Chapter 12 - Home for the Holidays

She got out of the car and stretched her body. He smiled when he caught sight of her flat tummy peeking from her sweater. She was a beautiful woman and now, she was with her folks. She turned to him and frowned at his curious expression.

“Ugh! I will get the bags” he opened the trunk.

“Don’t worry about the bags, You have to meet mom and dad first.” She grabbed his wrists and dragged him to the large double leafed front door.

He suddenly felt like a schoolboy summoned to the principal’s office. But her excitement was contagious and he couldn’t wait to meet Dr. Gupta and find more about the Sabres.

She rang the front door bell. A loud church bell chimed inside, followed by a flurry of footsteps. The door flung open and Garima rushed out.

“Khushi!” the stately elderly woman pulled her daughter into a hug. A German shepherd woofed in the background, and bounded to the front door, locating his master. The dog got on its hind legs and placed his front paws on Khushi’s shoulders. And then it showered her with licks.

“Awww, oh!” Khushi laughed, as she got on her knees and massaged its ears and coat and crooned, “I miisshed you too, Chameli, I missshhhhed you.” She ruffled its head and hugged the dog. Satisfied at the warm greeting, the dog got down and circled her in glee, wagging its bushy black brown tails. ASR stood there grinning like an idiot.

The dog noted him and sniffed his boots. He got on his knees and petted it.

“She’s a beauty!” He watched Khushi play with her and grinned. Chameli? Really!

 “Yes, Chameli, why not!” she laughed almost reading his thoughts. “And she is usually a riot with strangers but I guess she likes you.” She added as she entered the grand lobby of the house. Garima welcomed ASR and requested Khushi show him to his guest room on the third floor of the mansion.

ASR could not believe the massiveness of the house. His small mid-western home he shared with his sister and family growing up was a very humble affair compared to this. He soaked in the wealth oozing from every fixture, balustrade, plush carpets, detailed crown molding, chandelier and wall décor. The house was decorated for a combination of Diwali and Christmas, and a litany of Holiday songs in the smooth voices of Dean Martin and Sinatra permeated the air from the ambient speakers. A tall decked Christmas tree overshadowed the huge foyer, while a small enclave held a decked stand of Earthen Diyas. He realized the dual cultures of their existence in the US, although, he was raised an atheist. He chuckled at how out of place he felt.

Khushi dragged him further into the house, “Come on, lets meet dad and then I will show you your room.”

The mention of Dr. Gupta reminded ASR of the grim task ahead of him.

“Listen, I am very tired. Could you may be show me my room and I can change before I meet your dad?” He wanted to stall his meeting with Dr. Gupta. He knew the whatever the old man had to share, things would never be the same between him and khushi after the truth was revealed. It was a premonition.  

 “Ok, Let me show you to your room.” He followed her to the third floor of the house. The guest room was well equipped with its small kitchenette, a small dining area, luxurious bedroom and a large bathroom. He was impressed with the arrangements. He could set a makeshift office right here in the room.

“So?” Khushi turned to face him as the housekeeper set ASR’s luggage in the luggage closet.

He shrugged and looked puzzled, “So?” His mind was doing numbers on him. Could he kiss her again and make it right? She seemed to have thawed a lot and he could really use her strawberry gloss on his senses about now. 

He took a step closer to her.

“So, do you like the room?” she asked smiling and raising her shapely eyebrows in question. 

Fuck, I want her! 

“Ah! Yes, yes, very nice.” He felt stupid at overworking his brain and awkward that he was commenting on the décor of a room. It didn’t get much weirder than that for a man who could care less about amenities.

“Alright, rest up and come down for lunch in an hour. You can meet Dad then. And make sure to call us on the intercom if you need anything. The numbers to kitchen and my room are on the small note pad by the phone. Mom makes a killer tea, she can have it sent up to your room.”

“Khushi.”

“Yes”

“This is elaborate.”

“What is elaborate?”

It became obvious to him that she had no clue what he was talking about. She probably only knew this lifestyle and his discomfort with housekeepers or richness would never make sense to her. Yet, she had never let on that she came from this kind of money. She pecked him on his cheek and left the room.

And why does it matter? Focus, focus, ASR!

*****

Lunch was another elaborate affair. The Guptas had made enough food to feed the FBI agents stationed outside. Whether the agents would eat the spicy food remained to be seen. Dr Gupta was a gentle, sagely and down to earth person, whom ASR immediately took a liking to. Sasi welcomed ASR and the two struck a comfortable bond.

Khushi was dressed in a simple pink salwar. He had never seen her in Indian clothes and he loved the look on her. It also made his drumming, screaming desire for her worse. Every minute away from her was a herculean task for him yet he had to keep up pretenses until he got the truth from Sasi. The room became a pressure cooker as soon as Payal entered.

ASR had seen his share of beautiful girls, but this was beyond words. Payal was extremely beautiful, with good genes from both her parents, well endowed, curvaceous body and a dress so skimpy it would distract the entire battalion of FBI agents stationed outside. ASR cleared his throat and got up to introduce himself. Payal smiled seductively and shot her hand to him, lingering a moment longer than needed.

“I’ve heard about you. Are you here to protect us?” her coquettish manner and obvious come-hither was not missed by Khushi. She cringed inside but she knew, this was how Payal was. Every boyfriend Khushi had was lured away by Payal. And if it made Payal happy, Khushi was ready to make that sacrifice. It also hurt her that Payal completely ignored her in the room.

ASR watched the animosity in Payal’s eyes as she chose to sit on the chair furthest from Khushi. He shifted his eyes between the sisters. Then it struck him.

Payal was beautiful but in a cold clinical sort of way. Khushi was beautiful, earthy, all heart and soul. He could tell the sibling rivalry must have been quiet harsh during high school years. There was innocence and disarming way about khushi that Payal would probably never understand. It took him a few more minutes to put his finger on it – Payal was a fake. She was hiding behind a mask, one he doubted anyone in this family had peeked behind. She had a carefully constructed façade that hid dark secrets. She did not interest him.

Molly was a bright kid, a sport fanatic at that. She had her school spirit wear on and came in chomping on a piece of gum. ASR immediately knew he would bond well with the tomboyish kid. God knew, he could use some sports talk in the house, for he had missed most of the football season.

Garima walked in with excitement as the family settled around the lunch table.

“Shyam just called. I invited him to join us for Christmas Eve.”

Bad Idea. ASR grimaced. Bad, in every fucking way.

“Uh, Mrs. Gupta”

“Call me aunty.” Garima smiled.

“Ah, yes, Aunty. It’s probably not a good idea to tell anyone about Khushi being here. We don’t want to risk anything.”

“Oh!” she looked confused and shot Sasi a glance.

“He is practically family. You have nothing to fear in Shyam.” Payal coyly chimed.

And I don’t need your expert advice to do my job, ASR griped in his head, his dislike for the nymph growing by the second.

ASR noticed Sasi and Garima’s discomfort . “Who else knows?”

“I am sorry, Arnav. But Khushi’s best friend Gitu had called this morning, and I, ummm, told her.”

Shit!

*****

Home for the Holidays, flashed the text message. Noam was relieved. At least the constant search and vigilance could take a break for the holidays. He was tired and he needed a break.

He began packing his bags. David walked in and looked around the hotel room.

“Are we leaving?”

“Well, it seems our bird might be home for Christmas. I can use a break for a few days.” He zipped his bag and began shoe horning his shoe.

“Boss approved?”

“Boss does not need to know when I pee and shit, ok. Snitch will tell us where the girl is headed, we just have to be patient.” He stood up and peered down David from his incredible height.

“Besides the dead fish I sent the snitch seems to have worked. We are getting good information. And the security detail at our bird’s house makes it impossible for us. Its best  we keep a watch from a distance and wait for the bird to fly back to her nest, the safe house.”

“You are spending Christmas with Mariam?” David asked, looking forlorn as he had no family in the US. His was left behind in Russia.

“You can join us.” Noam offered casually.

“I can, thanks Noam, thanks so much.”

“Make sure you bring a good bottle of rum, food is free.”

Suddenly, David reached forward and hugged Noam.

“Get the fuck off me man, what are you doing?” he pushed David aside and picked his bag, leaving the man alone and confused in the room.

*****

Zurich Switzerland

Herzog walked up the cobbled stone street. His third floor apartment was located in a handsome district of Zurich, where mostly single men and yuppie crowds resided. The evening chill was harsher than usual but Herzog was shaking with excitement. The security DVDs were delivered to him this morning and he had them in his briefcase. He could not watch them in the bank because the bank monitored the computer systems. He wanted to watch them alone in his apartment and decide whether to investigate any further.

Herzog sped up the flight of stairs. He fished out his keys and inserted it into the keyhole. He noticed the apartment door was unlocked. He pushed the door open gingerly.

“Hello, anyone in here?”

Before he could turn and flee, a black towering figure stabbed him straight to the heart. Herzog dropped his briefcase and fell to the ground clutching his chest. The black figure picked the briefcase and zoomed out of the apartment. Herzog tried to pull the intruder by the leg but the man was too strong for him. The black figure kicked Herzog’s face, leaving him unconscious. The figure rushed out of the apartment with the briefcase.

Herzog was in excruciating pain as blood gushed out of his sides. He dragged himself to the phone and dialed the emergency number. He then called his secretary and left instructions with her in case something happened to him. A few minutes later the quiet neighborhood was filled with roaring ambulance and police sirens. Herzog died on his way to the hospital. The security DVDs were broken and damaged and left in a dumpster in a filthy neighborhood far from Herzog.

Herzog’s secretary heard the bad news the next day. She took the day off and left for her parent’s house. As she drove through Swiss country side, she called the number Herzog had left with her.

“Hello, Interpol, Lyons France office” spoke a voice in lilting French.

“Yes, I am calling to report a fraud.”

*****

Shyam arrived in his ridiculously vain Ferrari. 

The man and the car were not exactly a match made in heaven. He parked the car and honked twice letting the gupta’s and the FBI agents know he had arrived. He took off his Rayban glasses and walked with an added swagger as he entered the large entrance of the Gupta’s. His preppy polo and khakhis with corduroy blazers spoke of wealth and position but his face was arrogance personified. Payal screamed his name in glee and rushed across the hallway, pushing aside Garima and ASR to greet him. ASR noted the small non-verbal exchange between the two and suddenly felt the need to hold Khushi’s hands.

Payal jumped on Shyam’s back and he carried her in a piggy back ride to the cavernous family room. Khushi looked at ASR and almost snorted her laughter when she saw the look of disgust on his face.

“Story of my life.” She leaned and whispered while a plastering a smile on her face.  

“Hey, Khushi! I missed you. Get off my back, Payal, let me claim my fiancé before she runs away again.” Payal fisted him on his back and reluctantly got down. Her disgust was evident as Shyam made a big show of grabbing Khushi by her waist and planting a juicy kiss on her lips.

“Son of a bitch!” ASR muttered under his breath and looked away. Shyam’s attention was completely on ASR as he kissed Khushi, who was stiff as a rod in his arms. Shyam appeared satisfied when he noticed that he had succeeded in riling up ASR. He released Khushi, who immediately wiped her lips and looked at ASR apologetically.

“How have you been my love?” he asked, with a flicker of genuine emotion that disappeared as soon as it formed when he saw Sasi.

“Dr. Gupta, how are you? Are they keeping you busy at that hospital of yours?” Sasi winced at the question. While he was fond of his future son-in-law, the latter never lost an opportunity to rub salt into his wounds.

“Yes, yes, Shyam. So good to see you.” The two men shared a perfunctory hug.  

The rest of the afternoon took a nosedive turning as rotten as it could ever get for ASR. If it were possible, his total hatred for Shyam grew by the minute as the man did not waste any opportunity to rub in his wealth and stature as the leading doctor of Northwestern’s ER unit to everybody’s face. His obvious flirtation with Payal was another thorn on ASR’s side. His heart went out for Khushi who mostly sat in the midst of the gathering, very quiet and quite lonely. She appeared apologetic at having dragged him into the living mess among her family. She had wanted ASR to meet her parents, get to know her and have a quiet holiday. Instead Shyam walked in and ruined it for everyone. She wanted to simply disappear into thin air.

ASR watched her from a distance, observing her nuances and delicate movements. He was beginning to fall for her. Her grace was evident and her compassion was clear to him. She cared for her family and no matter how uncomfortable she felt about Shyam, she did not shed her classy behavior. He wanted to whisk her away to his room and make mad as hell love to her. He wanted just wanted all of her.

Wait till you get what you want from the old man.

Sasi excused himself to the study after dinner. Shyam was working on his laptop resting a possessive leg on Khushi’s lap. She wanted to flee from the scene and finally made up an excuse to leave the room. Payal lost no opportunity to occupy the seat vacated by Khushi and began massaging Shyam’s foot.

“Ohhh, that feels good.” He welcomed it, setting aside his laptop and closed his eyes to enjoy the impromptu foot message.

“Match made in hell.” ASR wanted to strangle both of them. Instead, he decided to find Sasi and ask about the Sabres. He found him reading a book in his study. ASR knocked on the study door.

“Come, come in, ASR. I was just about to call you. Have a seat.” Sasi set aside his book and looked nervous.

“Dr Gupta, can we talk about the Sabres?”

Sasi rubbed the bridge of his nose and answered grimly, “Yes” He got up and shut the study door. He leaned on the large mahagony study desk and faced ASR, contemplating how much to share.

“Dr. Gupta, I would urge you to tell me everything you know about the Sabres. It could save Khushi’s life. You do have some appreciation for the danger she faces.” ASR tried to convince the old man, in case he needed it.

“Yes, yes, I do realize that. I…I am hesitating because once I speak the truth, it will change my family forever.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“I don’t doubt that. But at some point, Khushi will have to know and” he lowered his head. “How I wish I never had to do this.”

ASR sat silently. The old man was struggling with his dilemma and needed a few moments to come to terms with what he was about to do. He took a deep breath and began.

“The Sabre belongs to the royal family of Gwalior. Maharaja Ratan Singh Chauhan was the first owner and it had since been passed to the first born of every generation.”

“So you got it from your parents?” ASR asked

“No. Khushi inherited it after the death of her parents.”

ASR felt loud bells ringing in his ears. “Khushi’s parents?”

“Yes, she is not our natural born child. We adopted her.” Sasi choked as stating the reality in words sucked the energy out of him.

 “Then, who are her real parents?”