Chapter 1
He hit the pillow again, using all his
pent up frustration into the thrust of the punch.
Why did he do it?
Why, why, why?
All that kept replaying in his mind
was the look she had as she slowly raised her face up to him and glanced over
her shoulder with tears in her eyes.
Why did he do it?
Why, why, why?
Dammit!
That one tear streaming down her face
said it all. It was the glisten on her cheek, a reflection from the light that
caught his eye.
He had hurt her...
The evening had been a beautiful one
celebrating the Diwali holiday. It was
an important tradition in the Raizada household. There were diyas everywhere. He was not one
for the holidays but his sister and their family was. The house was filled with people, strangers,
in his opinion. He hated when his house
and family became the center of attention, paparazzi outside, frantically
snapping pictures to see whom of the “Who’s Who” came to the party of the year
at the Raizada Mansion.
The trees outside the mansion that
lined the streets had fairy lights strewn around the trunk and between the branches, the lights
glowing a golden hue as if freshly painted in a Thomas Kinkaid
masterpiece. The entire house’s walkways
were lined with diyas on both sides and the fountain in front of the house was lit
with a white light that made the droplets of water look like sparkling
diamonds.
The inside of the house was decorated
just as magnificent. Diyas, lamps and
huge white pillar candles were everywhere.
It was breath taking. Anjali,
Arnav’s sister, had this decorating thing down pat. She truly was all that her reputation made
her out to be. Anjali Raizada was THE
Interior Designer/ Decorator every woman, man and business owner longed
for. She had won many awards for her
capable eyes and hands and foresight.
She could make anything, and I mean anything beautiful, whatever the
condition.
Arnav walked down the stairs and as
much as he hated these things, he felt very proud of his sister. He took in a deep breath and continued down
to the piranhas.
He walked over to Anjali and kissed
her on the cheek and whispered in her ear,
“You outdid yourself this year, Di. It
looks brilliant!”
Anjali blushed, as she always did when
receiving a compliment,
Answering him,
“You really think so?” and she smiled
brightly her eyes twinkling with delight at her brother’s compliment.
She did this for him, always for him.
She knew he hated the hullabaloo but if she did not bring light to his dark
world who would?
Anjali always worried for her
brother. He was always in a brooding,
dark mood although very successful in business nothing seemed to bring a smile
to his face. Their past hurt never left
him; it was deeply embedded in his heart.
He was young when the death of their parents occurred and that day broke
him. She was devastated as well but she
had to think of her Chotey and live on cheerily. She always tried to put a smile on his face,
hiding her own deep pain…. she did it for him only for him.
She didn’t know why these thoughts
were creeping into her mind especially on this magnificent evening. She really did out due herself; the place was
radiant. She felt proud.
As the two of them stood at the
entrance doorway greeting their guests, a young woman dressed in a simple but
elegant red sari walked in. Arnav was in
conversation with Aman his office manager and he just stopped mid sentence as
he gazed at the beautiful sight before him.
Aman was confused. He turned
around to see the line of Arnav’s gaze.
“Oh, hi Khushi, good of you to
come. Wow! Look at you!” He proclaimed.
Khushi deeply blushed at her friend’s
comment.
She whispered,
“Aman stop you’re embarrassing me, of course
I would come, wasn’t it required? Didn’t
you say I had to,” she whispered to him.
Her hazel eyes slowly lifted and moved
to look at the handsome man standing next to Aman, her heart fluttered,
“Good evening, sir.”
She shyly said to Arnav as his caramel
eyes pierced hers.
Ahem, someone was clearing her throat
in the background. Khushi’s blush was
still fresh on her face but she quickly recovered.
“Anjaliji, how are you? Everything looks lovely. Thank you for inviting me.”
Khushi had been working at AR Designs
for over 10 months now as an administrative assistant. Her relationship with her boss was a bit
shaky but his sister was her friend. She
could never understand the feelings she felt whenever her handsome boss was
around…her heart would flutter, her breathing increased rapidly and he seemed
to have a way of always exasperating her.
He yelled at her all the time but not over her work. He confused her.
Arnav Singh Raizada was a complex man
of 28 years while she was a young, immature girl of 21. She started working for AR Designs straight
out of college. From the moment she met
him it was if she knew him. He seemed so familiar. Sure, he wanted everyone to
believe he was a hard, aloof man with no feelings but she knew him better than
he knew himself. She felt that way for
some strange reason.
How could she see through him so
easily? This baffled her.
She walked in and it was if the world
stood still. He always thought her
beautiful for a quirky, pagal girl but dismissed the strange attraction he was
feeling towards her. ASR had no room in
his life for this distraction. That is
what he called it…her…a distraction because that is what she always did to
him. He had no time for this. He
couldn’t keep his eyes off her until he heard someone clearing her throat in
the background. He turned his attention
back to Aman while Khushi and Anjali were conversing. When Khushi walked away to the refreshment
table his eyes went with her…
Chapter 2
“Dammit”
He hit the pillow again in
frustration.
Turning over on to his back he
recalled the events of the evening.
Watching her gracefully walk over to
the refreshment table, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. She seemed to be
floating through the guests as if her feet never touched the ground. She was
magnificent in red. His eyes skimmed over her lithe lissom body, her beauty was almost unnatural and she was
breathtakingly stunning in her red saree.
When she walked in he was in conversation with Aman and he stood there,
his mouth opened, but no words came, his throat dried as her almond shaped
hazel eyes looked at him, doe like. He
became flustered. Why did this girl
cause him to react this way?
He was angry with himself and confused
that there was a force that pulled him so strongly towards her. It was so strong it took all his might to
fight it and he didn’t understand why this girl did this to him. ASR had many women in his life but no one, NO
ONE, ever, ever affected him like she did.
Whenever he felt an urge to kiss those lips, which was too many times
for his liking, he would fight with her…it was easier to make her angry with
him and then she would push him away with her retaliating words. Somehow this made him feel better as if
rejected by her.
Maybe a form of punishment because he
felt he didn’t deserve love?
She picked up a glass of juice and the
hairs behind her neck stood on end and chills went down her spine. That feeling always came when he was intently
staring at her; she somehow knew he was doing this even with her back turned to
him.
Slowly she turned and lifted her long
dark lashes, their eyes met and it was if an explosion hit his chest, he
actually staggered back. He coughed and
turned and walked away.
Khushi whispered under her breath,
“What is with him, that Laad Govenor?”
The night continued with entertaining
music, wonderful food and all having a splendid time. The room seemed as if it roared with many
voices, a cacophony of sound that vibrated throughout the large mansion.
Through this excitement and buzz of
the famous, a few elite photographers were chosen to capture the event, clicking
their cameras with bright flashes of light surrounding the guests. In this feverishness, a loan couple stood
out;
A still, a quietness surrounded them,
As if alone,
Across the room from each other,
But their eyes found each other
through the mists of the crowd.
Nothing else mattered.
As she strolled the room so did he,
Parallel.
His piercing eyes never leaving hers.
Too intense at times she had to look
away;
But every time her eyes would wander
back,
Searching for their home.
Nothing else mattered.
He didn’t understand what he was doing
he just did it as if controlled by the Goddess of Love.
Love he thought, ridiculous!
He was ASR he did not fall in love, he
didn’t believe in it.
He turned and walked away and went to
the bar. The bartender looked at him and
knew he needed something to calm him, his frustration was written all over his
face.
He placed two fingers of single malt
straight up right in front of him.
Arnav grabbed the shot and swallowed it
in one swallow.
He slammed the glass down and walked
away furiously.
Khushi went to the powder room where
she splashed water on her flushed face.
What was she doing playing cat and
mouse with her boss?
Her heart was beating a mile a minute,
her cheeks flushed with the feverishness of the moment.
“This is ridiculous, stop it right
now, Khushi, what are you thinking?”
She reapplied her kohl to her eyes and
her pink lipstick to her pouting lips, took a breath and went back into the
lion’s den.
When she went back to the hall he was
nowhere to be found.
She let out the breath she didn’t know
she was holding all this time and found Anjali and Aman looking very chummy.
***
He had to get out of the house, he
couldn’t breathe. He handed the valet
his keys to his SUV. The valet brought
his truck up and Arnav jumped in. He
revved the engine and with a screech he took off.
The road is long, dark, and
it is as if a demon is driving the SUV. Here he is driving in
his SUV, his truck where he is free from all scrutiny...his psychiatrist's
couch. A safe haven for him to think without anyone knowing; just
him, the car and the road.
A place where he can just go
and drive,
and think and drive,
and think and see,
and think and feel,
and no one will know.
Yes, his psychiatrist's
couch, where it is safe to think, question and reminisce.
But all these images... his
mind won't stop...
Driving in his truck, where
he is alone with himself, with his thoughts of her, alone with the camera of
his mind, the shutters flashing the scenes before his eyes of "that
girl". Reminiscing of all the times
she fell into his arms, of "that girl" looking ravishing in her red
saree, of "that girl" standing in the rain and of him saving her from
an oncoming car. Her beautiful eyes, her smile, her “Good Morning!” as
she places his morning coffee on his desk every day. The beautiful curves of her body and those
pouty, luscious lips he just can’t stop thinking how they would feel under
his….
STOP!
STOP!
He slams on the breaks and
swerves to a halt.
He gets out.
He can't take it anymore.
He questions..
Why?
Why?
Why do I keep thinking about
her?
Why?
Why do I see her face all the
time?
Why?
Like lying on the pyschiatrist's
couch he thinks and thinks and finally comes to an answer.
The celebration was in full swing and
the house was even more crowded. Khushi
was amazed as she looked around. The
Raizada mansion was beautifully decorated, her friend and confidante Anjali had
really out shown herself.
‘Anjali is so talented’, Khushi
thought to herself.
***
They had met while Khushi was going to
school and she would go on assignments to various businesses to observe for the
day. She met Anjali on one such
assignment. When Khushi walked into AR Designs her mouth formed a perfect
circle, she was in awe. Not only was the
building striking but also the interior design of the place was exquisite.
AR Designs was in a large building
with mirrored glass windows. The
reflection from the sun seemed as if the building was ablaze and the inside was
if irradiated by that sun bright reds, yellows, oranges a hint here and there everything
else a stark white. Just brilliant!
As Khushi stood there dumbfounded, a
beautiful woman dressed gorgeously walked by and asked if she was all right and
if she needed help. Khushi introduced
herself and said she was there to do her internship and was trying to figure
out where to report when the beauty of her surroundings distracted her. Khushi’s face glowed with an excitement.
Anjali held out her hand and said,
“Hi, I am Anjali Raizada and I am the Interior Designer of AR Designs and I designed this office while my brother Arnav Singh Raizada is the head of this company. You will be working with both of us. You will be observing
“Hi, I am Anjali Raizada and I am the Interior Designer of AR Designs and I designed this office while my brother Arnav Singh Raizada is the head of this company. You will be working with both of us. You will be observing
both the fashion designing and
decorating business. From your application it looks like you are from Lucknow,
we too are from there. We will get along
famously!”
Khushi smiled broadly DM had sent her
to the right place!
***
Khushi looked around,
“Where did he go?”
She looked around again scanning the
hall and saw across the room Anjali and Aman in deep conversation, Anjali was
laughing and was that a blush? Khushi smiled.
It seems the two had an attraction to each other and their body language
disclosed an intimacy that was not usually there between coworkers. Khushi was
happy for her friend. It was about time
she moved on; Anjali had been divorced for two years now from her marriage to
Shyam, that deceitful, murderous thief.
He stole her heart and destroyed it after he made plans to kill her
brother, herself and their unborn child.
He wanted all the Raizada fortune.
Thank DM, Khushi found out about his plans although a bit too late, the
car accident had caused Anjali to miscarry the child and Arnav a fractured arm.
Shyam was placed in police custody with
the evidence that Khushi had discovered and had been placed in jail after
signing divorce papers.
The Raizada’s were due happiness it
had been a strained few years.
***
Arnav walked back in the mansion much
calmer then when he left. He was being
ridiculous. Love was something he didn’t
hope for or dream of, it was a useless emotion and he was ‘no way, no how going
to be distracted by that girl.
Now, if she wanted to have a roll
around in the hay that would be a different story’, his lop sided grin showed
his wicked thoughts.
He strolled casually over to the bar
as the bartender placed in single malt on the bar. This time it was neat and he savored the
flavor of the burning liquid. His eyes radar scanned the hall until …
BULLS EYE
He had hit his mark.
She was across the room in the corner
with Di and Aman.
He wondered why Di and Aman were having
a conversation in a private corner of the hall and not circulating the
room? And from what he saw, Khushi
appeared a little uncomfortable standing there with them.
“Hmm, I’ll have to ask Aman,” he
thought.
He finished his drink and sashayed
across the room feeling a bit more relaxed.
With his eyes boring into the back of Khushi and his grin becoming more
devilish as he approached, scanning her from behind his heart beat stronger.
Dhak dhak,
dhak dhak dhak,
Dhak Dhak dhak dhak .
Each beat stronger and a bit faster
than the previous one.
He took a deep breath and dismissed
what he was physically feeling and placed an iniquitous thought back into his
mind.
He had plans for her and it wasn’t
love.
She felt the hairs on the back of her
neck start to rise and a familiar tingling went down her spine. He must be here and staring at her. She turned around expecting to see him across
the room and there he was walking straight towards them.
She quickly turned around to the
conversation of Aman and Di and interrupted them.
“Anjaliji, would you come with me
outside for some air, I feel a little light headed.”
“Khushi, are you all right? Quickly,
let’s go.”
Anjali grabbed her hand and placed her
arm around her waist and walked Khushi slowly towards the sliding doors, which
passed through to the softly lit poolside.
As they passed Arnav, Khushi smiled at him broadly as if laughing at
escaping him.
His eyes glared at her. He strode passed her with an air of indifference
and walked straight to Aman, slapping him on the back saying loudly,
“Aman , why are you hidden is this
corner when there are beautiful starlets amidst the guests? Come, let’s enjoy our guests.”
He turned around with Aman and nefariously
winked at Khushi then walked up to a beautiful woman in turquoise and her
companion, who was just as beautiful in emerald green and in his sexily husky
voice said,
“Hello, ladies……”
Khushi’s neck was straining as she
wanted to see and hear what he was up to but she had made her bed and now she
could lie in it, Anjali was continuing walking her outside.
At poolside, Anjali helped Khushi to
the lounge chair,
“Khushi, rest here and the fresh air
will help you, I will be right back,”
And went to get her a glass of water.
Khushi looked up, the constellations
of the sky were shining brightly, illuminating the poolside. She loved star gazing, always looking for the
brightest stars which she considered her parents looking down at her. She whispered,
“Mama, Papa why do I feel this
way? What do I do?”
A loan tear slid down the corner of
her eye.
“Khushi, are you crying?” Anjali asked.
She placed the water beside on the table.
“Is everything okay?”
“Umm, yes Anjali, I was just thinking
about my parents.”
“I can understand, it is during the
holidays when I miss mine the most,” Anjali answered. “You rest now, I will be just inside if you
should need me.”
Khushi nodded.
She took a deep breath and needed to
be alone with her thoughts.
Chapter 4
The diyas around the edge of the pool
gave off a soft glowing patina of light.
She noticed that at the far end of the
pool the diyas flames had been blown out by the wind. She saw a matchbox on the table stand, next
to the lounge chair, and went to light the diyas.
Leaning down she started to light the
oil lamps. The soft glow of the lit
diyas reflected against the pool and her appearance became almost ethereal.
He walked outside, taking a breather
from the airhead women he was trying to have a conversation with.
He looked up at the sky, remembering
that Khushi once mentioned that she believed her parents were the stars in the
sky.
He too, had lost his parents at a
young age and with the evening of festivities he had become melancholy and his
parents were on his mind. So he looked
up and smiled. Maybe this pagal girl was
right, the stars shown so bright he actually felt his parents’ essence.
He felt better, relieved almost,
knowing that they were there for him to see, then he thought, “Crazy”, and
shook his head.
He turned and what he saw next was a
sight for sore eyes to behold,
An Angel, but not in white but in that
beautiful red color that he loved so much.
He silently watched her as she went
from diya to diya, lighting all the ones that must have been extinguished by
the soft breeze.
When she finished lighting the last
one, a broad smile lit her face and she stood up, losing her balance and
twisting her ankle.
He ran and caught her just in the nick
of time. Her arms went flailing as she
was pulled close and landed hard against his rock hard chest. Her eyes tightly closed, her hands landed on
his chest and shoulder. She knew it was
him even with her eyes closed, she felt him, she smelled him, mmm… that
beautiful aroma of man and cologne. Yes,
it was he, his cologne made her lose her senses everyday.
He scooped her up in his arms and
carried her over to the chaise lounge.
Placing her gently on the lounge, she slowly opened her eyes and was
staring straight into his chocolate puppy dog eyes which were intently and
sexily staring right back
at her. With her hand still on his chest, the tip of
her tongue moistened her pouty lips and all he could do was watch her. He couldn’t move, he wouldn’t move, something
inside stirring and making him feel quite uncomfortable.
He let go quickly, stood up and took a
step back and sat at on the chair next to the chaise.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Um, yes, it seems I just lost my
balance. Thanks for catching me.”
They had a little bit of awkwardness
at first but their conversation flowed easily.
She was quite intelligent and he loved the fact she knew what she wanted
out of life. She impressed him and he
was surprised.
He actually liked her.
He got up and turned to walk away and
she slowly rose to test out her ankle. She
stood and let out a hiss at the little bit of pain she felt.
He turned around right away and said
again,
“Are you sure you are okay?”
Her eyes grew wide and then softened
at this man’s response and she blushed.
She looked away and whispered,
“Yes.”
He was just about to turn and walk
away when something stopped him. He
turned and looked at her. Something was
stopping him from going. His feet felt like lead and he just couldn’t lift
them. Instead of leaving, he turned
slowly towards her.
Did she want him to stay?
She looked at him almost
disappointed that he was leaving. He was compelled, as she nervously wrung her
hands and looked away. Seconds passed but it seemed like an eternity and
then her eyes slowly shifted upward gazing into his.
She had just given him permission,
which was all he needed.
He started walking towards
her, intently looking into her eyes, her lips quivering and for every step
forward he took, she took one step back.
She too could feel it,
the strong attraction and
mesmerizing pull.
Thud….
There was nowhere else for
her to go she was up against the wall,
cornered.
He walked forward, coming
closer…
Closer…..
Closer….
She could feel the heat of his
hot breath upon her skin. The sweet scent of mint lingered as he exhaled. There was barely any room for her to move.
He reached and caressed her
face,
She closed her eyes in bliss,
his touch so appealing.
Her breath started as a
shallow pant, high in her chest, but then deepened and came hard and fast,
He moved her so much. It shocked her.
Her hand clenched her sari.
He wanted her with all his
being; he couldn't fight it anymore.
And
she like a small animal caught by his prey, stunned, just waiting to be pounced
upon, stood still,
very,
very
still,
unable
to move.
Her
lips gently parted,
Her pink luscious lips called
to him…
and ever so slowly he answered
their call.
It was like heaven.
Arms intertwined, lips melding
together, tongues tentative at first and then fervently dueling.
The atmosphere was heating up, as if
they were standing in a suana.
***
He was just a few feet away…..
from the fantasy taking place in his
head.
His lips were just about to answer
hers when Khushi’s hand came between their mouths.
She placed her hand over his mouth and
with wide eyes said to him,
“Arnavji, what do you think you are
doing?”
Now it was his turn, his eyes went
wide he came out of his trance.
The spell was broken and the dreamy
look he had in those beautiful eyes turned to a sinister one. His gussa came to the surface. The crease on his forehead furrowed into his
brow and fire, not one of lust but of brimstone shone in his eyes.
You could see and feel his anger.
He grabbed her hand and pushed it away
from his mouth and spewed,
“What are you talking about Khushi
Kumari Gupta? Do you think this rich man
has any interest in kissing you? It was
just a prank. Nothing more, I wanted to
see how a characterless girl like you would react. Nothing more.
It meant nothing. You mean nothing
to me.”
He turned and walked away as Khushi
all doe eyed watched, a single tear sliding down her cheek. She looked down and then as she raised her
eyes ever so slowly, as he turned around their eyes met.
For just a second she thought she saw anguish
in his eyes.
‘Why did he say those terrible things
to her?’ She thought.
She sat on the chaise and cried her
heart out as he watched her from inside.
A pain in his chest felt like his heart was breaking but his anger took
precedence.
‘Who does she think she is? Doesn’t she know who I am? I could care less about her. She is just another woman; she means
nothing.’ He argued to himself. He then
turned and headed straight to the bar.
Khushi ran to the bathroom and looked
at her tear-streaked face. Splashing
cold water on her face, she just continued to sob. Her mind was racing with all kinds of
questions.
‘Was it that she wanted him to kiss
her? Was she disappointed? She had no idea what had happened and if she
wanted him to kiss her then why did she stop him?’
She wiped her face and touched up her
makeup and decided it was time for her to go home. She would let Anjali know she was leaving.
Upon leaving the bathroom she surveyed
the hall and found Anjali in that same corner with Aman. She was laughing and blushing. Khushi could sense there was something more
to this pair’s relationship then coworkers or friends.
She walked over and excused herself
for interrupting their conversation and told Anjali she was leaving but at the
same time Arnav had also just reached his sister. Khushi looked at him, burst into tears,
turned and quickly walked away leaving the party.
Anjali turned to her brother and said,
“Chote, what did you do to that girl?”
He answered,
“What the?”
and walked away.
Aman and Anjali stood there in
confusion but then went happily back into their own private world.
Arnav angrily closed his bedroom
door. He threw his suit jacket on his
bed and was unfastening his buttons of his vest at what seemed to be the speed
of light. He sank onto his bed and ran
his hands through his thick hair. His
head was pounding.
What happened?
Why was he feeling this way and WHY
should he CARE?
Why was he feeling so bad?
She was just another woman.
What did it matter?
***
The next few months found Arnav in a
reckless way.
He ran his business smoothly and
professionally. He was making more money
than he knew what to do with, his business was prosperous and he had
become renowned in the fashion
industry.
But his nights were a different story.
Every night he was at the most
fashionable clubs where he was treated with a VIP status and found drinking and
hooking up with top models. His picture
was snapped by the paparazzi and could be found in the entertainment gossip
column of the newspaper almost every other day.
He found himself on the cover of the top entertainment and fashion
magazines, as well as Forbes and the Fortune 500.
Arnav Singh Raizada was at the top of
his game…
but he was miserable.
He had distanced himself from Khushi
reassigning her to work for Anjali. He
couldn’t be close to her, she drove him crazy and stirred feelings inside of
him he just didn’t understand.
He avoided her as much as possible.
Just looking at her brought him a
twinge of pain to his heart although he couldn’t figure out why. He would
become lost in his thoughts of her but his day was so busy that those stray
thoughts would disappear as quickly as they came. He kept himself and every second of his life
occupied with work and when he was not at work he was at play.
He played hard.
His relationships were meaningless and
worthless.
He cared for no one.
He used the women and threw them away
but they didn’t seem to care all they wanted was one night with the great ASR
for their own reputation and fame.
Arnav Singh Raizada needed no one and
wanted no one.
He would come home at night a little
buzzed but always in control. He would
take the lucky woman who was the flavor of the night to his private apartment
that he kept for this purpose, for his entertainment, since obviously he
couldn’t take her to his own family’s home.
One night with ASR, was a night of
passion that the woman would never forget.
He was a magnificent lover but what he engaged in was not love but
sex. He was aggressive and certainly not
a giver. He could care less about the
woman he was with; this time was for him to release his pent up feelings of
frustration.
His muscled body would work up a
sweat, glistening he looked like a Greek god and he always pictured the same
angel face as he culminated the deed.
Sometimes her name would almost slip
out of his lips.
She was always on his mind.
Chapter 6
Kushi Kumari Gupta was in a state of
confusion, these last few months were a daze.
Arnav was totally ignoring her.
She expected some awkwardness after
the Diwali night but this, she never expected.
He transferred her charge and duties to Anjali and completely stopped
speaking with her, avoided her gaze at every chance.
Aaannnddd…. he was being so reckless,
it seemed he had a hangover (she wasn’t sure what that was but everyone was
gossiping about his escapades) a few days a week.
She was worried about him.
Why was he being so destructive?
This was a question she would have to
investigate.
“Anjali?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t you think Arnavji is acting
very strange lately?”
“Khushi? What are you saying?”
“You know, he is acting strange.”
“Khushi, I think Chote has a lot on
his mind.”
“Yes, it seems something must be
bothering him. We must find out what it
is.”
“Why, Khushi?”
Khushi thought about how she would
answer Anjali. Why did his behavior
bother her? What answer could she
possibly give? He was her boss for
goodness sake; it was his life, why should his behavior affect her?
She looked at Anjali and muttered
something under her breath and walked out of Anjali’s office leaving a very
confused Anjali.
As she walked out of the office
talking to herself, she collided with a brick wall, a solid, sculpted brick
wall, who reached out and caught her as she was losing her balance.
Her eyes met with his and it was as if
she was looking into a pool of warm chocolate.
His eyes softened and then just as quickly as she saw desire in them
they turned angry, fierce.
“What the? Can’t you watch where you are going?” He
snapped at her.
She answered him, “Sorry sir.”
She quickly walked away.
It had been so long since he had had
an encounter with her. His hands felt
all warm and tingly just from the touch of her skin. Her jasmine scent lingered as she ran away,
arousing something deep inside. His eyes
followed her as she ran into her cubbie catching a glimpse of her long cinnamon
colored hair cascading down her back.
Arnav became frustrated.
Again his infamous words slipped from
his mouth, “What the?”
Anjali was watching his reaction from
her office and smiled. Her brother was
bothered by her assistant, one Khushi Kumari Gupta…
“Perhaps,” she thought…
“Chotey?”
ASR was brought back to reality.
“Um, yes, Anjali, do you have those
estimates on the Singh deal?”
Anjali smiled knowing that Kushi dazzled
her brother. Now she would have to make
a plan and talk with Aman about bringing these two together.
***
Khushi was scattered, never had she
thought a fall into his arms could affect her like it did. Her thoughts were confused and she was not
only breathless but also frustrated.
What was it about this man that did this to her? Whenever he was around she felt as if she was
back in grade school. Yes, they could
and did have intelligent conversations but when he looked into her eyes she
would always feel butterflies churn in the pit of her stomach. ‘This is ridiculous,’ Khushi thought. She delved into the pile of folders on her
desk and figured work would be the best way to get this man out of her
thoughts.
Anjali sashayed into Aman’s office and
closed the door behind her, as she loudly demanded that she must speak with him
in private and ‘how could he treat Mr. Singh that way!’
He smiled from behind the desk
“Good one,” he smirked. “I love it when you punish me.”
“Aman, stop that,” Anjali blushed, “we
have a project to do together.”
He answered her with a wink, “Oh, yes
we do!”
She smacked his shoulder hard and
smiled. “Aman, I want to plan a
rendezvous for Arnav and Khushi. I feel
like there is something between them and they just won’t jump on it.”
He got up from his chair and came
around the desk and pulled her close to him and said, “First we have something to discuss amongst
ourselves,” and kissed her hard on the lips.
Her arms caressed his neck and she leaned into their kiss demanding just
as much as he was.
Anjali sighed…she was happy.
“Don’t distract me, really this is
serious. These two are stubborn. Help me!”
She pleaded with those bruised lips from his kiss.
Aman smiled they would have to come up
with something for he wanted to spend his time with Anjali romancing not
conjuring up schemes.
***
Swish,
swish,
swish,
swish,
the tennis ball swiftly darted back
and forth. ASR hit the last shot with
all his energy and Lavanya missed the ball swinging. It was the end of the game and of course
Arnav Singh Raizada had won again. He
took the white terry towel from around his neck and wiped his sweating brow,
his tan skin glistening from his work out. His brown tanned skin and his long
dark hair against his white outfit made him look rather like a model posing for
athletic wear. Lavanya came over
whining,
“That’s not fair Arnie, you should
have let me win atleast one game!”
He took a deep breath and blew it out.
“Lavanya, cut it.”
She clamped her mouth shut, she knew
him by now that when he played the game like he did today something was
bothering him. They went and sat in the
café at the country club and as they sipped their beverages, Arnav noticed
Khushi carrying a large package across the room. She strained to hold the bolt of fabric
wrapped in the package and just before she arrived at her destination she
tripped. Arnav bolted out of his chair
and caught both her and the package before they hit the ground.
“Khushi, be careful.” He said rather
softly and then gruffly added, “You are such a clutz.”
She gathered her wits about her and
thanked him, placed the package on the table and turned to grab the other
packages. He asked her, “Do you need
some help?”
Her eyes grew wide and she wondered
why he was being so kind to her. She
answered, “That would be great, follow me.”
Lavanya saw the conversation between
Arnav and Khushi but it wasn’t the words she found strange but their body
language. The couple seemed to fit into
each other’s space and there was a slight blush on each other’s cheeks. Even ASR was a bit flushed.
“Oh, God!” Lavanya said in exasperation and she finished
the last of her martini and left the café in a huff. She knew the signs and signals of attraction
and three’s a crowd; she wanted nothing to do with this situation, it could
only end badly for her. She wondered if
ASR knew what he was getting himself in to and then thought to herself what
does she care anyway?
She left the café and ran into a
colleague outside the country club.
Taking hold of his arm she said to him, “Anil, how are you, daaaarling,
how would you like to show me a night on the town?” Moments later ASR was out of her thoughts and
Anil was in.
C’est la vie!
***
Arnav grabbed the five other packages
that Khushi had brought to decorate the country club for an engagement party
they were having that evening.
“Thank you, Sir for your help. I am not sure where everyone is. They were suppose to be here. Anjali and Aman said they were coming to
help.”
Just then her phone rang and it was
Anjali who said they were running late so she should start the set up and they
would join her in a little while.
Arnav said, “Khushi let me shower and
change and then I can help you. I don’t
have any meetings on my calendar today.”
He went to the showers, freshened up and came back feeling invigorated
to help Khushi.
His feelings surprised him, it had
been months since he had any real contact with her and here he was excited that
he was going to help assist her in the setting up of the event. He must have a fever, he thought, why was he
being so nice to her and why in the world would he want to help her out
anyhow? With all the questions revolving
in his mind, his feet still followed straight to the path of Khushi. They worked together diligently and
cooperatively, to a perfect rhythm; what one would start the other completed,
in total unison.
Khushi’s phone rang again, it was Anjali.
“Kya?... Canceled? …Kya?.... Really?”
She hung up and looked at Arnav.
“They canceled the event. After all this work, I am sorry, sir.”
“Khushi, no problem, I didn’t have
much to do today anyway. Akash and Aman
are taking care of things in the office.
I was taking some time off. I
guess we should clean up.”
The two of them continued to work in
unison and when the last drapes were down they sat down in the chairs
exhausted. They hadn’t realized how much
work the two of them actually did. Arnav
ordered them some refreshments. Khushi
drank the liquid down in one gulp not realizing how thirsty she was. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand
and looking up saw that Arnav was intently watching her. She blushed and wiped her hand on her dupatta.
“Sorry, I was just so thirsty.”
He laughed and the beauty of the sound
of his laughter overcame her and his smile gleamed white, he actually looked
less fearsome and quite handsome, she thought.
They continued to sit there for a few
moments with no words being exchanged and then suddenly they started conversing
and they just didn’t stop. They explored
each other’s pasts and found many things in common such as their hometowns and
that they both were orphans due to tragic accidents their parents were no more
but the sadness didn’t stop the conversation.
Khushi continued to share her belief of her parents becoming stars in
the sky always guiding her and that idea interested Arnav. He liked that idea instead of believing they
were gone forever and that shocked him but somehow made his heart feel at
ease. She made him feel at ease. There was something about Miss Gupta that
kept him intrigued; maybe it was her simplicity and nonchalant attitude. Everything she did, she did with a smile and
exuberance, which seemed to be contagious.
He liked being in her presence. He
caught himself smiling. What the? He
thought. He closed his smiling mouth and
tried to recover with just a smirk as he continued to listen to her melodious
chatter.
Hours had flown by and before they
knew it they spent the entire afternoon in conversation.
Arnav cleared his throat and asked
Khushi, “Miss Gupta, would you like to join me for dinner?” Khushi blushed, “ Um, I would have to call
home…let Buaji know.”
He handed her his phone.
Chapter 7
Khushi closed her bedroom door and
slumped against it, she let out a big sigh.
She couldn’t believe the evening, no, the day she spent with Arnav Singh
Raizada. It was wonderful! She blushed as she remembered every detail of
his handsome face, those lips, his lopsided smirk just tilting slightly up to
the left and his chocolate brown eyes made her feel warm and melt inside. A rush of warmth spread over her body as she
thought of him. Butterflies tickled her
stomach and she became breathless.
This is what ASR did to her.
She ran over to her best friend DM and
started asking, “Why does he make me feel this way? What does this all mean? Why was he being so nice? I have never seen him this way,”
…. but she didn’t get an answer. She would have to figure this out by herself.
After she changed into her pajamas she
went out and sat under the night sky.
She looked up to see the full moon in all its glory slightly tinged the
shade of honey, it was Friday the 13th of June, a special moon was
out. As she gazed at the honey tinged
moon, she blushed as she thought about Arnav and the day. Talking to the stars she asked,
“Amma, Babaji, did you see him? I thought he wasn’t a nice man but I was wrong. He makes me feel all warm inside. Amma, what does that mean? Please give me a sign, let me know if you too think he is good.”
“Amma, Babaji, did you see him? I thought he wasn’t a nice man but I was wrong. He makes me feel all warm inside. Amma, what does that mean? Please give me a sign, let me know if you too think he is good.”
As she continued her conversation with
her parents right before her eyes came a shooting star. As it flew across the dark sky, Khushi jumped
for joy. Was this a sign from her
parents that they liked him too?
She closed her eyes tightly and made a wish.
***
Arnav came into the house
whistling. Anjali snickered as she sat
in the living room having her evening chai with Naniji; Aman and her plans
seemed to pay off she thought. She
wanted Chote to spend time with Khushiji and this was the only way she knew he
would do it. So she sent Khushi to a
imaginary event knowing Arnav was at the club playing tennis and then she
called Khushi saying the event was canceled.
Fate was with her when Lavanya and Arnav were at the café as Khushi came
in. She would have to do a pooja in
thanksgiving for DM help.
“Chote, you seem happy. Where have you been?”
Startled Arnav stammered, “Um.. Di what
the? What are you doing?”
He answered trying to change the
subject.
“I am tired. I am going to bed.”
And he quickly took the steps two at a
time whistling all the way up to his room.
Anjali snickered and turned to tell
the story to Naniji. Naniji was so happy
knowing that Khushi was the woman that Anjali spoke about.
“What a nice girl,” she said.
There were now three in the club to
bring Arnav and Khushi together.
Arnav closed the door behind him, went
to the washroom to change into his sweats and after a relaxing shower retired
to the poolside.
He lay on the recliner looking up to
the honey tinged moon and the stars in the sky and smiled. He didn’t feel alone he actually felt his
parents were there with him.
For once in his life his chest and body
didn’t feel tense on pins and needles, muscles taut, he actually felt relaxed,
relieved…happy?
This feeling of elation was an unusual
emotion for him. What was it? Every time he remembered his conversations
with Khushi and her smile and exuberance, he too smiled. He was pulled in to Khushi’s fantasy. Were their parents really looking down upon
them? He decided to let everything go,
all his pent up anxiety, hurt, pain and disbelief and decided to try to speak
with his parents. He couldn’t speak the
words out loud so he looked up into the night sky and thought about his
parents. ‘Hi’ he thought. ‘What the?’
“What the hell am I doing?” he said out loud.
And just then a shooting star crossed
the sky.
Arnav Singh Raizada was DUMBSTRUCK.
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
Did his parents just answer him?
Maybe Kushi Kumari Gupta had
something.
Maybe he too can have it as well,
maybe he wasn’t alone and maybe they were with him all the time. He smiled and felt warmth spread throughout
his body. He fell asleep under the
stars, a smile on his face and Khushi on his mind.
Arnav Singh Raizada was happy.
***
He had never seen a woman eat so much
food before. He smiled as he watched
Khushi gobble down her dinner. It
actually was a relief to see her eating like this because as of recent, the
women he dated ate like birds. They were
always watching their figure and to tell the truth he was a little annoyed with
the fashion industry and how much pressure it puts on the models to stay slim. He was relieved as he himself relished the
food and the conversation in between bites.
Khushi Kumari Gupta turned out to be an interesting partner for a dinner
date.
Khushi was so hungry and the food was
so delicious that she ate ferociously until she remembered she wasn’t
alone. She looked up into a pool of
chocolate, his eyes, as he sat across from her with a lopsided smirk on his face. Arnav was watching her and not just casually
but intently. She blushed, embarrassed
at the thought that she was eating the food like she hadn’t eaten for days. She swallowed her food and wiped her mouth on
her dupatta.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
He asked, “Why? You were amazing. I am sick and tired of seeing women eating
nothing. I thoroughly enjoyed watching
you eat Khushi. There is nothing to say
sorry for.”
She smiled. Their night continued with more conversation. They were surprised to find out that there
paths crossed many times in their lives.
They went to the same elementary school although he attended years
before her and even shared the same favorite teacher in 3rd
standard, Mrs. Paro Rudra Ranawat. They
loved the same cricket player, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and spoke about the team’s upcoming tour
of England. He was surprised that Khushi
liked sports. The evening’s revelations
were pleasant for both of them. Never
once did a negative thought creep into either of their minds. They ended the evening with dessert, her
favorite of course, Jalebi. Arnav
refused because of his diabetes but encouraged her to order a plate and then he
smiled as he watched her licking her fingers every time after eating the
delicious sunny colored coil. Arnav
Singh Raizada felt a tightening in his chest and a warming sensation as he
watched her. His loins stirred and this
shocked him. He started to cough and
reached for a glass of water as Khushi handed him the glass. Their eyes met, fingers overlapped as he
reached for the glass and a blush of crimson flushed Khushi’s cheeks. This small touch of their fingers felt like a
surge of electricity and both of them let go of the glass. The water spilled over the table but neither
paid attention to it for they were carried another universe. Everything around them disappeared and a soft
mist billowed around them and was that music they heard?
The waiter interrupted, “Sir, Madam, is
everything all right?”
He started clearing the table and wiping up the
water.
A clearly embarrassed couple rose from the
table and Arnav answered,
“Everything is just fine. Thanks.”
He grabbed Khushi by the hand and they walked
outside.
Khushi’s hand felt like it was on fire. She quickly pulled her hand away. He again smiled at her and shook his head. He opened her car door and said,
“Get in, I’ll take you home.”
***
Khushi
opened her eyes; she just made a wish on the shooting star. It was such a wonderful evening! She hugged her knees; the smile on her face
wasn’t disappearing. She really enjoyed
her evening with ‘Sir’ and this surprised her.
She had butterflies in her stomach just thinking about him.
***
Wasn’t
he supposed to do something when you see a shooting star? Didn’t Anjali cover his eyes and make him do
something? Oh yes, make a wish. He laughed to himself, why in heavens name
would such a thought come to his mind? But he closed his eyes and Arnav Singh
Raizada did something he had never done in his life before. He made a wish.
Chapter
8
The
next day both Arnav and Khushi woke up with smiles on their faces causing
suspicion from their families. They both
ate their breakfast as fast as they could, wanting to get to work early. Arnav’s thoughts kept straying to Khushi.
He
was shocked by the feelings she stirred in him, feelings he thought were long dead. He felt lighter, gone was the sensation of heavy
burdens his heart was holding. He felt
as light as a bundle of feathers.
‘So
this is what happy feels like’, he thought to himself.
***
Khushi
made it to the office first. She was
nervous. She was sitting at her desk
talking to DM, her heart beating a kilometer a minute. She felt like her chest was going to
burst. Her thoughts of Arnav possibly
ignoring her and worrying whether he would acknowledge her today or were things
going to go back to the way they were, constantly weighed her mind. She asked
herself, “I wonder what today will bring?
Will Sir speak to me? Will he
remember yesterday?”
Just
then the doors of AR Designs swung open with a force that could be felt
throughout the workplace. Khushi yelped
and jumped out of her chair.
In
walked Arnav Singh Raizada, with a strut of a proud peacock and a slight
lopsided grin on his face.
Khushi
quickly sat back down on her chair and quickly returned to work. Her heart was palpitating and her face
flushed.
“Good
Morning, Miss Gupta!”
Arnav
rang out as he passed her office. Khushi
quickly looked up and he winked at her as he entered his office.
Khushi’s
heart fluttered and she smiled broadly.
She decided that she would do something nice for Arnav and went to the
café and made him a cup of his favorite Morning beverage, a steaming cup of
black coffee.
Khushi
knocked on his cabin door and asked if she could enter. He said,
“Come
in, Miss Gupta and how are you today.”
“F..f..fine,
thank you? I made you coffee.” She timidly answered.
Arnav
looked up from his desk and took the cup,
“Uh..thanks,
Khushi…uh....Miss Gupta.”
“Khushi
is fine.” She blushed and they both
smiled at each other.
He
said, “Have a seat, I want to talk to you about this project I would like you
to collaborate on with me.”
Arnav
told Khushi about this wonderful upcoming project and felt she was ready to
take a managerial role. He wanted a
runway show, one of which the fashion world has never seen. He wanted her to work with Anjali to make
sure the runway was decorated using an innovative theme.
“I
know you can do this Khushi,” he said.
Khushi
was nervous but very excited and felt proud that he had faith in her. They had come a long way just through a day
of conversation. She wouldn’t let him
down.
***
Anjali
and Aman were having lunch together and discussing Arnav and Khushi. Anjali said to Aman, “Do you see our plan
worked? He is so happy! All day he has been whistling and I haven’t
heard him yell at anyone today at all!
Khushi is the one for him! So how
do we get him to propose?”
Aman
said, “Whoaaa…Anjali, propose?”
“Ha, yes why not?” was her response.
***
Naniji
was on the phone with Anjali and asked her to ask Khushi to come home for
dinner. Naniji had plans she wanted Anjali to follow and the pair were spinning
their wheels to get the Jodi wed.
***
Before Arnav knew it the day’s work
had finished and he was ready to go home.
He looked around wondering where Khushi was. He thought he might give her a ride
home. But she was nowhere to be found in
fact Anjali and Aman were already gone for the day too. Arnav was disappointed he wanted to see her
again, talk with her again, spend time with her again. He left a little forlorned and drove
home. He was starving. His appetite seemed to increase when he was
happy.
“Happy, what the?” He murmured.
***
While driving home Arnav couldn’t get
Khushi off his mind. Images of Khushi in
a red sari, tangled in fairy lights, playing hide and seek in his office,
falling into his arms, flashed through his mind. As he passed the mandir he even imagined them
eloping.
“What the????”
His car came to a screeching
halt.
What in the world was he thinking?
Marriage?
“What the?”
He then thought of all the places he
wanted to take her on a honeymoon.
‘Honeymoon, hmmmmm.’
“WHAT THE?????” He shouted.
“I am going crazy. What has this woman done to me?”
He shook his head and with a lopsided smirk
said to himself that he was becoming as crazy as that pagal girl named, Khushi
and he drove home.
***
He
walked into Raizada mansion still in shock of his wandering thoughts; he was
smiling…again. What the? He said that AGAIN!
‘Why
can’t I get her out of my thoughts?’
He
heard some laughter, a familiar voice that was soothing to his ears, he turned
to see Khushi sitting and laughing with his family at the dinner table.
Something
felt right about the sight of Khushi with his family.
Something
felt right, he felt content and happy!
As
he walked over to the dining table he thought,
‘Khushi
Kumari Gupta , I will make you mine!’
Chapter
8 (continued)
The
family was sitting around the table and there in the midst was Khushi all
smiles. They stopped laughing when they saw Arnav. Naniji said,
“Chote, you are finally home! Come sit here next to Khushi.”
“Chote, you are finally home! Come sit here next to Khushi.”
He
came around the table, placed his suit jacket on the chair behind him and sat
down, giving Khushi a lopsided grin.
“What’s
the occasion? Is it a holiday that Miss
Gupta has been invited?” He asked and
winked at her.
She
looked at him in shock and her mouth formed a perfect O and she was ready to
yell at him when Anjali said,
“No
Chote, just an informal dinner and I wanted to chat with Khushi about the
project over dinner.”
So
they had a nice dinner and the conversation was light and much laughter and
happiness was had by all. When dinner
was over Arnav turned to Khushi and grabbed her hand saying,
“Miss
Gupta I want to show you something that may help you on this project,” and
pulled her across the living room and up the stairs to his room with Anjali and
Naniji snickering in the background.
Once
in his room he closed his door.
Khushi
looked at the door wide eyed.
“Arnavji, um Sir, what are you doing? Why are you closing the door?”
He
slowly turned around, desire in his chocolate puppy dog eyes and started
towards her and she took steps backward until she could go no further and Arnav
was a breath away. Her heart was racing,
her blood rushing she could hear her heartbeat through her ears and she was
breathless. He made her this way. He paced his hand against the wall just above
her right shoulder and the other sweeped around her waist and pulled her to
him… their bodies touching.
“Ar..S…Si..Sir?”
His
mouth came crushing down on hers and he heard her squeak and then moan.
Her
body went limp and his hard as steel.
Khushi’s
tentative lips and tongue were coaxed by demanding Arnav and before long a
bliss came over them that neither ever experienced. Her arms wrapped around his neck and their
kiss deepened.
A
knock on the door interrupted them.
Anjali’s voice came from behind the door,
“Chote,
don’t you want me to be in there too to “discuss” the project.” She snickered.
They
quickly separated. Khushi’s hand went to
her swollen, bruised lips and Arnav adjusted himself.
“Uh, no Di,” he yelled back, “I can just talk with Khushi, she will fill you in later.”
“Uh, no Di,” he yelled back, “I can just talk with Khushi, she will fill you in later.”
Still
giggling Anjali answered,
“Oh,
okay Chote. I will talk to Khushi
later. Carry on!”
A
deep sigh of relief escaped from the embarrassed Khushi lips but before she
could even take her next breath Arnav had her in his arms again.
He
was kissing her silly.
***
Chapter
9
The
next day at the office Khushi was all smiles again and so was Arnav. Khushi and Anjali worked diligently all day
in Anjali’s office preparing for the upcoming runway show. The theme would be black and white with a
splash of red, red for passion and Arnav’s favorite color.
Arnav
was becoming frustrated he hdn’t seen Khushi all day since they were locked up
in Anjali’s office with the door closed.
Anjali had warned him that she wanted him to be surprised. As much as he argued with her that morning
telling her he didn’t like surprises and he was the CEO of this company etc. etc.,
he hadn’t convinced her to share any information or get into her office. He wanted to see Khushi, he needed to feel
her lips on his.
He
slid his long fingers through his hair in frustration pulling on the ends. Why was he feeling this way? What happened to him? He didn’t believe in love or marriage but now
it was all he could think about. He
wanted her not just as a girlfriend but as his wife. He wanted to lay every night with her in his
bed and wake up every morning with her sprawled on his chest. He wanted to make love to her every moment of
his day and night. He didn’t care if he
ever slept again.
