Part 15
ASR stood
under a steady stream of cold water, hoping it would cool the raging fire in
his body and head. He wanted to crush Khushi in his arms and kiss the living
daylights out of her. He also wanted to strangle Shyam till he became
breathless and dropped dead.
He rested
his forehead against the wall.
‘What is
happening to me?’ he asked himself. His self-control was the stuff books were
written about and here he was, standing in the shower at midnight, trying to
rein in his body and mind.
The image
of Shyam looking at Khushi with lust in his eyes flashed through his mind.
He
slammed his fist against the wall.
Something had to be done to end this game.
He cut the
water and walked out without even waiting to grab a towel. He called his
trusted PI while standing in his bedroom, all drenched. Water dripped off him
and wet the floor, but he remained unaware of such unimportant things.
***
Khushi lay
curled up in bed under a mountain of blankets, her eyes shut as her brain tried
to wrap itself around the feelings that had overpowered her when Arnavji had
put his arm around her and touched her bare arm.
The skin
his fingers had touched, burned.
She rubbed
the spot to no avail. The sting persisted.
‘What is
wrong with you, Khussi Kumari Gupta? Arnavji was trying to save you from that
bad man. That’s all. And you are lying awake reliving the moment he touched
you. You fool! Hey Devi Maiyya, raksha karna,” she prayed.
She lay
looking at the thin line of light at the bottom of the connecting door and
taking comfort from his presence on the other side of the door, she fell
asleep.
***
“Aman has
sent flowers,” Arnav said quietly to Khushi. “Go to the living room, get them
from the delivery boy, bring them up here and arrange them in this room.”
Khushi
nodded and stood up, relieved to stretch her body after hours of sitting.
Breakfast had been a silent and awkward meal
in Arnavji’s room. She had taken care not to look at him. The one weak moment
her eyes had fallen on his hands cutting his food, she had almost melted into a
puddle.
Arnav
looked at the girl walking towards the door, her delicious body covered in a gorgeous
designer saree designed and made by his firm. She looked demure and bridal,
young and alluring at the same time.
Khushi
walked down the steps. The whole family was gathered in the living room.
Nani
called, “Khussi bitiya, zara idhar aayiye.”
Khushi
walked up to her.
“You didn’t
come down for breakfast,” nani complained.
“Chotey is
treating you like a slave,” Anjali said with a pout.
“We had a lot
of work to get through,” Khushi said with a tight smile, unhappy that Anjali
was criticising a man who worked every hour that Devi Maiyya gave him. “I don’t
mind the long hours.”
“It ijj
good that you are bith hamre Arnav bitwaa,” mami said quickly. “Atleast he ijj
not alonewaa.”
“Yes, yes,”
nani seconded her. “Are you taking a break now, Khussi bitiya? Why don’t you
sit with us for a few minutes?”
“Amanji has
sent flowers. Arnavji wants me to get them and arrange them in his room,”
Khushi explained.
The door
bell rang on cue.
“The
delivery boy must be here,” Khushi said. “Hum chalte hein,” she bid a quick farewell
to the group before rushing to the door.
Arnav
watched Khushi on camera as she left his family and strode to the door. He saw
her receiving the flowers and shutting the door after the delivery boy.
She
turned around to face the camera, her arms full of cream and pink rose buds.
The smile on her face vanished as Shyam appeared before her.
Arnav
quickly got up from his seat and ran along the corridor to reach her.
“Khushiji,
so Arnav has decided to spare you for a few minutes?” Shyam asked, his oily
smile sending waves of repulsion through Khushi. “Why don’t you favour us
lesser mortals with your company for a few minutes?”
This was
the rat who had knocked on her bedroom door last night. Khushi tried hard to
keep her contempt for him from showing on her face. After all, he was the jamai
raja and she, a mere employee. Poor Anjaliji, she thought. How terrible it must
be to live with such an immoral louse!
“These
flowers?” Shyam asked. “Who is the lucky man permitted to gift you flowers?”
Khushi wanted
to hit him with her jooti. Resisting the temptation with superhuman effort, she
stated, “Amanji sent them. They are to be arranged in Arnavji’s room.”
Shyam
smiled. “For Saalesaheb, are they? Tab to theek he. Such pheeka colours will do
for him.” He checked her out with his scary eyes. “Only red will suit you,
Khushiji. You deserve to be given red roses, the colour of mohabbat, of red hot
desire....”
Khushi’s
eyes widened. She felt trapped, terrified at the glimpse of evil in the eyes of
the man staring at her. She looked away from him for a way out and saw Arnavji
standing at the foot of the stairs, facing her.
As she watched, he blinked, the
fall of his lashes reassuring her.
With the
confidence that knowing Arnavji had her back gave her, she met Shyam’s eyes
directly.
“Uff, yeh
adaayein,” Shyam waxed eloquent. “Your beautiful eyes.” His gaze ran all over
her. “You should be covered with red roses, Khushiji, and with little else,” he
whispered.
Khushi’s
eyes widened in shock. Her hands trembled and the roses shook in her hold.
Arnav
walked to stand behind Shyam. He asked, “What is wrong, Khushi? You have been
gone very long.”
Shyam
jumped.
“Jijaji?”
Arnav asked.
Nani, mami and Anjali joined them.
“Kya hua, Chotey?”
nani asked, her steely eyes on Shyam.
“That’s
what I want to know,” Arnav said coolly. “Khushi, what was jijaji talking to
you about?”
“Red roses,”
Khushi blurted out.
“Red roses?”
Anjali asked in confusion.
Shyam
panted.
“Red roses?”
Arnav asked, one brow lifted in interrogation.
“I was
saying,” Shyam tried hard to escape being caught, “that Arnav should give
Khushiji red roses.”
Anjali
smiled. “You should, Chotey,” she said, beaming away.
“I hate red
roses,” Arnav said bluntly.
Khushi
nodded and said, "Arnavji hates red roses." No one knew this better than her.
“How well
Khussi bitiya knows Chotey!” nani enthused.
Mami smiled
and said, “Lagat he, Saasumma, working togethers hajj made them good, better,
best phraands.”
Khushi
stared at mami with an open mouth. Friends? With her boss?
“Khushi,” came
the husky call.
“Ji?” she
responded automatically.
“Go up to
our room,” he instructed softly.
“Ji,” she
replied, scurrying away with the roses.
Arnav
turned to Shyam and said quietly, “Khushi is a lady and is not used to conversing
with strange men. Kindly keep that in mind.”
Anjali
frowned. Was Chotey scolding her husband for talking to Khushiji?
But before
she could open her mouth, nani stepped in. “Khussi bitiya is very sanskaari,
perfect for us,” she said with a tight smile.
“Yejj,
yejj,” mami added. “Laagat he she is not ujjed to strange men phlattering her.”
Shyam
smiled sickly and quickly left the scene. Arnav walked away after a meaningful
glance at nani and mami.
“Your
husband is too free with Khussi bitiya and she is not used to it,” nani said bluntly
to Anjali.
Anjali
gasped. “What do you mean, nani?” she asked, wounded. “Are you saying that
Shyamji is flirting and that too with Khushiji, my own brother’s bride?”
“Yejj,”
mami replied. “Your husbaand ijj behaving badly and Khussi ijj too bell-mannered
to complain. Lekin hamre Arnav bitwaa hajj no manners, hello hi bye bye. He
bill gib your husband bhat he deservejj.”
“Mami!”
Anjali cried. “You are accusing my Shyamji of something he hasn’t even dreamed
of.”
“I don’t
know what your husband dreams of and I don’t want to know. Lekin ek baat ka
dhyaan rakhiye. Keep an eye on your husband, Anjali bitiya,” nani advised. “If
he is found loitering about Khussi bitiya, Chotey will throw him out of this
house. Then you and your husband will have to make your home elsewhere.”
Anjali’s
righteous indignation evaporated. To be thrown out of Raizada Mansion would be
very uncomfortable and Anjali was a lady who liked her comforts. Now she would have
to follow her husband around to see that he wasn’t in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
That creepy snake πΏπΏ common anjali atleast open ur eyes now!
ReplyDeleteHello smitaji
ReplyDeleteLooks like I am the first to comment on this chapter. Another wonderful one. Loved how nani and mamiji spoke to anjali about shyam...her keeping an eye on shyam will certainly give us with chances of few Rabba ves ...
Cant wait to see how this story will unfold.
Take care ...
You know...I used to feel revulsion every time I read about Shyam the Snake....but this Anjali is equally, if not more, repulsive. Plus, she is dangerous, in her complete unwillingness to see her pet snake for the horror show that he is.
ReplyDeleteSuperb update. That Snake π€ but I am more irritated with Anjali. She is so selfish. Hope the snake is caught soon and out of Arshi's life and so is Anjali... Blind dumb woman that she is...
ReplyDeleteKama thuranam na bayam na lajja! Shyam is neither scared nor ashamed. He is one vulgar, shameless vulture. That is exactly what will bring him down. Oh and Anjali, she wants the comfort of her house and her brothers money is not innocent either! Hope she sees the error of her ways.
ReplyDeleteCan’t wait till Anjali catches him red handed..
ReplyDeleteDhak dhak dhak dhak...hearts are racing. ASR and Khushi are nearly halfway there. Oh Arnav, she'll be in your mind for a loooong time (whole life). Hehe π Khushi's his friend? When did that happen eh Khushi?? You'll actually end up becoming more than friends. However we'll go slowly..
ReplyDeleteNani and Mami are right, she does need to watch her husband. Anjali, open those shutters will you?! Your man is just that...a man, not a saint as you think him to be! Wish ASR would just beat him already, but the lion will pounce when he's ready. Right at the best moment.
Hope your doing better Smita-ji, thanks for the update.
How I wish to see Anju baby and her so called husband out of RM. Anju is very selfish lady who doesn't love anyone but her comfort. This Shyam is crossing his limits. I just hate him. I hope Arnav will give permission to Khushi back answer and hope she will give a kick where it hurts like hell.
ReplyDeleteEagerly waiting.
Arnav babua ke liye ek songwa..
Dil yeh Mera bas mein Nahi,
Pehle Kabhi aisa hota that Nahi!!!
Tu hi bata iss Dil Ka mein ab kya karoon!!!
I loved the way Nani and Mami told Anjali to keep an eye on her "sanskari husband".
Waiting eagerly for the next part.
Thank goodness Anjali got the message.
ReplyDeleteA wise enemy is better than foolish friend.anjali is so dumb omg such blind devotion ...
ReplyDeletenice update
"Lekin hamre Arnav biwaa Hajj no mannerjjs" - I simply love, love, love this mamiji.
ReplyDeleteThe π is becoming bolder. The Raizada women have already decided that Khushi is their bahu and one particular Raizada is in danger of catching pneumonia. Khushi is not immune .Things are heating up .
Speaking of heating up - "He shut the water off and walked out without even waiting to grab a towel." - Fanning myself here.
Love khushi's saree. Awesome pics of Arnav - Shyam confrontation. I think that was one of the best scenes in the show.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.....Arnav and Khushi are affected by each other....finally Nani andMami gave ultimatum to Anjali to take care of her husband....
ReplyDeleteNice update. now anjali will be on her heels to check what shyam is upto. brilliant way.. thinking now how he will reach till kushi. hope this drama makes anjali realise what a crook her husband is and also arnav realise his attraction and love towars kushi.
ReplyDeleteOK...now anjali can get a first hand impression about him...but why do i feel even when she would come to know that Shyam is at fault, she would side him only...
ReplyDeleteeven in the serial, was really stumped seeing her support him against her brother...
btw... the natural build up of romance is almost unnerving me...the steady awareness of 2 people who are helplessly attracted to each other...but unable to grapple with that...
ReplyDeletehave almost forgotten how a man and a woman grow fond of each other without help of dupatta, wind or any other props...:)...sorry, if you were planning to use any of that...;) ....
Loved the update. Arnav and Khushi feeling the force of attraction. Time for Anjali to come out from her bubble. Eager for the next part.
ReplyDeleteThe more I read the more it makes me think if Anjali is really in denial living in her bubble because she doesn’t want to accept the truth of her marriage or if it’s because of the fear she will be kicked out with her husband and not live in the comforts she is used to. Her “sanskari” husband can’t support her luxuries because he can’t refuse to help the poor. Is she really oblivious or just selfish?
ReplyDeleteShe really know he can't provide her any comforts
ReplyDeleteReally feels sorry for kushi
lol
ReplyDelete