Part 2
Khushi stared up at him, the man she thought she loved, pain evident in her eyes. She looked away, trying to register what had just happened. Arnav was in her room, in her house... How? Why? Questions were buzzing around in her mind, yet she couldn't trust herself to speak. For a moment she had forgotten all he had put her through, all the pain he had caused her ever since she had first met him. But then she remembered his piercing words, how he consistently reminded her that she was nothing but an inconvenience to him, and how their marriage held no significance in his life. Khushi had endured enough torture to last her a lifetime. She was free from his clutches. But then why did she still feel bound to him? As if only he could complete her? She had heard of heartbreak but she had never thought of it as a physical pain before. This man was here to cause trouble in her life, nothing else. After a long, tense silence Khushi spoke, being careful not to meet his eyes.
"What are you doing here? Who let you in? You think you can play your silly games and I won't do anything?!"
Arnav looked shocked. "Games? Khushi, what are you-"
"I'm talking about this, Mr Raizada. You, waltzing in here. This sham marriage, your ridiculous actions! I've had enough!" Arnav just looked at her, dumbstruck. "I know that none of this meant a thing to you - you have a stone for a heart. You're cold inside and out. You're incapable of loving or thinking about anyone but yourself! And what are you doing here anyway? Unless you've forgotten, I'm not your wife anymore. You have no hold over me and I want you to leave."
"Khushi, I'm sorry. I made a mistake-" The look in Arnav's eyes threw Khushi off for a second. He looked so... genuine. The last time he had looked at her like that was the morning of their wedding, hours before he forced her to marry him. After so many lies, Khushi didn't know what truth was anymore. She felt a lump form in her throat, and swallowed hard.
"You're sorry? A mistake?" she choked. "A MISTAKE?! Which one are you referring to Arnav, because I've lost count."
"Listen Khushi-"
"No I won't! I've heard enough of your crap, now it's my turn. I've tolerated enough for the sake of my Jiji! You made a mistake, right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but when someone makes a mistake it's unintentional. You had every intention to ruin my life from the day you first met me!" Arnav was shocked, and couldn't disguise the pain on his face. Still, Khushi continued. "So which bit was a mistake? Marrying me? The fact that you ever met me? Or is your biggest regret saving me when I was trapped inside the warehouse?" Arnav flinched at that. Tears freely streamed down Khushi's face, but she didn't care. Every word she uttered felt like a stab in her chest. Seeing tears forming in Arnav's eyes broke her heart, but she couldn't be weak. It makes no difference, she told herself.
Arnav gently pulled her face towards him, their foreheads touching.
"Khushi, don't say that. Never say that again. You have to believe me, I don't regret any of that for a second."
Khushi released herself from his grip and roughly pushed him away.
"Why not? I have been nothing but a burden to your life, haven't I? I've brought nothing but sadness to you." She laughed humourlessly. "And just to stick the knife in further, I was planning to elope with your brother-in-law. Because my sole aim in life was to bring you and your family as much pain as possible. So why wouldn't you regret ever meeting me?"
"Khushi please, why are you saying all of this?" There was a long silence, which Khushi used to gather her thoughts. She didn't mean for all of that to come out like that. She didn't understand why it pained her so much to see him hurt. It's not as if he spared her a thought after ripping her to shreds. Khushi turned away.
"I have nothing more to say to you until you tell everyone the whole truth about what happened. Including your Di."
"But-"
"You know where the door is. You know what?" She turned to face him again, looking directly in his eyes. "I pity you, Mr Raizada. I really do."Arnav stood there for what felt like an eternity. He yearned to hold her and tell her just how much she meant to him. But he couldn't, because he didn't have the guts to tell his family the truth. He couldn't see Di hurt, especially with her baby being due any day now. He slowly turned, dejected, and began to walk away, a coward's action. One that would continuously haunt him for the foreseeable future, dashing any faint hope of reconciliation. As she heard the door slam, Khushi sunk to the floor as if her life had just left her.
"What are you doing here? Who let you in? You think you can play your silly games and I won't do anything?!"
Arnav looked shocked. "Games? Khushi, what are you-"
"I'm talking about this, Mr Raizada. You, waltzing in here. This sham marriage, your ridiculous actions! I've had enough!" Arnav just looked at her, dumbstruck. "I know that none of this meant a thing to you - you have a stone for a heart. You're cold inside and out. You're incapable of loving or thinking about anyone but yourself! And what are you doing here anyway? Unless you've forgotten, I'm not your wife anymore. You have no hold over me and I want you to leave."
"Khushi, I'm sorry. I made a mistake-" The look in Arnav's eyes threw Khushi off for a second. He looked so... genuine. The last time he had looked at her like that was the morning of their wedding, hours before he forced her to marry him. After so many lies, Khushi didn't know what truth was anymore. She felt a lump form in her throat, and swallowed hard.
"You're sorry? A mistake?" she choked. "A MISTAKE?! Which one are you referring to Arnav, because I've lost count."
"Listen Khushi-"
"No I won't! I've heard enough of your crap, now it's my turn. I've tolerated enough for the sake of my Jiji! You made a mistake, right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but when someone makes a mistake it's unintentional. You had every intention to ruin my life from the day you first met me!" Arnav was shocked, and couldn't disguise the pain on his face. Still, Khushi continued. "So which bit was a mistake? Marrying me? The fact that you ever met me? Or is your biggest regret saving me when I was trapped inside the warehouse?" Arnav flinched at that. Tears freely streamed down Khushi's face, but she didn't care. Every word she uttered felt like a stab in her chest. Seeing tears forming in Arnav's eyes broke her heart, but she couldn't be weak. It makes no difference, she told herself.
Arnav gently pulled her face towards him, their foreheads touching.
"Khushi, don't say that. Never say that again. You have to believe me, I don't regret any of that for a second."
Khushi released herself from his grip and roughly pushed him away.
"Why not? I have been nothing but a burden to your life, haven't I? I've brought nothing but sadness to you." She laughed humourlessly. "And just to stick the knife in further, I was planning to elope with your brother-in-law. Because my sole aim in life was to bring you and your family as much pain as possible. So why wouldn't you regret ever meeting me?"
"Khushi please, why are you saying all of this?" There was a long silence, which Khushi used to gather her thoughts. She didn't mean for all of that to come out like that. She didn't understand why it pained her so much to see him hurt. It's not as if he spared her a thought after ripping her to shreds. Khushi turned away.
"I have nothing more to say to you until you tell everyone the whole truth about what happened. Including your Di."
"But-"
"You know where the door is. You know what?" She turned to face him again, looking directly in his eyes. "I pity you, Mr Raizada. I really do."Arnav stood there for what felt like an eternity. He yearned to hold her and tell her just how much she meant to him. But he couldn't, because he didn't have the guts to tell his family the truth. He couldn't see Di hurt, especially with her baby being due any day now. He slowly turned, dejected, and began to walk away, a coward's action. One that would continuously haunt him for the foreseeable future, dashing any faint hope of reconciliation. As she heard the door slam, Khushi sunk to the floor as if her life had just left her.
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