Arhi FF: Destiny Games T6 (Chapter 23.2 Updated 3rd Mar 2025) - Page 25

Update please...one of the best arshi story...don't let it incomplete yaar...come back..

Hope this will not be abandoned. Take your time but please do come back to finish.

When will be getting update

Hello peeps, Oh finally, I am back...

AD caught up and I totally forgot the password and finally recovered it! How are you all? still with this story?

Originally posted by: abavi

Hello peeps, Oh finally, I am back...

AD caught up and I totally forgot the password and finally recovered it! How are you all? still with this story?

Welcome back. We are still with the story. Hope everything is fine with you.

Cheers..

Originally posted by: Savera84

Hi Abavi, Happy new year!

Welcome back. We are still with the story. Hope everything is fine with you.

Cheers..

Happy new year to you too...

Hey girl!! Welcome back!!

From the Author's desk: Hello peeps, An update after a long time, Hope you will enjoy it!

happy reading

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Chapter 21: Whirlwind of emotions

Part 3: The fateful day

The three stood staring at each other as if they were all recalling the fateful day that had witnessed not only so many things gone wrong but had also ripped the three of them apart. Each of them bore the weight of guilt, sorrow, and helplessness.

*Flashback*

On that fateful day, Khushi stood helplessly as Tara was declared brought dead.

She stood there distraught, her eyes filled with tears of regret and sorrow. She felt an insurmountable responsibility for Tara’s death. The haunting memories of that tragic day replayed in her mind, a constant reminder of her recklessness because of which she had lost Tara. It was a burden that weighed heavily on her heart, leaving her grappling with many agonizing questions of "What if?"

She landed all of them in a situation that had turned perilous, if she had not tried to go after Arnav, Tara would not have stepped into the line of fire. The girl would have lived if not for Khushi’s actions. She would have been safe if she was in police custody.

Abhi had advised her, even desperately tried to persuade her leave the girls in the custody of police, she had not listened to him. The girls got kidnapped and now, one of them is killed, and it’s her fault.

Khushi had forced Abhi to bring Tara home, despite his better judgment. Because of Khushi's actions, Abhi now found himself in deep trouble. His would now be blamed for negligence and the consequences were dire. Khushi’s guilt was palpable, as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had failed to save Tara.

“Devimaiyya!. What have I done” Khushi thought “Tara was in the custody of Abhi. What will happen now?”

Overcome by guilt and remorse, that she didn’t realize she was now surrounded by people who were asking her questions. All she wanted to do was cry. All she wanted was the familiarity of that wide shoulders that would offer her comfort while he would reprimand her of her hasty decisions.

***

Abhi was still waiting at the hospital for Arnav and Geethu to arrive when Rajesh gave him the news. Tara was no more.

Abhi was already struggling with his own demons. He had made a promise to Arnav to protect Anjali, a promise he couldn’t keep. The weight of this failure crushed him, and the realization that Anjali had been hurt on his watch only added to his overwhelming sense of guilt. He replayed the moments leading up to the accident, searching for a way he could have changed the outcome. He had rushed into the building hearing Riya cry and had inadvertently pre-empted the plan. Because of which Anjali had to put herself in the path of danger. He had been right there and he had been unable to prevent Anjali from getting hurt. Moreover, that haunting look that Anjali gave him when she slid down streak the wall with blood, tormented him at an incomprehensible level. He was yet to understand those feeling of intense pain in the chest as if his breath was being squuezed out of him. He hadn't felt that helpless since Adhi's martyr news.

Now, Abhi’s guilt for Tara was equally consuming. As someone who had always prided himself on upkeeping his duty to protect, the failure to protect Tara was a blow to his self-identity.

Rajesh also told him another devastating fact. The news channels have somehow got to know about Tara’s death and are at the other hospital. Khushi would not be able to handle this alone. He needs to be there for her.

When Arnav and Geethu arrived, Abhi broke down as Arnav rushed towards him

Not wanting him to misunderstand his anguish, He quickly updated what had happened. Anjali had saved Riya but was attacked in the process and sustained a head injury and Abhi had been too late to reach her. Someone had rammed her against the wall. Anjali is now undergoing surgery. The Doctors had told it was a skull fracture, and they had to take her into a surgery to remove a clot that may cause fatality.

Arnav was devastated as he rushed inside the hospital.

Abhi was overcome with emotions himself struggled to forgive himself, haunted by the image of Anjali’s injury and the pain it had caused his friend Arnav. The weight of his own inadequacy was a constant companion.

As soon as Geethu came up to him, he told her that her daughter Riya was asleep in the police jeep. "She was crying for you. She just fell asleep," he said softly.

Geethu thanked Abhi for bringing Riya back to her.

"Atleast I could keep one promise," he told her, his voice tinged with both relief and sorrow.

"Abhi, Are you ok?"

He sighed.

"Breath, alright? It will get better" Geethu said reaching out for his hand.

"I.. I'm ok"

"We will get through this"

He nodded at her.

“Tanu?” he called, seeing the girl coming up beside Geethu

"Is my sister inside?"

"Not here Tanu, Riya is in the jeep. You stay there with her ok? I will take you to Tara later” Geethu told her.

Abhi watched Tanu cross them and get into the jeep.

"Tara is no more."

“Oh my God!”

“I have to leave. Khushi is all alone in the other hospital.”

“Go. I will be here with Arnav”

“What about Tanu. She needs to know”

“We will tell her later. Now go. I will keep the girls here with me.”

***

Arnav’s pain was twofold. His sister was struggling for her life, and he couldn’t be there for Khushi when she needed him most. His sense of helplessness was profound, and he found himself questioning his ability to protect those he loved. The surgery loomed over him like a dark cloud, casting a shadow on any hope he had for the future.

Sometime in the night, Geethu updated him that Tara was no more. Arnav was distraught. Khushi would be devastated. She needs him.

Then it stuck him. The situation that he was in. He is here. He needs to be here. His sister was fighting for her life. He let her step into danger knowingly. She had trusted him. She had told him that she know he will be there for her every step of the way. He wasn't there. He had been enjoying, spending time with Khushi when Anjali was abducted. He hadn't even told his family yet.

His family, all of them who thought that he was invincible, what would they say if they knew he let Anjali get hurt?

He turned away from Geethu, blinking back his tears.

“I will be here, if you want to go” Geethu had offered.

He denied.

“I want to be here for my sister” he said. “You should go home.”

He looked at Tanu who was asleep in one of the chairs, holding Riya, who had cried herself to sleep.

“Take the children home”, he told her “Also Riya had just got rescued and she was inconsolable. You need rest too. Go home”

“I promised Abhi that I will be here”

“I can take care of myself Geethu, please go. The kids need rest. Also, Tanu needs to be told about Tara. This is not the right place or situation. Take them home”

Though he was anguished by his sister’s critical condition and the subsequent surgery, he made sure that the children and Geethu got a cab and went home.

It was almost morning when Anjali was wheeled out into the ICU unit and Arnav was allowed a brief glimpse of his sister. Arnav was distraught as he watched her on the bed, bandaged and pale.

“She will have to be monitored for the next 48 hours. We have removed the blood clot. Her skull sustained a minor airline crack. She has to regain her consciousness by then. Hopefully she will be out of critical condition by then” Doctor had told him after the surgery

48 hours of pure torture. The sight of his baby sister, he had vowed to protect, lay in the hospital bed, fighting for her life, was a torment that gnawed at his soul.

He also felt an immense helplessness, he couldn't understand the dual emotions that he was going through. His need to be there for Khushi was making him restless knowing that he couldn’t be there for Khushi during such a tumultuous time. He knew she would be guilt ridden because of Tara’s death. He had trusted Abhi would bring her here, if those formalities there were taken care of. They were not still here, which meant things weren’t sorted there. His phone battery had died sometime in the night when he checked it as he had wanted to speak to Khushi badly.

Even as he was watching Anjali, a sudden movement from her caught his attention, then the beeps started as he watched her in horror, began having fits.

As the medical professionals rushed in trying to treat her

“Sir, you have to leave now, please.” The on-duty nurse at the ICU told him as she showed him the door.

“Please Kiddo, Hang on there.” He whispered to his sister as his throat was caught in the throes of his own despair as Anjali’s dire situation pushed him to tears.

"This is not unexpected given she underwent a head surgery." The doctor told him after 20 mins "Her vitals are not worrisome. Let's hope she gets her consciousness back in 48 hours."

" What if she doesn't?"

"There is a chance she may slip into coma. Lets hope for the best"

He couldn’t stay there anymore. He retrieved his phone from the charging point before he left the hospital. Desperately wiping off his tears, he tried calling Khushi and Abhi, but in vain. Both their phones were not reachable. Arnav took a taxi to reach the other hospital.

It was in the taxi that he heard the news of Tara’s death had already spread the there's channels.

The cab driver had chosen to listen to one of the channels known to exaggerate and spin stories to make the news sensational.

" ....it's seems that the DCP had taken the rescued girls out if police custody and had made them stay at his girlfriend's place and that's where this encounter had happened, killing one of the girls. Who killed the girl is still being investigated...."

"What crap" thought Arnav

As he reached the hospital, a throng of journalists were still gathered, their cameras flashing and questions flying. The cacophony of voices added to his mounting tension.

***

"Abhi, I am so sorry. Rajesh just told me that you have been suspended because of what happened with Tara," Khushi said, her voice breaking with guilt. "It's all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this mess."

Abhi gently held Khushi's shoulders, looking into her tearful eyes with a sincerity that radiated warmth and empathy. "Khushi," he began softly, "you have to believe me when I say this isn't your fault. Tara's accident was a tragic misfortune that no one could have foreseen or prevented."

"I made you bring her home, she got kidnapped at your own house"

"You didnt make me. The decision was finally mine"

Khushi's sobs continued, each tear a testament to the guilt and sorrow that wracked her heart. "But Abhi, it was my fault, I ran after Arnav. She took the bullet to save me" she cried, her voice thick with emotion.

"It's natural to feel like that, but sometimes life throws us challenges that are beyond our control. Tara wouldn't want you to blame yourself." he soothed, his voice steady and reassuring.

Trying to lighten the mood, Abhi added with a gentle chuckle, "Besides, don’t feel so bad about my suspension order, I've always wanted a break from work, and now it seems like I'll finally get that long vacation I've been dreaming of."

Khushi couldn't help but let out a small, reluctant laugh through her tears.

Abhi’s expression turned serious as he continued to comfort her. "Khushi, we'll get through this. We're here for you, and we’ll face whatever comes together." he pulled her into a comforting embrace, wrapping his arms around her securely. She was like a sister that he never had.

***

Arnav crossed the lobby and turned into the hallway only to come face to face with Khushi who was being comforted by Abhi, who held her gently as she looked up at him smiling despite the tears in her face. Seeing them together, Arnav was overcome by a wave of jealousy. The sight of Abhi's arm around Khushi, at a time when he felt so helpless and lost, fueled his inner turmoil.

Abhi saw Arnav coming in and called out his name. But Arnav wasn’t in a mood for greeting. His sister’s condition and now Khushi finding solace in his friend’s arm, together with his worries drove him to madness. His steps quickened; his fury barely contained as he made his way through the crowd.

“Arnav, how is Anjali?” Abhi asked, his concern evident.

Arnav's face twisted with contempt as he replied, "Barely surviving, thanks to you," he spat, his voice dripping with bitterness. He could feel the heat of his anger coursing through his veins, overriding any semblance of restraint he might have had.

“Arnav, wait!” Abhi implored, stepping forward, but Arnav’s eyes burned with an intensity that halted him in his tracks.

“Not now, Abhi,” Arnav spat, his voice trembling with pent-up emotion. “I don’t want to hear anything. Just... stay away.”

The hallway fell silent, the weight of Arnav’s words hanging in the air. Khushi looked up, her tear-stained face a picture of sorrow and confusion. She reached out a hand towards Arnav, but he recoiled, the pain of the moment too much to bear.

“You wanted her to fight her battles Khushi? She is now fighting for her life”

“Arnav!” Khushi pleaded, her voice cracking under the strain. She wanted to comfort him; she wanted to be comforted by him

But Arnav was beyond reason. The sight of Abhi holding Khushi, only deepened his helplessness further. His world was unraveling, and all he could feel was the sharp sting of loss and the bitter taste of betrayal.

“Arnav?” Abhi asked again

An uncontrollable surge of anger, helplessness, and anguish drove him to confront Abhi.

“Do you know the next 48hours decided if she will live or not?” Arnav’s voice trembled with a mixture of sorrow and indignation. “It’s all your fault!” he shouted, causing heads to turn. “If you had listened to me and kept her out of this mission, none of this would have happened!”

Khushi looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen from crying, as Abhi faced Arnav's accusations with a mixture of guilt and hurt. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

Abhi remained silent.

“I was going mad, lamenting over Anjali’s critical condition, thinking Khushi must be alone here worried and upset.” He cast a withering glance at both of them, the pain in his eyes unmistakable. “But it seems like I didn’t have to worry so much after all, did I? You two had eachother and didn’t even bother to call me to ask about Anjali.”

“Arnav, what are you saying” Khushi finally found her voice, though it trembled with emotion. “we are just as devastated about Anjali as you are. Abhi told me about her surgery. You think we didnt care?”

She turned to Abhi, who had been standing silently, his face a mask of guilt and sorrow, and continued, “He’s been trying to keep it together, trying to be strong for you, for me. We were waiting for any update we could get, trying to hold onto hope. Your phone was switched off”

“I see,” he murmured, his voice subdued. He looked from Khushi and Abhi and back at Khushi “I get it now. I am leaving. I know when I am not wanted”

“Arnav please”

Khushi’s face crumpled further, tears streaming down as she tried to find the words to explain, but none came. Abhi remained silent, the weight of Arnav’s accusations hanging heavily in the air, intensifying the already unbearable tension in the lobby.

“Please stay!” Khushi pleaded her voice breaking. “I don’t understand your anger”

Arnav’s furious gaze faltered slightly, but the pain in his eyes remained intense. “Don’t you? What were you doing when I came in Khushi?”

“What?” Khushi was confused at first.

Arnav's voice cracked with a mixture of desperation and disbelief as he continued, “All I could think of was how alone and worried you must be. The first chance I get, I come running here, and what do I see? you were laughing without a care in this world?”

“Arnav, it wasn’t like that” Khushi said, now understanding the misunderstanding of the hug and the lighter moment.

Abhi finally spoke, his voice heavy with sorrow. “I never meant to make light of the situation, Arnav. Khushi was falling apart, and I was doing my best to support her, to keep her from drowning in guilt and despair.”

“Wait, is this what you think of us?” Khushi asked, disbelief etched on her face. “I never thought you, of all people, would act this way. This is again about you Mr. Almighty? Anjali is critical, we lost Tara. The news is all over the place, Abhi got suspended and all that you can think of is yourself.”

Arnav's hand clenched into a fist, the veins in his neck bulging with unspent fury. “It's not just about me, Khushi!” he roared, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain.

Arnav thought Khushi would understand his inner fears and insecurities but she didn’t. He expected her to see the depths of his turmoil, to acknowledge the fear and the pain that gnawed at his insides. Yet here they were, worlds apart despite being mere feet from each other.

“You wouldn’t understand!” he roared, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. “It's about us. I wanted to be the one who is there for you. I wanted to be held and told it will be alright” he wanted to say badly but couldn’t, didn't.

Abhi stepped forward, positioning himself between them as if trying to shield Khushi from Arnav’s wrath. “Arnav, she needed a moment of respite. It was nothing, we were…”

“Stay out of this, Abhi,” Arnav growled, his voice low and menacing.

Khushi, still trembling from the intensity of the exchange, found her voice

“Abhi, don’t” Khushi interrupted, her voice breaking as she held up a trembling hand. “Arnav won't understand, and right now, I don’t have the strength to convince him.”

Arnav's eyes darted between them, his shoulders heaving as he struggled with the maelstrom of emotions that threatened to consume him. He wanted to believe them, to understand, but the ache in his heart was too raw.

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth, the words barely audible. Arnav turned away; his footsteps heavy as he walked towards the exit. “I'm leaving,” he said, his voice devoid of the earlier anger, now just hollow.

Khushi collapsed onto a nearby chair, her body wracked with sobs, while Abhi stood silent, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a physical burden. The lobby was thick with unspoken words, the echoes of their confrontation lingering in the air.

As the door of the hall way closed behind Arnav, the reality of their fractured relationships settled over Khushi and Abhi, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that things would never be the same again. The room was left in a somber silence, each of them lost in their own tumultuous thoughts.

The accusations, the hurtful words, and the mistrust had left deep wounds. Despite the moment of clarity, the scars of that confrontation remained even days after the fateful day. The fates of Khushi, Abhi, and Arnav were interwoven in a tragic tapestry of loss and regret. Each of them bore the scars of that day, their friendships tested to the breaking point. The love and trust they once shared seemed to hang by a thread, frayed by the relentless onslaught of accusations.

*End of flashback*

_________________________

Now we know what happened that day!

In the heated moment, Arnav felt a surge of emotions that he could no longer contain. His helplessness, anguish and anger fueled by a series of events, his patience worn thin by a hug that tipped the scales into misunderstandings and rising tensions, he finally snapped.

Will meet you all soon with another update, Until then, Cheers!

Oh my goodness. I had given up on seeing the next chapter. So glad that you came back and gave it to us.