August 10, 1994
From past few months, Payal have noticed few changes in Khushi but couldn't ever pin point it. The reason for not finding the cause of the changes in her best friend cum sister could be her own love life with the senior NK. Now that their romance has dwindled down a bit she can finally focus on Khushi. So, making it her mission, Payal paid her utmost attention on Khushi, and knowing her ever stubborn friend she knew it will be a hell of a task.
"Are you going to tell me?" Payal spoke, successful in getting Khushi's attention from the book she had buried her head into.
"What?" Khushi questioned with her eyebrows up dramatically. She blinked rapidly shifting her focus on Payal. "Did you asked me something to which I didn't reply, now? Can you repeat it? I was just trying understand the logic of this algorithm."
"No! Dumbo!" Payal groaned feeling like smacking Khushi's head. " Khushi, I am trying to seriously talk with you. So, just for a minute can you put this book aside?" She indicated to the book in Khushi's lap. Sensing her mood, khushi did just that.
"Payal, what happened? Did you two again fight?" Khushi asked looking at the basketball court where NK was practicing.
Payal groaned aloud, " Khushi now you are going to just shut up till I finish and then you are going to answer me honestly."
"Okaaay."
"So, I have been seeing a lot changes in you lately. You have been distracted, by the way, which never ever happened before. Also you have started liking this spot for studying a lot lately." Payal finished just as khushi was about to deny all this, she dropped the bomb on her. " You are in love. With that guy." She pointed towards the basketball court.
Khushi stood up, her face red with anger, embarrassed and what not. " Are you crazy payal! That's NK you are talking about, your boyfriend! How can you even think I would love him?"
Payal too stood up, "woah! Hey, hey,hey! I didn't say NK, but the guy that practices with him. The captain of our football team! You very well know I am talking about him. "
"I don't even know his name and you are saying I love him? Khushi scoffed."You're behaving like a crazy payal. "
"You don't know his name? You take me for a fool here khushi? Okay, not a problem. Let me get you two introduce, NK will have no problem in it, obviously, it's his..."
"No, I don't want to meet him nor I want to encourage this pscho behavior of yours. I don't give a damn if NK knows him. He is nobody to me till now and I want to be it like this only." Khushi began to walk away but turned abruptly and said, "And I am NOT in love!!"
Payal just signed looking at her walking way. You are in love Khushi. You just proved me right.
~~~~~
"Hey, Khushi! Wake up!" NK whispered. He had come to talk with Khushi as soon as Arnav and uncle have disappeared in the study.
Abruptly, Khushi woke up and seeing NK in her room, her anger knew no bounds. "What are doing here devarji?" Khushi taunted and had the desired effect on NK. His face filled with guilt and his eyes dropped, not able to meet hers. Khushi stood up and trying to contain her anger, she slowly started walking towards him. "Tell me NK, why did you play with me like that? You married me to your brother! What were you thinking, huh? He's your brother NK, you knew what my plan was then also you proposed your brother's alliance to me? Why?" Not getting any response from him, Khushi shook him grabbing his collar. "What did you two thought? I will never get to know your relation with him? Did you ever going to tell me?"
"Answer me, NK!" Khushi shook him frantically, her eyes moist.
"Khushi, I, we didn't have any other choice at that time. You were desperate and whatever you say, never when I am alive would I've let you marry any man. You were acting like crazy, not thinking rationally. So I did what I had to do. You wanted a marriage at your conditions and I gave you just did that, you and Arnav both got what you wanted. I do not regret that!" NK said firmly.
"You thought about me only! What about your brother NK? Do you see him? He's in love with me. He died a thousand deaths when I was in the hospital. Do you know what would happen if comes to know what had almost happened to me? He would destroy everything, he will be uncontrollable." Tears started pouring out of her eyes, thinking about the pain Arnav will go through when she'll tell him everything. "He loves me like crazy!" She nearly screamed.
"And you too love him." NK said calmly. "Don't even try to deny it Khushi, at least not this time."
"Yes," Her body shook and she took a step back with relief of admitting to herself. "Yes, I love him." Her red eyes stared into NK's, "How am I supposed to have my justice? How, NK?"
He grabbed her arms, comforting her, "We'll think of something. Just don't tell him anything, Khushi. Wait till we think of the future plans."
She shook away his hands, "No, what had happened cannot be changed, he can't stop loving me and no matter how much we wait, he will get to know everything. So, it's better if he hears from me."
"Khushi, think again." Nk tried persuading her again.
Khushi shook her head, "No..."
Hp! Bring orange juice in my room!
They both heard Arnav's voice. Nk, reluctantly left from there.
~~~~~
Khushi was on the bed when Arnav came. He smiled at her and sat beside her.
"Arnav...I need to tell you. It's important." Khushi sat on the bed.
Arnav nodded, "First you have to drink the orange juice."
When she had finished the juice, she didn't waste time and started telling him. "Just want to tell you that I have never wanted let any harm come in your way. Remember this Arnav."
"Answer me one question Arnav, why didn't you get the background check on me?"Khushi asked.
Arnav's eyes widened. "How did you know I would get it done?" Khushi just smiled at that. "I did but there was nothing in it. Why?"
"You didn't read it fully. Am I wrong?"
"No. But where are you going with this?" Arnav asked, highly perplexed.
"You wouldn't have married me then. Forget it. As I said I'll tell everything." Khushi took a deep breath and started. "My reason for marrying you was Shyam." Khushi looked at him as said this, "Shyam manohar jha."
"Shyam Manohar Jha, The industrialist?" His fist clenched in anger, he knew all about him. The kind of monster he is.
"Yes, him. Shyam manohar jha, he saw me at my college farewell. He was there to drop off his sister..."
"Lavanya!" Arnav completed for her.
Khushi shook her head in positive. "Yes her, she was in my college, perusing fashion designing. We never had any interaction as she was from another department. Then all of a sudden I got her call after farewell, at first she started talking about asking me to teach her more about the computer side, saying she want to use it to the increase her skills in fashion designing and not be dumb in this IT generation. I thought nothing about it and starting meeting her to teach. Gradually she earned my little bit of trust." Khushi stopped.
"Then?"
"Then she came to her real motive." Her voice became hard. "She requested me to meet her brother, that he saw me on the farewell and had started liking me. I refused her of course, but she was persistent, she pressurized me to see him just once. And to get her away from my back, I said yes to one meeting thinking this will just one time and Lavanya would stop nagging me about it."Khushi felt a headache coming soon and massaged her head.
"Then I met him, at a restaurant. He tried to charm me, with his rich status, his sickly sweet talks. But there was something off about him that triggered my defense system. I told him that I don't like to date and want to focus on my career, being freshly out of college. He told me that he would get me a nice job. I refused and politely took my leave and left from there. I thought I got rid of him, how wrong I was!" Her hands shook as she gathered her strength to tell him what happened next. Arnav took her hands gave them a squeeze reassuring her. "Lavanya told me to meet him one last time as shyam was going abroad for few years. I agreed after lot of requests from her."
Khushi faced him abruptly, "I don't know why Arnav, I told payal where I am going but I will be thankful of that to this day. When I got to that hotel, shyam was already there waiting for me. He talked and talked and I didn't get to know until I started feeling dizzy that he had mixed something in my food. I don't when he got me up in a room and..."
"Khushi, stop. You don't have to."
"He tried to rape me. It was late so payal was calling me. When I didn't answer she came to that place with Nk as I have shared my views with her about shayam. So naturally she got concerned about me."
"Wait, what , NK?"
"He is Payal's boyfriend, I knew him already."
"What...how??"
"It will become very clear to you Arnav. Just let me finish. Payal arrived to the hotel, barging into the room with NK. Nk fought with shyam, and took me out of that hotel safely. I was hospitalized and my parents did not know about this. Shyam never ended his pursue of me. He became obsessed with me. Later I got to know about the girls he had raped. He contacted my parents; he charmed them, eventually my parents talked to me about marrying him. I couldn't tell them about what had almost happened to me. So, I dodged till I can but then they were demanding proper reason for declining the best proposal for me. Then not knowing what could be done, I took an irrational decision. I thought I will marry some guy but with conditions. You know which ones. NK was livid, he yelled at me for being irrational, and said no man is going to abide by this condition after the marriage. But I was adamant, so he brought your name. I didn't know he was your brother. I came to know just yesterday and they hide that from me because I was never going to marry you if I knew you are his brother." Khushi laughed suddenly. "But there was one major problem. How would you agree to marry me or even meet me? You're this tycoon and me, a middle class girl. But luck came to my rescue and Nani saw me at the wedding and the rest you know."
"You married me to be safe from him. You knew NK already. Why did you marry me, Khushi? You knew I was a Casanova!" Arnav was going through so many emotions. He was burning from inside, he just wanted to bury that bas***d alive. He was angry at NK for hiding such thing from him and Khushi , he didn't know what to feel about her.
"NK reassured me that as you wouldn't want to leave your bachelor life so it would be the best deal for you and as you would be getting to live your life the way you wanted you won't even touch me. Somehow I got convinced." Khushi took a deep breath. "We are trying to collect evidence against shyam. And what I am going to tell will hurt you but know this Arnav I was going to do this because I never intended to hurt you."
Arnav hardened his heart. "What were you going to do?"
"I was going to divorce you after getting all the evidences and before any of it got out in the media." His eyes started to burn. "Media would have tarnished your image. Your wife linked to this big scandal. I didn't want that."
Abruptly Arnav pulled her close by her neck. Looking deep into her eyes, so that she got his message clearly he said, "Take this thought out of your mind Khushi." His voice was rough with emotions swirling inside him. "I am selfish when it comes to my loved ones and you are my life. I will never let you go away from me." He stood up and was out going out of the room to cool himself off. "We will be going out of india tomorrow. It is for your safety. And leave this matter to me now. I will handle this. And Khushi I am not angry at you. You did what you had to. And I hope you consider my love for you and give me a chance to make you happy." With that he walked out.
~~~~~
Khushi was packing her bags. Their flight was at early morning. "You told him." It was NK. She didn't stop and kept packing the bag.
"He said something to you?"
"No. But the way he was looking at me was enough clues." Nk stood leaning on the door. Why was she meeting his eyes? Then it clicked. "Are you f**king kidding me Khushi? You didn't tell him, did you?"
Her back stiffened. "Tell him what NK?" She tried to be casual.
"About you and him and your feelings for him." Nk said loudly.
"No, I didn't tell him that I love him. I couldn't."
"Of course! That's why he was not happy and I thought after knowing everything, even though he would be raging fire, but would also be happy. " NK stepped inside. "Why hide this from him Khushi?"
"I will tell him, but not now."
"What would you tell him Khushi?"
At this Khushi spun around to face him. "That I too love him!"
"Okay..." He acknowledged. "You know he will be very, very happy knowing this but he will be over the moon if you tell him... "
"Tell him what?" Khushi screamed at him, her heart thudded loudly in her chest knowing what he was going to say.
Staring right into her eyes NK said, "That you love him and loved him." That he was your first love.
It was unsaid but it was very much there.
A/N: This was the turning point of this story. This was very crucial update. Now you all know everything but Arnav still unknown to major fact about Khushi's life and his too. I hope you liked this update and the twist. Tell me what you thought about this update and the twist it brought. Comment and Like :)
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