||Forced to be Yours||

Chapter 13

Arnav sat near the window of the room, lost in his thoughts. Can love be forced? Was this what he had done to Khushi for years? Was this what she felt for years? Trapped?
Love has been always pure for him. And sex has always been lovemaking. But he had never thought that he would have to pretend to be the boyfriend of the girl he had always loved. He did not even remember how he ended up with her last night.
After she had hired him to become her boyfriend, Arnav realized Khushi was no more her old self. She had changed. He couldn’t believe that Khushi was now a money-minded businesswoman who only thought about profit and gain. She said they were divorced but still wanted to keep him close. She wanted to take revenge on him because he had forced her to live with him, or was it because he had left her five years ago? Arnav loved her, but what she was doing was not right. He wanted to live with her, but they were not married now. He wanted himself and Khushi to be together, happy, not out of compulsions, and he certainly didn't want any hate in their relationship.
“Get ready. We have to go somewhere,” Khushi ordered while Arnav looked at her blank.
"I am not going anywhere with you if you order me like that. I never did that to you.”
“Trust me, Arnav. I’ll do worse than what you did to me. Never forget that you belong to me now," Khushi said, moving towards him.
"I do. I do belong to you, Khushi. I always have. But not like this. If you keep forcing me, I will run away when I get a chance," Arnav promised her.
"And I will find you no matter where you go," She answered back pushing Arnav lightly onto an antique rocking chair. Swiftly pulling herself into his lap, she held him tightly.
"Don’t do this, Khushi. I don’t want to be your hired boyfriend."
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Khushi turned on the TV. Arnav looked at the TV flashing with the news:
Industrialist Khushi Kumari Sharma to reveal her boyfriend to the media today.
"What the hell is this!" Arnav yelled. "Are you serious about this? I am not going in front of the media." Arnav yelled, as he pushed her away and stood up.
"Isn't this the same man who has signed the 5-year agreement with me, saying he'll do whatever to be in my good books? Saying he needs the investment to pull himself up? Isn't-"
"What are you trying to say?" Arnav asked with anger blazing in his eyes. "You're going to terminate the contract if I don't agree to be your boyfriend? Do it then, I give a damn!”
"You're smart enough, Raizada. Just remember, you have a 5-year contract with my company, and if the contract is breached for any reason, you have to deposit an amount of 2 crores," She said calmly.
"Why are you doing this?" Arnav said helpless. He wasn’t in a condition to pay 2 crores. That’s why he was searching for an investor desperately. He never thought Khushi would take advantage of his situation.
“Like I said, to show you what being in hell feels like,” Khushi smiled and stroked his cheeks. “Get ready by 4 o'clock, boyfriend!”
____
Khushi held Arnav's arm as he walked with her, who lowered his gaze as the zillion cameras' flashes blinded him. The reporters were asking numerous questions, but he tried to block them out because he didn't have any answers.
"Look at me," He heard her whisper.
He lifted his gaze, and Khushi looked at him too. They both walked and sat on their seats and continued staring into each other's eyes. Khushi was smirking, while Arnav was smiling awkwardly.
"Miss Gupta, how long have you guys been together?" the interviewer asked, but Khushi kept staring into Arnav's eyes.
"Sorry?" She broke out from the staring session and half-smiled. The interviewer repeated the question and she faked a blush before answering.
"Yes, we did. Meet Arnav, the love of my life. And I am soon going to be Mrs. Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada," She snickered and held Arnav's trembling hand.
Arnav was already nervous and it made him more nervous when she said their names together. Marriage is a sacred relation, why was she making a mockery out of it by promising a union that he knew was not going to happen?
Khushi answered most of the questions and didn’t answered few, while Arnav just sat listening unable to think anything.
"Right now, we are living together," Khushi smiled at the media.
Anger would have been an understatement to describe the dangerous feeling that was rearing its head in Arnav the bitter reality struck him. She was forcing him into this live-in. He was feeling suffocated, did she feel the same years ago?
After they reached Khushi's house, Arnav pulled her and pinned her to the wall while keeping a distance from her.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked. "You divorced me, then why this boyfriend-girlfriend crap?"
"Easy, boyfriend. We have all the time!" Khushi said while moving dangerously close to him.
Arnav stepped back.
"First of all, stop calling me that. I am feeling suffocated, Khushi. Don’t make me hate you."
"I really don’t care how you feel about me. I am sleepy, there are tons of room. Pick one for yourself," She ordered and left for her room.
Arnav stood still. He couldn't believe what was happening and decided to find out how and why he ended up in this mess.
But how could he do that without getting caught?

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That's all for today!