IPKKND FF: Trial by fire Part 33 updated on Pg 84

The doctor's voice and the rest of her comments faded into a monotonous background voice telling her what she needed to do next. She felt tendrils of emotions welling up. After all the stress over the last year and the recent months of a contract marriage, was it all coming down to this? She saw the doctor write out a prescription. "You have to get this done immediately so that we can monitor you and ensure you are keeping well. The lab will send me the test results directly and I will call you to let you know what the next steps are. You do look whacked - I think you should tell your husband about this so that he can support you and maybe show up for your subsequent visits" The last was said with a definite reproachful tone.

Khushi clutched the prescription and walked out in a daze. She could not believe what she had just heard and did not know how to react. First things first - Let me go and get this test done so I will know for sure. She followed the directions and reached the lab/scan department and handed the prescription over to the middle-aged clerk there. He took a look at the doctor's note and had Khushi fill out a form. When she was done, "Cash or credit card?" he asked. She came out of her daze and asked him, "Yeh scan ke liye kitna hoga"? "2000 Rs". Khushi realized immediately that she did not have that kind of money on her. Even though Arnav ji and Khushi had reconciled their differences to a large extent in the past 3 months since his kidnapping, Khushi's ego prevented her from asking Arnav for any money for her expenses. Memories of having her aukad pointed out, once too often, still rankled. Her earnings from the dabba service were handed over to her parents, leaving her with just a few hundred rupees. For a long time, Arnav had been rolling in money that it never occurred to him that Khushi may want for anything. "I will have to go to Arnavji's office and tell him", Khushi thought. Maybe I can come back later today with him. She explained to the clerk, "hamein maaf kijiye - mere pass itne paise nahi hai, mujhe baad mein vaapas aana hoga".

Khushi caught an auto and went over to Arnav ji's office. She wondered how he would react - Would he be sad? Would he be happy? Would he rail at fate?

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"Arre Saale saab...I kept thinking you will come to your senses and see how strong our love really is..but looks like my Khushi ji has really scored one over you. She made a bet with me that she will make you fall in love with her and will have you jumping through hoops ...and looks like my talented Khushi has accomplished what she set out to do. You may lie with your wife, but in her thoughts, I am the one she lies down with. Your contract marriage is ending today. Who knows, you may even convert it into a permanent contract. If you do, can you ever be sure if she came to you because you forced her into this marriage or because she really loved you? Can you really be sure that she is not biding her time till I get out of the mess you thrust me into? Can you really be sure that Khushi is sweet and innocent rather than a schemer who is just waiting to take over the Raizada empire? hahaahahahaa". Click. Arnav stared at the phone in his hands and wondered why he had ever even answered that phone call. It had said "private number" - He should have just ignored it. Now, he was starting to feel some inklings of distrust again.

It had been 3 months since Khushi had come to his rescue - or had she really? How was it that from amongst all those places in Delhi, she had ended up in the very same dungeon that he had been locked up in. Come to think of it, that appeared far too coincidental for his taste. Had this been part of Shyam's nefarious plan to get to him through Khushi?

With a start, he realized that it was August 14th - 6 months since their hurried marriage in the temple; contract end date. Every argument and counter argument for and against his love chased around and around in his head as he recollected all that had happened after he had beaten up the kidnapper and escaped with Khushi. He had spent the most beautiful night of his life with her. She had been so shy, so innocent, so otherwordly that he had thanked the stars that they were going to be together...Or had that all been an act - He remembered how easily she could turn on the tap of her tears, how she had conned him into holding the sangeet function at the RM during Payal's wedding. What should he believe in?