Anjali dragged both of them from one store to the next, buying new (and useless) items left and right. It was good that Khushi had adamantly protested against buying anything. Arnav's arms would have fallen off if she had.
If only someone could see the great ASR now, the demon of the business world, stooping to the level of a servant, all for his sister. The same sister who, under his own watch, was being hurt by the monster known as Shyam Manohar Jha.
"You okay?" Khushi asked him after they had taken a break from lunch. She had seen the way he seemed to be a bit off today, staring off into space, stumbling slightly, just out of it.
"I'm fine." He replied gruffly, taking a huge bite out of his sandwich and ignoring her.
"You aren't fi-"
"I said I'm fine dammit! Let it go Rathod!" He almost shouted at her before remembering that they were in a very public place.
Khushi was hurt, he knew she was, but he couldn't erase his outburst. Khushi just shook her head at him and resolutely ignored Arnav.
Anjali glanced at them, a frown on her face. She had heard what he had said.
"Chote, I think that proves that you're not fine." Anjali laid a palm on his shoulder.
He resisted the urge to flinch. "Di, I'm just a bit tense, that's all. There's a business deal that came up tonight that can go either way. Can we drop it now?" He wasn't lying, that much Khushi could see. When Arnav lied in the past, his voice would rise an octave and he would twitch his eyebrows or pretend to stretch. No one is the perfect liar, and even ASR wasn't an exception.
For Arnav, it was the truth. It wasn't so much a business deal as it was a...what was it? He wasn't sure himself, but it could go either way.
Anjali was surprised that he had admitted to being tense. Arnav never talked about work except to boast about how he had destroyed this man or that man. He was also on the phone with the ever elusive Aman every time she saw him. The next time she saw Aman, she needed to give him a gift for putting up with her brother's demands.
"If you two are done, can we get the rest of this day over with?" Arnav snapped. He was tired. Mentally, not physically.
"It was your idea in the first place." Arnav heard Khushi mutter. But she still got up and helped Di come to her feet.
Arnav looked on slightly bemused as his sister and Khushi walked off without another word leaving him behind. It was only when Khushi doubled back and picked up half of the numerous shopping bags did he come to his senses and follow them after paying the bill.
****************************************************************************************
For the next two
hours, Arnav trailed them dutifully, carefully keeping his distance
lest he set both of them off against him. Arnav watched Khushi
interact with his Di, watched as she made her laugh, brought a little
spring to her limp, made her straighten her posture.
Nani had hoped
having Payal in the house would be beneficial. Nani and Mami were the
only woman in the house and they were elders, people who demanded
respect. Anjali had no one other than her small group of friends to
talk to and even then, they had sporadic visits. Payal was supposed
to be a friend, a little sister, but Payal was too formal towards
Anjali which immediately put a distance between the two.
Khushi was different. She gave Di exactly what Di always wanted ' companionship. Khushi was someone who would listen to her problems and give solutions. Sure, he did the same, but there were somethings that only a woman could talk to other women about.
There was something
about Khushi that made everyone smile, even him. She had been aptly
named.
Happiness.
Could he live with a little bit of khushi in his life?
Probably.
Would he like it?
Probably not.
Why?
Because he didn't know how to deal with any type of happiness.
To ensure the safety of his sister though, he had to endure.
And Arnav Singh Raizada was anything if not enduring.
**************************************************************************************
Khushi couldn't shake off the feeling that something big was going to happen. Her gut was telling her this, and she never doubted her gut. It had helped her in countless cases, even saved her life a couple times.
The three of them had returned to RM half an hour ago with twelve bags of clothing, jewelery, and whatever else Anjali had decided to buy.
They were exhausted, Arnav especially...though he would never admit that. He had managed to hide the seven boxes of jalebis in his room without Khushi or Di knowing he had bought the damned sweet that Khushi worshiped.
Seven boxes should be enough. But just in case, he had also bought bandages and salve...again...just in case.
They were seated in the living room, sipping chai, relaxing. It was raining outside. The perfect weather to complement his and Khushi's mood.
Arnav listened to the pitter patter of the rain pounding away at the roof. Rain had a steady rhythm, a predictable pattern.
He liked the rain.
It was like a breath of fresh air, pure and untainted.
So unlike him.
Khushi loved it as well, but for different reasons.
Rain washed away unwanted material. It let organisms on death's door live.
And it was pretty
fun to dance under.
Khushi had blood on her hands, she had killed before. The burden of death lingered over her. She felt as though the rain cleansed her, like she was being baptized, dipped in holy water.
"Arey, damad-ji hasn't arrived yet?" Nani asked suddenly.
Arnav and Khushi exchanged disgusted glances while Anjali's head drooped slightly.
"Nahi, woh...he should be back soon." Anjali murmured, pain shooting up her limp leg. Every time she talked about her husband, this happened.
Khushi was just about to say something when her phone rang. She stared at the number. Dr. Mehra.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call." Her voice was filled with anticipation ' but not the good kind. Whoever was calling, they did not bring good tidings.
Khushi sprinted upstairs to the closest room and closed the door. "Sandeep?" She asked, waiting for the doctor's deep baritone voice to reply.
What she received was a sigh.
"Khushi."
Her hand tensed on the phone. "DEHP, right?"
She heard him cough a couple times before replying. "Only in one of the samples, the other was normal water."
Relief coursed through her but it was offset by Mehra confirming her fears.
"How much?"
"Enough to cause some damage, and certainly enough that someone who is familiar with it can identify it. Like you."
A pause.
"But, it's not enough to be considered a felony."
Silence. The calm before the storm.
"WHAT! But...that's not possible! It must be over the legal amount added in drinking water!" She yelled. How could this be?
"It is, Agent Rathod, but only just. Listen, you know that this material is used world wide for manufacturing purposes. It's cheap and easily accessible, just ask your father. I'm sure you remembered what happened in Taiwan some time ago, where 0.1% of DEHP was found in five out of twelve pairs of shoes, or how it was used in excess as a clouding material in soda. DEHP levels were way over what they should have been. But here, in this case, it's barely over what it should be in water. The only way you can arrest the person responsible for putting DEHP in the water is if you can prove that he or she has been doing it for a substantial amount of time...which is nearly impossible. For all we know, it was the manufacturers at fault."
Khushi felt like throttling something with her bare hands. Mehra was right, even with a blood test, it would be impossible to prove that Shyam was the one poisoning her. The DEHP wouldn't show up directly in results. A lower level of lipids, low blood sugar, a decrease in hepatic stellate cells, and other anomalies would indicate DEHP poisoning.
"Thanks, Sandeep. You've been a big help." Khushi said slowly, pressing the end button before he could reply.
Instantaneously, she placed another call, this time to Atman-bhaiyya.
"Khushi?" His soothing voice comforted her marginally.
"Bhaiyaa, could you run a background check on a name?"
"Which one?"
"Shyam Manohar Jha." She was glad her voice hadn't cracked.
"Will do boss, I'll have it ready immediately. When do you want to see it?"
"Email it to me."
"Okay boss. And take care of yourself."
She smiled at his concern. "I always do Bhaiyaa. Bye." She waited until he had hung up to do the same, letting the phone slip through her hand.
She sank into the bed, all of her bravado leaving her. She was strong, that much was true. But was she strong enough to handle this on her own? No.
However, she wasn't
alone. Arnav was with her, she had the CBI, the law behind her. So
why...why did she feel so utterly lost?
Was this why everyone in law enforcement stayed away from cases that hit home? Was it because it was too hard to detach themselves. Khushi knew the answer now. Yes. It was damn hard.
It was then that she noticed whose room she was in, the very room she had slept in last night, the very room where she had comforted Arnav.
His room. And it reflected Arnav perfectly. Nothing was out of place, everything was immaculate. From the demure colors on the wall to the pool outside of his room, this was Arnav. He had always loved swimming as a child, and one day he had hoped that he would have a pool right outside of his room so he could swim everyday.
Of course, Mr. Malik (before he had gone crazy) and Saroj Aunty had not let him have one.
Khushi rose and sat on his bed, just thinking.
She didn't even realize that someone was in the room until she felt the dip of the bed and a hand hovering over her shoulder.
Her reflexes kicked in and she grabbed the potential assailant's hand, executing a textbook flip. It wasn't until she was resting right on top of the person's torso that she realized exactly who was under her.
***************************************************************************************
The second Khushi had received the phone call, Arnav knew that it was the results coming in. Not caring what other people thought, he had rushed after his partner in crime...justice... just in time for him to see her bolt into his room and close the door.
He had heard everything that she had said, but not what the person on the other end was saying. Her violent outburst had caused him to rush into the room to find that she had her back turned to him. Scared of what she would do in her rage, he had retreated to a corner where she couldn't see him, where he was shrouded in darkness.
He watched as she called someone and ordered a background check on Shyam, watched as she melted to his bed, just watching...not moving.
It wasn't until she sat on his bed did he think to make his presence known by trying to snake an arm around her.
***
Apparently that was a mistake. He thought to himself as he tried to regain awareness. One of Khushi's hands was at his neck while the other was balled into a fist, ready to strike him.
He saw the way her bleary hazel eyes regained focus and widen when she saw what she had done.
Amusement ran through him. Even when she was at her worst, she was still good...really good. If they hadn't been on a bed, Arnav would have been sore and bruising.
She made no move to pull away, only dropping her arms by her side. Arnav had startled her. Though she may have doe like eyes, she was no deer in headlights. She had reacted, albeit prematurely. Arnav wasn't an enemy...he was just Arnav.
Arnav Singh Raizada.
The man who was staring at her with his caramel eyes, pulling her deeper into their depths. She wanted to sink into his warmth, his hardness, feel the contrast that his body made against her softer, smaller one.
He made no move to move her either. Her weight on top of him was not uncomfortable. She was straddling him. It felt...nice. However, he had to move her quickly or she would find out just how nice she was making him feel.
"Khushi." His voice was a loud whisper. Arnav sat up slightly causing Khushi to slip down to his thighs. His large hands came to frame her face, pushing away her stray bangs. Her eyes met his, emotion clouding them.
Slowly, she moved forward, his arms easing her body to his. Her head lay on his chest where his heart was. Her arms wrapped themselves around his lean figure, pulling him even closer.
"You know the results already, don't you?" She asked, his shirt muffling her words.
A lump formed in his throat. "Di was poisoned." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "But the house's supply was fine."
The deep rumble of his chest as he spoke left a tingling sensation on Khushi's cheek.
He felt her nod rather than seeing it. The lump rose even further.
All of a sudden, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt. He saw how her eyes brimmed with tears that refused to fall. They were more alike than he thought.
"We can't prove it was Shyam."
Arnav stiffening beneath her was the only indication she received of him hearing her. Everything else remained the same.
"What the hell does that mean?" His voice was a deadly hiss.
"
Let me rephrase that. We can prove it was him, we just can't indict him."
He rose to a sitting position, his hands on her shoulders, shaking them slightly. "Why not? If we order a blood test on both of them, then won't it look odd that only Di has the DEHP in her system?"
Khushi looked at him in admiration. Arnav was sharp. "It would, but you're also forgetting that Di has had problems in the past. Polio affects the nerves, not the immune system. It's in her bloodstream. But Di also had meningitis as a child, right? It wasn't severe, but it did effect her slightly. The level of DEHP in the water won't affect a normal person like you or me or Shyam." She spit the name out in disgust. "Di however, has already been weakened by her previous illnesses which leaves her more vulnerable. Because of this, her blood test results may show DEHP poisoning, but the doctor could pass it off as an imprint of something from her past."
She watched as he took in this information. Arnav's brow was creased, his eyes hard, lips pressed into one line. He looked older, dangerous, more rugged like this. It wasn't something she liked. Khushi liked the smiling, naughty Arnav, the one who used to tickle her mercilessly, chase her around, tackle her.
"So we can only get the bas**rd on something else?" He asked after much time had passed.
"Yes."
"And, tell me honestly. Do you think that he's doing anything else?" His eyes met hers, fury leaping out of them.
Khushi sighed. "Look, you already know that he's having an affair, he's probably had more in the past.." His hands clenched into fists.
"I can't arrest him for that. But yes, I do think he's doing something else. It could be drugs, illegal trading, whatever."
"I'm going to kill him Khushi. I'm going to tear him apart, shred by shred until there's nothing left of him but mincemeat." Arnav's voice was surprisingly steady for his attitude. Khushi had no doubt that he would make his words a reality. He was after all the ASR, the man who made the impossible possible.
"But
if you do that, then I'll have to put you in jail. Believe it or not,
that's not what I want to do." She said, stroking his forehead,
trying to smooth the lines out. He leaned into her touch, letting her
magical hands ease away his tension.
Had it always been like this between them?
Was there always this much warmth underneath the apparent hostility?
The answer was yes. Yes there was. He had been too blind to see it until it hit him where it hurt most.
Arnav took a deep calming breath. His senses came under his control and he could feel his body relax. He was feeling oddly detached from everything. Now...now was the ideal time to do this. This being the event he had bought jalebis for.
"Khushi." Arnav said. He seemed to be saying her name quite a bit in the last day.
"Hmmm?" She still was continuing her ministrations on his brow.
Arnav caught her hands and knelt on the bed. She raised an eyebrow at him but he shook his head.
"Khushi. I...whatever I say, please hear me out." He got up off the bed and went to the small fridge that was in the corner of the room.
Khushi saw him return with seven boxes of what looked like...jalebis? What was he doing with her favorite sweet? And seven boxes? Oh no. He was going to do something extremely stupid.
She just knew it.
**************************************************************************************
Downstairs, the entire family was debating whether or not Arnav had hurriedly left the room to go see Khushi.
"But Di, Bhai is incredibly unpredictable! He could have just gone to his room to do some work." Akaash was still adamantly protesting that there was anything other than rivalry between his brother and best friend no matter how much he wished for the opposite.
"Akaash, think! In the last day that Khushi has been back, Chote has spent most of his time with her! And you should have seen them at the mall! Chote was protecting Khushi from the glances of other men! Protecting her! He put her hand around her and everything! Does that seem like the attitude of someone who supposedly dislikes Khushi." Anjali threw her hands up in the air. She had to make Chote confess the feelings she knew he had for Khushi! She wouldn't accept anyone other than Khushi as her sister-in-law.
"What ever happens will happen. Why don't we let the nature take its course?" Mama added in wisely. In truth, he was the most intelligent out of all of them. Anmol Singh Raizada was not blind to the glances that the two that were not filled with love, but with anxiety. There was something deeper going on that no one except them knew about.
"You are right bitwa. Jo hoga woh hoga." Nani said, ending the conversation.
And they would all find out what would happen very soon.
****************************************************************************************
Khushi took in Arnav's figure with trepidation. The fool was standing there, balancing jalebi boxes while looking like he had swallowed a lemon.
"So, I'm guessing these are for me, seeing as you're diabetic and all..." Khushi kept looking at him through narrowed eyes, trying to gauge his next move.
Arnav scowled at her but nodded nonetheless. He set the boxes to the ground and came to stand right in front of her, causing her to look up at him.
His arms were crossed over the pristine white shirt that he had not bothered to take off. How could he wear all these formal clothes inside the house? Then again, she too was still in jeans and a kurta.
He cleared his throat.
She scoffed.
He glared at her.
She glared back.
He tried to open his mouth to say something.
She smirked.
"Tongue tied are we?"
"Shut up Khushi! Do you realize how difficult this is for me?" He loosened the tie around his neck and flung it off.
"Well considering I have no idea what you're doing...no." She smiled as he growled in his throat.
Think Arnav, how do I say this? How do I make her do what I want? Will the damned sweets be enough? You are ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA! Nothing is impossible. Look her in the eye and say it! You're not a coward!
Yes! He wasn't a coward. He was the lion, she was his prey. Prey that could flip him over in the blink of an eye. A disgruntled snort came out of him. Why couldn't Khushi be something a little less intimidating...like a small town girl from Lucknow? But no...she was Khushi Rathod...the only woman who had the guts to stand up to him, the only woman that he could envision himself being content with.
Woah! Where had that thought come from? Get a grip Arnav!
He quickly turned around so she wouldn't see him swallow. He could break a person mentally within seconds, but he couldn't do this?
Oh God (that he didn't believe in). Deep breaths were not helping.
"Nav?"
Neither was her voice.
He whirled around and knelt before her. It's now or never.
Her heart chose a very rapid rate to beat at. Was he...?
He picked up a box of jalebis and placed it in her hands, and knelt on the carpet by her feet. Khushi stared down at him, not liking where this was going at all.
She saw him inhale and exhale deeply. Was his face a bit flushed?
"What the?" His trademark phrase came from her mouth involuntarily. The gears started churning in her head as she pondered his position.
NO! He wasn't...was he? This insane FOOL!
Then she watched his mouth say four words that would change her life forever.
"Khushi Rathod. Marry me."
Now she knew what the jalebis were for.
Ha! Who saw that coming? (a good bunch of you did)
Note: No where did it say that Anjali had meningitis...I made that up.
Please buddy me for PM's and keep on commenting! (and who is ready for Monday's episode after that AMAZING precap?)
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