Chapter 11
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[MEMBERSONLY]
EXPELLIARMUS 2013-07-10 01:59:56
Please scroll up for Part One.
Jo Pehle Hua Na...(Part Two)
Arnav placed the aviators over his eyes as the helicopter turned towards the sun. He was on his way to Lucknow, and today was the day he had been dreading.
He would see the town and the mansion for the first time in a decade, and he was not looking forward to it at all.
His family was ecstatic, however. Nani was glad that her plans for a grand event at Sheesh Mahal had finally succeeded, and preparations had gone ahead at lightning speed. The guests had already been flown down from Delhi this morning, and he had suppressed his resentment at the utter lack of disregard for the taxpayer's money.
He was the last to arrive, and that had been by design. He wanted to put off this unpleasant moment as long as he possibly could, and now that it was finally here, he couldn't help but feel that he was completely unprepared.
Only one thing stopped him from drowning in an ocean of despair.
The fact that she would be here.
Khushi.
He turned towards the helicopter window and smiled at the irony.
He had left this place forever because of what had happened a decade ago...and now that he was finally back, her presence reassured him.
Somehow, that no longer surprised him.
Ever since that time in the cavern, he had come to accept that there was something between them that was beyond his control.
And whatever it was, he wanted to allow himself to follow it.
All his life, he had taken risks and come out victorious , and this would be his biggest.
And he didn't even care.
What did surprise him, though, was her acceptance of his invitation. When he had informed her of the location, he had expected her to flatly refuse. Instead, she had stared down at her hands for a few moments before slowly raising her eyes to his.
And then she had nodded, sending his heart into overdrive.
That was when he realized that this thing between them was bigger than he had imagined.
The previous week had given him plenty of clues, of course.
He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her, even when they were in a crowd. And when their hectic schedule hadn't allowed them even a moment's privacy, he had taken to calling her every night, just so that he could hear her voice.
And when the past had threatened to rear it's ugly head, he had turned a blind eye to it, something he had never done before.
He still didn't know why she had accepted, but he had stopped puzzling over it. He was grateful that she was coming, and he couldn't wait to see her in a few moments.
He smiled.
She would stand out amongst the crowd, there was no doubt about that.
He would have no eyes for anyone else...
His smile turned to a grin as he remembered something else.
Maybe he could accomplish something else at this party tonight.
Maybe he could see if he could bring out the green-eyed monster in Khushi.
With Sheetal.
He almost laughed as he imagined the sparks that would shoot from those gorgeous hazel eyes, but stopped his imagination from running wild. She was unpredictable, he knew that already. She might not react to Sheetal's presence at all.
Sheetal was going to be a surprise to her, of course. He had only found out that she was coming down from the states the previous day, when she had called him about some expansion possibilities that she wanted to investigate in Northern India. When he realized that her travel plans were already made, he had no choice but to invite her to Sheesh Mahal as well. As her boss, it was his duty to be a good host to her when she visited his home country.
His lips thinned as he recalled her phone call this morning. She had dropped several hints that this trip wasn't all about business, and that she hoped to make it more...much more than that.
He didn't quite know how to deal with that situation, since he did not want to sour his working relationship with her. And so he had decided to play it by ear, and deal with things when they happened.
As he thought about that, a stray thought crossed his mind.
Since he was so particular about keeping his work and personal lives separate, why didn't that rule apply to Khushi?
He had no time to ponder on that, because the chopper was now coming in for a landing on the Sheesh Mahal helipad.
Moments later, they had landed, and his bodyguard stepped out before him. Arnav followed as he walked briskly towards the green lawns that led to the front entrance.
They had barely taken a few steps on the grass, when it happened.
The present disappeared, time ceased to exist.
The past came back in a storm of memories, and he was helpless in the face of the onslaught.
"NO!! This can't be true! What are you all telling me?"
He closed his eyes, trying to stop his mind from recollecting those horrific events.
But it was too late.
The sights...the sounds...and the smells of the mansion and it's surroundings rose up against him, reminding him of everything that he had lost.
"She is responsible for this! I will make her suffer!"
"Chotey, don't do this! This isn't the time..."
He kept walking, still trying to stop this from happening.
Trying to keep the past from tainting the possibilities of a future...trying to stop it from sullying his new-found dreams.
But it was no longer possible.
The battle had been waged, and lost.
Sheesh Mahal had worked it's black magic, and the poison of the past had seeped into his veins.
A madness had taken hold of him,defeating all reason.
All he could see was the terrifying nightmare that held him in it's clutches.
When he finally entered the Mahal, he was no longer the same.
The man who had been in the helicopter had hope in his eyes.
The man who stepped into the Mahal had nothing but hatred in his gaze.
Nothing.
______
He fixed his gaze on Khushi from the moment she entered the grand room, and his eyes never wavered from hers for the rest of the evening.
But this time, he didn't see the woman who had made her way into his fantasies.
He didn't see the woman who had impressed him with her professionalism, of her courage in the caverns.
It was as if time had been turned back, because all he saw was the woman who was responsible for the devastation in this very house.
And all he wanted to do was hurt her, in whatever way he could.
That was the only thought in his mind when he flirted subtly with a surprised Sheetal.
That was the only thought in his mind when he drew her to one side, and asked her to meet him upstairs.
That was the only thought in his mind when he went up the staircase with utter disregard for politeness and propriety.
Making sure that Khushi saw him, of course.
That was the only thought in his mind when he saw Sheetal in his room and pulled her into his arms for a desperate kiss.
He knew that there was a possibility that someone other than Khushi would come upstairs to find him, but he was too far gone to care.
In increasing desperation, he pulled off his jacket, and Sheetal's blouse.
He heard her laughter as if from a distance.
"ASR, if I knew that you wanted me this much, then I would have come to India much sooner!"
But I don't want you.
For a moment, he though that he had said those words aloud.
And then he realized that she was still kissing him back.
And finally, he realized what exactly was happening here.
With every touch, every kiss, every fevered caress, he wasn't seeing Sheetal.
In his mind's eye, it was Khushi in his arms.
That realization slayed him, devastating him with the truth.
He might hate her with everything he had, but he had never stopped wanting Khushi.
Needing her.
How the hell was that even possible?
The thought had barely crossed his mind, when he heard a stifled gasp.
A pain-filled, agonizing intake of air that said more than words ever could.
He knew what he would find before he ever opened his eyes and stepped away from Sheetal.
Khushi.
She was standing in front of him, his discarded jacket in her arms.
As he watched, the color drained from her face and she trembled, dropping the jacket on the floor.
He exulted in the devastation on her face.
He also felt that agony, almost as if it were his own.
The next instant, she had turned and fled, knocking down an antique on her way.
He stood there for a moment, feeling as if he had been turned to stone.
Cold, lifeless.
Sheetal was saying something to him, but he was deaf to it all.
He crossed to the window, just in time to see a figure in blue dash across the lawn, uncaring of the rain that was just beginning to fall.
And for the first time in a decade, he allowed himself to remember everything that had happened ten years back.
Everything.
______
A woman in blue ran across the road, rapidly getting drenched in the rain.
Tears streamed down her face, the salt mingling with the fresh water of the raindrops.
Her lungs were screaming for air, and she finally collapsed by the roadside, going down on her knees.
And for the first time in a decade,she allowed herself to remember everything that happened ten years back.
Everything.
*****************
A/N:Next week is a busy one for me in the asli duniya, but I will try to post two updates like I normally do. However, I cannot specify the date beforehand, and I apologize for that.
Also, please vote for your favorite stories/writers and forum members at the FF awards 2013, Here.
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