The Royal Fling - Part 24

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Chapter 24

“Khushi.. this is seriously not a good idea. I think we should head back” Suhani muttered biting her nails. She and Khushi were driving to the farm house where Arnav and Angad were having a night out. This was Khushi’s plan to set things right not just for Suhani but also for herself. She messed up with Arnav’s lunch and should apologize without any further doubt.

Khushi rolled eyes at her best friend.

“You would thank me later for doing this”

“I don’t think so. There will be all boys in that house. You think Arnav Singh Raizada will like it?”

Khushi shrugged.

“Stop worrying, Suhani. I will handle it all”

Suhani stared at her suspiciously.

“wait a minute” she snapped. “This is all not for me but you, ain’t it?”

Khushi swallowed fretfully.
“What did you do this time?” Suhani continued poking her.

“I ruined his meal”

“Meal?”

“Yup” she sighed and narrated Suhani the entire incident that took place in Gupta Mansion.

“I regret for doing that to him. I am not like this, Suhani. You know me”

“God, Khushi. You are seriously in need of help”

“I know” Khushi bit her lip and continued driving. She needs help!!!! So True!!


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

Farm House

The guards stopped the vehicle, not letting the two get inside.

“Sorry, Ma’am. But it is Boss’s orders not to let anyone disturb the party” the guard declared.

“You know who I am?” Khushi got down the car. “I am your Boss’s wife and if he gets to know you made me wait here and didn’t let me meet him, he will be mad at you”

The guards looked at each other unable to decide what to do. Suhani was almost shivering by now.

“Khushi… you are entering a lion’s den without his permission.. that too when he is having a feast inside” she whispered.

“Sshh”

Khushi was not going to hear her out.

“We didn’t come here all the way to go back”

“Fine. Wait here. We will inform him” the guard mentioned and dialed some number on his cordless phone. As he moved away a bit to inform about their arrival, Khushi couldn’t hear what they conversed. He returned back in a minute.

“He was mad at you for keeping us waiting, wasn’t he?” Khushi mockery tone didn’t affect the guard and soon she read his face. It was like he was mocking at her in return.

“Boss has asked you to wait here. He is coming out”

Khushi’s jaw dropped. Wait out? Damn!! That’s such a royal insult. Soon she saw her husband, Arnav Singh Raizada coming out of the main door of the Villa and stopping at some distance from them. His scorned face was enough to tell her how unhappy he was to see her at this place, at this hour of night. Suhani trembled.

“I am not going inside” she murmured.

“Wish I could say the same” Khushi whispered back to her friend. She too was scared. But leaving now without meeting him wouldn’t be fun. “Stay here. I will talk to him first”

She strode to Arnav who was standing like a pillar, stone-heartedly gazing back at her.

“Okay” she gulped reaching him. “Don’t freak out seeing me here”

Arnav kept his lips glued. He wouldn’t speak to her, not until she does something to soothe those burning nerves of his heart. Yes, he was mad at her for being so insensitive towards food. When she spoiled his lunch today, he had wished never to see her face again, never to speak to her and even throw her out of his life because he couldn’t tolerate such silliness from a woman. But the mere thought of pushing her off his life pinched his heart. He hadn’t felt that kind of ache ever. He had no focus over the boy’s night out neither on Angad’s birthday preps. He was just physically present here but mentally he was elsewhere. He wanted her to come to him, apologize and do something seriously insane to make him feel better. Seemed like God was on his side. His mindless wish was getting fulfilled.

Khushi swallowed the ache formed in her throat seeing his unmoved attitude. She could read his eyes and it said a lot. This wasn’t good. He was going to make her repent bad, she could sense that.

“Okay” she finally spoke. “You… you think only you can stare like that? I can’t?” she asked.

She was speaking foolish but she didn’t care. She just wanted him to act normal, vent his angry on her, in fact he could even pin pull push her but not stare like that because it scared her. She wished she could read what he was thinking right now.

“If you think you can send me back by that dangerous gaze of yours, then you are wrong. I am not going to go anywhere.. until…” she paused. “until we speak.. like two normal people”

He didn’t utter a word. His heart was pounding. If she touched him now, he didn’t know what he would do to her. She better stays away from him. A lot … lot away.. Khushi seemed to be on a roll tonight to show him she was ready for his dangerous game. She stepped closer and looked at him, eye-to-eye. Arnav clenched his jaw and finally, he spoke.

“Keep looking at me like that” he warned. “See what happens”

Khushi’s body trembled. He opened his mouth to speak and that’s what he challenges her? What… what is that supposed to mean? The feisty woman inside her wanted to continue poking him and see how he would react but the innocent docile side of hers wanted her to step back. This could be dangerous. Why bite the lion’s tail when you cannot run away on time? She dropped her gaze, her fingers fiddled nervously with the Dupatta.

Arnav heaved a sigh of relief that she looked away from him. He was so tempted in various modes to do something which his mind didn’t approve of.

“What are you doing in my Farm house?” he scolded.

She was happy he changed the subject.

“I came here to … apo…apolo..”

“Apologize?” he completed.

She didn’t think of an apology statement before coming here and now was blank again.

“Suhani?” Angad came out of the house looking for Arnav and found his wife waiting at the car.

Suhani was tensed. Khushi’s attention shifted to Angad and before he could scold his wife for coming here, she took the responsibility.

“I got her here. This was my idea”

Angad was confused but Arnav was still looking intensely at his Royal Wife. Her idea? Wow!!

“It is your birthday and I think Suhani deserves your time tonight, more than your friends” Khushi added.

Arnav raised his brow. So, that’s why she is here? To unite the couple tonight?

“Not happening” Arnav intervened. “If Suhani has a problem with this party, she can speak for herself. You don’t need to get into this, Khushi”

His threatening voice didn’t bully her.

“You won’t understand what it means for a wife to celebrate her husband’s birthday” she snapped.

“That’s right” Arnav stepped forward. “We are recently married and my wife seems more interested in torturing me than planning such a kind surprise”

His reply didn’t instigate her to argue but made her wonder what did he expect out of her? Their marriage … wasn’t… normal. Why would she do that to him?

“Khushi..” Suhani came forward. “We should go.. These men are always right”

Suhani’s eyes filled with tears. She had seen enough drama here and wasn’t prepared for more. She held Khushi’s wrist and tried to drag her away. But the moment she tried to take Khushi away from this place, she felt a sharp pull from Khushi’s end as if Khushi wasn’t moving an inch from the spot. When she turned around, she realized it wasn’t Khushi but Arnav who had grabbed his wife’s arm and stopping her from going anywhere. Suhani wondered how to absorb this.

“I am not done with my wife yet” Arnav sharply scolded Suhani. “And neither you are with your husband Angad.”

“What do you mean?” Suhani muttered shyly.

“Get in the house.. You will stay tonight with Angad and even celebrate his birthday with us”

Suhani’s face glowed and so did Angad’s. However hard he was trying to stay away and focus on the boy’s night out, he missed Suhani and wondered how she would spend tonight without him. But he couldn’t prioritize her over Arnav and his kind gestures of the party tonight which unfortunately happened to be only a men’s party. Despite Angad wanted Suhani to attend it, he couldn’t invite her.

“Seriously?” Khushi jumped with joy. “She is allowed?”

Arnav locked his eyes with hers.

“Take Suhani inside, Angad. We will come in shortly” he said that without taking his eyes away from Khushi who almost swallowed the lump of fear formed in her throat. What did he intend to do? Angad took Suhani in and the air suddenly thinned between the two.

“What were you saying ?” he asked.

Khushi knew he was reminding her of the apology. She better asks for it and end the chapter.

“I am..” she was about to say sorry but he placed his finger on her lips. Her eyes widened.

“In a hurry to earn my forgiveness, aren’t you?”

She nodded affirmatively and moved his finger away from her lips especially when she felt her lips freezing by his touch.

“I don’t like to keep favors on people.. be it good or bad. I shouldn’t have spoiled your food. I am not like this.. I never did this before” she confessed. “I .. I didn’t want you to stay for lunch”

“You could have asked me to get out”

“I asked you to get out..”

“Did you use the words.. GET OUT? I didn’t hear that”

Khushi rolled her eyes.

“I told to Mumma before you that you are busy, why did you stay?”

“That wasn’t a Get out, Khushi” he argued. “You should have used the right words”

Khushi was getting irritated now. Why was he doing this?

“What difference does it make?” she scowled.

“It would have saved my throat from burning” he snapped.

Khushi couldn’t argue further. She exhaled all her anger out.

“What do you want me do now? I have done the mistake. And I realize its severity. I am here to apologize. Will you accept my apology or not?”

Arnav’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“Seems like you aren’t asking for apology, you are demanding” he answered.

Khushi fisted her fingers.

“I will go insane if you keep torturing me like that”

Arnav smirked.

“I haven’t started torturing you yet”

She didn’t understand.

“You want my apology, ask it before everyone inside. Only then I will decide if I have to forgive you or not”

“What?” she shouted back. “Why are you involving your friends?”

“Because you involved your parents. They didn’t have to know what bitterness we share”

Khushi sighed. He had a point. Her parents now knew that she had still not accepted the marriage. Though she didn’t care what they knew, he eventually did. He was covering up their fake marriage from almost everyone and she didn’t support him.

“Fine..” she replied. “I will ask apology before your friends.. But… but what will I say? They don’t even know what happened..”

Arnav shrugged as if he didn’t care what story she creates. Khushi frowned. All he wanted was the apology. He will get one soon. She walked past him and stormed inside the house. Arnav followed her grinning to himself. He liked cornering her these days, pushing her to the limits and see how she tackles the situation.


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

Arnav’s friends were shocked to see Khushi and Suhani but they welcomed the two ladies whole heartedly. Though Suhani knew most of them, Khushi didn’t. She seemed to keep a distance with them not because she wasn’t comfortable, but because her mind was busy planning the much pending apology to her husband before his bunch of friends. Whenever she tried to mix up with the group, she gazed back at Arnav to check if this is what he really wanted her to do, but Arnav never looked back at her. He was very much engrossed in hosting the party. So be it. She made up her mind. As soon as the cake cutting is done, she would apologize to Arnav before everyone.

The cake cutting begun in an hour when the clock struck 00:00. Suhani was the first to wish him, like she had desired and then his friends wished the birthday boy. When Arnav wished Angad, the latter was very emotional.

“Thank you” Angad replied. “You have made all my birthdays special Arnav.. by treating an orphan like me as one of you”

Arnav gritted his teeth.

“One more time you call yourself an Orphan, I am sending Suhani back home”

Everyone laughed including Khushi who was stunned at his friendship. He was a good friend by heart, wish he had shown some goodness as a husband too. When the cake cutting was over, Khushi made up her mind to apologize. She was about to clink the glasses and get everyone’s attention on her. Her speech was ready, she had stirred up her fallen confidence too and was ready for the humiliation.

“Excuse me… Guys… Hello…” she called out. The boys turned to her. Arnav leaned at the table and watched his wife at the center of the room, beginning her speech for the apology. “Uhh…” she gasped. “I have something to confess.. I am not sure how many of you are married here.. .or.. even in an affair.. but if you are… then you will understand this..”

Arnav crossed his arms at the front.

“Me and Arnav…” she continued.. “We had an arrange marriage as you all know.. and its not easy.. it never is. There are so many things about him which I don’t like… and so many traits of mine which he isn’t comfortable with.. He has done things to trouble me.. I have done a few to bother him too. It’s like a give and take bond.. But today..” she gulped staring back at Arnav… “Today, I have to confess something which I haven’t done so far… ever… not to anyone… never to anyone..”

Arnav waited with baited breath. He knew what was coming next.. Her much awaited… SORRY.

“So… Arnav…” she met his gaze. .. “I …”

Before she could continue the lights went off. There was darkness around and she groaned in frustration. Only when she had almost finished confronting everything and was about to say that word – SORRY, this had to happen? Suddenly there was a flashlight upon her. She stumbled back seeing Arnav Singh Raizada standing close to her. When did he reach here? He was leaning at the table all this time. While all others waited anxiously what was going to happen next, Arnav smirked at his terrified wife. She didn’t want to miss this window.. He was the one who forced her to apologize before everyone, now she would do it and sort it out..

“Arnav… I …” she opened her mouth again but… he interrupted her.

“I love you too…” he declared.

Khushi shuddered at his unnecessary confession. What the hell was he doing? This was her apology not her love confession. Why was he pretending it to be something else then? The lights were back On and their friends cheered behind witnessing their sweet little love confession.

“Shut up” Khushi murmured to him. No one could hear them as they were busy rejoicing behind.

“You think I would let you apologize to me before others?” he asked.

Khushi’s breathing shallowed. He wouldn’t? Then why do all this drama? Why keep her at the edge? Whatever he had in mind, she never thought he would twist it this way. Now the whole group thinks they are not just married but also in Love. What a mess!!


To be Continued.



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