Lawful Sins - Season 2 - Part 37

 

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Chapter 37



Gupta Office

Khushi checked her watch. It was sharp 11:00. Before resuming to her next meeting in half an hour, she decided to check her emails in her cabin. Mrs. Pinto knocked the cabin door and rushed inside with a Cup of freshly brewed Coffee for Khushi along with few couriers that came up for her this morning.

“Thank you” Khushi sipped the coffee and quickly checked the envelopes one by one; one of which had no sender’s address. She quickly tore open the envelope whose contents startled her.

“Who gave you this?” she scowled.

“Ma’am the usual courier boy who delivers other mails for you”

Khushi swallowed thinking the possibilities behind sending this package to her.

“Any problem, Ma’am?”

Khushi took a moment to decide.

“No. No problem. Leave”

Once Mrs. Pinto was out, Khushi caught her breath and checked the photographs one by one. Why would someone send her these pictures now? This case was… dismissed years ago. The sharp Intercom ring jolted Khushi and she took a few seconds to answer it.

“What?” she shouted.

“Ma’am Mr. Raizada is here to see you. Should I send him in?”

Khushi bit her lip. Arnav had told her he would come to her office today. Their Kiss was pending. And even if he wasn’t here for that, she needed one desperately right now to ease off her tensions. 

“Send him” 

She opened the side drawer, pushed that mysterious envelope inside and the moment he stepped in, she was already on way to claim his lips. The moment Arnav entered the door, Khushi lunged on him and kissed his mouth. The force was so strong that he was pushed behind few steps until he held her waist and supported himself by the wall behind. It felt like she starved for him and before he could take control of it, she pulled away. This kiss wasn’t for him.. it was to satiate her and he had no complains. 


“Rough day, huh?” he asked. 


She met his dark eyes which pierced her soul like he could read every little thing going in her mind. 

“Why would you say that?” 

He stroked the wetness on her lips because that visual of hers disturbed his own body. 

“Something is bothering you; I know. Want to share?” 

It was at the tip of her lips. She just had to tell him or probably not. Would he understand if she shares that part of her life? Or would he judge her differently? 

“Hey…” he stroked her cheeks now. “There is no compulsion. You don’t want to talk about it, I am completely fine” 

“Who taught you to be so patient these days?” she gripped his shirt, not bothering about the creases forming on that fabric. “Your psychologist friend, Aman?” 

“You hate Aman, don’t you?” 

“I don’t hate him but I don’t like him either and I don’t want to talk about that thing at all. It will lead to a cliff of arguments and I am not prepared for it” 


She left his Shirt and welcomed him inside. 


“Coffee?” 

“Hmm. Only if you will have one with me” 

“I will. This one is cold now” she said looking at the Coffee mug which Mrs. Pinto had got for her a while ago. She picked the Intercom and ordered two coffees for them. While he sat on the leather couch at the corner, Khushi quickly reached him after ordering the coffees. 

“I am going to ask Kishu if he is interested in supporting me at work” 


Arnav was surprised. So finally, she was thinking on his lines. Before she could take a seat next to him, he grabbed her wrist and made her sit on his lap. Once she settled, he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

“See, that’s how it works. Share thoughts… discuss.. and come to a conclusion. Always arguments and fights are not necessary” 

“Uh..huh..” she brushed his neatly gelled hair with her fingers. “I am not very good at doing all this.. I always took decisions myself.. But I will keep this new strategy in mind for you” 


She looked adorable when she smiled coyly. 

“You got 15 more minutes to leave this cabin Mr. Raizada. I suggest you make it productive” 

And now she was flirting. Her mood swings were adorable too. 

“God, what have I done to you?” he cupped her jaw and kissed her hard. The kiss was nothing like that previous one. She was submissive this time. The door knock forced them to pull apart and she quickly got up from his lap before asking Mrs. Pinto to come inside. They quickly sipped their coffees talking about the Goa trip which Lavanya and NK wanted to desperately make happen along with them. 


“I have to reschedule many things but I will manage. What about you?” he asked. 

“Same here. But uhh… I will manage too” 

She placed the cup on the table and checked her watch. 5 minutes for her next meeting. 

“What are you doing after work today?” she quickly enquired. 

Arnav shrugged. 

“Going home and cooking probably” 

“You cook?” she sounded surprised. 

“Saw Nani making a few dishes.. Besides it keeps me occupied at home having no one around to talk” 

“Would you mind if I join you for dinner tonight?” 


Arnav was more than delighted that she asked herself. 

“It would be my pleasure to have you for dinner at Shantivan” 

“Alright then. Cook anything you like. Nothing fancy okay? I want you to be relaxed and not stress” 


Arnav reached for her and pecked her forehead. 

“I will wait for tonight” 

“Me too” she shut her eyes to relieve this 30 minutes she spent with him.. without any tensions.. without any remorse … without any guilt. And now that he would leave, she will have to get back to her world full of mysteries again. 

“I am always there for you if you want to talk about anything. Don’t ever forget that” he assured. 

“I know” Khushi replied touching her cheek to his palm as he stroked her face. 

“See you at night” he said before leaving her cabin. 


Once he was gone, Khushi removed the envelope again and put it over her table. Now she wanted to check who sent her this and why? Why after all these years? 


******************* 


Shantivan 


Khushi pressed the doorbell. It was unusual that the door wasn’t open. Was he not home? He couldn’t do this to her right? Invite her and don’t be present to host her for dinner? She was about to press the doorbell again when the door opened. Her eyes glued on her man standing in nothing but grey jeans and a White Shirt which was half tucked in and half out. His unkempt hair revealed he either wanted to seduce her right from the door or… he got no time to brush them considering he was busy cooking for them. 


“Will you keep gawking me at the door or come inside too?” 


She cleared her thoughts and stepped in. Arnav placed his arm at her back and led her inside. 


“How many white shirts like these do you have?” she asked walking with him to the couch. 

“As many as you like to see me in” he winked as she took a seat there. 

Khushi tried hard not to blush. He was too sweet when he flirted. 

“Wine?” 

“No Wine. Just some soft drink for me tonight” 

“As you say” he made his way inside the kitchen. Khushi scanned the place and didn’t understand why it was so silent tonight? 

While Arnav poured soft drink from the cans into two glasses, she reached the kitchen and hugged his back. 

“Where is everyone else?” her fingers drew patterns on his chest. 

“You mean the maids, chefs and servants?” he turned around and she had to pull away from him. “I gave them an off tonight” 

She took the glass from him and sipped the chilling soft drink. 

“No ideas Mr. Raizada. I am here only for dinner” 

“I can have hopes” he grinned sipping his own drink. 


She turned around to hide her blush and strode to the Gas burner to check what he cooked. Pasta and noodles. She loved it. She quickly closed the lids of the vessels and turned to him. 

“I am hungry” she admitted. 

In next five minutes, they arranged everything on the table and served each other. Khushi watched him quietly while he kept talking about all his efforts surfing the best recipe for noodles as he wanted to do something special for her tonight. She was glad he had that much patience especially after spending a tiresome day at work and she only wondered if whatever existed between them today… would remain forever.. 


“Do you want me to feed you?” he lovingly asked as she wasn’t focusing on the food but him. 

“No one feeds me..I am a big girl” she shrugged that idea and inserted the fork in the bowl of noodles. They ate together. He still did most of the talking and she was really amused to see how easy it was for Arnav Singh Raizada to share anything and everything with her. Suddenly the pain of keeping things secret and to herself resurfaced and she felt that aching need to unleash them to the man who would care to listen… 

“I think someone is going to blackmail me soon” 


Arnav paused whatever he was speaking and watched her with worry. 

“Blackmail? Who? Why?” 

And now that she had taken the cat out of the box, she immediately repented. This is not how she wished to share it with him. 

“Khushi, please don’t make this complicated. You just told me the worst I could see you going through. I know you might never need my help, but for once, let me be by your side” 

She swallowed. 

“Maybe I am just stretching this.. It could be a silly prank and by my nature, I could be overreacting” 

“Let me decide that” he snapped. “Tell me who is blackmailing you and with what?” 


Khushi shared the matter of the envelope delivered to her Office this morning. She even told the exact time while narrating the incident. Arnav recalled it was just few minutes before he stepped in her cabin. That’s why she had lunged on him and kissed him hard…!! 

“What does that envelope contain?” he came to the point. 

“Pictures...” 

“Whose?” 

“Car” 

Arnav couldn’t assimilate this. 

“Car pictures? Whose car pictures Khushi?” 

Khushi tried her best to reveal things so far but she couldn’t proceed ahead. 

“I think its … its not worth to share… forget it” 


Arnav gritted his teeth. He wouldn’t force her beyond this if she was so uncomfortable to share it. He continued eating and didn’t speak for almost three to four minutes. Khushi realized she got him upset and touched his hand. 

“You are angry?” 

“I am fine” he shrugged her hand but vey gently, not to offend her and kept eating. Khushi got up and before he could apprehend what was happening, she sat on his lap, curling her arms around his neck. He couldn’t resume to eat in that position. He stared in her coal-black eyes as she described the problem. 

“Few years ago, Kishu and one of his friends got into an argument on the road. They were drunk and one of his friends commented something horrible about me. You know how much Kishu loves me and he .. he couldn’t digest that comment. They fought on the road.. so badly and in that process… Kishu broke a glass bottle on his friend’s head” 

She froze on his lap as if the incident flashed before her eyes, even though she wasn’t present there. Arnav gripped her strongly. 

“Breathe” he whispered. 

She nodded and inhaling deep continued to explain. 

“Obviously he didn’t intend to hurt him but his friend crossed the lines in bitching about me. When that happened… Kishu called me.. he … he sounded very scared and I advised him to leave the site because I didn’t want him to get caught. And while he did that, I called the hospital, sent an ambulance to that place to get his injured friend to the hospital” 


Arnav couldn’t judge anything right now… 


“When the ambulance reached there… they found no one.. There was blood on the road, even Kishu’s deserted car was there but not his friend. Either he self-managed to get to some hospital or someone helped him. So, one thing was sure he had survived. But we could never trace him. He was like gone … from our lives.. He never made contact with us again.. I think he ran away because he was worried what would I do to him for hurting Kishu. So probably he just fled and we never saw him. But I had to close all the loose ends. I ensured no police case got registered. I also didn’t want to take a chance of his return and file a case in future. So, I even destroyed Kishu’s car which was the only sole evidence that he and his friend were driving on that road together that night” 


Arnav blankly nodded. She was just saving her brother… that’s why she covered all her tracks.. She was sharp that much. 


“Now after three years …. Someone sent me the pictures of that car.. and Kishu and that same friend of his, fighting beside it.. There are so many pictures that I really cannot believe someone even clicked those pictures at that time instead of intervening” she exhaled. 

“You think its him? He is back for revenge or something?” 

“I don’t know Arnav. If he is back for revenge, he shouldn’t forget whom he is dealing with and he was the one who started that fight.” 

“Who is this guy? Rich and powerful or..” 

“Orphan… he met Kishu in one of those clubs Kishu kept visiting with his other friends. He was a bartender there.. worked part time and went to night college. You know how easily Kishu makes friends. They became friends in few months and … then this happened. I don’t know where to look for him.. even to look for him or not, because I don’t even know if its him or someone else doing this?” 

“Like someone who clicked those pictures?” 


Khushi sighed in disappointment. 


“Did you get anything else after this envelope? Any call or message from some unknown number?” 

“Not yet. But I am prepared. If its him or the one who clicked the pictures that day, they only need money.” 

“How can you be so sure baby?” 

“Otherwise these pictures would have gone to Police station… not couriered to me” 

She had a point. She felt relieved after sharing this with Arnav. 

“Will you let me help you handle this?” he humbly asked. His offer surprised her and then a smile lit her lips. All that worry from her face eased already. She leaned on him to quickly kiss his lips. That was her way to show he was IN!! 


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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