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"You're not going anywhere. I need answers. Now!" Arnav blasted through the bedroom door as Khushi gathered her things.
Khushi deliberately ignored the accusations from Arnav. Just leave Khushi. No more of this. She chanted the mantra that had been going through her mind since the morning.
"Dammit Khushi, Answer me!" Arnav grabbed her elbow and forced her to face him.
Khushi looked at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. She tried to free her elbow from Arnav.
"You can't run away from this Khushi. No damn way! I need answers! Were the past two months a joke? A ridiculous game that you concocted with him?" Khushi flinched at Arnav's reference of Shyam.
"Do not associate me with that man!" Khushi slowly but sternly said as she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Is this how you're going to deal with it? Run away? Well you bloody can't, Khushi Kumari Gupta! You know very well who is going to suffer if you try to run away! I bet he's planning on joining you, huh?" Arnav spat at her.
His words hurt her like the whip of a lash. "I cannot believe this. You think the past two months were a joke? How could you-" Tears began to run down from Khushi's eyes, which held the weight of Arnav's accusation. "How could you think of me like that? Time and time again I trust you, and time and time again you show me how lowly you think of me."
"Yes! Because people like you are only after one thing. Paisa! You want money! And today you proved your gold digging personality! What were you thinking Khushi? That you can trick me into signing a will and everything will be yours?" Arnav was yelling now.
"Look-"
"-No you look! You try to run away from this and I can have you arrested dammit! Answer my damn questions because you're not going anywhere!" Arnav spat at her with only hatred in his words.
"NO!" Khushi was tried of it. Sick of it. "A man like you deserve no answers! What did I ever do to you other than be a victim of your misunderstanding? And even today, don't you want to know what really happened?" Khushi was pleading now. She desperately searched his eyes for the hint of the Arnav she had gotten to know in the past two months. "Now, all of a sudden you think I'm such a person to stoop so low? I don't want your money! I only wanted you!" Khushi shook with pain as honest words escaped her mouth.
"Shuttup Khushi!" Arnav grabbed her arms. "Save your load of crap for Shyam! After all that's whose side you've always been on. I was nothing but a joke, right Khushi?!"
"No, please, listen! If only Nanhe-ji was-"
"-Don't. I mean DO NOT drag another member of my family into this. You made a mess like you always do. Now I want answers! How much were you going to take from me? Did you want the house? The company? Were you going to kill me? Was he going to help you?"
"Please-"
"-How long did it take you to think of that kidnapping drama? Or was that why you stalled me in front of the airport?" Arnav cut her off again, his words dripping with hate as if it were venom.
"I'm done!" Khushi shook free of his grasp. Khushi felt a part of her resurface. The part which was tired of trying to not take everything he said to heart. She was tired of being a person getting flung around as a victim of his mood swings, his misunderstandings.
"I'm done." She repeated. "You're not going to get answers because there are no answers. Trying to make you see me for who I am is useless! And don't you think I'm running away, Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada! Don't you dare! I'm removing myself from the misery of your company. I'm keeping myself away from an environment that I absolutely despise!"
Arnav tried to talk but Khushi cut him off and kept going. She wasn't stopping for anybody.
"You always think you can control people, right? Well not anymore! May I remind you that 6 months are over? Your time to control me is over! And don't you dare try to threaten me on behalf of my sister, Mr.Raizada. I'm tired of being the one to suffer on everyone else's behalves!" Khushi was yelling now. She was exasperated. "This joke of a marriage ends here! You hate me, don't you? Well consider this your lucky day!" Khushi grabbed her bag and ran for the door.
Six months were over. It had never occurred to Arnav what would happen when six months were over.
"Khushi stop!" But Khushi didn't listen. She was already heading down the stairs. Arnav stormed out of his room. She wouldn't dare, he told himself. But she did. Afterall, she was Khushi Kumari Gupta. He wasn't going after her. He knew she'd be back.
Arnav fumed back into his room. How could she? I had trusted her! No, let her go! She should not matter to you anymore. Khushi Kumari Gupta has only caused you problems. With that thought Arnav did what he did best. He locked away his emotions.
---
Arnav opened his eyes as he thought of what he had done. It was his mistake. How could he misunderstand her again? Khushi was everything but the deceiving, horrible person he had made her to be.
"Chote, when Khushi-ji left this house a year ago, she was hurt." Anjali's words flew back into his mind. Arnav hung his head and continued to think of what had happened.
---
It had been a month since Khushi left. He knew she wasn't with her parents. Maybe she had went to Lucknow somewhere. She never picked up his calls and- Arnav stopped. Why am I worrying about her? He had no time to be dominated by thoughts of her.
"NANAV!"
Great... NK was back again. Arnav stood to greet NK who was pulling in his bags.
"Nanav! How are you? And, where's Khushi-ji?" NK greeted Arnav.
An awkward silence spread among the family. NK looked around. Everyone except Khushi-ji. "Come on, tell me. Where is she?"
"Khushi-ji..." Anjali started to speak. "Khushi-ji left."
"Left?" NK was confused.
"She left. Packed her bags and left. Good thing she did. This family doesn't need anymore people deceiving us." Arnav cut in.
In an instant NK knew exactly what it meant. Nanav didn't? Oh no! NK figured out everything that had happened in his head.
"Oh no, Nanav!" What did you do?"
"What do you mean? Please don't try to argue with me on Khushi's behalf! I'm sick and tired of people-"
"No, Nanav, no!" NK started to pace. "Come here!" NK grabbed Arnav by the elbow and led him to the poolside.
"Tell me everything that happened!" NK waited, staring at Arnav.
"Why do you-" Arnav started.
"Don't hesitate, Nanav! Come on just tell me what happened!"
Arnav had his doubts, but he began recounting everything that had happened. He came home after escaping from the kidnappers. They decided to not expose Shyam till Di had given birth. Two months of bliss for Arnav and Khushi before he found out about the will. How he accused her. How she left. Arnav told NK everything as NK shook his head.
"Oh no, Nanav! Jiju. I swear to you it was probably Jiju that planted the will on Khushi-ji!" NK started.
"What do you mean?" Arnav was now genuinely confused.
"I mean that Khushi-ji is innocent! I knew about a document that Jiju had made her sign! Khushi-ji was suspicious so she hid it but he later stole it! We didn't know it was a will!"
"We?"
"Yes, Nanav, I knew about it too!" NK let out an agitated sigh. "I left at the wrong time. You have to call Khushi-ji back."
It didn't take long before NK filled in Arnav on what had happened.
Everything that happened after that had a domino effect. Arnav nearly killed Shyam. Anjali was shattered. NK tried to sort out exactly what Shyam's motives were. But in between all this, Arnav and NK's desperate attempt to find Khushi's whereabouts failed. That was until- till she asked him to never find her.
---
Arnav came back to reality. Everything that had happened was because of him. He always messed up. If she could have proved that she was innocent, why didn't she? Why did she never call NK to vouch for her? Arnav's mind buzzed with thoughts. Why? As if to answer his question, Anjali's words came to his mind.
"Chote, when Khushi-ji left this house a year ago, she was hurt."
Of course. It was because of him. She didn't prove her innocence because of him. She was tired of trying to make him see her for who she really was. Again, it was his fault. Again, Khushi had suffered because of him. Because of his mistakes.
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