The day had been really busy for Khushi, she was continuously working and learning new things. Rohan even took her to the factory where they manufactured their clothes and showed her how it was all done.

She liked working and being busy like this because at least that somehow helped her keep her mind off Arnav, she tried not to think about him at all because every time she thought about him, he would feel hurt.

Once the day was over, she headed home, Rohan arranged a driver and a car for her to drop her and pick her everyday so that wasn't a problem anymore.

All she wanted to do now was work hard each and every day and become successful so she could show Arnav that the only reason she got married to him was because she loved him, if she needed money, she knew very well how to earn it on her own.

Those words he said to her, just kept on pricking her badly, she just couldn't digest the fact that her own husband could think so low of her no wonder she was working so hard to prove him wrong hoping one day she was going to achieve what she wanted.

Once she arrived home she headed in and found Arnav seated on the sofa as if he had been waiting for her.

"Where is Anjali?" Khushi asked one of the servants, completely ignoring Arnav.

"She went out with her friends, she said she will be back late today so you and Arnav sir shouldn't wait for her at dinner." The servant replied.

Khushi nodded as she headed upstairs to her room, Arnav stood up immediately and followed her. Once they were in the room, he shut the door, all the while Khushi just kept on trying to ignore him.

"Where were you the entire day?" Arnav asked.

"And who are you to ask me that?" Khushi folded her arms and looked at him seriously. Arnav seemed really angry at her.

"I am your husband, I have all the damn right to ask that." He replied as he clenched his fists tightly.

"I thought so too, but the honeymoon period is over and I've woken up to realize if you were really my husband you wouldn't be having a girlfriend while being married to me.

So yes Arnav, you might be my husband because we are married, but I no more consider you my husband, isn't that what you wanted anyway?" She asked.

"Okay, so now you're showing me your true colors huh? Where did the naïve and innocent Khushi go? The one that was so naïve that she dint even know what a kiss felt like. It was all just an act wasn't it?" Arnav asked.

"IF you think so, I don't have time to explain things to you anyway." Khushi walked away and tried to find clothes to change into.

Arnav came from behind and grabbed her, he turned her wrist on the back and held it tightly as he looked at her angrily.

"Is this how you show me you are a man and have power over me?" Khushi asked.

"Yeah go all feminist on me now. What is this all for huh? What are you trying to show me Khushi? How naïve and innocent and pure you were and then I came into your life and turned you into this? You can't blame this on me, you were like this from before, hell even worse than this.

It was just a mask you were wearing and now the mask has come off, this is the real you, the innocent and naïve and pure Khushi was just an act, I know you better than anyone get it, so don't try to fool me." Arnav said angrily.

"I wish you knew better Arnav." Khushi said as she pushed him away and headed to the bathroom straight away, she locked the door, turned on the shower and stood under it.

She dint get why Arnav hated her this much, what had she done to him?

*****

Flashbacks

He tossed and turned around on his bed trying to get some sleep but the noises coming from the room beside him wouldn't let him. He was a very light sleeper so even the tiniest bit of noise wouldn't let him sleep.

He decided to go downstairs and get some water to drink from the kitchen so he got out of his bed and headed to the kitchen, he filled a glass of water from the filter and started drinking when his eyes fell on the little girl sleeping on the sofa in the hall.

He put the glass aside and slowly tiptoed towards her to get a better look, when he got closer he realized it was Khushi, his father's friends daughter, but what was she doing here? Why was she sleeping on the sofa and not at her house?

He sat down beside her and kept on staring at her, she looked so peacefully asleep and when she was asleep she looked like the most innocent person in the world.

He sat there staring at her and admiring her, she was so beautiful and so innocent, it was hard not to stare at her. The innocence she had always made her so attractive.

Flashback Ends

"I really wish you were the same tiny innocent Khushi that I saw sleeping on the sofa that day in my house, I would have been happy to call her my wife." Arnav said to himself.

Just then Khushi walked out of the bathroom still ignoring him while Arnav just kept on staring at her wondering have things would have been different between them right now if she hadn't chosen the path the chose, then maybe he wouldn't hate her this much nor treat her like this.

Every time he looked at her, she reminded him of a lot of things that could have been different. He always tried to himself that he shouldn't judge him by the path she chose as a child, she was just a kid then who dint know what was wrong or right, but then it was too big for him to just let it go like that.

Maybe she dint deserve the hatred he had for her, but it was there and he knew that no matter what, it was always going to be there.

"Don't look at me like that, I know you think I married you for money but don't worry, I've got a job, once I earn enough for a living I'll leave you and your house for good, I don't like being a burden on anyone." Khushi said.

"Oh I'm sure finding a job isn't hard for you." Arnav said.

"Why do you say it like it's easy for me to find a job Arnav? Maybe it is for you because of your father's name, for me it's not, I dint grow up in a rich family, I studied hard and unlike you I need to work hard to get paid." Khushi said.

"Yes Khushi, I know exactly how hard." He smirked at her and then walked out of the room, When she wasn't in front of him, he couldn't stop having second thoughts about her, but whenever he looked at her, it reminded him of every reason why he hated her.

Khushi sat down on the bed feeling broken, she couldn't stop wondering why Arnav even agreed to get married to her if he hated her so much. Why was he punishing her like this? Why was he behaving this way with her? She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask him but she knew even if she asked, he wasn't going to give her an answer.

She picked up her phone and dialed Rohan's number who received her call immediately.

"Rohan." She said with a trembling voice.

"Yes Khushi." He said.

"Can I talk to you please? You told me if I needed someone to talk to, you'll be there for me, I need to talk." Khushi said trying to control her tears.

"Sure, you can come at my place, we'll talk, I'll text you the address."

"Okay." Khushi disconnected the call and in the next few seconds, a message popped up with the address of Rohan's house.

She picked up her bag and headed downstairs, Arnav wasn't anywhere to be seen so she figured he must have left.

When she walked out of the house, she found him seated outside in the garden, he looked like he was lost in some deep thoughts.

He stood up as soon as he saw her and walked towards her.

"What now?" Khushi asked.

"Are you really as innocent as you seem to be Khushi?" He asked, it was confusing, one moment he was saying her innocence and everything was just an act and then the next moment he was asking her if it was real, why he was so confused.

"I never said I was innocent Arnav, people just have that idea of me according to my behavior. You know what though? Whether I'm innocent or not, it shouldn't change that I am a human being first and I at least deserve to be treat like that if nothing else." She looked at him with moist eyes.

"It's not like I force myself to hate you Khushi."

"Its not like you're trying not to hate me either Arnav, I don't even know what I did for you to hate me like this Arnav. All I ever wanted was to get married to you and have a happy life, little did I know that things were going to be different.

Anyway, I need to leave, I promise I'll leave this big house of yours as soon as I can so you don't have to tolerate me." Khushi said as she headed towards the gate to leave.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I am sorry but I would have really liked to answer that question if it came from someone who cared for me, maybe like Anjali, I don't find it necessary to answer you because why would you care about me anyway." Khushi shrugged as she walked away leaving him in thoughts.

As much as he wanted to think otherwise of her he just couldn't, what he saw and lived in his childhood wasn't something he could question, it happened in front of his own eyes, he heard it with his own ears, how could he believe otherwise despite having proof for it?