KHUSHI

Stupid, stupid Arnav!

Sometimes it was difficult to understand why he did the things he did, I mean why would he go back there in the first place? And now he had got himself into the same thing that had caused him trauma as a kid.

Seriously Arnav, when will you grow up?

I couldn't wait to get to him and slap him on his face for being this stupid, who does this seriously? I know, I was supposed to be mad at him and not care about him and maybe if it was something else he would have called me about, I wouldn't have helped him, I would refuse but this... I couldn't.

I knew how much it must be hurting him, and for me he was always my best friend, he was the one that ended everything between us, I didn't.

"You really have to go?" Yug asked me with a cute pout on his face.

"We've just started dating, don't say you're already going to miss me." I giggled.

"But I am. I don't want you to go." He said as he pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me holding me into a hug.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you even know it." I smiled as I broke the hug and looked at him with a smile.

"If you say so." He sighed, I grabbed the handle of my bag as I started pulling it while I headed inside the airport and he followed me until the point where he wasn't allowed in.

"So, I'll call you as soon as I reach." I smiled at him.

"Promise me things will be the same between us even after you come back?"

"Why wouldn't they be Yug?"

"Just... the whole history between you and Arnav, you two kind of seem like the meant for each other couple. I am just scared things will change."

"Hey, I am done running behind him okay? I begged him, I did whatever I could to get him back but he didn't want to come back, and I gave up, nothing is going to change that now. I don't even think I have that strength in me to start anything again with him anymore, so don't worry. I'm just going to help him out as a friend okay?"

"I know... I know he needs you right now, I wish I could be selfish and not just let you go, but I love him even though he's an idiot, and I just want him to be okay." Yug smiled.

"Don't worry he will be, and as soon as I sort this out, I'll come back to you." I smiled.

"Thank you."

"Look at us talking as if we've been together for ages, let me go before we get more emotional." I laughed as I headed inside to get into my flight so I could go help him out.

*****

I got a cab from the airport and headed straight to the hotel where Arnav was staying at, while in the cab, I texted Yug and informed him that I had reached safely. It was cute how he was acting while I was leaving, it kind of gave me hope, hope that I deserved to be loved back, just not by Arnav.

Yug and I had just stared getting comfortable around each other, everything had started feeling like it should when you date someone, but deep down, just like him, I too was scared that maybe seeing Arnav and being around him was going to change how I was feeling with Yug currently.

Whatever the feelings might be, I knew that nothing was ever going to get back to what it was before so I would just help him and get back to Mumbai and continue living my life like I was currently.

The cab dropped me at the hotel so I headed in, Arnav had already texted me the room number so I headed straight to his room and knocked at the door.

"Arnie, open up, it's me." I said. I inhaled a deep breath trying to relax, it was going to be awkward, seeing him after so long.

He opened the door and as soon as he saw me, he pulled me into a tight hug, I just stood there, still and confused, I dint know whether I wanted to hug him back or not, so I let him hug me for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I just got emotional. Anyway come in." He said as he moved aside so I pulled my bag along and walked into the room, I looked around at the interiors awkwardly.

It was funny how at one time there was nothing awkward between us, we would even act so stupidly around each other and now there was this time, when I dint want to look him in the eye because it was going to be really awkward.

"You can sit down." He said, I just nodded and sat down on the bed, he walked closer and sat beside me.

"So... what made you act so stupidly?" I asked as I managed to look at him.

"I just thought coming here would help... with the pain and..."

"No Arnav, visiting the place where the pain came from doesn't heal it, what heals it is talking about it, with family, friends and people we trust but you pushed everyone away and you have no one to talk to, that's why it's so painful." I said angrily, I really just wanted to slap him, but I felt bad for him too because he was hurting.

"Can we just talk about how we will get justice, that woman is crazy, she told me she wanted to sleep with me, can you believe it?" He asked.

"Some people don't change." I sighed... there was an awkward silence between us for a few minutes while I kept on thinking on how we could come out of this situation.

"You can't file a complaint against her just like that, it won't help as we need proof which we don't have. Without proof this case would take forever and knowing you, It might make you go crazy. I have an idea and I know you're going to think it's crazy but it's the only option left."

"What idea?" he asked curiously.

"You have to call her here, into your room. You said she wanted to sleep with you? Tell her you are ready for it." I said.

"Are you out of your mind Khushi? Even seeing her causes me so much of pain you want me to... how can you even suggest anything like that?"

"Let me finish Arnav, I am not saying you sleep with her, I'm just saying you lure her here into your room, we'll set up hidden cameras and microphones, it's the only way we can get proof against her. Once she's here, just refuse to whatever she say, knowing her, I know she will try to get her way through it and it will all be captured and we can use that as proof and get done with this mess immediately." I continued.

"That plan sounds to easy..."

"And that's why it would work, just because something is easy doesn't mean it won't work. Arnav, I know what happened in the past bothers you, a lot, I know to what extent because it's the reason of our breakup somehow but this is the only way we can expose her. Who knows if she's still doing what she did to you to some other boys out there?"

"Even if I try this, she won't believe it. She will know I'm up to something. I have told her off, she won't believe if I just go back to her and be like oh hi Sharmila now I am interested in your offer."

"Then don't go to her, let her come to you. Instead of hiding into your room, go out there, as soon as she sees you, she will come to you."

"Okay, if you say so." He nodded.

"I'll tell my dad to help me find someone that can lend us or sell us some cameras and microphone, we'll set everything up tomorrow and then we can execute the plan." I said.

"Okay." He just nodded, I know he was scared, and I wouldn't ask him to do this if there was any other way out of this, but Sharmila was still a very powerful woman here and we couldn't go against her just like that.

"Anyway I'll get going, I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I stood up.

"Where are you going? You can stay here."

"My parents live here, I'll go stay with them and spend some time with them and anyway things are different now, we can't share a bedroom." I said.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then. If you meet my parents, please don't tell them I am here."

"I won't." I nodded as I walked towards the door, he followed me and unlocked it so I could head out.

"Just stay in here until we have everything set up, I don't want her to find you right now okay?"

"Don't worry, I don't feel comfortable stepping out of this room knowing she's still out there." He said.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then. Incase of anything, you have my number, you can call me." I smiled faintly as I turned around and walked away.

Wow, I had no idea how I felt about this meeting, we acted so casual, as if we were never best friends, as if we never loved each other. Maybe Yug really had nothing to be worried about.

Maybe this was how it was always going to be, after this we were still going to be strangers and maybe that was for the best.