The Royal Fling - Part 22

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Chapter 22


Suhani sipped her coffee while listening to Khushi’s honeymoon story.

“Can you believe he paid the bills? I don’t know why? First, he acts all weird taunting me and all that. The next instant he acts so nice and calm. His mixed behavior is confusing me” Khushi grumbled.

“He is not that bad then” she continued sipping the coffee whilst Khushi’s coffee was cold as ice.

“You are not here to praise him, Suhani. Give me something to take that grin off his face”

Suhani rolled her eyes.

“For once, can you act normal?”
“What do you mean?”

“I mean you have lost it, Khushi. You have lost your senses and acting like a teen kid who is nonstop bickering about something. You are going all hormonal”

“Hormonal?” Khushi snapped. “You think my hormones are dancing seeing him around me?”

Suhani got up and clutched Khushi’s forearms.

“Just relax, I am worried if you will get an anxiety attack because of all this”

Suhani was right, Khushi felt that too. She breathed in normally.. She was losing her mind.

“I am going insane here.. in this marriage… this house.. with this family.. and that Royal husband of mine” she mumbled.

“Why don’t you go and stay with your mother for few days?”

“I will go more insane there answering my father’s queries. He wouldn’t want me there”

“Then come and stay with me. I will be more than glad to host my friend”

That was sweet of her but Khushi wouldn’t accept that invitation.

“You and Angad are newly married. I don’t want to be the intruder in your private moments”

Suhani blushed and Khushi wondered if she would ever blush like that for her husband. Arnav did make her feel very embarrassed of the situation when he flirted with her but the blush was nothing compared to what Suhani had on her face. Her was a two-sided love whereas for Arnav and Khushi, its everything but love.

“I think I will visit Mumma. If not stay, I will at least spend the whole day with her. I should feel better” Khushi declared.

“Good idea”

“Thank you Suhani. This helped” she hugged her friend. What would she do without a friend like her?

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

When Khushi entered the drawing room where Arnav Singh Raizada usually worked, she halted at the door as he was busy having a phone conversation.

“Don’t tell him anything about this. It is a surprise.”

Surprise? What was he talking about and whom? Arnav saw her there but continued to talk.

“Take care of the Food and liquor. I don’t want the last-minute rush. Who is getting the cake?”

Cake? Anyone’s birthday? Or maybe some business anniversary? She didn’t hear anyone else talking about it though.

“We will drive there Mohan and it will be your duty to get Angad there. Okay, speak to you later”

He hung up and waited for her to speak.

“Party?” she asked.

“Just boys, darling”

She rolled her eyes at him.

“As if I am interested to join you anywhere.. and stop calling me darling”

“How about Sweetheart?”

Damn!! He was using her tactic on her. She recalled how she irritated him in Bali by calling him Idiot, stupid and finally settled for Laad Governor.

“If you call me with these cheesy titles, I will call you Laad Governor before everyone henceforth. How about that?” she crossed her arms.

He got up from his chair and strode to her, but it was not an urgent stride. He took his sweet time to reach her.

“I am giving you such romantic names and that’s what you call me? A Laad Governor? Not fair”

“I get annoyed by your romantic names” she snapped.

“That’s my motive” he winked. “To keep you annoyed. I have heard annoyed wives are hard to be ignored”

He had that sexy smirk on his face which tingled her skin.

“Wherever you have heard that from, I am sure you must have also heard the latest trait of annoyed wives. They can kick really hard when needed. So, my suggestion would be to stay away”

Arnav sighed in disappointment.

“You will miss me when I won’t be here for the weekend” he teased.

“I don’t care whom you party with, where and for how long. I am really not interested. I just came here to tell you that I am going to my house tomorrow morning. Would like to spend the day with my mother”

Arnav was skeptical about her decision and that was clearly seen on his face.

“Why such a sudden plan?”

“Just like that” she shrugged. “I am missing her”

Arnav didn’t want to believe it but if that’s true, she should go and see her mother. He advanced to her and clutched her forearms. Then, he pulled her close without her will.

“Just don’t run away, you got to stick to me and this marriage” his tone was commanding.

Until Akash and Payal are back here. She wanted to shout that right away but she didn’t. Letting him know her plans would destroy everything.

“You don’t come running there missing me” she shrugged his arms away putting a challenge and walked out of the room.

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

“What? You are going to your Mayka? So soon?” Anjali Singh Raizada questioned Khushi when she saw her packing some stuff.

“Yes, you have a problem with that?” Khushi continued to pack.

“Are you going forever?”

Khushi held her smile. Wish she gets that opportunity someday to get out of this place for forever.

“If you want me to go away from here, forever, why don’t you speak to Arnav the same? See, if he agrees” Khushi replied.

Anjali frowned. Khushi’s smart replies had started making her worry.

“I didn’t mean that” she argued. “I am shocked that you are going. That’s it. You and Arnav have hardly returned from your honeymoon. I know you must be missing your family but When I was married to Shyam, I didn’t go back to my Mayka for almost 3 months” she said that with utmost pride.

Khushi sighed and stopped the packing work.

“Anjali” she turned to her. “Let me just make this very clear to you. I do not like people interfering in my personal life because I don’t interfere in theirs. We both are daughter in laws of this family but we are still two different individuals. What you did after your marriage, doesn’t mean I will follow the same. Your equation with your family might be different than what I share with mine. So please do not play this comparison game anymore”

Anjali was left speechless by her curt reply.

“And please don’t mind if I ask you to leave my room. I have so much to pack and don’t want to miss anything while we chat.”

Anjali fumed in anger.

“I don’t understand what Arnav saw in you” she snapped. “Don’t fool yourself that he fell for your smartness”

There!! She started the fight again. Though she had no mood to fight, she couldn’t leave the conversation open.

“Let him decide that. Now instead of showing so much interest in mine and Arnav’s marriage, it is better you show some in yours. If you had spent so much of time with Shyam, I am sure you would have had babies by now”

The moment she said this, Anjali’s eyes spurted with tears. She was not prepared for this comment. She never would. Throwing a cold glance at her, Anjali walked out of the room. Khushi didn’t understand why she saw tears in Anjali’s eyes. There was nothing wrong she said. Shyam and Anjali were madly in love with each other. She had always seen them romancing by words.

“You shouldn’t have said that to her” Arnav Singh Raizada stepped in. Khushi was disappointed. Why was everyone in this family always stalking her?

“You didn’t see how she spoke to me then. And I wasn’t rude. It was just a piece of advice”

“It was more of a taunt” he snapped.

“Seriously? Is that what you think I did?”

She looked pissed at him. Why was he supporting Anjali this time and not her? He didn’t show any affiliation towards Shyam and his wife so far, why now?

“They cannot have babies” Arnav came straight to the point.

“What do you mean they can’t have babies?”

“What is so difficult to understand in this, Khushi?” he asked. “One of them is medically unfit to have a child. And probably Anjali has nothing to do with it. It’s Shyam. He is the one who can never have a child of his own”

Khushi felt terrible.

“I… I didn’t know that”

“Well now you do. So, I suggest you never to talk about this again with them. They wont like it”

Yes, obviously she won’t repeat that mistake. All this time she found Anjali very annoying but for the first time she felt pity for the woman and even pride that despite knowing her husband’s medical issues, she still loved him so much. She hurried out of the room. Arnav tried to stop her, ask her where she was going now but Khushi didn’t answer.

Anjali was sitting alone in the garden when Khushi came to her and saw her weeping silently. Shyam was not home, he was always busy in his political life and these days the upcoming elections had kept him engrossed and on the edge. Had Shyam been home now, Anjali would be expressing her sorrow to him and not weep here in the middle of the garden, alone. Khushi didn’t comprehend how to tackle this situation which she messed up.

“Anjali” Khushi murmured.

“Just leave me alone” Anjali spat at her.

“Not a good idea” she sat next to her on the bench. Anjali frowned at her gesture.

“Now who is intruding in my personal matter?” she snapped.

“I didn’t come here to intrude.”

“Then?”

“I am here to apologize”

Yes. Khushi couldn’t believe she was doing this. Asking for an apology from Anjali Singh Raizada seemed next to impossible. She knew how cunning Anjali was and that she didn’t like her much either. But what she spoke to her today made her feel guilty. Khushi would never drag a guilt. She believed in working on her mistakes instead.

“Apologize?” Anjali stammered.

“I didn’t know about…” she paused. Reminding Anjali of all that again wouldn’t be nice. “I am sorry” she added.

Anjali was clueless how to react. She had never expected Khushi to say sorry. Anjali had loved to dominate the family, the people and always lead things her way. But ever since Khushi had come in the family, she felt inferior as she stopped getting the response that she expected from the people around her. Khushi was the eldest daughter-in-law in the family after all and took all the credit. But today when Khushi expressed regret for this situation, Anjali felt her heart relaxed and important once again.

“I am not very good at kind words” Khushi continued. “Your love for Shyam is unmeasurable. Not many women would do what you have been doing. I am sure no one can beat you in this regard”

Anjali’s tears dried.

“And I am saying this from the bottom of my heart” she further added.

Anjali smiled back.

“Shyam is not just my husband, he is my soul Khushi. And whatever happens, I am going to stand by him”

“You should” Khushi remarked with a positive smile. “And now I should go and pack my stuff”

Anjali didn’t say anything. She was still thrilled that Khushi chose to put a decent end to today’s cold fight.

As Khushi entered the house again, Arnav gave her a confused smirk. He couldn’t believe she just apologized to Anjali. She didn’t have to considering they don’t like each other neither Anjali has ever been good to Khushi. But she has just managed to impress him again by that gesture.


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

Next day Khushi was all set to leave for Gupta house and Arnav Singh Raizada declared he would be dropping her there before heading for his work. She denied but he was too reluctant to let her go alone. It was surprising that he was even taking that effort.

Khushi got down the car once they reached the mansion.

“I will go from here”

“That’s a very informal way of saying Get out” he snapped. “Which” he got down from the car too. “Is not happening”

She glared at him.

“What do you mean not happening? You were here only to drop me home. And since that’s done, you may leave”

Arnav rolled his eyes.

“The people inside this house belongs to me as much as they do to you. And I won’t leave without meeting them”

He strode inside. Khushi was speechless. He never showed any interest in her family, why now? He had been acting very strange ever since they had been to Bali. She followed him inside and to match his pace, she had to almost run after him.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART 

_______________________________________________________________________________

COMBO of 3 Stories in One

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