KHUSHI woke up with a start, her heart pounding wildly even as her brain registered the loud noise. Someone was at the door! As her eyes accustomed itself to the darkness, her heart skipped a beat when she realized she was in Arnav's bed. She looked on her right to see that the other side of the bed was unoccupied. The beside clock showed 5'o clock. As the knocking got urgent she got swung herself off the bed.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and on an impulse she quickly took off her jewellery, before she went up to the door and opened it.
'Khushi!' Anjali said in a rush, 'wake Arnav. We have to get to the hospital right away. It's dad. He is in ICU.'
She wasn't sure if Arnav had returned home last night. She would have to stall for time. 'What happened Di?' she said her tone laced with concern.
'Dr Manav tells me that his blood pressure has shot up really high all of a sudden. Is Arnav ----?'
'Rani Sahiba,' Shyam interrupted her. 'I saw saale saab leaving late in the night yesterday. I don't think he is back. I don't see his car.'
Khushi felt a sudden urge to defend him. 'He.... He has gone to the office.'
'At that time of the night?' Shyam raised his eyebrows.
'He needed some ... some important documents that he kept there.'
Anjali immediately dialled his number only to hear it ringing from somewhere in the room. 'He hasn't taken his phone with him!' Anjali said anxiously. 'I will try the office number.'
'Rani Sahiba,' Shyam said holding her arm, 'Have you thought that saale saab might not want to come?'
'He has to come Shyam!' tears began to flow down her cheeks. 'He is our father.'
'Don't you remember how he behaved when you tried to speak to him last time?' Shyam reminded her. 'We have been taking care of babuji till now and will continue to do so. Why do you want to force him?'
'Di,' Khushi intervened, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'Why don't you go ahead with Shyamji? I will call the office.'
'I don't think he will come Khushi.' Anjali said in a low voice.
'He will, Di,' Khushi said taking Anjali in her arms, 'I promise.'
As Shyam went ahead toward the car, he smirked thinking how naïve Khushi was in thinking she can get that arrogant b@#$%^ to the hospital. God he hated him for landing up at the last moment and spoiling his best laid plans for Khushi.
When the courier had arrived at the Raizada House from The Oberoi, he had called the hotel back impersonating Arnav and thanked them for the package. The manager had immediately told him that they had safely kept the jacket that his lady friend had left behind, apologizing for the delay in sending it. He had requested them to patronize their hotel the next time they were in town.
Luckily he had also been aware of Khushi's dance programme in Agra and that she hadn't returned that night because of fog. He had put two and two to together. He knew that Khushi had not slept with Arnav. She was purity personified. But it was important to malign her character in order to protect her. There was no other way. He had immediately called NK's mother in Australia and given her that information.
How could he let Khushi marry NK? He didn't deserve someone as exquisite a Khushi in his life.
But he had never imagined that Arnav would land up just in time and act as a knight in shining armour. Khushi had rightly refused to marry him. But her obnoxious parents had probably emotionally blackmailed her into this marriage, hoping to wash their hands off their foster daughter.
Nothing was lost though. He could still save Khushi. But before that this new crisis had to be dealt with, he thought smiling reassuringly at Anjali as he took the wheel.
Khushi paced about the room restlessly. She had bravely given her word to Anjali that she would bring Arnav to the hospital and she didn't even know where he was. How was she supposed to contact him when he had left his phone behind in the room? Would he be at Lavanya 's, she wondered in dread. It was way too early in the morning. What would she tell her if she picked up the phone? Excuse me Lavanya , would you mind letting me know if my husband is with you on which is supposedly our wedding night?
Suddenly she had an epiphany of where she might find Arnav. She quickly showered and changed into a simple blue suit and went down stairs. Luckily, she found the keys to the Honda City automatic kept in the small ornate wooden box on the console table in the foyer.
There were few people on the streets at this hour and Khushi stepped down on the accelerator hoping her hunch was right.
As she pulled up at the gates of the farm house an hour later, she was relieved to find Arnav's car parked there. As she walked up the driveway her eyes inevitably were drawn toward the lovely gardens and she thought of the first time Arnav had shown them to her on the night of the bachelor party.......
She had just seen Akash and Payal in bed with each other, oblivious of their spectators. Before Khushi could let out a squeak Arnav covered her mouth with his hand, closing the door with his free hand.
'I want to show you something,' he had whispered into her ears, 'come with me.' He took her hand in his and took her downstairs and out into the garden.
They walked in silence for several minutes, along a path lined by tall and dense trees, until they had reached a clearing with a beautiful fountain in the centre. There were beautiful flowering plants, in various colours and hues all around and her heart leapt with joy at the sheer beauty of nature.
'Oh my God, Arnav this is just beautiful!' she exclaimed, looking around her in awe.
'My mom, Di and I planted these,' he said his voice low. 'It was my tenth birthday and I was feeling very low as I didn't have any friends to invite for my birthday. Mom brought me and Di here and we planted some of these. After that, we came back here every year until I was sixteen.
Khushi's heart went out the lonely lost boy and wished she was there to hug him and tell him everything would be alright.
'This is the place I come to when I am restless or when I need to think. It gives me peace.'
She went up to the house and knocked on the door. How had Arnav managed to get in? Hadn't Narenji told her that Naniji had sold the farm house?
'Who is it?' Arnav opened the door, his mouth opened in a yawn, his eyes still closed.
'It's me.' Her voice came out in a squeak when she saw he was bare chested, his jeans riding low on his hips.
'What the f@#$!' His eyes popped open, his sleep vanishing in seconds. 'Khushi! What are doing here?'
'I ....I' She was trying to keep her eyes from wandering down to the waist band of his Calvin Klein visible just above his jeans. 'I have ....to talk to you.'
His eyebrows twisted suspiciously. 'How the hell did you know I would be here?'
'Lucky guess.' She squeaked tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.
'Khushi, about last night ----'
'That's not what I came here for Arnav,' Khushi intervened quickly, 'we have to go the hospital right away ---'
'What is it?' he said urgently. 'Is Nani alright?' Lines of concern creased his forehead.
'She is fine,' she said quickly, 'it's your dad. He has been admitted to the hospital.'
'Oh,' Arnav's face hardened. 'Di is there isn't she?'
'Yes she is. She has sent me the hospital address. I told her we will be there soon.'
'I am not going.'
'Arnav,' Khushi implored to him as she touched his shoulder, 'you have to go and see him. He is your father.'
He walked away from her, the muscles of his body rigid with tension. 'A father in name only. Where the hell was he all these years?'
'You heard what Di told about him Arnav,' Khushi reminded him, 'he has been mentally sick for a long time. You can't hold that against him.'
'I just can't forget the fact that he hurt mom.'
'I understand that Arnav, but you have to be the bigger man here. Di messaged that his condition is very critical. He has been asking to meet you.'
'F@#$!' he hit his hand against the wall in anger.
'Please Arnav,' she implored. 'See him just once. Otherwise you might regret it for the rest of your life.'
An hour later, they stood just outside the ICU, within the pristine walls of Life Care hospital, enveloped in strong hospital odour.
'He is out of danger now,' Dr Manav said looking grim in his white coat. 'But I would recommend that he remain here for observation for a few more days.'
'What happened?' Arnav's voice was gruff.
'His blood pressure was much beyond the normal levels when he was brought here. That triggered a heart attack. He is currently stable but any stress is only going to be dangerous for his health.'
'Was his BP a pre-existing condition?' Arnav looked toward Anjali . 'He should have been on medication, if it was.'
'Yes it is,' Dr Manav replied. 'In fact, the last time I visited him at the home, I changed his medication. The previous one clashed with the psychiatric drugs he was taking.'
'The problem was he didn't take his medications regularly. ' Shyam said with a shake of his head.
'But I told the boy who takes care of him to make sure he took all his medication.' Anjali said anxiously.
'Rani Sahiba,' Shyam said slowly, 'You know babuji was not in the best of mental health. You know how difficult it was for Raju to administer his medications.'
'Don't worry Anjali we will make sure he is okay,' Dr Manav said in an assuring tone. 'You can see him after we move him to the private room but you should avoid talking today and let him rest. Please excuse me.' Dr Manav moved away as he got called away for another emergency.
When Anjali , Shyam, Arnav and Khushi stepped into the room, Anjali went up her dad and held his hand. Arnav was shocked to see his once handsome father look frail, his hair completely grey. His father was not yet sixty but looked seventy. He turned away fisting his hand in frustration when Khushi held his shoulder.
'Go to him,' she whispered.
Arnav slowly walked toward his estranged father, his heart pounding.
It was four days since Arnav's dad was admitted to the hospital and Khushi stood in the kitchen making lunch. While Anjali spent the mornings at the hospital, Khushi made lunch and took it with her so she could relieve her in the afternoons. Her father-in-law's face lit up every time she entered his room. He had begun to call her laali for some reason but she didn't have the heart to correct him. Each day, as was the routine he spoke about the same thing. His speech was very incoherent and she had difficulty comprehending him, but she managed to decipher that he seemed to be repeatedly talking about a trip to the fair. Arnav joined her in the evenings and Khushi subtly left them alone for a little while until Anjali came in to take over once again.
As she finished packing the lunch, Shyam came up to her asking her if she was ready to leave much to her consternation. He had come in the previous day as well, and taken her to the hospital. His superfluous friendliness was off-putting and she requested him to go on his own, quickly making an excuse of having to run an errand before she came to the hospital.
In the evening Khushi and Anjali saw Arnav entering the premises same time as them.
'The hospital sent me a message to come in urgently but I was in a meeting and couldn't see it.' Arnav said urgently.
'Oh God!' Anjali exclaimed. 'I couldn't find my phone. I think I left it behind in the hospital.'
As they hurried up to the room, Dr Manav stood with Shyam looking very grave.
'What happened?' Anjali 's voice was a whisper.
Shyam merely shook his head.
'Anjali , Dr Manav said slowly. 'He suddenly developed wheezing and that triggered a massive heart attack. We couldn't revive him. I am sorry.'
Tears streaming down her cheeks, Anjali walked into the room but one look at her father's lifeless form she turned toward Arnav and he took her in his arms before her knees buckled. Anjali held on her brother, her entire body racked with sobs.
Just as Shyam stepped inside the room and was about to go up to Anjali ,Khushi shook her head indicating to him that he should just let the siblings comfort each other and not disturb them. Tears were streaming down her own cheeks when she thought of how they had lost both the parents in the span of a year. She could see that Arnav had not shed a tear even though his eyes were moist, but one look at his stoic face told her that he was holding it all in.
**
Khushi stepped into their bedroom to find Arnav lying on the bed in the dark, with his hand across his eyes. The last thirteen days had been gruelling for him. He had already looked like he had lost weight at their wedding but after his dad's death he gotten worse having thrown himself at work leaving very early in the morning and coming back very late at night. Khushi knew he had been trying to avoid the relatives who came more out of curiosity than to offer their condolences. Today, on the thirteenth day, believed to be the day the soul finally reaches its final destination, she hoped that her father-in-law's troubled soul had finally found its peace.
Not having the heart to wake him up, she put the tray away and decided to change her saree, taking off the safety pin from the pallu. Just as she was about to put the pin on the dresser, she caught a glimpse of Arnav's face in the mirror, as the light from pool side sliced through the gap in the curtains. She froze. Was it tears she saw on his face?
She slowly stepped up to him, her heart constricting further her own eyes welling up with tears as she sat on the bed. Her heart pounding erratically she bent her head and took the glistening drop on his cheek between her lips.
As Arnav jerked awake she stood up nervously and turned away. She was about to move away when she felt a tug at her pallu. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before she turned around to see Arnav holding the end of her saree, a woebegone look on his face.
She rushed back to him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his face burrowing into her stomach as sobs racked his muscular frame. She stood mutely, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stroked his hair gently, relieved that her husband was finally grieving for his father.
In the wee hours of the morning, Arnav stood at the pool side looking at his wife looking enchantingly beautiful as she slept on his bed. Her long black lustrous hair lay on the pillow, contrasting starkly with the milky white skin of her shoulders. The comforter dipped dangerously low on the swell of her breasts as she moved in her sleep and Arnav's body hardened at the sensuous vision. He admonished himself for wanting her again when he knew she needed to rest. But he had no control over his body's needs, for it was only Khushi who could give him the ultimate peace preceded by the uncontrollable rapture. His thoughts went back to the night of Akash's bachelor party when he taken her to see the garden and told her that it was only place he came back to find peace.
'This is the place I come to when I am restless or when I need to think. It gives me peace.'
'But it is a little too far isn't it?'
'Maybe ....' He paused. 'I may not have to go too far to find peace.'
'Uh?' Khushi snapped her eyebrow unable to comprehend his enigmatic words. Then something else caught her eye. 'Oh my God. This tree is glowing!' She ran toward it.
Arnav followed her. 'That banyan tree has been here like forever,' he explained as Khushi stepped over its numerous roots. 'There are focus lights fitted to the ground to give it that glowing effect.'
'Where is the actual tree?' she said her eyes wide with awe as she walked deeper. 'I have never seen a banyan tree like this. How old is it?'
When she didn't get a reply Khushi turned around to find herself all alone. Then the entire place plunged into pitch darkness.
'Arnavji!' she called out in fear, as a tremor went through her body. When she still didn't get a response she began to hyperventilate. She froze in shock, until something whizzed past her head forcing her to make a run for it. When she crashed into something causing her to trip and fall, she began to struggle with all her might screaming hysterically. Suddenly a hand clamped on her lips silencing her screams while the other pinned her hand to the ground.
'Khushi!' Arnav yelled desperately. 'It's me!'
'Arnavji...' Khushi opened her eyes, tears welling up in them instantly as she released her hand from his and snaked her hands around his neck, holding him to herself as she trembled violently. 'Something ...flew past ...' she mumbled into his neck.
'F@#$!' he swore. 'Bats.
'I am an idiot! You told me you were afraid of the dark and I left you all alone to go meddling with the lights. I am so sorry Khushi. I was trying to show you how the lights change to a different colour but I think I only managed to damage it.
'It's okay.' He whispered in her ear as held her to him until her tremors subsided. Luckily their fall had been cushioned by a thick bed of dried leaves, saving them from being bruised badly. Slowly, he raised his torso away using his elbows to support himself.
Khushi dug her finger into his shoulder. 'I am not going to leave you Khushi,' he said. 'I am just going to switch on the torch on my cell phone.'
As the dim light enveloped them, Arnav's heart beat stopped for a moment when he looked at Khushi. Her saree was almost undone, having been caught in the roots during her run. She lay there, her small rounded breasts heaving up and down in her short and snug red blouse, her rib bone jutting out above the flat planes of her quivering stomach. His eyes were draw to her delectable navel just above the waistband of her in skirt.
They both realized the exact moment when his molten caramel eyes changed from concern to desire and a different sort of tremor began deep inside her.
Slowly, not taking his eyes off her, he placed his own shaky hand on her creamy stomach and spanned it across her tiny waist. Khushi closed her eyes as an electric jolt went through her and her body arched sensuously.
Her abandoned response to his touch was his undoing. He bent his head and took her soft velvety lower lip between his own. As he began to drink from her lips, Khushi felt liquid heat pooling in the pit of her stomach and she dug her fingernails into his shoulder. He nipped on her lips causing her to gasp and he quickly darted his tongue into her mouth to explore its darkened caverns.
His hands moved up her ribs to cup her breasts, his thumb drawing circles around her nipples arousing them into hard buds and pinched one hardened peak between his fingers. Khushi grabbed the crisp hair at the back of his head, and raised her hips high as she felt another jolt sizzling right down to her core. With no warning whatsoever, Arnav zipped his hand down her stomach and slid his palm to the V of her legs and began to stroke right through her clothes.
As he lifted his mouth from hers, her lips twisted in a protest but when he closed his mouth over an erect nipple and sucked, she bit her lower lip and began to push against his hand, demanding an unknown satisfaction as bewildering sensations of pleasure bordering on pain assailed her.
Suddenly she felt Arnav's weight shift as he pushed her legs apart with his thigh, to nestle himself between them. As she felt his hardness pressing into the softness of her core, even through the thin material of her in skirt, the tumult of emotions she has been experiencing till now had doubled and she began to undulate her hips to match the rhythm started by his. Her hands moved all over the muscled planes of his back and shoulders and Arnav urgently worked his way up her throat to capture her lips once again.
Pinning both her hands on the leafy bed, he dipped his tongue into her mouth, mimicking the action of his hips. As the frenzy increased Khushi felt herself teetering on the edge of precipice, a kaleidoscope of colours forming within her closed eyes as a multitude of mind-numbing sensations assailed her. And then all a sudden she fell, spiralling down into the deep abyss as she splintered into a million pieces.
I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU
Khushi's confession of her love echoed in Arnav's head as he once again held her while her tremor subsided.
Her words of love had brought him back to his senses. In spite of his best intentions he hadn't been able to stay away from her in the past few months. He had kissed her on Diwali night without giving a thought about the consequences. Khushi was not like the girls he had dated before. She was beautiful, sweet, innocent, funny and a lot of other things. Today, she had put her complete trust in him and would give in to him with total abandonment.
That is exactly why he had stopped. He would court her in the way she deserved. He wanted her first time to be beautiful.
'Khushi,' he said softly, 'I think we should get back. Akash and Payal are probably looking for us.'
When her eye brows creased with worry, he took her lips in a kiss that wiped away all doubts.
'Do you trust me?' he said huskily lifting his head.
She nodded her head wordlessly.
But she had been the one to break his trust the very next day, thought Arnav as the first rays of sunlight touched his face. But why, hadn't he been able to move on? Why hadn't he found joy or pleasure with anyone else? What was it that drew him to Khushi inevitably like a moth to a flame? Was he destined to be a masochist where she was concerned?
Then he heard her wince slightly as she turned in her sleep and remorse suffused him, for, unlike what he had thought five years ago, he had neither courted her nor made her first time beautiful, his raw need for her taking over him uncontrollably last night.