Chapter 60
The next days among the Singh Raizada family have been the most secured for Khushi. She knew she should have felt safe with Arnav but now she knew that this wasn't the case. With Arnav there was always mistrust in the air. After all Khushi has enough reasons to feel skeptical about Arnav's intentions.
With Mahendra and Manorama it was totally different. Their past wasn't stained with pain and blood. There wasn't a broken heart and trust. Since Khushi moved in into their house, whatever was said, it was done. There was no playing friendly only as a kind of acting. Everything they did was honest and real and they did everything to see Khushi happy.
Even though Khushi wanted to keep her walls up, Manorama and Mahendra walked formally through the wall and demanded her to come out and live with them. Demanded to see Khushi being part of their family.
And this was exactly what she did.
Slowly, slowly Khushi opened up, talked and even laughed. She opened her heart too and started to build up all these feelings a daughter should have for her parents.
It was so weird because in all this time together with Arnav, she hadn't done all this. She had always been aware about the possibility that Arnav might change his behavior any moment and that's why Khushi was always ready to run.
With Mahendra and Manorama there wasn't any thought of the possibility of them changing their behavior.
She trusted them and didn't realize till today, how fast everything went.
And while Khushi was busy building a new life for herself and her baby, Lavanya became the most important person after Manorama and Mahendra. She has spent nights and days with Khushi giving her all support she needed. Khushi appreciated that Lavanya never asked about Arnav and also that she was willing to keep her thoughts about their separation for herself. Khushi wasn't ready to face all her feelings and dark thoughts. She didn't want to think about her own loneliness. That was the reason she was deeply thankfull for Lavanya and her friendship. Lavanya used to sleep with Khushi in her bed to be there for her and Khushi couldn't do anything else as to send prayers to her Devi Meya for the new friend in her life. It was as if she felt that Khushi needed her. It was as if Lavanya knew that Khushi needed her and also knew that Khushi needed someone who slept with her in the bed to take her loneliness and fear away.
There were these weird dreams about Arnav that disturbed Khushi's nights. They were dark and painful. Khushi often awoke, calling Arnav's name and searching the room for his face. He was of course, never there. Gladly, Lavanya never brought up this topic or tried to discuss Khushi's nightmares and Khushi was so glad for her silence.
It was a totally new side of Khushi which she first needed to learn to deal with before she could talk to any outsider.
It was totally weird, for a whole day Khushi didn't think much about Arnav, but in the nights, her body and mind missed him. It was scary to not to have control over herself at nights. It wasn't like that Khushi forgave Arnav for what he did to her in the past. It was more that her body and soul got used to him somehow and missed his presence.
*
The business went great and with Lavanya's help Khushi started feeling more and more comfortable as the CEO of SR. Only a few days passed but she managed to look though all papers and even take some appointments with customers. Uncle Mahendra insisted that Khushi should stay in the background and look how everything works. He also explained that even though she is the new CEO on paper, in practice she has to wait some time to take the full responsibility. He also decided to keep the knowledge of her being the new CEO as a secret in front of the world, because he wanted to save her and the baby from all stress.
In everything Uncle Mahendra did, he always kept Khushi's wellbeing in focus. He kept the news about her being the new boss of SR secret and made also sure this news wouldn't slip out, so that no paparazzi would bother her. Also he allowed her to stay only a few hours daily in the office, so that she could get enough sleep and stress free time. At home, it was aunt Manorama who took care of all Khushi's needs.
All in all, the last few days were like some kind of never ending beautiful dream.
Lavanya was the one who helped Khushi with all work at SR and she also used to travel from time to time. She never said where she went, except that the trip is for the business, but Khushi assumed that Lavanya traveled to see Arnav. She didn't have an hundred percent proof but she was pretty sure about Lavanya's whereabouts.
By the way, she didn't dream about the old woman again. Khushi played again and again her last dream in her head every night before she went to sleep, but that didn't bring the old woman back to her. In fact, Khushi often dreamed about Arnav. It wasn't only that she dreamed about Arnav being back in the house, but more about every dream ended with her and him together in bed.
They made wild love and she talked to him as well.
Every night she woke up breathing hard, with full of sweat, her legs pressed together.
Her body was full of want for his touch.
Khushi's thoughts about her secret dreams with Arnav were broken by a sound of the doorbell and she stood up to look who was on the other side of the door. It was totally weird how fast she got used to being here in this house and calling it her home. Anjali came very often and even asked Khushi to come to live with her, but Khushi refused. Uncle Mahendra's and Anjali's relationship wasn't very simple. In fact, it was very weird to see them together. Uncle Mahendra was very easy and friendly, but it was Anjali who signaled him every time he tried to create a relationship, to keep his distance. Khushi knew there was a story behind it, but she didn't ask anyone about what happened.
Smiling and remembering how deeply she let everyone in this house to enter in her heart, she opened the door and looked at the face of a person who brought all the past back, right at the moment Khushi's glance touched her.
***
Arnav waited on the place he chose to see the result of his hard work. It took him few days to achieve what he wanted. He didn't only talk to one person, but needed more to fulfil his plan. It's funny how easy it's to get what you want, even though you don't have much money but a good name. Everyone knew who Arnav Singh Raizada was and everyone knew, how powerful he was. This was the reason everyone whom he talked to, agreed, to support him.
It was his luck that his uncle and Khushi didn't publish the news that he wasn't the head of SR anymore, yet.
He has slept in some cheap place to save money, because he didn't know how long he would stay in Lucknow. Daily calls with Akash were important to give him orders and create plans for future. Akash was the one who talked to Arnav's uncle and send the messages between the two of them. Arnav promised Khushi that he would stay away from her, but it doesn't mean he would not keep an eye on her through someone else.
Now he stood here, in front of her old home and walked upstairs. This was the place from where he wanted to see everything. He took place on the highest stair and listened to the sound of driving excavator.
People in this Street, now, have been living without water and electricity for days. They tried to get it back. They even hired a lawyer, but Arnav's connections were too powerful. Only one person was allowed to have water and electricity, and that person was Harry Prakash. Arnav saw how Harry gave water to the weakest and usually he would feel his heart melting too for all these people. He was the one, who gave women jobs and place to live since he became a CEO of SR. Usually he protected the weak, but not these people. No matter how poor they were and no matter how weak they were, they hurt the most precious person for Arnav and that meant that they have to pay for their sins.
One by one, excavators drove through the streets and started destroying houses. Police had been there hours ago and started evacuating buildings to prepare everything for the demolition. All residents were on the streets, running around, trying to stop the excavators and police. Women were crying bitterly, pleading them to stop destroying their homes.
Arnav could have stopped all this. He could have said one word and everything would have been stopped, but he hadn't.
Harry Prakash came out of his home and walked around. Arnav's eyes observed his every movement. Harry showed deep care for the people, but also some kind of distance. The moment Harry's eyes touched Arnav's, the realization flashed in them. He knew Arnav was behind all this and he also knew why he did it.
With no second glance, Harry walked back to his house and closed the door behind him. Arnav understood him. He understood very good why Harry didn't like him, or didn't want to see and talk to him. Harry was angry for the things Arnav did to Khushi, and he has all rights to feel this way. It was ok if Harry didn't like him, after all that he did to Khushi, Arnav didn't like himself too.
He stood there and watched the people losing their homes.
One house after the other has been destroyed. Arnav didn't feel any regret. He didn't feel bad at all. All he pictured was the fact that Khushi was pleading them to stop. He saw Khushi's tortured body and soul. He saw Khushi laying on the ground. He saw Khushi's broken in Harry Prakash's house.
Arnav knew, he was mainly responsible for her suffering, but before he pays for her pain, he is going to make sure that everyone else pays before him.
*
After a while he remarked that his phone rang and he picked it up.
>>Thought I would not hear from you anymore.<< He said before the other person could say anything else.
>>I am really sorry Mr. Raizada, but it took some time to get the information you wanted to have. Gladly, we were successful.<<.
>>Well, I started thinking that you are incapable of doing your job. I am actually not very interested in hearing what you have to tell me, but since I prepaid your money. I think it would be only fair to myself, to hear what you have to say.<<
>>Well, ok. We found out about Khushi and her childhood. She is orphan and has lived first five years on the streets, till one man named Shashi Gupta found her and took her to his home.
From then, she has lived with them till one day the whole family left Lucknow. Shashi and Garima Gupta live in a town named Barabanki. He sister Payal should be in Lucknow, living with her cousin Sheetal.
We are going to send you the address if you want to.<<
>>What about NK?<<
>>Well, as we already told you, it's going to be the hardest to find about him. We only have NK and not even his full name.<<
>>Does this mean you didn't find anything out?<<
>>We tried everything,Sir. We are famous for our work and are not called the best without deserving to be called like that.<<
>>Come to the point. I don't have time to listen to all your shit.<<
The person on the phone stopped talking for a second but then continued.
We checked all family members including Sheetal. Payal's cousin. Well there is a guy named NK in her group of friends, to which consists of Payal, too. We could find his address too, but we need you first to check the pictures we could arrange. Can you remember his face?<<
Arnav's eyes formed to slits. He didn't hear crying people and excavators' destroying homes, anymore. All he concentrated on, was the conversation and his next aim of revenge.
>>I would never forget his face.<<
>>Good, we will send you pics and also the address.<<
>>Make it fast. But first, send me the address of Gupta family in Barabanki.<<
>>We will, Mr. Raizada.<<
>>Send me an email. Now.<<
>>Ok. Sir.<<
Arnav hung up, not waiting for the person to end the sentence or say more. He wanted to stay here and see how these people lose everything, but this couldn't wait.
He checked his phone and opened the email. There was full address of the Gupta family.
Time for the next people to pay for their sins.
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