Arshi FF: Entwined(T2)-- Completed! - Page 79

Entwined

Chapter-39:

Two Days Later,

Delhi.

"You are coming to my place..."

"----but Arnav, you don't stay alone here..."

"Do you have a listening problem Khushi?"

He snapped quite angrily and she knew it was the time for her to shut-up, because if not anything else, she had at least mastered in the act of keeping track of his anger out-bursts and can even understand the exact intention behind his anger. And so, she made her lips straight, fixing her eyes on his finger that was pointed right ahead of her nose, just as he noticed his own little outburst and dropped his hand. She nodded a no, slightly and he half-flipped his head as in mouthing a good, narrowing his eye-brows, before turning around abruptly and walking towards the exit of the airport in quick purposeful strides. Khushi all but jogged right behind him to keep up with his pace.

It occurred to her that he was in some kind of a sudden rush or that he was worried about something. As she observed him sitting in the back of his car beside him, he swayed with his long legs, knocked on the car door, tapped the phone in his hand, his eye-brows furrowed, his body-language was far from relaxed and she knew better than to disturb him. Something definitely bothered him, she gathered as much. Just to prove her thoughts, he all but barged out of the car even before the car came to a halt at the Raizada mansion, and jogged around the outer porch, straight towards the entrance, while all Khushi did was slowly follow him, only to find herself rooted at the huge entrance of the mansion, quite apprehensively.

**

"Bloody hell! the least thing you could do after coming home was drop me a message Shyam!"

Before Shyam could react to that loud authoritative voice that clearly demanded answers, he was abruptly being turned around to come in face to face with a ferociously glaring Arnav.

"Arnav.."

"----What the f**k happened to your phone? What am I supposed to conclude if you wouldn't call me back?"

"Arnav..." This time the voice came from a different person, rather a very familiar person standing behind Shyam and Arnav instantly glared at his sister. "Just shut-up Anjali! You couldn't be responsible for once in your damn life?"

"That's enough Arnav, just listen atleast..."

Arnav stepped away from Shyam letting out a deep breath composing his fury.

"I just came home..."

"----he just came home Arnav..."

"Are you alright? What happened?" Arnav asked not wasting another moment.

"We need to talk about it all, first I want you to meet someone, this is Nand kishore, and he helped me to find something very useful, something I sent you the voice message about? I'm just waiting for you to come back..."

"Hi Mr.Raizada, NK.."

"Pleasure NK..."

Even as the two men shook their hands, Arnav looked between his sister and Shyam and a look of acknowledgment passed between the three. Shyam stepped closer, looking at his brother-in-law intently and gave him a tight manly hug. "She has all of us Arnav, we will fight this, the justice is long delayed and it's high time now..."

"Khushi..." Arnav instantly turned around, pulling away from the entrance to find Khushi standing glued to the entrance.

"Khushi..." even before he could make a move, his sister walked ahead of him towards the entrance and he could see the familiar robotic stance returning into Khushi's posture.

"Di... I.."

"Khushi bitiya..." came another voice from his background, and before he knew his Nani walked ahead of him towards the entrance.

"What's going on??"

"----They just want her to feel at home..."

"They better not cause her to runway Jiju..."

**

Arnav observed standing in the background, at the events taking place in his vicinity, quite amused and more than anything else with pride. It came as a shock to him that he didn't have to go overboard to explain the situation and more so justify her past to them. Not that he needed any kind of approval, but he would just want to give her the respect that she deserved righteously. It seemed like they knew something and they were all totally unaffected by whatever it was.

The two women of the house, not only were totally inviting towards her, but had even managed to create unbelievable normalcy, to make her feel at home. Shyam introduced her to NK, narrated little things about the mansion, Anjali told tales about her work, Nani revealed secrets about their child-hood, and as they were all seated around the living area, serving themselves tea whilst talking away, all Khushi did was listen to every single detail quite enthusiastically and all Arnav did was observe every little movement in her stance being quite intrigued to her.

May be this was good, he thought. Having more people around them felt different, but may be this was needed, at this point of time. Maybe it would help him think through, and it might even help her to socialize. As soon as he landed, he knew he would suddenly be thrown into a lot of activities everything of which much needed, and his mind was occupied, at least for now. There were far more important things to think of, definitely important than his physical proximity with her and as long as he could have her right in front of his eyes, nothing else mattered, at least for now. He decided.

Even as he found himself lost in his thoughts, his eyes didn't fail to notice the little yawn that escaped her lips which she had quite efficiently managed to swallow inside her lips, using her palm to cover her mouth, quite oblivious to everyone.

"You should get some sleep Khushi" his voice came out much authoritatively than he had intended to, and everyone abruptly stopped speaking to look at him.

"Oh my god! Yes! Jet-lag, you should totally rest! I'm so sorry to keep you up..."

"---Its no problem Anjaliji"

"Its Anjali..."

"Huh?"

"Call me Anjali Khushi, look, I might be older than you all, but still I'm friends with Sheethal you see? And Sheethal is your friend, so A=b=c?"

"Seriously di?" Arnav made a face and Anjali just waved a hand dismissing him while Khushi chuckled more at his weird expression. "Okay let me show you the guest room..."

"Oh no, it's okay, you should relax, just guide me, I'll find my way.." Khushi spoke referring to her slightly bulged belly.

"It's okay Khushi, come let me take you..."

"-----No, It's perfectly fine..."

"Oh no no..I'll..."

"Okay Stop!" Arnav said putting an end to the ongoing virtual tennis match. "Khushi, she will have to do little bit of walking, it's actually good for her health and besides her room is upstairs too..." he announced and Khushi looked up, her eyes suddenly fixing on that of him and the very hazels looked at him with sudden uncertainty.

You could have walked me too...' her eyes spoke to him with that pointed glare, but he didn't really have an answer for that and instead of assuring of something or anything, he looked away, sudden disorientation filling itself in between them.

Just as khushi walked ahead of him, towards the stair case, Anjali stepped behind, pulling Arnav along with her into the much needed sibling hug.

"Di!!!"

"Basic manners chote, you could have at least asked me how your little monster had been doing."

"Your doctor keeps calling me Anjali, stop being dramatic" he said pulling away from her arms, patting lightly on her cheeks. "I know you're doing good"

"Arnav..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm really proud of you"

"Di?"

"I really mean it Arnav, I've literally practiced two hours to make sure I don't have that sympathy or empathy kind of look in my eyes ever since Shyam spoke to me about it; but even after all you've known you only look at her with nothing but pure adulation. She is no less than an angel who walked into your life Arnav and she deserves every bit of the big fat world's happiness, just make sure of that yeah?"

Arnav embraced himself in Anjali's arms, and the familiar feeling soothed his nerves, putting the mess of his mind away let alone for a few moments. He finally did feel at home.

He watched as Anjali and Khushi walked along the corridor, towards the guest room with Anjali talking away her usual banter and khushi looking back him quite often her eyes continuing to ask him questions which he didn't yet know answers for.

"Ah, Arnav?" Shyam's voice broke their little reverie and he turned around to acknowledge him.

"I think you should take a nap too, NK is just around, we can speak later..."

"You guys wait in my study, I'll freshen up and see you there.."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

Nodding, just as the two men turned around towards the study room, Arnav called out to his brother-in-law again, his face giving away his deep thinking mind. "Can you check if Sheethal could join us for a few days, Khushi could really use a friend she is comfortable with right now..."

"Oh...uuh, yeah, I'll check with her, yes"

There was sudden suspicion in Shyam's eyes which didn't go unnoticed by Arnav and Shyam didn't go blind-eyed to his hesitation as well. There were better things to think of------was something the two of them silently and mutually agreed in that moment and Arnav mouthed a thanks, leaving the room almost immediately.

**

Life, as Arnav could define it has been such an unfair bitch.

He hadn't come to this place since years, he hadn't seen his room since such long time and each time he was here, in this very mansion, he would feel extremely disoriented. Delhi. It was where everything had started or rather it was rather where everything was beginning to destroy. All his life the places he have been to always played very significant roles in his mind. And for that very reason, he despised Delhi to say the least.

It reminds him of his cranky child-hood, that was spent locked up in his room even as he heard loud noises from the adjoining room, his parents, yelling and cursing each other.

It reminds him of the 16 year old Arnav being aloof and arrogant dealing with the harsh and nasty society, which talked things about his own dead parents and his own helplessness of not being able to do anything about it...

A jealous Arnav not being able to come in terms with the fact that his sister has moved on so easily, and he had always remained stuck...

An angry Arnav who had been hopeful that everything would be alright between his parents, only to find them dead one fine morning...

His lack of faith in the institution of marriage, his urge to run away from the reality of his life, his desire vigorous hard work to climb up the ladder of success just to keep himself occupied, his reluctance towards any of life's relations, his detachment from any kind of emotional attachments, his vulnerability owing to his loneliness---------the place more or less reminded him of every aggravation of his life.

And he hated it, with his every possible instinct. Now, he just had another reason to hate it even more.

Khushi...

The traces of tears formed in his eyes which he didn't knew existed since years, as Arnav found himself collapsing into a sitting position in his room, dropping the towel away having just walked out of the washroom after a much needed hot water bath. That was such huge amount of pain to take in and he suddenly felt like a huge mountain had been placed at the place of his chest.

He was angry, at the parents who can get so desperate to get their daughter married and who couldn't think about the kind of evilness out there. He was angry, at the daughter, who couldn't disagree with her parents, even if her instincts were telling her to. He was angry, at the immense faith one can impose on the whole damn thing called marriage, he was angry at the ridiculousness of the whole fiasco.

Something like this can just really happen to every normal girl out there. Any normal young girl living her life with dreams edged in her eyes.

Which father wouldn't give his daughter's hand to one of the most reputed family of the society? Fathers wouldn't even think of such horrible possibilities, not even in their worst night mares...

Which daughter wouldn't listen to her father, when the reasons otherwise, weren't too convincing? She was just being the ideal daughter that she can be...

The nerve of these people who think they can get away with anything and everything, just because they are influential?

His rage suddenly accelerated to such high level even at the mere thought of the Singanias, that his breathing became heavy, his jaw clenched so hard, his hands clutched into a blood-clotting fist, and within the next mere second, the bed he was sitting on was banged so hard with his fist, resulting into a loud sound.

He would deal with them, in his own way. They really would need to face the worst time of their lives when he would come in face to face with them.

He was angry on pretty much everything and he is quite aware of his destructive anger and the after affects of that. He had been keeping calm all this time, not finding the space to vent out, not finding himself the time to stop and react, but it had been all accumulating within since so long now, he just needs to find a way to emit it all out. After one quick impulsive decision, he tossed off his shirt and removed his trousers, already walking out into the adjoining swimming pool, very much within the interiors, surrounded by green artificial garden and blue fiber false ceiling.

Jumping into the cold water, even as his body shivered, he adjusted himself to the sudden change in temperature, and he vigorously flipped inside the swimming pool, with his strokes, flapping and surfacing over the water, letting the cold water torture his body, taking in the thrill all too efficiently.

Just as his mind relaxed a bit, his thoughts took a whole lot different trait.

Rohan did push her off that building, on that very night when he had met Khushi again. Which means he had been present there even when Arnav was right there having that conversation with her.

What if he knew it all back then?

"And if not for the girl in me who have been falling and falling really hard all these days for you, I really want to say it out and loud, at least for the girl who waited outside the Delhi University on that lone night for you to turn around one last time..."

What if he really did stop going away, that night and stayed instead? Would things have been different?

What if he didn't do what he had done to her in the hospital to get her out the coma, would she still somehow make it?

It now perfectly made sense to him how and why Angad felt that was the only way they could get reaction from her. She had been so much affected by all the improper touching and molestation, how different did Arnav occur to her?

Was he the same in her eyes like everyone else, who treated her improperly?

But what made her forgive and understand his reason quite approvingly later on?

He squeezed his eyes shut as he angled his head, leaning over her more and he sucked at the place between her neck and her jaw. Arnav looked up instantly, a sudden wave of pleasure filling his lungs as he inhaled her raw innate cologne and his gut twisted with an unsolicited wave of desire. He looked down, consciously registering the proximity and looked back into her eyes when a torment of guilt hit him while processing her rigid helpless unaffected stance.

The soft skin that felt as tender as the thin layer of silk...

The unique non-simulated aura vaguely similar to the distant sweet clover of orchids...

The soft petite moulds...

He perfectly remembered everything that happened that night unlike her and more so, the mere enthralling effect of it all to his senses. He remembered how the mere unresponsive person, kept him at his edge activating everything in him, as ridiculous as that seemed, and suddenly after realizing what it all actually seemed to her, pushed him into such deeper levels of self-loath, it only made the mess they were in even more worse.

He needs to get out of this mess, he knew it and he knew she needs him. But then, there seemed to be something that's unsettled between them, he needs to find a way to settle this. The distance from her tortured him to say the least, but the constant nagging of unethical memories refrained him, and he hated his sudden instinctive thought process.

The last thing he remembered before his head rested back on the cold platform of the swimming pool, as his arms angled back to the pool-wall was her expectant pointed gaze, that literally screamed out her favorite why, again, meaning a lot more than a mere question.

**