the-masquerade

Goldenhaze Fiction
The Masquerade 1

The Masquerade 2
PROLOGUE
“I want the veil down!” He purred his voice thick and smooth.
“No….” she said looking away.
“Now!” He growled.
“I told you No!”
She said evenly.
“Why?” He asked her.
“————. No!” She said very firmly.
“I will give you a lakh more!” He baited her.
“Keep it and buy yourself a toy!” She said and pushed him away.
“No! You are not going anywhere until I am done with you” he said…
holding her hand as she slid past him. She tried to wriggle her hand free,
but he was far too strong in his hold on her hand, crushing it so hard that she winced.
“What Arnav Sen Randhawa wants he gets” he said very coolly.
“Well, you have news! Not always! Not this time!” Khushi spat and said,
“Even if you pay me double the amount,
“I won’t!” “Well that’s bad isn’t it? Coz I bought your company for the next three hours,
and you are supposed to be at my bidding” he said smugly. Khushi gasped and said,”
Right! But I am not a slave! I …er…. she just looked at him, as he drew her closer to him,
and simply said,
“Aren’t you? Then we shall make you one! You will make
…lets say, a very interesting slave!”
He drawled. She was drowned into his eyes.
And just looked into their depths which she could not fathom!
“I want you!” He said without any preamble.
“And that’s why I bought you offering double the prize!”
He purred. “But this is not some…deal!”
Khushi paused, as he said,
“It is…” “You can’t make me…!”
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 3
Khushi said weakly. “I can! Believe me! I can make or break everything!”
He said coldly. “But I already belong to someone else!”
She said garnering some last minute courage.
“No you don’t… not anymore! When I bought you…
that very moment you were just mine, and the others are eliminated by default!”
He said suavely. “You…arrogant…”
Khushi could not think of a suitable word.
“Son of a $%^#&? …or …Whatever?”
He supplied much to her annoyance.
“Thank you, but let me have you know that…”
he paused and went on…
“This Masquarade Ms. Mystery Harem girl, is over!”
Arnav Sen Randhawa folded his arms in front of him, and then he said some thing that
made Khushi dizzy with fear.
“Now you belong to me, and I am not letting you to go! Not now!
…not after three hours! NOT EVER!”
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 4
DISCLAIMER
All the work on these novels is a work of fiction.
These are novels that are penned by the author Goldenhaze. All the names,
characters, locales, businesses & professions, events and incidents are the
product of the author's imagination.
The religious or cultural rituals or any situations or any scientific or sociological,
legal and super natural assumptions made are to be understood as concocted as
part of the fiction and not otherwise.
Some facts may have been used for authenticity, but it may be understood that
these are used for purely fictional purposes and not for any other reason,
whatsoever.
ABOUT GOLDENHAZE
Goldenhaze is the pen name of the author AnuRam who is a doctorate in
Business management and writes fiction for hobby. Her first novel The Mirage,
was set in the back drop of Rajasthan and highlighted the theme of women
empowerment, woven into romance and intrigue. The sequel of the Miirage, The
Pursuit was again a romantic thriller which was much appreciated. Goldenhaze
has also written several novels including The Masquerade, An Evening with U,
and The WhisperValley and Vaishali.
Known for the variety in her story settings, and the usage of local flavors &
languages Goldenhaze is also known for her blog goldenhazefiction.blogspot.in
which has many ongoing works of her like A Dialogue in the Dark, The
Inexplicable Attraction and the Contrivance.
Currently Goldenhaze is working on the launch of a new stream of intense
romance, under the name Destiny series, with Deepthimaan- a character she
created in Mirage as the lead, who also happens to be the pivotal character in
her much acclaimed novel Destiny U&ME.
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 5
ASR looked at KK levelly and asked," She will call me?"
"Yeah!" KK said.
"She want's me to wait for the call?" ASR asked incredulously.
"Yeah!" KK confirmed.
"What makes you think I will? ASR never waits for a call!" He said smugly.
"Well! It’s in your interest, and you are a shrewd business man so I
guess..." he shrugged his shoulders and said," So I think you will wait for
her
call!"
"This "Her" does she have a name?" ASR asked KK.
"Of course!" KK said smiling! Was this chap smitten by his baby sister?
"So what is it?" ASR gritted between his teeth.
"I am not supposed to tell you" KK said nervously.
"KK is the mafia into it?" ASR mocked him for not revealing her name.
KK just stared at him and said," Nope! But many emotions are! " What ever
made him
say that he thought later.
The phone rang, and ASR looked at KK, and KK left the cabin crossing his
fingers as to what his little sister had in store, for the ASR.
5/3
"Hello!" Her voice came crisp and clear.
"Hi there, my Harem girl!" Arnav said cautiously.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Khushi said savouring his voice. Somehow
she began to like it!
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 6
"I wanted to thank you!" Arnav quipped.
"For what?" She asked with a sharp intake of breath.
"For saving me at the apartments! For saving my go downs, and for saving
so much of my money, and Your KK!" The last words came out very
sharply.
"---------------"
"You there?" He asked smugly. She thought he didn't know?" Well she had
news!
" Yeah!" She said breathing heavily.
"Why?" He asked her a simple question.
There was a long pause, when she answered," I dunno! May be I can't
stand deceit!"
" Oh! Is that all, this is about?" He asked softly.
Khushi felt her pulse quickening, but she just could not come round to tell
him that she liked him in spite of all the negative publicity his personality
garnered. She liked him for his genuineness. True, he was boorish and
arrogant to the point of being rude etc., but he was also righteous and
straight in his approach.
There was Lalith who appeared very correct and with all the right
manners and demeanor, but downright filthy at heart. But there was him,
who was compassionate and considerate, and even shrewd, but with a
heart! After all if he hadn't pressed those charges against KK, they would
have never known what Lalith was up to actually.
"Hey...! " He was asking her something.
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 7
"Yeah?" She asked in anticipation.
"I want to see you!" It was not what he said, but how he said that which
ran shivers down her spine.
It took all her courage to ask, " Why?" Which she did eventually.
"May be I want to thank you in person," he baited her smiling at his own
stupidity. She knew!
" ...er... There is no need, you know? I just did my duty!" She brushed him
off infuriating him.
"Then let me tell you that I find you interesting and useful. So I want to
meet and explore further association with you…" he put it very succinctly.
" Sorry I don't want anymore associations with anyone!" She said her voice
shaky.
" Why? Your KK won't approve?" His voice turned caustic.
Khushi was taken aback.
What was he saying!
"What I do, is none of your business or KK's!" She said.
"Are you still tied to him, and what's your tie up with Maadhwaani?" Arnav
finally asked her straight.
" What?" Khushi could not hide the inflection in her voice.
"Yeah! If you are still tied to KK, just say goodbye to him! And Maadhwaani
is a fraud, so I don't think he is worth it!
Come to me! I...er... want you!” There he said it.
It hurt him to make that offer, coz Arnav Sen Randhawa never made such
an offer. Women flocked round him! He did not go after them! But this
one was different, and he was not willing to loose her. True she was with
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 8
the wrong people, but one fire accident had taught him that she was good
at heart, and courageous and loyal. Even after the event...she tried her
best to do good to him.
Even at the cost of her own associates!
" Come to me Harem girl" he called her.
Khushi went still. No! She could never settle for less! She was not from his
league, and it would not be in her interest, as after seeing the man, she
knew she would be completely overwhelmed by him. In a way, men like
Lalith were better. They did not take over you in such a way that you lost
yourself in their charm. But this man, he was danger spelt with a big ‘D’!
She would loose her identity and her self in him.
Oh! Who was she kidding! She was afraid of her own self! First it was her heart!
She was experiencing something new and it was scary! She never felt that way
for a man before! Not even Lalith! She never felt like drowning into the very
depths of the eyes of a man and felt like she would never come up! No! This
was not for her!
Secondly, she touched her right collar. Her scar! No doubt in time they
would heal! But one look at all the women who he was seen with, and oh!
She had done some research in past few days, and what she saw told her
she was a no show! As far as ASR was concerned, she was definitely a
mismatch and absolute bad choice!
HA! She closed her eyes, as tears welled up. She would always love him,
but it was not possible for her to get together with him, as they were
worlds apart!
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 9
More over he was famous for his use and throw policy, as La had pointed
out, and she was not for casual flings. Once her heart was set, it was for
eternity!
Khushi held on to the receiver tight.
"What is the problem! I can take care of you better than KK." His voice
made her flinch, and she just stared at the receiver.
“Listen! You can pay him back if you owe anything to him. I shall do that,
and you can be relieved." Arnav was talking, and she spat at him saying,"
What rubbish! I would never sell my loyalty! You can give me all the money
you have in the world, but I would never leave KK! Just shut up and stop
thinking you can buy anything!" "Listen..." Arnav tried to reason, and she
yelled back at him, "Now you listen! I helped you as I thought you were a
man with integrity and compassion. I wanted those aspects of you to rule
you, which accidentally were showcased in the accident, rather than those
phony ones which you wear on you as a shield. I helped you out thinking
that your faith in humanity would be restored. Not all of us are breathing
on this earth to syphon you off!
But if you think that would make me go against my own, then you are
mistaken! Just let KK go free. This would be the payback for me, and just
one more thing... Don't let go off Lalith! If you really want to pay me back,
just give him a very memorable experience so that he would never play
with so many people and their emotions!
....and as a last minute gesture, she said, “Good bye ARNAV!"
Goldenhaze Fiction

The Masquerade 10
And cut the call.
How dared he thought he could buy her and her love! Had he no respect for
human feelings? She fumed!
Goldenhaze Fiction

Goldenhaze Fiction
The Masquerade 11