ArHi FF:1: The BEASTS and the BLEEDING ROSES - Page 38

Aquiline: "Greetings ilakia and welcome to the Circle of the Arhasian Comrades. We are delighted to have you on board.

Khusiarnav: special mention for your wonderful comments that catch me by surprise for how much dedicated they sound.

Kalpana, how wonderful to have dear Big Sister watching over me and telling me "I'm there when you think I am not"'..it's a warm feeling, this care that needs no words''

Vidya: Hi there dear! Always nice to know you are with me'..Hope you are doing well'.Waiting for the time I can come out to the Forum and really interact'.

Shagun dear Shagun: How do you do? *tee-hee* Hope the positive happy Shagun is keeping the lights lit even when winds threaten to blow it out!!

Shikha: Hello there dear!! Its been long since we talked ofcourse'.how are you in your world? Its lovely to read your frank exclamations and questions after every update is reacted to by you! *wink*

Archana, hate_love (who once used to be a silent reader and has now made me more happy by stepping out of her silence) and Masaf: Thank you dears for being there even when I can't be'.

Saomom: Hello there!! Blushing to see that you take time to stalk my humble FF!!

Preetianjita Arnav Singh Raizada: *chuckle* I will always remember you with the tail added! Eh'.I mena the tail of his name and not the'..red tail! Hope you are doing well and hmmm'.it does seem like you could write the next few chapters yourself! You always seem to rightly predict just the things I have written down in the fresh chapters 'Weird! Or should I say, Brilliant!

Angeldream: I see that lately you have started to write more of what you feel that mere single phrases and I can't tell you how happy I am to see you speak more'.And as per your latest words, Lord Arnav need not "hunt her down"'.she will always end up before her and then remains the question as to who is the hunter and who is the hunted! *wink*

Sweet Shas: What shall I say dear friend! No words to leave for you'.if you treasure the moments we've shared, I am certain you will know what I have to say'.Really missing you a lot too'.Say hi to H from me and keep up the spirit of the show.

Also special mention to Golden Dragon (moltenlava), Selena Night (Sam), dear Salsa (Luna), Shweta (Big Sister Two), rich-in-tasteMusic, excited kushipugly, warm vamarhi, Cadbury, purplelove, Leafs (my Forum Mentor), Harshita, Janis,The_breeze (why do you not blow over my dreamworks now?), kind-hearted Kishmish, dingle, ASRsweetKKG and dear Jonashi, still-missing-action Abi: all these dear Comrades, though they cannot find time and strength to meet with me at the inn in honour of the Circle of the Arhasian Comrades, are still dear to me and always remembered with great longing'..

And last but not least (I hate that phrase!! And yet I use it now coz I can't think of any other now...) dearest darling Aura. Without Dickinson, where would Bronte be!! Happy in Onam in advance, little Dick! "

FF Update:

For Chapter Thirty Nine, visit

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/63708726�

Chapter Forty: Sigh! Another Carriage

I do not know if anyone is tired of having carriages come in and out of Arhasia, but nevertheless, we had been expecting a very important carriage to arrive shortly. Two days after that horrid incident Kushi had had, a rich carriage arrived from the North-west and headed for the infamous Raizada Castle.

When it came to a stop at the massive doors of the Castle and both Lady Anjali and Lady Manorama, with her signature 'Hello Hi', walked out to see to the visitor, the carriage-footman stepped down and opened the door. He put a hand out and a violet-satin gloved hand was placed on it and out stepped a most richly dressed young girl. She wore a most expensive violet gown with black velvet flowers and frills and a black hat that had a long black feather towering upon it and a black net veiling her face. The girl's gown was not like any ordinary gown. It was not blown-up but stretched and tightened round the tall figure of the girl, defining her curves. The long sleeves of the gown were puffed at the shoulders but the puffs were flattened to look as long as her neck.

"Oh dear me," she said, as she stepped onto the stairs in her high heeled boots and she came to stand before the two women at the door and looked at them from under her net-veil of her hat, "Excuse me, could you lift this up for me? My hands are full, you see." Indeed one gloved hand had a jewel box under it and from the other hand hung had a violet umbrella with black frills at its end to match with her gown.

Lady Anjali and Lady Manorama exchanged looks and it was the animated aunt who lifted the veil for her. The girl's face was rich and proud and her beauty was exquisite and proclaimed to be of the upper class strata. There was an untouchable look about her and the air in which she held herself was quiet endearing.

"Is ASR here?"

"Pardon me? Who?" asked Lady Manorama.

"You mean Chotey?" asked Lady Anjali, and then she turned to Lady Manorama, "Other than his titles of First Lord and Lord Raizada which we are most prone to hear him addressed by, I've heard he is also referred to as Lord ASR by his associates after his initials." She turned to look at the glorious visitor with a smile, "And you are?"

"His fianc," she said with an air of importance.

"What?!" Lady Anjali and Lady Manorama spoke in unison, taken aback, and Lady Manorama added abstractedly, "Bye Bye!"

The girl stared back at them, "Hasn't he ever told you about me? Oh dear me! Truthfully, we are not yet engaged but we were planning to sooner or later. I assumed he must have told you all about me."

Lady Anjali was almost immobilized by the news but she confronted the girl, "When''How did he meet you?" But Lady Manorama interrupted just then, "Why don't we take this curious conversation inside the house. We don't want the birds and trees to hear all the essentials and non-essentials."

"Yes, do let's," said the girl, fanning herself with her gloved hand, "It was a tiring ride and it's hot up this hill."

Lady Anjali said nothing but let her enter after Lady Manorama. The butler was ordered to help the carriage hand to see to the baggage.

As soon as they were seated in the visitor's room and tea was brought and the pompous visitor was sipping it as if she was to be paid for being 'watched' drinking tea, Lady Anjali cleared her throat and asked the lingering question, "So, how did he meet you?"

"He had once, about three years ago, done business with my father," she said.

"He does business with everyone," said Lady Anjali, "But how did you two come to meet?"

The girl placed her cup on the table, removed her hat, and placed it on her lap. Her hair was done in an elegant style and the bulk was tied in a netted bun on the side of her head.

"We met often during Papa's business meetings with him," she said, "And most often Papa would be too busy to engage in the meetings himself so he would send me. I run the business with Papa, you see. The heir must be prepared."

Lady Manorama, nodded, very much awed by the smart advantage the girl displayed to have over everything she declared to own. Even the way she sat was a sight to be admired''

"So," Lady Anjali, continued, "You met him on business meetings. And when did these business meetings turn into'..romance encounters?"

"I don't practically remember," said the girl, casually, taking her cup and sipping again, "I was quite fascinated by him the first time I met him. Ruthless, handsome, and burning eyes''." The girl moved into a trance, and then she looked at them, "One day I asked him if he was married and he said he never believed in marriages and I said I didn't either."

Lady Anjali and Lady Manorama shot a glance at each other again.

"And then," the girl continued, waving one hand in the air while the other held the saucer and cup, "I said my father was searching for a man for me, but I was searching for a man who did not believe in marriages."

"And?" Lady Anjali was not liking the way this was going.

"And he said his sister was always threatening him to marry too and he would gladly shut all marriage talks if he could get a woman who does not want to marry and will not expect anything from a bond of mutual convenience."

"Oh." Lady Manorama was appalled, and she looked at Lady Anjali and saw that the latter had turned pale in the face. Lady Manorama stood up and walked to her niece, "Anjalibitiya? Are you alright, dear?"

"Mami, did you hear all that?"

Lady Manorama nodded.

"Do you think it's all true?"

"I don't think there was any false in anything I heard," said Lady Manorama, "That girl seems to be one that speaks her mind and must have spoken the truth. Besides, Arnav bitwa is one hardheaded opportunist."

"But Mami, to think that he would have made such a huge decision and considered it so recklessly and flimsily decided!" Lady Anjali stood up, "Pardon me, Miss''"

"Keshab," said the girl with a smile and a proud tilt of her head, "I am Lady Lavanya Keshab but you can call me Lady La."

"Yes''eh, Lady La," said Lady Anjali, "Kindly wait here for moment for I must go and meet someone before I can let you stay here."

"You need only ask ASR and he will gladly let me stay," she said simply.

"Lord Arnav," said Lady Anjali stressing on the Lord, "will not be home until it's nearly teatime and he is not the only one who decides who will stay and who will not in this house."

And she turned away and headed for the stairs. Lady Manorama stayed in the visitor's room and struck a conversation with the girl, "You seem to be from a very wealthy family, Lady La."

"I am," said the girl, pleased to be praised, "My inheritance amounts almost to what ASR owns. Almost, but not quite."

"So much?"

"Yes, quite much."

Upstairs, Lady Anjali waited for her grandmother's answer.

"I saw her through the window,"s aid the old woman, disinterested in the subject, "But I can't believe Chotey would defy his family by taking such a reckless decision without consultation or warning."

"What should we do?" Lady Anjali asked, looking at the powerful form of the old woman as she sat in the darkness, in her armchair, her eyes on her candle.

"We shall wait for him to return," said the woman, and the bird perched on her shoulder clicked its beak.

"Till then?"

"Let her wait in the visitor's room."

That was all the woman would say and Lady Anjali knew it. So she curtsied and left the room, closing the door sadly shut behind her. It was a good thing that her brother had less work that day and came earlier than he usually came. On walking into the Castle Hall, his sister waited at the door as usual, ready to remove his overcoat for him and as she removed it, he sensed the presence of someone else other than family and butler in the room. He looked to the side and saw the fashionable lass walk towards him. Just as Lady Anjali had slid his coat sleeves off his arms and hung the coat on her arm, Lady La had come before him, put her arms around him and kissed him on his cheek, with a sighing, "ASR!"

Lady Anjali, Lady Manorama and the butler (who was expressionless) froze at this sight and Lady Anjali principally watched her brother's reaction. He merely cast his glance upon the kisser and nodded, "Lavanya, it's good to see you. It's good you came as soon as you got my invitation."

"Invitation?" Lady Anjali repeated, surprised. "What occasion, of which I have no news, made you invite her, Chotey?"

Her brother swung his gaze at his sister, "Weren't you the one who kept insisting on a friend to give you company?"

"A friend''" Lady Anjali looked at the girl, whose arms were still around her brother's neck that he made no move to shrug off, "Yes, Chotey, I did ask for a'...friend." She stressed the last word with an angry note, looking fixedly at the girl who had eyes only for Lord Arnav. Then with a distinct frown, she turned around and made for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" asked her brother, looking up as he watched her climb the stairs, "Don't you want to play with your new friend?"

Without looking over her shoulder, she paused and said, "There is someone other than me who should permit your friend to stay." And then she made for the landing and headed or the room at the far end.

"Excuse me for a moment, Lavanya," said Lord Arnav and removed her arms from his shoulders and he too made for the stairs and headed for the room at the end.

Deviyani Raizada, having heard what her granddaughter had to say, lifted her hand and cast a hand over her tired eyes. Then she unwaveringly stared at the flickering candle before her, waiting. Footsteps sounded, unfamiliar but familiar footsteps''they were nearing her door and she waited. She had waited for eight years. A shadow fell upon the doorway, and Lady Anjali moved away, not sure what was about to unveil in the tense room.

Deviyani Raizada closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and opening her eyes, looked at the tall man standing at the door. Her eyes were cold and rigid but her heart leapt within. How long''.how long it had been since she had seen this face before her. He looked manlier now but even more heartless were his eyes and the way he stood'...so much like his father.

"Nani," he said, and that is all he said.

"No," said his Nani, "She cannot stay."

"She will," he said, "Especially now that you don't want her to stay."

"Chotey," said the woman harshly but with a tint of longing.

He paused, having noted that slight tremor in her voice when she had addressed him by that nickname. She still loved him.

"I have no choice," he said, without betraying his expressions, "I must do this."

"You never keep choices for others to choose from," said his grandmother, turning to look back at her candle again, unable to face him for she was softening inside the more she looked at him. He was and always will be the Little One that had once ruled her heart.

"I prefer it that way," he said, "To be in control and not permit anyone the chance to choose and refute my decision."

"You may make her stay," said Nani, "but I will never accept her."

"Why?"

"Because she is not the kind of girl that you must unite with."

"Lavanya is the best choice fit for me. Rich, intelligent and beautiful. She even upholds the very principles I follow." he frowned at his grandmother, "What other kind of girl do you suppose I should unite with?"

His grandmother looked at him, a yearning in her eyes, but strength in her words, "The girl who will take your curse away."

"Damn the curse!!!" he roared angrily, his loud words carrying across the entire Castle, frightening the servants and family members standing downstairs and upstairs.

"Chotey, mind your words," said his sister sternly, "Do you know you speak to your grandmother?"

Lord Arnav ignored his sister. "What is cursed is always cursed," he said, his eyes glaring at his grandmother, "Nothing exists that can take away the curse."

"No, Chotey," said his grandmother, "You are wrong."

"If the curse can be removed, then let Lavanya heal my curse," said Lord Arnav, "I do not want to marry and I do not want any girl in my life. Lavanya will not demand any attention or affection from me, so I have decided to keep her here." And then he was storming out, leaving behind an angered grandmother and a flustered sister.

For Chapter Forty One, visit

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/2901910/arhi-ff-1-the-beasts-and-the-bleeding-roses?pn=55�