Chapter 5
He had planned it all. Ever since he could remember he heard his father talk about VK. How they were the major opposition and how he wanted to take it over. How he wanted to show Vheer Khuranna that he is the best in the business. He wanted to leave him with nothing. Yash was the middle son, but he had always been the apple of his father's eye and pleasing his father was his greatest achievement. He knew that he would eventually step into his father's position. His elder brother just did not have the drive that his father required in his successor. They two of them wanted SE to be the biggest engineering firm in India and even expand internationally. They would stop at nothing to the make this happen.
Yet they still had major opposition in the form of VK. Vheer Khuranna's name was revered in the industry. He was renowned for his great work and his integrity. All his business dealings were above board. He had taken over a very lucrative business from his father and made it grow substantially. He was also renowned for his philanthropy. He was always seen at functions to help the needy. So all in all he was held in high esteem. The man seemed to have no weakness.
Yash decided to find out everything he could about this man. He had to have a weakness. Everyone had one. And it was soon apparent the Vheer Khuranna's pride and joy was his daughter. She was even more important to him than his business. He had her investigated by a private investigator. Like him, she was working in the family business. She had studied abroad and came back working in management in VK. She was being groomed to take over and it seemed that she was handling the more complex projects of late even being so young. It seemed her father gave her free reign to do what she wanted and it seemed that she did everything well. She wasn't a socialite as many in her position would be. She was a modern girl but she didn't seem to dress fashionably. All she cared about was her job and her father. She was rather plain and even frumpy. She hardly wore dresses or skirts. Mostly business suits and jeans casually. She never wore make up and she had no boyfriends.
Yash had always been aware of his sex appeal. He was pursued by many woman since he hit puberty. He never had to work hard to get any woman. He had a longstanding on again off again girlfriend at the time. Arpita was a social butterfly and she was hopelessly in love with him. She was beautiful and she was great in bed. She aimed to please him always. And she always forgave his indiscretions. Even with her in his life he could not resist temptations. He had a raging libido and travelled often and when the opportunity presented himself he normally went for it, despite having a girlfriend.
This caused them to make up and break up.
Arpita was the least of his concerns when he put his plan into place. He wanted to get his hands on VK and that was his whole focus. He learned about her trip to Mumbai from the investigator and meticulously set his plan in motion. And he had to do a lot less than he had initially thought. Everything just seemed to fall into place.
He had invited his 2 friends on this trip with him so that they would be able to keep her friends occupied. But they knew of nothing. He remembered that first morning when they came for breakfast and saw them there. He knew Akash and Aaman would not notice her. Their focus were on the 2 beauties with her. If he had not been so focused on his plan he might not have seen her either. She finally looked around and their eyes met. For a moment he couldn't drag his eyes away from hers. They were so beautiful. But she looked away before he could explore his thoughts on them further. Her friends were intermittently looking their way but she never did again. She didn't even look when she passed by their table on the way out of the restaurant.
He was disappointed when she was not with her friends at the beach later and he was the one that suggested that they meet up at the club later. The friends were very eager.
He was amazed at her transformation later that evening. She was beautiful. Even more so than her friends. Aaman and Akash were each vying for her attention to his annoyance but luckily she wasn't interested. Soon they opted to take the other 2 girls to dance leaving him with her at the table. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked like a Greek goddess. Finally she tried to excused herself but he wasn't going to let her go that easily. He made her dance with him. She didn't want to at first. But he could tell that she enjoyed it. And so did he. Much more than he thought he would. Then he walked her back to the hotel. She was not very forthcoming about herself. And it was evident that she was oblivious to her beauty. He wasted no time in broaching the subject of marriage.
He invited her out the next day and she refused. Yet he waited for her. More anxiously than he had thought he would. He was hugely relieved when she came a half an hour later. And the next 2 days that they spent together was very pleasurable. He could have made love to her that 2nd night. It would have sealed the deal. She would not have stopped him. In fact the disappointment in her eyes was nearly the death of him. It was clear she was innocent. This was a new experience for her. And it was a new experience for him, saying no to what was so obviously available to him. Instead he settled for a cold shower.
The last night was dramatic and planned out by him. He wanted her to realise who he was without him having to tell her. And that is why he took her to a restaurant that was frequented by his family when they visited Mumbai.
She left but he knew it would not be the last time that they would be seeing each other. He knew he was to see her again soon. But he kept thinking about her. He convinced himself that it was his compulsion to get his hands on the company. Yet he found himself with Arpita most nights now, he needed release. And he knew it was unfair on Arpita but all he could think of when he was making love to Arpita was Aarti.
When they saw each other again at the meeting he couldn't resist touching her. And when he saw her walking towards the lift he knew she was worried. He wanted to comfort her. That was another new emotion for him. He didn't get emotionally involved with his conquests. He held her in arms for a little while and she looked a little better.
That night he had nearly made love to her. She was naked and ready. In fact she was so eager. He finally to touched her intimately. She felt so good,so ready. But he was jolted back to reality. He was angry with himself. He was losing control. And he was never out of control. When he had sex with a woman, it was a conscious decision. It was never a case of him being lost in her. Not even with Arpita. But with this one, he was losing it and that meant he could be losing what he had already worked so hard for. He gave her an ultimatum and left.
She had spoken to her father but as expected he would not accept him. And he went to talk to her father without her knowledge. At the end of the conversation he had gotten her father to agree but somehow it did not seem that he won. He couldn't quite gauge him but he felt as if the more saw more than he was letting on.
"Why do you want to marry my daughter?"
"I love her" he said. He was prepared for this question. But the answer left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"You know she is a very special girl. She is all I have. She is not just a commodity."
"Why do you say that sir?"
"Just so you know."
"I don't consider her as one." he lied.
"You know how I feel about your father. Why do you think that I would let my daughter marry his son?"
"Because she loves me and I am the only one for her."
"Yes she loves you. But she is still young and innocent. She doesn't know people like I do."
"What are you saying?"
"I am saying that she is easy prey for a man like you to get her heart broken. She has always known that because she is rich she has to be more careful about choosing people that come into her life. She was guarded because of this. She let very few people in. She prefers to be out of the spotlight because of this. She tries to blend in and fade into the background. She hides herself to avoid people trying to take advantage of her. Yet she let you in so quickly."
He didn't have anything to say to that. He father picked up the phone.
"Pia, get Aarti to come to my office."
"I trust my daughter's judgement. I hope one day you will see in yourself what she sees in you. And I hope you don't deny yourselves the happiness you both deserve. Don't leave it too late or you might lose the best the best thing that has ever happened to you."
"Sir..." he didn't get to say anything further as she entered the office and the marriage was agreed on.
His father was over the moon with his achievement. But there was an uncomfortable niggling feeling in the pit of stomach. But he chose to ignore it.
They were married now and finally she could be his. She was a beautiful bride. His mother loved her from the moment she met her and took over the wedding arrangements. She wanted a big wedding, but they both insisted on a small one.
His wedding night was nothing like he expected. He knew she wanted him. He knew he couldn't wait anymore. She was so precious. The way she described how she felt, her shyness about her desire for him. It all culminated into an enchanting wedding night. She was innocent but she was wanton and wild. For her their pleasure was secondary to her pain. And it made him want her even more. He couldn't believe that he lost control so completely and how she spurred him on despite her pain. And he had never experienced an erection so soon after an orgasm. He hadn't even left her yet and he was already ready for her again. He should have stopped and let her rest but he couldn't resist her. His young innocent wife had become quite the temptress. He didn't know if he was more surprised by her response or his.
Their honeymoon was nothing short of spectacular. He discovered that spending time with her was not that bad. And of course his little fire cracker made his Italian nights super-hot.
The week without her was hell. He felt like he was climbing the walls and talking to her at night only made it worse. He had gone to Arpita the one night. As always she was eager to take him back. But yet again he was surprised. They were already half naked when he realised that he could not go through with it.
"Are you in love with her?" Arpita asked.
"No"
"Then why won't you make love to me. You never had any qualms about that when we were together."
"I don't know. Maybe it's just the marriage thing."
"I see. Then go back to your wife. One day I will stop waiting for you and you will be sorry."
"Arpita, I'm sorry. You know this was a marriage of convenience. But maybe now I am in this kind of commitment it's different."
"I think you are deluding yourself. Please go now Yash."
But he had decided to go to Bhopal. He worked like a maniac to reschedule his appointments and get all his work up to date. And he left for Bhopal. And he wasn't sorry he did. His welcome was beyond compare.
Their home was different. More relaxed. She was the lady of the house but the she didn't have to do any housework unless she chose to. She cooked because she enjoyed it. The relationship between her and her father was easy. They were close and they talked about everything. They even had their movie nights together, cuddling up to each other and he would sit next to her, on the other side holding her hand. He liked it. In fact he envied their relationship.
His father in law didn't go into the office too much and in that week they spent a lot of time talking. They talked about the industry. He had a wealth of knowledge. Yash loved to listen to him and took his advice on certain things. He loved the way he spoke about his late wife. He obviously loved her very much. And after her, it was clear that he lived for Aarti. He also it seemed accepted him as a son. He could talk to him like he could never talk to his father. All he and his father ever talked about was business and their next venture. He had never been fathered like this man was fathering him. He was sad to leave. But they couldn't stay there indefinitely.
When they were married just on 3 months his father in law called him. He wanted to see him without Aarti knowing. He was very weary of that. He told her he was going on a business trip and went to Bhopal. And the discussion was not what he had expected.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Anupamaa
