Wedlock - Part 56

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Chapter 56


Day 275

“Arnav.. not there” Khushi stops him from keeping her favorite Vase in the corner. “It should be placed here.. At the center”

It’s weekend and Arnav has helped Khushi move in to the Penthouse. She has officially shifted from her Office apartment to this house, which is going to be their temporary home until they head back to India.

“Okay Mrs. Interior Designer.. I will do as said” he bows his head, behaving like her servant and keeps the vase on the center table. “Anything else Ma’am?”
Khushi giggles.
“What has gotten into you? Why are you acting like my slave?”
However hard he wants to touch her, pull her close, he keeps his hands restricted to himself.
“I have no other motive to live… than become your slave for the rest of our lives”



She laughs heartily, patting his arm.

“Give up … Arnav Singh Raizada.. If I liked that idea of yours.. I will always keep you glued to me”
“That’s the agenda” he finally pulls her close and kisses her temple.
“Oh.. I forgot to unpack the books.” She interrupts. “Do you know I have a collection of some thriller series. That serial killer type.. You will love it”
“My serial killer is here.. I don’t need to read about others” he mumbles kissing her cheek.

She giggles again.

“I have never heard or read of a woman serial killer before.!!” she replies.
“Sad!!” he pouts.. “I have to live with one for a lifetime”
Khushi’s jaw drops and this time she pats roughly on his arm.
“Are we ordering the lunch?” she asks.
“No invitation from Di today?”
“I denied her. We cannot eat at her place every day. Plus, I need some ME time with my husband” she slides her arms around his neck.
“Now you are talking” he comes closer but not too much as she tickles his stomach and runs away. “What the!! Come back here, Khushi”
“We need to unpack three more boxes. I am all yours after that”

She moves in the bedroom to unpack. Arnav sighs in disbelief. She first teases him to the brim and when he is uncontrollable, she walks away.!! Never mind. Now he will play the same trick on his wife and see what her reactions are. Planning something in his head, he continues arranging the things in the Penthouse. It was Khushi’s decision not to assign this work to outsiders. She wants to decorate their home, herself and Arnav couldn’t help helping her. He has never done this before but it gives him joy now.

The phone rings from somewhere. With all these boxes around, he has no clue where the cell phone is. After a rigorous search, he finds it behind a box on the couch. The ring continues.

“Yea Aman” he exhales feeling exhausted and sits on the couch. Aman tells him something which grips his attention totally. “How sure are you that it’s Vicky’s number?” he asks.

After a minute of continued listening, he again speaks.

“So, that Bas--- is here then!! You know the Security protocol, don’t you? Then follow it and be in touch”

He disconnects the call and throws his phone on the couch again, his head lowered, fingers gripping his hair in frustration.

“Whose call?” Khushi suddenly asks him from behind. He pretends to be normal and fakes a smile.
“Aman..”
“Any news?” she sits next to him.
“No.. Just business” he lies.
Khushi swallows the lump formed in her throat.
“We decided not to hide things between us, Arnav. What happened to that?”

Arnav rolls his eyes.

“I said it was just business!! There is nothing to worry”

Her mood drops.

“Fine.. keep lying. I don’t think you understand what transparency in a relationship is”

She is about to get up when he grips her wrist and makes her sit again.

“Vicky is here!! In San Francisco”

Khushi feels her heart terrifying. It starts beating frantically in pain and fear.
“We were tracking Shagufta’s phone and that’s how we zeroed on a particular international number. She used to call that number and receive calls from the same at least 5 times a day. Initially, we thought it was some business call but only when we traced the sim owner details, we got to know it’s some highly classified private number. Only people having very high level of political contacts are able to hide that kind of information. But I had some sources who could hack those details for me. So, now we know that number belongs to Vicky who was in Melbourne all this time, hiding. And now the last call details tracked shows that number in San Francisco. Means, he is here”

It’s too much for Khushi to process. Technology is advancing at the speed of light these days.

“I have asked Aman to double the security of your father and Kyle. Likewise, we all here will follow the same protocol. Shikha is going to continue having guards at your office apartments and you will never leave anywhere without them either. If he is here for strike, it should be us to do so first.”

He is a man of action. A fixer!! He knows what to do, how to do and when. She really admires that quality in him. It is not only because he has money and power. It needs brains too. And he has that in abundance.

“Hey” he palms her cheek. She is almost sweating. “It’s going to be business as usual for us. Don’t worry. I promised you, he won’t even touch you again”
She doesn’t say anything. She just hugs him tight. She knows her husband will keep his words and never let trouble surround her. But this time, she is not worried for herself but him. What if Arnav is Vicky and Shagufta’s target. That would be a perfect revenge for the them. One thing she is still unable to understand is why Vicky is behind her again, after all these years?

“I don’t think my wife looks interested in placing the food order today” he pulls back from the hug. “Which means her slave has to take care of it again”

A smile pops on her lips. He is doing his best to make her relax and smile.

“What will you like to eat Ma’am?”
“Pizza”
“Nope. I would like my wife to eat healthy. We have babies to make in future”

She bursts out laughing at his reply and throws a cushion at him.
“Slaves don’t argue. Just do it” she growls.
“Okay… but you need to eat salad as well. Otherwise no Pizza for you”
Khushi scoffs. He wont listen.
“Fine..”
“Cool. I will place the order” he dials his guards to get their order delivered home.

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

Day 280

Arnav tosses on the bed, his arm trying to pull his wife closer. But he doesn’t feel her at all. He opens his eyes and realizes she is not on bed. He instantly gets down the bed to look for her. Where can she go in the middle of night? He wears his slippers and strides to the living room. She is standing in a robe, at the glass wall, looking at the magnificent view of the city. She showered? This early? Why?

“Khushi..”

She jerks at his sudden intrusion.

“What are you doing here baby?” he hugs her from behind and kisses her hair. “Why did you shower?”
Khushi places her hands on his, which has curled her waist.
“Just like that”
“Spit it out.. You don’t have to lie” he urges her to share what she is going through.
“I saw a bad dream.. Vicky … had caught me… he …” tears swell in her eyes. “I wanted to wash off that feeling..”

He gulps, his jaw hardening. Her fear is palpable.

“Don’t let him get into your head baby” he turns her around and cups her face. “That’s what he wants. You are pushing him towards the winning point by thinking about him. We don’t want that, do we?”

She shakes her head and tries to compose herself.

“Lets go for shopping tomorrow. Spend the whole day out, roaming in the city, just you and me”
His offer is tempting but it would have been more relaxing if Vicky wasn’t lurking around.
“Will we have guards too?” she innocently asks.
“If you don’t want them, I will ask them not to follow us. It’s up to you, if you trust me that I will never let you out of my sight”
She grips his arm.
“This is not about me, Arnav. But about you.. I can take anything on me but never see you getting hurt. You can protect me, but I don’t want to fail myself shielding you. So… let the guards be there. Please”
“He is not after me.. And even if he after you… he wont succeed” he assures.
She nods.
“Okay.” He gently picks her up in arms. “Now time to bed” he whispers and carries her all the way inside. She forgets all her worries when he is close.

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

Shopping 

Someone was watching them, her instincts said. But this is such a crowded place and there is no chance anyone can try to hurt them here. But ever since she has heard from Arnav that Vicky is here in San Francisco, she has started worrying how that man is going to introduce himself again in their lives. Arnav has tightened their security protocol but all that devil needs is one mistake from their end to turn the situation in his favor. And she doesn't want to give him that chance.

An arm slides around her waist making her jump in panic.
"It's me Sweetheart" Arnav grips her. "You okay?"
His concern is genuine. He knows she hasn't slept well ever since she got to know Vicky is here, in the same city. That's why he was going to hide that from her but she overheard.

"I am fine. How is this dress?" She shows him a red skinny frock. Arnav's jaw goes rigid.
"Only for my eyes"

She wants to giggle at his possessiveness but her reflexes tickle her again, giving her that weird feeling of being watched.

"Now that you are here" she fiddles with his T shirt coming closer. "Almost half of my wardrobe is for your eyes only which is not very fair."
He smirks.

"Can't take the risk of letting you ogled by others baby" he pinches her nose.

She laughs keeping the dress away.

"Let's see something in that section then"


Once they leave, a man wearing a black hoody picks the same frock, trying to feel its fabric, then crumples it and throws it away. He has been waiting for this moment from quite a long time; to come face to face with that Khushi Gupta again. She has changed… that tiny lean girl she was during college is now grown into a full woman. He knows that she is aware of his presence here. She is conscious of the harm coming in her way. Doesn’t matter how many guards surround her, she is going to be trapped in his web soon. If she thinks her husband can protect her this time, she is wrong. He might be the smartest man on earth to take all the precautions but he has missed one.. Lavanya Kshyap. Neither of the two ever thought she can be his easy target to make Khushi run after her own predator. !! He laughs with pride imagining her situation in that moment.

“It’s time for payback Khushi Gupta. You broke my engagement. I will break your whole life” he grits his teeth and turns back to leave.

To be Continued


NEXT PART


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