ArshiFF: Strings Attached! NOTE pg53 - Page 23

[Day 3]

Khuhsi woke with a start; she felt a sting at the base of her neck. She rubbed it furiously, in drowsy sleep swatting Payal to move into the bed and get off the war path 'Kick Khushi off the bed'. She reluctantly opened her eyes as the sting continued, she looked outside the window and dawn was not far off, thinking of the day ahead in the office was enough to make her groan and fall back on the bed, almost lifelessly, dislodging Payal's half of the blanket.

'Khushi, soo ja!' Payal snapped

'Jiji.' Khushi called out to her sister dejectedly, but alas the sleep of a tiny angel having had met her brother after so long was not to be disturbed any time soon.

Khushi rubbed continuously and vigorously the abrasion and winced when it continued to hurt. She got off the bed and made way towards the switch, but remembered her jiji in deep sleep and decided to go check in the bathroom. On her way she saw her buaji sitting in drawing room, with a hand on her forehead, she immediately forgot all about the itch on her neck.

'Buaji? What are you doing up so late? What is wrong?' The true concern of a daughter reflected in her voice, Madhumati looked up and saw concern shine in her nieces eyes, she was touched.

'Titaliya old age, old age. But what are you doing up? You have to go to work in the morning, you should be asleep!' She managed to get enough conviction in her command, but she failed to trick Khushi.

'Buaji, bataiye na kya hua hai?' Khushi caught hold of her aunt's hand and squeezed the familiar warmth with all her love.

'Khushi, your jiji met her Sonu bhaiya today. You know, her older cousin from your Amma's first marriage. She seemed happy, after such a long time now, so did Garima, she had called today. I don't know betiya, I am very scared for both you and Shashi Babua.' Madhumati shook her head in pain of worldly knowledge.

Khushi felt a ball of dejection settle in her stomach, jiji had met Sonu bhaiya after so long and failed to mention it to her? Her Amma had called and had not asked to talk to her? Could it be possible? Could Buaji's fears come true? Would she loose her mother all over again?

She steeled herself to the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and took a deep breath.

'Kya buaji aap bhi na, you know how much Amma loves Babuji. They adore each other, there is nothing to be scared of.' She, with each word prayed that Devi Maiyya somehow sat on her tongue and all her words remain true.

'Aur Titaliya tum?' Madhumati looked at her niece with the question that had been bouncing in both their minds.

Khushi stopped mid-way to the next sentence she had been about to utter, Aur Titaliya tum? She stared at her buaji for countless crucial moments and managed a teary smile, 'Buaji, hamara toh naam hi Khushi hai, upar se sanki, I will be fine. Waise bhi, I am just a guest for few more days, then I'll be married off to my house, hmm!'

Madhumati laughed at the antics of her sanka devi, lightly hitting her arm. 'Tu aur tohri sanak, now go and sleep, you have to be up in another two hours.' She grazed her hand over Khushi's head, putting all her affection in her gestures, after all she was a woman with very few words, at least in affection.

Khushhi put all her fears at bay and decided to let thing unfold before she jumped to conclusions. Then it struck to her that it was an approach so unlike her and her beliefs and she immediately thought I must ne growing up. She let out a small chuckle at the thought, growing up indeed. She was sure, there was a scandal brewing in the office and tomorrow it would enacted as a four act play, in the two days she had been in that office she had learnt enough about the infamous events organized by Pam-the-ma'am, she was going to be the next host. On top of that she was sure Anjali ji was no angle, she was devil personified just like her daughter!

And the brother-sister duo would not be able to play her pawn for long!

Across town Shyam nestled a sleeping Anjali and sighed in contentment, he had after meeting Payal, decided to tell Anjali all about her. He had decided that he would not drag it like a wimp, if Anjali decided  to go on war path and fix all things around her, he would stop he rather than avoiding the issue, it was his marriage, she was his wife, the love of his life. He needed her, just like she needs him, he was sure!

Anjali moved in her sleep, gliding the flat of her palm from his chest, slowly and torturously towards his belly. Shyam hissed in instant arousal, oh the minx was so not asleep! He took hold of her hand and moved it to the part of his anatomy that had already raised in anticipation. Her finger clutched the evidence of his warmth, while she turned on her side almost mounting him, while her fingers started on the skilled job of pleasuring her husband.

Shyam instantly revered their positions and now loomed over her, while she continued her ministrations with a saucy smile fixed on her cushiony lips. Shyam growled and captured her lips in a thundering kiss. Anjali sensed calmness in him and pulled back with a smile of contentment. She without preamble asked him ' Shyam, what is today?' Shyam was drawn from his passion dazed fantasies and looked into her eyes.

'Today? What do you mean?' He was confused, had he missed some important date? Nope no birthdays, not their anniversary and definitely not Chun-mun's birthday. What could he have missed?

'I mean, you seem happy. Very happy. It's like you found you won something today? Am I making sense?' she put forth all she had felt in the kiss and waited with abated breath.

Shyam got off her, drew the blanket over her, as if to conserve his heat on her till he was done talking, that brought a small smile to her face.

'Anjali, I have to tell you something, something that I have not told anyone, ever. All who knew about it have been dead a while and it never seemed relevant to talk about. And for the past few days I have been meaning to talk to you, but for unknown reasons I feared you reaction and failed to put them into words-'

'Shyam, you are scaring me. Just say it, don't drag please.' Anjali interrupted him, for she could not tolerate such dejected statements any longer, a fear, fear of the unknown was beginning to dawn over her and increasingly she felt that this thing he had to tell her about, had something to with payal.

She had by now sat up on the bed, with no support to her back, as if stating bring it on!

She had learnt to live with her reality at a very young age and believed in meeting those realities head long, she was ready, yes she was scared but she would face this the same way she faced every other thing in her life.

'Arey, no don't be scared!' he immediately took hold of her hand, caressing it with his each word.

'You remember I told you I was an only child and no family now survives?' Anjali nodded confused as to where the conversation was heading.

'I wasn't lying, but maybe omitting to tell part of the truth.' Confusion still clouded her eyes so he continued. 'I have a sister,-' Anjali gasped in the true womanly way of dismay. Shyam pressed her hand, when she was about to start her tirade, 'No, let me finish. I have a Sister, she is my first cousin. M Chacha's daughter. My Chacha died when I was young, about sixteen-seventeen. I was very close to both my chacha and Chachi, while rum-jhum was my angel. Anjali she was the most precious person to me back then.' Shyam stopped in remembrance while a small sad smile played in his lips, Anjali brought her free hand on top of their already joined hands as if in support. Shyam looked down at the joined hands and then at his wife and thought, Is this really the same woman I feared talking too? How could have I been that blind? Here she was extending support to me blindly, while she knew nothing of my plans.

'Chachi was remarried and all my contact with her and rum-jhum were severed with time, my dadi was against any communication, she did not want chachi's past to haunt her all her life.'

'Shyam, she was right. If her past continued with her in her new life, she might never have forgotten her pain and started over.' Yes, here was the Anjali he knew! But with some new light to him. This woman had depths that he a selfish man could never guess. Yes, he realized his selfishness when his heart burned at the thought of his Chachi having forgotten his Chacha and moved on. Shallow indeed!

Then he went on to describe the call from Garima after Payal's wedding got cancelled and how he met his sister today, Anjali had been quite all the while, she had not tried to interrupt him. Shyam was now getting restless, he was used to a take-charge Anjali, this was a totally different Anjali he was seeing today.

'Anjali, say something?'

'Shyam, I am glad that you met your sister today, I am very close to my brothers and can understand what you feel, but I can't understand why you hid it all from me, especially after you decided to meet rum-jhum.' There was a lingering feeling of hurt laced with her words, Shyam was not a dense man, coward yes, but never dense. He moved towards Anjali on the bed, dislodging the bed sheet on his side of the bed.

'Anjali I was a f**king coward, I don't know why I was afraid. Maybe I was afraid that if I said it out loud it will go away, maybe I was reluctant to talk of for it brought a lot of old pain; I don't know.' The empathy he put in his words were such that Anjali was moved and she collected shyam's bowed head in her arms placing it on her bosom and kissing him repeatedly on top of his head, that lay nestled just under her chin.

Shyam looked up and said 'Anjali, would you like to meet her?'

Anjali simed down at her husband. 'Would I? You try and stop me mister!'

Yes! This definitely was the Anjali he knew!

Lavanya shifted uncomfortably on the marble floor, her bottom had gone numb of the cold floor and of sitting in the same position for hours. She looked to the side Aman sat with a file open in lap, he had his face screwed up in concentration. As if sensing her eyes on him, he looked up and gave her a victorious smirk, she scowled at him, his smile only grew.

'Tell me when the natak gets over and for the record I prefer a sofa next time plan such a wake.'

'Plan? I planned it? How dare you?' she was off the floor in a jiffy and now towered over Aman. Aman looked up, placing both his hands behind him and leaning back. Lavanya was dumb struck at the boyish charm Aman presented at this precise moment, his face had the youth reflecting in his glow, his smirk gave away his joy and his posture pronounced his carelessness. It had been years, since she had seen this Aman.

' Well, I did offer going back home.' He said an impish grin.

'This is my home!' Lavanya answered with an unadorned voice.

'Nope, a certain Mr. Verma now owns the house, and La this really never was your's. As I remember the deed was in my name, hai na?' Their lay a heavy thread of rancor in his voice, Lavanya looked down at him, directly into his piercing eyes; they had begrudging water flowing in them.

'Aman, How could you sell my house?' Lavanya let the disheartened question out in a little voice.

'La, your house is exactly where it has always been. This shack had to go someday, better today than tomorrow.'

'So you decided to force my hand?'

'No, I made you see the inevitable!'

His arrogance left Lavanya speechless in that moment and Aman took the opportunity and continued in a much calmer tone,

'La all your things are waiting for you at your home, you know you belong there. Leave this zid and come home with me.' The statement almost had a begging quality to it and yes, like any other wife/ex-wife she did get drawn to the plea.

Lavanya descended on the floor, sitting next to Aman, her heart swelled with his words. But the pain of all that they had seen made her snatch back the hand she had started to raise towards his face.

Aman saw it all happen and bit back a curse. Tears swam in her eyes and her lips drew in a line, while she tried to hold back a building sob.

'No! No La, we are not going to cry anymore! We are going to talk about it like mature people, we are going to understand the pain that you and I have seen, individually and as a couple. To hide, to lie and to cheat is not the answer anymore!' he shot off the ground as his hands flew about him, with his words to lay emphasis on the emotional involvement he had in the conversation.

'Aman there is no-'

'Don't for f**ks sake say point! I swear on God La, that would be tantamount to a trumpet to bloody murder!' his voice echoed in the early morning quite, while Lavanay shrank back, at his raised voice.

'Now that I know the problem I plan to resolve the matter once and for all.' He bent down, caught hold of Lavnya's wrist and mercilessly dragged her to his car.

Lavanya resisted her way to the car, Amna picked her up in a fireman lift threw her on the back seat and immediately drove off.

Home! Now that he had found it again, he was never going to let it slip.

Aakash stood outside Chun-mun's school, red rimmed eyes, a delicate stench of the most expensive scotch; he could lay his hands on, breathing fire, while his mind was stuck in a loop.  She never even called!

It was 8 in the morning, a little a early for Payal to have come to school, but she had seen the way buaji had been noticing all her actions since yesterday. She had felt uncomfortable in her joy; her heart was bursting with it. She had noisily kissed Khushi on her way out, she knew Khushi had questions about her having met Sonu Bhaiya, she would tell Khushi but all in good time. Sonu Bhaiya had asked her a question which hadn't been able to answer yesterday, but after talking to her Amma and Babuji  she had been given full freedom for her decision. She was still in two minds. What to do and what not to do? It was too good an opportunity to give up. But, what would she tell Buaji? And how would Khushi react to it? All these questions chirped around her mind as she made her way from the bus stop and crossed Aakash, without a second glance, rather a first glance at that!

He could not believe it!

In his maddened rage, he took two giant steps towards Payal and wrapped his forearm around her petite waist. In a sudden move he twisted her off the ground, crashing her into his chest and the buckle of his watch digging mercilessly into the curve of her waist, before Payal could yell in alarm Aakash's mouth landed on hers, in a kiss of punishment, anger, inebriation and pain, pain of rejection.

Aakash bit into her lower lip, bruising it in his hurry to enter the dark recess of her mouth. He then moved his free arm to her bottom, cupping a full cheek and supporting her frame in alignment to his. Payal lashed out with her fists and tried to move her legs in the age old trick, of unmanning him, but to no avail, Aakash had done a fabulous job in trapping her. After all experience counts for something.

Aakash did a through stroll in her mouth and then pulled back to breath, but let him mouth hover over Payal's, Payal's eyes had grown to resemble tennis balls, her mouth was agape as the bruising on the lip was increasing by the second, turning it to an ugly colour of fancy purple. Payal pulled her lips together as a choked sob made its way out and winced in pain, Aakash lowered her to the ground and disentangled her for mere seconds and she made a mad dash to safety. But she was no match to his height and the anger seething in him, he caught up and grabbed hold of her forearm and twisted her around.

'Why did'ya not turn up yesterday?' his words were laced with fury and on the peak point of the question her dug his fingers in her arm. Payal whimpered and looked up at him with her huge eyes, that now swam with huge hulking tears.

'I-a, *sniff* was- had *sniff* aaah, Aakash ple-please aaah *sniff* please.'

Aakash pushed her away from him, incensed more on his behavior than hers.

'Just never play games with me Payal, I'll be here at one. Don't leave I'll find you anyway.'

Aakash turned and left in a hurry. Payal stood rooted to the spot, What had happened? Was that the same guy who had rescued her that night? Was it him who had flirted with her just yesterday? Was it him that had been all charm on that day in the coffee house?'  Her hand went to her bruised lip and the thought of going that way to work or home or worse to meet Sonu bahiya came to her.

Ever the juggadu girl she dropped on the spot she stood and soiled her suit, at least for the time being she had to go in for work.

Arnav was late for work, he had been held up with Chun-mun's antics, for it seemed the whole house had been AWOL and the little devil did not want to go to school. As he had been leaving after dropping chun-mun off, he had seen Aakash's car speed off, what was Aakash doing up so early.  He must have had a terrible headache, what was he doing driving so early and that too here?

Arnav decided to check with Aman and realized that he must be too occupied with all the mess in his life to be playing best friend to Aakash. It seemed he was surrounded by relationship crises, what trivia!

He pulled out his beeping blackberry from his pocket and immediately smiled at reading Aseem's name, now this was a person he would never see with a relationship crises, rather a relationship at that!

He had been busy on his phone, when he entered the main office floor and missed the scandalous looks he received. He walked straight to his cabin and called Aman from the intercom, he was informed by a very meek voiced secretary that sir was at AR Textiles as Mrs. Jha and Mr. Aakash had taken leave today. It infuriated him that he was to be informed about his sibling's leave of absence from a mere secretary. He called Di and then Aakash but met with unanswered phone calls. He got up from his chair and walked towards the glass-wall that opened with a view of the main office floor below, he noticed a group of people staring at Khushi while she played with her duppata at the photocopy station. Her duppata dislodged from her left shoulder and he saw red!

'Ms. Gupta in my cabin now!' he bellowed too suddenly and the staff that had been gossiping about jumped of the stations and ran for their lives, in all the hustle all Khushi could do was to look up in bewilderment. Her eyes clashed with his blood shot eyes, they had crinkled around the corner in anger, for what she could never guess. Khushi immediately put her duppata back in place and hurried to the lion's den all the while thinking, Now, what did I do?

   Khushi gulped in before she knocked on his door, her fingers had just grazed the door that it was thrust open with the vile strength of Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada. He stood there towering her, digging his stare into her innocent face. 'Innocent' my foot!  Thought Arnav as he put his steel like grip on her forearm and pulled her inside his office. She jerked into to the room and was immediately twisted to face him, with her back to the glass wall, Arnav with his free hand picked up a remote and clicked a button, the shades on the glass wall started to fall. Privacy.

Arnav threw the remote on his chair and jerked Khushi in his direction, was aligned with his body and their faces just inches apart. Khushi's eyes grew wide, she was in shock. She could not decipher the situation, what was happening. Before she could formulate words, Arnav's free hand went to her left shoulder and pulled off her duppata, she let out a surprised gasp and put her hands flat on his chest to push him away, while her mind went into the frenzy of oh no, not again!

Arnav pulled out the duppata completely and threw it on the floor, making Khushi's breath hitch in fear, stark fear. Then he lifted his hand to the base of her neck on the left side, the milky white sink of her neck was marred with a red, blotchy, slightly purple love-bite. Arnav dug a finger into the abrasion making Khushi wince out in pain. She looked down at the point he touched her and looked for the source of pain, she gasped out with her mouth shaping a perfect 'O', she moved out of his reach and tried to look at the offending patch of skin. Arnav pulled her back and in a hushed voiced laced with his remnant anger asked

' Is this the way you come to office, bearing the scars of your lover?'

While his words were crass, even Khushi could hear the pain lining it. She looked up, into his eyes and true enough she could see anger and a fear, fear of the unknown.

'Nai, chee! How can you even think that! I would never let anyone touch me like that! To even think-' Khushi visually shuddered.

'So you want to play it this way. Hmm?'

'Play? What way?'

'You want to deny everything!'

'Arey, when there is nothing, how am I denying it! You don't know me, you have no idea about the kind of person I am. You cannot stand there and judge me, especially when I have done nothing WRONG!'

'Nothing wrong! How dare you let someone do this to-' Arnav stopped before he could finish, he could read the absurdity of his statement in his mind. He turned away from her and combed his hair with his fingers in frustration.

'Something bit me this morning, I felt the sting but got carried away in other stuff to notice-'

Arnav let out a growl and muttered something, something that felt like bit you alrite! To Khushi.

Khushi huffed and Arnav turned back and bent a tiny bit forward, to come to her face level.

'Didn't you see yourself, when you got ready?'

'I don't see myself in the mirror when I bathe-' Khushi stopped, gasped, blushed till the roots of her hair and the turned to present her back to him.

While Arnav's mind went into over drive, with imaginary flashes of a very naked Khushi.

Hello guys,

This will be my last update till the 22nd October, I have my Mid-Sem's starting Today. But please keep commenting and liking. It provides a great motivation to write more and faster!

But I promise to come back with a Dusherah Dhamaka!

Ciao!

Love!

Chetana

Buddy me for PM's

Chapter 10                                                          Chapter 12