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"Aaj humain such mein afsos ho rha hai ke hum ne aap pe bhrosa kia, hum yeh soch bhi kaise sakte hain ke aap ... Aap joh hum se itni nafrat kerte hain aap hamari hifazat karein ge ... humain Jeeju se bchaaien ge ... Arre aap ka bus chale aap toh khud humain kisi ki rakhail bna ... (Today I truly regret that I ever trusted you, that I think you ... You who hate me so much ... you'll protect me ... you'll save me from Jeeju ... If you get chance you yourself would make me mistress of someone ...)"
He was not crying now. The tears were dried in his eyes. Numb, he was just recollecting her words, this is what she think about him that he ... he will ever dare to do such thing to her
Damn! He can't even think of it not even in his nightmares
He still remember when after three years of being apart he found Khushi on that road, what would've happened if he was not passing from there, or what if he just pass away without poking into the matter
A tear dropped down his eyes as he lifted his hands and recalled when he hold her fragile body close to him, her pulse was running high but her body was freezing
He had taken her to the hospital and yes he was shocked to hear from doctor that it could cause her second heart attack if he didn't bring her in time
Second, reverberated in his head. When was the first? He got the answer when Lavanya and Anuj not looking into his eyes leave for the ICU
On their wedding night! When she was in the hospital, he caused all this
He fell to the ground. He wanted to scream hard and he did only causing people to gather around him. He was slapping himself madly when suddenly he realized that it is causing public show
He wiped his tears and silently sat on the bench now staring blankly in the space, that is when Aakash and Anjali came to the hospital
After confronting him they too left for the ICU and Arnav came out of the hospital
He was wandering pointlessly on the roads when he saw a church nearby
Never in his life had he prayed for anything but today he stepped in to ask Khushi's life back, to see her happy, smile
Kneeling down, clasping his hands together he was shedding tears, guilty of his doings
"I am sorry Khushi ... Please ..." The moment he cried, she heard him in the hospital ICU
"I love you Khushi ... God ... please ... please take my life but don't ... don't take her away ..." His head bowed in front of God praying for her life
"Please Khushi ... just for my sake ... Please open your eyes" She heard him even now and that was the moment when she actually opened her eyes
After few moments of crying, he felt his heart at peace
No, he will not cry anymore, he wiped off his tears
"I'll go to Di and I'll tell her the truth" He got up and went to the hospital
The first sight he met was Anjali crying so he went to Khushi with her and apologize, but what he heard left him terribly shocked and the guilt coursed through him once again. The pain in her eyes was enough to tell him that she did it only for Anjali and he understood it
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"Nahi ... Hamare pass bhi mat aayain aap, aap se shaadi kerna hamari sub se barhi ghalti thi... (No ... Don't come near me, Marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life...)"
He screamed in agony to lessen his pain but it kept on rising. He cannot forget when she came back home whenever he tried to get close to her, she fearfully retreated, why won't she! After all he was the one to cause her such pain
The night when he asked Khushi to sleep in her room
"Tum chalo mujhe kuch kaam se jana hai, I'll be late" Without looking at her, waiting for her answer he left the room
He once again hurt himself, hitting his head several times with a tree, scratching his face with his own hands and when he came back home he simply lied to Khushi that he had an accident
He never asked for her forgiveness but to lessen his burden, his guilt he told Aakash everything
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"Promise me Aakash whatever I told you it will remain between two of us" Aakash nodded his head and assured him he won't tell about this to anyone
"Don't worry Bhai"
Arnav slightly shifted on his seat and Aakash could tell he was still restless, so he asked
"Bhai is there any other thing you want to share"
Arnav looked at him blankly and then he simply nodded, "Yes but you will not disclose it to anyone... Not even Payal"
Now Aakash was curious what is it which he can't share with anyone
"What's it Bhai?"
"I can't take the burden anymore Aakash ... I am tired of hiding it and running away from the truth" Tears were glistening in his eyes and Aakash knew it is something serious because except Anjali he never break down in front of anyone
"I ... I love Khushi" Saying it he told Aakash everything from the start, his love, his care, his ego and then his mistrust in her and Aakash was shocked would be an understatement
"B ... Bhai .. you should tell it to Khushi" He was staring his brother dumbstruck and Arnav shook his head
"You promised me you won't tell it to anyone .. I told you because I want Khushi to be safe at home ... Right now Shyam is not here but when he'll come and even if I am not around you can keep Khushi safe"
"Bhai I ... but ..." Arnav cut him
"Please Aakash don't tell it to anyone.." and Aakash just nodded
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"Kyun ? Kyun bus karein hum ... Aap ko toh khush hona chahiye ke jiss insaan se aap sub se zyada nafrat karte hain woh kitni takleef se guzra hai ... ("Why? Why would I stop ... you should be happy because the person you hate the most had suffered so much ...)"
He knelt down on the ground, tears trickling down his cheeks and he was now sobbing like a small 5 years old kid who had lost his favorite toy
He remembered when Shyam threaten him to take Khushi and he madly ran to her office. For the first time he couldn't control his inner feelings as he hugged her
Khushi didn't know it but he was the one who got this job for her
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Arnav was sitting with Arjun as he had asked him to assist in the interview to select the new sketching person for his department
He was going through the resume of the candidates when his hands stilled as he read Khushi Singh Raizada' she is here for the interviews but Lavanya didn't tell him anything about it. He called Lavanya to confirm the same
"Lavanya did Khushi mention of some interview?"
"No Arnav, in fact she told me that today she'll be staying late at university for some project"
"Ok Thanks" She wanted to do the job and she was applying at different places,
"Arjun can I ask you something?" Now he has to make sure that Khushi get this job as he can trust Arjun more than any other and also that she would stop hunting new jobs
"Yeah sure Arnav"
"Appoint Khushi for this post"
"You mean Khushi which is living in your house and she is your ..." Arnav cut him before he could say sister'
"Wife ... she is my wife but please don't disclose it to her that I am involved behind getting this job to her" Now it was a shock for Arjun because last he knew she was his sister
"But how is this possible ..." Arnav interrupted him again
"We can discuss it all later but please do it and make it as formal I don't want her to suspect anything"
Arjun just agreed to him and Arnav left the cabin as he heard Arjun calling Khushi' in the cabin
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His phone was ringing but he was not listening to it. He was thinking about all the countless times he'd hurt Khushi purposely.
He sobbed as he remembered her words when they were in Switzerland and she first time vent out her feelings
"Kyun ... Aap sun nahi paa rahe na, hum ne yeh sub kuch saha hai... aap jaante hain aik larki ke liye sub se ahem cheez kya hoti hai ... Uss ki izzat aur uss raat hum woh kho daite agar ... ("Why ... You can't listen, I've gone through this... You know what is the most precious thing for a girl ... Her Dignity, Her respect and I would have lost it that night if ...)"
He screamed hard as he remembered how he left the hotel and coming to the bar he poured down the liquor in. He never drunk before but that day he did it till he lost all his senses.
Limping he managed to get out of the bar when he collapsed on the hotel entrance hurting his forehead. He tried to focus as he watched two waiters coming towards him. Trying to get up he once again fell down only to be held by the waiters
"Sir are you ok"
He hissed as he pry their hands off him, "I am alright"
He was slapping his cheeks as to clear his vision but his eyes were drooping and not being able to stand it he passed out again on the floor mumbling feebly, "Khushi... I am ... sor ...sorry I n... .never ...ha ... hate you"
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From that trip till now he was to his own self, as the real Arnav who cares for Khushi who can do anything to get a smile on her face. Sometimes he find it difficult to even hide his feelings for Khushi.
"Can I take your wallet?"
"Yes" He said but as she turned to go remembering that it has her picture in it, he quickly spun her around making her fall in his lap. It happened in like fraction of second that Khushi was unable to understand anything, Feeling scared of falling she closed her eyes.
Her hairs flew on his face as his right hand wrapped around her waist
"I can't see anything, you pulled me so roughly that I become blind" At her statement Arnav hardly controlled his laughter
"No one become blind by just pulling hand stupid, Wait" Suppressing his laughter he gently brushed aside her hairs from her face and as she lifting her head looked in to her eyes, he was gone
Her eyes filled with innocence, her nose a bit red and her quivering lips ...
He gulped and tried to control before looking away and thankfully Anjali's call distracted him, but still he got a chance to remove the picture when Khushi was talking to Anjali. He knew she will try to know if he had hidden anything but still hoping he won't find it, he hide her picture in the side cabinet
His phone was vibrating and ringing in his pocket, but he was not feeling anything right now except the guilt and hater for his own self. He tried hard to make her forget about that night
He stopped sobbing as his fingers went to his own lips. He remembered how the morning after their first kiss, Khushi traced his lips with her fingers, yes he was awake that time but he pretend to asleep instead he just turned and she instantly closed her eyes. As he looked up at her, he could see the quiver of her eyelashes as she tried to shut them. A smile touched his lips and his hands itched to touch her cheeks, but holding back he got up and get ready for the jogging
But all went wrong when Shyam once again harassed her on the terrace. She was crying and panting heavily and only he knew how he refrained him from murdering Shyam right away
He was on the verge of screaming and crying when she asked him if he trusts her. Not able to meet her gaze feeling ashamed he just hold her closer in an assuring embrace
The ringing of his phone stopped and wiping off his tears he get up but stumbled at the first step;
"You cannot listen about your wife being with someone else, but it's right to keep an affair even after marriage, to the best friend of your wife"
This is what she think about him, another sob escaped his mouth as he scrunched his eyes tight
"Aaj hum aap ko iss zabardasti ke waade aur bandhan se aazad kerte hain (Today I free you from this forced promise and marriage)"
Opening his eyes the next moment. That's it! He'll no more ruin Khushi's life. She wants to get away from him then he will let her live her own life with happiness, with her consent
"I ... I can't see you with any other man ... never ... And if I live then ... then how can you live happily ..." He sniffled as he stumbles back to his car
"I'll leave this world for you so that you can live happily ..." He ignited the car and drove rashly as his past years reeled and flashed right in front of his eyes that he didn't even notice a 7 years old girl crossing the road, as soon his eyes fell on the girl, he saw 7 years old Khushi dressed in the bridal dress standing in front of the car smiling
"KHUSHI" He screamed as he turned away the car quickly causing it to hit the tree and the car halted with a jerk as his head fell on the steering
"Khu ... shi ..." He heard the beep of his phone before closing his eyes
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Boring?? or too filmy??
Enjoy Reading 😊
-Sumeela
Anupamaa
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