Arhi FF: The Tempting Play. Chapter 2 on Pg. 16 - Page 9

As Khushi sits inside the small cafe, the storm outside increases its power more as gust of wind heavily knocks over the newspaper stand and the hot dog cart starts fleeing by its own self. She sips her chai while wondering what happened to the beautiful weather that lasted few minutes before she entered the cafe. Everything was going dark in her life, did the weather also had turn dark? As she sits there and observes everything going outside, she sees a black tinted Royal Royce stopped at the red light, with its signal flashing toward the cafe.

It was probably unusual to see an expensive car in Boston, Khushi guesses, since everybody stopped in the traffic and turned their heads and stared. However, Khushi was used to seeing many Royal Royce in her life. However, she wasn't used to seeing the Royal Royce being Arnav's car as he steps out of car and glares at the cafe just as a powerful lightening behind him struck.

Khushi drops her chai as she stares at him glaring at the cafe while talking to somebody on the phone. She quickly picks up her chai and clutches her sweater as she starts hyperventilating from knowing that those stormy eyes had something to do with her. From Khushi, those eyes from far away read nothing but massacre was about to occur. As she runs into the bathroom, she clutches the sink for support while trying to breathe normally but somehow pain shoots throughout her in the chest. Everything was going wrong for her, everything. She slowly looks up into the mirror as she sees her eyes swollen from the everyday crying of going to sleep. Her black long hair held together in a loose ponytail without its natural shine which she used to have, her neutral skin displaying dryness and slowly turning to pale and her big almond-shaped brown eyes filled with nothing but sadness. She washes her face as if the wrinkly lines will wash away along with the cold water.

She hoped she could stay here for all of her life, knowing that he wouldn't also leave but deep down she knew facing him was the only option she had. She slowly takes deep breaths to calm herself and prays silently to her Devi Maiya for strength and hopefully she could keep her mouth shut which could cause him to become more vicious. She picks up her chai and throws it in the trash can. She loved drinking chai but right now she wasn't in the mood to taste a sip of something warm, she only saw and felt everything so cold. She takes another deep breath as she exits the bathroom door and as the Devil sits in her prior seat and glares at her. He glares at her as he nods to the seat across from him. Khushi silently prays again for her safety as she takes the seat across from him.

"Didn't I say about no running away?" Arnav says with a low stony voice, directly sending shivers to Khushi's spine. "Did I or did I not say about no running away?" Khushi clutches her cardigan as she stares at the table instead of his eyes. She jumps slightly when he slams his fist on the table, "Answer me Dammit!"

Khushi closes her eyes to calm herself but quickly opens them up and glares at Arnav. "I think I didn't make myself clear. Usually you pride about yourself by saying you have an excellent memory but so far you seem to keep forgetting that we're separate. Let me say it one last time again, we're not in a relationship anymore, Arnav, we're separated."

Arnav leans forward as he grabs her hand and squeezes it hard as if suck all the blood out. "You think you're so smart but you're not. You're just a simple planner with no shit knowledge of life. And before you talk, at least think about what you're going to say because I have told you many times that we're not divorced and I will never sign those divorce papers. You can go to the court but they'll listen to me." Khushi shivers again as he gives one of his evil smirk signatures.

"Why do you need me? In law, we're married. You've got all the money you wanted. You're the strong and rich man in the field. So why do you need me, Arnav?" Khushi asks him, however what she really wanted to know was if he loved her like she still does. Was his chest tightened as if he couldn't breathe no more like her's was? Did he go to bed sleeping of her daily as she did?

Arnav glares at her again as takes his phone out to answer a call. He raises a finger to his lip to shush her from speaking, as if she was randomly going to speak. Khushi stares at him as he curses to the unfortunate on the other phone. She couldn't believe that this was the same man whom she met nine years ago at her cousin's graduation party. The same man who teased her and made her insane from his jokingly taunts. The same man who filled her heart with happiness and love as he loved her family and as her family loved him back as well. As she stared at him, she realized life had changed. He was bolder than before and he wasn't close to resembling like his father, who Khushi adored. Her father-in-law was the only one who she talked to every day. She couldn't be any more grateful to have a father-in-law like him who was full patience, sincere, and loved her as if she was his own daughter. She stares at Arnav as puts his phone down and stares at her as if trying to read her. Khushi instantly sits upright and shuts all of her emotions and memory so he wouldn't be able to read like he usually can. Even till now, she can't seem to understand how he can read her so much.

"You're coming with me." Arnav says as he keeps staring at me.

"I'm not signing the papers, if that's why you're taking me." Khushi replies back as she stares back at him while clutching her cardigan for support.

"What do you want? How much money?" Arnav whispers as he leans forward.

"You know me for nine years and we been married for eight months and you think I'm hungry for money like you? What a shame." Khushi says.

Arnav looks up and nods his head. "Well, have it your way." He takes out a paper from his pocket. "Here are the papers. I want them to return to me with a signature on each page."

"And if I don't sign?" Khushi asks.

"I know you'll sign it." Arnav says to her as he gets up and walks away. Khushi turns around and watches his go. Anyone including her would think Arnav Singh Raizada was a handsome gentleman, not a ferocious businessman who had a heart of a rock and only cared about money and nothing else. Khushi watched as the world played on his fingers. Every investor, businessman, and future stockbrokers.

()()(())()() ()()(())()() ()()(())()() ()()(())()()

Khushi stared at the blank plain wall as she keeps replaying today's day. She lingers her eyes over the beige papers sitting on the wood coffee table. She stares at them as they stare back at her, as if trying to hypnotize her to sign the papers. Khushi knew signing the papers did nothing, she was too nave to tell the world about how she was fooled. However, somehow she wanted to Arnav's theory to be failed. He knew she'll sign them but she wanted to give it a day. Though on the other side, she pictured him storming in with lightening striking behind him. However, something about him always made Khushi speak with such arrogance and anger. So if he could strike, then she was prepared to strike back.

She grabs the papers and signs them but makes full commitment to herself to not send them to him. She wanted to tell him that there is someone in this world who didn't follow his directions or who could play against him. He put her through so much, so much pain. She couldn't believe someone like him could play with her feelings, make love to her, and without even being in love. Khushi couldn't believe Arnav Singh Raizada could be so soulless. She always thought he was stubborn from the outside but soft in the inside, but little did she know he was slowly turning into rock from both sides.

Khushi walks around Central Park as she takes in the beautiful breezy hair and whistles through her hair as it flows up and down like cape. She hums softly has she celebrates her little celebration inside her head. A day has passes and today is almost ending, meaning it has been two days since she saw the Devil or sent him the contract papers. He was wrong for once and once again she defeated him. She smiles as kids jump up and down as they hold their parents hands for support. When she was a teen, she always hoped she could be young again and hold her parents soft fingers. However, now she always hopes for a child so she could hold their soft fingers as she protects them with her grace.

After a few minutes, Khushi walks out of her favorite restaurant, Pita Pit, as she carries her pita in one hand and her favorite mango smoothie in the other. At home, she was eating too much sugar. She always avoided going home because it only meant on thing, go to the kitchen and make jalebis.

As Khushi walks to her to her flat, the outside world slowly comes darker as the sun hides itself behind its cloudy curtains. She skips up the stony stairs as she smiles over her small victory. She waves as an elder couple come down the stairs as she goes up. She smilingly opens the door but halts as she sees a light on when she faithfully knew all lights were off before she left. As she walks to the family room, her hearts stops working. However, it fastly starts beating rapidly as if it was about to burst out of her chest. She knew she'll see him, but she didn't expect him to be sitting here in her family room when she didn't even invite him. And what scared her most was about how he got in her flat without her even letting him in.

()()(())()() ()()(())()() ()()(())()() ()()(())()()

There he sat, the Devil . Panic arose inside

Khushi as the Devil's eyes fuming with fire as he sat there glaring at her. She suddenly remembered about how when they were living together and she came home late and found him sitting there just like was right now currently. She remembered that she went to ladies Sangeet that day and when she got home she heard a two hour lecture over how she should never leave without his permission. Khushi stiffened at the thought maybe she would have to listen to the same lecture but as she looked into the Devil eyes, she saw a different kind of anger. Anger she never saw before.

"Where were you?" Arnav in a low steel voice, sending chills to her spine. Khushi shivers as he gets up. "I asked where you were."

"If you came here to get the contract papers, then there right here." Khushi says as she makes her way to the coffee table.

" Do you hear me asking about the papers?" Arnav says as he walks behind Khushi, as Khushi bends down to take the papers while silently praying that he'll afterwards.

"I just went for a walk and grabbed something to eat. Is that a problem? Am I not allowed to go anywhere now? You got this house watched too?" Khushi says as she throws the signed contract papers at him. Khushi glares at him while shocked at how the words come out of her mouth when she's always with him.

"I've been sitting for two hours." Arnav says as he steps forward again as Khushi steps back, numbed by how near he was.

"So sad, should I kiss you for waiting for me?" Khushi says as she steps back again.

"I would like that, actually." Arnav says as he steps forward, making Khushi fall on the sofa. He smirks as Khushi looks both ways, trying to figure out a way to disappear. Khushi gulps loudly as Arnav bends down. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Khushi gulps loudly as she smells his aftershave which she was used to smelling but always came aroused from. "Ttt-oo-mmorrow?"

"Isn't tomorrow your niece's birthday?" Arnav says as he raises one his eyebrows. Khushi knew he was questioning her of how can she forget her nieces birthday.

"Since when did you care when it's somebody's birthday?" Khushi asks him with one raised eyebrow this time.

"Since when did you care if I care about somebody's birthday?" Arnav asks with warm eyes and no signs showing that he's the Devil.

"Since when did-uh-you-uh-"Khushi flusters at completing the sentence as Arnav laughs. Khushi stops flustering and stares at the Devil, wondering if finally the Arnav Singh Raizada she knew was back. As if reading her thoughts, Arnav guards himself with the stern face he always kept.

"Next time I don't want you playing around with me, when I say I need something, you get it for me. Understood?" Arnav asks as he picks up his coat and makes his way toward the front door. "You know me. And foolish play with me, means you're dead."

Khushi nods her head as she walks with him to the door. She suddenly remembers the day when she was the one walking out of the door while crying loudly. It was just like a day today. Sunny but raining. She remembered how her father-in-law tried to stop her and her brother-in-law, Akash, kept saying sorry. And she remembered how Arnav didn't come, just like today; he was sitting in her California house after a week of purchasing it. She remembered how violent he was and the new anger she never saw was released. She had signed the contract papers thinking he would stop following her but now she was having this unusual feeling that he wasn't going to set her free. She already had booked her flight back to her town tomorrow, where she now stayed. She'll just wish her niece happy birthday in the morning and run before he wakes up and finds her.