Chapter 23 - Washed Away

Okay so first off, sorry again for the really late update. I just kept on forgetting, I don't even have any other excuse, I just forgot. So sorry about that. In this FF, Anjali's personality is very different. When I started watching IPK this is what I imagined her character to be like; not the dumb idiot that she actually ended up being. For a while I had started to sort of forgive her again until about two weeks ago when I lost even the tiniest little speck of respect I had left for her. As much as I would have liked to write her character in the same way, I just can't fathom a woman to be so stupid. I mean okay she doesn't have a sixth sense but does she have any sense at all? I just asdfghjkl! I just can't bring myself to make someone so blind and stupid.

So this is my version of Anjali; what Arnav deserves. A big sister that would look out for him in the same way he does. He's always stood by her side so when he falls down, she would help him back up again. So here goes :). 

The chapters will be slightly shorter up until the prequel ends, which will be in two chapters ;).

~ You don’t need water to feel like you’re drowning, do you? – Jodi Picoult ~

"Dear God! Najaane wherez theze useless girlz find my nephew from," Manorama jeered as Khushi walked into the kitchen, the sari slightly loose at places, her feet still unsteady, her tears still only a breath away. 

"Mamiji please," Anjali requested as she ushered Khushi in, her arm around her. She felt bad for the poor girl, there was something clearly wrong and she desperately needed to get down to the depths of it. She didn't know Khushi but Arnav did and he loved her, she knew that much. But their marriage had been conducted too hastily, she knew that her brother had a stubbornness that over-shadowed everything else and yet this was still very unlike him. There was something severely wrong. 

Anjali was lost in her own distant thoughts when she nearly jumped out of her skin as Khushi suddenly yelped in pain.

Khushi had been too lost in her own inner turmoil when she had finally felt the pain, she appraised it's agony, the tears blurring her view of the raw bruise.

"Khushiji Khushiji!" Anjali shook her by the shoulders as she refused to respond. "Khushiji you're hurt!" She exclaimed almost dragging her towards the tap and opening the cold water onto her hand, whilst Khushi stood frozen, almost as if all of her senses had fallen numb. "Khushiji? Are you okay?" She tried again. Yet again gaining no response from Khushi she called out to the only person she thought could help, "Chotey! Chotey!" she screamed.

Arnav ran down the stairs, panic rising up his throat. What could be wrong now, was Di okay? "Di what's..." He stopped mid-sentence on seeing Khushi rooted to the spot, her eyes distant, tears dripping down her face, onto her sari and blouse and his heart went out to her, tearing apart once again in a way that he had never been able to control. 

Anjali took in the shocked, crestfallen expression that took a hold of Arnavs face almost immediately, his concern speaking volumes. It was obvious that her brother loved this girl, she had only ever seen such concern in him towards her and now seeing that same emotion etched over his face towards Khushi, she was absolutely certain of his love for her. Then what could be this wrong? "Chotey? I don't think Khushi has eaten anything since yesterday. Can you take her upstairs please? I'll send some food up," she spoke softly, taking her brothers arm and moving him towards Khushi, at which point Nani also walked in. 

Rage flashed through Nanis face as she took in the scene before her. "What the hell is going on here?!" She bellowed as three heads turned towards her leaving the other still distant and frozen to the spot. Nani appraised Khushis state for a second, taking in the shaken form of the young girl and she felt her anger bubble beyond control. "What is this Chotey?!" She questioned, walking towards him. "What have you done now? Do you even have any idea of your actions at times?!" She continued as he glared furiously back at her. 

"Nani, it's okay just give it time," Anjali intervened but to no avail.

"No Anjali bitiya! It is not okay!" Nani screamed looking at both Anjali and Arnav in turn. "First he decides to marry that good for nothing Lavanya Kashyap and then breaking off from that marriage he goes off and marries this poor girl," she continued, her gaze now fixed on Arnav as he glowered back. "He doesn't consider any of the consequences, doesn't consider what he's putting her through, what he's putting her family through, what he's putting us through," she continued. 

"Nani enough!" He yelled suddenly through gritted teeth as Nanis eyes flashed in anger towards him. Then running his arm around Khushi, needing to avoid Nani altogether, he began to walk her towards the stairs. Khushi turned her head towards him, snapping out of her reverie as his warmth engulfed her but he did not look at her and the taunt muscles of his face told her that nothing had changed. She continued to watch his features for something, anything towards her as she blindly followed him into the room and felt her heart sink once more. He had misunderstood and it looked like he wouldn't give her a chance to explain either. 

Shutting the door behind him he flung her away from him, his eyes boring into her pained hazel orbs. She gulped, unable to digest his furious expression as his darkened caramel orbs burned with rage. "Hasn't your drama finished yet?!" He screamed, "is it necessary to make a fucking scene?!"

She stared at him dumbfounded for a second, "but Arnav," she finally managed to mumble. 

"But what Khushi?!" He bellowed, taking a threatening step towards her as her feet automatically moved away from him. He grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her closer, his hot breath on her face as he glared down at her seething with anger. "Your drama hasn't finished yet?" He questioned as her eyes widened in shock, "do you have more lies to feed to me?"

"A.. Arnav," she stuttered, "I'm not acting," she spoke almost unable to understand that he would misunderstand her to this extent. "You've misunderstood me, you don't know the truth yet. Just please let me..."

"Please let you explain?! Right? Explain? Yeah right Khushi! So that you can make up a few more stories?" He fumed, his fingers digging into the flesh of her arm. 

"Arnav you're hurting me," she mumbled through the tears, attempting to break away from his grip, her eyes pleading for him to understand her, to trust her. 

"I'm hurting you?!" He exclaimed, pulling her closer, till their faces were only inches away, his jaw set with anger. "What about how much you're hurting me? How much you always have?"

"Arnav I can explain, if you'd just listen to me. Please," her voice was hoarse, quiet but he pushed her away to turn away from her this time. 

"I don't want to hear it Khushi! Whatever you have to say I don't want to hear it!"

****

"Hello? Where are you? Aren't you coming home?" Anjali questioned. There had been something off with her husband lately, sometimes he didn't come home and sometimes he just disappeared suddenly. She had asked Arnavs manager Aman to hire a private detective to get to the bottom of it but nothing had been found as of yet. 

"Arrey Rani Sahiba, I just had a few things to finish off at the office. I fell asleep here. I have a client to meet tonight in Mumbai so I won't be able to see you for a couple of days," he quickly spoke, forming his words quickly. 

"But, you didn't even," she began, only for him to cut her off.

"I know Rani Sahiba but I myself only found out this morning itself. Okay I have to go now, I'll keep in touch," and with that he cut off the phone. 

****

She lay on her side, silently sobbing. She still couldn’t understand why Arnav wouldn’t let her explain, he had never acted like this before. Even when they had been together all those years ago, he had always been reasonable. And now yes it was years later, yes the world had changed him, maybe her actions had too, but she deserved a chance to explain her side of the story. Only the day before they had been fine, she had been happy, so had he and within a couple of hours everything had been shredded to pieces. She didn’t even know if Shyam was still alive and if she was being honest to herself she couldn’t care less for that hideous man. She had been so happy yesterday, thought that their life that had been at a standstill for so many years would get back on track. She tucked in her legs suddenly, then attempted to still herself as she heard him enter the room. She needed to explain things to him, make him see reality.

Something always brings me back to you.

It never takes too long.

No matter what I say or do I’ll still feel you here ‘til the moment I’m gone.

You hold me without touch.

You keep me without chains.

I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.

Arnav closed the door behind him, holding onto the handles and leaning against it for a few seconds with his eyes shut. He had spoken to Aman, he didn’t want Shyam anywhere near the house. And di, he’d explain to her later, he couldn’t tell her that her husband was a lying cheat just yet. But he knew one thing for sure, he would never let Khushi and Shyam be together. If she had told him, asked him, he would have happily let her go. His happiness always lay in her happiness but now it was too late and she had chosen the wrong man. She was no longer the Khushi he loved so much. She was a home-recker, a cheat, a liar.

Set me free, leave me be. I don’t want to fall another moment in your gravity.

Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way way I’m supposed to be.

But you’re on to me and all over me.

You loved me ‘cause I’m fragile.

When I thought that I was strong.

But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.

He moved away from the door, his eyes falling onto Khushi almost immediately and he couldn’t help but want to comfort her, his yearning for her still too strong. His love for her had always weakened his every resolution and it was threatening to the same yet again. He leaned over on the bed, his limbs moving of their own accord as he pulled the blanket around her higher, suddenly dropping the fabric he moved back, shocked at his own behaviour. What was he doing? He couldn’t! He had to hate her! She wouldn’t think twice before playing with his heart for another man, so why couldn’t he hate her damn it!

I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you’re everything I think I need here on the ground.

But you’re neither friend nor foe though I can’t seem to let you go.

The one thing that I still know is that you’re keeping down

You’re on to me, on to me, and all over...

Something always brings me back to you.

It never takes too long.

He’d had enough, the Arnav within him would have to die, make way for the ASR because there was no place in this world for Arnav, he wouldn’t be allowed to be vulnerable!

Lyrics credit: Gravity by Sara Bareilles