desert rose
plant. It was a sight to behold. It had clusters of gorgeous pink flowers that
grew at the tips of the stems, widening into a swollen base. Khushi brushed her
fingers along the stem to feel its roughness.
'That is where it stores the water.'
Arnav Sigh Raizada's husky voice whispered into her ear from behind her.
Khushi snatched her hand away and jumped
up as if she had committed some sacrilege by touching the exotic plant. 'You
scared me!' she exclaimed loudly, 'What are you doing here?'
Arnav looked at Khushi fidgeting as she
unnecessarily adjusted the dupatta on her neck. It doesn't take much to get her
all fluttery like this he thought. It was still a little dark inside the green
house as the glass only let in diffused sun light and there was not much of it
right now. Her hair was plaited and fell down her shoulder like a rope. She wore
a snug fitting short white kurti with patiala bottom. There was something different
in the way she looked.
'This is my greenhouse Khushi,' he
raised an eye brow arrogantly. 'I think I have every right to be here.'
'I couldn't sleep so I just thought
about going for a walk and then I just came in here.' She said in a rush.
'I wouldn't recommend venturing beyond
though. It is not safe.' He rasped.
'Oh I've got the picture Mr Raizada.'
Khushi glared at him. 'We have to stay locked up in the guest house at all
times.'
'You are not prisoners,' he said
causally. 'You are free to leave whenever you like.'
'But on whose terms?' Khushi looked him
square in the eyes.
He smirked. 'Oh, I am pretty sure you
have the picture.' He paused. 'You should at least listen to my offer, Khushi.
It is pretty generous.'
Khushi shook her head. 'No deal.'
'That can't be your final decision.'
Arnav's voice was silky. 'Here you will have the time and tranquillity to think
carefully. And when you are ready to talk, just let me know.'
'You will have to wait a long time,'
she said tersely.
'I have all the time in the world
Khushi,' He paused, 'but the question is, do you?' He stared into her eyes for
a few seconds.
'Bhairav returned the money you had
paid him for the booking. Lakshmi will bring it over to you later. This will
buy you some more time if you plan to continue this battle with me.'
'That's alright. You don't have to send
it. Keep it as rent.'
The molten brown eyes flashed, 'I don't
have the habit of taking rent from my guests.'
'But I'd prefer to pay you for our stay,'
said Khushi stubbornly, 'You can't pretend we are welcome here.'
'Maybe not, but this is a good
opportunity to settle matters between us before you go home.'
She took a breath, 'You are really so
sure you will win?' she said bitterly.
'Oh yes.' His voice was soft. 'One way
or the other.'
His glance seemed to touch her,
lingering on her mouth, then sweeping down to the swell of her breasts. Khushi's
heart began beating its erratic pattern.
'I
must get back, I am expecting a call from Delhi.' Arnav said hoarsely.
'To discuss about upcoming events I
suppose.' Some demon prompted her to say.
His mouth twisted as realization hit
him. 'Ah, Di has been busy,' he commented with a touch of grimness. 'But I
don't think it is any of your business.' He paused. 'Think about what I have
said, and remember I am prepared to reopen negotiations any time.'
'I'll negotiate,' she said steadily.
'But only on condition that you let Payal see Akash. Can't you see that she
might be able to jog his memory? Isn't it at least worth trying? He could be
restored to the way he used to be with no blank spots in his mind.'
His face hardened. 'Akash will recover
in time. And if there are blanks -----' he shrugged '---I think he would be
better off forgetting his interlude with your sister.'
'Why are you like this?' Khushi's voice
shook. She took a deep breath. 'Just because your relationship ended in a
tragedy ---- that someone so lovely, with so much going for her ----' her voice
faltered a little '--- should be simply wiped out-----, you can't do this to
them. Payal and Akash are still entitled to their own lives, whatever the
cost.'
Arnav Singh Raizda had gone very still,
his tall figure suddenly menacing in the dim morning light.
'What the f@#$!' he swore quietly.
She continued her fierce tirade. 'It's
not like you are still grieving over it anyway, with Ria Chopras of the world
running all the way from Delhi to "meet" with you!'
'You are flattering me too much.' The
chocolate eyes glittered at her.
'No,' she said. 'I am sure there is an
entire fashion house full of girls ready to jump at your every command!'
'Except for you I suppose.' The smile
that twisted the firm, sensual mouth was not a pleasant one.
'Absolutely, but what I am trying to
say is ____' Khushi stopped as Arnav strode up to her. Alarmed Khushi took an
involuntary step backward, and he smirked.
'Scared, Khushi Kumari Gupta? You
should be. You have a bloody nerve, standing on my property preaching to me
about my morals, when you yourself expose yourself in front of thousands. What
a two-faced little ____!'
'Attack is the best form of self
defence, they say.' Khushi said her voice thumping violently. 'What's the matter?
Are you feeling so guilty that you are resorting to false allegations and name
calling now?'
'No,' he said grimly. 'It's just
old-fashioned temper combined with something you probably don't want to know
about.'
He grabbed her shoulders in a painful
grip and said with soft clarity, 'Let's see how secure that pedestal of yours
actually is.'
She realized what he meant to do, and
aimed a blow at him with her clenched fist.
'Not again! ' He avoided it easily,
jerking his head to one side, and the next moment both her arms were pinioned
behind her back, his hand clamped like a vice round her wrists. His other hand
fastened in her hair, not gently, forcing her to be still as his mouth came
down on hers.
She shuddered weakly, closing her eyes,
bracing herself against the first bruising onslaught. Only it did not come.
Instead his lips closed on hers with bewildering gentleness, exploring their
softness with warm sensuousness.
She stood passively enduring the
featherlight kisses pressed to the corners of her mouth, the delicate grazing
of his teeth against the soft fullness of her lower lip.
She was desperately and shamingly aware
that her breathing was changing, quickening as the long deliberate caress went
on , and she tried to pull away. Immediately his grasp tightened in her hair,
and with a little choked gasp of pain, she was forced to submit.
The pressure of his mouth against hers
was subtly more insistent now, his tongue stroking teasingly along the contour
of her lips, silently coxing her to part them, and allow him a deeper, more
passionate intimacy, and she felt her whole body shiver as she fought its
traitorous urging to let him have his way.
She couldn't believe what was happening
to her. She was being deliberately punished, and she knew it, yet deep within
her, a soft, sweet trembling was beginning to take control, compelling her to
move towards his so that their bodies touched as well as their mouths,
prompting a first bewildered response to his kisses.
A little aching sigh escaped her, as
her lips parted, yielding him the sensual dominance he sought.
But the mere fact of his victory seemed
to be enough. Arnav lifted his head and put her away from him, his smile slow
and contemptuous as he looked down at her.
'No,' he said softly, 'you are not
blessed with any special immunity, sweetheart.'
'Let go of me!' Her voice cracked on
the words.
'You are free Khushi Kumari Gupta.' He
stepped back, raising his hand ostentatiously, his dark face sardonic. 'And would
you please clarify if this is a false allegation?'
He showed her an image on his phone. It
was a picture of her modelling a designer blouse for the boutique.
'These were not supposed to be exposed
to public viewing.' Khushi said quietly, her eyes filled with tears. The model hadn't
turned up that day and Mrs Malhotra had begged Khushi to help her out. She had told
her those were being made for a physical catalogue exclusively for the clients.
'Where did you find them?'
'In the catalogue section of their
website,' He absorbed, with irony, the stricken look on her face. 'When you
realize finally that you don't make conditions you will be free to concentrate
solely on the terms of our eventual bargain. There is no other alternative, I
promise you.
'And now go back to bed.' The molten
chocolate eyes glittered at her. 'Sleep well ---- if
you can.'
He inclined his head to her almost
formally, and was gone, his parting words smarting like a whip lash across her
consciousness.
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