Part 14 Aman Mathur

Arnav got a call from Karan. Arnav attended the call and asked,

"What happened, Karan?"

"ASR, Mr Gowda has fixed the meeting at Hotel PARADISE."

The second Arnav heard the word hotel Paradise; he got nervous. After that incident, he never went to that hotel. He had been avoiding going to the hotel ever since that incident. Whatever the event or function, he always avoided going to the hotel, but it was different this time. This was an unavoidable event. He had been waiting for this deal for a very long time, and the person who had arranged the event was a senior contractor of his company. Arnav had considerable respect for him. So, out of no other option, he had to go there.

Evening

Arnav went to the hotel, and his heart was in dilemma when he walked to the conference hall. His eyes stared directly at room number 108 for a few seconds. The events from back then flashed in front of his eyes. An unforgettable voice echoed in his ears while he walked towards the conference hall.

"Leave me... it pains... Babuji, where are you? Please come and save me."

He saw a familiar face that angered him, but the person opposing him reacted oppositely. The person was pleased and excited. She was none other than Vidhula. Arnav ignored her and walked faster, but she blocked this way.

"Are you still angry with me? How many years will you stay angry? When will you accept me?" She questioned him and continued, saying Arnav didn't mind answering her.

"You have no choice. You must accept me at some point...mark my words," Vishula challenged him.

Arnav's face reddened hearing that.

"Me and accepting you? No way... I will forgive you for your mistake, but I will never forgive you for what you made me do..." Arnav said with lousy anger.

Then he didn't stand there and just walked past her.

Someone smiled at him when he was about to enter the conference hall. Arnav stood, looking at him stunningly. Arnav identified him. The same receptionist had been on duty on Payal's birthday.

"Sir, you here? How are you, sir?"

"I'm fine. Could you still remember me?" Arnav asked surprisingly.

"Yes sir, I do because the incident was not forgettable."

Arnav gulped down hard.

"Now, I'm the manager of this hotel, sir..."

"Oh... that's great..." Arnav walked, but he stopped thinking something and looked at him.

"Did you ever meet the girl in the past five years?"

"No, sir. That was the first and last time I saw her. After that, I didn't meet her anywhere."

The manager saw the disappointment in Arnav's face.

"I will inform you if I see her anywhere, sir."

"You said that was the first and last time you met her. Still, could you identify her?"

"Of course, I can do it, sir."

"How could you be so confident?"

"The way she ran crying is still in my mind. She looked so beautiful and naïve too..."

Arnav gulped down hard and walked hurriedly.

After three days

"Mom, Karan said there is a house in our area. I will pick up Khushi and take her to show the house," Arnav said.

"If so, go a little earlier and drop Aashi at the school."

"Yeah, I'm going to do the same," Arnav said, stuffing the bread in his mouth.

Arnav stood up.

"Are you coming with me to meet Aashi?" He asked.

"No... tomorrow is Saturday, and Aashi's school will be closed. She will come to RM tomorrow, and I will meet her then."

"Ok..." Arnav left RM.

He came to Khushi's house and knocked on the door. Khushi opened the door and smiled at Arnav.

"What a surprise...!" Khushi smiled.

"Mr. Puzzle..." Aashi shouted with her mouthful, who was having her breakfast.

"Hi, Ms. Smile" Arnav walked in.

He sat on the chair next to Aashi.

"There is a house in my area. Come and have a look. If you like it, we will finalise it," Arnav said.

"Is it? That's great... I will come," Khushi said, washing her hands.

Taking a plate, she kept a roti and potato curry. She extended it to Arnav.

"I just had breakfast."

"No problem. This one roti won't make you fat." She stuffed the plate into his hand.

Arnav started having it smilingly.

"We will go after dropping Aashi at the school," Arnav said.

"Are you guys going, leaving me?" Aashi asked, pouting.

"I will take you tomorrow as your school is on holiday," Arnav said.

"Really?" she asked, widening her eyes cutely.

"Yup..."

"Ok.... But why don't you say anything?" Aashi asked with a cute anger.

"About what, Baby?" Arnav asked, chewing the roti.

"Look at me" " she said, making a face.

Arnav looked at Khushi, raising his brows as if he could not understand what she wanted.

Khushi gestured for him to look at her uniform.

"Oh... are you in uniform... Wow, looking so cute...I'm sorry, beta. I didn't notice it in a hurry... I'm sorry..."

"Shall we take a selfie?" She asked.

"Why not?" Taking his phone, Arnav captured a selfie, kneeling to her height.

"Mom, you too come..." Aashi called Khushi.

Khushi rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Khushi, we are getting late", Arnav said.

Khushi came to them and kneeled on the other side of Aashi. Arnav showed it to Aashi. She hopped, clapping.

"I will send it to Mom. Now, let's go."

Taking Aashi's bag, Arnav walked out. Khushi and Arnav dropped Aashi off at school.

They went to see the house. When they crossed a shopping mall, Khushi said,

"Arnav, could you please wait for a few minutes? I want to buy something for my kitchen..."

"Yeah, sure..."

Arnav stopped the car. He dropped Khushi in the shopping mall.

"I will just come..."

"Take your time", he smiled.

Khushi headed to the shopping mall to buy needy things.

That was when Arnav got a call from his manager, Karan.

"Yeah, Karan..."

"ASR, Mr Negi requested us to postpone the meeting because he can't attend the meeting due to some health issue."

"Oh... ok, inform it to others."

Ok, ASR"

"See you" Arnav disconnected the call and saw someone blocking Khushi's way. Arnav frowned. Who was the man? Getting out of the car, he rushed to them. When he came close to them, he stopped hearing the man asking,

"Why did you betray me, Khushi?"

Arnav was shocked. Betray? He could not see Khushi's facial expression because she was facing her back to him. Arnav didn't know who the man questioning Khushi was.

"I didn't betray anyone" Khushi's voice was firm.

"Touch your heart and say, didn't you betray me?"

"Words I utter come from my heart only."

"Didn't you share the bed with someone after our wedding was fixed?"

Arnav was shocked. What kind of question was this? Was Khushi such a girl? No way. It must be a misunderstanding.

"I didn't share the bed with anyone", Khushi replied without even a second.

"Didn't you come home all messed up after spending a night with someone? Isn't it true?" the man's voice was angry.

"If anyone sees you with me now, they will think we are in touch. Is it true?" Khushi snapped.

"What are you trying to prove, Khushi?"

"Not everything we see can be true... I agree I was caught red-handed because that was what THEY wanted. I was spiked... I was dropped off somewhere in the hotel. I don't know how I ended up in the room. I didn't share the bed with anyone, but it happened... without my consent, without my wish, without my acceptance...! I was RAPED that day. I don't even know who the hell he was..." She chocked.

More than the man, Arnav was shocked. He felt like someone was hitting his head with a hammer.

"Why didn't you tell that to your family?"

"I did, but no one was ready to trust me...That was why I left India."

"Who spiked your drink?"

"What would you do knowing that?"

"Khushi, some questions are unnecessary..."

"Someone who didn't want us to get married did that. That's all I can say."

"I can't believe this"

"Dr. Aman Mathur... you are a nice man. Knowingly or unknowingly, I hurt your feelings. That's why I'm talking to you about something I never want to discuss."

"If you never discuss, how will you get justice?"

"Justice? What will I gain after losing everything, Dr. Aman? Even though if I get justice, is it worth it?"

She nodded NO.

"What I lost is lost. No one can change what happened in the Hotel PARADISE that made my life HELL."

Arnav felt like the whole blood from his body drained hearing the hotel name PARADISE.

To be continued...