Chapter 9
Chapter Eight
Arnav sat in his sanctuary trying to work, and escape from the chaos that was swelling his mind, but he fooled no one, not his plants, himself or the mosquitoes that were buzzing around in the pool area. Their buzz seemed to be echoing the riotous state of his mind. Where the lover Arnav had taken full swing and was sending one blow after another towards the brother Arnav. Everything that had happen downstairs, the past month, the past year really was replaying inside his head and for the first time he truly began scrutinising each memory to try and find an answer to his questions. He replayed each memory from the day he met Khushi at Sheesh-Mahal in Lucknow. He had misunderstood her that night, even though she had continuously told him that she was innocent. He had misunderstood her when she had come to work for him. He had misunderstood her when she had come to empathise with him on his parents' death-anniversary. He had misunderstood her when she came to help Lavanya. He had misunderstood her when she gate-crashed his (lets-face-it boring) party. He had misunderstood her every single time. So had he misunderstood her that fateful night too on the terrace...
Khushi's words on the road echoed in his head... You only saw what you wanted to see, heard what you wanted to hear...why didn't you ask me?!!! Why hadn't he?!! He should have confronted her, like he had confronted Shyam, but why hadn't he? Was it because confirmation from Shyam was enough...or was it because he was too afraid of her answer...
The dilemma that had plagued him ever since the day he had revealed to Khushi the truth behind their marriage and had heard her side of the story was eating at him again. Had he mistaken Khushi again for the second time. While kidnapped he had began to believe he had wronged Khushi and that her side of the story was indeed the truth. He had seen her love for him and it was all clear in the solitude of that derelict basement where the kidnappers had kept him, that his Khushi was his only and that she was innocent. But then yesterday in the lounge, Khushi's lack of evidence, Shyam's manipulation of words, and Mami Ji's account had persuaded him against Khushi...but now Nani ji's blind trust, khushi's empty voice and NK's resigned admission to Arnav's nearing doom all knawed at his insides. Had he misunderstood Khushi and her intentions yet again...
'Yes! You have done it again!' Snapped a voice at Arnav, as a hand slammed the laptop shut in front of him.
'Khushi...' Arnav started, but stopped as Payal came into view. Payal had disappeared after Khushi, after she had spoken her last words to Arnav in the living room. And now was standing with a livid face staring at the man who had killed her sister.
'Don't you dare say her precious name from your lips! You are not worthy of uttering her pure name. You the man who has dragged it through so much mud!!'
'Payal wha...'
'O please...don't even start with me. Not after you have killed my sister!!'
'Killed Khu...Khu...' Arnav could not even complete that sentence the pain of completing that sentence was excruciating. The image of khushi on the roof top in laxmi-nagar trying to commit suicide circled in his head...had she...had she attempted su...suicide again...
'I said don't say her name with that filthy mouth of yours.'
'Payal what happened to her...where is she?!' begged Arnav. In that moment it was all clear he had been wrong and he had let Khushi walk the plank because he was so damn ignorant and stubborn, not listening to his heart that had screamed the truth to him. And now, now he had lost his chance to ever be able to earn her forgiveness. He was swooning, falling into that black pit that he had taken so much pain to steer away from...
'No where I will ever let you come close to her...not after you have left her in that state!'
Payal's last words brought a flicker of hope, 'wait...she is alive?'
'She is breathing if that is what you mean by being alive...but otherwise dead!!
'You have killed her soul Arnav Singh Raizada!! Finally driven her to her breaking point! That is what you have always wanted to do wasn't it, ever since you employed her at AR. To break her!! Well congratulations Mr Arnav Singh Raizada you have accomplished that today. Khushi is broken!! My sister, my baby sister is sitting downstairs in the mandir lifeless all thanks to you!!!'
Payal was now on the floor weeping. The sight of her sister sitting on the mandir steps, lifeless, with all hope lost had set her every nerve on fire. She wasn't going to let Arnav off the hook, but shouting at this slab of marble, called Arnav Singh Raizada, about Khushi's condition had made her waver for a moment as khushi's expressionless face flashed before her eyes she couldn't help but break down. She had kept herself together in the mandir when she had tried to get a response out of Khushi in vain, but now in front of Arnav Singh Raizada she couldn't help it anymore, the anger she felt towards him was unmatchable towards the love she harboured for her sister and remembering her expressionless face had reduced her to tears.
Seeing Payal's state Arnav advanced towards her trying to console her, 'Payal...I...she...I..w..'
But before he could even put his hand on her shoulder Payal slapped it away and wiped her tears. 'Don't...don't even think about it. Don't mistake my tears for weakness or fear...I'm not afraid of you...you made very sure of that when you hurt Khushi. I'm not going to let you off so easily Mr Arnav Singh Raizada, you will pay for your crimes against my sister...I will make sure of it.'
She wasn't going to be weak in front of this man, he preyed on weak people. And she had to be strong for her sister. Her Khushi. She looked up at man who had ruined her sister's life and asked:
'Tell me one thing if you never loved her, or trusted her then why? Why did you marry her? If you never intended to take care of her then why did you take those vows? She never wanted you, she never asked for you, then why did you pursue her? What did she do to you that hurt you so bad that you had to make her life a living hell from the day you met her. What was her mistake?! That she loved you. That she loved your family? That she tolerated that sick man's advances only and only to keep your Di's belief of a perfect husband intact. What? What was her mistake?! Answer me damn it!!'
Arnav had no answer to that question. He himself had been plagued with that question many times. Why? Why could he not trust her? Why did he always hurt her? What was her mistake? He didn't know, all he knew was that somehow he always ended up misjudging Khushi and thereby causing her severe pain.
Payal turned to leave, seeing that there was no point in wasting her breath on this stone statue. There was no point in expecting an answer from him. He was cruel, plain and simple and that's why he hurt people. But she stopped at the door turning around to look at Arnav with the look of utmost disgust.
'And about what you said to Khushi downstairs...that you will make her regret ever meeting you...what are you going to make her regret...I regret that cursed moment when I opened my mouth and voiced my fears about the dowry and Abhishek ji to Khushi, if I had never said anything to her that day Khushi would never have motored half across town to meet the groom and would never have met you...and if that had happened she would never have had to see this day. So what are you going to make Khushi or me or anyone of us regret that day Mr Raizada...we already do...it is you who will regret now...regret messing with Khushi, regret hurting Khushi, regret breaking her!' And with that she left Arnav, staring speechless after another Gupta for the second time that day.
****
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Comments (73)
Hi all sorry for the late update, I meant to update earlier but i realised yesterday morning that it was 21st august as in Barun's bday n that i still hadn't made my vm for it so spnt the whole morning making that (a link for that is below if u are interested in seeing it) nyway so cuz of that didn't upload it in the morning n then was busy in the evening, so finally came on a while ago have just finished replyin to u all n so now the next two chapters...hope u enjoy them 😊Barun's Bday vm linkACTywm2012-08-21 18:45:14
12 years ago
thank you 😳
12 years ago
thank you n i have tried my best i hope u guys think i have done justice to khushi n made him regret correctly 😊
12 years ago
😊 I'm sure deepali (the actress who plays payal) would love to hear that from the viewers...so cvs plz make payal more fiesty cuz no one likes her emotional, well no we don't mind the emotions we just dont like the not standing up for herself, that irks us so none of that plz!!!
12 years ago
thank you 😳
12 years ago
thank you 😃
12 years ago
😃
12 years ago
AIHAIE SORRY...FOR LEAVING U ALL AT THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF...BUT HMMM WRITER HONE KA THODA SO MAZA THO LOON...😉N i understand ur hatred towards him, but i hope just the way i have made u hate him i can redeem him too in ur eyes...i guess its my turn to wait n see whether u like what how i make that come about...
12 years ago
THANK YOU😳
12 years ago
THANK YOU 😃
12 years ago