Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Monster Resurfaces

Thank you guys for all your lovely comments and bashes... I know you all are impatiently waiting for Khushi to forgive Arnav and I am not answering your questions but for this FF in particular I like the chapters to do the talking...

Read this one and tell me what you think...

'Hurt' can be of various types. Khushi has been subjected to emotional as well as physical... Rather more emotional than physical... She has healed physically but emotionally... she is still very much in pain. And I... am the cause of this pain. I... gave her the pain, it is MINE... Then how can someone else ease it? Only I have the right to heal her. How can she belong to someone else? Her body... her mind... her soul... has been branded by ME. How can she give it away to another man? She doesn't have any right to do that. I shall not allow it. You are mine, Khushi... Only MINE... And you will be with me only. I will make sure of that...

Arnav caressed Khushi's picture which was the background of his laptop screen with his fingertips.

I'm coming Khushi... to clear all this misunderstanding you have. I know this will hurt you further emotionally... But you leave me no choice... I have to do this... To make you understand that you belong to me. After today there will be no confusion in your mind about it.

He shut the laptop and got up to leave.

~~~~~~

Khushi was at the studio in her cabin. Work was slow as IFW was just over. Her thoughts were a little distracted. Her mind kept returning to Rohan's proposal. Yes she had decided to accept but before she did that she would have to talk to him. Reveal the dark secrets of her past that no one else knew. If she was to marry him then he had the right to know everything about her and then it would be up to him if he would still accept her but on no cost would she hide anything from him.

It was good he wasn't coming to work today. She wanted time to gather her thoughts before she spoke to Rohan. She closed her eyes and saw Arnav's face and shuddered. There was a knock on the door and she automatically indicated to come in.

She shuddered again. The face in her thoughts was right before her. She gasped in shock not expecting the sight before her.

Khushi had been relieved that IFW was over and she would not have to work with ASR any more. So she wondered what he was doing in her cabin.

He locked the door behind him and walked in and sat down without her asking him to do so.

"What are you doing here Mr. Raizada?" She asked showing her displeasure and masking the fear that was coursing through her veins. "IFW is over and Rohan is not here, you have no business with me anymore."

"Actually I do... KHUSHI." He said giving her a piercing glare.

There was something in his eyes which she found very disturbing. "I thought I asked you to address me as Miss Gupta."

"And I did that until we were working together. Now we are no longer professionally associated, as you reminded me... IFW is over. So I can address you however I like... Khushi."

"Please leave." Khushi said through gritted teeth, looking away from his unnaturally steady gaze.

"I will... After I have spoken to you." He said with finality.

"There is nothing that I can think of that is to be spoken between you and me." Khushi stated folding her arms.

"And there is lots that I can think of." He replied calmly. She tried to protest but he interrupted. "That will do Khushi. We can argue later. There are certain things that need to be discussed right now."

She fumed but did not say anything.

"Rohan proposed marriage to you."

Khushi was surprised that he had not asked but stated it. "That is neither here nor there as far as YOU are concerned Mr. Raizada."

He ignored her remark. "You will not accept the proposal."

She was so shocked she stood up suddenly, "Excuse me? Who are you to decide that?"

He ignored her again and stood up too, repeating himself. "You will not accept the proposal."

"I will and YOU are no one to tell me that." She glared at him.

In a flash he was around the table and was right in front of her. She staggered back until she hit the wall. His hands shot up as if to hold her but he still couldn't get himself to touch her. She shrank back, fear apparent in her eyes.

He stepped closer not touching her. "You will not accept." His eyes glinted.

"Why?" She breathed almost inaudibly.

"Because you are MINE." He answered with an intensity that made her heartbeat falter before it shot up.

She averted her gaze and shut her eyes, "Back off." He didn't move. She opened her eyes and glared at him. "BACK OFF!!!" She yelled and he took a step back. "What are you saying? Have you gone mad?"

"Yes I have..." He growled and stepped forward placing both his hands on the wall on either side of her head as she shrank back into the wall. "You have made me insane." Terror filled in her eyes as she stared at him. He had taken one hand off the wall and it hovered over her face. She shut her eyes tight again and clutched the ends of her Dupatta tightly. His hand trembled with indecision for a moment and then... her skin... smoother than silk... he grazed her cheek lightly still trembling.

Revulsion hit her and her stomach churned making her feel sick. "Don't touch me." She said desperately.

"NO..." He roared taking his other hand off the wall he wound it around her waist pulling her flush against himself. "You can't keep running away from me. You have to accept it. You are mine." Her close proximity suddenly overwhelmed him and his knees gave away. He sank down to the floor taking her with him. "It's been over a year Khushi. I hurt you, I know I hurt you really bad." He said caressing her cheek repeatedly. "He... He lied to me... messed up with my brain... I didn't know what I was doing. But I can't see you like this. Ever since I hurt you I'm dying. Every moment of the last year I've being dying thinking how much pain you are in."

"I... I will never forgive you." Khushi said through clenched teeth trying to free herself.

"I don't want your forgiveness." He said harshly and she stopped struggling for a moment staring at him. "I know I don't deserve it. But your pain is mine. I will make it go away." He said resuming to stroke her cheek. "You HAVE to understand this Khushi, you cannot marry Rohan... because you belong to ME."

She felt nauseated. With all her might she shoved against his chest, pushing him back and stood up. He rose too trying to hold her again.

"STOP!!!" She glared. "Your touch disgusts me Mr. Raizada."

His lips curled in anger and he roughly grabbed her in his arms. "Then get over it because I'm not letting you go. Not anymore Khushi." She tried to shove against his chest but it was useless against his steel grip.

"What do you want?"

"You."

"Never."

"I'm not asking. You don't get a choice."

"Why don't you just kill me?"

He froze. "Kill you? KILL YOU? Do you even realise what you are saying? You are the reason I breathe. You are my life. You can't die. You are Mine."

"I will never be yours. I'm going to marry Rohan." She said continuing to struggle.

He let her go suddenly and she stumbled back a couple of steps. He walked back around the table and settled himself in the chair again.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn Khushi? Do you like it when I hurt you?" He asked casually as if asking about the weather.

"I don't care how much you hurt me. You will never get what you want." She spat at him.

"Oh I will. Don't worry about that." He said chuckling darkly. "Hmmm... So you don't care if I hurt you." He said thoughtfully. "Let's see what else we can do to convince you. How about your sister? You know Mami has refused to accept her. I can convince her in a moment. But I haven't so far. You agree to what I want and I will make sure that Payal has a happy married life."

He was a bit surprised when Khushi suddenly laughed mirthlessly. "Are you serious Mr. Raizada? Didn't I tell you that I don't want my sister under the same roof as YOU. I'll be only glad that Jiji doesn't marry in your family."

"Okay, you did say that." He agreed calmly. "Let's raise the stake then." He was the ruthless businessman now using his cool logic and shrewdness. "How about... the media gets to know that Akash Singh Raizada has a new fling, a middle class girl Payal Gupta with pictures and all?"

She stared at him shocked.

"No? Not enough it seems." He continued unaffected. "Your father had a heart attack before you joined AR didn't he? How would HE take this news?" He waited but she didn't reply. He was getting angry now but controlled himself. "Still not enough? How about daughter's name disgraced in the media along with an accidental fire to the little sweet shop in the middle of the night? How will he cope with that kind of a shock?"

"NO..." She screamed. "You will not harm my Babuji."

"Believe me Khushi... I don't want to. You are making me do all this."

She couldn't believe this was happening. It was worse than a nightmare. She didn't realise she had started crying. But he saw it and went to her cupping her face.

"Please don't cry. It will be alright. Just accept that you are mine. It's our destiny. And everything will be fine. Your sister will be happy with Akash. Your parents will be very happy too." He said soothingly. "All you have to do is be mine, we'll stay together... always... I'll make your pain go away." She just continued to sob and he sighed. "Maybe I'm being too hard on you. Alright, let's do this take some time and think about it. After all Rohan did the same didn't he? He gave you 3 weeks but I can't wait that long. I'll give you 3 days. Think and then agree with me or else... prepare to see your whole family devastated. Really Khushi... I'll hate to do that but you'll have only yourself to blame."

With that he let her go and walked out of the cabin. Khushi dropped to the floor. She was in shock. What had just happened? This man was obsessed, crazy. Hey Devi Maiya! What do I do now? She wondered helplessly.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

P.S. Rohan's heartbreak is inevitable. I know we all love him but really I'll try not to be harsh on him.

Chapter 22: Negotiations