37 Truth
Part 37 Truth
Arnav and Pramod were both struck with a profound sense of horror, each in their own unique way. The impending revelation of the truth was a shock that reverberated through Arnav, while the unexpected alliance between them left Pramod reeling. He gazed at the manager in utter disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend the unfolding events.
"What did you say? They united? Whom are you talking about?
"I'm talking about the same people who stayed in a hotel room no 108 that day."
"How do you know they united?"
"He came here a few days ago and inquired about the girl."
"Is it?"
"Yes, but after some days, when he came here, his phone had her photo as a screen saver."
"Did he find her?"
"Yes...then how would he get her photo?"
"Did you ask him anything about her?"
"Yes, I did."
"What he said,
"He agreed that he found her."
"Who is he? Do you still remember him?"
"Yes, I still remember him because he looked damn handsome, and he didn't even change a bit."
"Handsome? What does he look like?"
"He was so fetching..."
Pramod became thoughtful.
"Is his name Arnav?"
"I don't know, sir."
Arnav was shocked to the core listening to them. Was that Pramod who deleted the footage? Didn't the receptionist say he did that to save his job? Was that a lie? Was he a crime partner of Pramod? He gritted his teeth in anger. At the same time, his mind was clouded with fear of truth.
Pramod got to know the truth. He would not be quiet after learning the truth. However, he would meet Khushi and try to tell her about it. What would he do now? Would it be good if someone other than him told the truth to Khushi? Pramod would definitely not tell her about him well. His conduct for him would definitely be bad. Khushi didn't like Pramod. It didn't mean she would not believe the truth.
"Could you identify him?" Pramod asked.
"Why not? I can do..."
"Wait..."
Pramod removed his phone and called Sheetal. She attended it.
"Where are you?"
"At home," Sheetal said.
"I want CCTV footage of Mathur Hospital."
Arnav closed his eyes in irritation. He understood; Pramod guessed it could be HIM.
"Why?"
"Didn't you say you met Arnav there?"
"Yes,"
"I want his photo. Ask the operator to send it to you. I want it... quick"
"But,"
"See, I have no time to discuss. Do it..." he disconnected the call.
Arnav understood he would get caught, but he had no choice. He had to tell Khushi the truth. Listening to it from Pramod would mess up everything. Before Pramod took the lead, he had to do it. He looked at the watch. It was 3 pm. He walked out and dialled Khushi. She attended it.
"Where are you, Khushi?"
"I'm at home..."
"Home? Are you all right?"
"I attended to a patient in the next lane. So, Payal asked me not to come to the clinic again. I just came."
"Ok, stay at home... I'm coming."
"Anything, may I know?"
"Will tell you."
"Ok..." Khushi disconnected the call and went to her room to get fresh.
Arnav took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and rehearsed what to say and how to say it. Then, he started the car and headed to RM.
When he came home, HP came out with a bag.
"Where are you going?"
"Market"
"What's Mom doing?"
"Maji is not at home. She went to her friend Kamlaji's house to meet her as she just returned from the US."
Arnav nodded. Ratna told him about it, but he forgot it in his tension. He didn't find Khushi in the living room. His heart drummed like hell. He went to his room and saw Khushi's room locked from inside. Changing his dress, he came out. At the same time, Khushi also came out. She smiled at him.
"Did you have coffee?"
"Not now, later..."
"Mom is not at home..."
"Yeah, she went to meet her friend."
They spoke formally.
"Khushi, may I ask you something?"
"What?" She looked somewhere as she thought Arnav would ask something about his proposal.
"What will be your reaction if someone tells you I'm really bad?"
Khushi looked at him, wondering. Why did he ask her that? He might have asked her for her opinion of him.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"Will you trust them?"
Khushi nodded her head from left to right, cut and rightly.
"You may be bad in his/her point of view, but it would not change my perspective for you because, in my point, you are not bad."
"Won't I be wrong?" he questioned, reading her expression.
"Of course, you, too, make mistakes, but not knowingly."
"Are you sure?"
Khushi nodded.
"What will you do if anyone says it was me who raped you?"
Khushi was horrified.
"What rubbish? Don't I see how respectful you are towards women? What does that so-called someone knows your values?"
"Khushi, as we started the topic, shall I say something?"
Khushi looked at him and said nothing.
"Please don't mistake me for talking like this. Just think. Your family didn't trust you because you were in the same room with a man. Are you a bad girl just because you were with a man?"
Khushi frowned, not understanding why he asked that.
"No. You can't be wrong because it was an accident. You are not at fault. Right?"
Khushi didn't answer.
"Did you ever think about the man? It was you who ended up in his room. He didn't take you to his room. You didn't know what his condition was that day because you were not in your senses to understand anything. He might have drunk. Or, he, too, might have been spiked. With the effect of the spiked medicine, he could have lost his control and ruined your life. He, too, might not have been in his sense. It might have happened without his consent. He, too, might have been in the condition just like you." Arnav stopped gulping down.
Khushi was staring at him with many running questions.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you by telling you all this. Every coin has two sides. You would have never thought about the other side of the coin, but only your side. There is an unknown side of the coin, Khushi. You could have understood that only if you had patience. Your hatred for the man didn't let you think, calming your mind."
Arnav saw a trace of fear on Khushi's face.
"Arnav, did you know anything about it? Did you inquire?" She asked. She didn't even suspect HIM after he explained much to her.
Arnav nodded yes.
"I inquired a lot..."
"What did you get to know? Do you know who he is?"
Arnav nodded yes again. Khushi gulped down hard and felt a shiver.
"Wh...o? Who is he?"
"ME!" Arnav said, gaping at her.
Khushi widened her eyes in shock, then nodded, NO smiling. Arnav's revelation was heavy, and Khushi's disbelief was intense.
"Arnav, please, stop lying to me. A man like you would not have made such a sin..." Arnav's honesty at this moment was undeniable, and all felt his sincerity.
"I would not have made such a sin IF (he stressed) I had been in a sense, but I was not. I was also spiked for another reason. I attended a business conference at the Hotel White Pearl the same day. My drink was spiked there. Unaware of it, right after drinking the drinks, I left the hotel immediately to attend Payal's birthday party in the hotel PARADISE. When I entered the hotel, I felt dizzy. I could not manage myself. So, I asked for a room to rest for a while as I didn't want to create a scene at the party. I could not even fill out the form, and the receptionist didn't mind about it as I gave him a huge amount. He dropped me in the room no 108."
Khushi was shocked to the core to hear the room number.
"I... didn't know what happened to me when I sensed a girl on the bed. I could not control myself and got to know later that the medicine mixed in my drinks was that kind. I wanted to stop myself, but I could not." Arnav's vulnerability in this moment is deep, evoking a sense of sympathy.
Khushi stared at him. Arnav removed something from his pocket. Khushi's eyes teared up uncontrollably, seeing the thing. It was Khushi's ANKLET, which she had missed on the hotel room bed.
Khushi started taking back steps, nodding her head from left to right. Tears reeled down her cheek, and Arnav felt helpless.
"Khushi, I'm sorry... it was accidental. Please trust me. I was not in my sense. I would not have touched you if I was, in my sense, Khushi. Please, forgive me, Khushi..."
Khushi was supposed to run from there, but she heard,
"Is the girl you?"
They saw Ratna standing with an unbelievable expression.
To be continued...
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