Chapter 14

Arnav

I didn't wanted to be here. I had a very important conference meeting this morning. But Nani had to tell to drop Akash and Payal to the Gupta house. Why? Because it looks odd if new bride goes to her house without anyone of the family dropping her for the Pag Phera rasam and since there is no enable male present in the gupta family, I had to take the toll and cancel my meetings for this godforsaken nonsense.

I remained a little to the back as Akash and Payal walked to the door, because they both insisted that I at least greet everyone. I could hear Khushi's excited voice ringing out on how she will talk all night with her one and only Jija ji. I couldn't help but silently huff out a very small laugh at her enthusiasm, forgetting my anger and annoyance at her and her family.

"Jiji!"

I caught the excitement and happiness on her face as she shrilled and threw herself on Payal, hugging her tightly with her eyes closed shut. She looked beautiful. That's all that came to my mind and that's all I could think off. She always looked pretty but orange always makes her hazel eyes stand out. So I stared at her like a damn fool as her open hair framed her happy face.

"With you a whole night of talking is less!" She added as she pulled back but kept her arms around Payal. Her eyes had a sparkling glint that was missing the night of the wedding as she looked at her sister. She hadn't noticed me yet.

"Acha? Then it means talking to me one night is enough. I didn't expect such discrimination from you, Khushi." Akash teased with a soft smile. It's weird how he and Khushi already fell into their relationship dynamic already, while I was still stuck on the past because I was the one who got hurt from something that was never there.

"O, Akash babua, please come in first. Warna Sanka Devi will keep talking with you at the door." Akash and Khushi went inside. "Ajja andar Payaliya." Bua ji said and then noticed me as Payal went inside. "Arre, Arnav babua, I didn'tknow you were coming too." She smiled, glancing inside briefly. "Come in, come in. Please, come in."

I greeted her with a small forced smile and replied, "No, Bua ji, I was just here to drop Akash and Payal."

"Arre, come in for some tea at least." She insisted as she stepped over the threshold.

I shook my head. "Some other time. I have a very important meeting." I say, rather annoyed.

Whether she caught the tone or not, she didn't show it. Instead she nodded understandingly. "Acha, thik hain phir." Then she looked back over her shoulder and called, "Sanka Devi, walk Arnav babua to his car. Go."

I stiffened slightly as she said that, but against my best wishes I didn't protest. Instead, I found myself waiting for her to walk out of the door. But, this was Khushi we were talking about. How can anything about her be normal or simple?

"Hum Jiji aur Jija ji ko chor kar nahi jayenge!" Her reply came from inside.

"Sanka Devi." Bua ji gave a look and then she smiled at me. "Come again, Babua." And she went back inside and Khushi walked out.

She didn't look at me. She didn't greet me, or smiled. She simply strided past me and walked near my car and stood there with her arms crossed. Her face didn't held the warmth from moments ago. In fact, it held nothing of the kind. She looked like she would be anywhere but with me. And that pissed me off. I had tolerated enough of her objectable behaviors. I walked down the three stairs and took long strides to her. That day, she blamed everything on me and left. I remained silent, but not today. Today, she is being unreasonably difficult.

As I reached my car, she turned to leave. So I grabbed her elbow in a firm grip, stopping her from leaving. "Do you not think you are being too headstrong for your own good?" I asked, my voice stong and pissed.

"Leave my hand." She replied firmly, keeping her gaze down and refusing to look at me.

My brows pulled together slightly with more annoyance and I held her more firmly. Firm enough to hurt slightly, hoping it would help her remind her of her place. But it did no such thing.

"I said, leave my hand." She repeated, then looked up at me. Her eyes held the same fire from three days ago. And it pissed me off even more, pushing me over the edge of my control. How dare she be angry? I should be angry.

"No," I said with a little firm shake of my head as I held her eyes. "Don't you think you should be apologizing to me? For all the blame you put on me and my family, the way you Guptas tried to play the victim card?" I asked, barely keeping myself contained.

Her brows pulled together in the center in a stubborn frown as she looked at me. Her gaze slightlly narrowed in acquisition. "We did?" Her voice laced with disbelief. "You were the one blaming me for everything at every chance you got. You blamed me, humiliated me and my family, you even went to the point of making us leave Lucknow. And now you are saying that we are playing the victim card?"

I felt a pang of something I didn't wanted to identify right now. She was right about the last thing. I did do that over a mere misunderstanding on my part, but I am not apologizing. Si instead I replied, "How come you people didn't even realize that Shyam was lying to you all? Where you that desperate to get married?" I didn't apologize for the words I said. But after looking at her reaction,  if given a second chance I wouldn't have said that again.

She snatched her hand free from my grip and I let her.

"Leave before I forget the respect I have for everyone in your family and say something hurtful." Her voice shook slightly in anger or whatever emotion she was currently feeling.

I didn't say anything as she turned around and walked back to her house and closed the door. And, I don't why but that made me think, is everything really my and my families fault?