Crumbling Khushi’s note in his hands, Arnav Singh Raizada paced the length of his room like a wounded lion.

 “I’m sorry, for everything— Khushi,” she’d written. What the fuck did she think of herself?

He gaze fell on the pearls scattered all across the floor. For a moment, he felt sorry for everything that had transpired between them. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. Or touch her like that. But he’d lost control…..Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

“What if you sister’s wedding too is cancelled as she’d dress like a bride and dream of beautiful life….What if her fiancé broke off with her and broke her heart too?”

Bloody middle class Bitch! His heart raged at her acidic words. 

Doe like eyes, but with the sting of a scorpion, his sniffled his tears at the memory of that night when his parent’s had died. When his sister had suffered the worst heartbreak imaginable. Did she know about his sister? Was that why she’d struck him where it hurt the most?

How he wanted to ruin her.

Yet, his arms ached for the warmth of her embrace, his cheeks yearned to fell her hot rapid breaths against them, and his eyes burned to hold her wide stunned eyes, full of tears, of hope, and of questions too.

And the raging arousal in his pants seemed to have a mind of its own. His hunger for her wasn’t letting him breathe, or think, or even reason.

Argh! He raked his hair and collapsed to his knees. No girl had ever perplexed him like this. And no girl had ever rejected him like this. 

He was Arnav Singh Raizada, he could have any woman he ever so much desired. Yet, this one….

Strangely, he found himself carefully collecting every one of the pearls of her blouse scattered around him. That moment when he’d ripped her blouse came back again.

She’d slapped him, he chuckled. Yet, her hands had felt so soft against his cheek, he’d wanted to kiss them with reverence.

He wanted to kiss her mouth too. He wanted to see how sweet she’d taste.  And how he wanted to hear her moan his name. 

He closed his eyes lost to his fantasy of her sweet soft beneath them, writhing in pleasure, begging him for more.

“What if your sister’s wedding too is called off?” Suddenly, her words came back to him.

He shot his furious eyes open and glared at the pearls on his hand. “What the fuck am I doing!” He tossed the pearls all over the floor again and clenched his jaw painfully tight.

Yet, he clutched the note in his hand and re-read it. She was sorry? But why? This was a ploy, his heart warned him. This girl was here to test his will.

He got up to his feet and smoothed the creases on his black slacks. If this was a ploy, he’d play along. A smirk replaced the frown. 

He lusted revenge. He lusted her too. And he lusted to hear her moan his name and beg for him as he’d leave her teetering at the edge of pleasure, and he lusted to hear her sob for him when he’d finally leave her after having proven his point, to himself. And to her too.

A couple of hours later as his private jet took off, smirking he groaned at the way the single malt scotch burned his lips.

The burn in his heart was worse. And the ache in his loins unbearable.

His fingers caressed the pool of pearls on the table in front him. Twenty-one in total.

His mind had been through a number of plans over the last couple of hours. He’d thought of everything, from abducting her and keeping her trapped in a basement till she relented, to offering her all the wealth in the world in exchange of what he desired from her.

But he finally decided to play it a different way.

He would wait for his song bird to fly into the claws of the hawk.

How, he didn’t know how yet. But life always presented him with opportunities, and he knew how to turn every opportunity into his favour.

He would wait for that opportune moment to present itself. And if it didn’t he would make it happen.

Finally, he lifted a single pearl to his lips and thought of the way her body had crushed against his when she’d landed in his arms. Her doe like eyes, her quivering mouth, and her silken hair. Everything came back. 

But the image that would make him turn even in his grave was that of her soft smooth breasts inviting him to bite into them. 

Argh! Groaning, he adjusted himself in his trousers. He needed a release to put take his mind out of his pants and focus on his plan.

No he didn’t just need a release. He needed her.

Tearing his hair, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Her eyes flashed first, then her quivering lips, and finally her splendid smooth breasts came back all over again. 

And thus his nightmare began. 

___

She was trapped, perhaps running, her breath was heavy, now she was panting suddenly. And the next moment, she felt her legs cave in. And then she was slipping, falling. 

She clenched her eyes shut—it was going to hurt. 

But the fall never happened. 

Suddenly two dark eyes bored into hers. A spicy musky perfume suffused her lungs. The heat of his body scorched through hers. 

His breath fanned her cheek. His mouth luscious and drawn into a thin line. His face sinfully handsome.

Twisting in his arms, she whimpered. And then the next moment, he was there, tearing her blouse, clawing her skin with his nails.

Shock rippled through her. Her body hurt at the sheer ferocity of his act. Yet she felt a heat spreading through her everywhere. 

She was heaving now, as she watched him move closer, his mouth just a kiss away from hers, his gaze darkening into hers. And before she could grasp what was happening, his mouth sucked her jaw, and moved further down her throat. His hand too moved in tandem, from over her waist, further up, till they cupped her breast. And just as his hand kneaded her breast, his mouth too found her perked peaks. 

She felt his tongue flick.

A moan escaped her this time.

And then he bit into her, hard. 

“Aaarrhhh.” Shrieking, she tugged hard at his hair.

“Khushi.” The next minute she felt a hand rock her violently.

“My sister. Leave me. Don’t stop. I’m sorry. Keep going.”

“Khushi…” The jolts were voilent. With a shriek, she sat up and blinked.

The twinkling lights blinded her at first, but as her eyes adjusted to the room, slowly, she became aware of her surrounding. 

Where was he? Her heart pinched and she searched around the room. 

“Khushi.” The hand shook her again, and then the face came into view.

“Jiji.” Cold sweat ran down her forehead.

“What’s wrong? You were making these strange sounds…what’s happened.” 

Khushi winced as soon as Payal grasped her by her arm.

“What are you hiding from me?”

Khushi searched her sister’s eyes, and the incidents of the evening cascaded upon her. The demand for dowry, the run to the Sheesh Mahal, the encounter with the beast, and finally her sister not just calling off the wedding, but reporting her never-to-be in-laws to the police.

“Jiji.” She clutched her sister’s arm and broke into a sob.

Payal too sniffled back her tears.

“Khushi.” Payal clasped her hand into hers. “Who was that? That man….who was he?”

“Who?” Her heart clutched in fear. 

“That man who helped us.”

She blew out a breath in relief. “Woh….Akashji.”

“Kaun Akashji?”

Kushi blinked. 

“What are you not telling me? And why do you wince…show me your arm.”

“Jiji, its nothing.”

But Payal gasped in horror at the way Khushi’s arm had blackened. “Did he do that? Akashji?”

“No, no, not him…its woh…Rakshas.”

“What’s going on? Where were you all evening? And who’s Akashji?” 

Khushi hesitated for a moment. Given how distressing the evening had been upon everyone, mainly her sister she hadn’t wanted to worry her any more. But she never kept any secrets from Payal. 

 Finally, resting her head on her sister’s lap, Khushi poured her heart out. Of how she’d ended up in the monster’s arms and how he ripped her blouse. And how Akash had helped her.

“Badtameez admi….You should have called the police.” Payal glowered in anger.

“No, Jiji.” She sniffled. “It didn’t feel wrong. His wasn’t sleazy. Neither his gaze nor his touch was wrong…..In fact…In fact…I liked it.” 

Payal’s jaw fell to a soundless gasp. 

“I know what I must sound like…..but trust me,” Sitting up, Khushi choked. “Its not making sense to me either. I should be revolted, but I’m not. I want to meet him again, Jiji. I don’t know why….I miss him….if feels like I’ve known him from before. And now my life feels empty without him.”

“Have you lost you mind?”

But Khushi wrapped her arms around her stomach and wept. Despite what he did, she missed his arms. She missed his voice. She missed his touch. She just missed being in his presence. And she hadn’t even asked him for his name.

But her words kept coming back to her.

“I did something terrible,” she sniffled. “I wished ill for his sister.” She then lifted her gaze to her sister and wrapped her in her arms. “Do you think what happened tonight is Karma? I wished ill for his sister and then you…”

“Don’t be silly.” Payal to held her back tight. “You got into this mess because of me. If only I had called the police at half past four when they came demanding for dowry.”

“But we didn’t know Jijaji…I mean we didn’t know Dhananjayji was like that too.”

“I misjudged him Khushi.” Payal rested her head on her sister’s shoulder and wept. “And now Maa Babuji, and Buaji. What about the neighbours? Our relatives. This society. I didn’t even consider about what would happen to you….who would marry you now?” Payal sat up and scanned Khushi’s face. “I did a terrible mistake. I should have shut my mouth and married him…. I was so selfish, I didn’t think of anyone. I didn’t think of Babuji’s reputation, or about the consequences of my actions upon you.”

“Stop it, Jiji.” Khushi frowned at her sister. “What you did was brave. I’m proud of you. I don’t know about Maa or Buaji, but mark my words, Babuji too is proud of you.” 

“But Khushi….we live…”

“As of neighbours, they’re not worthy of our respect either. Sab chup chaap tamasha dekh rahe they. Not one came forward, Jiji. None.” Khushi sniffled back her tears.

“But he did.” Payal’s tears too fell. “Despite being a stranger, he stood with us.”

“I know.” A smile broke on Khushi’s face. “If only we could have thanked him properly.”

“Don’t you know where he lives?”

“Nahi Jiji. He’s from Dilli. But he promised to come meet me when he visits Lucknow again. And I’ve promised to show him around.”

Payal smiled ruefully. “You should have asked him for his number, Khushi.”

“Woh gadbad main. I even lost my phone, Jiji.”

Payal went back to resting her head on Khushi’s shoulder. “Ab Kya hoga Khushi? What must we do next?”

“Lets go back to sleep for now Jiji. Let Devi Maiyya do the worrying.”

Chuckling ruefully, Payal slid back upon her pillow. Khushi too slipped beside her. But as they lay on their respective sides of the bed, the images from earlier came back to haunt them both. 

Arnav’s deep brown eyes bore into Khushi’s soul making her shiver and ache for him. 

While Akash’s kind warm gaze kept Payal tossing in her bed.

___

And as it would go, the morning was grim and grey. The house had fallen silent, the lights had been taken down, the strings of flowers had all disappeared. 

Everyone was glum. 

Stirring in some sugar into the pan of tea, Khushi too wiped her tears, she’d prepared herself for her unending stream of tears the morning after Payal’s wedding. Just hadn’t expected it would be tears of sorrow, of uncertainty, of grief, but above all, they would be tears for a man whose name she didn’t know. Yet, a man who had now possessed her every thought. She could still feel his touch, his breath, his gaze. And could still smell his spicy musky cologne on her skin.

“But Jiji, this is not the solution.” Shashi Gupta’s despaired groan brought her out of trance. It was a little after two. After having sorted all the contractors he’d hired for the wedding that had never happened, he father had only just managed to sit down when his sister had decided to give him a piece of her mind.  

But everyone was stressed. They had all barely slept. In fact, the family had barely eaten all all day. It didn’t feel like as though a wedding had been called off but as though someone had died. 

“Right now this is the only solution.” His sister glowered at him. “Payal’s wedding has been called off, and how. You won’t be able to step out of the house without people whispering behind you. And Khushi, think of her. Think of how this society is going to view this family now.”

“What Payal did wasn’t wrong?” Shashi finally looked his sister in the eye. 

“I never said she is wrong,” Madhumati choked, “But we live in this society. And what people think matters. Did you not see, not one person came to our aid last night. Not one person. Yet, every one of them will be here to speak ill of our girls.”

“I agree with Jiji.” Her mother too now choked on her tears.

“No one knows them in Dilli. Moving to Dilli it is the best solution for now,” Buaji suggested.

“But where will they live?”

“Arey, I still have my house there.”

“Jiji, you barely have any money. And I’m steeped in debt to barely manage one house, let alone manage two houses.”

“I’ll manage. And then you can sell the shop and move to Dilli.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” Grumbling, Shashi turned the News on, just to take his mind off the events of the previous day. He had also spent a great deal of the morning at the police station. But Akash, the gentleman from previous night had organised for a lawyer and helped them, and he was grateful to him for that.

Payal and Khushi continued scuttling around the kitchen, yet their ears were trained to the conversations happening in the living room.

Dilli wasn’t a thought either one had ever wanted to consider. But after the events of the previous night, the thought didn’t seem far-fetched. In fact, it sent both their hearts soaring, perhaps they could coming face-to-face with their mysterious men again.

But the thought of her stranger made Khushi shiver. She was yet to inform her parents about what had happened the previous at the Sheesh Mahal.

“Khushiii.” There was a loud gasp from the living room, making Khushi drop the spoon in her hand and run into the lounge with Payal at the tow. 

“What is this?” Her aunt gasped in horror.

Khushi found herself frozen at the news that kept flashing before her.

“Who is this mysterious girl in the arms of the most eligible bachelor of the country?” The reporter froze the video of her falling into arms of the devil, just when her face came into clear view. “What does she want? And why is she in his arms? Is this deliberate? Or is it an accident? Or are they in a relationship only time will tell?”

“Babuji.” She shivered, and then glanced at Payal. She had been meaning to tell them all, but they’d all been so distressed….her tears began slipping down her cheek. 

“What is this Khushi?” Her mother rose to her feet in horror. “As though one sister’s wedding was called off wasn’t bad enough, now you…Who is that man?”

“I don’t know,” she choked.

“What were you doing there? In his arms?” 

Her father kept his gaze on the telly, while his sister and wife continued bombarding the girl with their interrogation.

“Babuji.” Running up to him, she sank at his feet. “Trust me…I was just. I went to meet Dhananjay Jijaji…yeh sab. It was a mistake.”

“How are we meant to face the world now?” Her aunt broke into a loud sob, while Khushi continued trembling.

“Babuji, Khushi is telling the truth. She went to Sheesh Mahal after they demanded for money.”

“You shut up.” Her mother glowered at her. “One word and I will slap you Payal.”

“Enough.” Their father finally spoke. His gaze lifted to the screen again, and he clenched his eyes to find the way the news channel were zooming on Khushi’s stunned face.

He then lowered his eyes to his daughter and smiled. “I have faith in my daughters.”

“She’s not your daughter. She has nothing in her that is like you.” His sister was quick to point.

“Jiji, relationships are not based on blood. I trust my upbringing. I trust your upbringing too.” Shashi looked his sister in the eye. “And media walon ka kya hai, they need news to increase their ratings. Don’t believe them.”

“It doesn’t matter what I believe in.” Buaji sat with her head in her hand. “Haye rey Nand Kishore…..This news is probably flashing on everyone’s screens now. Badi ki shaadi toot gayee…and choti aisey gul khila rahi hai. How are we meant to explain to those around us that our girls are innocent.”

“We don’t need to explain. We just need to stand by their side.”

“Thats it, its decided, we are all going to Dilli.” His sister had the final say on the matter.

“Babuji, I don’t want to…” Khushi pleaded. But her father patted her cheek fondly. “I think it will be a good idea. Go away for a few weeks. It will be a good change for everyone. Let the matter cool here…..and we too will get some time to clear all debts.”

Khushi slowly glanced at her sister, and when Payal gave her a nod, she nodded too. Perhaps going away wasn’t too bad a thought after all.

Perhaps it was the only way to meet that stranger. 

And as she glanced at the TV, her heart fluttered when she caught a glimpse of his handsome face, and his dark intense eyes locked upon hers.

 ____

“Have you lost your mind La?” Pacing his opulent office on the fortieth floor of one of swankiest sectors of Delhi, Arnav hissed at his PR director Lavanya Kashyap. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Calm down, alright.” She snapped at him. “This is a good PR exercise. The news has gone viral. This is so good for our brand image.”

“I don’t need a fucking image like this.”

“ASR…you.”

“I agree with Bhai.” Akash too crossed his arms across his chest and kept his cool gaze on La. 

“I’m a fucking businessman,” Arnav hissed. “I have an image. I am a brand unto myself godamnit! You cannot have me splashed across cheap news channels with some random girl in my arms. I don’t need this kind of publicity.”

“Hence your name hasn’t been mentioned. Your face has also been blurred. We’ve focused on her face instead….. It could be anyone. You, Akash, NK, any one of you could be the eligible bachelors of this nation.”

“And what about that girl?” Akash kept his wide horrified eyes on her.

“What about her? And who cares?”

“Shut your mouth and get this news sorted now.” Arnav looked her in the eye. 

“Bhai, I’ve met them, they’re simple people. This is a matter of great shame for them.”

“Fine, we’ll compensate them in cash,” La suggested. 

“I have a better idea.” Arnav pulled out his phone and sent a text to Aman. Although thoroughly pissed with La, this was his window of opportunity and he wanted to play it right so everything fell as per plan.

He then looked La in the eye. “If that news is not taken down in the next five seconds, I’ll be kicking your butt back to London, La.”

“You don’t need to be so ru..”

“Get the fuck out of my office before I fucking lose my mind.” He glared at her.

Muttering curses under her breath, she got up to her feet, gave him a cold glare and strode out of his office.”

“Bhai…” Akash looked at him with concern. “Let me call them.”

“Don’t. I’ll handle this.”

“But don’t offer them money, Bhai. Please. They are simple but proud people….I haven’t even told them who we are.” 

Arnav kept his gaze on Akash for a couple of beats, before nodding. “Don’t worry. Aman’s sorting it as we speak.”

But as he played the video again on his phone, lust coursed through him again. This girl was driving him to the brink of madness. If he wasn’t going to have her soon, he’d perhaps lose his mind.

Blowing out a sigh, he played her video again and again and again, his gaze forever glued on the way she gazed at him with dark intense eyes.

___

The station was crowded, the day was hot, and the queues at the ticket counter too long. But as Khushi and Payal huddled beside each other, they couldn’t help notice a group of men staring him. 

They ignored it for the first few minutes by hiding a step behind their father and their aunt. But when the stares became sleazy, and the men laughed and whispered between themselves, Khushi glanced at Payal, begging her to hold her so she didn’t give those men a taste of her jootis. 

“We’re already in a lot of trouble,” whispering under her breath, Payal kept her grip on Khushi’s wrist. “The train is in half hour. Lets leave quietly.”

“Haye chamakchallo.” One of the men finally strode up to her and leered into her face. 

Her father turned in surprise to see what was happening. 

Khushi prepared to pull out her shoes and slap the bastard across her cheek. 

“Bhai, yeh wahi hai naa…TV wali.” The moment he spoke, she froze to the spot. “Kyun, did that rich man slip out of your fingers?”

“Kabhi hamare bhi bahom main sama jao jaaneman.” Another one of the lewd men joined the fun. “We can carry you too, just like him. In fact, we can do more than that. Come with us and we’ll show you want we can do…”

The queue moved. Ignoring the men Khushi and Payal too moved up, while their father watched around helplessly.

“I said come with me.” One of the men caught her hand. 

“Chodo, leave me.” She fought back.

“Leave her.” Her father protectively wrapped his arms around her and held her away. 

“Two years imprisonment under IPC section 354.” A deep masculine voice spoke from behind them. 

The men glanced at the muscular man and frowned. 

And before they could recover from his comment, he pounced to grab them by their collar. “Add another year  under IPC section 509 for making lewd remarks towards a woman.” He then slapped the man closest to him making Khushi and Payal jump. “Or lets just leave all the court nonsense and settle this between us as men.”

The two men glanced at each other and then at the group behind them hoping they’d get support. 

“Inspector saab.” Khushi yelled as soon as she saw two policemen striding into the ticketing area. 

The men pulled their collars out of the man’s hand and ran for their lives. 

“Kyun Kya hua, cowards,” Khushi hissed, but when she glanced towards the tall muscular man grinning at her, she gave him a broad smile. “Thanks for that.”

“We need stronger legislations against men like this.” The man spoke.

“Are you a lawyer?” Her father asked. 

“Yes, I am. My name is Sh…Manohar Jha.” He grinned again, and waited for them to purchase their tickets. 

“Where are you from, Manoharji?” Shashi gupta asked. 

“I’m from Lucknow. But now on my way to Delhi.”

“Oh! Wonderful.” Shashi heaved in relief. “These are my daughters Khushi and Payal. And that’s my sister. They are on their way to Delhi too. Could you please look after them so they reach safely?”

“My pleasure.” 

And before they knew it Manohar had become like an old friend. His voice was smooth, his mannerisms refined and his language like poetry.

As they got on the train, he was seated along with them. 

The three women was enamoured by him, his knowledge of the city and his simplicity. And he impressed them all the more by offering them his window seat, and then later, offering his lower berth so Buaji didn’t have to climb up to reach her seats.

He was also too keen on hopping on and off the train every time it stopped, either to buy bottles of water, or samosas and kachoris and other street food. 

The women too offered him their packed dinner and he raved about how he loved home made food and how it was all lost now that his mother had died and he had to struggle through the life of a single man.

And over their conversations it became evident, he was in need of a place to stay in Delhi. Buaji was too quick to offer him a room in their house as a paying guest. 

He too in return offered to help them in any which way he could. 

And before they knew it the trip to Delhi had suddenly taken a twist into a rather interesting one with a stranger who was so well informed and educated, they chatted with him on every topic they could think of, from women’s rights to gender equality, to when he’d want to get married and settle down.

Yet, as Khushi finally lay back on her bed, her mind fluttered back to the obnoxious man who had been brash and rude.

She glanced at Manohar and smiled inwardly at the memory of her stranger. Despite not being as well-mannered as Manohar, there had been an honesty in the stanger’s gaze. And she missed him all the more. How was she meant to find him? And where?

And with those thoughts when she closed her eyes, his dark eyes came back again. Along with the warmth of his touch, and now she imagined he was caressing her cheek, before lowering his mouth to hers. 

And with that thought, she drifted away to her land of dreams.