Chapter 12

Arnav

She's completely out of her mind.

What does she think of herself? She, a middle-class girl, thinks she can talk to me like that? To Arnav Singh Raizada? Like that?

I took a calming breathe while I kept my gaze on the pool and leaned slightly back in the chair. Maybe I had gotten too soft on her? Maybe I wasn't myself and got too emotion and weak towards her, which made me—no. I shook my head. I was just being kind. I'm not weak. Especially not for her. Not someone like her. She is literally a hypocrite. She and her whole damn family.

I exhaled trying to calm myself, but her words rang in my ears. "You need to look beyond yourself and your ego to actual know and respect something, to apologize, to accept your mistake, to—" I closed my eyes in an failed attempt to calm myself down. I never thought Khushi of all people would ever stood so low. Blaming me for her shortcoming. For her families lack of care. Also it's her fault for falling for Shyam's lies. I and my family had no idea about it and we are definitely not be blamed about it. They could have told us about it the moment they found out but they didn't. She didn't. She—I sat up straight in my chair. Did she—no. I shook my head.

My brows pulled slightly. She can't fall that low. She can't. But I also didn't expect her to talk to me like she did today. To blame me for everything. Another voice in my head said. I mentally ran through the words she spoke. Maybe she was, or worse, still in love with him.

I laughed, but it held no hint of humor. Was she playing with me then? Was all this that happended between us was nothing? I leaned my elbows on my knees. Maybe she was. And she learned Shyam is actually married, she decided to expose him and get in the soft side of me and my family, because she knew we will eventually accept her as the victim. But today her slightly real face came out. The look in her face was anger. But not for me. But maybe because she felt her plan must have failed and she blamed me to get out of this mess. Well, she succeeded. I was contemplating my previous choices, wasn't I?

I scoffed. I never thought she would do this, but well shit. Maybe even Shyam could be innocent, who knows. Maybe all this was a set up. A set up of the Gupta family for money. And when they got to know of my feelings for Khushi, they planned to frame Shyam so that they can get more money out of me. Because I obviously has more to offer than he did. I shook my head. No. Khushi would never do this. She is not this type of person. she can never even think of harming anyone let alone play such a big cunning game with me. But a part of my mind said all this iis possible by her. After all she is a middle-class girl. They can do anything. They can fall to any level and still have greed for more.

I stood up from my chair in frustration. None of this would have happened if she listened to me, did as I wanted. I wouldn't have been doubting her if she had told me beforehand.

I was deep in my thoughts so I didn't notice Di enter until she called me.

"Chote..." Her voice was soft as she placed a hand on my arm.

"Di, what are you doing here? You should have called me." I said and made her sit on the chair previously preoccupied by me. "You have been sick the whole morning and now—"

"Chote, calm down," Di interrupted. "calm down. I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine. I just wanted to see you about something and I didn't wanted to trouble you."

"What trouble, Di." I tell her as I pulled a chair across her and sat down. "You are pregnent, you are allowed to rest, you need to rest," After everthing that has happened, she needed the rest most.

Di smiled softly at me before saying, "I have been meaning to ask you this for a very long time, so I will now." She paused for a long minute, making me wonder if she would even continue or not. But when she did, I wish she hadn't. "Do you...happen to have any feelings for..." She watched my face very carefully as she continues, "Khushi ji? Or anyone?"

I blinked once in surprise. Then again. Because I didn't Di to come over to talk about this. About Khushi. I kept my face expressionless for a moment, then I asked her, "Why...why would you ask me this?" My voice guarded, hiding what actually was in my mind, leaving no hint of the brother who was worried a moment ago.

Her brows rose. Clearly, she didn't expect this tone or for me to get back to my reserved self this soon. However, that didntseem to stop her from speaking her mind as she repplied, "I feel like, I have been sensing something from you," She paused, then within the moment, she hurriedly added, "both of you, both you and Khushi ji—"

I didn't respond to Di as the name alone brought back all my thoughts and feelings from everything that has happened in the last few months. But I maintained my expression and tone and interrupted her, "Whatever you sensed, you sensed it wrong, Di. There is nothing between her and me that matters or have any importance to me anymore."

I felt her eyes on me, but I kept gazing ahead. I wasn't really looking at anything but I also didn't want to look at her now. I was already pissed off at my current situation, I didn't need another lining up to it. But I know it'd be hard to make Di believe me given she already believes something to be a fact for herself. I will deal with this later.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Di broke it by saying, "Maybe I sensed wrong."

I resisted the urge to look at her as she spoke. She gave up? That easily?

"But, Chote, remember one thing," Her voice calm. "no matter what, feelings always have their way to come up whenever our loved ones are near," I clenched jaws as she paused. "And people around you, who cares, are bound to notice that change."

My brows pulled slightly. I didn't like her words, but that doesn't mean it's not true. However, I'm also not going to admit it out loud. Especially my feelings for Khushi. Not yet. Not until she apologies.