Chapter 14
Turning Tables
A threat to society simply because I'm different
Well if it's a threat you want then a threat you'll get
And I'll show you my inner dissident
You wanted to categorize the hell I live in
But in a dimension of chaos there is no organization
Because insanity is unbiased on who suffers
Seeing only my demons watching with sinister grins
So now you'll have a peek inside the mind of this madman
A much darker reality than that of your normality
So I now grin and welcome you to my twisted wonderland
~ You have to learn the rules of the game ~ And then you have to play better than anyone else ~
Albert Einstein
The Dining Hall, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, 9:30 p.m
Arnav took a long sip of his coffee and felt the hot liquid burning the back of his throat. But at this time he didn't care at all what happened to his damned throat, because the scenario unfolding before his eyes was enough to raise his temperature and make him forget what was his original plan. As the girl gave a mindless giggle and the boy's hand moved sensually across her knee, Arnav could feel a red haze of jealousy and possession engulfing his mind and the fires of anger were already turning his eyes a red gold. He had to hand it to Khushi, that she was a sly fox and knew what nerve to hit the best.
Because he could feel with every inch of his raw nerves that she had hit the bull's eye this time by bringing Josh with her to the hotel. Seeing him had stirred the sparks of his anger, bringing his jealous and possessive nature to the forefront. And it had irritated the hell out of him to know that the cause to bring those feelings to the surface was sitting at the table next to him dressed in a black mini, scarlet top and black tights which were screaming pure sin at the onlookers. She was engaged in mindless tittle tattle with a nerdy bespectacled boy who looked as if he had just escaped Montessori.
And the fact that was pouring gasoline over Arnav's already smoldering anger was that she was completely ignoring him as if she didn't know him at all and in addition she was also egging the boy to move his hand suggestively over her legs. He had known that she would do something to provoke him tonight but he couldn't have guessed in his dreams that she would bring her geeky boyfriend to inflame him and bring out his jealous side.
Well if that was the case, then she should know that she had raised the sleeping tiger inside him, he thought venomously, feeling the caustic flames of rage clogging his throat. And no one could get scot free when confronted by a roused tiger...
"Sir please I beg of you give me two rupees, I am very hungry sir", an 8 years old boy was asking beseechingly from a plump man, who was looking like an overstuffed bun in his expensive three piece rust color suit and whose silk tie he was straightening, caressing a hand down it's length again and again as if trying to eliminate some invisible creases.
"Go away boy, I don't have any money to give you", the man snapped irritatingly at the child, whose cherubic face was streaked with mud and salty tears and whose chubby hands were held askance before the plump man's eyes, an expression of helplessness and weariness in his golden orbs.
"Where the heck did that Ehsaan go, why isn't he bringing my car?", he bit out angrily, his impatient gaze fixed at the dial of his Rolex watch. "Please sir, if you can't give me two rupees, please give me one rupee, I am very hungry sir", the boy pleaded again, this time clasping his trembling hands infront of the man. Cursing the impudence of his driver he turned to face the boy again.
"Why must I repeat it again, I want you gone from here boy, can't you understand it well?", he snapped, then ignoring the boy's face which had gone pale on hearing the finality in his voice, bent down to fondle his poodle's ears lovingly who was sniffing the leg of his trouser, hungry for his treat. "Here timmy", The man pulled out a tin of dog food from the pocket of his over coat and lovingly placed it infront of the poodle.
Arnav's stomach growled at seeing the dog, crunching the piece of biscuit in his jaws and suddenly feeling more dizzy he grabbed the hold of the man's coat. "Please sir, I'll pray for you, for God's sake give me one rupee or better just give me something to eat, I haven't eaten from three days, please sir", his rickety knees gave way beneath him, as a particularly strong spell of dizziness made him light-headed.
"You filthy dog", the man roared trying to prise his grubby fingers away from his pristine suit as Arnav slid down at his feet. Throwing a furious look at the exhausted and starving child who was only wearing knickers in the mind numbing cold the man bent down to push him away. "Please sir", he said hoarsely, tugging at the man's trousers, his hold still strong lest his weary condition.
The pain of his bare feet which he had injured due to wandering continuously over the roads in search of food and shelter was completely forgotten under the painful cramps of hunger forming inside his stomach.
"Go away dog", the man snarled aiming a kick at his ribs and causing him to topple over on his side, his knees drawn towards his chest in agony. He sobbed and a wave of extreme pain shot across his hungry stomach, clenching his teeth tightly he rode that pain, then stopped crying at once. He hadn't even had the strength left to cry, as his stomach ached whenever his body shook with crying.
He felt no cold, in any pore of his fast turning into blue color body, as his eyes caught sight of the tin placed infront of the poodle. A strange gleam came into his eyes and a hopeful smile stretched across his dirt-streaked thin face which was still retaining the last vestiges of chubbiness in it's shape, indicating that once he must have belonged to a well endowed family...
Ignoring the almost naked child laying on the cobbled area of the side path the man turned at the sound of his car heading towards him. "About time Ehsaan", he growled at his driver. At that instant he felt a tug on the leash, the end of which he was holding in one hand and his poodle started barking madly at thin air, causing him to throw an astonished glance at the place where the beggar boy was just lying a moment ago, then towards the place where he had placed the dog food infront of his poodle...
"The little thief", the man shouted angrily, shaking an angry fist at the thin air, cursing the invisible boy who had ran away with the tin of dog food, clutched desperately in one hand...
"Josh will you please bring my stole from your car, I am feeling a little cold", Khushi placed her hand over his fingers which were slithering across the underside of her thigh, halting them in tracks. "Babe, but it's already warm inside", he pouted, placing his other hand over her halting one. "Josh", she widened her eyes in displeasure then slid her fingers free from where they were sandwiched between his hands. "Will you please bring it", she gave him a gentle push to emphasize his point.
"Okay babe, please don't be annoyed", he nodded, looking crestfallen. "Won't you give me a little kiss, just to make me go fast", pointing a finger towards his cheek, he wriggled his eyebrows, a mischievous smile on his face. "Sure babe", she leaned towards his cheek, looking at Arnav through the corner of her eyes. He looked very calm and composed to any onlooker's eyes, but she knew that from inside he must be seething with rage, because his blood red eyes were watching Josh and her, unblinkingly.
Kissing Josh on the cheek, she gave him a gentle push to make him go quickly on his way. Reaching the exit he turned to face her and mouthed the words "I love you" to which she returned a flirty wink and waved a hand, indicating him to bring the stole quickly. He nodded, a grin splitting across his face and hurried outside. Once she knew that he won't be coming back soon, she got up at once on her feet and sashayed towards Arnav who was sitting rigidly at his table, a muscle working profusely in his clenched jaw, which spoke for his inner turmoil.
As she neared his table his eyes shot daggers at her, but she had already decided that nothing could deter her in her plan to teach the devil a well deserved lesson, when she had called Josh on a date and then had brought him to the hotel where she had promised to meet Arnav. The devil thought that he could blackmail her, well she had to show him that no one rouse a b***h and then could get scot free from her bite, she thought as she passed behind his chair, trailing her scarlet painted talons across his neck in a suggestive caress...
Khushi gave a satisfied smirk as he stiffened in his chair, the muscles of his neck rigid with control. But the next moment her smirk vanished as he striked, snaking a hand out he caught her wrist in a vise like grip and she jerked to a stop. "You are playing with fire princess", his voice was a dangerous caress across the inner side of her wrist, his lips a burning flame which he placed at her fragile but hammering pulse. She closed her eyes to absorb the feeling of his fiery caress inside her memory then at once snapped them open as the thought of her plan crossed her mind.
Don't forget your mission Khushi, she thought turning on her heels to face him and then with a determination that would have shamed even the most of a successful high class w***e, she slowly but quite provocatively slid one arm across his shoulders, leaning towards him, until he had a clean view of the upper slopes of her breasts, which seemed to be toppling out of her deep necked top. "I am ready, burn me", placing her lips at his temple, near his earlobe, she whispered huskily. "You sure princess", he whispered back, circling the beating pulse at her wrist with a suggestive finger.
"Yes, as sure as I can get", she answered, straightening up to look into his calculating eyes. Arnav cocked his head to the side, his shrewd gaze flitting across her features as if wanting to see through her mind to detect the black lies which she was sprouting up from her mouth. Fearing that he would get a hint about her plan if he would stay here, continuously gazing deeply into her eyes, she fidgeted back, tugging at his arm whose hand was still holding her wrist captured between it's fingers. He uncoiled from his seat and in one smooth move he was on his feet, towering over her, a mysterious smile curling his top lip.
As he took out his wallet, to place the money on the table, she hooked her arm into his arm and when he turned to glance questioningly at the fingers which she had placed over his hand she threw him a come hitherto look, which he returned with one of his heated glances...
The journey from the ground floor where the hotel cleric at reception handed them the key to their room on the sixth floor was covered silently in the lift, with both Arnav and Khushi, standing side by side between an old couple who were eyeing them with a mischievous smile on their faces...
"How long are you married child?", the woman leaned in to ask in a low voice from khushi who shifted nervously on her feet. "Errr...two years", she blurted much to the amusement of Arnav who coughed at her side, tightening his arm around her waist in punishment. "Ah on your second honeymoon then, god bless you both", the woman placed a hand over khushi's head in a blessing, a gentle smile splitting her face. The old man at her side, who seemed to be her husband smiled in approval at his wife's words, his adoring gaze fixed at her face.
For a moment Khushi felt a painful yearning prick her heart at the thought of someone looking at her like the old man was looking at his wife. Then on the next moment she shook her head to dismiss the thought from her mind. The mission, she had to concentrate on her mission as she couldn't take a chance to be waylaid from it by her stupid yearning thoughts, she thought and pasting a fake smile over her lips turned to look into Arnav's face who fake or real, wasn't smiling at all. "The lies suits you well princess", it was said in such a low voice that only she could hear it. Did the man somehow get a hint of her plan? she missed a heart beat at the thought.
No way, he couldn't know it, nobody knew it, she hadn't even involved Josh in it, who must be now wandering across the whole Taj like a deserted ghost, in search of her. Poor him, she thought feeling a little bad for her boyfriend but she couldn't take the risk of involving him in her plan, otherwise the devil would have overpowered her if he would have somehow gotten a little hint as to what her plan was.
As the lift jerked to a stop on the fifth floor, the old couple got out leaving both of them behind, engaged in a heated eye lock. "Oh yeah, what did you suggest than should I have told them the real reason to why we are here?", she gritted her teeth. "And what do you think we are here for?", he raised one arrogant eyebrow. Khushi seethed watching a devilish smirk curling across his lips. The devil knew very well the reason for which he had called her to meet him in the hotel, but if he still wanted to hear the reason from her mouth inorder to satisfy his ego than she would give him that satisfaction.
At that instant the lift pinging to a halt announced their sixth floor, but they were so engrossed in their conversation that they ignored the sliding doors...
Her angry eyes locked with his mocking ones, Khushi raised a hand and folded all of her fingers, including the thumb towards her palm, leaving only the middle finger to stand erect. "To f***k of course, or do you have something else in your mind", she raised a challenging eyebrow and calmly shoved her middle finger beneath his nose in a crude signature move. "Very good my pet, I am impressed", he caught her wriggling finger in his merciless ones, bending it too towards her palm, like its other folded siblings. He didn't look taken aback by her crudity, infact he looked as if he was enjoying being engaged with her in a heated conversation.
"Don't call me your pet, and how dared you give me a slave bracelet", she hissed much to his added amusement. "And if you'll dare to ask me another question again princess I swear I'll shut your mouth with a kiss, cameras or not", he mocked. In reaction she jerked back, sliding her finger from his hold, her face heating up as he gave a short mocking laugh.
As people started to get inside the lift, Arnav caught Khushi's hand and almost dragged her outside...
Gupta House 10:00 pm
"Khushi isn't coming down for dinner?", Shashi asked, tearing a piece out of his roti. Garima silently passed him the bowl of curry as he signaled for it, then shifted back on her seat. "No", she answered simply, taking out a fresh roti from the hotpot and placing it in her plate. "Why", he asked, signaling the butler to pour a glass of water for him. "Leave it I will do it", she waved a dismissive hand to the butler, who bent his head obediently than hurried outside. "She went for dinner with Josh", she said giving him a glass of water.
"What?", Shashi straightened in his chair. "How many times I have told you not to let her go alone at late time parties or dinners", angrily he threw back the bit of roti in the plate, which he was holding between his fingers. Garima heaved a deep sigh then getting up on her feet, she went to stand behind him. "Shashi, she is not alone Josh is with her", placing her hands over his shoulders, she tried to massage the muscles loose which had grown taut with anger.
"That's the problem Garima, Josh is a man after all, what if he tried to do something to our daughter", he frowned. "Why do you worry so much Shashi, she is not a kid anymore, she can take care of herself", coming out from behind her husband's chair she dragged her chair near him and holding his hands in hers, sat consoling him. "That's the main problem Garima, she is a young girl a very rebellious young girl, she don't understand how the world goes, she just wants to make it go around her", he snapped snatching his hands from her hold to throw them exasperatedly in the air.
"Shashi, just listen to me dear, let her enjoy her life, the rebellion won't last long, she is only 20, when she will grow a little she will sober up", she tried to reason with him in a gentle voice. His appetite gone he pushed the chair back and got up to his feet. "Garima I am not against her enjoying her life, it just pains me the way she ignores us, as if we are not her parents but her enemies", he pinched the bridge of his nose, then rubbed a hand across his forehead and temples as dull ache began to pound painfully at his temples.
"She doesn't ignore us, she is just too busy in her life", her voice sounded lame even to her own ears. "Ha, busy, I don't know", he gave a sarcastic laugh. "Accept it Garima, our child doesn't love us, she never did", his voice was tired, his shoulders hunched as he headed outside, dragging his defeated feet behind him. Her husband's parting words echoing inside her ear, Garima closed her eyes. It was the stark truth and she couldn't turn away from it, even if she wanted to...
Her breath left her body in a whoosh as Arnav slammed her against the wall, crushing her breasts with his body. He hadn't bothered to switch on the lights, as they had reached inside the room, but she could detect a dangerous glitter in his eyes in the low light of the bed-side lamp as his face hovered above hers. "Wait", she put a hand over his chest, trying to hold him at bay. Her heart had started to pound mercilessly inside her ribcage and nervous sweat was beginning to form over her skin.
"Wait for what princess, didn't you say that you came here for a f***k", he tugged a wayward curl of her hairs. The plan which she had thought would be easy to accomplish had suddenly started to feel like a foolish trick, which she had just pulled on her life. She was reckless, but never with men, or to be more specifically with dangerous men like Arnav. However she had tried to deny their attraction, she couldn't deny that he held some sort of charismatic quality, which affected her like a magnet pulling her towards it. She wasn't able to fight him, he made her weak, made her body betray her, just like now he was doing it to her.
His heated glance was making her go weak at knees and it dawned on her then that she had committed the worst mistake of her life by coming with him to this hotel room. "Yes...but", she swallowed. "But what princess", he arched a questioning eyebrow, his fingers playing with the opening of her top. "Don't you think we should have a drink first, I badly find myself in need of a drink", Khushi ran out her tongue over her dry lips. "But a drink wasn't included in our deal", he said quietly, his hands now busy in tracing the edges of her brassiere through the cloth of her top.
"I confess that I wanted a f***k, but can't it be a good f***k, a drink will loosen me up, I feel a little uptight right now", she fidgeted, her breath hitching up in her throat, as he moved the back of her hand over the sliver of flesh visible between her top and mini skirt. "Don't you want to have a good f***"?, she asked cautiously as he didn't answer for a long time. Releasing a deep sigh, he moved away from the wall against which he was trapping her bodily. "Okay princess, but just one drink", he said warningly, shaking one finger to emphasize his point.
"Thank you", she smiled, looking at him teasingly. For a second before he turned towards the phone to order for a drink, she could swear that she saw a hint of the same demonic light in his eyes which she had seen entering in his pupils last night in her college, when he had told her that he didn't want her body, but wanted her soul...
"Wine not to your liking, princess", he asked, slowly twirling the liquid in his goblet. "No, no it's perfectly fine, I just drink slowly to savor the wine's taste, so nothing", she blurted, feeling suddenly foolish as his hooded gaze surveyed her in a way which looked to her as if he was trying to find for chinks beneath her armor. They were sitting on the bed, with a nervous Khushi sitting near Arnav who was reclining against the head board in a casual manner, his unnerving gaze fixed on Khushi who was holding the stem of her goblet so tightly between her fingers that he wouldn't be surprised if it would snap under the pressure.
The plan Khushi, remember the plan, she mentally berated herself. Now, she heaved a deep breath and left the hold on her goblet. "Oh", she gave a surprised shriek as the wine spilled over her clothes, staining the pristine white bed sheet a pink color. "I am so sorry", she started to apologize at once, looking at Arnav through the corner of her eyes. Who straightened up at once from his reclining position and lifted the goblet away from the bed, where it had fallen down.
"Nothing happened princess, it's not your fault, sometimes it happens", he placed his own half-filled goblet on the bedside table than pulling out a handkerchief from his coat pocket started to bloat the excess from his bed sheet. "Still I should have been careful", she gave a fake groan. "Wait your handkerchief is not enough, I should give you some tissues too", she added hastily then lifting her purse from the settee, she rummaged inside for tissues. Pulling out a small pack of tissues from her purse, she didn't forget to pull out some capsules from the inside pocket...
Hiding the little capsules inside her palm, Khushi held out the tissue pack to Arnav, who took it from her hand and turned towards the bed again. Stealing a look at his back, she slowly and noiselessly shifted near the bedside table, then holding her palm above the glass of his wine, she opened it. Several capsules fell inside the goblet, sinking to the bottom at once, some bubbles escaped to the surface as they started to dissolve but soon they vanished too together with the capsules...
Now the devil would answer all of her questions, after drinking the spiked drink and then coming around to his senses to find himself tied to the bed, trapped in his own game...
"It's done", Arnav said, getting up from the bed to throw the soiled tissues in the bin. Lifting up his goblet, she held it out to him with a fake smile pasted over her face. "Leave it, the housekeeping staff will look into it", she waved a careless hand. "I don't think that I would drink more, leave it on the bedside table princess", shrugging off his coat, he placed it on the back of the settee. "Arrey why not, infact why don't you pour me a half glass too, we will both toast to each other's good health what say you", she winked at him. For a moment he stood silently, his head cocked to one side, looking at her beaming face with a shrewd look on his face.
"Sure princess, there is no reason that we shouldn't toast", his face relaxed into a semblance of calm, a teasing twinkle replacing the calculating look in his eyes. Lifting the bottle of wine from it's bucket he filled her goblet to half, then held it out to her. "Thanks", taking the goblet from his hand, she threw him a thankful smile, to which he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Why don't you message to Josh or your parents that you won't be able to come home tonight, the poor man must be searching for you downwards and I don't want him or your father to come breaking down the door of our room", he said quietly, staring into the depth of his goblet.
"Ah yes Josh, I totally forget him", she groaned, smacking her forehead. "Wait, I'll tell him", placing back her glass on the bedside table she turned towards the settee while Arnav moved to sit on the bed again. "I have gone to Angie on an urgent business by taking a taxi to her home, forgot to tell you, tell my parent's too cause I don't have much balance to call or message them", clicking on the send button, she gave a satisfied smile then hurried back towards Arnav...
Lifting her goblet from the bedside table, Khushi settled near Arnav. Taking little sips of her wine she watched him with a satisfied smirk as he drank the last from his goblet. Soon, very soon he will fall down in a dead faint, then the victory will be mine, she thought confidently. "You know princess I wanted to tell you something from a long time", placing his empty goblet on the table, he turned to face her, leaning his back against the headboard.
"What", she said, turning towards him. Why did she feel as if the earth was moving a little or maybe it was the feeling of euphoria at her victory which was making her feel like this? But wait even the devil's face was dancing a little infront of her eyes, maybe he was feeling dizzy because of the spiked wine, she thought grinning stupidly.
"That you are very nave princes, recklessly nave", he was back in his mocking mode or maybe the wine was causing this. "Why do you think that?", her voice was slurry. Why the hell everything was starting to blur before her eyes, did she drank too much wine, no, no she had a very strong tolerance towards wine, she remembered suddenly.
"Because you always manage to fall in your own trap", the devil was grinning, his white teeth were dancing infront of her horrified eyes, looking like sharp incisors of a carnivore. The wine dripped from them, or was it blood, she shook her head to steady the shaking room in her mind, but to no avail. Swaying she got up to her feet, but stumbled at once.
She would have fallen if Arnav hadn't leapt up from the bed to hold her arm. The goblet spilled from her hand to fall at her feet, spilling red wine like droplets of blood across the light brown carpet. "Tuh, tuh princess spilling your drink again, so clumsy of you", he jeered, looking into her fearful eyes, a twisted smile twitching at the corner of his lips.
She shook her head, trying to straighten the blurry lines appearing across her vision, but to no avail. As he withdrew his hold from her arm and her knees buckled beneath her weight it dawned on her on a horrified thought that he had never drunk the spiked drink at all. "How did you know?", she choked, lifting her dizzy head to focus on Arnav's face, who was towering above her, like an avenging God his feet apart, head cocked to one side and his arms folded across his powerful chest, enjoying her plight with a devil's victorious smirk illuminating his face.
"I always knew princess", his amused smile vanished to be replaced by the ruthless mask that he always wore on his face. "You b***d, what did you do?", she sputtered, trying to get up by anchoring herself against his leg, but only managed to topple on her back over the carpet. "Curse as much as you want princess, but you only brought that on yourself, I did nothing except to swap the glasses back to their original place", he snorted going on his haunches near her fallen body.
Feeling the tempo of her heart thudding crazily in her rib cage, the world going haywire before her blurry eye and every single breath like a twisted knife embedded in her wind pipe she felt him catching her jaw in a vise like grip, to lift it upward. Before she fell down in the black tunnel of his eyes, the last words that her fuzzy mind caught were the devil whispering, "Checkmate princess".
And as she fell into the tunnel, she could hear the wail of her mind, echoing inside her ears, her closing eyes capturing the sight of his features twisted in a demonic mask and his eyes lit with an unholy glint, hiding nothing and revealing all...
It was the greatest mistake of her life tangling with the devil player, whose intention had always been to drag her with him to purgatory so she would pay for her sins...
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