KHUSHI by Jalebi Jane (EPISODE 025)
"IT SEEMS THAT I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU."
It was done.
Arnav Singh Raizada had given voice to what he had denied to himself for months. The fiction was over. Over.
The struggle to maintain a stultifying facade of interested-indifference. Finished.
The anguish of resisting his desire to draw her fully into every part of himself. Evaporated.
Most of all---the doubt towards Khushi generated by Shyam's venomous words. That too was finally gone. And, ironically, it had all come down to that scoundrel. Last night, when Shyam realized Khushi was a wife-in-full, he implied she had settled for Arnav only after he told her he intended to make a life with Di and their child. But something had rung false. Arnav had always criticized Khushi for following her heart blindly---if so, why would such a woman settle for anyone but her deepest desire? And when Khushi had declared her love in the parking lot last night---in that quintessential Khushi way---Arnav realized she had loved him long before their wedding. It was quite possible she had spent more time loving him than he had spent denying her.
"Bad news!" his feisty wife snapped. "Well, I'm very sorry for you. I'm sure you will soon recover and-and-" she couldn't continue. Her hand flew to her forehead. In a moment she would march away in an angry cloud of pink deliciousness.
She had to be stopped.
"Listen to me, Khushi---" he said, as he reached for her hand. But she refused to give her hand. Instead she gave him a withering you-are-never-touching-me-again look.
He explained, "---I meant this spells bad news for you. Not me. I'll be fine."
Her eyebrows gathered and she crossed her arms in the same way he often did. "Kya?" she asked. Her tone still guarded, but also curious.
"Look what happened this morning. I was controlling, rigid, overbearing---"
"Rude and arrogant!" Khushi added.
"Yes, all of the above---do you not see? This is the behavioural pattern of an Arnav Singh Raizada in love with a Khushi Kumari Gupta."
Khushi's arms dropped to her sides, and she listened.
"I'll be fine---but for you it will only become more difficult," Arnav pointed out. "Every time you resist, I'll fight to control you. You saw that today. And I'll always win. There is no limit to what I will do if it's about you. I'll hurt you, even if it hurts me more. I'll exhaust you, Khushi..."
His words now flowed freely. There was nothing to hide.
And since he had her silent attention (a rare occurrence) he continued. Let her hear all the ugliness. "All those times, each time I hurt you, it was because I wanted you and so I punished you for it. I got engaged to Lavanya so I would stop thinking of you. And she ended our engagement because she knew it was always you that I wanted. I even tricked you into marrying me again two days ago, so you wouldn't leave after six months. And after you left the office today, I called the driver and told him to take you directly home. Then I called the front gate security and told them not to let you off the property under any circumstances. And it will only get worse for you, not easier."
Khushi looked shell-shocked. So shocked that when Arnav took her hand this time, she didn't resist. With his thumb, he stroked her ring finger where their engagement ring sparkled. "Tum seh paogi, Khushi?" he asked, more serious than he had ever been.
IN THAT MOMENT, SHE UNDERSTOOD what people meant when they said, be careful what you pray for.' She had longed and prayed for Arnav to return her love. And, finally he had declared it.
But, Arnav Singh Raizada's love---would she flourish in it or would it end her? She looked down at her small hand held by his strong hand and her heart swelled with both bottomless pleasure and rising trepidation. After everything he had done and told her he would continue to do---should she run, as he advised? A dreadful day like today---would this happen every few days? If she left now, he would not prevent her, because he was giving her a choice.
He was asking: Could she endure his love?<
She could say no'---she really ought to say no.' He was spelling out the terms of this contract and all she could foresee was clash after clash. They would surely kill each other.
So she did what she had to do. She went straight into his arms.
HE CAUGHT HER CLOSE. Her cheek pressed to his warm skin, listening to the dhak-dhak of this difficult beautiful infuriating man. The fear remained but the love expanded to envelop it. It was their first real embrace, and it had come after they had already explored so much intimate territory. But wasn't that their way of doing things? A little out of order, but precisely at the right time. They were interrupted by the pealing of the front door bell. Khushi stepped away but he pulled her back.
"You don't have to answer doors, Khushi. We have staff," he pointed out.
She smiled, "I know. But it means we are no longer alone."
He tapped her temple, and said, "remember that the next time I propose time away from Raizada House."
She glanced at the open door, and it made her nervous being in his arms like this. Especially with him shirtless. Anyone could walk by.
"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked.
She nodded.
"I'll latch the door. You draw the curtains," he said, moving towards the door.
"Kya? No!" she protested at what he was implying. And then she caught his smirk and knew that he was teasing her.
"Fine," Arnav said. "I'll settle for coffee, if that is the only refreshment you are offering."
When Khushi presented him with the coffee, she spotted an ARGroup bag on the bed. She asked presumptuously, "is that for me?"
He glanced to where she was pointing. He nodded, "a saree designed with you in mind."
"Me?" she gave a shout and ran to the bag to peer inside.
"The design team wanted you to model it for this year's calendar shoot," he said.
Khushi gasped and met his eyes, "I'll be in the calendar again!"
"After what I said earlier, you think I'll let you model for a calendar?"
"Then why this---?" Khushi asked, indicating the bag
Arnav shrugged, "I said you would not be modelling and they said they wanted you to have it anyway." Arnav returned the cup to her and announced he was heading for a shower. But as he stepped into the bathroom, he poked his head out. "I missed a meeting this afternoon, which I've rescheduled for later. Come with me. It'll be brief and then we can dine out."
She nodded, but asked, "should I change?"
"No need," he said. "I think you are well aware of how pretty you look."
"True," Khushi agreed saucily and turned to show him the daring blouse back. She winked at him over her shoulder.
"Come here and wink at me," he challenged.
"I have work to do," she taunted, picked up the tray and sashayed out of the room, knowing his eyes followed her out.
Omprakash was in the kitchen when she returned the tray. He indicated that Nani had returned from the temple so Khushi went to find her in her room.
"Chotte is home?" Nani asked.
"Ji ha, Naniji."
Nani patted the chair next to her and as Khushi sat, Nani said, "Chotte fought with you at the office, hai na?" Nani had been home when Khushi had returned from her office visit, and had sensed something had upset her. Khushi had claimed a slight headache, but clearly Nani had not accepted that lame fabrication. "So," Nani smiled, "did he come home to continue the fight or make amends?"
Khushi could not show up her husband, but she gave Nani enough of a meaningful smile to indicate that it was a bit of both and all was now well.
Nani patted her hand, and by way of encouragement said, "even his own mother struggled with him." She then smiled as old memories flooded in. "My daughter would call from Lucknow every few days. Ma, I don't know what I will do with that boy!' When he was especially difficult to manage, she would threaten to go away. That would make him behave. That was his one fear; to be separated from her and look------"
That sentence required no completion.
Nani drew fresh breath and said, "justice will be served when you give Chotte a son just like himself."
THEY WERE INTERRUPTED BY PAYAL AND MAMI who had just returned from their shopping expedition and found their way to Nani's room, as everyone always did. And so engaged was Khushi in their purchases and hearing what they were planning for the Saas-Bahu competition that when Hariprakash entered and informed Khushi that Arnav was looking for her, she realized she had neglected to ask what time they were leaving for the meeting.
Khushi quickly explained to Nani that she and Arnav would be away for the evening, and then she dashed upstairs.
Arnav was by the pool working on his laptop, already dressed in an elegant evening suit. Her husband was handsome in any colour, but especially so in black. And most especially when he wore a white shirt and went without a tie, as he did this evening.
"Is it time to leave?" she asked.
He glanced at his watch. "Where did you disappear to?"
"I was with Naniji," she explained. "I'll just freshen up."
"I want a word with Akaash. I'll meet you downstairs in twenty." She was already running to the bathroom as he stressed, "twenty minutes, Khushi!"
The bag on the bed caught her attention when she emerged from the bathroom. What had they designed? She was intrigued. She removed the box from the bag, opened the signature red box, pushed aside the gold tissue to find a black saree. Beautiful. Rather bold with stunning---but tasteful---filigree work in red. She hoped one of the AR models would wear it for the calendar cover. She was putting the saree away in her wardrobe, when she had a thought.
Why not wear it this evening?
It had been an epic day for her and Arnav's prem kahani, and such a day required an extraordinary evening. It was the work of a moment to shift from the pink to the black. The blouse paired with the black saree was more risque than anything she had worn yet, but she knew her husband and knew he would appreciate it. And as the saree required no further ornamentation, she kept it simple. A quick brush of her hair. Lips touched up with red. A spritz of perfume. She left the bedroom and quickly descended the stairs. Arnav was at the bottom waiting. She saw his impatient eyes lift to meet hers.
But something shifted in his eyes as she came near. His eyes spoke the same message they had on the day of the calendar shoot. And Khushi now understood that message for the first time.
by Jalebi Jane
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