Rabba Ishq Naa Hove - Season 3 - Part 18

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Chapter 18


Khushi’s POV

I have never laughed so heartily and nor seen Maa so much happy either. We were playing ludo which I recently came to know she loved to play. So, I got a ludo board and made sure to play with Maa every alternate day to bring that smile on her face. She was a smart player and I mostly let her win. But today, she was telling me how her husband used to cheat and make her win the ludo game when they played it when he was alive. The gestures she makes to enact that scene recalling her husband makes me laugh too much. The door bell rings and the fulltime nurse for Maa who still stays with us opens the door.

“Must be the food delivery. Will go check,” I say, getting down the couch and the moment I turn, my body freezes seeing the man standing before us.

The dice of ludo which I had in my palms, falls down as I take a step back in fear knowing he is here. In a grey suit he always looked handsome but he definitely looks tired and his eyes… they haven’t left glaring at me as we stand looking at each other.

“Arnav…” Maa screams in joy and scurries to meet him at the door. They hug each other and for a moment, Arnav’s gaze shifts from me to focus on his mother. He speaks something to her which I hardly even care to listen because my mind is haywire. So, Arnav Singh Raizada found me? And that too now he knows I am staying with his mother. That’s definitely not going to end up well.


“What are you doing here? Why didn’t anyone tell me you are coming to New York?” Maa argues with him and his gaze returns on me again.

“I wanted to surprise my wife..” He is trying to control his tone before his mother but I know that volcano inside him is soon going to burst out on me. But this time, I won’t give him a Damn!!

“Khushi, come here. Won’t you greet him?” Maa queries and only because I don’t want to break her heart, I make my way towards the man who took everything from me once, who gave me everything he had, in that one night, only to shatter my life into pieces thereafter. And now he is here!!

Arnav and I stare at each other as I reach closer, my heart rate doubling with every beat as its hard to gauge what his next actions would be. He stretches his hand for me to hold and I am literally shivering. I am afraid of him that he will hurt me, but I surely know he has that capability to shatter my confidence again. I look at his stretched hand and then back into his eyes.

“No hug to your husband?” he mocks. “we are seeing each other after almost five months.”

Maa chuckles at that remark while I am even more annoyed at the man standing before me. Why is he doing this? To show his mother that we are cool? Obviously, because he hates me otherwise and has made that clear to me every time when we were staying together under one roof.

“I think you both need some private time. Besides its time for my medicines, so I will ask the nurse to give me that until you freshen up Arnav. You look spent.”


Arnav still doesn't take his eyes off me but definitely pulls away his arm realizing I am not going to hug him at all. I don’t want his touch on my body ever! Because he has played with my body before only to claim the next morning that he never had any feelings attached to that night. I shut my eyes for a second before Maa touches my arm.

“Khushi, go show him the bedroom. Let him rest and so will I. But Arnav, we have so much to talk. I can’t tell you how much happy I am that you married Khushi. She is the best wife you could get. I like her..”

That’s when he turns his gaze on his mother and smiles.

“But I am angry that you didn’t even tell me you are marrying. I would have come to india, be there to see you both tying knot and…”

“Maa.” Arnav stops her from continuing as we both realize so much anxiety again is not good for her health. “This is exactly why I didn’t tell you but we will talk about it later.”

He turns to the nurse and gestures her to take Maa in the room and she quickly obeys.

“Alright, I will go and rest and so should you. Khushi take him to your room dear.”


I nod blankly at her. Arnav can’t stay in my room. Nope! That’s not happening. As soon as Maa leaves and I am about to process Arnav Singh Raizada really has found me and is standing before me, when Arnav grabs my arm and drags me to the room opposite to Maa’s. It’s a guest room which supposedly he doesn't know nor I care to mention because I am more worried what he is going to do when we are alone in there.. The sudden touch of his fingers on my skin is enough to burn me with rage so the moment we are secluded in that room, I shove his arm, stepping away from Arnav who locks the door.

“88 emails..” Arnav scowls glaring at me. “And not a single reply.. You know how that feels?”

“Definitely not as bad as I felt the morning after we…” I pause because even bringing up that topic is enough to choke my throat with fresh tears.

“I looked for you every damn country, Khushi.. Spent in lakhs to trace your whereabouts.” He continues.

“For what?” I snap. “To cage me again in your mansion or continue using me as your payback to your revenge?”

The moment I complete, Arnav grabs me by my elbow and draws me to his body.

“We will talk about that night later. For now, all I want you to know is that you took a big risk meeting Maa. Had she recognized you, it could have affected her health. She is all I have now, Khushi. I don’t want to lose her.”

“I don’t want you to lose her either, Arnav,” I mutter. “I never wanted that even in the past but I don’t think you will ever believe me even if I say that on my death-”


Before I could complete that, Arnav shuts my mouth with his fingers. All that anger in his eyes is replaced by fear as if it matters to him if I live or die. I don’t think it does but his eyes do say that at the moment. Using all my strength I push his arm away from me and step back.

“If you have a problem why I am with your mother under one roof, ask your brother-in-law, Shyam. He was the one who suggested that and I agreed because it really was the best solution at that point considering Maa was recovering since she met me.”


Arnav keeps staring as I speak.


“I know she doesn't recognize me yet that I am the same woman whom she and her son thinks ruined their lives, and the day she would, her health might worsen. So, I won’t stop you from taking her back.”

Tears spring in my eyes again at the thought of Arnav taking away his mother from this home. I had just started bonding with her and I loved the warmth she gave me. But of course, I know Arnav will immediately change that setup. He will never risk his mom’s health nor do I want to risk it. So, its fine.

“I’m taking you both back,” Arnav declares. “I met Shyam at the hospital before I came here. He told her about Maa’s health progress and only because its really benefitted her, I am not taking her back to the hospital but with me to India where she will henceforth stay with us…”

“Excuse me?” I snap this time. “Us?” I let out a sarcastic laugh. “I am never coming back with you.”

“Yes you are…”

“Try me..” I challenge. “You have nothing left to threaten me anymore or to snatch from me. You are almost sending my father to jail and I have given you my body once which I think should be enough as a payback.”


I step forward this time matching his anger level and looking straight in his eyes.


“You can’t threaten me more than you already have Arnav Singh Raizada. I am working here and I am happy without you in my life. So, you can happily walk away or stay here and keep trying ways to take me back with you. That’s your choice to make.”

I stride towards the door and then remember something.

“If you choose to stay here, this is where you will be spending your nights. Don’t even think I’ll be letting you step in my bedroom because you suddenly decide to put on a good husband-wife show to your mother. I don’t care what explanation you give to Maa, but I am not letting you on my bed ever again, Arnav Singh Raizada.”

Arnav raises his brow in annoyance but I don’t stop there to argue more. I walk out of the room with my head held high. I don’t know how my life is going to change from here on as Arnav is in US but one thing I am confident about. I am not forgiving him for breaking me without even letting me know what my sin was? The only fault I accept is leading him to think I loved him in the past, using him for my pleasure at times. Today when I think I even did that at some point of my life, I feel cheap and hate myself for being such a silly girl back then but that’s all the mistakes of mine that I own and have the courage to admit I did them. But Arnav is not even willing to share with me what my father did and why he is taking that revenge from me for something I have no clue about?


*******************

Arnav’s POV


And she left the room, leaving me annoyed, raged and completely in pain as I ponder how much my denial of having any feelings for her after our consummation to Anjali Di has hurt her. It is not only Khushi who hasn’t moved on from that night, even I am stuck somewhere in that same phase. Yes, I told Di in haste that despite marrying Khushi and spending a night with her I didn’t have any feelings for her anymore, but that was a pure lie. A lie I was trying to tell myself to come out of the guilt that I could draw pleasure from the same woman who once gave me hopes of love and rejected me like I was a passing man in her life. Yes, I claimed to hate her too but that was only because I wanted to avenge her father for all that he did with my family back in the past. But after giving Khushi the right over my body and claiming mine on hers, I don’t think I could ever continue claiming I hated her anymore. Because that was never true. When you love someone, you can never unlove them. Yes, the intensity of your love surely dimishes if you are hurt but you can never hate them or hurt them and yet in my rage and greed of revenge, I did all of that. The past few months of separation was enough for me to think wisely on my intentions and what I really needed in my life. If Khushi’s rejection has haunted me for six years, her love that night when she submitted herself completely to my mercy has stabbed me millions of times in the past few months of her absence. I could sustain her rejection, not the pain that surfaces in her eyes now every time she meets mine. I don’t know what to do to amend it but I definitely have decided one thing. I’m not flying back to India without her. With her permission or without, with Khushi forgiving me or without, with Khushi loving me or without, she only belongs to me and I would claim her no matter if I have to fight the whole universe for the same.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART 


Note: I was supposed to post My New Boss tonight but since a few of you requested one more part of RINH, I drafted this and posted. Though a short update, I hope you wouldn’t mind and shower your views on it. Tomorrow I am posting My New Boss.

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