Valley of Flowers Chapter 18

ARNAV came into the bedroom to find Khushi trimming the plants at poolside. It was dark except for some light filtering in from the bed side lamp in the bedroom.He hadn't expected her to be awake as it was almost 2’ o clock.

‘Khushi,’ Arnav called from the sliding doors. Khushi ignored him. ‘Khushi!’ He walked up to her and took the scissors from her hands and threw it on the floor. ‘Why aren't you asleep?’

‘I felt like gardening.’ She replied evenly.

He looked at the pathetic state of some of the plants. ‘I wish that is what you were doing.’

‘Are you angry with me?’ She shot back.‘Why don’t you walk out?’

‘Shut up Khushi!’ He swung her around, holding her upper arms crushing the soft flesh.

She shrugged off his hands and hit his chest. ‘Why did you walk out of our conversation?’

He raised his eyebrow hands on his hips. ‘Do you expect me to stand quietly listening while you support your ex?’

‘You didn't pick up my calls.’

‘I didn't pick up because I was tired of listening to you defending that moron!’  He said exasperated.

‘I was defending him because I don’t care Arnav!’

‘I don’t care that he didn’t come to the wedding!’

‘I don’t care that he slept with Ria!’

‘I don’t care that he thinks we slept together!’

‘What the --?’

‘But I do care what you think.’ Tears streamed down her cheeks.‘I did not tell him that you hurt me. He guessed that there was someone in my past. I didn't want to talk about it and he made assumptions.’

‘Of course he did,’ Arnav’s voice broke on a catch in his throat.‘That is what that moron is capable of.’

She advanced on him. ‘If you know -- why did you say such things?’

‘What things?’

‘That you were delusional?’Khushi moved toward him.

Arnav took a step back and felt the wall against his back.‘I was jealous.’

‘How can you be jealous when you were so sure I didn’t love him?’ Khushi demanded.

‘But you were so angry with me instead of being angry with him.’ Arnav pointed out.

‘So? Do you want me to be angry with someone who doesn’t matter to me? Someone who means NOTHING to me?’

She threw her arms around him and pressed her lips against his with fervour, sending a jolt right into his gut. She lifted her head and searched his face.

‘I love you Arnav!’

A varied range of emotions passed through his brown eyes in just a few seconds. Suddenlyhe swung her around to press her against the wall as his head descended and his mouth imprisoned her lips, taking advantage of her gasp of surprise, to possess her mouth with shocking intensity and purpose.

Automatically her hand rose to his shoulders to brace herself against his onslaught. He made no attempt to control or hide the arousal of his body as it hunted against hers.

Frustration – or was it anger? – lent his actions an intensity which shocked her as his tongue seduced her. As if she had been plugged into the mains electricity supply her whole body became transformed, trembling with a need which could be assuaged only by him.

She sighed her satisfaction as Arnav’s fingers lifted the heavy fall of her black hair from her neck, his eager fingers undoing the pin on her pallu to caress the delicate skin on the nape of her neck.

She heard the increased power of his breathing, felt the heavy hammer of his heart as it echoed against her breasts. Responding with a blind passion, she exchanged caress for caress, returning his eager kisses with an ardour of her own, feeling her body crave for the promise of fulfillment.

He slipped his fingers into her waistband, pulling out the pleats so the saree fell in a heap around their ankles.He paused to move the material out of his way and his eyes darkened when he saw her in her blouse and in-skirt, her hair in disarray. In the dim light, his eyes roved over the creamy expanse of her skin, her rib bone jutting out, her quivering stomach and her navel just above the waist band of her in-skirt. He felt his body hardening in response.

‘You look ….beautiful,’ he said his voice husky with desire.

He bent his head and placed a wet trail down her jaw, down to the nape of her neck. As he took the delicate skin between his lips, Khushi thrust her breasts toward him and Arnav slid his fingers inside the neckline of her blouse arousing the peaks into tight  buds. When he nipped the delicate skin with his teeth, simultaneously pinching her bud between his fingers, Khushi couldn’t help letting out a strangled moan as she arched her hips toward him seeking.

Arnav laved the spot soothing the ache and moved down to her collar bone, down to the swell of her breasts until he reached the neckline of her blouse. One hand pulled down the material to expose one creamy breast and shoulder even as the other unclasped the hook at the back.

He made a wet trail in the valley between her breasts, down her midriff and then dove his tongue into her navel making her arch like a cat. 

Then he traced his way back and took one hardened peak in his mouth, suckling as his hand slid down the flat planes of her stomach to slip into her in-skirt to dip into the centre of her heat.

Khushi jumped up when his fingers began stroking her gently, and she clutched at the hair at the back of his head as the heady double onslaught created cataclysmic sensations coursing through her veins reaching her very nerve endings.

As his urgent hands then undid the ties of her in-skirt, Khushi clutched at his hand, ‘Arnav, not here!’

‘It’s okay….’ Arnav moved her hands out of way, peeled them off her legs along with her panties. Widening her legs with his leg he made her jump again as he inserted one finger into her molten core.

‘Relax Khushi,’ Arnav said pushing deep into her. As she began to get used to the feeling he inserted a second finger, circling her nub with his thumb. Khushi was thankful for the support of the wall behind her or she was sure she was going to collapse any moment.

Khushi dug her fingernails into his shoulders, tugging at his shoulder until he took her lips in his swallowing her moans. As the frenzy of the strokes increased, Khushi swayed into the bewildering haze as the fires in her body ignited further and further until she tumbled into the abyss and splintered into a million fragments of mind-numbing pleasure. 

He was still kissing her when he swung her up in his arms and carried her through to the bedroom, pressing her down on the softness of the bed by the weight of his own ardent body.

As Arnav gathered her in his arms, Khushi hugged him tight floating in oblivion, her nerve endings tingling with indescribable sensation.

Once her heartbeat began to return to a state of normalcy, Khushi pulled him to her, taking his mouth as her fingers unbuttoned his shirt to trace the muscles of his shoulders, down to chest and down still to his abs and rested just above the waist band of his jeans hovering there --- hesitating. Her ardour egged him to lift himself off her to discarded his clothes deftly.

He muttered something incomprehensible and reached beneath his own body, but Khushi was quicker; seizing the initiative, she guided him to her, offering herself for his conquest, crying out her joy as he made her body his own, filling her with his heat and warmth and power. Filling and completing her -- one with him.

Khushi bent her legs, rocking back on her hips, inviting, alluring, demanding and Arnav did not disappoint her, as her hand fanned over his muscular back and she felt the dampness of his skin.

With a master’s touch he loved her and incited her, drawing her steadily along the road to fulfilment until she gasped out his name, until the final, soaring moment of release. She was still making incomprehensible ecstatic mews of pleasure when Arnav achieved his own summit within her velvet fastness. His full weight pressed her contented body into the mattress for only a few seconds before he gained enough control to roll away from her, only to drag her to himself as breath sawed in his chest.

Bit by bit Khushi’s body returned from the floating limbo which had overtaken it. Her heart regained its steady rhythm; her mind cleared although a pleasant lethargy held her in its grip. She knew she would not hear the words she craved to hear -- nor did she expect it. The one moment of wariness in his eyes had clearly expressed his doubts Why the betrayal?Was it time to break her silence? she wondered before sleep claimed her.

Khushi woke up as the rays of the sun sliced through the curtains. She checked the bedside clock and jumped up. It was 9.oo AM! It had been wee hours of the morning by the time Arnav and she had slept and she was still feeling a little groggy. She moved Arnav’s arms from around her waist and quickly rushed into the bathroom for a shower.

‘Arnav, wake up and shower!’ She called out to him before rushing out of their bedroom. As she walked down the stairs, she stifled a yawn with her hand.

‘So you finally found time to come down and make breakfast?’ Mamiji shouted, startling Khushi out of her lethargy.

‘Keep your voice down Manorama,’ Naniji said as she came out of her room. ‘What is going on?’

‘Khushi hasn’t prepared breakfast today.’ She announced.

‘But there is breakfast on the table,’ Anjali countered, ‘Omprakashji is taking care of it.’

‘Who is Omprakash?’ Mamiji said.

‘He is Hariprakash’s cousin,’ Anjali explained. ‘Hariprakash arranged for his cousin to come here and cover during his absence.’

‘Who asked him to do that?’

‘Arnav.’ Shyam supplied.

‘I don’t know why you never asked Hariprakash to do that before he left Manorama,’ Naniji countered. ‘Now that we have breakfast waiting for us let us all proceed to the dining room.’ Naniji said firmly.

As breakfast was underway, Omprakash came up to them and told them that there were couple of delivery men at the door. They were here to deliver a dishwasher.

‘Dishwasher?’ Mamiji’s eyebrows creased in confusion. ‘Akash did you order a dishwasher for the house without asking me?’

‘No ma, I didn’t.’ He looked clueless.

‘I did.’ Arnav came up to the table and took his seat. He looked at Omprakash. ‘Tell them to put in the utility room and then bring me the receipt for me to sign.A technician from Seimens will come in later for installation and demonstration.’

‘Who asked you to order a dishwasher for this house?’ Mamiji demanded.

‘No one.’ Arnav began buttering the toast and omelette Khushi brought him. ‘Khushi, sit down and have breakfast.’

‘We have a maid to clean the dishes.’

‘By maid, you mean Khushi right?’ Arnav’s brown eyes simmered. ‘Khushi, I said sit dammit!’ Khushi sat down in the seat next to him.

‘Oh I see.’ Mamiji said with a nod of her head. ‘You got Omprakash here, ordered the dishwasher – all this so your wife just sit and relax.’

‘Why not?’ He replied smoothly, taking a bite of his toast. ‘That is what everyone else is doing.’

Mamiji was outraged. ‘How dare you talk to me without respect?’

‘Take it easy mamiji,’ Shyam placated. ‘Saale saab is not used to our traditional ways having stayed in the western world for a long time.’

‘What’s this got to do with tradition and western ways?’ Arnav said looking at Shyam. He took a sip of his coffee. ‘If you think speaking out the truth is disrespecting, then that is your problem, not mine.’

‘What is wrong in doing work?’ Mamiji demanded. ‘She is the bahu of this house.’

‘Well, Khushi did a major part of the cooking, baby sat Ashu while Akash was ill, worked part time at AR while still managing her dance classes in the weekends – even when she was not yet the bahu of this house.’

Khushi placed her hand on Arnav’s forearm. ‘Arnav please --- it’s alright.’

Mamiji turned her angry eyes at Khushi. ‘Yes, also do explain to your husband that you were doing all this because you were carrying you parents’ burden. Akash had actually hired you as favour even though you were not qualified for the job.’

‘Ma, please’ Akash interjected. ‘Khushi did her job exceptionally well.’

‘Thanks for the vote of confidence Akash,’ Arnav said. ‘But I would have appreciated if you had helped your in-laws instead of making it an obligation.’

As Akash and Payal went red in the face, Mamiji stood up. ‘Who are you to tell my son what he should or should not do for his in-laws? Do you think we run a charity here?’

‘Manorama!’Naniji intervened.

‘Why is that you always admonish me and not your favourite grandson? You have always been partial to your daughter’s children.’

‘What are you saying?’ Nani said taken aback by Manorama’s vehemence.

‘Right since childhood you have doted on them more than Akash!’

‘How can you even talk like this Monorama? You know very well that they needed all the love and affection they could get. You know Sharada’s problems ---’

‘Yes Sharada -- your beloved spoiled daughter. So arrogant that she couldn’t adjust in her husband’s middle class house and came running to her parents, camped here with her children, bossing everyone around like she had every right.’

Khushi held on to Arnav’s arm looking at his knuckles go white with anger. Anjali’s eyes filled with tears.

‘This was her house too!’ Naniji said. ‘Tell your wife to stop!’Naniji implored to her son who sat quietly.

‘Now her son is doing the same,’ mamiji continued her tirade. ‘Behaving like this house belongs to him!’

‘Manorama!’ Naniji stood up her body quaking with rage.

‘Naniji, would you please calm down?’ Arnav urged. Khushi went up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. ‘This sort of stress is not going good for your health.’ Anjali added.

‘Don’t stop me today,’ Naniji’s eyes widened in anger. ‘This woman used the same words to send my daughter out of this house. I will not stand here today and see history repeat itself!’

‘I didn’t send your daughter out. She left because father-in-law had written this house in my husband’s name.’

Naniji looked at her son. ‘You deceitfully had this house written in your name fooling your sick father while I was admitted to the hospital at the time for pneumonia. By the time I came home it was too late.’

‘Amma, Sharada got her share of the property when she got married and then when she came to live here, babuji had to carry the burden of taking care of her and her two kids. She went to live with her son which is exactly where her place was.’

‘THAT’S ENOUGH!’ Arnav thundered, slapping his hand on the table.  He put up his hands. ‘You know what? I don’t need this bull s@#$! Khushi and I will leave ---’

‘NO!’ Naniji exclaimed loudly. ‘I will not let you leave your own house like this.’

‘Nani please!’ Arnav implored.

‘What do you mean Amma?’ Mamaji hadn’t missed the words that Naniji has spoken. ‘This is not his house.’

‘Arnav bought this house from the man you had mortgaged this house to.’ Naniji declared.

‘What?’ Both mamaji and mamiji exclaimed in unison, their faces going pale. ‘How could he do that without me knowing?’

‘I had joint ownership to this house remember?’ Naniji said. ‘I signed the documents.’

‘Amma how could you do this?’

‘You think I was going to stand and watch while strangers took over this ancestral house?’ Naniji asked her son. ‘Not only that -- he bought other properties including the farm house.’

‘So you came here to take revenge for what happened to your mother?’ Mamiji hit out at Arnav.

‘Revenge?’ Arnav said raking his hand through his hair. ‘Do you think I have time for crap like that? I came here because Nani asked me to.’

‘All lies!’ Mamijji spat out. ‘You have taken away this house. I am sure you have designs to take over AR as well. Akash you better go and check the papers.’

‘Stop it ma!’ Akash raged in anger. ‘Just stop it. How can you talk like this to the man who gave up his rights to his own company in return for my marriage with Payal?’

‘F#$%!’ Arnav swore under his breath. ‘What is with everyone today?’

‘Is this true?’ Naniji, Anjali and Khushi looked at Arnav astounded.

‘Yes, bhai made a deal with mom when she threatened to leave the house over Payal and my relationship.’

‘Akash!’ Manorama admonished her son.

‘In spite of what happened bhai came back to save AR and bring it back to its former glory,’ Akash continued. ‘In just six months.’

Looking at Payal’s pale face Khushi wondered why her sister had never mentioned this to her. If not then Akash was bound to have told her at a later time.

Arnav got up from his seat. ‘It was no big deal because I didn’t want to live here anyway!’ He looked at Khushi. ‘And this is exactly why I don’t like staying here. People are just too emotional here and make mountains out of molehills. All this drama  -- just because I happened to buy a frigging dishwasher!’ 

He walked away from the house, closing the front door with a loud bang.

Later that night, Khushi knocked on the door to the farm house. Arnav hadn’t returned from the office and his phone was switched off. So finally she had made up her mind to go to the farm house, knowing very well that it is where he would be. And she wasn’t disappointed. Arnav opened the door his eyes looking a little glazed. ‘Khushi?’

‘I don’t think it is a good idea to drink on an empty stomach,’ she said looking at the drink glass in his hand. ‘I brought you some food.’

‘You drove all the way here?’

‘No, I flew.’ She walked into the room and put the box on the table.Come and eat you dinner.’

‘Khushi ….I,’ he paused, ‘I am just too drunk tonight. Let me just sleep it off.’

‘No,’ Khushi said firmly. She took his arm and led him to the dining table. She took the food from the boxes and arranged them on a plate.

‘Kalmikabab?’ Arnav raised his eyebrows. He took a bite. ‘This tastes homemade. Who made this?’

‘I did.’

‘How?’ He didn’t believe Khushi had the guts to defy mami in spite of everything that had happened this morning.

She smiled mischievously. ‘I made in Hariprakash’s quarters.’

‘You are a vegetarian. How did you even know how to make this?’

‘My roommate in Mumbai used to make it and I learnt it from her,’ she explained. ‘Now stop asking questions and eat.’

Arnav looked at Khushi’s determined face and complied silently. After eating two rotis he said, ‘I am done. Have you had dinner?’

‘I will eat a little later,’ she said, ‘Let’s get you to bed first. You look like you are going to collapse.’ She took him upstairs to the bedroom and laid him down the bed, covered him with a comforter and stroked his hair gently.

‘You know …Khushi,’ he slurred, ‘you are just like mom…..’ He paused.‘When I was little, she used to stroke my hair like this when she tucked me into bed.’ He closed his eyes and the next moment he was fast asleep.

Khushi’s thoughts went back to the incident at home this morning. Even though Arnav had stayed out of the country for too long, he had taken up more than his share of responsibility for his family. Giving up his rights to the company so Akash and Payal could get married had come as a big shock to her. Then he had come back on naniji’s behest to help the sinking company and brought it back to its former glory. He had also saved the family honour by buying back his grandfather’s properties that had been mortgaged by mamaji.

The way he had made a huge donation to her dance school and arranged for her parents’ monthly expenses, without making a big fuss about only went on to say that he didn’t care for appreciation or adulation. He had a good heart and her own heart had always known. That was why she had fallen in love with him even when she was too young to understand.

Looking at how vulnerable he looked in his sleep, Khushi’s heart went out to Arnav. Even though he hated to be out of control he was drunk tonight. That is the reason he had stayed away from the house. He had gone through an immense emotional upheaval today. Mamiji’s words about his mother had hurt him immensely.

In the last six months, having spoken to Anjali, she had gained enough insight about the close relationship Arnav shared with his mother. It must have hurt him deeply when his uncle had deceitfully sent his mother away from her father’s house in addition to the disparagement she had to go through.

She knew she had done the right thing by not telling him about his mother. She could never break her silence.