Chapter 123

Rabba Ve, everyone!!

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Chapter 198: Angered by the Answer of Abstinence

Lord Arnav was furious.

He was storming about in his room, pacing up and down in a fury that was strong enough to bring the walls of his cabin down.

"How dare she-!" he gritted his teeth, "How dare she keep away!"

Kushi had not visited his room and his library for two days. She had so abstained herself in such a way that she even asked the maids to change his bedclothes and clean his room well every day that no scent of any sort would remain.' The obedient maids confessed the helpless truth when Lord Arnav asked them about this and, though the poor maids did not know, the First Lord knew well that it was Kushi's abject ploy to afflict him further.

"If this is your answer to my decision of not going to the Village, fine. Suit yourself. But nothing will change my mind."

This was what he had determined on the first day of her restraint.

But after two days, things got worse.

He was so used to having Kushi laying his clothes out and permitting her memory in his library and room, that a sudden vacuuming of the Kushi-ness in his day undid him entirely.

On the second night, the Lords were late for dinner again, but Lord Akash was confused to see his brother all fidgety with his meal.

"Brother, are you alright? Why do you not eat?"

"I'm not hungry," decided Lord Arnav, "I need an early sleep."

Lord Akash nodded slowly, watching Lord Arnav rise and leave the dining hall.

Within the darkness of his room, on the vastness of his bed, Lord Arnav felt his world threaten to swallow him whole.

He punched at the pillow but it was not the pillow that needed punching.

It's Kushi and her insolence! He glowered at the moon.

He couldn't sleep.

He got out of bed and walked about in his room, his bare feet pandering over the cold floor.

After a long minute, his anger broke upon his insomnia and gave way to a determination he was once too stubborn to consider.

In a swift move, he was out of the room, not bothering to put on his shirt, and rushing down the moonlit stairs.

Leaping from the last stair, he turned to the door on the right and, without knocking, barged in.

The moon shone through the window upon the wide bed where lay his sister and his wife, both deep in sleep.

In quick noiseless strides, he was beside the bed, looking down at Kushi, her childish face lit by the moon.

Kushi...he breathed in, affected by the sight.

Three weeks of not seeing this face...how had he endured?

He bent down and slowly lifted her up in his arms, carefully cradling her head to loll against his firm shoulder.

She murmured in her sleep but did not awake.

But someone else did.

"Chotey?"

He looked at Lady Anjali who sat up, blinking at the sight before her, "Am I dreaming?"

A faint smile crept on his face, "No, Di."

Lady Anjali only stared, "So...what is this supposed to be, then?"

"This is me taking my wife with me."

"Is it?" Lady Anjali couldn't contain her astonishment, "And why would you do that when you yourself said you wanted her sleeping with me?"

"You should be sleeping, Di," Lord Arnav turned to walk away.

"Wait, Chotey."

He looked over his shoulder, his cheek pressed against his wife's head.

"Does she know you are taking her to your room?"

"She will when she awakes."

And then he left the room with his wife in his arms.

Sighing, Lady Anjali shook her head at the door, "Oh dear! I fear what may ensue next. I certainly don't want to be in Chotey's place when Kushiji wakes up."

Upstairs, Lord Arnav had crawled into bed and laid his wife in the warm center, her head comfortably supported by pillows from every side.

She was wearing a light pink gown and the moonlight from the balcony skimmed over the satin glow.

Lying beside her, he moved the stray strands of hair away from her face.

He gazed down at her beautiful visage, running his eager fingers lightly over her face, along her eyebrows, the curve of her feminine jawline, down her nose, along her tempting lips...

"Kushi..." he whispered, believing the spell of that one magical word had materialized her beautiful presence on his bed, beside him.

"Kushi..." he smiled, lifting up one of her hands, and kissing the finger that had on it the wedding ring he had put on her, the symbol of his ownership.

He slid his hand up her shoulder, to the back of her neck and began loosening the crisscrosses of her plaited hair, until her long hair lay opened upon the pillows.

He gathered her to him, overcome by the moment that he almost felt like crying with joy.

"Kushi..." he lay on her chest, his ear pressed to her left breast, where he could hear her slow rhythmic heartbeat.

"Hmmm?"

He stiffened. Dang! Was she awake?

He looked at her face, studying to see if she was.

Her lips were curved in a slight smile but her eyes were closed.

"Kushi?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you sleeping?"

There was no answer.

"Kushi?"

"Hmmm?"

He paused, moved by the beauty of her smiling face.

If only he could see those bewitching eyes of hers that lit up with life when she smiled...but it was too much of a bargain to ask of.

"Di..."

Lord Arnav blinked. She was referring to his sister in her dream.

"Di...I really do miss him..."

A thrilled light came upon his gaze as he looked at her warmly, "I am here, Kushi."

Kushi's dream had moved onto another dream presumably, for she slept on and spoke no more.

But Lord Arnav had heard what he had wanted to hear.

"I am here, Kushi," he whispered again and kissed her on her forehead.

He drew her closer to him and pressed his cheek against the top of her head, "I will never let go of you, Kushi. Never..."

If the bed could smile, it would have grinned, for at last the room felt complete as did the cold heart that owned it.

You may find the above chapter short but the essence is significant especially when you read it in the light of all the previous chapters of their "staunch detachment." Besides this chapter is in preparation for the two ArShi chartbuster chapters you are about to get...*wicked grin*