Rise of the Devil - Part 11

 

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Chapter 11



Khushi’s POV



Wow. Just Wow. Now I am ritually married to that King of Devil. How am I supposed to believe this fact that I am the Devil Queen? This tag is daunting and the man I am married to is even more intimidating than he was before. Though he looks extremely gorgeous all the time, I don’t think I can let him be anywhere near me. I will always be in a fear what will happen the next instant in my life. He has enemies who wants him dead and despite hating him for hiding his real identity from me, I still cannot see him injured and losing his life. It scares me to imagine how my future with the Devil King will be.

I look at myself in the mirror. I am decked up as a newlywed bride. I might have dreamed of a happily-ever-after but this is not what I had in mind at all. The werewolf has made it very clear he is not going to let me out of this house or away from his sight ever, which means eloping is not an option. Neither I can run away nor stay as the Devil Queen accepting my fate. Then what the hell am I supposed to do?


Give him a hard time!!

My subconscious is right. I can give this man a hard time so that he realizes our paths might have collided temporarily, but we cannot walk together for long. We have to part ways somewhere in future because he cannot give me the life I want nor I can be the type of wife he and his dark world demands. With that agenda in mind, I begin to undress when Mala knocks the door and gets inside. I hadn’t locked the door?


“You can’t undress yet” Mala instructs.

“Says who?” I shoot a glare at her.

“Me”

And there he is.. The Devil.. Back in my room. I had just unbuttoned my Choli and since he is here, I quickly pull the Dupatta from the bed and cover myself. He is as stuck as I am at the moment. Arnav’s eyes wander a bit on my semi exposed shoulder before he meets my eyes again. Did I just see him gulping? It’s been 3 hours since we completed the pheras and I was wondering why he didn’t show up to drag me down to meet and greet people of his dark world who attended our wedding. But if he is here for that, I am not going to let him succeed taking me along this time. I am ready for a physical fight.


“Always in a hurry to change the situation, aren’t you?” He asks taking a step forward. “That’s right!!” I nod. “And I wont mind hurrying up changing my husband too… very soon”


There’s a promise in my tone but I am anything but serious about this. I am done with one husband already and even if we go separate ways amicably in future, I don’t think I will marry ever again but I shouldn’t have mocked him as the Devil doesn’t seem very happy about it. The moment he strides to me, Mala rushes out, shutting the door behind. I don’t make a move as its too risky. I know he will catch hold of me in no time even if I tried to and it will only show my weakness. It’s high time I face the man he is and he faces the woman I am.


“You are stuck with me for this life and the next and the next Khushi” He says pulling up my jaw strongly to meet his eyes. “So, though I am happy to fulfill all your dreams, your desires to change your husband is not something I will ever let happen”


Well, that’s a possessive thought. I shrug him off using all my strength.

“Very eager to stay married to me Werewolf?” I grumble. “Sorry.. Devil King.. That’s what you are.. right?”

He stares at me with hooded eyes.

“I can’t believe this” I shout. “You knew how much I disliked my father’s dark world and wanted an exit from all of this.. And yet… yet you claimed me as yours?”

“I couldn’t let that Samrat claim you” He snaps. “Neither I could let you get away from this place to die”

“Shut up” I roar. “Stop giving me this excuse. Stop pretending like you want to keep me safe because the truth is, by marrying me and introducing me to your world as the Devil Queen, you have put my life in danger and closed every door of happiness for me”

Now he goes quiet. I don’t realize I have been shivering until he pulls the fluffy quilt from the bed and drapes it over my shoulders. I wriggle to get it off from my body but he forces me to sit on the bed and kneels down at my feet. The DEVIL KING has knelt before me? That’s supposed to be the eight wonder of the world, isn’t it? Silence spreads between us for longer than a minute and he finally breaks it.

“I know you hate this world you are living in with us. The sight of bloodshed scares you; the noise of the gunshots make you cringe and the fear of losing the people you love hurts you”


He rubs my arms over the Quilt, giving me the warmth I need to stop the shivering. I feel good!!


“I am going to keep you as much away from this world as possible, that’s a promise. A Devil King’s promise”


I don’t know what to infer from his words? He wants to keep me away from the world he created but not away from him. How was that technically possible? He rises on his feet but his eyes never leave mine.

“Mala will bring your food. Eat and rest”

His commanding tone is back. I look away. If he thinks he can order me and I will obey it, he is so wrong. In next few seconds I hear the sound of the door shutting. He is gone and I take a sigh of relief. I have no energy left to fight back for the day. I haven’t seen Buaji either. I don’t know where she is and why wasn’t she there when me and Devil took the pheras? Or maybe she was around and it was me who didn’t realize that?


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

Arnav’s POV


I plunge into the pool, diving deep, to ease my mind. Ever since I have claimed Khushi as my wife before everyone, I haven’t been able to focus on anything else. I have a mission to lead and nothing could come in my way. I get out of the pool hearing my phone ringing on the lounger.

“Aman” I say, answering the call.

“Congratulations”

I know why he is congratulating me.

“Out of all the shocks you have given me so far, this one was the best” he adds.

I roll my eyes, patting myself dry with the Towel.

“Did I disturb you both? I hope you weren’t in the middle of something really important”

I know he is teasing me.

“Not funny Aman. You know on what grounds I had to take this step”

“I know” he sighs. “I still don’t understand was this the only way left to protect her? I mean.. you could have stopped her marriage with Samrat and still kept her single for few more days. Why marry her and..”

“I had my reasons” I cut him off without getting into the details. Aman laughs at the other end as if he knows. He is the only one who can read my mind like no one else can.

“Reasons? I am not convinced Devil. But I hope you convince those to my Bhabhi because I have heard she is a fighter”

Is he scaring me? Heck!! I know Khushi is going to fight tooth and nail for her freedom.

“Did you call me to threaten?”

“Oh, come on” he laughs again. “How can I threaten the Devil King? I called you to inform that the package will be out from Delhi tomorrow morning. It’s highly volatile and should be treated wisely. I hope you know what you are doing with it this time”

I smirk. Who better than me can put that package to better use?


“Thanks for getting this delivered on priority” I say.

“Anytime. You know I can never delay your commands however impractical they sound to be at the beginning, I know no amount of advice from anyone is going to change your mind once you decide”

My eyes roll again at his sarcasm.

“Good night Aman. I will let you know if I need anything else”

“Take care Devil” He gets serious now. “You are actually playing with your life this time”

“You think I have ever cared for my life?”

“No you haven’t” He replies “But that was in the past. Now, you have involved someone else in your life too and you putting yourself in danger is going to put her at risk too. You know what I mean..”


Damn!! I know. I have an additional responsibility now so all my further actions have to be dealt with accordingly. I hang up and return back to my Villa spending the rest of the night, planning my next moves.


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


At morning, I am with Shashi Gupta, discussing the package Aman was talking about last night when my eyes suddenly wander at the stairs where I see Khushi getting down. It doesn’t take time for my brains to blow off right then and there seeing her in a skinny Tank Top and Denim shorts. She has tied her hair into a ponytail leaving a few short strands to fall on her forehead. The Sindoor is gone and I don’t see the Mangalsutra on her neck either.


“Mala” she shouts, blowing air on her freshly painted nails, ignoring me and her father completely. “Get me a strong coffee”


Shashi Gupta is as shocked as I am at that moment. We have never seen Khushi in such western outfits in fact we never even knew she had these in her closet.

“Hey Dad, good morning” she places a kiss on her father’s cheek and then eyes at me. “Morning Devil. Hope you had a good sleep last night”


I swallow my anger, trying to comprehend what she intended to do by dressing and behaving so odd. Mala gets her coffee and Khushi takes a seat on the same Couch as me and her father.


“Sorry, am I intruding your talks?” she asks. “I can go out and sit in the garden otherwise”

“No need” Shashi Gupta shouts back. “And what are you wearing? Is this even called clothes?”

“Oh Dad” she grins. “Stop being so old fashioned. I used to wear clothes shorter than this in my college. Chill”


Shashi Gupta rises up on his feet.


“What kind of language are you talking with your father?”

“Enough” I interrupt getting on my feet too. Khushi shows no signs of fear which proves she is doing all of this to only irk us. Obviously, she is hurt by this marriage and the way I have confined her in this house. This is how she has planned to take a revenge from us.. from ME!!

“Arnav I am so sorry that she is behaving so weird”

“You don’t have to apologize” It takes me a lot of patience to act unaffected by the show Khushi has put today. “We have to leave in an hour. Go get ready” I remind and Shashi Gupta throws an angered glare at his daughter before heading back to his room.


Turning my head, I meet Khushi’s mocking stare. She sips the coffee like she is savoring it.

“Too much of heat here” She gets up putting the mug away. “I will take a walk outside”


She is about to cross me when I grab her elbow and pull her back to me.


“Change your clothes and then head for a walk”


I am not asking; I am demanding because I don’t want the other men in this vicinity to see her in this attire.


“Excuse me?” She laughs. “What’s wrong with these clothes?”

“Nothing is right about them” I am so tense and angry right now that its hard to explain. I never thought Khushi will put up such childish acts to infuriate me.

“That’s your thinking” she snaps. “I see nothing wrong in my outfit”


Fine!! I know she wouldn’t agree to change just like that. So the next instant, I lean down and grabbing her coffee mug, I splash the remaining coffee on her dress proving my point. The sudden splash of coffee on her face and clothes, chokes her. Khushi coughs once before glaring back at me.


“Now you have an excuse to change this stupid outfit”


Her nose flares in anger and the next moment she grabs my tea mug from the table and splashes the tea on my Shirt.


“That makes us even, Devil” She scoffs with equal rage and intensity.


What the HELL!! Did she just.. !! Damn!!


To be Continued.

NEXT PART 

Note: Couldnt draft more. Short part today. 

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