Chapter 1
Khushi Kumari Gupta stared up at the majestic facade of Sheesh Mahal.
She had heard about it and seen it from a distance, of course. But this was the first time she was stepping foot inside, and she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and slightly intimidated as she went up to the main door.
Part of the reason for her unease was the fact that she, along with the rest of Lucknow, knew who the new residents were.
And he was one of them.
Arnav Singh Raizada.
She raised a hand to her chest immediately, trying to force her heart to stop beating so hard.
Why did it always do that when she thought about him?
Why did she feel this way about this particular man?
Why now?
There was so much about this situation that she didn't understand.
Starting with the fact that she didn't really know why she was here in the first place.
She knew how she had gotten here, of course. Her mind replayed the events of that morning, when she had just returned to the sweet shop with the morning newspaper, only to fall straight into the arms of the man whose eyes had haunted her dreams from the past seven days..
She stared up into molten brown eyes that seemed to look deep into her soul..
There was something mesmerizing about those eyes.
Something that made her forget where she was, and what she was supposed to be doing.
All she knew was that she never wanted to move from where she was at that moment, a thought that alarmed her, and made her step away from him immediately.
She ignored the sudden feeling of loss that she felt when she moved away from him, and looked up at him with a question in her eyes.
What was he doing here ?
Why was he inside the shop today?
She had seen him on the street from the past few days. After all, who wouldn't notice the tall stranger with the intense eyes who wouldn't stop looking at her whenever he passed by?
But she had no idea why he had suddenly decided to come into the store.
Not that she minded, of course.
But she still wanted to know why..
Before she could ask him that, he stepped forward, and began speaking in a low, husky voice that soothed her frazzled nerves.
"Who are you?"
"What?!"
"I..I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be abrupt. Let me introduce myself first,I am Arnav Singh Raizada,and I live in.."
"Sheesh Mahal. I know that. Everyone knows that the Raizadas have moved in there.."
"Ah yes, we did. I mean, it's my sister who is going to live there with her husband.I'm going back to Delhi with my grandmother and.."
He stopped as if he suddenly realized that he had said too much, and looked away for a moment.
She didn't know what she was supposed to say to that, or what she should do next.
His presence seemed to fill the little shop, and she felt like she needed some space between them..
So she stepped back, and moved around him towards the counter.
"Can I help you? The sweets are all freshly made.."
"Sweets? But I don't..I mean, yes, I'm here to buy sweets.."
"Which ones?"
"What?"
"Which of these should I pack for you?"
He seemed to be taken aback by that question, and she didn't know why.
He looked away from her for a minute, concentrating on the glass display shelves filled with the sweet delicacies.
She took the opportunity to take in his appearance, curiosity getting the better of her as usual.
The short, dark hair that was a perfect foil for the brown eyes...the toned runner's body clothed in black..
But it wasn't really his appearance that bothered her.
It was the aura of power, that air of authority and dominance...somehow, that created a turmoil within her.
And she really didn't need any of that in her life at this point.
She cleared her throat, and he looked up at her with a start.
"Have you decided which ones you want?"
"None of them.'
"What?"
"I..I mean, my grandmother is holding a Pooja today, and she wouldn't want to use store-bought sweets for that.."
"So why are you here , then?"
He looked at her with surprise, as if the answer to that question should be obvious.
"I'm here because..because my grandmother wanted a halwai to come to Sheesh Mahal and prepare the sweets for her. And someone recommended this shop."
"They did? That's good, I suppose. But I'm afraid I cannot help you. This shop belongs to Buaji, and I am just helping her out while she recovers from an injury. And she is the one who makes these sweets at home. I cannot cook any of these, except for Jalebis.."
"Jalebis? That's great! Those are my Nani's favorite. I'm sure she would love the chance to eat authentic, home-made Lucknowi jalebis.."
Khushi opened her mouth to refuse, but stopped herself as she remembered Buaji.
The older woman really needed the money, and this job would probably pay well enough to cover her medical expenses.
After all, it was only a matter of a couple of hours, wasn't it?
And there was the added advantage of possibly spending some more time with this intriguing man..
She gave herself no time to think, and quickly spoke before she could reconsider.
"When would you want me to come? I need to know right now, because I'll have to shut down the shop."
"How about this afternoon?"
"Sure,that's fine. I'll be there. But let me tell you, it's going to cost you extra if I come there to make the jalebis."
"That's fine. I'll see you later, then."
He turned away, but then faced her again almost immediately.
"You won't forget, will you?"
Shocked and puzzled, she could only say one word.
"No.."
He nodded in reply, and then he did something which drove the breath from her body.
He smiled, then turned around and left.
And she felt herself melting, just like that..
As she came back to the present, she knew that part of her unease stemmed from the fact that she hardly knew how to react to him, or to this unexpected attraction that had caught her unawares..
She shook her head to clear it.
She was here to accomplish a task, and she needed to focus on that right now. She couldn't afford to let herself get distracted.
She raised her hand to knock, but the massive door was suddenly pulled open, and she found herself looking at one of the prettiest women she had ever seen.
Dressed in a pale pink saree, the long-haired woman was clearly a part of the family, judging by the diamonds that graced her ears and hands.
She smiled at her, and spoke before Khushi had the chance to do so.
"Namaste! Let me guess, you must be the halwai that Chotey was telling us about!"
"Uh, yes, I am the halwai.."
The woman at the door was joined by an older lady, dressed in a beige saree and pearls. Her regal bearing indicated that she too was a member of this family.
"Anjali bitiya, let our guest come in first, you can talk to her later."
"Oh yes, Nani, where are my manners? Please come in...wait, I don't even know your name!"
Khushi followed the two women into a large living room furnished with traditional antiques , and then answered the question.
"I am Khushi Kumari Gupta."
"It's so nice to meet you, Khushi. I am Devyani, and this is my granddaughter, Anjali . And you have already met her brother, Arnav, right?"
Khushi nodded, and then took a seat as Devyaniji gestured towards it.
"Are you related to the Guptas who owned the Gupta jewellery store, by any chance?"
"Uh..no, I'm not. My surname belonged to my foster-parents, and they were halwais too.."
"Foster-parents?"
"Yes, I was an..orphan. And they adopted me.."
"Where do you all live?"
"I live with buaji, in the street next to the sweet shop..my foster-parents passed away years ago.."
Khushi trailed off as Anjali came up to her, taking her hand in hers as she sat down beside her.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Khushiji..but I do understand. We lost our parents very early on too, and Nani took us in.."
"Anjali bitiya, please ask Hariprakash to bring in some refreshments for Khushi bitiya here.."
"No, no that's fine.I should probably start cooking now.."
"No, bitiya, it is the Lucknowi tradition, remember? We serve our guests first, everything else comes after that."
Khushi was taken aback by the welcome that had been offered to her.
Why were these two women acting as if she was a honored guest in their home, and not just a halwai who was here to cook for them?
And why were they so curious about her personal life?
She continued to wonder about that even as she drank some juice, and continued to answer their seemingly endless questions.
In a few moments, they had pried out many details about her.
They now knew that she had studied up to class twelve in Lucknow, but she had dropped out of college when her parents passed away.
They also knew that she had gone away from home to work for the past few years, and had only just returned to help Buaji with the sweet shop.
Naniji was now questioning her about her other talents apart from making jalebis, and Khushi had just started telling her about the Lucknowi chikankaari in which she also skilled..
Her words abruptly trailed off as she suddenly felt a change in her surroundings.
There was a tense stillness round her, and she wondered if the two women felt it too.
But they were eating the appetizers without any visible signs of surprise, and only looked at her curiously when she stopped speaking.
So this sensation, whatever it was, was she the only person who could feel it?
A sensation that made her feel on edge, as if she was waiting for something to happen?
She shifted nervously in her seat, and looked round her.
And suddenly, she felt her heart lurch within her chest.
Because he was there.
Standing on the last step of the grand central staircase, he cut a fine figure in his black cardigan and jeans.
But once again, it wasn't his appearance that evoked this reaction in her.
It was the look in his eyes.
He was staring at her as if he had never seen someone like her before.
His eyes were fixed on her with the intensity and sharp focus of a predator, and a shiver went through her at that fanciful image.
She couldn't take it anymore.
There was nothing that had prepared her to handle this.
She jerked her eyes away,surprised at how difficult it was to do so.
For good measure, she stood up as well, startling the two women in front of her.
"I..I think its time for me to start cooking..I have to go back to the shop after I am done here.."
"Sure, Khushiji..I'll show you to the kitchen.."
Arnav watched as Di led her into the kitchen.
Khushi.
That was her name.
And she was here, in this house.
That fact gave him an intense feeling of satisfaction, and he was glad that he had manipulated things to bring this about.
The idea had suddenly come to him in her shop, when she had asked him about the sweets.
At that moment, all he could think of was the fact that this would give him an excuse to see her again..
And so he had lied.
Just a little, though.
The pooja was real, and so was the fact that Nani didn't like to use sweets from outside for that purpose.
But what he had neglected to mention was that Lucknow's most famous halwai had already been contracted to cook in Sheesh Mahal today.
He had asked her to come here, and she had agreed. That was all he cared about, really.
Of course, he had a lot of explaining to do once he had gotten home. Nani and Di couldn't understand why he was suddenly asking them to cancel the contract with the halwai, and utilize the services of a small store-owner.
But their endless questions and arguments had abruptly stopped when he had told them that this particular halwai was a girl.
There must have been something in his tone of voice when he spoke about her, because Nani and Di had got that certain look in their eyes.
The look that meant that they knew something was up, that there was definitely more than met the eye here.
And he didn't care about that either.
All he could think of was her.
She had consumed his thoughts, and nothing else even entered his consciousness when he thought of her.
And now she was here, and he couldn't stay away.
He took the same direction as the three women, and followed them at a discreet distance.
And all the while, the memory of that electric moment when their eyes had met just now kept playing in his head..
For the next few minutes, he stood just outside the kitchen, watching as Di explained where all the ingredients were kept..
Just for a moment, his thoughts went to his Di..
She had planned this special pooja with Nani, and it's purpose was to thank the Gods for restoring them to their proper home. He knew how important this was for her.
It was something she had waited for from fourteen long years, and it gave him a feeling of accomplishment to know that he had been successful in giving her this..
After all, she had always refused to take anything else from him, and her husband, Shyam had supported her in this. Arnav had reluctantly agreed, and let them set up their own modest home here in Lucknow, where Shyam had a legal practice.
But now she hadn't been able to refuse Sheesh Mahal, and he had been happy to gift this to her..
His introspection was suddenly broken by Di's voice.
"If there are any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me, Khushiji."
"Yes, Anjaliji."
Di stepped out of the kitchen, giving him a small , knowing smile as she passed by him.
And exactly at that moment, Khushi looked up and saw him.
Once again, neither could look away.
He didn't know how long they would have stood there, their gazes locked in mutual fascination, if his phone hadn't rung at that moment.
He pulled it out and answered quickly, still looking at Khushi as he did so.
But the spell had been broken, and she turned away towards the stove.
He moved into the hallway, heading towards the study as he spoke.
"Yes, NK, is that news confirmed about the minor shareholders in A.R? And what about..."
For the next hour, he had no time to think about the beautiful woman in his home, his attention completely diverted by the disturbing news coming in from his Delhi office. His cousin NK was also his financial advisor, and he trusted his judgement in these matters.
But he still wished he was back in Delhi right now,he always liked to be on-site, and in control during difficult times..
An hour later, he stepped out of his study, his feet already moving through the living room towards the kitchen.
He couldn't believe this.
After everything he had done to get her here, he hadn't even been able to spend any time with her because of the phone call.
He only hoped she was still here.
Even as he walked, he questioned himself again about this growing obsession with this girl.
Of course, she was beautiful, but that wasn't all of it.
There was just something about her, some undefinable quality that drew him towards her like a moth towards a flame..
He came to a sudden halt as he saw her.
She was standing in the living room, holding a colorful bag in her hand.
He panicked as he realized that she was about to leave.
No!
He spoke before he could think twice about what he was going to say, and startled her in the process.
"Are you leaving already?"
She turned towards him with a jerk, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Uh..yes, I'm done here..I'm just waiting for Anjaliji to come here with the payment.."
This couldn't be happening.
He couldn't let her go.
He just couldn't.
"While you are waiting, would you like to see the rest of the mahal?"
She stared back at him, and he knew she was wondering why he was asking her this.
Her eyes lowered as she seemed to think about it, and then she took a deep breath and looked back up at him.
"Sure..I've heard so much about it.."
He didn't give her the chance to have second thoughts.
Turning around, he gestured for her to precede him, and led her towards the central courtyard.
For the next few minutes, there was silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Khushi took in the grandeur of the mansion, and marveled at the fact that some people were lucky enough to live in a place like this.
Arnav's thoughts, and eyes, never once veered from Khushi.
As he walked behind her, he took in the slim figure of the fair, beautiful woman with the gorgeous light eyes who had managed to captivate him like no one ever had before..
He wondered how her hair would look when she left it loose..
What would she look like if she was wearing a saree instead of the bright salwar she had on now?
What would she look like in nothing at all?
Her soft voice broke into his thoughts, and he realized that she had just said something about the garden in which they were standing now.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you.."
"I was just saying that..this is such an unusual color for a rose.."
Arnav looked down at the flower in question.
It was a deep copper shade, tinged with orange, part of the hybrid rose collection here.
He looked up at her again, but she was still looking down at the rose.
The look on her face was almost tender, as if she was besotted with the unique flower in front of her.
In a swift movement, he plucked it out and offered it to her.
"For you."
She stared at him in surprise, then shook her head vehemently.
"You..you shouldn't have done that..I can't take it.."
"Why not?"
"I..I just can't.."
He moved closer, drawn to her innocent beauty just like she had been drawn towards the rose.
She took a step back, but he quickly caught her hand in his to prevent her from moving away completely.
She took in a sharp breath, and stared down at their clasped hands.
His heart soared when he noticed that she made no move to pull her hand away.
He knew it!
This thing between them was not one-sided. It was too powerful for that..
He placed the rose in her hand, and watched as a blush spread across her cheeks.
And still she made no move to step away.
He moved closer, and raised her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss there.
He lingered for a moment, enthralled by the feel of her warm, fragrant skin.
For just a moment, he wished that they were anywhere else but here.
Somewhere secluded, and private..
Just so that his lips could discover the different textures, the differing scents and tastes of the rest of her body..
Even as he thought this, she drew in another sharp breath, and finally pulled her hand away.
Taking a step back, she looked up at him, her breathing rapid now.
Their eyes clashed again.
Hers were questioning, shy and just a little afraid..
But he knew that his gaze had just one thing to say.
I want you.
And I will do whatever it takes to get you.
She looked at him for a long moment, then turned away from him.
"Wait!"
She turned back with a jerk, and he moved towards her again.
"When can I see you again?"
She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, but said nothing as she turned and walked away from him.
And he didn't follow her.
He couldn't.
He couldn't do it, because he didn't want to leave this garden, this place which still bore the faint echoes of the connection they had just shared..
He went through the rest of the evening lost in his own world, only coming to life when he heard Di and Nani discussing Khushi during dinner.
Fascinated by everything about her, he listened avidly as they spoke about her parents, her buaji, the shop,and her life in general.
Everything about her upbringing was so different from his.
She was so different from any other woman he had ever known.
He thought about her even when he was in his room, staring into the mirror as he pondered the strange pull towards this woman.
As he looked at his reflection, he wondered if he could even recognize himself anymore.
Who was this man who had allowed a simple, small-town girl to dominate his thoughts and virtually take over his life?
Was he the same person who had built an entire business empire from scratch?
Was he the same man who had restored his family's home just a few days back?
He answered his own question.
Yes, he was the same man.
And yet, he was different.
This was different.
All his life, he had always placed his family above all else. Everything he had done had been for them.
For once in his life, he wanted to do this for himself, and no one else.
He wanted to be selfish, and follow his instincts.
He wanted to stop worrying about the consequences, and listen to his heart.
He didn't want to think about the short duration of his obsession, or even the nature of this fascination.
He wanted to be with her.
He didn't know how, and he didn't question why.
Whenever he thought about her, certainty filled him that this was meant to be.
They were meant to be together.
As he stood there looking at his image, he made a promise to himself.
He would make her his.
No matter what.
All that remained was to find out what she felt, and thought about him.
He refused to even entertain the possibility that she might not return his feelings.
He wouldn't think about that.
Not tonight.
The next morning, as he approached the sweet shop, he mentally reviewed the plan he had come up with during the long, sleepless night.
He had thought about how he could keep her close even after his return to Delhi.
He had to go back soon, of course. There was no longer any option. Things were rapidly getting out of hand there, and his presence was essential.
In fact, he couldn't even believe that he had managed to put A.R at the second position on his priority list for so long.
What had she done to him?
But his plan would take care of that. He was going to ask her to work for A.R Fashion house as one of the tailors specializing in embroidery. The idea had first come to him when he had heard Nani mention the fact that Khushi knew chikankaari work, and he planned to offer her a tempting salary.
If she agreed, it would give him the opportunity to keep her in his vicinity for an extended period of time, and he could then work towards wooing her..
Yes, it was a good plan.
He was now directly in front of the sweet shop, and he dusted a few specks of lint from the black turtleneck he was wearing.
But when he raised his eyes, disappointment speared through him as he realized that she wasn't there.
An older woman with a red cloth around her forehead sat behind the counter, and she saw him before he could turn away.
"Hai re Nandkishore! Come in, Babua, the sweets are all fresh!"
With no other option, he went inside the shop.
"Uh..no. I'm not here for the sweets. Is Khushi here today?"
"Khushi? That Sanka Devi is not here, Babua!"
"You must be her Buaji.."
"Yes, I am. And who are you, babua?"
"I'm Arnav Singh Raizada. Khushi was at Sheesh Mahal yesterday, and.."
"Oh, I know that! That was good of her to do that for me..she knew I needed that money, you know.."
"Is she coming in today?"
"I don't know, babua. She didn't tell me anything this morning, she just flew out of the house early in the morning without a word after I told her that I was feeling better! That's why I call her Sanka Devi, you know. She's always doing things like this! It drives me crazy and.."
Arnav tuned out the older woman's words as he thought about how he could find Khushi now.
Where could she have gone?
He knew so little about her..
His musings were cut abruptly short as his ears caught an ominous word.
He turned back to Buaji suddenly.
"What? What did you just say?"
"Her marriage, Babua. I've been showing her photos of eligible men for so long, and she's met a few too, but she always find something wrong in each of them. But this time I will not let her refuse. This evening I have asked the son of my very close friend to come home. He's an engineer who works abroad, you know. She cannot find anything wrong with him. I will see to it that she accepts this proposal!"
Shocked, Arnav took a step back.
"I..I've got to go.."
Without waiting for a reply, he headed out of the store, his mind in a daze.
He couldn't even believe that Buaji had told him all that personal information about Khushi, but he knew that this was the way conversations happened in small towns like this.
But even more than that, he couldn't believe what she had told him.
He even knew that it had a chance of coming true. Khushi was a traditional girl, and she would obey her elders sooner or later..
That scenario reverberated through his mind..
Khushi's marriage.
His Khushi..
His mind threw up images of Khushi in a bridal dress, sitting in a mandap with another man.
Someone else would have his arms around her..someone else would hold her, caress her, kiss her..
NO!
He couldn't let this happen.
He wouldn't let this happen.
But what was he supposed to do?
His earlier plan to get her to work at A.R would obviously not work now.
But he had to do something, he couldn't afford to let her get away!
By the time he reached Sheesh Mahal, he had made up his mind.
He knew what he had to do.
It was the only way.
A small voice in his head whispered that it was too soon to make such a decision, but he didn't listen to it.
He had thrown caution to the winds a long time back.
All he knew was that he would do whatever it took to have her, at any cost.
He went in search of Nani, and found her with Di in the gardens.
They looked up at his approach, startled by the look on his face.
But he didn't give them any chance to speak.
"Di, Nani, I need you to do something for me."
"Chotey? What is it?"
"I want us to take a proposal of marriage to Khushi Kumari Gupta's home. Right now."
*********************
P.S:Thank you all for the amazing response to the prologue!
In many of your comments and PMs, I have been asked about the genre of this SS.
Is it funny,lighthearted, romantic, dark or sad?
I really don't know how I would describe it at this point.
The only word that comes to mind is 'Intense'.
Would it help if I promised not to make you cry too much?
And the direction of this story will be clear in a few more updates.
Hope that helps!
And yes, I will try to give you updates every day, or at least every alternate day. Also, the pace will be rapid, just like my previous stories.
New readers, please add me to your buddy list for PMs of updates.
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