IMPORTANT NOTE >> Jai isn't involved in any kind of illegal business. He's doing everything legally except the way he handles the ones who betray him especially in business.
Secondly, Jai is a Prince. He's the Prince of Navgarh state in India (fictional) but he and his family shifted to New York when he was just 10 years old. They have a huge palace in Navgarh, half of which they have modified as a hotel which is taken care of by Jai's Uncle (his father's brother).
****************************************Jai opened the door to the backseat of his car then picked up the unconscious woman in his arms and laid her on the backseat. Carefully tucking her legs he closed the door. For a moment he stood there taking in the sight of woman lying on the backseat of his car. A first.
She was wearing a blue dress that ended up at her knees, the beautiful lace of her dress was torn at places and her body was covered in soot and had minor wounds all over her body. Nail scratches and finger print bruises. Anger coursed through his veins at her disheveled sight, the desire to kill the reason behind her such condition erupted inside him. He opened the door once again, took out the water bottle and wet his handkerchief. With a softness that left him surprised he slowly cleaned her face, arms and legs, he just didn't want her wounds to get infected.
Tucking her properly on the seat he called a doctor and gave him the address of his cottage, and then he called his servants and let them know that he was bringing an unconscious and injured woman and asked them to prepare a room for her, cook some health food and bring a set of fresh clothes. After these calls he sat on the driver's seat and began driving and kept looking at her occasionally from the rear view mirror.
He couldn't describe the anger, the helplessness, the restlessness and all the other unnamed, unrecognizable emotions that were messing up with his senses. Carefully and slowly he drove towards his cottage. He noticed that David and his wife Julia, a middle aged couple and the caretakers of the cottage, were standing outside the cottage, waiting for him. As the car stopped David walked towards him and tried to pick up the unconscious woman in his arms but Jai stopped him. He didn't know why but he sure did not like anyone touching the woman, maybe he was just being careful about her state. He knew that David was a good man but still. So he himself picked the woman in his arms and went inside with David and Julia following him.
He walked into the room prepared for her and laid her on the soft and comfy bed. As he tried to move away he felt a tug on the collar of his shirt and noticed that the woman was clutching the collar of his shirt tightly. A familiar feeling settled inside him as he softly removed his collar from her hold. Adjusting the pillow he tucked away the stray strands of hair behind her ear and then just stood there watching the sleeping beauty, an unknown emotion twinkling in his eyes.
Julia asked them to go outside as she was about to give the unconscious woman a sponge bath and change her clothes. Once done with that, Julia then went to kitchen to make the food as requested by Jai. In the meantime the doctor arrived so Jai took him inside the room where she laid. Doctor checked her wounds and said, "I don't see any major wound on her body, just these scratches and bruises. Get this ointment and apply on her wounds after cleaning them with an antiseptic solution every time. To me she doesn't look in critical condition but we have to wait till she gains consciousness to be sure.
Coincidence it was that the woman woke up. She blinked her eyes several times before opening them finally. Jai immediately went to sit beside her and held her hand in his and caressed it softly. Once again he was treated by the sight of her coal black eyes staring into his own brown ones. Slowly her lips curved into a beautiful smile and Jai's heart fluttered a bit. It was a pure involuntary action, his hand raised on his own and caressed her cheek softly. She leaned into his touch and her smile widened. For a moment Jai felt as he no one else existed, just him and her, just the both of them in some world unknown.
"Dev.." her voice brought he out of his trance. "Are you okay?" he asked, the softness in his tone not only surprised him but David and Julia as well. Usually Jai came there only on his "breaks" and those were the moments when Jai was mostly tired, felt burdened, was snappy and his anger level used to be high. This kind of softness was unheard of.
"I am fine darling, there is no reason to worry. I just fainted, that's all." If they were surprised before, the endearment used by the woman for Jai came more as a shock for David, Julia and Jai.
"Ma'am are you feeling alright? Any dizziness or feeling of sickness?" the doctor asked.
"Nothing doctor, I am completely fine. I must have been very tired that I fainted. Dev here worries way too much." The woman smiled as she tried to sit. Immediately Jai was at her side and helped her sit up. He placed a pillow behind her back which earned him a soft kiss on the cheek from the now conscious woman.
His eyes widened and David and Julia looked at Jai as he grew some horns. Who was this girl that dared to kiss Jaidev Singh Raghuvanshi like that?!
Jai felt speechless, he wasn't able to form coherent words and to add up to his surprised state the woman then brought her hand on his cheek and said, "I am fine Dev, really fine. There is no need to worry. Bas thodi thakaan hai but I fine otherwise. Thoda rest karungi toh theek ho jaungi."
"Dev?" the woman called.
"Dev who?" Jai asked.
"Are you kidding with me? Ya naraaz ho mujhse? Tum ho Dev, Jaidev Singh Raghuvanshi, my husband." Said the woman clutching his hand in hers tightly.
"Say what?" it was David who said that. He was shocked would be an understatement.
Jai himself was stunned, Her husband he thought. But what more horrifying was that the said thought didn't appall him but instead it was quite pleasing.
"Ma'am what's your name?" asked Julia. From what she knew about the Raghuvanshi family she was sure that Jai wasn't married, he had a fiance alright but he wasn't married yet. And this woman wasn't even his fiance.
"Chhaya, Chhaya Jaidev Singh Raghuvanshi." She said proudly with a huge smile on her face.
"Doctor, a moment please." Jai said and he and the doctor walked outside the room.
"This is serious doctor, I am afraid the woman has lost her mind. I am for sure not her husband and she isn't my wife." Jai exclaimed.
"But she called you by the correct name and she seemed so confident about what she said." The doctor countered.
"I am saying the truth doctor. I met this girl today only, I haven't seen her before or met her somewhere forget falling in love and getting married." Jai scowled, his anger was surfacing once again.
The doctor contemplated for few minutes and then said, "Maybe she is just imaging this stuff. This illusion of being your wife to me appears to be caused from the trauma of the accident. Let her rest and recover, if she still remains like this then you have to bring her to the hospital, she may have suffered from some serious trauma or maybe an internal injury. For now I recommend you take care of her and be patient, patients like her need love and care."
Jai pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed incoherently. After taking the prescription slip from the doctor, he ordered David to bring those medicines and escort the doctor outside to his car. He himself went back inside the room where Julia and the woman, Chhaya were talking.
"I am fine now, just feeling a bit tired. You know all this shifting has left me exhausted." Chhaya cracked her knuckles.
"It's strange actually," she said taking in her surroundings, "the last thing I remember is packing our stuff and having a glass of red wine together. Was I unconscious all this while when we shifted from our previous bungalow?"
Jai decided to interrupt; he didn't want her to take stress. The moment her eyes fell on him the both smiled. It was totally involuntary on Jai's part though. "Come here." Said Chhaya, opening her arms wide for a hug.
Jai didn't know what made him do that so he put the blame on doctor who had told him to take care of Chhaya with love and affection. So without an ounce of hesitation he went into the waiting arms of Chhaya who wrapped her arms tightly around his neck while his own arms on their own accord wrapped around her waist and any awkwardness that he felt a moment before fled through the window.
The feeling of peace arose in his heart, without backing out from the hug Jai moved on the bed in a comfortable position and hugged Chhaya tightly laying his head on her shoulder he breathed in her scent. It was kinda flowery and fruity at the same time but whatever it was it certainly gave rise to the contentment in Jai's heart. Jai sighed in contentment as he felt Chhaya running her fingers in his hair, "I am okay sweetie, really okay. You don't have to worry, now relax."
"Hhhmm.." Jai just hummed in response. Whatever he was doing was so out of character but he really didn't want to move out of her arms. He closed his eyes shut tightly and pulled Chhaya more close to him if it was possible. It felt as if he was drawing warmth and support from Chhaya.
Chhaya tried to move out of the hug but Jai wasn't ready to let go. Julia who had left the room to bring a jug of water when Jai had came earlier was now standing still shocked seeing Jai hug Chhaya like that. Was it really their boss? She thought. It was very unusual to see Jai bringing someone at this cottage who wasn't even family but here he was hugging a woman with such intimacy whom he claimed to have met the first time today. She felt it was safer to go away because she didn't want to be on the receiving end of Jai's wrath. So she left again.
"Dev.." Chhaya giggled as all her attempts to move out of the hug went in vain, Jai wasn't letting her back out of the hug. "Arre..my back is hurting and I want to lay down." That did the trick and the very next instant Chhaya was lying on her back and tucked into the warmth of a comforter. Jai was about to leave reluctantly but before he could Chhaya held his hand and said, "Come lay by my side." Ah! The request was so sweet and innocent in nature that Jai just couldn't refuse. He removed his suit jacket, belt, shoes and socks as well. He opened the first few buttons of his shirt and laid beside Chhaya and covered them both with the comforter.
Chhaya snuggled into his side and laid her head on his chest and soon sleep took over their senses as they laid entwined.
****************************************Precap >> Jai questing his behaviour and back into his angry young man mode.
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
1.2k