Chapter 23

A/N: So....another late update. But, this time it wasn't my fault. I had the update all ready but I was away from my laptop for two whole weeks. Cousin's wedding and all. So, apologies once again. Next update will 100% be on time. :P

So here it goes!

Chapter 23

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ONE WEEK AGO

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After Akash left, Khushi sat down on the couch for a few minutes, replaying everything that had just happened.

Akash's silence before leaving was her only hope that her words had some impact on him.

She checked the time on her phone.

3:15 pm.

There was still time before she had to go meet Arnav.

Thinking of him, she wondered why he hadn't picked up. She had called three times.

Was he with Malik Uncle? She hoped so.

She knew there was not much possibility of forgiveness between them but she wanted the two men to find some solace.

As she sat alone and thought more about what Akash said and what she said to him, she couldn’t help but be a little proud of herself.

This was the hardest conversation she had ever had with Akash. And it had made one thing clear beyond doubt. She loves Arnav. And she will not wait anymore.

This evening, she will meet him and say the words she should have said already.

She got up, changed, and decided to see her father before heading to Sheesh Mahal. If she was going to admit her feelings to Arnav, she owed her father at least some warning first.

~~***~~

Instead of going home, Akash drove his car around the city for hours. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face Arnav just yet. Khushi’s words were still running in his head and he needed to figure out what he was going to do next.

The more he thought about what she said, the more he began to loathe himself.

He surely has been the most selfish of the three of them.

He hadn't even let Arnav finish speaking. He had stormed out to go find Khushi instead.

Akash wondered if Arnav would even speak to him after this.

Exhausted by the noise in his own head, he decided to finally go home.

He parked in the garage and went straight to his father's room to check on him.

Birendra Singh Malik was soundly asleep and Akash decided to spend the evening in his room.

As he stepped out of the room, he ran into the house help.

“Akash Bhaiya! It is good that you are back. Malik Saheb was asking about you before he fell asleep” The woman informed him.

“Let me know as soon as he wakes up” Akash replied and began to move, but stopped.

“Did he say why he was asking for me? Was everything alright?” Akash asked.

The woman shook her head.

“Malik Saheb was not well. He almost fainted in the drawing room but Chote Saheb helped him to his room” Hema answered.

That stopped Akash cold, and the questions came fast

“What happened? Why was Baba in the drawing room? I had left him in his room to rest! Why did he come out? Did Bhai call a doctor? Why didn’t he call me?” Akash asked.

The woman remained quiet.

“Speak up, will you?” Akash said.

“I don’t know why Malik Saheb was in the drawing room. I came when Chote Saheb called for help. He asked us to get water and then he carried Malik Saheb to his room. They sat there for some time and talked” The woman supplied.

“Where is Bhai now?” Akash demanded.

“I don’t know. He said he was going out, didn't say where. I haven't seen him since.” The woman said.

“Fine. Go and keep an eye on Baba. Let me know when he wakes up” Akash said before moving towards Arnav’s room.

Upon reaching, he knocked at the door once and found it open.

He looked in to see whether Arnav was inside. He wasn’t.

As Akash turned to leave, his eyes caught notice of the mess on the bed and the half-open almirah.

He stepped inside without thinking.

“Bhai?” He called out and checked the bathroom door. Empty!

Then Akash ran his eyes around the room and noticed that things were missing.

The essentials from Arnav’s table were gone. His laptop was gone. No files anywhere. The almirah looked half-emptied.

A strange kind of dread began to build inside Akash as he scanned the bags and realized one suitcase was missing.

He quickly ran down the stairs and called out the servants.

All six of them, Ratan Kaka included, gathered before him.

"Did anyone see Bhai leave?" he demanded.

Heads shook all around, until Ratan Kaka spoke.

"He left with a suitcase."

The words hit Akash like bricks falling down on his head.

"When?" he rasped.

"About four hours ago," the old man said, his voice flat with sorrow.

Akash shook his head. "Did he say why? Did he say when he would be back?"

“No, Akash Bitwa. He did not say anything about why or when. But..” The man hesitated.

“But what, Kaka?”

“He looked very sad” The man answered.

The words settled slowly, and by the time they did, Akash felt his legs going unsteady beneath him.

He walked away from the curious faces of the other servants without another word.

Passing through his father's room, he heard voices inside — his father talking to Doctor Kumar, who had apparently just returned from the hospital.

“He helped me once again, Kumar. And then we talked. About us! I cannot explain you how surreal it was. My son was sitting before me, talking to me. And even in all this, I could not offer him any comfort. He was so anxious. Because of my decision, my ignorance!” Malik was saying.

Failing to contain himself anymore, Akash stepped into the room.

Both the men looked at Akash and his vexed face.

“Akash! Good that you are here, son! Come sit. We need to talk” Malik addressed Akash.

Akash perfunctorily walked up to his father and sat down.

He listened as Malik began by apologizing to him and saying how he has made a grave mistake in arranging Khushi and his alliance. Then he told him how he overheard his conversation with Arnav and later Arnav came to talk to him.

“Only you can redeem this situation, son! We have to take Arnav in our confidence that we care about him. I cannot tell you how surprised he was when I told him I would support him. He almost could not believe me. But, I told him that I will stand by him. I told him that you will come around and all this mess that I created can be undone.”

Akash cleared his throat.

“Hema said you fainted in the hall. How are you feeling now, Baba?” He asked.

“I have never been better, son. I think our family can be whole again if you help me one last time. You were only marrying Khushi for my sake. You don't have to do that anymore. Everything has sorted itself out. We just have to go where fate is leading us," Malik said, his energy undimmed.

“The fate has never been on our side, Baba” Akash replied.

“What do you mean, Akash?” Doctor Kumar asked who had been watching Akash all this while.

Akash stood up, running a hand through his hair.

“I mean that everything has been utterly ruined. Now, this family will never be whole. And it is all my mistake! I acted rashly. I didn’t think what I was saying and doing. I didn’t think that Bhai would leave. I didn’t..I”

“Arnav wouldn’t leave? What are you saying, Akash?” Doctor Kumar looked at Malik whose face was paling now and then he looked at Akash.

“Yes, Uncle! Bhai has left. He is gone” Akash said, his voice dropping.

“You must be mistaken, son! He must be here. He told me he loves Khushi. He told me she loves him. Why would he leave like that? I am sure you are mistaken” Malik insisted.

“I am sorry, Baba! It’s all my fault. I hurt Bhai with my recklessness. I didn’t even listen to him when he was trying to talk to me. I told him Khushi couldn't possibly love him and walked out on him. And now he is gone. I checked his room. It is half-empty. Ratan Kaka saw him leave hours ago. By now, he must already be in Delhi” Akash said.

“Who must be in Delhi?” It was Khushi’s voice that followed and the three men looked at the door to see Khushi walking in.

“What is going on, Doctor Uncle? Is everything alright?” Khushi looked at the ashen faces.

Akash looked everywhere but at Khushi.

“I will call Arnav right now” Malik said, looking around for his cell phone while the other two men stayed silent.

“Uncle? What is happening?” Khushi asked Doctor Kumar again since Malik looked too agitated to answer, still searching his bed for the phone.

“Akash! Call Arnav. Call him. He cannot go. I need to talk to him” Malik said, louder now, unable to find the phone.

The words made Khushi's nerves prickle.

“Akash! What is Malik Uncle saying? What is going on? Where is Arnav?” She immediately turned to Akash.

Akash still wouldn't meet her eyes.

“Why is no one calling him? Khushi bitiya! You call him. Call Arnav! We cannot let him go. We need him here. I need him here. There are so many things that I need to tell him” Malik was ranting now.

Khushi looked at the old man and then at the stoic face of Doctor Kumar who was now trying to calm down Malik.

A cold dread began spreading through her.

Has Arnav gone back to Delhi?

She pulled out her phone and dialed his number.

“The number you are trying is currently not available. Please try again later”

The mechanical voice on other end said.

Khushi tried one more time.

“His number is unavailable” Khushi said, more to herself than others.

Malik began shaking his head at the news. "I will go to Delhi myself. I will bring him back. I will not sit by and watch my son slip away again. I will not fail him this time. I will bring him home, and I will do everything exactly the way he wants it done."

“Calm down, Malik. You are raising your blood pressure. Calm down” Doctor Kumar kept repeating while Khushi walked up to Akash.

"Akash, don't just stand there. Say something. Where is Arnav? Is what Malik Uncle is saying.."

"He is gone," Akash said, finally turning to face her.

She saw the guilt and sorrow flooding his eyes.

It didn't matter to her, not right now.

“No! That can’t be. He was supposed to meet me here! He told me he will meet me in the evening. He can’t just leave without saying anything. Without telling me” Khushi said, her voice shaking.

“I am sorry” Akash said and walked out of the room.

Khushi stood stunned for a minute. Is this really happening? Has Arnav really left?

She shook her head and tried the number again. And again. It said unreachable every time.

A few minutes passed before she turned to find Doctor Kumar administering an injection to Malik.

“This will help him sleep. We cannot afford his health to suffer in any way. The operation is tomorrow” Doctor Kumar said to her as he disposed off the syringe.

Khushi only blinked. She had no idea what to say or do. Her mind had gone blank, unable to trace when and where things had gone so wrong.

The last time she had spoken to Arnav, he had told her that he missed her, asked if he could see her in the evening. She had told him they will meet in Amra Kunj and when she arrived, he wasn’t there.

Then, she came to the Mahal and now Akash is saying that Arnav has left?

What is she missing?

When she didn't move or speak for several minutes, she felt Doctor Kumar's hand settle on her shoulder.

“Do not lose heart, Khushi. We will figure this out” He said gently to her.

It was then Khushi felt the first tear sliding down her cheek.

“Why did he leave, Doctor Uncle?” She asked, her voice slow and shaking.

“I do not know, Beta! From what Akash told us, all I can think is that he did not want to cause a rift between Akash and you. That is the only thing which comes to my mind. And knowing Arnav the little I do, he would never want the people he loves to be hurt because of him” Kumar said in a slow voice as he guided Khushi out of the room where Malik had drifted into a deep slumber.

“He is hurting me, uncle. He said he loves me and now he is gone. He is hurting me” Khushi said, wiping her tears.

“Love is a complicated thing, Khushi. Sometimes it makes us do things that we never want to do. Sometimes it stops us from doings things that we really want to do” Doctor Kumar said.

Khushi considered the words.

“What do I do now, Uncle?” She asked.

“I do not think I am the right person to suggest you that, Khushi. My share of mistakes in life is quite high. I did not stand up for my love when Malik’s father drove my family out of here. I walked away and let Sujata manipulate him. And then I let Sujata manipulate me. There were so many times in my life when I knew I was not doing what I really wanted to do, yet I did them. I was too much of a coward to face the world. I wanted to shield myself, my family and Malik from the disgrace and dishonor I knew our relationship would bring. So, I went where life took me. It was too late before I realized that nothing matters in life if you are unhappy. No amount of respect, money or success can replace happiness. So, I eventually embraced what I wanted. With Arnav and you, things might take a little more time, but everything will figure out, Khushi. You just have to be brave enough to seek your happiness” Doctor Kumar said. Khushi listened, and nodded slowly.

“I will keep calling him until he talks to me. And then I will tell him that I love him too. And then I will ask him if he is brave enough to choose what he wants” Khushi said.

Doctor Kumar only smiled and placed a loving hand against her cheek.

“Do that and everything will be alright. Now, I have to go and talk to Akash. He seemed very shaken. I need him to think straight because this operation is going to be very crucial for Malik. It decides everything” Kumar said.

Khushi nodded her head and walked out of the Mahal, dialling Arnav’s number one more time.

DAY TWO

Khushi’s heart beat with anticipation as the phone rang on the other side. It was no longer unreachable.

But her hopes began crashing when the line went unanswered. She tried two more times after that.

“Arnav! What is going on? Where are you? Answer the phone” She typed the message and sent.

As the day progressed, her messages grew desperate.

“Please call me back. I am worried about you. What is going on, Arnav?”

“I miss you. I want to talk to you”

“Call me. Please”

She was on the verge of tears again when her phone rang.

She immediately picked it up.

“Arnav!” She said.

It was followed by silence on the other side.

“It is me” It was Akash’s voice.

It was Khushi’s turn to be silent.

“Can you please come to the hospital? Baba is in surgery and it’s been four hours and I haven’t heard anything from the doctors yet. I don’t know what to do, Khushi…I…need you..please.”

She heard the worry threading through his voice and knew she could not refuse. No matter what was going on in their lives, Akash was still her friend. And he needed her.

“Don’t worry. I will be there in an hour” She replied.

At the hospital, she found him sitting numbly on a bench. He only noticed her presence when she sat down next to him and reached for his hand.

He looked at her and pulled her into a hug immediately.

"It's alright. Everything is going to be fine," she said, unable to hold onto her anger anymore.

She held Akash for a few minutes before he composed himself and pulled away.

“Thank you for coming” He said to her.

"You can thank me by buying me a new dress. You completely ruined this one," she said, pointing to the damp patch left by his silent tears.

She thanked Devi Maiya silently when it pulled a small smile out of him.

"You got it," he said.

"So what is happening in there? Why didn't you call me earlier? Before the surgery started?" She asked.

“I didn’t have the stomach to face you. After what I..After everything” Akash replied.

“So, you got a new stomach in four hours?” Khushi asked.

“I got desperate. They said the surgery will not take more than three hours and it’s been almost five hours now. I don’t know what is happening. I needed my friend” Akash replied.

“You will always have your friend. No matter what” Khushi said with as much honesty as she could manage.

It made his face fall further, but he smiled anyway.

Both of them sat and waited for another hour before the doctors began pouring out of the surgery room.

Akash was instantly on his toes.

“How is he?” He asked to one of the three doctors.

“We are keeping him under observation. Nothing can be said before he regains consciousness, and we run a few more PET scans on him” The doctor replied.

Akash was about to ask more when Doctor Kumar also emerged from within the room.

Both Khushi and Akash rushed to his side.

His face looked exhausted, taut with tension in equal measure.

“Uncle?” Both Khushi and Akash said at the same time.

He looked at them, then moved to sit on the bench.

“I told him not to worry but when has anything ever been in our favour? His blood pressure levels was off the charts! We had to give him an injection for that which is normally something we avoid. Then there was tissue damage inside the lungs too. PET scans normally don’t catch these things. It was a mess. Now we have to keep him under observation and hope the test results are in our favour” Doctor Kumar said.

Akash processed the information while Khushi told Doctor Kumar that everything will be alright.

Doctor Kumar nodded.

DAY THREE

Khushi stared at her phone for hours before she decided to call him again. The call went unanswered one more time. It made her feel as rejected as heartbroken.

She wondered every minute what her fault was.

Did Arnav somehow change his mind? But that was not possible. She knew it was the most unlikely explanation. So why, then?

Was it because of what had passed between Arnav and Akash?

But she had spoken to him on the phone afterward. He hadn't hinted at anything like this. He had told her he would see her later that evening.

The question of why wouldn't let go of her. It hurt nearly as much as his absence.

What was she supposed to do?

Malik Uncle was still in the hospital. He had regained consciousness but was to be discharged in two days. Both Doctor Kumar and Akash were spending all their time in the hospital. So, she could not talk to them.

After their meeting in the hospital yesterday, Akash had dropped Khushi home. But, he hadn’t mentioned Arnav. All he had talked about was Malik Uncle, and the fastest path to his recovery

Khushi had tried her best to not hold her anger against Akash. She knew he was already in a difficult place. The time to talk to him would come later. Once Malik Uncle was safely back in the Mahal.

For now, she had very little to do. Which meant sitting for hours and thinking about Arnav.

She kept going back to every conversation she had with him, trying to figure out where she went wrong.

She hadn’t even visited the Mahal since the day Arnav had left.

Unable to do anything else, she called him one more time.

DAY FIVE

Birendra Singh Malik was discharged from the hospital and Khushi wanted to visit him. But, she knew going back to the Mahal will only remind her of the person who was no longer there.

She knew she had to go anyway.

She got ready and told her Babuji she would be back soon.

Shashi Gupta merely nodded his head. She could tell he knew something was wrong, and that he was choosing, deliberately, to stay silent about it. She was grateful for that. She wouldn't have known what to tell him anyway.

So, she wished him a good day ahead and reached all the way to Sheesh Mahal.

Walking in, she ran into Doctor Kumar, looking worn thin with exhaustion.

“How is uncle?” She asked him.

Doctor Kumar shook his head.

“He is still too weak from the surgery. And that is not even the biggest concern. He is obsessed with getting Arnav back here. He has called him ten times since he has gained consciousness but there is no response. And it is making him restless which is the last thing he needs right now” Doctor Kumar replied.

Khushi could only nod her head because she felt the same. Within the span of a day, her life had turned upside down without any explanation.

“What about Akash? Did he try to get in touch with..” Khushi trailed the words.

Doctor Kumar looked at her sympathetically and shook his head.

“I do not know what is going on with him. He barely leaves Birendra’s side” Doctor Kumar said.

Khushi nodded and made her way to Malik’s room.

She was not surprised to see Akash there.

He gave her a weak smile which Khushi found unable to return.

Instead, she sat with Malik and asked him how he was feeling.

“You have to talk to him, Khushi. He will listen to you. He loves you. He told me that” Malik replied in answer to her question.

Khushi rested a hand over his. "He doesn't, Uncle," she said, her voice unsteady, trying to convince herself as much as him.

Malik shook his head.

“He does. You were not there. You did not hear what he said. You did not see his face. I was there. And I know all of this has happened because of me. This is my mistake. But, how do I fix it? He won’t even receive my calls. How do I tell him I won't fail him this time? How do I undo any of this?” Malik said, his voice breaking before Akash stood up and gently asked him to calm down.

Khushi watched the tension pulling at Akash's face but Akash wasn’t looking at her. She knew he was purposely avoiding looking at her.

Was he feeling ashamed? But, even if he is, does that change anything for her?

No. She realized and got up.

“Take care, uncle” She said and left the room.

She was done. With the Mahal and with everyone inside it. . If not for forever, then definitely for a long long time. There was nothing left here for her.

She started toward the exit with brisk, purposeful steps. She was still crossing the hall when a voice stopped her.

"Khushi bitiya." Ratan Kaka.

She paused and turned. The old man was walking toward her.

“Ji Kaka?” She asked without letting her emotional turmoil get the better of her.

It was good, at least, to see him again one last time.

“How are you, bitiya? I have been waiting for you to come to the Mahal but you did not come for so many days. That day you came, I was not around” Ratan Kaka said.

“I am sorry, Kaka but I have been busy with Babuji and helping him on the shop” She lied.

Should she tell him he wouldn’t be seeing her in the Mahal anymore?

"It is alright, bitiya. Actually, I have a message for you. When Chote Saheb was leaving, he asked me to tell you something," the old man said.

Khushi realized her palms were suddenly sweating.

Arnav left her a message?

"You saw him leave, Kaka? What did he say?" She asked, her eyes filling up on their own.

“I saw him leaving with his bag and I asked him if I should call someone but he said no. And then he told me. “Tell Khushi, it is alright. That it was a dream anyway” The old man's voice was heavy with sorrow.

“I do not know what he exactly meant, bitiya, but he looked very sad. It reminded me of the first time he left this house..the time he ran away. I do not think he was so sad even then. This time...it was different. He looked completely without hope” The old man continued, his words forcing the tears out of Khushi’s eyes.

“Why didn’t you stop him?” It was Akash’s voice that broke the silence in the hall.

She turned to find him standing there, his face carved with the same anguish she felt.

“I didn’t know what to do, Akash bitwa. It all happened so fast” Ratan Kaka answered, distressed.

Akash shook his head and moved to Khushi.

“We have to do something” He said.

Still reeling from the old man's words, she shook her head. "There is nothing left to do. Didn't you hear what he said to Kaka? He said it was a dream. He said it is alright. He has already given up" Khushi answered, unable to stop the choking in her voice.

It was at this time that Ratan Kaka decided to leave the two alone and walked away.

Once he was gone, Akash caught her by the elbow and turned her to face him.

“Really? Of all the times, you have decided to give up now? Didn’t you hear what kaka just said? Bhai was sad. He didn’t want to go. And if he is gone, then it is definitely because of me. Because after the huge declaration of his love for you, which he made before me, nothing else could have made him leave. And I will not let myself be the villain, Khushi. If he has left for my sake, I will tell him how wrong he is. Because he loves you. No matter what you feel right now, I will not let you believe that he doesn’t love you. That is what I came out to tell you. You said to Baba that Bhai doesn’t love you. But he does. I think more than I ever could. He loves you enough to let you go. And like I said last before, two people who love each other, should be together” Akash said.

Khushi stared at him, stunned. "What are you saying, Akash?"

“I am saying that I will take you to him. We will go to Delhi and I will talk to him” Akash replied.

“But why?”

“Because I love you. And I don’t mean it in the way you might think. I have always loved you. As my friend. That was the reason I never told you what I actually felt. I love my friend more than anything else. And Bhai? I love him too. I will not be able to live with myself if I become the reason of his pain. Baba is right. Bhai has to come back. This is his home. Together, we will go and talk to him. We will bring him back. Baba needs him. You need him. I need him” Akash said.

“What if he doesn’t want to see us?” Khushi asked.

“Do you want to see him?” Akash asked.

“Yes” Khushi said.

“Then we are going” Akash said.

DAY SIX

Khushi sat before her father and explained, in careful detail, why she needed to go to Delhi.

Shashi Gupta listened without interrupting.

When Khushi was done, Shashi Gupta stood up.

“I think going there is a drastic step, Khushi” He said.

“I know, Babuji. But, how can I live the rest of my life without knowing why he really left? Without knowing if he really meant everything he said to me? And I need to ask him whether it was an easy choice for him?” Khushi replied. She had thought this through the entire night.

“I understand, Khushi. But what if you do not get to hear what you want to hear? What if you come back more unhappy than you left? Are you prepared for that? Have you thought what you would do in such a case?” Shashi Gupta asked.

“I can’t think anything beyond now, Babuji” Khushi replied.

Shashi Gupta considered it for a long moment.

“I will need to talk to Akash before you two leave. Also, I need to talk to Malik Saheb” Shashi Gupta said.

“Okay” Khushi replied.

The rest of the day, Khushi sat in her room packing and staring at her phone. Unable to stop herself, she wrote a text message as well.

“I am coming to Delhi.”

She hoped that would get her some response.

It didn’t.

It only deepened the ache.

How had he become so indifferent?

As the day wound down, Akash called.

“We are leaving tomorrow morning” He said.

“Did you talk to Babuji?” Khushi asked him.

“Yes. Both Baba and I spoke to him. He came to the Mahal” Akash said.

“What did he say?” Khushi asked.

“That’s not important at the moment. Just be ready by eight in the morning. I will pick you” Akash said.

Khushi said okay and disconnected the call.

DAY SEVEN

By the time Khushi landed in Delhi, her insides felt shaky.

“Should we call him?” she asked Akash.

Akash considered that.

“I am not sure if Bhai would be at home or in the office. But, seeing that he hasn’t been receiving calls, I think we should go straight to the house” Akash said.

“Let me try one more time” Khushi said.

She called twice on Arnav’s number.

“I am in Delhi” She then wrote a text message.

Akash watched her shoulders drop when no reply came.

"Come on," he said gently.

Together, the two of them hailed a cab and Akash gave directions to the driver.

Khushi realized she was beginning to lose her calm. Her hands were trembling and her heartbeats loud and uneven by the time they stood before the gates of imposing Raizada Mansion.

“Shantivan” Akash read off the plate by the gate.

“That has never sounded more ironic” Akash said.

Khushi did not respond.

Both of them walked up to the gates where the guards instantly greeted Akash.

Thereafter, they were led inside by another servant.

With every step into the house, the tension coiled tighter in her limbs.

What would she say to him? What would he say to her?

“Akash Bhaiya” It was a man in his late forties who greeted Akash once they were inside the house.

“Hari Prakash” Akash greeted the man.

“Is Bhai at home?” He further asked.

“Ji. He is with Nani ji” Hari Prakash answered, glancing once at Khushi.

“Can you call him down? And don’t tell him that it’s me” Akash said to the man.

Hari Prakash looked at Akash and then nodded.

“Okay, Akash Bhaiya” He hurried off.

The next two minutes felt endless to Khushi. A dozen different opening lines ran through her head, none of them right.

Before she could settle on one, she saw him. Her heartbeat surged into her ears, loud and unsteady.

She watched him approach, barely breathing.

“Bhai” It was Akash who spoke first.

But, Khushi was unable to look away from the eyes that were staring at her.

So many things she wanted to ask him. But, most of all she wanted to hug him. Yet, she couldn’t move.

"What are you two doing here?" he finally spoke.

The words cut through whatever haze had settled over her mind.

Anger rushed in.. so potent she had never felt before.

After seven days of silence, of vanishing without a word, this was what he asked her?

What is she doing here?

She hadn't realized she was moving until she was standing right in front of him.

And he was still looking at her as if he had no clue what he had put her through. It made the anger burn hotter.

Before she could stop herself, her hand had already struck his cheek.

"You are a liar!" The words tore out of her.

He didn't even flinch. He kept looking at her like she might vanish, like she was something that couldn't possibly be real.

This time, she slapped him on purpose.

"You are a liar and a coward," she said. Because that is what he was for running away.

Still, he said nothing. Didn't move. Just looked at her.

Tears filled her eyes as she raised her hand a third time.

But it was caught, mid-air.

Khushi watched as an old woman stepped between them.

And something about the way the woman looked at him told Khushi exactly who she was.

Devyani Singh Raizada.

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