Making Her Mine- An IPKKND story.

Chapter 2 - Collision

When they finally arrived at Shantivan, Arnav couldn't hold back anymore. He knew something was going on, and he needed answers.

Khushi was at the door; everyone seemed to have gone inside. She was carrying a bunch of bags and a blue jewelry box. He strode up the steps before she could get in and stopped her.

"Where were you?" he hissed. She turned her large brown eyes at him. There was a flicker of fear. And something else. Defiance.

"What?" she replied.

"Where were you earlier today, before I found you with Shyam? I know you went somewhere."

At his name, another flicker of fear. Hadn't Shyam told her that he knew? Or was she afraid of finally confronting him about it?

"I don't need to tell you anything," Khushi said.

"You're my wife. You need to tell me where you go and what you do," Arnav replied in the same low voice, checking his rage but letting it seep into his words, letting her know she needed to be afraid.

She scoffed. "Your wife! You forced me to marry you. You have no right—"

"I have every right. You do exactly as I tell you, Khushi. That's what this marriage is. You tell me now."

She ignored him, focusing instead on gathering the packages in her hands, reaching for the door.

"No," he roared, not caring about lowering his voice now. "Tell me. What have you planned?"

"I have no time for your nonsense," she snapped. "I have to go make almond milk for Di—"

"Oh, so that's it, huh? Pretending to be some saint, the great Khushi Kumari Gupta. Giving up your prize and then making sure everyone knows why, so that they can worship your greatness. But you can't fool me, Khushi. I know what you really are. So what are you doing now? Flattering everyone so that they can give you gifts?" He snatched the jewelry box from her hands.

"Nani-ji gave me that with a lot of love. At least respect that."

"So that's the plan. Get more jewelry from Nani? You must be thrilled; your life is made. All the riches you ever dreamt—"

"I curse every day that I have to live with you as your wife," she gasped. Her eyes blazed, and he knew this was the truth, even if everything else had been a lie.

He flung the box to the bottom of the stairs, where it fell open, bits of gold glinting beneath.

Khushi gasped, now in shock and horror, and flew down the stairs to retrieve the box.

She put the gold pieces back into it, and he saw that the necklace had broken.

"Naniji gave me this with so much love," she murmured. "What will I tell her when she asks me how this broke?"

"I don't care," he snapped, following her down the stairs, ignoring a twinge of guilt. "Tell me—" she was backing away from him, like she always did when he stepped towards her, and now she lost her balance and flailed at the edge of a step.

Before he could think, he had reached forward and caught her by the arm. "You're at my mercy, Khushi. Remember that," he said, still holding her arm, but refusing to pull her up and regain her balance. "Be careful of what you do. I can easily let you go." He felt a savage thrill of pleasure as he held her like this, completely at his mercy. He wanted her to beg.

"Then let me go," she said. "Let me fall. It's not like you haven't done that already before."

That stung. Yes, he had let her go once and let her fall to the ground from the first floor. There had been some boxes that broke her fall, but he knew she could have been hurt. It had been a monstrous thing to do.

"Don't tempt me, Khushi," he snarled, but he knew he couldn't let her go again. No matter what she was, he could never be that monster again. He loosened his grip on her arm, and it slid away. She closed her eyes, jaw set, determined to fall rather than beg. Again. He caught her hand and yanked her up, pulling her to him.

And she was in his arms, trembling, smelling of sandalwood and jasmine and whatever it was that had haunted him since the first time he had held her this close. And she clutched his arms as if she didn't hate his guts. He struggled to regain his composure. But as always, she pushed him away first.

This wasn't the way he had intended their confrontation to go. Defeated, unable to sustain his anger anymore, Arnav left.

They ignored each other in the room. She went outside to his pool when he was getting ready for bed, and then, when he finally settled on his recliner, she got into bed too. The silence was so loud it drowned out everything.