Invites Only - The What If Club - Page 4

Chapter 8: Dazed and Confused

Kushi was unable to comprehend what just happened.  She did not know what to do next and what to feel.  The hurt and the pain and the loneliness was unbearable and she felt life less.  She did not move an inch and looked blankly towards the Devi Mayya statue as if to find some answers. 

NK was about to go to Kushi when he saw Anjali coming down stairs.  He remained where he was.  Anjali slowly approaches Kushi and gingerly pulls her up.  Kushi could not meet her eyes. 

"Kushiji, I know I will not get any answers from you or Chotey today.  I am upset and sad that, you both decided to do what you did.  Whatever it is, we will try and discuss it tomorrow.  Please go to your room now."

Kushi, kept staring towards Devi Mayya as if to guide her.  Seeing that Kushi has not moved, Anjali puts one arm around Kushi and slowly walks her up the stairs.

Inside his bedroom, Arnav was confused.  Instead of being happy in his victory, he was sad.  He was actually hurt.  He was in pain.  He felt a tightness in his chest.  He felt a big lump in his throat.  He felt immense grief.  He was not understanding this sadness.  He tried to recall his goal.  He tried to recall the terrace scene.  But all that he could recall was Garima's words and slaps and Kushi's face.  This was making Arnav angry.  Why was he feeling sorry for Kushi.  Why are her tears still paining him.  Was he being unreasonable.  Did he jump to conclusions.  Could he be wrong about '

And before Arnav could complete that thought, he hears a Knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It is me."

"Di, I do not want to discuss anything, so please leave me alone."

"Arnav, open the door."

Arnav is taken aback.  His Di never called him by his name. It was always Chotey.  And second, there was an anger in her voice, he couldn't ignore.  Arnav slowly opens the door and gets shocked seeing Kushi and his Di standing behind Kushi.

"Arnav, you have hurt all of us with your actions today.  So be it.  But, you married Kushi and brought her here as your wife.  She has faced everyone's wrath for what both of you did.  You marrying whoever you want, whenever you want might be none of our business.  But at least, have the sense to take care of your business.  Your wife."

Saying that Anjali leaves.  Arnav was stunned.  This is not something he has thought about or planned or prepared for.  He just leaves from there and sits on the bed. 

Anjali turns around and tells Kushi to wait.  She comes back with some clothes and says, "I know that you do not have any of your stuff here.  Until that time, please use these" and gives Kushi some Saris and other items.

Anjali gently pushes Kushi inside and pulls the door shut and leaves from there.  Kushi stands like a statue for what seemed to be an eternity.  Arnav was sitting on his bed and looking at the floor.  Neither knew what to do next. 

Kushi was the first.  The clothes from her hands fell to the floor.  She slowly walks to Arnav and drops to her knees.  Arnav looks at her.  He wants to be angry.  He wants to be wanting to hurt her.  But, those feelings were not coming to the fore.  He was hurting seeing her like that.

Kushi looked straight into his eyes.  Like she always did.  When ever she was right and did not have anything to fear.  She spoke in a measured tone.

"Arnavji, what did I do, to deserve this.  Why did you make me an orphan again.  My Amma, who never let me feel like an orphan, today said,  I made her feel childless.  Everyone is asking me why this is happening.  I agreed to all your conditions so Paayal marriage will not be broken.  Please tell me, what my fault is to deserve this punishment."

Unable to look into Kushi's eyes directly, Arnav gets up and walks towards the pool door.

"I don't have to answer you.  You deserve all the pain in the world.  That's all you need to know."

Kushi stands up.  Grabs Arnav's arm and turned him towards her. 

"Even a criminal is told what his or her crime is before they are punished.  I know I have not done anything wrong. I might have committed a great sin, in the eyes of the mighty Arnav.  I am a human being just like you, and I deserve to know for what I am being punished. You will have to tell me and until you tell me, I will keep asking you."

"You mean nothing to me.  You are an insignificant piece of trash, whose very sight I abhor.  If you think, I will answer your questions, think again.  Remember, I have the upper hand.  Just because marriage is over does not mean anything.  Mami hates Paayal, and I can create such a situation where Paayal will be sent packing before the honey moon is over."

Yet another threat of her sisters marriage and happiness. Kushi slams Arnav's chest with all the might in both her hands.  Kushi does it again and again. The force and the strength of her hits and shoves surprises Arnav.  Arnav stumbles back and actually felt pain in his chest where Kushi had hit him. 

Kushi, summons all her strength from deep within her guts and hits Arnav one more time on his chest while shoving him back.  Arnav stumbles back and hits the pool door hard. His sensitive back slams into the door handle and Arnav feels the pain.

When Kushi tries to hit him again, Arnav grabs both her wrists, and squeezes them breaking the bangles she was wearing.  The bangles, he had given her two days ago.  One pierces The pain does not register with Kushi. 

"You are the most disgusting human being I have ever seen in my life.  You are not even human.  I wish I never agreed to your conditions.  Paayal might have been happier, than be married into a family which houses a filthy animal like you. And to think, I was falling in''"

Kushi catches her self from completing that sentence and forcibly yanks her arms from him, opens the pool side door and steps outside and sits by the tree. 

Arnav was used to such strong words.  Kushi had called him inhumane many times.  But they never registered before.  This time, those words stung.  Stung him big time.  He was feeling emotions which he could not put a name to.  This was turning him into a mess.  Arnav decides to stop over thinking and goes to bed.

Kushi, keeps looking at the stars.  The cold started to take a toll and Kushi started shivering involuntarily.  Until that time, the tense situation, the boiling blood, her anger boiling over, stopped her body and mind from not registering the cold.  But now after being in the cold for 30 minutes, she was feeling very cold.  She wraps the dupatta around her two times and huddles with arms around her knees and head on her knees. 

Arnav probably was on bed for 30 minutes and wakes up with a jolt.  He instinctively walks to the pool door and sees a visibly shivering Kushi.  He opens it and asks Kushi to come inside.  Kushi does not pay any heed to him.  Arnav requests turn to order and orders turn to blackmails.  Kushi ignores all of them.  Arnav gets couple of comforters and puts them next  to Kushi, leaves, the door open and goes and tries to sleep. 

Kushi after 15 more minutes,  all cried out, exhausted, dry eyes and heavy heart, puts a comforter on the floor and wraps herself in the other and goes to sleep.  Kushi could sleep.  Because just few minutes earlier, Kushi talked to herself.

"I will not give up.  I will fight.  I will figure out a way to neutralize Arnavs power and ensure that the family comes to know the truth and will support me and Paayal.  For that, I need to win over all of them one by one.  I am not going to cry anymore and I will be strong.  I will never compormise myself or my dignity ever again.  Yesterday was the last time anyone takes advnatage of me."

Arnav is unable to sleep.  Now the image that keeps playing in his head is the shivering Kushi.  Again that emotion, the same emotion he felt after Kushi's verbal barbs, the emotion, he was unable to name and explain was eating him.  It was frustrating him.  Then the image was replaced with the bangle piercing Kushi's arm because of him.  Arnav winces as if the bangle pierced him.

He walks to the pool door and in the moon light sees a broken bangle piece.  He takes it in his hand and squeezes his hand tightly around it.  The bangle needles into his palm and the pain, suddenly gave the name to the emotion he was unable to describe or identify or name.  The need to hurt himself.  The need  to feel pain.

The realization struck him with such clarity his head reeled under the implication.  He was hurting Kushi and something inside him was telling him to hurt himself.  Arnav was stunned.  Why was he feeling like this.  He could understand feeling like this when he ran after the ambulance.  He could understand wanting to die at the thought of thinking Kushi was no more.  He could understand the feeling of suffocation when Kushi asked him "Kyon Faraq Padtha Hai".  But, all that was because, he was hopelessly falling in love with her or was already in love with her. 

But that is not the case now.  But why does he still feel like that.  Why does he want to hurt himself, every time she is hurt.  He cannot still love her.  Does he?

The prey was sleeping peacefully and the predator lost all sleep.  Predator was left dazed and confused.

Chapter 9: When tables turn

Arnav could not sleep a wink. Only in the early hours around 5 AM, tired and exhausted, his body refused to obey his racing brain and his eyes closed and he dozed off.

Kushi wakes up shortly after that. She slowly makes her way to the room and goes into the bath room and showers and gets ready. Luckily for her, this was the master bedrrom which was the size of her home and the shower sound did not seem to have woken up Arnav.

By the time Kushi goes down, it is only 6 AM and Anjali, Nani and Paayal are already in the kitchen.

Kushi, is about to wish good morning when she hears Anjali sharing the news of being pregnant with Nani.

Nani was happy. Her face lit up.

"Anjali Bitiya. That is such a wonderful news. You have made me so happy. I am going to be a great grandma. When did you know. Is everything fine."

"Nani, everything is fine. I just got to know 2 days ago from the doctor."

"Why didn't you share this before then Anjali Bitiya."

"Nani, once I do this, all of you will pamaper me a lot and will not let me do anything. I wanted to enjoy doing things for Akash. It was his marriage and I did not want to take center stage. Once the marriage rituals were all finished, I was going to give the news to all, especially to Akash and tell him, becoming an uncle is his gift. But we all know what happened yesterday. Today when I saw you sitting like this with tears in your eyes and looking so sad, I decided now would be the best time to take your mind off yesterdays events."

Paayal wishes Anjali and gives her a hug and tries to leave from there.

"Paayalji, where are you going."

"I am sorry Di. I am so sorry for what happened yesterday. I do not know how to make all this go away and make it better. I will remind you all of Kushi. I do not know what to do. I am so sorry Di."

"Paayalji, why are you sorry. Why will you remind of Kushi. Kushi is also in this house. So whether we want to remember or not, it won't be of any help. I do not hold you responsible for what happened yesterday. I am sure, you were as stunned as the rest of us. So, please don't worry. Ok?"

"Thanks Di. It means a lot to me, that you are all being so nice about it and I feel proud to be part of your family."

The three of them hug and smile.

A faint smile tries to escape Kushi, but unknown to her, her tears had been rolling down her cheeks. She silently walks away from there not wanting to disturb the good atmosphere. She goes back to the pool and sits by the tree.

She is oblivious to Arnav coming there. Arnav is groggy, sleep deprived, angry and irritated.

"Enough of your fake crocodile tears. Put the comforters inside and let us go down stairs."

Kushi ignores him.

Arnav grabs Kushi's arm with his left hand and pulls her up forcibly. Kushi instictively pushes him and yanks her arm from his grip.

"Don't you ever dare touch me again Arnav Singh Raizada.. I would rather have caterpillars crawling all over my body."

Arnav grabs Kushi's arms as usual and Kushi yanks her self free and slaps Arnav across the face.

"I told you not to touch me."

The slap surprised Arnav. He was tongue tied for few seconds.

"Don't you dare talk to me in that tone. I told you, whether you like it or not, we need to act like a happy couple in front of others. As to touching you. I have seen many gold diggers throwing themselves at me. But you are the worst of them all. They never pretended to be something they are not. You have less character than all of them combined."

"You better do what I say and get used to doing what I say. If you want to see what I can do and how easily I can break up your sisters world, then feel free to try it. I encourage you to try it."

All the resolve, all the determinition Kushi felt last night, seems to have evaporated. She felt meek, helpless and incredibly hurt. His harsh words and manhandling seems to hurt her more and more instead of less and less. Instead of getting used to it, she finds it unnerving her as if those words are new to her.

While Kushi goes to wash her face, Arnav paces his room. He is unable to shake the image of a shivering Kushi from last night and his realization, that he wants to feel the hurt himself, everytime he hurts Kushi.

At breakfast, Anjali has just shared the news with everyone. Everyone is busy congratulating her. Arnav and Kushi come there hand in hand, pretending to be a happy couple. Arnav figures out Di has shared the pregnancy news. He tries to congratulate Anjali, but Anjali ignores him.

Arnav walks to where his Di is sitting.

"Di, you are the most important person in my life. Nothing else matters. Your happiness.."

Anjaly interrupts Arnav.

"My Happiness Is None Of Your Business Arnav. Leave me alone."

Arnav felt like he was slapped hard. Slapped hard multiple times. He was looking for a way or a word to say to Anjali when Shyam comes there and sits next to Anjali.

Arnav watched Shyam getting congratulated by everyone. Shyam coming there did not bother Arnav as much as Anjali's words.

Shyam was looking intently at Arnav and Kushi and their interaction..

----- *** ------

Shyam was the other soul in RM who could not sleep more than few winks last night, along with Arnav. Shyam always considered himself to be the master manipulator and was always confident of his intelligence.

What happened yesterday was not what he expected the events to turn out to be like. He succeeded in planting doubts in Arnav. He succeded in manipulating Kushi. He succeded in turning Arnav into a murderous bull. But what he did not succeed in was in anticipating Arnav's reaction.

He wanted Arnav to drive Kushi out of his life and out of Delhi. Not marry her and bring her here. She is married now. The woman he had pined for, is now married to Arnav. What kind of a stupid moron is Arnav. How and why would he marry her. Was Arnav pulling a fast one on him. Was their love too strong. Was his anger on Kushi just a drama. Was he going to be exposed. Is that why Arnav and Kushi did not say anything yesterday, so the marriage rituals are completed.

Million thoughts swirled like a hurricane in Shyam's brain. What is the meaning of all of this. The more he thought about it, the more Shyam feared that Arnav and Kushi have developed an unbrekable bond and now are doing a drama and his truth will come out. Shyam twitches and instead of enjoying all the attention he was getting, he felt like every one was preying on him. It was unnerving Shyam a lot, seeing Arnav and Kushi act like normal couple.

Shyam excuses himself saying he rememberd he needs to meet a client and leaves RM wondering if the tables have turned.