Part 48 - scroll down
Part 48:
Desire flared up in her, like wild fire, when her eyes had landed on his well worked out arms, his broad shoulders, his perfectly chiseled chest abs, his manly sprinkle of chest hair, his flat taut muscled stomach and his beautiful body tapering down to his waist. She could not believe he could look so handsome and breathtaking.
They were best friends when they were little and her mother and his mami were best friends, whenever she used to visit for holidays, he would also come to his Nani's place to spend his holidays, they used to have a blast. They used to eat, play, sleep, plot, prank... do everything together. They used to wait for holidays to come so that they could meet each other again.
Then they grew up a little bit and puberty reared its head. The next holiday season she was already on her way to being a woman, her body changing, her view of the world changing. When they met that year, she noticed he had changed he was on the path to be a man. It was a little awkward for both of them, this awkwardness would creep into every situation, when they were playing, when they were talking and it was especially uncomfortable when it was just the two of them and no one else was around. But the child had not left them yet so sometimes they would forget the awkwardness and pull an awesome prank together and laugh to their hearts content.
That year in her school she was declared a beauty and boys were very interested in her and she loved the attention because she was worth it. That summer when they met he had still been that shy lanky teenager she had met the year before and she was shocked, she had imagined he would have grown really handsome by now. But he had stayed pretty much the same. He was no longer her equal she had thought that day. But then that year she also noticed how rich the Raizada's were, she had also heard that Arnav's dad's family was even richer. Though in her family they were well settled, there was no excess money lying around like the Raizadas. That summer in the Raizada house she realized the luxury wealth could bring into her life, her mind began calculating. So she tried her best to behave well with him... she needed to be in his good books... as he was filthy rich.
That summer they had exchanged contact details and had kept in touch through emails. She grudgingly replied once to his every 5 emails. But he had kept writing and kept waiting for her answer.
Then one fine day she heard her mom on the phone with Manorama aunty, about how his mother had committed suicide and how his dad had disowned him and his sister. She also came to know that they were now staying with their Nani. Then she had got an email from him where he had expressed his feelings about how feels about all that is happening in his life and after reading just the first two lines in the email she had deleted the email and didn't care to respond to him.
That was the one big mistake she had done. Because after that she had gone about her life forgetting his existence on the earth. She had made cool rich friends and had bugged her father to sending her to US for her masters. Then she had got a job in a US company and her career had started booming as her boss was completely smitten by her, at that point if anybody had asked her if she knew Arnav Singh Raizada she would have said... Who???
But one trip when she was visiting her parents, they had been invited to Anjali Di's wedding and her mother had been super excited and had gone to lengths to buy new expensive dresses and jewelry. When she had asked her mother why she was so excited her mother had explained about how Arnav had become one of the richest men in India as the founder and CEO of the company that he had started called Raizada Industries. Sheetal had been shocked much to her surprise her favorite designer ware dresses were tagged RI... she had never cared to enquire about Mano aunty too... what use was she... but now she had to attend this wedding.
So she made sure to look drop dead gorgeous and had attended the wedding as they had not been invited to all the other rituals as Anjali Di had said she just wanted those rituals to consist of close family only. She couldn't believe it the amount of money he had spent on his sister's wedding, the opulence was visible in every nook and corner in the decorations.
The guests who had attended were either rich, famous or powerful, or a combination of these attributes. She had been stunned at his achievements when she had researched him on Google but nothing had prepared her for this. This taste of the actual example of how much he had to spend on such a trivial thing like his sister's wedding!!
Her mind was already had become determined to renew his acquaintance, but she felt like a meteor had hit her when she laid eyes on the man himself... he looked like a Greek god... She hated herself then for her stupidity to let go of the close relationship she had with him. Then when Manorama aunty had taken her to him, he had been polite like one would be to someone they had just met. It had irked her, but she overlooked it because she had decided then and there that her search for a perfect life partner was over... she was going to be Sheetal Singh Raizada.
Then she had clung to Manorama aunty to get closer to him as many times as possible. Then she had tricked Manorama aunty into inviting her to stay in Raizada house for the rest of her stay for old time's sake. Then she had started working towards her goal by trying to attract him with her womanly assets, she needed him fall head over heels in love with her body or she needed him to slip just once with her and she could get Nani to marry them off. Yes... she was determined she was going to have him by hook or by crook...
But one day she had taken advantage of the situation where only she was alone with him and had tried her best to get him to fall for her attractions... which she had to say no ordinary man could resist...but he had resisted and in her final try when she had forced a kiss upon him, he had pushed her away so hard that she had landed on the floor... he had then warned her that she keep to her limits... when she had said that she loved him he had laughed and replied that he knew exactly what she loved.
That was the last she saw of him for the remainder of her stay, he had left early next morning to stay at his farm house saying he needed a break after the wedding and all the Raizadas had let him gladly go, they were very happy that he was so involved in the wedding. She had left with her determination more firm about becoming his life partner... she left determined to come back and conquer.
But just a few days earlier she had accidentally seen on the news on his wedding day on how he was suddenly tying the knot to his new sister-in-laws sister. She had actually missed Aakash's wedding on purpose so that when she went to India after the wedding she can have an excuse to stay with the new bhabhi and thus get close to him again. But her plan had backfired really badly.
She had immediately booked a flight and landed in India but he had already been married for 2 days, she knew she would be late as she had seen the red carpet glimpses of his wedding guests on the TV that day, but she was not discouraged... no not at all... marriages are meant to be broken; she just needed to blind him with her beauty...
So when he had opened the locked bedroom door... shirtless... it had thrown her off... he had seemed so domesticated... it shocked her. When she said hello he had just nodded and asked her when she came which to her sounded like... Why are you here??... She had replied that she had just landed. To which he looked at her and when he had noticed her exploring his body, he had turned and walked to the walk-in closet in his room and was opening the door to go in. When Anjali Di asked him where his wife was he had just nodded towards the door he was about to open and said she is changing her Di and without waiting went inside the closet, leaving her stunned, standing alongside Jeejaji and Anjali Di.
****************************
When they had recovered Di was saying that they should go downstairs and wait for them to come down. But he had come out and held the door open and then she had seen the look in his eyes as his so called wife passed him and walked into the room from inside the walk-in closet. She was thrown off, she had never seen him look at any one like that before... then it shook her roots how they moved... it was like they had been married forever and that they understood each other's feelings like it was written On their face...the girl was a tiny little thing... innocence oozing all around her...Sheetal smirked... she knew his appetite... this chit of a girl will not be able to hold his interest for long. He was a man and she was just a girl... he needed a woman... Sheetal had taken a deep breath and put a really big fake smile on her face and got ready to say Hi to his wife!!
*********************************
He had watched as she stepped out of the walk-in closet, her face flushed to a light shade of pink and as she had crossed her husband who was holding the door open for her she had looked up shyly at him nodded thanking him and then started walking towards them. She was wearing a plain georgette sari, which was shaded from a pleasing off-white at the top to a gradually changing color to the most pleasant sea green at the other end, she was wearing a short sleeved blouse of the same sea green. He held his breath she looked even more breath taking without any make-up and any jewelry. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she walked to the open door and said "Come in Di." to his wife.
As she was about to step back to make room for them to come in... her back had bumped into his sale-sahib. He had come up behind her, to help her regain her balance sale-sahib at slid his hand around her waist, his hand disappearing under her pallu, her back up against his front. She had placed her right hand on top his hand which had now settled on her stomach and turned her face to see him. He had looked down at her, there was something in their eyes when they had met. It was making the atmosphere change very quickly.
Then she had broken the eye lock and looked at the floor. His sale sahib had said "Di we can talk more in the morning, she is tired.", then he had towards Sheetal and said "Khushi she is Sheetal, Mami's friends daughter." Khushi had looked up and said "Hi" and smiled her beautiful smile at Sheetal, making his heart beat faster. He also noticed how his sale-sahib hadn't budged an inch away from her, his arm still wrapped around her waist. He narrowed his eyes focused on where his had was resting on her stomach and could see the thumb moving very negligently but still moving over her skin. His blood had boiled, he wanted to slice that had that had that was touching her, grab her to him and show her how much of a man he was.
Sheetal said "Hi Khushi ..." in her shrill voice making him cringe at the effect it created and continued "I am sooo happy to meet you..." she moved past Anjali to go into the room, to step into the room and this time his sale sahib had said "Ya Sheetal... we are tired we can talk more in the morning.." he said making her stop a step away from entering his room. He had removed his hand from around her waist and had entwined their fingers. Then he had turned to his Di and said "OK Di goodnight."
He was literally chucking them out of his room, they had not even entered his room and they were feeling like he was chucking them out of his room. What was the damn hurry... was he going to hold her to him, was he going to unwrap that sari like a gift wrapper from around a precious gift , was he going to make love to her... images flashed through his mind and he fisted his palms trying to stay cool but when his landed on Khushi who was not even aware of their presence and was looking at their entwined hands... he could hold it no longer and said "What's the hurry sale-sahib...its early in the night..."
Khushi had looked up them directly at him her eyes angry, fire burning in them, hate spinning out of her eyes, he had taken a step back involuntarily. She didn't even give a chance for her sale-sahib to answer and said "Tomorrow I go back to work, he is also very busy... so I wanted to spend some time with him ALONE..." she had spit out on his face and "you know...before we both get busy..." she had added the last part looking at his wife and sounding extremely normal.
He looked at his sale-sahib who was looking at her with smitten expression on his face, he was not looking surprised, he was looking at her like he would like to make mad passionate love to her right this minute. He wanted to gorge his sale-sahib's eyes for looking at her like that. He knew it was time to act, he could not stand it anymore. His wife cut his thoughts as she said "haan, Khushiji I forgot you got very little leave because the wedding was unplanned... yes yes we can talk more later... come Sheetal you need to take rest too after that long journey..."
So they moved away, he turned to take one last look and saw she was closing their bedroom door and he was right behind her, his hands on top of her hands as they closed the door together... looking into each other's eyes... this world forgotten. Hate like he had never felt before engulfed him... his sale-sahib... got everything... the best of everything... this needed to stop... yes it was time.
**************************************
She was standing at the poolside drying her hair, her thoughts on the person who was currently taking bath... she sighed as his thoughts filled her mind and her heart... her life seemed so colorful nowadays, he filled it with color... she looked at her palms where the mehendi was slightly fading... her heart pinched... she didn't want it to fade... he hadn't even seen his name engraved in the mehendi on her hand... she wanted him to see it...
She stroked the khandani chudiya on her hand that were given to her by Naniji on her Roka ceremony, she had come to know that the kangan had belonged to his mom... she felt a warm feeling spread through her... his moms blessing for her. Her thoughts wandered to the last night... how he had made the muh dikhayi ceremony so memorable to her by his jhalak in the end... she would have forgotten all the grandeur associated with the ceremony after a few days or a few years... but now there was no way she was going to forget it now... it was going to be etched in her memory till her last breath.
Then her thoughts wandered to the memory that had etched itself even deeper in her memory... her heart raced as she thought of it again... then when he had left the room... she had quickly changed into her night sari and was barely done when he had come in again without knocking and this time she didn't get startled but she didn't look at him either... she was ready for which ever new heights he was going to take her to...
But she had noticed he was not moving towards her... that's when she had looked up to see him turned away from her buttoning up his shirt. She had sighed he had said "When you are done we will go out together... Di is here" that had been like cold water had been splashed on her, bring her back to reality from this exotic dream that he had weaved around her. She had walked up to him and he had opened the door and stood on the doorway holding back the door for her with his back... she had to cross him to enter into their bedroom... her dhak dhak had attacked all over again...
She smiled remembering how he had saved her when she stepped back and his hand had slithered under her pallu which she had pinned as a one layer... his smallest of touches sent her senses into a frenzy... she sighed... he had entwined his fingers with hers... making many of her childish dreams of holding her life partners hands exactly to come true...
Her smile faded as she remembered what had happened next, that creature had broken her dream with his creepy voice... she hated him... how dare he question her husband about... anything... he was not worth even standing in front of her husband... much less question him... she closed her eyes to remove that vile memory from her head...
Just then she heard someone talking in hushed tones from the terrace... she frowned and concentrated on the voice... it struck her... it was that Jackal's... she couldn't make out though what he was saying... she opened her eyes and she moved to the steps leading from the poolside to the terrace... she moved slowly up a few stairs keeping her foot light so her payal won't ring. She stopped after getting almost to half the stairs... she closed her eyes concentrated and listened hard... who could he be speaking to so early in the morning???
"It is not safe for me to talk much more... just do it, and do it just like I explained... I will pay double the amount you want... yes by this afternoon you will have half the amount and the rest of it as soon as it's done..." there was a pause... like he was listening...
"no no more waiting use whoever you have... just do it like I said..."
"Yes TODAY!!... I don't want to see his face again... get it done and take the money..."
Her heart was thundering her ears... she had never been as scared as she was now... she had to move away quickly she heard his voice getting closer... she couldn't risk him seeing her there so she moved away quietly but quickly back into the room and closed the poolside door and locked it with shivering fingers and turned around in a hurry only to bump into her husband.
As soon as his arms held her shoulders to steady her she left relief wash through her... she fisted his shirt in her hands and clung to him... calming her heartbeat... telling herself it will be alright now... he will take care of it... her mind told her... he held her close and she could hear his heartbeat increase... she knew why it did he was worried about her... so she took a deep breath to calm her senses... then she looked up...
He looked down into her eyes and said "What is it??" he whispered as softly as a lullaby... she had looked into his eyes trying to hide from how terrified she was and said "Shyam was talking to someone on the terrace... I tried to listen... I felt I needed to know why he was awake so early on the terrace... I just felt...I don't know... I had this feeling that I needed to listen to him..." she stopped and looked up into his eyes.
If he was not holding her she would have run away from him, there was so much anger in there that she was terrified... then her brain started working... she understood the concern behind that anger and before he could yell at her and bring their newly budding relationship to a complete halt... she spoke up loudly and clearly... he hands fisting his shirt tighter to make him realize she meant it "I know I shouldn't have done that... I will never ever do it again... it was wrong... I know I should be more careful and steer clear of Shyam... trust me..." she said it and flattened her right hand on his chest letting go of his shirt... laying it flat on his beating heart... making him a promise about taking care of herself.
She saw in his eyes the fire douse down slowly and steadily, he still held her close to him though and she didn't mind... or rather she preferred it this way after the scare she had just had... she waited patiently for him to calm down and gathered her strength as she knew he will not be able to take it if he knew really how scared she was.
*************************************
Once things had got calm he had let her go and moved to the little fridge in their room and got her some water and by now she had settled herself on the recliner and took the water he offered. He walked out to the poolside and saw him disappear up the stairs to the terrace and then come back down in no time at all.
He came back into the room and closed the poolside door behind him. He settled opposite her on the bed and said "He's not there..." she nodded, "What was he talking about??" he questioned.
"He was telling someone to do something today... and take money for it... he was willing to pay double... to get the work done today..." she frowned trying to remember all that she had heard in that adrenalin rush. She frowned harder "he said...that its needs to be done today...because... because... he didn't... want to see... someone's face again..." she frowned harder... as the words settled and her brain started to analyze what it could mean... then as a thought entered her brain fear gripped her heart...
She looked up suddenly and he seemed to be thinking about something looking at the floor and his brows together in concentration... she stood up as panic struck her... he stood up as a reflex his eyes fixed on her face... "What is it?" he asked not grasping what she was thinking...
She said "Arnavji I think he is going to harm someone... I think... I think it might be you..." he frowned at her taking his thought it through, Shaym was a clever lawyer there was no way he was going to get himself mixed up in anything like this... he would be very cautious... but Shyam didn't know he knew about Shyam's truth so if anything did happen to him... no one would suspect Shyam according to Shyam... because he was supposed to be the best son-in-law for the Raizada... He frowned could it be??... Would Shyam try to harm him... but then what would he get?? He definitely get a handle over his Di's shares but that's all... he already pretty much had those in his pocket... so he wouldn't gain much by harming him... also if Shyam made a mistake he could lose everything... Shyam was not a fool to risk everything for nothing... he didn't think Shyam would try to harm him... Yet... but he knew Shyam had the potential to turn to the dark side completely... but not yet... Shyam was not a gambler...
He looked at Khushi who seemed extremely agitated and said "Khushi I don't think he will do anything like that..." looked up into his eyes, he read her concern and explained " He has nothing to gain by doing that Khushi... in fact if it goes wrong he might lose everything... also there is no need for him to take desperate measures as he doesn't know we all know about his hidden truths... he feels safe... so why would he trigger events that could potentially put him in jeopardy?... Shyam is not impulsive... Khushi he is a lawyer... he is calculated... he won't get into a mess knowingly..." he explained patiently seeing her restlessness...
She understood the perfect logic that he put forth... but why did she feel so uneasy in the pit of her stomach... she nodded to let him know she understood... but could not get rid of the feeling that something bad going to happen... As he slowly moved towards her she looked into his eyes he was a sea of calmness now... she took solace in his calm strength and when he reached her he held her forearms and said "Don't worry... he was probably taking about his clients..."
She gave him a half smile and nodded as if accepting it... but she didn't know how to put her feelings into words... her gut was telling her something... she had heard it in his voice when Shyam had said "I don't want to see his face again..." there was venom dripping from every word and hate emitting from his sentence... she knew it was not his clients... it was personal... But she also understood Arnavji's logic... she was in total conflict... He nodded at her acceptance and waited for her to say something and when she did not... he moved away from her towards the door to go down to his study to get work done before breakfast...
"Arnavji..." He stopped and turned "Please be careful... I mean... I mean... I don't know... just please be careful..." he walked back to her and said "I will be fine... Khushi... take it easy at work today... he told her, "Mohan will drop you and pick you up... take care" he told her softly and walked away...
************************************
It had been a hectic day... no breather at all... one fire to put out after another... but he was glad, it looked like he had finally caught up on his work... that was slacking severely in the past few weeks... he felt satisfied...
He stepped out into the parking garage in his building, it was around 8:00 PM and he had asked the driver to leave like usual and Aman was the only other person in the office who was currently wrapping up for the day in his office. As he stepped into the garage he noticed the eerie silence, he frowned... he had left office at around 12:00 in the nights too... but tonight seemed different... he brushed his feelings off they seemed baseless... but his instincts seemed to be telling him something.
He moved towards his car thoughtfully, when he reached the car he saw some movement from the corner of his eye and he turned in that direction to see what it was... and then he saw something flash and a figure move... he immediately knew... someone was there and had a weapon of some sort with them. He hit the car remote start button and the car reeved into life, the head lights coming on and making the shadows disappear in the parking garage... he saw it then the person standing there at the other end of the garage aiming a small gun at him...
He moved as fast as he could but the attacker was in panic at the sudden light coming from the car and shot at him randomly and he felt the first shot of pain close to his left shoulder, just before he hid behind the car and immediate he knew they had hit a soft spot as blood spilled all over... pain attacked his brain and before he lost strength to think he forced his brain to think... how... how to get out of this faster... he knew by now, Aman and the security would have already started to come there, he knew the gun might have another 3-4 bullets in it and the attacker was panicked as he had seen the attackers face... so he will try till the last minute to finish him off to leave no witnesses.
He then remembered the car keys still in his hand and hit the panic button on it... The car started blaring its high pitched crazy noises... he collapsed to the ground unable to stand anymore... there was nothing else he could do... he saw from under the car the attackers feet leaving the garage and running and he also saw the garage lift door open and people pour into the garage and he slid to the floor no strength left... as blood oozed from his wound... he knew the shot had nipped a major artery and he knew if they didn't make it in time to a hospital... he might not make it..
Then he heard Aman's voice..."He is here... he's hurt come on move... start the car we need to get to the hospital fast..." even now... he couldn't help admire Aman's level headedness...
"Khushi... who will take care of her if he dies??He needed to live... to protect her from that murderer and because if she gets hurt, he would not be able to bear that pain... he didn't care if he died when she was safe... but now... she was in danger. He had to live... he just had to hang on to life... for HER." was his last thought as he lost consciousness.
43