Charade (IPKKND AU)

Prologue

Arnav

Arnav walked in a stupor, his body relying on instinct to navigate the sprawling corridors of his home as his mind busily replayed the horror of the last three minutes.

Khushi in Shyam's embrace, his arms tight around her.

"I only want you, Khushi-ji. I don't accept Rani Sahiba as my wife. Believe me, Khushi-ji, I love only you, and I love you a lot."

"If that relationship holds no significance for you, then why don't you break your marriage? Leave Anjali-ji."

Guests stepped forward to greet him, to congratulate him on his brother's wedding and to enquire about his own long-delayed nuptials, but they went unnoticed as he hurried past.

The image of Khushi in his brother-in-law's arms burnt into his retinas. The words they'd used to betray everything he held dear tore his heart to shreds.

But it was only when he was shut in his bedroom that the full breadth of their treachery became clear. He gritted his teeth against the onslaught of memories.

Di taking obeisance at her husband's feet — "What are you doing, Rani Sahiba, your place isn't at my feet but here." — Shyam offering a raksha dhaga — "I can't refuse you, Jija-ji." — Shyam breaking Di's fast on Teej. Shyam carrying Di through the house.

Lies. All fucking lies.

Tears — of rage, not betrayal, he told himself — formed.

Di introducing Shyam to Khushi — "Khushi-ji, this is my husband, the world's best husband."

Bands seemed to tighten across his chest.

Had that been the beginning? Or were they already ...

Nausea and rage and panic unfurled within him as he recalled Di's third wedding anniversary, his body trembling as the cocktail of emotions took hold. He flung off his tie, desperately gasping air into his lungs, and followed it with the jacket that suddenly seemed too tight. Then he sat on the edge of his bed, hands cupped around his nose and mouth as he tried to force calmness into his limbs and into his mind.

"I only want you, Khushi-ji. I don't accept Rani Sahiba as my wife. And this marriage is meaningless to me. Believe me, Khushi-ji, I love only you, and I love you a lot."

Tears spilled over his fingers and wrists, and into the fabric of his shirt.

"If this relationship means nothing to you, then why don't you break this marriage? Leave Anjali-ji!"

The first instinct of Arnav Singh Raizada, the scion who'd built an empire from less than nothing, was to protect his sister from anything and everything. Every fibre of his being wanted to protect the woman who'd already withstood so much, endured too much, but he knew that wasn't the answer.

Di, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, but I can't hide this from you. I have to tell you, even though it will cause a lot of pain.

She would be heartbroken, her life shattered once again, but it was a thousand times better than the alternative. The decision made, he snatched his discarded jacket from the bed and started to pull it on, but anger and frustration made him careless. The delicate fabric tore.

"Fucking ... piece of ..." he growled, untangling himself from the ruined garment.

Then he strode to his wardrobe and carelessly pulled out a set of clothes to change into.

Black with black with black, to match his mood.

And into this she came, still clad in burnt orange, her hands twisting and untwisting as she pressed the door closed behind her. Tears shone in her eyes.

"Arnav-ji, I have ... I have to tell you something."

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Author's Note: I know I made a teaser out of the prologue, but this is the entire chapter so you can see where Arnav's mind is at :)

A friendly reminder that this story will NOT update to a schedule. Anyone writing 'update soon' or anything along those lines will find themselves blocked.

I hope you liked it :)