Chapter 10
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[MEMBERSONLY]
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your wonderful comments. This is a slightly
longer update than I had anticipated. So please bear with me.
You better hurry up and make up your mind Miss Khushi Kumari
Gupta ---- before it is too late.
Desert Rose ' Chapter 9
HER first
kiss, Khushi thought as she sat on the stool of the dressing table looking into
the mirror.
She had run all the way from the green
house, rushed up the steps up to the balcony terrace and into the sanctuary of
her bedroom. Her heart was still pounding wildly in her breast and she held one
hand on it, trying to stem its velocity. Her other hand crept up to her mouth,
feeling the contours of her swollen lips. She groaned inwardly, as hot colour
surged in her face and she unwillingly recalled those few moments she had spent
in his arms.
She knew that she had been subjected to
the sexual expertize of Arnav Singh Raizada who had been totally in control the
entire time. God only knew what might have happened if he had not decided to
call a halt.
It should have been me, she accused
herself miserably. But she had been paralyzed into inaction, as bewildering
sensations had assailed her body for the very first time in her life. And at
the end, she had been very far from passive, she remembered with shame.
And she had achieved nothing, except to
reveal herself as the worst kind of nave fool, and to tell herself that she
was trying to protect Payal, wasn't the slightest comfort.
From now on, she resolved, she would
keep her distance and avoid provoking him the way she had. She would have to
develop extreme patience while dealing with him. Otherwise, she would be solely
responsible for ruining Payal's future with Akash. And probably her own, a small voice told her.
Arnav sat in his study, looking at the
pictures of Khushi on his lap top. Each picture was a head- to-hip length shot,
showcasing the back design of the blouse. The photographer had a done a fantastic
job. Only a side profile of her face was visible in each of the pictures, her
eyes at half mast, looking down demurely. Her hair was tied up in a
sophisticated style covering her forehead down her cheek, going around her ears
and then disappearing around her front.
There was one particular short sleeved blouse
in pink brocade silk with a thin gold border, in which she was absolutely
stunning. The back seemed almost completely open, held together with
intricately doris at the top and bottom. The intricately designed tassles of
the top dori sat perfectly at the centre of her shoulder blades and the tassles
of the bottom dori aligned with her spine in the centre of her tiny waist. But
it wasn't the beautifully designed blouse that stood out. It was the aura around her.
Her long neck curved into gently
rounded shoulders, tapering down to her tiny waist. Her slim, delicate arms lay gently on her
sides. Her skin looked smooth and creamy like butter. She was utterly sensuous.
No
one else would be seeing these pictures again. He had made sure of that. His closed his eyes as images of
Khushi's stricken face flashed before him. His thoughts went back to the phone
conversation he had with Mrs Malhotra, Khushi's boss at the boutique.
'You will take those pictures off your website right now.'
'But Mr Raizada ____'
'Would you like a defamation suit slapped on you by my
lawyers?'
'Of course not Mr Raizada, we will have those pictures taken
off the web site.'
'A person from my office will come by later to pick up all
the catalogues you have in your boutique.'
'But Khushi did agree'..'
'He will also compensate you for your loss.'
'Oh'..that's very kind of you sir.'
'Everything in this world comes with a price Mrs Malhotra. Kindness
has nothing to do with it.'
It had been just three days since he
had laid eyes on her and now he just couldn't even go to the gym without
thinking about her. What was it about her that affected him so much? He shut
the lap top in frustration. This wouldn't do. It just wouldn't do.
Khushi sat in her room dressing herself
after a refreshing shower. She tied up her hair in her usual bun and put on her
glasses. As she came down the stairs she heard excited voices coming from
Payal's room. It looked like Anjali was here on her daily visit.
It was amazing how Anjali and Payal had
grown so close so fast. Her initial misgivings about the woman changed as her
visits began to work wonders for Payal who looked better each day. Hearing
about Akash from Anjali seemed to keep her in best of her spirits.
Three days had passed since that
devastating encounter with Arnav and the scene in the green house kept playing
over and over again in Khushi's mind.
Why had she attacked him about his
personal life like that? Temporary insanity, she decided. That was the only
plausible explanation for the way she had behaved. What had she been trying to
accomplish? she asked herself in despair. Some sort of appeal to Arnav Singh
Raizada's finer feelings? Some hopes, she thought with bitter irony. He was a
tough ruthless millionaire at the top of his business. He had no need to bother
with those kind of refinements, as his behaviour towards herself had clearly
shown. The Laad Governor!
'Khushiji,
you made tea for us ---- how wonderful!' exclaimed Anjali breaking into
Khushi's thoughts as she came into the kitchen, 'I still don't know why you
insist on cooking when we can have food sent over for you both.'
'There is nothing to do here Anjaliji
and cooking makes Payal and me feel we are at home here.' Khushi explained.
Couple of days ago she had requested Lakshmi to bring her some provisions and
grocery so that she would be able to prepare Payal's favourite food. It was a
pleasure to cook with a five burner stove, Khushi admitted to herself. The only
problem was she was worried to use the fancy stove and treated it with kid
gloves.
'Let's go up to your room Khushiji,'
Anjali said, 'I will get Payal and we could all sit in the balcony.'
In Khushi's room, Anjali sat in the
balcony as Khushi brought the tea to the table. The fragrant smell of the white
coloured plumeria assailed them. Those flowering plants grew lush and green in
the pots kept on the balcony.
'Di, you look so different in jeans and
t-shirt,' said Payal as she joined them. Khushi realized that Payal had found
Lavanya's photo. There seemed to be an album attached to it.
'Oh my God! This old college photo! I
didn't know that Lavanya had this all along!' Anjali let out a stream of words
in excitement.
'Isn't that Lavanya Kashyap between you
and Arnavji?' asked Khushi surprized.
'Yes, Khushiji,' said Anjali nodding,
'and next to me is my husband, Shyam. We all studied in the same college.
Chotte and Lavanya were in the first year, my husband and I, in the final year.
This picture was taken just before we graduated.'
'So Lavanyaji and Arnavji had been
together a very long time.' Khushi said, her voice hollow, a dull ache starting
somewhere in the region of her heart. She stood up quietly and went up to the
railing, unconsciously staring at the green house.
'Well, Chotte had a group of friends in
college and Lavanya was in the group,' said Anjali looking at Khushi.
She began to reminisce. 'He was a
little wild back then. But not in a bad way. In the very first year, he was made
captain of the football team and had automatically become the most popular boy.
As a result of that, he won the student elections defeating Shyam for the first
time in three years. Chotte was very carefree and did not give a damn about
anyone --- not even the lecturers or the principal. He bunked classes to go
watch English movies in the cinemas or for football practice. In spite of all
this, the principal couldn't say a word to him because he always stood first in
class and brought in all the medals for football. But he was great with his
friends and always helped them if they were in trouble.'
She paused before continuing, 'Everyone
thought Lavanya and Chotte were a couple but I knew better. At that point of
time, all Chotte was interested in was to go to US to pursue his MBA. So, right
after graduation he left. I think Lavanya was a little disappointed but she went
back to modelling full time, which had begun even while she was studying her
bachelors.
'After Chotte came back, we went
through tough times due to our parents' death and moved to Delhi. I had also
lost touch with Shyam after we graduated. A year after we moved to Delhi I got
reacquainted with Shyam and he proposed. Lavanya came to our wedding and Chotte
got back in touch with her. Her movies had not done well and she wasn't getting
any modelling contracts any more. So, Chotte gave her a job at AR fashions.'
'Is that when they fell in love with each other?' asked Payal her face lit up with joy.
'Is that when they fell in love with each other?' asked Payal her face lit up with joy.
'Uh'they began to date,' she answered
smiling at Payal.
'And then, he must have proposed to
her.' Payal mused.
'Well,
it is never that simple with Chotte,' she answered amused at Payal's curiosity.
She realized that Khushi was also just as curious though she was trying her
best not to show it. She continued, 'What happened was that, nani caught wind
of it and began to create a fuss about it. She was not happy that Lavanya was
an ultra-modern girl who knew nothing about our culture and traditions. Chotte
had never been the kind to bother about social norms or customs and he and nani
started to argue over it which ended with Chotte threatening to leave the house,
only to prove his point. Finally, Shyam intervened and reconciled them to a
compromise. He convinced nani that Lavanya should come and stay with us so that
she understands our customs and traditions.'
'So that's when Lavanya came here and
stayed in this guest house.' Khushi said at last.
'Yes. But after she came here, it
became clear to us that she would never really adapt our customs and
traditions. Nani didn't like her very much and even though I tried, Lavanya did
not show much interest. She preferred to live here like a guest and kept
traveling to Delhi at every opportunity. After couple of months, nani brought
up the marriage issue and Chotte refused saying he had never ever agreed to a
marriage. Once again there was a fight in the house and even Shyam was unable
to help this time.
'Oh God!' exclaimed Payal appalled.
'Then, suddenly a week later Chotte
announced their engagement out of the blue. Everyone was surprized by his
sudden decision but none of us wanted to rock the boat by asking too many
questions. There was a small engagement ceremony where they exchanged rings in
front of the family.
'Very soon, Chotte surprized us again
when he announced that they will be marrying two weeks later. We just couldn't
understand all this haste. I tried to talk to him but he told me evasively that
everything was alright and that I shouldn't worry about it.
'Then just one week before the wedding,
she died. It was Chotte who found her ---- in the hotel. It was all over the
new papers the next day and it was ugly. They made it look like somehow Chotte
was responsible. But, even to this day he refuses to divulge what really
happened.
'After that, Chotte has steered clear
of long lasting relationships. I wonder if he will ever come out of what
happened and lead a normal life.'
Tears had welled up in Anjali's eyes and
Khushi quickly suggested to Anjali that they should all go downstairs before
Payal could ask any more questions.
'I will quickly freshen myself in the
bathroom,' said Anjali getting up from the chair to go the bathroom.
Just
as Khushi was just about to follow Payal out of the room, Anjali's phone began
to ring. Khushi thought it would be better to answer the phone and take a
message. She clicked on the answer button.
'Rani Sahiba?' said a man's voice from
the other end.
'I am sorry?' asked Khushi confused.
'Anjali?' there was confusion in his
voice.
'Anjaliji is unavailable at the moment,'
Khushi informed him, 'can I take a message for her?'
The man seemed to hesitate. 'That's ok
----- I will call her back.'
'Ok.'
'Hold on''may I know who is on the
line?' he asked her.
'Khushi.'
Khushi.
Shyam Manohar Jha felt a shiver go down
his spine when the girl on the other end had told him her name. That voice! He was absolutely sure that
she was from Lucknow. He could recognize that way of speaking anywhere. And
that pure hindi.
Anjaliji abhi vyasth hain'.. ..aapka koi sandes ho toh aap hame
de sakte hai'.
Who was she? He would have to ask
Anjali about this when he called her back.
But right now he had another problem to
deal with. He looked at the name flashing on his phone and cut it. That bitch
was not going to let him go that easily, was she? He was at this beautiful
party, amidst beautiful people in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Shyam twirled the drink in his hand. He
was here to have a good time with his friends. He wouldn't let anything or
anyone come in the way. He would deal with problems tomorrow.
'Shyam!' one of his friends called out
to him, 'what are you doing standing there in a corner --- come over here man.
No one is allowed to brood in Bali!'
As he approached them he heard them get
into the usual topic with him around. Shyam
is married to a bank account ''..
Wish we had a wife who would fund our political campaigns''.
Shyam is a married bachelor''wish we could be so lucky''
Heard the new item in his life is quite feisty'..
Usually he took it as a good sport. But
lately, it had started to bug him. This "new item" was being an absolute pain
in the neck. He would have to fulfil her wishes and pay her a visit when he got
back to Delhi. And then he would explain to her patiently at first. Otherwise
there was a saying in hindi --- laaton ke
bhoot baton se nahi maante''.
And after that he would go to Raisar
and spend some quality time with wifey dear to stop these wagging tongues. It
was time for a break ---- lay low.
Khushi couldn't sleep that night. Her
thoughts kept going back to what Anjali had told her about Lavanya and Arnav.
What had happened between the two? Mrs Malhotra's daughter Siya, had told her
that Lavanya had been unhappy. Had Arnav's indifference driven her to take that
fatal decision?
But Arnav was going to marry her,
wasn't he? He must have loved her.
This is none of your business Khushi,
she admonished herself and got up from her bed. She went up to the French doors
of room and stood looking at the green house. The lights were on. Was he there
tending to his Desert Rose? Or was it the venus fly trap? Her heart began its
erratic dhak-dhak. She clutched at her heart. She had to stop this madness. There
was only one way to get her mind off this madness --- off him.
She came down to the kitchen. She took
a pan, filled it with water, added sugar and put it on the stove to boil. In a
large bowl she took some maida, some lukewarm water, along with other necessary
ingredients and mixed them together.
The batter and sugar syrup were ready
for making jalebis. She filled the batter into a piping bag and began to
squeeze the batter into the hot oil in small circular motions. She began to
transfer the fried jalebi into the warm sugar syrup. Soon she took the soaked
jalebis out and placed them on a tray.
Just as she had begun to munch on the
jalebis she heard familiarly mocking voice. 'Couldn't sleep Khushi Kumari Gupta?'
No! She whirled around shocked, her mouth
open, the jalebi slipping from her hands. Arnav was standing, just inside the
living room window from which he'd obviously snuck into the house.
He was wearing old faded jeans, a little torn at the knee and a
t-shirt in tomato red. The short sleeved t-shirt, showed off his broad
shoulders and bulging biceps to perfection. Looked like being a foot ball
captain in his college days had paid off. He looked tough, virile, and
devastatingly sexy ---- the baazigar of
her nightly dreams come alive in front of her.
Remembering the precise natures of
those dreams, Khushi found colour mounting in her face and her hand went to her
throat, discovering with dismay that she was not wearing her dupatta.
'You!' she said unevenly. 'What are you
doing here?'
Khushi looked exactly the way she
looked in the green house. Her white kurti was replaced with a pink one and her
braid lay on her shoulder. Her hands had crept up to her throat and she stood
there with her breasts heaving up and down. Images of her pictures rose
unbidden in his head, his body instantly hardening at the memory.
'Once again Khushi, this is my property,' he reminded her arrogantly,
clenching his fists not wanting to display his inner turmoil.
'But you never come here,' she
protested, then caught herself. 'At least ''
'That is what Di told you,' he
supplied. 'She tends to exaggerate. I come here once in a while to look into
the maintenance.'
'At this hour?' Khushi looked at the
clock.
'I was in the green house and I saw the
light go on in the kitchen. Since it was quite late, I came here to check if
everything was alright.'
She bit her lip. 'Everything is fine. I'..I
couldn't sleep.'
'No?' The dark eyes mocked her.
'No,' she returned grimly. 'This is not
an easy situation ---- for any of us.'
Arnav shrugged. 'You can resolve it any
time you wish,' he retorted.
'You mean --- take the money and go.'
She lifted her chin. 'Never.'
'I don't think that is going to be your
final decision,' he said confidently. 'I can wait.'
'It is not my decision to make --- or
yours for the matter of fact. Akash and Payal are the people concerned.'
'Unfortunately such sentimental notions
have no place in real life.' He sounded bored.
'And what do you know about real life,
Mr Raizada, shut up in your ivory tower of power and money?' Khushi's voice had
and edge. 'You only have to wish for something and it's granted --- snap your
fingers, and everyone dashes to obey.'
'And you exclude yourself from this
list, I suppose?' Arnav said his mouth twisted sardonically.
'Of course. You can't expect to own the
whole world.'
'I've never wanted to.' His tone
hardened. 'And coming back to sentimental notions, I think that love is an
emotion that is highly overrated. People seem to think that it could conquer
all barriers. But I know that a collision between two different worlds can lead
only to disaster.' His face was brooding, bitterly introspective, as he looked
around him.
'I know enough to understand that it
leads to pain, the kind I would wish on no one ---- least of all my young
brother.'
'But you can't protect him from
experiencing or prevent him from making his own mistakes,' Khushi protested.
'So you admit that Akash and your
sister would be a mistake.'
'No,' she said wearily, 'I'm trying to
say that you and I aren't qualified to make judgements for them. I know it
didn't work out between you and Lavanya ___'
'F@#$!'
he swore as he came toward her angrily. 'You keep bringing her up. Who told
you?'
'I ..I found her photograph, and
realized who she was.' She swallowed not wanting to put Anjali into trouble.
'What the hell are you talking about?'
His face was thunderous.
Khushi pointed to the photo frame that
Payal had left on the side table. 'It was in the drawer of the nightstand in my
room.'
He said harshly, 'Someone is going to
pay for this. I gave clear instructions for everything to be removed. I wanted
nothing left here to remind me.' He looked at her his dark eyes intense,
'Nothing,' he repeated slowly.
Her voice shook a little. 'But you
can't easily forget --- beauty like hers.'
'You can if you try.' His mouth was
set. He took the backing from the frame, which he tossed contemptuously aside,
then ripped the print across, again and again, letting the torn fragments
flutter to the floor.
Khushi gave a small distressed cry. 'How
could you do that?'
'Believe me, it was extremely simple.'
He said his eyes intense as he looked at her.
'Would you like to try some jalebi?'
she asked him holding out the tray in front of her, trying to diffuse the
intensity.
'What the ___?' he asked her
incredulously.
'Ja'.jalebis '..they help in forgetting
troubles.' Khushi said in a low voice.
'Is that what you were doing so late in
the night?' he said, 'trying to forget yours?'
'It's a habit.'
'Thanks for the offer but I can't have
them,' he said. 'I am diabetic,' he added at her questioning look.
'Hey Devi Maiyya!' she exclaimed her
eyes going wide with disbelief. 'But, that's terrible.'
'Are you feeling bad for me Khushi?' he
asked her huskily, taking a step close to her.
'No!' Khushi took a step back shaking
her head and then nodding her head it turns. 'I mean yes. I _'
'But the doctor has told me that I can
have a small taste now and then.' He said taking another step.
Khushi realized she couldn't move back
any further when her back hit the counter top. She kept her eyes downcast
suddenly unable to look up at him.
Arnav placed one finger under her chin
and lifted her face up to him. Her quivering lips looked as pink and soft as
the desert rose. There was only one other time a long while ago that he had
this same thought, the memory still elusive. He bent his head down slowly and
licked the glossy syrup, first from the upper lips, and then he took the full
lower lip between his lips and began to suck on it.
Khushi clutched at his arms as an electrifying jolt streaked
through her body from her mouth to the pit of her stomach. What she had experienced
in the green house was mild compared to this, all numbing, sensation. She
froze, her eyes screwed up tightly.
'You might be right,' he whispered.
'they might just help in forgetting troubles.'
Khushi opened her eyes wide. Up close,
his chocolate brown eyes had little flecks of gold in them and Khushi felt like
she was drowning in their depths. She was once again caught in her dream ---
one from which she never wanted to emerge.
'I'' Khushi began, but the words died
in her throat, as suddenly, Arnav dipped his head placed an open mouthed kiss
on end of her jaw line. His free hand moved infinitesimally slowly over her
breast, feeling the hardening peak with satisfaction as he moved down to the
curve of her waist, spanning it before taking her hand to put it on his heart. He
continued the wet trail downward to her throat and then slowly moved to the
swell of her breasts just above the neckline.
Part of Khushi's mind wanted
desperately to break free, get away, but another, less rational side to her
brain seemed to be controlling her body, so instead she found herself doing the
opposite, instinctively leaning nearer, the warm scent of Arnav's body filing
her nostrils and drowsy, glowing sensation flooding her vein, drugging her
senses so that she couldn't think straight.
'Khush,'
he rasped, his voice husky against her throat, as he pressed his body into her
softness, 'I want you. Is it possible?'
And
with those words that spoke only of physical need, and no warmer emotion, he sent
her dream into a shattering reality.
She was insane, she thought with fear.
How could she stand here, in the house he'd once shared with his fiance --- a
girl, whose promise filled life had ended in isolation and despair. Whose torn
photograph was scattered at their feet in ultimate rejection. How could she let
him touch her like this?
She braced her hands against his chest,
pushing him away, her body rigid with panic and denial.
'What's wrong?' he asked her lifting
his head
'Everything,' Khushi said hoarsely.
'Let me go. How --- how dare you''?'
'There was no question of daring,
Khushi. You wanted what was happening as much as I did,' he retorted angrily.
Khushi gasped, mortified colour burning
her cheeks. She said unsteadily, 'I want you to leave.'
'Are you sure?' There was deliberate
insolence in his voice --- in the look which raked ---stripped her.
'Don't overestimate your attraction Mr
Raizada.' Khushi's eyes flashed at him.
Arnav's eyes narrowed, but he shrugged
as he walked back to toward the window. 'That is your choice, of course.' He
paused at the window and turned around to look at her.
'I just want to let you know there is a
time limit to the terms I'm prepared to offer. It would be wiser to hurry up
and make a decision for the sake of your sister. 'Let me know when you have
made up your mind,' he said and was gone as quickly as he had come.
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