Rise of the Devil - Epilogue

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Epilogue

Arnav’s POV

Eight Months later

Life in Denmark has been peaceful. It’s a beautiful morning with my wife sleeping in my arms. The first ray of sunshine hits her face and she tosses on the bed trying to spoon into me further. I’ve been obsessed with her angelic face and the soft snores she makes every night when she is peacefully sleeping. I stroke her hair as she kisses my chest, reminding me we are hardly wearing any clothes. Her gown and my night pants are discarded and lying somewhere in the corner of this bedroom. Though the urge to devour her again prickles my body I don’t want to exhaust her more than she already is by last night. So, I close my eyes again to avoid waking her up by my morning hardon. But my wife is too smart. She senses it even before I admit I am turned on for her and in minutes, her hands are everywhere on my lower body coaxing me to finish what I have in mind. The next instant we end up having a morning round of love making like most days and take another quick nap of an hour. Life couldn’t be better than this.

The sharp noise of gunshots wake me up again but I know exactly where they are coming from and why? The first thing I do is wear my clothes, get down the bed and open the window only to find my wife Khushi practicing the shooting wearing the noise cancelling ear muffs. The last six months she has shown a great improvement in aiming the target and now she can shoot like a pro. I hadn’t insisted her on learning to shoot but Khushi was curious to upgrade her skills and apart from learning self-defense from her bodyguard Kate, she practiced to shoot too.

She shoots the dummy targets all at their heads, and doesn't miss even a single shot, earning a clap from her father Shashi Gupta who is her audience at the moment and completely in awed of his daughter. She takes off the ear muffs and gives her father a hug. They speak something which I can’t hear at the balcony but I am sure her father must have told her how proud he is to see Khushi like this. As if Khushi senses my gaze and turns her head to see me. I pass her a flying kiss and she returns one before heading inside the house to do the rest of the household chores.

The door knocks and Madhumatiji enters my bedroom with a cup of strong coffee.

“Good morning” she says, before keeping the coffee over the table.

“Morning.”

She never failed to bring me coffee in my room every morning and also pampering me by cooking my favorite meals most of the time. She is my step mother and a lot has changed in our relationship too ever since I came here in Denmark. The first thing I did after coming here was informing her that my father was alive and everything related to him. The moment she got to know she insisted on seeing him once but upon learning how dangerous and impractical that is, she had given up that desire. My father was a captive in a private jail which was secured by my specially trained men and also the government assigned commandos. We managed to decrypt great information on the international mafias that had tie-ups with some local Dons in India and it only helped us to eradicate a few. There were still some to be tracked down but the agency had top secret agents to do that work. As promised, I was out of the agency the moment my father died, which was two months ago. And as soon as this news of his death reached me, I couldn’t resist myself from going to India once and completing the formalities. He was a criminal but in his final days he had helped the government which was why I was allowed to do the last rites and put an end to his chapter forever. It definitely hurt that day and I felt like an Orphan again. When I returned, Madhumatiji had embraced me in her arms and she cried her heart out. It is that day I realized how lonely she has been her entire life.

I feel bad for her. I always did. My father married her for whatever reasons but he could never give her the rights she deserved. But I wouldn’t repeat that mistake which he did and though I can never give my mother’s place to Madhumatiji, I still never considered her any less after that. We had found a base to our relationship and were progressing well.

“Khushi told me you had a headache last night..” she says, and I shake my head.

“That’s right. But I am feeling good now.”

“Hmm.” She keeps a bottle of oil on the table. “This oil on your head will help you relieve some stress. You have been stressing a lot lately.”

Am I? Maybe. But I didn’t realize she would pick that up too. She’s about to leave the room when I stop her.

“Will you give me a head massage?”

She is stunned at my question and happily agrees. Once she settles on the couch, I take a seat down. Madhumatiji pours some oil on my scalp and starts massaging. It feels bliss for sure. I don’t remember being pampered by such motherly feelings from anyone in the past few years. Though Maami and Nani were always around during my teenage, their care and concern was different than the affection Madhumatiji showered on me.

I literally feel good and my head feels light by the massage and when I open my eyes, Khushi is in the bedroom smiling at us.

“Do I need to be jealous?” she teases and Madhumatiji chuckles.

“You should..” I respond, stretching my hand to touch her. She takes my hand and then sits next to Buaji.

“Buaji, you never gave me a soothing head massage like this.” Khushi complains.

“That’s because she is more attuned to her son than her daughter-in-law.”

I don’t realize I just called myself Madhumatiji’s son. As if she feels awkward, Madhumatiji quickly winds up and tries to get up from the couch when I stop her again.

“I hope I am not imposing my rights on you.”

Madhumatiji is in tears which Khushi wipes off and I hold her hand in mine.

“Dad once had handed me to you after Mom’s death and you had taken up my responsibility in his absence. You have hated me for thinking I killed him and I could never meet your eyes knowing what I had did, though all that was just a farce. But now you know the rest.. you know the truth.. So do you still take me only as a pile on? A responsibility that you have to fulfil only because you promised my father once?”

I hadn’t expected to bring out this conversation now but it just happened and since its out, I don’t want her to leave without giving me an honest reply. Madhumatiji cups my face and smiles.

“You know Arnav, I always asked God in my prayers why did he got me married to a man who didn’t love me or could give me nothing in return. But I was so wrong. How could I forget that he gave me you.. a boy whom I might not have given birth but I still don’t take him any less than my own son.”

My heart swells with joy. She takes me as her son?

“I am not your mother but you have respected me like one. I might have hated you throughout but you have always given me the love and affection I never could have got from anyone else I know. So no Arnav. You are no longer a pile on to me. You are my strength. You are the only one whom I want to live for.. To see you happy and achieve great heights of success is my only motive. Because a mother’s life always revolves around her children and you are the only son I have..”

I don’t realize when my eyes tear up and to avoid them from noticing it, I lay my head on Madhumatiji’s lap. She strokes my head lovingly and I don’t want to move from there ever. If my real mother is watching this, she would be happy today to know that her son still has a motherly figure to look after him the way she would have wanted to if she had been alive.

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

Khushi’s POV

I never thought I would witness such beautiful conversation between Arnav and Buaji ever. But this was necessary. Now that I had seen their equation with each other changing in Denmark, I was so waiting for this moment when they would open their hearts for each other too and it happened. Just not how I had expected it to happen but I am glad they sorted it out.

“On this fabulous occasion of reconciling how about Buaji makes Aloo Puri for everyone?” I ask to make the moment a bit lighter.

“Why not? I’ll surely make it.” Buaji agrees.

“No you won’t..” Arnav snaps turning to me. “You can’t order my mother like that.

My jaw hangs at his accusation though I know he is only teasing me.

“Arnav.. stop scaring her. She wants to eat Aloo Puri, she will get it. Who else will I pamper if not her?”

“You pamper her enough,” he answers back. “So today no one is cooking. Neither you nor my wife.”

He gets up on his feet.

“I’m taking you all out for lunch. We are going to invite Nani, Maama-Maami, Akash, Sheetal also. Let’s have a family meal together.”

Great idea.

“I am in..” I happily agree.

“But..” Buaji intervenes. I know she is hesitant to be a part of Arnav’s mother’s side family but seems like Arnav is not ready to listen this time.

“No ifs and buts. I want to make this moment special for all of us.”

Buaji finally gives in.

“Alright.. Let me give this news to Shashiji too. I am sure he’ll be happy to have an outing today. He was getting bored from few days.”

That’s true. Dad is getting bored as there is no work for him here in Denmark. He also cannot handle the extreme cold weather of this place which makes me worry at times. As soon as Buaji leaves, my husband scoops me in his arms and carries me to the bathroom.

“What are you doing Mister?”

“Taking you to bath.. And saving time by joining you under the shower.”

“Smart move..” I bite his earlobe earning a sexy grunt from my husband. It was just last night when I had read such a shower scene in my mafia romance novel and I don’t mind a role play.”

“Don’t even think” Arnav reads my thoughts. “Your husband is not a mafia anymore. He is a common man..”

He turns on the shower and follows me in the shower cubicle, shutting the door.

“A common man who is also unemployed at the moment” I tease, helping him take out his Tshirt. Arnav still sweats in the gym every day and hasn’t left his ‘staying fit’ rule even after quitting the agency.

Arnav doesn't say a word and strips me.

“Why don’t you take up that offer-”

Before I could complete that statement, Arnav smashes his lips on me, silencing every word after. He always does that. He’s never ready to take up my advice on this matter but I won’t let him ignore it today. I really want him to do what makes him happy and this is the only way he can attain some peace of mind in his life. By joining the agency again!! After a heated round of romance under the shower, when we are out and getting dressed, I bring this topic again.

“Arnav, you should join the agency again. They need you.”

“We have talked about it Angel.. don’t force me.”

“I am not forcing you. But this is what you want too Arnav. Don’t lie to me. That work gives you the thrill you need. And everyone knows how smart you are in handling the dark world.”

When he doesn't respond and keeps ignoring meeting my gaze I force him to look at me.

“Tell me I am wrong. Tell me you don’t want to serve your country anymore like you used to once?”

“I do..” he snaps. “I haven’t forgotten the oath I took to serve my country in the time of need Khushi. But you have no effing clue what they want me to do this time. The project that they are assigning me needs me to become the same old King of the Devil again and this time it will be on International level. I’ll have to chase international mafias and though I don’t mind risking my life for it, I can’t risk yours.. I have put you in enough troubles so far. It is now that you are finally getting to lead a peaceful life with me.. I had promised you that once all that was over, I would give you all my time and we will start a family.. I don’t want to back off from that promise..”

Oh! I thought so.. I knew he wasn’t taking this up because of me and I wouldn’t let that happen. I smile holding his face in my palms.

“You are born to be the King of all Devils, Arnav.. The devil which can put fear in the minds and hearts of the criminals. You suit that position and the agency cannot trust anyone else to give in their hundred percent like you do. I know every night you have been looking at the offer letter from the agency and thinking how to deny them because you want to choose me and my security over them but you don’t have to. I know no matter what my Devil does, he will always protect me. I trust you with my heart and life. Please don’t neglect what you want to do and what you can do to save your country for me. Now coming to the dreams and promises that you made me, it will still happen in its course. We will figure something out to stay safe, grow a family of ours and still give our children safe and secured lives. But right now, you have to fulfil your duty towards them and I am with you.. I’ll always be with you..”

Arnav swallows painfully before embracing me tight. I know life might become rough again but we all learn from our mistakes and whatever loopholes Arnav missed taking care of during his first mission, he would be working on those this time. I want to be his strength and not the reason for his stress. He pulls away and kisses my forehead.

“You sure?” he asks again and I nod. A grin appears on his face the moment I shake my head. “I think more than me you like the title of being the Devil’s queen.?”

That cracks me up.

“Maybe I do..” I pout.

“God… Stop reading those insane mafia romances.. They are spoiling you Angel..”

“I think I am born to read those.. You should learn something from those novels too. The Devils there never give up doing what they do..”

“Is that so?” he tickles me and I wriggle. “As far as I have read your silly books, they do a lot of dirty romance. You want that angel?”

He keeps tickling me until I finally fall back on the bed with Arnav hovering on top of me.

“Arnav… stop.. we just showered..”

“You should have thought about that before mocking at me.”

Saying that he tears off my freshly worn dress to devour my body again. I don’t think I can ever get enough of my devil’s devilness. So now that Arnav has once again agreed to take up his role in the agency, I can’t wait for all those international criminals to threaten the Rise of the Devil again..

THE END.

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