Beauty And Her Prince #ReadersChoiceAwards Ongoing G

Chapter 40

Published On Wednesday,Oct 27, 2021 05:31 AM GMT-06:00

By Hope (@Hope)

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Chapter - 40

Incapable of bearing the distance between them he hugged her from behind. He knew. He now knew very well that he can’t lose her. He can’t afford to. As without her, it was getting hard for him to breathe.

She was so lost in his warm embrace ready to melt in it when the sudden change of the song broke her reverie and she instantly moved away. Taken aback by her behavior, he quickly spoke “Khushi, I need to speak with you. Now.” while trying to grab hold of her as she was walking away.

“But I don’t want to. Please leave me be.” she requested increasing her pace to escape his clutch and disappearing into the crowd.

Not looking back or slowing down till she reached her destination she silently joined next to Shyam. Even though he didn’t react in any way, she knew he was upset. Out of the blue she heard the person talking to Shyam say, “Mr.Raizada, I have only heard rumors that you are a great dancer but for the first time today, I got to see you. And I must say I am amazed.”

Confused, she reflexively turned back and found Arnav calmly standing behind her. Not stopping there, the man further added “And Ms.Khushi, you are very talented. Shyam, I don’t know what you meant when you said earlier that she can’t dance. She is fantastic. It was a delight to see you both dance. Oh! I am sorry. Let me introduce myself. I am Rohan. I have a dance studio. You should come some….”

Kushi was too occupied to pay heed to all that Rohan was saying. She knew clearly that these praises were doing her no good. All she could register at that point was the person next to her tensing up with Rohan’s every word. The current turn of events was strictly against what she was asked to do. All she was supposed to do tonight was to not stand out and maintain a low profile at which she failed miserably. Growing uncomfortable with two pairs of eyes burning through her from different directions for different reasons, she softly said her survival instincts kicking in “Excuse me. I will be right back.” and left silently leaving both Arnav and Shyam stranded.

Almost on the dot, Arnav excused himself to follow her suit but his quest came to an abrupt halt with someone bumping into him. Never losing sight of her, he observed that she was heading towards the bar. His curiosity piqued, he excused himself politely cutting the conversation short, and moved in that direction.

“Thank you so much for your help earlier. The medical kit is in the garden.”, she informed the bartender and turned back only to come face to face with Arnav. Gaping at him in disbelief like he is some alien she stuttered “You!? Here?”

With no reaction, he stared at her plainly as he held her hand and taking quick strides moved away from the party hall pulling her along with him.

Panicking, Khushi whisper-shouted trying to break free “Stop! Where are you taking me? You can’t do this? You are being rude.”

“Oh! I can do much more. And trust me, you didn’t even see the tip of my rudeness.” he sneered.

“Leave my hand. Someone will see us”, she said anxiously.

“Can’t you think of anything else? For the last time it doesn’t matter to me”, he said scornfully.

“And, don’t you get it? I keep telling you that it matters to me”, she said, fighting back.

“So? So what? Again, I. Don’t. Care. I am not letting you go without getting my answers today. You can’t keep avoiding my questions, Khushi.” he said, holding his grip firm and dragging her towards the garden.

“What questions? I said everything I had to. What more do you want from me?” she asked, frustrated and worried.

Without saying a single word he maintained his pace till they reached a secluded area. Finally releasing his grip, he locked her between his hands and bluntly questioned staring directly into her eyes “No. You never did. Now tell me, do you love me?”

Flustered by his earnestness she uncomfortably batted her eyes and not meeting his gaze dejectedly protested, “What kind of a question is this? When I keep telling you that we don’t have any future together, why do you keep asking such a useless question?”

“That’s not the answer to my question Khushi”, he said sharply.

“Because there is nothing to say.” she rebutted

“It is a simple yes or no question”, he demanded.

Even though she didn’t want to acknowledge it, she finally understood that there was no escape. She has no choice but to answer him. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and grabbing her dress on either side she made a fist, clenching onto it so hard. Mustering all the courage she can, she shut her eyes tight and spoke in a distressing tone “No!” And mumbled to herself “Please forgive me, Arnavji but this is for your best. You have to move on, move away from me to be happy. I am willing to lie if I have to for that. I am so sorry.”

Appalled by her response, he took a step back from her and yelped “You are lying! Khushi, why are you doing this? I know you are lying. I can feel your love. The way you look at me, care for me and just now, the way we danced, what we felt…. Was that nothing? You want me to believe it was not love?”

“No. It was not. You are mistaken. I saw you hurt so I cared for you as you did for me at Jiji’s wedding. And remember, you made me dance with you. I didn’t have a choice.” she said, stealing a glance at him. Noticing his pale face etched with pain, her heart broke into pieces. Swallowing her feelings she continued “I am sorry if I gave you false expectations. If I ever misguided you with my behavior. That was not my intention. I never wanted to hurt you. I am really sorry. Please forget about me and be happy. I will pray with all my heart that you find your one true love. Now please excuse me.”

Intending to leave she walked past him when agitated he closed in on her and placed his head on her nape bringing her to a complete stop in surprise. All of a sudden he felt exhausted. Completely drained both physically and mentally he spoke in a pleading tone, “You are wrong, Khushi. You are the one for me. It is with you I wish to find happiness. You make me believe in destiny. I don’t know about true love but I know I can’t lose you. I want to be with you. I like being with you. So, stop asking me to be happy without you. Please don’t do this. Don’t go. I know you love me too. My intuition can’t be wrong.”

His misery, reflecting in his words pierced through her heart. Unable to hold back her tears she avoided turning back to face him. Trying to keep her voice steady she requested “Please, let me go. I can’t give you the happiness you desire. Going our separate way is the best option.” and started walking off.

Holding it together by a thread he sighed heavily in despair. Clutching her wrist to stop her, he spoke in a firm voice “Khushi, I am not going to ask you again. Is this what you really want?”

“Yes! Now let me go. You are hurting me.” she said with equal firmness in her voice still having her back to him.

Her words hit him hard. That was the final straw. Releasing her hand, he stood there devastated as she disappeared without looking back at him even once.

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Khushi kept running like there was no tomorrow. She wanted to move away from him as far as possible before her courage collapsed. Before she broke down in front of him. Rushing into the restroom she shut the door and finally let her feelings loose. Her palms pressed strongly against her mouth to prevent any sound from slipping, she closed her eyes tightly and cried her heart out. “I broke his heart. I broke his heart to pieces, Devi Maiyya! He must be feeling shattered. I didn’t even look at him in the end. How must he have felt? I wanted to but I couldn’t. If I had seen him I would have completely lost my resolve. What have I done, Devi Maiya!? What have I done? I even lied to him and said I don’t love him. But you understand me, right? You know I had no other choice. I did it for him. It was for his own good. It was so that he could move on and find happiness. The happiness which I can’t give him. How can I when my own life is not in my control? Please take care of him. Please be with him. Please give him all the happiness in the world.” Her thoughts completely jumbled, she kept repeating the same sentences again and again as she sat there with tears flowing freely.

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Engulfed in her torment she lost track of time. It was the sudden buzz coming from the clutch that jogged her back to reality. Knowing fully well who the caller might be, she hastily pulled her phone out and answered “Hello!” in a very subtle voice.

“Hello! Khushi. Where are you?” Shyam demanded angrily.

“Me...I ...I am in the restroom.”

“What? Are you planning to spend the whole night there? Do you know for how long you are gone? Enough of your idiocy. Come out now before I come to you.” he said pathetically.

“No. You don’t come. I mean it might not look good if you wait outside the women's restroom. I will be there in 5 minutes.” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Ok then. Make it fast. You better be here in 5 minutes.” he ordered and cut the call.

Letting out a heavy sigh she got up, wiped her tears, splashed her face with cold water, applied slight makeup to conceal her puffy eyes, and exited the restroom, completely exhausted.

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Even though she stood there among many people Khushi felt alone. Everyone around her was busy enjoying the party but she was busy in her own sorrow. The scene from a few minutes back flashing before her eyes, she looked around for the umpteenth time with a lump in her throat. It had been a while since she returned to the party and still, there was no sign of him. “Maybe he left. After everything I said to him, maybe he didn’t want to see me anymore. Maybe he hates me now.” That last thought crushed her soul. “I don’t want him to hate me, Devi Maiyya. I want to see him. I know I am being selfish for wanting to see him one more time but I want to make sure he is ok. I don’t think I can live like this without knowing.” Biting her lips between her teeth she shut her eyes in order to control her emotions when a lone tear escaped through her cheek. Quickly wiping it off she continued standing there lifeless consumed by the war raging inside of her. On one side was her mind which convinced her that she did the right thing and applauded her actions. And then there was her heart which was angry. It was screaming in agony, cursing her for hurting herself, and importantly cursing her for hurting the man who now became her heartbeat.

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Time felt like it was ticking at a snail pace for Khushi. Her conscious self knew that not much time had passed but her whole body ached like she was standing there for eternity. As she lifted her head with great effort, her eyes fell on the dance floor bringing back a chain of memories. And she instantly felt her heart get heavier ready to cry again when her attention shifted at the words “I like the idea, Mr.Raizada. Let us ….”

“Did I hear it right?” she questioned herself as she frantically looked around trying to find the origin of the sound. There he was standing a few feet behind her with his back facing her. A sense of relief swept through her which felt silly since the situation between them did not change. If anything, the cordial relationship they shared earlier is now gone. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing does but him. I am just happy to see him all ok.” she thought with a dim smile.

Taking a quick peek behind her one more time she noticed he was no longer there. “Where did he go?” she muttered, her eyes scanning everywhere frantically. With no sign of him, she turned around dejected, and to her surprise, he was there, right in front of her seriously discussing something with 4 other people including Shyam. But what caught her attention was the person standing next to him. The woman from earlier was standing right next to him, and Khushi’s eyes were fixed on his hand which was casually placed around her waist holding her close to him. If there was any part of her heart that was left intact, it too got broken now. The pain in her heart intensified tenfold making it hard for her to breathe. Placing her hand on her heart she clenched it tight, unable to handle the torment. “Why are you sad now? He came to you again and again and again and what did you do? You broke his heart every single time. Now don’t expect him to cry for you. He is moving on just like you asked.” her heart screamed at her.

Deciding to avoid looking in his direction she shifted her gaze elsewhere but like a bee attracted to the nectar, her eyes subconsciously moved to him. Out of nowhere, Shyam walked into her line of sight, taking her by surprise. Clasping her hand, he dug his nails into her hand making her wince, and moving her a few feet away from others he murmured in her ear “Go and get me a glass of …..”

Shocked, Khushi stared at him offended, and said “Kya!? Nahi! (What!? No!) I can’t do it.”

Quickly checking to make sure no one heard her, Shyam whispered more authoritatively “Luckily the music is loud. What if someone had heard you? Don’t try to act smart with me. It is not like I am asking you to drink. I only want you to fetch one for me. And you better understand that I am not asking. It’s an order. Now go.” With that, he released her hand only after making sure to dig his nails into her flesh more.

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When Arnav walked back into the party he made up his mind that he was not going to look at her. Not even once. The Arnav in him wanted to leave the party immediately after she left but that was not ASR. The mighty ASR is not that weak. His ego is too big. One thing among many that ASR is really good at is hiding his emotions and vulnerabilities. Hence gathering himself together he joined the party. Even though he was still the same ASR on the outside, he was a different person on the inside. It was his heart. He keeps forgetting that his mind is no longer in control. It is his heart that is pulling the strings now. So, any decision made with his mind was bound to fail from the start. And it did. For a while, he did manage to avoid her with difficulty but then he lost the battle and ended up right before her. He was feeling angry, betrayed, cheated, and broken but still, he wanted her. His mind knew seeing her was a bad idea, that it would only cause him more suffering but his heart desired to get at least a glimpse of her.

Even though he looked normal to everyone, only he knew the storm surging in him. Stealing a glance at her he observed she was looking at something behind her. He was so involved in figuring out what she was watching and thinking that he didn’t even realize the lady next to him was moving closer while pulling his hand gently around her waist.

Totally oblivious to his surroundings he stood there busy stealing glances. It was during one such occurrence he saw Shyam saying something to her standing a little away from others. Before he could comprehend what it was about he noticed how disturbed she looked on hearing him and immediately felt something amiss. “What is it? Was it what he said? Did he do something?...” his thoughts running amok, he subconsciously started to move closer to them craving to find out. Unfortunately, he couldn’t succeed in his quest because he heard someone call out saying “Mr.Raizada, I loved your new collection. When …” Distracted, reflexively moved his gaze away from her and got stuck in the conversation. He did try to steal a glance in between but she was no longer there. For a second he was worried for her, of Shyam upsetting her even more but that was quickly laid to rest when he saw him standing close by talking to someone with no sign of her. He did have an urge to go to her at once but he stopped himself. He was done following her around. Done asking questions. Everything was done anyway, right? She ended it.

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A while later, as if finding the right time, Shyam spoke a little loudly “Where is Khushi?” in an attempt to make himself audible to people around. Pretending to be oblivious, he checked around as if trying to find her and spotting her near the bar exclaimed “Well, she is at the bar again.”

“Let her enjoy, Shyam. She is still young.” Mr.Kashyap said laughing.

Shaking his head dejected he responded raising his voice, even more, this time “You don’t know, Mr.Kashyap. Her drinking habit is getting worse day by day. This is all dad’s fault. He pampered her too much and this is the result of it. I keep telling him to not give in to her whims and fancies. That this behavior is not acceptable and something needs to be done before she slips out of hand.”

Arnav couldn’t help but overhear what Shyam was saying about Khushi. That man was just too loud. “What is he talking about? Khushi and drinking? Something is wrong. Definitely wrong.” he murmured, confused. At that exact moment, adding to his shock Khushi returned with a glass in her hand. “What the! What is she doing holding that glass?” he thought, perplexed.

Her hand trembling slightly, she tried passing it to Shyam when he said, acting completely clueless and showering fake concern “Oh! I can’t give you company Khushi. I am done. And I suggest you stop too.”

Taken by utter surprise she tried correcting him “But I got ...”

Brushing her off he spoke in a rush like someone anxious about getting caught. Again speaking at the top of his voice for others to hear said “I know you got only one but don’t you think you have had enough. Please, this is the last one ok? It is bad for your health. I am worried for you. I want you to get rid of this habit before it is too late. Or else the only option is rehab.”

Finally understanding what he was doing she stared at him in disbelief. She could notice people sneaking a glance at her from all sides, judging her, whispering about her but she said nothing to refute his claims. She just stood there, mum. The dreadful feeling returning in the pit of her stomach her discomfort grew, bringing with it the suffocation all set to drown her. It was then she felt a familiar feeling which made her aware of his presence. Reflexively looking around her eyes met his brown orbs which were intently watching her with skepticism. The twinge in her heart, forcing her condition to worsen, her mind cluttered with pessimistic thoughts seized in complete darkness. “What if he believes Shyam? What if he thinks I am a liar and believes that I am indeed a drunk? What if he hates me?..” Even though she accepted that they can never be together and he was better off without her. Even though asked him to move on and forget her, she was unable to comprehend the notion of him misunderstanding her, doubting her, recollecting her as a liar, and/or hating her.

The knots in her stomach tightening by the second, her chest constricted and the suffocation finally smothering her, she turned away from him unable to breathe. Gasping for air she heaved harder and faster but it was of no help. Letting go of the glass in her hand she clasped her chest breathing unevenly with her mouth. This was not the first time she had such an attack, it happened from time to time, Payal’s party being one such occurrence but she never became a spectacle like right now. And that only made it worse, enough to definitely succeed in killing her.

The glass hit the ground with a loud cracking sound and caught the attention of everyone around her. While people stared at her confused, Arnav immediately rushed. Facing her, he caught her by the shoulders to support her and asked panic-stricken, “Khushi! What happened? Are you ok?”

Her energy dissipating, her legs started to wobble and she subconsciously reached out to him grabbing onto his shirt tightly. Her right hand which was placed on top of his chest could feel his heart beating fast and hard. Strangely that sensation under her palm eased the loneliness and discomfort which held her hostage. His presence surprisingly brought back her strength. As her breathing slowly grew steady, his words finally reached her ears. “Khushi! Answer me, Damn it. What’s wrong? Are you in any pain?”

The concern in his voice was hard to miss. Her face still cast down, she nodded her head faintly and forced words out of her mouth “I am fine. Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? Just tell me what is going on. Do you need a doctor?” he inquired politely.

Before she could respond she heard Shyam reply “No need for a doctor, ASR. I think she had too many drinks and this is its result. I will take care of her from here. Thanks for your help.”

Disregarding him completely Arnav kept his gaze only on Khushi and asked her again “Khushi! Are you sure you are really ok?”

With a heavy heart, she let go of his shirt finding her footing, and coldly said “I am fine, Mr.Raizada. Thank you!” as she gently pushed his hands away from her shoulders and lifted her head.

The lack of emotion in her response irked Arnav but he pushed it aside as right now she was important and everything else trivial. Utilizing this opportunity Shyam swiftly stepped in and said, “Let us go home. You look wasted.”

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Even though he was physically present at the party his heart and soul were elsewhere. Her eyes from when she saw him one last time before stepping out if the venue haunted him. Even though their eyes met only momentarily he felt he saw pain and guilt in them. It was all thanks to her that he was not sure of his instincts anymore. “I am sure she was not drunk. But then why did she not speak up when Shyam time and again implied that she was a habitual drinker? In fact, even when he declared that she was wasted before taking leave all she did was apologize. What does it all mean? And what happened to her earlier? Is it because of me? Of something I did? Or did he do something? Or Is it something else? It was not just this but his words the whole evening. Something is definitely wrong. Why did he study abroad and not Khushi? Why do engineering, being a Gupta? The way he speaks about her before everyone and her silence to everything. Everything feels wrong. I need to know. And I will find out.” he made up his mind, still very much concerned for her.

The reason for his visit now absent he saw no reason in sticking around. Bidding goodbye to everyone he exited the party a few minutes after her. Getting in his car without wasting any time he dialed Aman and commanded “I want you to get me details of someone immediately?”

“Yes ASR! Who?”

“‘Shyam Manohar Jha’. Find out everything about him. I want to know every damn thing. Got it? And I want it ASAP.” he ordered.

“Sure, ASR! Also, about tomorrow’s flight yo....”

“Cancel the tickets. I am not leaving Mumbai tomorrow”, he replied sternly and cut the call. Frustrated, stepping on the accelerator he mumbled to himself “I hate him, I hate that man. How can she leave me for him? Why did she? She doesn’t even look happy with him. I am sure of what I felt. I don’t trust her words. I choose not to. Not till I find out everything. I can’t lose you like this, Khushi. I won’t allow you to walk away from me. You are mine and mine alone. I don’t know what I will become otherwise.”

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- Hope

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