Bride of Sheesh Mahal - Season 3 - Part 29B

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Chapter 29B


Khushi’s POV


I toss on the bed feeling restless. I don’t think I even slept for more than an hour. After Arnav brought me in the room, we made love for hours and then I don’t recall when in between I fell asleep. I shift behind to feel his body against mine but despite moving to his side of the bed when I don’t feel Arnav, I open my eyes and turn around. He is not on bed. Where can he go again at this hour? It’s not sunrise yet. Our room is still dark and as expected there is no light. Obviously that issue is still hanging as the electrician’s team fled seeing the mannequins in the basement room. I get down the bed and look for him in the bathroom but he is not here. I check the time. It’s around 04:00 am. Where can he go at this hour?


The curtains at the windows flow with the wind, bringing cool air in the room. Probably, we left the windows open at night. I quickly rush to shut them when I see a silhouette of a man at the backyard, staring at me from far. It doesn't take me long to realize he is Arnav. But what is he doing there? I can’t see him clearly yet nor pick what he is wearing. For now… all I see is his reflection but I’m sure its him. I quickly turn around and rush to the door. Arnav can’t be sleepwalking. Then what is he doing down there? I am about to reach for the doorknob when the door opens and Arnav steps inside.

I literally jerk behind seeing him in the room again.

“Hey… it’s me,. What happened?”

“You? you were. .. down.. there.. how.. how did you come back so fast?”

“Down?” He shrugs.. “I didn’t go down. I was just outside this room, at the lobby attending a US call from my client. Didn’t want to disturb your sleep. So.”


If Arnav was here in the lobby, who is down there? I quickly rush again to the windows but I don’t see that man down. He’s gone. Arnav reaches me and pulls me to him.

“What happened? Who are you looking for?”

“I saw him..” I reply. “You.. the blue-eyed version of you Arnav. He was down there and I thought its you so I was going to go down when you barged in..”


Arnav looks in the direction I pointed where the blue-eyed man stood and he sighs.


“Maybe you saw some shadow and assumed it to be me.”

“I can’t be mistaken. There was someone there..”

“Well now he’s gone. Hasn’t he? Let’s go to sleep.”

“Arnav, how can you take this lightly? Someone is haunting our lives and you want to ignore it?”

“I am deploying additional security for this palace, if that’s calms you a bit.”

“Additional security?” I repeat.

“Hmm. After what we found in the basement room, which none of the family members know about, I think someone was accessing this palace in our absence. We don’t stay here for long, Khushi. We hardly come here in a few years so obviously someone must have used that knowledge to their benefit and are accessing this place. That needs to stop. So I am deploying more guards, tightening the security of this palace so that henceforth such things could be taken care of.”


I don’t know if that would help. What if the one he is trying to protect us from is not in human form? What if it’s some spirit? Like the one I see in the form of Blue-eyed Arnav? Before I can raise my doubts, Arnav pulls me for a hug and then kisses the top of my head.


“You are stressed, Khushi. So am I. We both need some sleep so that we are energetic for tomorrow’s puja in the palace.”


He is right. Sleep is all we need at the moment. I don’t retort when he leads me to the bed and then cuddles closer.

“We need to fix the light issues too. This can’t go on forever..” I murmur, snuggling to his chest.

“That’s also been taken care of. I have called a team from Delhi to look into the issue and fix it.”


I am glad he did. Hopefully, with me cleansing this house spiritually and Arnav taking care of the other aspects, we might be able to drive away the fears of this palace soon and safeguard the family.


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

Next Morning


The priests arrive along with Gopalji. Payal also accompanies them and I am glad she is more than willing to assist me in getting the stuff arranged for the Puja. Everything is set. The family is also made aware that this Puja is done for the betterment and safety of the family and even though none of them know the real motive behind doing this, they all participate willingly, including Arnav. The Puja will be done in the main living room as there is no enough space at the basement to perform this with all the Priests but then the holy water will be sprinkled throughout the palace, including the basement and every other room and corner of this place so that the negative energy is driven away. I can’t wait for this ritual to end so that we are cleansed from its darkness.


“Khushi Ma’am,” Hari Prakash interrupts me as I make my way from the kitchen to the main living room. The family have assembled there and the puja will begin any moment.


I halt at the servant’s interruption.

“Some woman has come to meet you outside.”

“Meet me?” I repeat.

“Yes, she was asking for Daadiji but since she is busy with the priests, I told her you might be available.”

“Oh.. who is she? Did she give any name?”

“No.. But she told she’s come from the Ashram..”


Ashram? I am stunned. Is she from the same ashram where Daadi and me had been the other day looking for Maha Pandit Yogiji? Of course, I couldn’t let ignoring this woman who had come here in Sheesh Mahal. I quickly stride out to meet her. A woman around my age, tall, thin and wearing a plain dark orange color salwar is standing at the foyer, looking at the backyard.


“Namaste” I say, and she instantly turns around. She’s a pretty woman and too hard to believe she’s from that Ashram where I have mostly seen only old women staying.

“Namaste..” she smiles coming forward. “You must be the bride of sheesh mahal?”

That tag still brings shivers to my body.


“Yes. My name is Khushi”

“And I am Sheetal.. Maha Pandit Yogiji was my grandfather.”


Oh!! Grandfather? She is Maha Pandit Yogiji’s granddaughter?

“Nice to meet you.. But.. what are you doing here?”

She takes a deep sigh.

“Umm.. is there some place where we can talk privately?”

“yea sure.. Please come inside..”

“No..” she snaps. “I can’t come inside.. I mean.. not yet…”

“Not yet?” I query back. “What do you mean?”


Sheetal scans at the exterior of the palace and then looks in my eyes again.


“You and I both know this place is not normal and I don’t want to take risk by stepping here without any shield. I just want to speak to you and Subhadraji. You both had come to the Ashram the other day, I got to know and ever since then I was waiting to talk to you. But not here.”

“Why not here?” I query.

“Because I don’t want to alert that negative energy about whatever I am going to share.”


I am confused.. She knows this place has some negative energy? How?

“And whatever you are going to tell me can’t reach that spirit if you speak to me outside this palace?” I curiously ask.

“Yes.. because whatever that is.. is bind to this palace and it can’t do anything outside. At least not to people who are not directly related to this family.. like me.. and you..”


I am so confused with her remarks but I don’t want to ignore her. If she is really that Maha Pandit’s granddaughter, her insight to this palace issue will be helpful.


“We have a puja going on inside. I can’t miss it.. But you are welcome inside and if you don’t want to then I’ll ask the servants to attend you till we finish it. Then you can speak to me and Daadi both.”

“This Puja won’t make a difference Khushi,” she shrugs. “Whatever has trapped this family is not going to make its way out so easily. This is why I am here.. But I don’t want to stop you if you want to attend it. I can’t wait here for long.”


She removes some piece of paper and then hands it to me.


“This is a guest house where I am residing for now. Meet me here when you are free. I’ll be in this town for some time.”


I take the paper from her and then she gets inside her car again. I didn’t realized she had drove in a car, until she starts the engine.


“Don’t delay meeting me, Khushi. If you want to save your family, I must say you have already wasted enough time.. So don’t delay more. Bye.”


And she drives away.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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The Forbidden Series - Book 2 (Enemies to Lovers Romance Novel)

Khushi Thakur
Have compassion for your family and be heartless towards your enemies. This has been my only slogan since I became the backbone of the RS Group of Companies where I am in charge of dealing with their tricky competitors. This time our focus is on the AR Group, which has rattled to its core ever since its CEO, Aarav Raichand allegedly stepped down from his position. Whatever they say, I'm still certain he's a tornado disguised as my business rival. There’s something about this man that I loathe and something that draws me insanely towards him. This unseen magnetism between us coaxes me to believe Aarav is that missing piece of my life’s puzzle, which I had given up solving.

Aarav Raichand
Two years ago, my world crashed down forever when I lost my wife, Jhanvi Raichand. But then I saw her again, this time in my rival’s arms. Everyone said she only had a similar face. I believed that too. She wasn’t my Jaan. She was not the one who transformed me from a vengeful man to a loving husband. But I was drawn to her like a moth to fire. Could she be my Jaan and didn’t want to recognize me anymore? If I could avenge my family to bring justice to my life earlier, I would burn down the world this time to get this woman in my arms again. The only difference is that this time there will be no rules. It’s about time I remind them what it meant to meddle with the love of a big bad wolf!!

The world had seen my Revenge; now they would witness my Rivalry.

Reading Order of The Forbidden Series:
Book 1 – Forbidden
Book 2 – Fallen


EBOOK LINK (ON AMAZON) HERE

Read the PROLOGUE HERE