"Bhai... woah, are you alright?" Akash stepped back, walking gingerly over the glass pieces. "Arrey Akash, pleasant surprise. When did you come?" Arnav asked, not realising that the dark circles and red rimmed eyes were a dead giveaway to his younger brother.
"Bhai, aap theek toh ho na?"Akash placed a hand on Arnav's shoulder while Arnav flinched back. "Of course." Arnav swallowed, feeling the weight of Khushi's absence.
It took a minute for Akash to search for Khushi and realise that she wasn't there, and a storm had probably followed suit. Strange, even though the two brothers had married their respective wives out of love... neither of them ever seemed to attain peace.
Even a blind man would've recognized the signs of trouble in Arnav Khushi's marriage, and as far as Akash's own marriage was concerned - it had become a show marriage.
"She left me." Akash was taken aback by Arnav's blunt answer, he wasn't a person to open up. Keeping the file aside, Akash tried to mask his shock.
Khushi leaving Arnav was impossible, even though the cracks were visible... Khushi would do anything to be tied to her husband. "Exactly!" Arnav replied, fidgeting with the end of his table as Akash voiced his doubts.
"We both love each other a lot Akash... phir bhi..." Arnav closed his eyes, hating at his inability to scream out his pain and feelings. Akash felt his own world spin on seeing his brother crumble right before his eyes. Arnav was Akash's pillar of strength, a role model and one of the few reasons why Akash still lived today.
If Arnav hadn't stepped in time when Akash had lost himself to bullying, depression and drugs... Akash would have been simply dead.
God, Arnav was Akash's God.
And Gods are perfect, always.
A helpless Akash looked at a surprisingly quiet Anjali who just sat next to her brother, rubbing his arm in soothing circles.
"Bhai! This is impossible. Khushiji will come back... you don't worry bhai." Akash coaxed his brother while Arnav returned a weak smile. "It's over Akash."
Akash's eyes turned wild in panic. How can his God's world be in turmoil? Arnav always had attained perfection... if Arnav was destroyed by love then Akash would die, no matter what.
Anjali touched her cheeks marred by tears and lost herself to contemplation. She had lost the belief to fight in a marriage to make it work. So even if her brother would die without Khushi, all that Anjali could muster enough, was to just stand next to her brother.
A broken, weak and indecisive woman - Anjali... and for once, Anjali accepted who she was. Hiding her vulnerability under the innumerable poojas and aartis didn't make any further sense. She couldn't save her own marriage, how could she step in to save her Chote'srelationship?
If on one end Anjali had decided to forego all hope and sit like a statue on getting to know her brother's heartbreak, Akash hyperventilated on seeing his idol crumble before his own eyes.
"This can't happen!" Arnav turned in surprise at the protest from Akash. "How can you be so sure?"
Akash jutted his arms forward "Of course! Unlike ours your marriage was based purely on infinite love... not bothering about rules or systems, just... just following your heart. Your marriage was everything our's wasn't. You have the perfect marriage bhai. From running away because all you wanted was have your love with you, safeguarding her from the world to marrying your wife the second time so as to she's accepted by all. Yours and Khushi's marriage was perfect, right from the start."
Arnav felt his heart break as Akash justified the farce of a marriage Arnav had in the beginning.
Yours and Khushi's marriage was perfect, right from the start.
The sentence sent a jolt of electricity up Arnav's spine. Their marriage was anything but perfect. Arnav's palms felt clammy, cold as the memories of dragging Khushi into the temple flashed before his eyes. Arnav felt the ground slip away as the forgotten, torturous memories of his wedding returned. Khushi should have been the princess to the beast...
But she was nothing but the victim.
Feeling unsteady, he slowly stood on his feet and looked at Akash.
The reverence in his eyes and innocent curiosity on Anjali's face formed a lump in Arnav's throat.
"You... you don't know something..." Arnav started, his resolve faltering as his sister and brother looked at him in utter confusion - unaware of his misdeeds.
What's the use of hiding anyways...
Anjali felt her heart skip a beat in fear as Arnav almost shivered while passing them a file. The only time Arnav would feel afraid would be when he had done an unforgivable deed.
Tired. Exhausted. Fatigued.
Arnav couldn't take it anymore, he wanted to let out all his secrets open - no matter what the consequences were.
"Bhai, what's..." A pin drop silence followed as Akash read the documents in disbelief. Anjali had been too scared to even touch them. Her heart sank as Akash began to hyperventilate, his wheezing audible to a distraught Arnav.
Arnav looked up, scared to find his brother face a long lost panic attack. His brotherly instincts kicked in and in a flash he held up Akash, rubbing his back in soothing circles. "Akash, calm down. I know it's my mistake... I've screwed up with Khushi. But I'll make everything right, Akash BREATHE!" Anjali's hands trembled in fear as she passed a glass of water, the horrors of past playing before her eyes.
"AKASH!" Arnav's face twisted to pure terror as he ran towards a bleeding, limp Akash. "B..Bhai..." Akash croaked, his glasses broken and lips a pale blue. Holding a collapsing Akash in his hands, Arnav rushed to his car, placing a semi conscious Akash on Anjali's lap.
"Di, keep Akash conscious." Arnav said, his own hands shaking as he drove to the nearest hospital. "It's all fine Akash..." Anjali whispered and wiped Akash's sweaty forehead. Her heart stopped as a white liquid oozed out of Akash's mouth.
The moments were blurry, with Arnav screaming at the emergency wards and her staring at Akash's blood on her salwar kameez. A fierce Arnav broke down but held himself as he cared for Akash like his own child.
"Sir..." The Inspector walked in, a few hours later, along with the Doctor. "Details." Arnav spat out while the other two confirmed Arnav's suspicious on excessive bullying and drugs. Arnav closed his eyes and presed his temples "Publicly shame each and every one of them - you know I don't take no as an answer. And within twenty four hours I not only want their future's destroyed... but also them behind the bars for as long as it takes. Am I clear?"
Even the ever forgiving Anjali didn't have it in her to argue for the fate of the bullies - they deserved it.
"Di..." Arnav whispered, asking for some privacy with Akash. "Of course Chote." She smiled, weakly, and headed off for the temple to pray for Akash's well being.
"Bb..." Akash breathed through the mask, staring at Arnav with all the hope he had. Arnav clasped his brother's hand and put on a brave smile "Tell me."
"Am I safe?" Akash cried as Arnav gripped his hand in an unending promise "Always little one, always."
"You'll protect me?" Akash rasped while Arnav felt his own tears falling "Till my end." Arnav promised while Akash relaxed on his bed, looking at Arnav.
"The drugs... am sorry..." "Shush, it's ok Akash, it really is." Arnav patted his head while Akash gave him a grateful smile. "Bhai..." Akash whispered, waiting as Arnav sat next to him, urging him to continue. "Help me build my life?" Arnav felt his own dam break and clasped his brother's hand tighter.
"Your life is mine Akash. I swear I'll make it better."
Arnav looked up, taking the file away from Akash's hands while Akash looked straight into Arnav's guilty ones.
"Promised... yes, see I didn't mean to do all this with Khushi.." Arnav stopped as Akash ground his teeth and took Arnav's hand. "You promised to make MY life better!"
"Liar!" Akash cried, standing up and pushing Arnav afar. "You promised my life was yours... you promised to protect me... HOW? By blackmailing the sister of the woman I love in marrying you for a scandalous six months? What after six months... and over that..."
Pausing to steady himself, Akash glared at Arnav "That one decision of yours RUINED my life! Maa kept on insulting Payal because she believed Khushi eloped with you. And I could do nothingto protect her! My Payal kept on getting hurt but I could not help her because I thought Maa was saying right! Khushi must have done something wrong... because Bhaiis always right!"
Lunging towards Arnav, Akash pushed him further "Because Bhaiwouldn't ruin my own wedding to elope with his lover, bhaihas an important reason. My first night, to which Payal simply cried on my shoulder... honeymoon... every occassion of marital significance was ruined because of you but I never blamed you! Because you PROMISED! PROMISED TO MAKE MY LIFE BETTER!" Akash yelled as he threw away the glass of water.
Arnav felt himself shatter as Akash threw accusations at him. "No Akash! You're like my first son... I could..."
"NO! You do not put your son as a bait... don't call me anything as your own. I don't even care what you did for Khushi... bhai... how could you use me? Yes, I would leave Payal if you told me to not because I simply listen to you bhai... because I believed that you would do anything to make my life better."
Anjali stood horrified at the legal documents, her own faith crumbling as she looked at her Ch... Arnav. Was she so blind in her love for her brother that she never saw the terrible man he was growing into?
Wiping his tears furiously, Akash stared at Arnav and Anjali "Oh wait... everything was always for Di. I never counted... right? You promised me bhai... but you made me the scapegoat for your deal. You... you used me, took advantage of me."
Stopping himself, Akash turned away... unable to bear the emotions of a failurebeat on him. Payal's smiling face reflected before his eyes - the only person to have loved him for who he was. The one who never took advantage of his weaknesses, rather fell in love with him for them.
"I hate you bhai. You're just like them... strong, powerful and sickening." Akash snarled and stormed out of the room, his yells echoing off the walls.
"No Akash... no..." Arnav found himself croaking as a distraught Anjali followed suit, leaving Arnav all alone.
He had just wanted to make sure... how difficult would it have been to have found the truth before taking any action?The intense pain in his heart broke the ever standing Arnav Singh Raizada as he slumped on his knees, crying hoarsely.
Feeling the blow of his actions hitting on him.
His emotionally abused wife left him, heartbroken.
The brother who worshipped him, titled him as the Satan.
For the sister he gave up his every happiness, turned away from him.
----Well here's one heavy handed update - I really hope you all love this, it's one of my most difficult updates - you see, the family was always an essential part of who Arnav and Khushi were.
And I was convinced the Garima needed to have a more intimate affair with Arvind.
And if you think Arnav isn't feeling the pain or regret of his actions or that he has believed everything's over... I want you to reread the last paragraph again :)
As far as Akash was concerned, I loved writing him. Because the more a man is soft and tender, the more bitter he is when hurt where it hurts the most.
So I hope you loved it!
Btw, plagiarism ain't taken lightly... enjoy the update and other than that, I love you guys!
NEXT UPDATE: April 4th, 2016 Love,
Shree
Edited by IArmageddonI - 9 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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