Skyline Apartments, New Delhi
9.30 pm
"When is the flight?" Akash asked.
"4 in the evening" Aarav said sitting opposite to him. Akash nodded and looked at Khushi who was cooking in the kitchen with Payal walking behind her.
"You both don't have to leave" Akash said slowly, "It's not you who has to leave!"
Aarav looked away and Akash said, "I know that you both are angry with him, but...please don't be angry at us. Please don't..."
"Chachu" Aarav said sighing, "We don't have against you and other family members. It's just....it's hard. For me and...mamma to stay there with...."
"He left the house" Akash said.
Aarav looked at him and Akash said, "Di disowned him"
"It doesn't make any difference" Aarav whispered, "That house is gonna remind us many things chachu. Many pleasant fake moments!"
Akash sighed and Aarav said, "It's better to go away. And the offer came in right at that moment"
"Please stay in contact with us" Akash said and Aarav nodded.
.
.
"Khushi...."
"Jiji please" Khushi whispered, stirring the curry, "It's better to go away. I can't be here anymore!"
Payal sighed and said, "But please do call me. I can't bear you being away from me!"
She turned to her sister and smiled, "Sure"
Payal cupped her face and whispered, "You deserve all happiness in this world!"
"And why am I not getting that?" Khushi whispered, her voice cracking.
"We don't get happiness. We own it. We find it!" Payal said smiling, "Find happiness in what you do, where you go. You're going to Texas. Start a new life. Find your happiness there!"
Khushi smiled and nodded.
She turned to the stove and asked, "What have you guys decided on Ishaan?"
"I don't know. Who cares about him?" Payal scoffed.
Khushi looked at her and asked surprised, "No one talked about him?"
"No"
"He is...he is his son. The Raizada blood. The heir." Khushi whispered.
"Relations don't always follow blood. Bonds matter. Aarav is the Raizada heir" Payal said curtly.
Khushi looked down and whispered, "It doesn't make any difference jiji. Ishaan will always be ASR's son and Shalini will be the woman who gave birth to ASR's son" she turned to her sister and said, tears rolling down her cheek, "At first I thought that Shalini was the other woman between me and Arnav ji....but, was it she or was it me?"
"Khushi...."
"She wasn't between us jiji. I was between them!" Khushi said in tears.
Payal wrapped her arms around her sister and brought her close to her.
Khushi rested her face on her sister's chest and sobbed. "He...how easily did he make fun of me and our relation? I'm his wife...WIFE! And he...he went to another woman for that one thing I couldn't give him!"
Khushi broke the hug and said, "He could've made her abort the baby. He didn't. He wanted a child jiji! What should I make out of that?"
"Now listen to me!" Payal held her arm firmly, "Forgot all that. You're going to Texas with YOUR son. He has got an excellent offer there and he's gonna work hard. I want you to start a new life there! Do something.....like start a catering service there like you have here or something like that...do something. Be something!"
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.
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AR Fashions, New Delhi
9.30 am
"Good morning" Anjali said curtly as she walked into her brother's cabin.
Arnav, who had laid his head on the table top, looked up and stood up seeing his sister.
"Di" he whispered.
Anjali walked towards him and sat on the chair before him, "Sit" she said.
He sat and she said, "Khushi ji and Aarav are leaving today. Their flight is at 4!"
He nodded and looked down.
"Aren't you gonna do anything to stop them?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"No" he whispered, "I don't deserve them"
"Great. Good that you have realized that" Anjali said heaving in relief, "Coz I had taken time out of my schedule to walk into this office just to warn you not to disturb them again. Looks like you won't! Thank you"
He looked at her shocked at her behavior and she said scoffing, "Stop looking at me as if I'm an alien. This is the least I can do for her! I cannot change what happened but I can keep you away from her!"
He opened his mouth to say something when she said, "Khushi ji had called me. She has a request for you. That's never to contact her or Aarav"
Arnav gulped and looked away.
"And by the way, this is the last time that I'm meeting you brother mine!" Anjali said and Arnav looked at her shocked.
"Don't even think about stepping into RM again" Anjali said dangerously, "AR is yours and no one is gonna argue on that. Akash and I are gonna resign from the board member positions. You can keep your baby company with you ASR...and yeah, do hand it over to YOUR OWN son!"
"Di please don't..."
"And don't call me that!" Anjali said and stood up.
Arnav groaned and buried his face in his palms. He looked up and said in tears, "I admit I made a mistake"
"Sin" she corrected.
"Fine. SIN. But I didn't know what to do! That night wasn't in my hands!" he cried.
"Yes but the days that followed were" she said crossing her arms.
"I ran away. I know. But what else could have I done?" he stood up, "I couldn't tell Khushi. I....she would've left me. And Aarav too. And..."
"Why didn't you force that woman to abort?"
"I asked her to abort the baby but...she said that she didn't have anyone else in this world. The baby was her only relation. The only thing she was living for. She was kicked out of her village and she couldn't go back, even if she had an abortion. So I thought...let her have the baby. I'm fine with that as long as she and the child won't enter my life!"
Anjali scoffed, "How logical! You thought that your son with another woman would never enter your life? HE IS YOUR SON! YOUR BLOOD! ARE YOU SUCH AN IDIOT TO THINK THAT YOUR BLOOD SON WOULD NEVER ENTER YOUR LIFE?"
Arnav burst into tears and said, "I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! I COULDN'T TELL THIS TO ANYONE! I HAD TO DO IT ALONE! I DID WHAT I FELT LIKE DOING AT THAT TIME! I didn't have anything in my mind. Just one thing and that was I CANNOT LOSE KHUSHI, MY FAMILY!"
"Was that the only reason?" Anjali whispered.
Arnav looked at her and Anjali whispered in tears, "Wasn't the fear of being compared to Aravind Malik a reason for hiding the truth?"
Arnav's face paled and Anjali said smiling sadly, "He cheated on his wife, our mother. You cheated on your wife. Mamma came to know about it in front of a huge gathering. Your wife came to know about it in front of a huge gathering! What's the difference between you and him Arnav? Oh yes, there is a difference. At least he didn't have a son out of the affair!"
Arnav slumped on the chair and whispered, "Please stop di"
"It hurts right?" Anjali scoffed, "Coz that's exactly what you did!"
"I didn't do it intentionally" he said.
"You were in your full senses when you decided to hide it from Khushi ji. You were conscious when Shalini contacted you three years ago. When she died, you took the boy under your wings. You were in your senses then! Yet you chose to hide it, as long as you can!"
"I CANNOT LOSE KHUSHI!" he shouted.
"You already have" Anjali said shaking her head.
He looked away and Anjali said chuckling, "Don't tell me that you still have hope! You still think that she would come back to you?"
"Not today. But someday!" he whispered and looked at her, "Someday she'll come back"
"And you're gonna wait till that?" Anjali asked.
"Yes"
"Even if it takes a lifetime"
"Yes"
"Even if it takes you to your deathbed?"
"Yes"
Arnav looked at her and said, "No matter what you all say, what all you believe, Khushi is the only woman I have loved. She is my first love...and the last too!"