OS: Karma
Hey! This is a weird one I have to admit. Not sure whether it is sad or comical or what. 😕 But I chose to write as a stress relief so this is probably just a load of rubbish, I'm sure. If you can bear with my ramblings, do read on.
Note: Ok to save my own back I will mention this. The concept I have noticed does seem to be similar to that of Bachna Ae Haseeno. Neither have I watched that particular film recently nor did I think about it while writing this. So maybe I was inspired subconsciously, I don't know 😕. Personally I don't consider myself inspired from that. But since this plagiarism thing is getting out of hand now, I will mention it to cover all bases.
"AP rub my feet."
"Yes didiji. Whatever you say didiji."
Arnav Prakashji bent down and heeded his master's wishes before you could even say "What the?"
Khushi Kumari Gupta, the hottest business tycoon of the moment, reposed in the rather comfy blue recliner. Her feet were aching and the culprit of her pains, her Jimmy Choo stilettos, lay scattered on the plush carpet. AP crouched at the foot of the recliner massaging her feet diligently. Khushi shut her eyes as she felt pleasure shoot through her. This was the life.
Today had been a pretty stressful day though, even by her standards. Khushi Kumari Gupta (or KKG as she was known in the business world) had just signed a contract, hours ago, agreeing to make Shuklaji a shareholder in the KKG Dabba business. The business, which had now gone viral, had gained prestige internationally and was the number one profitable business in not just India, but South-east Asia. Shuklaji had promised to expand the enterprise even further by establishing a ground for dabba-making in the UK and USA. Khushi was quite taken with the idea, liking the thought of a Sex and the City lifestyle, away from India.
Ouch! She winced in pain as AP hit an extraordinarily painful spot on her aching soles.
"Careful!" she spat out.
AP looked up regretfully and shot an apologetic look. "S-sorry didiji." He eased the pressure.
Khushi gave him a glare but sighing, she shut her eyes once again. "Do you have a foot fetish?"
"Huh?"
Khushi opened her eyes laboriously. "Do you have a foot fetish?"
"What the?"
Seeing his master's warning look, he corrected himself quickly. "I mean no didji!"
Khushi eyed him suspiciously as he averted his gaze and returned to massaging her feet. "Khushiji."
"Ji?" he looked up quizzical but didn't cease his task.
She narrowed her eyes and her voice came out quiet. "Khushiji. You can call me Khushiji." She cleared her throat as AP's head cocked up, a huge disbelieving smile on his face. Now his hands halted. Was he imagining things?
"Re-really?"
Khushi sighed, rolling her eyes, and motioned impatiently for him to continue. "Yes...I suppose. But don't think that means you can do whatever!" she warned, pointing a threatening finger at him. A finger adorned with her recently upgraded diamond solitaire.
AP smiled, and returned to his duty. "Yes Khushi!"
Khushi stared loutishly. "JI. You forgot the "ji". Don't get so ahead of yourself hero!"
AP merely kept smiling, quite used to this daily palava by now. "Ji KhushiJI."
Khushi huffed disapproving but did not shut her eyes. After several blissful moments of feeling her pains start to soften, she finally spoke. "So why do you always seem to enjoy rubbing my feet? And you always align my shoes, smiling to yourself while you clean them. Are you just a salacious pervert?"
He just kept up his idiotic and irksome smile. He nodded his head in a special manner, as if laughing at her ignorance. In fact he did that a lot. Khushi furrowed her brows. She hated it. What did he know that she didn't?
"Why are you smiling like an imbecile to yourself, not to mention why are you doing all of this?!" she snapped, scowling.
He looked up into her questioning eyes and frowned when he saw the raw hurt peeping through the stony mask he had so evidently taken great lengths to fabricate for herself. He felt himself succumb to guilt once again.
"Oh it's just that I actually like to. It feels like...I'm lessening your pain somehow. Repenting." He went quiet midway, bowing his head as if in shame.
Khushi's fuse broke. She was now a walking time-bomb threatening to explode, her resolve breaking with each minute in this man's horrid company. She shook her legs to get him off.
"Enough! I said that's enough. What the hell are you trying to do? Just get off me!" With that she rapidly scurried out of the room, in a desperate attempt to escape the claustrophobic torture it was becoming breathing the same air as him.
***
Arnav didn't move a muscle, still crouched in the same position when she stormed out of the room. His fatigued muscles were begging him to get up and stretch but his brain refused. This was his sadistic pleasure, what he deserved he figured for his deeds, and he would grab at every opportunity to inflict a little pain on himself with both hands. What else could he do? Besides this pain was probably not an iota in comparison to the pain he had brought upon her, the pain which had brought a black cloud raining down on her. The pain which had robbed her of her innocence, trusting nature and happiness. Was she suffering alone? Payal had never told him anything, saying she hadn't spoken to her. He knew that was a lie; Khushi just had told her sister not to tell him anything. Knowing Khushi, she probably was bearing the brunt of this all alone, never wanting to pain anybody. He had brought that pain. And he could and never would be able to live with this fact. It was in danger of consuming him whole.
He sighed. Try as she might though to be cruel, to be ruthless, she couldn't. She didn't have it in her. Unlike him, she wasn't dark. She had a heart. This thought comforted him to no end-kept him slightly sane-knowing that he hadn't completely lost her. And he had decided he would never let his worst fear ever come true.
Arnav stumbled backwards as his aching muscles gave way. Would he ever be able to heal her pain? Not even slightly? Would he never be able to redeem himself even a little bit?
Two years ago his lying scumbag jeeju had been discovered for what he truly was, four months into their "fake" marriage, as he had witnessed the b***ard abuse Khushi with his very own eyes. He had kept the secret from his family though fearing for his di's health. Two months later Khushi had left him despite his best attempts to apologize. But of course on what grounds could he possibly make her stay? He had no right to. She had left a week after di had her baby. From then on his life had been a downward spiral. The slimeball had died in a car accident (probably a punishment from God) leaving his di a depressed widow and his niece fatherless. And he had no idea how could he possibly rub salt in their wounds by disclosing the truth about the late father and husband of the two most precious people in his life. The Raizada parivaar had altogether adopted a morose atmosphere while Arnav Singh Raizada had taken to the adage of "what goes around comes around" quite literally. He was to blame for imparting all this suffering.
SIx months ago the AR group had crashed, gone bankrupt. Years of toil had just diminished to dust, had been washed down the drain. But he had surprisingly felt nothing out of the ordinary, it had only been another non-impactful stab to his void of a heart. Akash, becoming unexpectedly the more canny-minded of the duo on account of not being emotionally scarred like his brother, had made the decision to reboot the company almost single-handedly and had actually done a pretty admirable job. The AR group that now existed however, was just merely a shadow of its former self, alongside its former head, with only a few employees standing in the small, packed confined space they like to call the office. It was in development, as Akash liked to say. Still the company just about made enough to get the household by, although their current residence was a measly cubbyhole where the Raizadas lived, packed together like sardines. The Raizada mansion had been lost, probably to only be knocked down to make room for a new mall in a couple of years. Despite his reluctance, Akash had become the new CEO with the insistence from his brother. Akash had proved himself a worthy successor and Arnav was not about to stomp all over his hard work. Now while one carried on his shoulders the burden of his family, the other carried on him the burden of his guilt. With each passing day he felt more and more suffocated in his distant memories.
And then he had seen her. Seen her in the newspaper that is, three months ago, featured in an article along the lines of "India's most up and coming faces". He couldn't believe his eyes. She was near him! In Delhi too! Without even a single thought he had rushed to her offices in South Delhi, feeling out-of-place in the corporate environment, to see her. Just once...to explain things.
But he hadn't been able to say anything. He hadn't even been allowed in to meet her. But refusing to give up, he called time and time again for the next two weeks until finally he saw a little glimmer of hope, a tiny beacon of light at the end of a very long dark tunnel. She had let him meet her.
Those three words remained stuck in his throat when he saw the image of beauty she had made. She looked so sophisticated, cold, astute-nothing like the Khushi he knew. She spoke nothing like her too. His heart had sunk-she was a complete stranger. Arnav had not spoken a word as she rambled on incessantly (that part hadn't changed, only now the rambles were spiteful) feeling dispirited and defeated. He was about to give up when his eyes fell on it. She wore a diamond-encrusted ring, a symbol of their union, he had gifted her on the last day of their contract. And that little glimmer of hope was kept alive, just like that. He had as of yet never asked her about it though, knowing she would shoot him down straight if he did.
Arnav had then pleaded her for a job, in no doubt she was aware of his circumstances. The news story had flooded every news page and channel in India, "oh how the mighty have fallen!" being the headline of the gossip columns for awhile. Arnav grimaced with the bitter memory. Indeed she knew judging from her frown. She then, after mulling it over, gave in and gave him a job.
"You can be my servant. Take it or leave it."
Arnav was taken aback at her steeliness, her unwaveringness. ASR's pride would never have allowed it as long as he was alive. But that was the point-ASR was no longer alive, he had died the day she left. Arnav knew no pride; all he knew was Khushi. His Khushi. And redemption-that word rung in his ears.
What goes around comes around. Yes his biggest punishment being that he could never say those three words. They were lost in the abysses of his heart and mind.
***
"AP GET UP NOW!" her booming voice made his groggy eyes open. He leapt up as he realized where he was. Had he really just fallen asleep on the floor in Khushi Kumari Gupta's room?!
She had just entered a whole new league of angry by the looks of it. "How dare you! You creep! If this by any chance is a sick little game to get anywhere near me or my money-"
"Khushi! I mean Khushiji I'm really sorry! I don't know how I fell asleep I swear." His head was bowed in forgiveness. Khushi twitched. Why did it affect her so much when he did that? She gritted her teeth. He probably knew the effect it had on her as well, so chose to keep doing it. She ruffled her hair in exasperation. This whole "I'm-so-changed-and-humble" act was all a farce and wasn't going to wash with her. She wouldn't ever let it. She narrowed her eyes as she watched his pathetic form and felt her chest squeeze involuntarily. He was still handsome and athletic now without a question but he now looked jaded, defeated and she could not even see any of the remnants of the man who she left behind years ago. Just what did he want? She cursed him and herself. And the more pressing matter was that he still made her feel...things. It was ridiculous after all he had done to her!...But she had always been gullible and stupid. And here he was trying to take advantage of her once again. He had no shame.
She looked away, not being able to look at the image before her anymore. "Argh! Alright just go and pack my suitcase. I have a flight to catch tomorrow morning."
AP looked up startled. "You're going somewhere Khushiji?" His heart sank; she was leaving him.
"None of your damn business!" she bit back.
He nodded without another word, realizing he was indeed becoming too brazen. AP walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a suitcase and an array of saris. She watched him while he clumsily attempted to fold a sari. Khushi rolled her eyes, losing her patience at the sight before her. He still hadn't learnt how to fold clothes properly. "Stupid! Goes to show you can take the man out of business but you can never take the Laad Governor out of the man!"
In a matter of seconds she had stomped over to his side and seized the sari out of his hands. "Give me that! You really can't do anything can you? Tch! Laad Governor always had everyone else do his dirty work for him!"
He watched her amused, a smile on his lips. Laad Governor...it had been a while since he had heard that. So she didn't forget. He was admiring her when her head cocked quickly his way. He started feeling embarrassed but didn't look away.
She pouted, taking up the visage of every bit the madam she was, or made out to be. She dropped the sari. The red colouring her cheeks did not go amiss by Arnav though, making him smile inwardly. "Why am I doing this? You should be! Come on- pack!"
He simply nodded. She stood watching him intently for a few moments before she strolled out, not before stopping at the door and calling back.
"You're coming too because I need someone there who I can..." she cleared her throat. "...trust to do stuff how I like. So pack your bags." She eyed him up and down, roaming her eyes over his tattered jeans and now off-white shirt and finally his worn out trainers. She sighed in dismay. "What to do though? I can't let you come in these clothes. Ugh! Guess I have no choice but to buy you some."
With that she walked out the room, leaving her servant, beaming from ear to ear. Karma was a bitch but he would take everything life had to throw at him, just to spend another moment with her.
Twisted, I hear you say? Yep! If you managed to stay to the end (somehow😛) THANK YOU! Please leave a comment (you've wasted time already reading it, you might as well waste a few seconds more). Thanks.
Preity xxx
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