Vallery of Flowers Chapter 11

Don’t marry NK.

The words he had spoken earlier hung silently between them as they walked out of the premises of the TajMahal. Since they were the last ones to get out, the caretaker had taken it upon himself to accompany them till the gate, making absolutely sure they had left.

‘I need to use the rest room,’ she said in a low voice as she sat in the car.

‘Could you hold on until we get to the hotel?’ He said impatiently. ‘It’s right next door.’

‘Right next door’ was an understatement thought Khushi when she saw him turning into the drive way in less than five minutes. Looking at Khushi’s surprise when they entered the hotel’s stupendous driveway, Arnav told her that the hotel was just six hundred metres from the TajMahal.

The “hotel” turned out to be The Oberoi – Amar vilas, a building built like a palace, with beautifullycarved pillars and arches.As they stepped into the lobby, Khushiwas stunned by its grandeur.  Ahuge chandelier hung down from a really high domed ceiling illuminating the entire reception with its luminance. Right below the chandelier was an ornate round table with the most elaborate flower arrangement placed on it. Khushi had seen five star hotels before but this one definitely took the cake in its sheer opulence.

A few minutes later, Khushi joined Arnav at their table at the restaurant after having used the wash room. As she gazed at the distant view of the TajMahal, the manager proudly informed her that, all rooms, suites, lobby, bar and lounge in the hotel had a view of the TajMahal.

‘Where is Mr Sheik?’ Khushi said when the manager had left them.‘We will get late getting back home.’

‘He will be here soon. It’s just seven now. I will have you home before next year.’

‘Uh?’ Her eyebrow twisted in confusion at first and then straightened as realization dawned. ‘Oh it’s New Years Eve!’

‘How is Piyali doing?’ Arnav said, once looking at the menu the attender had given them. ‘Did she pass her scholarship exams?’

Khushi’s face fell. ‘She did pass her exams but she didn’t win the scholarship as another child did better than her.’

‘I see.’ He said going back to the menu. ‘Would her family accept a sponsor?’

‘Probably -- but who would be ready ---’ When she saw the look in Arnav’s eyes, Khushi clutched his hand eagerly. ‘You would do that for her?’ she said looking at him with luminous eyes. ‘She could become something.’

‘I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.’ He said looking at her hand. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

Khushi took her hand back and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear nervously. She took off her coat, stretching her shoulders backwards in an unconsciously sensuous gesture unaware that she looked like blossoming rose in her simple pink blouse.

When he saw her earlier in the afternoon, the pink of her blouse had reflected onto her lips, making him want to taste those rosy petals. That is why he had stuttered out a monosyllabic reply and turned away from her before he ended up doing something he might regret.

The meeting with Mr Sheik was successful and by the end of the dinner, they had managed to get another appointment few days later.

After seeing him off, Khushi and Arnav embarked on their journey back to the Delhi. They had been driving for fifteen minutes when Khushi observed that they were moving at a snail’s pace.

‘What’s going on?’ Khushi said rubbing her arms.‘Why are we going so slowly?’

‘Fog.’ Arnav said laconically. ‘Khushi, I think it will be a good idea to go back to the hotel. I don’t think we are too far from Agra yet.’

‘No way!’ She exclaimed. ‘I have to get back home tonight. You promised.’

After another half an hour, they reached the toll and Arnav took out some money for a ticket toward Delhi.

‘Sir, you are going toward Jaipur not Delhi,’ the man at the booth informed him.

‘F@#$!’ Arnav swore under his breath.

‘Hey Devi Maiyya!’ Khushi was aghast.

‘I couldn’t see because of the fog dammit!’ Arnav said hitting his hand on the steering wheel. ‘I will take the next exit and get back on the right road.’

‘Sir,’ the man at the booth interjected. ‘I wouldn’t advice that tonight. Can you see the back up on the other side of the road? If you turn around, you will be stuck in this jam the entire night as the vehicles will just stop for the night. The best option for you will be to drive ahead into FatehpurSikhri. There is a tourist complex -- Gulistan where you can spend the night.’

When Arnav took the ticket and drove on, Khushi said, ‘Arnav, you can’t be serious! Let’s try to get back. I am sure ---‘

‘Khushi, there is no way in hell I can drive further in so much fog,’ Arnav said, ‘In spite of these fog lights I have been managing by just looking at the white paint on the median, hoping there is no obstruction on the road. If there is a hole in the middle of the road due to some repair I am sure we are going to take a dive.’

Ten minutes later they entered the old broken down fort of FatehpurSikhri. Khushi felt a chill go up her spine, as pitch darkness engulfed them from all sides with only the car headlights lighting up their path.Khushi remembered the scary movies she had seen and wondered if they were going in the right direction.

‘Khushi, relax,’ Arnav spoke reassuringly, ‘I saw a board earlier with the name of that tourist complex. It is probably dark because the of a power cut.’

When Arnav drove into the driveway of a rundown building, Khushi grimaced as she looked at the single tube light that illuminated the entrance.

‘If you had listened to me earlier, we could have been staying at The Oberoi.’ Arnav muttered getting out the car.

When he came around to her side, he said, ‘Get your coat….. it is really cold out here.’

‘Oh o!’ Khushi began looking frantically at the backseat of the car.

‘What?’

‘I think I might have left my coat on my chair at the hotel.’

Arnav took off his coat and gave it to her. ‘Here. Let’s just hope this place has good heating or else we are sure to freeze to death.’

When they stepped into the reception four men approached them from different directions. Khushi moved behind Arnav as the whole place had an eerie look to it.Arnav asked them if they could get two rooms for the night, they nodded their assent even as their face showed a hint of surprize. One of them offered to show them the room.

The room painted in purple, wassparsely furnished with a double bed, a night stand and an old rickety chair and table. The bedding seemed clean enough but the wool comforters looked worn out with too much use. There was a stand-alone heater in one corner of the room assuring them the room would at least be heated.

‘We could have stayed in a plush Oberoi suite with a view of the frigging TajMahal!’ Arnav said when the man left them so they could make a decision.

‘You were the one who took the wrong direction and brought us here!’ Khushi shot back. ‘I will have to call home.’ She said lines of worry creasing her forehead.

Arnav left her so he could pay for the rooms and came back in ten minutes.

‘I called Payal and told her my program got delayed and I will be back tomorrow,’ she said and then she saw his sombre face. ‘What happened?’ Khushi asked him.

‘A large group of ten just landed. They gave away one room to them. We just have this one room.’

‘No way Arnav!’ Khushi exclaimed agitated. ‘We were here first. They cannot do this to us. Tell them we don’t agree.’

‘You tell them.’He retorted.

‘Oh, now you want me to go to those men and talk?’ Khushi was livid. ‘Alright, I can do this!’ She left the room in a huff.

She was back in less than ten minutes. When she went to the reception she found herself face to face with a south indian family of ten that included four children and two elderly parents. When she heard the two women enquiring about a heater and hot water for a bath in the morning, she knew she didn’t stand a chance with them.

She came in, laid his coat on the bed and went directly to the bathroom. She realized Arnav had already freshened himself while she was away.

‘You knew I didn’t stand a chance, didn’t you?’ she said closing the door behind her.

‘What can I say Khushi?’ Arnav said as she sat on the rickety chair checking messages on his phone. ‘You are not in the listening mood today.’

‘I wasn’t making a fuss just for the sake of it Arnav. It is your fault anyway. If you hadn’t forced me to stay back for the meeting -----’

He cut her off. ‘You could have run back to spend New Years’s eve in NK’s arms.’ He said harshly.

‘Arnav ---’ Khushi said tiredly.

‘Don’t marry him.’

There it was again. Don’t marry NK. She had thought she hadn’t heard it right as the words had almost drowned under the shrill sound of the care taker’s whistle.

‘Why?’

‘I want you.’ His words sliced through the air that was suddenly charged with tension.

‘What?’ Khushi had heard these words before but this time it sounded deadly serious.

‘You heard me.’

There was absolute silence as no one spoke for a few minutes. ‘You want me to say no to the man who wants to marry me so I can be ----be your ---what Arnav?’ Khushi whispered in anguish.

‘The institution of marriage is highly overrated.’ He grated. ‘Moreover -- you owe me.’

‘Is this some sort of vengeance?’

‘Vengeance?’ One black eyebrow shot up. ‘You think I am forcibly parting you from the man you love?’ His brown eyes flashed and the line of his jaw hardened. ‘If only it was true.’

‘I am so tired.’ She raised her hand to her head.

He jerked his dark head up, suddenly staring at her, the pearly oval of her face. ‘Khushi, surely you did love me. Or was deception, seduction, so natural to you, you could persuade a man of anything?’

‘I loved you Arnav.’ She said poignantly, ‘all those years ago. I even confessed my love to you that night – unlike you.’

‘And you couldn’t wait to find out could you?’ he said looking at her enigmatically. ‘You career came first for you.’

‘Yes.’ She had a secret and she had to live with it. The events of the past were impossible to wipe away or explain.

‘Now that you have achieved what you wanted all those years ago, I am not going to let you get away with it this time. You and I both know you want me as well.’

‘If you think I am going to accept your disgusting proposal ----’ She couldn’t control it. The happiness she had experienced from the moment she had seen him this afternoon dissipated and tears glittered in her eyes.

‘F@#$!’ Arnav walked up to her and pushed her against the door, holding her arms in a crushing grip.‘What does it all mean? You walked out on me, wrote me a letter I am not likely to forget for a long time, and now you are crying!’

‘Arnav don’t!’Tears streamed down her cheeks.

‘Why shouldn’t I? It’s all so improbable. I simply can’t figure you out, Khushi. Nothing about you seems to add up.’

‘I don’t want to talk about this Arnav,’ she shook her head. ‘There is nothing to say.’

He looked at her for a long time in silence, listening to her agitated breathing and the little sobs as she was finding it difficult to control.She was trembling violently, almost maddened by their enforced intimacy, the unimaginable hating and longing at the same time.

‘What’s this all about Khushi?’ he asked her.

She dropped her head, against his shirt front. ‘I hate you Arnav!’

‘No you don’t.’ He said in a husky whisper.

‘I do. Anything between us is mockery, don’t you see? There will always be the past, the nightmare the deception.’

‘What deception?’ he asked urgently. ‘Just tell me!’ He took her head between his hands, forcing it up. ‘Khushi?’

‘There is nothing to tell!’ She yelled at him. ‘Now leave me alone!’

He pushed her aside roughly, opened the door and left the room shutting the door behind him with a bang.

Half an hour later he was sitting in the bar downstairs,nursing a glass of scotch in his hand. He didn’t know why he had said all those things to Khushi. He hadn’t known himself that he was going to say it. Why did she bring out the worst in him?

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about their kiss on Diwali night. He hadn’t meant for it to happen but she had provoked him and he had lost control. That kiss had haunted him badly in the last month and a half. That was why he had come running half way around the world for a stupid meeting, when he has so much work pending back home.There was only one woman in the world who could make him do this.

He watched as Khushi ran to join her sister and Akash after declaring that the “real” TajMahal was the best place on earth. She had seemed as nervous as a doe caught in headlights in the car.

His thoughts went back to the night of Diwali. He hadn’t meant to kiss her like that but when she had said she didn’t care about him and Lavanya, he had to know if she really meant that. And he had found out when she had almost fainted in his arms. He had been so shaken to his core with her abandoned response to him that he had not reacted when she had left him and run. Then his mami had turned the house upside down with Akash and Payal’s case and he had been glad to get away when he had been urgently called back to the US.

The past month had given him plenty of time to think. The whole fiasco with Akash and Payal had enlightened him to the fact that any allegiance it that direction was headed to a disaster. He wasn’t sure if he had the stomach for it. He led a carefree life and wasn’t really looking for a serious relationship. But he was absolutely sure that a girl like Khushi, who came from a conservative family wouldn’t expect anything less. So the best thing to do under the circumstance would be to keep away from her in the future.

But it was easier said than done. In spite of his hectic schedule he hadn’t succeeded in erasing the memory of that kiss. He had sleepless nights thinking about how beautiful she looked in her red saree. F@##!

The manager of the resort took them to a gazebo, decorated with guaze curtains where a table was set in a beautiful setting of cream coloured candles and red roses.

‘This is the table for two you had reserved Mr Raizada,’ he said with a sweep of his arm.

‘But we need a table for four,’ Khushi blurted out.

‘No, we don’t,’ Arnav interjected looking at everyone’s surprised faces. ‘This table is only for Akash and Payal so they can celebrate New Year’s eve dinner in privacy.’ He turned toward Akash, ‘This is my engagement gift to you.’

‘Thanks Bhai,’ Akash said unable to hide his pleasure as he looked at Payal.

‘Thank you.’ Payal blushed sweetly.

‘But ----‘

‘Come on Khushi, let’s go.’ Arnav voice was a command.

The manager led them to the area where the rest of the party crowd had gathered for the celebration. There was huge dance floor in the centre of the area, partially enclosed to keep the cold out. On either side, were open lawns where an elaborate buffet spread was laid out.

As the DJ played all the current songs from the latest Bollywood hits, Khushi found herself tapping her feet to the beats.

‘Why don’t you go and dance?’ Arnav said when he saw Khushi looking forlornly at the dance floor.

‘All by myself?’ She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

‘You are not really by yourself are you?’ He said pointing to the crowd on the floor. ‘Be bold. I will be right here making a call.’

He watched as Khushi made her way toward a group of girls and joined them. He picked up his phone. Fifteen minutes later, after finishing his call he looked for her on the dance floor. At first he couldn’t find her, and then he spotted her with a different group of people, some of whom looked familiar. It was Lavanya and her gang.

‘Hi Lavanya.’ Arnav walked up to her, his eyes on Khushi who was dancing with a boy about her age.

‘Arnav!’ Lavanya exclaimed. ‘It was mean of you not to tell me you were coming here for a party! You didn’t pick up your calls.’

‘I wasn’t really planning on partying,’ he said a little irritated, ‘I came here for Akash’s sake. How did you know I was here?’

‘I called Khushi sometime back and she told me you were here. Since we were close by we came here.’

As Arnav watched, Khushi danced with abandon, her hands up in the air her hair covering her face exposing only her lips. Being a classical dancer,Khushi clearly had an edge over the others as she danced. She brought a certain grace, to the contemporary style of dancing, even when they happened to by raunchy item numbers. He realized even the men who had girlfriends hanging on their arms were not immune to her beauty as their eyes kept wandering to her every now and then. For some reason this made him angry.Very angry. He just wanted to grab her and leave.

‘Khushi,’ he called out to her. ‘Let’s go and get some dinner.’

‘I am fine Arnavji.’

‘It’s almost ten’o clock!’ he said tersely. ‘There won’t be any food left we delay. Let’s go.’

‘Let’s all go and get some dinner then,’ Lavanya announced and the entire group joined them much to his consternation. Wonderful! Now that brat will stick to Khushi through the entire dinner as well, thought Arnav.

All through dinner, Arnav had his eyes trained on Khushi who seemed have hit it off with Lavanya’s friends, especially with the young boy Rahul. Right after dinner, the group returned to the dance floor and Arnav was sure that Khushi was trying to avoid him. His anger went up a few more notches.

In about half an hour he had had enough. He went up to Khushi. ‘Khushi, I think it’s time to go.’ He said.

‘Oh, ok.’ Khushi bade goodbye to her partner.

‘But it’s not twelve yet.’ Rahul protested.

‘We have to leave.’ Arnav bit out fisting his hands in anger.

He wrapped his hands around her wrists and dragged Khushi off the dance floor into the path leading into the gardens.

After walking a few minutes Khushi stopped. ‘This is not the way to jiji and jeejaji’s table.’

‘We are not going there.’Came the terse reply.

‘Then why did you say we were leaving?’ She turned on him angrily.

‘Why?’ he snapped back. ‘Did you want to continue dancing with that moron?’ ’ He looked at her his brown eyes simmering with a barely controlled temper.

Khushi took a step back. ‘What is your problem? I was just having some fun.’

‘Some fun?’ he advanced menacingly. ‘Those guys were hitting on you and you were enjoying it thoroughly.’

‘So ….so what?’Kushi kept walking backward until her back touched a tree.

‘I don’t like it.’ His caramel orbs bore into her intensely. Khushi’sdhak-dhak began.

‘Why?’ she whispered nervously.

‘I just don’t,’ he said huskily. ‘I don’t want to see you dancing with other men.’

Suddenly, they heard the count down for the New Year had started. 60, 59, 58……There was only a minute to New Year.

Khushi made a move to leave but Arnav blocked her by placing his arms on either side of her. Khushi’s heart was racing in full speed now, her breast heaving up and down as her entire body suffused with heat.

‘Let…let me go Arnavji,’ she stuttered, her eyes downcast. ‘I want to go to jiji.’ 35, 34, 32 …….

He took his hand and lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. ‘No.’

‘Please, I want to wish her,’ Her lips quivered tremulously.

Arnav’s eyes dropped to her lips ‘What about me?’

Khushi looked up at him, her luminous eyes revealing the tumult of emotions that were swirling inside her at this very moment. Her mouth felt dry and parched all of a sudden and she parted her lips, sliding her tongue out to run it along her upper lip in an unconscious gesture.  3, 2 ,1.

F@#$ to all the carefully laid out plans he thought as he bent his head to take her upper lip between his lips.

As Khushi felt her knees buckle under her, she snaked her hands around his neck, her fingers clutching at the crisp hair at the back of his head as she drowned in the ecstasy. She thought of what Palak had told her of her favourite fortune teller’s prediction for the New Year’s eve this morning…..

“The person you see in front of you at twelve o’ clock is the one you will spend the rest of your life with.”

Arnav lifted his head when he heard a commotion at the reception.There seemed to be an argument about generator not working as there was a power outage. Apparently, the generator was only working in the lobby and the bar. Khushi! He brought the glass down on the table with a bang and ran toward their room. He saw a man lurking about in the dark corridor banging on the door.

When Arnav reached him, the man completely drunk looked at him dazedly and realizing it was not his room, tottered away into the darkness.

 Arnav entered the room with his key to find the room pitched in total darkness. He shone his cell phone light to see Khushi huddled in a corner on the floor, her head on her knees.

‘Khushi!’ He rushed to her side. Khushi resisted his touch trying to pushing him away, sobs racking her quivering body.

‘It’s alright Khushi, it’s me.’ Arnav crooned to her and picked her in his arms and laid her on the bed gently. Khushi’s body temperature was below normal,asthe room was cold and drafty due to the heater being shut off due to the power cut. When he pulled the wool rug to cover her, a wave of dust flew from it making both him and Khushi cough and he threw it aside in disgust. He took his coat from the bed and covered her gently. He then moved to her feet and began rubbing them so he could induce some warmth. Next, he took her hands in his and repeated the same. He lay down beside her and gathered her in his arms so he could warm her with his body heat.

Khushi immediately snuggled into his warmth, moving her leg between his,their bodies fitting perfectly together. Arnav rubbed her back until some of his body heat had seeped into hers, stemming her tremors. When her gentle breathing assured him that she had finally slept, Arnav bent his head and placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, ‘Happy New Year Khushi.’