"Are you feeling better?" Arnav asked after a few minutes, to which Khushi just nodded yet holding on to him. She had a lot of thoughts running through her mind, she had never really known this side of her mother, it was surely heartbreaking.
"Did you get all your answers?" He asked.
"I am not sure I even wanted to know them all, not knowing some of the answers was way easier than knowing, at least before I knew some part of me always thought there might be some reasons as to why my mother did whatever she did.
But now that I have the answers, it breaks my heart knowing that all she ever cared about was money, whatever she did was for money, she was ready to sell her own daughter for money. How am I ever supposed to find peace with that Arnav?" She finally looked up at him, she was so hurt after learning the truth, she dint even know what to do.
"I'm sorry Khushi, I just thought you would need the answers, if I knew it was going to hurt you like this, I wouldn't have tried to find her." Arnav apologized.
"I am not blaming you Arnav, of course I wanted answers, I just don't feel good about the ones I got, it's not your fault, my mother is the one at fault, she did everything for her own benefit and ruined my whole life.
If she wouldn't have brought me at your place that night, you would have never misunderstood things and everything would have been so different, but look at us, just because of that one night, everything's changed."
"Did she tell you why she was constantly trying to make me believe that you were just like her?" Arnav asked, Khushi looked at him in shock immediately.
"What?"
"I had a few encounters with her, when we were kids and I would see her take you wherever she went to meet those men, sometimes my dad used to go there. She told me a couple of times that you were just like her. It was like she was planting this thoughts in my mind, making me see you in a negative way. Did I never tell you that?" Arnav asked.
"No, you never mentioned it, you told me how you misunderstood things that night, but not much about before." Khushi said.
"I am sorry... anyway it's okay, I know you well now, I don't really need any answers from her, I'm sure if I see her again, I'll get really mad, after all she's the reason why my mother is dead." Arnav said as he stood up and walked away.
"She committed suicide because of my mother?"
"Yes, she found out about the affair between my dad and her, and my dad never even bothered about her." Arnav said.
"I am so sorry Arnav, I had no idea..." Khushi stood up and rushed towards him as she looked at him apologetically.
"It wasn't your fault Khushi... Maybe destiny had it so that we fall in love but never be together, that's why it messed up so much with our lives." Arnav laughed sarcastically.
"I wish I could change things Arnav..."
"You could Khushi, It's only you who can change this. You know whatever I did was because I hated you so much right? I wanted to punish you, I wanted to do all I could to make you feel the pain that I had felt. I get it, it wasn't your fault that your mother made me believe things, but what was my fault that she made me believe things?
The only reason I did everything that I did to you was because I couldn't stand you knowing you had slept with my father, I couldn't just bear with that thought, and if it weren't for Anjali, I wouldn't have even married you, I just wanted to get rid of you.
But now I don't want that, now I know the truth Khushi and now I don't hate you anymore, I love you Khushi, and I am really trying to respect your decision because I have been so terrible to you, but I can't. I just need one chance to repent for what I did to you, one chance to make things better to show you that the Arnav in the past isn't the real Arnav, this one is, the one that loves you, the one that's asking for a chance to prove himself to you.
You don't have to get married to me again Khushi, but for once just try to get to know me, the me that doesn't hate you anymore, the me that's so much in love with you, the me that is willing to do so much for you, all I am asking for is one chance Khushi.
We all make mistakes, if we aren't given chances to rectify them, how will we ever learn? I made a mistake Khushi, in my misunderstanding I hurt you but I just...
I am sorry... I am overwhelmed with so much feelings right now." Arnav said as he rushed upstairs to his room, right now he was so confused with himself and everything.
He knew very well that Khushi would never forgive him and his plan all along was that after the seven days were over, he would let her be in peace and try to move on with his life, but after these seven days, he just realized how hard it was to be without her. He dint think he even had the strength to just walk away from her when he could try and maybe convince her to forgive him.
A few minutes later, the door to his room opened and Khushi walked in, he was seated on his bed lost in thoughts, Khushi sat down beside him silently as they both stared at the floor silently.
"Can I ask you a question Khushi?"
"Okay..." She nodded.
"These seven days we spent together, did you for once feel like I was inappropriate with you? Did I do anything to hurt you or give you any sort of a negative idea or a vibe towards me?" Arnav asked.
"No... I had such a great time with you Arnav until I felt guilty because I was somewhere letting myself fall weak again."
"Then why don't you believe that I would never ever do anything to hurt you like that again? I would never be the Arnav that you were married to in the past."
"Because once trust breaks, it's hard to bring it back, mine broke when I saw with Lavanya on our bed. I know you said nothing happened between you two, but it doesn't matter Arnav, because a part of me would always be like, can I trust you? What if this, what if that?"
"I get it, you can't trust me again. At least I wont regret not trying." Arnav sighed.
He stood up and walked towards the window as he stared outside silently for a while and the spoke again.
"Do you want to go home? I'll drop you." Arnav said.
"Actually can you drop me at my dad's place? I need to see him and talk to him about things." Khushi said, Arnav nodded.
"I'll be waiting downstairs whenever you are ready." He said as he headed downstairs while Khushi just sat there in the room for a while looking around, it reminded her of so many things that she had tried to leave behind.
A part of her really wanted to forget everything and give Arnav another chance, maybe it could work out, maybe they would be happier together instead of apart but then what about everything that happened in the past, it wasn't so easy to let go, it was so easy to forget.
The only person that could help her with this decision was her father, he had taken so many decisions for her and they had always turned out to be right, even when he decided to send her to live with her aunt, she was angry and she dint get it then but now she did, if he hadn't sent her there, her mother could have done worse things.
She stood up and walked out of the room not knowing whether she was ever going to come back here again or not, she headed downstairs where Arnav was waiting for her, as soon as he saw her, he headed out, unlocked the car and got inside, Khushi joined him as he drove off immediately.
He was silent the entire drive, even when they were stuck in traffic for a while, neither of them spoke, they just sat there silently until they arrived at Shashi's house.
He parked the car outside and waited for Khushi to step out, once she did and closed the door, he reversed the car and drove off without saying anything.
It was like nothing was left to say anymore.
Khushi stood there silently for a while trying to compose herself and then she walked towards the door and rang the doorbell.
A few moments later, her father opened the door and looked at her in surprise.
"Khushi, what a pleasant surprise." He smiled happily as he embraced her into a tight hug, he had missed seeing her.
"So what brings you here?" He asked.
"I just felt like I should come see you, I haven't visited you in a while and also tell you that I just met mom." Khushi said.
"What? You met Garima? How? Se had disappeared, no one even knew where she went, and quite honestly I didn't even bother." He shrugged.
"Well Arnav found her and then took me to meet her." Khushi sighed.
"Wait, so you and Arnav are talking again or what?" He asked in confusion.
"Actually, that's what I want to talk to you about." Khushi said.
"Okay, come inside, let's sit and talk over a cup of tea." He held her hand and pulled her along inside the house.