Chapter 18 : Revelations...
"I have given my word that only death will take me from you."
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"Rehan….he's….alive….very…much…alive…"
Those specific words kept ringing in his ears…Rehan? His brother? He didn't even realize when he stood up, let go of Khushi's hands and walked back towards the car.
Khushi got up quickly and ran to him, clutching his hand tightly. "Please...Please don't go…let me explain...!"
Tugging his hand away from her clutch, he looked back at her. Giving her a hard glare, he whispered "Khushi….let me go…I need some time alone…"
Her heart constricting at his pained, vulnerable state, she let go of his hand and watched him walk away towards his car.
Before he could get in, he remembered that Khushi had no way to get back home. Turning around to face her tear stricken face, he signaled her to get into the car.
Khushi looked at him in shock. She had expected him to never even look at her again yet he still offered to drop her back home.
Running to him, she hid herself in his arms and broke out into sobs. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I wanted to tell you but you were so sad that I just didn't feel like it and…and he would…he would kill me….if...if I did…please…please forgive me Arnav…"
Controlling his urge to hug her, he fisted his hands to his sides and pulled back from the hug. Turning around, he muttered in a broken voice "Why? Why Khushi? Exactly why do you think…that…That he would kill you?"
Khushi closed her eyes at his sarcastic tone. She took a deep breath and whispered "That is not your problem Arnav…"
"IT IS MY PROBLEM! HE'S MY BROTHER…MY BROTHER KHUSHI!!! All these years, I thought he was dead! And then you come around and tell me he's still alive?!? What the hell do you expect me to do about that!" he spat.
"Arnav…."
"JUST GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY YOU DIDN'T TELL ME! AND DON'T YOU DARE MAKE UP SOME COCK AND BULL STORY! TELL ME THE TRUTH! EVERY..SINGLE…WORD OF IT…."
"YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY ARNAV? Well then listen…I did not tell you because Rehan HATES you!!!" shouted Khushi, her tears spilling forth.
Arnav looked at her in shock. He turned around and said "What?"
Clasping her hand to her mouth, she bit her lip in frustration. Trying to cover up the mess, she whispered "Arnav…it's nothing…just forget it..."
Arnav laughed out loud and yelled "You expect me to forget every single thing you just told me? What kind of person are you Khushi? I trusted you! I trusted you so much and look at what you did…!"
Khushi ran to him and held his arm and said "Stop it Arnav! Please…I did it only for you!! He would have killed you….and I will never let that happen!"
Taking her hand away from him, he looked at her harshly and said "And exactly why does he hate me so much for him to want to kill me?"
Khushi looked away but Arnav tilted her chin towards him. Giving up, she decided to tell him the whole truth.
Dragging him towards the lake, she sat down next to him.
"I don't know whether you noticed Arnav but as a child Rehan was always very quiet and introvert...He believed that he was never given the kind of love which you were showered on. You were the bread winner of the family, always the bright and athletic boy…and then I came along. I was Rehan's only friend as a child and he was very possessive but then I met you. Even though you were a year older than me, we bonded straight away because we always fought! I still remember those days Arnav…where we used to play hide and seek in the garden…those days…how I wish it was all different…" whispered a broken, nostalgic Khushi.
Arnav looked towards the direction of the moonlight, thinking about his memories with Khushi.
"I started getting closer to you and Rehan was once again left all alone. As we grew up, I started to fall for you. When I was around 13, I still remember the day when you told me that you liked this girl in your class….I was so broken Arnav…and later…I saw you kissing her in front of me…it was easily the worst day of my life. I remember that day when I sat hiding behind a tree crying because you didn't like me back and that was the day that Rehan found out that I had a crush on you. During those days, he was my pillar of support…and we became closer than ever but I didn't realize that his love for you had gradually started turning into hate. It was then that aunty and Mumma urged us to go to The Academy of Arts in London when we turned 15."
Turning his head to her, Arnav looked at her brokenly and muttered "I'm sorry…Munchkin…I didn't realize back then that you had feelings for me…"
Placing her head on his shoulder, she kissed his collar bone and moved into his lap.
"Jumping at the prospect of leaving home, Rehan persuaded me to leave home and….you and go to school in London. We started a new life there Arnav but like I said before…there was something missing…and the reason was you. Rehan hated the fact that I was in love with you. He wanted me to himself and when he understood that I was never going to love him the way I felt for you, he started becoming very hot tempered and abusive…" her voice came out as a whisper in those last few words.
Bringing her towards him so that she sat straddling his body, he crushed her to him and clenched his fists tightly.
"Did he….did he do anything to you?" asked Arnav scared of the consequences.
She shook her head slowly and said "No…he never touched me but he did try to hit me sometimes but then his love for me came in the way and he always stopped."
Hiding her face in the crook of his neck she continued her story.
"But after 2 years, it all became too much for me. I had gone through a lot and I needed a fresh new start. So I decided to move back here. But when I found out about Auntie's death, I wanted to rush here as soon as possible but when I got here, I found out that you had met with a terrible accident causing you to lose your memory. Taking it as an opportunity, I started new and joined Mount High. I still remember the day I saw you for the first time when I came back. All those feelings I felt came fluttering back into me…."
Arnav's face curved up into a small smile. He put his index finger under her chin and turned her face to look at him.
"I have one more question left…Why does he want to kill me?"
"He wants to kill you because….because I love you…"
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