Chapter 135

[MEMBERSONLY]

Rabba Ve, everyone!!

Dilectus: Thank you, dear, for the heartfelt appreciation of the FF. It means a lot to know how this humble creation enamored you, dear. Good to have you on board!

Anjs: So good to see your comments again and I love how you try to assess the situation on the practical plane always... happy new year, dear anjs!

Keerthi: Sweet dear, nice to see your excitement on the chapters! Hope you remain happy always...

123vava, emerald-s, krystal-c, shoobie, sib_12, afsha, AnjuRish, neha2013, neevankrish MysticRiver, sarya, kshubhangi, vidya, russels,kaur, kkyajo, nadiaforjana, rini_kat, siamesecat, NiksAngel, prpk, Smrikta, seshatree, shalve, sweetintu, soniachummu, gayatri, vaishiksg: Thank you all you dear ones... I am always happy to find you in the Inn, eager for a chapter and loving them always... It means a lot to me when you extend your appreciation...

Saomom: Missed you a lot. Oh I doubt if you can have Lordy to yourself if you recollect the reason why wars issue in the backroom of our Inn after a narration...

Angel1618: So nice to know you are confused about General-ji. *wink*

Mbibi: It is always a delight reading your sweetly cheerful comments... and you thought the General would materialize in the stable, too?

Sheshnag: Nice to your concern especially that Lordy should have been told about Lady Anj's illness... Some things happen some way...

Purplelove: I was so happy when I heard you were abck at the Inn and had read the chapters waiting to be covered! YAY!! But I didn't understand that last question in the PS you asked: I didn't mention Shadow anywhere in the last chapter because he's not important to that scene. To make it more easy, you'd have to assume he's not in the stable, that's all. Forgive me for not being careful about my background settings lately...

Samarablog: Yeah! You loved the conversation, dearie? Me too! All the family together and a lot of fun emotions in the air...

Mouktika and March2011: Its so nice to know you were touched by the Lightning-Kushi scene. I had difficulty making that part work coz I was unable to feel into the emotions. And when a writer cannot feel a chapter, the writing fails and I had been worried if I'd destroyed the scene. But I am real happy there are some like you who could connect with the scene on an emotional level...

Diaphanous: Saima, I wonder if you took up your username because you are trying to see things in a more clear light for that's what you are doing by commenting so thoughtfully, helping the readers and yourself... I really love listening to how your screws turn... it brings out interesting finds really. Will let the story tell you the rest...

Karsvinu: Imagine how much I laughed, dear, when I imagined Lordy sewing!

DrNoreen: Now here's one comment that touched me and made me feel my tale was of some worth... when a word can make you pause, remember and love life, that's when the word becomes of value. Hugs to you, dear and to your beautiful sisters who have stolen my feelings with their mere mirroring of two characters I value in this tale...

Farha: No, dear, I don't watch rangrasiya. In fact, I don't watch any Hindi shows. Neither Sanaya's nor Barun's nor anyone's. I am back to my English series and movies again and so very happy to have gotten something of the real me back. It was hard to ward off the spell that IPK had cast on me, but with time, I managed to move on, thanks to God and to my lovely siblings.

Rockingsoni: Happy New Year to you too, dear soni! Clever eye: you've noticed how he had become a lot calmer in his reactions...goodie! And no, there is no meddling of medicines in this FF. Not by the General and not by anyone, dearie.

Amira: Always happy to see your comments, dear. Hope you will love the coming chapter...

MEsw: sw, your comments, can I love them anymore than I already do... Your questions are all valid but their answers will come only with time and you know I cannot reveal them, but there will be others who may second your thoughts, I am certain. The part I loved the most in your last comment was where you mentioned about your aversion to Shyam in IPK. Let me tell you, I felt the same way and it is for this very cause that I run this tale... I hate Shyam, but I LOVE my General!!! *evil laugh*

Gmsk: Late for commenting or failure to comment is never an issue with this FF. You can take your sweet time, my dear and if you think you deserve an award for being late, imagine the queue of winners we'll have for that trophy! *chuckle* Your comments always light up my heart but if you can only "like" and not comment, that would make me smile too... Your presence is what matters more and your love for the tale...

Crackerszone: Its strange, isn't it, how the herbalists work in Arhasia? We need to steal one to our real world... *wink*And yes, that's a key point in the horses: they are like reflections of their Masters' personalities, desires and hopelessness.

Happy New Year again, everyone. And yes... special occasion for this day: Happy Birthday dearest Shas.

Chapter 211: Heat

The next day, being five days after Payal and Lord Akash had left for the South Village, things went about in very much the usual way.

Kushi got in the carriage with her husband and Om Prakash drove them to the Industry. On reaching the Industry, Master Lal escorted Kushi to the lower floor were the workers laboured while Aloof Adil, who was aloofly waiting at the doorway, escorted the First Lord to his royal cabin upstairs. (Owing to how perturbed our Kushi is by his aloofness, Kushi preferred to refer to the servant with the adjective added to his name and, hereby, we shall also be acquainting ourselves with his presence by that very name.)
An entire day passed in work, neither the wife asking how her husband was doing nor the husband caring to ask about his wife. It was not until tea time when Kushi had just finished having her tea with Mia and Master Lal and some other workers, that Aloof Adil appeared downstairs and announced to the First Lady, "The First Lord orders that his wife serve him tea."
Kushi stared at the second-hand and knew she disliked him quite much: for his Aloofness and, majorly, for his having usurped Master Aman's sacred position.

Nevertheless, being an order issued from her husband and not wanting to risk his respect in the presence of his labourers, Kushi excused herself from the company she preferred and proudly drifted towards the stairs and up to his cabin, on reaching the door of which, she knocked.
"Enter," his muffled voice was heard from within.

Kushi opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind her.
Lord Arnav sat regally in his armchair, behind his desk, and he studied her in her elegant peach gown as she stood resolutely at the door. He always preferred her with her hair down but, he had to secretly admit, she looked stunning even with that ladylike bun.
"You called?" she began in a formal tone.
Lord Arnav's gaze directed her to the tea-tray on the tiny table before the side window.
Kushi walked towards the table and, in all etiquette, poured tea into a tiny cup, warm vapour rising as the brown liquid filled the teacup.
"How many cubes will you take?" she asked, looking only at the contents of the tray, as she placed the tea kettle down and lifted the china lid off the tiny sugar jar.
"Two will do," he said, and watched her daintily drop two cubes of sugar into the cup of tea.
She stirred the sugar into the tea with a tiny gold spoon and then placing the spoon on the tray, she took up the cup in its saucer and walked towards his table.
Lord Arnav sat up, his hands reaching for the cup but instead of handing it directly to him, she placed it on the table before him.
He frowned at her but said nothing.
She stepped back as he took up the teacup and sipped.
He looked at her and when he saw her standing disinterestedly by the window, he asked, "Are you not pouring yourself a cup, Kushi?"
"I've already had my tea," she answered with a polite nod of her head.
"Well, having another cup just to give your husband a company cannot hurt, could it?"
"Thank you, but personally, one cup was more than enough," she looked at him, a passive expression in her eyes.
"Is something wrong, Kushi?" he was watching her as he sipped his tea.
"How can anything be wrong when I am married to the most understanding man in Arhasia?" her gaze slid to his face and he knew she was being sarcastic.
"True," a clever light lit in his watchful eyes, "No one can understand you as much as I do, Kushi."

He placed the cup and saucer on the table and got on his feet.
Her heart leapt when he stood in his towering height, meaning to walk towards her, but she didn't betray her anxiety and eyed him solidly.
He stepped towards her, slowly, calculatedly, until he was standing before her.
She remained passive, "What do you understand about me, then?"
"I know you like it when I touch you," he lifted his hand and his knuckles gently grazed the skin on her cheek.
Kushi held her breath but frowned at him, "We are at the Industry."
"So?"
"You cannot do such things in your workplace."
Lord Arnav snorted, "This is MY Industry, I make the rules here. And if I fancy to play with my wife a while, no one will dare interfere in my intention."
His fingers brushed against her neck and a shiver ran down her back.
"The workers may not interfere but the wife will," Kushi stated firmly.
"Why must the wife interfere?" he leaned down, towards her face.
"Because the husband is heartless and will not permit her to see her family."
Angered, his hands gripped her by her shoulders and held her back, her hips pressed against the table, "Have you nothing else to think of but going to that damned Village?"
Kushi's eyes raged, "That damned Village' is my home!"
"The Castle is your home now!"
"I never said it wasn't!"
"Then why do you always insist on going to the Village! Do you not like it in the Castle?!"
"I don't like it in the Castle when you play lord over me!"
"I am your husband! It is your duty to obey me!"
"I am a woman! My world is not my husband alone. I am made to care for my family, for your family, for your Castle, your Industry-"
"I didn't ask you to take up all those responsibilities!"
"You can't help it and neither can I," said Kushi, "By marrying to you, I have married to your share of responsibilities. I am as liable to the needs of others as you should be."
"I don't want you to be," said Lord Arnav,"I will take care of this land."

His voice suddenly turned warm, "Your work is to take care of me."
He leaned towards her and she bent backwards, the table at her hips hindering further progress.

"And who will take care of ME, then?" Kushi tried to move away from him, but his arms gripped at her shoulders.
"I will..."
"You can't take care of me and the land!" She shot him a look.
The warmth that issued from his gaze made her heart flutter.

"I guess I will need to divide my time accordingly."
She looked away, not wanting to come under his spell, "Does a village-visit come anywhere in that time division' of yours?"
He frowned, "No, it doesn't."
"Then I am not interested in your time. Spare it all for your land and none on me," she tried to push his hands away but he was persistent, "It's too late, I've already made my mind."
She looked at him, "About what?"
His face bared a mischievous mien, "It's wife-time now."
Before she could react, his lips were on hers pinning her into a painful kiss and Kushi hammered against his chest fruitlessly.

When she realized there was no release, she let one of her hands wander onto the table behind her.
She was so desperate to ward his advances off that she didn't pause to grasp what she about to attempt and the full context of its possible consequences.
Her hands had found the handle of the tea kettle and as she yanked it off the tray, the lid slipped off. She had meant to thrust the hot kettle against his chest to push him away. But with the lid gone off and the force with which she had brought the kettle forward sent the hot contents spilling out.

As the kettle made contact with his hard chest, the brown liquid splashed onto his chest and onto her gown.

Breaking the kiss, Lord Arnav stepped back with a painful cry and he looked down at his suit, drenched in the tea down to his shirt.
He glared at his wife, only to have his expression turn to one of panic when he saw the front of her gown washed in tea and her right hand still in midair holding the kettle with a shivering hand.

And the hand was shivering not because of what she had done but because the hot tea had spilled over the back of her hand and she was immobilized by the pain and shock.
"KUSHI!" Lord Arnav knocked the kettle off her hand and it crashed to pieces on the floor but he was already pulling his wife to the water basin that was on the table beside the fireplace.
Silent tears of pain ran down Kushi's cheeks but no words issued from her mouth. She could barely breathe from the heat blistering in her veins.
"Kushi! Kushi!" in panic Lord Arnav dipped her hand into the water, not taking his eyes off her face.
"Kushi?"
The water stung on her hot skin and she winced but gradually the skin adapted to the lukewarmness of the water and the heat in her skin faded.
"Kushi, are you alright?" he asked anxiously.
Kushi blinked at her drenched hand through her tears, his hand holding hers underwater. Her gaze slid from his arm and then up to his face, reading the worry and fear in his eyes.
Lord Arnav was relieved to see her look up at him but he needed verbal confirmation to be entirely sure, "Kushi, please tell me you are alright?"
Kushi nodded slowly, wanting to assure him by words but unable to find the voice.
Lord Arnav sighed and then, turning her to face him, he pulled her into an embrace. Kushi was pressed against his chest, not bothering about the wetness on their attire.
He inclined his head against hers and whispered, "You scared me, Kushi."
Kushi held her hands at his hips. Lord Arnav...get scared?
When he released her, he began unbuttoning his stained suit, "We need to get these washed."
Kushi went red. Was she to undress before him? She couldn't do that!
Lord Arnav had removed his coat and his shirt and was standing in just his pants, his chest bared.
He dropped the coat and shirt onto the floor and slid his gaze to his wife's petrified expression.
He knew she would be reluctant to undress so he moved to the window behind his desk and with one wild yank, tore the curtain down.
Kushi gasped, what was he doing?
He turned, holding the curtains wide open before him and looked at her.
She watched as he walked towards her, his unblinking gaze on her.
Standing before her, he held the curtain between them and lifted it until it was before his face.
She stared at the curtain that concealed her from his view.
He was giving her the privacy to undress. Her gaze ran down the length of the curtain. It was not quite long and she knew he could see her from below her knees.
She closed her eyes.

She might not like his arrogance. But she trusted him.
Willingly, her fingers moved to her shoulders and undid her gown, letting it slip down to the floor. Her white petticoat had a wet brown splotch on its front as well and she realized she would have to remove it as well.
Lord Arnav stood with his head bowed, holding the curtain before him, his eyes on the floor, watching where her feet were. He saw the gown crumple to the floor and waited for her to remove the petticoat too. When a long minute passed and he didn't see the petticoat fall to her feet, he comprehended that she was reluctant to remove any further.
He was about to assure her that he wouldn't do anything that would give her discomfort, when he saw the thin white petticoat slide to her feet. He lifted his head a little and his eyes looked at her face over the top of the held curtain.
She looked at him in a mixture of gratitude and fear.
Holding the curtain wide before him, he moved his hands forward and wrapped the curtain around her. She lifted her hands out and when he had brought the ends of the wrapped curtain to the front, she took them from him and held them securely to her chest.
He looked away, knowing how alluring she would look in the maroon strip of curtain where she stood before the glowing fireplace.
Distracting himself from the vision, he bent down and picked up their stained clothes, hers lying so close to her feet that, as he lifted up the gown, his fingers brushed against her heels, making them both withdraw hastily from the irresistible impact of the touch.
Making sure that she was standing well away from the view at the door, he called out for his servant. When Aloof Adil arrived, the servant noticed his Master's naked chest but offered a disinterested expression as though he was the least bit bothered and only the more bit bored by the sight.

Lord Arnav handed Aloof Adil the stained clothes, ordering them to be washed and dried before the evening. Aloof Adil bowed respectfully and, without any change of expression even on seeing the petticoat and gown among his Master's clothes, went to get his Master's order undertaken.
When Lord Arnav had turned back to the room, shutting the door behind him, he saw that Kushi had seated herself on the floor rug before the fireplace, having let her hair down to conceal her shoulders and arms from his view. She sat on the rug with her legs curled under her as though to hide them as well.
Lord Arnav sighed. Despite her explicit endeavors to make herself visibly unattractive for him, he found himself aroused by her very attempt of reluctance.
Kushi's eyes widened in shock on hearing him bolt the door. She looked over her shoulder, her long hair framing her face.
"What did you do that for?" her eyes were on the locked door and then on his face.
He tried to let his voice sound as composed as possible, "I don't want anyone to accidently walk in and find you in your present appearance."
He strode towards her and sat behind her on the armchair from where he could watch the fire flare and how it glowed around the silhouette of his wife, her hair highlighted gold.
Kushi felt uncomfortable with his presence behind him, his eyes drinking in his vision.
Her heart leapt in panic on hearing him shift in his armchair and her heartbeat stilled when she sensed his heat nearing her. She could feel him even with the curtain and hair as barrier to protect her skin from his heat.
He had slid down from his armchair to the floor, kneeling behind her as his fingers reached out to her. They touched her hair and he felt her stiffen.
Kushi turned her head to the side, looking at him from the corner of her apprehensive eyes.
The sight weakened him, the way she sat, the way she looked from her side, her hair concealing part of her face...as though shielding her from him.
No one dared to keep her from him. She was his. Only his.
Kushi gulped when his cold fingers brushed on her shoulders as he drew her hair aside to expose her shoulder and the back of her neck.
His warm mouth pressed on the tender skin of her shoulder and she closed her eyes.
Her fingers clutched the curtain to her chest, hoping to keep it wrapped around her though her trembling hands were not assuring of that hope.
She gasped as his wet mouth moved to taste the back of her neck.
"You're not supposed to..." her words came out in a weak whisper, "We are at the Industry."
His hands were on her shoulders, turning her to face him, and when her timid gaze slid from his muscled chest to his face, she saw how dark his eyes were with desire.
"My lord-" she gasped.
Gently pressing on her shoulders, he leaned her backwards until she was lying on the rug.
He crouched over her, his face leaning toward hers. She marveled at how his Apollonian visage glowed like the sun from the light of the fireplace.

His whisper was rough with desire, "My Industry. My rules. My wife..."
His mouth was on her neck and she gasped, closing her eyes. He kissed her along her chin, her neckline, her shoulders until her head felt dizzy and she forgot all.
Her hands, that had been clutching at the curtains that covered her, slid around his shoulders. One hand traveled up to his hair and ran encouragingly through his thick mane.
Lord Arnav moaned against her neck, affected by her innocent longing.
"Kushi..." he kissed her on her lips and, for the first time, she returned the kiss. On getting her willing response, he felt so humbled that he wanted to cry.

He dove deeper into the kiss until they were driven to a mad intoxication.
"My lord..." Kushi caught her breath just in time before he claimed her lips again.
She let him glory in his ravishing of her and she tasted him in return, wanting more of him.
Her hands were caressing his back, his hair and his shoulders, her touch almost turning him wild with need, but his hands remained on the rug, on her either side, keeping his chest inches away from touching her.
"Kushi..." the yearning in his voice simmered in his burning eyes that looked deep into her.
Kushi knew he was asking her for something.
"Kushi..." he began, his voice trembling uncertainly.
Her arms were still around his neck as she lay on the rug below him, but she looked to her side and saw that his usually firm arm was unsteady and trembling.
She looked at him.
He closed his eyes.
"I am trying..." he whispered weakly.
Kushi didn't know what to say. She was reluctant to offer him what he was asking for and yet, she felt like she was denying him something he shouldn't be denied.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. He couldn't wait for her answer.
"I have to..." he confessed gruffly.
He lifted his hands.
She closed her eyes as he ran his hands down her arms. Over the curtain that covered her, he coursed his hands, over her breasts, her waist, her curves and her legs earning her deep moans and her affected gasps.
Except for her exposed arms and legs, he never once touched her skin, keeping the curtain as a defense from his heated hands and his uncontrollable craving, but Kushi could feel his burning desire seep into her skin through the cloth.
Strange sensations swirled in her stomach and she groaned when his hands moved down her concealed hips to her wrapped thighs.
He leaned down and kissed her on her lips again, his hands moving all over her curtained form, her back, her breasts, her thighs.
Kushi moaned insentiently. She had never been touched and worshipped by a man's hands before. How could something like this be so pure?
Kushi found herself kissing him in return.

Without breaking off their kiss, he slowly sat up on the rug, lifting her off the rug as he arose.
Kneeling there by the firelight, his thighs wedged between her legs as she sat on his lap, he kissed her until her hold on his shoulders weakened. He held her face in his hands, her unconscious eyes trying to focus on his face.
"I feel..." she began groggily but her tongue refused to make any more efforts.
"It's alright," he smiled in assurance, "You just drank too much heat, that's all."
"Will this happen every time we-?" she whispered tiredly, her head feeling heavy.
"Not if you get used to it," he sneered, but she was already drained with fatigue.
He lifted her up and, rising to his feet, he carried her to the armchair.

He sat on it and then positioned his slumbering wife on his lap, her head lolling to his shoulder.

Lord Arnav made sure she was wrapped well in her curtain and after moving aside her hair from her beautiful face, he gazed at her for hours, watching how the firelight danced on her child's face till the afternoon made way to evening and darkness beckoned time homewards.

I am not really keen on writing chapters of this nature but each gradual little change in equations must be brought to light.