The Royal Fling - Part 36

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Chapter 36

Feelings? His Feelings? Khushi’s heart pounded in her ears. And he wanted his Feelings to grow within her, overtake her heart and then return to him with some of her own? It was so poetic and irrational. Can that happen?

“I don’t mind not finishing the rest of the soup”

Khushi’s trance broke. Arnav was waiting for her to feed the remaining soup. She dipped the spoon again and brought it to his lips. He sipped it without taking eyes off her. She was in a soup for sure. He could read that on her face. His wooing methods had started distracting her. But right now, a phone call disturbed their conversation. It was Angad’s call. He took it but placed the call on speaker.

“Arnav, I am here at the police station. None of the goons are ready to open their mouths. It’s difficult to get them talk”
The calm which glowed on his face a while ago vanished.

“I know how to tackle this. I should have come along with you there” he sighed. “You wait there. I will reach in an hour”

“No” Khushi snapped. “You are not going anywhere”

“Excuse me?”

“Excused. Who do you think you are? A Superhero? Who can fight despite being brutally injured?”

“It is a flesh wound” he reminded

“So? Is the Doctor mad to ask you get enough rest? I am sorry but I am not letting you go anywhere”
This was the first time she dominated for his wellbeing as a rightful wife would do.

“Khushi is right, Arnav” Angad interrupted. “Let the police handle it their way. You should rest”

Arnav rolled his eyes.

“Okay, come back then. You have to leave with Akash, Payal and Khushi to Shantivan”

“On my way”

Angad disconnected the call.

“And you? You won’t come with us?” Khushi queried.

“I have to handle this investigation personally”

“I know you don’t trust people that easily but they are Police officials. They know their duties and your presence wouldn’t change anything except that you will completely neglect your health and worsen it”
Arnav couldn’t believe she was so much worried for him.

“You are talking like a typical wife” he smirked.

And that brought her back to reality. She doesn’t want to be his wife for long. In fact, if situation was in her favor, she would have been in Mumbai, shooting, away from the Royal family, not for a day or two but forever.

“Arnav” she interrupted before he could tease her more. “This is all temporary. My place in your family, as your wife, everything. Please don’t live in false hopes. Yes, I have seen changes in you. The impression I had about you earlier is not the same anymore. I am sure you have goodness in you, I have seen that myself. But under no circumstances, I am interested in a future with you.”

Arnav felt a pang in his heart as she continued.

“Marriage was never on cards for me. I have recently started achieving my dreams. I have a long way to go. I married you to save my sister, to get her back in your family with dignity. And now that’s happened. I don’t see any more reasons why I should stick to this marriage. Once Payal is adjusted in Shantivan, I want to officially move out”

“Move out?” he growled. “Is this some kind of a Hotel where you check-in and check-out based on your needs?”

Anger shimmered on his face as he got down the bed.

“This is marriage, Khushi. We have taken vows”

“Those Vows were written on lies. This whole marriage was built on a lie which you told me. You said Payal’s life is in danger. I married you for her safety” she argued. “I was almost successful in running away that day but it was you who found me and webbed this lie around my feet to stop me. I was always very clear about the future of those vows. It was you who misunderstood”

Misunderstood? Did he? He reached back to the bed and pulled Khushi on her feet. Their heads facing, eyes peered in each other.

“Agreed I lied to you. I agree to have dragged you into this relationship only for finding Akash. That was the only way left for me to get him back in the family. But this marriage has changed me irrevocably” his voice was dangerously even. “And a change like this is never wrong. I have learnt to accept my mistakes fighting my Royal ego. I have realized that the only way to keep my family happy is to give them freedom and value their inputs. I have understood that relationships are to be woven, not binded”

He clutched her forearms and pulled her closer. Blood oozed out from his bandaged arm due to the pressure he put on them to hold his wife closer. He didn’t care.

“And I am going to make you realize that no matter how far you run, you will still be my wife. No one can change that truth, not even you”

Before she could even think to defend herself, he pushed her and strode out of the room. Khushi felt breathless for a minute. He was hell bend in proving his right on her. Yes at times she felt attracted to him, but a mere attraction was not going to weaken her. She needed more for the man she would give her heart to and decide to settle down.

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

Few Hours Later
They were ready to leave for Shantivan in the private chartered plane which stationed in the airport to fly them back. Akash insisted Arnav to join them back home. He wasn’t ready to leave his brother alone and unattended here. Even Daadi gave strict instructions to Angad to get Arnav along. The investigation on the abduction could be done from Shantivan if he wanted. Pressurized by their pleas, Arnav agreed to return with them.

He took the last seat with Angad in the plane, though it faced directly his wife who sat opposite to Akash and Payal. There was no chance they would sit together in this journey. Ever since they fought today, none of the two even interacted to each other. Whilst Khushi kept learning about Akash and Payal’s love story from the couple, Arnav engrossed in drinking. Angad gave him company but was worried what went wrong again that his friend was so grumpy.

“Arnav, you are not allowed to drink and I am still letting you do so. But that’s enough now” Angad tried to snatch the bottle away from Arnav’s grip but he pulled it back.

“Stop being my wife” he growled. “And well.. she doesn’t care either” he shrugged nervously.

Angad frowned.

“You are on meds. Consuming alcohol is not going to help. What are you trying to prove?”

“Prove?” Arnav scoffed and then smirked sarcastically. “I don’t want to prove anything to anybody”

Angad sighed in disbelief.

“I understand Arnav”

“You don’t” Arnav shrugged off. “You… Akash… Shyam.. no one can understand me.. Because you all have your wives doting on you.. So you wont even get close to my pain”

“You want me to ask Suhani talk to Khushi? They are friends. She can make her understand”

“No” he snapped. “No one will handle this except me. Alone!!”

Angad nodded. Arnav then turned back to the window and looked at the clouds passing by.

“I wish… Aman was there.. He would have told me how to handle it.. He had answers to all my problems”

A lone tear emerged at the corner of his eye which he roughly wiped off. He shouldn’t forget that he was partially responsible for Aman’s death. Had he given Aman the liberty of love, to marry Avni, he would have been alive today. This seemed like a payback now. Since he didn’t let Aman’s love succeed, how would God let his marriage with Khushi be normal? He shut his eyes for some minutes in an attempt to wash away these disturbing thoughts and soon dozed off.

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

Shantivan

Daadi hugged Akash and cried her heart out. She had been all strong and unaffected all these years when Akash cheated on their family business and parted his ways. But now that he was back, she couldn’t hold her tears. Her family whose responsibility was bestowed on her by her husband, was partially getting back together again and she was thankful about it. Her four grandsons were like the four pillars of Shantivan. Khushi had never seen this side of Subhadra Raizada either. She pretended to be so heartless so far but today she was anything but cruel. After Akash, Daadi glued her eyes on Payal and then her small baby bump. Payal bent down and took her blessings.

“God bless you both” Daadi said before kissing Payal’s forehead.

Shyam and Anjali hurried down the moment they got to know Akash was back.

“Akash” Shyam shouted as he came closer and halted a little away from them.

“Bhaiyaa” Akash took the first step and hugged his elder brother tight. “Sorry Bhaiyaa”

Shyam clenched his fists first and then raised and settled them on his back, patting his brother gently.

“I hope they didn’t hurt you..” he started checking for any bruises but Akash stopped him.

“Bhai took a shot for me. I am totally fine”

Arnav was standing aloof, at a corner, talking on the phone.

Shyam patted Akash again.

“Don’t ever flee again. You got a problem, tell me. I will handle it”

“Yes Bhaiyaa”

Anjali smiled at the two brothers.

“I am Shyam’s wife” Anjali introduced proudly. Akash was glad to meet her. “You fled before our wedding but your brother always told me about you. I am so glad that you came back”

Akash’s face lit up.

“I left this place and my brothers on their own. I missed their royal weddings. I am never going to forgive myself” Akash replied. “Payal” he turned around to call his wife.

She came ahead and stood beside him.

“Payal, my elder brother Shyam and his wife Anjali”

Payal smiled at them. Anjali felt a pang in her heart noticing she was pregnant.

“Which month?” she asked.

“6th”

“You must be tired. I will show you Akash and your room. Come”

Payal turned to Khushi who smiled and gestured her to mingle with the other couple. After all, it would be Anjali who will stick with Payal forever in this family, unlike herself who had no plans to continue this marriage for long.

Arnav finished the call and saw Shyam standing close by. Seemed like he wanted to talk.

“Thank you for saving Akash’s life” Shyam never complimented Arnav. They never even talked like brothers so far so he hesitated a bit to appraise what Arnav did for Akash.

“I would do the same if it was you, Shyam” Arnav replied.

Shyam was baffled.

“We are brothers. We got to look each other’s back, don’t we?” Arnav asked.

“Right” he exhaled and patting Arnav’s other arm once, retired back to his room.

Khushi, who had witnessed the little talk between the two cousins was equally surprised by Arnav’s answer. This man was ready to risk his life for the family. Didn’t matter if his people loved him or not. When Arnav stared back at her, she dropped her gaze from him and strode to the stairs. She had to call up her mother and inform about Payal. Daadi noticed the heated glances shared between Arnav – Khushi and decided to intervene.

“Arnav… how is your arm?” she asked. “And… why are you drunk?”

She instantly had picked that her grandson was drunk, the moment they reached Shantivan. She knew Arnav was not someone who would drink without a strong reason.

He sucked in a breath before diverting the topic.

“Are the Guptas informed?”

“Not yet. I didn’t know what to tell them and how. Will have to check with Khushi and Payal first how they plan to share this news with their parents”

“Go along with them to the Guptas” Arnav stated. “I don’t want the girls to face their father alone. If you accompany them, Shashi Gupta wouldn’t pounce on the two.”

Daadi agreed but she was also glad that Arnav was so considerate for his wife. If things turn positive, it wouldn’t be long enough that the peace and oneness in Shantivan would restore.

“Daadiji..” Anamika intruded. She had been witnessing the whole family drama so far and was stunned to see the brothers uniting passively. Just few days back Arnav Singh Raizada split the Royal property equally between each brother and now he even saved Akash Singh Raizada and got him home. She didn’t know if she should be happy that this was finally happening or grieve for the cost she had to pay for this huge delay.

“Anamika” Daadi looked at her. “Your presence in this house has been so positive for us. My grandson is back”

Anamika flinched at the comment and the sight of her toe fingers curling nervously didn’t skip Arnav’s gaze. How he wished to just take off that Veil from her head and know who she really was.

“I think this calls for a celebration” Daadi continued. “What do you think Chotte? How about a party? Our people should know Akash is back and we also need to introduce his wife to the world.”

Arnav shrugged his shoulders.

“Whatever you think is right, Daadi. I don’t have any objections”

“Great. Anamika. Come with me. I have to make a guest list”

Daadi took Anamika along. Arnav turned back to the huge photo of Aman Singh Raizada hung on the wall. Wish he was alive. The family would be complete.

To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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Unravel the mysteries of Raj Mahal in this romantic thriller of reincarnation.

SAMPLE CHAPTERS 1 to 4 OF CURSED BRIDE. READ HERE

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