The Royal Fling - Part 50

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Chapter 50

Shantivan
“Don’t worry Angel, the auditions will be fine” Arnav assured his wife seeing her all tensed the next morning. Last night’s date was still lingering in their memories and it will be so for the rest of their lives. Today morning since they had woken up, she looked nervous.

“It’s not what you think” she replied. “I don’t even know if.. if I want to give this audition anymore”

Now that surely confused him.

“What do you mean by that? This web series project was something you were so keenly looking to work in”

“I know. But grabbing the lead role in this would mean I will have to be at shoots in Mumbai most of the time. Mahesh, the Producer of this show told me the schedule demands a month and half. Millie has already put that on my agenda if everything clicks”
“Okay” he nodded plainly. “A month and half is not a big time”

“Seriously?” she growled. “Just spending the next two days without you around is haunting me since last night and now you are even okay to let me away for more than a month? I don’t know about you Mr. Royal Raizada, but I am going to miss you.”

That!! He wanted to hear that from her!! He rose to his feet and pulled her closer. She frowned when he grinned at her instead of giving her any explanation.

“Are you prioritizing me over your work, Mrs. Khushi Singh Raizada”

She knew he was just playing with words, he seriously didn’t mean it.

“Nope” she grinned back this time, easing up the tension from her face. “I am just saying I will miss you”

“Not that I wouldn’t” he cupped her jaw, his thumbs stroked her sensitive cheeks.

His touch did something to her. Something she had started feeling for him since last night. She shut her eyes, parting her lips for him and he read the sign and took over. The kiss was anything but urgent. Her body pressed flush against his. He wanted nothing else but to devour her even better but his mind alarmed about the delay it might cost to board the plane. He pulled away and joined their foreheads.

“This is not over yet” he promised.

Then pecking her forehead, he slipped out of the room. Khushi knew how difficult it was for him to stay away from her and let her focus on the career, but now, she felt the same pang in her heart.


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


In the plane, Aman decided to talk to Khushi because she was utterly silent throughout the time, they started from Shantivan.

“How was your date last night?”

Khushi’s expressions were enough to give Aman the reply he needed but he still coaxed.

“Did he apologize?”

“I haven’t heard of an apology as better as the one he asked for. And the entire concept and theme of the date was mind-blowing and unique.”

“Wow”

Aman could visualize how their date would have been. Doing out of the box things was his brother’s trait.

“So, did you forgive him?”

“I did” she smiled back. “And trust me when I say this Aman, I have never felt this good. Sometimes we just drag things unnecessarily, take it to our heart instead of talking out our problems”

Aman frowned.

“Are you pointing at me here?”

Khushi nodded.

“I want you two brothers to sit down and talk it out. Don’t let things fall apart”

Aman though heard that advice, he didn’t react. It was obvious his sister-in-law would want things to ease down between them but was it that easy?”

They landed in an hour. Aman got engrossed in his director responsibilities whereas Khushi prepared herself at the backstage with the script she was given for the auditions. Top TV Actresses were already interviewed for the lead protagonist role in this Web series but she was somehow confident to bag this Project. Facing the cameras wasn’t new but when the man behind those cameras was Aman Singh Raizada, directing her, made her feel unconscious. She still gave her best shot. The auditions result would be announced in next 2 days after Mahesh, their producer finalized with the Channel head and others. He was also going to take inputs from the Directors, including Aman and Khushi didn’t want him to give any biased opinions only because she was now related to him.

“Khushi..” she heard a familiar voice and soon the man was standing right before her.

“Karthik” she faked a smile. “Hi”

Karthik Pant was the most famous TV Star and if the rumors where true, he was already signed as the male lead for this Web Series. He was tall, little bulky but extremely overconfident. It was surely his face people liked, otherwise the man had no feelings at all. He was so full of himself. Thanks to his million fans on the social media, otherwise no one in the industry really liked him at all.

“Auditions done?”

“Yea”

“Cool. I can ask Mahesh to pick you as the lead” he winked. “you know how much he wants me in this show. He will never ignore my choice”

Khushi shook her head briskly.

“No thanks Karthik. I am fine with whatever the team decides. I don’t need additional favors”

“Seriously?” he chuckled. “Then why did I hear that you and the assistant director are spending time a lot these days? Some said you had even been to his home. Is that true?”

Khushi felt like punching his face. Blood streamed in her fingers which fisted on its own.

“That’s right” Aman came to her uncalled rescue.

Karthik saw him with the same overconfident look in his eyes.

“She had visited my apartment and she has every right to do so. In fact, we even travelled back together in my Brother’s jet this morning and once the results are out, we are again flying together”

“Your brother’s jet?” Karthik laughed. “Who the hell do you think you are whose family owns a jet?”

Aman stood between Khushi and Karthik, his eyes darted on Karthik’s face.

“I am a Raizada.. One of the Royal Raizada brothers… Aman Singh Raizada”

Karthik was stunned whereas Khushi pleased to see Aman accepting his identity.

“And she is my sister-in-law” Aman snaked his arm around Khushi’s shoulder. “Arnav Singh Raizada’s wife. If my brother would have been here, he would have smacked your face for splashing dirt on his wife’s character but don’t worry, I have a better idea to teach you lessons. After all we have a long way to go.”

Karthik fumed and walked away without saying a word. When Aman protectively turned around for Khushi, she bowed her head.

“Your highness, very kind of you to rescue me from that evil” she giggled.

A smile formed on Aman’s lips too.

“By the way, how can you be so sure that Arnav would have smacked his face? You hardly remember anything about him, don’t you?”

Aman was speechless.

“I have done my research woman. And these 2 – 3 days I stayed with you all, was enough to know about them”

“I see..” she held her laugh.

“But you don’t have to worry. I am not letting Karthik near you except for the shoots”

Khushi didn’t say a word, just stared at him. Possessiveness for family ran in the Raizada Royal’s blood.

“I am glad you accepted who you are” she stated. “Arnav will be so happy to know this”

“You tell him everything that happens between you and others?”

“Not yet.. But I intend to”

Aman got her point. He and Avni had been through this phase of his life.

“You might not know this yet” Aman interrupted. “But you are in love..”

Khushi swallowed and looked back at Aman in shock. Love? She hadnt analyzed her actual feelings for Arnav Singh Raizada. Yes, she was deeply attracted to that man and his changing behavior these days. She wanted to be around him, spend more time with him and do things to please him. He was the only man in her life who had evoked these little feelings inside her.


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

Avni had taken a half day off in the pretext of some personal work and Daadi didn’t mind. She took the local public transport and got down at the last lane of Shanti Nagar. She stopped to take a look around and when assured no one had followed her, she made her way to the small house at the corner. The door was small and isolated from rest of the houses in this area and she had preferred it that way. This was her private home where she could control all the spy work, she had been doing from the past few years. When she came closer to the house, she could sense it. Someone had been here. She immediately tensed. This house had been a secret from even her father. Did anyone trespass? Or..

But she couldn’t turn back, not without knowing who had been here and why? She reached the door and opened the lock. As soon as she entered the house, she saw HIM sitting leisurely on the recliner and watching her with hooded eyes.

“welcome…” Arnav Singh Raizada rose to his feet. “Welcome to your den Anamika.. or should I say… Avni Sen”

Avni was dumbfounded when despite her face being covered, he knew her identity.

“And if you don’t mind now, can you please take that bloody Veil off your head? It’s really annoying”

Avni took off the veil and revealed her identity which he already was aware of.

“What are you doing in my property?” she asked.

“The same what you did on mine” he scowled.

Avni tensed.

“Lets come to that later” he sighed. “tell me about this place.. It has all the high-tech laptops and drives and… what not” he picked one of the CD named ‘Shantivan’

Before he could do more, she snatched the CD from him.

“Out of my house, now” she snapped.

“Not yet” he walked leisurely around, taking in every bit of this place. “So this is where you operate from”

She was quiet.

“Whom do you work for, Avni?”

“I don’t work for anyone. But what I know is that you wouldn’t believe me”

“Believe” he shouted turning to her. “You keep files on my family, each one of them and you want me to believe you”

He reached forward and gripped her forearms.

“You have been sneaking in my house from a long long time and you want me to believe that didn’t had any motive?”

“I can kick you for manhandling me” she clenched her jaw. “I know self-defense”

“Just try and I will burn this entire place”

Avni knew he could do it. This was the only man she hated all this long for being a thorn in her love life. 

“You are mistaken Arnav Singh Raizada. I am keeping files on your family because I want them safe”

“Wow” he left her with a force.

“I don’t recall appointing you as my security head” he mocked.

Avni rolled her eyes.

“That’s your problem. You have never believed I am your ally. All I wanted was your approval for Aman and you never thought I am capable of becoming a part of your family”

“That’s because you and your silly spying abilities gave me enough reasons to do so. Did you forgot Avni Sen, you had put a spy camera in my Office. You recorded my whole argument with Akash”

She recalled doing that but it was 2 years ago, even before Aman’s accident.

“I recall that Mr. Raizada but that’s the same camera which proved Akash’s fraud in your business”

Arnav paused. She was right. If it hadnt been that camera, he would never know Akash cheated him by selling their company secrets to their competitors.

“Why did you sneak in Shantivan during Khushi and my Sangeet ritual?” he asked dangerously.

Avni had realized, if he was here, definitely he had traced a lot of info about her doings in Shantivan.

“And that key” he glared. “You stole that key didn’t you?”

Avni didn’t reply anything for a minute and then walked to the other side of the room and pressed a button on the wall. The door to another secret room opened. Arnav was curious and baffled at the technology she had been easily accessing from this place. Avni got the key which was missing from Arnav’s room since the time she had broke in Shantivan.

“here..” she passed him the key. Arnav instantly checked the Royal mark at the back of the key to ensure it was the same one. “I saved this Key Mr. Raizada. So that your enemies don’t steal them”

“Don’t give me that excuse” he barked.

“Someone was going to steal this key from you on the Sangeet night. If I hadnt taken it then, they would have. And you know how I know all of this? Come here..”

She checked for a Audio CD from the other drawer with a date written on it. The date was hardly 2 days prior to Arnav and Khushi’s Sangeet. She played the CD. Arnav heard 2 men speaking to each other.

“We need that key, without it we will not succeed in our mission. Get me that key which is hidden in Arnav Singh Raizada’s Closet”

“But its risky. How will I reach his room?” the other man asked.

“his sangeet is up in 2 days. That’s the perfect time to grab it. There will be so many people around and no one will ever keep an eye on who is strolling where in Shantivan. Get me the key. Money will be transferred to you once the job is done” Arnav was shocked.

“Who the hell are they?”

“I am not aware of that either” she muted the CD. “After Aman’s accident and after you saved me from the suicide attempt, I wanted to revenge you. I always thought its you who want to break your family and control the Royal throne. I wanted to get your truth, your real face out to the people and that’s why I installed secretly these Spy recorders in few important corners of Shantivan. Installing so many spy cameras was impossible so just the audio recorders. They are all connected to this feed here..”

She opened a laptop and showed him all the audio files collected on a daily basis.

“Every night I used to hear them all one by one and try to find something… but to no luck until this audio hit up and that’s when I got to know about this mysterious key which someone wanted to snatch from you”

Arnav patiently heard her out.

“I saved that key from being stolen Mr. Raizada and my only motive was to keep it that way. But doing so wasn’t enough. I knew something deep was conspiring in that house and I wanted to know all of it so that I could warn you people beforehand. That’s exactly why I took the role of a caretaker in your house with a new identity. Though my eyes and ears were almost everywhere I still couldn’t find the real traitor”

Arnav leaned over the laptop and checked the innumerous folders she had saved with various audio files.

“You have clearly hacked my entire house. I am going to sue you for this Avni Sen” he growled.

Avni looked at him annoyed.

“First for hacking my family’s privacy and then.. changing your identity to enter a Royal’s palace to get out more secrets”

“Don’t you see, I did this for the family’s sake” she argued.

“I was going to bring you back in Aman’s life, Avni but after this.. Never!!”

He was about to dial someone, probably the police when Avni revealed the last piece of information she had.

“Do you know Aman’s accident was pre-planned?”

Arnav gripped his phone, his eyes glared at her with shock.

“Yes, Mr. Raizada. It was planned. Someone had failed his brakes. Someone… wanted him dead”

Arnav disconnected the call before it could connect. Was this true?


To be Continued.


NEXT PART 

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