Chapter 6

“What?” Karan turned around to face Khushi when he heard the shock in her voice. “Why are you so surprised?” Karan asked with a raised eyebrow. “After everything that happened I just didn’t think… He hates me, he blamed me for everything then why…” Khushi trailed off. “Look Khushi, you need to relax don’t stress about these things. I want to know what happened last night and don’t tell me it was nothing because from what you look like something definitely happened,” Karan asked with concern. Khushi looked at him helplessly as she reencountered the events of the previous night and how when she had prayed for help it was Arnav who had saved her. “Please don’t tell Priya anything. If she asks what happened I’ll come up with an excuse. I’m still in bed. She hasn’t seen my clothes yet and she only knows Arnav brought me here and is probably blaming him,” Karan shook his head in agreement with Khushi’s last statement. “Okay, I won’t tell her anything but then you need to shower and change your clothes so when she comes she doesn’t notice anything,” Karan ordered her as she got out of bed. She took off Arnav’s coat and looked at Karan, “Give it to me. I’ll return it to him.” Khushi breathed a sigh of relief. At least she didn’t have to come face to face with him again. She walked into the bathroom closing the door behind her as Karan made the bed. He took the coat and left in his room before he went downstairs to grab some breakfast.

An hour later Karan and Khushi were sitting in the lounge having coffee. They had planned to leave today but Priya insisted on staying so she could visit her niece. She had left after breakfast when she received a call from her brother and at that point they all decided that they would leave on Friday giving her three days to spend with her family. They were watching a movie when Khushi noticed Karan turning the volume down on the TV. “Karan, what are you doing?” Khushi asked confused. “I need to talk to you,” Khushi diverted her attention from the TV and turned towards Karan. “What happened, Khushi? What was it that made you come back to Lucknow? What could he have done that hurt you so much?” Karan needed answers. After everything he had seen and heard last night there was definitely something amiss. Khushi got up and walked to the kitchen with her mug but Karan wasn’t going to let it go that easily. She stopped at the sink, “I don’t want to talk about it, Karan. Whatever happened, happened. Nothing can change it and there’s no point in opening old wounds.” Karan folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not budging Khushi. We only have a vague idea. No one knows what happened and it’s possible it could have been a mistake or a misunderstanding,” Khushi turned around to face her friend and leaned against the sink. She knew he wasn’t going to let this go until all his questions were answered. “Fine. You want to know, I’ll tell you, Karan, but no one else is going to hear it. What everyone else knows is enough. They don’t need to know every detail,” Khushi said. “this stays between me and you,” Karan promised. “You’re one of my best friends and I always told you everything. You remember you were the one who told me that maybe I was falling for him. I had just spoken to you that day and you told me to tell him the truth about Shyam and the engagement before I told him how I felt,” Khushi looked lost in thought. “I remember. That was the last time I spoke to you over the phone because you were back in Lucknow two days later but you never told us why,” Karan said as he pulled out the chair from the table and sat down. “That was one day I want to forget and try to all the time but it’s almost like it’s stuck on repeat in my head. I just can’t forget…” Khushi whispered softly, just loud enough for Karan to hear.

**********************Flashback*******************

“You were right Karan. I’m going to visit Jiji anyway so I might as well do it now. Better late than never, right. Thanks Karan. I’ll call you later, I just reached.” Khushi put her phone back in her bag and adjusted her scarf as she walked up to the door. She had decided that today was going to be the day she was finally going to confess to him. She hadn’t realized when it happened and how it happened but it just did. Little did she know what awaited her inside. She opened the doors to the mansion and heard voices floating down from the hall, “No, Saale Sahib. I haven’t done anything. I could never imagine cheating Rani Sahiba. How could you think I would stoop so low. It was that Khushi, she was the one who was always trying to find a way to seduce me. I told her I was married to your sister but she said it didn’t make a difference to her whose sister she was.” Khushi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could anyone stoop so low to save themselves even if it meant tarnishing someone else’s reputation. She picked up her pace when she heard his voice, “You’ve been married to Di for two years and you’ve never done anything to hurt her so for your sake and hers I hope you’re telling the truth.” Khushi stood at the entrance to the hall far enough for them not to see her reaction to what was going on but close enough for them to see her. Arnav’s back was to her and she could see the smirk on Shyam’s face when he saw her standing there knowing she would have herad everything he had said before. “Exactly, you know me and I can’t hurt your sister especially not when she’s in this condition. If there is anyone you should be venting out your anger on it is Khushi because she is the cause of all of this and none of it would have happened had she stayed away when I begged her to. Why do you think she comes here all the time? She doesn’t come her to visit her sister she uses it as an excuse to try something every time,” Arnav fumed at what he was saying. He had seen them together on a few occasions but never had he thought she could be so cheap. How could she do that to him. Here he was thinking that for the first time in his life he felt something for someone. NO!

Khushi gasped and Arnav turned around. He looked at her with pure rage. She could see nothing but hatred in his eyes and she felt a stab in her heart. Arnav walked towards grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to the centre of the hall where everyone was standing, “How could you? My family were never anything but nice to you. Your sister married my brother… how could you have stooped so low, dammit? I never would have thought you would do something like that but I guess I was wrong. You are low class and cheap and it’s just been proved. You’re not worth anything or anyone because you obviously just want money so you’re trapping any man you can find, married or not.” Khushi eyes were flooded with tears, they were pouring down at her cheeks while she listened to him degrading her in front of his family, in front of the people she thought of as her own family. “Arnav, just listen to me. He’s lying to you. He’s lying to all of you. I haven’t done anything like that and I never will. How could you…” he cut her off and grabbed her shoulders. “Because I hardly know you. You’re my sister-in-law’s sister. You’re nothing to me and I have no reason to trust or believe you whatsoever. He on the other hand has been married to my sister for two years. I can’t believe you’d even try again even after you knew the truth,” Arnav let go of her shoulders, grabbed her wrist again and dragged her up the stairs to his room while the rest of his family tried to stop him. Now it was between the two of them. What he said now only she needed to hear and no one else needed to see how ruthless he could really be. He shoved open the doors and flung her on the bed. He could see she was scared of him, almost as if she knew what he was going to do. He closed the door and edged towards the bed. “Why are you so scared now? Is it because we’re alone behind a closed door, Khushi? I thought this is what you like doing, being behind closed doors with a man,” he kneeled over the bed and pinned her arms down so she couldn’t move. Khushi was beneath him, she wanted to move but she just couldn’t. She was frozen. She couldn’t believe that even for a second she thought she loved him. If he was willing to try this on her, then all would be lost. He looked at her frozen body smirking, “Relax Khushi Kumari Gupta. I have self-respect, I’m not like you. I don’t have to tarnish your reputation anyway Ms Gupta. You’ve done that very well all by yourself.” He let go of her arms and stood up. What came next was something he would have never expected.

“What do you think of yourself Mr Arnav Singh Raizada?” Khushi screamed at him. He was caught by surprise. Everyone was panicking downstairs about what Arnav would have done to Khushi but now they could hear, loud and clear. “You think because one of your family members told you something I’ve done it’s true. Is that what you really think of me?” Khushi looked him in the eyes and could see the anger rising. “If you really want to know then yes, you are third grade and low class it doesn’t seem very unlikely,” Khushi could feel her heart breaking with every word he said. “I’m glad it all came out now. You know why? Because now I know you’re not who I thought you were. You’re a completely different person. You know something else, I’m going to do you a favour. Because I’m so low class, third grade and cheap you won’t ever have to see me again,” Khushi didn’t have any tears left. The only ones that were left were the ones that had dried. “Then let me help you find your way out,” he grabbed her by the wrist again but she wasn’t going to let it happen this time. “Let go of me!” she shouted. “I know where the door is and can find my own way out,” she said as she stormed down the stairs in RM making her way to the door. She stopped and turned around when she got to the door, “I’m glad you came down here because now everyone can hear me say it. I HATE YOU ARNAV! I hate you Mr Arnav Singh Raizada. I hate you.” Khushi walked out the doors of RM knowing there was no turning back now. She had to forget everything. All those moments they spent together all their unspoken I love you’s, everything. She’d go far away and start over. Somewhere she wouldn’t be haunted.

**********End of Flashback*************

That was the day both their hearts were ignited, burnt to flames and broken beyond repair. It was the very same day their love had died and their hatred was born.