A Hundred Flukes

Stay Awake To Stay Away

Stay Awake To Stay Away -Chapter 26

The showers had ceased for the night that was now blanketed with stars. Gazing at their twinkling tranquil from her window, Khushi spent a restless night lost to his thoughts alone. It terrified her, now that Arnav Singh Raizada's smothering presence in her life had invaded places of her she would never wish him to be in, her mind, her dreams and even her... heart. "No way." she cried sitting up on her bed making her sister who slept beside her, jerk her head up. "What is it Khushi did you see a bad dream?" said Payal in a sleepily muffled voice putting her hand on Khushi's shoulder.

Khushi sighed, "I am fine jiji..." she said unhappily, "just that monster..." she muttered under her breath.

"What?" said Payal irritably.

"Nothing, you go to sleep...it’s late."

"If it hadn't been for you shouting in your dreams I was already asleep. Peacefully." she complained while her head hit the pillow again.

Khushi grumbled inaudibly in her distress further, she tried to close her eyes but they would fly wide open, all she saw was him staring at her and her staring back into his. She tossed herself facing the window again, she felt his arms around her, holding her securely while her own legs were slowly giving away, trembling for what reason she did not know. What she did know was that she did not want him to leave her, she did not want that warmth to leave her...ever, for it felt so...right, it felt so...good. She shook herself, what was she thinking? She was not in the temple, she was in her house, in her bed...how could she feel for him like that? She kicked herself mentally and cursed him amply. And then she knew it, it was all because she hadn't eaten anything and when she came back she had eaten like a pig leaving Madhumati grabbing her head and cursing her appetite. That was it, maybe she was having acidity and that explained her weird thoughts. She got up from the bed and walked over to the drawer rummaging through it for an antacid. In the faint light of the lamp something shined, her heart sank, she picked it up and walked to the window with the tiny key resting in her palm. The key he had dropped at the Dargaha and she had picked and now it confused her all over again. Why did she still keep it with her? When its owner had discarded it, why was she safeguarding it? Clearly it wasn't for faith it was something else... did it mean something... that ever since it had been with her, she had touched it every day never desiring to do away with it for it would remind her of a man, the very thought of whom tingled her nerves in weird sensations. She strived to expel all these thoughts from her mind, convincing herself that all she felt for him, all that she was supposed to feel for a horrible man like him was hate. But did she really? Her acumen sniggered at her faltering firmness to perceive a single emotion for this strange character ASR, who at best hadn't left a vestige of doubt regarding how she was held blatantly contemptible in his highness' opinion.

For once Khushi wanted to pinch the crumpled portions of her heart reminding herself of how he'd belittle her, chide her, judge her in most humiliating of ways, insult her and she'd be forced to carry the baggage which weighed far more than her tolerance limit under any other circumstances. But as if Devi Maiyya had made up her mind against listening to any of her pleas, all that was coming to Khushi's mind were blinding headlights of a deathly speeding car whose aftermath was, in a sudden flash being locked in the safety of his arms. Why did he save her? How was he there just in time in first place? She had herself seen him walk away with Akash and another man into the tower...he couldn't be omnipresent. Should that mean he had been near her, hiding somewhere...watching her? Her brain became a puddle upon realizing the conundrum called ASR, first he'd set her in a building whose dilapidation is life threatening, next he'd appear there to rescue her risking his own pricey little life. And today at the temple...so much concern? For her?