Addicted to you

Chapter Eighteen

Love addicts you to its feeling. You never, ever want to lose that feeling. Sometimes the fear of losing love drives people to do crazy things. Like buy a plane ticket. Make a phone call. Run out of a class. Cry. Write. Laugh.

Because when you love someone, you really love them. You give them your whole heart. You trust them. You never want to be away from them. Sometimes, you don't even need their words. You just need them there.

~~ Alysha Speer ~~

Present Day

Mumbai

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Arnav looked up from the document to see Shyam staring at him, his gaze deep, intense and mysterious in the way only he seemed to execute with equal grace, and shifted comfortably. If there was anyone who could make Arnav flinch without even uttering a word, it was Shyam Jha. Not because Arnav owed him or that he was Khushi's dearest cousin. But simply because Shyam looks at any person as if he was gazing right through every secret and every veil, not caring what he found in the other person yet, make the other one twist in discomfort, humiliation. It was as if the person wasn't even present, not important enough to acknowledge his presence.

That was what first caught Arnav off guard all those years ago when Shyam paid him a visit. That was what he still felt after a decade of friendship.

"Yes," Arnav said finally, the mere seconds seemed to prolong to hours under the elder man's scrutiny. If he was shocked to know that neither her father or brother understood Khushi's miserable state during her courtship with Karan Malhotra, Shyam's nonchalant indifference stumped him.

For the man who visited Arnav just to make sure Khushi wasn't in love with the wrong guy, and for his caring that encouraged him for another visit in Spain, Shyam was awfully disinterested in the whole issue. That, Arnav thought as he shifted in his seat, was what made Arnav to step back and go through the signed deal, re-evaluate his actions.

"You don't think he deserves it?" Arnav asked, his voice none displaying his dubiousness.

Shyam shrugged, the same nonchalance he carried out his whole life. "Just wondering how you're going to punish Khushi, is all."

His eyes shot up in pleasant surprise, fury and something akin to admiration. "Khushi?" Arnav asked in barely a whisper before clearing his throat. This was Shyam, he reminded himself yet again in the last one hour, he would never run out of flaws to point out, his perspectives too many to count and too strong to not make any sense.

"Karan's way of dealing with his love, his need to control his lover's actions and his belief that domination gives power which helps survive, which by the way stemmed from the society -- the same society that ousted you for kissing, mind you -- surely deserves to be shown its place." Shyam said casually. His voice was even, pleasant and emotionless, yet, it forced Arnav to look at him, consider his own set of actions. "But who are we to say his love for her is wrong? Love is never wrong, Arnav. Love is truth. Love is the only truth."

Arnav let out a frustrated sigh. Of course he knew and understood the man's reasons behind his actions but it didn't justify Karan's means.

"Khushi, however unintentionally, led him on." Shyam continued, stirring his coffee, his gray eyes never leaving Arnav's chocolate pools. "But of course, no one seems to see the fact that Khushi is at fault too and that blaming, punishing and ousting one half of the problem isn't going to solve it but will only result in magnifying it in ridiculous proportion."