The Next Day.

Nk's House.

Nk and the others were having breakfast within silent when Nk cleared his throat gaining their attention.

He looked at Khushi who looked back at him confused.

"Am sorry Khushi. " Nk said sincerely. "I failed to understand the reason you didn't want them to know I was with you and I behaved harshly with you last night. " Nk said and his parent and Shashi looked at him curiously.

"Nikhil..... What did you do? " Sonia asked with a hint of anger in her voice and Nk started fidgeting with his spoon as his mother glared at him and his father watch on impatiently with anger.

"I...... I..... Slammed the door on Khushi's face when she came to speak to me. " Nk revealed and Sonia shook her head in disappointment. "Believe me maa...... Am really sorry. "

"It's okay Nk....... You have every right to be mad at me....... And don't worry because I forgive you. " Khushi said with a smile.

They all went back to eating when the door bell rang and the maid walked in with a man they all except Shashi was familiar with.

"Babuji...... He is my lawyer Mr Karan Shah. " Khushi whispered to Shashi as the man moved closer to them.

"Karan...... What are you doing here? " Arjun asked as he pointed the chair for him to sit down.

He sighed knowing he was about to relay what he suspected could happen which did.

"ASR, Mr Roy and his assistant Aman was bailed this morning just like we suspected....... I know they are planning something which could paint him a saint and Khushi the villain so I came here to inform you to get ready for any tricks they may use....... " Karan said and looked at Khushi in particular. "Khushi...... You have to be emotionally strong for the storm coming or else he will get way with his crime understood. "

Khushi nodded and immediately Karan was done,Sachin rushed into the dinning room startling them.

"Arjunji....... See this. " He said and handed his phone to him making everyone confused especially when Arjun frown.

"Dad...... What is it? " Nk asked and Arjun sighed.

"Arnav is planning a press conference in the afternoon which will be telecasted live on every channel across the country. " Arjun replied shocking all of them.

"We have to be prepared...... He is planning something big and he will end up coming out as a victim if we don't take extra care. " Sonia said and they all agreed.

"But we will have to wait to find out what he is planning and please don't worry...... I won't let him get away with this crimes. " Karan said confidently making them relax as they know he is a very good lawyer.

But Khushi couldn't shake off the strange feeling that something was about to happen which will throw all their hard work into the garbage.

Everyone in the country was waiting impatiently to find out what Arnav had to say and the time came.

Arnav sat in the auditorium of AR as all the channels and it journalists looked at him.

Arnav then pulled the microphone closer to his mouth and sighed.

"I know by now the whole country and parts of the world knows what I have done and am here to tell you all of the accusations are true. " Arnav confessed shocking everyone including Khushi and the Mehras.

"How could you do something as shameless as force a woman into marriage and abuse her. ....... Countless people and youngsters look up to you and yet you do this....... Shame on you. " One journalist said in disgust and disappointment.

An ashamed Arnav looked up at Mr Roy who winked at him and he knew it was time to make their planned move.

"Yes you are absolutely right....... What I did was shameless but I had to do it to protect my wife and sister. " Arnav said convincingly making everyone shocked and confused.

"What do you mean you had to do it to protect your wife and sister? " Another journalist asked curiously and impatiently waiting to know the reason.

"On the night of my brother and my wife's wedding,I found out about Shyam harassing my wife, I confronted him and he admitted to falling in love with Khushi and she with him and that he will have her whether I like it or not....... Did I believe him no I didn't...... I got angry and decided to tell my sister the truth but found out she was pregnant....... I became helpless because of her pregnancy and the fear that my past will repeat itself if I told my sister the truth which can cost  her life and that of the unborn child. " Arnav said almost on the verge of crying.

"ASR..... What do you mean by your past? " Another journalist asked.

"Well it's a past I have hidden really well....... My father is Arvind Malik and my mother is Ratna Malik...... A lot of people who are from Lucknow know them....... She committed suicide on the day of my sister's wedding after finding out about my father's numerous affairs." Everyone gasped in shock at the revelation. "I saw her shot herself in the head and I was scared my sister will do the same....... I was stuck and to protect both the love of my life and sister I did the unthinkable and hurt my love....... That night I found out something else about Shyam. " Arnav said making everyone curious.

"What did you find out about your brother in law? " Another asked.

"That night after I forced Khushi to marry me he was angry and confronted me....... He said he will hurt my father in law again if he don't make Khushi hate me and leave....... I was shocked when he said it and revealed he tried to kill him once after he discovered he was already a married man...... I knew he was dead serious and he smiled saying he was watching us because he had cameras all over the house......... I knew I had to do as he says at the moment until I found proof against him........ So for months I was the worse of monsters to my wife and looked for the cameras but I couldn't find it....... I know the path I took was wrong and it everytime I hurt her...... I felt like killing myself....... The detectives I hired always come out with a clean profile of him and I knew he was deadly and smart to cover his tracks...... I felt helpless until one of the detectives I hired told me he had found incriminating evidences against him and needed a week to gather all of it but just five days into that week my wife had me arrested. " Arnav said convincingly gaining major sympathy from all except the few who knew the truth and were disgusted by this lies.

"I am also a witness to everything because I was his legal advisor regarding the issue........ ASR was just a helpless husband and a brother who had to hurt the woman he loves and it's understandable if she hates him but truth be told ASR always felt horrible...... He is not the monster the whole world thinks he is..... So please give him a chance. " Mr Roy exclaimed convincingly.

"We are so sorry for judging you when you are doing all you can to save your family who unfortunately misunderstood your intention like us....... We know your wife left you but we are sure she is watching........ Do you have a message for your wife. " The journalist asked with a smile.

Mr Roy smirked seeing his plan working and Arnav gaining sympathies from all.

"Khushi my love....... If you are watching which I know you are then please forgive me for all the hurt I put you through...... If I had told you the truth about Shyam's threats then we wouldn't have been here today...... I shouldn't have lied when you confronted me but believe me it was to protect you....... I will understand if you want nothing to do with me. ...... But I want you to know I really love you and always will. " Arnav said and stood up and walked away with Mr Roy and Aman trailing behind him as the media took photos and videos of him.

Arnav, Mr Roy and Aman sat in the car and the trio smiled at each other but Arnav glared at Aman who looked down.

"You did it ASR...... Now if Khushi continues with the charges she will be made to villain by all." Mr Roy said.

"But Khushi will hate me for this..... I love her. " Arnav said sadly but Mr Roy scoffed.

"You can't be serious...... You can have any women you want...... Forget her. " Mr Roy said irritated. "We planned this perfectly well and exploited all the loop holes in the the story and twist it to favor us...... Don't ruin this..... Now all we have to do is find Khushi and play the good lover who wants his woman back....... The media will be there when you make your entrance as a good husband understood" Mr Roy said and Arnav sighed and nodded thinking he will definitely win Khushi over after this and apologize not knowing he had forever killed any chance he had with Khushi .

Nk's House.

The entire family sat down in shock at what had just happened.

They knew he will do something sneaky but. this was beyond sneaky and disgusting.

"That bastard." Nk bellowed breaking everyone's reverie. "I can't believe I once admire disgusting man like him....... We can't let him win...... We will do whatver it takes to make him go to jail? " Nk said in a determination but what Khushi said next broke his courage.

"We can't. " Khushi said in a broken voice as tears rolled down her cheeks. "ASR won again like always."

Nk moved closer to her and cupped her cheeks as Khushi cried.

"No he hasn't. "

A voice said from behind and all of them looked towards the source of the voice and were confused seeing the unknown face.

RM.

Arnav and Mr Roy and Aman entered the house only for Arnav to be welcomed with a punch on his face.

Multiple punches followed as Mr Roy and Aman pulled Akash off him.

Anjali and Nani stood in shock seeing Akash assaulting Arnav.

"You bastard...... How could you? " He bellowed yanking Mr Roy and Aman off him.

Arnav stood up with a bleeding from his head and slit lip.

"You claim to love her and yet you throw her mercilessly under the bus to satisfy your ego. " Akash exclaimed in anger. "You are a bastard and I regret ever looking up to you......... You proof that you are indeed Arvind Malik's son. "

"Stop it Akash. " Nani yelled as he she moved closer to them and turned to Akash.

"Yes what he did was wrong but you also have to think about our reputation..... Do you have any idea what will happen if Arnav is found guilty....... We will be done for........ Yes chote lied but we can't risk our name being slandered like that...... We will compensate Khushi when the time comes....... Please let's support him and save our family. " Nani pleaded and Akash felt so disgusted to be related to her.

He had never felt so disgusted about himself ever in his entire existence as he is now.

This didn't go unnoticed by all of them.

Arnav and Nani were hurt.

Anjali cared less but was happy about what Arnav did.

"Wow Dadi....... I thought my mother was disgusting and heartless but I was wrong....... You are. " Akash yelled pointing to a shocked Nani " Instead of doing the right thing and standing for what's right you are supporting the culprit and yet when Subhadra Malik accused Ratna Maa of being responsible for her son cheating, you outcasted her but you supporting Arnav makes you worse than her." Nani gasped in shock hearing Akash comparing her to Subhadra Malik. "Let me make it clear to all of you....... I will support Khushi and will help her expose you. " Akash said looking at an ashamed Arnav in disgust.

"Will that won't happen because if Khushi goes ahead with the charges, the media and people will eat her up and I don't have to explain that to you Akash. " Mr Roy said and Akash knew he is right and looked at his brother pleading with his eyes to stop but Arnav looked away and he knew Arnav won't back down from this.

"Mr Roy is right but know one thing...... You have lost Khushi and no one will make you happy like she would have made you if you hadn't behaved like a monster to her...... You may move on with your life and with another woman but know one thing,Khushi will always be on your mind and that will make you a worse person more than your father....... God will definitely punish you for this." Akash said in a disappointed tone and walked away from all of them.

Arnav slammed to the ground as the words of Akash and his deeds sank in but the damage had already been done and even Devi Maiya will never let a monster like him get away with hurting a loyal and pure devotee like Khushi.

To be continued.

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