OS: Bitter-Sweet Fruits (Collab) *Awarded*

Clutching the report tight in her hands, she pressed the doorbell creating a ringing sound echoing throughout the gigantic mansion.

"Coming!" yelled a voice in reply to the impatient ringing.

On the other hand, the young lady at the door kept pressing the doorbell continuously, clearly, no patience left in her.

Finally, when the door swung open, Khushi rushed into the mansion and gave a heart-warming hug with the lady who opened the door and Khushi gave a bright smile that lit up the room. Little did the lady at the door know, Khushi announcement would bring only a deafening silence.

"Di!" she said breaking away from the hug. " You won't believe it but...I'm pregnant!"

Khushi's words didn't seem to take any toll on the lady's ears so once again, shaking her shoulders, Khushi blurted, "You're going to become a bua!"

Yet, the lady did not even blink at the words nor move a muscle.

"Di? Is something wrong?"


The reports fell from her hands and dropped to the marble floor. Slowly, her hands shaking, one of her hands, rose to her stomach and clutched on to it for dear life. She refused to listen to the voices around her, her mind only on prayers hoping that the words the report read were all lies. She crumpled to the ground, her ears eliminating all the exterior sounds. All that was audible, was her uneven breathing and her heartbeat that was pounding loudly as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

No. She absolutely refused to accept it.

Had these 6 months meant nothing to God? All those times she cared for it, nurtured it, was there even anyone in there? Hell she even bled through her pain, to not let her convulsion reach it.

It. It had came to moment where she couldn't even call it a person anymore. Neither a he nor a she, now all that remained was to call it an it.

"Di?" Khushi cupped her face trying to calm down Anjali's heavy panting.

Anjali flinched in disgust at her touch and brushed Khushi's hands off her face.
"Don't. Touch. Me."

In fear and shock, Khushi immediately backed away from Anjali's emotionless face. In a matter of seconds, Anjali was now standing upright, roaring at her sister-in-law.

"Because of you I lost my child!"

"But Di-" Khushi started to protest.

"I should've kicked you out of this house when I had the chance!"

"Stop it Di!" came in another familiar voice. A voice which shocked the soul out of Anjali.
"How is it Khushi's fault?"

"Chotte, you don't interfere-"

"Why won't I interfere? It's my wife you're accusing!"

"That's because she's guilty! She has committed the crime of using my husband and now- she killed my child!"

"Di! What nonsense are you saying? Are you even listening to yourself?"

"I don't care Chotte! It's only because of you I'm tolerating this filthy witch in my house!"

"Enough Di!" roared Arnav, almost destroying everyone's eardrums. His voice rang loud and clear.

And without any more disputable comments, Arnav casted his firm grip on Khushi's hand and angrily stomped out of the room.

"Arnavji-" Khushi let out a soft whimper.



"Di?" Khushi's voice was laced with worry and concern. "Here sit on the sofa!"

"No." the cold reply came swiftly.

Startled by Anjali's reaction, Khushi once again stepped back as Anjali rose up to her standing position.
And without any further commentary, she left. Left without any words emerging from her mouth.

Khushi could not stop the small fear inside of her from rising. Anjali's reaction was extremely mysterious and she couldn't help but feel worrisome.

Arnav entered the room, his thumbs swiping away on his sleek iPhone. Looking up, all thoughts flew out of his head as he saw Khushi take bite after bite of the kairi. Her eyes were focused on the big tv screen but her mind seemed to be somewhere else. Immediately Arnav walked over to her.

"Khushi, what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" she replied her ego clearly showing in her voice.

Okaayy. What was up with her?

Deciding to leave his crazy wife with alone to her weird antics, Arnav settled himself in his recliner and pulled out his laptop.

"Arnavji you never pay attention to me" Khushi complained with a pout on her lips.

Oh so that's the problem.


"Doesn't your Salman Khan do enough for you?" Arnav smirked as he retorted back to her.

Her jaw dropped at his comment, her mouth encircling a complete 'O'.

"Watch it, that kairi your eating is going to end up on me!"

"Laad Governor, you can always buy a new shirt...but where will you find a more kairis?"

"Why do you need more kairis?"

Khushi's expressions immediately changed from naughty to shy. A blush slowly crept up her cheeks as her eyes darted away from Arnav. Arnav reached out to cup her face but all he grabbed was thin air.

A blur of a red dupatta was seen as Khushi ran out the room.

"Oh no you don't!" Arnav chuckled.

But in return all he got were Khushi's giggles.

Soon, Khushi's back hit the poolside door as Arnav towered over her, their smoky eyes of desire in a tight lock.

"You didn't answer my question, Khushi."

All she could do was look away in embarrassment. His eyes boring through her soul did not help at all to ease the tension that filled the air.
Seeing no progress in her even uttering a single word, Arnav got down to his next step.
In one swift motion, he scooped her up and held her tight in his embrace. Startled, Khushi hit his chest and demanded him to put her down but he nonchalantly refused.

"Until you don't answer my question, you aren't going anywhere Khushi" he made it clear.

"Ughh!" Khushi groaned. "Why does a lady want kairis?"

"Cause she likes them?" he replied obviously guessing.

"Are you sure you're a businessman?"

"Khushi!" His voice held impatience.

She could not bring herself to answer his question. But then she felt his soft lips trail down her jaws.

"A-Arnavji...what a-are you doing-g?" she moaned out.

"I, Khushi Singh Raizada, am getting you to clear my confusion." he nuzzled her neck.

"Hey Devi Maiyaa...okay, okay! I'm pregnant!" she blurted out in fear of what he would do next.

Arnav stopped, his lips frozen on Khushi's skin. His fingers automatically moved to her small womb. Pulling out, he stared into her wide hazel eyes, questioning her silently.
Unable to find her voice because of the overwhelming emotions, Khushi merely nodded her head.

"Me...a father?" his voice wobbled out.

Khushi laughed. "Yes, Mr. Raizada...we're going to be parents-WOAH!" She found herself twirling high in the air as Arnav picked her up his excitement and happiness shown through his actions. Throwing her head back and spreading her arms out, she laughed some more.

As the sound of her joys tumbled into Arnav's ears, he couldn't stop the huge smile that broke out onto his face.

A father. He was going to be a father...but best of all, he was going to be a father with Khushi as the mother of his child. Arnav's happiness knew no end, it knew no boundaries. He would never forget this day.

As Khushi was brought back to the floor, she etched the wide grin on Arnav's face into her memory.


Her words still ringing in her ears, she plopped onto the bed clutching onto a pillow tightly. She scrunched her eyes close and dug her sharp nails into the pillow.

Shyam noticed her behavior and asked, "What happened Rani Sahiba?"

Her eyes shot open and pure agony was visible in her bloodshot red eyes.

Once again, he was going to have to fake his concern for her so he proceeded. Placing a hand on her shoulder he asked lovingly, "Is something wrong?"

"That- Ughh!" Anjali groaned and threw the pillow all the way across the room.

Shocked at her reaction, Shyam backed away a little, for the first of time, scared of the way there seemed to be fire breathing from Anjali's nose. Feeling the steam that was building up in Anjali, he moved back one more step.

"That witch-- she's freaking pregnant!" Anjali spit out bitterly.

"Who Rani Sahiba?" Shyam asked curiously.

"None other than KhushiJI!" Anjali mocked the authority she was supposed give to her sister-in-law.

"Khushiji!?!" Even Shyam could not stop the bewilderment in his voice. His Khushi was...pregnant?

"Yes her!" she shouted riled up.

Shyam couldn't help but notice the anger the- jealousy in her voice. That's when the gears in Shyam's mind started to turn.

"Rani Sahiba, why are you so angry?" he said, trying to provoke all the hidden feelings inside her. He wanted to know the real Anjali Jha. The real emotions that were caged inside her.
"Why am I so angry?" Anjali said turning around to face Shyam. Her eyes were like daggers, and Shyam smirked as he admired how sharp the daggers appeared to be. "That witch killed my baby, and you expect me to be happy about it?"

"Ra-"
"No-" Anjali interrupted as Shyam was about to talk. "I will not stay quiet. I want her to go through what I've gone through. She doesn't deserve to be a mother. Especially not when she goes around destroying others right to be mothers.:

"But what will Saale Sahib say about this?" he sneered. He hoped this vulnerable state of Anjali's would help his plans too. This real Anjali might be the key to all his answers.

"Chotte? You think he will be able to stop me?" Anjali cackled.

'Oh this is good!' thought Shyam. All this time he kept using cheap tactics to acquire his goal but never did he realize that the answer was lying right in front of him.

"Rani Sahiba, but Khushiji controls the house. Everyone will be against your decision." Did she have the answer to that, too?

"Not if I tell them the truth! The real truth of Mrs. Perfect!" Ahhh...so Rani Sahiba had learned the art of manipulation. Shyam felt the smirk on his face would never have to go away again.

"Yes, tell them how she tried to seduce me that little minx. That's the whole truth." Shyam said. Anjali looked up at Shyam and with a silent communication, they both walked out of the room, hand in hand.

Luckily, the minute they exited the room, they met none other then Khushi and Arnav who were also hand in hand. Khushi's face was flushed red and Arnav's face seemed to be full of bliss.

Anjali's jealousy and rage kicked in and painted before her eyes a bright red color as she let her bitter words out.

"Why are you so happy, Chotte?" she said through the red haze.

"Di! You won't believe it...but, I'm...I'm going to be a father!"

"With that bitch as the mother?"

"Di, please don't-"

"Do you even know if the child is yours Arnav?"

"DI!"

Once again, Khushi's face was already stained with tears. Anjali's harsh words were piercing through Khushi's gentle heart. Was this what Anjali really thought of her?

"Di! What is your problem with Khushi?"

"My problem, Chotte, is that your wife" she shouted stressing on wife, "seduced my husband and killed my child!"

"Di! Shyam is lying! She didn't do anything like that!" Arnav yelled back. He was frustrated but he pressed Khushi's hands tighter to reassure both of them.

"No Chotte! Why would my husband lie to me? He's not a wh**e like that trash next to you!"

"Because he lusts after Khushi!"

For that one second, Anjali felt the fear that had been gnawing at her heart, the fear that her husband had been cheating on her, come up. But as quickly as it came, she pushed the thought away. Shyam would never do that.

"Lusts? You call your wife throwing herself on my husband, lust? Grow up Arnav."

"Di, your husband freaking cheated on you!"

SLAP!
Arnav felt his cheek sting as everyone gasped, their eyes darting to the red handprint on Arnav's cheek.

His jaw clenched.
His fists tightened.
His eyes flew together, the warmth of the brown irises closing from the world.

Khushi watched on, fascinated as she saw the ASR transformation.

After so many months, had she caught a glimpse of the old ASR. This time when his eyes shot open, she couldn't find that warmth in it, but she saw the greyness, the darkness, the anger hidden in barely controlled rage instead. Quick, cold, and calculative, Arnav's next moves were bound to hurt someone.

On the other hand, Anjali made the biggest mistake of touching his wife. With a swift motion, her hand flew up to Khushi's shoulders and she pushed her off of the flight of stairs.

Shyam then let out a gasp as he lunged for Khushi, her safety overruling his thoughts.

"Don't you bloody touch her!" Arnav's alpha voice ripped across the room. The possessiveness inside of him and the ego ripped through Arnav's facade.

"Saale Sahib she's-"

"I said don't you bloody touch her!" Arnav walked towards Khushi and pulled her close.

"Now Di. Do you believe me now? Your husbands-"

Surprised, Anjali turned towards Shyam and asked, "Why did you save her?"

Tired of the mocked love he has had to express all these years, Shyam blurted, "Because I love her. A lot."

"Excuse me?" Please don't let him say those words, she prayed.

"I love Khushi. I hate acting out this pretence love for you."

Anjali felt herself shatter as if she was a car that just crashed. She felt her heart crack and rip itself into millions of pieces. Her blood ran cold and her breathing became irregular as the focus blurred in front of her eyes.
Anjali felt the world slip from beneath her feet.

"You...I...fake...Khushi...truth..." Anjali's head declined to make comprehensive sentences.

The truth hurt.

It was an unexpected and twisted distortion in her world and it shocked Anjali to her core.

"Now that you know the truth now Rani Sahiba, there is only one who stands between me and my Khushiji."

Arnav.

Slowly from pants pocket, he pulled out a black colored, sleek shotgun. Placing his finger on the trigger, he pointed it towards his one and only target. The aim was perfect and unwavering.

Arnav's face was in a state of horror but he had no time to escape. Not without his Khushi.
He braced himself for the impact closing his eyes shut after catching one last glimpse of his love.

5 seconds passed. 10. 15. 20.

But he still didn't feel any type of pain pierce his body.
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open to see the most earth shattering image of his life.

His sister, the one who nurtured him all these years, laid beside his wife now, except, there was blood gushing from her stomach.

No! She didn't-

"DI!" Arnav and Khushi both yelled out in unison. Both overwhelmed by the same shock, same grief, same pain.