Chapter 109

Chapter 183: New Arrangements

A warm hand brushed against her cheek and Kushi opened her eyes to find herself staring at Lord Arnav's expectant face, his features touched by the glow of the morning sun that filled the room.

She blinked uncomprehendingly, wondering if the vision was really real and what his unusual expression meant.

"Kushi," his voice was strangely warm and she believed with certainty she was dreaming, "How do you feel now?"

Feel? Kushi stared at him and then looked around, her gaze instantly falling on the strip of rope tied to the end of the bedpost. Her confused mind was suddenly ransacked by horrid memories of a night she'd dreamed of, only to emerge in the end of the reminiscence to realize it had not been a dream.

In a sudden move, she withdrew from him and his arms that were around her fell vacantly to the bed, as he looked at her wonderingly.

"Don't touch me!" she stated, "You wretched thing! You….." her fingers were already feeling around her elbow, "You bit me! What sort of a human being are you!"

He reached out for her but she stepped away and got out of bed, "I don't want you near me!"

"Stop playing around, Kushi," he grunted, getting out of bed as well.

"I said stay away!" Kushi yelled, backing against the wall.

"This is my room and you are my wife," his eyes glinted annoyingly, "Don't throw me orders, Kushi!"

"As your wife, I so can and so will!" she claimed and then she stiffened as he leaned towards her, his palms pressed on the wall on her either side.

"I hate you," Kushi hissed to his face, "I hate you with every fiber of my body!"

"You can't possibly hate me more than I hate you," he derided, "Don't expect me to give you any regard, Kushi. You would be dead now if it hadn't been for me."

Kushi narrowed her eyes, "I would prefer being dead than having to wake every morning to see your foul face and hear your annoying voice!"

He gripped her by her shoulders and shook her, "Shut up, Kushi! Shut up! I will not tolerate your senseless ire anymore. Just because I married you, it does not give you any right to talk back to me, UNDERSTAND?"

Kushi whammed her fist against his chest, and he staggered backwards, his grip on her shoulders slackening.

"Well then, Lordy," she glared at him, his expression glowering on hearing her address him so, "Let me make this clear to you. Because I am your wife and also because I am Kushi, I will NOT tolerate your madness and your….. nightly wildness like a disadvantaged girl."

"KUSHI!" There was a cold fire in his eyes, "You have crossed your limits, you village mutt," he rushed at her and she tried to slip out of his range, but he was upon her, pushing her to the wall.

"Let go off me, animal!" she brought her forceful hands to push him away by his shoulders but he only leaned further into her.

"No, no!" Kushi panicked as his arms circled around her lumbar, crushing her against him, "Let go!" she panted and struggled in his hold.

He leaned his face towards hers and she looked away, "You disgust me!"

"So be it," he said and pressed her against his chest, "If my touch is punishment to you, I am only glad to execute it…."

She looked at him, shocked by his outrageousness, and he sneered at her threateningly, "Dare anger me and you will be reminded who has the upper hand. There is no one alive who is bold and worthy enough to overcome Lord Arnav Singh Raizada."

She struggled against him, tears rising in her eyes, as his hands moved up her back possessively, the heat of his palms profound through the thin nightgown. She frowned at his chest as her hands pushed harder against his chest.

His gaze slid from her anxious eyes to her lips that were slight parted. His anger wavered. The first lips he had ever kissed…….

A strange sensation swirled in the whirlpool of that indiscernible moment and he moved his face closer to hers, his lips reaching for hers.

She looked away.

Precisely at that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

His unsteady pause gave Kushi the instant advantage to push him away and, slipping out of his hold before he could capture her again, she raced to the door.

Lady Anjali stood at the doorway and she looked at Kushi first, anxiously studying her. Lady Anjali's features relaxed on finding Kushi safe and healthy.

She turned to confront her brother as she stepped into the room.

"I can't stop myself from saying it over and over again but I am so glad you destroyed that cage at last, Chotey."

Kushi stared wide-eyed at Lady Anjali and then at Lord Arnav who had picked up his bath towel and begun walking to the bath chamber.

"Chotey, wait," Lady Anjali stepped after her brother and the rest of their exchange was inaudible for Kushi.

"Are you still holding fast to your decision to let her sleep with me from tonight?"

He nodded stiffly, his gaze on the ground and his hand clenching his towel.

Lady Anjali looked over his shoulder to where Kushi was now fidgeting with the tangles in her hair, probably hoping to make time productive while waiting for their private conversation to end.

"Alright then," Lady Anjali looked at him painfully, "But you best think of some way to keep her with you or you will find her drifting farther away from you."

Lord Arnav stared in shock at his sister and then frowned and marched into the bath chamber.

Lady Anjali grinned secretly. She knew for certain now her brother's head would be steaming to hastily think of some way with which he could possibly keep Kushi beside him.

In the evening, Rahim Chacha, the butler of the Raizada Castle, opened the central doors and let in his Masters. Lord Akash and Lord Arnav handed their hats to the butler and headed straight to the dining hall where the rest of the family was already assembled.

Lord Arnav paused for a moment, seeing Kushi in a gentle yellow gown, looking immaculate. She was, however, spooning her soup sadly, not even once having sipped it. When the men stepped into the dining hall, she looked up and her eyes lit. But when her gaze caught Lord Arnav's, she forced herself to frown.

He stepped forward and slunk stiffly into the chair at the head of the table. He looked at his sister who was sitting to the right of his wife, "Did you tell her?"

"Yes," replied Kushi irately in a low voice before Lady Anjali could answer, "You didn't have to make the decision however, for I had already decided that I won't sleep with you another day."

Lord Arnav ignored her and lifted a hand to signal the servants to begin serving him.

Kushi glumly spooned her soup, having lost the appetite to eat. She was glad she didn't have to sleep with him, but she felt sour at heart that it was he who voiced the decision as though it was HER fault that they shouldn't sleep together and, in punishment, he was BANISHING her away from his room.

Dinner was quickly over with Lady Manorama's conversations being the highlighting. She was particularly immersed in the topic of the invitations she had received from the elite women in the town who were asking her to come to their parties. The invitations said that she had been missing out on a lot and now that she was a mother-in-law, she could bring her daughter-in-law as well and the "folks" could meet the "Second Lady."

"How do you suppose I could show my face to the grand women of the town after they come to know where my daughter in law hailed from!" was Lady Manorama's complain.

No one paid much heed to her miseries, of course, what with all minds and mouths occupied in enjoying the scrumptious dinner.

When dinner was over and all were parting to their respective rooms, Kushi followed quietly after Lady Anjali whose room was downstairs, adjacent to the guest room in which Kushi had had her first stay in the Castle. Kushi was crossing by the stairs when Lord Anrav came up from behind her, but neither looked at the other and they went on their own ways. Lady Anjali and Kushi had entered the former's room and shut the door when Lord Arnav paused in the middle of the stairway and looked down sadly at the closed door below within which his wife was.

Sighing, he proceeded on to his room.

Standing with her back to the door, Kushi watched as Lady Anjali directed her to the bed but Kushi's mind was elsewhere. As though waking from a trance, she looked at Lady Anjali and said, "My lady, I forgot to get my nightgown, I'll go and get it."

She turned to open the door but Lady Anjali said, "It's alright, I am sure I have a spare nightgown that will fit you just right."

"No, it's alright, Di," said Kushi hastily, smiling, "I can get mine. I won't be long."

In a moment, Kushi was out of the room and making way to her husband's room upstairs. When she reached the landing, she tried to make as little noise as possible as she stepped towards the door.

On reaching it, she knocked on the door and waited for his response. None came and she fidgeted with her thoughts. What am I doing? I am a fool to come here. Asking him to let me in and lay brunt to my pride? You're putting yourself in a fix, Kushi, she reminded herself. Pray, be wise and leave with your pride intact before he opens the door and utter words that will be the death of your courage.

She turned on her heels, intending to leave, when the door opened behind her. She stilled, knowing he stood at the doorway, his gaze was boring into her back.

For a long minute there was only silence, each daring the other to speak up. Finally the one with the least patience broke the silence, "What do you want?"

She turned around impassively, "I just want to get my nightgown, nothing else."

He gritted his teeth, "Then get it done with. I am tired and I need my sleep."

Kushi entered the room as he held the door wide open. She made her way to the wardrobe and was picking up her nightgown when she heard him behind her.

Clutching her night gown to her chest, she frowned at him over her shoulder, "What is it?"

"I don't have to remind you, do I?"
"About what?"

"About keeping your mouth shut regarding-"

"I won't tell her," Kushi interjected and stepped away from the wardrobe but his cold hands were suddenly at her wrist, pulling her to him, "Don't answer me this way, Kushi. I will not have it."

"What will you have then, your majesty?" She dared him.

A cunning light shone in his eyes and the candlelight in the room flickered against his face, "You really want me to tell you."

Kushi gulped, but tried to keep a straight face, "I think it would be judicious to hear it some other day. Tonight I am sleepy and Lady Anjali awaits my presence."

"Alright," he released her, "I will let you run now, kitten, but I will get you one day. And then I shall not spare you and you will find no escape."

"We'll see," Kushi said, as she made for the door as quickly as she could without seeming too flustered.

"We certainly will."

He watched her slip of the room and close the door behind her, leaving him alone in the silence of his candle-lit room. For a long minute he stood where he was, his eyes on the door through which she had left. Kushi……He sank to the floor and bowed his head in defeat.