Part 16
Khushi turned to see her aunt looking back at her, fuming, but she didn't have the strength to fight with her.
"Buaji please, I'm exhausted. I promise, we'll talk tomorrow. Just let me-" She stopped as she acknowledged the figure emerging from behind her aunt. "Arjun, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I just-"
"It's fine Khushi, you don't need to explain yourself to me." He smiled. "You've had a bit of a shock so it's only fair that we reschedule." Khushi almost choked.
"Reschedule?" She asked in disbelief.
"Khushi..." Anjali looked over at Nani in disbelief, relief as well as panic emerging from within her. She was quick to pacify him.
"Shh Chote, the doctor said you shouldn't speak too much."
"Where... is... she?" He asked in between deep inhalations from the oxygen mask. Anjali took a deep breath herself before speaking again, trying to prevent her voice from shaking.I need to be strong, she thought.
"Chote, don't you remember? Today's her wedding day." Arnav looked as if someone had just slapped him, the heart monitor suddenly beeping at twice its original speed.
"No, she wouldn't do that. She wouldn't put herself through that." Arnav shook his head furiously and suddenly he felt as if he could move again. He attempted to get out of bed, pulling the covers back. Anjali stopped him.
"Chote, are you crazy?! What are you doing?" She yelled, panicking.
"I need... to see... her."
"Look Chote, I told you she-"
"I... need... to... see... her." Anjali knew that when Arnav had his heart set on something no one could stop him from getting what he wanted. And what he wanted right now was Khushi.
"Yes, reschedule. That's what you want too, right?" Payal looked at Khushi, willing her to do the right thing but she didn't have the heart to.
"Arjun, look, can we please talk about this tomorrow?" She headed towards the bedroom when she felt a hand grab her arm tightly.
"Let's talk now." Khushi didn't like the psychotic look on his face as he pulled her towards her bedroom. She attempted to get him to release her but his grip was too tight. Any pleading looks she gave to Buaji were in vain, and Payal wasn't strong enough to physically restrain Arjun. Ignoring her protests, he led Khushi to the bedroom and locked the door behind them.
"Arjun please, unlock the door." She tried her hardest to keep herself sounding calm and composed.
"Why, Khushi?" He came right up to her face. "You sound like you're scared of me." Khushi flinched backwards, trying to gauge how far the window was from her if she needed to make a quick escape. Reading her mind, Arjun rushed over to the window and locked it. "We don't want any interruptions now, do we?"
Anjali hung up the phone after dialling Khushi's number for the 10th time on Arnav's insistence.
"Chote, we were too late. She's obviously not interested, I'm sorry. As far as we know, she's probably gone off on a honeymoon with him." Anjali smiled at Arnav apologetically, trying to disguise her own shock. One second she's here begging me to be able to see him, and the next she's not answering a single call?
"Di, please. I know her; she wouldn't do this to me or herself. Please, call her again." Arnav pleaded. Anjali shook her head.
"Chote, you need rest. All of this stress is making your blood pressure rocket and it isn't good for your health!"
"I don't need my health if I don't have Khushi. What's the point in living without the one thing that made me happy?" Anjali was shocked; she had never seen Arnav like this before. "I tried, and I failed. I've lost her forever and I don't care if I lose myself now."
"Chote, what are you saying?! Stop this!" Anjali yelled. "I don't know if it's the medication or the fact that you must have done some serious damage to your head, but I don't want to ever hear anything like this from you again! You are Arnav Singh Raizada, and you're better than this. Anyone else involved in an accident like this one would have had no chances of survival, yet you managed it Chote. You have the strength to do anything and achieve anything if you want it enough." Arnav looked up at her, hopeful.
"Even Khushi?" Anjali didn't have the heart to see Arnav upset anymore, so she did something she had become a pro at recently - she lied.
"Even Khushi."
"Arjun, I thought you said we didn't need to talk. Y-you trust me, don't you?" Arjun laughed humourlessly.
"Trust? Oh, we're way beyond that Khushi. I stopped trusting you the second you walked away from that mandap." Khushi tried desperately to keep the conversation going whilst she looked for an escape.
"Arjun, we've been friends practically since the day I was born. How can trust break so easily?" He suddenly erupted.
"Because you lied to me, Khushi! You lied to everyone, proving that our friendship meant less than nothing to you."
"I lied? About what?" Arjun gave her a look of disbelief. He grabbed her by the forearms so there was minimal distance between the two of them.
"Oh, nothing Khushi. You didn't lie about a thing. Not even the fact that you had no intention of marrying me!" He yelled. Khushi struggled against his grip, attempting to wriggle out of his arms.
"Arjun, I was there wasn't I? I was at the mandap, about to take phere with you. I was going to marry you!" She silently pleaded that he'd believe her. She let out an inaudible sigh of relief as Arjun began to nod.
"You're right. You were going to marry me and we were both stood at the mandap about to take the phere." He paused, his expression twisting into one of disgust. He gripped her arms harder. "Until you bolted the second you found out that the man you really love had been in an accident!"
"Arjun stop, you're hurting me!"
"Good! Then maybe you'll get some indication of how much you've hurt me!"
"What?" Khushi's voice instantly softened as she caught his meaning. Arjun clenched his jaw.
"You heard."
"But Arjun... Buaji promised me - she insisted that there was nothing of that sort between us. She said our wedding was nothing but a legal agreement between the two of us. Since when did this hurt come into the picture?"
"So everything that happened last night... it didn't mean a thing to you?" Khushi looked at him in shock.
"My head was all over the place - I couldn't think straight Arjun, you said as much yourself!"
Arjun turned away and Khushi pulled his arm so he was facing her squarely. "Arjun, be honest. Did this wedding mean more to you than just a legal formality? Are you in love with me?"
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