I hope? Enjoyyy
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Kriti sighed turning away from him. "Just go Aryan, just leave."
Those words hit him hard and she knew they would. She knew he was like her and hated it when someone told him to leave. He would stop fighting. And that was what she needed right now. She had to be cruel with him, with her Aryan.
Perhaps to the rest of the world it wouldn't sound so cruel but she knew him. She knew him better than he knew himself and the littlest words could break him down, the way she was doing now.
"You want me to go?" He asked in a soft voice.
She couldn't turn around to look at him. She wouldn't be able to bring hatred for him into her eyes. She couldn't risk him knowing this was all fake. Fake just to get him to leave her so his mother could be happy.
Shalini Kapoor despised Kriti for being lower class and would not allow her to be a part of their household and when Aryan had told her he decided to leave his home, she knew what she had to do. Aryan's family was the most important thing to him and no matter how hard he would tryāhe couldn't live without them and so instead, she'd force him into living without her.
"Yes Aryan, just go." Kriti snapped. "Leave."
Aryan Kapoor couldn't believe these were words coming from her mouth. He had never seen her be so cruel, not to anyone else let alone himself. She had such a huge heart and was always full of love for everyone but now she was showing him another side of herself. A side he didn't like.
His steps were staggered as he left her apartment. The door closed behind him and the vibration from it shook through his being. His eyes closed and his hand grasped the wall outside. She had kicked him from her life without telling him why. All she said was that she couldn't do it anymore.
What was her reason? Why did she need to get rid of him so badly?
Aryan slowly walked through the hallway towards the elevators. He pressed the button and waited for it to come.
Bewafai ka dard tadpaaye
Beete lamhon ki yaad kyun aaye
He stepped into the open doors of the elevator and smiled at seeing the scratched up mirrors and ruined fabrics of the walls. Normally he wouldn't smile when he entered the elevator but right now all he could think of were the memories he was leaving behind.
He had loved her with his heart. He had given her everything she had asked for, before she even asked. He had even left his family when his mother had declined their alliance. All he wanted was her happiness but now she was taking his happiness away by taking herself away from him.
Tune mere dil ko toda
Tanha tanha mujhko chora
Kyun kiya aisa sitam
The ride down to the parking lot felt longer than usual. The moments passed slowly and each second caused his heart to ache. Why would she make him suffer through this pain? Didn't she love him? Why make promises before if she intended to break everything they shared.
The ring in his pocket was weighing him down. He could still remember the day they had gone to pick it out. They took both their younger siblings who provided no help at all and instead just picked out random things in the jewelery shop. Of course that was until Aryan had pointed at the ring he thought she'd prefer. Nidhi was immediately at her side awing over the ring and praising Aryan's choice.
He pulled the ring from his pocket and watched the solitaire glimmer in the harsh elevator lights.
The doors opened and he stepped outside expecting the quiet from the parking garage but instead his younger brother Arjun and Nidhi both greeted him. Nidhi hugged him and then disappeared into the elevator without a word while Arjun led his older brother towards his car.
"What did she say?" Aryan asked Arjun who sighed.
"Who?"
"Your...MB?" He couldn't say her name. Why was it so hard to let her name come from his lips? Instead he chose the nickname Arjun and Nidhi had given her, forgetting the pain it would bring his little brother instead.
"I didn't talk to her. Nidhi did," Arjun shook his head.
Why would she choose to tell them both? It was as if she knew that Aryan would need their support. Why did she act like she still cared? Had he made a mistake in letting her go? Was she doing what he always thought she would one day? Self sacrificing her happiness to keep his mother happy?
"I need to go up there." Aryan said turning around.
"No PB, you can't."
"Arjun, I need to see her eyes when she says this to me. I don't believe her."
Arjun couldn't blame Aryan for thinking that. After all when Nidhi had told him--he had thought she was joking but now seeing his brother's face; the truth had dawned on him.
He nodded and the two men rushed back inside and waited for the elevator.
-----
Her doorbell rang and her breath stuck in her throat. What if it was Aryan again? What would she say? She couldn't let him see the tears she had cried.
"Coming," she called out, her voice still shaky.
"Don't bother wiping your useless tears." Nidhi's loud voice called out.
Kriti's hand froze on the doorknob. The girl was her younger sister but Nidhi never behaved that way. With them there was mutual love and respect and she only played the younger sister card when she needed Kriti to agree with her or do something for her. Now was one of the times that Kriti knew she should be afraid of her.
She pulled open the door and winced at seeing the glare in her sister's eyes.
"What the f*ck is wrong with you?" Nidhi shoved her way past Kriti into the apartment, pushing the door behind her not waiting to close it.
"Nothing."
Nidhi scoffed. "Yeah nothing. That's why you go ahead and ruin the one good thing in your life that you deserved. Krikri--how could you do this?"
Kriti sighed at hearing the nickname her younger sister had for her. Nidhi knew that Kriti would feel more vulnerable every time she heard the nickname. "I had to okay? I had to."
"Why?" Nidhi asked, crossing her arms. "What the hell possessed you to go ahead and shove the only guy you've ever loved out of your life?"
Kriti turned around not wanting her sister to see the tears spilling from her eyes but Nidhi wouldn't relent. She pulled her sister around and asked again.
"You can't avoid me Kriti. I'm going to get an answer."
"What do you want to hear from me?" Kriti groaned.
"How about you try the truth?"
"If I told you," Kriti shook her head. "You'd think I'm weak and stupid."
"I'm always going to think that about you," Nidhi muttered. "The stupid part at least,"
"Thanks," Kriti's eyes flashed at her. "I couldn't keep him tied to me okay? I just couldn't."
"Why? Were you scared of how much he loved you? You're not one to be scared Kriti, not of love."
Kriti shook her head. "It's hard to explain."
"Try me," Nidhi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"He'll be happier without me." Kriti shrugged.
"Oh of course." Nidhi smiled sarcastically. "The man who left his family for you will be happier without you in his life. You're right Kriti."
"Don't say it like that."
"Then how do you want me to say it?" Nidhi asked. "You're acting like an idiot you know?"
Kriti shook her head. "Stop okay? I didn't do anything stupid."
"You sacrificed him didn't you? For Shalini's happiness." Nidhi scoffed. "What the hell is wrong with you Kriti? He LOVES you. He left them for you--he knows his stubborn mother will come around at some point because she loves him so much. Do you think Arjun doesn't face the same crap from her? She hates me just as much as she hates you." Nidhi shook her head. "Krikri, your self-sacrificing bullshit is enough. Aryan doesn't need this from you."
"You're right," Arjun pushed open the door to Kriti's apartment.
Kriti and Nidhi both turned to see Arjun and Aryan standing in the doorway. Kriti turned around and wiped her tears quickly before seeing him again.
"Both of you need to leave. Actually all three of you need to go."
"Why? Because you're scared we know the truth now?" Aryan asked as he took a step towards her.
That was the last thing she needed to hear now. If Aryan knew the truth, he'd never leave her and while she loved that, she couldn't have him doing that to his family.
"No. There's no truth." Kriti shook her head, willing herself not to cry.
Nidhi's hand came down on her shoulder and she looked up at her with pleading eyes but Nidhi shook her head.
"You can't hide yourself with this version of the truth you've concocted. You can't lie to us."
"Stop trying to push me away," Aryan sighed as he took another step closer.
"Don't." Kriti frowned. "Just stop. There's is no other truth. I don't want to be with you anymore."
"As if you could ever want that," Aryan's voice was a low whisper now and Kriti was close to tears.
She couldn't lie to him anymore. She had tried hard to go away from his life and she had succeeded too. If only she hadn't called Nidhi before to take care of Aryan none of this would have happened. She had only wanted to make sure he would be okay, not have her entire plan backfire in front of her.
"You can't leave me like that."
"Yes I can!" She shouted back, trying out one more tactic. "You're not who I want to spend the rest of my life with. You're just not. I was wrong."
Aryan's eyes flashed and she knew she was upsetting him again. Before she had hurt him and now she was crossing the line.
"You're not okay? You're nothing to me."
She didn't realize when his hand had raised to strike her across her cheek.
"How dare you?"
His voice was low and angry. "How could you say that?"
Kriti's tears fell quickly now, both from the pain of his palm and the self loathing she was feeling. "I had to."
"Really?" His voice was still icy and she glanced back at Arjun and Nidhi who were watching the scene with widened eyes. "And why's that?"
She sighed loudly. "I can't. I can't do this anymore."
She didn't know how she was wrapped into his embrace but his arms were around her back and she clung to him with all her might. She had tried, tried to get him out of her life, try to control her feelings for him, and had tried to shove him away but she couldn't fight anymore, she just couldn't.
Hum tumhare hain
tumhare sanam
Hum tumhare hain
tumhare sanam
She had finally admitted defeat and that was a refreshing sight for the other three in the room. Arjun and Nidhi both stepped forward and hugged the other two who were already hugging.
"Finally," Nidhi sighed happily.
"Thanks to you," Kriti replied with a muffled voice.
Nidhi laughed before looking up at Arjun who was smiling at her. He had overheard what Kriti and Nidhi had said earlier when they both arrived at the apartment about his family and his choices and she was right. Arjun had stayed in his own house even though his mother didn't approve of his choice. He wasn't going to be like his older brother and leave the house. He would bring Nidhi there one day as his wife and there was nothing she could do to change it.
Aryan could feel Kriti's grip around his body tightening and he smiled with his chin resting on her head. He prided himself in the trust he had in her. He admired her intentions as well but he just wished she would have tried talking to him about it rather than going ahead with her plan.
But now things wouldn't change. They'd be like this forever. He knew the love they shared was too great for anything to change it.
jaan-e-maan mohabbat ki har kasam ki kasam
na juda honge hum
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Thanks for reading! :) Comments would be very well appreciated š³
Love,
Meera
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
