Khushi groaned and her hands splayed across her waist and back.
For a second Arnav's heart stopped beating when Khushi's hands touched her waist.
Was she pregnant?
Arnav cried out in hoarse disbelief thinking about how he slammed her frail body against the door, if she was carrying then...
His eyes moved rapidly and fear paralysed him, "Kh..."
"Live." Khushi let out a strangled whisper while Arnav looked at her, utterly confused. "It's not leave, it's live. You won't let me live, you never have." She gently pushed his hands away from her stomach "No Arnavji, I am not pregnant but thank you, bacche ke waaste ek baar toh socha ki humain dard hua hai ki nahi."
"Khushi you can't leave me..." He held on to her hand while Khushi sighed, relaxing into his grip.
"Sach, apke beghair humari dhadkane ruk jaati hai." Khushi said, looking straight into his mellowed eyes.
"Khu..."
"Par aapke saath humari saansein ruk jaati hai." Arnav's fingers stilled around her arm, his eyes locked with hers.
"Jiye toh jiye, kaise Arnavji?" As Khushi looked around the house she couldn't help but recall each and every moment when she was either belittled or abused. The poolside held fond memories of Diwali, Holi and Karva Chauth. Yet barely a moment had passed when memories of him spurning her the night of Diwali, the first night after their phony marriage and him calling her his biggest mistake flashed before her eyes.
How will he stop her now? There's no contract either...
Stepping away from Arnav, Khushi gripped the metal handle and was about to push when he spoke, in an oddly cold voice "You can't go Khushi."
Goosebumps erupted on her skin as she recognised that tone all too well. He had used it every time he blackmailed her or told that he hated her. Khushi's resolve had almost crumbled when he had desperately wanted her to stay... but if he used any of his dirty tricks once more, it would just justify her departure.
With the bile rising up her throat as every bitter memory came flooding back to her mind, Khushi turned towards Arnav, her eyes challenging him why. There, the heartless businessman glint was back in his eyes.
No, she fervently hoped.
Arnav steeled himself for he knew this was the only way to get her to stop. "If you leave, you'll face consequences." Khushi's heart broke as she heard the word consequences, he was back to being what he was best at.
Hurting her.
But Khushi had no fear, irrespective of how Arnav had behaved with her, she had to be thankful to him as he taught her much about life. "Kya karenge aap?" The confidence in her voice shook Arnav, but he knew that he would twist his way into getting her back into his life.
And then he would see how to keep her happy with him.
"Don't make me repeat Khushi, we both know." His steely voice pierced her tender heart, giving him a watery smile, she folded her arms across her chest and told "Kya karenge aap?"
"Who knows, the contract could have never been cancelled... hence just as promised, Akash and Payal will separate" but trust me that will never happen, Arnav told to himself. Every time, in his heart, Arnav apologised for using his younger brother and sister in law as a bait to keep Khushi with him but Arnav was desperate!
But Arnav received a bigger shock as Khushi's face bore no signs of surprise.
"You justified my departure." She smiled sadly at him while Arnav's stance faltered. "It's not an empty threat Khushi." He shot back while Khushi swallowed tightly, nodding her head in acceptance.
Yet when Khushi turned to leave his house, Arnav decided to materialise things. He would explain to Akash later, Akash would understand why his brother did this... he always understood his bhai.
Arnav had it all planned, Aman knew to create false divorce papers for Akash and Payal - right from the beginning. Trampling on his own brother's happiness was never in Arnav's agenda, but if that bound Khushi to him then Arnav could compromise a bit.
"Aman, yes it's an urgent job. Get Akash and Payal's divorce papers finalised."
Khushi stilled and her eyes widened, brimming with tears. She whipped around to face Arnav and looked at his face accusingly. "Ruk jao, they won't get divorced."
"Jiji's child will grow up fatherless... " Khushi looked as realisation flooded on Arnav's face, he had almost forgotten about Payal being pregnant in his rage. Arnav gulped and looked at Khushi, each knowing the pain of growing up without their parent.
"Ghar..."
"Please Arnavji, I want to leave." Khushi's choked voice betrayed her as Arnav looked at her, concerned yet furious.
"Akash will never refuse me Khushi." He bit out his words, even though he felt the burn of acid in his mouth.
"Jiji is eight months pregnant Arnav."
Arnav looked at Khushi stopped crying, her eyes turning as hollow and cold as his. He could feel Khushi slipping out from his hands.
"YOU are deciding her future Khushi, one step out of this house and Akash will leave Payal, no matter what." Arnav grinded his teeth and looked at an emotionless Khushi.
"Do it."
"WHAT!" Arnav looked up, unable to feign his shock.
"If my jiji has a husband who will leave her with an unborn child because of his blind devotion to his bhai, then my jiji deserves a far better man in her life." Khushi's dispassionate words struck Arnav straight into his iced heart, which had only thrummed with life for her.
"Khushi I will really..."
"Please do it. A marriage that can be shredded by an outsider's blackmail can never live long." Her impassive reply sent Arnav reeling, he went crazy, desperate.
Nothing could stop Khushi.
Nothing
The very thought terrorised Arnav.
"I WON'T LET YOU GO, YOU'LL REGRET LEAVING ME!" Khushi closed her eyes in disappointment.
"I should have known, the Raizada men just know how to hurt their women. Either they're spineless or they break the other's spine..." Khushi mumbled to herself, loud enough for Arnav to hear. He didn't have to know the former one was for Akash and the latter one was for him.
With clumsy steps he approached Khushi and grabbed her face "Tum mujhe chodkar nahi jaa sakti."
"Aapko mere jaane ya na jaane se kya farak padta hai?" Khushi whispered back, her resolve barely breaking for she knew that Arnav would once again hurt her.
He always had.
Could it be possible that at one moment all Khushi wanted to do was snuggle into his arms, behaving as if the other Arnav never existed... or run away as far as possible, to forget every bit of her own existence?
"Mujhe farak padta hai kyunki..." Arnav stared into Khushi's eyes, her eyes pleading his to say what's in his heart.
Dhak dhak, a lover's heartbeat had never been this painful for Khushi.
"You can't just fu****g go." She stared in disbelief as Arnav still couldn't complete the sentence.
Arnav was lost, he tried everything... from twisting her arm, blackmailing to even threatening her but that didn't budge Khushi.
With a shove Khushi pushed Arnav aside and picked up her bag. "This is why I am leaving Arnav, this is why" because you've always hurt me... how difficult was it for you to hug me and drive away my nightmares, my sorrows, my grief?
I never asked you to love me beyond reason, but then neither did I ask to hurt me beyond reason. Why is it that you hurt me several times but stuttered to just fix my broken heart.
Broken, I am just too broken Arnav.
Broken by your betrayal
Broken by your abuses
Broken by your obvious lies
Broken by your love
I had never asked you to be perfect, yet why did you find the need to find faults in me?
"Dard tab hota hai, jab humain khabar hai, aapko khabar hai... ki aapko farak kyu padta hai. Phir bhi, aap kabhi bol nahi paaye." Khushi's throat hurt from suppressing her sobs. Clutching the strap of her bag, she looked into his wild eyes as they searched for a way to stop her.
Arnav found the earth slipping below his feet as Khushi opened the door and walked away, not before saying;
"All you had to say... ki aapko farak kyu padta hai."
As the door closed with a thud, swaying hauntingly with Khushi's impact... Arnav's world shattered into pieces.
Only if he knew that Khushi was on the other side of the door, clutching her bag to her chest, crying her heart out.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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