ARSHI FF: DEEPLY CONNECTED (Chap 9 - Pg 49)(02/08) - Page 14

She stretched herself and rolled over the bed and rubbed her hands over her face when she smelled something unusual. It took a couple of minutes for her to linearize her thoughts and Khushi woke up with a jerk. She sat on her bed staring at her mehendi filled hands. It had dropped at many places and the color was already a dark red. It was her wedding today. She had scene him for an hour on their Sangeet. Both had sat next to each other. Their proximity fueled many thoughts leaving her puzzled every time. She did not want to ponder so much at least today. Rightly her mother asked her to get ready for Haldi. She had a quick shower and decked herself in a yellow colored lehenga with zardosi work. Garima Gupta helped her sit on a low raised stool and admired Khushi who was already glowing. The ladies around teased her as their eyes fell on her dark mehendi. She wasn't sure if she was actually blushing or just feeling uncomfortable with all that was happening around. She saw herself in front of the mirror after a couple of hours and her mouth opened wide. She was literally smothered with haldi all over her face, neck and hands. Without wasting a another second she stepped in to the washroom to get rid of the paste of her body shaking her head.

It was around 4 in the evening when a couple of people from AR office had come over to her place with her lehenga. People around gossiped when employees came over for dropping the lehenga. She felt a prick in her heart at their comments and did not know why was she feeling bad. Her father came to rescue and shushed all the women and asked her to get ready soon. An hour passed quickly and the beautician had come over to help her. She helped Khushi wear the lehenga. None of her dresses earlier had this kind of perfection. There wasn't one place where the fitting looked odd. It was deep maroon raw silk lehenga with zardosi motives hand embroidered all around. Densely embroidered contrasting bottle green velvet border on the hemline accentuated with embroidered motifs. Blouse was a short raw silk with U neck with embroidery along the borders and a deep overlap back. Duppata was deep maroon net with booties along with the bottle green velvet border with heavy embroidery and big tassles and golus. Her milky waist stood against the deep maroon and every aspect of the lehenga highlighted her beauty. it was one heavy lehenga she let out a heavy breath. Those who ever visited her in her room couldn't stop themselves from praising how beautiful she looked and the grandeur of the lehenga she was wearing. She let out a sigh after every compliment. Soon it was time for her to wear the duppatta over her head and walked down the isle and join him at the mandap.

She walked down the stairs extra careful with her head down holding on to the skirt and lifting it just a little exposing her mehendi clad feet. She could see the unshed tears in her parents eyes through the veil and she craned her neck just a little when she saw him in a maroon velvet tie-dye sherwani with thread buttons with a matching churidhar. And the duppata of the sherwani was carelessly hanging on his shoulders. His clean shaven face and his hair lightly gelled and was set behind. He was looking smoking hot even from far. Just at that sight her heart galloped like a horse that made her feel more nervous and sweaty. Her parents took her in a hug and led her to the dias. They passed on the garland to the couple hands. Her's was shivering unusually and his musky perfume was making her all feel dizzy. She came a little forward and made him wear the garland with her trembling hands. It was his turn this time. He stepped on step forward and garlanded her neck and his hands grazed her neck making her jump on her place. He caught her with his strong hands and she felt like a feather to touch. His design felt meek against her porcelain like body. For the first time someone was testing his designing skills he thought but felt proud the way the lehenga fitted her perfect figure. Both sat down before the holy fire and her parents sat near her for kanyadhan. Once that was complete he tied the mangalsutra around her neck and she shed a tear as it was happening. It so happened that as he withdrew his hands from her neck it rubbed near her eyes wiping away the tears off her eyes. She once again felt herself going stiff against his touch. The pandit offered the vermillon to Arnav which he placed on her maang carefully not wanting to spoil her face unknown to him. They stood up for pheres and both walked around the holy fire as the pandit explained the reason. Both of them performed the ritual without paying much attention to what was being said. It was their infinite sexual attention for each other driving them insane at present. Soon they were announced married. Time had indeed come for her farewell. She hugged her parents for life and sobbed. After staying in their warmth she walked out of the house with him who had not said a word of comfort till the very second. On the other side there was Anjali who was saying everything would calm down but she was well wary about everything for mysterious reasons.

The following drive to the Raizada mansion was extremely silent. That was her first time as well. She had visited his office but not his house yet. After a relatively easy ride they stopped at the tall iron gates which had her eyes growing wide. If his office was huge then this looked almost like a palace to her from outside. The mansion was beautifully lit against the night background. Anjali called her twice to help her come out of her trance and asked her to get down. Both of them followed Anjali who asked them to stop at the door while she take their aarti which was prepared already. After which Khushi entered in his arms after kicking the kalash filled with rice gently. She was taken to the mandir at the house and after paying her due respects she was guided towards their parents portrait. She once again stood like a statue before it. For the first time she saw Arnav folding his arms in a small prayer and even Anjali did the same. But she stood careless. She still couldn't bring herself to look at her parents with the same respect. She did pay respect to her in laws but walked away when it came to her parents leaving behind a furious Arnav and a sad Anjali who asked him to calm down.

It was their first night. Anjali helped her sit on the bed and the veil covered her face. The room was a beautiful one indeed. It did not have much colors but the huge french doors reflected a lot of moonlight that flooded the room. The room had three different exits. One that was leading to a beautiful backyard with a pool, another to a huge study which looked like another room and the other exit which was the entrance to the room. She sat on the bed hugging her knees and her face on her knees waiting for him least interested. It almost seemed like eternity when he stepped foot in to his room. Her floral perfume along with the flowery creepers around the bed perfumed his room which was only used to his musky aroma. He moved the flower strings aside and got on the bed seeking answers from her and to explain things. To ease things he placed his hands over hers and she withdrew her hands from them turning stiff. He wasn't used to any kind of rejection and here it was his so called wife who was withdrawing herself even at his little touch. Anger shot through once again. He rashly removed the veil off her face and the moonlight fell directly on her face making her glow like another moon. He felt himself loosing to her innocent beauty. He fisted his palm controlling his attraction and cleared his throat trying to get her attention

"Listen I don't want to see you not respecting our parents. I don't care about what you feel for them but they are the ones I respect and I expect you to do the same" he said.

She stared at him for a couple of seconds

"I do respect. And just yours. I don't feel the need to clear myself anymore" she shot back and got out of the bed trying to fetch her change of clothes.

"Khushi Kumari Gupta is your name and you better learn to love and respect your parents" he argued trying not to shout as advised by his sister.

"It's Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada now. I don't need to respect someone who gave me away like I was some trash just because you and your parents wanted them with you. You can't go around ordering everyone at least not me" she yelled back.

He got out of the bed and walked towards her and grabbed her by her arms and pinned her to the wall

"This will be the last time. And you will be Mrs. Raizada the day you respect and learn about who your parents were really are. Till then keep yourself away from my bed" he spoke dangerously and walked in to the washroom fetching his night clothes.

She pulled her night dress and walked in to the study which looked no less than another bedroom and changed for the night and settled on the low rise divan waiting for sleep to take over. He freshened up himself and entered the room and found his study open. He walked to his study and saw her sleeping on the divan. He did not bother anymore and got back to his room and settled in bed and closed his eyes shut.