Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Karte hain hum aaj qabool...kya keeje
Ho gayi thi jo humse bhool...kya keeje
Dil keh raha, use mayassar, kar bhi aao
Wo jo dabi si aas baaki hai
Wo jo dabi si aanch baaki hai.."

"So, this is it?" He asked.

"Yes" She answered.

No. His heart wrenched in response. To hide the pain, he turned away from her. He had already feared this for a long time now and had been aware that hearing her confirm it will only break his hopeless, foolish heart. But he had been wrong. It didn't just break his heart, it shattered it into a hundred pieces. He found himself unable to speak or think for a moment.

But, she spoke again.

"Bye"

That single word was enough to rattle him and make him realize this was THE moment. Earlier, he had stepped out of her life. But this time, she was stepping out of his life and for good. He will never see her again or hear her beautiful voice.

"I am sorry, Khushi" He said. Because he was sorry and he was selfish. He had hurt her, he had walked away from her and yet he cannot not let her do the same to him. He cannot bear to be apart from her anymore. He will not leave this city once again with nothing in his hand.

He cannot undo his mistakes but he will be damned if he let Khushi repeat the same mistake. She can punish him all she wants but not like this. He will not let her leave.

He heard her footsteps running away from him and by the time he turned back, she was almost at the door.

"Khushi" He called her once again, quickly chasing after her as she opened the door wide open. And stopped! Did she change her mind?

No. Arnav discovered the reason of her frozen feet when he reached her side.

There stood Nand Kishor Jha in the doorway staring at Khushi with angry, contemptful eyes and then those eyes slowly moved to him.

Arnav's face instantly shifted expression and became as unreadable as possible. This will be...interesting!

"Not with Arnav, huh?" NK spoke, moving his eyes back to Khushi whose face had lost all colour.

Arnav waited for Khushi to speak. He shall speak when he needs to because he had already made up his mind about how this was going to end.

"Let us please go from here, NK. I can explain on the way" Khushi said in a nervous tone, looking at NK with a pleading face. Arnav had to resist himself from intervening upon hearing her words.

So, she was planning to stick by her "fiance"? He couldn't say that didn't prick him.

NK, on the other hand, laughed upon hearing Khushi's pleading words.

"Explain? You think I want to hear the details of what you were doing inside his room at this hour? Spare me the bullshit, Khushi. Just admit that you slept with this bast**d" NK's words had Khushi reeling in shock and anger.

Arnav, on the other hand, decided he had heard enough and stepped forward until he stood right in front of NK.

"Be careful of what you say next, NK, because I can't tell you how much I have been itching to smash in the face of a Jha lately. Don't give me the satisfaction" Arnav's words were a warning, which made NK's face turn into a grimace.

"You dare threaten me after you have been caught red-handed with MY FIANCE in your room?" NK growled, glaring at Arnav.

"Nothing happened, NK. Arnav is just an old friend. Please believe me. Let us go. I will tell you everything on the way" Khushi again cut in in an urgent tone. She also looked at Arnav with imploring eyes to not say anything.

Arnav looked back at her with bold defiance in his eyes, which made Khushi further confused and worried. Why was he doing this? Why can't he let her leave with some dignity?

"I have known more girls in my life than you can count, Khushi. You think you can lie to me? I know that face. It's the guilt face. So, stop lying! If I wanted another who*e for myself, I would have married one of my girlfriends. But, I thought you were different. I thought you had a good character. But No..You too turned out to be like those same desperate girls who can do anything for money. You too are a sl*t who..."

NK couldn't speak further as Arnav's fist connected with his face.

"You still think he is a changed man?" Arnav turned to Khushi in a sharp voice while NK reeled back from the pain.

"You assh*le! I am gonna kill you" NK launched but Arnav was ready. He caught NK's punch in his hand and shoved him away.

"If you don't want your ass hauled to prison, leave now" Arnav said to NK while Khushi watched in shock.

NK stood up again and touched the cut on his face.

"And before you go, let me tell you this, NK. You were right. Khushi was in my room. I brought her here. I kissed her. And I love her. So, forget about your dreams of marrying her. Now, leave before I call the security," Arnav finished. He purposely didn't look in Khushi's direction, fully aware that she was staring at him.

"You will pay for this later" NK said as he stepped back.

"Can't wait," Arnav said but NK was already walking down the corridor.

Arnav then stepped inside and locked the door. Then, slowly, he turned to look at Khushi.

She was still staring at him, eyes shooting daggers.

"Khus.." He began but she pushed him away.

"How dare you, Arnav!" She shouted in blind anger.

Arnav simply looked at her, at her enraged face and her hard eyes.

"You broke my engagement! What will I say to my parents? Who do you think you are!" She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him again. He let her.

"Who are you to decide who I shall marry? Who are you to judge?" She shouted, pushing him again. But, this time, Arnav caught her hands mid-air, holding them firmly.

"I am the man who is deeply, desperately and madly in love with you! Did you not hear that?" He shouted back, looking at her face, still holding her hands in his.

Khushi's face became stiff and her hands went limp. Seeing that, Arnav softly let her hands go.

"You're a liar! You don't love me. You never loved me. If you had, you wouldn't have left" She said, not shouting but her voice was still loud and accusatory.

"Yes, I left. I messed up everything. But that does not change the fact that I loved you then and I love you now. I will not repeat the same mistake, Khushi. And I won't let you repeat it too. If I ran away then, you're running away now. Please, don't do it. I can tell you by experience that no amount of distance will erase what I feel for you or what you feel for me! It will just make both of us miserable for the rest of our goddamned lives. So, don't forgive me, Khushi. But, give me a second chance. I need you, I want you, and I most certainly love you" Arnav said all in one breath and hoped to god she would believe him.

If she left, he knew he would spend the rest of his life in guilt and pain. To get love and to lose it because of your own stupid mistakes would be too heavy a burden for him to bear.

Khushi heard his words and processed them slowly.

"So, you won't leave in the morning? Or the day after that, and the day after that? You will stay?" She asked, as if in a trance.

Was this really happening? Was Arnav really telling her that he loves her? He wants to be with her? He will stay here for her?

"The only way I can leave you, Khushi, is by leaving this world. Rest anywhere I go, you go with me" He replied and his words made her heart grow painfully large. But, it was a welcomed pain, and she smiled through it.

"But you booked tickets..Your flight.." Khushi didn't get to finish what she knew were silly words after his declaration. Arnav moved to her in a quick stride and sealed her mouth, covering it with his lips.

"I love you" He said again through the kiss and Khushi found her hands circling him once again. Her insides felt wobbly, and she whimpered as his lips continued moving passionately over hers.

"Khushi, do you?" She barely heard him ask, his passion having driven away her senses.

When she didn't answer, he pulled away from her and looked at her face with an intensity so deep that she thought she would melt. Those chocolate brown eyes were filled with love and hope.

"Do you, Khushi? He asked her again, needing to hear her confirmation.

She nodded her head.

"Say it" He demanded, his fingers brushing against her cheek, his eyes fixed on her face.

Khushi shook her head, still feeling too overwhelmed by his admission and all that had transpired in the last ten minutes.

"You don't love me, or you won't say it?" He asked, and Khushi could see he knew the answer. Yet, he was wanted to hear it from her. Khushi looked at him and then at their bodies that were practically wrapped around each other. Khushi marvelled at how right it felt. Being close to him felt right. Hearing him proclaim his love to her felt right!

"Khushi" He whispered her name again, and she looked back at him, in his eyes that called out to her.

"Promise me that you will never leave" She asked him.

"I promise, Khushi" He replied with the utmost sincerity, without blinking.

"Promise me that you will always share your problems with me" She asked.

"I promise" He replied again, not breaking the eye contact.

"I love you" She said.

She watched the smile appear and then grow on his face. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen in a long time. He was the most beautiful thing.

"I love you, Arnav" She said again, hugging him, resting her head on his broad shoulders while he breathed in her scent. She really was in his arms. No distances between them. Except one thing!

Khushi watched as his hands slowly travelled to her hands and caught them in his. He touched her palm and looked at the ring sitting on her finger.

"I would love nothing more than to get rid of this" He said and looked at her. She slowly nodded her head, and taking that as her approval he began to remove the ring from her finger.

Khushi watched him remove it and then he started to observe it carefully. She watched the surprise appear on his face.

"Khushi..this is..?" He said, looking at the ring in shock and then at her. She could see that he was struggling to find words.

"Yes" She softly whispered.

"How?" He asked, his voice trembling with loaded emotions.

"Nani gave it to me a day before she left us" Khushi replied, taking the ring from Arnav's palm. It was his mother's ring which was held by Devyani Singh Raizada after Arnav's mother had passed away.

In a way, the ring had belonged to two people Arnav cared most about in his life, his mother and his Nani.

"Why didn't I know about this? Why didn't she tell me" Arnav said, looking at Khushi with surprise.

"I don't know why she didn't tell you. While giving me the ring, she asked me to always keep it with myself. She said this ring was her blessing to me...to us. So, I kept it. And when it was my engagement, I..I needed something to hold on to. I wanted a shred of my old life in the new life I was about to start. So, I got this ring cleaned and polished. That's why you couldn't recognise it at first. The jeweller also made minor changes to it. See" Khushi revealed with a sombre face, turning the ring and showing the inner side of it to Arnav.

Arnav took the ring and looked at it carefully. There was a name scribbled inside it.

"Arnav" He read it and then looked at Khushi, eyes full of emotions.

"I know it was wrong...but I wanted something of yours..so..I told NK the ring was close to me and he agreed to slip it on my finger on the day of the engagement..I knew I was horrible person for doing this and I felt so guilty, Arnav but I.." Khushi tried to explain with broken words and downcast eyes that were filling with tears. She didn't notice the moisture that was beginning to appear in Arnav's eyes as well.

"It's okay, Khushi. You don't have to feel guilty. I can understand why you did it. It's all my mistake. I should be the one feeling guilty and ashamed. Nani gave this ring to you. She said it was her blessing. Even she knew that the two of us..that we were right for each other. She wanted us to be together. And what did I do? I used her death as a reason to run away from everything" Arnav said and Khushi felt lightened by his words. She could see how moved he was and how sorry he felt for doing what he did.

"Both of us were stupid. I could have told you about the ring after Nani was gone. I knew how much you missed her. But, I didn't think so much would happen so soon. But, it doesn't matter now" Khushi replied and Arnav nodded.

"Thank you, Khushi. For everything" He said and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Khushi closed her eyes and savoured the feel. Then Arnav stepped away and Khushi was taken by surprise as he got on his knees.

What was he doing?

"Marry me?" He said, holding the ring in his fingers.

Khushi looked at him with wide eyes.

"Arnav..you don't have to.." She said.

"Please, Khushi. Say yes! I can't wait another day to make you mine. I should have done this way earlier but you know me. I am slow in the matters of heart. Please wear this ring again. This time for the right reasons! For us! I want you to accept this ring. I want you to be my better-half, my full circle. I want to call you mine and I want to belong to you..So, I ask again, will you marry me? Arnav asked with a choked throat and happy tears finally rolled down Khushi's eyes.

"Yes" She said between her tears, a large smile blooming on her lips.

"I will marry you" She said and Arnav placed the ring on her finger. Then he stood up and pulled her once again into his arms. They hugged and smiled. Rest of the problems could be dealt together, they decided. For now, it was their moment and they were incandescently happy in it.

____________________

Note: So, this wraps up here. There won't be any more chapters and I apologize to those who wanted more. Sorry, friends. 😳 I just want to thank you for reading and adding more joy to this experience of writing again. You are amazing for your enthusiasm and patience in reading the chapters. It always encourages me to share whatever little something I write in my spare time. So, thank you for being here. ❤️

You can check out my new Story in the Fancfiction Forum: Lost and Found