Chapter 110

To thank all my readers for their patience and for their ardent devotion to my tale despite my frequent absences, here is a quick short update.

Always read the previous chapter before reading a latest update so you will get the string of what is happening and how it the equations change or persist…….So before reading the following chapter 184, re-read chapter 183 and acquaint yourself again with the characters' psychology……

Chapter 184: Reaching Out

Kushi lay in bed staring at the dark ceiling, hearing Lady Anjali's steady breathing beside her. Lady Anjali had been excited about having Kushi to sleep with her but the former had been so tired that instead of sitting up and talking like she expected to, she found herself dozing off as soon as her head hit the pillow while waiting for Kushi to change into her nightgown.

When Kushi had changed her dress and come to the bed, she smiled on finding Lady Anjali asleep. Climbing onto the bed beside her dear sister-in-law, Kushi draped the blanket over her and tried to invite sleep. But her mind was too awake and curious thoughts were running over her consciousness, rendering sleep impossible.

Nani had said that the truth would have to reveal itself if Kushi was to be worthy to deal with him.

Well, then, I must permit Truth to quicken its advent. She nodded at the ceiling. Let's put things to sense.

Lord Arnav has some sort of difficulty in the night where he becomes wild and senseless. He may or may not be aware of his wildness. It is supposed. But Kushi was certainly not going to ask him about him just as yet and put her pride to stake. She would have to wait for things to settle down a bit.

In the meantime, we need to think things through with what we have. Clues, we need clues. Kushi sat up, propped a pillow behind her and leaned her back against the headboard of the bed before resuming the mental analysis of her discovery.

Lord Arnav uses a belt for some unrevealed reason. What is he trying to keep in or keep out by barring his mouth with a belt? And then he brings food. Why does he bring food? Because he is hungry? Probably. Last night he brought food and was eating them when he sensed her and came after her. Now the question is: why did he bite her last night and not the night before?

The first night she had been scared and did not do anything out of fear. He was not much of a trouble hence. But last night she put on a fight and made her own escape difficult for she angered him by her resoluteness to surrender.

She sat up. Does that mean she should surrender? It was not right to her pride but, in principle, his wildness would not harm her if she did not fight back. He would leave her unharmed and untouched if she didn't anger him.

But what of his tongue? There is something strange about that tongue. It burns like nothing in human plausibility would, not even if one was terribly ill. Why is it so? Is it because he is the Lord of the land? So does Lord Akash's tongue burn that way? Jiji would tell me if there was something strange of that sort. Leastways. I will need to ask Jiji if she knows about 'burning tongues'. His tongue left marks wherever it touched her skin. It scorched her throat and mouth when he kissed her lips after the marriage vow. Another image crossed her memory: When he took food last night in the dark, he licked them first and then when he attacked her, it was mostly licking on her skin or sucking…….

Kushi pressed her hand to her head, Goddess Mother, what does all this mean?

That was when she heard it.

The sounds from above.

He was probably getting out of his bed and trying to find his belt.

Kushi lay in her bed and tried to get to sleep but sleep continued to evade her diligently and she felt restless.

Before she knew it, she was slipping out of Lady Anjali's bed and noiselessly making for the door. Barefooted, she tiptoed out of the door, shutting the door gently behind her and stood for a moment in the doorway.

She was astounded that she did not feel fearful of the dark anymore, for she found herself calmly making way through the dark with the aid of the moonlight flitting through the long windows in the hallway, living room and kitchen.

Now why are you in the kitchen, Kushi? She asked herself, pausing before the pantry in the first kitchen.

To get my hungry husband something to eat, she reminded herself.

Why would you do that? Her inner mind wondered.

Because I want to test my theories to see if they are right.

Tch-tch, her inner mind shook its head, You are just what your Amma always predicted: out to get into trouble every time! Keep away from him, Kushi. This is for your good. The night is safer spent if you sleep and not wander about with your experiments right into the lion's lair.

He is my husband and though we hate each other, I cannot be a coward and let him win.

Oh dear, are you referring to this as a game? It is not, Kushi! This is real! He is a MONSTER!!!

Real or not, I am doing this. I am not afraid, and with that Kushi stepped out of the kitchen and made her way to the stairs, her arms laden with food.

The rhythm of her heartbeats rose intensely and she kept telling herself, I am not afraid, I will never be afraid. Fear is for cowards. I am Shashi Gutpa's daughter and he brought me up to be brave…..

She climbed the steps softly, trying to not disclose to the walls that she out and lurking in the dark. She stopped before his door.

She strained to reach out one of her heavily-laden arm and knock on his door. There was no answering response. She decided against calling out to him, not wanting to tamper with the eerie silence of the dark corridor.

Pressing on the knob, she pushed the door slightly open and peered in.

It was pitch dark within.

A shiver ran down her spine when she heard the shuffle on the floor near the bed.

Gathering her scattering courage, she stepped in and closed the door behind her, her eyes anxiously examining the darkness beside the bed.

Sure enough there he was, crouched beside the bed, struggling with the belt around his mouth, his hands behind his head presumably in the attempts to bind the clasp of the belt.

Kushi stepped forward, her heartbeat racing in panic.

She stopped, a wide distance away from him.

He was looking at her, a mixture of anger and alarm in his eyes.

She took a step towards him and he shook his head desperately, biting down hard on the belt.

She paused and took a deep breath.

In his attempt to move farther from her, he tried to stand up but hit his head against the bedside table and stumbled backwards, falling on his back.

"My lord," she reached a hand out to him and all the edibles she had held fell tumbling to the floor from her arms.

He sat up, his hands still holding the unclasped belt at the back of his head, and his confused gaze slid from her face to the food scattered on the floor.

She bent down and picked up an apple from the chaos.

Wiping it clean against her nightgown, she held it out to him, "Here."

He blinked at the apple and then at her and then the belt dropped.

His cold hands reached out and clasped around her arm.

She stiffened but remained calm where she stood stooped before him, praying inside with all her might.

She watched his head lean down towards her hand, towards the apple she held.

Then he paused and sniffed. He moved his mouth towards her wrist, away from the apple.

Kushi paled but remained calm. I must stay calm, I must not anger him……

She could not bear to watch. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for the strength to not scream.

And then she felt his burning tongue on her wrist, his lips kissing where her vein throbbed.

Gasping, Kushi felt her knees weaken and give in and she fell to the ground on her knees, before him. Her fingers weakened and the apple slipped from her hand, falling to the floor with a gentle thud and rolling away into the darkness.

He kissed her wrist, licking up her arm and Kushi whimpered when she felt the tongue scorch her skin.

The food lay scattered around them, unwanted and forgotten.

"My lord," she whispered helplessly, feeling his warm lips on her elbow.

He looked up at her, his dark eyes trying to recognize her.

"I'm scared," she told him.

He blinked uncomprehendingly and then his hands were on her shoulders, pushing her backwards gently.

She stared at him confusedly as her back made contact with the soft rug of his floor.

He crawled over her and leaned his face towards her. She closed her eyes as his nose caressed her cheeks, hair and forehead, feeling her and finding her scent……

Her trembling hands were on the collar of his shirt, "Please don't hurt me."

She felt his warm mouth at her neck, kissing and burning, and she moaned painfully.

She felt him travel up her face and nibble at her earlobe before pausing to look into her eyes.

She stared back into his and she saw how the darkness was slowly fading away.

"My lord?"

He didn't reply. He only laid his head on her chest, his arms circling around her and, lulled by the sound of her racing heartbeat, he found peace.

Kushi's arms slid up his shoulders, embracing him to her, the rug on the floor her mattress and her husbands' warm arms her secure blanket.