Chapter 4

Khushi stared into his deep brown pools, the fight that was there a moment ago had died. They seemed defeated.  She decided to calm down as well,

"Sit down...Ill get you some tea" she said

He nodded and did just that. A few minutes later khushi was back and sat down next to him.

"She was born two years ago. I was pregnant when I left RM. We were fine. Im not going to tell you what we did when we left RM. But recently she had been getting really restless, always crying and having pains. I found out in October that she had a heart problem. Its march right now...so its been almost 5 months now.. .I never wanted you to get involved but her problem is getting serious and i...I cant afford it."

arnav stared at her face. It was so devoid of emotion. She just seemed to be reciting a story to him..as if it was completely normal.

"The doctor said that she doesn't have much time and...and the treatment needs to be done soon. And Ill pay you back eventually I just...I need it now"

With this Arnav was so angry he wasn't even sure he could control it. He was so ready to just kill her. How dare she say something like this? He stood up and harshly pulled Khushi up by the shoulders

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

"by what?" she said defiantly

"THAT YOU'LL PAY ME BACK...WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?"

"It means Mr. Raizada...that Ill pay you back."

This time he shook her and finally some sort of emotion showed up on her face...pain. he let her go.

"khushi like hell you will. She is my daughter. It is my responsibility to pay" he said slightly more calmly

"No it isn't. She's just your daughter because it was your sperm. nothing else. You are not her father in any other way. I have been taking care of her up till now...not you...so don't you even dare to call yourself her father"

This time he couldn't stand what she was saying and before he even knew what he had done...he had slapped her...hard and firm...right across her cheek. Khushi was so shocked...had he really just done that? What the hell just happened? She felt a sharp pain forming in her cheek and a buildup of heat. She put her hand up to her face where his had just been.

Arnav looked at her intensely as she was still trying to get a hold of the situation. She slowly looked up to meet his gaze.

"Don't you ever say that to me again Khushi...DONT you EVER. Do you f***king understand me khushi? Don't you ever even THINK of going there" he sneered at her

Khushi was still too shocked to reply and just stared at him with tears forming in her eyes.

Those tears. Arnav hadn't seen them for so long he had forgotten the power they held over him. Before he did anything else he turned away from her eyes and looked at the wall with clenched fists.

"I'm coming back here tomorrow morning. You both are going to Delhi with me for her treatment. Be ready" And with that he left leaving a shocked and confused and hurt khushi behind him. She knelt on the floor and cried. How dare he? HOW? She wasn't going anywhere with him. she stood up with this new resolve and proceeded to sleep with her daughter...who also happened to be his.

Arnav drove wildly back from her house. The encounter had just been too much. What had he done? WHAT HAD HE JUST DONE? He came to an abrupt stop in the middle of an unoccupied road and cried in his car. Had he actually slapped her like that? Had he just done that actually? But what had she said...no that was too much...she shouldn't have said what she did. How the hell was he supposed to know that Shaila even existed?

The next morning Arnav drove back to her house. He realized the door was locked this time. He rang the doorbell a few times but no one answered. He began knocking and screaming,

"KHUSHI! KHUSHI OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW"

After a while he realized no one was coming to the door so he moved backwards and gave it a powerful kick. And soon the door was down, revealing a shocked Kushi right behind it. She had 3 o's formed on her face. He was extremely angry, why wasn't she opening the door? He was about to storm towards her when a little child blocked his way. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes and flailed her arms in the air indicating to him to pick her up. He smiled and kneeled on the floor and seeing her happiness when he took her in his arms made him forget all his anger from a second ago.

"Hewooo" she said in the cutest way possible. Arnav heart melted as he got off the floor and lifted her with him.

"Hi baby. Are you and your mom ready?" he asked her while caressing her back

She moved back and looked at him with a puzzled expression,

"Why? Where are we going?" she asked. He went towards the couch and sat down, setting his little two year old in his lap. He stoked through her thick, dark hair. She was so beautiful.

"Because baby, Im your papaa...and you and your mamaa are coming home with me" he said.

She made a strange expression on her face, one that Arnav couldn't read. After a few moments she repeated the word to herself.

"Papaa?" she asked confused.

"Mhmmm" he nodded at her.

"But...but mamaa said...thatt my papaa was away" she said innocently

"I know baby...but your papaa is back and he's never leaving you again...okay?" he said almost feeling tears threatening to fall. He stood up and set her down and kneeled to face her. He looked at her for a moment and then kissed her lovingly. He whispered to her ear,

"Go and tell your mamaa to get ready okay?"

She nodded eagerly and skipped to her room.

Arnav was left alone with Khushi who was in the kitchen. He watched her for a while and then walked up to her.

"Arent you ready?" he spoke, hiding his anger with a mask of calmness

She didn't acknowledge his presence and continued cleaning the already sparkling counter. Her ignorance made him angry.

"Khushi..."he said, closing his eyes and clenching his fists due to extreme frustration, "Khushi what do you want?"

She looked up but still did not meet his gaze.

At this point he was on the verge of losing his temper. This woman was so frustrating! He just couldnt understand her.

"Khushi, do you want Shaila's treatment to happen or not?"
This got her attention and she looked up. She stopped her act of cleaning the counter and looked at him. Though she was silent, Arnav could see a war of emotions going on inside her.

Khushi was torn. She wanted her daughters' treatment more than anything else in the world. But she didn't want to go back with him. She didn't want to go back to that family but even after everything they had done, she still missed them. But then...that...that one person whom she dreaded seeing ever again in her life.

She threw the cloth down and walked up to him.  She moved closer to him until she was about a feet's distance away. She crossed her arms.

Arnav was expecting her to fight with him or say something harsh but what she did say took him by surprise.

"I don't want to stay at Shantivan"

"WHAT THE-... too bad. You have to"

"No. I won't go to Delhi with you unless I stay somewhere else" she said determinedly

Arnav moved closer to her and as they were already close enough, Khushi began to take small steps backwards. Arnav smirked but stopped after a few steps.

"Fine" he said icily.

Khushi sighed a sigh of relief, but then what he said next, turned her pale as a ghost

"Don't come"

To say khushi was taken back would be an understatement.

"Ex-excuse me?" she stuttered, not sure if she heard right

"That's right Khushi. You can stay here, I'll take Shaila to Delhi with me. " he sneered

"You cant do that. She...shes my daughter. You have no right"

"I have every right Khushi khumari gupta. She is my daughter. And thanks to the fact that you have put me down as her biological father on her birth certificate...I have full fatherly rights over her."he said icily and moved closer to her with crossed arms and a smirk on his face. He knew he would win this one.

After a few moments, he saw a new resolve form on her face again.

"Okay fine. Ill stay at Shantivan...but...but I'm not staying with you...in the same room"

"Excuse me?"

"Were technically not married anymore remember Mr. Raizada?...The six months are way over" she said confidently.

For a second he was surprised as he recalled their 6 month contract. But then he looked at her and noticed something.

"If so..."Ms. Gupta" why is there sindoor still in your parting? Why are you still wearing a mangalsutra? IF so, why do you still have your wedding ring on?" he said softly but with a tinge of amusement. Arnav was secretly extremely happy that she never got rid of the symbols of their marriage even if was not a real one.

Khushi stood there, utterly shocked. Unable to come up with a reply. She looked down, he moved closer.

"Oh and Khushi...that contract immediately lost its value when you gave birth to our baby daughter. Now...now you can never leave me khushi. You are my permanent wife"

Khushi let out a sharp gasp. But deep down, she wasn't sure if this statement relieved her, or angered her.  But after a few seconds of weakness, she composed herself back and replied with absolute calmness,

"That is not possible Mr. Raizada. I will get Shaila and I will come to Delhi, but I am not living in Shantivan." With that she turned around, leaving a shocked and frustrated Arnav with clenched fists and a tightened jaw. But deep down he understood. He got that khushi wasn't ready to face his family...rather their family. He would need to give her time, he couldn't rush things. He quickly got out his phone and dialed Amans number. He arranged for accommodation near both the hospital and Shantivan.

All original work is copyrighted by arshiforever123. All rights reserved.

thankss for reading you lovely pple... and I love it when u comment and like :)

- safa

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Next update pg 5

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