ArHi FF:1: The BEASTS and the BLEEDING ROSES - Page 46

wow , nw getting more intersting

wow you are an amazing writer what imagination👏

Even I agree with you .I have started detesting the character of Shyam too.
Finally Shyam has entered Khushi's life.Poor Khushi,it seems that this is the last peaceful sleep she has since Arnav has already set his evil schemes for Khushi .
Thanks.

Chocolate liquior is sooo much better than Jalebis :) This gothic twist on our beloved couple is so endearing. Even his ruthlessness is beyond measures. I love it and I am so curious to know the curses our male protagonists. Your curses seem to point me in the direction of vampires and werewolves. Absolutely love this work of art :)

Thank you to all those who pressed "like." Though you don't comment, I know you love my story which is why you 'like' it.

Kushipugly: Thank you dear for speaking your heart out and I understand how greatly disturbed you are by this current track...Everyone is. So am I. But I prefer keeping the negative thoughts locked away and try to remain positive or I'll only make my spirit feel ugly. Why don't you try it, dear?.

Vamarahi: The warmth and excitement of your words only makes me more happier that I could make this story come to life for you...thank you so much for everything.

Sweet Shas: I wanted to update as soon as you as me to in the comment but I had to maintain a balance for which I had to let you wait for one more day before I gave you the chapter. I just want to say one more thing: you are very special to me, Shas.

Angeldream: I am sorry I can't find time to read you FF. I will soon or later, dear. But I am humbled that you try to find time to read and even comment on my FF regularly. Thankyou so much dear...and here's the new chapter to quench your curiosity!

Dingle: Dear Dear Dingle! It is so nice to have you reading my FF and you always bring a smile to my face with your comments and your affection. I'm glad you love the Buaji I made and, like I told you, your imagination of her with blue wigs had me laughing at midnight! What would the neighbours have thought!

Garlic: It's so nice to have added you to the CAC parchment and you are now permanently a Comrade of this dear FF. I am only happy to have you with me, dear.

Shikha dear: How are you? I can't find time to talk to you but I hope you are doing well dear. My time with my family was really good and I miss them already! But I'm glad to be back on the Forum, though it's no longer the Forum I once knew. Love your comments always and yes, dear, Kushi will be ready to face all the challenges he gives her and when she falters, you know who will be there to drag her out...

Preetianjita ASR: Shortened the long name to save time from typing it. How are you? Ah, you are on the predicting mode lately, and I guess it's not hard to predict my FF, right? Anyway, your hopes are good because I will not let Shyam be as degraded as the one in the show and I will definitely give him his due punishment if he tries and tamper with what should be left alone...

Idealist11: Are you really an idealist? It's nice to see a Newbie, who does not comment a lot on the Forum, read and comment happily on my FF. It's really an honour to have your comments, dear. Thank you!

Hatelove_1 and crazy4Zayn: You guys are regular readers of my FF and I always find it a joy to see that you like my little tale...

VasantiLad: You are a wonderful writer yourself, dear. And I'm only happy to have your reading my FF. *wink*

Vidya: It's always such a pleasure reading your frank comments. You have been with me from the first days of my post-making and now are with me every step of the way in my FF. Thanks so much dear Vidya for your comradeship!

AllSmiles86: Hello there! Did you come across my FF lately? Its an honour to welcome you on behalf of my Comrades. Thank you for your lovely comment and I'm humbled by how much you have fallen in love with it...

Shalve: Welcome dear to my world of Arhasia! Nice to have you on board!

The wind is loud outside but come, my dear Comrades and silent friends, sit around this warm fire. Today, there is no one in this inn that we have assembled in. The bartender is looking at us from behind his counter. Could one of you go ask him to bring us some warm drinks? Now, I know you are curious to hear more of the story and I shall tell you what the Dark Lady read out to me last night...She was most eager to read out this chapter to me and I am equally eager to narrate it to you. Ah, the drinks have come! You may sit back and sip it by this warm fire, while I tell you more about the happenings in the land of Arhasia...

Chapter Forty Eight: First Day under the Lordy Lord

Kushi had asked Ram to ride her every morning to the river bridge for the next fourteen days though she was not extremely happy about the idea of going there. But if she stayed home, she knew she would not only have to face the consequences of defying the contract but also admit defeat under Lord Arnav.

"Will you drive faster?" asked a restless Kushi, as Ram yawned relentlessly while dragging his horses through the grassland the next morning.

He looked at her and asked her in signs why she was in a hurry.

"I need to get there before the lordy lord presents himself," said Kushi, "He comes in late in the morning I've heard, but I still don't want to take any chances and enter after him."

On reaching the bridge, Kushi dismounted and stood watching till the cart was a long distance away. Then she crossed the bridge and walked the distance until she could see the huge towering walls of the Industry. As soon as she admitted herself through the massive entrance doors and into the Industry, the eyes of all the early workers looked up. She wondered if it was admiration or anticipation that she saw in their eyes. However without giving the thought much botheration, she made her way to the upper floor. The offices were locked from the outside, meaning the Masters of the Industry had not come yet. So she decided to wait outside and as she stood waiting outside, Mia came searching for her. (You will remember she was the one who had offered her warm clothes and a bowl of soup when Kushi had to spend the stormy night at the Industry.) Mia enquired as to her health and Kushi was comforted to know that everyone cared and worried for her. They were all apprehensive as to what the Master would have intended for her the fourteen days of her service.

"We will be there if you need any help," said Mia, and Kushi looked over Mia's shoulders to see that many people were nodding in affirmation in her direction.

"Thank you," said Kushi gratefully, "But I am certain I shall be able to manage myself. This is an important phase of my life. I must prove to the man, who has offended me and my family, that I will not be submissive like all his other subjects."

"It is a wonder to see someone so courageous," said Mia, "But no one who has ever angered the First Lord has lived to see a happy day. I do not say this to worry you but I just wanted to warn you that it is best to be on the more cautious side. Try and give him the respect and the silence of servitude when you are in his presence. Do what he tells you to do without protest and you should be on the safer side."

For a moment, Kushi's determination faltered at this thought and the sound of carriage wheels approaching the Industry made it worse. She didn't know if she could put a brave front as she expected to keep. She was still fidgeting in her mind when the huge doors of the Industry were swung open by two servants, a shadow appeared on the doorway, and in entered Lord Arnav, his eyes cold and roving. Flanked behind him were the Second Lord, who was taller and fairer than the First Lord but not as power-emanating and rude-looking as his brother, and a richly dressed (this time in a pink gown with black velvet flowers) Lady Lavanya, swinging her pick umbrella on her arm as she walked in.

Lord Arnav's long strides took him to the foot of the stairs, his eyes searching and noting everything that was around him. Nothing escaped his scrutiny and his labourers flinched when his bold gaze swung over them. His searching eyes looked up for a moment before he placed his foot on the first stair and he caught her gaze. She stood at the top, both hands pressed at her waist, as if trying to calm her fear-gripped insides. But as soon as their gazes collided, Lord Arnav's eyes glinted with a mischievous delight and Kushi's hatred reflected in her gaze. The binds of panic loosened and she let her hands fall loosely at her sides, her eyes regaining the life and light and the determination born out of seeing him and the sudden desire to see him defeated. With his gaze plastered upon her face, he climbed each step, taking his time, and sometime in his ascend, he didn't know, his gaze swept down from her face and along her form and when he looked up again, she had an appalled look in her eyes, which excited him further.

He had reached the landing by this time and their proximity was overwhelming.

"You're early," he said.

She said nothing but stepped back to not be too close to him. He only smirked slightly before turning and heading for his cabin.

Kushi waited outside for a while and respectfully bowed when Lord Akash and Lady Lavanya climbed the stairs and walked past her. Lady Lavanya gave her a disgusted look but, fortunately, her eyes were cast down and she hadn't seen it.

"Kushi!!" His impatience resonated in that one word and Kushi found herself rushing to his door.

"Sire?" She knew giving respect was to be on safer ground but though her tongue said it respectfully, her heart and eyes said otherwise.

Lord Arnav was in his armchair and on the other side of his table, facing him, sat Lady Lavanya. She looked at the girl with great distaste and silently wished the girl to be given an impossible feat to work upon.

Lord Arnav took a moment to drink in her fumbling presence at his door before he ordered, "Get a pail of water and a washcloth and start cleaning my office room."

Kushi looked up as if she had been slapped upon her face but she saw how wickedly he was waiting for her response and not wanting to admit defeat, she looked away and nodded. Then she left the room to get the required things.

Lady Lavanya looked at him scornfully, "That is too simple a task; she can do it without much difficulty. It must be what she does all the time in her own house. "

"No task will be too easy for her when she has to execute it under my watchful presence," said Lord Arnav, and then he looked at Lady Lavanya, "Lavanya, it would be good if you could go downstairs and monitor the rest of the work."

"I want to stay and watch her."

"I insist," said Lord Arnav, a little too sternly.

Lady Lavanya pouted and then stood up and proudly walked out of the door.

Lord Arnav sat back in his armchair and closed his eyes. He was lately obsessed with his thoughts of making a hell for the village girl and he would give all the time of his day to watch her writhe under his words and gaze.

Footsteps sounded outside the door and the timid creak of the door had him look up to see an expressionless Kushi enter the room, with a pail of water and a washcloth in her hand. She closed the door and looked up, and stopped short on seeing him seated there.

She paused and he waited, his eyes on her.

She looked away and crouched near the wall, farthest away from him. With her back to him, she dipped the washcloth into the pail and began scrubbing the wood-paneled floor. He watched her cleaning the floor for some time and he did not know why he was getting irritated. Her silence was unnerving him.

Her silent acceptance to do what he wanted was making him feel like he was losing.

He decided to fuel the fire and keep his despise heated, "You are too slow."

Kushi said nothing but kept on scrubbing.

Lord Arnav clenched his fists, "Kushi, didn't you hear what I just said?"

She looked up at the wall before her, her crouched back still facing him, "You want me to clean faster, sire?"

"Faster and cleaner," said Lord Arnav.

"If I clean faster, the floor may not be as clean as it would be if I were to scrub it slow," she said simply.

"Are you teaching me rules on cleaning?" Lord Arnav threatened, feeling more relaxed as his anger reheated itself.

"No, sire," said Kushi, wanting to freeze the fire for she couldn't work well with a dragon breathing down her neck, "I was only suggesting."

"Your suggestions are not required," said Lord Arnav harshly.

"Then I shall give them no more."

Again, silence resumed and he stared at her back while she continued scrubbing. Suddenly she stopped and he asked, "Why have you stopped?"

She took a moment before answering, "Will not the dust rising when I'm cleaning affect you?"

"You must clean in such a way that the dust will not rise," said Lord Arnav.

She wanted to snort but she stopped herself in time, "I will try, sire, though it would have been best if you weren't in this room."

"So," Lord Arnav smiled with evil delight, "It is not about dust affecting me but my presence affecting you, is it?"

"It could be," said Kushi, not denying it, but she bent down to continue scrubbing again.

"Do you find my presence disturbing?"

"Very much, sire," said Kushi, "And I would rather work without the knowledge of your eyes upon me."

"I want them upon you," said Lord Arnav, his words said in a low voice.

"Why, sire?" said Kushi, not knowing why his words were suddenly disarming her.

"Because I don't trust you to do your work well," said Lord Arnav, and Kushi heaved a relieved sigh, saying, "I have no need to prove it to you."

"I don't need proves to tell me otherwise," said Lord Arnav, and just then the door opened and Lady Lavanya peeped in, "ASR, the work is under control downstairs-"

"Then go and see about the warehouse, Lavanya," said Lord Arnav, irritated.

"But why can't you send Aman to do it," said Lady Lavanya restlessly, her eyes falling upon Kushi who was too focused on the floor, not wanting to look up.

"Because I want you to personally see to it and affirm me, Lavanya," said Lord Arnav, suddenly softening, "You monitor things more expertly then Aman."

Lady Lavanya glowed at the words and with a smile, she nodded and then, giving one last disgusted look at the girl on the floor, she was gone, the door was shut and it was just the two of them again.

Lord Arnav frowned at her back, "Are you still cleaning that corner? This is a large enough room and there are other corners too!"

Kushi stopped scrubbing, and stood up and walked to the other corner, on the other side of the door, which was again farther away from where Lord Arnav was sitting. His patience erupted, "Stop cleaning the floors and clean my window now."

Kushi paused in her passage, turned around and headed for the windows. There were two windows in that office and they overlooked the river. But most uncomfortably, both these windows were behind Lord Arnav's armchair, on either side of a huge showcase, close to where he was seated at his desk. Lord Arnav turned in his chair to watch her at the window on his left.

She placed the pail of water down, drew away the curtains, and with a different strip of the washcloth, she began scrubbing at the window. Light from the window fell upon her skin and her tender skin glowed as she worked on the window panes. The shimmer of rainbow colours from the wet window reflected on her cheeks and Lord Arnav stared at them fascinated. He could not take his eyes off her. Kushi fixedly ignored him but she could feel her face color rise, knowing how deeply he was scrutinizing her in the close proximity. She was extremely uncomfortable and for a moment she wished Lady Lavanya had insisted on staying back so that Lord Arnav would have had something else to focus on.

"You need to clean the topmost panes too," he reminded her coldly, wanting to stop his mind from regarding her in a not-so-enemy-like way.

Kushi looked up at the topmost panes and knew why she had not cleaned them. Because to reach them, she would have to stand on tip-toes and even then she might not reach them.

"I cannot reach them, sire," said Kushi, staring up at the impossible window panes.

"Then get something to stand on," barked Lord Arnav, irritated by how his mind was playing with him.

Kushi cast a glance around the room, looking everywhere but at him. Her search was fruitless.

"There is nothing I can stand upon, sire," said Kushi, retuning her gaze to the window pane, "Unless I can stand on your footstool."

Lord Arnav looked down at where his booted feet rested and then at Kushi, "You want to fix your feet upon the place I rest my feet?"

Kushi cleaned the window pane before her, as she answered him, "It is not a matter of where I place my feet, but a matter of what I can have upon which I can hoist myself and clean your topmost window panes."

Lord Arnav was cold when he replied, "Why don't you try jumping?"

Kushi shot him a look and Lord Arnav could have leapt with dire delight not just because of the way he had just scorned her but also that it had fueled her to look him in the eye, which she had been avoiding all this while. He was stunned by what he saw:

When her face had turned to him, the light from the window, kissed upon her eyes rendering them almost golden against the window pane. Her eyes looked deep and rich as they looked upon him and though there was hatred glinting out of them, he was mesmerized by the light that shone within her beautiful eyes.

Something about the way he was looking at her had Kushi turning her gaze swiftly back to the window pane and she closed her eyes only to see his burning, hungry gaze behind her closed lids. She opened her eyes and cast him a look from the corner of her eyes. He was still looking at her though now it was not hungry but a devious well-planned look.

She resumed cleaning the windows and then she moved to the next window for which she had to pass behind his armchair. She tried to look away from him as she carried her pail of water and passed him, but she could sense how his eyes bore into her form as she moved and came to stand before the second window.

Drawing the curtains apart, she scrubbed hard at the window and then, frustrated by her situation, she asked him, her back still to him, "Is it only because you don't trust me that you stare at me so?"

Lord Arnav smirked as he answered, "A beggar like you is not worthy of my gaze, so yes, if I do keep persistently staring at you, it is because I do not trust you to be impeccable at your work."

Kushi was both hurt and angered by his words. There was that 'beggar' word again and he had the stance to fight back everything she had to say. She knew this was what he wanted: by putting her under his job, he wanted to make her feel degraded and suffocated. Under his words, under his gaze...he wanted her to writhe and suffer and wish she had never been born.

Once she had cleaned the rest of the window, she crouched down and began scrubbing the floor in that corner.

Just then the door opened and Master Aman walked in. He paused when he saw Kushi's crouched figure at the far corner of the room, behind his Master's armchair, but when he looked up and meet his Master's irritated gaze, he bowed and walked towards the table, "The Chinese princess has asked to see a sample of our robes."

"We cannot send her a silk robe as sample," said Lord Arnav, tapping his fingers on the desk in contemplation, "She will have to accept the kind of samples we usually provide."

"I shall inform her, sire," said Master Aman, who bowed and turned to leave but stopped when Lord Arnav called to him, "Has the stable boy begun on the horses yet?"

"He may have completed two or three by now," said Master Aman.

"Tell him to do no more," said Lord Arnav, "The rest of the horses shall be washed by Kushi."

Both Kushi and Master Aman, looked at the First Lord, appalled, but Master Aman was quick to recover and he nodded, bowed and left. Kushi stood up, her wet washcloth still in her hand and strode up to him, "I did not sign up as your cleaner!"

Lord Arnav appraised her before saying, "You signed up for any work I order you to do."

"That would entail to some jobs of dignity, I should suppose," said Kushi, "This I cannot do."

"Then prepare to pay for the damage to my grainage and if even that is hard for you to fulfill, your family will be at stake"

Closing her eyes, Kushi inhaled sharply and then when she opened them, hatred flared in her eyes, "You are the most detestable creature to ever walk the Earth!"

"And you are the most relentless beggar I have ever had to endure," said Lord Arnav and with that he was upon his feet and moving towards her, and in haste she retreated backwards until her back collided with the wall and he was towering before her.

Before she could speak a word, he had her hands pinned to the wall above her, and he leaned forward, his eyes angry and his words sharp and hissing, "Don't you ever- EVER- answer me like that again! You will greatly regret it next time. UNDRESTAND?"

Kushi's eyes began to fill with tears not because of his words but because of the way his hands were pressing upon hers. They were hurting her and the strength in his grip almost numbed her hands from existence.

"Understand?" he repeated impatiently.

She nodded and closed her eyes and a tear rolled down. He stared at that lonely tear and he clenched his fist harder to stop himself from wavering within. The fist he clenched had her fist in it and in her fist was the wet washcloth. His clenching pressed upon the washcloth and the water from it trickled down her sleeve and trailed down his sleeve and he released her suddenly.

He drew a napkin out of his coat and wiped the water from his hand and wrist and then he looked at her. She was looking down, her numbed hands held before her, as if waiting for them to awaken.

"Get out," he hissed and she looked up.

"I said GET OUT!"

Kushi had no intentions to stay either and she bent down, picked up the dropped washcloth and the pail of bucket and made for the door.

"And you better clean those horses well when I come down to check on them."

She clenched her teeth, but since her back was turned to him, he didn't see it and she was out of the room and with a heated face, striding down the stairs and heading for the stable.

So friends how did you like it? You can pick out the symbolisms in this, I suppose. Its very easy. And though, unlike other FFs, I give a lot of importance to side characters and background events, when ArHi scenes are written, I am more awake and alive and try to bring in as life as possible to the scenes. Next update will be provided tomorrow and until then let the wind blow and the inn remain waiting in silence for our next gathering...

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👏wow wow wow👏

you have described each detail so well, it fellt like i m watching arshi on tv👏👏 just loving it & yes current track of show is disturbing for me but my mood is always lighten up by reading yr midival style ff. i want some english director to read this amazing ff & make a movie on arshi😊

hey it was worth reading.! i really enjoyed reading it.

The office scenes...guesthouse...its all coming back to me...but in a different era...loved it...the Lord Arnav who gave us goosebumps and an equally firecracker our adorable Khushi...