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Thank you very much for your support and motivation which make me going on... 

I can not thank you all enough for keeping patience with the update...

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Chapter 42 : Open Your Heart To Me

"Relationship is the Rainbow between two hearts sharing seven colours of feelings, love, sadness, happiness, truth, faith, secrets and respects...."

~ Anonymous ...

Khushi's Apartment...

Delhi..

Arnav sat down the chair placing beside the bed and watched Khushi sleeping.

His eyes were fixed on her as he silently watched her sleep throughout the night. He vowed to himself that he would never leave her side. But Throughout the whole night watching Khushi, Arnav became sure that there was something very grave happened in past...

By the time of Dawn Arnav face has lost all the colour because watching Khushi sleeping throughout the night, also gave him a pieces of Khushi's nightmare which probably going to unsettled their already fragile equation...

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The next morning....

Khushi stirred lightly in her sleep as she opened her eyes. She took a quite look around her surroundings when she felt flashes of last night came crashing down on her. But Khushi felt different in the morning, it seems the haunting nightmare is not piercing her soul, as if all of those just washed off by Arnav's presence... The nightmare ended being in Arnav's arms, securely, protectively...Khushi felt sudden relief and calm by the fact that the nightmare she was struck in was finally over.

Arnav who did not sleep a wink sat watching her in silence. He saw her sitting up in the bed as her eyes caught him sitting beside her bed.

Khushi on the other hand could not believe that Arnav had stayed the night over to watch over her. Though she remembered how Arnav had saved her and indirectly pulled her out from her years of nightmare, but still it seems so unbelievable.. Was he awake the whole time? Did he get some sleep?

" Good Morning, how are you feeling now?" Khushi heard Arnav speak. And Khushi did not miss the care, concern but above all the worries felt in Arnav's voice..and his eyes, the amount of intensity, those pair of brown orbs are holding for her is unbelievable...

" Better, I think.. Infact I slept well last night" Khushi said while reaching up to touch her forehead where she felt a little bit pain. She felt a small bandage there and frown.

" You have got a small bruise there. I bandaged it while you were asleep. It will be gone in a few days." Arnav replied immediately to ease Khushi's confusion. Khushi nodded and could not help but feel thankful for him. She looked at Arnav and slowly smiled towards him which make him confused as well as ecstatic.

" Are you fine Khushi? Tum Thik ho?" Arnav said slowly sitting beside Khushi..

" I am absolutely fine.." the constant genuine smile of Khushi's face not only enlightened Arnav's world but his heart bloom with new hopes.

A few minutes of silence passed as none of them spoke as they were too busy with their own bundle of thoughts.

Khushi wanted to let go of the harshness and the accusation she had for Arnav all this year.. Finally She wanted to let go... last night Arnav's arrival at right time, his worry, his concern and the way he protected her, everything had touched her deeply and Khushi is surprised to sense that her nightmare has erased as Arnav had invaded in her dreams, the reality and the nightmare had mixed up together but as a result it had pulled Khushi out of her distress of years...

Khushi always knew that deep down her heart that she loves Arnav.. After all Arnav's mistrust, jealousy and hurtful words and act, still she had a place in her heart for Arnav... It's not like Khushi will jump on Arnav's repeated proposal of letting go of past and starting all over again, just now.. But yes, Khushi will give Arnav a second chance...Another chance to prove himself... Because Khushi knew, this chance is not only for Arnav but she herself needed that chance.. This 6 years away from Arnav make her understand that she can not move on with the harshness she is keeping in her heart... She had tried many ways, but at last all her ways were back to Arnav... Khushi will not accept just now but deep down she had known "Arnav", himself is the solution she had desperately waiting for all this year.. With a new determination Khushi wanted to start her life from today onwards.. Finally, she had admitted to herself that whatever Arnav was telling few days before in her same apartment was true... the ultimate truth of her life, infact their life... that..

They belong to each other..."Arnav and Khushi" are hamesha, forever...

Taking a deep breath Khushi bit her lip and finally looked at Arnav. He looked tired and worn out. What caught Khushi's attention the most was the bruised hand which left so many questions in her head and made her worried as well.

" Arnav you are hurt?" it was not a question, in fact a statement by Khushi.. Arnav came back from his deep thought and looked at Khushi a little bit confused..

"You are hurt Arnav.. and why did not you bandage your wound.. You are a diabetic for God sake.." Khushi had already taken the first aid kit which Arnav had placed yesterday night at bedside table... Slowly taking his hand, Khushi started to clean it while Arnav only stare at her unblinkingly... " She is not shouting at me.." that is the only thought running in Arnav's head..

"You did not answer Arnav, why you did not clean your wounds? You tended my wound, why so much negligence towards yourself? Did you forget you are diabetic?" Khushi asked again while getting worried seeing Arnav's wound which is deep..Not getting any response Khushi finally looked at the man in front of her..Her hazel eyes finally met with his brown eyes...

"Why are you smiling you idiot? You are wounded and you are behaving as if nothing happened... Who told you to become a hero? Do you know the wound can get septic?" Khushi said aloud while bandaging his wound. Not getting any response from Arnav again irked Khushi to no end, and she shouted, "Are you a dumb? You idiot? Don't you have any answer? And why on earth you are smiling?"

Arnav's smiles only grows wider while he whispered, " You have scolded me after so long.. You don't have any idea how much I have missed it Khushi.." Not only Arnav was smiling but his eyes was twinkling with new hope and shining with the love he always had for Khushi, which Khushi had always ignored in last days.. Her heart flatter but she averted her eyes, she feels the same nervousness she had felt years before when Arnav had proposed her in Harvard... Khushi felt the same insane heartbeat and blood rushing over her cheek, the same sense elation was coming back with full force.. How this man able to change her years yearned coldness, how and when he had break down the wall she had so carefully build up around her heart being isolated for years...

Khushi tried to divert her thought desperately, so She settled with a different question which was dominating her mind since the time she had awake.

" How did you know?" Khushi asked softy keeping away the first aid kit.

Arnav raised his gaze to meet hers as he already knew Khushi would ask the question. It took him a while for him to respond." I knew something was wrong, the time I was away from you at Harvard my heart was beating madly.. I knew you were in danger...so, I just took the private jet and come here immediately after the occasion. I had to see you...There was no other way to erase my worries and slow down my erratic heartbeat" Arnav said as he took a glance down at his hands which is now bandaged by his Khushi. "When you said you will talk to me next day, I knew something was wrong, if everything would have been okay, you would have been shouted at my arrival at your doorstep" he sighed as a bitter laugh escaped his lips while Khushi looked away.

The man before her was a different man. He was not the one she had hated or she thought she had hated for years. This man was not the immature ASR, the college heartthrob or anyone else, but Arnav...Her Ruble.

Khushi felt a weird feeling run down her body by the sudden realization. An uneasiness started to creep around her by the way she had behaved lately, all the insults she had thrown upon Arnav in last few days, specially the last meet at her very same apartment when Arnav had made the heartfelt confession.

Khushi opened her mouth to speak but no sound would come out. What was happening to her? What was the feeling she was so caught up with that she forgot how to speak? Was it guilt, Pride or ego? Or was it something else?

" I am sorry. I do not know how to thank you for what you did. If it was not for you then...." Khushi said while words failed to complete her sentence.

" Don't !" Arnav warned as his gaze rose from the floor. His hands were clenched into fists and jaw set right. She saw the same fire burning in his eyes like she did last night. It was quickly replaced by a soft look.

" It's over and you are safe, that's all that matters. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not anymore at least. I will not let anything happen to you, ever again.." Arnav said with so much determination that Khushi felt secure and the warmth feeling filled every corner of her heart.

Silence again spread into the room.. Khushi slowly looked at Arnav who was already looking at her.. Finally clearing his voice, Arnav spoke, " Khushi... if you don't mind I want to ask you something.." He paused..

Khushi now can guess what Arnav is going to ask her, she knew how stubborn Arnav is...but how can she tell him about the incident happened in her birthday night years before.. Because how much she deny, the fact is Arnav was indirectly responsible for that night.. Arnav had broken her so miserably that she did not watch out where she was going and Veer, Raaj and Sheetal actually got an easy access toward her because of her broken self...

But how long she will able to hide the truth? One or other day it will come out.. And Khushi wonder if Arnav had stayed here whole night, he might have observed her nightmare.. What will she tell him? Because in no way Khushi will let him know, after all Arnav had suffered from depression and he had attempt suicide...

Khushi's thought was broken listening Arnav's next question, " Khushi, I will not beat around the bush.. I am asking you straight.. What happened at the day of your birthday 6 years before after you left the auditorium? And please Don't say the crap that nothing happened.. Because I knew.. I mean, I had a guess that something had happened but yesterday night you were mumbling something in your sleep. Precisely you were mumbling Veer, Sheetal's name.. and that Vivaan name.. Why?" Arnav's words were full of determination... Gone the soft playfulness, now he seems deadly serious..

"You are having a misunderstanding.." Khushi said not meeting Arnav's eyes..

Arnav chuckle a little before muttering, " You still can not lie properly Khushi.. There is something very major happened and after yesterday night I am sure it all occurred in Harvard at your birthday... I just want to know the truth... Don't hide it from me anymore."

" Yes, I admit there was something but I am not bound to tell you. Besides it was years before , no need to dig about the skeleton of past.." Khushi said little irritated because of Arnav's constant pestering..

" Let me decide it is needful or not.. Just speak up Khushi, what has happened years before that you still have the nightmare with you? And why you were mumbling their names? You were so scared.." Arnav spoke the last line in whisper while looking at the floor.. He has a scary picture in his imagination after observing Khushi's reaction last night, but he is constantly praying that his assumption should proved to be wrong..

" And why are you so keen to know what had happened years before with me? Who are you to asked or demand an answer from me in the first place?" Khushi's voice raised a notched higher because of Arnav's stubbornness..

Suddenly Arnav's calm demeanour changed into a furious one. Before Khushi could understands anything Arnav yank her closer, they were too close for Khushi's comfort. Their noses were touching, Arnav's furious breath was fanning all over Khushi's face.. For few moment Khushi just looked stunned seeing the return of ASR... It seems like Arnav's had transformed to the stubborn, bull head man once again...

" Who I am? You are asking me who I am? Then let me tell you that I am the person who tormented you once yet your heart still beats for me.. I am the person who broke your heart yet I resides in your heart... Now, don't divert me woman, tell me the truth.. What had happened that day? And mind you I will not back off today until I get my answer" Arnav was fuming while holding Khushi's forearm in tight grip.. He never wished to lose his control like this but since yesterday, the anxiety and restlessness he was feeling thinking the 1000 possibilities about what had happened with Khushi, making him unreasonable..

The stubborn, immature , head over hill in love, Arnav Singh Raizada, was back in all his glory, who did nothing but destroyed Khushi's along with his own life in his thoughtlessness years before, was once again raging with untamed fury, demanding answer without realizing that revealing the truth can turn upside down their life once again, but Arnav at this moment is not ready to listen or understand anything... He just want the answer.. The answer, the truth.. which will calm his raging nerve, which will assure him that no, whatever dreadful he was thinking since last night is not true, that Khushi was never in "that type of tormented situation"... Arnav just wanted to console his own self, just wanted to know that his sin was not that bigger which will kill him alive or which will snatch the remaining little chance he has, to mend his past mistakes..

But little did Arnav knew that, the truth will not only destroy his dream but pushed him into a pit of fire....snatching his sanity..

" Truth, truth, truth... You want to know the truth Mr Raizada? Are you sure you really want to know the truth? Will you able to handle it?" Khushi whispered yelled at Arnav getting frustrated at his constant nagging..

" I will.. I will .. Don't worry about me, just speak out the truth.. What had happened that day?" Arnav did not back off though his heart was beating furiously inside his ribcage... A dread feeling was slowly consuming him but Arnav chose to ignore..

" You are so keen to know the truth, right Mr Raizada.. So, listen..." Khushi took a deep breath and paused for a moment.. She looked at Arnav's eyes and Arnav knew that very moment that which is coming next will destroy his whole existence.. Before answering Khushi averted her eyes from Arnav and looked at the wall infront and almost shouted,

"I was kidnapped that day, just after I came out from the auditorium where YOU, so gracefully showered me with your hatred...Vivaan had kidnapped me and kept me in a secluded store room.. and he was not alone, Your friends, Veer, Raaj and your "soul mate" Sheetal were all a team.. They four traded me, I was about to be sold at night.. Do you want to know about my price Mr Raizada.. 10 crore... You dear friends had traded me for 10 crores and If it was not for Prof Rehaan Tridevi and Daksh Mehra, I would have been sold that very night... You wanted to know the truth, right? This is the truth... this is the truth that, because of Your baseless, unthoughtful actions I was almost to lose my dignity and life that night... Are you happy now, as you know the truth... Mr Raizada? What..." Khushi turned in her heel suddenly not getting any single noise from Arnav..

But what she saw infront of her, took her breath away....

To be contd...

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Author note:

Hello, lovely people over here...Hope You all are doing well.. Here is the next part of this FF, Chapter 42 "Open Your Heart To Me"..

During the time of pandemic, fighting in and out, I am trying to divert my mind by penning down.. So, I have started a new Short story based on Sheetal Track named "Withered with Hurt".. Please share your opinion about the story..

Hope everything get well soon and I can come back with a steady schedule.. but until then.. Please, keep patience with the update...

Please pray for all....

Regarding the update, Expecting your response ....

Love and regards...

Your story teller

Mamree

23.06.2020