Anjali was in her Chamber, lying on the woolen mat, leaning on a silk pillow, with a red suppressed face, having the pipe between her lips, as she blew up the grey smoke, ragingly.
Her numerous attempts in last two days to get Khushi killed had been useless. First that poisoned milk, then pushing her off from her horse-riding practice, and then kidnapping her. All were futile. She would get saved somehow.
She didn't know how!!!
It was the cause of her uncontrollable fury!!!!
"Kabhi kabhi to humein lagta hai ke wo koi chudail hai...apne masum chehre se har ek par kaala jadu kar rakha hai...MARNE KO TAYAR BHI NAHIN!"
"Sometimes I feel she is a witch....casting black magic on everyone with that innocent face...NOT READY TO DIE!" She was talking to her younger brother....who otherwise was busy in finding something in the old chest of their mother...
With a dozen of boxes open before him, he was sitting on the ground, leaning on the table, his one knee close to chest while another being relaxed away...his eyes inspecting were amid the blabbering of his sister.
"Chhote...tumhein kya lagta hai...kaun hoga Mahal mein jo uski madad kar raha hai!"
"Chhote...what do you think...who is there in the Palace who might be helping her!" She needed to know.
"Di! Aap itni choti baaton pe itna kyu pareshan horahi hain... jane dijiye na!"
"Di! Why are you getting tensed on such petty matters....let it go!" Wearing a blue loincloth, he was having a pale green shawl on his upper body.
"Choti batein? Aap bhool gaye Chhote... kaise ek vaishya ne hamari maa ka vaivahik jivan tod diya? Humein anath kardiya!"
"Petty matters? Did you forget Chhote...how a courtesan had broken our mother's marriage? Orphaned us?" Anjali had so much bitterness in her, "Hum nahi chahte HAMARE sath bhi waisa hi ho!""I don't want the same to happen with ME!"
Arnav's hands stopped all of a sudden, as he clenched his jaw, hearing what he didn't want to.
Moving his head back in the direction of his sister...he spoke in low angry voice, "Aap ki shaadi ko kuch nahi hoga Di! Vishwas rakhiye...."
"Nothing will happen to your marriage Di! Trust me...." He put a hand on her head, caressing her hair, while Anjali gulped her tears,
"Kyunke wo ek vaishya nahi hai!"
"Because she is not a courtesan!" He added after a minute...making Anjali stiff.
Did she get his tone right? Was there any sympathy in his talks for that chit of a Queen?
"Koi nahi...aap aur aap ki khushiyon ke baach koi nahi aasakta!"
"No one....and I repeat no one could come between you and happiness!" His next words were spoken more mildly though, demoting all the doubts of his sister.
She looked at her younger brother. Although younger in age, he had always tried to shield her from problems...
She smiled at him.
"Kya dhoond rahe hain aap Ma Saheb ke bakse mein? Mila aap ko?"
"What were you looking in Ma Saheb's trunk? Did you get it?" She asked now looking at the mess, her brother had made, by opening the old memories.
"Haan!"
"Yes!" He stood up in a blink, securing the thing in his hand, while Anjali just wondered what it might be.
._._._.
"Buaji! Kya ab hum bahar ja sakte hain? Aapke Panditji ne kya kaha?"
"Buaji! Can I go out now? What did your Panditji say?" Khushi asked, with a frown on her forehead...and perfect lips shaped in an innocent pout.
Well the day before yesterday, Madhumati had met a priest who had asked Khushi to not go out of her room unnecessarily.... it being inauspicious... and hence she was almost locked in the room since few days.
"Humein to wo Pandit mil hi nahi rahe Ranisa!"
"I couldn't find that priest Ranisa!" Madhumati informed, now putting a hand on her waist while Khushi sighed....folding her hands.
How would she know now!!!
"Rehne dein. Waise bhi Rajkumari Payal hum se milne aane wali hain!"
"Let it be. Anyways Rajkumari Payal is going to visit me today!" Khushi cancelled her plans...as she opened her cupboard, finding something.
"Buaji, wo Sheetal jiji ka patr kahan chala gaya. Mil hi nahi raha!"
"Buaji, do you know where that letter from Sheetal jiji has gone. I can't find it!"
"Patr? Nahi Ramisa...humein koi patr nahi mila!"
"Letter? No Ranisa....I didn't see any letter!" Madhumati spoke, while Khushi got worried....
She had forgotten the date when her step-sister was coming.
'Where might it have gone!' She tried to press her little brain.
That's when a maid informed her that Maharaani had summoned her in the Hall..
"Abhi?"
"Now?" Khushi gulped, just thinking about it for full two minutes not knowing what was kept in store for her. 'Hey Devi Maiyya raksha karna!'
._._._.
Anjali had finally found a solution to get rid of this queen... permanently... and she wanted to act on it as soon as possible.
"Maharaja ne bataya ke aap ko apna kaksh pasand nahi hai...!
"Maharaja told me that you were not happy with your chamber...!"
Anjali spoke to a scared Khushi, who had lowered her large eyes down, not wanting to welcome the wrath of Empress.
As usual Arnav was present there, leaning on the royal seat of his sister, enjoying the dramatic scene before him with a smirk.
"N...nahi! Hum ne to aisa kuch nahi kaha Maharani..."
"N..no! I didn't.... Maharani..." Khushi outrightly denied the blame....shaking her head lightly. She was not a fool to commit such a sin of bitching about the Empress.
Well Maharaja had asked Khushi why she was given this small and dark chamber...but she hadn't uttered a single word regarding it.
"Ab jhoot bhi mat bolo. Aisa avsar kyun chodogi tum? Laikin chinta mat karo humara dil bahot bada hai...aur tum bahot bhagyawan ho!"
"Now don't lie. How can you leave such an opportunity? But don't worry I am very generous.... and you are lucky!" Anjali's noxious words reached her...as Khushi looked at her face, trying to read her expressions.
"Matlab..!"
"Means..!"
Her soft voice not even reached Arnav who seemed to be already aware of the new announcement....rolling his eyes on the scared kitten.
Even if she tried to be bold before him, her all courage bursts in front of his sister.
"Tumhein Rama Mahal bheja ja raha hai!!"
"You are being shifted to Rama Mahal!!!"
._._._.
After a few days:
Rama Mahal
"R...rajmata humein dekh lengi!"
"R...rajmata will find us!"
Khushi whispered, looking at the old step-mother of KishoreNanda who was going outside Rama Mahal with a big chain of maids following her. They were visible to Khusbi from the balcony of her Chamber where Arnav was also present. It was late night.
Seeing her anxious self, Arnav just smirked.
Khushi had been knowing him for months now....but still she never lost an opportunity of drawing him off....
'She thinks she can scare him off with her poor excuses!'
Arnav shook his head...as he also looked at Manorama in front of them, going somewhere late at night.
"Rajmara ki aankhein kamzor hain! To tum fikr mat karo..."
"Rajmata has a poor eyesight! Don't worry..." He whispered back in the same hushing tone, mocking her,
"Apna kaam jari rakho!"
"you continue!" His breath was falling on her prominent lips.
Khushi looked at him with half annoying and half sulking expressions....and then towards the food plate in her hands.
It had been few days since she was moved here in Rama Mahal.
When Maharani had declared her verdict of shifting her to Rama Mahal, Khushi was very happy.
Happy... because she thought that Prince wouldn't nag her anymore. She would be closer to Shantivan....and would have ample space to practice her war skills quite peacefully.
But she was wrong....very very wrong!!!
Without any intervention of Emperor or Empress, now Arnav had been following her everywhere, with his bizarre demands, just like now!!!
"Khilao mujhe!"
"Feed me!"
He had ordered her with that cold face, making excuse of his injured hand.
They were sitting on this large swing. She was in her usual outfit sitting with her legs folded back and he was lying on stomach in front of her, putting his weight on his elbow.... a chess board kept between them...with lamps lightening the balcony.
"Hmmm?" He reminded her again, opening his moist lips a bit, now playing his next move on the game board.
Khushi broke the chapati, holding the piece with her fingers as she dipped it in the curry, moving towards his parted mouth, when he grabbed the morsel, not before touching her fingers lightly...with his tongue.
Khushi fumed, trying to hide the hot overwhelming feeling of her body, while he just smirked chewing the food slowly.
'I am not his maid to feed him, while he would keep his leisures intact'...lying like a Laad Governor...and teasing her now & then. 'His injured palm was just an excuse! It might have healed long ago.'
Well she didn't have courage to speak all this on his face....these were only her inner thoughts.
Last time was an exception when he was drunk and she was hurt with his words....
"Pet bhar gaya mera!"
"I am full!" He declared suddenly, bringing her out of the reveries as she sighed with relief, now holding the swing chain to move down but he held her wrist, making her frown.
"Kahan ja rahi ho?"
"Where are you going?" He made her sit back,
"Meetha to khaya hi nahi maine!"
"I didn't have dessert yet!" He reminded her with the innocent expression on his devilish face and then she looked at the sweet pur ghee laddoos...in this plate.
"Par aapko meetha pasand nahi hai!"
"But you don't like sweets!"
She remembered...and the thought was enough to make him content...that she kept his likes and dislikes in her small mind.
"Haan!"
"Right!" He slid the chess board down making it lie on the ground....with all sixteen pieces scattered.
"Siwaye rumhare!"
"Except you!" He had held her arm lightly, pulling her towards him, inching her face closer to her!!!!
He had changed his position a bit, now lying on his back with the head elevated on a large pillow, his one hand on her back and other one on her arm, as he made her hover over him, ceasing all the personal space between them with his warm breath mingling with her, taking in her feminine scent.
"Rajkumar?" She tried to get away but he held her tightly.
"Sshhhh!" He shushed her.
His lips pulling up into a half lazy smirk, his eyes mysteriously dark, crinkling with mischief, the stubble glistering his cheeks and jaw line.
The look was explicitly sexy, the hotness able to melt any woman around in just one glance.
But here this maiden in his arms was giving those baffled expressions...where not even a hint of desire was visible!!!!
The smirk soon got replaced with an intense expressions as he let the words out in his velvety deep voice.
"Janmdin mubarak ho!!"
"Happy Birthday!!"
As the words made sense to her, Khushi's eyes grew wide, and all she could scream in her mind was...
'How did he come to know?'
Arnav watched her breath fastened, her small mouth drops open gasping, looking at him stunned!!!!
While he simply loved the feel of her soft body weight pressed against his, various thoughts crossing his mind on where all places he could press himself on her, and where he could run his hands over her explicit body.
"Janm...din!"
"Birth..day!" Khushi choked on the word as she stared at him.
How did he come to know? Wasn't it a day she had never celebrated in her life...because her family thought her to be a disgrace...a kalank!!! Wasn't she a nothing...insignificant.... unimportant...!!!!
"Haan, hanmdin, jashn ka din!"
"Yes, birthday... the celebration day!" Arnav confirmed her in his husky voice, travelling his eyes from her beautiful doe shaped eyes to her petal like lips.
"Humein...ko...koi jashn nahi manana!"
"I...do..don't want to celebrate it!" Khushi sputtered going breathless with his intense lustful gaze on her lips, and what bothered her was the way her skin was heating up under his gaze...making her mind go off duty.
Arnav moved his eyes back to her, certainly liking her breathless tone.
Wondering all those ways he could make her breathless, by kissing her senselessly, sucking & tugging her feminine mounds, or by burying himself inside her.
"Laikin mujhe manana hai!"
"But I want to!" He mumbled back.
Khushi casted her eyes down, feeling his unnerving gaze unbearable.
"Abhi! Yahain aur isi waqt!"
"Now! Right here, right now!" He spoke smugly as he studied her nervous facial features, her shy downcast eyes.
Taking a piece of sweet, he raised the hand to her mouth-level while his face was closer to hers, their forehead almost touching, his eyes still fixed on her face, as he trailed the piece along her perfectly shaped lips so slowly & sensually!!!!
Khushi gulped, as she felt goosebumps running down her body, when she felt his fingers stopping at the bow of her lips, when he shoved the scrambles in her mouth, along with the tip of his finger.
He wanted her to feel him, feel every action of him, his every advance on her.... to be caressed by her...but she was too naive for this.
Forcing the sweet down her throat, amid the short unsteady breaths, she felt his fimgers grazing her inner lips.... liking the smoothness and the moist touches.
"Ab tumhari bari!"
"Now your turn!" His unnerving hoarse voice reached her...as she looked at him with astonishment.
Making her hold the remaining of the piece, he brought her right palm close to his lips, and next what he did made her breath hitched.
Holding her hand close to his mouth, he very lusciously took her fingers in his warm mouth, sucking off the piece sensually, with his tongue rolling around, caressing her thumb deliciously, with his teeth grazing it gently, before moving to another finger.
"Kafi lazeez hai!"
"Tastes delicious!" He teased her while working his mouth on her fingers....accomplishing his fantasies.
How much he desired to run and roll his lips on every mounds and curve of her body...to graze her with his teeth.
With her breathes going shallow, feeling his erogenous movements on her, Khushi had almost sank back in his body, trying to fetch her hand away from his mouth, but his expertise mouth was mot ready to end the feast.
"Bas hoagaya na.."
"Please.." Khushi breathed out as she turned to go when he left her hand.
"Abhi nahi!"
"Not yet!" He mumbled hoarsely keeping his both hands on her head, not letting her move away from him.
His eyes took in the sight of her lips, which had the trace of sweet syrup, which he had earlier smudged on them, and involuntarily his lips moved closer to lick them off her pinkish petals.
"Aap kya kar rahe hain?"
"What are you doing?" Khushi spoke panicked, as she felt his warm breath fanning her face with his lips moving closer to her.
"Jashn mana rahe hain...!
"Celebrations...!" He whispered before placing his lips on the corner of her mouth, taking open kisses....sucking her desperately.
With his body-heat penetrating her skin, their proximity was blazing hot.
Khushi felt his hands moved to her waist, fondling her, stirring strange electrifying impulses in her hormones.
This was something which she had never felt.
"Tum madhosh kardeti ho."
"You taste so divine." Khushi felt him whisper against her mouth, before dropping a gentle kiss on her burning cheeks. His words hotter than his moist mouth.
"Tumhari lat lag gayi hai mujhe..."
"You are addictive..." Arnav whispered.
"Prince..." Khushi tried to stop him getting a vague idea of his upcoming action. Just few inches more & he would have her lips crushed between his teeth....
And he stopped before the inevitable could happen.
"Ab tohfe ki bari!"
"Now time to gift!"
Khushi snapped her eyes open, while Arnav withdrew, inching back from her, without compelling his desire to kiss her passionately which he was so much craving to do....
But he had some other plans....
Khushi took a sharp intake of breath looking all around except him, biting her lower lips nervously, trying to stop the radiating heat from engulfing her skin more, as she felt him sitting up, with her in his arms.
Tucking a hair curl behind her ear she looked up at him, as he had left her side and walked down, in the process, making the swing move turbulently.
Leaving her all flushed, he sauntered towards her bed. With slow steps, plastering a lazy smirk on his lips, he could be seen to Khushi who was sitting immobile, cautiously...
'Gift? He had brought? Only to mock me later as gold digger!' She was observing him. 'No I won't take any gift from him!' She resolved.
While Arnav moved to her bedside, pulling out the drawer, taking out a small silver box with velvet cover...as he focussed his eyes on her.
Khushi gazed at the box in his hand.
How come it came in the drawer of her room...without she being knowing!
Staring in her eyes, Arnav stepped near the swing, leaving two step distances between them as he opened the box, to reveal an elegant Rajputana peacock Kangan, having the exquisite and traditional Gajra and Meena work...having the most beautiful work ever.
He had got it polished yesterday, making it to shine in its original glory.
Khushi looked at it silently before travelling her eyes upto his face.
'Such an expensive jewel...it can't be gift, can it??'
As to answer her question, he drew out the bangle in his fingers, throwing the box away, ceasing the distance between them, holding her slender wrist, and raising it to put the bangle on her.
And just then Khushi jerked her wrist back, frowning.
'No, she can't take gift from him!'
Arnav's eyes hardened, as he glared at her hardly, seeing her refusing his approaches.
She hid her hand behind her waist which made him more angry...as he took a deep breath.
And in fraction of second, he had taken a long stride, sitting on the swing with a thud, making her back plastered to her chest, spooning her, making the swing slide while holding her body firmly.
In one swift movement, he pulled her against his body, his left hand resting on her stomach.
"Seedhe baitho!"
"Sit straight!" He ordered in her ears, before holding her hand more firmly. He gently placed the golden bangle over her, moving it down her fingers, as it adorned her slender arm.
Khushi shifted uncomfortably on the swing, but she had no room to move.
Arnav locked the clip, and the bangle fit properly on her wrist, as he drew it close to his lips, putting a soft kiss on it, looking at her eyes now, which were observing his every move.
"Ye meri maan ka hai!"
"It is my mother's!"
Khushi gasped hearing it.
He gifted her his mother's kangan!!!! That means it belonged to Maharani Anjali's mother!!!
Did he want to put her in another problem. So that Anjali could blame her or taunt her or accuse her???
He was still engrossed in the memories... unaware of the thoughts running in her head.
Would it offend him if she denied to accept it? But she had to do something.
"Maharani??" She asked, "Agar unhein...pata chal gaya to!"
"What if...she found!"
A good excuse to return the kangan, wasn't it?
But Arnav knew how to shush her.
"Di ko yaad bhi nahi hoga..."
"Di might not remember it..."
'But what if she remembered!' Khushi sulked.
"Par phir bhi hum kaise rakh sakte hain!"
"But how can I keep it?"
"Kyunke maine kaha hai rakhne ke liye!"
"Because I asked you to!" Arnav replied coldly in a no-nonsense-now tone.
"Aur ab ek tohfa meri taraf se!!!"
"And now time of my gift!!!" He whispered huskily, as he left her wrist while she got restless.
Another gift??? Wasn't the bangle a gift from him. She was confused, while also fidgeting in his hold.
"Itna hil kyun rahi ho?"
"Why are you wiggling?" He scolded her when she tried to stand up, making her leg entangled with his leg. She was almsot leaning to him, as he removed something from his pocket, pushing her more into him.
Pulling her veil down her head, he scooped her hair off her nape, gently placing them over her one shoulder, caressing her nape in the process.
And slowly he slid a necklace on her neck, hooking it with his teeth, as he leaned down, trailing soft kisses at the base of her nape, upto her ears, nuzzling her with his nose, slightly kissing her behind her ear, on her pulse....giving teases.
Khushi parted her lips slightly, sucking air in with his provoking kisses, and his eager lips on her body.
Her young skin so soft and satin, his lips were craving to run all over her...as he parted away.
"Ye maine banaya hai...tumhare liye!"
"It is designed for you...by me!" He shared the detail, now caressing her arms.
But Khushi was too upset, not ready to accept his generosity. Confused with his impossible self!!!
'Didn't he call her with so many names a few days ago' Sleeping to be empress, demanding expensive gifts...
Yes these were his exact words....weren't they?
'Then why did he bring the gifts for her?'
The feeling was suffocating her, and she wanted to just throw away that piece of metal. With the restless sigh, she was going to rip the cold metal from her neck. But when she raised her fingers to touch it, Arnav held her hands, stopping her from reaching to it.
Did he understand his emotions?
She looked at him straight in his eyes, her expression pensive.
"Choona mat!"
"Don't dare to touch it!" He spoke looking in her eyes,
"Hum ye nahi le sakte!"
"I can't take it!" The words flew out of her lips automatically, with her eyes fixed on his, defiantly.... with a lot of courage as she continued,
"Hum aapko LOOTNA nahi chahte!"
"I don't want to LOOT you!"
And here his words were thrown back at him.
A big applause for the brave Queen!!!!
Of course the words were his own. That time the same words had pierced her heart like anything....she had felt so low in front of him....so demeaned.
Hence the melancholy she was in made her bold enough to speak back.
Arnav's eyes stared at her, with her words hitting his ears. A slow crooked half-smirk crossing his lips as she threw his words back at him.
'This woman, has the dare !!'
His eyes shone with amusement as he whispered to her.
"Mere paas iskabhi hal hai! Tum mujhe iske badle me koi tohfa kyun nahi dedeti? Hisab barabar! No loot na dakaeti."
"I have a solution for it! Why don't you offer me a return gift? Then it will be even! No loot, no plunder." His fingers had been playing with her waist chain by now as he moved close, but by then they had sensed someone on the door.
Arnav gritted his teeth with irritation.
Another disturbance!!!
Couldn't he have a single moment of peace with her....always getting disturbed by someone or other....breaking their romance!!!
He sweared that it was her maid he would make sure she never served her again!
He thought, now detangling away from her.
While Khushi frowned.... their issues not solved yet...
Taking long strides Arnav marched behind the curtains, unwillingly and grudgingly...while Payal burst inside the room...just after.
"Ranisa...aap ne hum se apna janmdin chhupaya!"
"Ranisa...you hid your birthday from me!" Payal was annoyed, as she barged in with a maid, hugging Khushi in tight grip...after a minute.
'She also knew?' Khushi gave a slight smile, breaking the hug.
"Dhanyawaad Rajkumari!"
"Thank you Rajkumari!"
"Arey? Ye kya?"
"Arey? What is this?" She asked looking at her.
"Huh?" Khushi was clueless.
"Aap ne do mangalsutra kyun pehne hain?"
"Why did you wear two Mangalsutra Ranisa?"
Hearing her words Khushi spurred back towards the dressing table, looking in the mirror gasping with shock, 'Mangalsutra!'
._._._.
Long update😜
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