Hello folks!
I am finally updating this story after a really long time and I know that a lot of you might not remember the previous updates. So, for the sake of convenience, I have written a separate chapter where you can read the chapter-wise concise account of all the updates so far. It was a little difficult to do which is why I am updating today. IF not for the short summary, I would have posted this chapter yesterday. :)
So, I request all those of you who do not remember the previous chapters, please do read this Chapterwise Summary before reading this new chapter.
Chapter 16: The Bad Apple
"
Arnav, you need to listen to me. Please." Khushi said her eyes frantic and her voice desperate.
"Listen to what? More of your lies? I am
not going to be fooled anymore, Khushi. I hate you. I hate your face and I hate
your damned existence. You're a monster. You ripped my heart into two so bloody easily like it was some piece of paper. So, just get the hell out of my
sight" Arnav was spewing venom and his eyes had never been this cold. She
could practically feel the hatred radiating from his body and physically
hurting her.
"But I never really wanted to hurt you,
Arnav. You have to understand that.. You just have to.. I...I love you"
Her voice broke into sobs as she fell to her knees on the marbled floor of his
office. She was a weeping and sobbing mess. She knew she had lost him and that
hurt like nothing else could.
"You disgust me, Khushi. Now just get the
f**k out of my office and my life. I'll hate you forever and I am never going
to forgive you" His harsh words were like hands tightened around her
windpipe. She struggled to breathe...She struggled to wake up from the
nightmare but it was like her eyes were glued together.
"Don't hate me..Please" She murmured
and tears ran down her cheeks.
"Khushi.." She heard a concerned voice
reaching to her ears through the haze.
"Wake up, Khushi.." She heard it again
and tried to open her eyes. As her eyes slowly fluttered open she felt herself
lying still in a bed.
"Can you hear me? Khushi?" Payal's
face swept into her vision and Khushi realised what was happening. She was in
her room. Sleeping next to Payal. Dreaming about something which was soon to
become real.
"Jeeji" Khushi managed to speak and
realised the tears were real. She used her hands to wipe the moisture off her
cheeks.
"I am okay. I am fine" She got into a
sitting position on her bed and spoke to a distressed looking Payal.
"You were dreaming about something and
crying" Payal stated.
"It's all alright. It's nothing. I'd like
to go back to sleep" Khushi managed to say that in a firm voice. The room
was dimly lit and Payal was sitting next to her but the light in the room
wasn't enough for Payal to see Khushi's face clearly. If she could she would
know fresh tears were already pooling in her eyes.
"Were you dreaming about... Arnav?"
Payal asked even though she already knew the answer.
"I don't want to talk about it, Jeeji. I am
sorry I disturbed your sleep. Good night" Khushi said as she went to the
bed leaving the room very silent. Payal blinked several times as she stared at
the sleeping form of Khushi.
"I am sorry too, Khushi" She whispered
and settled next to Khushi in the bed.
****
The next morning after Arnav came back from his
run he decided to pay Akash a visit. Arnav had had the entire night to think
about the situation at hand and he had decided that talking directly to Akash
was his first option before he dealt with the matter in his own way.
As he reached to the door to Akash's room he
found Akash all ready to leave to somewhere.
"Morning, Bhai" Akash wished Arnav as
the latter stood in the doorway watching Akash putting on his shoes.
"Going somewhere?" Asked Arnav, making
sure to keep any strong emotion out of his voice.
"Yeah.. I got to meet someone" Akash
answered, looking at Arnav as he tied the laces.
"If you got enough time I would like to
have a talk before you leave" Arnav said, stepping inside the room and
throwing a look around.
The walls were different now...the earlier posters
of guitars and cricketers were ripped off and replaced with nothing. The table
beside the bed where there used to be a lot of photos was now occupied by a
bottle of alcohol and some books. In fact, Arnav noticed that the room had
changed a lot since he had last been here. And when was the last time? Arnav
couldn't actually recall and he felt maybe he too had been a little more
careless with his brother these few months.
"I see you removed the posters" He
commented as Akash tried to study the situation.
"What's going on, Bhai? You are personally
visiting my room?" Akash asked failing to hide the derisiveness in his
voice.
"If you're insinuating that I have been a
little less attentive towards you, you're right. I have been too busy with the
office which is kind of wrong on my part" Arnav said the words and Akash
realised his brother was making an attempt to apologize without actually having
to apologize. He mentally snorted. Of all the things, this was what he wanted
to apologize for? Akash felt the anger developing in his mind but he had to
keep it tamed.
"Well.. What is it that you want to talk about?" Akash asked schooling his features.
"To begin with, would you like to explain
that bottle of whiskey sitting on your table?" Arnav asked.
"What about it?" Akash asked giving
his brother a questioning brow.
"Since when you started treating the house
as your wine cellar? No booze is allowed in the house, Akash. You know that
well enough" Arnav said.
"I am sorry about it. Next time I will not
bring a bottle home. Anything else? I am kind of getting late" Akash could
not be any more nonchalant and Arnav felt his patience thinning.
"Akash.. I am not sure you remember it but
I am your elder brother and all I want for you is the best. I have no problem
if you go out with your friends, spend some money, drink a little and flirt
with some girls. But I do have and will always have a problem if you are
heading down a wrong path. Your prodigality, your women issues and your lack of
responsibility is something you should dial down" Arnav said that in a
tone laced with authority and affection.
"I'll consider that, Bhai. Thanks for all
your concern. Now I would really like to leave so.."
"Akash.." Arnav cut in, his eyes
pinning down Akash.
"You are not taking me seriously. If you do
not stop making your life a mess I will make you. You are my responsibility and
I love you enough to take the highroad with you. I want you in the office
today. There, we'll discuss this through. Is that clear?" Arnav asked Akash
who was looking at Arnav with incredulous eyes.
"Is that clear?" repeated Arnav.
"Yeah" Akash replied with his gaze
lowered and nodding once, Arnav left him alone.
"Clear as crystal, Bhai. You can never stop
rubbing it in my face that you are the one with the control. But I won't be
your puppet for long." Akash talked to the walls and kicked the air.
Arnav was already in his office and his mind was
distracted. The conversation with the Akash wasn't the best conversation he'd
had. He was confused as to why Akash was behaving and the talking the way he
was.
Arnav walked over to his chair and relaxed into it, his mind still thinking about Akash. Akash was always the most loved child, pampered and listened to. Among Arnav, Anjali and Akash was the fun kid. Always making friends and partying out. But when exactly his partying became synonymous to womanizing and drinking, Arnav could not tell. I lapsed in my responsibilities, thought Arnav as he held his forehead in his hands. But it wasn't too late. He will make sure Akash comes back on the right track. With his mind made, Arnav reached for the intercom.
"A coffee to my cabin" He said and put
down the contraption.
Then his eyes darted to Khushi's cubicle and he
found it unoccupied. He checked his watch and found it was late. She should
already be here. He was thinking about calling her when he saw Khushi enter in.
"Good Morning" She smiled too brightly
at him and Arnav returned the smile. He found it odd how looking merely at her
face could put his mind to ease.
"You're late" He commented and noticed
Khushi had his cup of coffee in her hands.
"Traffic was heavy, boss" She said it
timidly while placing the cup on his table.
"I do not do well with excuses, Miss
Gupta" Arnav said with a mock strictness in his tone and Khushi could tell
he was playing her.
"I am willing to be punished, Sir" She
said that with a purr in her voice and Arnav's mouth was left hanging open. He
didn't know Khushi could talk back in that seductive tone.
"Stick to that thought until later, Miss
Gupta. For now, I'd like you to go to your desk and get started with the
work" Arnav said that with a small laugh and Khushi laughed too as she
headed to her own desk".
****
After placing her handbag on the table and
drawing the blinds, Khushi allowed shame to wash her mind and body. She slumped
into her chair and closed her eyes. It was becoming more than difficult to
force smiles and laughs before Arnav when she was soon to snatch away his
smiles and laughs.
Khushi had decided that today was the day she was going to get those signatures from Arnav. She had stalled herself enough and it had only made things difficult for her. She will strike today.
Today, she will push Arnav down the cliff of trust. She was sure she could do this. There was no other way. Confiding in Arnav was not an option. Even if she told him that his own brother had planted her here and that she was doing all of this to save her sister and her family's honour what at his best Arnav could do? First of all he would be too shocked, too hurt and too broken. Then he will confront his brother. Akash would know that she has ruined his plans. And before Arnav could pull himself together enough to act, Akash would have leaked her sister's clips online. He would have sent those videos to her house. And then she will lose all of it. This was her better option. To lose just Arnav. It might be easier to live with his hatred than to see her family falling apart.
***
Akash stepped out of the elevator and walked
towards the penthouse. The corridor between the elevator and the door to the
penthouse was quiet. Akash crossed the small distance and knocked at the door.
He waited and then knocked again. When he was met with no apparent movement
from the other side of the door he took out his own key card and unlocked the
door.
Stepping in, he found the room lying in mess.
There were bottles of alcohol scattered across the floor and a bad smell
lingered in the room. But, ignoring all of it Akash moved towards the man who
was sprawled on the couch, half hanging and half sleeping on it.
Akash looked down at the man for a few seconds
with his lips pursed. Then he tried kicking the couch to rouse the sleeping man
but the man seemed was oblivious to the world around him.
Akash then looked around and found a half-filled
jug of water sitting on the table before the couch. He grabbed the handle of it
and poured all the liquid over the man.
"Son of a bitch" the man cursed loudly
as he jolted awake, his arms flailing in the air.
"What the f**k was that?" The man
glared at Akash once he recovered and found Akash towering at him.
"That was me attempting to bring you back
to life" snapped Akash himself.
"Yeah. Apparently, that's the only thing
you can do" taunted the man as he took a sitting position on now the wet
couch.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
demanded Akash in a heated tone as he sat himself on the table.
"You know that well enough. It's been more
than a month but you still haven't gotten those signatures and I am forced to
spend my days holed up in this smelly apartment" said the man using the
back of his hand of wipe the water droplets from his face.
"That is going to be done soon and this
apartment is smelly because you have made it so" replied Akash as he
looked around the room.
"Whatever! I had told you my way would have
been quicker but you had to scheme this whole sending a girl and backstabbing
thing"
"I need it to be this way. I need to see
his face once all of this is said and done. I need him to know I too can lie
and plan" said Akash with a crazed look and a smile crept into the man's
face.
"Well, that is something I appreciate about
you and that is the only reason I let you do the things your way." said
the man.
"So, when is this girl going to get us
those papers? It's been a hell lot of time"
"I will make sure she gets those signatures
to us in two days because we are running out of time. He has called me to his
office today and I am tired of playing subservient and calling him
"Bhai"." replied Akash.
"This will all be over soon, son. Very
soon!" The man patted Akash on the shoulder.
____________________________
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