I have decided that our marriage will no longer be temporary. I will be responsible for you and will provide you with all the comforts for the rest of your life. I will have every right over you. And remember that you belong only to me.
The words came back to haunt Arnav, as he sat in his cabin. He had come in to work immediately after returning from Nainital.
His thoughts went back to the wee hours of the morning when he had woken up, his face snuggled up in Khushi's neck, his arms around her waist, hers on his chest. He had gotten off the bed making sure not to disturb her. She looked so innocent and trusting in her sleep. He had dressed quickly and ordered for some coffee. He needed to think. How could he let this happen, when there were so many unanswered questions between them?
Somewhere in the corner of his mind he had seen it coming, known it was inevitable. Each and every moment, from the time they had taken that walk on Thandi Sadak, the unforgettable bike ride to Binsar, to their first kiss on sun set point, to the night they spent at the remote hut on the unknown mountainside had been etched in his memory forever. When he had seen her walking toward him in the beautiful red gown looking sensuous, the only word that came to his mind was-----Mine! When he had seen her talking to another man, he had dragged her off to the dance floor to prove to the world that she was his for the taking.
When she had bared her heart out to him during her emotional tirade at the gazebo, the feelings that were reflected in her eyes had been genuine. And it was not just since Nainital. It was even before that. All these emotions that were boiling inside had erupted the moment she had taken him in her arms after her nightmare. He wanted to remove all traces of the fear that he had seen in her face moments before they turned into exalted relief. After that, he hadn't been able to stop himself from loving her.
Could he have been mistaken in judging her?
This was something he needed to figure out. In the meantime, he had come to a decision. He could never let her go. He tried to remember that exact moment when he had made this decision and failed. He wanted her. Forever. He would ensure she would never want to leave him.
**
Later that night, Khushi lay on the bed thinking. Arnav was still at work. He had dropped them and had gone back to the office. Khushi was thankful for that. She couldn't face him just yet after what had happened between them last night. Was it only last night? The time between then and now seemed like eons to her agitated mind. What had come over her? She knew the answer. She loved him. Had been in love with him for a while now. Had known it when she had let him almost kiss her on Diwali night. Only then, she hadn't realized it. She had thought she had acidity. She was an idiot! He was right in telling her that she didn't have a brain. In fact she was so brainless that she had gone ahead and blurted out her feeling to him at the gazebo. What was she thinking? It must be the altitude in Nainital. It must have muddled her brain. Khushi angrily dabbed at her way ward tears that insisted on flowing down her cheeks. Why waste tears on someone who would never love her back?
And now, he wanted to continue this farce of a marriage for ever. What had made him say that? She just didn't have answers to anything, thanks to his cryptic ways of talking. He had first told her that it would be a six month marriage. He had even told her that it would be difficult to tolerate her during that time, that he hated her and then suddenly after last night he had changed his decision. Could it be that he had an attack of conscience after what had happened between them? Well, if that was the case, he could tell his conscience to take a hike! She didn't need his pity. I will have every right over you. How could he talk like that? If he thought she would fall in line with everything he said, he had it coming. A permanent marriage with him? Impossible! She would ensure that he would let her go even before six months, if she could help it!
**
Much later, Arnav walked into the bedroom. He was dead tired, as he had to attend back to back meetings to catch up with pending work. He quickly changed into his pyjamas and went up to the bed and lied down on it.
'What do you think you are doing?' Khushi shot upright from the bed.
'Can't you see I am trying to sleep?' answered Arnav yawning.
'I can see that!' said Khushi raising her voice in alarm, 'Why aren't you on the recliner?'
'Why should I be on the recliner when I have a nice and comfortable bed here?' he said covering himself with his comforter.
'Because......because that is where you used to sleep........before' she tried reminding him.
'Well.....I won't be doing that anymore' he said flatly.
'But.....but.... we can't _____!' panicked Khushi.
'You are right,' he said simply, 'Maybe you should be the one to sleep on the recliner'
'Me?'
'Yes you,' he drawled, 'I am not the one who has a problem with self-control.'
'What is that supposed to mean?' asked Khushi angrily.
'As far as I remember, you were the one who made the first move last night,' he quipped.
'How can you say that?' she was indignant, 'I had a night mare and I was scared.'
'If you say so' he mocked.
'Don't flatter yourself so much,' said Khushi 'If I wasn't so scared, last night would never have happened.'
'Whatever!' he mumbled.
'Even if it ever were to happen again, it would be only if you forced me like you did on the day of our wedding Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada!' she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Arnav sat up on the bed, grabbed Khushi by the shoulders and brought her close to his face. His molten brown eyes looked down at her lips that had begun to quiver and then back up to bore into her luminous eyes.
'Don't dare me Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada!' he whispered, 'If I wanted you, I wouldn't have to use force. After last night, I think you know this very well.'
He let go of her shoulders, turned around, switched off the bed side lamp and went back to sleep.
Khushi sat very still on the bed, her face red with anger and embarrassment. How dare he!
**
The next morning when Arnav came down for breakfast, he heard excited chatter going on at the breakfast table. When he got close to the table, he realized that Khushi and Payal had distributed gifts that they bought in Nainital. There were shawls, chocolates, key chains, medicinal oils on the table that everyone could pick and choose from.
'Oh! I love this one' said mamiji picking up the most beautiful shawl from the pile.
'That's mine!' shouted Khushi from across the table,
All eyes turned toward her in surprize. When Arnav looked at the shawl in question he realized it was the one that he had bought for her in Nainital. The one he never gave her.
'I am sorry mamiji,' said Khushi apologetically, 'I think it got mixed up with the others.'
'It's beautiful!' exclaimed Anjali, 'So you kept the best one for yourself ha?'
'No Di, I ___'
'I was just kidding, Khushiji,' said Anjali gleefully, 'Looks like it might be a special gift'
Khushi darted a surreptitious glance at Arnav to see him staring right back at her with those intense brown eyes. But he said nothing. If he wanted to pretend like he didn't know anything about it, then she would play along thought Khushi silently.
'Looks like there is something inside,' said maamiji, revealing an album from the folds of the shawl. She opened the album and exclaimed 'It's Arnav bitwa!'
Khushi froze. Hey Devi Maiyya! The Laad Governor was surely going to be angry now. She avoided looking at him, as everyone tried to take a look at the album at once.
'Aren't these your college friends, Chotey?' asked Anajali, 'This is Karan isn't it?'
'Yes Di,' said Arnav, 'He was staying at the same hotel as us. Khushi got these photos from him during dinner at the hotel's restaurant. He was keeping her company while I was busy at work,' he added sardonically.
Khushi couldn't believe that he was doing this. How could he say this in front of the entire family?
'I ___' she began in defence.
'Thanks Khushiji!' Anjali came up to Khushi and hugged her tight, 'These photos are invaluable to me. Chotey never liked to be photographed. Can I keep these to make copies?'
'You can keep them Di,' said Khushi smiling, 'I have another copy of these.'
'If all this drama is over, will someone serve some breakfast here?' asked Arnav looking at his watch, 'I am already quite late for work.'
As the breakfast was being served, there was one pair of intense eyes that were leering at Khushi. Arnav wished he could punch those eyes repeatedly. He turned to look at Khushi who was talking to Anjali and laughing at something she said. She had made his Di happy today with her silly photo album. He would have to look out for Khushi.
**
Shyam sat in the bedroom thinking. When he had returned from his trip a couple of days ago, he was informed that Khushi and Arnav were on their honeymoon. He had been livid. He had paced the bedroom like a caged tiger. Later, when Anjali had explained to him that the trip also included business he had relaxed. Of course! His Khushiji would never have gone on this trip if she hadn't been forced to, he had told himself. He needed to talk to Khushiji about this.
**
Later that day, Khushi worked in the kitchen preparing food for the dabba service. The food was almost ready. She just needed a little flour to finish a few more pooris. She had reached up on her tip toes to get the box of flour from a top shelf, when suddenly another hand covered hers. When she saw Shyam standing right next to her, she dropped the box on his head, spilling its contents over her. Anjali and Payal came running when they heard the commotion.
'What happened here?' asked Anjali looking at Khushi's dishevelled state.
Shyam jumped in to reply before Khushi, 'I came here to get some water and saw Khushiji trying to get the box from the shelf. The box slipped from her hand and the flour spilled all over her,' he explained.
'Khushi, go and clean up,' said Payal, 'I'll finish up here.'
**
Khushi went up to the room shaking with indignation. Shyam was getting creepier and creepier by the day. Sometimes she wished she could strangle him with her bare hands. If it wasn't for Di, she might have already done it. He disgusted her. She decided to shower as the flour had completely messed up her hair, and moreover the shower would help in calming her agitation. Half way through her bath, after she had soaped herself, she realized that the shower had stopped. Hey Devi Maiyaa! What was she going on do?
'Jiji! Di! Can anyone hear me?' she yelled at the top of her voice. She had trouble opening her eyes as the soap had seeped into them, causing it to burn. After a few minutes, she thought about shouting out again when she heard a noise in the bedroom. There was someone in the room!
'Jiji? Is that you?' she asked hesitantly, 'There is no water in the shower. Could you please check the valve at the poolside?'
She heard footsteps and after a few seconds there was a knock on the bathroom door.
'Jiji, did you check the valve?' she asked, 'There is still no water here'.
She heard knocking again. Why wasn't jiji answering her? She wrapped herself in a towel and decided to unlatch the door anyway.
She heard some noise near the shower. 'Jiji? Is that you? Can you please give me some water to clean my eyes? They are burning.'
Suddenly cold water from the shower splashed on her face. 'What the _____?' Khushi shrieked. She opened her eyes to find Arnav standing in front of her, looking at her getting completely drenched in her short towel!
She took a step backward in shock as she recognized the look in his molten brown eyes. The next moment she began to fall, as her foot slipped on the soapy floor. He caught her just in time, one arm around her waist and the other around her upper back. She stumbled some more until she grabbed his shoulder with one hand, the other hand braced on his chest. The movement had brought him under the spray of shower and he began to drench along with her. As they looked at each other for countless seconds, her dhak-dhak began to intensify. She closed her eyes as a trembling ache started deep within her.
Arnav watched as drops of water streamed down her face, to her neck and disappeared into the valley between her breasts wrapped in the towel. She looked like a water nymph. He bent down his head and brought his lips to an inch away from hers. She felt his warm breath on her lips. When he hadn't touched he lips even after a few seconds, she opened her eyes to see his eyes boring into hers and in that exact moment his tongue darted out to lick the droplets of water collected on her lips. She gasped, opening her lips wide enough for him to thrust his tongue in to explore the warm darkness of her mouth. She clutched at him, her nails digging into his shoulders, as a long quiver went through her body. As the kiss went on and on, he pushed her back up against the wall, his hand at her waist pulling her into his body so that she could feel his hardness right through the thin material of her towel. Her hand had crept up from his shoulders to tangle in the thick hair at the back of his head. His free hand moved to the back of her neck, sliding down to trace the edge of the towel. His touch was a sensuous agony. She felt a little moan rising in her throat, her senses clamouring for fulfilment.
He said her name against her lips, then the knot on her towel was twisted free and she clutched at the towel as it began to slip. She wasn't sure when she first became aware of the voices. At first they seemed to be in their own world, then suddenly Arnav lifted his heard sharply, saying, 'What the ____?'
Someone knocked on the bathroom door. 'Khushiji?' It was Shyam!