Chapter 1

To new endings.

This was inspired by the one episode in the show that I absolutely hated. This does have the potential of being a two-shot. Please read the author's note at the end.

Part 2 is below.

"Tum meri zindagi mein ayi kyun? Ye saab tumari galti hain!"

He screamed at her furiously before storming out of the room - leaving a devastated Khushi.

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"Khushi tum nehein jaa sakthi. Apna contract kaise thod kar jaa sakthi ho?"

Khushi raised her already pain-stricken eyes to look directly into his. However, rather than seeing the regret that he'd seen earlier, regret that she held having blamed herself for Di's current condition, he saw only traces of fury.

And before Arnav had time to take back his words, he felt his cheek burn as her hand made contract with his stubbled skin.

It had been one year. That was the last time he had seen her.

And since that night, not a day went by that Arnav didn't despise himself for his words and more importantly, his inaction. Why didn't he run after her? He was almost positive she would run to Laxmi Nagar and he would see her in the morning where he would apologize, promise to never hurt her again, and then bring her back.

But he didn't.

Nobody knew where Khushi went that night.

Or that was what he thought.

Arnav looked up as he heard footsteps, taking him out of his trance. As he felt the presence of another person, he turned around, only to see his Di.

She had grown to hide her agony, despite knowing that nobody could read her better than Arnav. Anjali hated this loneliness, yet she'd aimed at nothing short of perfection at hiding her own grief - especially when she talked to her brother, a man fighting his own battle.

"Chote? Are you positive you want to come? If Nani and Akash are taking Payal, I can stay here with you. You don't have to go. And if I'm being honest with I wish you'd-"

"Di I'm going." He looked at her with a slight bit of anger yet there was no hesitation in his voice as he answered."

She sighed to herself. This was her last attempt at stopping her brother. Yet she'd known the second she's chosen to make her way over here that she'd fail in changing his mind.

He continued to stare at her.

"You go with them. I'll be there later on." Arnav kept his voice confident, not allowing Anjali to hear the anxiousness he felt himself.

As her approached the room, he heard quiet laughter telling him he was at the right place. He knew Nani and Di would notice his absence in a few seconds but he had no choice.

He had to do this.

He had to see her.

It was the only reason he'd come.

As he reached the door, he saw her sitting down with her back facing him. The other two women in the room left quickly, leaving her by herself.

She was sitting in front of a mirror. Yet it appeared that she wasn't aware of his presence, as if she hadn't seen his reflection. Arnav entered her room, walking as quietly as he could. It was only when he was a foot away from her that he became aware of what she was looking down on in her hand.

It was a silver key.

He looked up to see her back stiffening.

His presence always caused her to react.

It was the one thing that hadn't changed.

Khushi quickly hid the key on the desk in front of her before she looked at the reflection of the other person in her room.

He eyes widened slightly.

He waited for her speak but it was as if she had lost her voice.

"Aap?"

Arnav didn't say anything. Since the moment he met her, he knew he was the one who'd said too much. It was her turn.

Khushi began to speak again, realizing where he was.

"You have to leave. Now. Somebody's going to come in."

Arnav only continued to stare at her, ignoring her pleas.

"You left," he spoke softly.

Khushi looked at his eyes through his reflection. There were only a few times where'd she'd seen him like this - where ASR became Arnav and emotions and sheer pain were visible in his molten brown orbs.

She didn't want to see him like this. She quickly looked down at her hands, away from his pleading gaze.

"This is not the time. Arnavji you have to leave, someone-"

He smiled.

"Only a year apart and you forgot about how much I don't care about what others think?"

Khushi went silent.

His comment caused something to snap inside of her as she turned and looked straight at him.

This was going against everything she'd been working towards in the past year - yet she couldn't contain her own fury.

"And that's just it. You don't care. You never consider what you're doing and how they will hurt the people around you."

He went silent yet he was almost elated at her reaction. She was talking to him without indifference.

Khushi began to breathe deeply. She'd taught herself a while ago that some people were simply not worth her anger. She turned to sit back down, not looking at Arnav as her back was to him again.

She also knew that he would never leave until he'd gotten his answers. It was one thing that may always be unchangeable about him.

"I didn't have a choice. After knowing the truth and after everything you put me through, you still blamed me for what happened with Shyam. And then you brought up the contract marriage. Because that was what it was to you - a contract."

She stopped speaking. Khushi could feel her voice shake as she felt her cheek dampen, a single tear falling down from her eye.

"You know that isn't true. It was never just a contract for me."

The room went silent again as Khushi ignored his words.

"I left because I needed to. For myself. I needed to do something for myself and I couldn't bear the thought of you after knowing everything, still saying those things to me. I know...I know you came to look for me. But I made everybody promise to keep this from you until I was ready."

She looked up at him. The tears in her gorgeous hazel eyes pulled at his heart strings.

He became only aware of what was going on with Khushi one month ago. For 11 months, his own family hid the truth from him, telling him they didn't know where she was. He'd done everything he could to find her - leaving AR in Aman's hands as he would spend months away from home, looking for her.

Arnav bent down to her, taking her hand in his.

Khushi shuddered at his touch. She loathed herself for still reacting so strongly to him. It wasn't right.

Yet as she began to pull her hands away, he tightened his hold. Arnav tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Words never came easy to him. She knew that. Yet Arnav had spent the past 12 months only practicing and thinking about one thing:

"I'm so sorry. For every tear I've caused, for every bit of pain you've experienced because of me, and for making your life into a living hell. All I've thought about for the past year is that night and how much you've suffered because of my idiocy. I'm so sorry Khushi. I know I don't deserve you. But I can't let you go. Ever."

Khushi's heart filled with warmth slightly at his confession. She knew these things. The past year had given her a lot of time to think and she'd come to this realization a while ago. Yet hearing it simply proved to her that maybe, there was still hope - for maybe someday.

But right now, it was too late.

She looked up from him, her gaze landing on the key

She knew she should have pulled her hands away, yet his warmth was comforting.

As she turned to look away from, Arnav's gaze followed hers as he got a better look at the key.

She became silent for a second as he was struck with realization.

"You don't love him."

Khushi froze, rapidly removing her hands from his as she turned her body away from him. She rose quickly, wiping at her cheeks as she felt Arnav stand next to her.

"I do."

Arnav shook his head.

"I know you better than anybody Khushi. You know you don't"

His arrogant tone angered her but she knew he wouldn't back down in his argument. She turned to face him, the scowl evident on her face.

"Do you know why I said yes to Amma when Jaiji came with the proposal Arnavji? Because when I met him 8 month ago to now, he's always trusted me. Even when we fought and I cried, he never did anything harsh to hurt me like throw accusations in my face or blame me for something I couldn't control. "

She stopped speaking.

Arnav felt the overpowering guilt rise from the pit of his stomach again. It was feeling that he'd grown somewhat used to in the past year.

"He was always there to wipe my tears, where were you?"

Arnav couldn't help himself. His hand rose and he gently wiped away the moisture under her eyes. Her skin was reddening as he relished the soft touch. He felt her back away, turning to escape his proximity.

Arnav gently took one of Khushi's henna clad hands in his.

He felt his own voice shake - a single tear soaking his cheek.

"Is that it then Khushi? You're going to spend the rest of your life with someone you don't love when there's still hope - when there's still us?"

Khushi heard the other women walk in the room, waiting to take her down.

It was finally time.

"But don't you see Arnav. There was never an "us" because you didn't let there be. I'm going to marry Jaiji. "

She paused.

"Whatever I felt for you ...it's not there anymore. I'm sorry."

She knew he'd catch her lie. The fact that he's seen the key was proof enough.

Khushi turned her head away from him as she felt the women fix the duppata on her head as they added the final touches to her makeup. She was dressed as a bride - yet she didn't feel like the princess she deserved to feel like on this day.

Arnav was silent.

As he watched her leave, Arnav wasn't surprised at anything she'd said or done. If there was one thing he'd learned over the past year, it was to start thinking about her first. He knew she would be happier with him.

Yet all the logic in the world didn't stop the heart break he felt as he saw her retreating form.

And he was unaware of the other person in the room, feeling the same anguish as a part of her wished that he'd come and take her away - to give them another chance.

Arnav heard the sound of the music playing at the bride's arrival as Khushi left the room.

Leaving him absolutely alone.

Author's note: Now before you throw things at me, this has the potential of being a two shot. The first bit of this piece is from the episode from which this story was inspired by. I hated Arnav that night when he said those things to Khushi and I wanted nothing more than for her to leave. She did leave but that was not nearly enough for what Arnav put her through.

As much as I LOVED how cute they were from the second wedding onwards, I really wish Arnav had to experience a little bit of the pain Khushi experienced which included her leaving him. I love Arnav but I probably would've liked him more had Khushi given him a chance to fight for her more. Please tell me what you think!

ohmygrabvoski2014-08-09 21:18:55