Bride of Sheesh Mahal - Season 3 - Part 33

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Chapter 33


Arnav’s POV


My only condition of taking Khushi along today to Delhi was that she would have to wear my preferred dress throughout this day and she had no option to deny. I chose a black dress for her as red one would have been more enticing for me. Also, she promised to wear it for me once we finish the office meeting and I agree with that as I wouldn’t be able to focus on my meeting keeping my wife wait in a sexy dress inside my office cabin. I make sure to carry the dress bag with me while I exit my room to get down. Khushi is speaking to my family who suddenly have so many questions why she is accompanying me to Delhi for work. She is too nervous to reply all their queries so I help her.


“C’mon, everyone. Stop troubling my wife. She wanted to spend this day with me here but I couldn’t postpone the meeting. So, taking her along is the best solution.”

“Bhai,” Akash interrupts. “We also desire so much that you spend the day with each one of us taking a break from work.. We never got such a royal treatment before.”

What? Seriously? I know he is teasing but soon almost everyone from the family adds.

“Same here Nannav..” NK says. “You never took us out..”

“Shut up guys. I am already getting late for the meeting,” I slide my arms around Khushi’s waist and she immediately jumps in surprise. I can’t believe she still hasn’t got used to my touches.

“You took everything you need?” she asks, giving me a nervous smile.

“I don’t need anything else. I have you..” I whisper just for her ears.

She puts a hand over my chest to stop me from advancing. Public display of love that too before my family is a strict no from my wife.

“We are staying in Shantivan tonight,” she mentions.

“We are?” I am confused. “What’s the need? We can drive back home tonight after the meeting and our ‘we’ time ends.”

“What’s the hurry? We could spend a night there. Just you and me..”


Khushi has never been this vocal about her feelings towards me and I love it when she enjoys appreciating our intimacy but I still don’t understand why can’t we come back home?


“Khushi, we can spend the night here too.. Just you and me.. On our bed.. why do you want to stay in Shantivan tonight?”


She frowns. “This is my day… my plans. Don’t ruin it.. Please.”

I give up.

“Alright. As my wife wants.” I wink at her and then saying goodbyes to the family, we head to the car. Khushi tells me she already has packed the stuff that we might need tonight to stay at Shantivan. I suppose she has a lot planned for us and I can’t wait.


The moment I open the car door for her, she steps back.


“You are driving us to Delhi?”

I don’t understand Khushi’s question. I always thought she likes it when I drive.

“Yea, why? It’s hardly a two-hour drive, Khushi.”

She leans closer and slides her arm around mine.

“If you drive, how can we spend time with each other? All your focus will be on the road. Let’s take a driver please.”


She’s got a point. I peck the top of her forehead.

“In that case, we are taking the other car. Not this one.”

She doesn't understand why. I pull her to the black Audi car instead and ask our driver Mohan to come along. He takes the keys from me and gets into the driver’s seat. The moment me and Khushi get in the backseat of the car, Khushi realizes why I changed the vehicle. This one has a wooden partition between the front and backseats, isolating us completely. Mohan wouldn’t be able to see us at all until I slide open this partition to give him any instructions.


I lean at Khushi’s ear to whisper. “I am all yours for the next two hours.”

Khushi’s face is flushed at the idea but she happily leans her head on my shoulder, keeping our fingers entwined on her lap. Our ride begins.


It’s a smooth ride. I think its best that I didn’t drive today. I already feel very lightheaded as if someone is trying to play with my mind inside my head.. I don’t like this feeling but I ignore it and focus on Khushi. As if she remembers something, Khushi pulls her head away from my shoulder and quickly fishes her purse. She removes a red thread similar to the one I lost in the basement the other day. She is about to tie it on my wrist when I pull my arm away.


“What is this?”

Khushi looks shocked at my rough tone.

“This is Raksha dhaga. I made another one for you and I want you to wear it.”

I should wear it but I don’t want to. It’s like my heart and mind are giving me conflicting reactions. My heart says though I don’t believe in all this, I should wear it for Khushi for my mind is very much defensive in accepting her wish.


“I don’t want to wear it,” I blurt and she gives me a sarcastic glare.

“Why not?”

“Khushi is it necessary to answer all your silly questions? When I don’t want to do something, don’t force me..” I snap.


She looks utterly disappointed by my remark. Damn hell, I even see tears in her eyes. What is wrong with her? Or wait. Is something wrong with me? Why am I over reacting? It’s a simple thread. It wont harm me if I wear it. But I just can’t make that decision. As if, its not in my hands. I want to agree to her but my mind is not supporting my feelings.


“It’s okay,” she cups my face. “Don’t stress..”

She unfists my fingers which I didn’t even realize I had fisted. Was I that angry? Khushi keeps the thread back in her purse and then pulls me closer to her face.


“Calm down..” she whispers stroking my cheeks with her fingers.

I am calm, ain’t I? I don’t know.. doesn’t feel like me. I don’t ever lose my temper over such small thing.


Her touch on my face soothes me down and I instantly scoop Khushi in my arms.

“I am sorry.” I kiss her forehead. “I don’t know what went wrong but I shouldn’t have scolded you like that. I didn’t mean it, Khushi. You know that, don’t you?”

“I know..” she smiles.

“Why did I lose my temper like that? Over you?”

“You are stressed. That’s all. I am sure once this meeting ends you’ll be good.”


She is right. I have over worked in the last few days and this meeting is important. Once that’s done, I am going to make sure I spend all my time with Khushi. I don’t care what work comes after that. She will be my only priority. I quickly pull her on my lap and she stares at me in question.

“Let’s make some use of this car, shall we?”

She knows what I mean and before I realize, Khushi pecks my rough two-day old stubble. She uses her other finger to scratch it and all my defenses to make slow love to my wife flies out of the window. I pull her to me and kiss her like a savage.


“I wish this was a long long drive… like four to five hours.” I murmur kissing her all over her face and neck.. Khushi mutters something in between, probably a response to my silly remark, which I can’t comprehend. She’s wearing a navy blue salwar suit at the moment not letting me access her body like I desire. When I try to unzip her dress, she stops me. I realize she is too shy to perform something like this in the car when we have the driver so close, though he won’t come to know or hear anything. I zip her back and then kiss her neck again.

“I wish this meeting ends before time so that we finish this back at Shantivan..”

“I hope that too..” she whispers and hugs me again.


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

Khushi’s POV

Arnav was behaving strange when I asked him to wear the Raksha dhaga. Though I do realize the cons of it if he doesn't wear that thread, I could do nothing at that moment when I saw him fisting his fingers in anger. If I hadnt stopped him, calmed him down, he would have bruised his palms with his nails. And a blood oozing out from his body today is a strict no. I didn’t wanted to take that risk so I gave up pestering him to wear the dhaga. So I didn’t force him for anything. Seems like whatever spell is controlling Arnav, it’s too strong to let him wear such holy and sacred things on him. Earlier Arnav wore it because things were still in pretty much control. But ever since he gave the permission to open the basement door, something has happened which has turned the spell of Chandrika stronger and it’s pulling Arnav in its grip. I recall Arnav mentioning to me last night that he feels his body heavy. I spoke to Sheetal about it last night when Arnav was busy doing his work, and she told me it could be because he has another personality residing in his body… in his head… The very thought of it reminded of the blue-eyed version of Arnav which I keep seeing very often in and around Sheesh Mahal. But I couldn’t tell that to Sheetal yet as we didn’t get much time to speak over the phone last night. Arnav had finished his work and he was back in the room to rest.


“Hey…” Arnav bites my earlobe breaking my trance. “Where are you lost?”


I realize we are still in the car which has entered the gates of some office like building premises.

“We are here.. At AR Group..”

“We reached?” I quickly wriggle to get down from his lap but Arnav keeps me glued to him.

“You dozed off on my lap, do you realize that?” he teases.


I did? During our little make out in the car? Could be.. I was really tired. Last night I had to do too much of planning to make sure today Arnav doesn't leave my sight.

“I am.. I am sorry for that..” I pout and he rubs his nose with mine.

“That’s fine. We have evening and the entire night for our ‘we’ time. Now take this…”


He hands me a bag.

“That’s your dress for today.. Remember, you had promised me to wear it..”

I nod shyly taking it from him.

“Good. Now c’mon. Let me show you my office.”


We get down the car and as promised, Arnav gives me a quick tour of his work place. I never knew the AR Group has such strong base in Delhi and I wonder if I am so captivated by this office, what will my reactions be when I see his London Office. I am told it’s the best the AR Group has so far. The staff greets me and they obviously are surprised that their Boss’s wife is accompanying him to the Office today.


I gently tug on Arnav’s arm as we walk ahead towards the elevator.


“What happened? Why do you look nervous? It’s my meeting not yours..”

“I know.. but.. I hope your staff likes me..”

Arnav rolls his eyes.

“Why do you think they won’t like you?”

“I don’t belong to your class.. I mean.. look at these women around.. They are so stylish, modern and.. and for sure they earn my yearly package every month..”

Arnav stops and grabs my arms to pull me to him. I am mortified for sharing my heart out but I really feel I don’t belong here. If this is how I feel in Delhi, what will happen we shift permanently to London? Arnav pulls my chin up to lock our gazes.


“They come from a different background, I agree. But if out of all these women I am always surrounded with, if I chose you as my life partner, it definitely means you are exceptional Khushi. You have the qualities which they don’t.. And I have something for you which I don’t have for them… And that’s love.. I love you..”


His words calm all my worries. If we weren’t in his office, surrounded by his staff and security cameras, I would have kissed him hard.

“Don’t give me that look,” Arnav clenches his jaw. “I might drag you to Shantivan leaving the meeting I have..”

I chuckle and pat his chest softly.

“Lets go..”

“Yup..”


We step inside the elevator and he presses some button of the 15th floor. It doesn't work. Arnav presses it again and it still doesn't take the sensor.

“Damn, what’s wrong with the button?”

He is about to hit his fist on the button board when I stop him. He could hurt his palm if he does it.

“Let me try..”

Arnav nods and I press the button this time. It works.

“Thank God.”


I smile at him while he quickly composes himself. One thing I have noticed is that his temper rises too soon these days. He shows me his cabin and asks me to wait there while he chairs the meeting which is just in the room next to his. I don’t argue because the good part is that I can still keep a watch on him while he is in the other room. These two rooms are separated by a glass wall which is such that I can see everything happening in there, the people in the other room can’t see me back. I am glad Arnav chose this particular room for the meeting. He makes sure I am comfortable in his cabin by asking his secretary to bring coffee and refreshments. I don’t need them but he still urges me to order more if I need.


As soon as the meeting time is up, Arnav leaves for the other room and begins the conference. I admire my husband who is so confidently speaking to the clients and they all look very happy and convinced with whatever Arnav is explaining to them. He has both charming looks and genius mind to rule his business and I am proud of it.


The meeting finally ends and I see Arnav shaking hands with the clients. I make sure to keep my eyes on him. Arnav had asked me to change into this dress which I haven’t done yet as I didn’t want to miss observing him. Now that he would come back to the cabin, I can change into his washroom here. Everyone disperses from the room and now Arnav is alone. He gets a call on his phone which he quickly answers. He speaks to the person normally and then hangs up. The very next moment he shuts his eyes. What happened? He was okay so far. What went wrong? Arnav opens his eyes again and robotically moves to the table. I think he is going to get his laptop but instead he picks the glass of water. Maybe he is thirsty. Of course, he has to be. He spoke a lot today in the meeting. He sips some water and instead of keeping the glass back on the table, he turns to the glass wall which separates us. Can he see me? I don’t think so. He keeps walking slowly to my direction and I do the same. The moment I am near the wall, I jerk back. His eyes… He has blue eyes again.. How?? How is it possible? Who the hell is this blue-eyed version of my husband?


“Arnav..” I shout the instant I realize what he is going to do. He has fisted the glass of water so hard in his palm that it might break any moment.. “Arnav don’t..” I shout banging at the glass wall separating us..


He is doing this so that he bleeds. No… Please don’t.. Arnav gives me a wining smirk. It’s not Arnav who is smirking at me.. It’s the blue-eyed version of him. I run to the door, open it and barge in the conference room adjacent to it. But I am late.. As soon as I enter, I see Arnav’s palm bleeding and the pieces of the broken glass have scattered on the floor. Arnav is as surprised as I am… And his eyes color are normal again.


“Damn..” he winces.. “How the hell did I break the glass?”


Tears roll down my eyes as I realize how badly I failed to keep him safe today..


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

Note: Friends, the spooky romance will be in next part. So sorry that I couldnt include it in tonight's update. 

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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