Arshi FF - Dusty Haven - [TH#2 Link on Index Pg 1] - Page 17

Chapter 4 - The Striking-S

Arnav smirked. 'I came to invite y'all to Sunday lunch,' he said softly, flicking her nose before he realized he'd done it. His heart skittered a little, a small pang of gladness that he'd not missed her, after all.

She raised her hand up to her nose and glared at him, color riding high on her cheeks.

Akash stared in astonishment. He was already dumbfounded by his brother's proposal earlier. Now this? Was his brother ... flirting ... with Ms. Khushi? Quickly stepping in, he said, 'Mornin', Miss Khushi.'

Khushi recovered and smiled at him. 'Good morning, Doc. Did you come to see Happy?'

He nodded pleasantly. 'He's as good as new.'

She nodded, before sending another glare in his direction. 'That's good news, Doc,' she said pleasantly enough.

'We'd best be going, Miss Khushi,' Akash said, stepping out of the way to let her walk in.

'Khushi,' Arnav put on his hat, and touched the brim. She nodded briefly, and watched as the brothers went down the steps, before closing the door on them.

The two men got on their horses. Akash looked up to the second floor, where a familiar pretty face smiled at him with a tiny wave of her hand. He touched his hat, smiled and wheeled his horse around.

Arnav missed the little exchange.

They'd barely gone out of hearing distance, before Akash finally asked what he was so curious about.

'What was that?'

'What was what, Akash?' Arnav asked calmly.

'You offering to buy out the Box-Lightning? They just moved here. Did you really think they'd just up and sell to move again?'

'It ain't no secret that I've wanted the Box-Lightning, Akash. It's been failing for a while. Rudi never worked on makin' it run better. I could do better with it, an' I know it. The land runs along Circle-R, so why not make the offer now? Leastwise, they'll think about it,' Arnav said quietly.

'D'you know they've been moving around for the past two or three years?' Akash asked after a while. This was their way of communicating. Jumping over the connecting dots and arriving at the last one.

Arnav raised an eyebrow. 'Why?' he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Akash shook his head, a puzzled frown on his face. 'I dunno. Nobody speaks of it, but I've heard them talk sometime.'

Arnav digested this piece of information. Something to tuck away and ponder over in leisure.

'I would've told you this, if I'd know you were going to make an offer today,' Akash said. He thought for a while and then added, 'and I guess it's nothin' to do with ...' he trailed off, not wanting to probe. He knew his brother would speak when he was ready, but not before.

Arnav cast a sideways glance at him. 'There's that, too,' he said. They fell silent for a while, each occupied with their own thoughts.

'Sis wants you to come over on the weekend,' said Arnav, after a while.

A faint smile curled Akash's lips. 'I wouldn't miss it,' he said, a faraway look in his eyes, as he looked over the horizon.

Arnav looked at him curiously. It wasn't that his brother didn't come over every weekend. So what was special about this one? He thought.

The brothers rode the rest of the way in silence, unaware of a pair of eyes that watched them go. The man lay on his stomach on the hillside, his brown poncho melding into the rocks and gravel of the stony ground. The brim of his hat hid any tell tale glints off the binoculars he held to his eyes. He'd been keeping an eye on the Box-Lightning ever since the Guptas had arrived. So the new owners of Box-Lightning had taken it over. He'd seen the brothers arrive. He'd seen the girl arrive and the brothers leave soon after. He wondered about the reason for the call. He couldn't hear any of the conversation between the two, but they seemed to be talking, he could hear the faint murmur of their voices carried on the afternoon breeze. He squirmed backwards until he could stand up without being seen. Climbing onto his horse, he quietly walked it, till he was in the gulch below. Then he twitched the reins a little and the horse broke into a run. He didn't stop till he arrived as the sun lowered in the sky, into the yard of the Striking-S. Skidding to a halt, he dismounted and asked a hand walking by, 'is the Boss in?'

The hand nodded, and said, 'yeah. He arrived about an hour ago.'

The man just nodded his head and disappeared into the homestead.

****

Khushi stormed into the house. How dare he? He flicked her nose. He flicked her nose. Her nose , she thought, touching it again, looking cross-eyes at her hand. Just as she banged into Abeja who had walked into the hall at that exact moment.

'Ai, la Diosa de la Locura!' she exclaimed. Ai! Goddess of Madness! 'Look where you're going! Always in a hurry. Slow down. The house is not on fire!'

'Oh, Tia, I was just ... ' said Khushi.

'Just? Just what?' asked Abeja hands on hips. This girl, she though impatiently. Always fluttering about, and running into things. Like a ... a mariposa, a butterfly.

'What was he doing here?' she asked Abeja holding on to her plump hands, her long fingers barely grasping half the circumference of her aunt's chubby arms.

'Who? The Doc? He came here to see Happy. What else?' Abeja gave her a weird look.

'No! Not him. The other one. Arn ... ASR,' Khushi shook her head, dispelling the voice in her ears that said, 'Arnav.' 'What was he doing here?'

'Oh!' Abeja beamed. 'They came to invite us over for lunch on Sunday. Isn't that wonderful?' She pulled on Khushi's cheeks.

'Lunch?' Khushi asked blankly.

'Yes, you know, the one where you stuff your face and your stomach full?' Abeja said sarcastically.

'Tia,' Khushi gave an exasperated shake of her head. 'Why would they invite us to lunch?'

'Why not?' said Abeja. She thought for a minute and then said in a puzzled voice, frowning as she remembered. 'He also wanted to speak to your father,' she said slowly.

Khushi was equally confused. What conversation could he have had with their father? She turned around without another word and headed to the study. Knocking on the heavy wooden door, she opened it without waiting to hear her father say come in. The sight that met her eyes stopped her.

Her mother was standing by the window staring out, and her father was standing next to her, his hand on her shoulder. They turned around as she entered and closed the door. She was worried. Her parents looked like they had been in a serious discussion and ... were those tears in her mother's eyes?

'Ma? Pa? What happened?' she asked. The little girl inside her frightened at the thought of some disaster befalling them. She looked from one to the other.

'Nothing, my child,' said her father, with a deep sigh.

She frowned, knowing they were keeping things from her. 'Please, tell me,' she began and then stopped. A sudden thought struck her. 'What did Ar .. ASR say? What did he do to distress you so?' she asked. One look at their faces and she saw red. 'I knew it! He did say something! I'm gonna ...' she started opening the door when her mother called.

'Khushi,' she said in a pleading voice. 'It's not him, darling. Not him. It's just ... '

'He offered to buy the ranch, Khushi,' said her father, knowing he'd have to say something to pacify his irate daughter.

'What?!' she asked, eyes rounded in shock. 'Why?'

'He wants to expand,' her father went and sat resignedly behind the desk.

'How dare he?!' she exploded.

'Khushi, he runs a business. A ranch has to make money and he does that. Very well. He wanted to buy it from Rudi, but Rudi wanted us to have it. That's all there's to it, child,' her father explained.

'But to offer to buy our home?' she asked, appalled at Arnav's gall. The man had a thing coming from her, for sure, she fumed. 'Where'd he think we would go?'

'He's made a good offer, Khushi. And you know that this ranch isn't making money,' he said.

'I can't move again,' Garima said in a low voice for the first time. 'I'm tired of this running.'

'No, Mama. We're not selling,' Khushi soothed her mother, running a hand up and down her back. She turned to her father. 'You told him no, right?' she asked.

'I told him I'd think about it,' her father said, not looking at her.

'Pa!' she exclaimed, horrified.

'It's the least I could do,' he looked seriously into her eyes. 'His offer was very good, Khushi.'

There was silence in the room for a while. Till she spoke again, 'I know we've had a tough time lately, so I got a job,' she said softly, head down.

'A job?' Garima exclaimed. 'What sort of job?'

'At the Wild Bull,' Khushi muttered.

'What?!' her parents exclaimed together.

'You're not working in a saloon, Khushi,' her mother said firmly, tears forgotten. 'Good girls don't work in saloons.'

'No, Khushi, you're not,' her father agreed equally firmly.

'But Ma, Pa,' she said quietly. 'I know how hard things have been, and I know this ranch is running at a loss. Every little bit helps. So let me do it, please?'

'No, Khushi,' her mother was firm.

'Ma,' her big eyes glittered with tears as she held her mother's hands tightly in hers. 'Ela is a very nice lady. She's giving me the daytime so I don't have to ride home at night. And if I have to stay late, I'll stay with her. I promise you, Ma, I'll keep safe,' she said earnestly. 'And you should be happy, Ma.' Her mother raised her eyebrows. 'I have to wear a dress everyday.' Her mother smiled a watery smile, but still shook her head. 'Please, Ma,' she pleaded, looking at her father.

Her father gazed at her a long moment and then said, 'Okay. If you want to, but the minute anything happens, anything, you're out of there. Is that clear?'

She nodded her head. 'Yes, Papa. Thank you!' she hugged her father, and ran out of the room before he could change his mind.

His wife turned to him, but before she could say anything, he said, 'let her at least try it, Garima. I'm sure she can take care of herself.'

Garima shook her head again. She didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit. A saloon was not the place for a well-bred girl to be working. However, she knew how hard things were, so for the time being, she held her tongue.

*****

He sat in the study, his head buried in a file, the lamp on the desk throwing his face into shadows. At the knock on his door, he raised his head and his deep baritone voice rang out, 'come in.'

The man on the hill walked in.

'Rocky. You have news?' asked the man at the desk sat back.

'Yes, Boss. The Raizada brothers were over at the Box-Lightning today,' said Rocky. Tall and lanky, he was one of the three men who'd met the Boss that night at the campfire.

'Both of them?' asked the man at the desk.

Rocky nodded. 'ASR, too. They were inside for a while.'

'Gone to make an offer to Gupta, I bet,' the man at the desk muttered.

'I don't know, Boss. I couldn't hear from where I was.'

'Find out,' said the man, rubbing a hand over his chin.

Rocky nodded. 'Right, Boss,' and he turned around and left.

The man at the desk stood up and walked over to the window, watching the last light in the sky darken and merge into the night. What was ASR up to? The man was an enigma. He owned the biggest cattle ranch this side of the Pecos. He was also part-owner of the Wild Bull, though only a handful of people knew that. So why was he interested in the Box-Lightning? he wondered. Was it just for the land or was there something else? Something that he was missing? What did ASR know that he didn't?

Whatever it was, it would have to wait. He had places to go and things to do.

As he left the room, another man came up to him. He handed him a letter, and with a small nod, turned and walked away.

The man opened the letter and cursed. It was from San Antonio. He read it through and crumpled it. This was not good, he cursed beneath his breath. He filed the letter and locked it into his safe. Then he went upstairs to his room.

*****

Nanny Raizada was sitting in her usual place. The rocking chair on the porch, the sun was near to setting when she saw the figure coming up to the front of the house.

He wore a dark Stetson on his head, his powerful body encased in a sharp black suit. The jeweled Mexican tie sat precisely in the center of his throat, in the collar of his pristine white shirt. His foot encased in shiny black boots, with silver spurs. He was the picture of sartorial elegance. He swung off his large white horse, and tied it to the railing. Climbing the stairs, he saw Nanny standing near the door. Sweeping off his hat, he held it to his chest and bowed.

'Good evening, Nanny Raizada,' he said.

'Good evening to you, too, Mr. Jha,' she said with a regal nod of her head.

Shyam Manohar Jha, whom everyone knew as the owner of the Striking-S, had come a-calling on Miss Anjali Raizada.

'What brings you here, Mr. Jha?' asked Nanny softly.

'It's been a while since I called, Nanny Raizada,' he said, his deep baritone lowering. 'It's just a neighborly visit.'

She smiled at that. 'Come in,' she invited. He held the the door open for her as she swept into the living room. With a flick of her hand, she indicated the couch, 'have a seat, sir.'

'Thank you, ma'am,' he said, waiting till she'd sat before he finally sat down himself. He looked around, placing his hat near his foot.

'What will you have?' she asked him. 'Coffee or something stronger?' she suggested smiling at him.

'Ma'am, you know me well,' he protested laughing. 'Coffee, please.'

'HP!' called Nanny. 'Coffee for Mr. Jha, please,' she said, when he appeared. 'And a lemonade for me.'

HP bowed and turned away.

Shyam looked around. 'I don't see the twins,' there was a faint question in his voice.

'Probably with their mama,' she replied. HP brought in a tray with the coffee and a glass of lemonade. 'HP, where is Miss Anjali and the twins?' she asked.

'In her room, ma'am,' HP answered.

'Please tell her, Mr. Jha has come, and would she mind joining us?' Nanny requested. HP nodded and went away.

There was a short silence as Shyam looked into his cup, then he raised his eyes, as if resolving something and said, 'how's she doing?'

Nanny regarded him carefully before answering, 'as well as can be expected. In fact, the twins have given her all the more reason to smile.' She smiled fondly herself as the thought of her great-grandchildren.

'They are beautiful children,' agreed Shyam. He couldn't deny it. They may be someone else's, but Dev and Drew could melt the heart of a stone.

The door opened just then, and Anjali walked it. She looked pretty in her simple green dress, the twins hanging off either hand.

'Mr. Shyam!' she exclaimed, happily. 'Good evening!'

'Good evening, Miss Anjali,' he said, standing and bowing. 'Hello, Drew, Dev,' he crouched down to their eye-level and smiled at them, holding out a hand. They looked owlishly back at him, holding on to their mother's skirt. Drew put his thumb in his mouth.

'Drew, Dev, say Hello,' Anjali admonished.

'Lo,' said Dev in his squeaky voice.

'Lo,' said Drew without taking is thumb out of his mouth.

Shyam withdrew his hand and sat in a chair once Anjali had settled in on the sofa, her children around her. She painted an angelic picture, an arm around each child.

'It is nice to see you, Mr. Shyam,' she said. 'It's not like we have too many visitors.'

'I may be a bachelor, Miss Anjali, but sometimes I do crave company other than men,' he bent his head slightly and smiled at his coffee. 'What better than the company of Nanny Raizada?' he asked, with a twinkle in his eye, looking up at Nanny.

'You are a bold one, Mr. Jha!' Nanny Raizada's laugh tinkled and melded with her grand daughter's. His deep manly laughed joined theirs. The twins relaxed, seeing Nanny and Mama laughed.

'But we did have company a few days ago,' said Anjali.

'Oh?' he asked, raising his eyebrows, inviting her to continue.

'Yes, the Gupas. The new owners of the Box-Lightning were here. They had a little incident with the Blackfoot, and one of them had been injured. It's good that Arnav was there and intervened,' she explained. 'He brought them back here and we met them.' Nanny nodded appreciatively as Anjali spoke animatedly. 'In fact, today Arnav-'

'Drew!' interrupted Nanny sharply, 'take that thumb out of your mouth!'

'Really, Drew,' Anjali pulled his hand away, not without a little struggle. He opened his mouth and let out a loud wail. In the ensuing commotion that followed, Anjali quite forgot what she was saying about Arnav today, much to Shyam's disappointment.

It was an hour later that he left, satisfied nevertheless with his evening. Miss Anjali was a pretty woman. She'd make a nice wife, aside from her other more obvious attributes, he thought. True, she came with a family, but he would accept that. Now, if only he could get Nanny Raizada to see things his way.

Nanny Raizada, meanwhile, was seeing things his way. She was under no illusion why Shyam had come. She knew he was soft on her granddaughter. She knew Anjali wasn't ready for a relationship, yet. But today, Anjali had smiled and blushed when he'd complimented her. The twins didn't hate him, they actually behaved themselves around him. He didn't seem to mind that she had two children already. Perhaps ... perhaps it might be all to the good if Anjali looked at him the way a woman would look at a man. There weren't that many eligible men around here. Even less, one that would take on a widow with two young ones. Perhaps.

Nanny Raizada was also very wise. She couldn't push Anjali into this. Anjali had to make up her own mind. Take her time. She frowned as she rocked in her chair. It was time for Arnav and Akash, too, to think about settling down. Having families. Heirs. The Circle-R needed an heir after Arnav. Although, he was, after all, a young man, and young men needed to sow their wild oats. She sighed. He wasn't coming home tonight. He stayed with Akash when he was delayed in town, avoiding the ride in the dark. She'd have to question Akash about this, she thought. Perhaps Arnav wasn't too busy sowing his wild oats in town with that Ela woman. Perhaps.

Little did Nanny Raizada know that Arnav wasn't the type to sow his wild oats - well, wildly.

Especially not with Ela.

You see, what most people, and that included Nanny Raizada, didn't know was that Arnav was also a forty-nine percent owner of the Wild Bull with Ela. Ela ran it, and ran it very capably, with hardly any interference from him. He'd invested in it, lending her the seed money when she was looking to buy it, seeing it for the potential it had. She hadn't wanted it to become like a gambling den, or a wh**ehouse. She'd wanted to make it an establishment where people of all kinds could come and enjoy an evening. Even the food on the table was good and hearty food, that anyone would come back for. Yes, they had a few poker tables. What saloon didn't? But even the games played were kept under control by the two unobtrusive, but largely visible men hired to guard the place.

It was Arnav who had wanted to have guards there. Men who ensured that the place stayed clean and safe. At the least sign of a ruckus, these big, brawny men could easily haul away unruly cowhands, and break up a brawl. Most importantly, they ensured Ela's safety. Like all things that he prized in his life, Arnav valued his friendship with Ela. So he ensured her safety the only way he knew how.

*****

Chapter 5 - Lazy Sunday

Anjali sat at the mirror, combing her hair. She was ready for bed, but not quite. Her gaze fell on her two sons, sleeping in the big bed they shared with her. After her husband's death, she'd always slept with them next to her. It was their presence that had helped her through those dark days. They were getting to be a handful, though, she thought with a little smile. Especially little Drew. He was stubborn and had all the hallmarks of a rebel. Dev on the other hand, was a sweetheart. He was obedient and barely questioned anything. However, both of them were very high-spirited. It didn't help that their uncles and Great-Nanny spoilt them rotten. Right now, though, they looked like little cherubs, in their identical white nightshirts. Drew with his thumb in his mouth. Fast asleep.

They needed a father, she thought. Arnav did his best, but he was so busy all the time, so caught up in making sure that they had a good life, that all Nanny had worked for hadn't gone in vain. They needed a real father.

And here her thoughts switched to Shyam. He had come calling once a week at least, and it hadn't taken her long to realize that she was the reason he'd called. He didn't try to crowd her, or see her alone. He was always polite, always charming. He liked the children and she'd seen the look in his eyes as he'd looked at them, when he didn't know she was watching. Like he was looking at something beautiful, and wanted to be part of it. Sometimes he met her eyes and her heart would jolt at the look. She was woman enough to know that look when she saw it. There was passion and desire for her. When her fingers touched his and he raised it to his lips for a good bye kiss, she had shivered at the lingering feeling of their softness on her hands. He'd raised his eyes to her, his emotions unveiled, so she could see into his heart.

Was she falling in love with him? she wondered. She thought about him. A lot. She looked forward to his weekly visits now. She shook her head. There wasn't any use thinking about things like this. She was a widow with two children. Who in their right minds would want to be burdened with that? She opened a bedside drawer and took out a photograph. The sepia tones did nothing to hide the handsome features staring up at her.

With a sigh, she climbed into bed, tucking her two angels in, dropping soft kisses on their forehead, before turning off the lamp.

*****

Khushi rode up to the Wild Bull in her usual jeans. She had a bag with her that held a simple dress that she would change into. She hated riding in a dress! She stabled the horse at the back of the building, where Ela had told her to and walked into the saloon.

'Khushi!' Ela greeted her. 'Come on in.'

'Where can I change, Miss Ela?' Khushi asked, showing her the bag.

'Don't call me Miss Ela, Khushi,' Ela laughed. 'Just call me Ela. Come with me, I'll show you where to change.' She led Khushi through a door and up a staircase that led to a corridor. She opened a door on the right and said, 'this is where you can change and rest. If you have to stay the night, you'll sleep here. All right?'

'Thank you, Ela,' Khushi smiled at her. She was already excited to be starting today. Quickly she rid herself of the jeans and shirt, and pulled out the modest cotton dress that Payal had made for her.

Payal was a genius with thread and needle, she thought, as she looked at herself in the mirror. The pale pink of the dress complimented her fair skin nicely. Her hair was done in a braid that hung over one shoulder. Bits of lace covered the neckline in little ruches, revealing very little of the creamy expanse of her chest, instead just hinting at it. The high waist made her legs look longer and the little bustle gave body to a rear that Khushi felt was just a little too flat. She smiled at her image, then patting down the skirt, she left her room.

First day. She gave a mental skip as she walked down the stairs and into the bar. Ela was behind it, ready to show her the ropes. Her eyebrows raised at the innocent picture Khushi made in the pale dress. 'Khushi, that is a beautiful dress!' she exclaimed. 'Where did you get it?'

'My sister made it, Ela,' Khushi smiled and said.

'Would she make one for me?' asked Ela eagerly. 'I would pay her to, of course,' she added.

'For sure, Ela. I'm certain Sis will make one for you. I'll tell her and let you know,' Khushi assured her.

'Thank you, Khushi,' Ela was all smiles. 'Now come, let me show you what I need you to do,' said Ela.

*****

Arnav was hot. It was a hot day, and he and his crew were busy branding the cattle they'd rounded up the previous week. NK rode up to him and said, 'ASR. Gotta talk.'

ASR swung away from the rest and walked towards NK, 'What happened?'

NK came off his horse lithely. 'The Box-Lightning cattle are mixed up with ours,' he said. 'I found a few head this morning in this bunch.'

ASR rubbed his chin. 'How'd this happen?' he asked.

'I think they've strayed onto Circle-R land. We need to cut them out and return them,' NK said.

'How many?'

'I reckon about fifty head,' NK frowned.

ASR nodded. 'Right. You keep brandin' and I'll take Jake and Tony with me to cut out them out.' NK nodded. 'I'll take them over to Box-Lightning right away,' ASR added.

He spent the better part of the day cutting out the Box-Lightning cows from his. It was late evening by the time they finished. He looked with approval at a job well done, standing with Jake and Tony. This is what he loved, he thought. This physical activity that drains you, leaves you exhausted, yet exhilarated. He slapped his gloves against his legs. 'Get some food and rest, y'all. Let's take them over first thing tomorrow morning.'

Jake and Tony nodded. They liked their boss. He worked hard and he worked alongside them. Never making them feel as if they worked for him, unless he was directing them. Arnav Singh Raizada never ordered anybody to do anything. He didn't need to. His statement was enough to get the job done.

It was mid-morning when Arnav rode into the Box-Lightning with Jake and Tony and around fifty head of Box-Lightning cattle. Shashi and Garima along with Happy and Abeja came out to the verandah to see this rare sight, their mouths open in surprise.

Arnav directed Jake and Tony to use one of the empty corrals for the cattle, before swinging himself down from his horse in front of them. 'Good mornin', sir,' he said, taking his hat off and bowing to the ladies. They nodded at him.

'We'd been rounding up cattle, sir and found about fifty of yours mixed up in mine. We brought them over,' he said.

'Thank you,' Shashi said faintly.

'You'll be getting ready for the muster too, I'd think,' Arnav probed gently.

'I..,' Shashi started when Happy interrupted, 'I don't know if we will muster this year, Mr. ASR.'

Arnav raised one eyebrow at that telling statement. He'd been looking around and he'd seen the two cowhands sitting on a fence, chewing on grass and not taking much of an interest in what was happening. Jake and Tony walked over to them, presumably to give them instructions. He didn't see the red horse in the corral either, where two more horses were standing around, looking unbrushed. The barn was badly in need of a paint and some fixing up. His eyes narrowed at the clear signs of neglect he saw around him. What was going on here? he wondered. He clenched his jaw wondering why Shashi would not sell to him, when he evidently knew nothing about running a ranch. The yearly sale of cattle ensured flow of money into the ranch, to grow more cattle and sell in the big stockyards at Fort Worth and El Paso. If they weren't selling, how did they plan to sustain this place?

'Um.. I should be takin' my leave now, sir, ladies,' he said. Jake and Tony were headed back towards him. 'Good day to y'all.' They mounted their horses and left, leaving a stunned foursome behind them.

*****

Sunday morning saw the Guptas arrive for lunch at the Raizada Ranch, in the wagon. Khushi sat in the front wearing a dress and a frown. Her mother had insisted she wear one, and she had opposed, naturally. This had resulted in an hour long argument about dresses and jeans and good upbringing and ladylike behavior. Payal finally calmed them down, giving Khushi a new muslin dress in a rich grass green to wear. Thankfully, green happened to be Khushi's favorite color and she finally wore the dress, muttering dire threats under her breath, to anyone who dared say anything about her being in a dress. She kept her boots on, as a little rebellious note, much to Garima's frustration, since said boots only came into view as she was hopping into the front seat.

Arnav was in his study on the second floor, poring over some new regulations when he heard the wagons arriving. He sat there, the print fading from in front of his eyes, wondering if he should take a look first, and see if a certain pink-cheeked, pink-nosed spitfire had arrived. He walked over to the window and could see her climbing down from the front seat. Were those riding boots under her dress? he wondered, chuckling aloud at the sight. As if she heard him, her head began lifting to look upwards and he quickly stepped aside, smiling to himself.

Down below, the rest of the Raizadas greeted the Guptas and the Yagos - Happy and Abeja, who seemed like an integral part of the Gupta family.

Khushi soon found her good humor restored as she saw the twins, crouching down to hug them to her. She couldn't help but notice that the master of the house hadn't yet made his appearance. His younger brother, though was here, and smiling at them all genially.

'Come in. Come in,' welcomed Nanny Raizada. 'It's good to see you up and about, Mr. Happy,' she smiled at him.

'Thank you kindly, Miz. Raizada,' Happy beamed at her, as did Abeja.

They settled down in the lounge and while the elders chatted, the younger ones decided to make themselves scarce. More precisely, the youngest ones.

'Hide n seek,' demanded Drew.

'Not now, Drew,' said Anjali. 'We'll play later. After lunch, 'kay?'

'No. Play now,' said that young one, arms folded, one eyebrow raised in a startling imitation of his uncle, his lower lip pouting.

Khushi gasped at that and then burst out laughing. 'Mama is right. We'll play later, I promise,' she told him.

The twins looked at her solemnly and then nodded their heads. 'Miss Anjali,' Khushi said, 'Can I go with them for a bit?'

'Of course,' Anjali smiled. 'Come, let me show you their room.' She led the twins, Khushi, Akash and Payal out of the room, towards the stairs.

Akash held back a bit and said, 'Miss Payal, would you like to see the rest of the ranch?'

'Yes. Thank you,' she said softly.

'Then, come with me,' he said simply. And she followed him. Simply.

Khushi meanwhile trotted after Anjali to an upper room, which was obviously the children's room. The twins ran in screaming and soon a raucous game of catch was in progress, with squeals and shrieks accompanying it.

Arnav frowned at the noises emanating from the children's room. It was pointless trying to get any work done. He shut his files and left his room, heading for the children's room. He stood in the partly open doorway and took in the sight in front of him.

Khushi sat on the floor, playing catch with the boys. Every time she dropped the ball, they all squealed loudly and laughed. Her eyes danced and her cheeks were flushed, as she clapped her hands. Her laugh rang out as Dev ran to her and threw his arms around her neck, giving her a big smacking kiss on her cheek. Her eyes rounded and sparkled, as she held the child in her arms. Before going down in a heap as Drew threw himself on top of them. Squeals of laughter ensued.

Arnav wasn't even aware that he was smiling at the picture they made. He stepped into the room. Dev spotted him first.

'Arnie!' he cried running towards him, hurtling himself on his legs.

Khushi gasped and scrambled up, setting Drew aside. Her cheeks flamed as she brushed down her dress.

'Where's Sis and Mami?' he asked her, holding out a hand for Drew.

'I'm here, Mr. Raizada,' Mami came out of another door that led to Anjali's room. 'I was just putting the laundry away.'

'Go to Mami, boy,' Arnav said to Drew.

'We play with Koosh,' said Drew firmly.

'No Mami,' said Dev equally firmly.

'Now, boys,' Arnav's voice was just as firm and held even more authority. 'Go to Mami. I need to talk to Miss Khushi,' he said, pushing them towards Mami.

Khushi's eyes widened. She watched the boys go obediently, and waited till the door had closed behind them before turning to him. 'What do you have to talk to me about? I need to talk to you,' she said, pointing a finger at him.

'Not here,' he said, reaching out and holding her hand, before pulling her out of the room.

'Let me go!' she tried to keep her voice low as he towed her to his study, wriggling in his grip trying to loosen the tight hold his fingers had on her wrist. He pulled her inside and closed the door, letting her go, before folding his arms across his chest. He looked like Drew right then, and Khushi had to stifle a nervous giggle at the thought.

'What did you want to talk to me about?' he asked.

Suddenly she sobered down, remembering her anger at his audacity. 'Not here,' she muttered.

'Why not?' he asked.

'Didn't you have something to talk about?' she countered.

'Nothing important,' he shook his head. 'I just wanted to welcome you,' he smirked. She raised her eyebrows disbelievingly at that. 'The twins needed to settle down before lunch, or they'll create an uproar and end up not eatin',' he explained. She nodded slowly, not sure whether to believe him or not.

'What did you want to talk to me about?' he asked again.

'Can we go somewhere where we won't be disturbed?' she asked quietly.

'This is as private as you can get, Khushi,' she noticed he dropped the 'Miss' when addressing her and frowned. 'Nobody disturbs me when I am here,' he said, misreading her frown.

She shook her head, 'no, really. I need privacy,' she insisted.

He narrowed his eyes. She wanted to talk away from the house. What was there to be said that couldn't be said at the house? Or was she afraid of someone overhearing them? Either way, he reached out a hand, grabbing hers again, and leading her out.

They came out of a back door into a yard, and she realized this was what she'd seen from the bedroom that first morning. He whistled loudly and the appaloosa came running around the corner. Without a word, he lifted her onto the bare back of the horse, and swung himself up behind her.

'Where? .. ah ... where are you taking me?' She asked nervously.

'You wanted privacy, I'm taking you there,' he dug his legs into the side of the horse and it took off at a canter.

'We .. don't have a saddle,' she swallowed. 'I'll slip off,' she was panicking now.

'Hush!' His arm came around her, holding her firmly to his chest. 'I've got you,' his voice was soft in her ear.

'They'll be waiting for lunch,' she said, trying to find an excuse to go back. She'd thought he would take her outside where they could talk in peace. She'd never imagined she'd be riding bareback on a horse with him, going God alone knew where!

'It won't kill them,' he countered, face straight ahead.

They finally came to a wooded slope and slowed to a stop. He slid off and then lifted her gently down to the ground. She looked around her. A small stream ran at the bottom of the slope not five feet away from where they stood. The clear water gurgled over smooth stones, splashing a little at the edges. Sunlight dappled through the leaves casting little spots of light, one of them on her face, turning her skin almost translucent.

He looked at her face, his eyes searching all over it. Seeing the gold sparkling through the gray-green eyes where the sun hit them. Her lips were curved and bow-like, pink. The dark green of her dress matching the forest floor she stood on. Her hair was burnished copper in the sunlight and the pulse beating in her neck a pale blue against the creaminess of it.

'Is this private enough for you?' he asked pleasantly.

She nodded her head, reluctantly. The only sounds here was of the babbling stream and birds in the trees. His horse nickered softly and then resumed crunching the grass at its feet.

She swallowed and asked, 'why do you want to buy our ranch?'

He narrowed his eyes. Of all the questions, he wasn't expecting this. 'What?'

'Why do you want to buy our ranch?' she asked again louder, enunciating each word.

'I'm not deaf,' he snapped. 'I heard you the first time, all right?'

'Well then,' she snapped too. 'Tell me,' she placed her hands on her hips.

'It's a business proposition, Khushi,' he said in a bored voice. 'Nothing to do with you.'

'Do you realize that's our home we're talkin' about?' she raised her voice.

'I'm aware of that,' he leaned back casually against a tree, one foot raised and bent, the heel resting against the trunk.

'And you think it's nothing to do with me?' She pointed to herself, incredulous that he would take such a stance with her.

He sighed. 'I'd offered Rudi to buy it out. He preferred to sell to your father, I don't know why. I've made a better offer to your father. He said he'd think about it. That's all there is to it,' his voice was even, calm.

'No!' she exclaimed. 'That's not all there is to it. We live there, Mr. Raizada. It's our home, and we're not going anywhere.' She blew through her nose, her jaws clenched.

'How do you propose to live on a ranch that's not making money, Khushi?' he asked her, his voice cold. He shoved himself off the tree and moved towards her. She moved back a step, for each step he took, until her back was against the trunk of another tree. 'What do you expect to live on? What I'm offering is much more than he would get from anybody.'

'Why?' she asked relentlessly.

'It would expand the land I have and I'd make it profitable again as part of the Circle-R,' he said simply.

'It's all a question of profits to you, is it?' she shoved at him. 'Do you even think about the people living there?' she cried and shoved him once more. He staggered back and grabbed her wrists to stop her from shoving him again.

'I've seen the state of the land, Khushi,' his jaw was now clenched in anger. 'The ranch is falling apart. If there's no money for it, it will die. And you won't have a roof over your head,' he said brutally.

'Shut up!' her face was flushed in anger, as she tried to wrench her hands from his tight hold. He let them go. 'How can you say that?'

'Your father doesn't have a clue how to run that place. Has he even done ranching before? This is not the best time or place to start learning, you know,' he bit out the words, knowing what her reaction would be.

And it was. 'Don't you dare speak about my father that way.' She almost pounced on him. 'Whatever decision he's taking is right for us.' Angry tears formed in her eyes. 'You know nothing about us, and yet you presume to speak about my father.'

'Listen to me, Khushi.' He shook her lightly. 'This isn't personal. Right now, this is the best deal you father has. It's best for you.'

'And where would we go?' she asked brokenly. 'We can't move anymore,' tears swam in her big eyes. He stepped back, unsure how to deal with this. Something about those tears started a dull ache in the region of his chest. He reached out a hand and touched her wrist, and she flinched. He looked down, horrified as he saw the bruises forming on the skin from where he'd held her earlier. He dropped her hand.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered, his eyes looking regretfully into hers.

'It doesn't matter,' she said, turning away, tugging down the sleeves to hide the marks.

'It matters, Khushi,' he touched her shoulder.

She stiffened her back, but only said, 'Can we go now? I'd really like to get back.' Her voice was even.

'Khushi,' he tried again but she cut him off.

'Please!' she said.

He stood silent for a moment, swallowing to ease the pain in his chest. Stepping forward, he gently lifted her up and sat her on the horse's back, before he sat behind her. The horse moved forward. He slid an arm around her waist to hold her in place. Silently they rode back, each aware of the other, the rhythmic movement of the horse keeping them in close bodily contact. And yet, they were as far apart as two people could be. He closed his eyes in pain, when he saw her surreptitiously wipe her eyes. That shook him to his core. He didn't know why, but he just tightened his arm a little more around her.

When they reached the house, he helped her off the horse, but stayed on it. She moved to the door and stopped, one hand on the knob. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him still sitting there, something like pain in his eyes, before he turned the horse around towards the corral. She let herself in, and quietly moved to a washroom. She washed her face, cleaning it of all traces of tears before plastering a bright smile on her face and walking into the living room.

'Miss Khushi, you're here?' asked Anjali, on seeing her. 'The children?'

'Are with Mami,' Arnav answered as he walked in through the front door.

'Arnav,' said Nanny surprised. 'I thought you were in your study!'

'Needed some fresh air, Nanny. So I took Shadow out for a ride,' he said, a glance flicking towards Khushi. She looked away, focusing on something that Payal was saying.

*****