IPKKND FF: Winning You Back (Ch.16,pg.106) UPD:2/16 - Page 59

Sorry this is such a late update! It was my first semester in college, and I just got caught up in it all. I tried to make this update a bit longer to make up for it. Hope it was worth the wait! Thank you all for not giving up on me! And Merry Christmas everyone!

Chapter 15

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The sight of Khushi's broken, bleeding body and his saale sahib's face frozen in shock had given him a fleeting satisfaction. But it was not enough. Aravind Malik had done so much, had caused so much grief and suffering. There was no return for his parents. And so, there could be no return for Khushi and Arnav too. It was only right. An eye for an eye.

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Arnav paced back and forth, waiting for the doctors to finish changing the dressings on her wrist. Then he could take her home, after days of waiting, after days of torture. He had gone through torture, but she had gone through hell. She had smiled and appeased anxious inquiries about her health, but she remained silent, unless directly spoken to. And this was how he knew she was not alright, despite her numerous reassurances that she was fine. Khushi Kumari Gupta was never willingly silent. She was always chattering about some nonsense or other, very much like a pesky hummingbird. Even when she was upset, she would talk, albeit to herself. This situation was beyond upsetting, if it forced her into silence. Her face was ghostly pale and her eyes haunted by memories even he shuddered to relive. Physically, she would recover soon, the doctors assured him. But mentally... he was unsure and her continued silence only reaffirmed his fears.

"Ok Mrs. Raizada, you're free to go home now. I'm sure you've been looking forward to it!" the doctor cheerfully exclaimed, as he gathered together the soiled bandages for disposal. Khushi glanced up and nodded, an empty smile etched across her otherwise expressionless face. She slowly got up and walked towards the door, where Arnav was waiting. Just as she was stepping through the doorway, she tripped over some nonexistent obstacle, right into Arnav's waiting arms.

Dhak-dhak. Dhak-dhak. So many things had changed, but the speed at which her heart raced when she was near him had not. And this was comforting to her, knowing that Shyam had not destroyed this piece of her, as he had demolished so many others. However, she took care not to betray her inner emotions and her face remained impassive as she quickly extricated herself from Arnav's arms.

Arnav was at a loss. The Khushi he knew had always been flustered in his presence, but the woman before him now was as lifeless as a porcelain doll. That bas***d had caused more damage than he had initially realized. And so have you, a voice whispered inside his head, a voice that sounded alarmingly similar to NK's. He had to acknowledge the truth of the accusation though; his lack of trust in Khushi had reduced her to this state. And now, he remembered words his Amma had told him so long ago, back in another lifetime.

Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair Chotte. Never forget that. But with Khushi, it had been the opposite. She had trusted him from the beginning, and it had taken him numerous attempts to crush that trust. She had been so guileless, so innocent, so trusting. And now that he had lost that, it would take forever to repair. But forever was something he could devote to Khushi. He owed her that much, at least.

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Arnav paced back and forth, cringing as images of Khushi's actions played across his mind. She had refused all food and drink, stating that she was tired and wanted sleep as an excuse. She had slowly made her way up the stairs and he had shadowed her footsteps, ready to catch her, as he always was. But she had not faltered and he had not gotten a chance to hold her, and assure himself that she was really there, that she had not left him. She made her way into their room and grabbed a pillow and blanket. It was not until she had reached the door that led out to the pool that he realized what she was doing. But he had asked anyway, and her quiet reply sent a pang through his heart. She had actually thought he would still make her sleep out in the cold. And the reason why she thought so was evident: she did not trust him. He had quickly taken the pillow and blanket from her arms and urged her towards the bed, pointing towards the recliner when she questioned where he would sleep. And now he paced, unable to rid himself of the mental image of her forlorn figure clutching that pillow and blanket against her as she faced the sliding glass door that led out into the cold, dark night.

His thoughts were interrupted by a strained whisper and he whipped around to see Khushi tossing and turning, the sheets becoming entangled under her flailing legs.

"No! Please... leave me alone! I told you, I will kill myself! Stop! Arnavji will not spare you! Arnavji? Arnavji!" She continued screaming his name, and he stood horrified, unable to wake her as she relived her worst nightmare come to life. It was only when the tone of her voice changed that he was able to move forward, his hand stretched to wake her. But he once again paused, as he comprehended exactly what she was saying.

"Arnavji? Please, you have to believe me. I swear on Devi Maiyya, I am telling you the truth! Please, believe me. Please!"

It was only then that Arnav realized, that Shyam was not her worst nightmare, he was. He had caused this. Before he could shake her awake, Khushi sat bolt upright, her eyes popping open, as though someone had abruptly pulled her up and out of a trance. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, leaving shimmering tracks on each side of her face. Arnav reached out to her, in an effort to comfort her, but he never got the chance. He froze in shock, as she flinched away from his touch. Unbidden memories came to the forefront of his mind, so at odds with the situation at hand. Khushi, at a hospital, running towards him, her arms wrapped around him as she sobbed out her sorrows. Khushi, in a yellow and green salwar kameez, clutching his arm, crying into his shoulder. She had turned to him then, and now, she was backing away. It was true, what they said. You do reap what you sow.

He stood, motionless, unable to console her, while the tears continued to pour incessantly, now dampening her entire face. If she would not let him in, he had no choice but to the call the others and so, his mind made up, he began shouting, his voice ringing with authority.

"DI! PAYAL! NANI! EVERYONE, COME HERE, AND QUICKLY!"

Seconds later, his entire family filled the doorway to his room, their eyes questioning. He turned his own gaze to Khushi, and they immediately understood.

"I'll go get water." Payal quickly left the room, as she hurriedly brushed off the tears that had sprung up, unbidden, at the sight of her sister's silent grief.

"Khushi betiya..." Devyani Raizada stepped forward and Khushi looked up at the sound of the other woman's voice. Her hazel-green eyes widened slightly, as though she had just noticed them all standing there. Her eyes roved over the group, searching for one particular person.

"Khushi, Payal went to... get you water," Arnav's voice faltered as Khushi rushed past Devyani, Anjali, and Akash to run to NK, who stood behind all the others. She had held all the sorrow in, kept up a fake faade of happiness for so long now. There was only so much any person could take, and Khushi had just reached her limit. She hurled herself into NK's arms, the sobs finally letting loose, the dam finally having burst. The rest of the Raizada family silently filed out of the room, while NK remained, silently smoothing down Khushi's hair as she continued to cry, her hands clutching fistfuls of his shirt.

Arnav, for his part, also stood standing, seething with rage. The ever present tide of jealousy consumed him. Every fiber of his being wanted to step forward and rip his wife out of his cousin's arms, but he fought the impulse, breathing deeply in and out to control the urge. Instead, he remained where he was, looking down at the floor, unable to bear the sight in front of him.

Khushi eventually subsided and NK led her back to the bed, waiting until she was ensconced in the covers and fast asleep once again before walking up to the still statue on the other side of the room. He placed a hand on Arnav's shoulder, and the latter whirled around, furiously opening his mouth, no doubt to rain hellfire upon the former. NK held up a hand to stop him and gestured towards the door. The two men left the room, Arnav gently closing the door before turning on NK.

"What the hell-"

"She chose me," NK cut him off.

All the fight seemed to leave Arnav and he slumped against the door. "Why?" he questioned in a much softer tone than what he had previously used.

"Because she trusts me."

"But why you? I understand Payal was not there, but why you? Why not Anjali, Nani, or even Akash? Why you? She trusts them all too. She could have chosen any one of them, but she chose you. Why?" he asked again, desperate to understand.

"Because I trusted her of my volition Nannav. Payal, as her sister, would have taken her word regardless, not to mention Payal had witnessed Shyam's treachery herself. As for Akash, he would feel an obligation to believe his wife at least, if he doubted Khushi. But you see, I didn't have any such obligation to believe her. And yet I did, because I am her friend. That is why she chose me Nannav. Because, in this house, I am the one person who took her word, merely because I truly believed her. In the end, it all comes down to trust, Nannav.

Trust. It seemed that word would haunt him to the end of his days.

*THIS WORK IS OF MY OWN CREATION. PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR REPRODUCE.*