Chapter 71

Rabba Ve, Comrades, Readers and Silent Visitors!

When I press a like under a comment, know that it is a kiss of gratitude or a hug of thankfulness from me to the one who commented. I wanted to mention each of you in thanking you all rightly, but I am short of time presently and cannot stay. If I were to write my acknowledgement to you (which I really want to) then I would not have been able to post the chapter today...and I didn't want to break my promise after I told I will narrate tonight.

But I take this moment to welcome dear new readers to our midst, crazy4ArnavSR and Avid Reader. The former has rocked my heart with her wonderful love for my tale and the latter's comment was so doused in speechlessness that I can only smile with delight! So welcome, dears, to the land of Arhasia!!

Just clearing a few doubts that rose among you:

Who had the expression of hope and the expression of astonishment on seeing the ArShi dance? Lady Anjali had the expression of hope and Master Aman was astonished by the unexpected sight.

Lady Anjali, did she mean what she said to Lady Lavanya? No, Lady Anjali spoke about the vase specifically and she was too happy about her being a mother, about the ball being permitted to take place and she was also too involved in trying to hook her brother to Kushi, that she was blind to Lady Lavanya's pain. But you will see something on this line in the ball night that will assure you greatly.

Any more doubts, feel free to ask: I will always be glad to churn the fog of confusion in your heads!

Alright now. If you could give me some space to sit among you, I could begin on the narration...

Chapter One Hundred Thirty Five: Before Parting

That very day, after the effect of the dance had faded from her mind, Kushi had said farewell to Nani and Fortune in their room at the far end of the upstairs and was walking down the corridor heading for the stairway to leave for home. As she passed by the rooms lining the top floor, her gaze fell on the door of the Library. It was slightly open.

Kushi paused, not knowing why. And then before she could stop herself, she was stepping towards the door.

Her hand lifted as though to knock, and then suddenly she realized what she was doing and hastily withdrew. She had barely turned about, when a firm hand shot out from the open doorway, clutched her wrist and pulled her into the Library.

She gasped as he shut the door and pressed her back to it, his face leaning towards her, "So, tell me, Kushi Kumari Gupta, who is the better dancer now?"

She stared up at him, and her voice failed. She remembered the last time his face was this close. When he had danced with her…….

He saw the lost look in her eyes and remembered how she had looked so when they had danced to the music.

He stepped away and glanced at his bookshelves, "I won and you lost."

Kushi blinked and then frowned, "What? I lost? How do you suppose to judge a dance you could not watch and was instead involved in?"

He slid his gaze to her face, and his smirk was back, "Do you suppose we should ask the others then? How do you propose to do that? March up to my sister and ask her which of us was the rotten dancer and which the proper?"

"There is no such thing as rotten dancer," said Kushi, fuming, "There is however a rotten ego and I believe yours would stink the best!"

Lord Arnav's eyes flared and he marched to her. She stared at him wide-eyed as he pinned her to the door, his hands pressing on her wrists that he held behind her, "You know the scent of my ego?"

"Yes," said Kushi, wincing from the pain but keeping her voice determined as she looked at him, "I know not its scent but its stench, and I know it particularly when you stand close to me."

"And yet you willingly danced with me, knowing you could not stand the scent of my ego," he said, his face nearing hers.

Kushi took a deep breath, trying to wriggle her hands off his hold and at the same time keep his face away from hers, "I hated every moment I had you touching me and making me move to your doing."

"Really?" his eyebrow cocked and he pulled her to his chest to get a better look of her face.

She frowned at him and his eyes glinted with a clever light, "You despised dancing with me?"

"Yes," she said, pulling at her hands as he kept them held behind her.

"And I suppose you preferred dancing with Aman rather than with me," he said coldly.

She stared at him and then said, "I would prefer Master Aman to you any day. He is a far better gentleman than you."

"Is he, now?" mocked Lord Arnav and pressed her to the door, "Tell me, what ungentlemanly ways in me do you see that are not in Aman?"

"You are cruel, self-conceited and arrogant," said Kushi, "And you make life harder for me."

"Hard lives learn to live best," said Lord Arnav simply, "And I think I will enjoy making life even more harder for you henceforth."

"What?" Kushi gaped at him, "What are you talking about?"

He released her and walked towards his window. She stood staring at his back, rubbing her sore wrists.

"The challenge is not yet completed," said Lord Arnav, standing before the window, and turning to face her.

She stared him, her heart fluttering on seeing how the sun's setting rays caressed one side of his face and frame.

"The challenge was to be executed on the night of the ball, and it will be so," said Lord Arnav.

Kushi frowned, "And who will be the judge?"

"The occasion of the night is for my sister and so she will be the judge of who the better dancer is among us," said Lord Arnav.

"Then we shall meet next at the night of the ball, sire," said Kushi, lifting her head in pride and then she turned about and left the room, not giving him a second glance.

He stood there, beside the window, staring at the closed door and smirked, "I look forward to it, Kushi Kumari Gupta."

And yes, they will now meet only on the night of the ball. If you are wondering why the chapter is small, well……..it is a mild preparation before the long chapters follow. One could also see it as a filler for those who wish to take a trip from the real world into Arhasia. But I want you to note something: the next two chapters are long enough and quite very important too. And, only after those two chapters can we commence the grand, awaited "ball night". But might I say, buckle yourselves up real tight, coz you will really need to for all that will be narrated to you in the chapters to come……*shiver*

INDEX