The Mirage Chapter-5 Part-1

THE MIRAGE by GoldenHaze

Chapter-5 DEAL SET

Part-1

" Di is looking for you its getting late Bhai" Aakash's voice made Arnav flinch ! " I am therein a min".. he turned back to see Khushi and Shyam gone. Arnav set his jaw and walked towards the passage that led to the grounds were a huge mandap was erected.

Khushi walked towards the office room and opened the door. It was empty as expected as Babuji was busy with the wedding. She placed the envelope on his desk and turned back and joined Garima at the main entrance to walk to the mandap.

Paayal accompanied Khushi on to the dias where Anjali and Arnav were already present. The rituals started. Khushi tried to take a peak at her husband through the heavily brocaded veil but caught only his long chiseled nose  and a set jaw. Everyone said he was famous for his temper and god knows how she will manage in future.

Arnav was fuming from inside! How dare that @##$$ tried to cheat on his Di who thought the world of him. " Aap kanya ka haath  apne hath mein lijiye... aap apni beti ka hath inke hath mein rakhiye" the pandits words brought him back to the present. He looked at Khushi from below his eyelashes! In all the @#$%%ing things imagine! imagine Arnav Singh Raizada getting married and that too to a woman he never saw! For all that he knew she could be a scheming @#$%^!!! He involuntarily knotted his fist forgetting Khushis hand in there and the flower that was placed in his palm!

Khushi's heart stopped beating. She only read that somepeople have a strange effect on you. But it's ridiculous how she felt around him. As if she is expecting all the time that somethings going to happen! Babuji put her hand in his which was warm and she felt herself liking the warmth that spread through her. Atleast he was not repulsive. But when he held it tight and crushed it suddenly she felt butterflies in her tummy. Hey Devi Mayya! 

Arnav realised what he had done and loosened his grip and saw that the jewellery Khushi was wearing on the back of her hand made a mark on it, when she withdrew her hand from his. He smirked! Well! You just wait til I get the complete details of everything! You will be sorry you ever messed up with my Di! He mentally vouched.    

According to the customs of the Jethwas the  Bride was supposed to be in the veil til the wedding was done with and the couple visited the Gol Mandir. So Khushi was in the veil even for the Jaymal ritual. Amidst lots of hoots and shouts and teasing of Arnav's cousins and friends Khushi tried to put Jaymal. "Itni aasani seh apke hath nahin lagne waale hai humaare bhai Khushiji!" Anjali laughingly teased. Han humare bhai ko Jaymal pehnana hai tho seedi chadke aanaa padega aapko Akash blew out the words as he with Sukesh and Shanthanu was holding Arnav above the ground away from Khushi's reach. "Khushi Chal ek bar chalaang maar aur batha dey inko", Buaji  Payal and her friend vani shreiked. Khushi in keeping with the spirit tried to reach Arnav but it was impossible to do that as three robust men were holding him above the ground. Khushi tried once again as they lowered him! but it didn't work. The next time they lowered him, she never knew why may be the gutsy side of her prompted it, but she shot her left hand to grab his shoulder!  This was unexpected and as Arnav turned to look to his left his weight shifted and the men holding him lost their balance as they were huddled together and they had to let go off him. Arnav landed on the ground and Khushi stepped forward at the same time. This brought her smack into him her feet on his and Khushi in reflex caught hold of her garland to prevent it from being crushed but realised she was fast loosing balance before Arnav's right hand grabbed her by her waist to prevent her from falling! In this whole fiasco her veil moved towards her right and the left side of her face was left to the harsh focussing lights of the dais.

"What the hell is this? Is this lady crazy! She first threw everyone off balance and this spilt some turmeric from the containers kept aside on the mandap on Di's sari!" as he noted from the corner of his eye Payal helping Di to brush it off! Akash Sukesh and Shanthanu were rolling on the floor laughing and taking jibes at each other. On top of this she barges into him and looses balance with that stupid heavy outfit and he had to put his arm around her to save both of them from falling sidewards.

When he focused his eyes then he was left staring at the exquisite site before him! He saw a beautiful delicate ear adorned with heavy yet delicate jewellery and her skin tone was pure porcelean! The cheeck tapered to a perfect bow shaped pair of lips which were in shadows cause of the angle but the eyes that were staring at him were mesmerising liquid pools which had fear and and uncertainity in them! He found himself drowning in them and he moved forward to gain balance and cursed "what the #@$%^" as he found he could not budge an inch and there was something soft on his feet which ran a tingle up his spine. He bent down to see and realised that both Khushis feet were on his and the soft soles were branding his hard feet. she hardly weighed anything. Khushi looked down too and their heads banged against each other!

"Hey Devi...Are You?" they each stopped simultaneously as they started! Arnav saw the eyes stil partially covered get a naughty glint in them and in the next moment Khushi very surely and steadily put the garland around his neck while he held her with both his hands. Cameras clicked and people clapped and bellowed! Shehnai started playing but Khushi and Arnav remained locked in the embrace as both did not know what was going on!! everything seemed to be going on its own accord. Khushi was the first to recover as Aaksh chided his brother! "Bhai aap hum se bhi battar nikle!Humko Paaayalji ke samne sar jhukaaneke liye kitney taane diye gaye?" He asked Nani manorama and others who were standing just aside below the mandap! ..."and see how height kum padega bolke yahan uthaake jaymaal pehnvaaya jaarahaa hai. This is cheating!!! "

That was when Khushi realised why she was so comfortable with his height and Arnav was at loss for words! Khushi slowly tried to move back but Arnav's arm was still around her strong and tight. Realising it he eased it slowly but as he did his watch caught the netted veil of Khushi and she swayed forward by its pull. Catcalls followed and Khushi turned crimson while Arnav got irritated and tried to disentangle his hand. Anjali jumped to his rescue but not before teasing "Khushiji aap abhi se humaare chote ko apni pallu se bandhke rakh rahin hai?" As she helped she lifted the veil smiling slightly as she knew she was giving them a chance to have a peek at each other! Khushi for the life of her could not raise her eyes but curiosity got the better of her and she slowly looked up and saw the most powerful set of brown eyes staring intensely at her and they looked quite awestruck! What did he think she would be a no looker! But then when she saw his jaw set and perfectly toned muscles of his shoulders and his hair which was peeking out of the pagdi which she heard he refused to wear... she was struck by his manliness. He had a charm so potent that she was already shaking in her legs! Here she was thinking that she would get  back at him for ruining her life!! And those eyes... they were dark brown and intense! He was looking straight at her and as she looked on his gaze changed from intense to amused and a shade naughty and it shifted towards her neck then back and Khushi realised she must be blushing! Hey Devi Mayya! This is the problem with her as her very fair and delicate skin gave away everything. Involuntarily she tried to cover her cheek and got ek minute "Khushiji yeh ulajh gaya hai!"

"Dear God!!! she is a looker! He had to give her that. She had exquisite skin and a set of big exppressive eyes... if only she looked up so that he can see through them".... Arnav thought as over a period of years setting up his vast empire he has learnt to read people and that too through their eyes! "... Aah she is looking up finally"


...To be continued