Hi There!
After everyone's response to my first OS Snapshots I decided to convert it into a Mini One Short series. (The first OS is now titled OS Mini Series: Snapshots - Just the Beginning) Thanks so much for the support!
I wanted to give a few words about this particular One Shot - The Dusk Before the Dawn. This takes place after the events of Arjun going to Hrisikesh to bring Radhika home and before the two year leap where we saw the couple living a happily ever type of life. I wanted to explore that in between phase before they reached that point of a well adjusted couple.
Love and Marriage isn't the end of the story it's only the beginning. It's a journey between two people who have decided to commit to one another and tackle whatever Life throws their way. Mistakes will still be made, guilt will still be felt, and forgiveness will be asked. It's how they weather the storms that determine the strength of their relationship.
I also like to reiterate that I came into this serial very late so I may not be privy to certain character quirks, likes, and dislikes. Hindi is not my first language so I can't even go back and re-watch episodes without subs. So I apologize in advance if some of my writing has made the characters a bit out of character.
Also, there are some suggestive mature scenes. I tried to keep it clean so anyone can read them. But you have been warned.
If you like it please hit the Like button and don't forget to Comment Below and Let me know what you think. You don't know how important it is for us writers to get feedback from our readers. It's the only way we know if there is something we need to improve or that we should even continue writing.
Thanks!
--Grace
Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors
**No copyright infringement intended. I do not own the characters but storylines are my own.
The Dusk Before the Dawn
Part 1
The Mehra household stood calm and still on a moonlight October night. Everything seemed to be in its place. With scarily a trace of the dramatics that had happened two months ago, it would seem as if time had healed its wounds. There was a gentle creak from the master bedroom followed by softly padding footsteps that stopped in front of the kitchen refrigerator. The light was near blinding as the door was opened. Arjun cringed at the brightness but continued to squint as he studied the contents. Sweet and sour dal, rice, small stack of left over puri from dinner, milk, juice, jam, butter, bread, salad dressing, yogurt, a packet of sliced cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, and a bunch of cilantro. He frowned and then opened the freezer taking out the carton of Vadilal Belgium chocolate ice cream. He pulled a spoon from the drawer and sat himself on the island counter top digging into the carton. His feet dangled freely as he ate. The creamy cool texture melted in his mouth causing him to gently smile.
His attention was soon diverted when he heard the sound of the bedroom door opening and the delicate footsteps of his wife coming towards him. "Arjun? Why are you sitting in the dark?"
"I have the moonlight," he simply replied and took another spoonful.
Radhika looked at her husband sitting in his pajamas on the counter top slowly eating ice cream. He was swaying his feet slightly and wiggling his toes. A small smile formed on her lips as the image in front of her was completely contradicting to his general demeanor. These were the private candid moments she had the privilege of seeing now. It was an amusing element in their newly established relationship. A relationship born from hatred and distrust was now filled with nothing but understanding, love, and trust. It was strange how things had worked themselves out, perhaps not in the most ideal manner. But that was the strangeness of life: "Truth was stranger than Fiction". Sam had moved on with Neil and they were happily married. The brightness of their smiles and the sparkle in their eyes was proof enough. Even Samrat and Piyali had to have forgiven Arjun just for that. Their daughter's tears had vanished and the cloud of anger and heartache had dissolved into laughter, jokes, and fun again.
"Why don't you use a bowl?" Radhika inquired.
"There isn't much left," showing her the carton, "You want some?" he asked as he pointed the spoon in her direction. Without a word Radhika took the spoon from his hand. Arjun had a soft grin on his face watching her use the same spoon he had been using earlier without any care or concern. Then again what was there to be concern about now that they had their share of kisses.
It had only been several weeks since he had gone to Hrisikesh and brought her back home. Her father and brother had not been so keen on the idea of letting him walk away with her to Mumbai again. It was to be expected considering the state she was in when she had initially left the city. He had felt the same emptiness and restlessness in his heart; like a piece was missing and no matter what he did the pain would not go away. Dada-ji and his mother-in-law had staunchly supported him and eventually made Dilip and Ankush consent though not without a strong word of warning.
He knew he still had a lot to prove and to make up for. There were a lot of things that he had done and said to Radhika that he regretted now. And he was sure his sister Nandini had spared no moment to torture her as well when he wasn't around. Arjun felt his mouth clenching at that thought. Oh how he was blinded back then of the truth. Even though he had succeeded in making peace with the Khanna family and had played a big part in facilitating Sam' wedding, Neil was still very wary of him. He had made it very clear to him one day that he was watching him. That if he dared to play with their emotions again and hurt his Sammy or Chashni he would not hesitate to make him pay.
Perhaps the lingering guilt and his desire to prove his worth Arjun found himself curbing his physical intimacy with Radhika. He had given a very sound reason. They had only known each other for a short period of time and he wanted to take things slow and get to know each other better before they consummated. Radhika had agreed with this decision as well. There was so much more to their relationship than physical attraction. It had always been more than that from the beginning. She had this inner strengthen that he found admirable. She wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with him if she had to. She had shown that time and time again when they were at war with each other. They both could do anything for the people they cared and loved. She could carry all the burdens of the world on her shoulders without expecting anything in return. He on the other hand could go against the world if he had to protect the ones he loved. She was carefree and bright. The pure innocence of her heart had cast its light against the darkness of his life and as clich as it sounded she had rescued him from the dark. He found a new purpose to live. In her own words light had triumphant against darkness.
Every day he was discovering new things about her, about him, about them and it was exhilarating. She was a bit of a neat freak, creative to the core, loved pani puri, hated scary movies, and was a very good cook. He was doing things that he never thought he would do like helping her paint her toenails, going on early Sunday morning walks in the park, washing dishes while she cooked, watching overly dramatic TV serials when her mother came to visit, and adding cream and sugar into his coffee because she liked it that way. He was overwhelmed with the amount of happiness that had poured into his life and he was scared of having it snatched away. That one day he would wake up and find that all of it had been just a dream.
Today had been one of those reality jarring days. The past had come back to haunt him and he was unsure which step he should take next. The choices had been brewing in his mind since the late afternoon.
********************************Flashback*******************************
"Bhaiya! Bhaiya! Bhaiya! Bhaiya, is here!" the children chanted as Arjun stepped out of the car. He gave a warm smile and patted their heads as he walked by making his way to the passenger side to receive his wife. "Bhabhi's here! Bhabhi! Bhabhi!" His grin grew even wider at the way Radhika had bent down and gave everyone a hug. Their eyes only briefly met before the children whisked her away to go play some game. He saw one of the orphanage helpers and motioned with his hand that he needed assistance in removing the groceries and other packages from the trunk of the car.
They carried as much as they could in each hand and walked to the kitchen. "Arjun Sir," a voice greeted making him turn in surprise. "Thank you so much," the man replied as he folded his hands in front of him. "These extra supplies and groceries are extremely helpful."
"Prem? It's good to see you. I thought you were on holiday?" Arjun inquired.
"I came back a few days earlier," he replied with a slightly somber expression.
"Where's Rana Kaka?" Arjun asked next as the grave response had not gone unnoticed.
"Rana Kaka?" repeating nervously, "Um, he's in the office," noticing the alert response from Arjun's eyes he continued, "You should probably go see him."
Arjun left the kitchen area and quickly strode under the covered walkway to the main office. He was warmly greeted by the secretary when he entered and then headed to the offices to the right. Without a thought of knocking he opened the door to the last office in the hallway and saw Rana Kaka clearing things from the desk into a box. "Arjun..." he said with shock in his eyes. "Why...um, what brings you here?"
"Radhika and I came to drop off some extra supplies and things for the orphanage. Why are you packing?" Arjun's eyes continued to travel around the room and he spied a small roll away suitcase sparking further questions in his mind. "Are you leaving?"
The elder man let out a heavy sigh confirming his suspicions. "I was hoping to avoid this...but in the end everyone must face the consequences of their actions one day...and I guess today is my day." Arjun stared at him unsure how he should respond to his words. "I know you must have a lot of questions and I do not know if my words will justify the answers. To tell the truth I wanted to leave earlier but I needed to know...I needed to see with my own eyes that you were going to be all right. It was the last thing I could do for my former employer." Rana saw the intense hatred in Arjun's eyes at the slightest mention of his sister Nandini. "She loves you Arjun..."
"She used me!" Arjun snarled. "I was but a mere tool...an end to her means by any means necessary! She didn't care about me! All she cared about was her revenge! Everything had been only about her...she was so selfish..."
"You are right she was selfish. And I should have known better myself but she reminded me a lot of my own daughter. The pain in her eyes...I saw that same pain before...the heartache. Maybe it was because I identified with it...and I couldn't see it happen again. My daughter had her heart broken by a man whom she loved. He betrayed her by marrying another and running away to some other city. She was left with nothing but memories of broken promises and shattered dreams of a life that he had dreamed with her. And one day I received a call from the police telling me that there had been an incident. When I came home my wife was crying and there was her picture with a garland hanging around it. She had jumped from a 10 story building. My wife fell into depression and I took up drinking. Eventually my wife left me and returned to her hometown while I continued to drown my sorrows in a bottle of liquor. But your sister kept me on and didn't fire me...she sobered me up. And because of that I am also indebted to her. I know it may be hard to believe but your sister did love you...if she didn't she wouldn't have walked away when you told her to. She also knew you were in good hands. Your wife, Radhika saved you from this life of darkness that your sister had consumed her life with." Picking up a white envelope from the table, "There are a lot of things that I am not proud of. I had hoped to have left before you came searching for me...leaving this letter for Prem to give to you and Radhika as my farewell. I admit it was cowardly and even now I am having trouble looking you in the eyes," sighing, "I have a long list of confessions but this will probably be the most important because it is one I am especially ashamed of."
Arjun took the letter from Rana's hands and looked at it questioningly. "There are those of us that teeter between darkness...those of us that become consumed by it...and those of us that can light the way even during the darkest of hours," Rana said. "I don't think I need to tell you that Radhika is a gem of a person. And Arjun..." looking at him firmly, "No matter how much you think it so...or believe it to be for the better...leaving," shaking his head, "She will always stay by your side and support you. She's that type of person. Even after knowing her for such a short period of time I know she will never leave you. Remember that." He then gave a firm pat and squeeze on Arjun's shoulder, "Khayal rakhna...maybe one day I will have enough courage to face you and Radhika again...on better grounds than the reasons I had to leave today."
Arjun silently watched as Rana Kaka took the box in one hand and the suitcase in another and left the office. He then lowered his eyes to the envelope in his hands. He knew that it was a letter addressed to both of them but he couldn't stop himself from opening it and finding out Rana Kaka's big confession. He knew it involved his sister and that thought alone both burned and worried him. As his eyes took in each line of the hand written letter he felt himself loosing each breath he took in. At the end he crumpled the letter in one hand; anger overtaking any rational thought. It was too much for him to bear even though at the time there had not been any sound evidence to prove the accusations. The reports had clearly stated a short circuit wire from next door had caused the fire at the shop in Hrisikesh. "Arjun?" He quickly smoothed the letter out and stuffed it back into the white envelope and folded it in half before putting it into the pocket of his jeans. "Arjun?" He closed his eyes briefly to take a calming breath before exiting the office to meet Radhika who was calling for him.
*****************************End of Flashback**************************
"Something's on your mind..." Arjun was brought back to the present and looked at his wife who was holding the spoon upright tapping the tip of it on her lips. "It's about London, isn't it?"
Arjun's eyes flexed realizing he had almost forgotten the other issue that had presented itself earlier in the day at work. There was an international contract that needed to be finalized with the client in London. They couldn't make it to Mumbai and a representative from Birdsong had to go to London. Samrat was still in Australia. Though he had stated he was talking with and looking into prospective clients from that region, Arjun and Radhika had an inkling that he had finally come clean to his family and was taking some retrospective time there. Piyali and Sam had a huge local client they were in the talks with regarding an upcoming campaign so they could not afford to leave at this critical juncture. He was the only one free at the moment.
"Have you already decided? Sam gave you a couple of day's time to think things over. She understands if you decline...she knows what it means to go to London for you."
Arjun sighed, "It's not right to put my own personal issues above the business. Maybe it's my own irrational fear. It's a big city...the chances of running into Nandini Di would be slim to none. She hasn't returned to the house."
"Rana Kaka tell you that?"
He felt a large knot forming in the pit of his stomach at her question. "A few weeks back before he left." The knot tightened even more at the slip of tongue comment and he shifted uncomfortably. Arjun hopped off the counter and took another spoon out of the drawer as a distraction.
"He left?" Radhika stared at Arjun's back as he slowly closed the utensil drawer. "Why didn't you tell me about it? When did he leave?"
"I'm telling you now. I just found out today. Prem told me," Arjun replied turning around. It wasn't entirely a lie but he felt horrible for saying it and telling her only half the story. His mind had seized at the fear of what would be her reaction if he told her the truth and showed her the letter. He had her trust and he knew he was being stupid for saying something that could possibly destroy it. But the words just came out. He would show her the letter. He would show it to her soon but not right now because the timing wasn't right. He reasoned this in his mind so he could make peace with his heart. He had to deal with London first.
"He just left?" Radhika questioned in disbelief.
"Yes..."
"Without saying goodbye...to anyone?"
"Yes, he did," Arjun solemnly answered. "I was surprised myself." His eyes widened in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
Radhika knew beside Nandini Di the only other person that came close to being family for him was Rana Kaka. "I'm sorry," she said.
Arjun looked at the way Radhika was staring up at him. Her eyebrows arched in worry as her eyes reflected a genuine concern for how he was feeling at this moment. It tugged at his heart strings seeing this care and love. He hugged her tightly burying his face into the crook of her neck with his eyes closed breathing in her scent.
******************************************************************
Neil rubbed his eyes sleepily as he walked to the back of the car to help take the suitcases out of the trunk. "Geez, what did you stuff in your bag Chashni?" he asked as he lifted a well packed to the brim
medium sized 24 inch black roll away.
"It's the coat," she answered. "Arjun Sir---"
"Arjun Sir?" Neil interrupted. "We're not at work."
Radhika gave an embarrassed smile. She had been so use to adding the 'Sir' at the end of his name for work that she was still having trouble transitioning over to just calling him Arjun in front of their colleagues. She had gotten better but every now and then the 'Sir' would slip out.
"When she gets really mad at me for disagreeing with her on some project idea...the 'Sir' returns," Arjun teased as he grabbed the other bag.
"A.r.j.u.n," Radhika enunciated, "Bought me the pea coat because of the weather in London. It's getting colder this time of year. I didn't want to carry it on the plane ride so I packed it in the suitcase...it took up a lot of room."
"And I am fine with carrying mine," Arjun said as he took his black coat from the back seat of the car and laid it across his arm. "And that thing was already stuffed before the coat even made it in. I caught her sitting on it just so she could zip it up." Earning himself a dirty look from his wife for his remark Arjun just simply smiled causing her to be further peeved.
"Yea, it feels like it," Neil replied.
"In Chashni's defense they are not going on a two day trip. It's about a week and a half because of the client's schedule. And I'm sure there will be some client dinners. So a girl's got to pack prepared," Sam said earning her a bright smile from her best friend.
"Thank you Sam," Radhika replied.
"Any time dear," she answered and gave her a big hug, "You have a safe trip," lowering her voice into a whisper, "Everything is going to be all right in London...I'll be praying for that...Lord knows we don't need any more drama in our lives."
"Thanks for doing this Sam. You didn't have to," Radhika said.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm your boss and I think this would be a good opportunity for you to learn the business side of things, "Sam replied with a wink.
"Well, we better get going," Arjun said looking at his watch. "We still have to check-in."
The foursome said their goodbyes and Sam and Neil watched Arjun and Radhika enter the airport before getting back into their own vehicle to leave. "Are you sure about this Sammy?" Neil asked as he clicked his seat belt in place before starting up the car. "I still don't trust him."
"Yes. And how many times do I have to tell you..."
"I know, I know...it's not my trust...it's Chashni's," Neil answered. "But sending her to London with him when there is a possibility that his psycho sister may be there too?" sighing heavily, "Makes me worry Sammy..."
"I know. I'm worried too but I think sending Chashni with him was a better decision then sending him by himself. If I could I would have gone myself but I have my own workload. Teji and Zubin can handle some of the work Chashni had...she was practically finished with the other project...just a few touch ups. And I think it would be a nice break for them...get away from everything...especially what happened in Hrisikesh...it wasn't much of a Honeymoon reunion...with the way her father and brother were opposing like that."
"So wait they get to have a Honeymoon at the company's expense?" Neil roared. "How come we don't get one? That's not right Sammy...employers are suppose to be equal opportunity...why couldn't we have gone to London?"
"Chupe...of course I planned something. Singapore."
"Singapore?" Neil asked with eyebrows raised.
"There is a client meeting scheduled at the end of this year in Singapore," Sam replied with a wicked grin. I will be going and so will you. I've always wanted to visit Singapore."
"Awww, Mrs. Malhotra I could give you a big kiss right now!" Neil said as he leaned over puckering his lips.
"Neil! Car!" Sam shrieked as she pushed him back to the driver side. "Idiot, keep your eyes on the road!"
Neil swerved into the next lane before he rammed into the car in front of him. He honked irritably, "Why is he going so slow? We are on the highway buddy! Stupid people don't know how to drive!" He grumbled some inaudible words and then focused his attention on the road ahead. His eyes flexed in surprise when he felt his wife grab his chin to steady his head and placed a full on sloppy kiss on his cheek.
Sam giggled at the way his lips curled into a smile. "Once we make it to the office I'll give you a proper one," she promised.
"Yes Mrs. Malhotra," Neil replied with an even bigger smile.
******************************************************************
Radhika took in the fall scenery in front of her. The colors of autumn were in full bloom as she and Arjun strolled through the park together on a chilly Tuesday afternoon. The array of orange, red, yellow, and brown leaves hanging on the trees and scattered across the ground was an indescribable sight to see. Postcards and pictures truly did not do it justice and it was something that one had to experience to understand. This had only been their second day in London and she was enjoying her time immensely.
On their first night Arjun had taken her to a nice Indian restaurant that he use to frequent when he was living and working in London. This morning they had a short meeting with the client to go over some preliminary items on the contract. The company had scheduled a factory tour tomorrow morning for them to have a more up front and personal view of the products. Over lunch at a quaint pub they decided if there was anything they saw that they could use to enhance the advertising plan that Birdsong had pitched they would. There was a scheduled Thursday late afternoon meeting followed by dinner with one of the company's project heads. Then the following Tuesday the contracts were going to be officially signed and they would then hop on a plane later that afternoon and fly back to Mumbai. The days in between Arjun had planned some fun sightseeing activities for them to do since it was her first time in London.
Arjun felt a gentle weight against his arm causing him to look to his side. Radhika had leaned her head on his shoulder and tightened her arm around his in an affectionate manner. He grinned at the gesture. They normally weren't affectionate in public but the park had been relatively sparse with people. They had been walking this particular pathway for some time and hadn't seen a single soul. "Your hand cold?"
"A little..."
"I should have gotten you gloves." Arjun sighed in disappointment at himself.
"I'll be fine. It's just one hand...the other is in my coat pocket," Radhika answered.
"Here," Arjun said as he unlink their arms. He took her hand into his and placed them in the pocket of his coat. "This should be warmer..." Radhika could feel his fingers curling tightly in between the spaces of her fingers and the tender squeeze of his hand causing her to smile. "Warmer?" She simply nodded her response. After a moment's pause Arjun teased, "Your hand is as cold as ice...its making me cold. I think we need to pick up some gloves for you. This isn't going to last very long...burr..."
"Arjun!" Radhika miffed while he chuckled. She tugged at his hand making him sway to the left bumping into her side. Arjun tugged back causing Radhika to fall into him. They did this for a few minutes making little progress down the trail but laughing loudly at their playfully tug of war game. "So, tell me more...what else are we doing?" Radhika inquired turning back to their original conversation.
"Well..." Radhika listened intently as Arjun started to rattle off interesting historical facts about some of the sites they were going to be visiting. In between, he divulged some funny anecdotes of his time in London. She laughed and smiled at his stories feeling relieved that he was enjoying himself. The past several days she could sense his stress and tension despite his efforts to verbally tell her that he was fine. She could see it in his eyes.
"Oh, we made it to the other side of the park," Radhika said.
"Yes we did," Arjun replied as they exited. He lifted his hand and motioned as a taxi appeared driving down the street. Radhika was expecting him to give the address of the hotel but instead he gave him a different one.
"Are we going to eat? It's only 4:35," Radhika inquired.
"You'll see," Arjun replied with a small smile.
******************************************************************
Radhika stared through the window watching the scenery as the taxi made its way through the streets of a London suburb. There were lines of quaint town homes on the left and right side of the street. The car slowed to a stop and parked itself in front of a middle row of red brick houses with black iron gates. While Arjun got out and paid the taxi driver the fare, Radhika made her way to the sidewalk and stared up at the houses in front of her wondering which one they were going to. She was trying to recall the house number Arjun had said.
Arjun stood on the street staring up at house number 2430 with trepidation. Caught up in his memories of the good times he had spent in the city, he had felt the sudden urge to show Radhika his London home. Now that he was actually here he was becoming uneasy and an unknown fear was seeping underneath his skin. "Arjun?" He glanced over at his wife, a gentle smile on her face as she waited for him to join her on the sidewalk. "What number is it?"
"2430," he answered as he walked forward leading the way. He pushed the iron gate open much to his surprise as he thought they usually had it locked. As he ascended the steps to the front door he began patting his pockets feeling for his keys.
Radhika stood on the stoop staring at the neighborhood and taking notice how the sun was going down fast. She rubbed her hands together trying to warm them and then turned towards her husband wondering what he was doing. Arjun was rubbing his jean pockets for the third time softly muttering, "I knew I brought them with me...wait, did I leave them at the hotel?" He rubbed his chin in thought trying his best to recall where he had kept them. "Wait...there use to be..." continuing his mumbling as he lifted a potted plant out of its ornate stone pot. His forehead creased in wonder at why the soil seemed moist as if someone had been watering it since they left. He felt a sudden uneasiness rush through his veins and the trickle of sweat running down his back.
"Looking for this?" Radhika turned in alarm at the deep British accented voice. She had never felt the presence of someone walking up behind them. She timidly smiled at the lean elderly Indian man holding up a set of house keys. There was a gentleness in his eyes that was slowly putting her at ease despite the way in which he had suddenly appeared behind them.
"Tommy Uncle?" Arjun uttered in complete surprise.
The man grinned broadly at being acknowledged and walked up the steps to give a hug. "You're looking good Arjun."
He gave a genuine smile in return and then quickly introduced, "This is Radhika, my wife."
"Wife?"
"Nice to meet you," Radhika greeted warmly.
"I'm the old caretaker here," Tommy Uncle replied. "Here let's go in...the temperature is going to drop now that the sun is setting." He opened the door and then motioned for Arjun and Radhika to step inside first.
Arjun flipped his collar up and tighten his coat around his neck as he felt the still chill air inside the house. He could see that the place looked the same as he had left it several months back. The white sheets that had been placed over the living room couches were still there but there seemed to be little to no dust on the tables and bookcases.
"I come by two to three times a week...sweep and dust a little," Tommy Uncle explained. "I took the keys from the hiding place out front. I figured it would be safer this way. How about some chai?" lifting a small bottle of milk from his coat pocket out. "I always make a little when I come here...makes it feel like the house has been lived in." Before Arjun or Radhika could say anything Tommy Uncle walked straight to the kitchen to prepare tea. The sound of a sauce pan filling with water and the spark of the gas stove lighting up could be heard.
"You've been coming every week?" Arjun said as he continued to inspect the room as if it was the first time he was seeing it.
"Yes. At the time it was undetermined how long you and your sister would be in India. So, I continued to come and check up on the house...until I am told otherwise. I haven't heard from your sister. If I had known you were coming back here I would have taken away the white sheets. It's a bit chilly right now but some garam garam chai will fix that and I'll go turn on the heat." They could hear the soft clanking of tea glasses coming out of the cupboard and the ting of a silver serving tray being placed on the counter.
Radhika walked around the room following Arjun's footsteps as he stopped to look at knick-knacks, photo frames, and books on the shelves. She looked on in curiosity wondering what memories they held for him. Her eyes sparkled as a wide grin appeared across her lips. "Is this you?" she inquired as she picked up a photo frame of a young eight year old boy holding a cricket bat.
"Yea," Arjun replied with a fond smile. "My first present I ever received...it was my eighth birthday."
"You were so cute back then," Radhika said with a giggle. "Too bad you lost all of that when you grew up...Mr Grumpy face..." Arjun gave a pouty frown at her joke while she continued to giggle.
"Tea's done!" Tommy Uncle announced as he carried the tray into the living room. "Oh, let's remove the sheets. I forgot about this," putting the tea on the table.
"Here, let me help," Radhika offered and gently started to pull the white sheets off the couch folding them neatly off to the side.
"The heat should kick in soon." As soon as those words left Tommy Uncle's mouth the dull sputtering noises of the ac turning on the heat could be heard through the vents. "There aren't any biscuits I'm afraid." He pour two cups of chai and served the first cup to Radhika. "How long will you be staying or are you moving back?"
"For about a week and half," Arjun answered as he took the cup and saucer from his hands. "I've settled in Mumbai now...made Partner at an advertising company."
"That's great...made Partner already? Congratulations! I was happy for you when I heard you were going back to India. And it sounds like you have done well for yourself. Partner...and..." smiling at Radhika, "Pyaar. When was the wedding?"
"A few months back," Radhika replied.
"It must have been a grand occasion knowing how your sister is..."
"It was a simple intimate one," Arjun stated glancing over at Radhika. "We wanted it that way."
Tommy Uncle nodded his head and smiled like he accepted the answer. But he had seen the silent exchanges between the couple and deciphered that there was probably more to the story than they were willing to tell at the moment. "How is your sister?" he inquired attempting to move the conversation along. "It has been awhile since my last communication. She's doing well?" He saw the silent exchange but remain mum pretending once again that he had no idea that anything was possibly wrong.
"She's well," Radhika simply replied for Arjun.
"I was worried for her...actually...going back...there seem to be many unpleasant memories there for her." He paused and studied Arjun and Radhika's reactions before continuing, "But glad those worries were unfounded...you've got a steady career and a wife...all is in place...the only thing left is children." Arjun shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Radhika blushed a soft pink. Tommy Uncle smiled and then inquired, "So I trust that you will be living here while you are in town?"
"We haven't made that decision yet," Arjun said.
Tommy Uncle's eyes flexed in concern, "Oh...I see. As owners of this property I think you should know recently there have been a string of break ins."
"In this neighborhood?" Radhika gasped.
"Not yet. In a neighborhood two three blocks down from here," he answered. "I had planned on checking the house everyday and possibly spending the night in the back bedroom. But now that you're in town..."
"Maybe we should stay here," Radhika said looking at her husband. Arjun just took a sip of chai in response.
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Arjun stood near the doorway watching Radhika move the clothes in the suitcases into the closet and drawers of his old bedroom. He sighed remembering how she had convinced him to cancel their hotel booking for the rest of the trip and move back into his London home. She sighted many reasons such as saving money, having an actual home to come back to at the end of the day, and the concern over the string of burglaries. She was further convinced if Tommy Uncle had not been in touched with Nandini Di that she was not in London and there was little chance of them running into her.
He stepped into the room and took one of his pajama bottoms that was in a stack of clothes that had yet to be put away. Too consumed by his own thoughts and his foreboding feelings he started to change in the room. Radhika was still in the closet hanging up an arm full of clothes and was not aware of what was happening in the bedroom. She came back out and headed for a stack of night shirts that needed to be placed in the dresser drawer. Arjun was in his pajama pants now and he was still wearing his dress shirt but it was fully unbuttoned. As Radhika turned to go to the dresser Arjun came from the side and grabbed the top shirt from the stack she was carrying causing her to look up. Their eyes met and an inexplicable feeling passed through them. The temperature in the room seemed to have gone up despite the cold night air outside. Radhika's gaze naturally went down to see her husband's bare chest and then back up to his face. She could feel her cheeks growing red. Arjun had tossed his dress shirt to the side when he had reached for his t-shirt in Radhika's arms. He was standing frozen in place his hand still gripping his shirt, his muscular bicep softly touching his wife's soft skin, and his innocent gaze slowly turning into heated desire. Without a word Arjun moved his free hand and slipped it around her waist bringing her closer to him. His eyes where no longer staring into hers. They had lowered to her plush pink lips. Radhika's eyes instinctively closed in anticipation. Within seconds the clothes that had been in her arms fell softly to the wooden floor of the room scattering and covering their bare feet.
Arjun felt like he was drowning in the most uplifting way if that was even possible. His arms encircled her pulling her closer unwilling to spare any space between them. Radhika's hands had shakily touched his bare shoulders at first, timid to experience this new touch and sensation. She was both afraid and excited at this new level of intimacy they were engaging themselves in. They had kissed before but never when one was semi nude to the other. She heard him give a low possessive grunt as her hands slithered more comfortably from his shoulders up to the back of his neck. Her fingers curled themselves into his hair. The slow steady kissing was turning more passionate with each passing minute. She heard a soft moan escape from her own lips surprising herself. The knots in her stomach were churning wildly and she was steadily losing her senses. His hungry lips that had captivated her own were now trailing themselves down her neck. Feeling his haggard breath against her skin she clutched a tuff of his hair and pushed him further into her. She breathlessly called his name ready to take this to the next level. And then as suddenly as the fire had started it turned cold without warning. Her eyes opened to see Arjun picking up his t-shirt from the floor and putting it on. He bent back down and grabbed the rest of the clothing pausing briefly to glance her way before dumping the clothes on the bed. He mumbled something about water and then left the room leaving Radhika's mind and body in an extremely confused and frustrated state.
Arjun could still feel his body tingling as he walked down the stairs. He felt horrible leaving her like that. His mind had suddenly awoken him from the trance of desire he had been in and ordered him to step back. His guilty conscience was back and he was feeling like a heel. He knew he needed to come clean and talk to her about the letter but he just couldn't muster the courage to do so right now.
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To be continued below:
Bollywood
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
