Week 2
DAY 1
A day as normal as it could be in the lives of Arnav and Khushi.
DAY 2
When Arnav was home, he saw that Khushi was awake. Ever since 'that night' in Greece, she had made sure that they didn't cross paths.
She was in the kitchen, simply standing there, lost in a world of her own. She was staring at nothing, fingering her mangalsutra thoughtfully.
Feeling strange, as if he hadn't seen her for days, he walked up to her carefully. He stood behind her, wondering what to say. He was wondering what he should say when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
He looked to see that Khushi was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, what's up?" Arnav said lamely.
Khushi's brows furrowed in confusion and then she rolled her eyes and turned away, muttering "Laad Governor grows weirder everyday…"
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"What's it to you?" she asked, without looking at him.
His temper (as usual) flared. He grabbed her arms and turned her around to face him. "Look at me when I am talking to you…"
He felt her tense as soon as he touched her, and she pushed him away… As if… As if his touch made her sick.
"People don't hear with eyes Mr Raizada. In fact, I think people use EARS to listen… Haven't you learnt it in school?" she asked coldly.
"Why are you behaving like this!" he asked roughly.
"Like what?" she asked nervously, creating more distance between them.
"Like… Like… I don't know!" he said frustrated. "You are ignoring me! You don't let me near you and-"
She turned away. "You know very well why I am doing that…."
"Look, Khushi if it's because of that night, I-"
"You weren't in your senses? Okay. You weren't in your senses, but did you know that people's behavior is truest while intoxicated…"
Arnav's eyes widened at what she was implying. Furious, he moved towards her but she jumped back.
"DON'T! Don't touch me!" she said hysterically.
"Khushi, why are you-" he said reaching for her.
"Don't you get the meaning of 'Don't touch me!'" she said, keeping herself from shrieking out loud.
"Khushi, shut up! You will wake the house!"
"YES! GOOD! I am sick of this! Fake smiles, fake happiness, fake laughter and most of all, your BLOODY FAKE LOVE!" she cried.
He froze. "Well, maybe you want to go spend time with someone who loves you then…? HIM I suppose?" he asked stiffly.
Her eyes grew wide and suddenly the fire in her was put off. "You never will understand… And believe me, when you finally do… I won't be around…" she said sadly and wiped a tear from her eyes.
Sighing, she walked upstairs.
Arnav stared at her retreating form for a few seconds in confusion, wondering what in the world she had meant.
Moments later, he followed Khushi upstairs.
Both of them didn't notice Payal's troubled face as she looked up at the two of them going upstairs, back to their room from the sofa, a magazine in her lap, hidden by the pillar under the shadow of a dim table lamp.
DAY 3
Amit's eyes followed Khushi as she served them lunch. Anjaliji had wanted to take his advice regarding Shyam and had called him over. The explanation they had given to the family was that Anjali needed some advice regarding some real estate.
Singhania and Co. was an international real estate company, so it worked.
Arnav found it suspicious when Anjali vehemently refused his company, and Shyam was least bothered.
Amit's eyes darted to his angel's dense husband, Arnav. He was shooting daggers at Shyam, who was ogling at Khushi with lust apparent in his shameless beady eyes.
Amit frowned. By the looks of it, Arnav knew about Shyam, but Anjali had said that he had no clue.
He looked over worriedly at Khushi. She had lost weight and after seeing her smile since childhood, he knew that the one adorning her lips was fake.
It was 10th February. Something was supposed to be happening today….
He frowned trying to remember. And when his eyes rested again on Khushi, who was quietly having her lunch, he remembered.
Ashish was going to call today!
Beads of sweat trickled down Amit's face. What would he tell Ashish? Dare he tell Ashish about Khushi's dense husband and that Shyam Jha, was lusting over her? He knew that the news would bring Ashish storming over to India from France….
Amit looked up again, and decided that he would not tell the details…. Just give an outline. He himself would try to get to the bottom of things first!
*
Arnav looked up when he heard Amit's cellphone ringing.
He saw Amit's gaze go to the screen and then dart immediately to Khushi's face with a strange hesitation.
And Arnav knew… It was Khushi's brother calling.
"Erm, excuse me…" Amit muttered and got up to receive the call.
When he was out of sight, Arnav excused himself too and went in the direction Amit had taken.
*
"Hey Ash…" Amit said drily.
"Hello Amit…" came Ashish's hoarse whisper. "How is Kuku? How did her wedding go? Was she happy? Is her husband good to her?" he asked anxiously.
Only Ashish knew how much he hated himself for not attending his angel's wedding. But… he couldn't bear to be in India without remembering Muskaan and of course, facing his little sister was impossible… He had failed her… Broken his promise.
He closed his eyes, as he remembered the day his parents had died and he had promised her that he would get them…
But instead, he not only been unable to take revenge, but also lost his wife and daughter in the process. Their little family was broken once again…
Curse that filthy f***er Shyam Jha!
"She is…. Fine." Amit said.
"Amit. What aren't you telling me…." Ashish said, his voice dangerously low.
Damn!
"Well, her wedding went grandly. Just the way she wanted it to be when she was a kid. Her husband… he is well, DENSE…" Amit said.
"Dense? Dense how?"
Amit closed his eyes. For a person who never talked much and never questioned much, Ashish broke his own rules when it came to his precious sister.
Amit decided to tell the truth. "Look Ash, something is wrong and-"
"WHAT! What is wrong?! Amit, is Kuku okay? I-"
Amit sighed. "Ash, let me complete! Look, I won't give you the details just yet, but for now, let me handle this okay?"
"But Amit-"
"Ash, you are in FRANCE. No point in fretting yourself… Do you trust me?"
"Yes…"
"So please let me handle this. If it gets out of hand, I swear I WILL call you…."
Defeated sigh. "Alright…"
"Ash, can I-"
"NO! You can't have my number! I know what you are trying to do…"
"Okay, okay! Sorry…"
"Anything else…?"
"No…"
"Well, bye then."
"Bye."
Few moments later, Anjali and Amit left.
They came upon one conclusion- they had to wait and see where exactly things stood with all those involved before they took any action…
*
Arnav wished he could hear the other side of the conversation. Nothing much could be drawn from what he had heard.
"Hey Ash…"
"She is…. Fine."
"Well, her wedding went grandly. Just the way she wanted it to be when she was a kid. Her husband… he is well, DENSE…"
Had Amit just called him dense?!
"Look Ash, something is wrong and-"
So he was sensing it to was he? Why did Khushi have to be so easy to read!
Amit sighed. "Ash, let me complete! Look, I won't give you the details just yet, but for now, let me handle this okay?"
'Handle this'? What in the world did Amit mean?
"Ash, you are in FRANCE. No point in fretting yourself… Do you trust me?"
So Ashish was in France was he…
"So please let me handle this. If it gets out of hand, I swear I WILL call you…."
"Ash, can I-"
"Okay, okay! Sorry…"
"No…"
"Bye."
As Arnav walked back to his room, he realized that the voice he had heard from the washroom at Blue Nile's Restaurant that night had been Amit's!
Major question: who in the world had he been threatening that day?
DAY 4, Day 5, Day 6
Arnav tried to answer the questions that were running in his mind… Without Success.
Khushi began wearing half-sleeved clothes again, and Arnav tried to catch a glimpse of her hands but saw nothing except faint patches of blue here and there.
DAY 7
Arnav sat in his cabin, his mind still in frenzy.
Why did the names Ashish and Muskaan seem familiar, he thought….!
He must have read it in news somewhere, he thought.
Something had to be done, he thought with finality as he picked up his phone and dialed an all too familiar number.
"Yes Sir?"
"Aman, I want you to find out all you an about a court case involving Ashish and Muskaan Gupta…"
"Alright sir. Within fifteen minutes you will have the details…"
"Thanks…"
And so passed the longest fifteen minutes in Arnav's life.
*
Arnav listened as Aman told him. "Sir this was a murder case. Ashish Gupta had wanted justice for the murder of his parents, but didn't have much proof. He was an eye-witness and so was his younger sister Khushi Gupta…" Aman paused.
Boss' wife!
"Go on..."
"But Ashish had vehemently refused to present his sister as an eye-witness. He said she would not be able to bear retelling the event. His wife Muskaan was a reporter and was killed. It is claimed that the defense lawyer got her killed, but there is no proof either. The defense lawyer was Shyam Manohar Jha and he was defending the accused, namely-"
Arnav held up his hand to stop Aman. He knew all that he needed to know.
"Thanks Aman…" Arnav smiled.
Aman nodded once and left Arnav alone.
Arnav leaned back on his chair, with a sadistic sneer on his face. "Well, well, well. I would like to see your face Khushi Gupta, when you find out that your beloved Shyam Jha was the one who got your darling Bhabhi killed…."
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