FF : There is a calm after the storm - Page 13

YOU know what.. I don't like being hung at a sliff 😆

wow this is amazing... just read all the chapters... update the next chapter quick plz cnt wait...

Wonderfully written! Loved the way that Arnav confessed to Khushi. :)

That was such an awesome update. So finally he spoke out the truth. N v r sure khushi would forgive him. Just cant wait to read the next chapter. Update soon.

I loved it. I hope Khushi forgives Arnav for real. Please continue soon.

Hey people :D I'm finally here with Chapter 12! I apologise for the long wait but there has just been no time :O today I've taken the day off from campus so therefore I have time :)
Enjoy it! And do comment :)
My next aim is to get my post to reach at*least* 50 likes. The FF's I read go upto 300 and I'm like wooow. How cool is that! Anyways, without further ado,

CHAPTER 12

Khushi held Arnav in a tight embrace. Arnav wasn't sure how long they stood like that for. It could have been 5 minutes or 5 hours, but he simply couldn't tell. Arnav was drowning in confusion. Wondering... Why was she hugging me? I just told her how I destroyed her life and yet.. She is hugging me? She must have heard me wrong. I need to explain again. I need to clarify things and ensure she heard the entire truth. All these thoughts were running across Arnav's mind. His thought process came to a halt when he felt Khushi slowly break away from the embrace.

Khushi looked into his eyes and he realised that hers were now, too, filled with tears. Her face sported a look of... Relief was it? And it was also scrunched. She was definitrely thinking hard about something. She had a million questions to ask him and now is the right time. Khushi wiped away her tears and began her questioning. Khushi felt that she was a lawyer questioning her client in the witness box in a courtroom. And ofcourse, the only judge could be God himself. The questions flowed from her mind so easily. It was as if she had prepared them from months in advance and memorised them.. Waiting for the appropriate time to come when she can actually ask them.

'You knew? How did you find out that I didn't love ShyamJi?' Khushi enquired.

Arnav looked straight into her eyes when he answered her. 'I overheard both of you talking in our room a while ago. The same day everyone went to visit our family out of town? I had come home early from work because I had forgotten my cellphone and saw you and Jeejaji talking by the poolside.'

Khushi couldn't believe her ears. 2 things kept troubling her at this point. One was that her plan had actually worked. Arnavji DID hear her conversation with ShyamJi, even if it was the wrong one. She didn't care, he knew the truth. The second was that he had known for months that she was innocent and neglected to tell her?

'Why did you wait so long to tell me ArnavJi? Why didn't you tell me earlier?'

'Wait a second, why aren't you shocked about the reason for which I married you? I thought you loved Jeejaji. Why aren't you asking me about that?!'

Khushi took a deep breath and replied, 'I've known that for a while now. Remember that night you came home late from work and I had given you milk?' Khushi asked him. Arnav nodded his head. Khushi felt embarrassed to say the rest but she forced herself to. It was confession time and that meant no more secrets. If anything, she learnt that a small lie could grow into a bigger one and eventually blow up in your face and threaten to ruin relationships. Khushi couldn't chance it. She had lost too much already. She continued, 'Well.. I had put some bhang in your milk.. And you know what bhang does to you.. You speak without inhibition. That night I found out.'

Arnav said, 'You knew since then? Why didn't you tell me?'

'I tried confronting you after that but you avoided me remember? And that's not the point! The day you saw me hugging ShyamJi, why didn't you ask me about it? Didn't you think to hear MY side of the story before assuming I was having an affair with him. That could have saved us so much time. And we both wouldn't be forced to tolerate each other for 6 months. You should have told me about it, Arnavji. But no. You always think me to be a horrible woman. You never say nice things about me.' Khushi was fuming now. On one hand she was SO glad the truth was out but on the other hand she was infuriated. Why didn't he ask me about it? He didn't trust me. And relationships are built on trust. If there is no trust, there is no relationship. This ran through Khushi's mind. She was so tempted to scream it at him but she forced herself not to. She didn't want to say anything out of anger now that she will regret later.

Arnav said, 'I should have asked you. I know. I should have trusted you. But it's my nature. That's how I am. Always running away from the truth. Making rash decisions. Passing judgements. Making assumptions. I'm so sorry Khushi. I really am. You know that don't you?'

Khushi simply looked down with a sad face. She slowly nodded her head. She knew he was sorry but.. That apology was simply not enough. She told him this. 'I know you're sorry. But it's not enough ArnavJi. It doesn't make anything better. 5 months of my life was spent in misery because of a silly assumption you had made. Had you cleared it up then we would have been happier people today.'

Arnav shook his head. He knew she was right. All his life he had thought that every mistake of his would immediately be forgiven by people. That's how it was. People did it out of fear for him. But not Khushi. She wasn't scared of him one bit. But Arnav had one more bone to pick with her. 'Khushi... Why didn't you tell me he was your fiance? Why?'

Khushi realised she was at fault too. Nobody was innocent in this situation. She was partly to blame for this mess. ' I was trying to protect Di. If I told you, then you would tell her and she would have been heartbroken. I couldn't bear to see her in that state. But now I realise that keeping quiet about Shyamji isn't going to help. We need to expose his true colors to the entire family. If we are silent, we are not protecting Di. We are making it worse for her. She deserves better.'

Arnav and Khushi had agreed on this one thing. Arnav added, 'You're right. We have to make a plan. You're with me right?' And Khushi simply nodded her head. Arnav had another thing to ask. 'And... Khushi... What about us?'

Khushi looked at her sandals and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to do. Here was the man she loved, confessing to his mistakes, promising to make it up to her. But for her, this wasn't enough. She couldn't bring herself to act like everything was OK because it wasn't. He didn't trust her. He didn't think her incapable of having an affair with his sisters husband. And this troubled her. 'I don't know Arnavji. I don't know.'

'But what about the hug?'

'I was just relieved that you knew the truth about my innocence, at last.'

'Oh.' Arnav was sad now. 'I said I'm sorry, Khushi. I promise to be a better husband. I'll make it upto you. I love you.' Arnav was almost pleading now.

'I know,' replied Khushi. 'I loved you too.. Maybe I still do.. I need time'

Arnav understood this and accepted it. Rome wasn't built in a day. Everything requires time. Time heals all wounds, and in this case, it had better heal his marriage. He was not willing to lose the only woman he loved. He was willing to put up a fight.

Khushi said one more thing before walking off. 'I'm going to Buaji's house for a while.'

Arnav felt a stake through his heart. She was going away. He ran after her. 'Please don't leave me, Khushi. Please. I can't live without you.'

'Only for a few days, Arnavji. I need to clear my head and think about this.'

Arnav held her arms. He didn't want to let go.

'Arnav, you're hurting me.'

He let go.

Khushi ran off into the darkness. Arnav felt the distance between them. It hit him like a cold wave. He fell to his knees and was now drowning in his tears. He never felt so lonely in his entire life.

**
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