Shades of Love #3: Cinderella

"You twisted that foot pretty badly," he said, pulling her carefully. "Come in, let me see." It was as if she had traded her brain for a ball of cotton candy. She had completely forgotten how to protest as he took her inside the room and made her sit in an armchair. His fingers were soon feeling around her ankle.

"Does it hurt?" Khushi shook her head and the ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "Sure?" She nodded, frowning slightly. He should have been angry at her. What was he doing? "Are you scared of me or something?"

Swallowing, she shook her head in negation, making him shoot a disarming lopsided grin at her. "Why aren't you speaking then?" he almost laughed. "You heard me sing right? Is it my not-so-melodious voice that stole away yours?"

Khushi darted a glance at him tersely. "Shouldn't you be angry at me for breaking that swan?"

"Ah! She speaks!" he exclaimed with faked surprise. "And with what a mellow voice my lady speaks."

She broke into a helpless chortle at his attempt to flirt and he shook his head. "You think I should be angry at you? I am more than grateful. I hated that swan and you gave me a good reason to get rid of it."

Her eyes opened wide. "You hated it?"

"I did," he shrugged. "It was such an ugly thing!"

She gulped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." He smirked teasingly at her, which made her more nervous and suddenly the words were gushing without a pause. "The thing is, the party was extremely boring and I wasn't feeling comfortable. I saw this dark corridor, so I thought I could hide in here for some time. Then I heard you sing and-"

He was laughing as he lifted himself off his knees to sit down beside her. Khushi paused and looked at him, biting her lip with embarrassment. She stood up hurriedly. "I think I should go," she mumbled but he caught her wrist.

"Stay for a bit," he grinned, now sober and regretful for having laughed. "The party really is boring and I would hate being left alone when I know there is an interesting woman as lonely as me out there."

Heat crawled up her cheeks hastily and she let him pull her back on the couch. "So," he shifted to make himself more comfortable. "I take it you are not here alone?"

Khushi smiled and shook her head. "You know Dr Lavanya Kashyap? I have come with her."

"You have come with her?" he raised his eyebrows incredulously.

She nodded innocently at first but his wide disbelieving eyes soon made her understand he had completely misunderstood her. Her mouth opened in a perfect O as she blushed furiously. "I mean, I just accompanied her! She is actually here on a manhunt!"

He guffawed at her. "I know, I was just kidding. On a manhunt, you say?"

"She's trying to find a boyfriend."

His eyes sparkled with a strange light that she could not decipher. "And you?"

"What about me?"

He leaned closer to her to whisper. "Don't you have to find one? Or do you already have one?" She felt the blood rush up under her skin and looked away. "I don't have the time for this," she stammered, to his increasing amusement.

He pursed his lips and regarded her silently, in a way to force her to turn her gaze back to him and when she did, he rose from the couch and held his hand out to her. "May I have this dance?"

Her eyes widened, travelling from his face to his hand and back into his molten caramel eyes. Blushing, she placed her hand in his lightly. What if this was not such a good idea? But there was no time to think about it now, for her had pulled her up to her feet. Her left hand was tight in his right hand while he had another arm around her waist t hold her loosely against him.

She shivered as his hand grazed her bare skin and realised that her right hand was right above his heart. She could even feel it thud softly under her palm. He smiled as he swayed both of them with the music. She looked away and bit her lip hard. It was a habit that would never go away. Payal used to chastise her for it but she couldn't help it when she was nervous. And right then, there could be no one who was more nervous than her.

He stopped unexpectedly, causing her to look up at him in surprise. He was frowning, his eyes had darkened, making the gold flecks that swam majestically in his irises more prominent. Her breath caught in her throat as he released her left hand, his arm tightening around her waist to pull her flush against his hard form, and caressed her cheek.

With his thumb, he smoothly tugged her lip free from between her teeth. "Don't do that," he breathed, making her inhale sharply. His fingertips ran over her cheek, her jaw, the arc of her neck, as if he were touching a rare, fragile silk. Unwillingly, her eyes fell closed revelling his touch and the unknown feeling he was awaking in her being.

His thumb brushed against her lips and her eyes snapped open, with the realisation of her current position. She stared at him in bewilderment. His face was several inches closer now... Too close... Instinctively, she captured her bottom lip between her teeth, quivering under his sweltering gaze. Immediately, his eyes, that had been trailing down her lips, rose up to hers burning with some kind of fury, and the frown that had smoothed out appeared again.

"I told you not to do that," he hissed. Her eyes widened as he crushed her even nearer to him. Her lips parted in a gasp and all of a sudden, all her sanity had evaporated because he had pressed his lips against hers. She froze, taken aback. He nipped tantalizingly at the lips she had been munching on moments ago, making her moan.

Khushi melted in his arms and he gratefully pulled her in to deepen the kiss, rising with her in passion as she fervently responded to him, the fingers of a hand tangled in his hair while the other hand clutched desperately at his collar. They broke apart, panting for oxygen and she saw him grin at her impishly. She closed her eyes, feeling herself blush.

She had always thought that her first kiss would be with the person she loved, which would be her husband. But this... She should have pushed him away from the start and slapped his face. But she hadn't, and she knew wouldn't. Because what had just happened did not feel wrong at all...

"Your name?" she heard him murmur. He had leaned in again to rest his forehead against hers. "I cannot share such a mind-blowing kiss with a girl and not know her name."

Her heart racing, she opened her eyes shyly. "Khushi."

He smiled, grazing a thumb across her lush, now swollen lips. "Suits you. Khushi," the way he whispered her name made it sound like a prayer. "Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada."

The smile that had started to draw itself died instantly as his name sank in. Arnav Singh Raizada... The man for whom Lavanya had come here... She jerked herself free brutally, staring at him in panic. Hell! What had she done? This was the worst form of treachery one could be capable of! How could she kiss the man her friend wanted?

"What's wrong?" she saw him frown. But her terror had spiralled her mind to automatic mode. She staggered backwards to the door, her eyes dancing wildly around the room, although refusing to meet him. Her mouth opened soundlessly and right then, she turned, opened the door and took off. She heard him curse and run after her, but that would not stop her legs.

She bravely, dived in the crowd, hoping she would see Lavanya, but she didn't. Breathing hard, she made it to the door, down the front steps before one of the stiletto heels gave up and broke. Khushi groaned her exasperation loudly and kicked them off. The broken one was right ahead of her, she made a quick grab for it. She was just about to go for the good one, that lay on her far left, when she heard him shout her name. Alarmed, she whined and ran for her life...

***

Mouth upturned and skin pale, she was stirring her coffee blindly, thinking about the past night's events. She felt so horribly, despicably guilty. How would she ever face Lavanya again?

"Oh my God, Chamkili! You will never guess what happened last night!" Khushi winced, hearing her friend's excitement laden voice. No, not now! Lavanya sank into the chair right next to her, grinning widely. "Last night was so wild!" she whispered huskily.

Khushi felt her heart lurch. Wild? Did she mean with Arnav Singh Raizada? The corners of her mouth drooped even more. He had not taken too long to replace her then. Wait... what?! Replace her? She had no, absolutely no right to even think of something like that! What was there between them? Just a kiss. It meant nothing, nothing at all...

"Tch! Chamkili!" Lavanya complained, smacking her friend's arm. "You are such a bore! You didn't even ask me what happened?"

Khushi smiled tightly at her, taking a gulp of the steaming coffee. "What happened, La?" she asked dejectedly.

Lavanya smirked brazenly at Khushi as she pulled the collar of her cashmere turtleneck sweater down to reveal her hickey-covered neck. The girl gasped loudly, feeling her heart sink deeper in its dark abyss.

"He is just so good in bed, Khushi! I didn't want to leave this morning but we both had work... I'm meeting him tonight though and he promised to compensate for the whole day we could have spend together, in bed," La told her.

Khushi flinched as she imagined Lavanya in his embrace... Suddenly, the coffee had lost the tiny bit of appeal it had had...

"Of course he is not the big catch I had hoped for," Lavanya continued with a shrug. "Maybe hhis cousin is the better one?" At that, her friend's eyes snapped to her, filled with interest and confusion. La sighed. "Oh God, I didn't tell you? I didn't meet ASR last night, he had disappeared off somewhere. But I ran into his younger cousin, Akaash, and damn..."

Her voice trailed away. Khushi stared at the tabletop with wide eyes, trying to ignore the nameless relief that washed over her...

***

Khushi shook her head when she remembered she would have to hear all the gory details of the night La had spent with Arnav Singh Raizada's cousin. She wished she could escape that. Hell, she wished she could turn the clocks back; then, she would have avoided meeting the man who was ruling over every thought of hers...

She braked at the red light and righted her helmet. She noticed the dull grey-blue scooter had lost its shine. Well, of course it would have by now, it used to belong to Buaji's late husband since the time they had just been married. She smiled, thinking she could paint it bright red someday. With that happy little idea, she lifted her eyes, only to have her heart stopped brutally.

On the billboard before her was a magnified picture of the golden shoe she had lost that fateful night when she had met Arnav Singh Raizada. It lay on a black cushion of velvet with golden silk tassels, the background was black as well and a message was written in gold lettering.

"Your shoe is with me, Cinderella," it read, "and my Khushi is with you. You know where to find me, I have no idea where you could be. Please, find me. I want a chance... Arnav Singh Raizada."

And below, were the contact details. She felt herself go cold with fright, then hot with shame. Her heart had jumped into her mouth. And the cars were blaring furiously behind her...

***

Fidgety, she walked in the clinic. Her fingers were locked together in a painful wringing battle but nothing could hurt more than the humiliation that had gotten hold of her. "Chamkili!" She stopped dead with a grimace etched on her face at Lavanya's voice and her eyes shut in a silent prayer. "What is this?"

When she squinted her eyes open, La was glaring at her drily and a newspaper had been thrust in her face. Her stomach gave a nauseous lurch as she saw the ad she had seen on the billboard again. No, please, not again... "This?" she tried to grin nonchalantly at La. "It's an ad, what else?"

"This is your shoe, Chamkili!" Lavanya hissed, her face void of emotions as she shook the paper in front of Khushi's face. "The shoe you had worn to the ball! Which means that Arnav Singh Raizada is looking for you!"

Khushi started out biting her lip, then remembering where it had led her the previous time, she stopped. "Look, La, please, you have to believe me! I-" she started imploring but Lavanya lifted a hand stiffly to stop her.

"Did you call him?" came the stern question that make Khushi gawk in confusion. La rolled her eyes. "Come one, Khushi! Don't tell me you saw the ad and did not call the poor guy! He's smitten, for God's sake! He's looking for you, call him! Right now!"

Although Khushi was shaking her head in disagreement, Lavanya had whipped out her iPhone and she was already dialling the number...

***

She was seriously killing Lavanya Kashyap for this! Almost whimpering miserably, Khushi took a few steps forward and knocked at the door gingerly. She glanced at her watch. This had better be quick or else Buaji would be a handful of trouble. She sighed again, wishing she could strangle La. The woman had gone and called the number the message had asked to contact and fixed a rendez-vous for Khushi when her shift ended. Now Khushi stood there waiting for the door to be opened, her heart beating like she had just run a marathon.

She should never have come... Right then, the door opened to her and a maid welcomed her in. She smiled at her shyly and followed her in the lobby where she was to wait for Mr Arnav Singh Raizada to grace her by his presence. She was trailing her fingertips on the keys of the grand piano when she heard footsteps behind her. She almost considered escaping right away but she swallowed and turned to face him. Her blood ran cold as she recognised him straight away... "You?" she gasped.

He looked as taken aback as her. "You?"

***

Eight years ago:

The sun shone dully on Lonavala, barely able to pierce through the heavy blankets of fog. It was late December and terribly cold. The temperature had dipped below ten degrees that year.

"I'll be fine, jiji!" an eighteen year old Khushi giggled as she skipped away from the hotel. Whereas her family preferred spending this unusually cold day indoors, she had wanted to walk outside for a bit and fortunately her father had allowed her to go despite her mother's protests. She smiled as she walked, hugging her shawl tighter around her.

The smog was gradually growing thicker but she didn't notice it since she was lost in her thoughts. Suddenly, she felt someone collide with her. She had rebounded, just about to fall on her backside, and she mechanically reached to grab a handful of clothing, which resulted only in dragging the person with her in the fall and soon, she was crushed beneath a hard and heavy body.

Her heart racing, she heard the person swear as he pushed himself off her and got up. Khushi frowned. Surely, he couldn't blame her for this, could he? The air was far too dense to see clearly, what could she have done? "Are you blind or what?" she heard him grit out while she was standing up herself.

Her hands balled into small fists at her side as she glared up at him in outrage. Any other day, in any other situation, she would have thought he could be handsome with his perfectly chiselled features but right then, he had strung the wrong cords. "I could ask you the same thing!" she spluttered angrily.

"How dare you talk like that to me?" he snarled. "You don't know who I am!"

Khushi huffed, shoving her fists in her hips firmly, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "I don't know who you are, but I do know what you are! An arrogant, self-centred blind raakshas! That's what you are! And I know! I know that you won't say sorry for your negligence, but remember this well, Mr Whoever-you-might-be. I am not apologising either!"

The muscles in his jaw twitched furiously as he took one menacing step towards her, making her shrink back. "You... How dare you? You don't even have the class to talk to me, you... you stupid behenji! And yeah, you're right! I will never say sorry because you should have watched your steps, understand? Another thing, take this," he took her hand and slapped a few money notes on her palm, causing her jaw to fall open. "You take this and go consult an eye specialist. You really need it!"

He had disappeared before she could recover and retort with a befitting comeback. Khushi scrunched the crisp notes in her fist. "I swear on this money," she said, breathing fire. "I will slice your arrogant nose, the day I meet you again!"

***

"You?" she repeated, flushing beet red. "You are Arnav Singh Raizada?"

"Oh please," he groaned, shaking his head in horror. "Don't tell me you are the Cinderella girl! How could a klutz behenji like you... Oh, hell, yes! I should have known! I should have known! The Cinderella girl was a total klutz! She broke my glass swan, then she broke her own shoe and the left other one here! How could I not realise?"

She almost hurled herself at him to drill him with her fists. "First of all, I am not a behenji! Secondly,I not a klutz. And thirdly, maybe you didn't join the dots because, like I had told you that day, you are blind, arrogant and you can't see anyone but yourself! You raakshas!"

"What the-? I am not what you are saying I am, okay? Where's the sweet Khushi I met the other night gone?" he growled. She remained silent for a few minutes, staring outside the window as she felt herself turning red again. The tension between them intensified to become tangible and they remembered the electric kiss they had shared that night.

Khushi took a deep breath in and looked up at him. "You know what? I am leaving. I don't want to stay under the rule of a Laad Governor like you! Just tell yourself that the Cinderella girl was a dream!" And with that, she stormed out of the mansion. He didn't once try to stop her and surprisingly, she felt her heart give a hurtful twist...

***

"We have an emergency. It's an accident," Rashid informed her as they marched out of the nurse's quarters. Khushi looked at him worriedly and he chuckled, shaking his head, as he understood what she was thinking about. "No, there was no death. Just a careless richie who drove his car into a tree. He was well above the speed limits, apparently. Anyway, he has a big gash on his head from hitting the steering wheel, you'll have to stitch that up. Dr Rastogi will be he as soon as he's done with the other patients."

Khushi nodded and Rashid turned round the corner to go handle some other work. She went up to the spare room where the man had been taken to have Mandy come up to her instantly. Her junior briefly explained the case to her while she checked the superficial reports provided by the paramedics.

"Hey, Cinderella." She halted at the voice; there was no need to look up to know who it was. She cringed and decided to ignore him. Mandy glanced at the patient and the nurse before quickly adding that she had not been able to stop the bleeding. Khushi nodded stiffly and moved to Arnav Singh Raizada's side, looking only at his injury. "Is it really you?" he sneered. "My guardian angel?"

Biting her tongue hard to avoid saying anything inappropriate that would harm her job, Khushi reached for a ball of cotton and wet it with antiseptic solution before dabbing it on the cut. He hissed loudly and she retracted her hand, her eyes wide with fear. Had she been too vicious? But the man was grinning shamelessly at her. "Just kidding. Go on, do your work."

***

"You are fine, Mr Raizada," Dr Rastogi stated after checking him. "You can go home."

Arnav shook his head, making Khushi, who had been standing behind the doctor, frown at him. "I'm feeling a bit dizzy. Maybe I should stay overnight? Keep me under observation," he ordered politely.

"But, Mr Raizada-"

"I said I am not feeling well!" Arnav barked. Dr Rastogi jumped whereas Khushi felt her ire soar. She knew it was a blatant lie. What was he trying to do? And on top of that, she had a night shift that day. What did the intolerable man want to achieve, now? She saw Dr Rastogi nod humbly and leave. She readied herself mentally to lash out on him, but seemingly, he was a step ahead of her.

Arnav got off the bed he had been sitting on and walked to her, making her retreat until her back hit the wall behind her. "Nobody," he whispered in a seductive tone that made her heart somersault excitedly. "Nobody turns Arnav Singh Raizada down and gets away with it. Arnav Singh Raizada gets whatever he want, Khushi Kumaari Gupta. And it would be beneficial if you remembered that." He stepped back nonchalantly and crossed his arms over his chest. "No go and find me a comfortable room."

She scowled at him defiantly. "Where do you think you are? In a five-star hotel?"

"Maybe," he winked boldly at her, making her blush deep red as she left the room.

***

She gazed at his sleeping face and smiled gently. He looked like a child with his hair tousled and his lips puckered in an adorable pout as he was in deep slumber. Remembering intimately his lips had touched her only nights ago, she shook her head. Shamefully, Khushi snatched away the fingers that had risen to touch her mouth. She had already checked on him, she could leave now. Steeling herself against his heart-stopping looks, she turned away to leave, but something caught her by the wrist and pulled her down.

A blinding second later, she realised she was lying on top of him as he smirked at her, devilment bright in his eyes. "Checking me out?" he guffawed, making her gulp. She shook her head in denial and he chuckled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "You can, Khushi, I give you the right to. And I am sorry. I am sorry for not watching that day and making you fall down. I'm sorry for saying all those horrible things to you."

Khushi struggled to get some control over her heart and her breaths but she couldn't. And it seemed as difficult to free herself from his embrace. Sensing her discomfort, he sat up fluidly without releasing her. Instead, he pulled her in his lap. A horrified gasp escaped from her. She felt the laughter rumble in his chest and bit her lip on an impulse. His eyes narrowed, noticing it, and he glared at her.

"I had told you not to do that," he breathed. She opened her mouth in protest but he had already crashed his lips against hers. Eventually, she gave in to the passion and responded zealously, her mewling sounds turning him on even more. He only wished he could... Damn! Unwillingly, Arnav pulled away to grin at her. "I think I have fallen in love with you, Cinderella..."

***

"I told you he is smitten!"

Khushi frowned in disgust at her coffee. "Well, I am not!"

It had been a week since he had arrived in the clinic after his accident and he had insisted on staying for two nights. Two torturous nights, she might as well add. The two nights when she would have to work. And unfortunately, his room fell under her responsibility which meant that that she had to check on him. She closed her eyes tight as the stolen kisses in the dark flashed in her mind, grimacing when a mean voice somewhere in a corner of her brain reminded her that she had responded with equal ardour.

Gah! She could hate the guy! After his stay at the hospital, he had stalked her for a whole day before disappearing off, which oddly made her more furious. She should have been happy, right? She had finally gotten rid of him. Then why-?

"Gosh, Chamkili!" Lavanya hissed enthusiastically. "I'm telling you he's totally smitten with you. And he is so romantic!"

"What are you-?" Khushi looked up at La to find her peering out of the window with a grin that reminded Khushi of herself on the day of Divali. And since it wasn't Divali any time soon... Khushi stood up and joined her friend and what she saw made her jaw drop to the ground...

***

"What does this mean?" she thundered, causing him to look away from the man with whom he had been speaking. He cleared his voice embarrassedly and dismissed the poor man to watch her stomp her way to him, her eyes alight with madness. Not a very good sign, was it?

Arnav straightened his freshly laundered suit and waited for her with a serious expression. He could only hope she would like it. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"I thought it was pretty obvious?" he shrugged. He winked at her death glare and it melted into shock, filling him with pleasure. He took advantage of her dazzled state to catch her hand firmly in his so that he could lead her to the side of the horse carriage that stood in the hospital compound. "I couldn't find a carriage made out of a pumpkin," he spoke truthfully with the most serious expression he could muster. "So, I brought a carriage and a pumpkin."

Her eyes widened at the huge vegetable that was sitting on the velvet-lined seat of the carriage. She broke into a helpless smile. "And your shoe is here too," he pointed at her lone golden shoe that rested on the black cushion from the ad. "You are here, I am here. I know it's neither the right place nor the right time. I know it's cheesy but respecting the situation in which we met a few nights ago, I think it fits."

Grinning, he got down on one knee and took something out of his pocket. "Khushi Kumaari Gupta, I have fallen completely, irrevocably and undeniably in love with you. I doubt it might date from when I met your fiery spirit eight years ago. Or it might be from when I met my Cinderella. I can't situate it. But I know that however much you can deny it, however many times you can say you hate me, there is love hidden in that anger of yours. I know that if I want to grow old with someone it's going to be you and only you. I have seen the worst of you so..." he paused to laughed at the way her mouth had opened in a perfect O.

"If this goes on, it might take the whole night," Arnav chuckled. "My knee is hurting, so I'll make it short. I love you, Khushi. I need you to marry me. Will you please say yes?" His eyes held a plea and thousands of promises. She tried to frowned but he looked so sweet she could barely succeed.

"Say yes!" she heard the people who had stopped to look shout. Khushi blushed and bit her lip as she looked down at him shyly. His eyes darkened in a warning to her. "Khushi, I told you-"

"You have to ask my parents," she mumbled.

"What?"

She giggled. "Ask my parents!"

He rolled his eyes. "I will, Cinderella. Could you just accord me your permission, at least? I know they cannot refuse an ideal son-in-law like me. I need you to say yes, Khushi, please! My knee is hurting like hell."

Khushi sealed her lips together, feeling tears spring up in her eyes. How hard had she tried to hate this man, in the end, she had failed. Not trusting herself to speak, she merely nodded. Arnav grinned as he got up and slipped something cool around her ring finger but he never gave her the time to have a look at it for her had pulled her in his arms for a searing kiss. And as she leaned into him, holding on like a drowning woman, her ring sparkled brightly in his dark hair...