Part 25: Shifting Equations

"The Most Expensive Thing in the World is Trust: It Can Take Years to Earn and a Matter of Seconds To Lose..."

Note: This chapter goes back in time a few hours from the end of the previous chapter.

"I SAID JUST GO! JUST GET OUT OF MY FACE! LEAVE. ME. ALONE!!" Khushi's scream ended in a sob and she turned around to face them. "Go Away before I do something that I might regret later!"

Khushi turned away again but not before the agonized expression burned into Anjali and Payal's visions, increasing their guilt tenfold.

Quietly, Rohan turned to Anjali and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while keeping his other arm on Payal's shoulders.

"Leave her alone for now." His tone was clipped with a hint of barely hidden anger. His eyes flickered to Akash who stood, as expected, fuming in his spot.

He didn't even bother to glance towards Payal as he made his way around them towards Khushi. Stopping behind her, Akash looked at Rohan and nudged his chin in the staircase's direction, signing him to take Anjali and Payal away. With a quick nod, Rohan followed and guided Anjali and Payal out of the room.

Feeling numb at the outburst of Arnav and Khushi, Anjali and Payal stood in the middle of Anjali's bedroom, the guilt settling like a block of lead in their stomach.

"What have you two done?!" Rohan's voice was low but the disapproval was evident.

Anjali hid her face in her hands and burst into sobs. Payal pressed her hand to her forehead and started pacing, panic settling in. Rohan sighed and wrapped his arms around Anjali.

"I didn't mean for this to happen!!" She spoke after a long couple of minutes and sobbed louder. "I didn't know he loved her too! I would've never come in between if I'd known!!"

"We thought we were protecting her...from him...from the hurt and pain of seeing him with other women...I had no idea that it would backfire this way..." Payal's voice shook as she tried to keep her own tears at bay.

"Why did you two have to meddle in the first place?!" Rohan snapped. "You could have just stepped back and let them solve their issues on their own!"

"How can you say that?!" Anjali pulled away from him. "Are you saying that we should have just stood there and watched her go through that?!"

"It would have been better than what she's going through now, don't you think?" The dry, taunting voice came from the doorway.

"Akash--" Rohan began to warn but Akash held up his hand, looking more like Arnav than he ever had before.

"Do you think she's not hurting now? Because of you two, Bhai and Khushi didn't get to speak to each other for years! They both misinterpreted the lack of communication...because of your useless meddling; a matter that could have been solved over a serious conversation has escalated to this point!" Akash spat, anger rippling off of him in waves.

"And what are you doing now? Exactly what you were trying to avoid...watching her hurting. You're just going to stand here and watch her go through all this misery..." Akash shook his head vehemently.

"We want to help her but she won't even let us explain!" Payal defended.

"Would you let her explain??" Akash rounded on Payal, scaring her with his rage. Never before had Akash been so angry.

"Put yourself in her shoes! If you were in her place...would you have given her a chance to explain? Would you forgive her for meddling in your personal life? Both of you have forgotten that Khushi and Bhai were the ones who encouraged Rohan and Di enough to confess their feelings..." Akash turned to face Anjali. "If it weren't for them...you two wouldn't have gotten married today! And Payal," Akash turned to face a tearful Payal. "If it weren't for Khushi, we wouldn't be together. As far as I remember, wasn't it you who asked her to keep out of your personal life when she was trying to bring us closer? You were hell angry at her then...so how can you not understand her anger now?"

Akash pinched the bridge of his nose took a deep breath. "You know what's worse...neither of you three have realized what's going on...how have you not realized what Bhai feels for her? Haven't you seen him in the past few years? Haven't you seen how much he has changed without her?!"

"I thought that was because of what happened with Shanaya!" Rohan spoke calmly, knowing he was in the wrong even if by association. "I thought that the anger and frustration had come out of the situation he had with Shanaya and the fact that he hadn't had the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to Khushi..."

"That's what we thought too." Anjali muttered and continued sobbing.

"And what about now? Ever since Khushi has come back, it has been so obvious...Even Ifigured it out! Bhai's dislike towards the man Khushi is engaged to and his reaction to Khushi's engagement announcement should have been ample proof but the fact is...Payal and you have been so caught up in your own happiness...in your own blissful relationships that you didn't even bother to consider the fact that something horrible has happened with your friends! Who has time to consider other people's pains when your own life is going great, right?"

Payal's heart broke at the bitter words. Is this what it boiled down to? Selfishness? Was Akash accusing her and Anjali of being selfish? Was she really too caught up in her own happy relationship with Akash, in the joy of their engagement getting fixed that she didn't realize how unhappy Khushi really was?

"I think that's a bit harsh Akash..." Rohan spoke cautiously. "I agree that things were overlooked but it's harsh to say that it was for selfish reasons...sometimes people don't notice things..."

Akash laughed bitterly, the sound was like the sting of a whip to Anjali and Payal's ears. "How do you not notice these things when it's your brother and your cousin? If Di wasn't able to see Khushi's stress, she should have been able to pick up on her brother's feelings! And if Payal had missed Arnav's feelings, she should have understood Khushi's...and even if you set aside the relationships, Ro...we are all supposed to be friends...we're supposed to be looking out for each other."

"We were looking out for Khushi when we changed the emails!" Anjali sniffled. Yes what she had done was extreme, yes she shouldn't have meddled so much but the reason why she had done what she had was not something she was ashamed of. "When she told us that she loved him, we could see how much it hurt her to see him having flings with all those girls...she needed some distance...we did it to protect her from heartbreak."

"Ironic, isn't it? Considering that now you have two heartbroken people in front of you...and possibly three..." Akash deadpanned. "Don't even get me started on poor NK being dragged into this mess."

"We'll do anything to help." Payal's voice cracked and ended in a sob. "Anything."

"I think you both have helped enough." Akash turned away and faced the wall. "Just stay away from her for now. She needs distance...at least give her that. And do us all a huge favor...don't even try to meddle in their business now. I've been helping Bhai get closer to Khushi and I'll continue to do so. And I swear...if you two do anything--" Akash let the threat unfinished, making it even more dangerous.

Noticing a notepad sitting on Anjali's desk, Akash walked over briskly and tore out a paper. He picked out a pen from the crystal pen holder and walked over to Payal. He thrust the paper and pen into her hand roughly.

"Write down how to access that folder and the password to get into it. Now." It wasn't a request but rather a command.

The tone of his voice left no room for arguments and Payal hastily scribbled the folder names and the access passwords and handed the sheet of paper back to Akash with shaky hands. He all but snatched it out of her hands, turned on his heels, and stormed out of the room without a second glance at any of the occupants. Anjali and Payal jumped once again as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"You know what's scary?" Anjali sniffled. "I'm afraid of Arnav's silence more than Akash's outburst."

"And I'm afraid of Khushi's anger above all." Payal collapsed onto the bed and sighed. "I've failed my sister."

"Payal?" Anjali's voice was desperate for assurance. "Everything will be fine...right?"

I wouldn't bet on it... Rohan answered in his mind but didn't dare to actually verbalize it.
_____

"Come on!" Akash groaned. "Pick up your phone...pick up your phone, Khushi..."

When the call got directed to voicemail yet again, Akash swore and disconnected the call. It was well past midnight and he hadn't been able to get in touch with Khushi. He didn't know where she was but hoped that she was fine.

Not being able to sit there without doing anything about this, Akash left his room and headed straight towards the bedroom in which Khushi was staying. Two impatient knocks later, he threw the door open, forgetting his etiquettes about entering a girl's room without consent. A quick scan of the room told him that she wasn't there and almost immediately, the panic began to rise.

He dialed her number again as he checked a few more areas of the grand haveli before heading to Arnav's room.

On the other hand, Arnav was wide awake in is room. He watched Khushi as she slept, her face tear stained, a small frown on her face, her lips turned down. The sadness and stress were visible in her features even as she slept. His hand absent-mindedly caressed her hair, as if he were trying to take the stress away with that gesture. Whether sleep would come to him tonight or not, he did not know but the fact that Khushi was with him and asleep, as peacefully as the situation allowed, relaxed him.

A knock on his door at the ungodly hour made him frown. His lips set into a thin line at the thought that Anjali and Payal may have come to speak to him--something he didn't want to do right now...or for a few days.

"Bhai...it's me." Akash's voice sounded muffled across the door but even so, Arnav didn't miss the tinge of worry and panic.

Carefully unwinding himself from Khushi he crawled out of bed and pulled up the cover a bit higher to keep her comfortable before walking towards the door. He cracked the door open just enough to stand in front of Akash.

"Bhai...I can't find Khushi...she left after the whole fiasco and I can't get through to her!" Akash was jittery even as he spoke.

Arnav opened the door a bit more and turned to the side to clear Akash's field of view. Akash's eyes flew past Arnav and he found Khushi snuggled into the duvet and heap of pillows, sleeping like a child.

"How is she?"

Arnav sighed. "Pissed off, stressed...sad."

"And you?"

"More pissed off than anything else." Arnav spoke without missing a beat.

"I've told them both to keep away...Rohan is with them...I'm glad that you've kept Khushi with you...she needs someone she can trust right now..."

Arnav nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging that the seemingly meek and mellow Akash was smarter and more sensible than he had even been given credit for. At the moment, apart from Khushi and Arvind, the only person Arnav could trust blindly was Akash.

"Will you do me a favor Akash?" Arnav looked over his shoulder to make sure she was still sleeping.

"Anything, Bhai."

"Can you get the jet ready tomorrow morning as soon as you have a chance? Also have Mohan top the gas tank on my car..."

"Are you going for a business trip?" Akash was appalled.

"No...Khushi may want to leave...and if she does...I've promised to take her where she wants to go." Arnav could finally feel the fatigue settling in.

"I will get it all done for tomorrow morning. Just let me know if and when you want to leave."

Arnav patted Akash's shoulder. "Thank you Akash. For everything..."

"I owe you...I haven't forgotten all your help with my homework and helping me out when kids bullied me for being chubby...or the fact that it was because of you and Khushi that my relationship with Payal happened...and even if all that wasn't in the picture...you're my brother and she's my friend...it's the least I could do." Akash smiled gently. "Get some rest. You're starting to look like crap."

Arnav scoffed. "You too. Have a good night."

"Good night Bhai..." Akash turned to leave after one last glance at Khushi. Just as Arnav was about to close the door, Akash turned around again. "I almost forgot..."

Akash reached into his pocket, pulled out the folded sheet of paper, and handed it to Arnav. "Here...I thought you two might want this."

Before Arnav could ask what it was, Akash had started walking away. Arnav closed the door and started walking back to the bed as he unfolded the small sheet of paper. His feet froze mid-stride as the words finally registered in his fatigued mind. His lips parted slightly in surprise before apprehensions took over.

Should he actually try to access the folder? Did he really want to read the emails Khushi had sent him in the past three years? Did he need to be reminded--one email at a time--of what she had dealt with? Did he want to get caught up in a sea of "if only's" that would surround him after he reads the emails?

Did it even matter? Bygones were bygones weren't they? It was all water under the bridge. It wasn't like reading these emails would actually help make the situation any better...

Even then, a minute later, he found himself clenching and unclenching his fists as he waited for his laptop to start up on his chaise lounge. His eyes focused over the edge of the laptop on Khushi, wondering whether or not she would want to read the emails from the past too. In a movement that was second nature to him now, his thumb caressed the anchor tattoo on the side of his hand as his thoughts veered in Khushi's direction.

When his eyes settled back on the screen, he saw a list of the messages. His eyes scanned down the list quickly and he realized that her emails were as frequent as daily in the beginning and then slowly phased out to about seven months ago. Since then, she hadn't sent anything.

He started reading from the first one and he felt as if he had travelled back in time. Her emails bringing an odd sense of closure. He berated himself when he read her queries about why he was ignoring her and then anger coursed his veins as she acknowledged the fiasco with Shanaya. She'd sent a heartfelt wish to him on every birthday, every year on the day his mother had passed away, every year on the day her father had passed away...after every successful venture of his company.

An hour and a half later, when he finally opened the most recent, and last, email from Khushi's, his heart broke. It was the shortest of emails yet the loudest:

I can't do this anymore. Until we meet again...Goodbye, Arnav.

Khushi.

Arnav clenched his jaw and shut the laptop with force. His stupidity and Khushi's refusal to admit her feelings to him had given a blow to their bond, yes, but that was acceptable because it was their choices. The fact that others' interference and others' choices had messed things up further for them was not something Arnav could accept easily.

The fact that his own sister had failed to understand him was more frustrating. Why could she never understand him the way Khushi did? Would they have told him the truth years ago if he had told them how he felt about Khushi?

The ruffling of the duvet broke him out of his reverie and he turned to see Khushi tossing and turning restlessly. All thoughts shoved aside, he rushed over to her and took a seat next to her, taking her hand in his and clasping it snugly. As he settled on the bed, lying next to her with his upper back resting against the headboard, Khushi slowly relaxed and naturally snuggled closer to him.

In that moment, Arnav decided to call it a night. Too much information was floating around in his head and his anger added to the mix was no help. He needed to think everything through and organize his thoughts with a clearer mind. Apart from Khushi's presence, all he needed was some sleep. So he closed his eyes, rested his head atop hers and embraced the slumber which invaded his fatigued mind and body quickly.
_____

The next morning, when the sun was already high up in the sky, it saw an eerie silence over Sheesh Mahal, despite the young occupants in the palace.

Anjali and Rohan sat at the dining table, eating quietly save the occasional words shared between the husband and wife. Last night hadn't exactly been the most ideal wedding night for them but neither mentioned the fact. Rohan had spent the better part of the night calming Anjali down, reassuring her that, although not easily, everything would eventually work out.

Payal, on the other hand, had brooded in solitude because Akash had asked her to leave him alone for the time being. After seeing a glimpse of his temper earlier, Payal had done what he'd asked without any questions or qualms.

Payal sat in the living room to give the newly wedded couple some privacy and indulged in mindless TV as a means for distraction. When she had woken up and gone to Akash's room, he wasn't there. When she went to Khushi's room, she wasn't there either. Worry was making her sick so found any and every means to distract herself before settling in front of the TV.

Akash was out of the house, getting the private jet on standby at the nearest airport, just like Arnav had asked last night.

Khushi, however, was still in Arnav's room...awake and shaken to the core yet again. She sat on his chaise lounge, the words swimming before her tearful eyes.

An hour and a half ago when she had opened her eyes, she had found herself cocooned in Arnav's arms most protectively. After silently observing him for a few minutes, she had carefully gotten out of bed when the piece of paper next to the laptop on his coffee table had grabbed her attention.

Once the instructions on accessing the hidden folder were in her hands, nothing could have stopped from going in and reading them all. She had smiled; laughed, and cried while reading the messages he had sent her in the last few years. Birthday wishes, wishes of her success, confessions of how much he missed her...

The anger she had felt last night at Payal and Anjali returned in full force. She looked over at Arnav who had begun stirring in his sleep as she recalled the promise he'd made to her last night.

The question was...would he follow up on it?

Even if he didn't follow up on his promise, she would. She would leave from here today...with or without him. She needed distance from Anjali and Payal before her own temper could severe the already altered bond between them. No matter what they'd done, they were dear to her and she didn't want to hurt them in the heat of her anger. With that decision in my mind, Khushi left his room and headed straight to hers to get ready for the upcoming day.
____

An hour later Khushi knocked on Arnav's bedroom door again, not really expecting him to be awake. That is exactly why she was surprised when he opened the door a second later to let her in.

Despite the situation, her hormones roared and geared into action as she watched him move away from the door. He was freshly showered, small water droplets hung onto his hair, occasionally a couple falling on his shoulders before gracefully rolling down his chest.

Stop it! Khushi berated herself and she forced herself to tear her gaze away from him as she walked past. She could almost hear the smirk on his face.

"It's not the first time you're seeing me without a shirt..." he teased.

Oh I know...but you were less muscular back then...Khushi bit her tongue before she actually blurted the words. The quick fix to these wanton thoughts was addressing the elephant in the room.

"I read the emails." Khushi accepted with a sigh and looked up at him.

Arnav shrugged. "I read them too..."

"It didn't make me feel better..."

Arnav cringed slightly. "Me either. Made me feel worse and angrier for not being able to read them when I should have...look...I won't interfere with your decision anymore. Your decision should be yours. We've had enough of other people's choices forming our life paths...Whatever you decide is how it shall be, Khush...so long as you're happy..."

Khushi rocked back and forth on her feet for a second. "Did you mean what you said last night?"

The vulnerability returned in her eyes, making his anger flare for a second. He closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his hands. "That I would take you away to wherever you wanted to go...? Yes. I meant it. The jet is ready, my car is ready...just tell me where you want to go and tell me when you want to leave."

"Delhi." Khushi answered without missing a beat. "I want to go to Delhi. As soon as possible."

Arnav nodded solemnly. "Go pack your bags. The jet is already on standby."

Khushi's lips parted in surprise. After her father, only this man would go to lengths because of her whim, the only man who took her silly demands seriously.

"Thank you." Was all she could mumble at the moment.

He tapped the bottom of her chin with his index finger. "Chin up, Tiny. Go get ready. We'll leave in a...what? Why are you smiling at me like that?"

A small chuckle escaped Khushi. "It's been so long since I've heard anyone call me Tiny'."

"I would have used the term 'witch' but since you were kind enough to not wax my arm hair off this morning, I'll be nice." He winked and crossed her arms.

Of course, Khushi saw through the front. This was him, trying to return their bond, their relationship to what it was before others decided to interfere in their lives. This was him trying to return them back to happier times where their relationship was their universe.

She wanted the same...but there was still one thing that she wanted to clear up with him.
___

As soon as Khushi walked into the living room with her luggage, Payal and Anjali rushed over to her.

"Where are you going?!" Payal questioned.

"Khushi...please...we're sorry for everything we did...don't leave like this!" Anjali pleaded.

Khushi paused in her stride but the angry expression on her face remained unchanged. She didn't turn to look at either one of them, nor did she bother to offer any words.

"HP! Take the luggage to the car, please." Akash called out to the house keeper and seconds later the man came scurrying into the room.

Khushi gave him a small grateful smile as he took the bags away from her. Shoulders rolled back and head held high, Khushi walked over to Akash, her expression softening as Akash's worried expression bored into her vision.

"I'm fine." Khushi answered the unasked question. "Thank you for last night...for everything else too, actually. And Rohan..." Khushi turned to face a tired looking Rohan who stood just behind Akash. "Sorry about ruining your wedding night..."

"Please, Khushi..." Rohan shook his head. "Don't embarrass me by apologizing...I should be the one apologizing..."

"No...we should be the ones apologizing." Anjali walked over; angered by the fact that no one would give them a chance to explain. "Khushi...I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay?? I thought I was protecting you from heartbreak...I thought you would get over him with time...and I didn't know how he felt!"

"I don't want your apology." Khushi's words were spoken calmly, making them sound even more frightening. "Your apology, unfortunately, can't bring me back the past three years. I understand you thought you were protecting me, but didn't you think that maybe I didn't want to be cut off from him? Did I ever ask you to protect me from him? Tell me something, Anjali...would you or Payal have ever told me what you'd done if the topic hadn't come up?"

"That's not Anjali's fault." Payal spoke up. "I told her not to say anything. She wanted to tell Arnav everything when she found out that he'd been emailing you. I told her not to."

"Doesn't matter Payal. It still doesn't change anything. I won't lie to you...I'm very hurt and disappointed with what you've done...even though I understand your reasons...I still wish you'd at least asked what I wanted..." Khushi decided that at this point in all of their relationships, honesty was the best policy. "I need some time away from both of you to clear my head. Please give me that."

Anjali took a step closer to Khushi. "But Khushi I--"

"That's enough." The command was dominating enough to make Anjali shut up at once.

She didn't dare turn around and face her brother. She was scared and ashamed. Even as she felt his strong presence come closer to her and move around her to stand between her and Khushi, Anjali couldn't bring herself to look up at him.

"Enough, Di." His voice was low. Dangerously low. "We're both leaving right now and I don't want a single word from either one of you. She wants some distance and so do I. My reaction last night must have been enough to tell you just how angry I am with you..."

Khushi placed a hand on his shoulder in warning, reminding him to keep himself in check.

"Does this mean that you're never going to speak to us?" Payal's voice shook as she watched Khushi.

Khushi let out a small mirthless laugh. "I'm not a child Payal. Despite everything that has happened, despite the fact that I won't be able to completely trust you two for a long time...and you have no idea how much that upsets me...despite all of that...you two are still my friends...I am angry with you but that doesn't mean that I hate you now...I just need time..."

"Let them go." Akash interrupted. "Did I not speak to you two last night about this? Just leave them alone, Damn it!"

"Relax Akash." Khushi cajoled. "There is nothing they can say that will stop me right now."

"Then let's go. We're done here." Arnav reached behind him and took a hold of Khushi's hand.

Without letting it go, he began walking towards the exit while Anjali and Payal's eyes zeroed in on their clasped hands. Neither Arnav, nor Khushi--nor Akash, who had begun following them--turned to look in their direction even once.
_____

After a long quiet drive to the airport and a somber farewell to Akash, Arnav and Khushi had boarded the private jet. Not a single word had been uttered between them until the plane had taken off the ground.

At last, Khushi decided to break the icy silence. She wanted to know some things that had happened in the past...some things that were still unclear to her and she decided to implore the conversation now. They were mid-air, in solitude and there would be no such perfect opportunity.

"Arnav...remember how I said I read the emails?"

"Yeah...?" Arnav answered, unsure where she was heading with this.

"It sort of gave me an idea about what happened for the majority of the last three years...but there is still something that I want to know."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands folding together. She knew she had his complete attention. It was in the way his eyes scanned her face, in the way his blank expression silently encouraged her to speak.

She took a deep breath to ready herself...unsure of how he will react to her question. She phrased and rephrased the question in her mind a couple times before settling on the simplest version which was more a statement than a question.

Not an ounce of her nervousness reflected in her voice when she finally spoke. "I want to know everything about the situation with Shanaya."

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Chapter 24: The Guilty & The Punished

Khushi lay on the warm floor of the terrace, breathing heavily. The sun had set an hour ago and now the stars shone brightly in the sky. The marbles on the terrace floor that had heated up through the day were finally beginning to cool down. The dim lighting from the wall lamps by the door casted a faint glow over the terrace.

For the past hour and a half, she had been up here, dancing away her stress. She had been given so much information within the span of a couple of days, she didn't know what to do with it all. As a means to distract herself, she had come up here, plugged her headphones into the iPod and danced away until her lungs and legs gave up.

Knowing that she had to go downstairs, because the others should be back by now, she pulled herself into a sitting position and adjusted her hair and clothing. She wrapped the headphone wire around her ipod as she made her way off the terrace and down the stairs. She had just set her foot on the second floor landing when his voice boomed angrily in the living room below.

"I don't care! Just find her! Call me as soon as you get a hold of her." He paced back and forth even as he hung up and began dialing another number.

Confusion and worry stole Khushi's attention and she found herself rushing down the elegant staircase leading to the living room.

Something had gone wrong. Arnav was clearly worried out of his mind.

Find her...her? who? Payal? Anjali?! Were Amma and Buaji okay?

"Everything okay?" she rushed towards him.

He whirled around in a fast movement and his worry filled eyes settled on her. A half-groan, half-sigh escaped him and a look of pure relief washed over his features and stance upon hearing her voice and seeing her in flesh, standing in front of him. He covered the remaining distance between the two of them in two long strides and immediately gathered her in a bone-breaking hug.

"where the fuck were you?!" he hissed. "I've been so worried! Where the hell did you go?!"

Khushi frowned in confusion. "I was on the terrace."

Arnav pulled away and glared at her. "Couldn't you tell someone where you were going?! Do you know how worried I've been? I came home and I couldn't find you and I've gone absolutely insane in the past half hour because the others can't find you either! I was just about to call the police! And you idiotic..." His words trailed off mid-sentence as he finally took in her appearance. "Have you been crying?"

Khushi's defenses raised up within seconds because he was right. She had danced and cried, cried and danced until she was spent. But of course she wasn't going to tell him that. "Its none of your business."

Arnav tightened his grip on her shoulders, a tinge of anger visible in his eyes. "Everything to do with you is my business, Khushi. You know that. It has always been like that."

"Not always." Khushi countered.

"yes it has. Always." Arnav pulled her closer until their faces were inches away. "I've told you already. It was always you...its always been you...and it will always be only you. Why is that so hard for you to grasp?!"

"because its crap, that's why!" Khushi pushed him away. "this is a game to you isn't it? You only want me because I'm taken! You didn't look at me once when I was single!"

Even as she said the words, she heard the childish stubbornness behind them. Arnav had already explained his behavior, Arvind had also added in his two cents...but this was her heart's method at ensuring its own safety. This was her heart's last feeble attempt...the last weak attempt before succumbing to the truth. Even if it meant hurling the ugly facts in his face.

But she should have known that he wouldn't take it quietly. That he would put up a fight twice as hard to make sure he didn't lose her again...

"I didn't look at you?! Why the hell do you think I chased down and scared away any man you went on a date with?! Why the hell do you think I tried to spend every moment that I could with you?" he pinched the bridge of his nose to rein in his temper before he walked up to her and gently cupped her face. "Khush, I need you to acknowledge that I love you and I need you to trust me when I say that I haven't spent a single day without thinking of you, worrying for you, missing you, or loving you."

Khushi scoffed. "That's saying a lot coming from a man who ignored me for the past three years..."

Arnav's anger flared dangerously and his hands dropped to his sides, clenching into fists. "Enough! I will not stand here and listen to you...or anyone else accuse me of that. Yes, I didn't come chasing you to wherever you had run off to...and believe me, it took everything I had in my power to give you these years to yourself...to grow and heal from the pain that I caused you. I love you and if you think that it was easy for me to stay away then you need to think again. And don't you dare! Don't you dare say that I ignored you when you're the one who never responded to any of my emails."

"ME?!" Khushi pointed an index finger at the centre of her chest, her temper firing at the accusation. "I ignored you? Really?? I can't believe you're pinning this on me just to clear yourself of the blame."

"Tell me one email that you replied to." Arnav crossed his arms.

"How the fuck was I supposed to reply to an email that I never got?!" Khushi threw up her hands in frustration.

Arnav closed his eyes in frustration and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't want to start this blame game I""

"Then don't!" Khushi flared. "Don't start the game. You didn't want to speak to me for all these years and you didn't bother to get in touch...I've accepted that...so please...just admit it. you don't have to lie. Do you know what it did it to me to sit there and wait for a response from you?"

"You don't think I know what that's like?!" Arnav grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer harshly, his anger getting the better of him. "Do you think I didn't wait around for your emails? Do you think I don't know what it feels like?!"

"No you don't!" Khushi pushed his arms off, fuming. "You don't know what it's like...You don't know what repeated heartbreak feels like! I'd left heartbroken but I felt my heart break all over again when I didn't see a reply to my emails! And here you are...trying to blame me for all of this, using lies to cover you own fault!"

"he's not lying."

Both Arnav and Khushi turned to look at the company they didn't know they had. There stood the remaining four friends of theirs, two looking confused and somewhat wary while the other two looked...guilty?

"What?" Khushi frowned.

Anjali, who was holding payal's hand, squeezed it tighter as if trying to draw strength from her. "He...He's not lying..." Anjali turned her gaze to Arnav. "And she's not lying either..."

Arnav and Khushi exchanged a quick confused glance before turning to Anjali and Payal. "What the hell are you saying?"

The anger simmering in his voice made Anjali shiver with fear. Payal could already feel her throat choking up as she saw where this was leading. Hell was about to break loose.

Akash and Rohan shuffled on their feet nervously.

Anjali knew she had to do this. Only now she had realized what her meddling had done to them. He loved her and she loved him and they'd been pushed away because they'd decided to interfere. She couldn't even begin to imagine how upset Arnav and Khushi would be when they found out.

Payal had come to the same conclusion and jumped to get some damage control started. This whole thing was her idea and it was only fair that she offers the explanation.

"Khushi...he's been emailing you in the past three years." Payal nodded towards Arnav.

Khushi opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again. She turned her questioning gaze to Arnav.

"but...it..it's not possible..." she muttered, trying to recall a single email that had dropped in her inbox from him. She recalled none.

"Payal just told you that it is possible..." Arnav sighed. "Now that we have cleared who was ignoring who"" Arnav began his argument but his sister cut him off.

"She wasn't ignoring you either...I'm sure she had been emailing you." Anjali bit her lower lip, trying to control the tears which were burning behind her eyes.

"What are you two going on about?" Rohan muttered under his breath, praying to the almighty that these two women hadn't done anything to make matters worse for Arnav and Khushi.

"Neither of you ignored the other...it was us..." Payal took a step forward and Anjali followed.

Rohan felt his heart sink at Payal's confession. Akash froze and paled next to him as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.

Khushi looked at them confusedly, trying to make sense of these random bits of information.

"Speak clearly dammit...I don't have patience for riddles right now!" Arnav roared.

Payal flinched at his tone while Rohan cringed. Akash's mind was busy piecing everything together and so far, he wasn't liking the direction in which his hypothesis was leading.

"Payal and I made sure you two didn't get each other's emails!" Anjali said in one breath.

Arnav felt rather than saw Khushi go stiff at the words. His own fists clenched tight as the anger doubled in size...eventhough it didin't make much sense. How had they ensured that? And why?

"we...we created hidden folders and redirected your emails to it...its password protected..." The guilt was evident in Payal's voice when she spoke but neither Khushi nor Arnav paid attention that.

Payal's guilt was miniscule compared to the feeling of betrayal that was building within the hearts of the long-separated couple.

"You did...what?" Khushi stared at her cousin, feeling utterly betrayed.

"I'm so sorry Khushi...I...I didn't think it would be as bad...I mean...we still spoke on the phone sometimes but you never asked for him and he never asked to speak to you and we figured that we hadn't done anything wrong with the emails.." Payal tried to explain her stand.

"We saw what it was doing to you...seeing him with all those girls and then Shanaya..." Anjali clamped her mouth shut when she saw Arnav's hand twitch at the mere mention of that woman's name.

"When you were busy packing and he was busy with...issues, we took advantage of the fact that you two never logged off of your computers...we created the folders and set it up so that all of Arnav's emails automatically drop in that folder...and as an added measure, we did the same with his inbox." Anjali looked at her toes, unable to meet the angry and hurt glares of the victims of her stupid deed.

"I'm sorry..." Payal whispered.

"I'm sorry, too..." Anjali echoed the sentence as if a simple apology would fix all the damage they'd caused.

Arnav and Khushi's anger increased in synch but he lost his control sooner...much sooner. He moved quickly, charging towards Anjali and seeing his arm move as if intending to cause physical harm, Khushi moved quickly too. At the same time, Rohan moved towards his newly wedded wife, feeling the need to protect her...even if from her own brother! The man looked like he was going slap her, for heaven's sakes!

"No Arnav!" Khushi spoke sternly, stepping in between him and Anjali. She held his arm, reminding him to keep himself in check because no matter how angry he was, no matter what Anjali had done...it wasn't right for a man to hit a woman. Especially if the woman was your older sister and half your size.

Rohan stood between Khushi and Anjali, adding an extra shield in front of his wife while Anjali cowered behind him, watching her brother's angry expression frightfully over his shoulder.

His eyes spewed fire as he looked over Khushi's head directly at Payal and Anjali, his rage burning holes into their conscious. Khushi squeezed his right arm while her left hand caressed his left shoulder as she tried to calm him.

When he focused on Khushi, his eyes softened considerably, the angry fire replaced by pain, guilt, and helplessness. Her eyes reflected his emotions as the tears rushed in to blur her vision. His fist, which was raised halfway in the air loosened. Feeling the lump choking his voice and the tears prickling his eyes, he stared down at her, wanting to caress her cheeks but he couldn't move his arm for rage had paralyzed him.

"Chotey, I..." Anjali began in a shaky voice"She was crying.

The next second, fire returned in his eyes. He turned on his heels and stormed out of the living room before the fire could burn his surroundings to ashes. Khushi stood in her spot, with her back turned to everyone, her eyes closed as she tried to gather herself. With him gone, the situation felt suddenly worse. With him gone, there was no one here who truly understood what she was feeling.

She felt a light touch on her shoulder and she immediately jerked it off aggressively.

"DONT!"

"Khushi..." Payal began but Khushi didn't let her finish.

"just. Go." The command came through clenched teeth, her voice like icy shards.

"Please Khushi...at least you hear us out..." Anjali pleaded.

"JUST GO!!" Khushi roared, and her voice bounced off the walls. The lioness pranced out, more frightening than the Lion who had left the den.

Anger which is shown too often, like Arnav's, is easier to ignore, easier to deal with. But when a usually cheerful, calm, and warm individual is infuriated...their anger is lethal. Besides, heaven hath no fury than a woman scorned.

Khushi, at the moment, was the scorned woman. She felt utterly betrayed by the people she called her friends. They were the only two she had trusted enough to divulge her feelings for Arnav to and they had gone ahead and put more distance between her and the same man.

Payal and Anjali stood shocked on either side of her while she resolutely looked away from them.

Rohan and Akash exchanged a look of annoyance and without exchanging a single word, both knew that each one of them was equally annoyed with both the women.

"Khushi we only did that bec--" Payal bgean and flinched when Khushi whirled angrily towards her.

"I SAID JUST GO! JUST GET OUT OF MY FACE! LEAVE. ME. ALONE!!" Khushi's scream ended in a sob and she turned around to face them. "Go Away before I do something that I might regret later!"

Khushi turned away again but not before the agonized expression burned into Anjali and Payal's visions, increasing their guilt tenfolds.

Quietly, Rohan turned to Anjali and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while keeping his other arm on Payal's shoulders.

"leave her alone for now." His tone was clipped with a hint of barely hidden anger. His eyes flickered to Akash who stood, as expected, fuming in his spot.

He didn't even bother to glance towards Payal as he made his way around them towards Khushi. Stopping behind her, Akash looked at rohan and nudged his chin in the staircase's direction, signing him to take Anjali and Payal away. With a quick nod, Rohan followed and guided Anjali and Payal out of the room.

Akash placed a hand on Khushi's shoulder tentatively. "Khushi..."

"Please leave me alone Akash." Her choked, her voice thick with tears.

Not bothering to respond to her with words, Akash squeezed her shoulder and turned her around to face him. All it took was one empathetic glance, a look of understanding, and Khushi broke down into sobs. Too overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the past few days, Khushi could only find one outlet to express herself and that was through tears.

Akash wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a friendly hug, giving her a shoulder to cry on, even as his anger at his sister and his girlfriend increased steadily.

It took only a few minutes for her to recollect herself and pull away from the hug. Akash clenched his jaw to rein in his temper.

Who needs friends if this is what they do to you?!

"I will make sure they stay away until you're ready to talk to them." Akash spoke with resolution and he could see the surprise shining in her eyes.

"I'm sorry...you're probably going to hate me too but I know...I know what Bhai feels for you...I've been helping him figure out you equation with NK and other things but believe me...I had no idea about these emails..." Akash ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I didn't even know about this until bhai left abruptly after your engagement announcement...that kind of made it obvious...but I've known since then. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

A small, sad smile appeared on her face even as the tears silently rolled down her cheeks. "it seems like everyone knows a lot more than I thought they did..."

"I'm sorry, Khushi...What can I do to help?" Akash asked eagerly.

"As much as I appreciate your support right now...I would really like to be alone for a bit." Khushi wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

Akash's lips thinned but he nodded once anyway. "Give me a shout if you need anything...I can't speak for the others but I will always stand next to you and Bhai. Always."

I thought Anjali and Payal were there for me too... The unbidden thought brought another wave of sadness with it. Khushi suddenly felt like she had lost two friends forever. The trust between them was shattered and she knew that even if things worked out...there will always be cracks. She would never be able to trust them the same way again.

With slumped shoulders and a defeated stance, Khushi carried herself to the main door of the haveli while Akash fired off to Anjali's room where everyone else was. He needed to give a piece of his mind to his sister and his girlfriend!
_____

Khushi walked through the living room once again a couple hours later. Her eyes ached and prickled from all the crying. Her face was burning because she had been walking around in the storm-like forceful winds outside. The rainless storm outside was nothing compared to the storm within. She felt anger, sadness, loss, and guilt all at once and all four emotions warred for precedence. Between the four...guilt won.

Guilt for the things she had said to Arnav...guilt for the accusations she had hurled at him. Guilt for believing that her Arnav"her giant, her dinosaur"could ignore her so brutally for three years! How could she have thought that? Especially when she knew that Shanaya had lied about the pregnancy. Especially considering that he loved her!

Her steps automatically headed towards his bedroom and she didn't hesitate for a second before knocking on the door gently. She was sure he wouldn't open the door. Perhaps, she should have called him before showing up. She was sure he'd want to stay alone without anyone's company, jus like she did. Which is why, she was surprised when the door opened a few seconds later.

There was no anger on his face, but there was grief...and guilt...just like her. The way he looked at her, it was if he was expecting her to show up at his door. In a brief moment of clarity, she realized that was exactly the case. He'd known it was her at the door.

Her eyes wordlessly expressed her need to be with him at the moment and he wordlessly acknowledged while mirroring his own need for her proximity. Silently, he stepped aside to let her in and once she did, he closed the door gently behind him and followed her into the room.

She stood at the foot of the bed, twisting her fingers together while her eyes were fixated on the pictures of them on the wall. She wondered why she hadn't seen them before and then she realized that the last time she was in here, she wanted to run out the door. And then he had handed her the diary that he had kept for all these years. She had been too occupied to look at the dcor of the room.

He hadn't forgotten...nor had he tried to ignore... As her eyes continued to scan the pictures, the sadness overwhelmed her once again. Those were such happy days...they were all friends...everyone could trust everyone...such simpler times...

She broke out of her melancholic thoughts when she felt his hands on her shoulders. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and she hungrily absorbed all the assurances he provided silently. He turned her gently and made her take a seat. She closed her eyes to ready herself for a round of confrontations or questions eventhough she didn't want to say anything yet. She had just come here in the hope to seek support and provide the same support to him.

They were both at the worst receiving end of someone else's deeds and no one understood them better than they did at the moment and it was that fact that had led Khushi to his bedroom.

Not once had she stopped to consider what he would make of her visit. Now, in the privacy of his room, with him standing in front of her, she finally gave a thought to whether he would misinterpret this.

If only she knew that she didn't have to worry about any of that. He understood her reason for the visit because if she hadn't showed up at his door, he would have gone to her. He needed to make sure she was okay--okay being not too upset, given the circumstances. She had had a lot of information dumped on her all at once and he was worried that she would crumble under the weight. The blow they'd both received today would only add to her load.

Seeing her now, looking absolutely confused and saddened, he was glad that she had trusted him enough--despite everything he has put her through--to come to him. Knowing that she'd only come here for the company of someone who could sympathize with her, Arnav didn't bother to rake his mind to find something to say. Instead, he quietly took a seat next to her. Reaching over, he covered both her hands with one of his, putting an end to her merciless twisting of her own fingers.

Seconds stretched to minutes and neither said anything. Khushi sat there recalling every bit of information she had been given since she had set foot in India. From the changes in Arnav to his confessions of his intents and feelings--both of the past and present. from arvind's advice to Anjali and Payal's confession. By the time she had thought about the latest event once again, she was spent.

She looked down at her lap where his large warm hand covered her much smaller, trembling ones. His thumb ran back and forth soothingly across her knuckles. With a sudden break in the grey clouds, she recalled that the last time they'd sat together like this was when herBauji had passed away. He'd been there for her then too, just silently sitting next to her, his hand covering hers...his presence alone bringing her much needed peace in time of grief.

Thankfully, some things never change.

Just like she had done years ago, she slowly leaned her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes. In an abnormal and dramatic situation, this felt serene and more importantly: Normal.

What they wouldn't give to go back in time and undo all their mistakes that led to the awkward present! If they hadn't hid their feelings from each other, others wouldn't have entered the picture. Sure, with Khushi's career plans, their relationship might have ended up in the long-distance mode for four years but that was still loads better than a foreboding silence on both ends for three long, dreadful years.

"I'm sorry." Khushi took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I thought you could have ignored me for all these days...I should have known better."

"I ignored you for a few days before you left, Khushi...you had every right to believe that I ignored you. I'm sorry that I didn't try harder to get in touch. I'm sorry that I didn't hound the others for your phone number. I just thought that you might be better off without me..." Arnav rested his head on top of hers and a smile tugged at his lips when she snuggled closer. "In the past few days, I've counted many things that I will regret in life...and every one of those things has pushed me further away from you."

"I still consider you my best friend, you know. No one gets that spot." Khushi whispered.

"I'm not sure if I deserve that spot anymore, though. A best friend is supposed to understand you...I couldn't even see how you felt about me...I was so caught up with my own stupid plans...I didn't see that I was actually hurting you...and its my fault that you didn't speak to me about how you felt...I didn't give you a single reason to confess any of that to me. I was such an ass." Arnav sighed.

"That you were." A small chuckle escaped her and the sound echoed in a quiet rumble of his chuckle. "I was going to tell you once..."

"I know." Arnav's response was simple. Sadness tinged his tone.

"You do?" Khushi frowned in confusion and lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him.

"Your diary." Arnav shrugged gently.

"Right...I forgot about that." Khushi rested her head on his shoulder again.

"Would you have told me if I hadn't said that we couldn't be friends if the feelings weren't mutual?" Arnav asked quietly.

He felt her nod once and his jaw clenched in response.

"I only said that because I wanted you to stop being friends with Joel..." Arnav groaned. "How the hell didn't I put all this together back then?"

"You would have never thought because I didn't let anything slip... I was a good actor too, wasn't I? "

"That you were." Arnav copied her, making her smile.

"I was stupid too..." Khushi scoffed. "Even I didn't see that you got jealous of me dating other guys...You hated that...the kind of attention you gave me, the way you cared for me...I should have just gathered the courage and told you."

"And I should have stopped trying to make you jealous and use that energy to tell you the truth."

Khushi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We were both very stupid..."

"Yes we were...me more so than you." Arnav turned his head briefly to kiss her hair. "You should go sleep...its almost one."

"can I sleep here?"

Arnav's heart skipped a beat at her request. She wanted to spend the night? Here? With him?

When he didn't answer, Khushi lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him again. "Arnav?"

"hmm?" Arnav snapped out of his imaginative world.

Khushi raised an eyebrow. "Can I sleep here? With you? Like old times...?"

Arnav nodded slowly. How the hell was he supposed to refuse that offer? A small smile lit up his tensed features. "Yeah...as long as you don't try to wax my arm with tape in the morning."

Khushi threw her head back and laughed at the memory. She remembered that morning well. She had used a strip of duct tape to rip some hair off his arm so that he would wake up.

Arnav's lips stretched into a smile as he watched her and then his rumbling laughter joined hers. It seemed like forever since they had laughed or smiled so openly around one another.

It lasted a few short seconds because then, Khushi laughter turned into sobs. All the emotions that she had tried to hold on to for the last few days escaped from her binds and crushed down on her.

The joy of finding out that her love wasn't unrequited, the fear of the uncertain future, the shock of all the information, grief at being committed to another man, disgust at herself for feeling this way about a man who wasn't her fiance, helplessness with the situation, and pure anger at Payal and Anjali for what they'd done.

In the whirlpool of these emotions, there was also envy of all those who had the love of their life with them without complications, indignation at the hand life had dealt her, and utter confusion about what she was supposed to do now. And in the midst of this emotional storm, Khushi could only find one outlet...tears.

So she let them flow. It felt good to let it out somehow and since words had long deserted her, she wouldn't stop the tears from taking some pain away.

His anger at his sister and Payal returned with vengeance at the sight of Khushi sobbing in front of him. He stood up and pulled her up with him before crushing her in his embrace. He rocked her gently, hushing her, caressing her hair in a reassuring manner.

They stood like that for a long time, him whispering usual reassurances--anything that could potentially stop her from crying. But she had unleashed a dam and there was no stopping until she had let it all out.

"I don't know what to do!" Khushi half mumbled-half sobbed into his chest. "I am so confused...I don't think I'm processing anything anymore! This is too much to take! I can't handle it! I don't want to know more..."

"Shh Khushi..." arnav hugged her closer. "Don't think about anything...you don't need to say anything...I understand..."

"I cant do this anymore." Her voice choked. She pulled away from him just enough to look up meaningfully at his worried face. "Take me away from here, Arnav..."

The simple plea was written all over her face and swam in the form of tears in her eyes. All he was able to manage in response was a small nod.

Reassured by his silent promise, she hid her face in her chest and let him soothe away her sobs. A long couple of minutes later, when she finally had her emotions in check, Arnav kissed the top of her head.

"Go to sleep, Khushi..." he whispered.

She made no move for a few seconds and Arnav took the liberty to pull away from her, bend down, and scoop her into his arms. With a natural instinct, her arms wound around his neck and her head remained resting on his shoulder as he walked the few steps around the bed.

He placed her on the bed gently and scooted up next to her on the small space on her side. She looked up at him as if searching his face for something. He understood without her saying the words. She was trying to gauge the honesty of his promise.

"Go to sleep, baby...I'm here with you. When you wake up, I will take you as far away from here as you want...wherever you want...I promise. All that matters to me is your happiness...and I will do everything I can to give you that." He sealed the promise with a chaste kiss to her forehead.

Letting her use his chest as a pillow, he grabbed hold of one of her hands, silently promising his unyielding love and support. Clinging onto the familiar serenity that came with his presence, Khushi closed her eyes and mind and welcomed the numbing slumber.

This was a familiar territory. This was peaceful and calming as familiarity often is. The questions that remain now are...would the familiarity still be there when she woke up? Moreover, would she choose this familiarity for her future?

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Chapter 23: Heart vs Mind

"It always will be you, Khush..." With that, he pressed his lips to hers.

Khushi's breath hitched in her throat and her heart hammered away at the touch of his lips on hers. How many times had she imagined this moment? How many times had she hoped for it...dreamt it, even.

She didn't know what to do with herself now that the moment was actually happening. All too soon, she felt him break the short kiss and her first instinct was to pull him back. Instead, she opened her eyes to look at him. She didn't know what exactly he saw there but the next moment, he leaned in again. This time, Khushi's lips parted slightly on their own accord, welcoming his. Shock had paralyzed her body and for the next two seconds he had his lips on hers, she stood stock still.

Mistaking her shock for defiance, Arnav was about to pull away when he finally felt her respond. The feather-light brush of her bottom lip against his was enough to hold him in place.

His lips pressed against hers gently once more before the tone of the kiss changed. It turned more possessive, more demanding as she joined in, imitating his movements, trying her best to keep-up without fainting in his arms.

Her knees were turned to Jell-O and her head was filled with an intoxicated haze. Her hand fisted in his hair at his nape while his circled around her waist, pulling her closer. Years of leashed passion struggled against the binds, to set itself free.

Had it not been for the unwelcome clatter somewhere around the corner, their passion may have found the escape. Feeling the need to protect Khushi's dignity and save her from the embarrassment of being caught in a compromising position, Arnav broke the kiss and embraced her, hiding her face in his chest.

His keen eyes scanned the end of the hallway to see any signs of someone lingering around but he didn't register a single shadow. A frown marred his handsome features and he turned to look down at her when he felt the warm moisture seep through his shirt.

"Khushi?" He tried to pull away but she held on tighter as the sobs escaped her silently, the tears soaking through his shirt. "No...No...Khushi please look at me...Dammit Khushi...stop crying!"

He pulled away from her with force and she immediately tried to wipe away the remnant proof of her vulnerability. Damn these treacherous tears!

She didn't even know why she was crying! Because he loved her? Because she'd given away her first kiss to the man she loves? Because there was finally hope? Of because some distant part of her was screaming at her for betraying her fianc?

As she tried to control her shuddering breaths, she looked up at him to see his pained expression.

"Why are you crying?!" Arnav demanded in an agonized whisper, worry gripping him in an icy grip. Was she upset about the kiss..?

"Oho Sankadevi! Where are you?" Buaji's loud voice broke through the silent pause.

Khushi's startled eyes fleeted to the end of the hall and then back to Arnav. He saw the plea in her eyes and, very reluctantly, let her go. She took two torturously slow steps backwards, away from him, while her searching eyes remained fixated on his face.

"I love you." He mouthed one more time, praying to a God he didn't believe in that she believed it.

Then she turned around and ran from there, leaving Arnav standing there uncertain of the consequences of his most recent encounter with Khushi.
_____

Khushi stood in the kitchen, staring down at her hands where the henna had left a deep red colour, her eyes particularly focused on the elegant script reading Arnav'. The events of last night were fresh in her mind...so fresh that she still felt his touch against her lips.

So much information had been exchanged in that short conversation and combined with the diary fiasco of the night before...Khushi was exhausted. After speaking to Buaji about the haldi preparations last night, Khushi had retired to her room and fallen asleep within seconds"Arnav's name engraved in her henna design forgotten for all she could think about the entire night was a mind-numbing kiss.

Now, in broad daylight, she found herself isolated even when there was a crowded ceremony going on a couple of walls away. She had come back to the point where she felt alone in a room full of people. Might as well stay away from them; let them enjoy the celebrations without her off-mood hindering their joy.

"Khushi! We've been waiting for you to get back...what are you doing here?" Payal's voice broke through Khushi's reverie.

Khushi jumped and turned to look at Payal. "Sorry Payal...I just got lost in my thoughts."

Payal narrowed her eyes at her cousin. "Is everything okay, Khushi?"

Khushi averted her eyes and smartly busied herself in mixing the turmeric powder, gram flour, and milk together. "Yeah...just a bit tired...why do you ask?"

"Because you're not yourself...I've obviously noticed that you're different ever since you got back...but the past two-three days...you've been exceptionally out of it..." Payal observed Khushi keenly but Khushi's well composed expression gave away nothing.

"You're running away with your thoughts here, Payal...everything is fine...I just can't believe how quickly time passes...I mean...Anjali is getting married tomorrow...You and Akash are getting engaged in a few days...I'm engaged...we're all old!"

"Did something happen with Arnav?" Payal questioned, ignoring Khushi's explanation about growing up. Apart from her mother, only Arnav could have such a considerable impact on her behavior. Since Garima aunty was perfectly fine...it must have something to do with Arnav.

Khushi froze and turned to look at Payal. "What?"

"Did something happen with Arnav?" Payal repeated calmly.

"NO." Khushi snapped. "Why do you think that if I'm upset, it is because of Arnav?!"

"So you're upset." Payal crossed her arms.

"Goddamn it, Payal...No I am not!" Khushi snapped, rather harshly. "I just have a lot on my mind and I'll figure it out...And Arnav doesn't mean anything to me. He is nothing." Her heart wailed in protest as the words escaped her lips.

"I know you know how I felt about him in the past, but that's it...it's in the past! I am engaged to NK and I'm happy. NK is a really nice guy...Arnav and I are fine...there is nothing wrong there either. And in any case, it's not really any of your business." Khushi clamped her mouth shut, closed her eyes, and pressed the bridge of her nose to rein in her anger seeing Payal's wounded expression.

"I was just trying to make sure you're okay..." Payal's hurt voice increased Khushi's guilt.

"I know...I know...I'm sorry...I just...Look, there's a lot on my mind right now...just give me some time to sort everything out, okay? When the time comes, I'll tell you everything but right now is not the time..." Khushi kept a hand on Payal's shoulder, pleading her to understand.

Reluctantly, Payal nodded, letting the matter go...for now. Together, the two women made their way to the great hall with the bowls of turmeric paste. It came to her as no surprise when Khushi found Arnav's eyes following her movements through the living room. What did come as a surprise, though, was the look of hurt and agony she saw on his face when she slyly threw him a glance.

He heard the conversation! Khushi's heart stuttered a beat painfully as a particular sentence of hers came back to her, a harsh reminder of her decision... Arnav doesn't mean anything to me. He is nothing.

She winced inwardly while her heart scowled at her in disapproval...both her heart and mind knew, too well, that that was the biggest lie she had ever told anyone.
____

Khushi walked towards Arnav's room, each step feeling like a mission in itself. She didn't know whether she was doing the right thing. If she were frank with herself, she didn't know what the right thing to do was.

If she chose NK over Arnav, she'd be hurting Arnav...if she chose Arnav over NK, she'd be hurting NK. And hurting either of them would ultimately hurt her. In the moment of making the decision, one particular fact had helped in leaning her towards the decision...

She wouldn't be risking another heartbreak if she chose NK.

She knocked on his door and took deep breaths to keep her head clear, and her determination strong. She had to give herself a small pep-talk just to bring herself to look up a few seconds after the door had opened. When his face came into view, she could see the frown etched on his face...confusion or apprehension, she couldn't tell.

"Can I come in?"

Without a word, he stepped aside to let her in. A floral scent engulfed him as she walked past and he made it a point to leave the door ajar as he followed her in. Just in case...

"What brings you here?" His voice was clipped, yet tinged with amusement.

"We need to talk..." Khushi glanced around the dimly lit room, taking note of the picture of them over the headboard of his king sized bed.

Arnav watched her with interest for a couple of seconds, scrutinizing her expressions, before he nodded in agreement.

"Look...what happened last night...I...I should have stopped it...it wasn't right..." Khushi stammered and twisted her fingers together. She had this speech all ready and rehearsed to deliver but the mere sight of him had thrown the entire speech out of her mind.

"What wasn't right? Two people confessing how they felt about one another? Two people trying to clear the air between them to restore the relationship they shared? Or the kiss?" His voice was cold, displeased.

"All of it!" Khushi snapped, embarrassed at the mention of the kiss. "Especially the...the kiss."

Arnav tilted his head to the side, challengingly, ignoring the sting of her words. "Why?"

"Because I shouldn't lead you on. I know that you know how I felt about you in the past but that's exactly it, Arnav...it's in the past. I...I don't feel that way for you anymore." She kept her gaze averted from him, well aware that he would call her out on the lie.

Arnav clenched his jaw and counted to ten in his head, trying to keep his temper in check. He couldn't believe that after everything that they talked about last night, after that kiss they shared, she was just going to make a decision overnight...a decision on which three lives depended. Her stubbornness had never annoyed him more.

Khushi turned her back on him because she knew that she couldn't make herself not look at him otherwise. She walked to the French doors that looked out into the poolside area. She watched the sky above being reflected in the still water of the pool.

"I'm sorry that I kissed you last night...Blame it on hormones or sheer stupidity or whatever...I just wanted to let you know that we can't continue this." She took a deep breath, restoring some of her determination from the pause. "I'm happy that my love wasn't one sided...that you reciprocated the feelings but that doesn't matter now. I'm over you...I'm engaged to NK...and I think it'd be best if you and I just keep safe distance between us until we can move on as friends." Her voice was quiet, subdued, almost as if she were giving herself this speech to reassure herself that her decision was right.

The few seconds of silence following her dialogue stretched into minutes. Neither knew what to say. Khushi felt that she had said everything that needed to be said. She didn't even know why she was still standing there. Perhaps, his lack of reaction wasn't what Khushi expected and she felt saddened about his silence. She had expected an outburst, a fight to keep her in his life but here he was, standing still as a statue, and utterly silent.

Arnav, on the other hand, tried to figure out why she was doing this. She loved him, he loved her, and it was clearly evident in that one kiss they'd shared. Then why this? Why now, when everything was finally headed towards getting better?

"If you're over me, then why is my name printed on your hand?" He shot the question, shoving aside the guilt that emerged. It was an unfair blow, he knew. She had nothing to do with how his name ended up in the henna design but if it would get anything out of her, then he would use it to his advantage.

After all...everything is fair in love and war...this was both...this was his war to win back his love and there was no way in hell he was going to lose. Not this time.

"If you're over me, then why did you kiss me back yesterday?" He closed the distance between them until his chest touched her back.

He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer. Instantly, her breathing quickened and her heartbeat raced. "If you're over me...then why do you react to me this way?"

With a lightning fast move, he whirled her around to face him. Her hands landed on his chest and instantly clutched at the shirt for support. He took two slow steps forward and she compensated by taking synchronized steps back until her back leaned against the glass of the French doors.

Her eyes fluttered closed when he dipped his head and touched his lips to the side of her neck. He began a slow trail up the side of her neck, along her jaw. "Tell me to stop, Khushi."

Khushi barely registered his words, suddenly dazed with his touch. Every kiss he left on her face, it was as if he were apologizing to her and loving her at the same time.

He kissed the corner of her mouth, letting his lips linger. "Ask me to stop."

She didn't. Her lips parted in anticipation and her heart somersaulted in glee. A moan nearly escaped her when he kissed the other corner of her mouth. "Stop me."

His voice, even though a husky whisper, was challenging. For the life of her, she couldn't utter that one single word. She may say what she wanted because her brain was in her control. Her heart and, apparently, even her body was out of her command at this point. They were both too attuned to him and his touch. The brain's hold on her heart and body melted away at his mere touch.

He pressed his lips to hers urgently, possessively, pleading her to rethink her decision. She reacted without a second's pause. Just like the night before, as a novice in the physical intimacy department, she followed his lead, imitated his actions for all of three glorious seconds because then, he suddenly pulled away.

"You still want me to believe that you're over me?" He let go of her at the same moment her eyes flew open. He walked away from her to the other end of the room, putting some much needed distance between them. God knows that if he'd stayed there, he would have lost all of his control...and this wasn't the right time for that.

"Don't do this, Khushi." He turned around to face her, pain etched into his features. "Don't repeat the mistake that I made in the past...Both of us hid our feelings and look where it's brought us...don't repeat that...don't deny what you feel...don't do this to us."

Silence prevailed once again as his words registered in her mind with exaggerated slowness. His earlier stunt with the kisses had filled her mind with a cloudy haze and it didn't dissipate as fast as she would have liked.

"So her Henna came out, like, really dark!!" Lavanya burst into the room and walked towards Arnav. "And you owe me for getting the lady to write your name on her palm! Not that it was hard to distract Khushi but when you're doing something you're not supposed to...what?" Lavanya questioned when Arnav's horrified eyes flickered to a spot above and behind Lavanya's shoulder.

Lavanya turned around to see what he was looking at and cursed in her mind when she saw Khushi's expression. She looked betrayed and downright angry.

"Lavanya?" Khushi felt the shock of the news in her system, the spot where his name was engraved onto her hand burned white-hot.

Lavanya muttered a couple more profanities under her breath. This wasn't supposed to happen! But now the cat was already out of the bag...

"Khushi." Lavanya greeted curtly, her tone way less friendly than it usually was.

"Why?" Khushi questioned, cutting to the chase.

Lavanya shrugged. Khushi's accusing glare turned to Arnav who watched her warily.

"You told her?!" Khushi accused.

"No, I didn't!" Arnav defended himself at once. Please...not another misunderstanding! "I don't know how she knows...but she knows. She's been helping me..."

Arnav saw the realization dawn upon her slowly. Khushi recalled the scenarios when Lavanya had left Khushi alone with Arnav, multiple times.

"Why?!" Khushi repeated her question, her glare focused on Lavanya again.

Lavanya took a deep breath and decided to be honest. She looked at Arnav for a couple of seconds and then turned to face Khushi.

"I'm not doing this for you...or for him." Lavanya shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm doing this for me."

"For you?" Khushi spat. "What's in it for you?"

"Don't you see?" Lavanya chuckled mirthlessly and turned to look at Arnav again. "The sooner he realizes that you don't love him...the sooner he'll see that I do...that I've fallen in love with him."

Now it was Arnav's turn to be shocked. He didn't know why Lavanya was helping him all this while, but whatever reason he had anticipated...it wasn't this! He turned to look at Khushi who looked composed again. Too composed. Arnav knew what she was going to say even before she uttered the words.

"I won't get in your way Lavanya." A sad smile appeared on Khushi's angelic face. "I was never in your way to begin with."

Without a single glance in Arnav's direction, Khushi rushed out of the room. Arnav rounded on Lavanya right away.

"What the fuck, Lavanya?!"

"I'm sorry!" Lavanya ran a hand through her hair. "I had to say something!"

"And that was your fucking genius response?!" Arnav roared.

"I said the first thing that came to my mind..." Lavanya muttered, truly scared under his wrath filled gaze, although she knew that whatever she had said wasn't a lie. She loved him and her path was supposed to be simple until Khushi stepped into the picture.

A string of profanities escaped his lips and he paced back and forth like an irritated lion. Lavanya twisted her hands together, unsure whether she should say more. When the silence stretched for too long, she sighed and decided to leave him alone.

"I'm sorry Arnav..."

Arnav resolutely kept his back turned to her, fearing that he might end up hurting her in his flash of anger. When he heard the click of the door, indicating that Lavanya had left the room, he resumed his pacing, trying to gather his scattered emotions and reactions.

Anger wouldn't solve anything with Khushi, of that he was sure. She was angry enough, rightly so, but he needed to keep his calm when he spoke to her. He wouldn't let her mask his feelings from him again. He had bought her act last time but he refused to be fooled by her composed demeanor. He knew better than that. He wouldn't let her walk out of his life without a fight...if that's what it took for her to forgive him and give them another chance.

Half an hour later, with that thought in mind, he set out to look for her. He walked straight to her bedroom and threw the door open. She wasn't there. He searched every place and room on the second floor where she could have been before making his way down to the living room.

Her calm voice reached his ears the moment he stepped into the shadows of the living room but his steps faltered and froze when he heard the voice accompanying hers.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like you've just walked out of an unsuccessful surgery..."

"I'm fine NK...just a little stressed with the wedding preparations...you've been such a great help...thank you for being here." She smiled at him.

NK shrugged. "We both know that you'd do the same, if not more, if one of my friends was getting married...but you're sure you don't mind me leaving so suddenly?"

"Of course not NK! If you have to go back to Australia...I completely understand...in fact, I'm sorry that I can't come back...Akash and Payal's engagement is around the corner and I'll need to be here for that too..."

"I'll be here for that as well...if Steve hadn't broken his leg, I could have stayed here...I promise to be back in time for their engagement." NK placed his hand on Khushi's shoulder and in a far corner of the room, Arnav's blood boiled.

On the bright side...he's leaving...so it will be just Khushi and me...perfect!

As he walked away from the scene, Arnav's mind quickly made more plans and strategies; little did he know that none of them will be needed?
_____

Khushi watched with tearful eyes as Anjali hugged her father and cried her heart out. Marriages were such bittersweet events for the brides. The joy of welcoming another family, coupled with the grief of bidding goodbye to the one you grew up with.

Putting on a brave face for the sake of his daughter, Arvind pulled away and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"No matter where you go, Anjali...you will always be my daughter...My daughter before anyone's sister, friend, or wife..."

"Awww" Payal, Lavanya, and Khushi cooed together.

Anjali hiccupped as she turned to face her brother who, shockingly, was tearful himself. That was a sight to see...the great Arnav Singh Raizada...tearful at a wedding! Who would have thought?

As Anjali began crying against his chest, He rocked her gently, pacifyingly. "Shh Di...You'll be living fifteen minutes drive away from our house...and you're coming back this evening!"

Anjali punched his chest lightly. "You're probably happy to get rid of me...but it's not that easy...I won't stop bugging you for the rest of my life."

Arnav rolled his eyes and pulled away from her, wanting to put a stop to her waterworks. No sooner had he let her go than Payal, Khushi, and Lavanya engulfed her in a big hug.

Arnav glanced at Khushi once, not bothering to hide his disappointment that she didn't wear the outfit he had designed for her for this wedding. Before he could dwell on it much, the entire procession headed towards the gate to complete Anjali's bidaai ceremony.

As Anjali took a seat in the decorated car, Khushi caught her mother wiping her cheeks dry, no doubt imagining Khushi's wedding day. Rolling her eyes at her mother's antics, Khushi walked up to give her a hug. No words were exchanged between the two women as Khushi side hugged her mother and rested her head on top of hers.

Feeling his intent gaze on her, her eyes moved to find him. It wasn't difficult. Standing right across from them, he watched her intently, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. The entire day, thanks to the wedding and the hectic environment that came with it, Khushi had effectively evaded him. He had tried to catch her alone but as the brother of the bride, he had responsibilities in this wedding too, and hadn't been able to pursue her as much as he would have liked.

He would have liked nothing more than to catch her in solitude...there were some things that needed to be discussed.

Once the newlyweds' car pulled out of the elegant driveway of Sheesh mahal, another responsibility made Arnav turn away from the love of his life: Arvind. His father's slumped shoulders and fallen face clearly told Arnav that the man needed someone to be by his side...and who better than his own son?
_____

After NK went around bidding a goodbye, Khushi left with him to drop him off to the airport in time for his flight. Closely following their car was Akash, Payal and Lavanya's. Khushi had almost forgotten about Lavanya's venture in London that she had spoken about.

Ever since Lavanya's declaration of her intentions for helping Arnav the day before, Khushi had kept her at a comfortable distance, maintained a basic rapport with her. She would keep her word...she would not get in Lavanya's way to Arnav. She didn't want Lavanya to dislike her because frankly...Khushi liked Lavanya. It was hard not to. Lavanya reminded Khushi of her younger self, prior to the heartbreak.

In order to avoid being around Lavanya too much, Khushi had taken leave as soon as NK had boarded his flight, leaving Akash and Payal with her at the airport.

When Khushi returned to Sheesh Mahal, the place was eerily quiet after the hustle and bustle of the past week. In the couple hours that she was gone, a lot of the decorations had been taken down. From a couple of the regular housekeepers, Khushi had learnt that Arnav was out and about helping guests reach the airport to make the chartered flight.

Madhumati, Garima, Arvind, along with Rohan's parents were to take the private jet back to Delhi, leaving behind the group of six friends. The Oberoi's were going to take care of the bride welcoming rituals at a relative's house before leaving tonight. Akash and Payal would pick them up and bring them back here tonight.

It would be just the six of them...just like the old times. Except...nothing will be like the old times this time around.

Khushi felt uneasy with just the thought of being around Arnav in company of two hopelessly in love couples. To distract herself, Khushi walked into Buaji and her mother's room and helped them pack but when that didn't do the trick, Khushi grabbed her iPod and headed up to the terrace.

She would dance away her stress on the terrace just as the sun sets in the backdrop. Her plans however fell away when she saw the man standing by the railing, looking over the front lawn. A smile appeared on her face as she walked up to him.

"I hate this stupid tradition the society has come up with...why must the daughter leave her home?" He spoke as soon as she stood next to him.

Khushi looked up at him and smiled gently, knowing that she had no answer for him. She hated that stupid tradition too and so did her Bauji.

"My Bauji used to say that he would never let me go...that he would make my groom move into our house...Amma wasn't too fond of the idea." Khushi chuckled.

"well, you see...I was hopeful about something working out...I was hopeful that Arnav would get married and I would have a daughter-in-law who would fulfill that spot of my daughter in my life once Anjali left...but..."

Arvind smiled knowingly at Khushi, noticing the way her posture and expressions changed at the mention of him.

"I'm sure there is someone out there who'd be ecstatic to become your daughter-in-law..." Khushi averted her eyes as she thought of Lavanya.

"Someone won't do...Arnav has his heart set on you..."

Khushi's eyes rounded and her tongue knotted in shock as her head whipped around to look at Arvind. Arvind shook his head and went on when Khushi made no attempt to move or speak.

"Oh come on...don't look at me like that...I know...He told me years ago...I know everything." Arvind's eyes looked at her kindly, warmly. "I know my son was childish and made stupid mistakes...I know what he did is inexcusable...I was furious with him when I found out and to some extent...I still am angry with him for it. His foolishness has taken away true love from him...and I...I apologize on my son's behalf, Khushi."

Khushi looked ahead, avoiding making eye contact with the man. Her mind whirled with the new knowledge. There was so much that she didn't know...so many things that were kept from her.

"With that said...the selfish father in me can't help but ask...will you ever be able to consider giving him another chance?" Arvind's voice dropped a few notches.

Khushi turned to face him and to his horror, her beautiful eyes became tearful. She looked down at her twisted hands and bit her lip in an attempt to stop the sobs.

"It really hurt..." She confessed. "I hated seeing him with all those other girls...I used to pacify myself by thinking that those girls came and went...but I was always there...and then Shanaya showed up...claiming to be pregnant and that...that was it."

She opened up her heart to Arvind, just as she would have to her Bauji. Arvind was the sole father-figure in her life after her Bauji's demise and knowing that he knew what had happened made it easier for her to talk to him...with him, she wouldn't have to pretend.

"He never indicated that he felt the same way..." Khushi hiccupped.

"And you didn't show an ounce of the jealousy you truly felt..." Arvind spoke calmly. He smiled apologetically the next second. "I'm not saying that what he did was right. I admit that he was exceptionally stupid with that situation but you're the wise one, Khushi...why didn't you ever think to talk to him about it?" Arvind's voice was desperate.

"I didn't want to lose my best friend! He himself said that once...that if one of us ended up having one-sided feelings, we couldn't be friends!"

Arvind shook his head vehemently. "But now both of you know better, don't you? He is in love with you and you were in love with him...the question is...do you still feel that way for him? I can give you my personal guarantee that he is madly in love with you. I can tell you that because I saw my Arnav get lost behind the faade of ASR."

Khushi's brows knit together in confusion and Arvind turned to face her.

"Arnav didn't become ASR just like that Khushi...Arnav got lost somewhere once Shanaya's ugly truth spilled out...he saw the cruel world for what it was again...after he found out that you'd left, there was so much self-loathing and being angry...All of that needed to be channeled so he started being strict with people...he became rude, arrogant, and absolutely ruthless in the business world."

Khushi listened intently as Arvind gave her an overview of Arnav's last few years.

"But through all of that...he hasn't spent a day without thinking about you...I tried to convince him to find you so many times but he wouldn't have any of it. He always told me that he hurt you; he told me that you needed time away from him to heal, to find yourself and excel in your career. He was ecstatic when Anjali's wedding rolled around simply because he knew that you'd come here...after you came back...I stared seeing glimpses of Arnav more and more rather than ASR...and then you announced your engagement."

Arvind's smile turned sad. Silence prevailed and Khushi made no attempt to offer any words. Her mind and heart were too busy registering and organizing the new information to fill in the blanks of the last few years.

"NK is a very good guy, Khushi...and if I didn't have a personal bias in the situation...I would have been truly happy for you...but I know better. I don't know if your feelings for Arnav still remain...and I don't think I would be too surprised if you say no...after all that you've had to endure because of him...I wouldn't be surprised at all." Arvind shook his head in exasperation and ran his hand through his hair much like Arnav did sometimes.

"But Khushi...if any of those feelings for him remain...you need to think this through. Three lives depend on your decision...the ball is in your court...but you have to think about everyone...especially NK." Arvind paused when Khushi's head turned to face him, surprise written all over her face.

Arvind shrugged as if it was obvious. "It's unfair for him to get caught in this web. If you love Arnav, but marry NK...you'll never be able to give him the love, care, and affection a husband should get from his wife...not to mention that you'll be unhappy in life too...don't you think NK deserves to find true love...don't you think he deserves someone who loves him unconditionally? If you marry him when your heart belongs to Arnav...you're setting him and yourself up for heartbreak."

"You're Arnav's father..." Khushi tried not to sound like she was accusing him and she wasn't sure if she was successful.

"I didn't say what would become of my son if you marry NK...I said NK and you would be unhappy. After the display of idiocy from Arnav, he'd be extremely lucky to have you back in his life...but I'm asking this for the girl that I love as much as my daughter...I'm asking this of you for you."

Arvind caressed Khushi's hair with fatherly affection. "If your Bauji was here...he would have asked you to give Arnav another chance...not for him, or for NK, or for anyone else...but for yourself. I don't want you to get caught in what-if's and if only's later in life...I want to see you happy...if you can promise me that you'll always be happy, truly happy, as NK's wife then I will personally ask Arnav to step out of the way..."

Khushi looked at Arvind's face, gauging the honesty in words. He held her gaze confidently because he knew that he had meant every word he had said.

"You may not want to believe me but if Anjali was in this situation, I would have said the exact same thing to her."

Arvind kissed Khushi's forehead even as a few tears escaped her eyes. "You told me that you'll make it up to me for not keeping in touch...this is what I want from you. I want you to be selfish this once. I don't want you to think about Arnav...but I do want you to think about NK a little bit...its very unfair that the man should get married to a woman who loves another man...I want you to think through all the scenarios...and make a decision that will ensure your happiness in the future...because there's one thing that I'll guarantee...Arnav will be happy as long as you're happy...even if you find that happiness with another man."

Arvind smiled kindly at her, the truth of his words resonating in his warm eyes.

So that's why he wanted to know how I felt about NK? Would he have stepped away if I loved NK? He would trample his own heart for my sake if I found happiness with another man?

Khushi jumped slightly when one of the housekeepers knocked on the door before stepping out onto the terrace.

"Sir...everyone is ready to leave. The cars are waiting." Hari Praksh inclined his head towards the door leading to the stairway.

"I'll be down in a minute. Can you please make sure all my luggage is loaded into the cars?"

"Sure, sir."

Hari prakash turned on his heels and left. All the seriousness of their recent conversation was wiped from Arvind's face when he turned to face her again.

"Shall we? I'm sure you want to say goodbye to your mother and Buaji."

All Khushi could do was nod in agreement and follow him as they left the terrace and walked down the winding staircase.

Once they reached the living room, Garima and Madhumati were already waiting. Khushi gave both women a quick hug and exchanged a quick goodbye with the typical exchange of parting words. Khushi also gave Arvind a hug, like she always did.

"Think about what I said...please." Arvind whispered quietly so that only she could hear.

She nodded in response when she pulled apart. Khushi walked with them to the driveway where the cars awaited. Arvind gracefully glided into his car while Garima and Madhumati slid into the one parked behind his. Standing at the top of the staircase at the main entrance of Sheesh Mahal, Khushi waved at them as the cars pulled away.

Once again, she had been handed a whole bunch of information that she needed to process. Not to mention that she now also needed to deal with the stress that came with it all. She plugged her earplugs in, flipped through the iPod to select a song as she made her way back to the terrace.

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