Chapter 20: Heartbreak
After trying to call Arnav for another five times, Khushi realized that something was wrong. She looked at Payal who was curled up on her side of the bed, sleeping peacefully after a long time.
Khushi smiled.
After checking the pen drive given by Akash, Payal had nodded at Khushi, confirming it had the clips and pictures of her with Akash. After erasing the data in the pen drive, Payal had thrown it into the dustbin.
Khushi hadn't known how much of a burden it was on her shoulders until Payal hugged her and whispered a thank you. Khushi's eyes had welled up. The dark clouds had scattered and now she could finally begin to amend her mistakes, Khushi thought.
But why was Arnav not taking her calls?
Did he somehow already learn the truth? The thought alone made Khushi's hands clammy and her heartbeats erratic.
A lifetime of hatred, that's what she was going to end up with in the end.
But she didn't want Arnav to hear the truth from someone else. She had to tell him herself. Akash's truth and her truth!
She decided she will meet Arnav the first thing in the morning.
It was time to be honest and face the consequences. And she was ready, she told herself.
***
Anjali was packing her clothes in her bag. She had to leave today. Shyam had called three times yesterday asking her to come. She had told him that she would be there by the evening. But, in real, she didn't want to go. She was getting a feeling that something was off, that something bad was coming their way. She couldn't help but think back to the last time she had felt this way.
She was sixteen years old when her mother, Pushpa Raizada had passed away. She could still remember when she and Arnav were asked to go see their mother one last time. On the large bed, Pushpa Raizada looked frail and defeated. Anjali had known for some time now that things were very wrong in her family. Her father, Surendra Raizada had passed away a year before and it had only worsened the family situation.
She remembered being as young as ten years old and playing the elder sister with Arnav and Akash. Running around in the house, she had often heard her parents shouting and screaming at each other, her mother sobbing so often. But she had never known the reasons. Not until that dreadful day when her mother had told her everything on her deathbed.
Anjali had pieced that information with her memories and realized that her father was a vile man. A man she hated and found despicable. While Arnav hadn't been told everything, he had always been the quiet and the smart one. He had figured it out sooner than she or Naniji had wanted. And then they had explained him everything. He had heard it all without raising a single question. And after that day, he had never talked about it to anyone. Anjali had often tried talking to him but he would always deflect. Eventually she had given up.
After so many years of living a happy peaceful life, Anjali wasn't sure why she felt the same distress again. What could it be?
She thought over the conversation she had had with Arnav. She was still sure keeping the truth from Akash was a good decision. She didn't want to lose him. Akash was as much of a brother to her as Arnav.
As she finally zipped the bag, she told herself she was worrying over nothing.
***
Six missed calls and three text messages. All from Khushi. Arnav hadn't had even a bit of sleep last night. After Akash had left the room, he had smashed the photograph from his nightstand onto the wall. The pieces of the glass were still lying around him on the floor where he was sitting against his bed.
"I have always thought that love is an overrated feeling in this world so I wouldn't even talk about it. But I just want to make this thing clear that I like you. I really do. You affect me like no one has ever had. It's you I want to feel around me, it's you I want to see all the time. It's you I want to think about. And all these sudden feelings are confusing me. I don't know what to name this! So, I thought I should ask you. I want to know if you feel the same way or not?"
The words with which he had laid his heart bare in front of Khushi were now mocking him. And the hollow laugh in his head sounded even more like a mockery because now he knew that it was love that he felt.
In his lovesick trance, he had asked Khushi over and over again if she felt the same for him and every time she had given him only excuses. And yet, he hadn't taken the hint. Was all of it in his head? Did she never really care? Was he simply projecting his feelings on her?
But, then he thought of all the moments he had shared with her and the answer he came up with was a no'.
Khushi had looked in his eyes with love. She had kissed him with passion.
She was a brilliant actor. She had played him.
Staring at the screen of his phone, Arnav read the three messages one by one.
The first one was from last night.
"I need to meet you. There is something that I have to tell you" Arnav couldn't even muster the energy to scoff as he read the message.
The next two were from this morning.
"Can we please meet outside the office? Rose Garden near my house? At 7:00 in the morning?"
"Why aren't you replying? I am getting worried. Are you coming to the garden?"
Arnav had just finished reading the last message when a new text appeared on his screen.
"I am at the garden. Waiting for you"
Arnav looked at the watch. It was 7:15 a.m.
He kept the phone away and got up from the floor.
He looked at the broken photo frame and walking to it, he picked it from near the door and dumped it into the dustbin.
He was heading towards the washroom when his cell phone rang again.
It was Khushi calling.
Arnav let it ring.
~~~
Payal woke up feeling refreshed. The first thing she did after waking up was to check her laptop for emails. There were two.
Smiling, she turned off the laptop and went ahead with her daily routine. At the breakfast table, she noticed the heavy silence. Buaji was still not speaking to her. Her Amma, although still angry was talking to her on a need-to-talk basis. Her Babuji was the only person who greeted her with a smile. Payal noticed that Khushi was not at the table. Upon enquiring, she learnt that Khushi had woken up early and volunteered to go to the vegetable market.
After the breakfast, Payal told her Babuji that a few days ago she had applied for jobs in a few companies and had heard back from two of them. Shashi Gupta had been glad and wished her good luck.
By the time Payal was ready to leave for the first interview that she today, Khushi had returned back. Upon learning about the interview, she hugged her and wished her good luck.
I was 9:30 a.m. and Payal entered the reputed elementary school of the city with a positive vibe and lots of determination. Her battle was just beginning.
~~~
Akash drove to the apartment feeling better than he had when he had left it last night. When he entered in he was expecting to find his father, Girish Sharma, drunk on the couch like most of the times. But, instead, he found himself face to face to with another person.
"What are you doing here?" Akash barked at the man.
"Good morning to you too, son" Girish Sharma interrupted, stepping up and signaling the advocate to leave.
Akash turned his attention to his father as the advocate skidded past him and out of the apartment.
"Isn't he the same advocate who drafted those property documents for us?" Akash asked as Girish Sharma locked the door behind the advocate.
"The one and only" replied he.
Akash fought the urge to shout at his father and asked as calmly as he could.
"What was he doing here?"
"Oh, I called him to have a look at the papers. I want no window for the Raizadas to walk out of this" Girish Sharma replied.
"And you called him here when I wasn't around? Have you forgotten the deal, father? I am as much a part of this as you are! And what did he even say?" Akash asked irritably.
Girish Sharma walked back to the couch with lazy steps.
"He said he had to take the papers with him to have them thoroughly analyzed" Girish Sharma replied.
Akash told himself that this man was his father and he should not hit him.
"And you let him take the papers?" He asked in a slow, menacing voice.
"Do not take that tone with me, young fellow! I do not have to explain you my moves. This revenge is more mine than it is yours. I already agreed to let you do it your way instead of mine. Your part is done. Now sit back and watch the game end. I am going to burn that family! You are more than welcome to roast your marshmallows in the fire!" Girish Sharma said excitedly, the smile on his face maniac and sinister.
Akash told himself that the chill down his spine was because of the thrill and not because of the apprehension of what this man was capable of.
"Okay, fine! But do remember the rules of the game" He replied.
"Sure! Now ease up and come sit with your father. Tell me more about this Khushi girl"
"I think you'd be more interested in hearing the card I played last night on Arnav Singh Raizada; my loving brother" Akash said.
~~~
Aman called Arnav informing him that Khushi had arrived at the office. Arnav decided that it was a good idea for him to go drop Anjali at the airport instead of going to the office.
By the time he returned from the airport it was afternoon and the most of the office staff had gone to the canteen for lunch.
Arnav walked into his office and settled into the comfortable chair. He had hardly lifted the intercom to call Aman when he sensed Khushi.
He looked up to find her standing in the cabin. He put away the intercom.
"I have been trying to reach you all day" She said but Arnav was busy noticing how tired her eyes looked and how slumped her shoulders were.
He stood up. As he started walking towards her, he noticed how fidgety she was getting.
"I called you last night and then I tex..texted you" Arnav kept walking towards her, his eyes fixed straight on her face. The face that had lied to him ever since he had met her!
"Is everything alright, Arnav? You didn't respond to my calls and my tex..." Before Khushi knew it, he was crushing her lips with his.
He drew her face closer by placing one hand on the back of her neck and used the other to pull her body into his. As he used his tongue to sweep her lower lip, Khushi whimpered. Arnav kept pulling her body into his while at the same time he kept moving her towards the wall.
As Khushi's back was finally pressed into the wall, Arnav sucked her lower lip in and used his tongue to flick it. The reaction from her was equally arousing as she gripped his hair tightly to suppress another moan.
"I love you" Arnav said against her lips. He felt her lips stop moving. Her hands retreating. But he kept kissing her. One soft kiss on her lips. Another. And another until he was out of breath!
When he finally pulled back just enough to look at her face, she looked ready to break.
He pushed her away.
"What? You're just going to stand there and look pathetic? Nothing to say to that?" He finally shouted at her and she flinched.
"I have to tell you about Akash" She finally said, in a guilt ridden voice.
Arnav couldn't help but laugh.
"Tell me what? That you have been sneaking with my brother behind my back? That all this while you have been lying and deceiving me? Save your breath, Khushi! I know every disgusting truth about you" Arnav didn't realize he was shouting until he finished the sentence.
He watched Khushi's face crumble and tears filled her eyes. He mentally scoffed at the sight.
All this while, a part of him had been secretly hoping for everything to be false. But, standing in front of her, looking at her face, Arnav knew the last of that hope had died.
So much for being the good man, for trusting and loving so easily! He felt his heart was breaking. He looked at Khushi as she wiped her tears.
"How much do you know?" She asked.
Arnav looked at her like he couldn't believe her audacity.
"How much do I know? Shouldn't you be asking how do I know? Akash came clean. He told me everything" Arnav spat the words.
Khushi felt like half of her burden had lessened and yet suddenly the weight of it made her legs shake. Akash has told Arnav everything. Everything! And now Arnav hates her. Who wouldn't? Even she hated herself for her choices. The only saving grace was that now she wouldn't have to face the shame of telling everything to Arnav herself. She just has to stand here and bear Arnav's hate. The hate that she has earned!
"How dumb I was to play right into your hands! You must have had a good laugh at me. The man who trusts and loves too fast! Di was right. There is no point of being the good one. Thanks for proving me wrong" Arnav said, his voice breaking and Khushi had to physically stop herself from hugging him and telling him that even though all of this had been a game, she did love him. She loved him with all her heart.
But what good was going to come out of it? It would only hurt him more. So, she didn't tell him the words that were on her tongue.
"Now..Get out before I ask the security to drag you out" Arnav said after a minute, having gained controlled of himself again.
Khushi nodded. She had to play tough. She couldn't cry. Not now. Not when he was the one who was hurting more.
"Take care, Arnav" She said with as much calm as she could before she turned away.
"Was any of it real? Even for a second?" She finally heard him ask. Her heart was now beating wildly against its cage.
"No" She whispered back. For his own good. And for her too!
"Khushi?" He said again as she reached the door of the cabin.
She turned back and looked at him.
"I hate you" He said, his face supporting every word. There was only disgust for her on his face.
"I know" She replied and stepped out of the cabin.
She didn't cry until she was inside the auto.
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