Chapter 3

Chapter 3

(2690 words)

She sat before the ornate dressing table combing her hair with extreme precision, her thoughts only on one person. The mirror reflected her room, baby pink walls with purple design, a magenta wardrobe, a lot of decorative lights, pink frilly curtains on the glass door opening to the poolside and her four poster pink Barbie bed with several soft cushions in different shades of pink and purple thrown in a haphazardly arranged manner on one side with a few stuffed teddies and one rabbit peeking out from the other.

One could say that a little girl obsessed with girly' things owns the room. But the truth was the little girl was not little anymore.

Khushi had been intrigued by her room when she had checked it out on her first morning in Shantivan. Her excitement had reached a different level when she had entered the gigantic bathroom with a bathtub, a shower stall and ample space to move around with every facility and toiletry product imaginable stocked inside it.

In the course of her 10 years here, she had been repeatedly asked to change the decor of the room as she entered new phases of life. But she always refused, for him.

When Khushi had discovered that every piece of furniture and every shade of paint used in this room was of his choice, she couldn't bring herself to change anything about this room. This room had his touch to it. She picked up a pair of chandelier earrings and placed one close to her right ear. Making a face, she dropped the earring back in the case and went over the opposite end of her bedroom to her wardrobe.

She slid open the door with pink butterflies adorned on it to reveal rows and rows of clothes, shoes, purses, hand bags, belts, bangles and jewellery boxes most with the AR logo and some with an A logo, and a few cartons in a corner containing everything that was placed here when she had come here that she has now grown out of size. She hadn't thrown away anything!

She had been given an option by him to chuck out everything from the wardrobe on the first day and to buy everything of her choice. While shopping with Lavanya, after visiting the doctor, she had found out that everything in the wardrobe was selected by him. After knowing that, surprisingly she didn't find anything good in any store, even of the most famous brands.

Lavanya had then taken her to their store called Guns and Roses' - their store for children's apparels. Khushi had then asked Lavanya why some clothes had an AR while only a few had an A. After knowing that the ones with an A were exclusively designed by Arnav, Khushi had picked up a shirt in a colour that she had seen him in, in the last 4 times she had met him - black.

She opened a jewellery box to place the earrings back in its place. Lifting a long slender box from the jewellery case, Khushi opened the lid and caressed the length of the silver bracelet lying in its cushioned black velvet bed. She fingered the single dove it held and went back to her first birthday that she had celebrated here. He had gifted a bracelet to her- his first official gift. After a few years, she had made an addition to it - a platinum disk with an A embossed on it. She always removed it when she wore the bracelet but today was different.

She tied the bracelet around her left wrist, peering at it in the wardrobe light. Dove - her. That is what he had told her while giving her the bracelet. A - him. Dove and A - Her and him. Him and her.

Closing the wardrobe door, Khushi walked towards the glass doors to the poolside. Two rooms opened to this section - hers and his. She carefully stepped in to the poolside area over her 5 inch silver stilettos and walked across to the other glass sliding door to his room. She took in a deep breath as she stepped inside his room, drinking in his essence. She walked over to the recliner chair and picked up the worn clothes. Running a loving hand over his shirt, she dumped them in the laundry basket. She then picked up the discarded albeit fresh clothes from the bed and carefully placed them back in his wardrobe. Walking over the dressing table, she shut the drawer and capped the perfume bottle and looked at herself in his mirror.

Her make-up was perfect.

Her hair was perfect.

Her ensemble was perfect.

Every part of her persona screamed Raizada', except for one. She was still Khushi Kumari Gupta. She had plans to change that status soon.

*

Arnav Singh Raizada was a proud man today as he saw Khushi walking elegantly down the staircase, her hand trailing smoothly over the banister, towards the graduation party he had thrown for her and her classmates. He had offered to hold the party at a club, but she had refused and insisted on the party being held in the house itself. He was surprised but had accepted her request without any questions. If Khushi wanted something, she will get it, no matter what.

Khushi had graduated today, two years later than normal. When she had come here, he was enraged to discover that she hadn't been to a school in the past two years. He didn't fail to curse her uncle, Shyam every time he found that Khushi had been deprived of something.

He had, since he had brought her here, made sure that she got everything that she needed or wanted.

At 23, Khushi had grown up in to a beautiful, charming, intelligent and witty woman and no wonder many admiring glances had turned towards her. He would be lying if he didn't give credit to Lavanya for Khushi's grooming. She had been the friend and a female support that every girl needs during her teenage and growing years. His eyes met Lavanya's across the room where she winked at him while Aman who stood next to her, holding her waist, gave him a thumbs up.

He had invited a few of his clients and associates so that Khushi and her classmates could interact with them for future career opportunities. He didn't like the way some men were looking at her, including some from her batch. He made a mental note to never invite them to his house or anywhere Khushi was present.

She had asked him for a rest for a year before she would go abroad or join a firm where she could start working. He had told her that this decision may not be good for her career, as she was already two years behind, but she had been persistent. He didn't push her further. Whatever she wanted!

He went over the foot of the steps and took her hand in his, bringing her to the center, raising a toast for her excellent performance at her graduation exam.

*

Khushi had picked up this dress with the help of Lavanya. It was an off shoulder, long, flowing dress with a long slit revealing her right leg up to her thigh. But what caught most eyes was her bare, almost backless back except for a strip of cloth that started from the shoulder tapering outwards towards the waist, holding the dress in place and revealing the smooth expanse of her alabaster skin. The colour of the dress, no prize for guessing, was black, his favourite colour.

As she descended towards the party, her eyes landed, almost automatically on him. Even at the age of 38, he looked more handsome, stylish, sophisticated, admirable and genuine than any other man she had ever met. Her heart soared as his eyes displayed his approval of her. She had pushed herself very hard to earn his appreciation, be it in academics or her extra-curricular activities. She lived for the compliments he showered her with every achievement of hers.

Burning the midnight lamp, straining her eyes and back, rigorous practice and long learning hours made her top her University amongst all the other graduates. He had been so happy the day her results were out and had promised to give her whatever she wanted as her graduation present. She was going to ask for her present tonight.

After the toast, she went over the sofa to hug Nani. Nani was her mother she had lost and her father she would never get back. Nani had sat with her, on her first evening here, and told her exactly how important Khushi was to her. Khushi's grandfather and Nani's husband had been best of friends since independence. They had together set up a business during the post-independence period in Lucknow.

Nani apologized to Khushi on behalf of her husband for cheating with her grandfather, thus stripping him off all the money, resulting in their separation. Since then, Khushi's grandfather had only faced setbacks which had spilled over to his son, Shashi. Shashi had spent a major part of his life, repaying the debts of his father and hence could never be successful.

Devyani considered her husband and her weakness back then as the main cause for Khushi's present state. If not for that, Khushi would have never lived the life that she did. She didn't divulge further on the topic, saying that she was too young to know some details. In the course of the decade she had spent here, Khushi had never asked about it again and basked in the love that Nani showered upon her.

She would live in the present and plan for the future, a major part of which was with him.

Nani introduced her to one of her friends' family. She left Khushi talking with them, going over to Arnav. Grief flashed through her eyes as she walked closer to her grandson. He worked for everyone's happiness but he never got the contentment and the love he deserved.

As Arnav saw his Nani walk over to him, he excused himself, covering the distance between them.

"Nani, you have been advised to not walk much. Your rheumatic knees..." Arnav started as he steered her to the other end of the hall to a set of sofas. Devyani obliged but cut him off "Talk about yourself old man. I am still young at heart and in spirit"

Arnav laughed at his Nani's taunt on his increasing age. He was used to such jibes from her. If he would tell her that her skin had wrinkled, she would retort back by saying that he needed botox shots too.

He loved his Nani and the rapport that they shared.

"Arnav, sit on the sofa, your weak legs can't support your body anymore." Saying this, Devyani pulled Arnav down next to her. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes when Devyani spoke "Khushi is talking to my friend Subadhra's grandson, Nand Kishore or NK like he addresses himself"

"Hmmm. He looks like a gentleman" Arnav said in response as he saw the two chatting. If he had looked at them a second earlier, he would have seen Khushi staring at him, oblivious to the person talking to her.

"How do you find their pair? Subadhra has shown keen interest in our Khushi and I think NK too is taken by her" Devyani looked at him and he looked back.

"Have you spoken to Khushi? I don't want her to be forced in to..."

"Arnav, I know that very well. Of course, I will not take any steps unless Khushi is happy" she smiled as she saw Arnav relax next to her.

"Whatever Khushi wants, Nani" Arnav said as they looked back at Khushi, who had just averted her eyes from him.

*

The party lasted several hours before the last of the guests left. Her classmates had a ball at the bar that Arnav had kept open to them, those were the ones who left at the end, most of them too wasted to go home alone. Khushi neither drank nor did she smoke, just like him.

She had wanted him to throw this party here instead of the club because she knew if the party was at the club, he wouldn't come, saying he is too grown-up for such parties. Hence, she had insisted on the party here, so that he would be present too. The presence of others didn't hold any importance!

Khushi slipped her feet out of the killing shoes, flexing her toes. Putting her feet inside her pink fluffy bedroom slippers, Khushi's feet moaned with relief. Placing the shoes in the wardrobe, she went over the glass doors, standing there still dressed in her party dress.

He was in his room, typing something on the laptop, already changed in to his night suit, his reading glasses perched on his nose. The clothes he wore at the party dumped on the recliner. She smiled fondly as she thought of putting it in the laundry basket tomorrow morning, including the shoes she was sure he had thrown behind his bedroom door.

She looked at the bracelet on her hand, took a deep breath, slid open the glass door and walked over to his room. She took another breath as she knocked at his door and her breath stilled as he gave her a wide smile, removed his glasses and got up to open the door for her. Always the gentlemen, Khushi noted. His smiles were only reserved for people he was close to and she was proud to be one of them. Today, she wanted to be closest to him.

"Sorry, Khushi. My room is..." Arnav started as he looked at his bed where he had strewn a few files and the recliner where his clothes were dumped.

"I understand" she interrupted him as she picked up the files from the bed and placed them on the study table. She was going to take care of his clothes in the morning as she always did.

They sat on the bed, facing each other. Khushi noted his tired eyes, the crease on his forehead and his slightly graying hair, visible over his ears and suddenly felt nervous and small. She looked at her bracelet once again before she carefully spoke "You had promised to give me a graduation present...whatever I want"

"Yes, Khushi. Ask for it and you shall have it" Arnav said, not able to understand her hesitancy.

"Promise?" she asked unsurely.

"Promise" he replied with determination.

She extended her right hand, to hold his hand over his knee. She was glad that he let her. He never refused her anything. Taking an unsteady breath, she said "You have given me everything I ever wanted or needed and even gave me those things which I had never even dreamt of. You brought me out of that place, gave me Nani, Lavanya, education, showed me the world during our trips, considered me a part of your family..."

"Khushi, just ask me what you want. Why are you saying all this?" Arnav questioned, covering her hand with his other hand.

Staring at their hands, she said in a slow voice "You have shared everything that was yours with me...your house, your family, your friends, your fortune, your care, your attention..." She looked up to see him in the eye, at the same time she placed her left hand over his and said in a pained voice "Today, I ask of you for one final thing and I promise that I will never ask you for anything ever..."

Arnav's eyes still showed confusion which widened with recognition as his eyes fell upon the bracelet he had given her long back. But there was something else too along with the dove.

She took a long pause, staring at him intently while he stared at her bracelet, as she raised their joined hands to their eye level and pleaded at the same time he noticed the A' on it, "Share your name with me, please"

Picture Credit: Google 😊

Their joint history mentioned in this update is quite brief. There is more to it 😊

Th#5 ArHi SS: Love Interrupted Ch.14 has been updated too :)