Daayre | ✔

Chapter Nineteen

Arnav edged his hand towards Khushi's ever so slowly, until she felt his cold fingertips brush her hand. She unfurled her fingers after a moment of resistance and allowed his fingers to slip around hers until she could feel his tight yet soft grip.

His eyes flickered with a last tinge of an unfathomable pain before blankness filled them in, "You'll know soon."

Her confused gaze traveled from their intertwined hands to his rigid posture as they walked down the corridor. Her heart palpitated in an unknown fear with each step she took towards the stairs, her mind full of confusion and dread.

When she first heard his confession, the first thought that overcame her was that he was trying to hurt her again. She thought this was a facade, that he was playing with her again but that was before she took a glance at his eyes. They were anguished, holding such a raw pain that she felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up. 

He seemed broken, utterly and completely broken and that was not a good sign. For a fact, she thus knew that wherever they were going, held nothing pleasant for anyone. 

And sure enough, her dread escalated when they arrived in the hall and in front of her stood her whole family, including the Guptas and in the middle of them, she recognized, was Shyam struggling to get out of the hold of some unknown people, dressed in police uniform. 

She had barely come out of her surprise when Devyani, at the sight of Arnav, breathed out in relief and approached them. 

"Chotte, thank god you're here. Just hear what these people are saying, they said that you--" 

"Whatever they said, is true." Arnav intervened, cutting her worried tone with his clipped one and watched with no expression as the people standing in the hall flashed him an unblinking stare. Their mouth hung as their lips parted a bit in shock.

A tinge of exasperation mingled with Khushi's confusion at that statement and she looked around, trying to comprehend what was going on; why was Shyam being restraint like that and what the hell did these people say that was so shockingly true?

She did not have to wait long for an answer, for Akash stepped forward, clearly flabbergasted.

"Bhai, at least hear the whole thing first." He said, "These people are here to arrest Jijaji and they are saying it's all based on your order." 

Akash's tone was disbelieving, expecting Arnav to deny whatever the police officers were saying, but instead of being shocked and ordering the officers to release Shyam, Arnav remained impassive, his hands in his pockets, "And as I said, they are telling the truth. I asked them to come here, I asked them to arrest Shyam."

Akash stared stupidly at his brother, as if expecting him to laugh and call it all off as a joke and when he didn't, Akash's expression reduced to being horror-stricken. He wasn't the only one like that. From the corners of her eyes, Khushi noted that everyone bared the same expression, including Shyam whose attempts to get away from the officers ceased as he stared at Arnav, horrified to no end. But yet, Khushi did not have time to dwell on their expressions for long. She herself felt stumped at what Arnav said and after glancing at everyone's shocked face, she turned to Arnav, bewildered.

After a second, she saw Arnav glancing at Anjali and she followed his eyes to see her sister-in-law. Her confusion only deepened because Anjali, instead of sharing the shock that had spread everywhere in this hall, seemed quite composed. 

"What is this, Saale-Sahab?" 

An unpleasant hiss took Khushi's attention from Anjali and she, along with everyone, looked at Shyam who was wriggling more fiercely in the hold of the silent officers, glaring at Arnav with a knowing look.