Chapter 1

Omoraboti

@Omoraboti

Arnav stared at the phone in his hand helplessly. Only a few moments ago it was his link to Khushi - he could hear her, feel her, assure her. He forgot everything else - event that he was confined to this dark, suffocating room. All that mattered was to let Khushi know how he felt. Now that he could not hear her anymore, the reality came back biting him. He threw away the phone in frustration. Arnav Singh Raizada was never weak. He was not scared of the kidnappers. He knows he will leave no stone unturned to see the end of it, to find out the person responsible for all this and punish him. But the thought of Khushi weakens him. The only thing that seems to scare him is the possibility of not being able to see her again, to hold her in her arms, to tell her everything else he has ever wanted to tell, to make her all his.

Meeting Khushi while breaking away from the goons and their few moments of intimacy in that deserted hut seemed like a dream to Arnav now. Was it real? Did Khushi really come for him? Did he really get to touch her innocence? He were, as if, engulfed inside her at one moment and then everything just turned into smoke in the twinkle of an eye. Arnav starts to wonder if it was really a dream - a dream within a dream, a sweet dream within a nightmare to be more specific.

Holding his head in utter despair, Arnav feels the only thing that would probably make everything alright if this was indeed a nightmare - if he would wake up at some point of his life realizing he was just having a bad dream. Only if life gave him this chance, he would right every wrong that ever happened to them. Nothing mattered to him anymore. He just wanted to make everything right for her - no more hurt, no more tears, no more heartache - just the two of them together living a life - his attitude and her antics. They would fight but only to surrender to their love.

When did this nightmare begin? Was it when she dropped from the heaven on his arms and he decided on no ground he deserved to have such a gift & so went on to accusing her of having the wrong motive? Did it begin when he called her a low class only to hurt her to the core and ripped her off her dignity? Did she understand at all how affected he was by her innocent charm & how it took all his willpower to move his eyes from those luscious lips? How lost he was in those hazel eyes .. only if she knew. He broke her pearl strings and he never admitted it was not only out of rage - he just wanted to avoid the unknown feelings she was generating in him. How he wished now he could tell her how he really felt that night.

Only if he could wake up to see her still in her arms in her green lehenga, shivering like a rain-drenched amazon green bird.. he would carry her in his arms, walk out of the ostentatious fashion show & make her seated in his car. He would drive her straight home, end Payal's dowry-conditioned wedding and ask both the sisters' hands for the heirs of the Raizada's. Would she agree to marry him? His family perhaps would find no trouble to have grooms for their daughters from the Raizadas. Perhaps, even Payal, being the good daughter, would happily get married to Akash as her family would wish so. But Khushi? Would she give him her hands willingly? Arnav Singh Raizada is too good in making deals. He perhaps could easily get her to marry him in some way or other - forcing her, manipulating her .. but Arnav knows she would woo her, convince her of his love and take his time to finally bring her to Shanti Bhaban in her Red-Green bridal wear .. only if life gave him the chance.

Arnav almost falls into a delirium as he could vision Khushi trying to understand his motives as she sits all frightened beside him in the car. She does not even resist as Arnav nears really close to her & buckles up her seat belt. He moves away slowly breathing her and starts the car. Khushi was in a trance - was it because of the sudden turns of events or was it because of the sheer impact of the handsome man sitting beside him - only Devi Maiya could tell. She comes back to earth as the man asks him in a husky voice, "What got you here?" Did he have to sound that good too? Where ends the limit of attraction? Khushi gulps visibly - she was new to this attraction, this feeling brewing insider her. She gulps again - stammers a bit and then tells him her story in a breath. Arnav chuckles silently at her breathlessness - she talks as if she played a rhapsody. Does she even breathe when she talks? "Dowry, hmm," Khushi's eyes widen in admiration as he opens his mouth again, "Let me know which turns to take. We are going to your house." Khushi tries to tell him she can manage herself and her bike was in the parking lot. She even tries to put up a fight with him to stop the car. The man just looks at him, devoid of any emotions. "You can thank me when you are home," he utters, "Arnav Singh Raizada never lets anyone go unpunished for ruining his show. And here, he is driving you home. Just shut up and let me take you home. Understood?"

Khushi could sense the arrogance, the authority. She does not understand why he is driving her home but she was yet to meet his Jijaji. "But I have to convince my Jijaji about the dowry .." she starts only to be snapped off. "Shut up, I said," he grumbles, "The family who could ask for dowry, never deserve a good bride. So stop thinking about him. We will find your sister a good groom." Khushi's mouth turned into a perfect "O" - what does this guy think of himself? He is talking about breaking his sister's marriage! "Do you even know what it means for a girl to have her marriage broken at the mandap?" she flares again. "I know," Arnav replies calmly, "And that is why I am willing to find your sister a good groom. And trust me, I can do that." Khushi tries to reply but backs off as he glares again, "Shut up, ok?"

As they reached the house, Khushi's heart sank as she could sense the loss of light at her home. It was nearly empty and fear crept in. As she ran into the house, Arnav followed him with silent footsteps. Arnav could see the shattered faces - some eyes & mouths blaming the apparently nave girl he just brought in. She was in tears, trying to explain but the anguish of the broken wedding took over everything. A pretty & soft girl was trying to console everyone who Arnav assumed as the unfortunate bride from her appearance. He was wondering what really got him here. Why was he standing in the yard of a middle class house of Lucknow and that too after brining the girl of the house with him. Now that he has done so much, being the control freak he was, he decided to stand by her - the girl whose name he yet did not know.

"She is not lying," he almost shook everyone to their core with his deep voice as he speaks out, "She came to my property, ruined my fashion show and I have brought her home to see if she was lying to me. Apparently, she did not lie to me and neither is she lying to you." Even amid all these Khushi was shocked at Arnav's intention on checking on her alibi. At the same time he said he did not trust her and then proved her innocence to her family. "And you are ..?" asked Khushi's father, a bit startled but also surprisingly impressed, by the demeanor of this lad. "I am Arnav Singh Raizada," he introduces himself as if it were the most unimportant thing on earth, "I understand you all are really disappointed that your daughter's wedding did not take place. But I will say it would have been a bad deal if you agreed to the dowry. I might have played a role in this but I think I have done you a favour by doing that."

Khushi could not believe how arrogant someone can be. She opened her mouth, "Favour? What kind of Favour? How dare you even say that? You have ruined my sister's life and you have ruined all our lives too .." Arnav did not even bother to reply her back. "I will find your daughter a good groom," he says to her father, "And without dowry. My men will come to your place tomorrow morning to work on this." Without allowing anyone to say anything at all he took confident strides to leave the place. He turned from the door only to take a last look at the hazel eyes that were glaring at him, though full of tears. He will come back to know her name, he decides and leaves with a nearly invisible smirk.