A gypsy's fantasy //Arsh/EPILOGUE PAGE 60/ 18/9/14 ;D - Page 9

Chapter 2:

"No no not like this. Like this. Follow me. Pout your lips." She made a pouty face, holding his lips and turning them. "Like this, turn them more," her fingers pressed against his lips curling them, while she stared at them peculiar fascination and concentration. "I will teach you how to whistle; no really it's very easy." Armaan stared at her fascinated with the closeness of her body, the touch of her, the soft voice that rendered him speechless.

His hands slowly extended to her mask to peel it off her face when she held his hand giggling, "Heyy that's cheating. It's not allowed." She turned around and took down another vodka shot. Armaan grinned at her. "That's like your 8^th shot." The girl returned his grin, "See? I am so strong. Nothing at all." She swayed a little falling into his arms.

"But I want to see you." He whispered into her ear huskily.

"Why dear love, what's in face? What if I don't look good? You'll run away?" she giggled trying to balance herself while his arms remain locked around her.

"Never."

Armaan woke up sweating. His hands cradled his head which was aching immensely. He knew it was flicker of the night. He kept having the flashes in no certain recurring pattern; however they were always so blurry that he always woke up sweating trying to read through them.

He looked at the wall clock and cursed. He had taken a nap for just an hour, but ended up sleeping two. He had been working continuously for two days without a break.

"Mr. Malik," Armaan seated himself at the starting of table, offering his greetings to his family members and Muskaan and Mrs. Malhotra.

"Where is Shilpa?" Armaan's head lifted to stare at his sister who questioned Muskaan.

"Oh I don't know. She must be sleeping."

Armaan let out a displeased grunt. "Nobody sleeps this late here."

"I am so sorry Mr. Malik, my sister is unaware. I will tell her."

"Make sure you do." Armaan stated sternly.

"God's mercy!" Everyone stood up seeing the maid screaming and running around the house.

"What is wrong?" Armaan said looking at her darkly, quieting her up.

"Sir sir there is a there is a," she looked the other way, and her bellowing begun again as she ran towards the other direction blindly.

"What the hell?" Armaan muttered under his breath.

"OMG!" Armaan's mother was the next to scream , jumping with her saaree and getting over the chair.

"Armaan get, get rid of this!" She exclaimed horrified.

"OF WHAT?" He lost his temper.

"this this RAT!"

"Rat?"

"ARMAAN GET RID OF THIS! HOW DID A RAT COME INTO OUR HOUSE?"

"Mother, that is not possible, there cannot be a-"

His mother clipped him, "COME HERE AND SEE!"

Armaan went towards his mother's seat to see a rat a big fat rat circling around. He cursed and moved forward to pick it up, everyone else at the farthest end of room, whilst Muskaan stared troubled glancing at her mom and the rat.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Heads turned as Shilpa came inside the room in her vest and breeches. She hurried across the room taking the little rat in her hands and petting it. "This is TOTTY! YOU MIGHT HAVE HURT HIM YOU FOOL!" she caressed the rat's back.

Armaan stared startled, his gaze bouncing back and forth between her and the rat.

"This rat is-" he tried speaking.

"MY RAT! HE IS TOTTY!" Shilpa clipped him.

"Let me get this straight. This rat is your friggin pet and you bought it here?" He questioned furiously.

"Ofcourse I brought him with me. Where else would totty have gone? He cannot live without me and he is so small. Who would have taken care of him?" Shilpa met his irritated gaze.

Armaan gritted his fists, counting back to ten. "A rat?"

"What do you want to say? Rats don't have feelings? Totty is a really good rat and totty does not bite if you are scared of that." Shilpa retorted.

"I WANT THIS RAT OUT OF MY HOUSE THIS FRIGGIN MINUTE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND MISS MALHOTRA?" He lost his temper.

"What did you say?" Shilpa stared at him as if he had something ridiculously impossible.

"Muskaan," Armaan started when Muskaan ran to him hastily. She continued afraid of his wrath, "He -he is totally harmless I promise. Totty is with Shilpu since two years and he does not even bite I promise. Please let them both stay, where would totty go?"

Armaan stared at the both sisters, as if he had been sent to outerspace.

"Armaan, THIS RAT CANNOT LIVE HERE!" His mother stared at him with her wide eyes filled with loathsome disgust.

"HE HAS A NAME. IT IS TOTTY." Shilpa retorted, making Armaan smile. He'd do anything to displease his mother he thought.

"Very well. You can keep whatever this toyty is."

"TOTTY NOT TOYTY." SHilpa snapped back offended, making his grin wider. She stared at his face awe-stricken, noticing he had dimples faintly. The tense creases disappeared from his face when he smiled leaving behind a young boyish look that could have melt anyone's heart. She shook her head turning towards the other direction. She was definitely going mad.

Shilpa walked in the garden noticing Armaan on a phone with his manager. She stopped hesitating to interrupt but then carried on until she stopped in front of him taking the seat opposite. He cut his call soon and stared at her questioningly.

"Do you ever sleep?"

"Excuse me?" he took the file on the table and started studying it carefully.

"I mean when do you sleep?"

"When every other normal human being does Miss. Malhotra." He answered uninterestedly reading the file.

"I am damn sure you are not any other normal human being. You hardly ever sleep. There are dark strain lines under your eyes, and you are always in a reprehensible mood and you barely laugh."

Armaan stopped reading the file, not lowering it so she could not notice his face. Not even his family for once had told him he had dark lines under his face, that he should take rest, that he should take care of himself. He'd longed for his mother's sweet maternal caresses whilst he slept in her lap, her sweet kisses, her advices, her scolding when he was harming himself but nothing came, ever. And then he'd stopped expecting. It had made his life so much easier. The only person who cared about him was his sister, who came to their house rarely because she was married.

"Why Miss Malhotra, noticing your enemy quite too much, aren't you?" he lowered the file and his black eyes shot straightly to her.

"I like knowing my enemies, especially their strengths and weaknesses." She settled back shifting in the seat more comfortably.

"And what would you noticing how many hours do I sleep benefit you with?"

"Every piece of information has its benefits Mr. Malik, more like how it can be utilized."

"And how do you wish to contemplate this one? If your question is referring to my sexual innuendos I assure you, I don't count sleeping and them as one." He remarked casually.

"You are not talking about my sister, are you?" Suddenly her face went dark.

"Think what you like."

"If you are talking about my sister, I assure you I will not hesitate in killing you, and if not, then I hope you are not fornicating on her back. That is a proof further enough to provide me the confirmation of the fact that you are not good enough for her." She stated callously.

I give a damn about your sister; it's you who I seem to want so badly. He wanted to retort but bit his tongue frustrated.

"Miss Malhotra, just so you know something. I give two hoots about what you think of me. Think of me as the very devil if you want, I do not care. I am going to marry your sister nonetheless because at least she is mannered and sweet enough to get a man to marry her unlike you who is a total riot and belongs in the wild forests with cannibals and civilization itself is a criticism for you."

"You f**king son of a bitch." She gritted her teeth when he looked back into her eyes challengingly.

"What did you say?"

"I said you are a motherf**ker son of a bitch. And mind you Mr. Malik you are such a f**king arrogant, aristocrat idiot. I will stop at nothing to stop this wedding. I never lose."

"Neither do I." he replied at her back.

Shilpa stomped off into the forests nearby angry. Why did she care what he said? However for some reasons his comments had pricked her heart. She knew she was not the wedding material. No gentleman in his right mind wanted to marry her; they called her "impractical and childish" and hated her animals. Abhimanyu Modhi was marrying her dowry. He chided her for her mannerism and lifestyle constantly. He ran Shilpa like a robot on his given orders. She was not even allowed to bring any of her animals to his house after their wedding. She hated every bit of her future life and she hated her father for implementing it on her. Armaan's words came back plunging her into deep fury. Who did he think he was? Why did his words have such a vast effect on her?

"Armaan," Muskaan came to his study.

"Muskaan?" Armaan turned around questioningly. It was never Muskaan who sought his company. She never did it on her own. At times her mother forced her to or at times he himself had to sought hers in the sake of courtesy.

"Shilpa has been missing for hours." She informed tensed.

"What?" Armaan asked startled.

"She has been missing for hours. It's not in her to be like this. Her cellphone is switched off and she did not inform anyone where she is going. This city is like a stranger to her and she does not even know anyone here to go, even if she would have she would have definitely informed me. Please find her."

Armaan kept his face blank but his heart almost stopped inside. He felt a violent hit of worry as he sat there trying to maintain his cool. What if something happened to her?

"Muskaan don't worry. I am going to find her." He got off his seat and left the room in blink of an eye. He rushed outside telling the servants to search every nearby place as he himself went to search her.

"Shilpa," Armaan got into the forest searching every place possible. "The moment I find you I am going to give you the spanking of your life, damn you." He pulled off his shirt when it got stuck over a sharp tree branch tying it around.

"Shilpa," he shouted, fear eating him up. He did not even know why he was worrying about her like mad people but he was fear stricken to the last point. His heart was going dark with immense tension every moment he was away from her. Was she hurt? He was here perfect, with every single moment passing where she might be in pain, in some illness, waiting and shouting. He could not gulp down the thought, he could not bear it.

"Shil- he stopped at her voice.

"MR. MALIK!"

He looked around drawing close to the source.

"Here here, look up!"

Armaan stared up at a tree looking carefully when he spotted her. She was over a branch at the farthest end of the tree hovering with her legs at both sides.

He stared at her as an intense wave of overwhelming relief washed over him.

"Shilpa are you fine? Are you hurt?"

"NO I AM NOT HURT. CAN YOU NOT SEE FOR YOURSELF YOU FOOL?" she could never stop being a bitch he thought. And with the realization came fury.

"Miss Malhotra let me assure you, as literal I was in saying you belong in a forest, before heeding to my advice maybe you should have informed your family since they are sick with worry and are trying to search you like madmen. Do you have any sense of responsibility?" he berated her sternly.

"Ignoring you let's get on your first question. I AM NOT FINE! HELP ME."

"What?"

"H-Help me." She screamed back.

"Excuse me?"

"Mr. MALIK YOU HAVE A FRIGGIN SERIOUS PROBLEM OF ANNOYING PEOPLE WITH YOUR EXCUSE MES! ARE YOU THIS IDIOT BY BIRTH OR YOUR MOTHER DROVE YOU MAD? WHATEVER THE REASON IS YOU ARE SO ANNOYING! THE NEXT TIME YOU SAY THAT AND SPOIL AN AMAZING INTENTIONALLY INTENSE COWERING COMMENT I WILL BREAK THE STRONGEST AND TOUGHEST OBJECT NEAR ON YOUR HEAD YOU FRIGGIN IDIOT!" Armaan could not help but bite his inner cheek to stop a smile from embracing.

"What are you doing up there Miss. Malhotra? Waiting for your cannibal siblings?"

"No spying on you. Since the tree is so enormous and long, I can easily see your room and what are you doing and who are you meeting. I HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCES NOW TO THROW YOU OUT OF MY SISTER'S LIFE!"

"Why Miss. Malhotra quite smart you are. Will you do the honor of coming down now?"

"IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME DOWN MYSELF I WOULD HAVE DONE THAT AGES AGO! I AM SITTING ON THIS TREE SINCE LAST FOUR HOURS. MY FREAKING CELLPHONE IS DEAD AND IM SITTING HERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME AND HELP ME!"

Armaan took a breath, then another, then another and then he burst out laughing not able to control himself.

"you-you" he tried speaking amidst his erupting giggles and then he laughed even harder.

She stared at his laughing form for a moment, all fury vanishing. She was mesmerized. He was beautiful she thought. His eyes gleamed when he laughed. Why did he not laugh often? His laughter was an aphrodisiac. She snapped out of her reverie and glared at him. "What is so funny about one's misery?" she demanded furiously.

"Nothing at all." He quieted up, with a few giggles escaping with a gap of seconds.

"HELP ME!" she exclaimed.

"Wait there."

He came down the tree staring up his eyes glinting implacably.

"WHAT? I am sorry if you came exactly down to see beneath my skirt I don't wear skirts you friggin pervert. HELP ME."

"I am trying Miss. Malhotra. Try jumping I will catch you."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"No."

"I AM NOT JUMPING. DO SOMETHING."

"What do you want me to do? How did you get up in the first place? And why can't you come down if you could so easily go up?"

"I-I am scared of heights," she hesitated before confessing to him.

"Then?"

"There was a hummingbird here. I was staring at her, she was so beautiful. But she was stuck between two complicated tree branches here somehow. She could not fly off because of them. She was endeavoring so hard but the branches seemed stuck. So I didn't think before climbing up to help her. But then when I was trying to come down the branch I used to climb up snapped and broke falling down. And I I can't jump from here. And my little baby humming bird's feather is gone stuck with the branch. We need to take her home and see to her. I cannot leave her here alone. She will have to go with us. Who will take care of her?"

For a moment Armaan stared at her lost. She was beautiful he thought. The way she looked down at the bird petting it so softly as if not wanting to hurt it, the misery on her face and the way she was pouting her lips, speaking like an innocent child. His heart gushed with awe at the gesture she displayed, so scared yet not caring for a moment before rushing to help an animal in pain. She was an unreal mystical beauty he thought. He wanted to keep her forever.

"Come on Shilpa," his voice softened considerably, "I won't let you fall."

"N-No. I can't jump. I-I am scared. Please help." He felt all her defenses down. She was talking to him like a child who needed protecting and comforting, a child who trusted him and the realization seemed to hit him hard.

"I'll come and get you both." He started for the tree climbing up easily and then reaching near her. He placed his feet on two branches easily balancing himself and then raised his hands to her.

"Come." He looked at her softly.

"I-" Shilpa hesitated staring at him uncertainly.

"Trust me Shilpa. Give me your hand, I will never let it go." The words were spoken with such an intense sincerity she felt locked into them extending her hand to him. He smiled reassuring her and softly, slowly with complete care pulled her to him. His hands extended clipping around her waist as he crushed her against his body. She shifted the humming bird in her hand, bringing her hands between them and holding it securely in her hands. Making sure the bird was okay she stared up at him and her breath was knocked out of her lungs. They were so close, so close. She could feel his heart beating against her fingers. His breaths floated against her lips leaving cold traces. Her fingers moved uneasily against his vest, her eyes diverting to the bulging strength of his strong shoulders.

He didn't move. He was frozen at the spot staring at her with a strong fascination. His face drew close, his eyes moving down to the curve of her lips then returning back to lock with hers. His lips brushed against her ear, staying there for a moment, "Trust me Shilpa."

"I do trust you." She felt as if his life depended on the answer. He let out a sigh holding her tighter.

"Ermm Mr. Malik you will crush nano." She pointed out.

"Nano?" he moved back.

"Nano." She pointed down at the bird with her eyes.

He grinned, "you named her?"

"Of course. How can someone be nameless? What if you had no name? How would have people addressed you? Who do you think you yourself would have been?"

Armaan grinned again, holding her carefully moving down when suddenly she clutched him tightly her fingers around Nano enmeshing into his vest.

He moved down carefully, taking his time not because he could not get down in a moment, just so she does not go frightened.

His feet reached the ground but Shilpa seemed oblivious with her eyes closed. He did not inform her, staring at her holding her close for extended moments not wanting to let go.

He had no idea why he felt so for her. She affected him in every way possible. Her wellbeing mattered more than his own to him. He had been so fear stricken imagining all the worst possibilities that might have had occurred to her, drowning in dreading misery with each moment he had not been able to find her and then the relief that had hit him finding her had been boundless gulping him in it. Everything about her affected him, annoyed him, overwhelmed him. He let his hands drop from around her feeling his body responding to her very presence.

She opened her eyes blinking then looking around and let out her breaths in a puddle smiling finally.

"I never thought I am going to say this to you but thankyou. Now I am indebted to you. Though I seem to utterly dislike the latter." She let out a charming smile, her gaze moving down to the small bird encased safely in her hands.

"I am at complete odds with you Miss. Malhotra. I quite like the latter and the former. Maybe now you know I am not the loathsome creature you pictured me as." He dusted off the mud from his jeans moving back.

"If you think rescuing me would make me give my approval for you and my sisters don't even think of it. And the statement you gave before of your sexual-

"I didn't sleep with your sister." He clipped her.

"And others?"

"Why does that matter to you so much?"

"Why won't it? You cannot be fornicating while you are engaged to my sister."

"I seem to have no interest in your sister or anyone else."

"That is not possible."

"Excuse me?"

"STOP WITH YOUR EXCUSE MES!"

"Refer back to your statement."

"Well my sister is beautiful. Very, very beautiful, beyond anything. She is so sweet and beautiful and lovely. There is no way you wouldn't want her. I know all about men. I know what do they think when they look at her. I have always protected her against my mother's better judgment and let me tell you if you make any advances-

He clipped her again annoyed, "I have no intentions to make advances on your sister Miss. Malhotra. I do not want your sister. She is beautiful. Any man would be a fool to think otherwise but I have never looked at her with anything else than respect."

"That cannot be true you-

"Tell me Shilpa, do you think the same of every man about you too?"

"Why would I?"

"Because if you think so about your sister you might think the same about yourself."

"How can I? Me and my sister are very different. She she is very beautiful and every man's dream. She is everything men desire in women and she is so sweet and soft and all her life men have run after her and-

"What about you?"

"What about me?" she hesitated.

"I am pretty sure men would have wooed you all the same."

Shilpa's face went blank. It was true men showed an interest in her only until they saw the real her. She was unlike most of the girls. She loved spending time reading veterinarian manuals and novels. She loved talking about animals, talking about politics, law, literature figures. All men seemed to leave her when they reffered to as "crazy" the way she was so attached to her animals, different kinds of animals and mostly she seemed to dress as men than women, she hardly knew a thing about womens' way of pursuing, acting. She had no idea how to charm a man either. There was a time when she had stopped dallying around. And then soon enough she'd been married to a stranger. She snapped out of her thoughts not wanting to show Armaan the traces of aching rejections on her face. Even her fianc hated her "childish disgusting habits" as he called them.

"That is none of your business." She snapped bitterly turning around when he held her wrist.

"Answer me." He spoke softly.

"Men want women like Muskaan and not me."

"That is not true."

"That is the truth Mr. Malik. I am not a woman who can make a girlfriend or a wife. I I am different. Men tend to come near me because of my looks and then, then they drift away disgusted with the way I live my life. They want flowers. Compassionate, soft, beautiful women who can take care of their houses, who can be presented as the perfect sophisticated respectable women to society. No man would want to be with a woman like me who probably is sop reckless and inhabits so many animals. Like you they think I belong in stables and forests." She pulled her wrist away and started walking but he pulled it back again drawing her closer.

"You are beautiful."

"Thankyou." She snapped back acidly.

"From your heart."

His voice was a soft caressing whisper.

"Do not pity me."

"Shilpa I-

"I will not let you make advances on my sister. I have always protected her and I am going to do so all my life. Don't try denying you find her desirable."

"I don't find desirable."

"That is not po-

He clipped her, his hold went firm on her and he whispered huskily, "I find you desirable." She went still looking up into his huge black eyes.

"Are you trying to make fun of me?" he took the bird from her hands placing it on the nearby rock as he drew her close, his arms closing around her waist. "Do you think this is joking?" and his mouth closed over hers.

He drew her close. She went still. His hands moved up her back drawing her even closer slowly. He pulled his mouth back whispering, "Open your mouth."

She followed dazedly. He pressed a hand to the small of her back, molding her against him until she shivered and made an inarticulate sound. He waited for her to move next. Gently her hands came up to his head, her fingers winding in his hair. He needed only the slightest urging of her touch and his mouth moved over hers. Pleasure swept through him, flooding his nerves and senses. She was delicious, the curves of her breasts plumping delicately on the wall of his chest, her hips soft and neat as they fit against his. The smooth river of her hair flowed over his arms and hands, and he broke the kiss to clench a fistful of the shining locks and rub them against his cheek.

Shilpa took in painful amount of oxygen. Armaan held her against him. The tension between them went achingly palpable. "Take in a breath. Whenever you kiss you draw a breath, you take it in different ways while kissing-

His words faded as a strong reminiscence hit her.

"Kiss me," she heard his huksy whisper, he pulled her closer as he continued softly, "I wanted your lips on me since the moment I saw you, take me out of my problem Shilpa, and kiss me." His fingers traced the curve of her jaw. She giggled drawing closer, "But I don't know how to kiss." She confessed sheepishly. He smiled at her pulling her closer. "Have you ever been kissed?" he asked softly.

"Ermm no." she giggled.

"I'll teach you. Open your mouth." She obeyed immediately and felt his tongue sweeping in. he tasted like vodka and chocolate and strong. She opened her mouth wider taking him in as he angled his mouth against her. His lips traced the outer curve of her lips taking their time, nibbling softly and then he pushed his tongue inside her mouth. He drew back sensing her withdrawal. She took in a deep breath and he smiled. "Take in a breath. Whenever you kiss you draw in a breath in some way. Before you start kissing you draw in a breath. You draw a breath through your nose when you are kissing or take one changing the angles of the mouth, then you let out one quickly when you let go, like this. Take a deep breath." And when she let out his mouth closed over hers again.

"Take in a breath now." Shilpa obliged dazedly tearing between the flashback and present and then his mouth closed over hers. His mouth moved slowly over hers, taking its time, reading her, exploring her painfully slowly. He teased her reaching around the corners of her mouth licking through and pulled back; "Take a breath now" and then he put his mouth back to hers.

"You are so beautiful, I can kiss you every day, all the time."

"You cannot kiss someone all the time stupid," she giggled as he drew her back.

"I can. I can kiss you my entire life and never tire of you. You are so sweet; your mouth is so sweet."

"You are so beautiful Shilpa, I can kiss you every day, every single moment." He kissed her again pulling back. His mouth whispering over hers, "I can kiss you my entire life and never tire of it. You are so sweet God, I want you so much."

His hand moved up and closed around her nape and his kiss turned blatantly sexual. She was never kissed like this, it was a kiss that called to her senses and she could not resist. Her hands moved deeper into his hair, caressing him. Her touch drove him back as he drew back and whispered over her lips, "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I want you so much I-

"I have never wanted anyone this much. I cannot deny what I am feeling for you, I never never felt this good ever in my life."

"Oh God" he drew her back.

"Je veux embrasser chaque centimtre carr de votre corps." (I want to kiss every inch of your body)He said and she closed her arms around him. Her fingers moving up to pull down the mask.

"Je veux embrasser chaque centimtre carr de votre corps." Armaan said huskily breaking the kiss and she froze.

"Marry me." The mask crumbled beneath his feet.

"I will."

Shilpa pushed back from Armaan with a violent push, making him stumble. Both of them were breathing hard now. Realization hit her harder pulling over like a caging embrace. Her eyes went wide. She rushed to him staring at his bare shoulder. There it was. A dragon's tattoo extending into flares of charcoal black.

"OMG you have a tattoo. I love tattoos so much. And I love dragons even more but I never got to adopt a dragon. You will have to buy me a dragon as a wedding present Armaan. Promise me."

Both of them snuggled into the comforter as Armaan pulled her closer and her fingers moved over the tattoo.

"I promise." He kissed her cheek lovingly.

Shilpa kept staring at it. This was the memory she remembered. The memory that kept rushing to her every single day. Her heart was slamming against the wall of her chest. This could not be she thought. "NO!" she whispered pacing backward drastically. She stared at Armaan who stared at her almost guiltily snapping out of the haze.

"Shilpa- he started but she turned around running, as fast as her feet took her escaping from him.

She came to her room all the way into the house and shut herself up. Shilpa took deep breathes trying th shut out the reality but there it was.

She was married. Married to Armaan Malik. The man who was marrying her sister.

Precap: "UNTIE ME." He growled at her furiously almost scaring her as she backed away regaining her composure.

"Not until Rahul and Muskaan both have eloped happily." She sat across him staring at him with a smug, "I told you Malik I always win."

"Sometime these ropes are going to be off me. The moment they are start running and pray for your life because the moment I catch you you would regret meeting me."