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Here is the next part...

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Not Proof Read... Ignore the mistakes..

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49 ~ Because You Are My Life 3 ~

Two Weeks 5 days Later..

Arnav's Penthouse...

Arnav's Point of View...

I stared at my phone, reading then re-reading the text from Advay... he is sending me message in this phone thinking Khushi is here..

This last Two weeks five days, in absence of Khushi, I cooked a story to Advay that his angel had gone to US for an important work. Advay was crying in initial days refusing to even take food without Khushi, demanding her presence.. Payal and Kuhu were trying their level best to handle Advay but he was not listening to them... Then I got help from someone very unexpected..

Lavanya came forward to help me..

The day Kamini Aunty and Lavanya came crying to me telling about Veer being missing, I was already devastated not able to find Khushi... Aman had took the situation in his hand and PI tried to locate Veer too along with Khushi.. But everything went in vein, we did not get a single clue about them until the day I had a talk with Sheetal..

That day we came to know about Veer being kidnapped too and is hostage under Sheetal.. Not only hostage but Sheetal had tortured him too.. I had tried using my every power and money to search for Veer and Khushi but still there is no news..

I am not in my proper sense.. and I know I have failed as a father too... I did not gather the courage to face my little boy Advay... He is fighting this alone.. Though Advay is thinking that Khushi is in US for urgent work and he is talking with Khushi everyday..

Yes, Advay is talking with His angel by Phone everyday...

I sigh a little and dialed the number...

I dialed Lavanya's phone. It was a moment before she picked up. " hello Arnav? Any news on Khushi and Veer?" it was the first thing she asked, her voice is hoarse, she must had been crying...

I sighed, her concern and worry for her Lover and her step sister made me even guiltier. " No," I replied, defeated. There was silence after that, she did not say anything. But I still heard the accusation in her silence.

" Can you please call Advay again, pretending to be Khushi?" I asked.

She sighed, " I have been doing this for almost Three weeks now. I felt miserable to cheat a little boy."

" No," I interrupted. " You are helping Lavanya... Otherwise, My little boy would have been devastated. How can I look in the eyes of my innocent boy and tell him that his mother is being held hostage and that her life is potentially in danger? All because of... me.."

" Not because of you," she said. " Khushi would not want you to blame yourself and that's why I don't blame you either. You did not choose your past or anything related to Sheetal, it's not your fault she is a psychopath."

I sighed. " will you just call Advay, please? Use the number I gave you, it will block the Indian code. Advay can not know it's you."

" I know Arnav. I have been doing this for weeks now." Lavanya replied calmly.

" Tell him that you love him, tell him you will be home soon and that you can not wait to see him." I held the tears back, " but most importantly tell her that I am so sorry."

" I will", she said. I heard the ache in her voice, the plead to have her lover and step sister back, the concern and fear of losing both of them. It was all because of me. I failed to protect Khushi and I forced Veer into danger too.

" Thanks Lavanya." She did not respond, after a minute of silence she hung up. And I felt defeat wash over me once again. I threw my phone away and reached for the pills. I needed them to see her. I placed a pill in my mouth, then washed it down with some water. I closed my eyes, " just come back to me. Please." I whispered.

" I am already here," I heard a voice. It felt a little too familiar. It was the voice I was aching to hear. My eyes flew open to see her beautiful face staring at me with her vulnerable eyes.

" Khushi.. you are here?" I smiled, my eyes burnt with unshed tears.

" I have been always here," she whispered.

" you are here because I called you here," I pointed at the anti-depressants and anti-axiolytic.. Yes, I have increased the pill. I took them for the hallucination they caused as a side effect. Overdose was dangerous but I was willing to do anything to get a glimpse of Khushi. Even if it was just in my mind and not reality. I felt the tears streaming down my face, " you are not real, are you?" she smiled but did not reply.

I looked down in guilt, " I am sorry I hurt you.. I had promised you that I will never drink, but now I am living on alcohol and also the pills. I am sorry but I can not help it. If I don't take them , I would die. It's too much pain and I don't know how to handle it. I don't know how to live without you anymore. It's making me question how I ever lived without you. I have looked for you everywhere, but you are nowhere to be found. You are gone, like you never existed in the first place. Where are you Khushi?" I asked, begged her to tell me.

She smiled, " You can not do this to yourself Arnav. What if I don't comeback? You will have to learn to live without me. For you, For Advay..."

I held her close. "A life without you is a life I don't want to live," I lured, aggressively. " just.. please come back to me."

I could feel her fingers gently caressing my hair. " you have to bring me back. I told you I would wait for you, for forever if it takes, remember? Look at me." She whispered. I looked into her eyes, " you can not give up. You can not give up on the life you promised you would give me. You have to keep going, you have to bring me back."

" I don't know how to, I feel so useless. You have been gone for so long and there is nothing I am able to do. I am falling back into the whole of darkness you pulled me out from , but this time I don't have you to save me." I whispered helplessly..

" Then you have to save yourself, to save us." she cupped my face, forcing me to look at her. " I love you Arnav," she whispered. " just hold on to that, never let it go. You can not let us lose. I am waiting for you," she smiled.

I closed my eyes in ecstasy as her lips met my forehead. But when I opened my eyes, she was gone. I let myself breakdown. I finally allowed myself to let it go. I felt physical pain in my chest, my heart ached to be closer to hers. I wanted her back so bad it hurt. Just a few more days, I told myself and Khushi would be in my arms, closer to me than ever before. And this time I would not let her leave.

Arnav's POV ends...

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Next Day morning...

The feeling of being watched disturbed Arnav's sleep. He groaned slightly, shifting around on his carpet. Ever since Arnav found out Sheetal and Shyam had kidnapped Khushi and kept her in hostile conditions, he could not let himself sleep on the bed. Arnav could not allow himself to be comfortable whilst she drowned in miseries of discomfort. So Arnav decided to sleep on the floor till the day he found her. The next time Arnav would sleep on his bed, Khushi would be lying next to him.

" Good morning," Sheetal's horrifying face greeted Arnav as soon as he opened his eyes. He groaned harder at the sight of her.

" Get the fuck out of my house." Arnav turned around, dismissing her.

She sighed, " I need some answers first."

" I really wish I cared about what you want , but I don't." Arnav threw a fake smile at her.

" Why do you keep forgetting I have Khushi? Are you sure you want to make me angry?" she asked.

Arnav rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the floor. " Why are you here?"

" To find out what you are up to. You are not one to sit idle and do nothing, especially when it comes about Khushi. You agreed to divorce Khushi and marry me, no arguments, no threats. You just agreed. So I am here to know what's going on in your devious mind this time?" Sheetal said narrowing her eyes

Arnav smirked, she had no idea what was going on his devious mind.

She gritted her teeth. " what games are you playing Arnav?"

" Why? Are you scared?" Arnav pursed his lips, mocking her. " Because if you are scared... good. You should be." he laughed.

She stood up, " don't try to over-smart me. You don't know what I am capable of".

" No, I know what you are capable of. I have seen, first hand, the level of filth you can stoop down to. It's you who does not know what I am capable of. But don't worry, you are going to soon find out." Arnav threw it back to her..

Sheetal started scratching her arms, Arnav could see the nervousness on her face. "what do you mean?"

" A game for a game. It's give and take. It's a wedding gift from me to you. I hope you will hate it." Arnav winked at her.

The anxiety from her face vanished, she smirked back at him. " You are flirting with me." She smiled, looking happy.

" My standard has not dropped that much. I would rather flirt with a flamingo than with you." Arnav shook her happiness off.

Sheetal walked closer to him, just by the look on her face he knew what she wanted. "oh come on, don't play so hard to get. You and I both know you started to feel for me."

"feel ? I did not feel anything for you. You were just a mistake, that I regret to this day. My biggest mistake was to surrender to Di's emotional blackmail, to get engaged with you..." Arnav spat..

" don't deny it Arnav. You felt it too. Whether you admit it or not, you had feelings for me." She said, a seductive smile playing on her lips.

"it's good to daydream, but you are downright delusional. I did not feel anything for you. You want to know what I feel for you? Hatred, pure hatred." Arnav gritted his teeth.

Sheetal ran a finger down Arnav's chest, he flinched at her touch. " You will love it, admit it, being me under you, you needed me. You do. It's been week Khushi is not with you, you are starved.. You needs Me... Let me pleasure you..."

Arnav pushed her hand off him. " No. you are a clingy annoying stray dog that I cannot seem to get rid off... You touch repulse me... Only Khushi... I need only her and I will need only her.. Before surrendering to you, I will prefer to kill myself..."

Sheetal laughed, brushing off the insult. " I love it when you get sassy." She touched him again. " Stop resisting, I know you want it. Just for tonight, stop fighting your urge for me.... Let's have little fun together... Let me comfort you tonight... Let me reduce your stress..." Sheetal whispered.

Arnav held her hand, stopping her advances. " Over my fucking dead body. You may have forced me to marry you, but I will never touch you. Or anyone other than my Khushi. And the only time I will touch you, it will be to kill you after I have Khushi back." Arnav yelled...

Sheetal rolled her eyes, " Khushi had made you so dramatic. Well I will wait till marriage, and then you will have to give me my right.. You will have to consummate with me..."

Arnav suddenly laughed at her in pity, " That is the difference between you and Khushi. You are forcing me since forever to have sex with me while I felt myself lucky to made love to Khushi. She satisfied my heart, my soul and My body. You are a curse in my life. But Khushi, she is my destination in life. My blessings from God..."

Her eyes turned angry, she started scratching her arms again. They were bleeding but Arnav did not object. Her pain was soothing to him.

" Kiss me." Sheetal said, her teeth gritted and jaw pressed together harshly.

" Screw you," Arnav said before he tried to walk away but he stop hearing Sheetal's next words...

" For a phone call," Sheetal added. " kiss me in exchange for a phone call with Khushi."

Arnav turned around, started at her in disbelief. " I don't belief you." He whispered.

" I promise, A kiss in turn for a five minute phone call with Khushi." Sheetal said while looking at Arnav's eyes... Arnav continuous rejection did not settled well with her...

Arnav clenched his fists, then unclenched them. The thought of kissing Sheetal made him sick, he could not do that to Khushi..He could not betray her like this, But Arnav knew he had to talk to her, if he was kept deprived of her for another day, he would die. Arnav stayed immobile, numb as he watched Sheetal walk closer to me.

" is that a yes?" she asked, smirking.

" if you go back on your words, I will call this wedding off." Arnav threatened.

"I will not go back on my words," Sheetal said.

Arnav clenched his hands into fists and held his breath as he watched Sheetal's face inch closer to him. He closed his eyes as she placed her lips on him. Arnav felt nauseated. His first instinct was to push her away, but he could not. Arnav stayed numb, holding himself back from pushing her off him. His whole body went into overdrive, the urge to rip her away from himself was too strong. But HIS want to talk to Khushi was stronger, so he held on.

"I am sorry Khushi, I am so sorry... forgive Me..." Arnav chanted this within his mind while closing his eyes he only visualize Khushi's smiling face, while Sheetal's chew his lips like a hungry animal..

After what seemed like a miserable forever, Sheetal backed away from Arnav. It did not change the sick feeling he felt in his stomach. Disgusted by her touch Arnav wiped his mouth clean. She was smiling at him, but then flashed her phone to him.

Sheetal recorded her kissing Arnav.

Arnav laughed, "every time I think you cannot stoop any lower, you prove me wrong."

Sheetal ignored his comment. " I wonder what Khushi will think when she sees this.... How heartbroken she will feel when she will realize her husband is making out with another woman while she is starving to death..."

" She will trust me because I am her love, not her obsession. Besides she is not an obsessive crazy psychopathic bitch, unlike some people. She is my wife.. She knows me better than anyone, even better than I know myself... She TRUST ME..." Arnav mocked.

Sheetal glared at him, " Arnav..."

Arnav did not let her finish. " I will be waiting for the phone call. Now if you excuse me, I am going to go and disinfect my mouth.... My lips are touched by a fucking street dog right now, you know.. so I want to clean myself..." Arnav said before he walked out, without sparing her another glance.

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Later that night...

Arnav had meetings upon meetings with his PIs. After what Sheetal did to Khushi, he was too scared to get the police involved again. Whatever needed to be done now, Arnav knew he had to do it by himself and his team of Private detectives...

" Why don't we track her car?" Aman asked.

" We already tried," Arnav sighed. " Sheetal may be a crazy bitch, but she is not stupid. She keeps changing the cars to confuse us and ends up fooling us."

" I don't get it. We have searched for Khushi everywhere. We have officially dissected the whole of Delhi... But she is nowhere to be found." NK said.

" What if Sheetal took her out of the city?" Aman asked.

" I don't think so. It's a gut feeling, Khushi is definitely in Delhi, we just don't know where." Arnav threw my head back in defeat.

Aman placed a hand on his best buddy's shoulder, " we will find her. We have get everything set, Sheetal's games won't last for long. And Shyam is being followed secretly.. Surprisingly Shyam is not accompanying Sheetal.. He is more visible in few lawyer office ... I think he is planning to take the property... But don't worry... he will doomed soon.."

" Why we are not taking Shyam as our hostage? We can take him in our custody and then pressure Sheetal".. Arnav said while NK nodded his head in negative..

" We can not Arnav... we don't have any proof against neither Shyam nor Sheetal.. Everything, every proof is against Amaya who is no more to give any statement... Besides, if Shyam is caught, I think Khushi's life will be in more danger... Sheetal will not think twice to Kill Khushi... She is crazy for you Arnav.." NK said while Aman nodded his head in agreement...

" You got an obsessed lover for you buddy.." Aman tried to ease the tension but nothing work..

Aman tried to smile, but failed to do so looking at Arnav's bloodshot eyes. Nothing would work till they knew where Khushi was. And right now, they did not even have the slightest clue.

The door bell rang. They all looked at each other in suspicion. It was past midnight, who could it be?

Arnav walked to the doorway, with Aman and NK behind him. Arnav found a huge box lying in front of him as he opened the door.

The box had a note attached to it saying, "I don't need this anymore, it's useless to me now."

Arnav did not have to think hard to know whatever it was, was sent by Sheetal. Aman and NK helped him move the box inside, it was heavy. They ripped the box open. Arnav lost his breath as he stared inside.

"Veer ?" Arnav whispered still standing like a statue..

" Fuck...." Arnav heard Aman curse beside him.

NK held Veer's hand, checking for pulse. " He is alive, but really cold. He needs to get to the hospital right now." He panicked.

"Veer had only suffered because of him." Arnav thought in his mind and closed his eyes...

As Arnav again looked at Veer's lifeless, weak, drugged body, the guilt he felt was magnified. Veer did not do anything but wish well on those whom he loved. He did not deserve this. Arnav stared at his form and made a promise to himself to get Sheetal and Shyam back, not just for Khushi, but for Veer too. His hunger for vengeance was intensified, for Veer's sake.

Arnav had once lost his sister to these vile people, but he will not lose his wife and his brother to them...

Arnav once again remember how Veer had promised him that he will protect him and his happiness, He will not fail his little brother, like he did in Anjali di's time.. Veer indeed kept his promise.. Even if he in the verge of losing his life...

"It's me who is a failure.." Arnav murmured to himself...

Aman and NK picked Veer up and rushed him to the car. Arnav followed after them but his ringing phone distracted him. Without sparing a glance at the caller ID, Arnav picked up. " Hello..!" he said, as he followed Aman and NK out.

"Arnav?" he stiffened.

Arnav's legs froze in their place, his body went numb. His ears started ringing, his breath got lost in the rush of blood that ran through his veins at the voice that he was yearning to hear.

It was her.

His life..

His wife...

" K..Khushi?" Arnav whispered.

To be contd.....

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Author note:

Hello, lovely people over here...Hope You all are doing well..

So, finally after weeks Arnav and Khushi talked.. Let's see how it progress......

Share your thought about this part...

360 + votes and loads of comment for Next Update.. Only 4 chapters to finish the story..

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Be safe...keep everybody safe...

Pray for all...

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Love,

Your Story teller

Mamree

20.04.2021