I have to thank you readers for indulging me, and for responding so honestly to my writing experiment. I valued every comment, and learn't what works and what doesn't. Your responses, the negative and positive ones, reminded me why I love writing for you guys--because you are my audience, my critics and my inspiration. This is my second foray into fiction, so I'll make mistakes, and learn from them, hopefully, and you'll be there to enjoy the process, and respond with feedback. And I cannot tell you how great it has been to see the passionate, articulate comments. Keep them coming!
CHAPTER 6
The woman who came down the stairs with her husband, dressed in a pink and purple shaded, transparent sari did not resemble Lisa Kampadia in any way. The lawyers for the Delhi Sun and AR Groups's own legal team were comprised of seven men and three women, who had gathered in Raizada House's living room area for their conference. Before the conference even began, the lawyers on both sides had reached their own private conclusions about the Page 3 claims. The men stared at the glowing Khushi Raizada and acknowledged to themselves that only a blind moron would opt for Lisa's bony, overdone charms over this petite yet voluptuous beauty with the creamy skin and the silky fall of hair.
The women, looked just as appreciatively at the Adonis who could not keep his eyes, or his hands, off his wife as he "escorted" her down. Arnav had held his wife's hand, kissed her hair and seated her tenderly on a sofa far away from their conference table. They decided, then and there that, (a) they quite hated this Khushi for being lucky enough to have such an incredibly handsome tycoon besotted with her and (b) no man faked that looked of stunned happiness, and left the woman who made him feel this way for any third rate creature like that Kampadia menace. ASR and Khushi had them on their side without a word spoken.
Unfortunately, the man who would decide all of this was locked in a heated battle with Anjali Raizada. This man greeted the appearance of the striking couple without any awe, and with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Aakash had followed his brother and bhabi down, and had glanced around the room to spot the infamous Kunal Roy. All three had spotted their enemy instantly. There was only one man, in a room full of strangers, who had an almost raw power and force emanating from him--a man who had his back turned to them as he threw some papers across the table to a furious Anjali.
The man's head of silver streaked black hair and powerful body was initially all that ASR saw. Knowing how Mr. Kunal Roy, Editor-In-Chief of the Delhi Sun had fought his way up to his present position of eminence in India's battlefield of journalism, he had expected an old man to be the head of the largest circulated newspaper in India. He was, therefore, quite shocked when Kunal turned and Akash, ASR and Khushi all saw a young man. Khunal Roy's his dark skinned, harsh featured face was crowned with that oddly silver streaked hair, but he was clearly not much older than Anjali or Arnav, a man in his mid 30s at most.
ASR swallowed his shock first, and true to the ruthless style that had made him a feared opponent in boardrooms across the world, he ignored the hand Kunal extended to him. ASR sauntered over to his sister, who was literally shaking with operatic rage.
"Kya hua, Di?? Yeh banda aapko pereshaan kar raha hai, kya? " smirked ASR, condescension dripping from his tone as he put his hands out to see the papers that Anjali was almost ripping into pieces in her anger. "Chote-this ..this MAN has obtained a signed release from Lisa and from her management team. The fact that she is giving him permission to report on HER activities means he thinks he can include you among her "people of interest" without facing a legal bar from you. This is BULLSHIT. We have never signed a release allowing the Delhi Sun or anyone to write about you..."
She was interrupted by a smooth, arrogant voice, low pitched, yet powerful..
"And as I keep telling you, Ms Raizada, I don't need a goddamn release to report on, or speculate about, the life of a man who exists in the public domain. Your brother is not a politically sensitive individual or a minor. He is the head of a well publicized Fashion empire, his business is traded on the stock exchange, and he has always used the media, expertly, I might add, to get his company, and his brand, recognized.
We in the media have written about his charity work, about company events, about the parties he throws and the events he attends. He invites the media to every company event, even to his private parties. We covered his brother's wedding, didn't we? Now, just because he does not like the news the media is currently writing about him, he cannot cry "privacy laws" and cry about it... At least, he can CRY all he wants..."
Here, Kunal Roy's smirk caused several people's hair to stand on end, and made both Aakash and Anjali reflexively grab ASR's arms to stop him from punching the devilish smile right off of Roy's face "He can CRY and CRY and hide behind his lawyers, Ms. Raizada, or hide behind his sister's anchal, too, if he likes. He just cant stop the coverage..." The implication, the insult was unmistakable.
Arnav Singh Raizada had just been called a coward.
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Khushi listened, wide eyed, as this stranger tried to provoke ASR in his own home, deliberately insulting Arnav and forcing some kind of extreme reaction out of her famously ill tempered husband. She thought she understood what was going on-if Arnav reacted, if he hit this man, screamed the words that were clearly bubbling within him, the Page 3 people would write about it. They would make him seem even worse in the paper tomorrow, brand him uncontrollable, a hot head. They would hurt him, the image he had so carefully created through years of hard work-to counter his young age, he had always tried to seem extra cool, efficient, emotionless.
But one incident with this arrogant evil journalist on the receiving end of ASR's infamous temper ...one article and all that would be ruined. And ASR was losing control --no one knew better than Khushi did about what happened when that temper was well and truly lost.
Khushi had been told-- sternly by Aakash, gently by Arnav, softly by Anjali, and pleadingly by Nani to be there while the conference happened, to silently support her husband who wanted her with him always, and who would refuse to go anywhere without her next to him. But they had all told her to not say anything or do anything or in any way interfere, Khushi Kumari Gupta style.
But this had to stop.
Ignoring the men and women, her in-laws who turned to her in shock, and even her shyness, Khushi walked forward, across the room where she had been seated, and towards ASR. Ignoring Anjali's gasp, she put her hands out to cup her husband's face, and when he automatically looked down at her, his eyes softening involuntarily, she gently rested her head against him, against his pounding heart. Her hands stroked and soothed his tense back, gentle circles eased the tension out of his locked body. Arnav's arms came up and held her close to his chest, his heart beat regulating and his breathing slowing at her proximity. He felt his insane urge to kill the smiling devil of a man before him slowly ebb away. The soft scent of his wife's jasmine fragrance surrounded him, as her silent, gentle reminder to stay in control, for her, for them, seeped into his angry mind and calmed the raging fury. Cold reason once again took over.
The lawyers of AR Group, who had been mentally drafting bail petitions to release their boss from jail after his imminent criminal assault on a journalist, watched the couple, open mouthed. His family members who had all panicked at his rage now stared in astonishment as ASR relaxed, returned to full control, and cooly turned to face Kunal Roy. His wife, their magical Khushi bhabi, sat down quietly at the conference table, within reach of her volatile husband, symbolically sitting herself right next to him, and on his right side.
Without one word, and with one action, Khushi Raizada established, among the professionals and the family members present, that she was, and would always be, their most important ally, and most effective weapon, against Arnav's worst traits. Her love would bring him back, and her presence would center him.
Message received.
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Kunal Roy watched the silent interplay between the couple with raised brows. This had been the most interesting development of the past hour, and he now scrutinized the silent young girl who had reined in the great Arnav Singh Raizada with one touch. Khushi, aware of his eyes on her, looked up and locked gazes, her face impassive, her eyes glittering with an emotion Kunal Roy could not identify at first.
Fury, he realized, a scant second later. Fascinating.
"How I wish we had a picture of you, Ms Gupta-our readers don't know what you look like..and they should know what such a remarkable woman looks like, I think..." Kunal said, as Anjali winced at this new provocative statement. Arnav would not rise to the bait again, however. Khushi, on the other hand, did.
"Khushi Singh Raizada, Mr Roy. Yeh Ms Gupta Ms Gupta kya hai? Shows how bad a journalist your gossip writer is, right? That person doesn't know the facts, so she makes up fiction. This is my husband, I am his wife. Stop calling me Ms Gupta, both to my face, and tell that person to stop, the one who calls me Ms Gupta behind my back in the page 3 articles. You can both call me Mrs Khushi Singh Raizada. That is my name."
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Kunal Roy was impressed, he had to admit this to himself. Not that he had come here with any intention of stopping the coverage, or even listening to lawyers screaming at each other. No, his real reason had been to see, with his own eyes if this Khushi Gupta/Raizada woman was going to be a useful or a useless character in the finale he was crafting for Arnav Singh Raizada. His source had hinted to him, a few times, that their biggest coup would be to get Khushi to react to ASR's engagement news to Lisa Kampadia.
The source had said she was unpredictable, but, in her own way, intelligent and perceptive, and tough as hell. But frankly, based on what he had been told about the small town, middle class halwai's daughter, her naivete, her lack of education, her age, Kunal had been worried. She was unimpressive on paper, this child-woman who was supposed to play such an important role in his carefully crafted sensational gossip about ASR.
Kunal, who believed in tough, intelligent women, and not in immature young idiots from Lukhnow as worthy opponents, had not been impressed.
Now, as he took in both the incandescent beauty and the fierce will of the young woman in front of him, he had to admit, his source had not been wrong. Khushi would have to be played, she would have to be manipulated if they were going to get the final explosive expose done, as Kunal planned. Khushi Singh Raizada, sitting here, next to her formidable husband, would have to be made to agree to their demands, before they got to do their final act, and she would have to be manipulated well.
No half measures. No mercy. Pity- he had rather liked her.
Kunal smiled sweetly at Khushi, and laid his trap with the care and finesse of a hunter for its prey.
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"Ms Gupta.." Kunal drawled, his voice laced with both honey and venom.
"I cant call you Mrs Raizada when no one in the world sees you as such, now can I? Now I am sure you two have a lot of respect for each other, clearly Arnav here...so sorry...clearly Mr Arnav Singh Raizada sees you as his much beloved girlfriend. But as far as my research goes, there are no legal documents tying you to this man, you lived with him, I understand. I heard from my sources that you stayed in this house, umm, serving ASR and his family as a bride would. I heard that you wore sindoor and mangalsutra and all that as symbols of marriage.
Very touching, Ms Gupta. Really-as an Indian man, I heartily approve.
But as a journalist, let me tell you the facts- and the facts are, Ms Gupta, that you had a live-in relationship for six months with Mr Raizada, staying in his bedroom, acting as his wife. After 6 months, you returned to your parent's house, when your relationship ended. Relationship, not marriage. There are no legal documents registering this marriage, no temple records of the saat pheres, or a priest performing the ceremony. No agni-sakshi, no family, no witnesses, no pictures of the event or guests to confirm it, no invitations sent out or news announcements. Legally, Ms Gupta, you are...well, you are...ASR's much beloved girlfriend.
Now I like you, and I'll call you Mrs Raizada till the cows come home.
But you aren't, are you? Mrs Raizada, I mean? The movie scenes with the man and woman alone in the temple, the wind blowing, the bells tolling, the dramatic sindoor to the forehead and the mangalsutra around the neck-those are just that, you know...just scenes.
You know, Ms Gupta its so funny to think about...Ms Lisa Kampadia has more rights to call herself ASR's fiance- than you do to call yourself his wife. At least she has pictures with him, and events he took her to, and people who saw them together there. There is proof that she existed, even if it was only as a media escort for one event--There is proof she was in his life... Where is your proof, Ms Gupta? Even the sindoor and mangalsutra is missing today, I see..."
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Edited by napstermonster - 13 years ago
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