Next Morning:

Khushi was feeling a light headache when she opened her eyes. She was spooned by Arnav with their legs tangled. Her head was beneath his chin, pillowed by his right hand while his left hand was cocooning her body.

She looked at herself to find her skimpy dress barely covering her left bosom and right bosom hidden under his palm while their lower bodies were covered by the duvet.

Sensing her movement, Arnav also woke up, releasing her from his protective engulf.

"Tum theek ho?" (Are you ok?)

"Hmm..." She didn't elaborate as the last night happenings came rushing to her, from the spiked drink to Neil, Roy and then their moments which were hazy, but clear enough to embarrass her.

He was not satisfied with her answer so he cupped her face with one hand to make her look towards him, but she got up, removing his hand.

"I need to get freshen up!" She told him, while pulling the dress up covering herself, avoiding his gaze on her.

As she moved towards the washroom, his voice reached her, "If you need help in washroom, I am here like last night!" She looked behind once to see him with a teasing smile.

Locking the door behind she came to mirror to find her reflection blushing, with a faint smile.

She couldn't understand what was happening with her. The hickeys on her body were looking beautiful to her and she was craving for the warmth of his body which she had left just moments back.

All those butterflies she felt when he teased her, the heating of cheeks when he touched her, were indicating towards only one thing. 'Am I falling in love?' Her heart questioned her mind.

'But I can't fall in love!' Came the answer from the mind as Shyam and NK's memories envisioned.

She had loved Shyam and trusted NK, but what she got was the cheating, imposture, deception.

'I can't repeat my mistake!' She felt the wetness of tears on her face. 'If I don't want to cry in future, it's better I stay away from him!' She made a decision as she opened the shower to flow away the pain from her eyes.

'I have married ASR for my company, that's it. Nothing more nothing less.' She tried to rub away the fanciful feeling of his touch from her body.

'I will get my company back and then it will be over.' She had a perfect plan ready to end this complicated confusion of heart.

._._._.

Aman got up with a feeling of drum beating on his brains and a bad ache in his temples. Finding himself on bed, he tried to remember, what had happened last night.

'I was upset with ASR and Lavanyaji dancing together and when she went away without telling me anything, I got myself drunk.'

He came out of his thoughts seeing Lavanya in a blue saree coming with a tray. Her eyes were puffy and face was devoid of any emotions.

'She has opened the door!' He remembered vaguely, taking a glass of lemon water and an aspirin from her.

'Is she angry that I got drunk?' He thought gulping the water as she was looking reserved.

"Did something happen last night, Lavanyaji?" He asked finally as he was getting bad vibes.

"How are you feeling now!" She asked sternly without answering his question.

"Fine!" He said, feeling her behavior a bit odd. He stood up from bed still in his party clothes.

"That is good. Because I want to clear some things!" She didn't move from her place, making him frightened.

"What things?"

"Answer me in yes or no!" She took a long breath and looked him in eyes, "Were you in love with Sheetal?"

He was shocked to hear Sheetal's name suddenly from her mouth. "I.. Lavanyaji...it was..."

"Just yes or no!" She cut him in between.

"Yes!"

"Do you still love her?"

"No..no. I didn't see her since two month..."

She again stopped him from speaking "Do you have someone else in your life after Sheetal?"

'You!' He wanted to say but uttered only, "No!"

"Do you know that I was in love with Arnavji?"

"Yes!" His voice was heavy.

"Do you think that me and Arnavji still have chance!"

"Y...yes!"

"Do you want Khushi and Arnavji to get divorced?" Her voice was wavering.

"I don't want...I mean if... yes!" He was getting an idea about their last night conversation.

"You want me to get married to Arnavji after the divorce!" Her voice was angry but the sentence had pricked Aman as he fisted his palm.

"Yes!" His voice was low as he looked at the other side. He clenched his jaw, "I will free you legally so that you marry ASR!"

Suddenly he got a numb tingling sensation on his face which later changed into intensely painful feeling as he got a hard slap from his wife.

He looked at Lavanya dumbly holding his red cheek.

"Do you think I am a puppet that I will dance to your tunes?"

Aman was confused on her outburst, pondering whether to answer it in 'No' or to keep shut.

"Did I tell you to take decisions on my behalf?" Her face was red with her inner turmoil that she was enduring. "Then why?" She broke down as Aman went close to her, contemplating to touch her or not.

"Everyone is hell bent on making my life a joke!" Tears were not stopping from her eyes. Last night Aman had told her everything in his drunken state.

"No one wants to know what I want!" Since the marriage preparations had started, she was getting hurt by one or other.

She was crying bitterly leaning on the table when he tried to take her in his arms.

"Don't touch me!" She stepped back wiping her tears, "I don't need anyone's support." She gathered herself.

"Give me my Mangalsutra back!" She forwarded her hand, her voice a bit stable.

Aman looked at her with regret, removing his wallet from his pocket, where Mangalsutra was kept securely.

She snatched the thread from his hand, "You dare to take it again!" She warned him turning back on her heels.

It took a minute for Aman to go behind her, as she took her packed luggage towards the exit.

"Where are you going Lavanyaji?" He was following her trying to stop her.

"To hell!" Came her reply.

"I will drop you!" He said without thinking as the door shut on his face.

._._._.

Arnav returned from his jog, a smile playing on his face as last night memories tingled him. The feeling of Khushi in his arms in bed was something like a beautiful dream, which he wanted to live forever happily.

'Is it the thing, people call as love?' He was imagining a future with her.

With a dreamy smile, he entered his bedroom to find HP packing things of Khushi in luggage bags.

"Madamji wants to shift in the opposite room!" HP said when he enquired.

._._._.

Aman was trying to call Lavanya but she was not picking up his calls.

He had thought she would go to Gupta Sadan but he was wrong.

"Lavi Didi has told me not to tell you but we are going out of Delhi!" Mohan, the trusted driver of Guptas had texted him sometimes ago.

._._._.

Arnav pinned Khushi to the cupboard, "You were not concerned about privacy since last month?"

When asked about her decision of shifting the room, she had given excuse of privacy.

"Do you want to imply that I have taken advantage of you yesterday." He knew that last night was the cause of it. "That's why you don't want to share room with me?"

"I haven't uttered a single word about last night Arnav!" She pushed him away as their proximity was affecting her, "I won't give you any explanation though. Think whatever you want to!"

"Then I think that, you are aware of the attraction between us, and instead of accepting it your are running away!" He tried to control his anger.

"I don't want to talk about it now. I am getting late." She rushed away from him taking car keys.

Before he could catch her she had gone away as he got Akash's call, "Neil is with me ASR!"

He put the phone back. 'Perfect person to release my frustration!'

._._._.

😘Thanks for you love ❤️

Take care 😉