The Mirage Chapter-7 P2

THE MIRAGE by GoldenHaze

Chapter-7 A Long Night

Part-2

"CHOTE!!!! ",Anjali called again and this time she tapped on the door! 

"Haan Di ek minute!" Arnav answered her and did not wait for Khushi to get up. He simply got up picking Khushi with him and as she tried to protest he silenced her by saying "SHHHHHH!!!" 

Then while putting her down just before the door, he quickly briefed her in a low voice saying,

"if you are not with me it will be embarrassing and also its easy if Di sees that both of us are ok and there is no cause for worry.Just open the door!"

"Haan?" Khushi was dazed. She was tiered and was also a little shaken by all the different expriences she had with ASR and now in the middle of the night when she was too scared to even breathe this new twist in their first night together and added to that her husband's voice was  a turn on especially when it was low!

Arnav felt bad for Khushi for a second! She was visibly exhausted but still looking very pleasing in that simple yet elegant outfit...he has seen it somewhere he thought for the second time in 24 hrs... and she was having her crush on him! He concluded smugly.

But this feeling lasted for a moment before Anjali's troubled voice again half whispered now in fear... "CHOTE?" 

He moved forward and since Khushi was standing infront of him still facing him, she was pushed back between him and the door!

"Kya karre aap?" She struggled! 

"Just shut up and turn around you fool!" Arnav said in an exasperated voice and she could barely turn to the door when... he opened it and stabilised an off balance Khushi by dropping his hands to her shoulders and asking Anjali, "Kya hua Di? Aap abhi soyi nahi?"

( what happened? Haven't slept yet?)

"I was about to but i heard a crashing sound and thought ...",Anjali paused and then just saw Khushi... Khushi's sindhoor has trickled down in the whole fiasco and she was blushing and Arnav had half his chest bare as from where Anjali was she could not see that the sherwani was torn! His cheek was smeared with sindoor here and there!

"Sorry eh... chote! I know you are not comfortable here and so i thought er... and well ... eh... she shook her head several times and said i forgot my brother is married now and well...." she mentally kicked herself for being so dumb. 

"sorry Khushiji she looked at Khushi who by now was too embarassed to even look up. 

"Thats ok Di aap... " Arnav could not finish what he was saying when they heard-

"Hona hi chahiye rani saahebaa. How could you be so obtuse... "shyam emerged from the shadows and put an arm round anjali.

"Aadat daaliye... aapke Chote ab bade hogaye he said while chuckling.

( Make a habit of the fact that your lil one has grown up now!) 

"Haan shyamji! Aap sahi kehrahe hai." Anjali agreed with her husband teasing Arnav.

Arnav's grip tightened on Khushi's shoulders making her to flinch! 

"Khushiji aapki ye nanand ko muaff kardijiye. Inke Chote hi inki jahaan hai aur yeh hamesha unke liye pareshaan rehthi hai!" shyam said.

Please forgive your sister-in-law as Arnav is her world and is she always thinks for him and is thus concerned)

Then he added, "Rani Saheba ab  appko saalesaab ki chintaa karneki koi Zarurath nahi hai ! Uske liye unko sabse nirali aur sayaani Khushiji jo hai! ....Yehi unki sahi maayne mein saathi hain." He added as an after thought.

( Rani saheba you can be at peace now as  sensible Khushi is with him.... who is the RIGHT  partner to him in all aspects!)

Further arnav saw shyam giving Khushi a one over and he could see a sudden flicker in Shyam's eye which infuriated him to no end.

"Aisa kuch nai hai di. I shall always be your Chote and you have a right on me which i have not shared with anyone till now and neither will I ever."

He gave a side glance to Khushi who was just caught in the entire thing... not knowing how to react.

He moved forward and hugged his DI. Anjali had tears in her eyes and both of them moved a little further comforting each other

"Aap paagal tho nai hogayi hain? kahin usney pehchan liya tho! "shyam hissed at Khushi.

(Have you gone crazy! If he finds out?) 

"Per woh kaise pehchaanenge shyaam ji ? Aap bhi kamaal karthey ho" Khushi shot back!

(You are over reacting)

"Kamaal nahi Khushiji Dhamaal kahiye! aapke woh bade hi woh hai!" Shyam teased but his eyes were serious as if he wanted to convey something serious and did not want Khushi to panic!

( Mine is Not over reaction but the entire thing is  a bang... A BIG BANG!)

Kya? Khushi sensed something astray.

"Haanji! Jo cheque aaya aapko woh inke benami khatey ka tha! !Abhi pathaa chalaa. CREATIONS unke hi naam pe hai!

( Yep! The cheque that you got is from one of the subsidiaries owned by your Husband. Creations is a Whole subsidiary of AR Industries)

"Kiska naam Ji-ja-ji" ( WHOSE NAME?) Arnav's question made them realise their conversation was no longer private.

Shyam gave Khushi a long look and smiled. He then turned and said, "I was telling Khushiji that now her destiny is etched with you as even your name is written on her hand see how beautiful it is he gestured towards Khushi's hands!"

 Arnav was holding on for his Di's sake and also he was not sure of anything yet as his investigations were still not pointing to anything as yet. He always acted with proof and never did anything in haste as he knew one pays a hefty price for doing things in haste. His father and his family was the beat example for that scenario.That was the reason he opted for this wedding as if anyone gets affected it was him at the end as he was not sure but he did not have time. ... Yes this was the best option.

But seeing Shyam talking about Khushi's mehendi infuriated him and he just lost his cool. His smart brain immediately tuned itself and with a smirk that made him even more handsome he said, " let me see how beautiful is my pretty wife's mehendi!"

His voice made Khushi's toes curl and she looked up stricken...

arnav took her hands into his and turned it so that the palms were visible and he saw his name written on them. He must say they were indeed beautiful. He must give it to Shyam for his taste! And then a plan hatched in his smart brain.

"Beautiful! He said and very slowly he raised Khushi's palms to his lips and kissed each palm oh... so...lightly!

Khushi did not know what to do as she was caught in the magical spell woven by her husband who was so adept at what he did whether it was barking orders, shouting at people or seducing his bride that she blushed and kept looking down at her feet.

Arnav touched his lips to Khushi's palms and he exactly knew what effect he was having on her and wanted Shyam to see that! He knew he never played his cards this way. ASR took it straight on! But this was a different foreground and here deceit should be conquered by stealth.

As he kissed her palms he saw Khushi... She was confused at first and extremely shy later with his public demonstration of love and lowered her eyes blushing profusely. 

And then he gazed at Shyam whose gaze told him he was calculating something and was not happy! Who would be in such circumstances Arnav thought!

As ASR looked at Shyam trimphantly...Shyam cleared his throat  saying, rani Saheba aapko nai lagtha ab hame chalnaa chahiye!" 

( Rani saheba don't you think its time we left) 

Anjali beamed at the couple visibly happy and said " Chaliye" (let's go)

As they left Arnav with Khushi's hands still in his hands pulled her in and closed the door to the passage. He instead of going into the Lord Governor ki kothi walked towards the pool Taaraavar! 

Khushi was very nervous after what happened just then and followed him as her hands were held captive in his left hand...

As they reached the pool There was a message prompt on Arnav's mobile and he read it using his right hand and he stopped while his hand tightened over her hands involuntarily.

Khushi had a strange feeling that the message brought something that was not good and a hunch developed in her that everything till now was too perfect to be true... Her dream wedding that too with a real prince charming and that too on his behest! 

"Hey Devimayya! Please be with me she prayed closing her eyes which made her to stumble. Before she fell forward, She heard a curse and the next thing she knew was that she was being pulled roughly that made her crash into the hard lithe chest of Arnav Singh Raizada!