Puri dunya kuch maang rahi hai..

Kyun k puri dunya pagal hai..

Maangne se kuch milta nahi..

Bakwaas hai ye sab!

______________________________

Anjali stood besides his bed as the doctor tended to her husband's wounds who was half conscious writhing in pain until the painkillers effect kicked in and he slept making her sigh in relief.

Subhadra entered in the room whilst the doctor and the nurses walked out.

"As long as Arnav will stay with that girl and trust her, your husband will get hurt the same way Anjali bitiya." She said sternly.

"Chote has misunderstood Shyam ji I know but there isn't any fault of Khushi ji in this Dadi.My brother loves her and so does she. Neither I can do anything about it nor I want to, honestly." Anjali mumbled softly wiping her eyes.

"So you'd let that girl fill your brother's ears about your husband and you won't do anything about it."

"That girl has a name Dadi and more so, she is my Chote's wife. Khushi Singh Raizada!"

Subhadra Devi was taken aback by the firmness in her tone.

Anjali shook her head before taking her Dadi's hand in hers.

"I am sorry Dadi for being rude. But I really, really know about Khushi's importance in my brother's life and I can't snatch it from him for my own selfish reasons. Please try to understand that.If not for anyone else but for our Chote's happiness."

Subhadra didn't say anything but nodded grudgingly making Anjali hug her in gratitude.

"Everything will be alright Dadi. I am sure it will be, one day. Just give it some time."

"You won't be excused at all Mrs.Raizada. Either you will tell me the truth of what you are hiding from me or not only would I hurt your family, you will get punished too. There your family will suffer and here I will douse all of my cravings and desires of the last three months!"

Khushi stared at him not at all surprised by his threat.

"You will force me?"

"We will see whether I have to force you or not!"

"You mean nothing to me. That's what you said do you remember?" She gritted. His grip on her hands tightened.

"And now you want to show your rights on me?" She asked in disbelief.

"Why don't you forget what I said that night?"He whispered exasperated.

"I can't. Do you hear me? I can't."

"I had to do that because you didn't leave me any choice by chosing that woman over me. Now, do you hear me?"

"I chose the side of the person who was right."

"Why everyone is right in your eyes and I am wrong? Why can't you side with me for a change?" He growled leaving his grip on her hands to grab her shoulders.

"I would've sided with you if only you'd been right. You told the verdict on your judgements and conclusions without giving anyone the chance to explain."

"Great. My mother died because of yours and I wasn't right. I should've listened to her explanations as if it would bring me back my mother. I wasn't right but your Amma was who snatched an integral part of my life. Wow. I salute your logic." He bellowed on her face freezing her nerves.

"If you'd had let my Amma speak then you'd have known her side of the story too. There are two sides of a coin. You,of all the people should've known that by now after misunderstanding my situation with Shyam."

He stood up angrily at the mention of that bastard.

"I don't want to hear that man's name coming from your mouth ever again, Mrs.Raizada."

He didn't pay heed to understand her point of view. Instead he just registered Shyam's name coming from her mouth. She huffed.

"By turning your back to the truth, it won't change."

"What fucking truth huh? There is only one truth that has turned my life upside down three months back.It was only that the woman I loved is the daughter of the woman who destroyed my family, my mother and my whole fudging life." His hands trembled with emotions as his mind took him back, years back to the night of his Di's wedding right besides his mother who was lying lifelessly on the floor with blood all around her, with a gun in her hand, with his so called father standing shocked besides her before he took the same gun and shot himself with it right in front of his eyes.

It was the night of his destruction, the night when ASR took birth and the ever so soft Chote died with his mother. As he recalled all that, it sucked off all the softness if he has been left with any. Coldness was replaced with it in abundance.

"Why don't you forget the past and move on Arnav ji?" She said softly.

His hardness has taken birth just when her softness came alive seeing him suffering before her eyes.

He looked at her sharply with his eyes red. It rose chills inside her. She knew that look.

"Do you know why I married you despite of everything? You asked me so many a times. Today let me answer you why."

She waited with bated breath.

"You were right. I could simply left you at the mandap to teach your mother a lesson but I did not."

Khushi paled.

"That would've been too easy an escape for her. You would've done everything to show her that you were fine and eventually I am sure you'd have convinced her as to not worry about you. I have learnt to know you well haven't I?" He folded his arms across his chest.

She clenched her jaws. She would've done exactly that he has said she would.

How much does this man know her and that was the reason he hurts her where it cut the most.

"Besides if I had stayed away from you, I would've ached for you. There were maximum chances of my old feelings to come to the fore and that wouldn't have let me concentrate on my motive."

Khushi could understand everything now and it made her heart and eyes well up. He bent to her level and with his thumb wiped a tear that rolled down her cheek.

"If that has happened then I would've craved for you, pine for you. That obviously would've made me weak. It might had made me back off from my revenge. It might have made me forget everything and come running back to you. It might have done something terrible. Detach me from my past, my mother." He murmured against her face.

"As to not let that happen, you had to stay with me.. besides me. Close to me. So that whenever I crave for you, I could see you. Whenever I feel like touching you, I could. Whenever I feel like talking to you, I could. When I had had all of the demands of my heart fulfilled, I could easily concentrate on nothing else but avenging my mother. So Khushi Kumari Gupta ought to be with me to keep me sane enough to fight my biggest battle. And she has to, has to be where I have all rights on her. As my wife. Mrs.Arnav Singh Raizada."

A sob came out as a whimper from her mouth. He caressed the area besides her lips with the back of his fingers.

"You see I think of a far fetched future while taking any of the decisions of my life. That is what makes me who I am. Arnav Singh Raizada." He finished straightening up and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Khushi couldn't decipher what was happening to her after hearing all that from his mouth. She couldn't speak neither could she cry openly. Her tears got stuck in some region her throat.

The way he has said all that told her, her importance in his life yet instead of happiness it developed anguish inside her. She might be the most unluckiest woman in this world whose husband might have loved her too much yet he was the same man who has vowed to destroy her into pieces despite of all.

Arnav observed her with hawk eyes. He wanted to make her vulnerable. Emotional. And he knew he has succeeded. Perhaps letting out a few secrets did go in his favor. He thought to try some more and he might melt her enough to get out some of her secrets too.

"I did you a favor too Mrs.Raizada. Because I know you wouldn't have been able to live without me either. Would you have?"

The way he raised his eyebrow and looked at her made knots in her stomach. She breathed hard going into the thinking mode lowering her head.

What if he has left her and she would've found out about her pregnancy then?

It would've shattered her for not having him with her in that phase yet she couldn't help but think that it might have not been that bad like the situation she has been caught in right now.

If he hadn't been in her life anymore then she might have had the liberty to chose for her child alone.She might have saved him/her, she might have given birth to become a mother of the baby of the man whom she has once loved with all of her.

As soon as the thought struck her, she raised her head to him sternly wiping her tears.

"You didn't do me any favor. In fact you brought me into a hell hole where I am feeling like walking on egg shells every other moment. So, I don't agree with you because I would've been far more peaceful without you rather than the way I am now."

Arnav chuckled darkly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"Great!" He sat besides her while Khushi gulped having her breaths stuck up in her throat at his unusual reaction when she clearly told him that she would prefer living without him. On any other day, he would've taught her a lesson by now for confessing that.

She couldn't ponder further as he pulled her into his lap and then did what Arnav Singh Raizada would've done hearing her say all that.

"Let go, Mr.Raizada." She made a failed attempt to escape his hold.

"You are so unhappy with me, right? You'd have been peaceful without me, is that so?"

She pushed at his chest wiggling.Irritated he pinned her hands at her back with his one hand and cupped her nape with the other.

"I will give you all the more reasons to be unhappy, to be sad to solidify your theory."

Her heart thudded violently in her rib cage. She swallowed past the saliva and gasped when he nuzzled his cheek against her neck. A peck on her throat froze her in his arms and stopped her struggles.

"You c-can't do this to me!" A whisper escaped her when he flipped them that made her fall flat on her back on the bed with him on the top of her, her hands still in his hold at her back. His eyes stared darkly into her stunned, fearful ones.

"What did I do? Nothing!" He leaned to her lips.

"Don't you dare!" Khushi glared.

He stopped.

His eyes trailed from her eyes to her lips.

"Can't help it." He whispered.

"Get off me!" She croaked.

"J-Just one kiss!" He rasped.

She turned her head refusing straight away.

Swallowing he nuzzled his nose on her cheek peppering kisses in between.

"Y-You are h-hurting me." She cried out twisting her hands in his hold. Even though he loosened his hold but didn't leave her wrists.

"Permit me." He raised his head up to ask.

"I am not some toy that you could hurt me, destroy me and in return yourself and then come to me to ask for some relief Mr.Raizada." She said pointedly.

"I can't go anywhere else can I?" He left her hands and placed his palms on either sides of her head.

"I will not allow any of this. Ever. I am a human being. If you won't treat me like one then don't expect me to do as you say either." Now that her hands were free she made full use of them and pushed at him to get off her.

"I can cage them again Khushi so don't you dare use them on me." He caught her hands on his chest with his one hand, supporting his frame with the other.

It only made her protest more.As a result, he, who was holding himself raised on the top of her let himself fall putting all of his weight on her hindering her movements altogether. She rasped beneath him.

"Now, move!" He challenged looking into her eyes.She wasn't the one to surrender that easily so she did.

She stared at him with torn expressions on the verge of breaking down. He released some of his weight swallowing feeling awful for doing this to her.

"Let me just ... just kiss you once Mrs.Raizada." He asked again. He can't just be this close to her and move back too without kissing her. No. It would burn him from within to keep so much of his desires hidden and unfulfilled.

"Did you ever ask me for the permission before? No, right. So why now?" She choked.

"Because I knew you won't give it that's why." He whispered caressing her head with his palm. His other hand had his fingers buried in her hairs, running slowly in them in soft caresses.

"You were right. I won't give it even now either so why bother asking?"

"You are right." He gritted at her denial and reduced the distance this time without any hesitation. He kissed her, kissed her hard not once but thrice before detaching his lips from hers only when he tasted the salt on her lips. Her tears.

"Don't move!" He warned more like choked when she punched him to let go of her now that he got what he wanted. But he didn't.

"I will. Leave me now!"

He held her hands besides her head and glared at her.

"I will kiss you for every flex of your muscles I felt I swear."

She stilled.

"I hate you. Do you hear me? I HATE YOU!" She cried out with red hue in her eyes spitting fire at him.

"That's great. You'd have loved me if I had left you. You'd have missed me. You'd have craved to be with me. Eventually, you'd have fallen in love with me more and more with every passing day. Pity I couldn't experience that. But no worries, if I had to bear your hate by keeping you with me then I am all game for it."

She clenched her jaws turning her head to look at her hand whilst twisting them in his hold to free herself. He did what he has said he would if she moved. He kissed her.

This time when he pulled back, she stopped moving altogether but burst out crying silently turning her head to the side burying it into the mattress.

He felt his eyes prick. He pressed his lips to her temple.

"Sorry. I just... need you. All the time. Every time." He whispered in her ear dropping a peck there.

She whimpered.

He swallowed his own tears before removing himself off her and straightened up pulling her along with him to sit.

She sniffled.

"Do you remember the only time I made love to you? That night?" He asked wistfully.

"How can I forget it? You made sure I did not." She said sarcastically.

"I want that back. I want those blissful moments back. I want you back."

"And I told you. That one night will never come back in your life." She looked at him sternly.

"Is that a challenge?" He tilted his head.

"You may get it back forcefully because I know, we both know you are stronger than me physically. But willingly, if I were given a choice I will never,ever let it happen." She said hoarsely.

Arnav looked away restlessly with his heart welling up.

"Isn't there any chance for us?"

"You took away all of those chances." She croaked as her hand unconsciously rubbed her stomach feeling her inside churn.

In that moment a question popped up in her mind and she blurted it out without thinking.

"Would you have left me at the mandap if you'd thought that would destroy my mother once and for all?"

He was surprised at her question and for a moment it pleased him that she asked him something willingly.

"What do you think?" He asked her instead.

She averted her eyes as she got the answer written in his eyes. He would've. He would've left her if he had thought that option to be right to avenge his mother.

"Preeto's husband left her after two months of her marriage and a few days later she found out she was pregnant." She whispered cautiously, gauging his reaction. She didn't know why but she gave him the hint despite not wanting to. But as soon as she did, fear gripped her heart.

"When did that happen?" He asked.

He didn't catch it. She sighed in relief inwardly.

"A week before our marriage."

"That bastard!" Arnav gritted."He promised me that he would take care of preetika. That's why I gave him the job back." He mumbled to himself but Khushi heard it well and scoffed.

"Yeah. I do remember your lecture to him. I was there you know." Bitterness oozed out of her words.

He wasn't sure what she didn't like that he said to Preetika's husband?

She told him herself.

"It made me wonder. How can a man advise something about marriage responsibilities to the other man when he never fulfilled any of the marriage vows himself, ever." She said sarcastically.

It left him speechless for a minute.

"You do know why I couldn't accept our marriage back then!"

"Of course." She chuckled dryly."Firstly, it was because of your Di that you made me suffer and now it is because of your mother that you are torturing me.So I know it. Very well!"

Her tone was so piercing that it made him bleed from within. She didn't stop there. She continued making him tongue tied.

"I am wondering Mr.Raizada. Like really, really wondering if you may ask. Next time, if there is any of course, who would it be from your family for whom you'd make me a scapegoat? For Nani ji? Akash jiju? Erm Mama ji? Or Mamiji? Hmm?"

Her words were hitting him like a bullet into his heart. He didn't have a befitting reply so he kept quiet.

"Boliye na? Chup kyun hain? Humne kuch pocha hai apse! (Speak up? Why are you silent? I asked you something!)"

Her questions were becoming too difficult to answer so he stood up and stormed out of the room leaving Khushi staring at the wall ahead with tears spilling over her cheeks.

Preetika made Khushi wear the jewelry with a smile on her lips. It was the day of Khushi's haldi.

Khushi looked at her friend in the mirror standing behind her chair and couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"Don't you feel sad Preeto? How can you smile after everything you have been through?"

Preetika sighed.

"Don't worry for me Khushi. Concentrate on your wedding and the happiness ahead of you with your Arnav ji.Not everyone gets the chance to be married and that too to same man twice. You are so lucky that Arnav ji loves you so much that he is doing all this for you."

Khushi pressed her hands on her shoulders.

"I wish Ankur ji knew your true value."

"He did but you know what, when the time comes to chose between your family and your wife, a man could never chose the latter.At the end his family matters more than anything, anyone." Preeto said sadly while sitting at a corner of the dressing table facing her.

"What about your baby? Did you tell him?"

"No. I don't think it would make any difference anyways. He made his choice pretty clear when he asked me to get out of his life."

Today she could feel what Preetika must have actually felt.

"So you are also like all those women out there Khushi. You are no one special like you started feeling while being with Arnav ji. You are any other typical wife whose husband can chose his family at any point of time without battling an eyelid. He can even leave you if he wanted and you should feel obliged to him at some point when he might chose you. Might!" She chuckled sadly.

Next day

AR

Arnav asked Aman to send Ankur in his office as soon as he arrive. His ordered were followed as it is.

Ankur greeted him entering the cabin.

"Good morning ASR. Aman Sir said that you called me?" Ankur said cautiously. Like any other employee he wasn't any less scared of his boss. He stood in front of Arnav's table waiting for his reply.

Arnav leaned back on his chair giving him a speculative look. The last time he has seen Ankur, he has had a bright personality which showed through his face but now, with grown beard and comparatively rough look made him look anything but bright.

Ankur didn't know why but he couldn't meet his eyes with his boss and his piercing gaze made him more nervous.

"Did I do something wrong ASR?" He gathered courage to speak.

"You tell me. Did you?" Arnav asked instead.

"I don't understand. If I-"

"You made a promise to me a few months back on your wedding day. Do you remember that or not?"

It hit Ankur and his face fell.

"I do ASR. I remember clearly."

"What did you say to me? Repeat that."

Ankur felt like someone slapped him on his face as he recalled and repeated his own words.

"Sir, now I want my job back not because I married Preetika because of you but for giving her a good life after marriage by being a good husband and I assure you Sir that after today's lesson I won't let her suffer ever. I will be even a better employee as well that you will feel proud of me."

"Yeah. Right." Arnav said expressionlessly while Ankur had his head lowered with shame.

"You broke your promise Mr.Ankur. You left your wife in just two months. I should be thankful to you that at least you fulfilled your words for two months at least, right? So thank you!"

"Don't say that Sir." Ankur said desperately."Don't get me wrong ASR. I never wanted to leave her. Never. I love her. I still do. But-"

"But what dammit?" Arnav broke his calm exterior."How can you love her and leave her at the same time?"

Ankur exhaled to swallow his emotions.

"Because of my mother." He choked.

It hit Arnav like a bullet that all of his anger left him in milliseconds.

"My mother made me swear on her." Ankur could barely control himself from breaking down before him.

Arnav stilled as he continued.

"You tell me ASR? What would you had done if you had to chose between your mother and wife? Could you chose the latter? Because I couldn't." He croaked.

"I couldn't either." Arnav mumbled to himself.

"Huh? Pardon Sir?"

Arnav shook his head gathering himself. Its not everyday that you find a living example of your life right in front of you and they slap you on your face without even touching you.

"If you want to fire me then you can ASR.Even I am not so proud of myself. I couldn't chose a middle ground because there wasn't any."

"Get back to work." Arnav ordered silently to which though surprised but Ankur nodded.

"Thank you Sir." Ankur turned to leave.

Arnav could guess through Ankur's demeanor that he don't have any clue about Preetika's pregnancy.

"One minute." Arnav called out.

Ankur stopped and turned to him waiting patiently for him to speak.

"Didn't you try to find out even once how is she coping without you?" Arnav's question made Ankur's eyes prick.

"I didn't. I am not that strong to see her suffering because of me. If I had met her then it would've made me weak.It might had make me forget everything and take a decision against my mother and that would mean degrading my mother's choice. I can't do that." He accepted guiltily.

"Can't you convince your mother?"

"I tried. Many a times in fact. But she won't listen. It even led her to the hospital once and it terrified me. I stopped bringing Preetika's subject up before her. I couldn't risk losing her too after Preetika, Sir."

Arnav dismissed him with a wave of his hand and leaned back on the chair. A sarcastic chuckle left him.

"So you are any other man ASR. Like ordinary men out there who chose his mother, family over his wife whenever he had to make a choice among them. You are nothing special which you felt while being her Arnav ji. You are after all a typical husband. Arnav Singh Raizada." He scoffed to himself.

In the evening when he came home he found Madhumati about to ring the door bell of his mansion.He came out of the car silently, avoiding her eyes and unlocked the gates taking out the keys.

She walked in quietly while he went back to his car to park it in. Once done, he walked out shutting the door behind. Meanwhile, Madhumati was just standing there contemplating the situation and trying to control her anger.

"You lock the mansion from outside when you go out? Wow. My titaliya is officially your hostage now!"

Arnav swallowed the taunt.

"It isn't like that. Just like me, Khushi has the keys too. She can go out when she wants as per her will."He didn't know why but he couldn't be rude to her. He felt like a criminal in front of her.

"Oh really? She can go out anywhere but to her family or yours. How convenient. So much freedom you gave her there."

"You are here to meet her." Arnav changed the topic suddenly.

"Can't I?" She challenged.

He felt a fear inside him. The fear of unknown. Yet he couldn't refuse her. It stunned him because till today he hasn't even let his family, His Di or even Nani to enter this mansion.

"Come in." He invited her in opening the front door.

Buaji entered and stopped short stunned as she saw that Khushi was mopping the floor. She looked really pale with dark circles under her eyes. It looked like she has lost weight too. She compared her titaliya of three months back with this shadow version of hers and it made her heart cut into pieces. Garima was so right to get into depression and become sick after meeting Khushi.

"Officially, she is your maid too. I see." Madhumati could barely manage to speak with all the emotional turmoil she was feeling seeing her niece after months and that too in this condition.

Khushi still hasn't noticed them.

Arnav clenched his jaws seeing her doing all this chores. Just this morning he has strictly told her that she won't do anything of this sort anymore but she didn't listen.Looks like she wants to test his patience to the end of his limits and more so she wants to punish him in her own torturous way.

"Titaliya?" Madhumati called her out loud. Khushi's head shot up at her voice and she stared at her dumbstruck.

"Buaji!" Khushi whispered standing up blinking back the tears.Forgetting everything else, ignoring the obvious presence of her husband, she ran to her and threw her arms around her before splitting into sobs clutching to her.

Arnav averted his eyes from them. He stood silently hearing her sobs cutting through him but he didn't interrupt. If Garima Gupta had been here, he wouldn't have let her enter his mansion let alone meet or hug Khushi but Buaji, she didn't do anything. She wasn't his culprit. How could he possibly stop and with what reason?

"How is Babuji? A-Amma?" Khushi asked pulling back. While mention about her mother, her heart sored and guilt took birth in her all over again.

Buaji patted her cheek sighing.

"We will have a detailed discussion on that later. As right now, I am here to have a serious talk with your so-called husband." She turned to Arnav who didn't feel any good about all this sudden turn of events.

He was going through a guilt trip after his meeting with Ankur and now Buaji's arrival has added to that remorseful feelings. Upon that the way Khushi was behaving to pay him back, was all getting too much to bear.

"What do you want to talk about?" Arnav asked gathering himself in moments.

"About something which should've been out in open by now."

Khushi sensed the tension building up and dragged her Buaji to sit on the couch. Arnav followed silently and sat on the opposite one. Khushi too the seat besides her Buaji.

"Its about your father and ... Garima." Madhumati started and all the guilt, all the emotions Arnav was feeling till now thinned into air. He stood up angrily with his nostrils flared.

"I don't want to talk about either of them. Did that woman send you here?" Arnav gritted.

"That woman has a name and don't forget she is your mother-in-law!" Buaji was stern.

Khushi gulped seeing the anger just adding up into his stance at her mother's mention again and again.

"She isn't. For your kind information she broke her ties with her daughter so that means every relation related to her is finished off too."

"Kehne se rishte badal nahi jaate Arnav!(By just saying, the relations doesn't break Arnav!) You very well know why she did that. Because you forced her to. She did it for Khushi."

"How very selfless!" He scoffed.

"Can't you see it or you want to stay blind even with your eyes open? The woman who can break her ties with her daughter for her daughter's happiness, who can stay away from her for her(daughter's) benefit, how can she be the reason of snatching someone else's mother when she herself is pining for her daughter for months now that it had led to her ill condition?"

Khushi froze.

"Buaji, A-Amma?" Khushi croaked.

"One minute titaliya." Buaji patted her shoulder before continuing.

"Even if you consider her guilty then fine. Maybe she is your culprit but you have punished her enough don't you think? Now end it. End it if not for anyone than for your wife. Why are you dragging her in all this? Titaliya didn't do anything. Don't you feel anything like remorse or guilt seeing her condition right in front of you?" Buaji resorted to a calm talk before any other approach but it seemed to have an opposite effect on Arnav.

His eyes spit fire and his anger was fueling with every passing second as someone else sided with her. Just like Khushi did. Always. It rose the ache of being left out. Not being chosen. Not being sided with. And it brought out the worst in him.

Buaji was still talking trying to make him see some sense to end it all and then he said something that not only stunned Buaji but stupefied Khushi too.

"This all will end the day I will see Garima Gupta in the condition in which I last saw my mother."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Buaji growled standing up. Khushi stared ahead shocked. He didn't mean that did he?

"I did." Arnav said calmly.

"Do you realize what you are saying? The last time you met your mother she was-" Buaji shrieked.

"--breathing her last I know." He said silently.

Khushi gasped.

"You can't be serious!" It was Khushi this time who bellowed shaking with anger.

"As a matter of fact, I am." He shrugged.

Madhumati couldn't believe it neither could she stand there now anymore after listening to his ulterior motive. She has come here to tell him the whole story behind his past but he doesn't seem like he would listen to it let alone believe it.

Khushi shook with tremors and onslaught of emotions as he took it all so casually. Took her mother's life as a piece of shit to be thrown out just like that?

She wouldn't allow it. Never. Ever.

But before she could do something, Buaji has already made up her mind.

"Enough is enough. Go titaliya and bring your luggage. You are coming with me." Madhumati said sternly.

"She won't go anywhere." Arnav gritted with his eyes glued to Khushi.

"Why not we ask her what she wants or not for a change?" Madhumati said meaningfully and turned to Khushi.

Arnav warned her through his eyes while Khushi averted her own making a decision too.

"I will go with you Buaji!"

Now this was Arnav's turn to be stunned as she turned and left upstairs most probably to pack her things without looking back.

He looked at Buaji and Madhumati saw how in moments this man changed his colors because in milliseconds his anger was gone and calm exterior was back when he ascended the stairs too. She so wanted to stop him but she knew now that Khushi has made her decision it might break some of his resolve for revenge and might set things normal gradually?

Perhaps!

Khushi was placing her clothes in a duffel bag when he entered the room shutting the door quietly behind him.It made bile rose up in her throat when he started approaching her and came to stand right besides her.

"Need help?" He asked surprising her.

"N-No." Khushi mumbled concentrating on the task at hand. All these months, till today, even though she resisted him but still there was hope that maybe one day all this might change. He might change. But after today, she has lost all of the hopes. All of them. He has crushed them all. So there was no point prolonging his charade anymore. She has to go away. She has to.. has to.. She swallowed. She has to leave!

"Wear this red saree. After all you're going to meet your family after months so you should look great." He waved the saree in front of her jerking her out of her painful thoughts. Tears blurred her vision. She sniffled silently taking the saree out of his hand without arguing feeling odd with his calm behavior. She turned to leave for the bathroom when he blocked her way.

"I said wear it but didn't say you'd do it yourself. I will make you ready."

"What?" She stepped back alarmed.

"Oh yeah. I got it. You want the lights dim, right?" He nodded and dimmed the lights reaching out for the switch board on the wall behind her and at the same time gripped her wrist when she tried to run. He pulled her against the wall and slipped his arm around her. The other one rested on her shoulder to keep her at place as she tried to break free.

His hand at her back reached to the zipper and he started pulling it down slowly making her struggles increase.

"If you don't want me to leave then say it. More like order it. Don't torture me like this!" She growled pushing at him.

"Did I refuse? No, right. So chill." The zipper was down. His hand came up to her shoulders to slip off the shirt.

"You are saying that you are not angry?" She clutched her shirt pulling it back on her shoulders.

"Do I look like I am?" He pinned her hands at her back and tied them with the saree he was supposed to make her wear.

"Open me up. I can get ready myself." She said frantically twisting her hands at her back.

"I am allowing you to go. To leave. This should count for something. I am giving away my bride so its my responsibility to deck her up as one while saying goodbye to her." He placed his cheek against hers and slipped her kameez off her shoulders. She whimpered now understanding the real reason behind his behavior. He would make her departure as painful as he could like the pain he must be feeling right now and was hiding behind his nonchalant exterior.

"I can't stay here anymore. Please try to understand.I can't stay with the man who wants to bring my mother to the point that she commit suicide herself." She cried out closing her eyes as he silently untied her hands and her shirt pooled at her feet.

"Oh. Fine. But in that case, I have a bigger heart I guess because I have been living with the daughter of the woman because of whom my mother committed suicide." He wrapped the saree around her and tugged at it at one point that she crashed to his chest.

"Titaliya? Hurry up!" Buaji's voice broke through the door and reached them making Khushi suck in her breaths.

"L-Let go of me. I have to pack." She whispered when he pinned the pallu on her shoulder with his nose grazing her cheek. She knew if she shouted at this time or taunted him or pushed him away then that might raise the monster in him and then he would never let her leave which she don't want. She seriously needed a break from all of this. From him.

She felt his hand at her lower abdomen tucking in the saree and it made her heart grip into a fist as it was the first contact direct contact of him with his baby. Pity he wouldn't know about it.Ever.

"Please?" She choked and he stepped back reluctantly.

She turned back to packing.

"There is one more thing." He murmured hoarsely as seeing her in his favorite color after so long wasn't doing him any good but he chose to bear this as nothing in his life has ever been much peaceful either so he resorted to enjoy the torture then.

"W-Wh-" She gasped as he cupped her nape and smashed his lips to her.

"This!" He rasped pulling back.

Khushi gulped down her anger and frustration yet she kept quiet. She don't want to provoke him or she would regret it. She knew. She packed her things while he stood besides her without any word.Once she was done he took the bag from her and Khushi's heart came to her mouth.

There, now he will burst out and might lock her up in a room so that she don't leave. She breathed hard in fear.

"I will drop you." He said taking her wrist and pulled her out of the room.

"Huh?" Khushi could only say that in surprise and relief.

Downstairs Madhumati was stumped too when he said that he will drop them off to Laxmi Nagar. Seeing Khushi blinking her eyes not to instigate him Madhumati agreed.

Khushi took the back seat while Madhumati sat at the front on Khushi's insistence. Arnav sat silently on the driving seat after handing Khushi the bag which she placed besides her on her seat.

Tension was palpable in the air and the silence was disturbing too but neither of them spoke even a word to cut it.

Arnav pulled over and stopped in front of Gupta house.

"Haye re NandKishore." Madhumati mumbled opening the door and stepped out. Khushi blinked back the tears seeing her home after months before turning to grab her bags. She saw Buaji close the front door and then she heard it.

The click

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her head shot up to look at him in rear view mirror. Madhumati was struggling to open the door from outside and jerked back dumbfounded as the car zoomed past her with a lightening speed making her heart stop, eyes turn wide with shock.

"Titaliya!" Madhumati could only rasp as his car disappeared from her sight in seconds taking Khushi with him. Now she understood why he asked to drop them. It was his well planned trap to get rid of Madhumati so that he take Khushi back with him.

A terrified Khushi could not speak for good two minutes until she regained her composure.

"Mr.Raizada?" She called out loud.

"You said you are allowing me to go."

"Over my dead body!" She heard him murmur clearly and as she saw his reflection in the mirror, she saw his calm demeanor replaced with boiling, maddening rage that sent tremors down her spine.

"I can't live with you anymore." She punched the back of his seat.

"I can't live without you anymore." He took a sharp turn. She clutched the seat to prevent her fall.

"Then leave all of the revenge shit out of your mind if you want me to stay with you!" She hit the back of his seat vengefully.

"I can't do that either." He groaned.

"Enough Arnavji. Enough of all this!" She caught the hand rest tightly as he sped up the car and she closed her eyes frightened.

"Speedy cars terrifies you. They make you lose the sense of the surrounding. They make you dizzy.They make your heart stop. That's what you are feeling right now. Isn't it?" He put his foot on accelerator more firmly. The speed meter was rising up.

By now Khushi had her head buried in her lap in fear whilst sobbing putting her hand on her ears.

"This is exactly what I feel when you go away from me." He slowed the speed after that and stopped the car in the middle of the road in the outskirts of Delhi on a deserted road with only woods on its either sides.

He looked at the back seat. She still had her head buried in her lap and her shoulder were shaking.

"It has passed." He said softly turning back to the front and leaned back on the seat closing his eyes as he couldn't approach her when he himself was feeling so vulnerable.

For many minutes there was just silence and her whimpers that can be heard until she stopped crying altogether and the silence thickened around them, around him. The tension closed in like noose around his throat that he banged his fist on the front shutting his eyes more tightly and with another click all the locks of the car opened as his hand accidently touched the buttons.

After a few minutes of self monologue he exhaled now finding himself all ready to face her so he turned his head to look at her and his eyes widened.

Neither she was there in the car nor was her luggage and the door was wide open too. He hopped out of the car and looked around frantically.

"KHUSHI! Look, come out wherever you are!" He bellowed in the empty road. The trees rustled with air taking his voice to the miles in jungle but he was answered back with silence.

"Khushi, I won't leave you if I found you myself. So come on. Come out yourself." He ran his fingers in his hairs.

Still no reply. He looked to the woods on either sides of the road. She must have walked in one side and he didn't have any idea to which?

"Okay fine. I won't be angry. Just come out dammit!" He shouted turning around in circles. There wasn't even a sign of her even far, far away on the road.

He covered his mouth with his fingers in agitation.

"KHUSHI!" He yelled again.

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY YOU IDIOT! I HAD HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR CHILDISHNESS! YOU DO KNOW I WILL FIND YOU SOONER OR LATER SO JUST GIVE UP AND COME BACK RIGHT HERE!" The nerves at his temple, at his neck throbbed with the force that he bellowed but the reply didn't come even then.

"KHUSHI! Look. Come out wherever you are!"

She stilled and stopped walking with her heart galloping. She crossed the bag around her waist and recovered fast when she heard.

"Khushi, I won't leave you if I found you myself. So come on. Come out yourself."

Her steps hurried as she sniffled whilst crying trying to walk as fast as her feet and the saree could allow her.

"Okay fine. I won't be angry. Just come out dammit!"

She heard him again and it made her stop for a minute before she shook her head wiping her face with the back of her hands and continued walking into the jungle.

"I hate you! I will never come back. I will go away with my baby and I will live for my child.While you can live with your so called revenge or past for all I care. Why should I punish my baby for his/her's father's faults?" She croaked to herself walking while wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"KHUSHI!"

She jerked to a stop again startled.

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY YOU IDIOT! I HAD HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR CHILDISHNESS! YOU DO KNOW I WILL FIND YOU SOONER OR LATER SO JUST GIVE UP AND COME BACK RIGHT HERE!" His bellows couple with desperation reached her clearly.

"Never! Never!" She whimpered."Not only will I go away from your life I would take my baby with me as well and you won't even know it that it existed too. Good for you because you deserve it." She mumbled with hiccups.

"You will never get to know how it feels like to be a parent. Never." She cried out as her vision blurred and it made her trip on her saree. With a sob she grabbed on to the tree for support and rubbed her eyes with the free hand and as soon as she did, she saw him coming towards her with his jaws set tight.

She scowled as her shoulders slumped as he caught her yet again before she could run. She rubbed her arm to her face to wipe the tears sniffling.

"Are you done?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes lingering on her face moist with tears stains and that red nose and cheeks were too alluring for him.

"What did you think that I will take you to a place of which I have no idea about? I know each and everything about these woods. Where these two jungles meet and where they coincide and from where someone would definitely cross the common path between the two. I didn't expect you to be this foolish Mrs.Raizada!" He shook his head.

Khushi was glaring at him with those hazel orbs filled with tears testing his patience with every second.

"Stop looking at me like that or I will kiss you!" He commanded before approaching her keeping his gaze glued to her chin. Her lips. He swallowed. Upon that he has made her wear red.

Dammit!

"You will change this saree first thing right when we will be back in our mansion." Another order was thrown at her.

"What if I didn't?" She gritted.

"Then I will do it for you. If I can make you wear it I will get great pleasure in taking it off you, too."

Khushi closed her eyes praying for patience.

"You are-"

She was yanked to his chest with her one arm locked at her back.

"This is the second time you tried to flee .. out of my life. Second time in a period of just an hour when you made me feel like I lost you. Second time when you turned your back on me. And an nth number of time that you have disobeyed me."

"And this is the umpteenth time you have did nothing but force me. Hurt me."

He didn't reply but kept looking at her trembling lips, eyes filled with tears, nose red with all the crying and it stirred his heartstrings like always.

What the hell has this woman done to him that he can't stay away from her neither can he be with her?

"What are you doing to me?" He whisper yelled on her face.

"What did I do?" She exclaimed twisting her hand at her back in his hold.

"You have taken away my peace, my mind, my everything." He tugged at her hand at her back. She winced.

"Can you simply tell my punishment for trying to run without beating around the bush?" Her heart did flutter hearing him confess something like that but she was long past caring about it because she knew it won't change anything between them. Nothing between them.

"If that's what you want then fine. Come!" He dragged her out of the jungle.

Once they were standing besides his car, he took out his car keys and ordered.

"Here are the keys. Take them and run. Run far. Far away from me. You do know how to drive right so go ahead. Run!"

Khushi looked at the keys he has thrust in her hand before raising her eyes to him in determination and turned to leave.

"Make sure I didn't catch you because if I did this time around then I will make you regret it. Big time!" She heard him say from behind.

Keys slipped from her trembling hands.

She turned back to face him. He was having briskness plastered on his face.

"There is no point of it isn't it? You will definitely catch me won't you?"

"What do you think? Are you afraid of getting caught Mrs.Raizada?"

Khushi gulped.

"What will you do?"

"That for me to know and you to find out."

Her lips trembled. She stood rooted to the spot.

"When you know that you are going to succeed in this play then why bother playing it? She cried out. Don't you feel ashamed for putting me through this?" She whimpered.

"That you should have thought when you so easily agreed with your Buaji and decided to go with her, leaving me behind. For not even once thinking about me."

Khushi blinked her eyes at him visibly shaken with the way his face change colors in anger. She took two more steps back.

"You agreed to go away from me Mrs.Raizada. How dare you?!"

Khushi rubbed her arms swallowing past the lump. There that merciless monster was speaking taking her breaths away.

"You will pay. Pay for what you made me go through by choosing your family yet again staring right on to my face. And pay, you will."

"What else is left? What more do I have to pay for being related to Garima Gupta?" She gritted out in frustration.

"You chose your family over me and now I will chose mine."

She frowned perplexed.

"Fine. Fine. Go. I won't stop you but I won't let you stay in peace either. I promise you. Run. Run away from me as much as you want until your legs will hurt. Until you won't be able to walk away anymore.And that will be the day you will yourself come running back to me to surrender yourself, to accept your defeat. That will be the day I will show you the real meaning of punishment!"

She shuddered but kept her stance composed. She reduced the distance between them and said looking into his eyes.

"Today three months have passed Mr.Arnav Singh Raizada. THREE MONTHS. If you couldn't completely shatter me till now then it doesn't matter how many more months or years will pass, it means you can't achieve that. Ever. Till now, no one has been able to make Khushi Kumari Gupta surrender.Neither did it happen today nor will it tomorrow and never will it ever."

She opened the driving seat and sat in. He took hold of the door as a fire rose up in hi. She kept looking ahead without sparing him a glance.

"Koi tumhe aaj tak tod nahi saka kyun k ye kaam Arnav Singh Raizada k hisse mai aya hai aur jo kam Arnav Singh Raizada k hisse mai aye usse wo kisi na kisi tarah poora kar hi leta hai.(No one could tear you apart till now because this task was reserved for Arnav Singh Raizada and whatever Arnav Singh Raizada is obliged to do, he do it anyways by either means.)"

"Good luck with that." She snatched the door knob and gave him a push back to bang it shut before she drove off without another glance leaving him standing alone on the deserted road.

PRECAP:

"Why I have a feeling that you know something I don't?" Arnav narrowed his eyes at Akash.

Akash smirked and it irked Arnav.

"I do. i know something which you'd have known if only you hadn't done all this." Akash said.

"And what is that?" Arnav asked curiously.

"Do you really think I would tell you? I won't. But I can tell you one thing. It is related to Khushi and of course ... you."

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Thank you so much for so much appreciation on the last chapter :)

I will really appreciate it if I get neutral opinions on this chapter. From both Arnav and Khushi's point of view. Lets see how much you guys can understand Arnav and Khushi of KMT 1?

Don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT :)

Cheers!