Khushi's eyes shot open as the words kept replaying in the back of her mind as if a broken tape recorder. Looking at nothing in particular she could do nothing but feel hurt and crushed badly by none other than the person whom she had lost her heart to. The words had been haunting her since the time they have gotten back from Gupta House almost a month ago. She tried to shove off all the words but to no avail. They are pierced forcefully in her heart and she doesn't know how to scratch them out.
Arnav walked inside the room talking on his Bluetooth and looked around to spot Khushi. He hanged up on the call as he found her sitting on the same place he always found her after that fateful day.
8th May, 2012! A marked fateful day in his and Khushi's life. He spoiled his own love life. Reason? A big misunderstanding and his huge ego that never let's him listen to anything which he doesn't want.
Sighing deeply, he removed his waistcoat and loosened his tie. Walking towards Khushi with slow steps, he sat right beside her keeping a measurable distance in case she wanted to move away but she stayed there not even sparing him a glance.
Arnav moved his gaze over his supposed 6-month contract wife and looked at her attentively. She had lost weight. She seemed to have lost the colors on her face as she seemed paler like never before. The hollowness in her eyes that can scare anyone with the thought of she being dead and deprived of all the emotions. Nothing in her anymore seemed to be possessed by the Khushi he had fallen in love with.
Did he even love her ever?
No? 'Coz if he did, he'd have at least for once listened to his heart and had tried to learn the truth of his slime brother-in-law and Khushi. Hell! He did find out the truth. When? Only after he lost his Khushi. Only after she was successful in making him look through her point of view. Only after she refused to give him any explanations as she was sure he won't trust her no matter what.
Agar aap humare baare mein itni ghatiya soch rakh sakte hai, toh aapki soch aapko mubarak. Par Hume aapko safai dene ki koi zaroorat nahi hai.
She had said it with so much anger and confidence that not even for once she had averted her blazing eyes from his and all he could think was of Did he misunderstand her?
Never can a person look into the eyes of his/her loved ones if they are lying and Arnav already knew her better to know when she was lying. It was the trigger that made his mind run over miles and find out what the actual truth was. But it was quiet too late.
Since the time, they both are back from Gupta House, Khushi has been a lost girl. She did all the chores of the house that a daughter-in-law does but the difference was, she had detached herself from all.
It was a month since the entire family saw a smile on Khushi's face. It was a month since there was any sound heard from the breakfast table in the morning till night. It was a month since everyone heard the lovely mirthful laugh of Khushi. It was a month they heard the beautiful jingling of her payal, as she roamed around the mansion happily. It was a month anyone heard her chatter like there was no tomorrow. It was a month since Shantivan turned from a home into a mansion.
Clearing his throat to make Khushi aware of his presence, he knew he was trying a futile attempt to gain her attention. She knew he was right beside her but she cared less to spare him a glance.
"Khushi--" Arnav tried speaking to Khushi but all he could do was just whisper out her name not knowing what to say further.
"I don't know if you would ever be able to forgive me for what I have done to you but--" This time Arnav was stopped by Khushi. He looked at her shocked listening to her after a month. She had made sure that he didn't listen to her voice.
*~*
"No" Khushi gave a short reply in an almost inaudible voice which Arnav would have failed to catch if not for being close to her.
How could this man sitting beside me even think that I will forgive him? I'd have forgiven him even if he'd have tortured me or even killed me but how dare he say anything against my Amma-Babuji? Who gave him the right to speak nonsense about my parents? And this cold hearted devil wants me to forgive him!
"How could you even think so?" Asked Khushi still looking ahead inside the pool while the stars shimmered up above the wonderful sky.
"Khushi I--" Arnav tried saying but failed miserably. He has always been bad with words, she knew it but that din mean he had to be bad by heart too.
She had imagined him as the prince of her midnight dreams who would sweep her off her feet and fly along with her through happiness but what did he turn out to be? A beast! A beast who had successfully snatched away the beauty of the beauty. This beauty wasn't meant for the beast. She failed to melt the stone heart of the beast.
"How could you think that I will forgive you?" Asked Khushi not even expecting an answer.
"Even after blackmailing me for marriage, I had at least a little hope in me that I'd be able to change you that I'd be able to bring you back to the same Arnav-ji I had witnessed during the rituals of my Jiji's wedding. But I was so wrong. You just turned into a beast and broke me more. You won ASR. You again won. You broke me. You broke my spirits. You broke the happy Khushi that I always was." Khushi said with the same hollowness in her voice.
Arnav flinched as he heard her call him ASR rather than Arnav-ji that always made him feel lighter and happier. He didn't try to cut her. He knew she had to let her emotions out and he was ready to bear whatever she threw at him b'coz he regretted.. Regretted treating her as a mop.
"Didn't you for once think before just accusing me of something so horrible? Did you really think I would try to ruin Anjali-ji's life? Did you really think me to be so heartless? Did you really think that I would fall in love with Shyam?" Khushi asked with a distaste in her voice. She really needed to vent all out. She can't take it anymore.
"Nahi main--"
"Rehne dijiye Mr. Raizada you don't need to answer. I already know the answer." Khushi said making Arnav flinch.
"Khushi pls give me a last chance. Give a last chance to prove myself worthy of you. Give me a last chance to prove my love to you. I swear I won't let you down this time. Pls just a single chance Khushi if you ever even for once loved me" Arnav begged not able to see such a Khushi. He wanted his Khushi back and he can do anything for it.
"It's useless ASR. You are pleading a wrong person. You should have pleaded Khushi, the one who had fallen head over heels in love with you. But now it's useless. That Khushi died on 8th of May. She is no more alive. And about a chance. Maybe that Khushi would have given you a chance but trust me after what you said about her parents even she'd have hated you. You snatched away her only family from her. You accused her of such low things that she now feels embarrassed of even looking at her own parents. You were wrong when you said ki main kaise apne Amma-Babuji se nazre milati hoon. I was still able to meet their eyes but after knowing that I so badly failed in making a person trust me, I couldn't even face them. You pointed a finger at my upbringing and just made me feel ashamed of myself. It is so wrong of you to expect me to forgive you or even think of giving you a chance." Khushi said in a low voice making Arnav feel guiltier than ever.
Arnav tried saying something but stopped short listening to the next horrific words of Khushi.
"Today is the last day of the contract marriage and from tomorrow we will no longer be husband and wife in the eyes of the world. I'll be free and you'll be free from a characterless gold digger forever. Just bear me for this single night and I'll move out the next day" Khushi said emotionless and stood up setting herself near the edge of the pool and wrapping herself up going to sleep which she was sure she won't be getting like since forever.
Arnav kept looking at Khushi with unshed tears in his eyes and he knew that he had lost her. He lost his Khushi forever.
*~*
The readers who res pls make sure to unres it soon
I had just penned down my silly notion on the episode on 8 May, 2012. I had realized while chatting with my sister that we both din want Khushi to forgive Arnav for whatever he said about her parents. Having lost his own parents, he shouldn't have spoke so harshly abt Khushi's parents to her. And so here I pen down my thoughts specially dedicated to akraizada from Wattpad.
Hope u all like it.
Love,Kiddo 
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