StT{Thread2} Prequel OS - PG- 36 - Page 16

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Twenty-Nine years ago,

Upper East Side, New York.

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"So Blair Waldorf is finally getting married." Teased Arnav in tone seldom heard by even those near and dear to him, as he watched his wife try to convince Chuck Bass to fire the empire new French cook for having called her precious jalebi's a blight on his menu.

Blair who was similarly observing the current situation with no little amount of amusement , pointed out, "Well apparently I'm living in sin otherwise."

"Uh-huh." Came the smug non-committal reply.

"What about you 'dad' when were you going to tell me?" she snapped irritated at his Raizada nonchalance , only to watch the man who smiled less than Chuck Bass himself break out into a ear to ear grin he seemed to have been holding in.

"When she tells me." He quipped.

Blair blinked. For a second she was stuck wondering how it was that he was talking through that gash in his mouth which stretched out in that curved line seemed decidedly carnival creepy , not that he looked bad, quite the opposite actually but it was a bit unnerving to see a shark smile. Once she'd got past the unnerving smile bit, the words registered, when she told him, she looked back up at him in disbelief, "She can't not know'"

Arnav Singh Raizada however, was too busy observing his wife to do anything but smile a little wider as he recalled his wife's shocked reaction to how babies were made and let out a low chuckle.

"She doesn't think it's odd that'"

"She does." Arnav quickly interrupted, before Blair decided to go into a detailed description of feminine woes, "She is scheduled with an appointment tomorrow. She thinks it's something she ate, or the time warp."

And sure enough the very exclusive French Chef marched off in a jalebi-induced huff, as Khushi Singh Raizada formerly of Lucknow, gave Chuck Bass an approving nod. Blair Waldorf merely watched in silent amusement -"Are we still on for dinner?"

Arnav who was now back to concealing his huge cavern of a grin, nodded, "Of course."

* * *

"You're in an awfully good mood," whispered Khushi with a suspicious squint of her eyes as she looked at her altogether too handsome-for-his-own-good-husband over her shoulder, skipping a light step ahead of her curiously doting husband, as he half smiled at her childish antics, merely ushering her further from the edge of the sidewalk as she walked.

Not that he expected her to let it go at that. Sure enough within moments she was inches from his face, her gloved hands poking first at his shoulder, than deciding it was not painful enough over his thick overcoat on his nose'or she had aimed for his nose what she succeeded in doing was very nearly poking his left eye out.

From the quick widening of her eyes and her adorably childish wince, it was evident she was expecting a sweeping ASR set down, or at least a nice warm glare. What she was not expecting was her temperamental husband to catch her offending hand in his and brushing it with a kiss.

Her eyes now narrowing to silts Arnav wondered at the intricacies of a God who allow an absolute angel like her to be tied to a incarnation of every broken commandment, such as himself. He thanked it none the less. For her. And for the blessing she hadn't quite realized they'd been blessed with yet.

He watched with adoration, as his slightly insane bride decided to evidently test the boundaries of the his newfound patience by pointing to a horse drawn carriage with an impish smile, only to watch in shock as he shook his head silently in a 'No.'

"Why?" she teased her hand catching on his upturned coat collar, daring him to scold her, to tell her she was absolutely insane and that he would not be caught dead in a horse drawn carriage, even if she was the one asking.

The thing was when it was her ' it was always yes. Except now.

Now he needed her to safe. Away from unusual bumps and bruises, one hand snaking out to catch her to him as he leaned down to whisper gravely if falsely, "I'm afraid of horses."

"You were playing polo with Chuck last week!" she shrieked half in amused hysterical laughter half in shock.

Arnav Singh Raizada merely watched her gravely and waited. A minute later his wife, who had been near hysteria in choked giggles, suddenly sobered, "'Are you serious?"

For a second Arnav Singh Raizada thought that his years of practice with his bland emotion free face would be for naught and then'

"Oh Devi Maiyan!" she suddenly gasped, her tiny porcelain hands reaching up to cup his face, "You are afraid!" She didn't even bother to let him confirm his newly acquired inadequacy before she pressed a quick kiss to his lips in apology and looped her hand through his arm, "We'll walk!" she proclaimed brightly taking a pretty step forward , and behind her Arnav Singh Raizada followed.

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Present Day,

Outer grounds,

Lennox-Hill, New-York.

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Waiting outside in the dark was not exactly a foreign occurrence for Damien. Waiting outside in the dark for a man on the other hand was.

Not that he had to wait long, he had barely crushed his half burned cigarette under his very long shoes, that Arnav Singh Raizada strolled into sight.

"Uncle."

"Damien."

"Dad?"

"Aasha."

"What is he doing here?"

"What are you doing here princess? Where's lover-boy?"

Arnav could practically feel the vein in his forehead begin to throb as he bit out firmly, "I need to talk to you. Both of you." He clarified.

Oh gee'wasn't this going to be fun.

* * *

"I need to talk to both of you. And I do not have time for petty teenage rivalry or-

"I am not a teenager anymore '" cut in Aasha sharply only to be quelled by her father's slight narrowing of his eyes. Quickly deciding silence was going to be her best-friend she turned around primly and perched herself at the corner of the bench they were all standing around, crossing her legs elegantly under her, mutely telling her father as clearly as she could that she was listening.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Damien, shift so he was leaning against one of the lamp-posts lightening the clearing, his shadow melding with hers in a way much to significant for her liking, while her father stood stoically, as he waited patiently for both of them to settle in.

Little did she know, within moments, shadows and lights would be the least of her worries.

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Twenty-Nine years ago,

Upper East Side, New York.

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The tinkling laughter from the table for four, turned heads for quite a few reasons. The least of which was the obscene amount of estimated wealth it currently harbored. In fact when one turned, it was hard to turn back, Blair Waldorf the soon to be Mrs. Bass, after the very public pregnancy scandal which turned out to be as false as Pastels making a comeback this Fall, was radiant as a soon to be bride her classic Audrey Hepburn curls falling artlessly of her shoulder as the off shouldered white evening gown. But no matter how radiant a bride Blair Waldorf would soon be, she wasn't what was making it difficult to turn one's eyes away from the table, despite the possessive look in the eyes of both of the tables men. Her silky straight hair falling in a curtain to the base of her spine, darkly kholed eyes fixed on her husband as she pursed together blazing red lips in mockery of an exaggerated kiss, Khushi Kumari Gupta -Singh Raizada defined exotic beauty.

She wore her bright red saree with unconscious ease in the sea of black and white, unafraid of being ostracized, and much too happy to care even if she was. For while her friend was radiant in the angelic white sheath she had adorned, Mrs. Raizada glowed with a fullness one could not tear away from.

Red had always been a favorite color with the Raizada's, one supposed it was the height of irony that 'red' would be staining their laughter irrevocably mere hours later.

"Do you realize Damien ... that you have proposed to my wife at four, broke my daughters heart at 19 and now at 26 you are somehow involved in this sham engagement in more than the obvious sense ... I wonder what you would say if I were to tell you to give me one good reason not to put you six feet deeper into the ground you're standing on?"

Damien felt a reluctant smile tug at the corners of his lips ... Never let it be said that Arnav Singh Raizada did not know how to play the game.

His brow quirking in imitation of the man he was about to antagonize, he replied, -"I believe I'd have to say ...I have excellent choice in women ... Uncle ... "