Arnav’s POV
I kept going on with my life my way. I never regretted anything before that. When I understood that I was also falling for Khushi, I thought of maintaining a distance from her but when she kept trying to be with me, I couldn’t ignore her.
But at last I hurt her. I said those. words to her which even hurt me but I had to win however.
I wanted to get to her but how was I supposed to do that after hurting her like that. Getting confused about what to do, I got away from everyone.
Making an excuse to Dad, I left for abroad.
After giving it a good thought, I got back to my country and searched for Khushi at least to apologise but couldn’t get any clue of her.
My friends were all busy with their lives except Akash. I got to hear he was abroad with his family. I tried to contact him but couldn’t reach him..
Being all frustrated at me, I engrossed myself in work then leaving everything behind but that guilt was becoming unbearable with every passing day making me all cold hearted.
Then I heard about the contract and went to Akash being all confused.
Then I saw her and all my memories with her kept flashing in front of my eyes.
Strangely, I was happy but at the same time I was hurt as it directly hit my mind and I wasn’t ready to face the past guilt of mine all of a sudden.
My thoughts got all startled when I heard Akash addressing her like that and the question came out of my throat automatically, “Who is Khushi to you?”
Without bothering to answer me, Akash spoke up, “Arnav, I think you should leave.” getting me uttering coldly, “I asked you something. Who is Khushi to you?”
Akash got silent for a moment and then spoke up, “Whoever she is to me doesn’t matter. I am not going to sign the contract with your company.”
It reached the limit of my patience and I ended up shouting at him, “To hell with the contract. You just answer my question.”
When he still didn’t answer me and I was about to shout again, he uttered, “She is my sister.”
Though I got relieved knowing it wasn’t something I was thinking but still his words got me shocked.
As much as I knew Akash was the only child of his parents. Then how come!
I gave my thought a voice, “How come she is your sister?”
He shrugged off, “That should not be your concern. Anyways Khushi is my sister and I don’t want her to get hurt again. You got your answer. Now leave.”
This triggered my anger and I spoke up, “You are forgetting something, Akash. It was you who gave me that dare. You were watching all the time when I was going on with that dare. If she really was your sister, how could you do that? You should have told me this then. You should have stopped us. But you didn’t. So it wasn’t only me to hurt her rather you were equally involved in that.”
Hearing me, Akash got his head down as he uttered in a lower tone, “Arnav, please. Leave the past behind.”
I was all confused about their relationship but this much I got that Khushi wasn’t still aware of Akash’s involvement in that dare and Akash was trying to cover that up for some reason.
Now I felt the urgency to get the contract signed anyhow and this became my forte.
I spoke up, “You want me to leave the past? Okay. Then sign the contract with us.” only to get Akash giving me a shocked look.
I uttered again then, “If you don’t want me to tell Khushi about you being the person to give me that dare then sign the contract.”
Akash got uttering, “Arnav, please" but without bothering to stay any longer, I left from there.
Akash’s P.O.V.
Arnav left and I sat on my chair with a thud. Leaning against the chair, I closed my eyes only to get remembering the happenings three years back.
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When I got back home late at night after party of our graduation day, my parents were sitting in the living room.
I got near them only to get Mom utter, “Akash, your Dad has a business meeting in abroad. Khushi also seems to be disturbed for some reason so we are thinking of going for a trip. Will you go with us?”
Thinking of something I declined that and got uttering, “No. You guys continue. I want to rest for some days at home.”
They left for abroad the very next morning and I kept sleeping all day to fill up the lacking of sleep lately because of the pressure of project thesis.
And then early morning of the next day, I got the news of the accident which made to flew to New York immediately.
Arriving at the hospital there, I found Mom and Dad sitting all blankly outside of a cabin. There was bandage on Dad’s head and hand.
When I got near, a doctor came out of the cabin. Seeing him, Mom and Dad immediately got up and Dad asked the doctor, “How’s my daughter, doctor?”
Doctor said making an apologetic face, “We have tried our best but she isn’t responding to anything. Like she is in some type of shock and doesn’t have any desire to live now. And if she doesn’t wake up within 48 hours, I am afraid, she might end up in coma. I am sorry.”
The doctor left and Dad sat on the chair with a thud uttering, “It's all my fault.”
But all I got stuck with the line of Doctor as it kept buzzing in my mind.
Giving my thought a break, I knelt down in front of Dad and tried to console him only to get him utter, “Akash, you don’t know. I was in front of that car. I was about to get into that accident but Khushi pushed me and she herself got in front of the car.”
This was another shock for me.
Dad kept blaming himself, “I brought that girl with me to get her out of the disturbance but now look where I put her into.”
Mom was silently shedding tears. Like this 48 hours got passed but Khushi was still senseless. She got to coma.
I started feeling guilty. Khushi accepted my parents and loved them to the point to sacrifice her life for them and what did I do!
I kept asking for forgiveness sitting by her bed side whenever I got alone with her.
We started living New York to say exactly in the ‘Care Hospital.' After 1 year Khushi got to her sense. But as she was still weak, doctor forbade us to travel.
I suggested to get Khushi graduated from here and I was always there with her besides helping Dad with his business.
At first she was hesitant but giving effort, I got on friendly terms with her. At some point we became like real siblings. Khushi became the daughter Mom wished to have I guessed. Mom and Dad was so happy.
Then finally we got back to our country after two and half years.
Khushi never mentioned that incident of dare. So I thought she forgot all that.
Until that day when I suggested to play truth and dare to know her better forgetting that incident only to get her all silent as she left from my room.
I went to her room after sometime with an intention to confess my involvement in that dare earlier.
I directly mentioned that dare only to get stopped hearing her, “Akash, other than Arnav I hate someone else more. The person who gave him that dare.”
My words got stuck in my throat. I was feeling all guilty but couldn’t get to confess anything.
She joined me in business as Dad was getting weak after that accident.
Everything was going all right and then this contract got in our way. I tried to get it stopped but at last failed. What I was afraid of, got happened. Arnav and Khushi got face to face again.
☘☘☘
I opened my eyes getting afraid.
What if Khushi gets to know all this!
What if she left home!
With this time ours was an all happy family like never before. What if it gets all ruined because of me!
Will I be able to handle it!
The answer was just one.
No.
But what can I do!
I can’t just agree to Arnav for this contract.
Being all confused, I stayed at office and got back home quite late at night but likewise Khushi was awake for me. Seeing me, she spoke up, “You get freshen up. I am setting the table for you.”
Finding nothing else to say, I got to my room. Getting freshen up, I got downstairs and took my dinner. I thought she would ask me about Arnav but she didn’t. I also didn’t get to say anything.
The Next Day
I was working when Sam entered my cabin after knocking. I gave him a questioning look only to get him utter, “Sir, Mr. Greystone is here to meet you.”
Arnav entered my cabin after few moments and forwarded the file of contract towards me as he got uttering, “Hope you are ready to sign now.”
I tried to speak up otherwise, “Arnav, please stop it. We can’t do this.”
Then we heard a knock on the door again and Khushi entered only to get me paused.....