IPKKND FF: Winning You Back (Ch.16,pg.106) UPD:2/16 - Page 53

Shyam Manohar Jha. The name floated across Arnav's mind as he made his way over to Khushi's room. How could he face Khushi without first dealing with Shyam? He had forgotten about Shyam as he waited, terrified, for the doctors to treat Khushi and determine his fate. But now, as the chaos had somewhat subsided, the name came, unbidden, to the forefront of his mind.

Who was Shyam Manohar Jha? He had thought that Shyam had simply become disloyal to Anjali because he had fallen in love with Khushi. But according to Anjali, Shyam had never been faithful. He had married Anjali for the money. But he had not fallen in love with Khushi either, for he had abandoned her too. Because of the scars. Arnav closed his eyes as the memory came back to him. His Khushi, with that jagged piece of glass pressed to her delicate wrist. And that bas***d, Shyam, standing over her proclaiming his disgust for her now that she was no longer perfect. The picture did not fit. As Arnav's razor-sharp mind went through the scene again, he realized there was something almost calculated about Shyam's reaction. It was as though he had expected Khushi to cut herself.. it was almost as if he had known Arnav was watching. But that was impossible. How could Shyam have known? And yet, Arnav could not shake the feeling that the man he had once respectfully called Jeejaji was much more dangerous than even he suspected. And there had been something in Shyam's eyes, something Arnav had seen far too often in his own. Something very much like revenge.

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Revenge. They always said revenge is a dish best served cold. But he had not been cold as he stood over Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada as she lay in a pool of her own blood. He had been hot, feverish almost, his body ravaged by emotions he had suppressed for years. He had seen his saale sahib standing in the shadows cast by the columns of Shantivan, frozen in shock as he finally realized the truth. He had finally avenged his mother and father, who had died at the hands of Aravind Malik. And Arnav Malik had paid the price.

Arnav abruptly opened his eyes, mentally berating himself for overthinking. Shyam was a cold-blooded bas***d and that was the end of the matter. He quickly strode towards Akash and gave him brisk instructions to call the police and report Shyam. Then, Arnav turned back the way he had come and once again stopped in front of his wife's door and took a deep breath before pushing it open.

"Khushi?"

She looked up at the sound of her name and there he was. She had thought she was prepared for this. She had fooled herself into believing that her love for him had died the moment she had realized he had put her in that horrible situation. But she had been wrong, once again. The love had not died and she now curled her hand into a fist to prevent herself from stroking out the pain from his handsome face.

She looked up at him as he called her name, her hazel-green eyes unwavering as they stared into his own brown ones. He had thought he was prepared for this. He had fooled himself into believing that she was fine, that they would be fine. But he had been wrong, once again. She was not fine, and this was evident in the lack of emotion on her normally expressive face. She looked like a glass doll, lifeless and fragile.

When she continued to stare at him impassively, a wild frenzy of panic began to set into him. He began speaking, a torrent of words pouring out of his mouth, the buzz at complete odds with the brusque monosyllabic tone in which he normally spoke.

"Khushi, please forgive me. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I should never have doubted you and believed those bas***d's words. But I know the truth now and I am sorry. Please, please forgive me."

Khushi shook her head in denial, holding back her tears. She had never wanted his apologies. She had merely wanted a small portion of his trust.

At the shake of her head, Arnav immediately began speaking again, the words tumbling out faster and faster as he grew more agitated.

"Please Khushi, please don't leave me. I love you so much, and I can't live without you. Please give me another chance. Don't leave me," he begged.

At this, she finally spoke, the inner turmoil not creeping into her outwardly calm appearance.

"I'm not leaving you Arnavji."

His immediate fear resolved, Arnav was now puzzled. After everything he had done, why would she still choose to stay with him? Of course, he did not want her to leave but the fact that she was willing to stay was something he could not comprehend. When he voiced his thoughts aloud, Khushi smiled, a self-deprecating smile.

"Because I love you Arnavji," she stated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You love me? After all this.. I don't deserve you Khushi. But you won't regret giving me this chance. I promise, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Just trust me, I wi-"

"I can't do that," she cut him off midsentence.

Momentarily thrown off, Arnav asked "You can't what?"

"I can't trust you."

"What? But.. you just... but you just said you love me."

"Yes, I did. But there can be love without trust. You, of all people, should know that."

With that, Khushi slowly closed her eyes, leaning back against the pillows of her bed, as though that small exchange had drained her off all energy. Arnav remained frozen at her side where he had knelt. He had caused a lot more damage than he had thought, he realized now with a sinking heart. It would take more than a mere apology to win Khushi back.