1 | ArHi FF Resistance | COMPLETE

August 10 1942

Delhi, India

She looked up when the heavy, barred door slammed shut, her hazel eyes glittering with anger as she took in the person in front of her.

"They cannot possibly hold me here. They have no charges against me."

"Don't blame me for this. I warned you."

"This is your idea of British equality and justice? Holding an innocent girl here, in this dank jail cell, for no crime?"

"Oh, but you have committed a crime."

"The crime of meeting friends? Your angrez have made that a crime too? Shabash."

"What bullshit. You organized that as a part of that rubbish 'Quit India' movement, you and that... man."

She bristled, her eyes flashing in irritation.

"That man is my fiance."

"He isn't your fiance yet. You're facing over a year in jail. I told you not to associate with him, didn't I?"

She could see the barely concealed distaste in his eyes, his face contorted into a grimace.

"It is not wrong to meet friends. Neither is it wrong to want freedom from a government a continent away."

"Damn it, Khushi, why are you doing this?"

"Because I am Indian. Not British. This is Bharat, and they've had us to use as the crown jewel of their damned empire for much too long."

"Why can't you see that they've done good things for this broken country? They've brought it some sense of unity."

"Yeah, unity against them."

"That man is bad news, Khushi. Stay away from him."

She stood up, pushing herself abruptly from the tiny bed to step up to him. He towered over her in his pristinely pressed suit, glaring at her through squared glasses, but it didn't seem to deter her.

"Is this really about British colonialism, Raizada?"

"It's Raizada, now?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

Her eyes were cool, regarding him with something akin to smugness. He stepped closer, his hands fisted at his sides as his dark eyes glimmered with barely concealed rage.

"I didn't throw you in jail. You threw yourself in jail by collaborating with that madman and involving yourself with a frivolous movement. Did you even think of the consequences on my family? Or did you focus on yourself?"

He saw her face blanch, and felt a strange sense of satisfaction at unnerving her.

"Think about it, Khushi. The girl staying with the Raizadas, who are well known for their loyalty, is accused of being a traitor."

"I am not a traitor."

"But that's not how everyone sees it, is it?"

She gritted her teeth and he stepped closer, forcing her to look up at him.

"There's no way you'll get out of here on your own. And while you deserve to pay for your insolence, my family's reputation will be compromised."

Her eyes snapped up to him, flashing with anger as she gritted out a response.

"I don't particularly care about the jail time, Arnav. They're my family too, and I'm hardly a commodity that you can claim'."

He raised an eyebrow, smiling lazily. She had admitted exactly what he needed her to.

"They are your family, aren't they? So... you wouldn't want them to be disgraced in this manner, would you?"

She sucked in a sharp breath, pain evident on her face.

"The choice is yours, Khushi. You can choose to stay here with... him, pursuing a misguided set of ideals. Or you can agree to my offer and keep our family from being disgraced."

"I don't need your damned pity, Arnav."

She bit out determinedly, resentment in every word. Arnav felt the barriers holding his anger back break, and he slid his hand to the nape of her neck, pulling her sharply into him.

"Go to hell, Khushi Kumari Gupta."

He whispered the words against her lips, fury laden in every word. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was going to do, but before she could react, he crushed her lips beneath his.

It was hardly a kiss of love, purely fueled by lust. Khushi struggled in his arms, steadfastly holding her mouth shut. Her fists gripped his collar tightly, her fingernails digging into the expensive fabric.

He bit down sharply on her lower lip, drawing blood. She gasped, and he thrust his tongue into her mouth, soothing the pain with a gentle swipe of his tongue. He felt her anger in the way she responded, biting and nipping as she dueled with him.

Her eyes fluttered shut as his hands pulled at her hair, letting the thick, silky strands fall through his fingers.

His hands slid down her back to rest at her hips as he backed her against the wall, tugging her lower body into his. He pressed his hips against her, the thin fabric of their clothes failing to mask his obvious arousal.

He groaned when her nimble hands brushed the bare skin revealed by the open buttons. His own hands moved up her waist, relishing her curves through the flimsy fabric of her cotton salwar kameez.

She gasped when he brushed his thumbs against the straining peaks, her eyes flying open in horror. She shoved him away sharply, breathing heavily as she attempted to regain her bearings.

Her hair was a mess, falling everywhere from when his hands had raked through it. Her lips were swollen and tingling, and she could feel the imprint of his teeth on her lower lip. Her eyes were clouded with desire, the hazel turned dark and glassy.

"The choice is yours, Khushi."

Her eyes flashed with mortification and hurt, her entire body shaking with fury as she stepped away from the wall.

"Get the hell out, Raizada."

He swiveled on his heel, walking calmly out of the cell. He paused at the door, his back to her.

"Give up now, Khushi. This is nothing but trouble. You'll be labeled a traitor."

"I'd rather be a traitor to imperialistic bas***ds than a traitor to my friends, Raizada. That's something I certainly didn't learn from you."

She spit, her eyes boring a hole into his straight back. He stiffened instantly, and she knew he was seething with anger.

Without another word, he stalked out, leaving Khushi behind in the damp, drafty cell.

*********

Note: This one's for Rith, happy birthday! Thank you for always being there, for being a fantastic friend, and for listen to me ramble on about this story. I hope you have a wonderful day and year ahead, filled with lots of sweets!  

I hope you liked this prologue! This will be different from what I usually write, but I'm very, very excited for it.

I will not PM for this story- I will email though, and if you would like update notifications, please PM me your email or follow @ipkchotidesi on Twitter. 

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Love always,

Choti.