All the rituals of the marriage were dully performed without any kind of excitement on Arnav's, Khushi's or Lavanya's face. The only bride or groom who was happy was NK, who was finally fulfilling his obsession by marrying Lavanya and that was all he cared for, because he couldn't see the artificiality of the smiles adorning his bride's face.
The brides were being escorted to their respective rooms for their nuptial night but there was no emotions except that of pain in the minds of the two sisters. While one was forced by the circumstances to take the decision, the other was forced by her love for her father to take the decision and any relationship based on fear or force, was not something that would give you peace.
Although Khushi was seated in the traditional position as if waiting for her newlywed husband but she knew it was not love that was asking for his presence but there were questions flooding in her mind which sought his presence. She gripped her hands tightly as she circled her knees pulled to her chest, thinking of the various possible events that night but she was damn sure that she was not giving into his desires no matter what. She was forced to marry him but no one can force her to accept him.
" Khushi.." came in a faint whisper from the husky and pain-streaked voice of Arnav Singh Raizada who had entered the room unbeknownst to her.
Both their eyes had pain, intense heartwrenching nerve-wrecking pain which shattered them. And their pains were interdependent. His pain as a brother resulted in her pain as a sister which led into the drastic decision of getting married and had pushed Khushi into whirlwind of pain, breaking her every second and seeing her broken was the last thing Arnav Singh Raizada ever wanted to see, as all he wanted to do, was to cherish her to the fullest.
" You must be happy isn't it Mr.Raizada? After all you and your brother got what you both wanted." Khushi walked upto Arnav still not breaking the eye-contact and the disdainful tone of Khushi made him shut his eyes in an attempt of gulping the pain down but unfortunately Khushi was all set to test the flexibility of his immensely rigid patience levels.
" You must be extremely pleased with yourself to see me, Khushi Gupta, the sister of Lavanya Gupta who committed an unforgivable offense by rejecting your brother Nand Kishore Singh Raizada in her college days, waiting for you, in your room, as your bride. Amazing feeling it would be, isn't it? That finally you have achieved your goal, goal of breaking both of us to a point where we would have to accept you." Khushi jumped down Arnav's throat in the most stand-offish manner while Arnav couldn't form any kind of words to express the truest of feelings in the confines of his stony heart and before he could buy time from her by uttering her name, Khushi lashed at him yet again as she seemed to be unstoppable that night,
" I am extremely sorry to disappoint Mr.Raizada but you have lost even after winning. You might have won my hand in front of the world but you will never be able to win my heart, which once fluttered in your presence, which once wavered by listening to your voice and which once had felt attracted towards you. You know what I regard as the biggest mistake of my life? Feeling attracted to you. I had thought it was wrong to feel for my sister's fiance back then but now I feel you deserve no love absolutely, irrespective of the relation we share. Because the person who can forget every single ounce of humanitarianism for avenging his brother's so-called insult and to fulfill his evil obsession for my sister, can do anything and everything without a moment of hesitation. Arre if tomorrow you come to know that my sister had not consummated her relationship with your brother, you would set out to insult her and torture me yet again because I know why you married me?
To torture me to the breaking point so that my sister bends in front of your brother in every way he wants and maybe use me to warm your bed. Two birds with one stone, isn't it? But remember Mr.Raizada, Khushi Gupta will never let you win, no matter what. If your love for your brother teaches you to go the inhuman way then I can forget myself and my happiness if that means my family will be happy. Go on, Mr.Raizada. Do what you had intended for the night but rest be assured that you might take my body but my soul would hate you and my heart would loathe itself for falling for you."
" You seriously think I can stoop so low, Khushi?" questioned Arnav while looking incredulously at her but Khushi cared less.
" In my thoughts you can stoop much lower, Mr.Raizada after all you never fail to surprise me. When I feel that this is enough, this guy cannot stoop anymore, you just stoop more so that you can prove me wrong. Tell me or rather warn me henceforth if you planning sink much lower than this." If looks could burn, the whole street would have caught fire due to the intensity of look with which Khushi beheld Arnav, furthermore it was justified on her part as he had tormented her sister who had meant everything to her.
" I am not as you are understanding me to be Khusi. I-"
" Your actions speak certainly and clearly speak otherwise, Mr.Raizada. Why are you wasting time in arguing with me? You should have started with the mission you had set for yourself." Khushi's tone could compete with a king cobra for the venom it contained. Her voice was sans any kind of warmth or endearment as Arnav's heart craved and he did what he thought was the best.
He walked out on her. Without uttering a word. Without paying any heed to her shouts.
But the night had not yet ended.
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