Arshi FF - Dusty Haven - [TH#2 Link on Index Pg 1] - Page 35

I guess the word 'Shyam' is etched  in our minds as synonymous to 'powerful, cunning and dangerous villain'. ...

And whether she needs it or not , Ms. Gupta gets her very own personal protection force of ' one' ...one very hot - blooded angry male , aka ASR ...he's not letting anyone paw her now, is he ..? And the Raizada women are way off beam abt him too 😆

Lovely update ...classic bar-room confrontation 'western ' style ...look forward to more ...

and thnx dear for the pm. 

 

thanks for pm

Chapter 9 - Your Goose is Cooked!

'Had yourself a little 'citement, I heard,' Aman said, sliding onto the stool next to Arnav. 

'Just two idiots what tried to get fresh with Miss Khushi, here,' Arnav replied. He could see Khushi's ears stained red as she heard his response. 

She was still shaking from the incident. Her heartbeats had slowed down a little bit, but not that much. Arnav hadn't spoken to her much after that, but his eyes had spoken volumes. Things had settled down after a while in the saloon. She hadn't known he could move that fast. The man had been reaching out to her, and then, Arnav had him in that hold. She hadn't even seen him reach for the gun. The slow moving exterior was just a facade, she realized. Inside was a coiled animal, a cougar that could pounce swiftly and be just as deadly. 

She'd just put down the cup of coffee in front of Aman, when the door opened and Akash and Payal walked in. 

'Sis!' she exclaimed, happy to see her sister there. 

'Akash?' Arnav turned to see his brother escorting her sister in. What the?! 

They came across to the bar, but Akash guided Payal to a table near it, instead. Aman and Arnav joined them there, and she was introduced to the sheriff of Yerba. He exchanged glances with Arnav who looked about as astonished as he felt. Khushi came up to them, looking happier than she'd done in the last half-hour or so. 

'Khushi, how long will you be?' asked Payal under cover of the other conversation at the table, feeling distinctly uncomfortable in the presence of so many men around. 

'I have to stay till Ela gets back,' Khushi said. 'Can you wait?' Payal nodded her head. 'I'll take you to my room,' she began untying her apron when Akash spoke up.

'Actually, Miss Payal,' evidently Akash had overheard them. 'Why don't you wait with me at my dispensary?' he asked. 

Arnav and Aman raised an eyebrow each and looked at him. He blushed, looked away, cleared his throat and said. 'My housekeeper will be there, Miss Payal, so you'll have a chaperone.'

She looked at him gratefully. 'Khushi?' she turned to Khushi.

'I think that's very kind of Doc,' she assented, smiling brightly at Akash, while Arnav gritted his teeth.

So Payal and Akash waited till her purchases arrived from the store and they left. Aman and Arnav resumed their seats at the bar. It wasn't long before Ela came back. 

'ASR!' she greeted him with her usual dimples. But this time, Aman smiled back at her, as their eyes met. 

'Ela, I need to talk to you,' Arnav said keeping his voice low. She nodded and led him back to her office. 

He told her of the incident this evening at the saloon. 'It's not safe for her, Ela,' he concluded. 

She regarded him carefully and then said, 'I'd need to think it over, ASR.'

That was all he could do, he knew. He walked over to the bar and called Khushi over. 'I'll be back to take you to Akash's place. Don't leave without me,' With that, he picked up his hat and walked away, leaving her staring open-mouthed after him. Aman hid a smirk as he drained his coffee. Ela put her hand on Khushi's shoulder, jerking her away from her thoughts.

'I'd do as ASR says, Khushi,' she said, before turning away to greet a new customer. 

When Khushi finished at the end of her shift, she came out to find Arnav waiting for her, holding Shadow's and Red's reins in his hands! She swung herself onto her horse, following him to the Doc's house in utter silence, after a baleful look in his direction. 

She watched his broad back as he rode a little ahead of her. He was angry, she saw. He'd been angry with her already, and then whatever happened today had surely angered him further. But she could have taken care of herself, she knew. He didn't have to step in like a ... a ... like he was rescuing her! She wasn't a helpless female. She fumed a bit at that. He really didn't have to interfere in her life. Why was it that every time she turned around he was there? Sure she was grateful for what he'd done for her father. But did that give him the right to ... to ... escort her, like she didn't know the way to the Doc's, and couldn't walk three steps without him? And now she'd lost the job at Wild Bull. All thanks to him! Now what was she to do?

By the time they got to Akash's house, Khushi had worked herself into a nice little tizzy. She glared at him as they dismounted. He completely ignored her, and walked in without waiting for her! Flags in her cheeks, she marched in behind him, only to find him smiling and talking to Payal. She threw her hands up in the air, and went to find the cloak room. 

The ride back home was equally strange. Akash and Payal rode ahead, quietly talking, smiling at each other. Arnav and Khushi hung back watching their siblings, saying not a word nor looking at each other.

He was aware that she was fuming. He was still seething about the incident. Yet, he was amused at her reaction, too. The blush of color in her cheeks and the frown on her forehead refused to go he saw, as he glanced at her once in a while. His anger slowly faded and amusement at her's brought a smile to his face.

She was aware that he was ignoring her. Deliberately! So she ignored him too, much as she wanted to yell and scream at him. For once, Khushi Gupta was determined not to let her mouth run away with her. Especially when she saw that annoying smirk on his face!

****

Khushi ran a brush morosely over Red's gleaming coat. She'd been in the stable since the morning, not in the mood to engage in conversation with anybody. There were few if any, that had seen Khushi Gupta down in the dumps, in fact, she almost always sought solace here, with Red. As she was doing today.

Ela had told her that she couldn't have Khushi working regularly at the bar. She'd told Khushi that she could only work on the weekends, that too, only if  Ela needed her help. She understood. Ela felt that she hadn't been able to handle the situation. 'But I could've taken care of it m'self, Red,' she murmured. The horse whinnied softly in response, nuzzling her shoulder. 'Ela knew it. The Sheriff knew it. He knew it. He knows I could've taken care of myself, but he had to step in and spoil it all for me.' She pouted. She knew she was being unfair, but she dearly wanted to blame someone for it. 'How will I ever help Papa now?' she whined into Red's mane.

'Khushi?' she was taken out of her one-sided dialogue with Red, as she heard her sister's voice. 'Are you in here?' Payal was peering into the dark shadows of the stable, her eyes still blinded by the sunlight outside. 

'In here, Sis,' she sighed and answered. Taking a carrot out of her pocket, she held it to Red's mouth, and the horse delicately took it from her hand. 

Payal walked on tippy toes into the barn. 'Khushi!' she exclaimed. 'You're here and everybody's looking for you!'

Khushi raised an eyebrow and said, 'where else would I be, sis?' She threw open her hands dramatically, her face woebegone and downcast. 

'Oh, hush!' said Payal, giggling at her sister's little drama. 'Listen, Ma was looking for you, so come quickly. Besides it's almost midday and time for lunch. Aren't you hungry?'

'Huh!' said Khushi, and immediately her stomach growled. Payal raised an eyebrow and they both giggled. 'All right, sis, let's go!'

The two sisters walked back together to the house. They saw NK talking to Happy at one end of the corral. The strangely taciturn man rarely spoke to them, although he was unfailingly polite when he saw them. 

'Wonder what NK means?' murmured Payal idly, eyeing the serious cowboy whom they'd never seen smiling. 

'Nobody Knows,' Khushi giggled behind her hand. 'I heard one of the cowhands say so,' she added protestingly, as Payal shoved her lightly with a reproachful 'Khushi!'

'You said Ma was looking for me,' Khushi asked instead. 'Why?'

Payal nodded. 'Someone had come from Circle-R. It seems they might have a job for you,' she said. 

'At the Circle-R?' Khushi stopped. She was surprised and puzzled. 'What sort of job?'

'I don't know, but Ma and Papa have agreed to it. So it must be something that they feel you could do,' Payal said, stomping her feet to rid it of mud, before entering the house. 

And it was. 

It seems Anjali wanted Khushi to teach the children and spend time with them. Four days a week, and she could stay at the Circle-R while she taught them, and come back home for the rest of the days. 

'Teach the children?' Khushi stared aghast at her parents, looking from one to the other. 'Papa, Why won't Miss Anjali do it herself? And why me?' she asked plaintively.

'I don't know, Khushi,' Garima replied instead, but she smiled gently. Her Papa nodded, smiling as well.

'Nia tonta!'  (Silly girl!) Abeja slapped her own forehead. 'This is good for you, no? Por qu te cuestionas?' (Then why the questions?)

'Si, Tia Abeja, it's good for me,' Khushi said patiently, although she wasn't quite sure of it. Time to think of all that later. The whole family was excited about this. 'But I still don't understand why?'

Garima shook her head. 'Abeja is right. You're truly mad. Why question something good that is offered to you?'

'I don't know, Ma,' she sighed, finally giving up trying to make her family see sense - Khushi's way. 

*****

Arnav had been caught off-guard when Nani and Anjali told him about the new addition to their household - for four days a week! Khushi Gupta would be 'teaching' Drew and Dev to read. Mami, God bless her, was good with them, but she didn't have the energy to chase them around nor did she know how to read and write. 

Had Arnav but known it, his reasons for being against this arrangement were exactly the same as Khushi's. Why couldn't Anjali have taken care of it herself? But Anjali had pleaded too much work around the house (didn't they have help for that? he wondered) and she needed a little time to herself, too. 

He sat in his study, ostensibly going over some books, a glass of whiskey at his elbow when someone knocked at his door. 'Come,' he snapped. He hadn't been paying attention to his books anyway. He might as well have some company. 

Anjali peered around the door. 'Arnav? Are you working?'

'Yes, Sis, but it's not urgent. Come on in,' he invited, coming around to pull up a chair for her. 

She seated herself and looked at the whiskey. 'Drinking again?'

'A glass of whiskey after dinner doesn't hurt, Sis. But I'm sure that's not what you came here for,' he said sardonically, quirking an eyebrow in her direction. 

'I just wanted to spend a little time with my brother,' she smiled softly, her eyes crinkling up at him. 

He smiled, letting her know he appreciated that. He took a sip and said, 'I wanna ask you something, Sis.'

'Ask away,' she leaned back in her chair. 

He hoisted his bare feet onto his desk and said, 'Why find someone to teach the children, Sis? Why not do it yourself? I'm ...' he spread his hands out, 'I really don't understand why she has to come here.'

'Arnav. You work so hard all day, then you come home and spend hours with the children,' she began. 

'Because I want to, Sis,' he interrupted. She raised a hand and he stopped, resigned. 

'I'm running the house all day and I'm tired. Mami doesn't read and write, and the children are coming to an age when they should start learning things. The most important thing is that they like Khushi, so she is better suited to teaching them. It'll give us all a lot more free time,' she reasoned. 'Plus, I'll have another girl around!' she added with irrefutable logic.

He nodded. He still wasn't convinced, but if that was what she wanted, he knew she could be as stubborn as himself. Anjali wasn't a Raizada for nothing. 

The two siblings sat in silence each with their own thoughts. Then Anjali spoke again, hesitantly. 'Arnav, this thing with Ela. How ... serious is it?' 

He narrowed his eyes. 'Sis, how many times do I have to tell you? Ela's just a good friend. Nothing more. So, no, there's nothing serious between Ela and I,' he enunciated the last sentence clearly. 

'So, if you and Ela aren't together, then...' she stopped, looking hopefully at him. 

'Then? Then what, Sis?' This conversation was beginning to get on his nerves. 

'I was thinking. Well, actually, Nanny and I were thinking,' she bit her lip and stopped again, watching him roll his eyes in exasperation, before raising his eyebrows. 

He took another sip of whiskey. 

'You and Miss Payal would make a very pretty couple,' Anjali blurted out. 

He choked on the whiskey, coughing to clear his lungs. Anjali ran around to him and thumped on his back, handing him a glass of water. 'Arnav. Are you okay?' she asked anxiously, rubbing his back.

'I'll be fine,' he rasped, coughing some more, his eyes watering. He was still wheezing as he gasped, 'Sis, I think it's time you went to bed.'

'I'm sorry, Arnav,' genuine tears sprang to her eyes. 

Ah, shit! Now she brings on the waterworks, he thought. He went around to her and hugged her. 'It's okay, sis. But please, let's just stop talking about these things, okay?' His voice was still a little hoarse. 

They hugged each other, taking quiet comfort from it. But all this talk of couples and romance reminded Arnav of something he'd wanted to talk to Anjali about. He sat her in the chair and pulled up a footstool, holding her hand in his. 

'Sis, now it's my turn to ask you something,' he said softly. 

'Ask away,' she said, running her free hand through his hair. 

He searched in his mind for the words to ask his sister without being blunt. It wasn't how he approached anything, but for the first time in his life, he wanted to be tactful, and so he spoke slowly, gathering his thoughts together. 

'I ... Nanny mentioned Shyam the other day. She said he comes here often, for you. Is that true?' he asked. 

She lowered her eyes, a soft pink hue on her cheeks. Biting her lips, she nodded. 'Yes, he does,' her voice was soft, tender.

'And you? Do you like his coming to visit with you?' 

She nodded her head again, looking him in the eyes. Dark brown meeting honey. 'I do, Arnav. I know it's rather soon after Danny, but ...'

He gripped her fingers. 'I want you to be happy, Sis. Danny would want you to move on too, y'know,' he said awkwardly, earnestly. 'Not live your life only for Drew and Dev.' He paused. 'Has he said anything to you?'

She shook her head, 'no. Not yet.' She smiled eagerly at him. 'He is so good with the boys, Arnav. They like him as well.' 

He kissed her fingers. 'I hope he's good to you and to them' was all he said. He sighed. He was swallowing down his own misgivings about Shyam for his sister's happiness.

'Thank you,' she whispered, knowing he'd just given his approval for Shyam to court her. She got to her feet and he stood up as well. 'Good night, Arnav. Don't stay up too late,' she warned. 

'Oh, Sis?' he called, when she was at the door. He stood leaning a hip against the desk, his hand moving as he swirled the drink in his glass.

She turned around, questioningly. 

'About Miss Payal?' he asked. She frowned, puzzled. 'I think Akash might have something to say 'bout that,' he smirked. Her mouth fell open. He shrugged, his lips tugging up on one side.

'Arnav? You can't just stop there. You've got to tell me everything,' she demanded moving back into the room. 

'Good night, sis,' he laughed, pushing her out, and shutting the door. 

'Arnav!' he heard her yell through the door as she banged on it, frustrated. 

'Good night, Sis,' he called again through the door, laughing silently to himself. 

Why shouldn't he share the pleasure of Anjali's questions with Akash? he thought. The man gets away from it by living in Yerba. Well now, time to change all that, wasn't it? Wait till you're back at Circle-R, my boy. Your goose is cooked! Arnav grinned, feeling highly satisfied with himself.

*****

Ela had asked Khushi to come to the Wild Bull on Saturday. She needed the extra hand. Besides, she'd talked this arrangement over with ASR, and surprisingly, he was okay with it, as long as the guards were there. Ela smiled as she thought about it. ASR might not know it, but his possessive streak about a certain Miss Gupta was showing a mile wide. The man just hadn't seen it yet.

She noticed that Khushi was busy behind the bar. She was a little more subdued these days, though that might be because ASR was sitting at the bar, nursing a beer and chatting with Aman and Jim. All the while, keeping a very close eye on the clientele!

Shyam walked into the Wild Bull and looked around. He'd heard about the fracas the other week from Rocky and Manny. He'd been furious with them. They had no business bringing any attention to the Striking-S. He liked it that way. The less people paid attention to him, the better. 

However, there was no avoiding ASR, who'd seen him come in. He might as well go and talk to the man. 

'ASR,' he greeted, holding out his hand. 

'Shyam,' Arnav grunted, shaking the hand reluctantly. For the sake of Sis, he thought. Aman and Jim greeted him, too. 

'Shyam, what can I get you?' Ela asked as she came over to him, smiling pleasantly. 

'A cold beer,' Shyam smiled back at her. 

The men chatted idly, sipping their beers, and talking. Arnav caught Khushi's eye and gestured with his mug. She nodded to him, and came back with two full mugs. She placed them on the bar and her eyes went to the hand next to Arnav's.

A silver and turquoise Navajo bracelet hung off his muscled left arm.

She felt a little quiver start in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes flew upwards, taking him in. 

An average sized man, with a powerful physique. He wore a holster on his left side. He was left-handed. His tight jeans were tucked into tall boots, and a pair of spurs on the heels jingled as he walked. The low brim of his hat revealed the French beard on his chin, framing thick lips.

He wasn't wearing a hat today, so she could see his slanted eyes, large and dark, and the high cheekbones, his face towards Jim as he talked. He turned to her and smiled, and then went back to his conversation with Jim. She had no doubt. It was him! The killer. He was here. In Yerba. He'd followed her, after all! She swallowed nervously, then turned around and walked away. She had to leave. Right now! With her heart hammering, she almost ran into the back office. Run, Khushi! She told herself.

Arnav had been watching Khushi, as he found himself doing a lot these days. He saw the way she looked at Shyam. Like she knew him! His eyes narrowed, flicking to the man next to him. How? Where did she know him from? Before he could say anything, he saw her nervously lick her lips, her face paling as she backed away. Then she was gone through the back door. He turned to Shyam and saw that he hadn't noticed Khushi at all. Strange!

He put his mug on the bar and said, ''Scuse me, gentlemen,' and walked slowly to the back. He came into Ela's office, only to see her there alone poring over some receipts. 

'ASR,' she looked up and said. 'What brings you here?'

'Where's Khushi?' he asked. 

'She left.' Ela frowned. 'She seemed like she was in a hurry. Why?'

He shook his head, heading out the door in a run. Ela was puzzled. Khushi had barged in and told Ela she had to leave right then, even as she struggled to drag her apron off. Then she'd run out. Now ASR wanted to know where Khushi was, and he'd run off, too. She sighed. I hope those two didn't fight, she thought, heading back to the bar. 

Arnav ran out of the back of the building, only to see Khushi riding away on Red in the distance.

What the hell had happened to her? He ran his fingers through his hair. This woman would drive him nuts. It wasn't enough that she was spending nights under his roof. Now she'd started behaving strangely, too. Well, he'd find out soon enough, he thought. 

*****