Chapter 7
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[MEMBERSONLY]
[NOCOPY]
SAVING KHUSHI
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There was the sound of movement inside the building as one of the guards woke up and found Khushi and his female accomplice missing.
Arnav looked in to Khushi's startled face with alarmed eyes, caught hold of her arm, and they began running as fast as they could.
Khushi stumbled, but Arnav kept a firm hold of her arm and helped her keep pace with him.
They could hear the sound of running feet, signs of the kidnappers chasing after them. Khushi huffed and puffed as they reached Arnav's rental car, gasping for breath after her ordeal the previous day.
Arnav opened the door, and helped Khushi inside. He took a look behind them. There was no one there. The men were yet to reach them. He started the vehicle and drove away as fast as he could.
"Khushi, hold on..." he warned as the vehicle raced over an uneven road, lurching through potholes and over stones.
A while later, the rental car started coughing and making its distress felt. Arnav frowned. He would have to abandon the vehicle. But if he left it on the road, the kidnappers would find it and realise that Khushi hadn't taken the chance and run away, but that she had been rescued. He quickly steered the car off the road, and drove it down a steep incline. He parked it behind the cover of thick shrubs, and opened his door to alight.
"Khushi, take the black bag near your seat." he instructed.
She obeyed him silently. Taking hold of her hand, he climbed up and hid behind the thick bushes by the road and peered at the vast expanse of the road.
A few minutes later, they saw a black open jeep speeding down it. The kidnappers were standing in various poses, scanning the locality for any sign of Khushi. The vehicle passed them, the men failing to notice the pair hidden behind the thicket.
Arnav fished his phone out, & called the Police Commissioner, informing him that Khushi was safe with him. He passed on the information about the current location of the kidnappers.
Arnav felt Khushi trembling. He turned to look at her. She was staring after the vehicle.
"Khushi, nothing will happen to you. I promise." he whispered, putting his arm around her.
Khushi fell against him, leaning her head against his shoulder, tired, exhausted.
Arnav called Akash.
"Khushi is safe. I got her. The police are after the kidnappers. We will get home after they are arrested." Arnav told him.
Akash took a deep breath of relief.
"Don't let anyone know. If Shyam asks after me, tell him that I called you a couple of times throughout the day to keep you in the loop. Tell him that I am busy making the 5 crores. And keep an eye on Shyam." Arnav said as he cut the call.
Khushi lifted surprised eyes to Arnav. How did he know about Shyamji's involvement in the kidnapping?
"Khushi, it is early morning. We need to move away from the road, find a place to rest for a few hours..." he said. "We can talk later."
Khushi nodded slightly.
He took the bag from her, helped her up, and slowly led her further in to the woods.
Arnav looked at the shack before them. Clothes were hanging on a line, hens moved about in a cage, clucking. There was a dim light in the tiny dwelling.
Arnav & Khushi looked at each other. There was a family here. Hiding in the shack was out of the question.
Arnav led Khushi around the cottage to see a cow-shed built at a slight distance away from the house. They moved to it on fast but silent feet.
Two cows looked at them with disinterested eyes before turning their attention to the pile of hay before them.
Arnav looked around. They couldn't hide in the shed. He looked up and felt relief flood his veins. The shed had a hayloft.
The barn had a ceiling of thick wood. Over it was a tin roof. Between the wooden plank and slanted tin roof was a loft, a small space to store bales of hay.
"Khushi..." Arnav called softly, drawing her attention to the ceiling.
He put the bag down, helped Khushi place her foot on a foothold, clasped Khushi by her slim waist, and pushed her up. Khushi crawled in to the dark space on her knees, pushed bales of hay to the periphery with her arms, and made a small space for them in the centre.
Arnav threw the bag in after her, and then clambered up.
The cows mooed lazily, the chill air adding to their languor.
Arnav hunched over and crawled to Khushi. There was no space in the attic to sit upright. Arnav too pushed the bales to the four sides, careful not to knock them down. There was just enough space for one person to lie down in the centre and escape detection, two, if they squeezed close.
He unzipped the bag, and took out some food and a bottle of water. He uncorked the bottle and handed it over to Khushi. She sipped, feeling the cool drops wet her throat and quench her thirst. They washed the grime off their hands. He took out the sandwiches, handed her two, and ate one.
"Your medicine!" Khushi reminded him, anxious.
To her relief, Arnav fished out a strip from his pocket, and took a pill.
Sitting hunched over, Arnav wet his hand and ran it over Khushi's face, wiping away the dust and grime. His fingers lingered over her creamy, silky soft skin, lovingly caressing her features.
Khushi trembled, her lashes falling weakly over her eyes.
Arnav set aside the bottle and the bag. Then he looked at the space available to them.
He removed his footwear. Khushi followed suit. Then he twisted his body around Khushi's and lay down flat on the floor.
Khushi looked at the little space beside him. How could she...? Even if she tried, she wouldn't fit...
Arnav held out his arms. Khushi swallowed nervously.
Then she slowly lowered herself to lie on him.
Arnav accommodatingly spread his legs so that she could rest her lower body in the gap. He put his arms around her and caught her close.
They lay in silence, each absorbing the feel of the other, the warmth, the scent, the softness and the hardness, both of them relieved beyond words that they were alive and together.
Then Arnav said, softly, "Shyam kidnapped you, didn't he?"
Khushi nodded.
Arnav caught hold of her arms, one after the other, and gently kissed the bruises on her wrists. Khushi shuddered at the sensations that his simple touch evoked in her.
"He gave me a file. He wanted me to get your signature on it." Khushi confessed.
Arnav frowned.
"He said that if I got your signature, he would confess all his wrong-doings to you." Khushi lifted her head to look at Arnav's face. It was too close to comfort. She swallowed to clear her throat.
"I was not sure I could believe him. So I thought I would give it to you and ask you what it was all about. I was scared..." Khushi paused.
"So that is the file you had in your hand..." Arnav mused.
"But he caught me when I reached your car park. Pushed me in to his car..." She lifted her arm and showed him the bruises left by Shyam's heavy hold, tears trembling on her lashes.
Arnav bit back his fury, and gently kissed her arm, taking away the pain.
"I don't know what happened after that, Arnavji..." Khushi frowned.
"He used chloroform on you, made you unconscious..." Arnav filled in the details.
"I woke up in that building, with the guards..."
"The police will get them." Arnav consoled her.
"Arnavji, how did you know that I ...?" Khushi left the question hanging.
"I got home in the evening, & everyone told me that you had gone to meet me at my office at noon. As you hadn't turned up there, I thought you may have gone to Buaji's. I called her. She told me that you had made a lightning visit by Happy Singh's rickshaw. I met him, & made sure that you had come to the office. I asked the guards & Aman. He mentioned having seen you go away in a white car. The make & model were similar to that of Shyam's car. I should know. After all, I gave it to him."
Khushi nodded.
"I hired a private investigator to check his car at night. He found the chloroform & the cloth. I contacted the Police Commissioner for help. I had to get you back, but without anyone knowing about it. Otherwise the papers would be full of this."
Khushi nodded. "Poor Di..." she whispered.
Arnav concurred.
"I told Shyam that the police believed it to be a case of simple kidnapping for a ransom. That made him contact his man guarding you and ask him to make a ransom call. The kidnapper called me, asking for 5 crores."
Khushi gasped.
"The police got the proof they needed that Shyam is behind the kidnapping and got your location." Arnav explained.
"Arnavji, I made two copies of the papers that Shyamji gave me." she confessed.
Arnav's eyes widened.
"I hid them in my bedroom in Buaji's house. One under my clothes in the wardrobe, and the other in my drawer." Khushi said.
"Khushi, that's brilliant!" he exclaimed.
Khushi flushed.
"We can go home after the police arrest the kidnappers and finish questioning them. Once all the proof is in the hands of the police, we can return and send Shyam to jail." Arnav said. "If we return before they are caught, Shyam will be warned. He will realise that his game is over, and will try to escape. Or destroy proof. It will delay the investigation. I don't want that."
His phone vibrated. Khushi slid to one side so that he could reach the phone.
She watched him listen quietly to the speaker. Finally, he said, "We will stay away. Let me know when it is over. Thank you."
She raised her eyebrows.
"They got the woman guard. The police are still looking for the 5 men in the jeep. So the Commissioner wants us to stay away, safe somewhere, away from Shyam."
Khushi swallowed, scared.
"Khushi, the kidnappers did not see me. They think that you have escaped alone. That is exactly what the kidnappers are going to inform Shyam. He will think that you have escaped, & I have gone to get the ransom ready. Only Akash & NK know that we are together & safe."
Khushi nodded.
"We have to remain hidden for a few hours. Maybe by tomorrow evening, the whole case will be solved, & we can go home." Arnav comforted her.
Khushi nodded.
"Let's get some sleep, Khushi." Arnav suggested, pulling Khushi back on him.
Khushi curled her fingers around his shoulders and clung on. She shut her eyes.
A few moments later, Khushi felt his warm fingers slowly trail up her back, under her hair, to her neck. She shivered against him.
He dropped a few kisses on her hair.
His hand moved slowly down from her neck to her waist and down her leg.
Khushi threw herself off him, sliding down to lie on her side by him. Her breath came in fast, choppy waves.
"Kya hua, Khushi?" His tone was wicked, his voice seductive.
There was no space to turn away. Khushi looked away.
"Why are you breathing so fast?" he asked softly.
Khushi tried very hard to swallow, her throat dry like an arid desert.
Arnav turned on his side, giving her more space. Khushi moved to lie on her back, relieved not to have to face him.
"OK now?" he asked, a teasing smile on his face.
Khushi looked away. They were lying pressed against each other. Her left side was flush against his front.
He put his arm around her, pulling her closer. His left leg went up and over hers, tangling with her limbs.
"Arnavji!" Khushi protested weakly.
"Khushi?" Arnavji responded innocently.
Khushi tried to turn away, but his hold was too secure. She was totally enfolded, caught up against him, trapped by his arms & legs.
"Now where will you run, Khushi?" the devil whispered.
Khushi looked at him, her eyes wide, her susceptibility to him making her helpless.
Slowly, his fingers travelled across her palm and found a space for themselves between her fingers.
Khushi trembled convulsively, the pulse in her throat revealing her agitation & arousal.
Slowly, he lowered his head and rained kisses on her face, his lips tasting the softness of her skin, the sweet nectar of her lips, the delectable lobes of her ears, the pulse at the base of her throat...
Khushi clutched at him, her fingers opening & closing in a frenzy of hitherto unknown passion.
Arnav lifted his head to look at her with eyes awash with sensuality. He took in her heightened breathing, the glazed gaze, the trembling, pouting lips, the needy twining of her legs against his...
He drew in a deep breath.
"Time to go to sleep." he whispered in her ear, blowing against the sensitive skin.
A tremor shook Khushi's body.
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