Arnav let the hot water fall, searing his skin, let it take the pain with it. His hands against the cool tile, he let the water flow above his head and down, let the images flash across his mind.
I let it fall, my heart
And as it fell, you rose to claim it
It was dark and I was over
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me
My hands, they're strong
But my knees were far too weak
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet
But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew
All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true
And the games you play, you would always win, always win...
Is that why she never tried to get back in contact with him, because she had found someone else? Is that why he had to make the effort to get her to at least talk to him? Could his Khushi really be this heartless?
He slid to the floor, let the water splash over his head, he didn't even know what was happening anymore. Why did he marry her? Why did she agree? He closed his eyes, letting the pain engulf him.
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Let it burn while I cry
Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
----
Khushi slid to the floor, letting the tears spill, the heart wrenching sound of her cries echoed throughout the room, her body shook with the effort of each tear. Her buajis voice played over and over again on her mind,
"You've let us all down Khushi!"
"You've finally proven that you are not our blood!"
She gazed out towards the two brightest stars in the sky, her mother and father and her sobs came out louder, faster as she completely broke down. She hadn't protested and followed his demand, it had been the only way otherwise he would have never believed her. But had that decision caused her to loose everything that she had ever held dear? Even Arnav? Her head throbbed from the events of that day, everything was hazy, every little detail lost.
"We break all ties from you! From this day onward you are dead to us!" Her buajis words echoed through her mind once more, she heard them as if they were being spoken from somewhere far away. The throbbing in her head was increasing, as if she was slowly being hit on the back of her head with a brick, she started loosing the sensation in her limbs and began seeing things in double. She blinked rapidly, attempting to focus when she slowly lost the ability to control her body and everything started fading. She suddenly blacked out and slumped to the floor.
----
Arnav shut the shower off and closed his eyes leaning against the cool tiles once more. He let the drip drip of the shower calm his mind down. He re-opened his eyes, mind made up, he would let her explain, she deserved at least that much. What he had witnessed hadn't even made any sense, from what Lavanya had said it was as if Shyam was after Khushi. He would give her a chance.
He slowly turned the door knob, his heart beating loud and hard against his ribs, the warm shower not even having being enough to ease away the conflict in his mind. A lot had happened since uni and a lot more had possibly changed in Khushis life. He shouldn't have left the questions so late, he shouldn't have let the explanations wait. But every part of him needed her, the incompleteness he felt without her ripping open and coming forward to the forefront the minute he had seen her. And she couldn't love someone else could she? But had they even had much back in Glasgow? He knew what he felt for her, but did she still feel the same? Could he still be so sure? But she had always given him chances and he would give her this one. Stepping out through the door, he looked around his bare room, where was Khushi? And that's when he saw her slumped against the floor, panic rose inside of him immediately and he felt his heart plunge, his knees almost giving way underneath him. He ran the few paces between him and her, his legs heavy like lead.
"Khushi! Khushi!" He shook her by the shoulders, her unconscious body moving against him in a lifeless fashion. "No! Khushi!" He screamed, his voice filled with agony and it rang around the room reverberating. Tears began to flow down his face and he didn't attempt to wipe them away, his mind too occupied on Khushi.
"Chottey?"
He turned around to see his di run in through the door, she was by his side within seconds, "chottey?" She questioned placing a hand on Khushis cheek, his panic mirrored in her face. Her mind was flustered, all the anger from that afternoon and what Arnav had done fading from her mind.
"Chottey, pick her up and place her on the bed!" She half shouted, shaking his shoulder causing him to snap out of his silent torment and pick her up. Anjali watched in silence, tears unknowingly streaming down her face as Arnav placed an unconscious Khushi on his bed, his shoulders slumped and his face haggard, his eyes bloodshot and dark. She thought back to a time when her brother had been happy, a small period of time in the distance when he had dared to laugh out loud. She had lived her life watching everyone in her life change, sometimes slowly, sometimes rapidly but she had watched everyone change drastically. Two of those people were now dead and she did not know who Arnav was anymore, he did things without needing to explain himself to anyone and so many emotions seemed to flow through his face at the one time that she was no longer able to catch which ones they were.
And then today he had gotten married, without telling anyone he had gotten married putting the house into an uproar. The girls parents had stormed in demanding an explanation but her brother had walked away from the situation, as he always did and they had instead thrown their anger on their daughter. And she wouldn't bother asking him for an explanation because she wouldn't get one.
She thought back to that morning when she had received the news.
"Anjali, you're going to be a mother." A tiny smile passed over her lips then disappeared instantly on seeing Arnav again. She had not been able to contain herself and had not been able to wait to share this news with Arnav, the words, "Arnav you're going to become an uncle!" repeating themselves over and over in her mind but the events had led her to swallow it back and instead watch the drama that her brother had created unfold in front of her eyes, the result of which now lay in front of her. Something was wrong and this time round she would find out what it was.
----
Shyam walked into Shantivan, his face twitching with disgust at Khushi and then his stupid brother-in-law. He had to give it to Arnav, he was not as weak in love as he had thought him to be. But Shyam had caught his brother-in-law off guard and he had the perfect opportunity to now carve Arnavs mind to think to his liking, a satisfied smirk spread over his lips as he staggered in to the house through the back door, he'd wait till morning to surprise Arnav, it wasn't that easy to kill Shyam. He thought back, a victorious glint reaching his eyes as he remembered hanging onto the pipe which had come off of the roof.
----
Arnav lay asleep sat on the floor, his head resting on the bed near her delicate hands, the sheet slightly wet from his tears.
"MAA!" He screamed, scrambling towards her, tears already brimming in his eyes and obscuring his view. He went and grabbed her lifeless body and took a hold of her shoulders then began to shake her, his fingers digging into her tender flesh. "MAA! MAA! GET UP!" He sobbed, taking her head into his hands, her skin cold against his, his body shook with the immensity of the emotions coursing through him, his cries still not loud enough in his ears. He lay her head in his lap and took her arm, checking for a pulse but finding none, feeling his heart almost give way he looked back at her face and a blood-curdling scream irrupted out of him. "KHUSHI!" His mothers face now replaced by the angelic, innocent one of Khushis, her eyes closed, her body lifeless. "KHUSHI! NOO! NOO!"
Arnavs eyes snapped open, he sat up shocked, his body soaked in sweat, his mothers lifeless body then Khushis playing over and over again in his mind. He reached over and grabbed Khushis hand immediately, then placing his thumb on her warm wrist checked for a pulse, sighing a breath of relief as her strong pulse knocked against his thumb. His hands moved to her face of their own accord, cupping it delicately in his hands, desperately wanting to kiss every inch of it and shower her with all the love he could give, when his mind suddenly flashed back to the events of that afternoon.
"Why don't you divorce your so called wife first!" Her usually innocent face so ruthless and vicious, her words cutting. He rapidly moved his hand away and stood up, the sudden urge to smash and break things taking over. He stomped over to his shoes, placing his feet in them and strode out, grabbing his keys on the way, his eyes alight with fury and pain.
Yanking the door of his SUV open he got in and turning the key brought it to life. He slumped back in his seat for a minute, closing his eyes and more events of that afternoon played over on his mind.
His hands harshly moving around her neck, clasping a mangalsutra in place.
Her eyes shocked and hurt staring up at him.
His fingers red with the powder between them, dropping it into the parting of her hair.
How she stood with her head bowed down, her tears dripping to the floor.
Voices, too many voices echoing through his mind. Answers, too many people demanding answers.
Her body slamming into his from the impact of her mothers slap as she looked for protection in his embrace.
"Aaarrrgghhhh!" Opening his eyes he slammed his fists on the steering wheel, his knuckles slamming off of the silver badge and beads of red blood spurted out. Taking the gear stick her moved it into first gear and slammed his foot on the accelerator, gunning the car forward which he brought to an abrupt stop only seconds later. The cutting white beams of the SUV falling on the contours of Shyams manic face, whilst Arnavs eyes widened in shocked fury.
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