Garima stared at Akash and Payal aghast.They had filled her with the happenings of RM that how Arnav and Khushi's relationship has changed, how they keep fighting, how Arnav dominates Khushi, how they both hurt each other with their words, how Arnav has cut all the ties with them and how he left the home leaving behind them shattered.

"You both shouldn't have come here.Let him do whatever he wants to punish me.Let him hurt me if that will give him peace I am okay with it.You both don't distance yourself with him or Khushi." Garima sobbed. "Please stay with Khushi. She needs you both.Tell her to forget me and move on with him.That is the only way she can have some peace with him. Ask her to stop fighting for me bitiya!"

"We can't do anything Amma. He took her away. He don't let anyone of us meet her or him not even Di or Nani." Payal said teary eyed.

"Because of me!" Garima choked.

"Aunty don't say that.We don't want to judge you on the basis of past before listening your side of story.Please tell us what happened in the past.We want to know everything so that we can help you and Bhai to sort it out.What if its just a mere misunderstanding?"

Garima's sobbed grew more as she spoke.

"He is not wrong.It's not a misunderstanding.I am responsible for his Maa's death.I am." she couldn't continue.

Akash and Payal's eyes widened.

"What do you mean Amma" Asked Payal shocked.

"I was married to Arvind Malik" She said and they gasped stunned at the revelation.

"Chote atleast let us meet her?" Anjali almost shouted on the phone.

"No means NO Di."

"You said that me and Nani can come there to meet you both then why? Why are you refusing us now?"

He rubbed his temples in agitation.

"If you want to meet me or her. Come to office tomorrow. I will-"

"Why not at your mansion?" She gritted pissed. "What is going on between you two Chote? Is she fine? It's been three weeks Chote. Almost a month since we last saw her or you!" She cried out.

Arnav closed his eyes in anguish.

"Di nothing is wrong. Everything is fine between me and her."

"Then why are you not letting us see her if that is so?"

"Because seeing you or Nani will give her happiness. I don't want to give her any!"

Anjali gasped.

"What the hell are you doing to her?"

"Nothing!"

"Do you have any idea how much it will hurt you to see her in pain? Distant? Alone?"

"She is not alone. I am with her."

"Oh I see. Are you? I know Chote. I know that you go to AR early in the morning and leave quite late and that too for just two hours. What are you up to? She will suffocate while being caged in that big house alone!"

"Good then. That's what I want. It will suffocate her mother more!"

"For god's sake Chote. Why are you punishing an innocent without any fault of hers?" She shouted.

"Why did she chose that woman over me when she said she loved me?" He snapped.

"Because it's her mother we are talking about."

"Exactly. It's for MY mother I am doing all this." He said and cut the call.

Three weeks passed since Arnav left RM with Khushi.Three weeks since he spoke to Akash or Payal.Three weeks since Khushi last saw or heard jiji or Akash jiju.Three weeks since she saw Nani, Anjali Di, Mama ji or Mami ji.

Nani ji and Di called but never visited them.

If only she knew why?!

Khushi was slowly, slowly just getting more and more lonelier because Arnav spent most of his time at office and she would be left behind in this huge mansion with nothing to lean on or share her pain with.She was surely sinking into darkest pit of hell.

She wasn't allowed to go anywhere.

She wasn't allowed to call her jiji or jiju.

Her calls were tapped and even if she tried calling anyone other than Nani or Di, it would automatically be cut.

Besides, he made sure she ate and slept on time.

Maid would be there to take care of the job but if by chance he stayed at home, he made sure to tire her too much to think of anything else by ordering her around to make one or the other dish.

If she didn't do anything as per his likes, he would threaten her by her family and she won't have any other option but to relent.

She decided to run away once.

She shuddered thinking what results came out of it.

It was the evening and after days Khushi's eyes shew sparkle as she stuffed just a few clothes and necessary items in her bag and let out a breath with a thudding heart.After many days a sense of calm washed over her as she walked out of the front door.

But her happiness was short lived when the guards stopped her refusing to let her out or open the gate.

"Open it. I have some work out. I won't take long." She said confidently.

One of them took the cordless causing Khushi's face to turn pale.

"Whom are you calling?" She asked trying to sound calm.

"ASR"

"Why?" She shouted. "I said I would be back then-"

"Sorry Mam. ASR's orders. We will have to inform him about it."

She clenched her jaws as he dialed Arnav.

While he talked she thought about how to escape because she knew he won't give the permission without him by her side.Her gaze fell on the rifle placed on the small table against the wall.She walked to it casually making sure neither of the guards notice her.

Her ears perked up as she heard the guard say.

"--She has a traveling bag with her. Mam-" He addressed Khushi."ASR is asking where you want to go?"

"Jahannum mai! (In the hell)" She growled and pointed the rifle right at them making their eyes widen.

"Open the gate!" She ordered.

"Mam! We can't." The one with the phone to his ear said to her."ASR, she has a rifle in her hand.Umm Okay ASR!" He sighed before heading to the door and opened the lock.

Khushi threw the rifle as soon as she went out carrying the bag.

She would go to RM first to meet everyone there and then she would go to Laxmi Nagar and meet her Amma and Babuji and Buaji and then she would take them with her away..far away from here where that devil won't be able to chase her.

She was just a meter away from RM when she heard a car screech behind her.

Gulping she fastened her pace as she had an idea who could it be behind her.

How did he get here too soon?

"If I were you I wouldn't have tried something that stupid Mrs.Raizada." She heard him then walking right behind her.

"Stop Khushi!" She heard his angry tone when she kept walking ignoring him.

"I would come back after meeting everyone!" She shouted exasperated without turning to him and sped up her pace.

"Are you kidding me? You are carrying your luggage and you are asking me to believe that you would come back? I am not a fool Mrs.Raizada!" He yanked her in his arms when she was just about to step into RM. The bag slipped from her hand and she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

"Let me meet them please? Why don't you let me?" She cried out punching him flailing her arms and legs to get free.

"You still have to ask that? I am surprised." He murmured in her ears shoving her in the passenger seat before banging the door shut making her jump.

"You would pay for this stunt Khushi Singh Raizada!" He said menacingly starting the car making her swallow.

The next morning she got to know what he had in store for her as a payback.

The guards were gone and there was an iron seal on the gates.

Even maid wasn't there anymore.

"You would make my favorite dishes three times a day and you would eat that only. You don't eat sugary jalebis so it shouldn't be a problem to you anyways?" He has said making her look at him with so much hurt that he swallowed past the urge to take his words back.

"Don't instigate me like this again Khushi or your family will suffer." He said caressing her cheek with the back of his hand making her split into silent sobs.

If only she had looked up , she would've seen him looking at her with guilt and helplessness. A sheen of tears shining in his eyes.

Ever since then she was en caged in this mansion like a criminal and slowly, slowly she was losing connection with the world.

She was missing everyone. Too much.

It's been days since anyone called her with her name even.

She missed hearing her name.

She missed being loved.

She missed being cared for.

She missed talking.

She missed living.

She just couldn't bear it anymore.

She was just tired of living a living hell.

So today when he came home late at night she was wide awake for him.

She just went up to him , folded her hands and pleaded.

"Please I beg you.Let me go.Free me of this misery.I just can't live like this anymore.Everything is suffocating me.Leave me.Let me go.I promise not to come in front of you ever again.I will leave far away with my Amma, Babuji and Buaji.Just free me.Please."

He was already in a very foul mood due to the mishap at the office due to a freaking employee and now her these pleas.

Her words threw him on the edge of his sanity and he blurted out the first thing which came to his mind at that time.

"You should be happy Mrs.Raizada.After all you have got what your so-called mother can't even when she tried so hard." He hated saying this to her.He hated hurting her but he was beyond caring now.

How dare she think of leaving him?

Just how dare she?

She stared at him horrified.

"You didn't mean that did you?"

Please deny it.Please.

Her heart screamed.

"Of course I did. Who knows maybe your mother knew all this who I was huh.She may have planned all our meetings so that she could achieve her goal which she couldn't all those years ago through you.Oh yeah! She must've did all that.I was a fool to fall into her trap.That's just not happening again Mrs.Raizada.I am not going to fall into her lies and web of deceat ever again!" He finished and clenched his hands to stop himself from reaching out to her as she looked DEVASTATED...

Khushi died a slow painful death then and there as her insides crushed with his words.

"Are you implying that I faked all my emotions to trap you?" She reached him in two long strides grabbed him through his collars before shaking him.

"Is this what you think of me after all what we have been through? After all what happened between us? Is this what you think of me? A low middle class girl trying to trap a man just so her mother can get her way?" Her eyes burned with unshed tears seeing him look away.

"Is it so?" She asked through clenched teeth and then bellowed shaking him.

"Is it so Mr.Raizada? Answer me?" She was cutting from inside and here he was standing all silent after crushing her with accusation.

He didn't know what to answer her because if he said 'Yes' he would be mocking their love yet again and if he said 'No' he would be giving away his feelings.

He can't afford either of it!

She continued without knowing about his inner turmoil.

"If you think my love was fake then why are you still keeping me with you? Why did you marry me? Why did you get yourself trapped by me in this marriage? Why are you still tolerating me? Leave me Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada! Why don't you leave me? Why don't you just throw me out of your life and this life of luxury which you are presuming that I wanted from you so that I could give it to my mother? "

Leave me Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada! Why don't you leave me?

Leave me Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada! Why don't you leave me?

Leave me Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada! Why don't you leave me?

Leave me Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada! Why don't you leave me?

Arnav didn't hear anything except this and that was his undoing.

Her questions were getting too difficult to answer and her cries were enough to suffocate him.

He has to stop both!

Snaking his arms around her waist he leaned in and smashed his lips to hers thereby stopping her words as well as her sobs.

_________________________