Wedlock - Part 53

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Chapter 53 


Day 272

It elates Khushi to find the location details of Shagufta Khanna from Aman. She cannot thank this man enough for doing the favor on her. She has to plan her next moves wisely, just to ensure that Shagufta thinks their meet is unplanned. Otherwise if she has any connections with Vicky, she might get alert.



The ring on her phone breaks her chain of thoughts. It’s her husband again.





“Hi baby” she answers with a blush on her face. “I was just missing you”

“Missing me or planning to meet Shagufta Khanna?” he snaps.



Khushi’s jaw drops. How did he get to know? Did Aman tell him?

“Arnav… I…”

“No” he shouts again. “You won't be messing this up. I don’t understand why you suddenly want to meet her? And that too without me being there to handle it?”



Khushi grits her teeth. She is helpless. She cannot tell Arnav how careless Shagufta was to give such a big trauma to Anjali during her pregnancy.



“I asked you something, Khushi” he tries to sound calm but fails.

“Calm down” she replies.

“Really? My wife wills to put her life in danger and you expect me to calm down? I told you there can be a connection between Shagufta and Vicky and you still want me to ignore that fact and let you meet her?”



Arnav’s worry is sincere, but she has her own reasons to do so.



“I have your guards to protect me”

“I don’t care, Khushi. And I just cannot trust on anyone in that matter. You will not go to see her without me coming there”



Now it pisses her.

“Stop telling me what I need to do in every matter Arnav. For God’s sake I am not the same girl who didn’t know the mission of her life. I am not like before. I know what I am doing and I am matured enough to take my own decisions”



Arnav feels aghast by her choice of words. She is creating an unknown distance between them by thinking in those lines. He loves her and has all rights to protect her. It doesn’t matter if she can take uncountable best decisions in her life. He really needs to clear that when they meet.



“Save these words for the day we see each other again” he scowls. “I know you can take care of things but I also know what Shagufta is capable of. I cannot let you blindly enter her web and get caught. I am worried Dammit”



Khushi shuts her eyes, trying to absorb his state of mind.



“We will speak later Arnav. I am getting late for work”

“Don’t hang up on me” he snaps.

“I am not!! But you need to trust me. Please”



She disconnects the call with a sigh of disbelief. She hates behaving like this with her husband neither she is estimating her maturity in handling Shagufta herself. She just wants to share Arnav’s load in dealing everything on his own. She is his wife; they are sharing a life and so they need to share their problems too. She wants to reduce his headache. Let him handle Vicky, she will take care of Shagufta. But for now, she has to apologize to him otherwise he will be disappointed for the whole day. She types back a message.



‘Baby… I love you. Please trust my instincts this time’



She hits send but doesn’t receive a response. It is hard to predict what he might think right now or planning to do. But how did he get to know this plan of hers? Aman?? She dials Aman who doesn’t answer the phone. What is happening? Probably Arnav has caught Aman and won’t be going easy on the poor soul.



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



Evening – Resto Pub



Shagufta has been staying in San Francisco from more than a month and this is the place where she spends most of her evenings. The loud music doesn’t stop her from speaking to someone on the phone. She is drunk but very much in her senses.



“I am wasting time here, you understand. I have a business to run. I am not your slave”



She bangs the glass on the table for a refill.



“I don’t care what your father wants, you promised me to handle this and now you cannot back off” she takes a pause to listen. “Fine.. do it soon. I don’t care how but just finish it”



Someone takes the next seat at the counter and asks for a Mocktail. Shagufta turns her head to see as she recognizes her voice.



“Khushi?” she murmurs and disconnects the call.



Khushi Singh Raizada smiles at her and it makes Shagufta even more confused.



“Hi Shagufta” Khushi greets and grabs the mocktail served. “Nice place, isn’t it?”



Shagufta keeps her phone aside. She just hopes Khushi has not overheard her conversation.

“What.. what are you doing here?” she asks

“I should ask you that” Khushi replies. “Why are you here?”



Shagufta feels unprepared. But she has tackled this immature Khushi before so she decides to use that same attitude. Least does she know that the woman she has tackled before and the woman sitting beside her today are not the same anymore.



“I don’t need your permission to travel places, do I?” she sips her drink casually.

“Of course, not” Khushi replies coolly. “But you need my permission before entering my house henceforth and filling Di’s or other’s ears with your tainted lies”



Shagufta coughs, spilling the drink over the counter and some on her dress.



“Damn you” she scoffs. Khushi grins at her condition and passes her a tissue which Shagufta shoves off. Khushi doesn’t offer her again. She leans back on the highchair at the counter.

“This happens when you try to splash dirt in other’s lives” Khushi taunts.

Shagufta raises her head and looks at grinning Khushi.

“Oh.. so Di told you I had visited her”

“Hmm. She did.. but that didn’t affect any of us, did it? I am still the bahu of Raizadas. Di cares for me just like she cares for her brother and Arnav… I don’t have to tell you how much he loves me”



Shagufta grits her teeth, her eyes darting into Khushi’s with wariness for getting all of this happiness, which was her dream.



“Let me tell you a secret, Shagufta” Khushi purposely goes closer. “Me and Arnav re-married last week, in the presence of our families in Cape Town.”



Now that’s news for the cunning woman. She had got the clue about Khushi been to Cape Town as she saw the pictures of the award ceremony. Both Arnav and Khushi gave enough pictures to the Paparazzi which they hadn’t given before. Each picture made her burn in jealousy seeing them so close, so happy and contended. She wondered how did it happen though? She had hit the final nail by disclosing to Khushi her mother’s will and its connection with her marriage to Arnav. She had seen Khushi heartbroken that day and when Khushi left to San Franciso, she had celebrated for weeks. She thought the connection between Khushi and Arnav is lost forever. They are two lost souls who will never think of coming back together. She waited for the time to settle and hear the news of Arnav’s divorce going open in the media. But when nothing of that sort happened even after 6 months, she realized the two have been still in touch. That news was the end of her patience and she came straight to this place to ensure she breaks the final thread connecting the two by hook or crook. Now, when she is so close to put an end to their wedding, Khushi tells her they got remarried? How is this possible?



Khushi pulls back and sips her drink again unlocking her phone. She shows their picture on the Yacht on their wedding night to Shagufta.



“A proof” Khushi smiles. “Just to ensure you believe I am not cooking a story or hallucinating”

Shagufta looks carefully at the picture. Arnav has hugged Khushi from back, his arms circle her waist, his lips close to her cheek, his chin on her shoulder blade. They are smiling and look so much in love. Wish it was false. She hopes they morphed this photo. Khushi reads the pain in her eyes and draws back her phone, becoming serious.



“I am not here to make you jealous Shagufta”

“Oh, then why are you here?” she snaps.

“To warn you one last time” her tone changes. “You put Di and her baby’s life in danger that night. I will never forgive you for that. Thank your stars that Arnav hasn’t got this information yet because you very well know what he will do to you once that happens. You hurt his sister, the one he is so protective about. He won’t sit quiet.”



Shagufta exhales warily. Khushi’s commanding arrogance stuns Shagufta. She sounds so much protective of her family, unlike the girl who always needed protection from others earlier. But she is also Shagufta Khanna and no one can break her. She gets down the highchair.



“You cannot scare me Khushi. In fact, it is time you fear for your happy days because they have come with a Validity. Soon, your married life will expire and I will make sure I remove you out of Arnav’s heart and mind forever”

Khushi clenches her jaw.

“You know just like they say.. Old habits die hard..?” Shagufta mocks. “Just like that… Old fears scare you hard. Just wait and watch”

“Arnav was right” Khushi mutters back. “You don’t deserve a face-to-face talk with me. Only he can show you your place in our lives. And you know where is that?” she pauses. “Nowhere”



Shagufta’s face turns red in anger.



“So, get ready to become a No One to us. Goodbye” Khushi turns around and strides towards the exit with the same confidence she entered this place. She wanted a closure between her and Shagufta, she got one. Now if she still tries to screw with them, Arnav will take care of it happily.



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



Night



Khushi keeps trying Arnav’s call, but he doesn’t answer. It is the 7th time she is dialing his number in the past 30 minutes but no luck. She made him upset, and he has all rights to be. She spoke rudely to him and defied his demands of not going to meet Shagufta.



She has to do something. It kills her heart if he stays angry on her. Hence, she decides to use the traditional method of communication. EMAILS!! That’s how they came close to each other and once again she will try her luck to get his apology. She types her honest feelings.



Arnav,



You have all rights to be angry on me. I have always been a good listener but this time I couldn’t keep my emotions at bay. I got to know something about Shagufta which made me lose my mind. I had to show her one last time she cannot screw our lives anymore. I don’t doubt your capabilities in handling this woman but I wanted to test mine. You have always protected me and for this one time; I wanted to protect your back, take things in my control and see how I can handle it. I met her this evening, filled her ears with some good dialogs and did my part. Now if she still keeps poking in our lives, I leave her in your capable hands to tackle.



Please don’t be upset with me. I am already missing you like hell and dreaming every second of the day we will start staying together. If you don’t talk to me, I don’t feel my heart beat anymore. Please answer my call. Talk to me Arnav. Please.



Your wife,

Khushi Singh Raizada.



She waits for an hour for his reply before dozing off to sleep.



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



Day 273



Khushi attends the seminar at work the next day, keeping her eyes glued to her phone screen. He hasn’t replied to her email yet neither he called back. Did she hurt him so much? She wants to take the next flight to Cape Town and meet him, fight with him for being so annoyed despite her email. This has never happened before. She is not afraid of their fights but the aftereffects of those. Their marriage has just begun and they cannot ruin their best time by arguing and fighting with each other. He has taken every decision for her these days and if she takes one for them; he has a problem with that. She doesn’t expect him to understand all of her demands but if she has shown so much courage to do something, he can at least give it a thought. He has to talk to her because this silence isn’t working.



As she leaves the office that evening, the driver who picks her these days along with her guards, opens the car door. Khushi doesn’t want to go back home. She wants to spend some time alone in the new house which Arnav has chosen for their upcoming stay of 3 months. She asks the driver to take her there.



It is a drive of 20 minutes from her office and she reaches the place. It’s a Penthouse. She has been here twice to check the renovations. Arnav has bought this pricy house which will be their home for the next quarter. As soon as she unlocks the door and steps in, she finds her husband, standing at the huge glass window, talking to someone on the phone. She freezes. He is really here or is she hallucinating. The noise of the door makes him turn around. Their eyes meet and desires bubble inside them instantly. It’s been just 10 days of separation this time and yet none of the two could contain their excitement. He hangs up the call and walks towards her. She strides fast to him but stops with teary eyes, a foot away from her husband.



“You read my email?” she mumbles holding her sob.



He nods.

“You could say all of that but not one simple word!! SORRY?” he asks.

Khushi sighs in disappointment. She didn’t mention that word? Oh, then he has all rights to be angry on her.

“I am..” she is about to apologize now but he interrupts.

“Holding your ears this time Khushi Singh Raizada”



Damn!! Is he serious?

“Do it” he demands.

Khushi innocently holds her ears and is about to apologize when he pulls her hard, crushing her body and kisses her lips. She need not regret for what she did, neither he expects her to say sorry. Though he had wanted her to do that, and it was the primary reason he came here, but the moment he saw his wife, with those tears his love crumpled his adamance. He loves this woman beyond his own understanding. If she does mistakes, he will cover it up. If she hurts him, he will still bruise her wounds, he loves her that much and knows she loves him back the same.


To be Continued



NEXT PART


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