ArHi FF: Yeh Saali Zindagi -Link to next thread on page 1 - Page 34

Also I know I said I will be providing a CS for this story but still one character is left to be introduced which I will be doing in next update. With that, I will post CS.

To compensate for the loss of one update, I have typed a long update than what I type usual. Enjoy !!!! and hope this will clear story for you all a lot !!!

ArHi FF: Yeh Saali Zindagi

Chapter 5

After hearing her past, one could possible argue that Khushi Gupta must have lost her trust in the notions of love, marriage and passion. But she denied it sincerely whenever the question arose.

She definitely believed in falling in love, marrying a guy whom she could love throughout her life with a passion that defies everything else but the fault was in her.

Khushi Gupta never believed in being a participant of all these things. She always felt sort of deserving any of these things.

She never found herself good enough to be loved by others, the thought of her marriage never made her happy neither loving someone with the passion which might make her burn with its intensity.

But still there was one thing that she believed she is capable of.

She wanted to find happiness for others and she did. For 10 years, she met peoples and their families, listened to their troubles and worked hard to sort them out. So that they can be happy.

One day, she thought, she will be truly happy after seeing a smile on someone's face. And she searched for it every day.

The need to forget the sin she has committed and the stubbornness to help people in getting justice that she had failed to give to her best friend's soul, her heart held a fire which burned and burned with every case she took, with every person she met.

In 10 years, nothing stopped her from doing what she wished. Then why, today, just some words spoken by her husband made her feel that he is forbidding her path to salvage her broken, burning soul.

"What??" Khushi asked, looking sad.

"I mean it, Khushi. You are here till the elections. Then you will be filing for divorce as you don't stay at one place for long neither do you want this scenario in your life. I don't expect you to stay here against your wish just for Manyata's sake. I just don't want Manyata to get attached to you in the meantime. She will be devastated if you leave. It will be difficult for me to convince her why you left if she started loving you as her mother. Since, I spend most of my time with her when I am home, I just want you to stay away from me and Manyata." Arnav explained calmly, looking unapologetic and aloof from her.

As Khushi pondered over it, she found what he has said was correct. She never stayed in touch with same people for a long time. Whenever she got a case, she worked on it and then moved on. She never looked back neither she met those people again. But why?

Was she afraid of getting attached to people just like Arnav said? How can she be such a coward?

Khushi shook her head as if to deny all the questions emerging in her mind and said "I will be careful about it."

Looking satisfied, Arnav stood up and left, leaving Khushi alone to think. What if she is a coward? What if she is running from her feelings and emotions? What if she never got over being the reason behind Lavanya's death?

What if all her works is just a way to find a person who will make her believe that she isn't a bad person? That she is wrong to blame herself for her best friend's death?

24^th June, 2014

Akbar Road, Delhi

Khushi hummed softly while driving her car to home after a very hectic day, when she glanced at the rear view mirror out of habit. Her eyes took a panicked look, focusing on the two SUV's crawling up beside her bodyguard's cars from either side.

Her blood ran cold as she watched the scene folding behind her car. She gasped witnessing the SUV's hitting her bodyguard's cars between them adamantly, beating them into pulp.

Her eyes blurred, numbly staring at the reflection of her bodyguards dying inside their cars from the rear view mirror. When the SUV's sped up towards her car, she blinked her eyes repeatedly to gain focus on the road ahead.

They were coming after her. They wanted to capture her.

Seeing that there was no U-turn she could take to avoid the approaching cars, her feet pressed on the accelerator while her car raced to the highest speed possible.

Realizing that her pursuers have increased the speed of SUV's as well, she was relieved to find a narrow U-turn to her left and pulled her car into it with a screeching noise, her body slamming to the left side of her car with the force of the sudden turn.

Focusing on running her car through the narrow turns, Khushi's mind worked on forming a plan to escape from being captured.

Her mouth twisted in hatred as she thought about the person behind this attack. Vikrant has made her more adamant to see him behind the bars.

As the main road packed with cars came into view, Khushi smiled, surging her car ahead. Racing her car through the minimum gaps available between the cars while ignoring the angry horns and shouts from people around her, she reached to the front when the traffic light turned into red.

Looking into the rear view mirror, she watched that the SUV's were stopped at a very good distance with 4-5 men looking around for her car. She smiled in satisfaction, parking her car to the side before wrapping a cloth around her face to hide her identity.

Quickly collecting her licensed gun along pepper and chilly spray from the dashboard, she opened the door of her car a bit and slipped outside keeping her head and body close to the ground.

She didn't want to be spotted by her pursuers.

Crawling on her hands and knees while ignoring the way people were looking at her, she slipped inside an empty auto rickshaw ahead and barked her destination to the driver. As soon as the light turned green and the auto rickshaw moved ahead along with most of the cars, she quickly pushed her hand outside and pressed the trigger of her gun pointing it to the ground, hiding it behind her clothes.

She closed her eyes in regret as chaos erupted around her after the sound of the fire and cars collided behind the auto rickshaw with each other in the hurry to flee from there, though she was sure that there won't be any fatal injury with the precautions she has taken.

She had to do this for her own survival. So that she can't leave one of the most important case of her life in a lurch with her kidnap or death.

Quickly taking out her phone, she dialed Aman's number.

PrithviRaj Road, Delhi

"He said that I will regret it. Just in the morning he met me and in evening, he already sends his men after me. I hate him." Khushi declared, pacing to and fro in front of Aman, boiling in fury.

Aman kept watching her silently as he rubbed his finger against his stubble, lost in thoughts. When Khushi stopped talking, he merely raised his eyebrow "I think you shouldn't take his threat lightly Khushi. You should tell your father."

"For what? My father won't do anything except stopping me from doing the only thing I have dedicated my life to. Bad idea, Aman." Shaking her head in absolute denial, Khushi snapped.

"May be it's a bad idea. But Khushi, Vikrant Chaudhary isn't just a politician. He is the devil as referred by many in his field. He won't blink twice before killing you and me for that matter." Aman offered calmly making Khushi halt in her pacing, her eyes widening as she turned to face him.

"Oh my god, what have I done? He can harm you as well." Khushi panicked at once, running her hands through her unbound hairs in frustration.

"You don't have to worry about..." Aman protested only to be cut short by Khushi.

"No, you listen to me Aman Mathur. I don't want anything to happen to you or Kavya. So you are going to withdraw from this case and leave Delhi for few days. Go somewhere safe with Kavya. I will call you once I have the situation under control." Picking up the intercom, Khushi instructed as Aman made a face "I am not running anywhere Khushi."

"No you need to go, Aman. I will have my men pursue evidences for the case. Maybe I will fight this case for Niya in the court instead of you." Khushi murmured, avoiding looking at Aman.

Aman stood up at once and walked towards Khushi. Once he was in front of her, he quietly gathered her in his arms and whispered "I won't leave you alone, Khushi."

"But Aman..."

"You helped me when I was trying to build my reputation as a lawyer, helping me in fighting for justice for others. I met Kavya only because of you. Happiness is in my life, all thanks to you. I owe you this much Khushi." Stroking her stiffened back soothingly, Aman whispered in a determined voice making Khushi sigh.

Sagging against his shoulder, Khushi finally hugged him back "What would I have done without you, Aman?"

Pulling back, he smiled down at her "Leave that to me, will you?"

Khushi laughed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

25^th June, 2014

PrithviRaj Road, Delhi

"Khushi."

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Khushi turned around to face her father, carrying a small suitcase in her hands. She frowned seeing him staring intently on the suitcase.

"Where are you going?" Shashi asked calmly.

"I am going to visit Mumbai for few days, Dad. I need to travel with Aman to collect some evidences against...err..on my new case." Khushi finished lamely, hastily editing her answer to avoid telling her father that she was fighting a case against Vikrant.

Narrowing his eyes on her abrupt answer, Shashi shook his head "You can't go today. Your mother wants you to go to the temple with her. She kept a small pooja for your well-being."

"But Dad..." Khushi protested at once.

"No arguments Khushi. I never stopped you from anything so you will do as I say. Go with your mother." Jerking his head towards the car in which Garima was waiting for Khushi, Shashi dictated.

Stomping her foot against the ground with a huff, Khushi turned and sat inside the car at once refusing to melt to her mother's apologetic gaze on her, leaving her suitcase behind.

Smiling amusedly at his daughter's child-like behavior, Shashi went inside only to rush outside after an hour to see a car in flames in the parking lot, his servants trying to blow out the fire.

His feet refused to support him as he realized that it was the same car in which Khushi was leaving when he stopped her.

Someone is trying to kill his daughter.

26^th June, 2014

Anuj Niwas, Delhi

"So someone is trying to kill your daughter?"

Looking apprehensively at Anuj, Shashi nodded. He was still shaking with the information that he has just received and immediately ran to Anuj.

Unknown to most of the people, Anuj and Shashi had always been great friends when they started their career together. The high and lows of the political world never affected their friendship.

When marriage proposals started coming for Payal four years back, Shashi didn't liked even a single one to consider seriously. He was in a fix about how to say no to all the proposals without straining their social relations with everyone. That's when Anuj stepped in, suggesting the marriage of Payal with his elder son, Akash.

And till this date, Shashi never regretted it once despite what Khushi always told him.

"You need to help me, Anuj. It's Vikrant who is behind all this. You know how dangerous he is. You have faced him in the past. He won't hesitate from ruining my daughter's reputation. Since yesterday, I have put all my men on her security but still there was a minor accident in the morning. I had to send her home to keep her safe. You always managed to scare Vikrant, putting an end to his madness. Please help me. I don't want to lose my daughter." Shashi pleaded looking helpless.

Getting up from his chair, Anuj quickly handed him a glass of water urging him to drink it before replying "From what you have told me Shashi, Vikrant will be after her till she is single. She rejected him so he would want to bend her to his will and then kill her. You need to find a husband for your daughter as soon as possible."

"But how?"

"Get her ready to marry Arnav, Shashi. If she became a part of Raizada family, Vikrant will back off immediately. Nonetheless, if he still comes after her Arnav will take care of it definitely. He is looking for an opportunity to bring Vikrant down from so many years anyways. This way we can bring this situation into our favor." Anuj replied earnestly.

"But Arnav? Isn't he angry with you all?" Shashi hesitated, not forgetting the strained relationship between Anuj and Arnav.

"Don't worry, Shashi. Even when my son isn't talking to me, he will listen to me. I know his weakness and how to make him dance on my tunes. I am his father after all." Anuj contradicted Shashi immediately, continuing further "And with this marriage, we can merge our parties. We can make Khushi our party's candidate for the elections. She is perfect for it. And also this will ensure her safety completely."

Shashi went through all the possible scenarios available to save Khushi , weighting pros of accepting Anuj's advice while Anuj waited patiently, knowing that he has once again managed to corner Shashi. Besides the prospect of saving Khushi, he intentionally didn't tell him why he proposed such an idea in first place. He didn't tell his friend that he had his eyes on Khushi for a long time as his potential daughter-in-law who will be an asset to his family and mostly to his party.

Khushi's stubborn and fearless way of working was something she had always been famous for. It was this quality which Anuj admired in her and found alike to his own character.

Khushi and his party needed each other, his mind argued, and it was just the perfect way of accomplishing that.

And it will happen, he concluded smirking as Shashi nodded with a defeated sigh escaping from his lips.

"Great then, call your daughter home. We will get them married tomorrow. It will give you ample time to make Khushi aware of the situation." Anuj prompted enthusiastically.

"No I won't tell her that I am forcing her into a marriage for this reason. She is so stubborn that she will kill herself or Vikrant before agreeing to it. I must find a way that must make everything look like I am doing it for my own selfish reasons and if she denies, she will be ruining future of others. That's the only way to make her agree for it." Shashi murmured more to himself, aware that Anuj was listening to him as well.

"That's okay, Shashi. We won't tell her unless it's necessary." Anuj assured him confidently.

29^th June, 2014

Manyata Niwas, Delhi

"Daddy, please no more..."

As Khushi came out of her room after getting ready for the day, she heard Manyata pleading in a babyish voice making her smile. Feeling curious, she made her way towards the dining table only to see Arnav feeding Manyata while she turned her face away from the food.

"Princess, one more bite for your daddy." Arnav cajoled Manyata, making her turn towards him. As Manyata ate the morsel from Arnav's hands while making a face, Arnav tore another piece of chapatti dipping it into curry.

"This one for Tweety otherwise she will get angry from you." Arnav offered her innocently, making Manyata eat earnestly at the mention of her favorite toy.

As Arnav tried to feed her another bite, Manyata jumped off his lap and ran out bumping against Khushi once again.

Chuckling, Khushi bent to pick her up and carried her back to dining table while Manyata watched her silently with wide, innocent eyes. Taking the plate from Arnav, she picked up the morsel Arnav was trying to feed Manyata and said "One bite for Mumma, Manyata?"

Manyata didn't protest as Khushi fed her rest of the breakfast. As soon as she chewed and managed to swallow the last bite, Manyata chirped excitedly "So you are my Mumma?"

"I am your Mumma, beta." Khushi replied gently, making Manyata jump in her lap excitedly before clapping her hands together in glee. Khushi smiled as Manyata hugged her tightly, her eyes watching how Arnav smiled at his daughter's excitement and happiness.

That day for first time, Khushi felt something close to peace even after lying to a kid. Because she knew that she has given hope to the girl in her arms.

Something that matters the most for Manyata. Just by doing this, she felt happy.

A strange emotion for Khushi because she kept searching for it for years and never managed to find it. Till now.

So how is it? Do tell me. Next update will be posted next week,

Aditi