Chapter 1 – CHECKMATE

CHECK…

 

 

 

 

The Shantivan Terrace, the night of Arnav and Khushi’s forced marriage

 

 

 

 

 

“So you got what you wanted. Arnav Singh Raizada married Khushi Kumari Gupta tonight.”

 

“It was never about what I wanted, it was about the right thing to do.”

 

“I have always wondered, how did you know?”

 

“That he loved her? It was obvious to anyone who watched that television footage of his Sheesh Mahal fashion show. I had never seen that look in his eyes before.”

 

“And so you decided to play Cupid, just like that?”

 

“It wasn’t that easy. I had to plan it out to the last detail, and anticipate their every move.”

 

“And to do that, you decided to use me? To this day, I don’t understand why.”

 

“It wasn’t that way in the beginning, you know that.I only sent you to Lucknow to find out more about Khushi. Was it my fault you decided to channel Salman Khan and save her from those goons?”

 

“I couldn’t just leave her to their mercy!”

 

“You have a soft spot for her, don’t you?”

 

“Yes, I do. I respect her, and there is some affection there as well.But that’s all there is.. Which was why it was so difficult for me to do what you asked .”

 

“I only asked you to get her a job in AR Designs so that Chotey could meet her everyday. You know him, do you think one encounter would be enough?”

 

“Her stint in his office was nothing short of disastrous. She suffered through that ordeal until she couldn’t bear it anymore. She almost lost her life in that collapsing building!”

 

“I had not anticipated that Chotey would descend to such depths of cruelty. But I also had my next move planned by then.”

 

He sighed. “Yes, you did. Using me as a pawn, asking me to move into the Gupta house as a paying guest and acting as if I was interested in Khushiji. Do you even know how that made me feel, pretending to feel affection for Khushiji, when I’ve always been in  love with…”

 

“Yes, yes I know. Don’t bring that up again, you’ve told me often enough how disgusted you were. But it was necessary.”

 

“Necessary?! You know,some people might call you crazy for doing this. If you were so sure of his feelings for her, why couldn’t you just take a proposal of marriage to Khushiji? Why play this convoluted game, and manipulate everyone?”

 

“Are you serious? At that point in time,do you think Chotey would have simply agreed to get married to Khushi? Have you forgotten Lavanya?”

 

“Lavanya Kashyap. One more pawn in this game of yours. It was good timing for you, wasn’t it? You made Lavanya the excuse to bring Khushiji into Shantivan.”

 

“I never believed that Chotey had any affection for Lavanya Kashyap. He just looked right through her whenever Khushiji was in the house.'”

 

“I don’t believe that. You must have been afraid of their relationship, or you would never have asked me to take that next horrible step!”

 

“Asking you to get engaged to Khushiji? It served two purposes. One, a proposal from some other man would force Khushiji to confront her feelings for Chotey. Two, the news of her engagement would drive Chotey insane with jealousy, and make him reconsider his relationship with Lavanya.”

 

“It didn’t quite work out that way though, did it? He went ahead with the announcement of his engagement on Diwali, and the same night I had to go through that sham of an engagement with Khushiji!”

 

“It worked out well enough. Both engagements were broken soon, weren’t they?”

 

“You had a hand in neither. Khushiji was never meant to see me on that terrace, it was an accident. And Arnav called his engagement off all by himself.”

 

“My purpose had been served by then. And as an unexpected stroke of good luck, Akash got engaged to Payal.

And the wedding festivities that followed only reconfirmed my belief in their love. The haldi, the mehandi, their beautiful dance during the sangeet, who could have missed the obvious connection they shared? Everything fell into place, it was perfect.”

 

“If it was perfect, then why? Why did you ask me to do this today?”

 

“Do what? Oh you mean lie to Arnav about you and Khushiji? It was the final push. He needed that to take him all the way to that temple, and marry her.”

 

“But now he hates her! And she probably does too! Don’t you understand?!”

 

“It’s you who doesn’t understand. The hatred will fuel their passion, and bring them together!”

 

“You really believe that will happen?”

 

“If it doesn’t, then I have plans to make it happen.”

 

“You are too clever for your own good. I don’t know why I helped you every step of the way. What was in it for me anyway?”

 

“Nothing, except for the satisfaction of bringing a man like Arnav to the threshold of marriage. And you have a good heart, I’ve always believed that.”

 

“You are unbelievable! I’ve had enough of this, you are on your own from now. I’m going in!”

 

 

She watched Shyam turn around and head towards the door leading downstairs.

A sigh escaped her as she looked up at the stars.

She hoped that both Arnav and Khushi’s parents approved of her scheming and meddling, her ultimate goal was pure, wasn’t it?

She shivered as the cool breeze blew across the terrace. She should go in now, the night promised to be windy and cold.

 

 

And as Naniji hurried down the stairs, she failed to see the couple hidden behind the terrace door, who had heard every word.

 

 

 

 

 

And MATE…

 

 

 

 

Arnav waited until Naniji was out of sight before he removed the hand he had clamped over Khushi’s mouth.

 

He stared down at her shocked eyes, and whispered..” Not one word until we are inside the bedroom!”

 

Khushi was too stunned to react, and allowed herself to be led down the stairs, across the hallway, and into the bedroom.

She watched Arnav shut and  lock the door behind them, and was shocked anew when he turned around with a smirk.

 

“Wh..what just happened there? And why are you smiling? I can’t believe any of this!”

 

“Believe it. It’s the truth. You heard Nani and Shyam, didn’t you?”

 

“Everything was a lie? Shyamji was just acting, and Naniji was behind it all? And they did it because they thought..they think..you and I..”

 

Khushi stopped speaking as a blush spread across her cheeks.

 

“Yes,they did. It was a very clever plan. But they forgot that they were playing games with me, Arnav Singh Raizada!”

 

“You knew about this?! Since when?! And if you did, why didn’t you say anything? This is just too much for me…”

 

 

“Khushi, relax. Here, sit down, I’ll explain. Yes, I figured out quite early that Shyam was playing a complicated game. It wasn’t very hard, I even had a detective follow him for a few days when I briefly thought he was cheating on Di. But very soon, I saw how he was pretending to be attentive towards you, and would look disgusted with himself when he returned to Shantivan. I even saw him report to Nani then. I heard everything, knew it all, right from the beginning. And I pretended not to know, I pretended to be angry with Shyam when he told me about you..”

 

 

“I cannot believe this!! If you knew this, why didn’t you stop it? Why did you let him continue to cheat me and hurt my family? I need some answers, Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada!”

 

 

“And I will give them. Believe one thing, Khushi, I am very  sorry that this game has hurt your family. I would have prevented it if I could, but I saw no way to do so, without alerting Shyam and Nani…”

 

 

“But why? Why did you want this to continue? That’s what I don’t understand, why did you want them to use Shyamji and try to create situations to bring you and me together? Aapko isse kya faraq padhta hai?”

 

 

The next thing she knew, Khushi found herself pulled up by her arms, and pinned to the wall beside the bed.

 

 

“FARAQ PADHTA HAI, DAMMIT!! How many times have I told you that! When will you understand?!”

 

 

“A..Arnavji..you are hurting my arms…”

 

 

Arnav let go of her immediately and stepped back, and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

 

 

“Look, I didn’t mean to yell. Yes, I wanted their game to continue. Yes, i wanted them to continue creating situations to bring us together. Because they were doing exactly what I wanted to do in the first place!”

 

 

“Wh..what?!”

 

“Yes! Don’t you get it? How many times do I have to tell you before you understand?”

 

“Understand what? And you haven’t told me anything…”

 

 

“I was going to! That’s why I told you earlier today that I wanted to talk to you..that was why I was headed to the terrace!”

 

 

“What were you going to tell me? I don’t understand..”

 

“You have never understood. What did you think the past few months have been about? “

 

“The past few months? I don’t…”

 

Arnav took a step towards her,  and watched her take one back.

She was speechless, mesmerised by the intensity in his caramel eyes.

 

 

“Why did you think I was so angry, so frustrated, so affected by your presence?”

 

Another step foward, and one back..

 

 

“Why do you think I said I’d marry Lavanya?”

 

 

Another step..

 

 

“Why do you think I tolerate your insolence, your  attitude, your crazy antics?”

 

 

One more step..

 

 

 

“Why do you think I ran behind an ambulance like a madman? Why do you think I bought those bangles? Why do you think I served food to people at your house?”

 

 

Another step..

 

 

“Why do you think I secretly do things to make you smile?”

 

 

One final step, which left Khushi against the wall.

Arnav placed his hands on either side of her, caging her in.

 

 

“Why do you think I stare at you when you aren’t looking? Why do your lips fascinate me endlessly?”

 

 

Khushi couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe..what did all this mean?

 

“A..Arnavji? I still don’t understand..”

 

 

Arnav looked at her, wide-eyed,  trembling with uncertainty, and whispered,

 

 

“Yes , you did. You almost understood it, for one moment, last Diwali..do you remember?”

 

 

Khushi stopped breathing completely.

 

 

The memories of that magical moment surrounded them, enveloping them in the same haze of passion, of desire, of an all-encompassing need.

 

They moved towards the other, in perfect accord, as if in a dream.

 

 

And for the first time, Arnav Singh Raizada and Khushi Kumari Gupta kissed each other.

 

 

Arnav tried hard to stay in control, to hold back, he didn’t want to frighten her now. His lips tested hers, would they feel as soft as they looked?

 

He had his answer the next moment. 

No. They were softer, and sweeter, than anything he had imagined.

He took his hands away from the wall, and held her face gently, as he tilted it to deepen their kiss.

He felt the exact instant she began to respond, as her lips parted, and her body relaxed against his.

He exulted.

She was his!

 

Khushi was losing herself in the whirlpool of emotions and feelings unleashed by their kiss.

This was what she had unconsciously been waiting for, by the poolside during Diwali..

 

Her eyes flew open.

The thought of that incomplete kiss had brought with it the memories of the tortorous time that had followed. 

How could she have forgotten the devastation, the pain, the anguish?

 

She pulled away from him and shoved him away with all her strength.

 

Arnav stumbled, caught by surprise.

He looked at her, confused.

 

She stood there, her chest heavng, eyes wild, and lips trembling with an unnamed emotion.

 

“Khushi?”

 

“HOW DARE YOU, MR.ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA??”

 

 

“Khushi, listen, there was nothing wrong…”

 

 

“Nothing wrong?! How can you even say that? How can you kiss me?”

 

 

 

“Khushi,it was just one kiss..”

 

 

“One kiss?! It might just be one kiss for you, but you have no right to even touch me!”

 

 

“What?!”

 

 

“Yes! You have no right! Have you forgotten that we lied to everyone about our marriage today? We didn’t even go to the temple!”

 

 

They stared at each other, both angry, both reeling from the truth.

 

 

 

A loud knock interrupted the angry silence.

 

 

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