Part 45 Guiltiness

"They can't punish Arnav even though they arrest him," Khushi said.

Arvind and Ratna looked at Khushi shockingly, hearing her talking about it.

"Khushi... do you know..."

Cutting Ratna,

"I know Aunty. Arnav is a werewolf"

Even though they guessed it before, the confirmation made them surprised and also delighted.

"But, how?"

"Arnav told me..."

They looked at Arnav who nodded yes. They were glad because Arnav would not have told her the truth just like that. He would have had a strong reason. Did she propose to him? They assumed.

"He told me when I proposed to him" Khushi added without hesitating, making Arvind and Ratna speechless, whereas Arnav understood she wanted to reveal the truth to his parents.

"He showed me the underground room too because he accepted my proposal and agreed to marry me. I want you to accept me as your daughter-in-law, Aunty. I really love Arnav so much"

Ratna looked at Arvind with teary eyes who looked overwhelmed.

"But, Khushi, after knowing the truth, how would you accept Chotte?"

"Just because he transforms once in a month, why would I change my heart, uncle? I love him. My love has values... it won't change, no matter what"

"What if your father..."

"He doesn't need to know the truth, uncle. It can remain secret"

"But..."

Cutting him,

"I don't think he will agree to this wedding if he gets to know the truth. I'm not going to back off even though he doesn't agree to the wedding. Then why should we let him know this, uncle? It's unnecessary. Please don't tell him. I will manage if he gets to know the truth in the future"

Arvind and Ratna were stunned to see her stubbornness.

"By the way, what about the murder? Was that you, who killed the man?" Khushi asked Arnav who was silent. She understood it was him.

"But how? Were not you getting tied up with a heavy chain on full moon nights...? Then, how did it happen?"

"A few months ago, the old chain could no longer hold my strength and had snapped. After that only Dad brought the new chain" Arnav said with repentance.

Khushi became thoughtful. So, after the old chain had snapped, Arnav would have come out of the house and gone to the reserve forest area. At the same time, the man would also have come there... Arnav who had already lost his senses due to the transformation killed the man.

"Why do you say, the police can't punish Chotte?" Ratna asked.

"Because it's not Arnav but the creature inside him who killed the man. Police can't punish him lawfully because it's not his fault. He can't hold himself when he transforms. He will even kill his parents because he doesn't know the difference. The law can punish the one who makes a mistake with SENSE. He would be senseless when he transforms. Then, no law can punish him"

Arvind nodded yes.

"Khushi is right. Even if they find out the truth, they can't prove, it's Chotte because no one knows about it"

Khushi looked at Arnav jerking, thinking about Sheetal because she knew the truth. She was the only one who knew everything about Arnav next to Khushi. There was restlessness on Arnav's face. He too thought the same it seemed. It would not be hard for the police to prove Arnav as a werewolf. he would transform into a werewolf on full moon day. If they arrested him on the full moon day, they would get to know he was a werewolf.

"I'm ready to accept the punishment," Arnav said making all of them shocked.

"I think I should surrender to the police" he added.

Before Arvind said anything, Khushi said.

"Don't talk rubbish, Arnie...!"

"No, Khushi... you have no idea how guilty I am. After all, I'm a murderer..." he gulped down hard.

"Why should you be guilty? Did you kill him intentionally? Or, was that a planned murder? It was an accident. You will kill anyone in your way when you become a werewolf. It's not your mistake. If a mentally ill person commits murder, it's not punishable lawfully. This is also the same. Don't address yourself as a murderer..."

"Khushi is right, Chotte. If you had seen us, when you came out of the room, breaking the chain, you would have killed us too. That's what your condition is when you transform. Why are you bothered? There is no chance for the police to reach you. No one can guess that you are a werewolf..."

"Sheetal knows..." Arnav said, making Arvind and Ratna nervous.

"She will definitely reveal the truth..." Arnav added.

"She may reveal the truth but she could not prove it...no one will believe her just because she says..." Khushi said.

"There is a chance because this case is getting severe... it came into the highlight. Let me surrender. Break the case if you can..." Arnav said feeling helpless.

Khushi moved towards him furiously. He grabbed his hand and kept it on her head.

"It's a promise, you should not make any stupid move like that"

"This is not stupidity, Khushi... police will surely reach me..."

"Let them reach. We can't do anything if it happens but before they find the truth, you don't have to surrender yourself. If you do something like that, you will not see me alive" Khushi warned, making the trio dumbfounded.

She went to the guestroom not wanting to give him a chance to speak more.

Arnav looked at his parents helplessly.

"Chotte, she loves you. How could she accept your decision? You should consider Khushi" Ratna said.

"We will face the case legally if you are arrested. Until then, don't think of anything and do your work, Chotte."

Arnav was silent.

"Chotte, Khushi is upset. Console her... give her hope... don't break her confidence... please..." Ratna said and went to the kitchen.

Arvind nodded yes and left the place. Arnav came to the guest room and saw Khushi sitting on her favorite screened bed but she was not in the mood to enjoy it. Arnav came to her and kneeled in front of her. Khushi looked at him silently. She looked upset, her face told him that.

"Are you angry with me?"

She averted her gaze.

"Can't you understand me, Khushi?"

"Can't YOU understand me, Arnie? What will my condition be if you leave me? Don't you think about me? How will I be without you?"

"I feel guilty, from the time, I got to know I killed a man..."

Cutting him,

"Get clear about something first, Arnie. It's not you... You don't have to be guilty of the mistake you had not done... it was not you but the WEREWOLF that lives in you WITHOUT your consent and ruling you on the full moon nights"

Arnav looked down. Khushi cupped his cheek and made him look at her.

"You too know you are not responsible. Right?"

Arnav slowly blinked his eyes.

"I'm here for you, Arnie. I will not let the law swallow you. I will easily break the case because there are many aspects to breaking the case. So, relax... ok?"

Arnav closed his eyes. Khushi lifted him by his shoulders and made him sit next to her. She sat facing him but said nothing. Arnav smiled as she gazed at him contently.

"Why are you looking at me, like this?"

"You are a nice man. I don't know why you are facing terrible problems in your life"

"It's all fate... what else?" he sighed.

"Don't lose hope. Every problem has a solution"

"I too thought the same when I got you. I think my life started traveling on the right path. You know, I started smiling only after you came into my life"

"I know... students called you Cold Blood Monster"

"But you called me, Calm and Beautiful Man. You always saw me differently..."

"Still seeing..." she smiled.

"You have no idea, how much I love you"

"Then how did you think of surrendering yourself to the police?"

Without answering to her, he lay on her lap. Taking her hand, he hugged it close to his chest. Khushi smiled. She caressed his hair lovingly, making him close his eyes. She kissed his forehead, bending down. Arnav gulped.

"Will you be with me even after the police arrest me?"

"Till my last breath..."

"What if I'm punished...?"

"I will not let it happen. I will get you out of the hands of the law... I will definitely do that"

Arnav turned towards and hugged her waist, burying his face in her stomach. Khushi closed her eyes, letting him be.

To be continued...