Wedlock - Part 44

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Chapter 44


San Francisco

Day 255

“Surpriseeeeeeeeeeee” Lavanya screams at the top of her voice, standing right outside Khushi’s apartment door.

Khushi almost stumbles behind in anxiety seeing her best friend after almost 9 months

“La? Oh my God. Am I dreaming?”
“No you aren’t dreaming baby, I am really here”
Khushi pinches Lavanya who hisses in pain and that’s how Khushi believes her eyes. The two hug each other and then Khushi drags her inside the house.

“Wowww… That’s a beautiful place to stay” Lavanya admires the place.



They sit on the couch leisurely.

“What are you doing here? And for how many days? I hope you haven’t checked in hotel. I want you to stay here with me”
“Calm down Khushi.. Let me answer you one by one.”

Khushi giggles.
“Okay.. .begin” she snaps.
“I am here for a Shoot. Just for 3 days and then I am off to India. Plus, I am not alone, my entire crew is here and our accommodations are pre-booked. Got to stay with them.”
“That’s unfair La.. We see each other after 9 months and you aren’t going to spend time for me?”
“Who said I won’t? Today I am free, we can go out.. do everything we used to before. What say?”

Khushi laughs.

“I like that thought.. Let me quickly inform my client I am on a sick leave today then”
“Please do” Lavanya agrees.

While Khushi makes a call at work, Shikha meets Lavanya.

“Thanks for looking after my friend, Shikha” Lavanya says to Shikha.
“Ohh.. I did nothing. In fact, your friend Khushi is the one who looks after everyone here. Including me, Di, jeeju and Ruhi”
“Is it?” Lavanya asks. “That means I have a lot to catch up” Lavanya looks at Khushi with surprise.
“I have to leave you two and head to work now.” Shikha mutters. “Will see you later. Bye”

She heads to office alone. Khushi makes some coffee and sandwiches for them and the two lie back on the couch to talk.

“So… how is Di, Jeeju and their baby? So now you are a typical Bahu of that family?” Lavanya asks.
“Yes” she proudly replies.
“Interesting.. What happened to telling Di after she delivers the baby that it was all for a deal?”
Khushi pouts.

“It’s no more a deal La. I am really giving a second chance to this marriage”
“Just like that?” La queries.
“A lot has happened over the past 9 months. Me and Arnav have come closer even after being miles apart. Our relationship is strengthened. We have transparency now which we lacked before. I know exactly what he wants, what he thinks about me and vice versa. Isn’t this enough to share a life together?”
“And love? Do you love him now?”

Khushi’s face color changes. It is Love, obviously but she has not confessed that to him yet.

“Alright… you don’t have to reply to me that… I can read your face already”

Khushi cuddles the pillow.
“So, are you guys ever going to let Di know how you started with or will it be secret to her forever?”
Lavanya’s questions is valid. Khushi has never thought about it yet.
“I don’t know. I have to talk to Arnav about this yet. Di thinks we are building this bond between us ever since we stayed together in Shantivan. She knows we haven’t come close to each other in terms of consummation but she has no clue about all the lies we told her before to ensure her health isn’t affected. She has no clue about why Arnav married me on the first instant, the deal of Sheesh Mahal, me asking him a favor of doing Joint Venture with Gupta Industries so that I can pretend to be giving a second chance to our marriage…. Huh!!! Di is unaware of all this and I feel it is better that way. The end matters and me and Arnav are really working on taking this marriage ahead with full dignity”

Lavanya nods.

“Yea.. It’s better she doesn’t know this. She might get hurt and I am sure none of you want that to happen.”
“Hmm” Khushi sighs. “But the problem is… Nani is also aware of all this and I am not sure if she will spill beans someday”
“Nani!! I so fear that elderly woman still” Lavanya confesses.
Khushi laughs at that.
“She is a good woman”
“With lots of orthodox views” Lavanya snaps. “Has she accepted you yet or not?”
“I am still confused about that part” Khushi pouts again because she is really unsure. Nani is very secretive of her thoughts and feelings.

Lavanya gets a message beep on her phone and her face lit up.

“Is that from Rohan?” Khushi teases.
“yes… just checking if I reached safely” she replies being shy about it.
“Aww…” Khushi tickles Lavanya who falls back on the couch. “So, this is serious, isn’t it?” Khushi asks.
“Very” Lavanya murmurs. “We are getting engaged”
“WHAT?” Khushi leans back, her jaw drops. “You dropped a huge bomb on me La.. Seriously? And you are telling me now?”
“I wanted to see your reactions, so didn’t message you before”
“I am so happy.. I want to meet Rohan and see if he can really take care of you or not” Khushi teases.
“Ohh.. That makes the two of us baby” Lavanya interrupts. “When you come back to Delhi, you, me, Rohan and ASR should go for dinner. What say?”
“Cool idea” Khushi blinks dreamingly.

********************

Khushi spends the entire day with Lavanya. They go for Lunch first and then some shopping. Finally, it is evening and Lavanya has to head back to the Hotel. Khushi books a cab for her and then they decide to meet each other again the next day evening after Lavanya’s shoot completes. After the cab drives away, Khushi starts walking back to her apartment which is hardly a kilometer from the shopping area. She suddenly feels like someone is following her. There are people around but she can sense that unknown threat. Khushi had felt the same when she and Lavanya were having lunch together. She saw a man watching her from the next table continuously. Is this the same man? Or is she been followed by Arnav’s men who want to ensure she is secure? She has no clue and she decide not to take a risk. She stops a cab passing by from the corner and heads back to her apartment, even though it was hardly in the next block.

She keys in the house and locks it firmly. She cannot email Arnav and ask; it is better she calls him up. It’s been a long time they spoke to each other on phone. She dials his number even though she is aware it might be late night there. He answers her call almost immediately.

“Khushi… ?” his voice doesn’t sound sleepy. Was he awake? She can ask that later, right now she wants to share what happened today.
“Arnav, someone was following me today in the market, I hope they were your men?” she sounds worried. Arnav had told her before that his men are keeping an eye on her but she never felt the need of them until today.

“Calm down, Khushi” he replies gripping the phone. He so wants to be with her right now, take her in arms and tell her she is safe.
“First you tell me if they were your men or not?” she shouts back on the call. “Even if they were your men who have always been around me like ghost, I never felt them so close to me like I did today. I am scared Arnav. You have no clue how I got back home”
Arnav takes a deep breath. He knows it can be scary and it would have been a lot worse if he hadn’t prepared his men to look after his wife 24/7.
“If you don’t calm down Khushi, I swear to take the next flight dropping all my work here” he snaps.

Khushi gulps down some water and sits on the couch, trying to relax her nerves. She knows the award ceremony is nearing and Arnav has a lot to prepare before heading to Cape Town and collect that award.

“I am fine” she murmurs. “Now please tell me who they were”
“My men followed the people who were chasing you in the Market today. It’s under control now. Don’t panic”

She is shocked to hear that. Someone else was following her? Who? She feels threatened to think about the consequences if Arnav hadn’t kept his spies around her. But the question still remains, who will want to scare her and to what extent?

“Who are they?” she gasps for some air.
“We will find out. Call Lavanya and check if she reached back to her Hotel?”
Khushi is surprised how he knew Lavanya was here but then she recollects his spies are around who can give him that information.
“Yes, I got her message when I reached back to my apartment”

Arnav takes a sigh of relief.

“Why don’t you and Shikha shift to Di’s house for a day or two, until I sort all of this?” he requests.
“No.. I don’t think that’s necessary”
“I will decide that Khushi” he replies in a no-nonsense tone. “When I ask you something so seriously, please follow it”
Khushi reads the significance of his orders and decides to obey it.
“Okay”

Arnav hates to command her like that but he has no choice. Until he comes to know who were the people chasing Khushi, he cannot stay quiet. He tries to divert her mind.

“Have you planned the speech to give while you receive the certificate of excellence?” he asks.
Khushi denies.
“There is no speech happening. But we have a party to celebrate it” she sighs. “Are you excited for the award function?”
“Not very much. Because I am going there alone.”
His reply drops her mood again.
“But I am going to meet my old friends there. They are coming too and it will be nice to see them with their families”

Khushi remains quiet, she gets some slight idea what she has to do to cheer him up. They talk for some more time. She shares Nani’s plans to stay for another month here. Arnav doesn’t mind. These days he is travelling to Cape Town so frequently. Nani would get bored alone in Shantivan. It is better if she stays with Anjali and Shyam. Khushi also tells him about Lavanya’s engagement happening but she won’t be able to attend it.

“It’s a weekday, Arnav” she adds. “I will need at least 5 days holidays considering the travel and my Client won’t give me that”
“I understand” he shows the same remorse. “I will attend it if I am in Delhi that time”
“Please do. La will be happy” she laughs. “And once I am back there, we four should dine together once.”

Arnav takes a deep breath.

“Cannot wait for that day to come. I want you back here, Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada” he murmurs huskily.
Khushi bites her lip. She wants the same.
“Here? You mean in Shantivan?” she purposely asks.
“In my arms” he clears her doubts.

Khushi drops herself on the bed, closing her eyes. She wants to hear more but he shows a bit hurry which she understands why. He wants to take update from his spies and sort the problem which is currently burdening their heads. She allows him to drop the call and continue whatever he had been doing, while she decides to pack her stuff and move to Anjali’s house for time being with Shikha.

********************

Day 256

“Seriously?” Lavanya asks Khushi the next day. “But who can follow you and why?”
“I don’t know.. Arnav is looking into it” Khushi replies sipping her coffee.

They have met again in a Coffee shop the next day after Lavanya’s shoot.
“Oh.. You better be careful. That’s the problem with handsome hunks. Their Ex’s or the girls who crush on them, never stop chasing their wives”

That flashes Shagufta’s thoughts in Khushi’s mind. Can it be Shagufta who did this? She is already here in San Francisco for reasons unknown to even Arnav.

“Anyways, Di is expecting you for Dinner tonight” Khushi informs Lavanya.
“I know.. She invited me personally calling on my number. I am so excited to see Ruhi too”
“She will like you”
“I hope so” they quickly finish the coffee and head out to the cab.

Khushi’s phone beeps with an email notification. She couldn’t resists checking it.

Wife, 

It is Vicky Chopra. I know he is the same guy who ragged you in college and the reason behind your occasional nightmares. I swear to God, I won’t leave him. He has to pay for everything. I am taking care of him personally this time, for once and all. 

All this is for your ears only though. I don’t want Di and others to know about it and be scared.   

p.s. Please don’t worry anymore. I won’t let anyone harm you ever. 

Your protective husband, 
Arnav. 


Khushi takes a shaky breath. Vicky? Is he here? She never told Arnav about him and the troubles he gave her in college, then how did Arnav know? He really sounds revengeful and she wont stop him either. That chapter has to close. She is surprised how Arnav is slowly protective her, guiding her in times of need like this. She cannot be enough thankful to him but she knows what she has to do to show her gratitude and the love and respect she has developed in her heart for him. She is going to Cape Town for his award function and give him a surprise. Doesn’t matter if she has to miss her Client Party and certificate collection from them. She can somehow manage to skip it without letting her manager fuss about it. She is going to get her incentives tomorrow which she can utilize for making her secret travel arrangements.

To be Continued.


NEXT PART



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