Accepting Reality

Part 32 - Recalling Moments

Flashback continues...

Later that evening, in the privacy of their bedroom, Arnav and Khushi gathered to discuss the reappearance of Sheetal. Khushi, who was a few weeks pregnant but had not yet shared the news with anyone other than Arnav, was visibly tense. The happiness of her pregnancy was overshadowed by the threat looming over them.

Arnav: "Khushi, I want to speak about something, do you happen to know a Sheetal Kapoor by any chance? Is she a friend?"

Khushi: "Yeah, not a friend but she approached me a few months ago, wants to invest in the business so we have been back and forth. Anything wrong?"

Arnav: "Baby, you need to stop seeing her"

Khushi: "Why?"

Arnav: "Khushi... I"

Khushi: "What is it?"

Arnav: "She is here to revenge me and she is using you"

Khushi (sarcastically): "Wow, who would have thought that to be possible?"

Arnav: "Baby I am serious, this is an extremely serious issue. Do not meet her again and under no circumstances should she come to know of your pregnancy."

Khushi (now a little uncomfortable): "Why Arnav? What happened? What does she want?"

Arnav: "Khushi... I.. I was"

Khushi (angrily): "You what Arnav? What did you do? Why shouldn't she know of my pregnancy? Why shouldn't I see her?"

Arnav: "She's here because of what happened in the past, she wants revenge from me. She blames me for everything that went wrong in her life, for losing her child... She's dangerous, my baby. We need to be very cautious. She might try to hurt you... or the baby."

Khushi: "What the actual fuck Mr Raizada? What did you do to her?"

Arnav: "I did nothing okay"

Khushi: "C'mon Arnav. I know you.. I mean I know, k-n-o-w you. You can't expect me to believe you that a woman might want to harm my unborn child because you did nothing to her?"

Khushi's hand instinctively went to her stomach, her protective instincts kicking in. But despite her fear, there was anger too, bubbling just below the surface.

Arnav: "She.. she was a classmate back in college. I had just started getting involved with those drug mafias and they had given me some samples. I tested the drug on her.."

Khushi: "The one you gave me?"

Arnav: "It was a different kind, but I didn't sleep with her. It was supposed to be a strict observational experiment for me because I needed the money for my business."

Khushi: "So? who slept with her?"

Arnav: "A guy, one of her friends who had a crush on her. I got him to sleep with her but she thought I slept with her."

Khushi: "And?"

Arnav: "And well she got pregnant. Now the specific unique thing that these people were testing, was that the drug had pregnancy prevention properties. I don't know the details but apparently it failed and they started re-working on it. I got a hefty sum for I helped prove a gap in their drug. Sheetal got furious as that guy told her I was involved in dosing her. She started telling everyone that she was pregnant with my kid but it wasn't the truth. Maybe the guy and her decided to extract money but in between all that she lost the kid. Which I had no hand in Khushi, honestly speaking. But she blamed me for it and maybe still does."