26 Decision

"She could have, but Seema would be safe, and she didn't want that to happen... How could she let the person be happy who wanted to destroy me?" Arnav asked with pride that he had never done in his life.

"But, how does Khushi know about Seema's plan?" Akash asked.

"She didn't tell me when I asked her..." Arnav said, not wanting to bring Asha's name up. He had already decided not to reveal Asha's name. At the same time, he was fully set to reveal Seema.

"Thank God Khushi learned about her plan. Otherwise, I don't know your condition," Akash said.

Arnav nodded affirmatively.

"I would have lost my job. Or, I might have been in jail..." He said seriously.

"I don't know Seema would be so arrogant..." A professor said with an unbelievable expression.

"Do you know what she said while calling me?" Arnav asked.

"What?" Came from a few.

"She said, I was like her brother," Arnav said, sarcastically.

All of them looked at him in shock. They didn't expect Seema to be so foxy. How would anyone think the woman with a high profile could stoop so low as to take revenge on someone?

"I went to her place only respecting those words of hers," Arnav sighed.

"Don't know whom to trust..." One of them said.

Arnav was silent.

"Don't trust anyone. No one is trustworthy here, " one of them said.

"Don't say like that. Not everyone is like Seema. There are some selfless girls like Khushi, too." Akash said.

The others nodded affirmatively. Arnav thought about Khushi, thankfully. The girl who seemed soft and naive had unimaginable guts. He thought and knew it was not just a matter of guts. She would not have taken a risk if it had not been about HIM. She did that for Arnav.

The peon who crossed the staff room heard their talks. He was shocked and told another person. When he did that, Khushi's classmate heard it. He was also shocked because he didn't know Khushi was that brave. He came to the class and saw Khushi lying on the desk. Not because she was weak. She just fell to... She felt much better now because her mind was happy.

Our mind and body are indeed inextricably connected. If our minds are sad, no medicine could heal even a simple disease. If our minds are happy, our bodies will heal any critical disease quickly.

That was what happened with Khushi. She was happier than ever before because something blissful started happening in her life. That chased the viral fever away from her body.

"Hi..." He slightly tapped her desk.

Khushi looked at him, jerking. He was Karan. He didn't like Seema as he was also a part of the students' welfare club.

"You are awesome, Khushi... You have done a great job. This kind of woman should be punished this way only..." He flattered her.

Khushi understood who he was talking about, but not the students around her understood that! She smiled.

"What is he talking about?" Jane asked Khushi.

She nodded no and said,

"Nothing... I just..."

"Nothing...? The whole college is talking about you..." Karan said.

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked him.

"Khushi became a talk of our college. Do you know what she did to Seema madam?"

Jane nodded, not looking at Khushi, whereas all the students looked at them and gathered around them.

"What did you do, Khushi?" Arjun asked.

"Seema madam was full set to take revenge on Arnav sir, for not accepting her love. She called him and said someone had entered her house and was trying to misbehave with her." Karan said.

"Did Arnav, sir, believe her words?" Arjun asked.

"Yes, because she said, she was like his sister..."

"Is it?"

"Yes, she called him and the other side, she called our principal and told him Arnav sir is trying to rape her."

"Rape her? How cheap...!"

"Yes, she is so cheap. She called him to her house only to accuse him."

"Oh my God... Then how did he escape?"

"It's Khushi who saved him..."

"How Khushi?" Jane asked.

Khushi smiled, not answering.

"Tell us, Khushi..."

"I didn't do anything. It's all a coincidence..."

"What coincidence?"

Khushi decided to tell them the truth before someone built it up, as it was about Arnav, but not about her plan.

"I had a fever last evening. My aunt was not at home. So, I called Arnav. He came to my home and took me to the hospital. When we returned home, I felt like vomiting. So he stopped the car in front of the police station. A police man saw Arnav and thanked him for helping his son become a nice person. That was when Seema called and told him someone was trying to misbehave with her. As Arnav didn't expect, the police man accompanied him to Seema's house. Arnav rushed inside and was shocked to see Seema with torn clothes. He was confused seeing our principal coming. Seema ran to him and complained that Arnav raped her. The police man who went with Arnav was shocked by her accusations and told the principal everything."

"Oh, okay, but what's your part in the story?" a girl asked. She was Vibhavi.

Khushi knew she was Seema's favourite student.

Khushi was silent as she didn't want to answer her.

"Let me guess... she would have purposely stopped that car in front of the police station. Am I right? Arjun guessed right.

Khushi didn't answer him either. Vibhavi understood that was what Khushi did.

"Is it, Khushi?"

Khushi fell silent. Students around them were shocked, hearing,

"Why did you do that, Khushi?" Vibhavi asked. They all frowned at her.

"I agree that what Seema mam did is wrong. It does not mean you have to send her to jail. You could have stopped Arnav, sir, from visiting her house. Then she would not have lost her respect. After all, she is our professor. You could have considered her position. Couldn't you have punished her without spoiling her respect?"

All the students looked at Khushi, wondering how she would deal with that senseless girl.

"Why should I have considered her respect? Did she think about Arnav's position and his respect before accusing him? Arnav is also our professor. What about his respect? Is it fine if he had gone to jail and lost his job? She wanted that to happen. She didn't mind about him then, why the hell should I mind about her? It was our bad luck that she became our professor. The woman with cheap and bad intentions doesn't deserve this respectful societal position. She thought people would trust her if she said anything, just because she is a woman. And you are arguing, talking her side. Do you think a woman like her deserves a second chance? What would you (she stressed) have done if you had been in my place? Would you forgive the woman who insulted your would-be husband?" She said all of them in a go and stopped panting hard.

Vibhavi had no words to defend herself.

"I didn't mean it..."

"Then what did you mean?" Khushi didn't give up.

Vibhavi left the place silently. Khushi looked at the entrance and saw Arnav gazing at her. It was clear that he heard her argument. Arnav entered the class and asked,

"How are you feeling now?"

That was the first time, he had behaved without caring about anything, and that surprised Khushi.

She nodded hurriedly.

"Your throat is already infected. Don't talk much." He said seriously, glancing at Vibhavi.

Khushi nodded, smiling.

Evening

Khushi came out of the class and saw Arnav waiting for her.

"I will drop you..." He said.

She nodded no.

"Why?"

"Aunty have sent a car..." She pointed at the car waiting outside the campus.

Arnav looked at the car and asked,

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Ok, let's go..." He came with her and saw a man waiting in the car.

Khushi sat in the car and waved at Arnav. He nodded and waited for her car to leave. He looked at the car. For the first time, he felt something as she didn't take his lift. He went to his car. Starting it, he drove towards his house.

Arnav came home and started his routine, but his mind was thinking about Khushi. Taking his phone, he dialled Khushi. She attended the call in the third ring.

"Hi, Arnie..." Her voice didn't sound weak.

"How are you?"

"Better like never before..."

"Mmm... Have you eaten anything?"

"Yes. Aunty gave me mush..."

"Take medicines..."

"Sure..."

He sensed her smiling.

"Ok, bye..."

"Arnie..."

"Yeah, tell me..."

"Thanks..."

"It must be me who should thank you,"

"No need... It's my duty..."

"Likewise, taking care of you is my duty."

"I don't thank you for taking care of me..."

Arnav was silent. He knew she would tell him why she thanked him.

"I thanked you for talking to me sweetly. It feels good. I think this is why I recovered quickly..."

"Whatever, don't do anything like this again. Tell me the matter instead of planning like a James Bond..."

"Ok..." She chuckled.

"It feels weird to see you submissive..." He said.

Khushi chuckled.

"Don't argue with anyone for me. Not everyone would accept our point"

"I don't care if she accepts my point. She has no right to teach me what I should do... She is Seema's favourite student. That's why she took her side,"

"Mmm... Just ignore her..."

"Mmm..."

"Take care... Bye..."

"Bye..."

Arnav disconnected the call, smiling. He kept the phone on the kitchen table and was about to continue cooking when he got another call in the next second. His face lit up, and he saw his father's number. He attended the call excitedly.

"Hello Papa..."

"How are you, my son?"

"I'm fine..."

"How is my daughter-in-law?" Arvind asked, teasingly.

As he didn't expect,

"She had a heavy fever yesterday, but now she is better..."

"Chotte, are you alright? Or, am I dreaming?"

"You are not dreaming and I'm alright.... Because of Khushi..."

"What do you mean?"

"The woman tried to trap me in her web cunningly..."

Cutting him off,

"Which woman?"

"The one in the name of professor..."

"Oh... Seema?"

"Mmm... If Khushi had not been there for me, you might not have spoken to me today..."

"Why?"

"I might have died..."

"Whaaaaat? What the hell were you talking about?"

"Yes, Papa, she was supposed to kill me literally. Then what's the point of being me alive?"

"What happened, Chotte? Why are you sounding emotional?"

Arnav told him the happenings. Arvind was shocked by Seema's plan. He knew Arnav's mindset about the job. According to him, it was not just a job but life.

"I told you. She will not leave your side but stand for you..."

"Yes, Papa. If she had not taken a risk, my condition would have been miserable..."

"Thank God, you understood her."

"Mmm..."

"I hope you will accept her"

"Papa, I already liked her, but my profession stopped me from accepting her. She, too, knew that. Yet, she respected my feelings and saved my respect. Then, how won't I accept her now?"

"It will be your life's best decision if you accept her. She is a lovely and lively girl. I understood that when I met her for the first time. I'm glad that you found your soulmate. I don't want anything more than that. My mind will be at peace..."

Arnav smiled.

"I know you loved your job like anything. Khushi is your student. What are you going to do? Are you going to wait until she completes her master's?"

"No, papa... I have decided something. I respect my job. At the same time, I respect her more. I don't want to make her wait for two years and put her under stress. So..."

"So?"

"I decided to resign from my job..." Arnav said, making Arvind stunned.

To be continued...