The Wrong Start - Arshi FF - Ch17 Page 24 - Page 13

Originally posted by: kiran1992

For a moment I thought she was gonna forgive him.Thank God she didn't.He deserves that slap.Is he telling the whole truth? I don't think so. So glad she send everything to Anjali. Let's see what happens now..

Thanks for the comment! Hope you like the next update

Chapter 14 - Bleed

She had barely slept a wink last night. Since she had come back, a part of her was in denial about the whole episode - it all felt like a bad dream and she would snap out of it. She hadn't realized but she was waiting for Shyam to explain himself. Say something that would clarify the whole thing as a misunderstanding. She had spent the time living in limbo and the cold water of reality had woken her up. The rage that she had felt pulsating through her veins had never left. Her thoughts kept going back to what Shyam had said, dissecting the entire encounter. It was too late to call back the package - had Shyam been lying about Anjali? Now when she thought about it, the impulsively sent courier did not seem like such a good idea. She had no idea who this woman was and how she would take the news of her husband cheating on her. But she also did not feel like she should be taking responsibility for what happened. In the end, it was Shyam who had cheated, not her.

At five, she finally gave up, got out of bed, put on the first pair of clothes she could get her hands on and stormed out for a drive. She barely used her car now, preferring to use her time on the commute to complete work and take calls but had resisted selling it. It was the first major purchase of her life. She could still remember her family's reaction when she had shown them the car - her uncle had beamed with pride and her aunt with disbelief.

"Khushi has grown up," he had finally said, placing a hand on her head. Somehow, gaining his trust to do the right thing had meant a lot to her. She smiled at the memory and accelerated a bit. Mumbai was terrible for drivers and the only time you could enjoy a drive was early morning. Their relatives had never let them forget that they were basically sitting on a live land mine, raising another couple's girl child, who would bring enormous shame to them in the worst scenario or cost them a truckload of dowry in the least. And while they tried their best to keep the vibe away, she knew that it got to them sometimes.

Her phone rang suddenly and she looked down - it was her aunt. It was normal for her to call her in the mornings if she wanted to talk on weekdays. She could almost imagine her aunt sitting in their verandah with her morning tea and Hindi newspaper. At the same time, Khushi would be getting ready for her morning run, giving them a fairly reliable 15-minute window.

Earlier, her aunt would call her to just check if she was home on time. Initially, she had tried explaining that she was safe and the job required the hours. But eventually, she had given in and simply stopped sharing her schedule. Gradually, they also came to respect the boundaries of her work. Her inability to visit every month was no longer a point of contention inviting tears, tantrums and snide remarks. Her aunt's status check calls had reduced significantly over time and had now morphed into strong hints about "settling down." She had been quite chirpy about the whole affair as she had Shyam. She threw the phone on the passenger seat without receiving the call as the taste in her mouth turned bitter. The man had simply taken over her life. If her uncle and aunt ever found out about this, it would simply destroy whatever credibility she had built over time. It was during these times that she wondered how it would have been to have a mother. Or somebody who could look into her eyes and tell her that it would all be okay.

She stopped the car near Marine Drive and bought a cup of tea and a newspaper from a roadside vendor. It was a pity that Mumbai faced West - she would have loved to see the sunrise. She had about forty-five minutes before the meeting with Rishabh and Arnav. She climbed onto the parapet and stared at the waves, going about their way. She knew there wasn't much to do - she could read the news, wallow in self-pity, or just look at the waves. To think of it, she hadn't had this kind of time to herself in months. At least the breakup was well-timed - she couldn't imagine working during this mess. But maybe it would have been easier to not have the time to think so much about Shyam. She opened the newspaper and began reading, waiting for the time when she could drive to the hotel where she was meeting Rishabh and Arnav.

She had been surprised to suddenly discover that she and Arnav were negotiating together for the contract. Now when she came to think of it, she realized that while both of them had the option to go behind each other's back and negotiate individually, as was the norm. She had been too preoccupied with the Shyam situation to do that. She knew Rishabh had invited them together for the first meeting to warm them up to the idea of working together and she understood why. He was a smart man when it came to things like this. But she had expected Arnav to be a lot more hardcore, especially given the fact that he came from the much finer pedigree.

She would be meeting him for the first time after the time that he had dropped in with Lavanya. She wondered if he now thought of her as a damsel in distress or a distressed puppy. The whole situation was fairly awkward and she didn't know what she would say if he asked her about it.

Thirty minutes later, she was in the hotel lobby, requesting a table at the coffee shop where they were to meet. The hotel lobby was sparkling as ever with the faint music playing in the background that hotels always did. She topped up her lipstick and ordered a coffee just as Arnav and Rishabh made their way towards her. They exchanged a glance as they sat down and she wondered how sleep-deprived she looked. Hopefully, this wasn't going to be a disaster like the rest of her life right now.

The discussion went more smoothly than she anticipated. She told Rishabh that she wasn't very keen on moving to Hong Kong anymore and Rishabh did not like that. He did not push her on it and she was glad for that. But she offered to take up responsibility in other areas and keep the option open. After three hours, they finally put their pens down. They had an agreement that worked for everyone around sharing profits, compensation, base targets, and what the fund should look like.

As Rishabh left for another meeting, she saw Arnav pull out his phone to book a cab. He had not seemed weird or skittish as she had dreaded but merely quieter.

"I can drop you if you want. I got my car today," "Khushi offered as she packed her diary and laptop. He looked up, surprised. She raised her eyebrow and he pocketed his phone.

"I didn't know you can drive," he replied, throwing his suit jacket over his arm.

"Is that surprising?" she kept walking without waiting for him to keep up. He caught up in a few seconds as she handed the keys to the valet.

" A bit, I have just never seen you drive, that's all," he looked into her eyes now. She felt like an idiot now and simply nodded. The valet got her car and she settled into the driver's seat.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked. Dang, there it was. She should have never offered to drop him.

"Fine, I mean, yes I'm good. You just caught me at a bad moment last time, that's all," she replied as she gripped the steering wheel, trying to keep her voice even. He seemed to notice it as he put on his shades.

"I... don't mean to intrude or anything. You look really tired and pale, which is why I asked. It's alright if you don't want to talk about it but there is no need to... minimize what you are going through. Take your time and... I'm here if you change your mind about talking it out," he said, his voice softer now.

Khushi couldn't see his eyes clearly behind the tinted glasses but she knew he was looking at her. His gaze was quite intense and it was hard not to notice when he stared as he could see into you.

"Thank you... for your concern. I really appreciate it. It's just a bit awkward, I didn't mean to share the details my failed love life or look for sympathy," she said finally with a shaky laugh.

"Is that what you think it is? Failed love life and looking for sympathy?" his sardonical expression was back. She looked at him quizically.

"I wouldn't expect somebody as smart as you to care about notions like that or score yourself on things like relationships. Some b*****d cheated on you, you got hurt. Naturally, you are going to bleed and need some bandaging. That's called seeking help, not sympathy. Take your time to nurse yourself back, but don't let one relationship define so much of you as a person, Khushi."

She stared at him as she stopped the car at a red light, feeling a strange burden lift off her shoulders. She nodded and silently started driving again.

I hope Arnav’s wise words made khushi better as he didn’t judge her nor showed any sympathy but rather encouraged her to live her life again without any guilt or hurt.

Awesome!! Arnav's words are ❤️❤️❤️

Perfect !!!!!arnav nailed it

It was painful seeing Khushi question her actions on the items she sent to Anjali. I bet she didn;t want to be the reason for destroying Anjali's life. I am actually proud of Khushi for saving another woman from an unfaithful husband.

Arnav was truly godsend. What Khushi could not hope to get from her Aunt, he did the trick. I liked how Arnav proved to Khushi that he's not the typical stereotype male here. I simply loved his maturity, his honesty and his rationales.

It will hurt for sometime, but she will need to put it behind her.

“Take your time to nurse yourself back, but don't let one relationship define so much of you as a person, Khushi."

I needed to hear that as well.

Loved the maturity and this sense of rawness because it feels real.

Originally posted by: Gurmeet4Drashti

“Take your time to nurse yourself back, but don't let one relationship define so much of you as a person, Khushi."

I needed to hear that as well.

Loved the maturity and this sense of rawness because it feels real.

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

I really loved how Arnav told Khushi not to let Shyam or anyone who judged her on their way win over her own self.. simple yet the right support she needed very much.. will we get to know Anjali’s reaction ?