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Note: I absolutely had no intention to actually post this. And it seems (SO) weird for me to start my first topic with a fanfiction but I can't help it. (I am slowly going crazy, lol) 😊 But if you do read this, I am deeply touched. 😳 - Mariam.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Star Plus. I only puppet them around... ;)
Summary: Young Khushi was always under the influence of the not-so-young Arnav Singh Raizada. He taught her to hate. She taught him to never give up. But now she's grown up. And he happens to have fallen in love with her. Will his teachings dominate her enough to resist or will his love be strong enough to take every blow?
Speeches are in English. (I suck at speaking and writing in Hindi).
Chapter 1
Young Khushi's Point of View
"Khushi! What did I say about tears?" he yelled in my face crouching to my level. He was big and tall and he always wore black and blue. He never smiled and always screamed. I think...
"I...I..." I stammered again. He would be very angry. I could imagine it already; the fire burning even more intensely in his dark brown eyes. His emotions were almost haywire but he hid them well. Very well.
"KHUSHI!" he yelled again. He always yelled my name. That I could say for certainty. It was like he hated me. He hated my existence but I only needed him. He fed me, took care of me and let me sleep. Then he would teach me "The key to survival". That was what he called it. And this was it...
He stepped back. I knew what was coming next. Help... I screamed inside.
"You are what you are!" he said disgustingly. He paced the dark room, sneering at my parent's picture. "A pathetic child who no one needs!" He grabbed the picture frame and jabbed it mere inches from my face. "Look at how happy your parents are! You want to know why?" He stepped back, slamming the picture frame on the dresser before laughing cynically. "Because they no longer have to deal with you!" Another laugh and then silence.
I was not even looking at him. This was the worst part. I could cope with him hitting me, bruising me, scarring me but he did never touch me. He would only use words. Shunned words. Words which made me feel like one of my old barbie dolls which I gleefully used to chuck away. Now it's been years since I even stepped out of this room...yet alone play.
I never clearly saw his face. Never.
~TSW~
7 Years Later
Arnav's Point of View
The brown eyes that stared at me reminded me of the pained ones I last saw seven years ago. Khushi Kumari Gupta. What a name, I had thought when I had first heard it. The thirteen year old had piqued my interest immediately when she had entered the Raizada mansion.
Back then, it was only me and Hari Prakash's father who lived in the lonesome mansion. Di and the rest had adapted to living in Nani's village well without me. Except Di, who would come around unexpectedly and call almost every day to check on the child. It was surprising how unexpectedly everything had happened. Di had randomly brought in the child and left her under my care while she took care of loose ends in the village. Why she couldn't take the child with her was something I never understood and something she never told.
But the result was horrendous. The child was an unfortunate girl who suffered almost every day in the mansion. All because of me.
The death of my parents had shook me deep down to the core and it was only two years since she was under my care. Till those two years, I took care of her like a guardian. Hell, I even read her bedtime stories when she was 14 although it seemed a little strange for a child her age to be reading princess stories before sleeping. I even offered her educational options which she had kindly refused.
But I believed in something so wrong. Her arrival caused the death of my parents. I believed she was the child of Satan and all pain inflicted upon her was peace of mind to me and my parents' soul. Oh, how wrong I was. How absolutely horrendous I was...
"Excuse me, sir?" A strange, calm voice penetrated my thoughts. It was almost like wind chimes on a gentle sunny day. I wanted to know who possessed such source of voice. I wanted to hear it again. Now...
I stared up at the familiar girl who reminded of Khushi. It was as if a grown up Khushi was standing there in front of me in this figure of innocence. I stole her innocence. Oh what horrid act of-
"I actually applied for this job of secretary but the lady downstairs told me to meet you anyway," she said shuffling slightly. Her cheeks were a light maroon and her eyes focused on my glass table avoiding all means of contact. Well good, her eyes reminded me of hers anyway.
I held out my hand, frustrated. "Curriculum Vita?" I was in no mood for old remembrance and for a mirror placed in front of me to show what a beast I was.
"Oh...yes!" she said quickly, handing me a black file avoiding skin contact. "I...I guess I'll just go..." She turned on her sneaker and began to strode towards the door. Silly girl, coming for business purposes dressed like a college student. Like that will get her a job.
And I had just opened the first page spotting the shocking name written before me. It froze me and a gasp must have escaped because she was walking back towards me concerned.
"Um, sir?" she stared straight into my eyes; concern etched on her pale unhealthy face. Yet, she still remained a beauty. Even after the 7 goddamn years.
"You've got the job." I said shutting the file and sliding it back to her across the table. I wanted to capture her every expression. I wanted to see how badly I had affected her. I wanted to cure her and that I could only do if I once again got her under my care.
There was slight hesitation and happiness on her face. Probably debating why I would give her the job when I haven't read her thick of a CV. Hah! Who could know her more than me?
"Um, I...thank you." she said picking her file up before meeting my eyes. "When do I start?"
"Now."
Note: It's an angsty story. It's more of an expressive Arnav and a troubled Khushi type fiction so...yeah. And no, Khushi never knew who her torturer was. She didn't even see his face let alone know his name.
Cricket
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