Part 28 What Truth?

Sheetal jerked feeling a touch on her shoulder. She turned behind and was shocked to see the same girl standing whom Arnav mentioned as his friend. It seemed she heard their talks. Sheetal looked at Khushi sharply, expecting her to start.

"Did you love Arnav?" Khushi asked her.

Sheetal so wanted to say, STILL but she simply nodded yes.

"Did he?"

Sheetal nodded no, gulping down. She saw relief in Khushi's face. That confirmed Khushi's stand.

"Why didn't he love you? What TRUTH did you talk about?"

"It must be Arnav who should tell you that," Sheetal said.

"But why? Why should not you tell me?"

"It's because the truth is like that"

Khushi was perplexed.

"if the truth is like that, how would he tell me that?"

"He may tell you if you say you are in love with him," Sheetal said smirking.

Khushi frowned. What did that mean? Khushi became thoughtful. That disappointed Sheetal. At some point, she expected Khushi to say, 'I don't love Arnav' but she didn't. So, Sheetal was sure that Khushi loved Arnav.

"Why so?" Khushi asked.

"You will get to know if you confess him your love"

"Could you tell me, what the truth is about?" Khushi asked restlessly.

"About your life... about your future... about your happiness...! If you are in love with him, change your mind. It won't work" she added.

Khushi felt a bang on her heart. Why won't it work?

"Why are you saying so?" Khushi asked, trying hard not showing her turmoil.

"The truth is like that. You can't bear it. It's such a truth that will tear your heart. He will tell you if you propose to him, I suppose," Sheetal said, trying to read her mind.

"How are you so confident?"

"I experienced it"

"Were you his friend?"

"No... he never had a friend in his life before you. You are the first one...maybe the last one...!"

Khushi could not get anything. What was the truth that would tear her heart and, Arnav wouldn't mind telling her that? If it tore her heart, Arnav should not tell her, right? How would he dare hurt her?

"Can't you tell me the truth?" Khushi asked for one last time.

Sheetal nodded no firmly.

Khushi started walking not wanting to stand there. She understood Sheetal would not tell her the truth. So, she didn't think there was a point in asking her about it. Her mind whirled in a storm. What kind of truth it was that had a connection with her life, future, and happiness? Khushi so wanted to propose to him but now, she was scared to do that. What if he stopped talking to her and kept a distance from her? Until a few minutes ago, she was so confident that Arnav also had feelings for her but now, after meeting Sheetal, she had a doubt about Arnav's feelings. What if he said 'You are ONLY my friend?' She could not think she could live without him. She felt like someone was slicing her heart mercilessly.

On the other side, Arnav was suffocating like hell. He didn't dare to face the truth. He didn't know what Khushi would do after knowing the truth. She might stop talking to him. She would not even like to look at his face. She would snatch the honor of being her friend. However, one day he had to tell her the truth. Or else, his life would not have VALUE. At the same time, the fear of losing Khushi threatened him like a ghost. He shouted his heart out making the birds in the woods wing stroke from the trees.

Night

Khushi didn't get sleep. She could not. She was thinking about Arnav and Sheetal. What truth did she talk about? Was Arnav a killer? She saw him hitting the rogues diabolically who tried to misbehave with her. Did he kill anyone in anger? Did his father hide it using his police power? Even though it was so, why would he tell her that if she would propose to him? Khushi sat on the bed and sighed. What was the new confusion? She came to the pooja room and sat in front of the DM idol, closing her eyes. She didn't ask for anything but, just to feel relaxed. After sitting for a while, she opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes fell on the box at DM's feet. She took the paper from the box in which the name ARNAV was written. She looked at DM.

"Why ARNAV is always mysterious, Devi Maiya? Please clear up all my confusion... I want Arnav. I love him very much. He should accept my proposal. You too know he loves me. Whatever the problem is, please show me a path to solve it. Be with me to get my Arnav... please..."

She went to her room and lay down. She felt her heart became light. She slept after a while.

The next day

Arnav came to the college and searched for NK. He saw him going to the class with Lavanya. He walked fast.

"Did you call Khushi?" NK asked Lavanya.

"I did... but her father attended it as she was sleeping"

"Will she come to the college today?"

"I don't know. Poor she, faced a worse..." Lavanya said.

"NK..." Arnav called him.

They turned behind and saw Arnav.

"Will you do me a favor?" Arnav asked.

NK wondered. Arnav and asking a favor? Arnav looked at Lavanya and said,

"You too..."

She nodded ok without thinking because she knew it must be about Khushi. After all, Arnav would not ask anything for himself.

They saw Khushi entering the college. A few girls surrounded her to know what happened that day. Arnav rolled his eyes and walked to them. Clutching her hand, he started dragging her with him. He didn't want them to remember Khushi anything again that would make her upset. Khushi followed him smiling. They came to their class and sat at their place.

"How is the headache?" she asked casually.

"Gone..."

"I would have massaged your head if you had come to my house"

Arnav was silent.

"By the way, you should come to my house for lunch tomorrow"

Arnav looked at her and said nothing.

"Won't you ask me the reason?"

"It's your birthday," he said in a soft tone.

"Hey... how do you know my birthday?"

Arnav smiled.

"That's MY Arnie...! You have concerns about me... right?" she smiled.

Arnav was silent.

"Come tomorrow"

Arnav nodded and Khushi sighed.

"I'm going to invite our class guys," Khushi said.

"Are you going to celebrate your birthday grandly?"

"It's my Dad who wants to do that. I would not have celebrated it if our TRIP had not been canceled..."

"He loves you so much, right?" he changed the topic.

"What's the big deal? Every father loves their children... but your love for me is different... it's unconditional... right?" She asked reading his expression and finding him suffocating.

He so wanted to tell her the truth but something blocked his throat.

"We are friends... after all..." he said.

Khushi smiled making him swallow hard. She was supposed to say something, but the professor entered the class. She stopped talking about it. Though she didn't want to talk about it then, she planned to talk to him on her birthday. She wanted to know whether Arnav would react in the way Sheetal said. More than that, she wanted to know the truth of Arnav's life. She wanted to know what truth made Arnav's life different and wired...! Didn't Sheetal say, he would tell her the truth if she proposed to him? So, she was ready to propose to him on her birthday.

The professor looked at Khushi and asked,

"Are you all right, Khushi?"

Khushi nodded yes.

He was about to start the lesson but stopped seeing Arnav standing.

"Vedika..." Arnav called.

She looked at him jerking and Khushi was surprised.

"When Khushi returned from the Campfire, why did you tell Khushi that I was waiting for her?"

Vedika was horrified. She looked at the professor and then at Students who were looking at her.

"She went behind the building searching for me only because you said I was waiting there. Why did you lie to her? Who asked you to send her there?"

"What are you asking? When did I tell her you were waiting there? I didn't do it. Don't I have any other work? Why are you dragging me into this?"

"Why are you lying, Vedika? You told me that. That's why I went behind the building..." Khushi said.

"Stop lying, Khushi... I didn't do it... do you have a witness to prove?" She challenged.

Lavanya and Preethi stood up.

"We are the witnesses... we were playing cards in the room when she told Khushi that Arnav was waiting for her," Lavanya said.

"Lie... it's a pure lie... they were sleeping when I went to their room" Vediaka blurt out.

Lavanya looked at the Professor and said,

"That's all your honor...!"

The professor glared at Vedika.

"How cheap...! Was that you who brought her from her room? We were confused about why Khushi went to the place at the time... don't you feel ashamed to say yourself a girl?" The professor asked wrathfully.

"I know Khushi would not have gone there without someone's assistance because it was me who sent her to her room. When I asked Khushi, she told me, that Vedika was the one who did that... I already informed Shashi uncle... I mean, Khushi's father about it. The police will come to take her" Arnav said and Khushi looked at him surprisingly.

"Sir, please don't do that. Our family reputation will become a question mark..." Vedika pleaded.

Before the professor said anything, Arnav took the lead.

"What about Khushi...? Doesn't she have a reputation? Do you know what they tried to do to her? What if something horrible happened to her? Why the hell did you do that?" He sneered.

"She is jealous of Khushi... that's why she did that," Lavanya said.

Vedika glared at her.

"Don't glare at her. I have recorded your statement of accepting you went to their room..." NK showed his mobile.

A few students tapped the desk in the manner of appreciating him. Vedika's face drained.

Arnav dialled someone and they saw Police entering the college. They arrested Vedika and took her with them.

To be continued... 

Note: the next few updates are available on INKITT.