Betrayal and tears(Season 1) | ✔

Chapter Twelve

Arnav watched with helpless eyes as Khushi slid his hands off her shoulders and sauntered upstairs to their room, her steps faltering at regular intervals, causing her to grip the railing tightly for support lest she crumbles down and meet the fallen pieces of her trust scattered on the grounds. A sigh left him as he heard the door shutting with a bang and he turned around, to see everyone fixating their shoes. He heaved another sigh at the sight, a resigned one. 

"Why?" He asked, as softly as possible, expecting an answer this time - a valid and reasonable answer for whatever they did, for how they ended up thinking that it was all fine to blame someone without any proofs. 

"Why?" He beseeched a second time, getting nothing except apologetic stares from them. 

"Why did you do all that? What, what did you think will even improve by mistreating Khushi and Payal? What were you trying to achieve?" 

His low voice had now reached the peaks of anger when no one seemed to have an answer to his question. He knew that it was useless to ask them such questions, but still he expected them to give one reason why they deemed it right to perish the family he built over the years. Maybe that would have sooth the stab of betrayal they bestowed him in return for whatever he has been doing, for them.

But alas! 

It was evident that they didn't even think twice before acting the way they did, before playing with relationships like it was a toy, to be repaired easily once broken. 

He shook his head in despair, plopping on the sofa with his hands cupping his neck. 

"You didn't trust Payal and Khushi, I get that. I can understand why. But why couldn't you trust me? Huh di? Did you really think I will do anything outward to you, that too under the influence of someone else? You really thought I would sacrifice your happiness, for-for myself? Do I look this selfish to you, that you went all the way faking a suicide attempt for me to care for you?" 

Anjali's eyes lowered to the ground once again as shame started seeping in at his questions, twisting harshly in her guts and making it difficult for her to speak. 

But even if she could speak, except for apologizing for a trillionth time, what else could she say? Does she have a reason for what she did other than that she indeed thought Arnav was being selfish? That he was sacrificing her for the sake of being with Khushi, when it was the other way around this whole time. 

Her heart lurched once again, thinking about Arnav's words, that he agreed to torture his own love, just for her sake. And look what she gave him in return.. Look what she gave everyone in return of what they did for her..

It will haunt her. The pain stricken look Arnav gave her the moment her actions were revealed, the lost face of Akash when he returned after futilely chasing the police jeep - this will all haunt her for life. It will forever be a scar on her, something that will torment her till her last day. 

"And you, Akash." Arnav's disappointed gaze was now directed to a silent Akash, standing with a blank face. He looked up, revealing his empty eyes to his Bhai, causing the latter to bit back a sigh of pity at him.

He knows.

He knows that feeling one get after realizing that he has been destroying his own love by his own hands and he also know that unlike him, Akash might not have a chance to redeem himself. And that only made him more mad, just thinking about the degree of damage his supposedly wise brother has caused.