Arhi SS l When She Rises From The Ashes l Ch 15 l Pg 75 23/11 NEW - Page 14

Chapter Six

"ASR" Aman called Arnav quietly.

Arnav squinted his eyes as the flashing disco lights made it hard for him to see Aman's face properly which was why he did not see his tensed expression.

"There is something you need to know?" Aman continued in the same tone.

Already edgy as the atmosphere around was getting to him, the thumping music adding to his frustration which only made his head ache, he barked, "Is she here yet?"

Aman sighed. Just 15 minutes in the party and two drinks down he was this cranky what will happen when he would tell him what he found out.

He tried calmly again "Yes she is and I am here to talk to you about that only..."

"Where is she?" Arnav did not let him finish and asked impatiently. He wanted to meet this enigmatic CEO who had entered his world unannounced and already had managed to bother him to a great deal. He wanted to see himself that if she was anything as Aman claimed her to be. Was she worth to consider a challenge for him?

For some reason she was able to make him curious and he needed to satisfy his curiosity.

His eyes roamed over the area but for the dancing light he couldn't locate anything beyond a few feet and how far he saw he did not find any unknown face that would fit the image that he had in his head for the lady.

"Sir she is here somewhere. But before you meet her you need to know that she is... but Aman did not get the chance to finish as the dancing platform in centre lit up while the lights around them dimmed and Prince Khurana appeared under the spotlight with a mic.

"Ladies and Gentleman, thank you very much all for coming and making this party successful. Hope you all are enjoying (all cheered) and to add to your fun we have a very sassy performance coming from my very close friend from college who has only arrived this morning to attend my wedding. And when my very persuasive fiance (he winked at his soon to be wife who smirked and then smiled adorably earning a flying kiss from Prince) came to know about his great dancing skill she convinced him to perform for us this evening. Almost on a gunpoint (he whispered conspiratorially and his fiance's jaw dropped dramatically before she narrowed her eyes playfully). So guys here I present my friend, the dancing star of our college days, Neil Smith."

The stage went dark before a spotlight fell on a guy standing in the middle of the dance floor in a long white Jacket over a white tee and blue slim fit jeans. He wore a hip hop cap which matched his dress. His face was bent down until the music started pounding.

All clapped while Arnav thought where he had heard the name before.

He was quite near the stage so he saw his face quite clearly as he looked up and winked outrageously to the crowd.

pic credit: Google (thought he looked suited for the image of Neil, but you are free to imagine anyone)

Well, that is.. uh ...some pretty face.

He also noticed that the person on the stage was not Indian, at least not completely.

And then Arnav's eyebrows shot up when he heard the song. The guy sure knew how to groove but what was the song he was dancing on? Nor he had heard something like this before neither he understood half of it. He felt too old to even watch someone perform on a song like this.

He was considering to leave the place as it was becoming too much of torture for him to take in order to meet someone.

He was not so desperate to endure this madness for something he could achieve in a saner setting. What if a little delayed?

He saw the guy come down from the high platform towards the audience when the supporting dancers continued gyrating in the background. He stood up and started walking towards Prince who stood near the stage to take his leave, a troubled Aman on toe.

As he neared the area he saw the Neil guy pull someone from the audience towards the stage.

A woman in a black and turquoise indo western outfit balancing in a pair of black high heels walked alongside him to take the stage beside him. For some unknown reason he felt he knew her. That figure, the mid length mahogany hair and the back was quite familiar. Yet he chose to ignore and move to reach Prince until she turned in the direction of the crowd.

Aman squeezed his eye shut when he heard his boss's shocked whisper "Khushi" and he finally said what he had wanted to say a while back and his boss refused to hear.

"Also called as Kay by the coworkers and employees, the CEO of Fe-line you wanted to meet."

**

He saw her dance like a seductress. Moving to the beats perfect to the T and surprisingly in synch with the guy. And that thought brought home the realization that Neil Smith was no one else but the son of the owner of Fe-line and one of the MDs as Aman had explained him earlier. Which meant only one thing that Khushi and Neil knew each other in more personal level and had been working together for last five years or more.

As he looked on her dancing form that set fire on the stage reminding him of her dance with NK in the cocktail party that he had thrown for Akash and Payel before their marriage.

While the crowd cheered them on uncountable questions swarmed in his head. For he could not believe what he saw, what he heard and the conclusions his knowledge drew.

She still looked like a dream best say a sexy dream and could still floor him even without trying. She was the same young maiden, still in her twenties, albeit in the later part of the sequence, he had once fallen in love head over heels, while he had aged another six years and looked even older. He didn't know what had changed inside her but now he was sure nothing had changed in him.

But how did she achieve so much success?

No he wasn't complaining or doubting her capabilities. For him he knew she had potential but lacked proper grooming. Once he wanted to be her mentor before everything went downhill again.

He was only concerned that how tough the journey had been for her? How much struggle she had put herself through to come this far? What all she had sacrifice to transform herself to this? Because who better than him knew that what struggle cam make of you? Or, she still had the old Khushi somewhere in there inside her.

As he watched her dance in close and comfortable proximity with the Neil guy he wondered had she moved on? Well, practically she should have, yet, the thought still managed to create havoc in his heart. How could she mange to do that when he was still stuck in the night six years back?

That thought stirred the hornets' nest in his head. The memories he had buried deep long back, or so he thought, came to surface like Tsunami and hit him hard all over again.

**

(B)

"I... I am sorry. Believe me I did not go there intentionally. They... That man , those girls... They pushed me."

But did he believe her?

No.

The broken marriage of her sister and the leaked tape bore the proof of his disbelief in her.

**

She was everywhere. In office, in his home, in his head. Her presence bothered him. Her thoughts consumed him, her absence troubled him.

He tried to hate her, humiliate her, insult her but could never diminish her spirit and she always bounced back.

And later somewhat grudgingly he accepted that he liked and cared for her when one morning she did not come back reminding him how thoroughly he had insulted and humiliated her the night before.

One moment he was about to kiss her in the illuminated night of Diwali and in the next moment he declared his decision to marry Lavanya just to avoid his feeling or to avoid the fact that he even felt something for a cheat of a girl.

Just not that, he made sure to shatter her broken heart into smithereens before he finally left leaving her alone on the door of her own home.

But then when the news of her engagement reached his ears he couldn't stay away and did everything under the sun to keep her close without giving any sign of acknowledgement to her feelings or his own in that matter. But he need not to fear as her engagement broke anyway and so his.

Then came the blissful few moments in their unnamed relationship. And he realized that he actually loved that madcap girl.

He was so close to confessing his love but then he saw her in his Jijaji's arm.

**

I don't love Rani Sahiba. I only Love you.

Why don't you leave her then?

His trust which he had not much to begin with was broken and he decided to make the culprits pay for daring to play with his Di's and his feelings.

**

Marry me.

What?

For 6 months.

What?

Or I will break your sister's marriage.

Why are you doing this? Why are you being so cruel? When I thought...

You don't have much time Khushi Kumari Gupta. Decide fast or once again your sister's barat will return because of you.

OK.

**

She asked again and again that why did he punish her like this what was her fault? Why she was made orphan again? Why no one forgave her when she did nothing wrong.

BECAUSE I HATE YOU. I hate you so much Khushi Kumari Gupta that I feel glad that you are going through hell.

She stumbled back and then from that day never questioned him again.

**

Her innocence was proved when he was kidnapped and she saved him by putting herself in danger.

They decided to forgive and forget, for their love concurred over their misgivings.

**

You are the reason my Di is in this state. You are the reason that everything fall apart in her life. You are the reason that all of our lives are in mess. Why did you come in our life Khushi? I wish I wouldn't have met you to begin with. Why don't you leave us and let us live in peace for once?

**

Yet again she forgave him for his rudeness and accepted to marry him willingly after Dadi discovered their improper wedding.

It was like a dream going through all the rituals until the Sangeet day.

**

I am sorry Di.

Please bring back our Rajkumari chotte.

I am sorry Di.

**

I want my husband beside me chotte.

She needs her husband chotte.

Never that scum will enter my house again.

**

What is this man doing here?

I brought him Arnavji. Di needs him.

You betrayed me Khushi. You betrayed my trust.

But Arnavji..

GET OUT OF HERE.

**

But then again everything started becoming normal. She again bounced back as if nothing had happened.

Only reminder of the misfortune was the presence of the slime in the house and Dadi' sulking self.

He felt he was being impossible but then she never complained so it was okay he would make it up to her once they got married.

**

Today don't make me wait Arnavji.

I won't. I promise. Trust Me.

I believe you. I trust you more than myself. I am waiting.

**

The girl is niece of that woman who was responsible for your parent's death; do you still want to marry her willingly?

Does he?

Will he be able to live with the truth that he loved and married a person from the woman's family for whom his parents died? Her mother died. For whom his Di's marriage broke and they were brought to road?

Can he do that?

Will he be able to live with himself when he would think a few years down the line that he was living happily with a person who is related to the woman because whom his family fell apart? Will he be happy at all? Will he be able to make her happy at all even when she was not at fault?

NO.

And he turned his back to her breaking all of her.

And then he did the unforgivable...

**

He thought his head will explode with too much thinking. He looked up. She looked carefree, lovely and at ease even when she matched her steps with a guy in the beat of a hip hop western song.

When did she learn to be such nymph?

Well, he would find out? He has to find out before he went insane.

"Aman" he furiously whispered.

His assistance came forward at once.

"Find out everything you can about her that happened in her life since she left" He ordered.

"I will try my best ASR" Aman assured but he somehow knew the job will be difficult owing to that she was completely gone from the face of earth until her reappearance. He was no fool to think that it was a coincidence. And if she had a purpose then she would have had her track clear or guarded tightly. She had the means to do that now. For some unknown reason he felt good about the fact that she would be an equal player in the game unlike in past.

And Aman had a feeling that this time they were going play by her rules.

**

Hope you liked this one too.

Um COG readers if you are reading his then the next update will be up on Sunday.

Thank you

Oorja