ARHI FF-THE MIRAGE -Thread 3 Chap-37,p 146 - Page 3

What?" Arnav caught Deepu's collar and shook him!

"When you can't listen to the answers... you should not be asking away questions my friend!!" Deepthiman freed himselves from Arnav!

"But... But..." Arnav did not understand!!!

"Yeah The girl I spoke to daily missing even our weekly tennis challenges was Khushi!" Deepthimaan said.

"But you were with Amy!" Arnav blurted out!

"Amanda? Yeah I thought I was being very childish about Khushi... and my obsession with her and that I should grow up and she was available... my landlord's daughter! It was just an illusion or what do they say A summer romance!! It was and is always Khushi for me ... you know?!

"Then why did you not...!!! Damnit!!! She never even cared to tell me!!!" Arnav swore!!

"Oh No! No! Arnie she never told you coz she never knew that I loved her! And her? I dunno now! I thought she loved me... she does I know... but may be not the way I wanted her to... "his voice trailed!

"Why did you not tell her!" Arnav demanded.

"I tried to... But could not!!!" Leave it some other time!

"What about you? Are you still carrying your heart up your sleeve or have you thrust it on her?" Deepthimaan smirked at the usage of his own words as he knew Arnav too well! He would only thrust his heart or clinch the other's never seed or receive!!!

"She is my wife Deepu!" Arnav said frmly!

"So? Thats it? "Deepthiman countered!

"Yeah! Thats it and more!" Arnav said.

"What?" Deepthimaan was curious!

"I forced her to marry me damnmit!!! And I took an oath that if she came clean I shall always take care of her!" Arnav said... this much was true but he felt a jibe when he said that!!!

"Oh!!! Duty!!! Or is it Salvaging your vanity?" Deepthimaan taunted!

"I don't care what you think! She is my wife and I shall do whatever is in my capacity to keep her happy and at peace!" Is that it? He thought! Why did it not ring well with him! Yes She is a Raizada now and that naturally made him responsible for her! But is it only responsibility? Why did he feel so very empty the moment she said she would leave him? Arnav thought!

"Are we missing something here my friend?"Deepthimaan enquired smiling slightly!

"Missing?" Arnav countered. Yeah A heart beat somewhere! An ankle without an anklet on it on a lady's leg... A dainty waist band that now is in his locker securely put!!! An anticipation that builds everytime when she walks anywhere near!!! A voice that always alerts him or simply the presence that makes him feel a certain excitement in the air!!!!Arnav Just shook his head and said," I miss nothing! Nothing at all!!"

"Oh Yeah? I feel you do! Love!!!!" Deepthimaan said smugly!

Is that Love? But love brought destruction! He felt differently with Khushi but he would never term it love! Some other thing but love! No his father has proved to them practically, the repurcussions of the peril called love!

"Its for people like you Deepu! Arnav Singh Raizada is beyond such emotions! I cannot love anyone and thats it! I have married her under duress but I would not shirk off my responsibility! For life I shall take care of her!"

"Oh! And what will you tell her? Do you think Khushi would settle for anything less"Deepthimaan questioned him squarely!

Arnav was now itrritated... And he did not want to even think as everytime he did these days he felt as if he was being pulled by an invisible force into a whirlpool of unknown emotion!!!

"Does it matter! Women need to be told many things to get convinced! I know you have been around a lot to understand that!" Arnav taunted Deepu back and said"... I won't say much! I believe in action! I will ensure that she would live and live contended at that as a most cherished wife!Mrs. Arnav singh Raizada will not want for anything ... he just imagined a happy Khushi and added... ever!!!"

"...And how will you achieve that without loving her or telling her that you love her!"

"Oh I will tell her if that comes to it! Women are suckers for such drama! Thats not a problem as long as... "there was a noise at the door and Deepthimaan and Arnav turned just in time to see Khushi exiting from the doorway and they both stood shocked for a moment!!!

"Khushi! For god's sake say something any thing!" Arnav said driving!Its been twenty minutes from deepu's place and she did not utter a single word!

Khushi just stared out of the window!!!what did she think!That Arnav singh Raizada will make a love confession!Get a life Khushi he is just feeling guilty plus you saved his life!!!But why was she unhappy! She wanted out isn't it? It would be easy for her to distance herself now but why did she feel very odd ... a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach!!!

Why did her eyes sting? Maa sa had asked her to call them for tea and as she went up she heard Arnav saying..."She is my wife Deepu!" And.. the next five minutes she stood there listening and a cold numbness swept over her!

She just went down and sat in the car! Arnav came immediately and asked her so many times to talk to him! She refused! There was neither a need nor a reason to! They were on their way back!

The car suddenly screeched to a halt! Arnav got down and opened her door and pulled her out!

Khushi was shocked as she did not expect that!

He shook her saying" What happened Damnit!"

She just looked at him as if she is looking at him for the first time! Infact she was! Her husband was a stranger to her! One minute he was drowning her in his honeyed endearments, the next he would term her as a responsibility!

"Don't you dare look at me like that! Will you say something Arnav was yelling at her now!"

Khushi's head spun and she went blank and then blacked out!!!

"Kuch khaya usney Nani? Arnav asked Nani! She shook her head saying! Bitiya kuch bhi khaaney se manaa kar rahi hai!"

( Did she eat anything gran?

She is refusing to eat!)

"My usey khilaunga... He got up!

( I shall feed her!)

But Anjali held his hand! "Chotey kya hua hum nahi poochengey per Khushiji bahuth naazuk haalath mein hain! You need to take care of her! Please unhey samjhao magar pyar sey!"

( We won't ask what happened! But please understand she is in a very fragile condition!... You try to reason it out but patiently!!!)

"Meri baath bhi taaldi usney! Mujhey lagtha hai usey amma aur babuji key paas bhejna chahiye thodey dinon ke liye!" Payal lamented wringing her hands nervously!

( she said 'no' to me! I suggest she should be sent to Amma and babuji for some time)

"Hello hai Bye bye ab woh Mrs. Arnav Singh Raizada hai! Tho ! Coolyaneko bahut mehnath kareka padi aur woh bhi unke pathi ko!" Mamiji poked Arnav!

( She is Mrs. Raizada now! She needs to be dealt with at a very high level to cool it!)

Manorama! Nani chided her as Arnav got up took the plate and walked up the stairs into his room!

Khushi was sitting by the pool on the edge and Arnav felt apprehensive! It was his fault! She heard what he told Deepu! And now he did not know how to mend everything! Absolutely no clue!

"Khushi!" He said and saw her straighten as if he was a stranger... his temper rose!

He put the plate on the table with a bang and crossed over to her and shook her saying," How can you act as if... as if I am a stranger!"

Khushi smiled and said,"hum donon Ajnabi hi tho hain!"

( What are we but strangers)

"What?" Arnav hissed!

"Yeah! You do your duty Arnavji I shall do mine! Don't worry! I am happy with this arrangement! I am your duty and you are my liability!!!"She said!

Arnav did not expect that of all the things. Something hurt inside when she said that! It was as if... as if he did not exist at all!!!

If it was so... then why did he feel bad... he said he was doing his duty isn't it? Then its good if she also was level headed! No entanglements! But it hurt like hell! He thought about Khushi her moods !!! The doctor warned and any woman after what she had heard him say would not be in a position to take it!

For now he did not want to trouble her more! Let her calm down and he will then try to mend it! He asked her," why didn't you eat?"

"I shall when I feel like!" she said!

"But you need to take your medication! Please have food!" He said!

"I will if you accept something!" Khushi said making up her mind!

Arnav stiffened and said," now what's this! khushi if you are planning some trick then I am warning you! This is it!!"

"You are leaving tomorrow for US?" She enquired ignoring him!

"Yes" he said and added "...for 10 days! May be two weeks if the work gets dragged!"

"Then I want to go back to Sheesh Mahal!" Khushi's words somehow sounded ominous to Arnav!

"Nope! Anything else?"he asked!

"Arnavji aap..." She wanted to argue but he cut her!!!

"No! Your security is better here and I have an access to you !You are my wife and you'll stay in my home under my roof!!!" He said in a rush and looked at her stunned expression!

"Humey amma babuji key paas rehna hai!" She said!

"Why now? You never said that before!Call them here then!!! Khushi I know you listened to my conversation with Deepu and let me tell you... I never lied to you! I told you! On the very first day that I cannot give love! Coz I don't believe in it! But I am sure that we shall make a great couple as we are... he searched for a suitable word and said... We are compatible!!!"

Khushi said "per Arnavji..."

He hauled her in his arms and said"... you will never get a chance to complain with me! Let me take care of you and I promise you... you will be my top priority apart from my DI!" Khushi felt as if he was reading out an agenda!

"Per..." she tried to reason but he wouldnt let her!

"I have begun to like you and your temperament and believe me we have excellent chemistry! what more do you need? Kids? I am fine with anything! But I want us to try this arrangement! There he said that!" Khushi just stared at him!

She remembered what the press said," Arnav Singh Raizada... The only living relative of one of the most powerful individual in the present day politics... The Rani of Ranpur!!!! Relative was alive but the relationship was dead before it even began!

Khushi you have no choice Arnav was running out of time! He had to pack too... He said," please wait till I come back! Once I am back I will sort everything! He mentally made a note to sort his feelings too! May be the ten odd days will help him in doing that he thought sincerely!

And as a parting shot he said," else I promise you I will destroy everything and everyone who will come in my way! I have learnt only one thing in my life... There are two states of human existence pleasure and pain! And I know to play on one to gain in on the other!

Khushi did not have a choice! She ate her dinner and went to sleep promptly and did not get up when Arnav took an early flight the following morning!

Arnav Singh Raizada felt the balmy air as he stepped on to the tarmac at the airport... it reminded him of home! And home reminded him of Khushi! His stay had extended from two to three weeks and he finished all he had to so that he could go on a long break as it almost 10 weeks from The darshi! Nearly three months! His feelings were still muddled but one thing was very clear that he missed his wife! He did not want to attribute a reason for it as he knew human emotions surpassed all reason!

Aman met him at the airport and after the pleasantries he asked Aman!" All well?"

Aman looked a little off beat to him when he said... "yes sir! I presume!"

"Khushi?" Arnav did not like Aman darting his eyes! That meant trouble!

"Sir she is fine!"

Arnav breathed normally! Thankgod! "Secutity at Shantivan- Jiju is dealing with it so..."

"Sir Ma'am has left for SheeshMahal!"Aman said and Arnav just stopped midway making other passengers to bump into him!

"What?" How dared she!!! ARnav fumed!

"Yes sir!"

"Khushi Kumari JethwaRaizada you better have a good reason!" Arnav thought as his fists clenched in anger!

"Sir Anjaliji and Jha sir met with an accident... nothing serious sir but after that Rani sa left for SheeshMahal!" Aman blurted out!

"What? Di aur Jeeju? " Arnav was beyond himself!!!!

THE MIRAGE CONTINUES AS...

THE PURSUIT BEGINS... Shortly after ...

Next... Prologue...THE PURSUIT

[Hi I can't and don't want to write an Epilogue for THE MIRAGE! Sorry... It will continue as THE PURSUIT... and next update will be of the prologue for THE PURSUIT!Enjoyed writing all the 32 chapters! Thank you so much! Will let you know about the blog in my next update...Please don't panic as its not ready yet.. In a bad shape so bear with me...ANUKAT]