19. Hum Pe Sirf Arnavji ka Haq He



Khushi looked at the half-crazed married maniac standing in front of her, trying to persuade her into a relationship with him. His eager eyes with the glint of madness, his passionate words, his attempts to take hold of her arms...they all filled her with repugnance. The hug he had forced on her...she had been so shocked...she hadn't been able to move her arms or legs...even her breath had seemed to freeze within her. He Devi Maiyya, Raksha Karna..., her mind chanted.

She had come face-to-face with evil. It had been like looking at a familiar face, and seeing it turn slowly in to a hideous and frightening one. The stuff that nightmares are made of...like something out of the stories that Buaji used to tell her & Jiji when they pestered her for bedtime stories in their childhood. But those stories also had a rajkumar who would slay the demon and rescue the princess.

Her Arnavji...her rajkumar...her own rajkumar. His thought lent strength to her trembling body, and she straightened her spine. Her mind lost its fear, and became cold and clear as a stream.

"So you don't love Anjaliji?"

Arnav turned around hearing her voice. His heart refused to let go of her, and his eyes refused to accept the terrible scene they had seen of Khushi in Jiju's arms.

"No, Khushiji, I don't. Why don't you understand how much I love you? Rani Sahiba means nothing to me, and she need not matter to you."

"Do you think I will believe you?" She sounded cold. Furious but cold. Arnav looked at her warrior-like stance.

"Khushiji, you must believe me. I will leave Rani Sahiba for you. We can get married. You have to understand how much I love you, and how much you love me. I will always protect you ...as I have always done..."

"Do you really think I love you? That I will marry you if you get rid of Anjaliji?" She shook her head in disbelief at the extent of his delusion. "I will never marry you, whether you leave Anjaliji or not. Because I don't love you. Forget a lifetime. I don't want to spend a moment with a cheat like you."

Arnav stared at her in shock, relief sending the blood rushing to his head.

His kabootri wasn't done yet.

"And do you know why I don't love you? Because I love another man, someone a hundred times better than you."


An ugly sneer twisted Shyam's face as he hissed, "Who?"
Arnav's heart stoped beating. His whole being waited with bated breath for her answer.
"Arnavji..."
Arnav started breathing once more, his heart thudding loud enough to drown all thought.

"I love him. Only him. Only Arnavji has any rights over me...my dil, man, tan, thoughts...they all belong to him. Only him."

Shyam tried a tactical approach.
"Khushiji, Saalesaab does not believe in love or marriage. Only in live-in. Women are just to be used and thrown away. Like Lavanyaji and others before her. Do you really want to become his mistress?"

Arnav clenched his fists, wanting to punch the living daylights out of the creep. Khushi... what must she think of him? And he couldn't show himself and clear his name. Helpless, he stared at the tableau before him.

Khushi looked at the evil man standing before her with a concerned look in his eyes. And she said,

"I would rather be Arnavji's rakhail (mistress) than your wife. Samjhe Aap?"