Khushi stood shocked in front of the black board.
“Khushi, are you married?” Radhika asked, but Khushi was too shocked to react.
“What’s happening?” She heard Arnav's voice and saw him entering the classroom.
He frowned hearing the chaos in the class until his eyes fell on the board. He stood shocked, gazing back at Khushi.
“Stop it!” Arnav yelled and Khushi came out of the shock. The whole class went silent.
“Who did this?” Arnav asked.
“I didn’t know that marital status matters,” Khushi said to particularly no one. “but if it does, then I would like to tell everyone, its just a marriage, not any accident or crime. Marriage is a beginning of new life, but not the end of old life. Why can’t someone continue their studies after marriage? I don’t think it is mentioned anywhere in the world that it is a crime.”
“And what about your husband?” Someone asked and Arnav's heart started beating faster when Khushi's eyes met his. “Is he with you?”
“I don’t think it matters, if he is with me or not,” Khushi said looking at Arnav.
“Seems like her marriage is broken, maybe she moved on,” Arnav heard the girls whisper.
“My personal life doesn’t affect my studies, I have a right to fulfil my dreams, we all have the same right.”
_____________
I don’t think it matters, if he is with me or not.
Seems like her marriage is broken, maybe she moved on.
The words rang in Arnav’s ears. He had decided not to her affected by Khushi’s behavior but what she said today and the way it was taken by her classmates affected him. Frustrated, he threw his laptop on the bed.
“It’s 10:30, why don’t you come for dinner?” Khushi asked as soon as she entered the room.
“Why does it bothers you now? It doesn’t matter if your husband is with you or not, does it?”
“What’s wrong with you, Arnav?”
“Nothing! By the way, why did you left a chance to humiliate me, you should have told them that unfortunately you had got to marry me!” Arnav said with all the anger he had. “Here I am trying my best to make you happy and let you live in peace. And you are trying to show that your marriage is broken!”
“You never let me know what a real marriage is!” Khushi yelled back. “Did you, Arnav? I don’t know what a marriage is, but it’s definitely not this. This is not how couples behave. Hell, no man marries a girl the way you did! You forced me into this! I will tell anyone what I want, I will get quiet when I want, you can’t make me feel guilty.”
“You always do what you want.”
“I just do what my heart says, you don’t need to tell me what I have to do and what not. And I’ll also not question you for anything. Go ahead, do whatever you want, you can kick me out of the class and home. I might not be going through a failed marriage but I am surely forced to live a broken marriage!” Khushi said and left the room.
___________
Arnav gulped down another drink. He had been through so much in last 4 years but he never touched alcohol. But his confrontation with Khushi forced him to drink today, he wanted to gulp down his pain too.
He saw a couple confessing their love to each other. Arnav started laughing loudly.
“What’s your problem, why are you laughing like an idiot looking at us?” the boy asked.
“Love is just rubbish,” Arnav said. “One shouldn’t get involved in love, see what has love made me, love is nonsense, it’s not true, it’s a deceive.”
“Leave him, seems like he is going through a break up,” the girl said and the couple left from there.
_________
Khushi sat on her bed and wiped her tears. She knew she went to an extreme level with Arnav today. He left the house after that and she didn't know where he was. He was not even picking her call.
She heard the door being unlocked and rushed towards the door, only to see a drunken Arnav, being supported by their watchman. She looked at Arnav. He was hardly able to stand on her own, busy mumbling something that was inaudible. Khushi rushed to help the driver and made Arnav walk to the sofa and he slumped into it. The watchman then looked at Khushi and nodded his head in greeting.
"Sir isn’t even a social drinker ma’am, I am surprised how could he drive here in this state."
Khushi nodded and thanked him in gratitude. He left.
"You know alcohol is not good for you. Why did you drink?"
He just looked at her in silence.
"Did you hear what I said?" Khushi repeated herself and helped him stand up.
"It feels so good when you care for me," Arnav said with smile. “Even if it’s a dream, it feels so real today.”
Khushi's heart stopped beating for few seconds. All of a sudden she realised that Arnav was pulling her cheeks.
“You know, I have always dreamt of pulling your cheeks, and even this feels real now.”
“Oh God! Khushi!” Arnav panicked and pulled her closer. “The world is spinning, please hold my hand.”
“The world isn’t spinning, your head is spinning,” Khushi said, still engulfed in his arms.
For the first time since their wedding, she wasn’t pushing him away.
Arnav held her tighter and moved closer. Khushi turned her head.
“Now you won’t let me romance in dream also, what an unromantic wife I have!”
Khushi couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her eyes.
“Let’s go inside Arnav,” she said and pulled him towards the bedroom. He walked with her happily.
“Go to sleep.”
“How can I go to sleep in these?” Arnav pouted and Khushi realised that he was wearing shirt and jeans. “But I am too tired to change,” he yawned. “Let me take off my shirt only.”
“No! Arnav,” Khushi stopped him when he started unbuttoning his shirt. “Sleep in these clothes tonight, don’t change, come.”
All of a sudden, he pulled her close and hugged her. But Khushi didn’t returned the hug, she just stood in his arms, letting her tears flow.
“You should sleep.”
“Why are you shy, we are husband and wife. We love each other, don’t we?”
She cried more hearing him. He wiped her tears.
“I can never see you cry, not even in dreams.”
“You are sleepy, Arnav. Go to sleep.”
“You make me sleep.”
Khushi sighed.
She placed him on the bed and patted on his forehead. Lying beside him she looked at him with teary eyes. She didn’t realise when she dozed off to sleep.
________________
That's all for today :)
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||Forced to be Yours||
FanfictionKhushi has been in love with Arnav Singh Raizada since she was a teen. They get married when she was 17 and Arnav was 21. But she now hates him because the marriage is nothing but a business deal between Khushi's father and him.
