Chapter 32

She had to know.

She had to ask him.

There should be no dishonesty between them.

No deviousness.

No tricks.

Destiny had brought them together and they were meant to be together.

But she wanted it to be perfect.

Not a forced arrangement due to people's interference.

When they both loved each other, what was the barrier?

She had to break these barriers of unsaid words and unexpressed emotion.

This time she wasn't going to let the unsaid words take away the joy of their union.

When she reached home, he was working on his laptop.

He looked up for a second and a veiled look came on his face and his attention went back to the laptop.

Khushi went closer to him and said, 'I want to talk to you.'

'Fire away,' he said looking up finally.

'Will you be honest with your answers?' she asked.

'What kind of a question is that?' he countered.

'Answer me,' she said.

'Ok. I will try,' he said.

'Did your Dad come here at your request?' she asked.

He was silent.

'Answer me Arnav,' she insisted.

'How does it matter?' he said turning away to face the window,

'Tell me Arnav. Did he come because of you?" she continued her grilling.

'May be,' he evaded, still looking out.

'Why? Why did you need him to interfere?' Khushi asked, genuinely puzzled.

'Because you were not thinking ahead. You were not thinking of getting married,' he said.

'What is wrong in that? After what happened to us and after my parents, how could you expect me to jump into a marriage?' she asked.

'So what was the solution Khushi? I wait forever?' he asked her. Getting angry now.

'No. I just needed to think and understand what my parents wanted,' she said.

'Of course you did. And that is why I have been patient,' he said.

'This is patience? Planning behind my back? And what about Mausiji. Wasn't that your plan too?' she asked.

This time he had the grace to look ashamed but without blinking an eyelid he said 'It was needed.'

'I don't believe this,' Khushi said, genuinely angry with him.

He had tricked her ad forced her into a thing she wanted so desperately-marriage with him.

She felt hurt and betrayed.

'You will remain manipulative and shrewd Arnav. Nothing has changed. Once you staged a drama with La. And today you staged a drama with Mausiji

And both times I was the unsuspecting audience,' she said, in tears now.

'Don't you dare compare the two.

No matter what I do, you hold the past against me.

This time I did it because we both wanted to be together.

I did not want to waste time.

Will you ever let go of the past Khushi?

Isn't this all about the past?

You will never outgrow it. Ever.' He said, his voice trembling with anger and pain.

'No.

This is not about the past.

It is about trut.

About honesty.

About patience.

About all the things which we need to build a strong life together.

Not the way you are rushing.

Not the way you are forcing things,' Khushi protested.

'Yeah right.

This is all about you.

What you want.

What yur parents will think

How much time you need.

What about me Khushi?

I have a life to get on with

I have a business to get back to.

I too have a father, though he may not be as great as yours

Why don't you also think about them?

Since the time I have been here,

I have put up with all your moods.

I have put up with all the hot and cold behavior.

I have been fine with your many rejections.

I have never crossed the limits with you physically.

What's the use?

You only see that side of me which you want to see.

And now I am sick and tired of proving myself to you,' he yelled, his anger now boiling over.

'So don't.

Just go back to your life.

Go back to the world where you belong.

Go back to the many women who are happy to jump at your every word.

Go back to living life at your terms.

I never asked you to follow me here.

And I will never stop you from having the life you want,' she said rashly.

She knew she had gone too far.

He knew he had gone too far.

But anger was a heady emotion.

It made one do unwise things,

Only ego spoke then.

'Guess what I will do that.

Go away from your life.

Go back to where I came from.

Go back to looking for a woman who sees my love for her

And not what I am lacking.

Yes Khushi I made a mistake following you here.

I wish you had realized that every mistake I made

Was out of the boundless love I have for you,

But then, if you look beyond the means I took to get you,

You will see the love which made me do it.

Never mind, In another lifetime.

I will fulfill your wish and not burden you by forcing you into anything you don't want.

I am leaving right now.

And this time I am not coming back.

Someone will pick up my stuff later.

Goddbye---' He said and walked out of the door closing the door behind him with a resounding thud.

He had said it.

He had said he loved her.

The words that she had waited to hear for 8 years.

He had finally said it.

And then the irony struck her.

He had gone-----

Again.

She half expected him to walk back through the door.

She stared at the door till she lost rack of time.

The loud chime of her clock made her look up and realize it was almost night.

She did not know when the gentle tears turned into a sob and then a gut wrenching wail as she screamed to the empty walls

'Come back Arnav. I did not mean it. Just come back----Don't leave me alone. I love you too---and I am sorry ----'