"Khushi, do you remember all those years back when there was that incident with Myra?"
Khushi's eyebrows met in the middle but she nodded.
Of course, who doesn't remember her sudden leaving from town? Not to mention her family, it was as if they had vanished into thin air.
"It was strange wasn't it? How the whole family just all of sudden picked up and left? Well did you know that Myra's father now owns and runs his own company?"
Khushi's eyes widened. Myra was just another small town girl and she was an only child just like Khushi. Myra's family was just an average-class family; in fact, Khushi's father knew Myra's father. Myra's father had worked as a chauffeur, Myra's mother working as a maid. So to learn that the man now had his own company, really surprised her.
But... how?
"I even saw them at an event in Paris; they're all doing very well. But do you know how they came across this kind of money?"
Khushi shook her head.
"Because the Kapoor's tried to pay them off."
Khushi's eyes widened in shock. What?
"Its almost amazing how no one in town ever got to know this. Its even more amazing how we didn't know this, and we were within this house so many times, and yet we missed it."
But what exactly did we miss?
"Khushi, you know that Myra's family worked for the Kapoor's, yes?"
Khushi nodded.
"Well, in that time that they worked for them... Myra had been impregnated by Vikram."
Khushi's eyes widened once more. What?!
"And... this isn't the first girl Vikram has impregnated."
Khushi looked down; even though she knew the guy, she never really got to know him like that. Among all of Arnav's friends, Virat was his only friend that she was really close with, and other than that, maybe with Shivaay a little. But other than that....
"Vikram has a bad track record, Khushi. He's been involved with a lot of girls, not to mention has been very careless with these girls.
"I didn't know any of this stuff when I first met him. But one night, he got really drunk and told me all of his shit. He told me how his family has paid off these girls and their families, getting these girls' abortions done. And they do this all for the sake of their family reputation."
Khushi couldn't believe what she was hearing; she felt absolutely disgusted.
"Ever since I learned of his ways, I kept my guard up, especially when it came to Avantika. But he must've learned that I wasn't going to be playing any games when it came to her and would beat any fucker up who tried."
That's true, Vikram would have to be stupid if he didn't believe it. Especially after seeing Arnav getting into fights in the past after some douchebag tried to get within close distance of Avantika, he would have to be brainless to not believe it.
"You might be thinking why I would stay friends with a guy like that, why any of us would but... the type of person he is Khushi...."
Khushi tilted her head, confusion filling her face.
"In the old days... I mean, its like when you're a kid. Like when you're friends with a certain person, they make you feel some type of way? That's what it was with him - feeling some kind of... superiority or popularity, or however you want to describe it."
I think I get it; it's like being friends with the popular kid in class - you feel some type of power. And I mean... you changed somewhat when you first became friends with the guys, acting somewhat like a douchebag, but now that I think of it, it was mostly when you became friends with Vikram.
"With a friend like that, and the connections he had - that his family had - it just wasn't that easy to just step away. But there was also a part of me that just wanted to deal with this guy and protect those that I love. I was torn in the middle and it was hard at times, but...."
Arnav's hold on her hand tightened, slightly hurting her.
"When I discovered that he had his eyes set on you, I wanted to kill him."
Khushi's eyes widened.
"If that fucker got anywhere near you, especially after the whole Myra incident, I swear Khushi, I would've killed him."
He... Arnav is so angry right now.
"But somehow he found out that I liked you, maybe cause of fucking Virat being unable to keep his mouth shut, or Di always chirping about it, I don't know. ...so he tried to use it against me."
Against you? Meaning?
"Its like I said before - he has this superiority. He could instantly make someone feel low of themselves... and that's what he did to me.
"He approached me, asking me about you. He told me how he had heard a rumor about me liking you and was concerned for what society would say about me - about me liking a maid's daughter and a whole bunch of other crap."
Khushi looked away.
"The way he said it... he's always had the power of persuasion. In that moment, not only was he reducing me to rubble, but he made me feel like I was nothing. And he fueled me into a rage in the heat of the moment, I said those mean things about you. I just wanted for him to shut up and fuck off, so I said those things.
"Later on, once I was calm, I justified it to myself by telling myself that it was okay; you hadn't heard anything. I also thought that by saying those things, it would turn his attention away from you; I was using his own tactics against him, and it did end up working... but I was wrong and you had also overheard what I had said all those years back."
Tears threatened to pour down her cheeks but Khushi stopped herself. Arnav caressed her cheek and tilted her face up so that her eyes would meet his.
"I didn't mean any of those words Khushi, you have to believe me. You're my best friend, we've been best buds for years! How could you think I really thought that way about you?"
Khushi looked away and Arnav sighed.
"I guess its my fault really; I never should've said something so harsh. And I should've tried to contact you the years I was away but Vikram was almost always around."
Khushi's eyes met his instantly. He was there?
Arnav immediately understood what she was thinking. "When he learned that I was going to be in France, he decided to go as well; he wasn't there the entire time I was there, but for the most part he was. He did some work things but he was mostly moving in between some French girl's legs."
The idea of that made Khushi shudder in disgust and Arnav couldn't help the curving of his lips. Truth is, he was disgusted by it too, especially since he lived with it, but it was humorously cringey as well.
"There were so many times I wanted to reach out to you," he continued, "tell you what was going on, but that idiot constantly kept bringing some girl over, or was almost always around. And then at the company, things just got busy and hectic.... I'm really sorry Khushi."
Khushi bit her lip, glancing away. For years, she was very hurt - hurt by the idea that Arnav, the man she loved, thought so low of her. But now she knew the truth, and yet still.... It wasn't that she didn't believe Arnav, but she was also surprised to learn of Vikram's true ways.
There was one thing she was curious to know, however.
Khushi gestured to Arnav's phone in his pocket and he looked at it in confusion. She held her hand out and Arnav understood she wanted it but was curious as to why. Khushi unlocked his phone - not even a little bit surprised that his passcode was the same one he had been using on all of his devices he had owned his entire life - and went to the notes app. On it, she began to type and then showed it to Arnav.
Tell me more about when you saw Myra's family.
Arnav was confused by her request but answered anyways. "Well it was a little surprising, but they're still very humble. The most surprising thing, however, was seeing Myra with her daughter."
Khushi's eyes widened. Does that mean...?
Arnav understood exactly what she was thinking and nodded. "Her family escaped and used the money they were given to restart their lives. Myra never had the abortion and is a single mother, working in her father's business."
Wow.... But does Vikram know about this?
She quickly typed that down on his phone and showed it to him. Arnav read it and shook his head.
"No - and they made me promise not to tell. They're worried what his family might do if they ever find out the truth."
Scared, Khushi quickly glanced around but there was no one around. And then paranoia was ready to fill within her, Khushi beginning to get ideas of cameras or microphones being hidden in the bushes.
"Khushi, relax," Arnav chuckled. "We're fine, no one else heard me and the only people who know this are you, me, and her family. That's it."
Khushi sighed and relaxed, and then nodded.
"So... do you forgive me?"
Khushi looked up at him. So much had been said and so much had been discovered in this short moment. But the biggest discovery was of Arnav's love for her... just like the way she loved him. It occurred to Khushi, that through all of his words, Arnav had basically admitted that he liked her from years before and both Anjali and Virat knew about this.
So she knew all this time and yet....
Khushi glanced away, her heart beginning to beat erratically. It thumped in her ears and blush filled her cheeks. There was no use in denying her feelings for him, she would only be telling one of the biggest lies in the world. Arnav watched as blush filled her cheeks. He could see that Khushi was hesitant, but he couldn't blame her, not after everything that was discovered.
So... he loves me. He's loved me for years now. Arnav doesn't think low of me, he just said it to keep Vikram and his cruel intentions away from me. Noble as his purpose was, he did do it wrong, I mean how could you say something so hurtful? Although it was never meant to cross my ears and just for Vikram to turn him the other way, but still....
Arnav was trying to protect me, he always has. Even after he discovered what happened to me... he said he would kill that monster if he ever crossed paths with him, though I hope he never will. ...my heart, it's going absolutely crazy, I think it might burst! He loves me, he actually loves me!
And I love him.
Finally, Khushi looked up at him. She brought her hand to his cheek and he nuzzled into her hold; Arnav had been waiting quite some time for a moment like this.
And so did Khushi.
Without another thought, Khushi brought her lips to his and kissed him, surprising Arnav. But it only took a moment for him to recover and he kissed her back, caressing her cheeks in his hands.
Arnav pulled back first, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you Khushi."
Khushi couldn't help her smile and nuzzled her nose against his. I love you, too, and I never want you away from me, ever again.
No comments:
Post a Comment