Chapter Eleven

What Khushi was going to do, she had absolutely no idea. With Arnav gone to work and not knowing this palace whatsoever, she didn't know what she could do nor where she could go. It is definitely safe to say that Khushi felt stuck, and as hard as she tried not to feel this way, she wanted Arnav to come home and rid her of her loneliness.

It made her go to war with herself.

Enough Khushi! Stop thinking of him in such a way! How can you easily forget what he did? How he bought you from Ichcha Baai for ten million dollars?! How he has treated you?!

But while a part of her thought that way, the other thought opposite.

Is it so wrong to feel this way for him? Yes, his act of buying me is very wrong, but we're free now! Free from the brothel! We can live the life we've always wanted to live! And besides his sarcasm, he isn't so bad. And what about our values we've always believed in when a man came into our life?

Both sides continued to fight and Khushi felt her head spin. Not even an afternoon nap helped her to relax. Though she was upset with herself for thinking about him the first moment she woke up.

A knock at the door snapped Khushi from her troubles. "Yes," she called out.

"It's almost 8 o'clock, Madam," one of the security members said from the other side of the door. "Sir will be home soon and will be upset to know you skipped lunch."

Khushi scowled at the door. She highly doubted he would be just upset at her for skipping a meal.

She turned to the nightstand and picked up her new iPhone. There were text messages from Husband and after seeing all of the texts she had missed, she couldn't stop herself from gulping with nervousness.

Fuck!

"I'll be down soon," Khushi called out and quickly got up to wash up.

Once she did, Khushi headed down. It was when she reached downstairs that she remembered Dhruv. She felt her body go numb and her blood run cold.

Is he here?

Khushi glanced around but all she saw were the security, standing with their hands behind their backs, looking forward. But her curiosity wasn't enough to make her worries go away. For a moment, she wondered if she should ask the security team if Dhruv was home.

Should I do that?

"Well, well, well..."

Khushi's eyes widened as her body stiffened.

"Good evening to you, Bhabi."

Khushi turned around and saw Dhruv walk down the staircase at a casual pace, smirking. Her skin crawled at the sight of him and when he got closer, she stepped away.

"So... not married for even 24 hours, and my brother abandons you for work - not surprising."

He stopped at the bottom of the staircase and Khushi paused as well.

"But no matter, Bhabi. That's what your devar is for," he grinned, licking his lower lip.

Khushi felt nothing but disgust, feeling her skin crawl even more.

Dhruv stepped forward and Khushi stepped back, glancing at the security guard who was standing to her right. Just as she was beginning to wonder if the man would help her, she stepped back into something hard and nearly stumbled over. However it wasn't something she had bumped into, but rather someone, and his hands reached out and grasped her by her waist before she could even fall forward.

Khushi gasped as Arnav wrapped his arm around her waist, his other hand moving her hair off of her shoulder to expose her neck. "I've missed you wifey," and he placed a kiss where her neck met her shoulder.

Khushi shuddered and gripped onto his hand with both of hers. Once again, she cursed at her body.

Arnav looked up. "Oh. Dhruv. Didn't see you there," he said, but there wasn't even a tiny hint of embarrassment in his voice, whatsoever.

Khushi glanced at Dhruv and saw him scowling. Dhruv muttered under his breath and walked past them and out of the doors.

Arnav watched his stepbrother walk out, his head tilted and a frown on his face. "Was it something I said?"

He simply shrugged and tugged on Khushi's waist, spinning her around. Khushi's arms flailed up and she gripped onto Arnav's shoulder's, her wide eyes looking into his.

"You, wife, have been bad."

Khushi looked at him in confusion.

"Not once did you respond to my texts. Very bad," he tsked.

"I-I was sleeping."

"Sleeping? Instead of waiting for me, all pretty and eager to be fucked fantastically?"

Khushi gulped and tried hard to avoid the thud in her core.

"You didn't even prepare dinner for me," he pouted.

"I-"

"But never mind that. Have you eaten?"

"Um-"

Aman came forward and Khushi looked at the man, while Arnav continued to look Khushi. "Sir, it has been brought to my attention that Madam has not eaten."

"Is that so."

Khushi looked up at Arnav. His eyes gave nothing away, but Khushi was sure that she was about to face what she had thought earlier.

And he said he was only going to be upset.

Arnav released his hold on her and gripped her by her wrist. "Come on," and he tugged her to the dining room. Khushi tried to free herself, able to go to the dining room just fine on her own, but Arnav's grip was just too tight. He plopped her down onto a chair and sat down at his seat at the head of the table. In an instant, the workers from the kitchen came and placed food on the table. Just as they were all about to go back to the kitchen, Arnav cleared his throat, causing them all to freeze.

"Would someone care to explain why my wife hasn't eaten all day."

The workers glanced at each other and Khushi could see the worry on their faces.

"Well?"

Khushi could hear the edge in his voice and knew that it would only be a matter of moments before the man would erupt. "I was tired and slept all afternoon, it's my fault."

The workers looked at her wide eyed while Arnav filled up his plate.

"Is that so."

It wasn't a question, but Khushi nodded anyways.

With a wave of his hand, Arnav dismissed the workers, and they all scurried back into the kitchen.

"Missing meals is something I do not like. Never do that again."

Khushi found this quite odd and confusing. "Why? What if I'm not hungry."

His steely eyes met hers and Khushi instantly looked down. When he finally removed his eyes off of her, Khushi filled up her plate with food. The two ate in silence and Khushi couldn't decide if that was good or bad. When both finished, they washed up as the workers took everything away.

Khushi followed behind Arnav quietly, when she noticed something from the corner of her eyes. She looked out the window and saw Dhruv outside, holding a bottle in the air. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Security members surrounded him, and he seemed as if he could tip over at any time.

"How sad."

Khushi gasped in surprise, turning to see Arnav next to her, watching his stepbrother.

"Not to mention pathetic," and he walked away.

Khushi glanced from Arnav to Dhruv and back, then followed after Arnav.

"Don't you care about your own brother?"

"He is not my own brother, but my stepbrother."

"Do you two not get along?"

"Well of course we do, we're best friends!"

Khushi resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his sarcasm. "Why do you hate him so much?"

Arnav halted and so did Khushi. He turned to her and when she saw the look in his eyes, Khushi gulped.

"What did I say earlier?"

Khushi simply gulped and looked down. 

"That's what I thought."

He turned back around and brought out his phone. Arnav clicked and tapped away on it, and Khushi just looked at him. The man was just too confusing and she really didn't understand him, whatsoever. Mentally tired out by it, Khushi headed upstairs to their room. She wanted to get comfortable and get ready for bed, so she made her way to the wardrobes. Khushi had shifted her stuff from her chest and into the wardrobes before having taken her nap. It wasn't just because she was bored with nothing to do, but because Arnav had texted her to do so earlier.

When she had moved her items, Khushi was surprised to discover other clothing hanging for her, from casual home clothes, to a variety of clothes to wear outside for different events, and of course, lingerie. Khushi was shocked that these were all ready for her, considering the fact that they had only taken her measurements the day before.

I guess when you're Arnav Singh Raizada, anything is possible.

But then it made Khushi wonder about Dhruv.

Dhruv Saab has no power, but Raizada Saab....

Khushi cleared her head and looked at her clothes. She could wear a simple pastel green selwar kameez to bed, but her eyes kept wandering to the lingerie. A majority of the girls at the brothel owned them and would sleep in them, as well as flaunt them around and tease the other girls in both ways, if you get what I mean.

Khushi's eyes wandered to a cute, baby pink teddy, which she was very tempted to wear.

But then....

"Wear it."

Khushi gasped and turned around, finding Arnav leaning against the doorway. He had taken off his suit jacket and tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt had been undone. The sight of him made her core thud and she stopped herself from biting her lip.

Arnav stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. His eyes never dropped from her, and Khushi looked away. When he stood in front of her, he said nothing. Khushi glanced from side to side, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. She peeked up at him through her eyelashes, and the instant her eyes met his, Arnav's lips came crashing down onto hers.

Khushi moaned as her back met the wardrobe, Arnav cupping the back of her head with his hand. Her lips moved along with his, hard as she tried to resist him, but failing miserably. She felt him tug on her clothes and allowed him to remove them, until not a string remained on her flesh. He pulled back first and looked at her from top to bottom.

"Fuck yes," he growled, and his lips collided with hers once more.

Khushi knew then that she was a goner.