7 Disbelief
Part 7 Disbelief
Khushi was perplexed as she watched Arnav stand steady. Wasn't he swaying just a few moments ago when he brought her to his room? How could he be so firm now? Feeling his sharp gaze on her, she lowered her head and squeezed her hands together. It was clear that she was nervous.
"What's your name?" he asked.
She looked up at him and replied,
"Kh... Khu... Shi..."
"Khushi..." He moved a step towards her, but she stepped back in fear.
Arnav raised his eyebrows, looking at her. he put his hands in his pants pocket and asked,
"Khushi, you know why you are here. Then what's the meaning of stepping back?"
She avoided his gaze, bowing her head.
"I asked you something."
Her teary eyes finally met his, leaving Arnav dumbfounded.
"Why are you crying?" he panicked.
"I... I know why I'm here. But I'm not that kind of girl. My uncle wanted to sell me to bad people for money. I tried to escape from him. That's when lawyer Bhaiya met me and learned about my uncle's intentions. He mentioned you to him, and my uncle agreed to send me to you..." she recounted her story, struggling to hold back her tears.
Arnav felt bad for her. At the same time, he feared that she didn't want to be with him.
"So, you don't want to be here?" he asked.
"No... I mean, my uncle would have sold me to bad people if I hadn't come here. So I agreed to this because I know this condition won't be as bad as before."
"What do you mean by 'not as bad as before'?" he frowned.
"Isn't it better to sleep with one person than with many?"
He huffed in relief.
"If you feel it's better, why are you crying?" he asked softly, as he didn't want to frighten her more, who was already scared.
"It's better, but that doesn't mean it's right. Sleeping with a man without marrying him can't be right, can it?"
He smiled as she met his expectations. This was how he wanted a girl should be. He thought Nandhini would find someone who would casually sleep with many men.
"So? What's the point?" he asked.
"Could you do me a favour?" she asked.
"A favour? What favour?" he raised his brows.
She turned behind and took out the vermilion she had hidden in her blouse. Arnav looked at her with curiosity, like, what was she hiding in her blouse? She opened the fold and extended it toward him. he looked at the vermilion and then at her.
"Could you please fill my partition with this?" she requested, her eyes pleading.
He assessed her, wanting to understand why she wanted him to fill her partition with vermilion.
"Why?"
"It's a husband's right to fill a girl's partition. If you do this, you will become my husband. It will LESSEN my awkwardness when you..." she hesitated and looked down.
Arnav smiled. She wanted him to fill her position so she could consider him her husband. Would not her awkwardness completely disappear, even after he filled her partition? Would it only LESSEN her awkwardness? He found it fascinating.
"Do you want me to think of you as my wife?" he asked with a mild smile.
"No... I don't want you to think of me like that because I know Nandini didi is your wife. It would be unfair to take her position, and I won't do that."
"She is not my wife..." Arnav replied. Khushi's eyes widened in surprise.
"But..."
Interrupting her, he continued,
"Just because we got married, she can't be my wife..."
Khushi shrank her eyes with confusion.
"We got married three years ago. In all that time, she never stepped into my room. She never spoke to me lovingly. How could she be my wife?"
Khushi looked at him with suspicion.
"If she is my wife, how could she send someone to my room to sleep with me? Would any wife do that?"
"It's because she is a heart patient. She couldn't engage in family life. She didn't want to punish you by using her health condition as an excuse. That's why she dared to do something no wife would typically do." Khushi could not hold herself from telling him that.
"Did she tell you that?"
She nodded.
"It's not true. She is a businesswoman who travels the world. She avoids family life because she believes that being pregnant will make her ugly."
Khushi was taken aback, realising this was the same story Aman had told her. He didn't tell her that it was about Nandhini.
"If she is a heart patient, how could she roam around the world?"
Khushi was thoughtful.
"Okay, I know you can't trust me. If you have doubts, just observe Nandini, without her knowledge. Mark my words; she will make you work in this bungalow when you are not in my room. Do you know why?"
She shook her head, indicating she didn't know.
"Because she will try to make you feel like a servant. She won't let you think, "You are my wife." She doesn't want you to claim your right."
Khushi wondered what Nandini would do if she found out that she had asked Arnav to fill her partition with the vermilion.
"Will she get angry if she finds out you filled my partition?" she asked fearfully.
"Undoubtedly..." he replied.
"What will she do?"
"She will kill you... Simple."
"Simple? Is killing someone really that simple?" she choked out, clearly afraid.
"Everything is simple for Nandini. She is not a nice woman. She lacks feelings and emotions."
She nervously bit her nail.
Arnav understood that she was confused and didn't trust him. Of course, who would believe his words after seeing Nandhini's acting? Khushi looked innocent. Nandhini easily cheated her with her lies. So, he didn't want to pressure her to trust him right away. It would not happen today itself, but soon. He thought.
"You want me to fill your partition, right?" he prompted.
She nodded, looking down.
"If you want me to do that, you need to agree to my condition." He said.
"What's your condition?" she asked innocently.
"Whatever happens in this room... between us... must remain a secret. Don't tell Nandini anything when she asks."
"Will she ask?" she asked hesitatingly.
"Definitely..."
"What will I say if she asks?" she asked nervously.
"I will tell you."
"Should I lie?"
"Mm... you have no choice." He smiled.
Khushi became nervous.
"Relax and sleep."
"Sleep?" She asked with disbelief.
"Haan... Why?" he asked, suppressing his smile.
"Ah... oh... I mean..."
"Whaaat?" he smiled.
She nodded NO.
"Ask me what you want to..."
"Don't... you... do... anything?" she asked in a low, disbelief-filled tone, squeezing her hands.
"What do you want me to do?" Arnav controlled his smile.
She looked down and gave a side-long glance.
"Mmm?"
"Lawyer bhaiya said you need a child..."
"So?" his smile broadened.
She nodded no.
"As of now, I don't want a child."
She so wanted to ask WHY? But didn't.
"Do you want to know why?"
She looked here and there.
"I will tell you later. Now go to sleep."
She looked at the vermillion in her hand. He took the paper from her hand and folded it.
"I will fill your partition before I touch you. Ok?"
She looked at him, dumbfounded. Was he really not going to touch her now? With disbelief, she went to bed and lay, all the way looking at him.
To be continued...
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