Chapter 20 - Family Faux

Dear Readers

Thank you for being patient as I spent the last week with house guests and visits from "real" life wala friends. Hope you enjoy this installment.
SJ
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You better leave those pictures alone or you die. You are nothing but a bastard and a piece of shit!

Shyam had barely finished texting the message to Khushi when his phone whirred into action.

Shit! The last thing I want is more drama tonite.

He cut the call and continued pacing his private suite in the club. The club security was alerted of the intruders and the bouncers were being questioned for the security breach. None of this was of any comfort to Shyam, who had lost any hope of ever becoming the next Surgeon General, if the stupid bitch revealed those photographs. 

His phone whirred once, indicating a text.

Leave me and my family alone. You will never hear from me.

He exhaled in relief. He knew Khushi like the back of his hands and banked on it. Now, he had the onerous task of finding a convenient trophy wife who would agree to be a wallflower and clear his path.This time his room phone rang and he picked up the call, assuming it was from the club managers, calling to apologize for the interruption to his “service”.

“You bastard! You are freaking enjoying Club Med while I am stewing here at home. Didn’t you promise to take me out tonite? Now that Khushi broke off the engagement, what’s stopping you?”

He grimaced at another annoyance that had grown from an irritating blister to a full blow gaping ulcer. He shouted back with equal fervor at the caller.

“Don’t you dare! You have no idea who I am and what I can do. So stay away from me. This thing that you and I have, let me tell you once and for all. Its over. Do you want me to spell it for you? Its O.V.E.R! Do you understand, bitch?” he slammed the phone down and pulled out the cable from the jack in fury.

He pushed his hair back to relieve the tension and drank a glass of water. It was in the coming for a long time and he was glad that both episodes were over. Now he just needed to find a willing and compliant ally who would neatly fit into his scheme of things while he went forth with his nomination.

****

Payal threw her phone with such force that it hit the wall and broke into smithereens.

“Argh! The bastard! Who does he think he is? For one freaking year, he strung me along. This is not the end Shyam, this is definitely not the end. Payal is not Khushi, Payal does not take things lying down. I will show you what you are dealing with here.”

Payal felt an insurmountable sense of anger and frustration build inside her. Since the day she had found out about Khushi’s ancestry, she knew she had to find a way to benefit from it. She had almost stumbled upon the mafia through her Russian boyfriend in college. On second thoughts, she figured the Russian guy had sought her out because she was Khushi’s sister. She needed money to splurge on her extravagant lifestyle, money that had nothing to do with Khushi’s kitty purse. Borrowing constantly from Khushi’s account had become a sore spot for her. The Russian boyfriend connected her to Noam.

This was much better. She could spend on anything she wanted and as long as she kept the stream of information to mafia, more money came her way. She was promised that Khushi’s life was not in any danger, the mafia just needed information on her.

At first she was scared of Noam. As she provided more and more information to them, they struck an uncomfortable truce of give and take. She gave information and she took money. The amount depended on the value of information. When she had been unable to reach Khushi during the protective custody, Noam had threatened her and then carried it out by killing Chameli, just for the heck of it. She knew she’d probably never feel much for Khushi but when Khushi was attacked in her apartment, it had scared the daylights out of her. She simply didn’t want to have anything to do with.

Payal needed the money but more than that she needed Shyam. In the months Khushi had been engaged to him, Payal had felt a strong attraction to him and he had encouraged it. Shyam had promised to break his engagement as soon as things settled for Khushi. She needed to speak to Shyam and find out where Khushi was. She needed money.

She kicked her dresser in frustration. She didn’t know what transpired in the last few days but the calls from Noam had stopped coming and so did the money. She wanted to rake through the mess and find something useful for money in return. She had hesitated asking Shyam for money because she cared for him in a sick and convoluted way, like she had never cared for anyone in her life. But that bastard was a victim of his own perversions. She had harbored a remote hope of making him like her and choose her over Khushi. She truly loved him in her wicked heart but now, he was driving her away. He needed to be taught a lesson, just like Khushi did.

She yanked the drawer of her dresser and fumbled under the drawer. A small secret compartment popped open. She pulled out another phone from the compartment and speed dialed number 1.

“Hello. This better be good.”

“She’t not here and and she’s not with Shyam. I tried her apartment and I don’t think she’s there either. You might want to try that FBI agent, Raizada. And by the way, I want Shyam destroyed.”

“Your revenge is not our priority. I thank you for the information but we are done here. Your last payment will be sent to the usual spot. We are through. Good night.” The accented voice was curt and to the point.

She felt the air sucked out of her. She was useless to them.

*****

Khushi switched off her phone after the last text to Shyam. It felt good to wield power over him for a change, a change of equation she was relishing with flourish. ASR was pleasantly surprised at her buoyant mood and chirpiness all the way to his apartment.

“Khushi, we need to talk about your Swiss bank account.” He decided to cross off the next item on his to do list – NK.

“Oh! Not tonite, ASR! Let me savor my freedom. Do you know how good it feels? Oh man! I was such an idiot! I let that perverted son of a bitch do this to me for a full fucking year! But its good, it’s all good now” she shook her head in disbelief and sheer relief.

ASR parked the car on the street. Khushi got out laughing and hop skipping like a kid. She bent and took a handful of snow, made a ball of it and hurled it on him. The cold snow surprised him but he was close on heels returning the favor. The snow fight continued with laughter and merry as the dim dawn lights skimmed the borders of the sky. They reached the front door of his building.

ASR opened the door. Khushi stood at the entrance with a wide smile and gleaming eyes. ASR didn’t say a word. He scooped her into his arms and shut the door with his foot. She chuckled in anticipation.

“Hot chocolate?’ she asked innocently, knowing that was the last thing on his mind.

“I have a better idea.” He responded, his voice audibly more gruff.

“Alright then, do tell.” She asked, her lips trembling to break into a smile.

“I’d rather show than tell.” He was playing along the sexual banter.

He lowered her on the bedroom floor. She stood watching him take off her jacket and then his. The restrain was broken immediately, when she held his face and rose on her toes to kiss him.

He reacted with such force, it drove the wind out of her lungs. Their lips and tongues sought warmth, comfort and assurance, tangling and coupling in open lust. He pulled away to catch his breath and almost ripped her dress apart, as he lifted it over head. She matched it with her own desperate fingers unbuttoning his shirt and shoving them under the garment to feel his warm skin. They kissed again as hands grabbed more clothing off of each other. He laid a trail of kisses around her jaws and moved down to kiss her chest. She threw her head back, threading her fingers through his thick black hair.

He breathed into her valley, ready to devour her any second. He inhaled in her perfume deeply and peered into her eyes as he rose and stood up. He had to say it.

“Dr. Khushi Gupta, you have no fucking idea what you do to me. I want to love you and love you till night ends and day starts. I want to love you every day of my life, feel your strawberry perfume on my skin every morning. I want to protect you, feel your warmth and comfort.” He laughed nervously and then his caramel eyes turned dark. He pulled her closer to him and sniffed along her neck. 

Khushi found that erotic, reminding her of her obsession to Vampire lore. She clutched his shoulders, yielding and pliable, giving him access to her neck.

“ And this neck of yours, Khushi, its mine. I want all of it.” He was shocked at his own admission. He had done it. Without saying the actual precious little words ‘I love you’, he had told her how much she meant to him.

A few moments ticked by. Khushi closed her eyes, ready to feel her man, his raw sexuality and his forceful passion. Suddenly, the face of the dead man flashed before her eyes, followed by Shyam’s nakedness and gluttony in the club. The words “You’re a bastard, Khushi” whirred in her ears in a deafening echo. The day’s exhaustion and overload of information took its toll on her. Her knees weakened and she collapsed into his arms.

“Khushi!” he growled, and held her tight. He led her to the bed and laid her down. He got her a bottle of Gatorade and some crackers to get her empty stomach settled. When she was finally able to sit up, she knew she could not do this to him. She knew her destiny lay with those Sabres and until she found out everything there was to know about them, she would never be ready to give all of her herself to ASR.

“Arnav” she said in a small voice.

He got into the bed with her and pulled her to his chest. She curled up beside him, seeking his warmth.

“Yes, my love” he answered, caressing her hair.

She loved the echo of his baritone in his chest, its vibrations and authority. She sighed and continued.

“I need to know about the Sabres. I don’t know why, but I feel they are evil and I am linked to them. All those deaths of royals and their families cannot go unanswered. I need to know before…” she stopped herself short of saying before she could begin to love him. She didn’t need to say it. He understood.

“I understand. Tomorrow we will pay Kevin a visit and get the serial numbers of the Sabres. My cryptographer friends Akash and Avni should be able to help.”

“Will Kevin let you? You are off the case.” She asked.

“Kevin owes me a couple of favors, I am sure he will not be too hard on me, especially now that he has found a neat way to put a closure to the entire sordid deal.”

“Hmmm” she felt safe and after a few minutes shifting to fit close to him, they both fell asleep.