ArshiFF#6 THE SEED OF PASSION,Ch 53,p.134, 20Feb - Page 34

Thank you all for your lovely responses to the last chapter and the teaser.

I am once again posting the video here for those who were interested in knowing what Hang Gliding is all about before you read the crucial chapter.

Chapter 49

Falling in love

"Okay Khushi are you ready to rock?" Arnav smirked at Khushi as he wore his brown leather gloves and flexed his fingers.. Khushi looked down, well past the green valley towards the steep slope below her. They were standing some 30 feet away from the edge of the cliff and that was their glider's launching pad.

The cool mountain air hit her and she shivered.

"Are you feeling cold? Nervous?" Arnav's voice immediately dropped to a muted concern and his brown jelly eyes clouded with a strange misty look.

Khushi stared into the brown depths and felt silly. As long as he was with her she had nothing to worry about she knew. She shook her head limply and smiled weakly at him.

"No I am okay...as long as you are with me..." she mumbled softly dipping her swan like white neck. A wavy strand of her glossy hair broke free of her ponytail and caressed her pink cheeks. Arnav stared at the beautiful sight before him and then reaching out twirled the mischievous strand around his index finger and gently tucked it behind her ear.

She startled at the warm touch of his fingers and gushed as a heat rose within her at his slight touch of her skin.

"I will be there for you...hamesha Khushi...do you doubt me?"

How could she doubt him! He looked like a demi God, her guardian angel standing askance below the huge glider wings. She suppressed down the desire to throw herself in his arms there and then. Get a hold on yourself girl, she admonished herself.

She shook her head in the negative, words failing her as his eyes bore down into her soul, asking intimate questions.

"Then come closer..." he said in a husky whisper, "Let me strap you along with myself to the frame...then you will have nothing to fear."

Khushi's throat felt dry and she licked her parched lips. There was no escape now. They were in this together. And anyway who wanted to escape?!

She patted her well fitting black costume nervously, unaware that the costume was enhancing and complimenting her curves and Arnav was trying unsuccessfully to look away.

"Aman is there something you are not telling me!" Aakash put his bag in the overhead luggage space and sank down besides Aman who looked at his watch for the n th time since they had reached the airport.

"Ahhh...no...nothing really Aakash sir," Aman said avoiding Aakash's curious gaze.

Aakash shrugged his shoulders in frustration."Stop calling me Aakash sir, for God's sake! I told you to call me just Aakash! And Aman tell me the truth, is my bhai in bigger danger than the family thinks?"

Aman said in a hushed voice, "It is quite possible Aakash...Shyam is a snake...I hope we are not too late!"

"What are you saying Aman? Was bhai not aware of this danger?"

"Yes he was but he had a purpose...a mission in Darjeeling...!"

Aakash looked at him with growing concern and pleaded with his eyes for Aman to continue his statement..."A mission to find out the truth about his mother's murder..."

When Aakash continued to look at him aghast, Aman continued, "As soon as we touch Darjeeling I will track down ASR, don't worry! In the meanwhile my men are trying to isolate Rahim chacha from his niece, Naira Usman. ASR thinks Rahim chacha holds the key, the secret to what happened in Sheeshmahal on that fatal day..."

"I know Ajit Mallik's evil designs very well! If he is involved I can say without a doubt he can go to any length to keep his secret a secret..." Aakash's voice held a suppressed anger. After all his Nani and his parents had lived in the fear of the Malliks for so many years, being forced also to cut off ties with Arnav bhai and Anjali di...

But no longer, he pledged as the plane took off! He would stand by his cousins the rest of his life! And Payalji would be really delighted, he thought! That is the sort of loyalty she expects in a person..."

The very thought of Payal lit up Aakash's face.

She stood still holding her breath as his strong arms drew her to him and his quick warm fingers strapped her petite frame to his manly one.

The air between them had a strange sexual tenion and both felt it.

Arnav cleared his throat in a way of clearing the tension and said by way of making the process of hang gliding smoother to Khushi, "See Khushi I am suspended from the keel, this equates to the glider wings being affixed to my back, my body is a part of the air craft and by shifting my weight on the A' frame I will control direction. And since you are strapped to me you go where I go!"

Ther is no where else I want to be Khushi smiled inwardly, his close proximity warming her soul.

"What fun! I will be ina away piggy riding you Arnav!" she said laughing slightly "Like good old days, remember?"

"You almost broke my back then!" Arnav exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"I did not!" Khushi laughed openly at his expression.

"Anyway your back is no longer small now...it is..."she bit her lower lip to stop her flow of words. She was going to say it is broad, well toned and strong now, I love to see the miscles rippling on your back through your shirt. Hey Devi Maiyya! What am I thinking! What is wrong with me! I knowhow dangerous it is to come close to this man!
"Khushi are you ready to run down the cliff for take off?" his gentle voice invaded her ears. She nodded her head and closing her eyes wrapped her arms around his waist. Hey devi maiyya, raksha karna, she chanted.

Arnav laughed merrily and rubbed his hands over hers.

I am with you, to protect you, don't forget that!" he murmured into her ear softly.

Khushi opened her eyes and the cool mountain air hit her in gushes as her small feet ran in tandem to to Arnav's pace and they ran down the cliff.

As they neared the edge, Khushi let out a large scream and they jumped off the cliff.

Yaaa" Khushi shrieked as they plummeted down into space and suddenly they were pulled up by the huge wings flapping above them.

Naira wiped the beads of sweat trickling down her neck! Rahim chacha was nowhere to be found. She had checked every room of their small house thrice, he was not there in the attic or the small shed that housed the water pump. Where the hell was he then! Was he angry with her decision about shifting houses! She knew he did not like resettling in a new place agan and again but she had to do the bidding of the Malliks and that Shyam was always breathing down her neck. He had sent message to her that he would be taking Rahim chacha and her to a safer place! It seemed someone was behind Rahim chacha! Someone who wanted to find out the age old secret of the murder at Sheeshmahal! Who was that! Naita wondered angrily. Maybe this person had kidnapped Rahim chacha! How would she face Shyam! He would eat her alive!

Khushi decided she quiet liked the breeze patting her pink cheeks and turning them rosy but she was still afraid to look down. She clutched on to Arnav, pressing herself against inside their glider bag and feeling elated in the osmosis of gentle protective warmth flowing from him to her. The sunrays hit her hazel eyes and she ducked her face behind Arnav's back and peeping behind him, into the vast blue expanse and smiled mischievously at the dancing teasing rays that were playing with her.

Arnav sighed happily , feeling her against his length and shifted his body weight, using it as a lever to navigate the glider westwards. He brushed his cheeks against hers sideways and raised his thumb in the universal reassuring sign and pointed towards the left just below them. Khushi turned her head in reflex though gingerly, still getting used to the gentle whoosh of the air around her...

Hey Devi maiyya...her eyes opened up like saucers and her lips formed the famous O' for suddenly from down below the mountains rose to her eye level, glowing in the afternoon sun like huge piles of sparkling lustrous pearls! They looked close enough to touch and Khushi stretched her hand in awe...

Arnav looked at Khushi's dumbstruck face and smiled. She was definitely having the experience of her life and her eyes gleamed with unshed joyful tears. Unknowingly Arnav placed a protective hand on her head. Khushi turned her head slowly and placed a quick warm kiss on his cold rough cheek!

"Hayye re Nand Kisore!" Buaji tightened the scarf round her head to suppress the pain which seemed to soar at the news coverage on television!

"Hayye re Nand Kisor what to do with this girl! Hayye re nand Kisor! Arrey dekho to Sasi babua!!" Buaji's voice rose a few decibels as she slapped her head.

Shashi Gupta who was used to his elder sister's nautanki sighed. "Jiji what are you going on muttering!"He glanced at her from from the edge of his newspaper.

"Hayye re Nand Kisore!" Buaji now leaped from the sofa nad jumped up in the air!

"Arrey Sasi babua ,don't stare at me! Look at the TV and see what your beloved sanka daughter is up to with that sasura Raizad!")

"What are you saying Jiji?" Shashi Gupta placed the newspaper on the table before him and looked at his sister quizzically.

"Hum nahi TV bolat hai, Nand Kisor! I had warned you not to allow NK to take Khushi some khatarnak gameswa competition in Darjeeling! Now look at her standing with this khatarnak Arnav Singh Raizada who is beating up the poor reporters!"

"Hayye re nand Kisore I knew that sankadevi would never be able to lead a normal life but even I didn't know that she would join the Raizada gang and become a goondi (anti social) and beat up the poor channel reporters! And Kamlesh Khabri is my favourite!" Madhumati cried in distress.

Sashi Gupta's forehead creased and he pressed his spectacles to his nose with his index finger and stared attentively at the television. He had to wait only a few seconds before they repeated the news again.

Indeed Arnav singh Raizada had a stern expression on his face and was punching a weird looking man. And in the background among many other people he could see Khushi standing with a shocked and pained expression on her face.

He could make out from the mountains in the background that was a shot was taken in Darjeeling.

"I think maybe Arnav bitwa has also gone to Darjeeling with Khushi and NK, " Shashi Gupta muttered.

"But why is he punching people to death with Khushi besides him?" Madhumati wailed. "She must be so terrified, my Titaliya!"

"Jiji I am worried too..." Shashi gupta conceded.

"Please call Anjali Raizadaand find out what is happening, Hayye re Nand Kisor!" Buaji held her head in both hands and wailed again.

Arnav perhaps felt the rumble before he actually heard it! What the ! Dammit! It sounded as the rumble of dark rain laden clouds and Arnav peered in the westward direction where the noise had sounded. He shifted the frame towards the left to have a better look at the sky expanding towards their left. And there it was again! He heard it unmistakably. He blinked his eyes to clear them and there they were...dark clouds far far away in the distance but by the growing approaching sound it was obvious that they were moving fast towards them!

In a matter of minutes the glider would be rocking in their midst Arnav's sharp brain calculated with horror! Dammit! there was no time to ground the glider and run for safety. They would have to face the brunt of the advancing storm!

But he could not let Khushi face this danger! No way! But how could he protect her now! Why wasn't he told about the inclement weather! He would have never risked Hang Gliding in this weather! Was he not told on purpose! His body became stiff with anger!

"Hey Devi Maiyya! Arnav did you see that !" Khushi's terrorized voice invaded his train of thoughts. "the...the...clouds are coming towards us..." The strange feeling that all was not right pervaded Khushi again. She knew now what danger her instincts had been warning her against!

"Has ASR's glider taken off?" Shyam spoke cheerfully into the phone.

The voice at the other had less cause to be cheerful "Yes Sir, I had tampered with the glider that ASR was supposed to fly. But the smart alec told the manager that he wanted to make his own choice and the manager could not refuse the most powerful business tycoon of India!"

Shyam gave a short menancing laugh, "I knew! I knew! My saale sahab is not the one to forget the accident with the tampered hot balloon! So I had a plan B ready!"

Shyam's man was relieved. He hated to anger his boss because in rage he became a monster!

"You are the best, boss!" he said flattering Shyam.

"Do you have any doubt? Shyam snarled at him. "It was very simple and brilliant plan.! Hang gliding practice session had been stopped due to an impending storm. I called up the manager pretending to be ASR's P.A., requesting him to allow ASR show off in front of his girlfriend only for a few minutes. And the stupid manager agreed. I promised him I would ground them before the storm struck! To help him make up his mind there was a handsome online money transfer to his account too!" Shyam laughed evilly and continued,

"Arnav loves being with him mother doesn't he? Well that is where I am sending my dear saale sahib...forever!Au revoir Saale sahib! Sorry ex saale sahib...you did compel me to sign the divorce papers in jail, didn't you?" Shyam guffawed like a hyena. But now with you dead and gone, your poor Di will have no option but to fall back on her dear Shyamji...and your companies and your wealth and empire all shall be mine...only mine!"

Arnav clutched Khushi to his heart, shielding her from the storm that hit them like pelting rocks. It was well nigh impossible to navigate the glider through the hard wind. In a moment the glider will surely overturn, Arnav thought desperately looking at the aviometer attached to the glider , whose needle was springing from one end to the other. The radio was not catching signal. All in all the situation was totally hopeless!

The wind wailed around them like a banishee, whipping their bodies in a an scary ritual dance.

Khushi raised her head and stared bleary eyed into his bloodshot eyes. Arnav tightened his embrace on her, guilt and anger dripping on his face. How had he managed to land his Khushi in this situation where her very life was at stake! You, you egotistic, hot headed, arrogant, careless Arnav Singh Raizada, you alone are responsible he cursed himself!

He remembered how Khushi had tried to point out to him that it was strange that there were hardly any gliders in the sky but he had ignored her. All other competitors must have been told about the impending storm and they must have stopped their practice session. It was obvious that he had not been told the same deliberately. He had no doubt now that Shyam and Ajit Mallik was behind this! He was well aware that they wanted to cause harm to him. All the more reason for him to be extremely careful especially when Khushi was with him! But he had done the very opposite! He had lost his cool with the reporter, disclosed his location to Shyam and now he was facing the consequences.

But he cared a damn for himself!

All he was worried about was the petite figure trembling in his arms, the wind was dragging her to and fro, her legs were swaying wildly in the wind and he dammit was helpless! Yet she clutched on to him for dear life, taking refuge in him, her life depending on him...

"You will be fine Khushi, I promise," he whispered into her hair, kissing it, stroking her cheeks , trying to reassure her though a rising fear was building up inside him. Tears of anguish filled his eyes. "Maa help me save khushi...maa please..." he murmured a prayer to his mother. A strange calm pervaded him as he prayed...it was not since his mother's death that Arnav Singh Raizada had prayed...

Suddenly they were imprisoned in a dark rushing cloud and the glider overturned. Arnav heard Khushi scream as they were plunged in the darkness..."Aa...rrr...nnaaavvv...!"

Her voice seemed to disappear down below in the dark. No...no...how could this happen...why was khushi screaming...she couldn't fall...he had her in his arms...he thought he had her in his arms...or...senses were slowly becoming numb...he couldn't feel anything...see anything...the strong wind was rushing past his ears like a torpedo...its howling sound was the last he heard...before darkness enveloped him...

What the! ASR opened his eyes in a flash! He may lack many qualities but in no way was ASR a weakling! Long ago life had punished him and once burnt in the fire he had emerged strong and dark like iron and all the hammerings of life could not break him! He had since written his destiny with his own hands and today all the force in the world would not be able to separate him from his Khushi...

He felt the blood flowing in his limbs again and with renewed strength to his limbs, he heaved Khushi's glider bag that had become unstrapped from his own. He pulled and pulled tying the strap to his wrists, his knuckles whitening, his breath coming in pants till Khushi's sweet face came in view... pale and unconscious...he wound the dangling strap around his fist and pulled at her with all his strength, till she was finally at level with him.

"Khushi...Khushi..." he cried slapping her face like a mad man, "Tum theek ho?"

Khushi let out a small moan...and that was enough for Arnav...she was alive...she was with him, tears streamed down his face...nothing else seemed to matter...except her

"I love you Khushi, I love you dammit ...don't you dare leave me, samjhi tum?" he kissed her wildly all over her face and then sighinfg deeply he took her pale pink lip petals into his mouth, breathing life into her, filling her with all the love in his soul...as they fell into a dark howling abyss...thir bodies and hearts beating in unison to the topsy turvy tune of love and possible death...

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Do let me know what do you think the fate of Arnav and Khushi will be in the 50th golden chapter. I have reached so far thanks to all of you my readers and friends🤗. Your presence and your comments are like precious pearls with which I weave my stories😃

Good that they are safe.. Nice update..

Nice update

Gliding was fun till both entered the storm.Arnav didn't pay attention to Khsushi's words and flew with her.Thank God they are safe.

Awesome update
Loved it
Shyam z so evil

Wow great story please update soon

amazing journey wish could see it on screen

Hope they land safely can't wait for the next chapter...

wow superb update loved it thank you for pm.

Superb update dear.. Hope both are safe.. Please update soon