15. OS 19. His Elusive Lover (Part 15)

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.