Arnav was driving on the road like a maniac while holding the steering wheel so tight and if it had been Akash's neck it would have broken.
He was scared out of his wit thinking about what his Khushi could be going through in the hands of that maniac.
If Akash didn't hesitate to kill his own blood then imagine what he could do to the wife of the man he hates.
Within a hour of driving he got to his destination which looked like a jungle and they all got down to find Akash looking at Arnav and Natasha with a sinister smile on his face.
It changed when he saw Payal but the only look on her face was anger and disgust.
"Where is my sister? " Payal roared making Akash flinch and he got mad.
"Instead of asking how I have been without you, you are more concerned for your sister who is not even related to you in anyway. " Akash bellowed but none of them seem affected.
"I will never feel concern for a murderer like you who murdered his own blood and mother and don't you dare say Khushi is not my sister because our bond is beyond any blood relation." Payal said in disgust making Akash fume in anger.
"They deserve to die. " He said shocking Natasha and Payal how evil he really is. "That stupid child would have come back some day wanting to know me and would have ruined our happily ever after and as for my mother, she deserves what she got for trying to betray me...... I will never regret anything I did. " Akash uttered like a mad man.
"You need help. " Payal whispered.
"Yes I know I need help and only you can help me....... Come with me let's go far away from here and start all over again and forget that any of this happened. " Akash said and Payal looked at him in disgust.
"I would rather die than be with you. " Payal replied in anger and Akash looked at her in anger making her flinch seeing his blood shot eyes.
"Then get ready for Khushi to die. " He said taking out a switch device from his pocket and smiled seeing their shocked face.
They all immediately knew it was a switch to a bomb and all panicked.
Arnav rushed up to him and tackled him to the ground making the device fall from his hand.
He started punching him mercilessly making blood ooze from his mouth and nose while Payal and Natasha search for the device which had fallen in the bushes.
Akash then pushed Arnav off and he fell on his back.
Akash then found a stick and started hitting Arnav with it and after a few hits Arnav gained the upper hand by knocked him down by hitting his leg with his foot.
And Akash fell down with a yelp and beside him was the device.
He quickly picked it up and held it to them and Arnav was about to rush up to him when Akash pressed the button and a few second later a loud explosion was heard from a few meters away from them.
"Khushiiiiiiiii! " The trio yelled as tears cascaded down their cheeks and Akash laughed hysterically.
Payal slammed to the ground cryingas Natasha held on to her and Arnav was about to run up to where the explosion occurred when he halted hearing a soft feminism voice whisper his name.
"Arnavji."
He turned only to find Khushi crying looking at him.
He thought he was hallucinating when Khushi run up to him and hugged him.
For a moment he didn't reciprocate because he was m processing her presence but then he felt his shirt getting wet, he immediately knew it was real and his Khushi was hugging him and he immediately reciprocated without second thought.
He hugged her tightly as if she will disappear and even though he was suffocating her she didn't mind at all.
Akash was shocked seeing Khushi and took out his phone to call his goons but none picked up.
"They won't come because I shot all of them dead. " A voice from the darkness behind Khushi and Arnav said which caused them to break the hug and out of the darkness emerged Subhadra Devi with a gun in her hand.
Akash knew he had failed and was about to run when Subhadra Devi shot him in the leg making fall on the ground with a yelp.
Within a few seconds the police was there and they held Akash down.
Arnav turned to Khushi and asked.
"Baby are you hurt? ".
Khushi shook her head no as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
And Arnav pulled her into another hug and kissed her forehead.
" I thought I lost you and I almost died when I heard the explosion. " Arnav said in a broken voice and Khushi broke the hug and looked into his eyes.
"I would have died if Dadi hadn't save me. " Khushi revealed and Arnav looked up at his estranged grandmother and back at Khushi. "Arnavji...... She save me..... I don't know how but she did. " Khushi concluded while side hugging Arnav who frown.
"Just because she saved you doesn't mean she can't be in cahoots with Akash. " Arnav uttered in anger making Khushi gasp. "She is Subhadra Devi who will do anything for money....... Who will watch me hate an innocent man for his favourite son's promiscuity....... She is Subhadra Devi who will do anything for money and watch his son kick us out of my father's house because she will be on the streets if she spoke against his favorite son........ She watched me slave for the daughter of the murderers who took away my parent and did nothing....... I won't be surprised if she was part of the attempt on my life over four years ago. " Arnav concluded in anger and Dadi looked down in shame.
"Arnavji please stop. " Khushi scolded him but his eyes which were throwing daggers at Subhadra Devi didn't leave her and it was as if he didn't hear what Khushi said.
"I know you don't believe me but am not in cahoots with Akash or Anant or Anjali...... I wanted to come to your house to say goodbye forever when I saw Akash from a distance putting Khushi
into the car and followed him here and hid behind the bushed......... I waited and when he got out I hit one of his goons on the head and took his gun and shot down the others....... I know I have done many damages to you and Arvind because of my blind love and greed for money but please believe me when I say am really sorry. " Subhadra Devi said with sincerely with remorse.
The chief of police moved closer to them.
"We have him ASR. " He said and Arnav turned to them. "And this time around he is not escaping from us. "
Arnav nodded and Payal and Natasha moved closer and pulled Khushi into a hug.
While hugging each other Natasha saw Akash push one of the police man and took his gun and aimed at Arnav's and she yelled.
"Arnav look out. "
Akash fired the gun at Arnav but Sudhadra Devi rushed and stood in front of her grandson shielding him as the bullet hit her right in a chest sending her and Arnav to the ground.
Seconds later Akash fell to the ground lifeless as his body has be riddled with bullets fired from all the police men present there.
Arnav stood up and placed his grand mother's head on his lap as blood spilled uncontrollably from her chest.
"Stay with me Dadi..... Please stay with me. " Arnav who was almost on the verge of crying carried her and rushed to his car and sat in the passenger seat as Natasha drove out off with the police following from front and back.
Sudhadra kept on falling in and out of consciousness as Arnav applied pressure on her chest with his hand to stop the bleeding.
They got to the nearest hospital and Dadi was immediately placed on a gurney and wheeled into the operation room.
For the next four hours, Arnav stood closer to the operation room lost in thought.
His trance was broken when he felt a soft hand cup his face and looked up to find a hazel eyes staring at her.
He then pulled her into a hug and began to cry.
Khushi didn't stop him because she knew he needed to let it all out and stroke his back.
After a few minutes of crying Arnav pulled back from the hug.
"She will be fine....... You claim you hate her but deep down you love her. " Khushi said and Arnav looked away but Khushi gently lifted his chin. "Arnavji......You have a golden heart and even though the world may know you as the ruthless and indestructible business man, I know you are a kind hearted man but circumstances made you build a wall around you heart....... Do you know why I feel in love with you even when you always hurt me with your actions and words? " Khushi question a remorseful Arnav who looked down again and nodded no and Khushi raised his chin again and Hazel and chocolate met again. "I fell in love with you because I saw the angel behind the demon image you created for yourself....... I saw the hurt in your eyes each time you hurt me........ I saw something no one saw because they bought into the image your built for yourself and do you know what that think is? " He shook his head no. "I saw a man struggling to be himself but thought people will take advantage of it." Khushi concluded with a smile.
Arnav was amazed about her observation because even though they talked about each other's past they never went into such details. If there was any doubt that Khushi was made for him then that doubt disappeared today.
He hugged her promising never to hurt her and always cherish forever and not even death will tear them apart.
Aman's voice made him break the hug and he looked up to find the entire remaining family with the exception of Mr Roy there.
"The chief of police called and told us everything........ Mr Roy went to the police station to handle all the legal proceedings needed...... I brought you and the girls some clothes packed by Kamala...... She will be here later on with some food for all of you. " Aman said and Arnav nodded in gratitude.
Khushi left Arnav and rushed to her father and hugged him.
She broke the hug to see her father crying and wiped his tears with her hand.
"Babuji...... See..... Am fine.... So stop crying or else I will also cry. " Khushi said faking a sad face and Shashi smiled at her and she hugged him again.
Payal also rushed to her husband and Abhishek looked so happy seeing his wife safe and sound.
Arnav moved closer to his uncle and he hugged him.
"I thought I was going to lose you boy. " He said as he broke the hug. "I could never live with myself if anything happened to you...... You are what's left of my sister and I would have never forgiven myself if that psycho had had his way....... Am glad he is gone out of our lives for good. " Arnav looked at his uncle in surprise and he smiled. "Don't look at me like that...... Am done with Akash and I feel relieved his is now truly dead....... My Manu will get her justice now because I know she regretted ever having Akash. " He concluded and hugged Arnav.
Arnav and the others then went to change and clean up and came back only to find the doctor speaking to Manohar and from the look on his face, Arnav immediately knew it was bad news.
He moved forward as the doctor left and looked at his uncle.
"They are have tried their best but she could have been able to be saved if not for her illness........ She has only a few hours left and there is a possibility she won't survive by tomorrow." Manohar revealed what the doctor said.
Arnav didn't know how to react to this and Khushi moved closer to him and side hug him.
"What illness was the doctor talking about? " Khushi asked since Arnav seem to have gone into shock.
"Apparently she has an inoperable tumor in her brain and from the size and the extent of the damage to the brain cells she has been suffering from it for the past fifteen years. " Manohar revealed making Khushi gasp and Arnav look at his uncle with shimmering eyes.
He then remembered the day his grandmother visited him at the house.
Flashback.
It's left with only two days to the fashion show and Khushi and her team has been working tirelessly to make everything perfect.
Everything was indeed perfect when Arnav checked but Khushi being a first timer was skeptical even though Arnav assured her otherwise.
To take her mind off things he had them go on a date and he knew Khushi wasn't into dining at fancy restaurants so he found the best street food joint in town where they had their date and Khushi loved it which made him glad.
They came back home only to find Sudhadra Devi in the hall with Manohar and the others.
"What are you doing here? " Arnav asked and Sudhadra flinched at the intensity of his voice.
"Am sorry for showing up announced...... I just wanted to tell you am going away forever and want you to forgive me...... I know you think I betrayed you for money but there is a reason for it...... It becau...... " Sudhadra was saying when Arnav interrupted her.
"I don't want to know your reason and I don't give a damn about you....... So please leave and don't ever come back. " Arnav yelled at her and she nodded and moved closer to Khushi and bent down and touched her feet shocking both of them.
"Am happy he found a good woman like you....... And I thank God for bringing you into his life...... I wish you both all the happiness in the world and bless you and all the generations that will come from both of you. " She said sincerely with a genuine smile on her face and left from there leaving the couple especially Arnav shocked.
Manohar was furious at Arnav's behavior.
"Stop it Arnav...... Your shouldn't have spoken to her like that..... You should have. " He said and walked away in anger leaving a confused Arnav behind.
Flashback ends.
Arnav slammed to the ground and started crying and Khushi hugged him.
"She was dying Khushi. " Arnav cried. "She didn't defend me because Anant had what she needed to survive and that was money. "
Khushi stroked his back letting him cry.
Manohar who knew it was time to reveal the secret he has been hiding for the past twelve years.
"Arnav.....There is something you need to know...... I only hid it because she made me swear not to reveal it to you. " Manohar said and Arnav looked up. He then help Arnav up together with Khushi and made him sit on the chair closer to the operating room where Dadi was being prepared to be transferred to her room. "Your Dadi is not as bad as you think she is...... You have always hated me defending her and today I think it's time to know why....... When you got your scholarships..... I was glad and wanted to thank the sponsor and I found out it was your Dadi. " He revealed shocking Arnav. "I was shocked why she will help you when the she didn't in the beginning and that was when she revealed she had a tumor which needed expensive medicines to keep it under control and if she had defended you she would have died and your future would have been uncertain since she knew about Manu and he greed....... She made me swear not to say anything because you would have rejected it and I agreed...... Your entire high school to Harvard was sponsored by her........ Am sorry if I hid all of this from you. " Manohar concluded and Arnav was shocked to know the grandmother he hated the most in his life secretly contributed to his success but never asked a dime from him in return.
His trance was broken by the sound of the wheels of a hospital bed.
They all saw as Dadi who was attached to multiple wires and respirator was been wheeled away.
To be continued.
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I promise to update regularly from now on.
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