THE MIRAGE
7. A long Night
Part-4
He could feel her breath on his neck and it was warm and he was turned on by her pliant body in his arms that now belonged to him! She lowered her long eye lashes as his lips sought hers and as he bent to have a first taste of his bride...
'Did he marry her out of lust? Love was out of question as they never ever saw each other. Then even for lusting after her there should be a base. It seemed illogical to Khuhsi. He did not look like a man who would let his heart or his whims rule his mind. Common! But why was she feeling attracted to him! Is she so easy that a stranger comes gets married to her by force and she falls for him?' Khushi was in turmoil as such and now she felt Arnav seemed to be attracted to her.
'To her? How can it be possible. The man who is supposed to be the most popular and eligible bachelor, after whom were the countries talked about models and celebrities, comes and marries a simple plain Jane from Ranpur! What for? It din't match."
She saw Arnav swooping down on to her lips when she opened her eyes and somehow it did not seem right to her.Khushi could not give herself to a total stranger although now he was her husband! 'Jiji was right! He needed to know why he did all this first before moving forward with this relationship.
As she got the idea she tried to move back but she could not as Arnav's arm was around her shoulders clamping her to him. So she turned her head to her left avoiding his gaze and his lips and as Arnav did not expect this, he halted for a minute and it was enough for Khushi to loosen herself from his tight embrace and she tried to move away but could not free her palm from his grip and had to just stand their with her back to him where his outstretched hand held hers in a death grip.
Arnav for the life of him did not understand what had happened and when it dawned he was absolutely mad at Khushi! How dare she avoids him! What does she think of him and more over when she agreed to marry him which is because of some consideration from him in return how can she think she will not oblige him.
Arnav never forced any lady in his life and he never had to as the women were only too willing to oblige him. So this came as a long slap on his ego and he lost his logic there and all that mattered was a primitive urge to establish suprimacy.
He crushed her hand in his and did not let go. Khushi was too dignified to struggle to free her hand and embarrass herself!
She just stood there and closed her eyes. He is her life now and she is going away from him!This and everything as such is wrong. The basis for their marriage. His attitude and reasoning behind the institution of marriage, The so called deal! What is she supposed to do now!He is her husband and she cannot deny him when it comes to that. But If their needs to be a relationship then they need to touch base somewhere. She cannot imagine having any kind of intimacy before there is a clarity about the situation on both sides...hell! She doesn't even know why he married her in the first place!
As Khushi thought about her options, she failed to notice as well as could never ever imagine nor forget what happened next!
Instead of pulling her back, Arnav walked up to her and with his hand still holding her right hand caught her left shoulder with his left hand bent slightly and kissed her back between the tie ons of her choli. Khushi was shocked and her reaction was immediate! She shuddered and at the same time tried to move further away as she was now completely confused and also disappointed with herself as she found herself responding to his touch. Its as if her body had its own mind and for now it was in communion with Arnav's motives.
ASR did not understand the woman in his arms. She was reluctant and unwilling to yield to him, although not explicitly stating the fact. But somehow at the same time he found that she was connected to him physically and emotionally so much so that he felt her responding at some level.
The confusion unleashed dark fury in him and he left her right hand which he was holding with his right hand and pinning her to the spot with his left hand that was on her shoulder he very roughly put his right hand on to her belly and held her to him continuing to leave a trail of tiny kisses up her back in between the doris of her blouse to her neck and nuzzled her right ear turning her slightly to him.
Khushi was lost in the whirlwind of sensation and she could not do much as she realised that her husband was a master at seduction!She kept her eyes closed and tried to control her breath which was heavy and troubled!Hey Devi Mayya! Yeh kaisa uljhan hai! Hum kyo itnah kamzor pad rahey hain!
( Whats this puzzle? And why am I weakening!)
I am not supposed to like him leave alone his touch but here i am shaking like a leaf when all he did is just kiss me very subtly. What would happen if... the thought of Arnav's love making jerked her into reality and the Jethwa pride in her made her stubborn, so much so that she again tried to move away by moving further in front and realised a little late that it was a mistake.
'What the? No lady has withstood his charm and this woman happens to be his wife! And she is shaking him off as if he is a fly!' Arnav got absolutely charged and the soft skin of the beautiful lady in his arms only ignited his passion further...
He pushed her dupatta aside this time and bunched his hand on her belly now left bare for his touch and held the soft skin in a unique combination of tenderness and ruthlessness in his fist and Khushi just buckled on her legs as it was very erotic with his fist holding her by her belly sending shivers down her spine!
Then he lowered his lips to the spot below her earlobe and touched his lips very softly. Khushi jerked open her eyes and heard a soft wishper in her ear" Thats more like it Mrs. Raizada! Never ever close your eyes on me! Is it understood. You hide moreand you will see that i seek more! You deny more and i shall take more!" His hand tightened a trifle on her belly making her to open her eyes wider in shocked stupor!Then as he spoke he slowly turned her to him and with his left hand touched her pulse at the base of her throat and Khushi knew he did that to not only tell himself that she was not unaffected by him but also to show her the same!
With his right hand still holding her soft flesh he slowly pulled her to him and with his left hand he caught her hair and pulled her head back all the while staring into her eyes tearing her apart and bent to finish what he started a few minutes back...
CCCCRARAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHH!
There was a loud noise and Arnav jerked out of the trance The lantern on the nearest post under which they were standing crashed to the ground breaking into pieces of glass and the shards were strewn everywhere! How it fell they could not make out.
Arnav recollected looking up to find a shadow move across the jutting cliff above! He was sure that the shadows cast by the lanterns were playing havoc with his imagination!
He then recalled how Khushi instantaneously hugged him in fear and realised guiltily that at the same time she steered him away from the sound and even now was shielding his body with hers without even knowing what happened.
That was a natural reaction and not faked. He could see that! How can a woman have so many shades to her? he thought!
"Its ok Khushi! "He cajoled her!
Khushi who was still hugging him tightly looked up still holding him and asked, "Arnavji ! aap theek hain?" Arnav just recollected what was he upto when the lantern crashed and closed his eyes. He rested his chin on her forehead and said... "I guess I am! Now!"
Arnav realised one thing! There was a link to the chain of events that he was missing and till then he has to be patient. This is something related to people relationships and feelings that were interwoven in such an entangeled web that one mistake would create a ripple effect on several people and families not to mention relationships.
The lady in his arms would be the worst victim and in his entire life he had never hurt anyone and especially a lady!He was a Raizada and his pride and family honour was paramount as all this might end up with the media if he did not act tactfully. It would also save a lot of people...people who he cared for and who cared for him from getting hurt and most importantly the woman whom he married if she turned out to be innocent after all!
He inadvertantly tightened his arms and Khushi looked up and found her husband eyes veiled again by some inscrutable expression.
Arnav immediately recovered and realised he was wearing his chadaaws still while Khushi was barefoot!
He also recalled again how she was protective of him when the lantern crashed!
He decided rest his plan for a while by thanking her in a special way. What Khushi had undergone was a bit too much for anyone to take in a few days. He lifted her up effortlessly in his arms and touched his lips to her maang and said" welcome to my life Mrs. Raizada!"
Khushi was stunned. she realised her husband was an enigma! Just a few minutes back he was like a man possessed so much so that she herself started believing that he lusted after her and a second back he was miles away from her although holding her and in the next instant he was making her lungs explode with happiness by welcoming her into his life as if he and she got married out of love!
Arnav saw her blushing again! Mother of @#$%! What is he supposed to do. if he had known that Khushi Kumariji Bhanu Singhji Jethwa is actually so hot that she would blow his fuse out everytime she came within a radius of one kilometer to him, he would have opted for legal recourse. he would not have committed emotional suicide like now!
She then realised her hand was on his chest and made to remove it but Arnav gave her a long look that conveyed so many things. 'Don't! I want you to be with me always! Will you be? won't you be.'
...As she read him again, that mask fell on his eyes again. she made an effort to get down and he thwarted her attempts by sayin," Wait! there are shards of glass and you are bare foot! Lemme take you in."
He carried her into the room where the bed was messed up on one side... as the juice glass she left in the tray on the bed when Payal happened, was knocked off when they both fell on the bed spilling the residual content.
Arnav put her down and checked his watch. It was three in the morning!
"Khushi? when are we supposed to go for the early morning...eh... whats that ritual?"
"Surya Namaskar!" She supplied!
"Yeah so when do we need to get up?" he asked again removing his wallet from his sherwani pocket.
"Ji Char baje!( 4 in the morning)" she answered.
"What? Are you...? Unbelievable man! Jethwaas must be a crazy lot! shaadi marne se pehle wali rasm hogi! kyun?"
He looked at Khushi and he saw a lady whose eyes were slightly red! Oh my! temper! Strong family sentiments brother! Family name and all he thought! he was impressed! A few minutes back she was a confused yet strong willed bride and a second ago she was vulnerable yet held on without surrendering to his will and in an instant she was blushing like a normal bride who thought the world of her husband!
A very tough contender this bride of his would be to him!
"Lets sleep" he said and realised how suggestive it sounded when he looked up to find Khushi trembling looking everywhere but at him.
Then he ammended saying... "we have less than an hour to sleep. Lets rest! "
He went to have a wash and change.
A visibly relieved Khushi made for the bed and took a pillow and went to the small ante room and placed it on the floor! She was about to lie down when Arnav returned and he called out to her saying "Khushi you sleep here i will sleep on the couch."
Khushi realised he did not see that they removed the couch in the evening to use it in the dining room. The bed had juice on one side so that only one person could sleep on it.
Instead she said," couch aapko chota padega! I am fine here. Good night. "
Arnav shrugged his shoulders! Its been a very heavy and long day! Infact the whole week and he needed rest to slear up his muddled brain.He said "Good night! "and switched off the lights.
Khushi lay on the floor looking at the ceiling that was studded with mirrors that were now twinkling like stars whenever the light from the lamps and lanterns outside flickered on them!This is not technically a suhaagraat but what ever! she did not expect to be in this situation or condition ever,after her marriage. From what she was made to understand, Arnav Singh Raizada could not wait for one single day without her so he coaxed his Nani and Di and arm twisted Shashi Singhji to get her married off to him at the earliest! He even offered to pay for the expenses of the wedding! The case being that Khushi expected the groom to pounce on her either emotionally or well if he lusted after her physically! But he was happily measuring the length of the bed while he was oblivious of his bride sleeping somewhere in the ante room minutes after he made a passionate move on her!
"Khushi... Khushi.... "Garima's voice echoed through the passage door!
Arnav woke up with a start! He immediately checked the time it was half past four.
He was disoriented for a minute looking at the mirror studded ceiling and then realised he was at SheeshMahal and not at the shantivan!
"Aunty just a second"... He stumbled across to the ante room and he found a pillow on the floor there and it dawned on to him that there was no couch at all! That means she slept on the floor and there was only one blanket in the room which he used. It dawned on to him that his sudden exit from the mandap prevented the Jethwas from making arrangements in his suit!
Arnav saw red! She lied to him! And if a lady can lie so smoothly about something so trivial... his thoughts were running hay wire when the noise from the washroom made him aware of Khushi's presence there!
He went there and in the mean time Garima called again "Arnavji!"
He knocked on the bathroom door and called "Khushi?"
Khushi answered immediately "JI?"
"Aunty has come to wake us up and I am opening the door."
"Khushi waited for a second before saying, "ok pls do I will join you in a few minutes."
Arnav just pulled the duvet over the bed before opening the passage door!
Garima stood there with a tray which had a kettkle and two cups in it.
"Bituwa just have tea quickly and get ready!" She never stepped in and Arnav was impressed by her manners! He expected something else from such small town folk.
As he turned with the tea, Anjali walked in. She was in her night clothes still and wished Arnav and said "Chote tumhare jijaji abhi uthne wale nahi hai aur my puja mein nahi avungi nani chalengi aap ke saath. Mami ka tho abhi midnight hai "she addedlooking queerly at Arnav.
"What?" Arnav enquired.
"Nothing. I kept on imagining crashing sounds all through the night and the story matches with your eyes which are like the rising sun-red and bright so i presume you had a good rest! "she teased him.
"Arnav gave her a stare and said," I will see you after Puja Di. Good Day!" and turned to go.
"Chote? She came forward and hugged him tea tray and all and said "Khushiji is a very nice person promise me you will take care of her and keep her happy."
Arnav was touched by his sister's concern for his wife-a total stranger! He said," I will take care of her Di "and silently added and your happiness!
After telling him to carry the bag she packed for him, Anjali left.
Arnav turned and could not move an inch as he saw Khushi coming out drying her hair. She looked absolutely adorable and Arnav realized his bride always had so many surprises for him. He thought she would wear something heavy and dazzling on the first day after wedding and especially for the Puja. But here she was in a simple straight cut salwar suit in dark violet and light pink shaded silk! She was wearing only her Mangal sutra and matching bangles along with her weddding bangles in red.she had a little mark of sindhoor high up on her forehead! She was yet to put a bindi and Arnav found her very sexy standing there drying her hair oblivious of her surroundings.
She turned and said," Good Morning" oh so sweetly!
Arnav could not help but acknowledge her by wishing her!
He noticed that as it was dark still her hair was highlighted by the lamps which were now switched on and she looked very pretty and inviting with her dupatta bellowing in the soft morning breeze which was a trifle chilly!
He took purposeful strides towards her not breaking his eye contact and saw her eyes darting here and there nervously but seeking his again as if they could not bear not meeting his eyes!
Arnav loved the blush on her neck which spread till her neck! The sun was not up so he could not see it properly but he knew it was there allright!
The incident of the night before flashed before him and it was quickly overtaken by the fact that she lied to him. Arnav slowly approached her. Khushi was reminded of the NAtional Geographic Special where she saw how a lion stalked its pray. Arnav shoved the tray into her hands suddenly and as khushi tried to regain her balance he stared at her and walked past her!
Khushi for the life of her could not get him at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment