A Hundred Flukes

Captive

Captive - Chapter 2

The fall wasn't unforeseen, what it ensued was. Khushi was caught in the arms of the man she was trying to escape a moment ago. It was oxymoronic that she was clinging on to him,.. for fear of him. Her hand moved nervously along his collar, her heartbeat was a vehement arrhythmia, not due to the maelstrom of her surroundings but the maelstrom this man was causing deep within her.

The instant she had landed in his arms, Arnav Singh Raizada couldn't deny how perfect she felt in them. He lost all notion of time and space for a prolonged  moment- a first time experience for him. His unbidden gaze rested without a blink on her rapidly blinking doe eyes. Her slight twiddly movements in his hold appealed to his primitive senses, unearthing deeper needs. His gaze gradually came down to her quivering lips- a sight to relish? His anger soon being superseeded by a darker desire... to take them in his.

Khushi realized first, to her dismay where she was and under what circumstances. She panicked, stirring uneasily to slip out of his grasp. The agitation first caused him to tighten his grip around her and then abruptly he snapped back to his senses, breaking the reverie, he ruthlessly rejected his previous action and almost threw her down. She fell in a heap, hitting the edge of the stage. Tears came rushing out of her eyes as she was grabbed by two armed men, who hurled her away from the scene. She wanted to yell but all that came out were loud sobs. The cameras were relentless in capturing it all. The ornate chunri fell off her shoulders under its own weight, at his feet. She threw back a glance at him, hoping to see some semblance of mercy...but his face bore just a rigid expression.

"Show-stopper indeed." someone from the crowd called out.

A young reporter came running towards ASR, " sir, do you know that girl?". It earned him a look from ASR, a look that made him realize that asking ASR such a question was a folly comparable to Napoleon's at Waterloo! He instantly disappeared into the crowd.

ASR turned to his PR officer standing close by, " None of this, and I mean it,.. not a single photograph comes in circulation or is aired. Get it?"

"Yes sir."

                                                                                        ****

At Gomati Sadan...

Khushi was missing and so were the mortgage papers..there had to be a connection, concluded Garima. Madhumati had drawn this conclusion much earlier. " I told you that little package of destruction is of no good." She said waving her fat index finger at Garima, " and look, my poor Payal pays for it."

She looked at the young bride with sympathy who was only too worried about her baby sister's well being.

" If only we had the file..."Garima wondered out loud.

"Why the file Amma? Abhishek is there, ain't he saying anything?" Payal asked.

"Oh, what would he say when his mother is all up for a crusade?" Madhumati remarked.

Payal was very disappointed, Abhishek wasn't all that good then.

Downstairs Shashi Gupta made an abject apology to his daughter's would be in-laws. He pleaded them not to disrupt the wedding ceremony and promised that their demands would be met as soon as possible, his hope for his daughter's future rapidly diminishing.

At half past 10, Shashi Gupta came to the door, a defeated man, Garima rushed toward him, expecting.....he shrugged his shoulders and nodded in despair- a gesture of failure.