ARNAV

There was something about her touch that made me feel so many things I hadn't felt in the past five years, I looked at my hand that was pressed between hers and as much as I wanted to pull it away because it was making me feel things I knew I shouldn't, I still couldn't pull it away, it made me feel calm and relaxed, it made me feel just different.

Since the incident five years back, I had never allowed any girl close to me, I dint want history repeating itself, I dint want to fall for anyone and get married and get the same in return and I had promised myself I was never going to do anything of such sort to anyone else.

I stood up and pulled my hand away from her hold, she was my best friend's wife, there was no way I could do this to him, or anyone else because whatever I felt about her holding my hand like this wasn't right.

"I am sorry for being rude to you." Khushi said, her voice sounded so low.

"It's okay, we can't change the past, but that doesn't stop me from living my present and dreaming about my future, I'm just trying to accomplish the things I hadn't been able to complete because of her." I said as I stared at the floor.

"You will be able to fulfill all your dreams but before that, you have to move on Arnav." She looked me into the eyes, for the first time today, I dint see any hatred in her eyes, I knew she never liked me since the first time we met and that has always been my motive, I remember the first time I saw her, there was some kind of spark in her that really attracted me towards her but then I knew it was wrong and I had to do whatever I could to keep myself away from her, to keep her away from me.

"Can I ask you something?" She looked at me curiously breaking me out of the thoughts i had been lost it.

"Sure, anything." I nodded.

"We haven't been on good terms ever, so how did you manage to tell me all about your past? I mean I never thought that you could..."

"Trust you? You are my best friend's wife Khushi, if I wouldn't tell you eventually you would have asked him and he would have told you, Shrey has been with me for all this years, he knows everything that happened."

"So it's not about trust?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it's not, I just felt like I had to tell you and I did, that's it." I replied. Honestly, I also dint know why I told her about this, the only person who knew about my past was Shrey only and I never thought I was going to tell anyone about it.

But with Khushi it seemed easy, painful but easy. I did not do it to gain her sympathy or anything but today she just reminded me of it and I found myself telling her about that part of my life that I always wished to forget about.

"I think we should head to sleep, we have to go to work tomorrow." She smiled, she stood there silently for a while staring at me and then wished me goodnight as she headed to her room, I sat in the hall for a while staring at the ocean, it was peaceful and it make me feel relaxed.

*****

I woke up early in the morning knowing I had to cook breakfast for Khushi as she wasn't well and I also had to leave for the office early, I wasn't there the whole of yesterday and I knew there must be a lot of pending work for me.

I took a quick shower, got ready and headed to the kitchen just to find Khushi there, she had already cooked breakfast and she was taking it all to the table.

"Good morning" She smiled at me.

"Why did you wake up early? You aren't well you should be sleeping, I would have cooked Khushi." I said as I took the bowl from her hand and placed it on the table.

"When someone says good morning, you say good morning back Arnav, and I am perfectly alright, you don't have to cook for me, Shrey dint bring you here as a chef, I can do this." She smiled once again, today her smile was genuine, not like the fake smile she always gave me when i was around her with Shrey because apparently she dint want her husband to feel bad about her not treating his best friend in a good way.

"Okay Good morning, now are you done? You aren't doing any work until you're perfectly fine and I agree Shrey dint bring me here as your chef but he told me to take care of you and that's what I'm doing."

"Okay I give up, I won't do anything, now can we eat? I'm hungry." She pouted.

I smiled at her childish antics, the equation between us had taken a three sixty degree turn after yesterday, we were at least talking on good terms, not fighting like usual because honestly I don't remember ever talking to her like this.

We settled down on the table, I served myself some food and started eating while she just stared at me.

"Don't you want to eat?" I asked her.

"You told me not to do anything so I'm waiting for you to serve me food and feed me with your own hands." She folded her arms and looked at me seriously, if she dint give me that serious look, I would have ended up laughing at her.

"Oh then you'll also want me to drive your car and take you to work too right?"

"Of course."

"And when you come back, I should have food ready for you and feed you with my own hands again and then take you to bed and sing a lullaby for you like a baby too?"

"How sweet would that be right?" She smiled, she was being way too cute today and I couldn't stop smiling at her.

"I think the medicines are doing an opposite job, eat and get going to work, I'm getting late, I'll see you in the evening." I stood up as I headed to the kitchen with my plate, I washed it and rushed outside, she had finally served herself some food and she was eating, I bid her a goodbye and headed to the office.

I walked into my cabin just to find a pile of documents waiting for my signatures, seriously not coming to work for a day when Shrey wasn't around too was terrible, it piled up a lot of work for me.

After we finished college, I wanted to start a career on my own but then the marriage happened and everything went wrong, for a few months I wasn't even able to concentrate on anything and then Shrey came to me, he suggested we start a business as partners, I thought it was a great idea and we started the business and five years later, here we are doing so great.

In between that time, he met Khushi, he told me everything about her, we were best friends after all, we knew each and every details about each other, he showed me her pictures and I saw her with him a couple of times and I officially met her when they got married and I was supposed to be a witness for it, and here it's been two years since they are happily married and that's what I wish for them, their marriage to last forever.

I went through the documents one by one, signed the ones I was supposed to and kept myself busy in the work until I found one document that left me in shock.

It was a copy of Shrey's airplane ticket but that's not what shocked me, together with it was Aria's airplane ticket too.

As far as I knew he had gone out for business, he liked traveling and anytime we had anything business related, I made sure he was the one who went, but this time I dint know he had decided to take Aria along.

I mean how long had it been since they met? Just a few days and he was already taking her out of the country with him? Seriously what the hell was going on?

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed his number, seriously what was he up to? How could he do this to Khushi? Because honestly I couldn't see any reason for him going abroad for work and taking Aria along while his wife was here, if he took Khushi along I could understand but why Aria?

There were a lot of terrible thoughts crossing my mind at the moment, I wasn't going to let him do to Khushi, what had happened to me, if that was what he was doing, there was no way he was going to hurt her, I wouldn't think twice before hurting him if he did that to Khushi.

Honestly I dint even know why I was so pissed, the mere thought of Khushi getting hurt made me feel so angry on Shrey, I wanted to punch him on the face right away.

"Hey Arnav, all okay?" He asked as he received the call.

"You tell me, how it is going there, I heard from the office that you had company."

"Company, no I came all alone, you must be mistaken, anyway I got to go, have a meeting to attend with the dealers, I'll get back to you after the meeting?"

"Sure."

I stared at the screen of my phone angrily, I wanted to throw it on the floor and break it into pieces, there was no way he had booked tickets for himself and Aria and then wanted me to believe that he was there all alone.

Plus the way he cut our conversation short and disconnected the call in a hurry sounded so fishy.

Honestly, what was going on with him, was he really trying to cheat on Khushi with Aria? But why would he do that, he loved Khushi so much, I knew it because there wasn't a day he wouldn't talk about her to me, then why was he doing all this suddenly?

I had to find out because I wasn't going to sit here and watch him ruining Khushi's life just like mine was ruined, there was no way I would take that!