FF: It's Not Right - Chapter 23

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Chapter 23

Khushi watched the car drive up slowly and stop in front of her and she moved towards the driver's side where the window was rolled down in the Delhi heat. 'I didn't think you'd come.'

'You asked me to come, so how could I not?' Abhi got out of the car and stood in front of Khushi.

Khushi looked down at her feet embarrassed, 'I'm sorry. I said I would stay away from them all and then I ask you to pick me up from here, so you know...'

Abhi took one of Khushi's hands in his own, 'Khushi, I will always be there for you no matter what. Yes, I think what you're doing is stupid but that doesn't mean I'll just abandon you when you need me.'

'Thank you Abhi, I promise I didn't want to come today but Babuji...' Khushi stopped midsentence again as she thought about her father.

'It's okay Khushi, you don't have to explain.' He lifted his free hand to lightly trace the bruise on her face, 'so now do you want to tell me the truth?'

Khushi began to speak when she looked around suddenly noticing Pandeyji and Maheshji quite obviously listening to the two of them but trying to pretend they weren't. 'Erm... let's go somewhere else first.'

'Okay,' Abhi looked around as well realising why Khushi had stopped. 'Where do you want to go?'

'Oh let's go to that new restaurant on Tagore Road. I'm so hungry,' Khushi said as she opened the car and got in.

'Haven't you eaten yet?'

Khushi looked up at him and grinned, 'well yes but I can always eat again!'

---

'What? She already left? An hour ago?' Arnav didn't wait for the answer to any of his questions storming out of the house as he spoke to himself, 'Khushi Kumari Gupta, what the hell are you doing?'

He almost bumped into Mahesh and Pandey who were standing around chatting, 'Get out of my way! Is this what you call working?'

'Do you think he knows about Khushiji and that man?' Mahesh whispered to Pandey who tried to shut him up and moved away hoping Arnav wouldn't notice.

Arnav had just unlocked the car when he heard Khushi's name, he turned back instantly. 'What? What did you say about Khushi? What man?'

'Nothing sir, we didn't say anything,' Pandey spoke nervously looking at Mahesh worriedly.

Arnav stepped closer menacingly, 'tell me exactly what happened. Who did you see Khushi with?'

Mahesh shot Pandey an apologetic look and decided to step up since it had been his big mouth that got them in trouble. 'S...sir, a man in a black Volvo came to pick Khushiji up an hour ago, they talked for a bit and then they left together.'

'Where? Where did they go? What did they say?' Arnav's blood boiled at the thought of Khushi even talking to Abhinav after what he'd done.

'Erm... Khushiji said sorry for something and that she didn't think he would come and then he... the man... he said she should tell him the truth and then they left to go to a restaurant on Tagore Road.'

---

Abhi held Khushi's hands in his own across the table as she spoke. 'You should have told me,' he said eventually.

'I know, I know. I should have told you, or Babuji or Ar... I should have told someone but I... I don't know... I think I didn't want to admit it was true. He said he was going to come back tomorrow. What if he does something to my Babuji, Abhi? I'll never be able to forgive myself.'

'Shhh, shh, nothing is going to happen to Babuji. We'll go to your house now and tell everyone the truth about Shyam and then... I don't know, we'll figure something out.'

'But Anjaliji...'

'Khushi, I know you don't want to hurt Anjali but you have to understand Khushi. You're not being fair to her, making her stay married to an unfaithful man. She needs to know the truth and he needs to be punished.' As he spoke, he lifted a hand again to touch the faded bruise on Khushi's face.

'Don't touch her!'

Khushi watched in shock as Arnav suddenly grabbed Abhi by the collar pulling him up out of his seat, knocking over their glasses and the flowers on the table in the process. She stood up immediately to try and pull Arnav's hands away from Abhi and stopping Abhi hitting Arnav until she was stood in between the two of them, acting as a shield in front of Abhi as he had for her only a week ago.

'What the hell is your problem Raizada?' Abhi roared trying to move past Khushi but she was holding onto his arms stopping him.

'Khushi, move! How can you let him touch you? How can you stand there and protect a man who hits you?!'

Abhi stopped trying to move to look down at Khushi incredulously, 'you told him I did this?'

'No, no' Khushi turned around so she could fully see Abhi, still holding onto his arms. 'I didn't tell him anything!'

Arnav had tried to talk to Khushi during the drive to his house but she had ignored every question, choosing instead to watch the traffic out of her window. She hadn't wanted to tell him about Shyam just to have him doubt her again and place the blame at her door instead of his brother-in-law's.

Abhi sighed and shook his head slightly trying to figure out what was going on, 'come on Khushi. Let's go.' He threw a couple of notes onto the table and pulled Khushi behind him making sure to bump Arnav's shoulder as they went past.

Arnav followed behind confused and angry, 'What the hell are you doing Khushi? If it wasn't him, then who hit you?'

Abhi didn't stop until they reached his car and he opened the door waiting for Khushi to get in. Khushi stood still as she looked over her shoulder at Arnav.

'Khushi, tell me! Who did this to you? I'm going to kill him, I swear!'

Abhi interrupted Khushi before she could speak, standing partially in front of her, 'who do you think?'

Arnav ignored the sneering tone as he understood Abhinav's meaning, 'you mean... Jeejaji?'

'Finally! You wouldn't think the great Arnav Singh Raizada would be so slow on the uptake would you?'

'Khushi, why didn't you tell me?' Arnav's anger only increased as Abhinav kept answering for Khushi, not allowing her to speak.

'Tell you? Tell you so you could come to our office again and manhandle her and accuse her of being a cheat?'

'Khushi, I'm talking to you!

Khushi let go of the hold she had on Abhi's arm and stepped out in front of him. Arnav was confusing her again. He'd said he would kill whoever hurt her, but why did it matter to him? Why had he come to the restaurant? 'What do you want from me Arnavji? Why can't you leave me alone?'

Arnav heard her soft plea and he wanted to reach out and hug her, apologise for ever doubting her, promise her he would give her whatever she wanted but he couldn't. His gut had clenched in fear at the thought of leaving her forever but he repressed that feeling and convinced himself he couldn't let her go because he needed her purely for his Di, nothing else. 'Khushi, I need your help. I need you to agree to marry Jeeja... Shyam.'

'What the hell? Have you gone crazy?' Abhi moved in front of Khushi again so this time he was almost nose to nose with Arnav.

Arnav side stepped Abhinav, ignoring him because he knew it wouldn't be long before he would lose all control and punch Abhinav straight in the face if he kept coming between him and Khushi. 'Khushi, you saw what Di was like today. Even when I tried to joke about Jeejaji, she refused to believe me. The whole family, they're all... we're all so under his spell we never saw his true face. If we just go and tell them the truth he'll do something, he'll manage to spin it and Di will never believe us. But if she sees him, if she actually sees him trying to marry you then she'll have to believe it. Do you see? I need your help Khushi! I need you... I need you to help me, I mean.'

Khushi heard the desperation in his voice, wanted to rush over and assure him that everything would be fine, she would do anything for him but it was an emotion she had to quell. An emotion there was no point in having because Arnav would only ever throw in back in her face. She would help him, but purely for her own selfish reasons, for her Babuji. 'Okay, I'll do it.'

'Khushi!' Abhi turned swiftly around to face Khushi, 'what are you saying? You don't need to do this!'

'But Abhi, Babuji...'

'No Khushi, this isn't the way! It's his sister, his family, let him deal with them! Who cares if they believe him or not? Let him sort his own problems out and we'll sort ours!'

'But Abhi, it's the same problem! We can help each other,' Khushi put her hands on his chest trying to calm him down and make him understand.

Arnav clenched his fists together as he watched Khushi practically stroke Abhinav's chest. He felt a sense of betrayal which was ridiculous considering he hadn't even told her how he felt about her, instead he'd accused her of cheating on his Di and ruined even the possibility of friendship between them, forget an actual relationship. 'What do you mean? What problem? What's wrong with your Babuji?'