She sat down on the sofa silently, all the thoughts still running around in her mind, what decision was she supposed to make now? Why did everything get so confusing suddenly? She was so sure about her decision, why now out of nowhere she was having second thoughts about the decision she had already made?

What was she supposed to do now when she couldn't make just one final decision? Of course, she had to decide, she was either going to be with him or not, she couldn't just hang in between, that way she would always be stuck in the same place.

"Is everything okay? Where did Arnav take you?" Tara asked as she sat down beside Khushi and looked at her curiously.

"To see my mother." Khushi sighed.

"Isn't that supposed to be a good thing? Why aren't you happy about meeting your mother?"

"Because my mother is everything else but a mother, in fact she's a monster. I felt scared of her, you know children are supposed to feel safe with their mothers but I felt scared, my mother has done some horrible things that I can't ever forgive her for."

"So that's what has you worried?"

"No... Arnav has me worried. Tara I don't know what to do. I mean I don't know whether I should give Arnav another chance or stay firm on the decision I had made. A part of me believes that the decision I had made was right and I want to stick to it but now I'm having second thoughts about it." Khushi looked at Tara hoping she would be able to help.

"Well if it was the right decision, you wouldn't be having second thoughts and if you're having second thoughts it means it wasn't the right decision." Tara smiled.

"Is it that simple? To forgive and forget?"

"Who said you have to forgive and forget? You don't have to forget, if anything you have to remember so it keeps reminding you of the things you want and you don't want in your life. Everything that happens in our lives leaves a lesson behind, we are supposed to learn from it to make a better future.

Look I know a lot has happened between you and Arnav, and I cant even imagine what you must have gone through, but I can see how much you two love each other, and maybe there's a chance for that love working out, if you feel there is a chance, I think you should grab it.

We spend most our lives looking for love, someone to love us, someone to make us feel loved and special, if you've found that you should try to make it work."

"It's not as easy as you think Tara... the things he did to me were horrible. I mean we got married and he made me feel like all he only lusted for me."

"Oh My God! Did he force himself upon you?" Tara looked at me worriedly.

"No... When I refused to get intimate with him he backed out, he dint force me for it. But it doesn't change how it made me feel, like I was just there to satisfy his needs, I felt like I was his mistress and not his wife.

Now that everything is out in the clear, I know why he did that, I know why he behaved like that, and as much as I understand it, it's difficult to forgive him for it, after all, I was a human being and he dint treat me like one.

That's what I believed and that was why I was so sure about the decision I had made, but once I met my mother through his eyes, seeing her how he had seen her in the past, I realized what a monster she was, and how she influenced him and his mind.

That woman could do unspeakable things without having no remorse whatsoever and that is why somewhere now I feel, that yes, he might be wrong, he misunderstood things but that was my mother's fault, he was a child, she put it all in his mind.

I am stuck Tara, I really don't know what the right decision anymore is. When I close my eyes, I can see the Arnav that was a beast to me, the one that had only lust for me, the one that brought another woman on our bed and when I open my eyes, I see my mother, and what she did to him and I see the Arnav that he really is, not the one that lusts for me but loves me, not the one that brought another woman to our bed but the one that tried so hard to ask for my forgiveness.

He is the Arnav I grew up with, the Arnav that was perfect to me, not the one he was when we were married and now I feel like the eighteen year old Khushi inside me wants that, she wants the Arnav that she knew, the Arnav that was her friend, the Arnav that would love her. I am yearning for his love Tara, but at the same time, I am scared."

"What scares you Khushi?"

"What if he brings another girl on our bed once again? What if he starts treating me like he did before, what would I do then?"

"You said it yourself Khushi, he did all that because of the misunderstanding, now it's clear, besides then he hated you, right now he loves you. Everything is different from before.

As a friend and your roommate all I can advice you is that maybe you don't get back together with him right away, maybe start it small, like you were friends this seven days, you saw what the real Arnav was like, the Arnav that had no misunderstandings, the Arnav that dint hate you.

Now it's time to take another small step, go out on dates with him, get to know this real Arnav better, take things slow, and when you get sure of everything, that's when you should make this decision.

If dating him changes your perception, turns your fears into trust then I don't think there would be any problem in you getting back with him but if those fears don't go away and you feel you still can't trust him, then you end it for good.

Maybe you need to see a bit more of the actual Arnav to make the decision. If he makes you sure that he would treat you like you deserve to be treated then perfect, if he doesn't make you feel that way then it's his loss." Tara smiled as she held Khushi hand and gave her an assuring look.

"You are right, that would make this easier for me." Khushi smiled.

"I know, I am so clever." Tara boasted.

"Thank you, Tara, I don't know what I would have done without you." Khushi pouted as she hugged her tightly.

"You did the same thing for me Khushi, I guess we were meant to help bring each other's lives on track." She giggled.

"Looks like it." Khushi smiled as she broke the hug and then stood up.

"I am so tired, I'll go freshen up and rest, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Have a good night." Khushi smiled at Tara as she walked into her room, things felt way easier now after getting Tara's advice. It was the last option she had to come to a final decision anyway.

*****

The next morning, Khushi woke up, took a quick shower and got ready. She had to go back to work and also go see Arnav and talk about the dating idea and if he was okay with it, they both could try it.

It was like finally after months, she felt some kind of peace, otherwise she had always been restless every now and then, for the first time in a long time, she had had a peaceful sleep where she wouldn't keep waking up at random hours of the night and struggle to get back to sleep.

Tara has already left for work so she decided to leave too thinking she would eat breakfast at work, but first she had to pass by Arnav's place.

She drove to the Raizada mansion but dint find Arnav there, the servants informed her that he had left for the office early in the morning so she drove to his office nervously.

She dint even know why she was so nervous about this, it wasn't like they were getting back together, it was just a proposal she had which now that she thought of it, dint seem fair to Arnav.

What if they go out on dates and everything and in the end she decides not to be with him, would it be fair for him to invest so much time and feelings into something that might never happen?

She parked the car outside his office and wondered if she should go in or not, was this really the right thing to do? Well she had made her decision and it wasn't like she was forcing him for the whole dating thing, he can do it if he wants and refuse if he doesn't, it was upon him, as long as she made everything clear to him.

She sighed and stepped out of the car as she headed inside, she talked to the receptionist who immediately recognized her as Arnav's wife and led her towards his cabin, dint anyone know that they were divorced or what?

She stood outside his cabin nervously for a moment and then knocked at the door and walked in. As she opened the door, both their eyes met, Arnav had this huge smile curve up on his face immediately as he stood up and rushed towards her.

"Khushi! What a pleasant surprise, I wasn't expecting to see you." He smiled excitedly while Khushi just kept on staring at him in awe.

He had changed his look completely, he had cut his hair short once again, and shaved of the beard, and he was finally dressed like he used to, it was a nice feeling, seeing him like this after ages.