A man his late twenties standing in front of a cabana, watching a lady in her early twenties looking at the stars in the ebony skies.
I had hurt her really bad with his words and was regretting for doing so.
He thought she will never understand her pain but she did perfectly well and by yelling at her he not only hurt her but undermined a pain of loosing her parent.
He thanked Lavanya for telling him the truth because he was planning on taunting her if he met her again.
He wanted the speak to her and he had to show up at the party because Lavanya had invited Khushi and even though he hated parties, he had to come because it was a perfect opportunity to fix his mistakes.
Flashback.
Today was Arnav's mother's death anniversary and on those days he became more worse than the ASR everyone knew.
He himself knew that and therefore avoided everyone but not one woman who keeps on showing up everywhere he goes.
The pain of loosing his mother and the realization that the so called hate he felt for Khushi was actually love after he heard a conversation about her engagement to another man.
He was already dressed for the occasion when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he knew exactly whom that hand belongs to.
It belongs to the woman he is trying to avoid but can't because his heart was yearning for her.
He turned to found a sympathetic look on her face.
"Am really sorry about your loss. " Khushi said sincerely but instead of thanking her he got mad and frown making her shocked.
"You will never know what it feels like to lose the person you love....... So stop with this pity because I hate it and I hate you." Arnav yelled attracting the other family members who rushed upstairs to find Khushi with tears streaming down her cheeks and a raging Arnav. "Now get your fake sympathy and pity out off my sight now. "
Khushi flinched as tears streamed down her cheeks and she rushed out crying turning a dead ears to Lavanya, Anjali and Nani's calls.
The entire family turned to Arnav glaring at him but it melted to pity seeing the remorse on his face.
"She knows how it feels to lose a parent. " Lavanya said shocking and confusing all of them.
"Lavanya..... What do you mean she knows how it feels if Shashi and Garima are her parent? " Anjali asked and Lavanya shook her head.
"Shashi and Garima are the foster parent of Khushi. " Lavanya revealed shocking everyone. "Khushi's parent died in a car accident when she was just eight years old......... Her mother is the adopted sister of Garima and Shashi is good friend of her father so they adopted her after they died."
Arnav felt so disgusted of himself for saying those terrible words to her.
"Hello hi bye bye....... How do you know all this? " Mami asked in shock.
"She told me and the worse part of it all is that she was in the car with her parent the day they died. " Lavanya said making all except Arnav gasp in shock.
Arnav felt sick to his stomach and wanted to follow her but the priest call out to them to start and he remorsefully walked downstairs to perform the rites but his mind was on Khushi and how he hurt her with his words and his irrational behavior.
After the rituals were down Arnav rushed up to his room turning a deaf ear to Nani and Anjali's calling.
"Let him be......." Manohar said and the all agreed with him.
Inside Arnav's Room.
Arnav was pacing back and forth with his phone to his ears and frustrations drawn all over his face.
"Khushi....Please kick up . " Arnav whispered but the line died down and he threw his phone on the floor shattering it totally destroying it in the process.
He sat on his bed in frustration and run his hand through his gelled hair.
An hour later he came down to find Lavanya speaking on the phone and he walked pass the family who didn't notice him.
He halted when he heard Khushi's name from Lavanya's mouth.
"Thank you for accepting to come to the party with me...... I will text you the venue...... .... Okay see you there. " Lavanya squealed and cut the call.
"Did she accept? " Anjali asked enthusiastically and Lavanya nodded.
"Am happy she did...... It will cheer her up especially after what happened between her and Arnav. " Nani said and everyone agreed expect Mami who rolled her eyes in annoyance at how Khushi is always the center of attention.
Arnav quietly walked back to his room unnoticed again and closed the door behind, leaned on it with his eyes closed.
The image of tears in Khushi's eyes flashed in front of his eyes.
He opened his eyes and moved to his closet.
Picked up a suit and a shoe and placed it on his bed.
"I have to go to the party....... After what I did....... Khushi will never speak to me again and the party is the only chance to apologize. " Arnav whispered and rushed to the bathroom and showered.
He then suit up and quietly moved out of the house to the party venue.
Immediately he got to the party he looked around but couldn't find Khushi and he didn't want Lavanya to see him since he refused to come when she had asked him.
He gave up and was about leave when he saw a figure standing in a cabana in the garden of the party venue and he robotically moved towards her.
Flashback ends.
Khushi who was standing there still sad about what Arnav said to her felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest and she immediately knew Arnav was around.
She turned to find Arnav standing a few feets away from her.
She was shocked to see him there because Lavanya had told her Arnav won't be attending and that was the reason she accepted.
"Did Lavanya decieve me?...... No Lavanya is my friend...... She wouldn't do that to me. " Khushi thought as she looked at Arnav.
Arnav also stood there staring at her not knowing how to start.
For almost ten minutes no one said anything except stare at each other.
Khushi who was beginning to feel uncomfortable walked away only for a warm muscular hand to hold her wrist stopping her.
She turned to face him and yanked her hand out of his hand in anger as tears which she had bottled up since the incident streamed down her cheeks making Arnav curse himself knowing he was the cause of it.
She turned away from him hating the fact that she let her emotions get the best of her in front of the monster she sees Arnav as.
She took two steps when Arnav exclaimed.
"Am sorry. "
Khushi turned back to him in shock hearing him say sorry and his eyes teared up.
Khushi immediately knew he was being sincere but she couldn't get over the shock.
" I'm sorry......I didn't know your parent had passed away. " Arnav said sincerely shocking Khushi but later realized Lavanya had told him because she was the only person who knew. " I didn't know you understood my pain because I thought Shashi and Garima were you real parent....... I shouldn't have said those words to you because only people who had lost love ones will understand. "
Khushi got mad hearing what he said about only people with the same experience will understand which undermines people's emotions.
"You are not human. " Khushi exclaimed shocking and surprising Arnav. "You have no emotions...... How dare you say that?....... Just because someone parent is alive doesn't mean they can't understand how it feels to sympathize with those who don't have...... You just undermined Lavanya, Nani, Mami and Akash including your uncle for saying that. " Khushi bellowed in tears and anger.
Arnav bowed his head in shame again unknowingly hurting Khushi again with his words.
"Am sorry Khushi....... I don't know what's wrong with me...... It's just that I have a hard time processing emotions. " Arnav said remorsefully and Khushi shook her head.
"Yes you do because you are capable of turning the world upside down just for a single tears in your sister's eyes then why not me. " Khushi cried out. "Ever since I met you all I have had in return is humiliation, taunts and character assassination from not only you but the people surrounding you including your sister. " A shocked Arnav looked up at her. "Just like you always blackmailing me, your sister also blackmailed me to train Lavanya....... Why Arnavji?...... What is my crime that you have to be my judge and executioner?.......... " Khushi paused looking at him who was equally devastated and then it hit her. "I finally understand you....... Only people of your status can feel hurt according to your actions...... Only rich people's pain you understand........ So please stay away from me......... I have reached my limit with you. " Khushi cried out and turned her back to him.
Arnav felt like killing himself at that moment because Khushi was indeed right about a lot of things.
He was the monster of her dreams and it hurt him so much.
Thunder striked and followed by a sudden down pour.
Khushi took one last look at him and walked through the rain.
Arnav followed her knowing she wasn't in the right state of mind and he was right because as he followed her an oblivious Khushi didn't see or hear a car honking and speeding towards her.
Arnav run and pulled her out of the way and that was when she realized she had been save by Arnav.
Both stood in the rain staring at each other.
"Are you crazy? " Arnav yelled making her flinch in his arms. "I could have lost you. " He continued in a soft tone shocking Khushi who moved back away from him after realising their position but Arnav pulled her back into his arms and kissed her shocking her but she closed her eyes and reciprocated.
They both kissed each other forgetting everything around them and only pulling out because of lack of oxygen.
Khushi realised what had just happened and pulled away with tears and rain drops streaming down her cheeks as she moved backwards shaking her head with her hand on her lips.
She run away with Arnav trailing behind but before he could get to her, she has already hopped into a cab and it drove off.
"Dammit....... What have I done? " Arnav exclaimed running his hand through his wet hair.
Khushi sat in the car crying for being so weak that she had reciprocated his kiss.
She was also mad at herself for losing her first kiss to Arnav and betraying Lavanya who has now become a good friend to her.
"Am so sorry Lavanya...... I betrayed our friendship...... Am so sorry. " Khushi cried out at the back of the seat and the driver who was watching her through his mirror felt really bad for her.
Three Days Later.
Arnav was pissed because he had tried all way possible to speak to Khushi but her highness had found every way possible to avoid her and on top of that Nani is forcing him to marry Lavanya which he definitely wasn't going to because one Lavanya was his pretend girlfriend and most importantly he is in love with Khushi and he now know for a fact she was the only one for him.
He watched from upstairs as Mami and the other were selecting jewelry and he didn't care because his eyes was only on one woman.
Khushi's phone rang and she stood up and rushed to the garden outside and Arnav sensing an opportunity took his secret door by his poolside to the garden.
He was pissed and was about to lash out at Khushi when he stopped hearing what Khushi said.
"Buaji......I don't love him and I can't marry him...... Why can't you and Amma understand?........ That man is not as sincere as he is portraying himself to be and even jiji agrees with me. " Khushi cried out.
.........................................
"I don't to and I won't marry him. " Khushi yelled into the phone and cut the call as tears streamed down her cheeks.
She then sat on the chair behind her and Arnav who heard this immediately knew she was being forced to marry and it angered him knowing he could lose Khushi.
He moved closer and touched Khushi's shoulder and she jerked and stood up only to find out it was Arnav.
Khushi moved way when Arnav held her wrist.
"Khushi please don't leave...... We need to talk? " Arnav said softly making her angry and she yanked her hand out of his hand.
"We have nothing to talk about...... What happened was a mistake and must be forgotten? " Khushi exclaimed in anger expecting him to be angry too but she mellowed seeing the loving look she was giving her.
Arnav moved closer to her and cupped her face with one hand and the other hand on her waist.
"It will never be a mistake to me....... I know you are feeling this way because you think you betrayed Lavanya but you didn't...... You would have if our so called relationship was real. " Arnav revealed shocking her as she moved way from his touch. "Yes Khushi...... Lavanya is my pretend girlfriend. " Arnav then signalled her to seat as he also sat down.
"Nani and Di were pressuring me to get married which I didn't want to....... I felt suffocated and always after a hard day's work, I came home to nagging about my marriage instead of peace." Khushi was surprised but understood him because she knew how much Nani and Anjali always use blackmail to get what they want. "I approached Lavanya to pretend to be my girlfriend and she is being paid generously for it and it worked as they stopped bothering me........ I know you may think am lying but Akash is a witness to what am saying and if you want you can ask him."
Khushi shook her head no knowing he was telling the truth.
"Again am sorry if I offended you by kissing you. " Khushi looked away hearing this. "But it not a mistake because I like you Khushi. "
To say Khushi was shocked will be an understatement.
"Please Arnavji....... Don't mistake your guilt for likeness........ It's an insult to me. " Khushi said and Arnav knew he had to show her instead of saying it so he nodded and kept quiet.
For a few minutes none spoke and Khushi's phone rang again and seeing the name on display she switched it off in anger.
Arnav who saw the name was surprised and suspicious.
"Khushi." He called out breaking an angry Khushi's reverie. "Is that the man your family wants you to marry. " Arnav asked with his voice laced with jealousy, anger and curiosity which didn't go unnoticed by Khushi who nodded.
"Yes...... He is a lawyer and paying guest at my house and Buaji and Amma are forcing me to marry him..... I have told him several times that I don't love him and he should tell my aunt and mother but he is always making up excuses that Buaji and Amma are not listening to him....... That man is not as good as he presents himself......... I am sure Shyam Manohar Jha is not an honest man. " Khushi said not realizing the shocked state of Arnav after saying the name Shyam Manohar Jha.
To be continued.
Here is a new story, I hope you all kie it and don't forget to hit the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ button, comment and follow for more.
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