Rise of the Devil - Part 1

 

PROLOGUE 

Chapter 1



Khushi’s POV



It’s my last day of the College and I am not happy. Obviously, none of us are. This institution has been our home for the last five years and which also happens to be running on my father, Shashidhar Gupta's donation - . I don’t think I am prepared to think about my father at this moment. Not when my friends are greeting each other goodbyes. Everyone of us moving out, going back to our families, know what they have to do hereon. Two of my good friends are planning for MBA, three of them have already applied for jobs in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai and me? My plans are different. I am going to marry. Yup. I want to marry to an NRI and fly out of this Country. I love my Country but I cannot stand to go back to my hometown, where my father is waiting for me desperately. I love my Dad too. He is the only one who has loved and pampered me after Mom passed away when I was hardly 3. I cannot imagine what would I do if Dad had got re-married and got me a step mother. He didn’t, which is why I respect him and I will always do that. But I don’t want to be a part of his world. Not when I know how dark and cold it is. 

“Khushi” My friend Payal is here. We are besties. “You don’t want to hug me and wish me Goodbye?”

I shrug and the next moment give her a tight hug.

“I will miss you Payal”

“But I will miss you more” she declares. “But guess what? I have planned out everything. Once I get this job, I am going to invite you to Delhi and we will spend some time together”

“How long for this to happen?”

“Uh.. consider 2 -3 months”

I laugh.

“Too late for me darling”

“You are talking as if you have other plans” she mocks but when I grin, she watches me horrified. “Don’t tell me you are serious about THAT plan”

“I am very serious about THAT plan”

“No ways” She is still confused. “Did you find a guy already?”

“The search is ON baby. I have registered myself on some matrimonial sites”

She swallows.

“Really? You did that? What if your father finds it out?”

“He won’t. Dad is not Internet Savvy”

“Khushi please don’t take this lightly. He might not be so advanced but his men are. What if…” she zips her lips seeing my guard around who is here to interrupt my conversation.


I have three guards around me and they don’t leave me alone much. They are those tails which I cannot even cut off from my body.

“What?” I shout at him. “Don’t you see I am talking something to my friend?”

“The Vehicle is ready. We should move”

“No ways. I still need 20 minutes”

“It’s Sir’s orders”

And that one phrase I have heard infinite times during my stay here. These guards can do anything to obey my father’s commands. I am no one to them.. Just an item they have sworn to protect for my father. If I don’t agree to his commands, they even wouldn’t mind dragging me to the Car. They are three built-up and armed men, I cannot even fight.

“Fine. I am coming”

I hug Payal again.

“See, that’s what I was telling you” Payal murmurs. “These men will never let you escape your father’s den even if you find the right NRI husband for yourself”

“Don’t worry. I have plans” I kiss her cheek and wave her goodbye. We promise to stay in touch and just in next 10 minutes, I am off my College Campus. But Payal is right. I need someone who can help me escape that house. I am not worried of these handful of guards my father has employed to keep me safe, I am only concerned of the Werewolf!! Yes, that’s what I liked to call him because he had no traits of human. He was an animal. Arnav Malik was his human name and though I have never met him personally, I have heard enough about him from my father and these guards here. All of my father’s security reports him and he has safeguarded my father’s kingdom, even taken a bullet for him. He is so loyal to my father and my father is so kind and open to him that I know Arnav can never go against him on any decision. His eyes seem to see things none of us can see even in broad daylight. His sense to track the threat can even haunt the famous serial-killers and they say he knows where to punch a man to kill him on the spot. Damn!! Even the thought of him gets goosebumps on my sensitive skin.

“Ten more miles Ma’am and we will be home” The driver breaks my stance. I nod blankly. I am not ready for any of this. I never was.

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

Chandra Mahal


I get down the Car, giving a sweeping glance to my home. This place doesn’t enchant me anymore. I have seen enough bloodshed here.

“Khushi” I hear my father’s happy voice and my smile is back. I ignore all the dark fears I have about his place and run into his arms.

“Dad” He hugs me tight and then he kisses my temple. “You have lost weight”

Dad is getting old, I can feel that. His body looks drained by lack of energy and his eyes, as if he hasn’t slept well in past few days.

“Think I am on dieting then” He laughs but I don’t.

“Don’t lie to me. This is something else”

He knows I can read his face quite well.

“You don’t have to bother anything. I am so happy that my daughter is back and she will stay with me now.. FOREVER”


Forever? I am not convinced. So, I decide to tease him a bit as we walk in the house.


“Not forever dad. Don’t you know? Girls never stay with their parents forever. They marry and then they go with their sexy husbands to their Sasuraal”

“Sexy?” he frowns. “what happened to your language?”

“Sexy is not a bad word”

“I don’t want you to use it ever before me”

“Seriously?”


I shrug him away. What is wrong with this word? Nope. What is wrong with Dad?


“Okay, go and freshen up” he rubs my arm. “I have a surprise for you”

I swallow. His surprises are scary. Last time, which was five years ago, when I was parting from this place after getting admission in the college, he had given me a surprise and that was his three-armed guards.

“Surprise?” I try to get some idea what it might be.

“Not yet. I will show you only after you freshen up. Now go and come down fast”

I can’t wait. However scary it is, I want to know and end this suspense. I rush to my room and it’s the same as I had left it once, 5 years back. But I see they have kept the room super clean. I open my closet, pick the nightdress and run for a quick shower. Dad buys my clothes .. all of them.. except the inner ones which I do. So technically, I don’t even have the rights to buy my own clothes. My closet is stuffed with Salwars, Sarees and Lehngas. I don’t like them. Modern clothes have fascinated me. I want to wear Jeans, shorts, skirts, frocks and gowns. I have worn them in my Hostel but again, only inside my room. Dad has no clue I even have them with me. I quickly shower and while drying my hair, open the window. I love the breeze here. It’s mind-blowing. I am about to take a turn when I spot him.. The Werewolf Arnav Malik. He is out there in the garden, practicing his aim on the dummy targets, by his gun. I cannot see his face yet, just his back and I do know its him. The way all the guards are alert and conscious around him, reveals that fact. He is tall, fair too I think though I cannot testify from this far. But he has a body to die for. Hard bulged muscles and biceps, broad shoulders, wide chest, perfect V-shaped body, and masculine legs. As if he senses I am watching him, he turns around and our gazes meet. Damn Hell!! He is a Greek God, with dark hair, handsome face, sexy jawline and kissable lips. If I ever desired a man, I want him to be like this man here!! His heated gaze holds me stiff and even though my body wants to turn around and run away, I am glued to the spot. I think he knows to hypnotize too because I am seriously bewitched. He is the one I am worrying about? The one who can fail my plans of escaping this house?

I see him stretching his arm behind, towards the target and without dropping his gaze from mine, he shoots. I force myself to break our gaze to see where he shot and he was right on target. He could aim without even looking. And that makes him incredibly hot!! I don’t know if he wanted to put that demonstration for me or was it just to scare me off? So, holding that thought, I turn around and head back inside. I think I will have to revise my plan now. I can’t skip Werewolf’s radar so I might have to use him in my plan. I don’t know how but I will have to. That’s the only way and it could be fun.


I return down where my father is waiting for me. He is sitting on the big wooden swing which I am surprised still exists. I take a seat next to Dad.


“What’s the surprise you told me about?” I ask straight to the point.

“Here” He gives me an envelope.

“Oh my God” I fake a shock. “Don’t tell me you are gifting me all your properties and bank balances?”

Dad knows I am joking.

“Everything that’s mine is already yours Khushi. I don’t have to name it legally. Open the envelope first”

I giggle and do as told. I see photographs of men and I am confused again.

“Pick one and he will be your husband”

I freeze.

“Excuse me? Husband?”

“Yes” He nods. “These are your suitors Khushi. You are 21 now. That’s the right age for you to marry. When I married your mother, she was hardly 20”

“And that was 21 years ago dad” I snap. “I mean, I know I will marry but not like this. Not with these guys you have chosen for me”


His face stiffens but then he smiles.


“You will. I am not giving you a choice”

“But why?” I snarl. “And you said you want me in this house forever, so why this hurry in pushing me away from here?”

“Who said I am pushing you away? Whoever you marry, you will always stay in this house. With your husband”

Now I am pissed even more.

“You want a Ghar Jamaai?” (Son-in-law who stays at wife’s home)

“Yes and all these men have agreed to be one. So, I don’t mind which one you pick”

I want to bang my head somewhere. Dad gets down the Swing.

“They are all from rich class society and above all.. they are from my social circle” He adds.


I know what he means. These people have same background which my father has.. The dark world. They all might be Gods for the people in their town but they have loads of enemies, almost double their allies.

“And yes, you have lot of time to decide. Say like one month. Make your choice by then”

He leaves.

“One month?” I shout. “That’s a lot of time for you?”

He doesn’t reply. He calls one of his men and continues discussing some matter. I am done here!! That’s why I hate this place. I hate everybody here. Even Dad right now. So, I decide. I am going to run away, tonight. Doesn’t matter who catches me and brings me back. I don’t care. I am going to try this once for all.

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

I wait for the night to fall and when it is dead dark, I jump out of the back window in jeans and a maroon hoodie. I don’t carry any luggage which can slow me down. I have to run and run fast. I am about to run for the backside garden where there is a small gate which I have to cross in order to escape this place, when I feel him.. He is here.. The Werewolf.


“Where do you think you are going?”


His voice is anything but normal. Did he get to know I am running away? I stop and turn around. It’s so dark I can hardly see his face. He is wearing the same clothes he was wearing when I saw him from my room. Even in this darkness, I can feel his eyes.. on me.. A shiver runs through my body as I take a step back.

“You are the Werewolf, right?” I ask casually.

He doesn’t answer but when he takes a step towards me, I finally see his face. He is.. He is everything a woman should be scared of and also desire.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?” He repeats his question without answering mine. My feet tremble. I can feel it.. Fear!! This man here can scare off even the wildest animal on this earth by his tone.

“WALK” I stutter. “I am going for a walk”

He obviously is not going to believe that. I have heard he can catch people’s lie by their tone and body language. If he is observing me, which he is, he can see my trembling feet and shivering hands and confirm I am lying.

“Get back to your room” He commands.

I am thrilled. He is letting me go? Of course, not out but I was in the impression he is going to wake up Dad and tell him I was escaping.

“Just in case you didn’t notice, I just came from my room. For a walk. So until I walk.. I won’t GET BACK IN MY ROOM”

I have pissed him off. I can say that because the next instant, he reaches me and throws me on his shoulders like I am some gunny bag.

“What the hell” I shout. “You cannot do that. Put me down” I fist my fingers and keep hitting his back but he doesn’t stop. He is taking me back inside and to my room. He knows my room? Wow!! Can I just scream and wake everyone else? Tell them and my dad that he is misbehaving? What if dad removes him from his job? But I don’t. Words fail and I don’t know why? He pushes my door open and drops me forcefully on the bed.

“How dare you?” I shout. He doesn’t reply but walks to the windows and scans them as if mentally making sure he has to lock them up to ensure I don’t jump again. Does he even know how much time I took to decide if I have to jump from those windows? I had literally put my life and body at risk. “I am speaking to you Werewolf” I shout again but he is busy locking my windows.


I stand up and cross my arms at front, watching him shut every damn window.


“You might have taken a bullet for Dad, but that doesn’t mean he will forgive you for this. I am his baby and you misbehaved with me. You .. you cannot just carry me like that. .And you threw me on bed? How dare you?”

He hardly listens and this time I am more pissed. He cannot ignore me. I walk to him and block his way out.

“I am going to complain  Dad the first thing tomorrow morning”

I see him frown and then his eyes give off an unreadable expression.

“By all means” He says before heading for the door and before I can follow him, he shuts it on my face and I can hear him locking it too. I bang the door.

“Hey.. you cannot lock me here”

I keep banging but to no use. I think he is gone and that’s how my first interaction with this Werewolf was. Am I really prepared to use this man for my escape? How will I manage to do that? I need a big plan!!


To be Continued

NEXT PART 
 

Note: I cannot post Yaadein tomorrow. Little busy. Since this part was already Drafted, I decided to post it today itself. I hope you will enjoy this Story but it does give me a lot of thrill knowing how this Story is going to proceed. It will have lots of dark secrets and suspense and Romance too..

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Standalone Romance Novel of Accidental Marriage Series Book 1 

Billionaire Viren Dewan’s sister was getting married in one month and Event Manager Tarini Kaur bagged that project to plan her wedding. She struggled organizing the wedding as Viren Dewan’s classy extravagant attitude kept hurdling her work. Least did she know they had a history together, a knot which his family easily forgot and hers denied to accept. What would happen when that past resurfaced?


A roller coaster ride of a forgotten accidental marriage, claiming its identity between Innocence versus Power.

READ ON AMAZON KINDLE