One Last Betrayal: Arshi ff (NEW AUTHOR'S NOTE! 8/4. Page 157) - Page 7

Khushi was exhausted, both physically and mentally. The hectic events of the day had finally shown their outcome, and Khushi had been ready for sleep the second she had stepped into the mansion, with NK by her side.

Khushi had been startled by her family, who had all crowded around her, shouting their concerns.

She had been pulled like a rag doll, hugged and kissed. They all asked, or rather demanded quite forcefully, if she was alright. They cried and laughed with relief, thanking Devi Maiya for returning her back safely.

Khushi was still not in the right state of mind; her brain has shut itself down due to the fatigue of the day. She was frightened and overwhelmed by the sudden eruption of noise, and almost ran out the doors again.

But, she managed to calm herself, and nodded, reassuring her worried family.

They bombarded her with questions, questions that Khushi's brain was not capable to process and answer at this moment. They all shouted over each other, trying to get her attention, which only caused the situation to become more stressful for Khushi.

NK, noticing the desperation on Khushi's face, decided came to her rescue before the family could start another hugging session. He planted himself in front of Khushi, protecting her from the demanding eyes.

"I think we're all quite worn out, especially Khushiji, and need to rest a bit. Let's all now try to get some sleep; we can talk about all of this tomorrow." NK said, his voice strained.

Everybody stopped and stared at NK. His tone had a tinge of finality, almost daring anybody to go against him. He seemed so...mature.

NK, who was still considered childish and immature, had left his family gaping at the sense of maturity he showcased today. It seemed as though he had aged in a matter of seconds, which he had- after seeing the things he saw today.

"He's right." Payal said. "Khushi needs to sleep. She's dead on her feet."

They all suddenly realized the state Khushi was in. She looked like hell. Her clothes were dirty and crumpled, her face was covered in dirt and fatigue, her hair a big messy knot.

Her eyes were red and tiered, and Khushi looked as though she was barely awake. She looked paler and somehow smaller, as if she had lost a significant amount of weight in the past 7 hours.

"Alright Khushi bitya, try and rest for a while." Nani said, placing her hands on Khushi's cheeks.

Khushi weakly smiled at her in-laws and let Payal grasp her hand and lead her to her bedroom. Her family watched her leave, feeling incredibly relieved and guilty at the same time.

Khushi and Payal reached her room and Khushi prepared herself to bid her sister a goodnight when Payal stopped her. She placed a hand on her shoulder, preventing her from moving further.

"Khushi, are you okay?" Payal asked timidly. Khushi nodded back.

"No...I'm not just talking about today. Are you okay, in general?" Khushi froze when she heard the question.

She took one look at Payal, and realized that Payal knew. Payal knew Khushi better than Khushi knew herself, and it didn't surprise Khushi that she had been able to pinpoint Khushi's misery so easily.

Khushi smiled sadly, not knowing what to say to her sister. She knew she couldn't lie, because her sister would easily be able to detect it.

She didn't want to confirm her sister's suspensions either, still not wanting to expose the lie that she had been living for the past 2 weeks.

"Oh...Khushi." Payal said in a strangled whisper, her heart breaking into little pieces.

She attacked her sister into a hug, burying her face into her shoulder. Payal's body shook as she sobbed, hating herself for not realizing the misery her sister had been going through.

Khushi stroked her sister's hair, trying to comfort her, even though she was the one who needed to be soothed.

"Khushi...how...I mean why did you agree to-?" Khushi shook her head at her sister's questions, silencing her.

"We'll talk tomorrow jiji. I really need to sleep." Khushi said, gently squeezing her sister's hand.

Payal looked dissatisfied, but nodded, knowing that Khushi needed her rest. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and hugged her sister goodbye, walking away.

But she paused and turned back around; watching as Khushi quietly opened the doors to her room with shaky hands.

Payal's heart sank when she saw the expression on Khushi's face. She looked terrified. As if she was opening the doors to her own, personal hell.

She watched, with a painful lump in her throat, as Khushi steeped into her room, firmly shutting the door behind her.

Payal's legs gave out, and she collapsed against the floor. She placed her head against the wall, her body shaking with silent sobs.

She wept because she knew that her sister was slowly withering away, and there was nothing that she could do to help her.

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"So you finally decide to come back." A cold voice said within the dark room, causing Khushi to freeze in her spot.

She realized that the voice was physically too close to her, but she couldn't find the strength to back away. Her legs were glued to the floor, and she trembled within herself.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada." He said coolly, causing a shiver to run down Khushi's spine.

"I'm actually quite surprised that you came back in such little time, I expected you to drag out your little drama. I'm quite disappointed actually, I was looking forward to watching more of your fabulous acting skills."

She could feel the warmth of his body, just inches away from her own. She knew he was close to her, too close. She swallowed painfully, awaiting his next move

"Pathetic, aren't you?" He murmured, right next to her ear.

"What did you want to prove to my family, by pulling this little stunt? That you're a poor, helpless girl? You may be able to convince my entire family just how innocent you are, but I know your true colors."

He suddenly reached out and grabbed her by her wrists, causing her to yelp out in surprise. He pulled her close to him, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. She twisted her wrists, trying to push him away, but his strength was no match for hers.

"Why don't you just stop this act Khushi? You're never going to fool me." He hissed at her. She resisted the urge to flinch away, and forced herself to hold her ground.

"I've told you this a thousand times, and I'm telling you again, I'm not acting, nor am I trying to fool you." She replied back, her voice shaking.

Arnav tightened his painful grip on her, and Khushi knew that he had left bruises. He towered over her tiny frame, and she almost had to bend her head back to clearly look into his eyes.

"Why do you keep on denying the truth Khushi? Do you really think that I'll believe the lies that you so convincingly try to pass off as the truth?" He growled at her.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Arnav asked, his eyes dancing with fire. Khushi stared back, feeling numb.

"Yes." She hissed back at him, her anger rising.

"You're stupid enough to ignore the truth that lies in front of your eyes. You're stupid enough to ignore the reality. You're stupid enough to not believe the truth, even when I scream it at the top of my lungs. You're stupid enough to think that I'm lying, and you're stupid enough to believe whatever that snake has told you. You're stupid enough to declare me guilty, without ever listening to my explanation. You're stupid enough to believe that I'm a danger to your Di, even when-"

"ENOUGH!" Arnav shouted, bringing his fist up to Khushi's face.

But, Arnav's fist stopped midair, hanging right in front of Khushi's face. Arnav knew that he would never be able to physically hurt Khushi, something in him would not allow him to. He wanted to hurt her, he really did, but he couldn't bring himself to physically harm her.

He chose to believe that he stopped because of his Di. Khushi, just like his Di, was a woman, and he would murder anybody who dared to physically hurt his sister.

But, what he did not realize was that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he intentionally ever hurt her. He would never be able to purposely harm this woman, the same woman who he claims to hate so much.

"Why did you stop? Hit me." She said, staring at his fist.

He drew his fist back, taking several steps away from her. He clenched his hands by his sides, glaring at her with so intensity, it was a wonder she didn't drop dead to the ground.

"Get out." He spat.

When she didn't move, he grew angrier. He took a step forward, his entire body shaking from the fury he felt.

"Before I do something I regret, get the hell out." He yelled. She refused to move, staring at him with her wide eyes.

"I swear to god Khushi, you don't want to tempt me right now. I'm this close to..." He squeezed his eyes shut and took deep breaths, trying to control his anger.

"You're this close to what? Hurting me? Don't worry, you've already accomplished that job, starting from the day I first met you." And with that, Khushi turned away, eyes brimming with tears.

Chapter 5: page 21