Shades of Love #2: Snow White

Startled, she sat up at dawn, unsure of her surroundings again. Seeing the stranger's sleeping face reminded her of what had happened the previous night. She shuddered, thanking Devi Maiyya for saving her. As if on cue, the man woke up too.

"Hey," he mumbled groggily. She drew her lips into an embarrassed half-smile, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on it. He smiled back politely and stood up. Sliding the door of the compartment open. "Shit!"

She looked at him in alarm and he fisted his hands at his sides. "Get up!" he hissed, glancing outside tersely. She obeyed with silence. "The guy is coming to check the tickets. I take it you don't have one?" Her eyes widened and she shook her head. His eyes narrowed, calculative, and he felt in his pockets for his ticket. "Okay, as soon as I tell you, we rush into the toilets, get it?"

There was no other option. She nodded.

***~***~***

"It smells bad!" she hissed.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement. So the girl spoke? "It's ahh... a public toilet. This is normal," he whispered back.

"Is this a good idea?"

Seeing how she was pressing herself against him to avoid touching the walls or the toilet seat? No, it was not such a good idea for him... "Yes. Trust me," he muttered through gritted teeth.

She gingerly grabbed a fistful of her dupatta and pressed it to her face, throwing another fistful at him. "This smells better." Indeed, the smell of sandalwood and jasmine filled his senses. Much, much better.

He felt laughter rise up in him. "This is crazy." Half her face was concealed behind the shimmery dark red cloth but he noticed she was grinning too. There was the knock they had been waiting for.

"Ticket please!"

He opened the door just a little bit and slipped the ticket to the controller, who returned it after a few seconds. They waited some more minutes to make sure he was gone before getting out.

***~***~***

"Thank you again," she smiled as he closed the door behind them with a heavy sigh.

"That was close!" he whispered, making her smile. They sat down facing each other awkwardly. He didn't say anything but she could feel his growing curiosity.

"You must be wondering what Shashi Gupta's daughter is doing in a train, without a ticket and dressed as a bride, right?" she prodded.

He hid his smile and shrugged. "Only if you want to talk about it."

She averted her eyes from his to look outside. "When my father died, he left me all his property but with the condition that I should be twenty one. If by then I'm not married, even if I do marry someone later on, everything will be lost to a fund after my death. But if at twenty one I'm married, the moment I die, half of it will go to my husband and the other half to my stepmother, if she lives. If she too is no more, my husband gets everything."

He frowned at her. Where was this going? Her eyes were filling up with tears again.

"My stepmother never even liked me but she has a great love for my father's wealth. I'm turning twenty one in four weeks. She didn't want to lose anything so she forced me to marry her nephew so they can get it all. But I ran away just in time." She managed a teary smile at him. "That's my story..."

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

But she chuckled, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "Why should you be? It's none of your fault. By the way, where does this train go?"

"Howrah Station, Kolkata. That's the last stop and that's where I live."

He looked glum. It would be bad manners to ask him about his grief. But she could certainly try to cheer him up a bit. Innocently, she widened her eyes. "You live in the station?"

"No! I live in Kolkata!" he exclaimed before realising she was only teasing. He grinned at her helplessly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I never told you my name. Arnav. Arnav Singh Raizada."

Her face brightened with a smile. "Thank you again for saving me, Arnavji."

***~***~***

The train slowed down at a station in Patna. He glanced at her while she twiddled with her dupatta. "Are you hungry?"

She looked up embarrassedly at him. "Very... but I don't have any money."

"It's okay. Wait for me here. I'll be right back."

***~***~***

He watched her inhale the enticing smell of the dish before her, happiness glowing on her face. She looked so different from the scared and tired runaway bride he had met the previous night. "So, what will you do now? Where will you go?" he asked, without thinking.

She stopped eating to stare at him. "I don't know..." The fear was setting in again, and strangely, he found it unbearable. He felt like he needed to protect her from that.

"You can come with me, at my place," he said. Confused surprise flitted on her face. "Don't worry," he added hurriedly. "I have a huge family, seven sisters and... I won't harm you!"

At that, she shook her head. "It's not that. It's... You are helping me so much. How will I ever repay you?"

He shrugged, smiling. "What about we discuss that later?"

***~***~***

She walked behind him nervously, feeling hundreds of curious eyes following her. She had removed all her jewellery, kept them in his bag and wrapped her dupatta around her like a shawl. But she still looked like a bride... Her fingers tightly held one corner of the duffel bag he was carrying so that she didn't lose him.

He stopped outside and turned to look if she was still there. Maybe he had read the fright she was feeling because she felt his hand close around her wrist, holding her safe. She smiled at him gratefully.

"Get in the car," a voice thundered. They turned to find a middle aged man glaring at them. Khushi moved behind Arnav, afraid, and almost simultaneously, he moved before her too, protective.

"I can expl-" he started but the man raised his hand in a silent order to shut up. Her squeezed her hand hearteningly, leading her to the shiny black car, and she slowly realised that this man had not come for her, but for him.

***~***~***

"Chhote, you..."

He grimaced at the shock on his sister's face. "Di, I-" But there was no way he could continue because the rest of his family burst in right then. He felt her nail dig deeper in his skin. He wouldn't blame her for getting scared. Not at all. There were several bursts of "Chhote", repeated questions before his father cleared his voice loudly. The silence set in, and everyone saw the person who had captured Anjali Jha's attention.

His mother was the one who spoke up first. "You got married? But she is not Lavanya!"

***~***~***

She glanced at him curiously as he ended explaining about how they had met and what had happened. Who was this Lavanya? The cause of the sadness he constantly wore in his eyes maybe? It had been his father who had come and fetched them at the station. Apparently, he was angry at his son for leaving home around a year ago. Had he left for Lavanya?

One of his sisters, the one who had greeted them at the door smiled at her with sympathy when he had stopped talking. "My name is Anjali. I'm Arnav's elder sister sister. We are seven in all."

Khushi smiled back nervously as his mother shifted to her side. "And I am his mother. You can stay here as long as you want, beta."

The tears sprang up again at the affection she was receiving from strangers. She had never really know her own mother for she had died days after her birth and her father had remarried within three years. Yet, she had never been able to get one drop of love from her step mother.

"Why are you crying, beta?" His mother wiped her cheeks. "Consider this your home and we your family now, okay? Come, meet the rest of the Raizadas."

***~***~***

He sighed with respite as she smiled a bit, still teary. His mother introduced his eldest uncle and aunt, Mahendra and Manorama, and the widow aunt, Madhumati. Then she moved on to Manorama chachi's three daughters, Sati, Gauri and Parvati; Madhumati chachi's two daughters, Sheetal and Payal; and finally his two sisters, Anjali and Aditi.

The happiness returned to her face. She had told him she had been an only child. For him, she was lucky. Growing up as the younger of five elder sisters and elder to two younger ones was a real pain. But maybe she would have fun? Sensing his father beside him, he tensed up.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left home like that," Arnav mumbled, stealing a glance at his father, who was watching him with rigid severity. "How did you know?"

"I have my sources. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

***~***~***

"Your sister, Anjali, told me I'd find you here."

He turned his head to look at her and she felt her heart skip a beat at the misery she saw in his lonely eyes. He hid it swiftly but it was not fast enough.

"If you are here to thank me again-"

"No... okay, yeah... maybe..."

He smirked at her, patting the space next to him on the steps of the palatial house. "Sit down."

She acquiesced. "I have to thank you for all you and your family have done for me, you know? I am heavily indebted to you."

"No, Khushi," her heart somersaulted as he stared in her eyes.

"You didn't tell me your father is Rajendra Singh Raizada," she reprimanded gently. His lips twitched with amusement but he didn't say anything. He was heir to the largest designing company in India, for crying out loud. How could he have omitted such a major fact? And in her worry, it had completely slipped out of her mind to make the link.

He sighed, looking at the garden. "And now you must be thinking what a rich guy like me was doing in alone in New Delhi, using public transport?"

***~***~***

He saw her blush. She had changed into a saree Aditi must have given her. It was something very simple as per his sister's preference but it did nothing to diminish her beauty. On the other hand, he thought she looked even more beautiful. Shoving these thoughts away, he smiled. "It's okay, Khushi. You told me everything about you, so, I guess you deserve to know my story too."

"I fell in love when I was in college."

"With Lavanya?" she asked with wide eyes.

Smiling, he nodded. "Lavanya Kashyap. She was from Delhi. I can't blame her, it had always just been friendship for her but I mistook that for love. Maybe it wasn't even love from me either. But back then, I had been so blindly stupid that I had shifted to Delhi against my family's wishes to win her heart. She tried to explain to me she didn't feel the same for me. Sometimes gently, sometimes with anger. But I was a fool. I lost one year of my life doing odd jobs and running after a girl. She got engaged and I finally realised it was craziness not love. Because I didn't feel anything when I saw her with her fiance. So I came back."

Her smile was kind. She tilted her head, her eyes on him. "I hope you do find your happiness."

He gave her a lazy, dismissive smile. "Let's hope?"

***~***~***

"Chhote! We all have to thank you a million times!" Gauri Di yelped as soon as he came in the living room, frowning with curiosity.

"Do you know who talented Khushiji is? You have brought home a true gem!" Anjali added.

Khushi's eyes widened. "Di!" She gasped, causing him to raise his brow in surprise. She was already Di-ing his sisters now? "I am not that good. It's just that I studied fashion designing!"

"Oh hush!" Payal interjected, carrying in a tray of snacks. "These are the best designs one ever showed me!"

"And we will be pleased if you joined our company." Rajendra and Mahendra stood in the doorway, beaming at the young people. Khushi went red. "Our one son was the only odd one out," Rajendra teased as he approached them. "But all our daughters and sons-in-law are in the business. Parvati showed me your designs, they are truly wonderful. Will you join our company, beta?"

"But you have already done so much for me, uncle..." Khushi started to protest, only to be interrupted by her saviour.

"You wanted to repay a debt?" Arnav grinned. And she smiled, not quite knowing how to refute that.

***~***~***

"You made this? Really?"

Arnav received a smack on the back of his head from Anjali. "Who else could make such a good dhokla according to you? Who knows about Gujrati food in this house?"

"No, I mean... Khushi Gupta? Knows how to cook?"

"You could just accept how heavenly her dhokla is, saale saab!" Shyaam, Anjali's husband, chuckled.

Khushi giggled in agreement while Arnav tried to hide his smile.

Rajendra and his wife watched in wonder from afar. "See Saraswati, she has already integrated the family. They are even including her in the banter."

She smiled at her son, then at their new guest. "I think our Arnav has found his happiness, after all."

***~***~***

"Dad, you called me?" Arnav enquired as he entered his father's cabin.

"Close the door, son," came the reply. Rajendra's tone was unusually anxious. He turned to look at his son with a sigh. "It's about Khushi."

***~***~***

She could hardly believe it was just two weeks that she was living with the Raizadas. They had accepted her so fully that she felt she had been with them forever.

"For the last time, Khushi," Sheetal pleaded. "Leave this, and come with us for lunch. I want you to meet my fiance!"

She raised her eyes, intending to tell her to wait, but her gaze collided with dark troubled orbs. "Do you have a moment?"

Sheetal wiggled her eyebrows at Arnav. "Oh, so you've finally decided to ask Khushi on a date, Dada?"

His silent glower silence her and scared Khushi. Something was going on. There was something wrong somewhere. She lowered her lashes to reassure Sheetal and nodded at Arnav. he gestured her to followed him.

***~***~***

They ate in silence which only resulted in increasing Khushi's fear. She put down her spoon, finally wearing out of all patience. "What is it? Why did you call me here? What's wrong?"

He regarded her grimly. "Nothing can be hidden from you, right?"

Her appetite was lost. She was right. "Please, tell me."

"It's your stepmother," he sighed. "Garima Gupta knows where you are and according to my dad's sources, she is coming to take you."

Suddenly nauseous, Khushi gripped her saree tight to stop her hands from trembling. "Can she be stopped?" she whimpered, her voice begging. "I don't want to go back there. I don't want to marry her nephew."

"Khushi-"

"You have to understand!" her eyes welled up, breaching his heart mercilessly. "She will kill me!"

He shifted closer to her, holding her cheek. "I know. Listen to me. We don't have any legal right to keep you with us. According to your father's will, she is responsible of you till your twenty one years."

She broke into a helpless sob. "Arnavji, I don't want to..."

"Shh! Listen to me, Khushi. There is a way out to this. But only if you agree..."

***~***~***

The white car slowed down as it entered the Raizada property. His heart lurched but he felt sure of himself. He wouldn't let Garima Gupta touch her. Sensing her fear as she fidgeted behind him, one of her hands tight in his and the other crumpling the sleeve of his crisp white shirt, he set his jaw, trying to contain the fury he felt for the woman he had not even seen yet.

But they soon her voice, loud and clear, ringing in the air, and immediately she had pressed herself into him so that he felt each of her panicked heartbeats against his arm. His anger rose to dizzying heights. What had that woman done to scare this poor girl so much? He wished he could kill her for this. And he promised himself he would never allow her to be this frightened again in the future.

"Khushi! My darling child!" It took every inch of effort in his body to stop himself from wincing at that voice, saccharine sweet yet terrifying. Khushi edged closer to him for protection, almost welding both of them into one. "Where are you, darling? Your mother has come to take you."

Rajendra, standing next to the woman, stared at his son expectantly. He had taken an immediate dislike for Garima Gupta since he had stepped out to welcome her. The whole family was there to support Khushi but he knew that the only one who could really help her was Arnav...

***~***~***

She gulped and her fingers tightened around him, for a reason she had no way of explaining, when her stepmother call her name another time, using a more menacing tone that she was only too familiar with. She was just going to hide even more behind him but he was nudging her forward. Horror drowned all her hopes as he stepped behind her.

She was mortified. Garima Gupta's cold eyes met hers triumphantly. She felt herself swaying back against him as her mind screamed. What was he doing? He squeezed her hand to tell her he was still there but she could not stop her body from trembling. Her stepmother walked towards her.

"My dearest daughter, do you know how worried I was for you?" Garima drawled, fake affection dripping from her words like honey. "Why did you run away, Khushi? Let's forget about the past now, okay? Come with me."

She was already starting to drag Khushi away but something was stopping her. "I don't think you have the right to that now, Mrs Gupta?" Arnav spoke calmly.

***~***~***

Had it been just him, he would have slapped the woman and kicked her out, but for his family, he forced a smile on his face and snatched Khushi's wrist from her grip. Confusion blighted Garima's face as she glared at him.

"You had the right to take your ward wherever you wanted, but Khushi is no longer your responsibility."

"What do you mean?" she spat.

A genuine sneer settled on his face. Arnav shook his head incredulously. The woman was blind and stupid. How could she not have seen? "Khushi is my wife, Mrs Gupta," he explained. "And without my permission, you are not taking her anywhere."

Pure outrage clouded Garima's face when she noticed the sindoor in her stepdaughter's parting and the mangalsutra around her neck for the first time. She blanched and Arnav pulled Khushi back behind him, knowing well that her stepmother would want to harm her.

"And yes," he continued viciously, thrusting a document in the woman's face. "This is the power of attorney. Khushi is handing over to you all what belonged to her father since it's what you want most. We have enough love and money to give her whenever she needs them. Get lost and if you ever try to hurt my wife again, I swear that will be the last day of your life."

***~***~***

Eyes closed, she could still not stop shaking as she stood by the window. A hand landed on her shoulder and she started, only to realise it was him. He turned her around gently to face him.

"Are you okay?" he wanted to know, troubled by her difficulties.

Khushi nodded, her eyes lowered. "She won't come back, will she?"

"No Khushi, she won't," Arnav whispered, unaware of what to do. Should he hug her and comfort her? But what if she didn't like it? His hands hovered over her, undecided. "You are not upset about any of this, right?"

She shook her head sincerely. "I am fine."

But he was still feeling somewhat guilty. "You are not sad about losing your father's wealth? You have to understand, Khushi, if it had stayed with you, because of the conditions of your father's will, she could have killed you to get her share and if something happened to you, I..."

***~***~***

He stopped speaking. What was he going to say? He didn't know... It had been some kind of rush that had taken the words to his lips but he didn't know how to continue this... But she smiled, a gentle but sad smile, asserting she was fine. He was not though.

He needed to know what she thought of this marriage. It was nothing a girl could dream for. It had been a quick, silent affair and not those large pompous weddings each of his married sisters had gotten. Guilt stung him repeatedly. He wished he could have given her that. No. He would ask her. and if she agreed, they would do it again. And he would make it a dream come true for her. Yes, that's what he would do...

"Khushi?" he whispered, his heart beat picking up pace, and she stared at him attentively. "About our marriage? You... If you don't want it... or me... we could..."

Her smile ebbed slightly. "Why? Do you still love Lavanya?"

"It's not that..." he gulped. How to say it? He may have told her to marry him to save her from her stepmother, but now that they were tied together, he didn't want to let go. What was it? This feeling that he felt for her and her only? "I was thinking about you."

She held his hand and closed her eyes, as if refusing to look at him while she spoke. "You know, I had promised something to my father before he died."

"What?"

Her eyes suddenly opened to look directly in his eyes with complete sincerity. "That I would marry someone only and only if I loved him."

Arnav could do nothing but stare at her. Registering her words and absorbing their meaning was as though too heavy a task for his brain. What did she mean? He was frozen, gaping at her with amazement. Maybe he had taken too much time, because he saw her eyes water, and she began moving away from him. but he didn't want that...

***~***~***

She stopped at the tug she felt on the pallu of her saree. He Devi Maiyya! She wanted to get away from here after indirectly spilling out her feelings from him and this cloth had to get caught somewhere. Hadn't she been embarrassed enough when he had give her that blank look which meant that either he had not understood or that he didn't want to acknowledge what she felt for him.

Wincing mentally, she kept her eyes down as she turned to free the edge of her saree but she found her husband's hand firmly fisted around it. Alarmed, she raised her eyes to his face. He was frowning at her but there was something strange in his eyes. She couldn't decipher it. He pulled until she was flush against him, his arm around her waist, just like the first time he had held her on the train.

"Where were you going?" he murmured. "Where do you think you were going after dropping that bomb on me, Khushi Singh Raizada?"

She pried her eyes off him, biting her bit hard to prevent the tears from springing up even more. But the stupid stubborn tears came still...

"Remember you were wishing I found my happiness? Well, I did. I found my Khushi."

Her eyebrows knitted together, she unwillingly looked at him. He was smiling now, and pulling her yet closer, moulding her soft body against his hard one. She gasped softly and he chuckled, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too, Khushi."

THE END