Posted: March 11th, 2021

Dedicated to @sandysandy1234. Thank you for reminding me to update and loving this series so much. I appreciate your support!

| . . . C H A P T E R - 3 . 2 5 - F A C E - T H E - M U S I C . . . |

It had been a hectic morning with everyone wanting to know more about Arnav and me. The picture of Arnav and me from the Valentine Party was in all the tabloids of the fashion industry. Someone had leaked it to the press. My team grilled me for questions. I'd handpicked and answer one or two, trusting them to not spread the answers over the media. Others, I'd brushed off and Tarun was extremely helpful in getting them back to work. Speaking of Tarun, it seems like Valentine's party brought together one other couple.

And let me tell you. They were sickly adorable together.

I was trying to decide whether to give the dress a flair or not in the sketch I had just made when I heard the rattling and people walking around doing about their normal things cease completely. Confused, I blinked up. Avani was staring at me. I narrowed my eyes. No. She was staring past me. I twisted around in the chair and it suddenly made sense.

Arnav.

He was standing there in his rich glory with his expensive tailor-made three-piece suit, addictive cologne, steel-glare, chiseled jaw, arms crossed over his chest staring me down.

I was in trouble.

Big trouble.

He had warned me not to leave the house, and yet. Here I was. At work. Trying to pull the innocent card, I smiled. "Hi, you! Did you bring me chocolates?"

He stepped forward to grab my wrist and tugged me out of the chair. "Why can't you ever listen?"

"You wouldn't love me if I listened." I tried to fight him dragging me away from the workplace.

"I told you to tell Sam you were quitting or I'd do it for you."

I pulled him to a stop and side-stepped to block his path. "Arnav, come on. I thought we talked about this."

He scoffed, "No. You talked. I listened. And now, we're going to do what I want."

"Arnav freaking Raizada, you know how I feel about people telling me what to do!" I scolded him when he tried to drag me out. Again.

His jaw clenched and his eyes darted past us for the briefest second. That was when I realized everyone was still staring at us. They might have learned of our relationship two days ago but it didn't mean they were used to it and here I was, talking to him as if we were in our house. There was a time I made a big deal about him confronting me in public. Now, I'd even forgotten where we were.

He pulled me back to our argument when his voice raised slightly, "Khushi, you are so exasperating! I do not want you working in a place where there are no work ethics! I was here and still, that happened to you. What's going to happen when I am not here?"

His concern made me smile and I stepped closer to convince him of my words. "And do you think anyone here is going to think about lifting their finger at me after knowing I am your wife?"

He opened his mouth to argue but shut it realizing he couldn't bring an argument strong enough to convince me to quit working here.

"That's what I thought." I patted his chest, "Now how about you go back to AR and be a good boy, hmm? Let me work too and stop worrying so much else you're growing to grow white hair at the young age of 25."

He surprised me by gripping my side and leaning closer to whisper in my ear. "Do not push it." Okay, yeah, best not to tease him. Least he starts dragging me out of here again. Putting decent space between us again, he asked. "Still, come with me downstairs?"

Thinking he wanted me to walk with him to his car, I said, "Sure."

Stepping out of the elevator, I faced the flashing cameras all around me. Arnav. I glared at him for not giving me a warning when he very well knew what was waiting downstairs.

"Just, FYI, this is not how I planned on the world knowing about us."

I inhaled deciding to be mad at him later, and nodded, "Let's do this."

I slipped my hand into his and he led me to walk a few steps. Questions were thrown at us left, right, center. Raising a hand to silence them all, he confirmed. "Everyone. Meet my wife, Khushi Arnav Raizada."

"Was it another office romance?"

"Did you two fall in love while working on the calendar project together?"

"One question at a time, yeah?" Once his message was received, he answered. "It wasn't another office romance, and we didn't fall in love while working together." He turned his head sideways to me, "We were engaged for a little over 3 years now."

"I'm sorry, did you say 3 years?"

"Yes, I know Khushi since college."

Meaning, before joining AR. The reporters received that message clearly even as one asked, "Then why keep the relationship a secret?"

This one, I answered rather than just standing back. "Because it's our personal lives. And it was never a secret. If anyone had looked close enough to see the way he has always treated me, they'd have seen it too."

I looked sideways at him to find him already looking at me. There was a smile on his lips, appreciative of my initiative.

Questions started being directed to me seeing that I was starting to give answers and I was a part of this relationship as much as Arnav. "Mrs. Raizada, how did you two meet?"

I did not fear the world knowing this. I have nothing to hide anymore. The people that mattered knew and accepted me. I had no care for what society was going to call it. If they didn't get it, then it says more about them than it does about me.

"Arnav found me after I was kidnapped and raped by the same person whose arrest and trial has been in the news recently. Shyam Jha." The whispers started, but it didn't matter. My eyes were only on Arnav, and his on me. "He saved me. He took me to the hospital, but he didn't just save my life. He taught me to live again. To love."

He lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss over my ring finger where I now proudly wore his engagement ring along with our wedding band.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

[Few Weeks Later]

Standing at the bottom of the steps, I looked ahead at the court. Arnav stood next to me, holding my hand. "I wish you didn't have to see him."

I inhaled deeply, saying aloud the words I had repeated to myself a thousand times over the past couple of weeks, "If we want to bring him to justice, I have to do this."

Being the victim and one of the parties having filed a case against Shyam in court, I had to give my statement. So did Anjali di. If it meant facing that monster one more time, then I had to fight my demons and do it. He wouldn't hurt anyone ever again.

Lavanya said joining us, "Sorry, I'm late. Traffic."

Anjali replied, "Lavanya, you didn't have to come."

None of us knew how she would react to seeing Vivek. She hadn't seen him since having found out he was involved. She took Anjali's hand and squeezed, "Di, if you and Khushi can face Shyam, I can look my... I can look Vivek in the eyes. Besides, I was kidnapped too."

I released my hand from Arnav's to walk up to her and drape my arm around her back. We were all in this together. We have been for a while now and to be honest, each other's support was what got us through it somedays.

Arnav's cell beeped with a text. "Riddhima." He informed as he typed back.

Riddhima and Armaan wanted to be here but we agreed on avoiding a crowd. Armaan would come for his part of the statement but Riddhima was staying back with Aarav. Riddhima and I told him he had to plan with Riddhima what the three of us could do next to bring Lavanya and Sam closer. As much as that was still our mission, Riddhima and I knew it was just an excuse to keep him occupied so he wouldn't ask where all of us were.

We waited for Armaan to arrive before heading up the steps of the court.

Today was just the first day and we had no way of knowing how long this process will be dragged before the sentence was carried out. Inhaling deeply, I braced myself for what was to come. Trying to keep present as much as possible, but it all felt like a blur. Meeting our lawyer, Mr. Tyagi. Meeting NK who was there along with the police inspector responsible for catching Shyam. Everyone telling us for the nth time the purpose of today's session. The lawyer had already briefed us, but we listened through it nevertheless before going inside the courtroom.

Shyam and Vivek along with a court-appointed lawyer were already seated at their side of the room. My steps paused for a moment when my eyes met Shyam before I continued walking beside Arnav. If he hadn't been holding my hand, I would have frozen there itself. All the preparation felt like it was flying out the window.

Nothing could have prepared me for this.

I couldn't blink away until Armaan walked around the stand in front of me, blocking my view. "Doll?" He quietly asked and I blinked at him before turning to Arnav. He squeezed my hand and then let go since we had to sit ahead with the lawyer while he and Armaan were behind.

I was about to pull the chair next to the lawyer when Anjali kept a gentle hand on my back, nudging me to the third chair and seating herself in the second chair. Putting herself before Lavanya and myself. Shyam had violated her just as much, if not worse, and she was still protecting us.

I've always felt she was stronger than me, but today I felt that it wasn't just because she kept Aarav and gave birth to him. She was braver for always protecting those around her and people take her lightly. They didn't realize what it must take to remain kind and gentle despite having faced the adversities that she's had to.

I could only hope that one day I'd be brave enough to be the ferocious mama bear that she is.

The judge's arrival was announced. We stood in response and sat again after receiving the cue. Mr. Tyagi started to address the court, "Your Honor, we..." when the judge raised his hand to stop him.

"Before we start, let me make this very clear. This case has already been sensationalized in media and I will not have my courtroom turn into a media frenzy. None of the involved parties, suspects or the petitioners – not even their family members or friends, are allowed to communicate with the media. Is that understood?"

It was clear the judge was looking past us at Arnav and Armaan. Great, he already didn't like them, but it bothered me that they were becoming the target unfairly. I turned back and neither of the two seemed bothered. They just stared right back at the judge as if to convey they didn't care what the old guy had to think about them and that they didn't for a second regret what they had already done – using the media to their advantage to bring Lavanya and Anjali back home safely. The media existed for the public. Why didn't the public deserve to know the truth?

Also, his choice of word... suspects? How can there be any sliver of doubt that Shyam wasn't a serial rapist?

The court proceedings continued with both lawyers making their cases. Their lawyer asking for bail to be granted, claiming that because the case had already reached the media, neither Vivek nor Shyam were in a place to flee. Mr. Tyagi argued that regardless of flight risk, granting bail would be endangering the public given the gravity of charges.

When the other lawyer started to counter, the judge interrupted. "No need to waste my time. I am denying bail for the accused, Shyam Jha, and setting bail at 10 lakh rupees for Vivek Kashyap. Now, make your cases and call the witnesses."

Opening statements were made followed by Lavanya as the first witness. Mr. Tyagi's strategy had been to establish the kidnapping and connect the reasoning to our pasts. It went for three long hours. Lavanya giving her statement that it was Shyam who kidnapped them. Telling them how she and Anjali di escaped when they found out Shyam had accidentally left the door unlocked when he went out.

I still found that hard to believe but she was swearing that under oath so...

Arnav gave his statement of the phone call he had received from Shyam along with the envelope with the pictures. He also mentioned how the two of us had gone to Lavanya's apartment to get her and Aarav but had found Vivek there and how he helped us by giving information about Shyam and that he knew Aarav was his son.

Anjali explaining why Shyam had kidnapped her and Lavanya – for Aarav. Telling everyone that Aarav was her son and that Arnav and Lavanya adopted him to protect her from society and facing the stigma of sexual assault as well as those of an unwed mother. She recounted how she knew Shyam and what had happened that night he had forced himself on her.

The worse part was having to sit through it and listen to the details. Why is it that we have to reexperience it like this? Even if we survive, heal, and move on, it reopens old wounds. Saying it in open court is humiliating. Knowing the way everyone is looking at you. Feeling scrutinized. The blame is placed on the victims for being out with the guy in the first place or dressing the way as if inviting, or being out of home in the evening.

I hadn't done any of that, but I knew I would still be blamed. Only a handful will say it wasn't my fault for getting kidnapped and raped.

When I was called to the stand, I explained what I remembered from that night when conscious. Then, I was cross-examined and the first question itself had me tongue-tied. "Mrs. Raizada, you claim you were raped. Did you say no?"

"Wh-what?"

"Did you say no?"

The gut reaction was to say yes, of course I did, but I froze. Had I?

The lawyer was asking me this with such confidence, and it only meant one thing.

My eyes darted across the room in a frenzy. I didn't remember. Or... I had pushed this to the depths of my mind to get past the self-blame. Here I was worrying about the society revictimizing me. But I hadn't considered that my own inactions that used to haunt me would return to turn my insides.

"I was drugged." I quietly answered and even as I did, I knew what I was doing. A trick our own lawyer had taught us. Redirecting to avoid directly answering the question that was meant to trap.

"You weren't gagged. So, did you say no?"

I started picking my fingers and within a second, caught myself and stopped. It was his job to make me nervous. I couldn't play into it. Swallowing harshly, I said, "I fought. I tried to get away. I..."

"Answer the question, Mrs. Raizada. Did. You. Say. No?"

I flinched at the raised voice and just then, Mr. Tyagi objected. "Your honor, this is intimidation and unnecessary. My client's medical records for the night of the assault are submitted to the court along with a rape kit. The extent of her injuries are a clear indication that it wasn't consensual sex."

The judge directs to the man in front of me, "Move on, counselor."

"Very well." He asked me another question, "Can you place Mr. Jha in the room with you?"

"Yes."

"But you said you were drugged. How can you be certain you saw Mr. Jha there? Wasn't it Mr. Kashyup who had a bone to pick with you? Wasn't it him who kidnapped you?"

"Yes, he kidnapped me but he didn't rape me. He tried to save me."

"Is that how you remember it?"

I looked at Vivek, wishing I could say yes and help him. But this is what he had told me and I believed it from the parts that I remembered. My testimony wasn't reliable and it couldn't help him. But... if I couldn't help him, I didn't necessarily want to make it tougher for him to get a lenient sentence.

It wasn't justice to sentence him to life in prison for being a teenager who didn't know right from wrong when his ego was hurt because when he realized the consequences later that night, he did try to right them. And he'd spent since then in regret and paying for it, doing whatever was in his control to protect Lavanya from Shyam. Else, she might have met a similar fate.

"I remember Vivek saying they had accidentally grabbed me instead of my friend, Riddhima. Then Shyam had said it didn't matter and that they'd leave me there. They left but Shyam came back. Vivek didn't. And after some time when he did, he saw Shyam forcing himself on me and pulled him back." I didn't explain how he tried to get me out of there and that that's how I remember him when he came into my line of vision again. I didn't mention that they got into a fight and Shyam knocked him out. I left it implied and now, it was on Vivek and his lawyer – however they wanted to fill in the blanks.

It went on for another fifteen minutes before I was excused. Walking back to the chair, I glanced at Arnav who looked like he wanted to reach out to me but Armaan stopped him by grabbing his wrist and gluing him to the bench.

Just as Armaan was going to be called next, since he was supposed to explain how he got to the hospital and everything that happened while I was unconscious, a bell rang marking the end of the session. A date was given for the next session and the court dismissed for the day.

Shyam and Vivek were taken away in handcuffs. As Vivek passed us, he looked at Lavanya opening his mouth to speak to her, but she turned away.

Unforgiving and neither was she subtle.

Vivek's expression wasn't one easily forgotten even as Armaan wrapped his arms around me kissing the top of my head and telling me that I'd done good.

I didn't feel like I had.

I turned to Arnav's embrace next, hiding my face in his chest resting my forehead there and exhaling a sigh full of exhaustion and defeat. This was supposed to get us justice but why did it feel like it wasn't that? Justice shouldn't make us feel like we were victims all over again. It shouldn't traumatize us while people like Shyam get to stand across from us and relive the glory of their actions. Get off on it.

Inhaling deeply, Arnav's cologne filling my nostrils and making it a tad easier to breathe, I slowly exhaled. I reminded myself that above all, this was for Aarav. So that Shyam could be behind jail and far, far away from Aarav where not even his shadow would soil the pureness that is our little baby.

Mr. Tyagi informed, "It was as good as we could have expected. Since the next date is a month away, I'll be in touch a couple of weeks from now."

We walk out of the courtroom after him and at one of the benches, I spot Aman. I tap Anjali's shoulder to get her attention and nod towards Aman – who having seen us also stood up and walked over. He said to Anjali, "I know you all were trying to keep this small but I wanted to be here."

Seeing his thoughtful gesture and love for Anjali, I smiled. And, I wasn't the only one as Anjali gave him a quick hug.

The two of them bid bye and went their own way with Anjali informing  she'd be back by dinner time. Armaan too left so he could meet us home after picking up Riddhima and Aarav from his penthouse. Lavanya said she was going back to work and I tried to tell her she should take the day from work, but Arnav tugged at my hand to stop me and shook his head.

I let her go. As we walked back to the car, just the two of us, he said, "Distracting herself with work is how she copes."

She still hadn't talked about how she felt over any of this that involved Vivek. And after facing him today, she must have felt something. As much as I didn't think distraction was healthy, I figured she could be allowed to have a few more hours of unhealthy coping before she'd have to deal with her emotions.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

| . . . A U T H O R - N O T E . . . |

The second scene of the chapter is entirely new, and I think I had previously ended the book after they faced the media and then there was just an epilogue. For this edited version, I have decided to write more chapters, exploring slightly what happens after Shyam and Vivek are arrested, and how it impacts their stories - especially Khushi's and Lavanya's. Then there'll be a slight leap where we also explore Arnav and Khushi's pregnancy ;) 

Before you claim it's a spoiler, it's not. You should be reading Dare to Stay and if you aren't... I'm disappointed in you. KIDDING! Give it a try though :)

Since moving forward almost all of the chapters will be new, it's what's keeping me from updating frequently. Vote and comment - they always encourage me to write more!