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This twist in the tale is a sign of better things to come!!!😉

Chapter 15

Arnav was now pacing up and down the room, running his fingers through his hair, talking intently to Aman on the phone.

"Are all my factory workers save, Aman?" he asked in a worried voice.

"Take the injured to the hospital as fast as you can. Are there other people from the office to help you?"

"Yes Aman, I am calling the police commissioner immediately and I am coming too.

Arnav disconnected the line and turned towards Khushi. His brown eyes held a pained expression that melted Khushi's heart. She wanted to close the gap between them and hug him tight.

She took a step forward but Arnav held up his hand to stop her and said in a cold voice,

"How dare you, Khushi! I did not expect this pretension from you. Oh! So that is why you were coming on to me, right?" The fury in Arnav's eyes sank Khushi's heart to a dark, bottomless pit.

"What are you saying, Arnavji? Khushi's voice came out in a broken whisper. "Why should I pretend? What did I do?"

Arnav closed in on her but Khushi did not retreat, she stood her ground, staring at him with unwavering eyes, flabbergasted with the new turn of events.

Arnav was besides her in two strides. He gripped her upper arms tightly, his eyes glinting with rage, boring down upon her like spit fire.He said through clenched teeth, "So that you could keep me distracted while your partner burnt down my factory."

Khushi's arms were hurting under Arnav's vice-like grip but her physical pain was not as great as the pain which shot through her heart.

"My partner, Arnavji? I really cannot understand what you are saying. Why are you behaving like this, Arnavji? Just some time back you were..."

"Some time back I was a fool Khushi and I am sure you enjoyed making me one!" Arnav thundered, tightening his grip on her.

"You are hurting me, Arnavji," she cried in pain, not being able to bear his touch or his taunt.

"I am, am I?" a short sarcastic laugh escaped his throat."Your man said in the anonymous call to Aman that while you were setting me on fire, he was setting my AR Designs on fire !"

"Arnavji, do you really think I would do something like this? Burn down your factory, deliberately hurt your employees?" Khushi said beseechingly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Abruptly Arnav let go off Khushi. She stumbled back and would have fallen, wounding herself again, if Arnav had not caught her in his strong arms. Khushi pushed him back, angry and confused by his actions. "First you hurt me, then you prevent me from getting hurt! Why Arnavji, why? If I am so bad why didn't you let me fall?"

"Tumhare har sawaal ka jawab dena zaroori nahi hai (It is not necessary to answer each and every question of yours)."Arnav said in a hoarse voice. Then turning on his heels he moved towards the door.

Khushi felt a strange mist, an unbearable sense of loss enveloping her as she watched him leave.

He suddenly stopped and turning, looked straight into her eyes said, "Tell your Shyamji he will regret what he has done, And this time I will not only put him behind bars but personally see to it that he gets the strictest sentence possible."

And then he was gone.

Khushi slumped down on the bed. The events of the last fifteen minutes raced through her head. She tried to give some semblance to them but couldn't.

She acknowledged that she would know no peace until she found out the truth. Somehow she had to convince Arnavji that she was innocent. Given her middle class background she had definitely behaved in an uncharacteristic manner. But her boldness did not stem from her desire to seduce him or distract him. It was just that...she was not sure what it was!

But she had to let Arnavji know that she would never do anything to hurt him or cause harm to anyone who was even remotely connected to him. But for that she would have to find out the facts first. What did he mean about Shyamji?! There was only one person who might be able to shed some light on Shyamji.

She picked up the phone and dialled NK's number.

The number rang for some time before NK's sleepy and harried voice came floating on the other end of the phone line,"Khushi! Why are you calling at this time of the night? Don't tell me there is a rat in Neha's room again! Anyway, I am in Lucknow and I can't come..."

"Shut up, NK!" Khushi interrupted his prattle."This is serious. I want to ask you something."

There was a pause before NK said in a gloomy voice, "So you have heard about Shyam Khushi ! Well, I wanted to tell you personally after I returned from Lucknow. Shashi uncle told me he had called you when Shyam went missing."

"NK what is going on, please tell me now, I am feeling scared." Khushi literally screamed at him over the phone.

NK answered in a reassuring tone,"There is nothing to feel scared about, Khushi. The man who could have harmed you is in prison."

"Harmed me? Who?" Khushi was shell shocked.

"Shyam Manohar Jha."

Khushi gasped aloud, clasping her hand over her mouth.

NK continued, "I know you might find it difficult to believe but do you know why he used to visit Shashi uncle everyday? So that he could sweet talk him into marrying you !"

"What!" Khushi spat out. To her Shyamji was always the gentleman who had helped them financially, on his own accord, when Shashi Gupta was forced to close down his sweet shop. The Guptas had met Shyam through NK, as he was NK's family's lawyer. He had endeared himself to the elders in the Gupta household, especially her Babuji and Buaji. But Khushi had no feelings for him at all.

"How did Shyamji even think I would marry him!" she could not keep out the annoyance in her voice.

Before Khushi could finish NK snorted, "Think! Leave alone think! Listen to what he did! Shashi uncle is in this state because of him. Pretending to help him, Shyam actually embezzled huge sums from your Babuji's shop. I came to realize this when the business tycoon, Arnav Singh Raizada lodged a similar complaint against him in Lucknow's police station!"

Khushi's heart thudded against her rib cage. "Arnavji...?!!" she whispered.

"Yes," said NK,"Do you know him, Khushi? As one of the lawyers on ASR's payroll, Shyam, took the opportunity to swindle AR Designs! More importantly, it seems he tried to charm and take advantage of Anjali, ASR's elder sister. Thankfully ASR got whiff of Shyam's evil plans and got Anjali married off to an army man. He then dealt with that rascal, Shyam."

Khushi felt dizzy. Her head was spinning and her heart was in knots. Hey Devi Maiyya, Shyam had cheated her Babuji and pretended all along to be a friend of the family! He must have done the same with Arnavji's family!

She was also sure that since Arnavji had put him in jail he had sent his henchmen to commit a terrible crime, to set his factory ablaze. And Shyam had also falsely implicated her in a way that she appeared as his partner in crime. What had the anonymous caller told Aman... that while you she was setting Arnavji on fire, he was setting AR Designs on fire !

This must have really upset Arnavji.She understood now why he had behaved the way he did.

Ever since the Guptas had fallen into bad times, Khushi had one goal...to reopen the sweet shop and to make the person responsible for embezzling from her Babuji suffer! Today she wanted to do that, not only for her family but also for her Arnavji who had been on his own since his parents died.

She wanted to take away all his pain and hurt. She wanted to look deep into his caramel orbs and tell him she cared...

She lay down on the bed on and bending pushed the button which enveloped the bed in the tiniest of fairy lights and sheer white lace. She touched the flimsy material and turning hugged the side Arnav had lain on. She pressed her lips on the soft texture of the bed, the musky smell of his after shave filling her nostrils. She closed her eyes and trembled as the realization struck her!

She knew now why she had no qualms about making love to Arnavji...because she loved him !

She whispered softly into the bed, smiling as she remembered their passionate kiss,

"I love you, Arnavji."

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wiwy2013-08-23 16:37:44