11 Not a Slave
Part 11 Not a Slave
"Didi said, you met with an accident. Are you all right?" She asked, her gaze fixed on the wound.
"I'm all right. Actually, it's not an accident. I intentionally banged the car into the tree." He purposely said.
"But why?"
"I had a purpose. I did that to tackle Nandhini."
To tackle Nandhini? Khushi was nervous. Here, Arnav thought he tackled Nandhini. There, Nandhini was thinking of breaking Arnav's leg. She didn't know she should tell him about it. She saw Arnav looking at her. He expected her to ask him about it, but she didn't.
"Why didn't you treat the wound?" She asked, looking at his forehead.
"Who do I have to get treated?" He intentionally said so.
Khushi was stuck. Was he expecting her to treat the wound?
"Don't you have any medicine?"
Arnav showed the first aid kit that was on the table. He was the one who kept it there. Khushi brought it to Arnav, who stood smiling.
"Please sit..."
He did without questioning. Khushi saw three ointments in the box.
"Which one?" She asked.
"Brown one."
Khushi applied it to his forehead. Arnav looked at her with a mild smile.
"Can't you do something safe to tackle her? Is it necessary to risk?" She asked hesitatingly.
"Sometimes taking a risk is unavoidable."
"Don't irritate her a lot." She said, gulping down.
The way she said that made him frown and surprised him too. What made her warn him? Did she get to know something?
"Why shouldn't I irritate her?"
"She may get angry with you."
"So what? Won't I get angry? Don't you see how I tackled like a drunken man?"
"You, too, get angry, but you won't harm her."
Arnav sharnk his eyes. What did she mean?
"Will Nandhini harm me?"
Khushi nodded slowly.
"How do you know?"
"When I pretended to be sleepy, she talked to her friend."
"What did she talk about?"
"She said she would break your leg if you go overboard."
Arnav was stunned. Did Nandhini say that? How dare she! He was furious. At the same time, he was relieved too, because Khushi had also learned about Nandhini's true identity and shared it with him. That meant she was not on Nandhini's side, as his father doubted. So he could expect her to be on his side.
"Did she say so?"
Khushi nodded.
"My leg is not stuck to break..." He said with no expression.
"But she has men who obey her orders... They look scarier..."
"I will be careful..." Arnav smiled.
She nodded.
"Won't you ask me why I should live this life?"
"Who am I to ask you that? After all, I'm a slave..."
"You are not a slave. Just because you are paid, you can't be a slave. Don't think of you like that. You can ask me anything." His voice was concerned.
"I was warned not to question anyone." She said, looking down.
Arnav expected that response.
"I want to divorce her, but my father is in her custody. She will kill him if I try to divorce her."
Khushi looked at him in disbelief.
"I know you can't believe me..."
Cutting him off,
"I trust you..." She said.
"Really? Do you trust me?"
"I heard her say about breaking your leg. If she can even think of breaking her husband's leg, she can do anything..." She says fearfully, swallowing hard.
"Good, you understood the truth." He smiled.
"Aren't you scared?" She asked.
"To date, I don't...but, from here on, I will be...not for myself but for you because you are my responsibility. But you don't need to worry. I will take care of you."
Khushi looked at him like, HOW WILL YOU TAKE CARE OF ME WHEN YOUR LIFE ITSELF IS IN DANGER?
Arnav understood that and smiled.
"Do you think about how I can save you when my life is at stake?"
"You will do that. After all, you are a king."
Arnav nodded no hurriedly.
"I'm not a king but pretended to be one. In fact, Nandhini wanted me to be her slave. It will not even happen in her dream."
"Why doesn't she relieve you from this relationship if she is not ready to live with you?"
"She is a reputation freak. Her prestige means everything to her. She will do anything to retain it. She will not step back once she has taken a step forward. Soon, I will get rid of her."
"How will you get rid of her if she is not ready to step out?"
"I will... With you..."
"With me? Will you take me with you?"
"Of course, how will I leave you here with her...?"
Khushi gazed at him with disbelief. With what BASE would he take her with him?
"Will you send me to my uncle?" She asked.
This time, Arnav gazed at her.
"Please don't send me to my uncle. Just drop me somewhere else. I will find a way to survive..."
Arnav folded his hands and frowned.
"Lawyer Bhaiya didn't give the total amount to my uncle that he got from Nandhini Didi. He gave my uncle only a portion of the amount and deposited the remaining amount in the bank. It's enough for me to live a DIGNIFIED life."
"Don't you want to live a DIGNIFIED life as my WIFE?"
Khushi was stunned. What did he say? WIFE? What did he mean?
"Will... Will you marry me?"
Arnav nodded, and Khushi was taken aback. He stared at him as she could not venice it. Arnav stood up and removed something from his pants pocket. Khushi looked at him with wide-open eyes as it was a MANGAL SUTRA.
He held it in his hands from either side.
"This is my MOTHER's mangal sutra. To get it from my father, I framed the accident because I could not go to my father's place and get it without the goons' knowledge, as they would be surrounding my father all the time."
Khushi gulped hard. Did he risk only to get the mangal sutra for her? She just wanted him to fill her partition with virmillion, but he was even ready to tie his MOTHER'S mangal sutra around her neck.
Arnav stepped forward and tied it around her neck. Khushi stared at him with disbelief as it was the least expected for her. Her eyes teared up. She felt like choking as it was too much for her.
Arnav took the virmillion paper given by Khushi and filled her partition, looking into her eyes, which were filled with tears. He wiped her cheek and said,
"You are not a slave but my wife. Know the difference."
Khushi took the mangal sutra and her shivering hands and looked at it. She touched it with her forehead and burst out crying.
Arnav hugged her, could not stand her miserable state that made her cry more...!
To be continued...
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