THE UNFAIR AFFAIR - Chapter 11 Pg 95 [March 30] - Page 21

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CHAPTER 5

How dare you follow us! Arnav's excitement drained away as Khushi's words pricked his heart. This was totally unexpected. And the word following' hurt him the most. Following? Yes, he was following them, he agreed. But it wasn't at all in a wrong way. He wanted to meet her, as a friend. He just wanted to talk to her, to know how she was. Arnav had no idea how to explain this to Khushi.

"Khushi..." he said weakly, fishing for the right words.

"Don't ever take my name again! You have no right to!"

Arnav was taken aback by Khushi's words. He felt his strength slowly leaving his body. He felt weak. She was my Khushi someday. How can she say that I have no right? Can't I even call her by her name now? Has she distanced herself so much from me that she isn't even ready to speak to me? Even after all these years? Arnav didn't want to believe it. How he wished that all this was a dream! Eyes wet, throat dry, his pleading gaze was set right on Khushi, telling her not to do this to him.

Khushi was very determined to maintain this distance from Arnav. Not a line on her face moved seeing Arnav's helpless condition. How could she forgive him so easily? How could she forget all that she had to suffer because of him? Did he have the slightest idea what all she had gone through after they broke up? No, he didn't! She didn't care of those pleading dark brown eyes of him though they still had the same effect on her. She had loved him, with all her heart and soul and body. And she had thought she would never stop loving him, until her last breath. But the circumstances changed everything. Changed her love for him too? Well, she didn't care anymore. Her emotions were dead the moment she had disconnected the last phone call she had with Arnav. She was a different woman since then a strong, determined, mature woman, whose heart bore love for no one but her dear daughter.

Arnav was so ashamed and hurt at the same time that he couldn't lift his gaze to meet Khushi's.

"Chocolate uncle!!" he heard a sweet voice. He turned to see little Arohi come running towards him. Chocolate uncle! Arnav smiled half-heartedly. His guilt was eating him from inside. His hand reached out to his pocket to take out the couple of chocolates he had brought specially for Arohi.

Before Arohi could reach Arnav, Khushi pulled her back. "Arohi! Come here!"

"Mamma! He is chocolate uncle... He gave me chocola..."

"I know! Now let's leave!"

Arnav was stunned. "You knew?"

Khushi stopped at her place and strongly turned back. "Yes, I knew. I had seen you right when you had entered the mall yesterday. And that's why I sent Arvind to get Arohi"

Arnav's heart was sinking more and more with every word that escaped Khushi's lips. Arvind! Arnav weakly chuckled thinking of her husband. "Well..." he sniffed, "Congratulations" he wished trying to smile with a heavy heart. "You have got a lovely family!" he added eyeing at Arohi.

Khushi just held Arohi's hand and began walking away with her friend whom Arnav had seen giving a push to Arohi's swing earlier. Khushi's friend left after a little chat with Khushi.

As Arnav sadly watched the distance between them slowly increase, he heard Arohi ask, "Mamma, where is Papa? When will he come?"

Arnav slowly walked behind them with heavy steps, tightening his fist around the chocolates he was holding.

"Don't ever ask about Papa again!" Khushi scolded Arohi.

"But Mamma, I want to see him... You said he will come one day to meet me if I am a good girl. See, I am a good girl! Will he come now?" Arohi asked innocently.

"Arohi! What did I tell you!" Khushi raised her voice.

Arohi was upset. She forcefully pulled her hand out of Khushi's grip and sat down on the ground crying. "I want Papa!" she said through her tears.

"He will come soon..." said Arnav extending his hand towards Arohi to give her the chocolates.

A happy Arohi was about to take the chocolates when Khushi quickly picked her up in her arms. "We don't need any of your favours!" she threw an angry glance at Arnav and began walking away.

"Khushi, please!" Arnav followed, trying to stop her.

"What do you want now, Arnav?!" asked Khushi in stopping at her place in frustration. "Are you not satisfied with the trouble you have given to me and Arohi till now?!"

The trouble I gave to Khushi and Arohi? Arnav's mind stopped working for a moment. Arohi? "Wait a minute! What did you just say?"

Khushi started walking ahead with Arohi without answering Arnav. Arnav held her arm and turned her around to face him.

Khushi looked at him with teary eyes. "I couldn't" she said, "How could I just kill her?"

Another shock for Arnav! He was numb for a moment. He couldn't understand anything. But it was all real. It took a few moments for him to take in the truth. He was overwhelmed to know it. Tears of regret mixed with happiness filled his eyes. He loved Arohi even more now. He just kept looking at her. He couldn't believe she was his daughter. Speechless, he slowly lifted his hand to touch her cheeks. "Our daughter..." he whispered with a smile of disbelief. "My daught.."

Khushi shoved his hand away. "How dare you touch her!" she said fiercely. "Just letting your sperms into my womb doesn't make her your daughter!"

Saying so, Khushi strongly walked past Arnav letting him suffer the pain of her words that had struck him like a dagger through his heart.

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