HEARTLESS PRINCE

Chapter 44

*

They entered the big building and walked to the elevator. Arnav felt exhausted. With every passing day, Khushi has been distancing herself from him more and more. The detective agency didn't find out anything so far and he was too scared to ask her more about her past.

To see her hurting her face again, crying so desperately was like stabbing his own chest with sharp knife. To risk something like this again was out of the question, for Arnav. He couldn't and wouldn't see her suffer anymore.

All her pain was his.

*

They entered the condo and Khushi walked upstairs. Arnav knew she wanted to shower and he wanted to join her as soon as possible. He put the key on the table and then someone knocked on the door. He asked himself who could it be? First he thought of Akash but he knew that Akash wanted to go back to office again. They needed to prepare some things for a meeting with an important customer from Europe.

Arnav was glad he hired Akash, because he proved he was very good as an assistant.

Then he thought it could be Lavanya. Lavanya and Khushi became closer to each other in the last two weeks. Lavanya had the same effect on Khushi like her needles and threads. Whenever she is around, Khushi was behaving differently. She was looking at Lavanya in the eyes, which she rarely had done with Arnav.

When Lavanya talked, sometimes Khushi listened and blushed. That was probably out of excitement or just happiness. No matter the reason, Arnav loved when she blushed.

To see her happy, he often called Lavanya to work in his office and some weekends he also invited her to come to them to sit with Khushi. Just to see his wife happy. It was one of these days when Khushi sat outside on the terrace and hid herself under the scarf. He was concerned about seeing her rocking back and forth and working on embroideries.

On these days, she acted very depressed.

As she tried to hide herself from the world and him.

Whenever he tried to come closer, talk to her, take her out of her depression, Khushi didn't respond. It was then that he started calling Lavanya to spend some time with her.

He was happy to see Lavanya being successful. Even though, she could ask thousands of questions, she hadn't. She respected their privacy and gave comfort without boring too much.

She was truly an angel.

Today Lavanya actually wanted to talk to her parents that's why, he wondered why she was on the door. He opened the door expecting to see her, but in real there was someone else on the door.

One woman, with dark hair and modern appearance was standing in front of him smilingly.

>>Hi, I don't know if I am at the right door, but I am here to find my sister Khushi.<<

Arnav blinked once. Then twice.

He tried to remember her face. He tried to recall all faces from the day when he brought Khushi back and left her. He was sure this woman wasn't there. The only two people he remembered were her parents, who were inside the living room.

If this woman was her sister than, she must have known something which could help him with her depression. But only if she was really her sister.

Arnav decided to let her in and closed the door after she entered.

She looked around, obviously admiring his home. She didn't look for her sister. It seems she was more interested in the furniture. After a few minutes, she turned around, walked slowly to Arnav and extended her hand.

>>Hi, my name is Payal.<<

She smiled very politely. Actually more in a flirty way. Arnav looked down at her hand and then up nodding, not even making attempt to shake her hand.

>>I am Arnav. Khushi's husband.<<

Payal took her hand down, obviously irritated by his behavior.

Well, this was nothing new to him. People usually reacted this way when he refused to touch them.

He tried to read her eyes. Tried to find out if she was good or bad. If it was okay to let her in. Khushi might be very happy to see someone from her family. And he would be able to find out more through her sister Payal. The detectives didn't find out much about Khushi and her past, except that her family left but till today they couldn't say anything about where to find them.

And here, suddenly, one person who could give him all answers appeared on his door.

He walked slowly to her and said.

>>I allow you to stay here, but I warn you to be polite with my wife.

I don't like seeing her upset. And I definitely do not like her sadness.

So behave.<<

She looked very surprised after his words but she removed her surprise fast under her mask and smiled politely.

>>I came here from Lucknow to Delhi, after I had seen her on TV. Do you really think I would say something what would upset her? She is my sister. I love her and I am glad that I finally found her after she run away.<<

Arnav analyzed her words and came to the conclusion that it was right to let her see Khushi. Without any effort, he got the first hand information about what happened three years ago.

Khushi run away.

*

Khushi wanted to take her clothes off when Arnav's voice stopped her.

>>Khushi, there is someone who wants to see you.<<

Khushi turned around and wondered. Who would want to see her?

Her?

She put her clothes back on the place and walked to him. He seemed obviously nervous and when he took her hand, she could feel how his hand was trembling.

During the whole way downstairs, he held her close to him and behaved as if he wanted to protect her from something.

One woman was standing in the hall, her back facing them and the moment Khushi and Arnav reached her, she started turning around.

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