Arshi FF: The Valiant Knight - Thread 6 - COMPLETED - Page 38

The house that remained as house for 6 years, flaunting nothing but his riches and triumph through the artistically hidden brick walls, was transformed into a home, a dream home of precious feelings by the queen of his heart just in the matter of weeks they force-entered each other lives.

Today standing at the doorstep, it neither looked like house nor home. Colorless walls, lifeless decor, and broken air! Thats exactly what it looked to Arnav's sullen eyes mirroring their own lives at the present moment.

Arnav warily dragged his feet one step at a time, images of happy, fiesty, and lively Khushi flashing in the empty space at lightning speed. Her laughter echoed in his ears while her unshed tears and numbing silence pricked his heart accusing him. He painfully closed his eyes as he stood in the middle of the living room, for the very first time scared of the solitude unable to bear the air without her presence around him.

That abominable pain involuntarily forced his hand to take out the phone from his pocket to talk to her, just to listen to her breath. But a moment realization stopped him slapping his own promise on his face, a promise not to talk to her until he had answers.

Nevertheless, he punched the letters forming brief sentence and read it one final time before he hit send button. He fidgeted with this phone several moments waiting for her reply. But as expected he got none.

The despair of reaching out to her overcontrolled his patience and he angrily lashed out the photographs in his hand onto the coffee table. He mechanically filtered the photographs of Khushi & Adi and spread them out on the aesthetic ensemble of wood and glass foot table. He stood in front with his hands tucked into his pockets sweeping his eyes aimlessly, while his mind is reluctant to concentrate at the task in hand. The first photo being Khushi's stopped his thinking process as his mind grew unsettled not hearing response from her.

Swearing himself, he picked the phone one more time and sent her another message but this time a little in his comfort zone using ASR tone of arrogancy.

And in the next few seconds, messages flooded his inbox...

Fine...

Am @The Pride (the place where women are put up, incase you dont know) monitoring the tailoring class.

Had 2 bean tacos with no cheese...now drinking water, and will be starting home in an hour.

Do you need to know anything else like how many times I flush the toilet?

The next few mins Arnav burst into spurts of laughter as he could imagine her scrunched up red nose barking at him. When about to reply to her message, he was rewarded with another message...

Scratch that previous message off your brain...It was typo...

He smirked and replied, I fail to understand which part of the question is typo. The many times, the flush, or the toilet part, Enlighten me Posy!

He read her messages many many times filling his heart with happiness and when a word struck his mind, everything around him stopped in shocking silence.

Pride..The Pride...He gaped at the word as if learning each curve of the letter, the only question of the moment being How could she name the shelter after his house name? Could that be by chance or too intentional.

He pondered over that discussion for sometime but at the end it didnt matter. After all she used something from him, making him part of her feat. A hope after hope she had begun to show without him putting much effort.

He tucked his phone away as he already knew he is not going to get reply for his earlier message. Her one message changed his entire mood bringing him alive and more determined, a much needed boost and could thrive him for the rest of the day. In no time, Arnav forgot everything around as he started scanning the photos one more time, but only this time imagining the people live in front of his eyes to put the sequence of events.

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Khushi was supervising the first tailoring class to make sure women are comfortable with the instructor when NK gestured her to step out to discuss something important.

Raj Saxena, 56 years old, owns 5 cotton mills across the country. 30 years back, he was ordinary sales guy who turned into riches overnight after marrying the owner's daughter.

Love Marriage?

Marriage of convenience. Daughter is dark, and a bit too healthy and a polio victim. The rich businessman who couldnt find suitable groom begged Saxena to marry his daughter, so thats how fortune kicked in.

I dont see any weak links here. Will be hard to nail him.

There is one. The entire property is on his wife's name till today, the one and only clause from his father-in-law. Now his wife thinks that he is one woman type and she wont hesitate to strip him down if push comes to shove.

Khushi nodded as she understood where the discussion is leading to. All she could concentrate was Arnav's trust which vented out as an outburst last night...

I speak for Arnav Singh Raizada and his wife Khushi Singh Raizada who never once even imagined anyone else other than their counterpart.

She took a deep sigh sitting on the chair nearby. She is at crossroads once again as she cant back out from what she has started nor she could continue her operations now wholeheartedly as a nagging voice poked her reminding her of the new addition and most importantly the man who said more than she needed to hear last night.

So have you finalized the date? Khushi asked looking down at her fingers.

He is going to be in town for next 20 days. Any evening that suits you, I can arrange it as the ass is ready to take a woman a night. He paused observing Khushi's discomfort. She didnt look like her usual self. Khushi, will ASR be OK, I mean now that you got back to him. Do you...

He very well knows everything and also aware that I dont like to be stopped. She said determinedly.

NK's eyes rounded in shock, so you saying he is absolutely fine with the next plan?

Just then her phone chimed. He will be OK. I will manage. Khushi spoke as she pressed the button to read the message from the man in question.

How are you feeling? Where are you? Had Lunch?

She didnt hesitate to shove the phone away uncaringly as she continued to speak to NK.

Lets fix an evening 3 days before he leaves the town, which means probably 17th or 18th day from today.

17th doesnt sound too good to me, we will stick to 18th. Meanwhile, you will have plenty of time to prepare. Here is the file on his entire history.

Khushi nodded flipping through the pages. As NK was about to turn his feet, she called his name hesitantly.

Remembering Arnav's words, She stood up walking towards the small window that overlooked the platform shops as NK waited for her to speak.

Khushi, ever since that night, I believed everything I was not supposed to, I did everything I never meant to, I lost everything I considered to be mine. But now all I want to believe and trust is you & your every word and no one else, not even me. So please choose your every word carefully and do not break my hope, please.

Do not break my hope please...

The last set of words surreptitiously echoed in her mind and She turned around to face NK's curiosity, We need to train someone to carry out what I do.

What do you mean?

I think Saxena case is my last hustle.

What? Why? I mean I am happy with your decision but suddenly, Is it because of ASR?

She nodded NO opening the file, Well, we are pregnant. And I am sure he will not appreciate me putting the baby into risk.

Thats awesome news, Congratulations Khushi, Ofcourse you shouldn't even be taking Saxena case, I will find the best replacement for you.

NO, we dont have time to train another for Saxena. While I take this last one, you hunt for the lady. She said dismissing NK.

Khushi is conscious that Arnav will not appreciate her continuing this for the reasons that she never clearly understood. She wasnt sure of the reasons behind his disapproval: his reputation at stake for his wife being an escort or because of genuine concern about her and the child. The no-nonsense tone of her stern husband yesterday made her realize that the escort part of her life didnt bother him as much as she assumed it to be, so the only other reason would be the child safety but even that he never openly referred it as his baby. But why didnt it bother him? She wondered.

The questions that muddled her worked up brain since last night forced her to take firm decision to stop all the hustles. Many times, till this second she convinced herself that she cant risk the baby handling the monsters but the sweet reality is something else beyond any reasoning and she failed to acknowledge that her husband and his immense trust on her is the reason behind her changed decision.

You need to imprint this fact in your brain Khushi that I will not approve anybody touching you or harassing you in any way.

His direct possessive words pierced her mind making her realize that he is concerned about her like he had always been, even more if not less, more than for their child.

Then why did he ask me to leave? An answer she is yet to ravel.

Truth be told, she believed every spoken word of his yesterday. When she uttered that she is willing to give this relation a chance, she meant it in every way and not just for the sake of baby, though she constantly fail to acknowledge. If she promised to give them a chance then she decided she will give 100% without leaving any room for complaints but its different story for how far she will compromise with her ire and will be lucid in expressing her feelings to this man, time will tell.

Her heart knew her better that she is there, almost there to grab the brightest bubble of her life, knowing that she will not hold herself back from this man for long who managed to steal her from herself no matter how worse the situations turned into. The pride she keeps boasting to herself was hidden until this man entered into her life. The turn of events made her realize the power of her, in a way he made her realize her strengths and to flaunt her pride & her decisions albeit forcefully in a distressing way. Today she has grown into a woman who is not ready to accept that her decisions are faulted, especially the man she chose herself, which is why she gave herself a chance to prove that anything and everything that existed between them is real as he once said.

Last night after he promised that he will bow to her demands, the disappointment overpowered her every other feeling and that turned into her strong determination to make him say that his every action, his every word for her are meant to be for life. The bitter disappointment only worsened her craving for that warmth, yearning for that care, and hankering that touch she felt briefly once upon a time, blame her pregnancy hormones, the fact that she is yet to learn.

On that thought she wrapped her hands around herself and took a deep breath as she could feel him very close, closer than ever. She turned around hastily hoping that he would show up out of nowhere but to her dismay he wasnt there and she heard a beep at very distant. The familiar beep slowly struck her mind that it is her cell phone.

She picked it up to find his name flashed on the display with a new message.

NO TEXTING was never a part of our verbal contract. Better reply ASAP if you dont wanna see me there in next few mins breaking my every promise, esp no touching part.

Khushi fumed reading the message. Part of her angry for his threat and part of her angry that he is actually not there.

I will die out of this inner battle, I am sure you will just make it happen. She swore as she replied.

Fine...

Am @The Pride (the place where women are put up, incase you dont know) monitoring the tailoring class.

Had 2 bean tacos with no cheese...now drinking water, and will be starting home in an hour.

Do you need to know anything else like how many times I flush the toilet?

She sent the message and waited for few mins. As she didnt receive the reply, she did what she usually does, to read through his every message one more time, and one more time, and went on. She gasped in shock after her eyes finally landed on her message which she usually skips and saves herself time. Flustered Khushi immediately typed the next set of words cursing herself..

Scratch that previous message off your brain...It was typo...

His reply, I fail to understand which part of the question is typo. The times, the flush, or the toilet part, Enlighten me Posy! only worsened her already bad mood as she buried her phone into her handbag and proceeded to check on the women.

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After working through the photographs with scrupulous attention to detail, Arnav found nothing suspicious in the snaps where Khushi appeared. That narrowed down to 5 photographs where Adi was spotted.

He was assiduous in observing Adi in all the photographs from his expressions to his gestures. Based on the angle and time of the 4 snaps out of five, Arnav clearly deduced that Adi was looking in Khushi's direction where many ladies bunched up including Khushi but that didnt quite narrowed down if he was actually looking at her. That made Arnav to move on to the final photograph which turned out to be more scandalous. It captured the moment of conversation between the waiter and Adi. Although the waiter face not clearly visible, it was evident that waiter was looking at someone else while Adi's hand was near the tray with a miniscule tube of powder hidden between his fore fingers.

He rigorously looked through the rest of the pack one more time to see if there is any subsequent to the photograph he cracked earlier. Finding nothing else to back his doubts, he threw the sheets of photos frustrated in defeat. Most of the sheets flew and landed at the bedroom door he had been dreading to avoid ever since he entered the house.

But that moment, as creepy as it may sound to Arnav, Khushi's photographs landed at the doorstep of the bedroom. In reality, he was hallucinating as he had been avoiding to even look at the door ever since he entered and that eventually caught up with his nerves forcing him to think the worst. He felt as if his innerself prompted him to face it like now or never warning him that it is the only way he could overcome his own battle and so he reluctantly walked towards the room. He stopped in his tracks and leaned his forehead against the door and whispered closing his eyes to gain composure, Help me Khushi! All I need is one clue, take me there...He whispered as he opened the door to find the ashened walls, empty room with no bed or any other furniture, absolutely spot clean except it needs paint to beautify those darkened walls. As he took one step at a time, he totally avoided to look in the bed direction mechanically shutting him off from another emotional battle. And it worked as it reminded him the night he burnt down the place, reminding him that he has something precious that tied Khushi and him.

A cardinal realization borne in his robotic brain as he remembered the items he collected from the bed that night the house caught on fire. The list of items that Khushi left that night engraved in his brain for lifetime as every single day he religiously opens the tiny velvet box and stares at them remembering her before he starts his morning. And the list had everything but taveez, the fact he knew on the very first day he was released from the hospital and assumed Khushi must have taken it. He squeezed his eyes to remember if he had seen Khushi wearing it in last few days. He didnt quite notice it on all days but he was sure she didnt wear it on the night of Annual Conference as her neck was bare giving him access to witness the scars on her light skin.

He instantly took the phone and texted, Do you still have Taveez?

It didnt take long to receive her reply, No.

What do you mean by No? Didnt you take it along with you?

I left everything that belonged to you. Speaking of taveez, I didnt had it with me when I left. I thought you took it back on that night.

Arnav closed his eyes in exasperation registering that she must have lost it on the party night, whether it was forcibly taken out of her neck or not, that remained as another needling question. He slipped his phone back into his pants as he started searching the room like mad man although knowing that it was cleaned and not even a speck of dust will be found in the room. He paced across the room and checked every corner and cupboard but of no use as he found nothing. He raked his fingers through his hair looking up in defeat when his phone beeped. But at the same time something else caught his eye...He swore under his breath muttering, How could I forget this?

He walked out of the room checking the message from her, Answer me, Didnt you take it? or Did I lose it?

He could feel what it means to her, something she protected all her life and she was under the impression he took it away from her. As he reread her questions, they implied much more than just the taveez, made him question himself if will he ever be able to tell her what she lost that night and what he lost that night. He looked at the screen for very long moment before he made up his mind, not allowing it to give into another vulnerable breakdown. Little did he know that the cyclone of emotions and torment is slowly creeping up plaguing his mind, no matter how much he is trying to elude them.

No Khushi, You did not lose ANYTHING.

And as an afterthought he sent another text, I forgot that I took it, I must have kept it somewhere, I am trying to find where exactly! was his reply. The first blame he took on himself unaware that many more to go.

Getting back to what he found right before her text message, he looked at the spy camera at the entrance of the kitchen, hooked on top of the glass arch hidden in the succulent plant. Remembering that the camera was installed soon after Khushi's father incident, Arnav realized it holds the clearer view of the entire house, and so he called Commissioner for the confiscated items like entry/exit logs, and video footages. After speaking to Commissioner briefly, he learnt that they found Taveez, evidence no: 9 as Commissioner referred, under the bed. He was told that the thread is all burnt to nothing while taveez remained intact.

Arnav felt the desperate urge to check if their initials were holding their form but he felt silly to ask such personal question to the Commissioner.

I need the items you gathered for investigation specially the video footage and taveez.

As matter of fact, I have been wanting to send those to you for last 4 days but our men were busy so..

Are you kidding me? You brought the whole city to sweep my house and you are saying you are short of men.

Mr. Raizada, My apologies, we will send...

No I will come and collect it personally in an hour.

That might be too late. I am leaving in 30mins to catch flight for long vacation and will not be back for next 10days. If you could reach here in 30mins, I shall sign those off to you.

I will send my men to collect.

Once again my apologies, next time we will make sure we act on time...

There is no next time for your department to enter my house. Arnav curtly cut the call and dialed Aman, his only trusted man, who is just 10mins away from the Commissioner's office.

Does your offer of help still hold good for me?

Ofcourse, you just need to say it. Aman smiled over the phone.

...

OK I will be there in an hour.

Bring your laptop as well.

Laptop? Kyun?

You will know when you come here. Make it quick.

I am on my way as we speak.

With that Aman got into the Mission Destruction of Adi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Khushi paced across her bedroom trying to deduce his text messages. The only question that raked her for last one hour is if he genuinely forgot. Khushi is well aware that Arnav is not the man who forgets things and live absentmindedly. He is possessive about his personal stuff that he feels he cannot afford to lose even a single item which he made her aware many times in their short period of stay. That factual trait and his messages led her to wonder if she had lost it and that if he is trying not to make her feel miserable.

Without second thought, she grabbed her phone to question the same, but before she could phrase her question, she received new message from him.

Found it. You can breathe now.

She rolled her eyes, she hated that he knows so much about her even without speaking or seeing her. Can she ever be a puzzle to him like he is to her? Ever...in their life? She scoffed and soon her lips in their own accord spread thinly bringing the first smile after many many months.

If only he was there to see her radiant smile...

Realizing her knee-jerk involuntary smile, she scrunched her face reminding her that she is supposed to be upset and angry not smiling like an idiot.

With that, she stomped her feet to raid the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aman walked into the penthouse with an aide carrying the 2 boxes. As Aman sent the aide away, Arnav instantly jumped on to boxes and grabbed the taveez thats neatly tucked in a small ziplock bag marked as 9. His fingers fumbled as he took it out of its wrap and took a deep contented sigh pressing it to his lips thanking every bright star of his life. The locket remain untouched with their initials engraved on its back.

Hurriedly, he shoved the locket in his wallet's safe pouch and looked for the video discs.

Laptop?

Aman who stood astounded looking at the man in front who is working in lightning speed. He handed the laptop and coolly grabbed himself a chips packet. The rumbling noise of the wrapper grabbed Arnav's attention and he scowled at Aman nodding his head in irritation.

Aman furrowed and stepped away from the danger zone giving his buddy some space, an unintentional gesture Arnav appreciated inwardly. Aman didnt raise any question as somewhere he understood the depth of the situation from the urgency Arnav is working his fingers, he knew something is serious and should not be meddled until Arnav is ready to share a word, which is why he stepped back from the scene and took a chair in the dining room away from Arnav.

Arnav impatiently skipped through the recordings until he reached the party night footage. The camera that is installed almost at the ceiling level right before entering the kitchen, gave clearer view of the entire floor and every guest entering the living room and walking towards the Loft where the party was held.

With scrupulous adherence to the task at hand, Arnav noted everyone's action including Adi's from the time they entered and headed to the Loft, as the camera is not angled to capture the upper floor, the loft.

Within mins after Khushi and Arnav walked into the party, Arnav watched himself and Aman walking out. On that note he paused the video realizing that it was all a hoax to divert his attention to take him away from Khushi. The next moment he asked Aman to get men to work to get hold of the guy who claimed to know the mystery behind Khushi's father death.

Then as he resumed the video, the entire bottom floor eventually became abandoned as everyone moved to the loft. Soon Arnav noticed the lights being dimmed, and in no time he noticed a woman's feet faltering at the foot of the stairs that led from the Loft to the hallway.

From behind the stairs he watched a well built frame emerging into light and grabbing the woman by her waist.

Son of a bitch! Arnav swore loudly fisting his palms and his eyes turnig in rage.

At once Arnav's mind shuddered in fear to watch whats about to happen as he recognized the man and woman on the screen.

He leaned his elbows on his knees and fisted his palms underneath his chin to gain control on the needling pain crept up his heart. The first drop of tears escaped his eyes as he watched Khushi's head dangled helplessly.

And in next few secs, she was hurriedly dragged on her toes while her hand repeatedly made every attempt to hold the man holding her. As they were about to cross the kitchen to get to the bedroom, Khushi's hand managed to grip the corner of the breakfast slab in resistance but her feeble frame gave away in defeat as Adi pulled her hand roughly and dragged her more brutally scraping the tender skin on her toes against the marble floor. Arnav closed his palms around his nose and mouth watching the way she was treated and eventually the bedroom door was slammed shut.

His eyes lifted up to sweep the entire route she was dragged from hallway to the bedroom. The pain engulfed him beyond bearable squeezing the muscles around his heart to suffocate.