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Bonus Chapter
Features between them spending the night in the Chapel and Arnav's conversation with Shyam
As I continue to post chapters on Wattpad, I usually re-read and edit them and move them around. When I find things missing, I incorporate them into the story. I felt Arnav's revelation in the Chapel required some sort of closure both from his end and Khushi's end before the story moved forward. The transition between the two chapters was too sudden. More questions need answering - Arnav's background clearly didn't advocate womanizing. Then how did he become one? Khushi baited him, did he bite? And what next (well we know) but how did he get there?
My humble attempt at answering all those questions. If you're following me on Wattpad this will be chapter 54, if not, you can place it here. I do urge you to follow me there. The story is more well fleshed out (its an edited version) and I feel flows better.
As usual, please feel free to give me your honest feedback. No I don't get offended if you think something is not quite right or working out. That's the exact kind of feedback I'm looking for. You've all helped me grow tremendously as a writer so please keep it coming!
Thank you
BONUS CHAPTER
“Arnav, you’re such a loser.” The words still echoed in his ears. A slap on his face. A reality check. At 18, he’d learnt that women didn’t like being denied, anything.
15 years ago
Boston, Massachussetts, USA
Rashi Keswani was a bright student. The only daughter of India’s wealthiest oil baron, she had everything she wished for. And although she was polite and personable, there was a certain air of superiority about her. She never accepted no for an answer and she never felt the need to justify her actions.
Rashi and Arnav crossed paths on a fated day they were grouped together to work on a project. What started as classwork soon turned extra-curricular. Arnav was smart and handsome and Rashi was smitten with his looks. Initially she dropped hints and one day finally took matters in her own hands. When she placed her lips onto his, Arnav was stunned for a second, before responding to it. The make-out sessions turned serious and the two ended up spending the night with each other. For two weeks they sought each other out, secretly making out, cancelling their group engagements, missing lectures to spend time with each other. The nights were equally magical. Arnav actually smiled.
It all came crashing down on Valentine's Day. Armed with a box of chocolates and a teddy bear that said I Love You, Arnav made his way to Rashi’s dorm. He knew she wasn’t expecting him. It was going to be a surprise. When he opened the door, he found Rashi half-naked clothed straddling the quarterback of their college baseball team, moaning her pleasure.
Arnav’s interruption was not well received. Embarassment gave way to anger. She pulled the teddy-bear out of his hand, stomped on it, called him a loser and threw him out of her dorm.
*****
“ASR I love you”, “Oh! Baby, let's get married”, “ASR, take me home”, “ASR make love to me”, he let the voices dominate his mind-space while staring out onto the beautiful courtyard of the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
It had been a little over two hours since the two of them had gotten back. A caretaker, responsible for cleaning the Sforza Castle had let them out in the wee hours of the morning. On their return, no one inquired about their whereabouts. Clearly no one had missed them.
Arnav had showered and changed, fully intending to catch a few hours of sleep before a meeting with the investors in the evening. Within half an hour, he was back at his laptop, browsing through emails. Another 15 minutes, a room service order for toast and orange juice; four cups of black coffee later, he walked up to the large glass window in his room that overlooked the courtyard.
Anjali and Shyam were sitting down there, drinking their morning tea. The two looked so happy. It seemed Anjali was growing younger by the day. She had a naughty glint in her eye. Something Shyam said made Anjali throw her head back and laugh. She then got up from her chair, walked upto her husband and placed a kiss on his cheek. Shyam tugged at her hand when she turned and Anjali landed on his lap. He kissed her back, a peck on her lips and tucked a wayward curl away. He then placed his hand on her growing stomach and said something that made Anjali throw her arms around him.
The voices in his head grew more aggressive. Had he missed his chance at happiness? He’d had so many women walk in and out of his life. Maybe one of them could have been his happily ever after. After his first experience, he had become so cynical, he had hardly given any of those women a chance at his heart. He’d judged them, sometimes prematurely. He remembered his first relationship casual fling after Rashi. He wasn’t in love with her. She was too immature for him. The second, a control freak. The third, too traditional for his liking. The fourth, too ambitious. The fifth, manipulative. Then he’d stopped counting.
Another sip of his black coffee and his focus flitted back momentarily to Shyam and Anjali. Her head was now in the crook of Shyam’s neck, fingers weaving through each others hands. She was gushing over him like a teenager. After six years of marriage and two kids, the sight heartening. It was evident she adored him.
Another memory from not that long ago. Another stolen moment. A little unknown coffee shop in Milan, where Khushi had sat on his lap and cried like a heartbroken angel. In another world, Khushi and Arnav could have been Shyam and Anjali. Except life had introduced them under extremely odd circumstances.
He admitted he enjoyed vexing her. He loved the way she retorted. Everyone was afraid of ASR. Even Aman, who never crossed the proverbial line. Anjali left him alone as long as his actions didn’t negatively affect AR. But Khushi? She had called him out time and again, irritated him, annoyed him, placated him, soothed his senses, forced him to retreat and taught him compassion. He didn’t know how or when she’d managed to get under his skin. But he was glad anyway.
There was so much he could teach her, so much he could learn from her. Life would never be boring.
He’d never allowed life to dictate its terms, and he wasn’t about to start now. But what about Khushi? Did she want the same thing as he did? She’d herself told him she was in love with someone else.
For the first time in his life Arnav Singh Raizada was undecided and afraid. He knew what he was and he knew how his nature could adversely impact Khushi. She deserved someone much better, someone not so tainted with cynicism, someone not so burdened with anger and guilt. And yet this once he wanted to think about his happiness. His soul needed Khushi.
He glanced at his wristwatch. Five hours later, he would be presenting the final collection to his investors in Milan. He had a lot of work to do. And just like that AR took over Arnav’s life once again.
*****
“Sorry.” The words echoed in Khushi’s head. “Sorry for everything I put you through”. Ravan Raizada had apologized. Khushi kept pinching herself to remind herself that all of this was real. In the last five months she’d gotten acquainted with him, she had imagined numerous scenes where she would force the man to beg her forgiveness. And yet while the wishful thinking helped soothe her ego, she had never believed any of it could ever be true.
ASR never apologized to anyone. But Arnav did. She’d figured that out yesterday.
Back from the chapel Khushi had rested and revisited her designs one last time. Then she had taken a long shower, washed her hair and was now getting ready for the meeting with the investors. The store would be open for business in another four days.
Going through her wardrobe, she picked a bright red A-line dress. The sleeves were long and black and patterned with large red roses. She paired her outfit with black heels to complete the look. Sparse makeup with kohl and eyeliner; light pink lipstick, hair, a mass of loose curls falling around her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror. The lipstick was too loud. Taking a tissue paper, she folded it in half and pressed her lips to it to remove some of the colour. Satisfied with the outcome, she applied gloss over it. One final twirl in front of the mirror and she was ready for the meeting.
Her desk was mess. Her make-up items were strewn all over it. She glanced at her watch. There was no time to tidy up. She’d have to do it later. She hurriedly grabbed designs and her purse, stuffed her purse with her lip gloss, eye-liner, kohl, moisturizer and room keys, and made her way out. The tissue paper with her lipstick mark stuck in between her designs. She hurriedly locked her room door, clumsily dropped her designs, hastily picked them all up and made her way out. The tissue floated a little and landed squarely near ASR’s foot when he opened the door. He picked it up.
“Khushi,” he called out. She turned. He stood mesmerised. Collecting his senses, he said: “I’m going to the investor meeting too. Let’s go together.” She shook her head in agreement. He glanced at the tissue in his hand. There was a lipstick mark on it. The mark matched the shade on her lips. He pocketed the tissue. He would add it to the box that already contained Khushi’s doodle, her charm bracelet, a bunch of her bob pins and her entry ticket to Sforza Castle. He didn’t know if he deserved Khushi. But he was sure going to take care of her memories.
*****
“Arnav said sorry”. Khushi whispered near Aman just as he was about to sip water out of a glass. He stuttered, coughed, glared at Khushi and apologized for his behaviour. Aman and Khushi were sitting next to each other at the investor meeting. Arnav was presenting. Since the entire AR team had memorized the deck, they were busy doing their own things while prentending to pay attention.
“When?” Aman whispered back. This was very interesting.
“At the Chapel, yesterday.”
When Aman looked at her quizzically, she scrunched her nose. “You didn’t know Arnav and I were stuck in the Chapel at the Sforza Castle the entire night?”
Aman nodded his head in the negative, and Khushi jabbed his arm with her elbow. Aman smiled. Khushi smiled too.
“So anything I should know about?” His eyes were mischievous.
“I already told you. Arnav apologized for the way he treated me.”
“And?”
“And I told him there wasn’t anything between the two of us.”
Aman sighed. So much for all the planning. If only Shyam, Anjali and Aman had involved Khushi.
“So all’s well then, I guess,” he commented.
“Not really.” Khushi had a wry smile. The smile petrified him.
“What have you done Khushi Kumari Gupta.”
Sporting an innocent look, absently flicking invisible dust off her clothes, she casually replied: “I told him I was in love with someone else.”
Aman looked at her like she’d grown horns.
“I thought you were a nice, sweet girl. Why would you do that?”
She shrugged her shoulders. She couldn’t answer that one. She herself didn’t know.
The entire episode didn’t escape the attention of Arnav Singh Raizada. Aman and Khushi were close. Sure they weren’t dating each other but Khushi trusted Aman. He made a mental note to seek Aman out and ask him about Khushi’s boyfriend the first opportunity he got. Aman would want to know why ASR was interested in Khushi’s personal life. He would think of a convincing answer.
Arnav had to know. Not knowing was driving him mad.
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