Bride of Sheesh Mahal - Season 3 - Part 25

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Chapter 25


Khushi’s POV

Akash adjusts the projector and the video clip starts. I am introduced to Arnav’s grandfather who according to me looks very stubborn. Daadi tells me he was very strict. The whole of Sheesh Mahal’s staff feared him but he had love for all his grandchildren. Especially on Arnav as he was the eldest grandson of this family. I am sitting next to Arnav, watching the videos with full attention. The next clip is of Arnav’s baby shower. The whole of the town was called and everyone offered blessings to him.

“Look at Chotte.. he was so tiny..” Anjali di giggles as the one-month-old Arnav squeals in his mother’s lap as a group of women give him blessings together.

“Who are these women?” I ask, staring carefully at the attires of these women whom I tried to figure out.

“Arnav’s grandfather had called these women from a special ashram. We just know that almost everyone from the town called this group of old ladies on any auspicious events.”

I keep a keen eye on one of these women who is specifically hiding her face from everyone. She’s noticeable in many parts of the baby shower video clip but she’s always hiding her face whereas the other women in the group aren’t. That’s strange. Why do I feel I have seen this woman somewhere.. She is definitely very old and almost around the same age as Daadi would have been during Arnav’s baby shower. But her eyes.. and she has a mark too on her forehead. A green mark which looks like a tattoo. It’s exactly at the center of her forehead. None of these other women in that group have that kind of tattoo except her.


The next video clip plays where Arnav is around four years old. His sibling Akash was three and Nandakishore was hardly one year old. They were all playing with Anjali di.


“See how handsome Chotte was,” Daadi says this time.

I turn to Arnav who is little nervous that I am watching his childhood pictures.

“Khushi Bhabhi, if you both have a boy, he will be ditto like bhai” Akash teases and my cheeks flush with that comment.


Arnav looks at me raising his brows and while everyone else re-focus on the videos, he leans to my ears.


“We never talked about when to start a family, did we?” he whispers.

Though it is a very important discussion, this is not the right time.

“Arnav?” I frown scanning around to ensure no one is seeing us or listening our talks. Luckily the lights are also dim so no one can sense what is happening between us. Arnav raises my hand and kisses the back of my fingers.

“I have a surprise for you..”

“Surprise?” I swallow.

“Hmm.. Will tell you later.”

I nod and then quickly pull my arm from his. The videos continue and they introduce me a few of their far relatives who couldn’t make it to our wedding. The Raizadas are a big family. Soon, the next video picks my attention. It’s a video collage of many photos of these siblings at various places of the Sheesh Mahal. A few have been clicked in the basement and one of them has Arnav and Akash standing right before the same door from where I had heard a suspicious clock ticking sound the other day when I had been to the basement. The same door which has two old fashioned locks on it and according to Arnav it has the old stuff of Sheesh Mahal dumped inside. What surprises me is the fact that when this photo was clicked, the door had no locks. This means someone had accessed that door and the locks were placed later. What was behind it? Arnav and Akash were hardly 6 to 7 years old in that picture which meant until then someone from the family used to access that room. But who is it and why is now the access not allowed?


I keep that question to myself for now and continue checking the other videos. It’s finally late night when we shut the projectors and everyone disperses to their respective rooms. Arnav speaks something to Akash who gives him a thumbs up as if they are just discussing some plan and when I reach them, they both go quiet.


“I am heading upstairs..” I say to Arnav who grabs my hand.

“I am coming along..” He wishes Akash Goodnight and then we both make our way to the stairs.

“What were you speaking with Akash?”

“Just work related talks..”


He doesn't meet my eyes which means he is lying.

“You needed transparency in our relationship and this is how you are maintaining it? By keeping secrets from your wife?” I debate.

“F*ck Khushi. you…”

“Again?” I scowl at him for using that word and he literally stops in the middle of the stairs.

“Alright, I am hiding something from you but that’s because its meant to be a surprise. I’ll tell you what it is tomorrow. Not now.”

“Surprise?”

“Yes..” he grins. “I hope you will love it.”

Who doesn't love surprises? I am about to ask him to share the surprise right now but I don’t want to spoil it. I can sustain with this excitement for one night.


“fine, now quickly say sorry to Devi Maiyaa for using that word and then we are good to go..”


Arnav rolls his eyes but doesn't disappoint me.

“Sorry Devi Maiyyaa..”

I smile at my husband who never fails to do what I ask. So I decide to tease him a bit more.

“Now say sorry to me. I am the one who is forced to hear that word from you after all…”

“What the F..”

He is about to repeat that word but pauses at the right time. I hold my laughter seeing his messy state and Arnav realizes I am simply teasing. He takes a step towards me.

“You want me to say Sorry to you too now, huh?”

“I don’t mind.” I step behind..

He begins to tickle me the very next instant. I wriggle from his hold and try to run towards our room but Arnav is too quick to grab me and this time he leans down and carries me in his arms.


“Arnav? Put me down…”

“Not until you get your punishment..”

He walks us to our bedroom.

“Which punishment? What did I do?”

“You were teasing and confusing your husband unnecessarily. that’s why”

“What is my fault in this if my husband is so dumb?”


I shut my mouth the moment I say that. Arnav gives me a glare. But it’s still a teasing one..

“You are getting two punishments now.. One for troubling me and second for calling me dumb..”

“Haww.. How can you be so rude?”

“Three…”


Hey Devi Maiyaa, he is increasing the count and seems like it’s better I zip my lips. A part of me is curious though what his punishment could be. We reach our bedroom and Arnav puts me on the bed. Only when I think he is going to join me there, Arnav heads to the closet. He’s already in night suit, what is he looking for then? I wait patiently until he pulls out the same red nighty I bought the other day on his request to please him.


“You are going to wear this tonight,” he declares.


My jaw drops at his demand.

“Chee… No.. I.. I can’t wear that…”

“It’s your punishment… You can’t deny..” he grins stretching the night gown towards me. “go”

“Arnav? I am not wearing that. It’s too..”

“See through?”


Yes that’s the right word but hearing it from his lips, burns my body. Arnav reaches closer and pulls my chin up to meet his gaze.


“Khushi I am your husband. You don’t have to feel awkward or hesitant to wear anything like that before me..”

He is right but…

“If you are not ready for more, we can wait.. But that has nothing to do with you wearing this piece of cloth tonight.. I promise I wont make you do anything you don’t like..”


I zip his lips with my finger.


“You don’t have to promise anything or convince me beyond this.. I trust you.”

A smile plays on his lips as I finish that sentence. It’s a big thing for both of us to show trust on each other but at this stage of our lives where we are a couple and want to lead a normal marriage, we have to trust the other’s demands, needs and instincts.. I am about to take the gown from him when the lights go off.


“Damn hell.” He scowls. “This is happening recurrently now..”

I giggle.

“Devi Maiyaa is on my side tonight. She didn’t want you to see me in this gown yet..”

“What do you mean?” he growls.

“Means, there is no light in the room. At least not enough for you to even know what I am wearing.. plus…” I reach closer and hold his hand. “I get scared of the dark. Can we push this punishment plan to tomorrow?”


Arnav thinks for a few seconds.

“That seems the only option right now..” He kisses my forehead and then leads me back to bed. “Let’s go to sleep. I swear tomorrow I am getting the electrician fix this issue and if they don’t, I am doing it myself.”


I laugh at his frustration. But he is right. The way these lights go every night is not very accommodating. We need to get it fixed. We lay on the bed and I immediately cuddle him. I am too exhausted to think of anything else right now. The videos were interesting but they consumed a lot of my thought process too which is why the instant I lie on the bed, I start snoring..


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

I wake up at night feeling thirsty. Its still dark. The jug on the bedside table is empty and I realize I didn’t fill it up tonight while coming to the bedroom. Now I’ll have to go all the way down to the kitchen to get it. I turn to my left to make sure Arnav is aware I am going down but his side of the bed is vacant. How’s it possible? Where is Arnav?


“Arnav?” I call him out but no response. “Arnav where are you?” I call again, loudly this time. Fortunately, when I press the buttons, the lights turn on. He is not in the room. Where can he go? Strange thoughts fill my head and I instantly get down the bed to look for him. All the lights in the lobby are off which looks a bit scary. I turn them on one by one as I make my way to the stairs. There’s no sign of Arnav yet. I keep descending the stairs when I hear some movement from the basement area. Is he there? Why would he go to the basement area at this hour of the night? Work? Is he working? He has a home office in the basement. Should I go and check? Maybe I should. I keep chanting Devi Maiyaa’s name as I make my way to the basement. I try to switch on the lights here but they don’t work. It’s too dark but I do hear some whispers down. The whispers of a woman… Who can be here at this odd hour? I keep chanting Devi Maiyaa’s name until I finally reach the basement area and the only light that’s keeping my pathway glowed is the torch light of my phone.


“Arnav? Are you here?” I keep walking ahead. The next instant the whispers fade and there is dead silence. As if whoever was whispering has suddenly stopped it knowing I am here.


I felt the whispers came from the same room which is locked from ages.. But the torch light of my phone is not that effective that I can see if the door is still locked or is someone accessing it.


“Khushi?”


Arnav’s voice from behind me, makes me jerk.

“Arnav?” I run back to him straight in his arms.

“Hey… what are you doing here?” he asks, stroking my hair.

“Where were you? I woke up and you were not on bed..”

“I was in the kitchen. There was no water in the jug so I came down to drink.”


I exhale. Glad that he is fine.

“Lets go” He leads us back to the stairs of the basement.

“I.. I feel someone is here…”

“Here?” He turns back with me to scan the dark place. “Who will come here at this hour? It’s around 03:00 pm. Everyone is sleeping in their rooms.”

“I heard whispers of a woman, Arnav. I swear I did..”

“Maybe you felt you heard someone but in reality, that was only your hallucination.”


I am sure I heard the whispers of someone from here but I know it’s hard to prove. For now we walk back to our room but I know, there is some mystery related to the basement which I have to solve soon.


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


The next morning the first thing I do is ask a copy of those videos from Akash, the ones which we saw yesterday with the family. I don’t want him to feel suspicious so I tell him I want to see baby Arnav anytime I wish to and he happily agrees. Then I make sure to check with every staff member who stays in Sheesh Mahal during nights to know if any of the female staff had accessed the basement last night. Obviously everyone denies doing so stating they sleep early so that they can get back to work early.


“Khushi? What happened?” Anjali interrupts me when I am making this enquiry.

The staff leaves and I turn to her.

“Di, I thought someone was down at the basement at around 3:00 am in the morning.”

“What? At the basement?”

“Yes..” I nod. “I heard some female whispers from there. So..”

“Khushi,” Daadi and Manorama Chachi joins the conversation. “Why had you been to the basement that late?”


Oh God! I don’t want the family to get involved in this but fortunately Arnav comes to my rescue.


“Daadi, she came looking for me. Not finding me in the bedroom she thought I was down there working.. The water jug was empty so I was in the kitchen and Khushi thought I was in the basement..”

He reaches us.

“Oh. That’s okay.”


Soon a team of electricians with their equipment get in the house. The staff member guides them to the basement again.

“They are going to fix our lights issues..” Arnav informs before the family gets curious. “And, you need to be ready by around 05:00 pm. So please wind up fast everyone..”

“Ready?” I am instantly alert.. “What for? Where are they going?”

“Arnav didn’t tell you?” Daadi asks.

“I’ll tell her now Daadi.. Can you please excuse us?” Arnav holds my hand to take me away.

“Sure sure.. How can we stop the newly wed couples from not spending time alone.” Di teases.

“Thanks Di..” he winks at them and leads me away.

“Arnav? What is all this? You promised me to stop them from going anywhere.”

“I know I did…”

“Then why are you not abiding by it?”

“Because they are not going alone nor are they leaving you and me alone here.. we all are going to Delhi for the next 2- 3 days.”


Delhi?

“But why?”

“Just like that. To spend some time there and you also have to visit Shantivan. It’s a beautiful house.. You’ll love it.”


Though I like that he is not letting only the family leave. We too are going with them.

“This is the surprise you were going to give me today?”

“Yes. It’s going to be a great outing for the family and ..”

The next instant, Arnav slides his arm around my waist and draws me closer to his body. There’s nowhere I can escape him.

“And that’s the place where you’ll wear that night gown for me…”


My eyes pop out from their sockets at his declaration. He is not going to give up chasing me for that, will he?

One of the electricians calls him and I quickly pull away from his hold. Arnav gestures him to speak.

“The lights are absolutely fine. There is no problem so far that we have analyzed. But we will check deeper. For that we might need two three days to check the connection in each room.”

“Great” Arnav nods. “The family isn’t here for two three days so you can do your work. My staff will be here to assist you when needed.”


The electrician agrees and leaves.

“See, we got another reason to get out of this palace. Now go pack our stuff while I do some work.”


I agree and head back to our room. Though the idea of this little family trip excites me, I still have a slight fear something is going to happen in our absence here.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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