IPKKND FF:The Final Decision (Ch.8, p.37) UPD:8/21 - Page 2

Chapter 1

"Khushiji!" The voice was cheerful and bright, bouncing around in the empty house. But upon closer inspection, a note of falsity could be detected, as if the person was trying much too hard to be optimistic.

Where is she? Maybe she's sleeping.. "Khushiji?" When there was no response, the young man continued on towards the interior of the house, when he stumbled over the papers littered in the hallway. "What's this?" He stooped down to pick them up, along with the torn envelope lying next to them. He first looked at the address on the package and promptly dropped the papers in shock. Why? Why now? After six months, why is he contacting her now? The young man picked up the papers once again, a feeling of dread coursing through him. One glance at the top of the first page of the pile was enough to tell him what he needed to know. Shit.

He made a cursory sweep of the house, to make sure she was not there. He wasn't surprised to not find her; he hadn't expected her to remain home. Where would she go? No. That wasn't the question. The question was how far she would go. Hoping she hadn't already gone so far that he wouldn't be able to reach her ever again, Nand Kishore raced out of the house in search of Khushi Kumari Gupta.

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"Why did you do it Bhai?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's a lucrative offer. Are you seriously doubting my ability to make profitable business decisions?"

Akash groaned with impatience, knowing his brother was being deliberately obtuse. "I'm not talking about the deal Bhai. I'm talking about why you sent that courier to Khushiji."

Arnav Singh Raizada closed his laptop, giving up the pretense of working. He sighed now, running a hand through his hair, disrupting the carefully gelled waves. He turned away from his brother and spoke in a painstakingly neutral tone. "I had to Akash."

"What do you mean Bhai? I don't understand. We know the truth now. Khushiji was innocent. Even Di knows that. Khushiji can come back now."

"Exactly Akash. Khushi was innocent. And I forced her into a sham of a marriage, intent on punishing her. I was wrong. And now I intend to right that wrong."

"I still don't understand Bhai. I thought you loved her."

"I did. I still do. And I always will." The tremor in his voice was barely noticeable, but Akash had known this man since he was born. He gripped his brother's arm, forcing him to turn around, the tears coursing down Arnav's face a shock. He had never seen his Bhai cry before. Unable to form a coherent sentence, Akash voiced the one thought running through his mind.

"Why..?"

"Because Akash, if you truly love something, you have to set it free. And if it's meant to be, it will come back to you."

"But Bhai.. What about you?"

"What about me Akash?"

"How can you be happy without her?"

"I can't. But then again, I don't deserve to be." Arnav looked at his brother, who had opened his mouth furiously, no doubt to adamantly contradict that statement. With a soft smile, Arnav interrupted Akash before he could speak a single word. "No Akash. You're my brother and as such, you will always see the good in me. But I can clearly see my many flaws now. I trapped Khushi into marriage and now, the time has come to set her free. I just want her to be happy."

Akash shook his head, but he knew it was useless to argue with his Bhai. The courier was already on its way, signed and sealed. It was too late.

But all was not lost. At least his brother had truly changed. He had just admitted he was wrong. Anyone who had ever known Arnav Singh Raizada would have been shocked to learn that. But in reality, Arnav had barely changed. He was still arrogant, confident in his conviction that he was right. He had deluded himself into thinking he knew what she wanted. But he had never really understood Khushi. That was why he had believed her capable of breaking his beloved Di's marriage. That was why he had thrown her out of his home. And that was why he was now mistaken that Khushi needed to be set free. But he had never been more wrong.