Well, I have had too much idle time in hand the last weekend. And an idle mind is a devil's workshop. As I was drafting the next update of Alternate Universe, my hands were itching to pen down something more on Arshi, something different. So, I present to you the below OS on how it could have been when the Raizada family planned to give a honeymoon to both the newly-wed couple Arshi and Payash.
PS. Do watch the Episode 217 to revisit the hot dance Arshi performed on the title track...before reading the below. Because this OS is a spin-off from there J
Oh and the Thread 2 of Alternate Universe is already UP...do check out the two teasers for Chapter 7.
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"Ab aap ko apne apne kamre mein jana hai," Anjali paused to correct herself quickly, "kamre mein nahi honeymoon suites mein jaana hai"
"Chalo bitwa hum fir se tumhara attendant ban jate hai" Manohar singh Raizada said as he led the four of them.
"Mami, hum aapko honeymoon suite ki khasiyat batana to bhool hi gaye. Waha pe na bahut sare candles hai, lekin light nahi hai...! Na baahar nikalne ka raasta hai..magar ac hai."Anjali added cheerfully.
"Ee lo beta. Un charo ke mobile phone"
"Miss manager bitiya. Hum ko kahe ka pari ki tum bahute naughty ho gayee ho" mami held Anjali's ears playfully.
&&&
Khushi entered the room with Arnav in tow to find it immersed in candles. The king-size bed was adorned with red roses carved in the shape of heart. Her gaze skittered to see that the couch was gone too! The carpet around the bed was a pale red and the furnishings were also embroidered in a matching texture.
"Pata nahi sabko kya ho gaya hai. Kya jarurat thi ye sab karne ki"
(Don't know what's wrong with everyone. What was the necessity to do all this?)
Khushi was still lost in the setting their family member had prepared for them, when she heard Arnav mutter something behind her.
"Aap nahi samjhenge. Kisi ko Khushi dena aapko aata hi nahi hai."
(You won't understand. You don't know how to bring happiness to others)
Words came out of her before she could turn and see the look in his eyes. Khushi felt hurt. Hurt for being treated the way she was...by her own husband. The laad governor! What does he think of himself! One moment he held her so close, that she could feel the warmth oozing out of him. And the next moment, he had turned into a devil desperate to hurt her.
And then there was the slimy Shyam to deal with it. Khushi felt drained thinking of everything. She felt hopeless that she expected anything from her husband. Tired of being caught in the mess, she walked over to pull the curtains back from a row of glass doors. The dimly lit poolside sparkled at her, but she could not enjoy the view. She was far too aware that Arnav was discarding his tie, jacket and waistcoat. She willed herself and went for the door to the poolside, determined to spend the night there, gazing at the stars.
On the other hand, Arnav Singh Raizada was giving a long and hard thought to his wife's every gaze and every gesture. He could sense her withdrawal from himself and he wasn't too pleased about it. He had been observing her since the start of the evening. He noticed how her skin flushed and she had reluctantly accepted the red roses that Shyam had offered her. He didn't miss her hesitant smile towards his family members all the while. She was pretending to be happy with him, wasn't she? And then, during the dance, he saw his jijaji openly gaping at his wife. Was Khushi sending him signals? That's not the person he knew! Why would she, when she looked so lost in him when they were in each other's arms at the end of the dance? And then she had looked at him so accusingly, he almost felt guilty. Was Khushi leading both of them on? Would she? That's not the girl he was going to confess his feelings to.
Damn it!
Aisa kyon hota hai Arnavji ki jab hum aapke paas hote hai to hamari dil ki dharkane tej ho jati hai?
Arnav was having a hard time resolving his own feelings as his eyes stayed intently focused on his wife. He followed her gaze and saw her taking in the romantic setting around them. His di had been successful. Their room looked no less than a honeymoon suite right now. Thoughts of his sister momentary took him back to his di, the words she spoke to both of them.
Hame Vaada kijiye, sirf aaj ke liye, aap dono apne honeymoon ko poori tarah se enjoy karenge...hamare liye?
He wondered if he could give both of them a chance, a fresh chance to start it all over again. But what if Khushi does harbor feelings for Shyam? His mind mocked at him. Arnav didn't want to face this question, for even if there was the slightest of a chance, he could simply not take it. His heart warred with his mind as he started discarding his tie and coat.
What the! Where is the couch? Damn it. He swore at himself.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Khushi moving towards the poolside door. He could see her mouth twitching in a rueful grimace at finding the door locked.
Did she want to spend the night outside? More importantly, did he want her to?
"Hamein kamre mein band kar diya? (They locked us inside the room?)"
He smiled at seeing her pouting her lips and on their own accord his feet moved towards her.
"Ye jarur di ka romantic plan hoga" (This must be some romantic plan of di)
Arnav had strolled up behind her and before she realized what he intended his hands closed around her waist and pulled her back against him.
"Khushi?" Her murmured huskily, breathing in her hair in soft comfort.
Shock rippled through her as she felt him going hard against her. She immediately turned back.
"Arnavji?" she whispered trying unsuccessfully to put in some distance between them by placing her hands on his chest, "What are you doing?"
Her heart was beating so hard that she felt it might explode from her chest, for never a simple act of breathing had required conscious effort.
With a final jerk, she pushed him away and went to the bed. There were no extra pillows either that she can use to keep at the center.
"Khushi" he called out to her again.
"Hamein aapse koi baat nahi karni" (I do not want to talk to you)
She ignored him and lied down on one side of the bed.
"Wo meri side hai Khushi" Arnav chuckled amusedly. (That is my side Khushi)
"To hum kya karein? Laad Governor kahi ke. Samajhte kya hai apne aapko?" (So what do I do? Laad Governor! What do you think of yourself?
Arnav lazily strolled to the other side of the bed and lied down adjusting himself on an elbow, looking towards Khushi.
She shifted her body slightly and turned her eyes to look at the ceiling when she found him staring at her, "Yaha pe hamare tare bhi nahi hai! Hum kal subah hi buaji ke paas jaake..." (Even my stars are not here. I will go to buaji's house tomorrow morning...)
Her breathe hitched in her throat as she felt Arnav's other free hand encasing her own and his thumb started caressing the back of her palm.
"Kya kar rahe hai, chodiye hamein" (What are you doing? Leave me.)
Unmindful of her reactions, Arnav lifted her fingers to his lips and dropped a soft peck on them.
Khushi was in no mood for this, she was simply tired of pretending, in front of their family, in front of his sister.
"Hamne kaha chodiye..." she got up and went little far from the bed, "aap mein aur Shyamji mein koi antar nahi hai...Unhone jhooth bolkar hamare saath sagai aur aap..."
(I said leave me. There is no difference between you and Shyamji. He got engaged to me lying about himself and you...)
"KYA?" Did he really hear her right! (What?)
Khushi clamped her hands to her mouth as she realized that her frustration got the better of her, "Hey Devi Maiya!"
"What did you say Khushi?" He went towards her and held her shoulders forcefully, all traces of giving a chance to their relationship and the pleadings of his sister gone out of his mind, "I said repeat it damnit!"
"Hum? Kuch bhi to nahi" (I didn't say anything)
"Main tumhare aur Shyam ke bare mein janta hoon...janta hoon ki tumhara aur Shyam ka affair chal raha hai"
Kya?
Tears welled up in her eyes and she found it difficult to speak over the lump in her throat. Khushi stood rooted to the ground as Arnav's words entered her mind in a daze. The need to defend herself had never been so strong, so overwhelming; but can Arnavji really think so low about her? She paused in her thoughts to look at him; he looked so defeated in his stance. If he can think she can have an affair with a married man, then so be it. She had nothing to say to him.
"That's what Shyam told me Khushi...that... you both love each other"
The blood rushed up his throat in a warm rush. Saying those words out loud to her was so much more difficult than he ever anticipated. But he had finally said the inevitable. Now all he had to deal with was consequences.
"And you believe him, didn't you Arnavji?" She muttered in a low voice, her gaze hard and yielding, "After all he is your di's husband...your family. Why would you believe a middle class girl like me over him, hai na? You believe him so much that you never, once also, felt the need to confront me about it"
Arnav instantly walked upto her, realizing something was not quite right, "Khushi please, it's not that" he said softly, cupping her face in his hands.
"It's done Arnavji. You already assumed the worst of me. You won. Shyam won. I wanted to know why you married me in such a rush, and now that I know it, I refuse to stay with you even for a minute more." She said determinedly.
"All the doors are locked, remember? You just can't leave Khushi, not without hearing what I have to say to you" he added firmly, his voice once again clipped and precise, but this time with forceful decisiveness rather than anger.
"Kyon? Did you hear me out ever? No right! You are no better than Shyamji"
"Are you out of your mind Khushi?" His eyes were probing now and there was a quality of stillness about him that suggested sharp concentration.
"Haan. Hamara dimaag kharab ho gaya hai. Thak gaye hai hum aapke nafrat se... (Yes, I have lost my mind. I am tired of facing your hatred) I have had enough", she almost yelled, "I saw a beautiful dream, with you, but you had to come and smash it into a nightmare. You keep your shadowed world, Arnavji. I don't understand it and what I don't understand I can't fight. Isliye humne soch liya hai, hum yaha se ja rahe hai. (So I have decided. I am leaving)
The blood rushed up her neck in a hot flood. She thought how strangely good it felt to speak out her mind.
"Like hell I would allow you to leave Khushi."Arnav frowned, insanely puzzled by her assertions, while Khushi marched towards the door of their bedroom and started banging on it, yelling at the top of her voice, "Naniji, jiji..."
Arnav strode towards her in quick steps and clamped his one hand on her mouth, "Shut up Khushi. I never asked you because I was scared...scared of your answer."
She fridgeted under his hand, "Okay, I am releasing you. Don't shout"
"Kyo aap to Arnav Singh Raizada hai na. Aap ek middle class ladki se kaise dar gaye haan?" (Why? You are Arnav Singh Raizada. How did you get scared of a middle class girl?)
"Stop calling yourself that damnit." He said frustrated.
"Nahi, sach to yahi hai na. Aapne wohi kiya jo aap karna chahte the...kyo kiya aapne aisa Arnavji...bataiye hamein" (No. this is the truth. You saw what you wanted to see...why did you do this? Tell me)
Arnav felt he should say something; to let her know that he'd been an idiot all this while and that he hoped whatever they had between them could last beyond six months. But his voice had stopped working and his brain could form only one coherent thought as he stood there, looking at her all agitated.
She doesn't love Shyam. Nothing mattered beyond it.
And because he had no voice, and no thoughts other than of her, and because he knew there was a possibility of being together with her for more than this one night, he did what he'd wanted to do from the very beginning.
He leaned in. And touched his lips to hers!
"Because I love you damnit"
Khushi was stupefied at his sudden declaration and the sudden invasion of her senses. Her blood roared in her veins, skimming though her body and she softened on a sigh of rightness, a click of connection as his tongue swept inside to touch hers. Both felt like they were on fire as their inner ice melted allowing waves of passion to take over every sane thought.
At that very moment, rationality disappeared and reality ceased to exist.
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Okay, I am honestly not aware if something like this has already been written on forum...please intimate me if there is! This just came in my mind two days back and I am posting it now.
Anyway, so what do you think of this OS? Enjoyed it? 😉
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