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I am overwhelmed with the response of last chapter.. Thank you for loving this story...

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~ Withered with hurt ~

Part Two

Flashback..

Same day..

Late Evening.....

RI...

Arnav's chain of thought was broken seeing a very disappointed yet angry looking Karan infront of him..

Then and there, Arnav Roy knew something very big, like a storm, is coming on its way...

" Karan , you at this late hour? Anything important?" Arnav asked while his voice was shaking badly anticipating the upcoming storm.

Karan did not reply for few moment but just stare at him with his cold eyes..

" Where were you last night?" Karan started with the most awkward question ever.

Arnav did not look at him in the eye, but answered, " At Farmhouse. Why?"

" Next time when you need some alone time away from RM, please don't switch off your mobile phone.. I am PA at your office but not your PR to hide the rumors of your personal life.." Karan told looking coldly at Arnav.

" I did not get you.. Wait, did Khushi call you yesterday? She must be very worried, How she is .. I mean.." Arnav suddenly stops his rant while his heart thumb violently anticipating the pain his wife is going through.

"Just for one more day.. Tonight I will erase every wrong doing of mine and everything will be same as before my love.." Arnav thought internally.

He comes back to reality hearing Karan's voice. " No.. Khushiji did not call me. She is not a person who will disturb people unnecessarily. Your family members, infact Aditya and Kuhuji had called me to know about their beloved brother. And also they were worried why their brother and their guest Saina were vanished together for the NIGHT even..." Karan spat like a venom while his face clearly showing the disgust he is holding for Arnav.

" What? What do you mean by Saina and me vanished together for night? How dare you Karan? I was in my Farmhouse with Arshi.. and you.." Arnav stands up from his seats in blind rage while Karan just smirked.

" This is not my words.. I am just rephrasing the words which the air is carrying nowadays AR.. Your sister asked me, " do I have an idea what is going in between you and Saina? Kuhuji also asked who appointed Saina without any proper interview ? And Aditya sir said that as She is your 'special friend" you are sparing her irrespective of her unprofessionalism.." Aditya takes a pause looking at a dumbfounded Arnav ahead.

" WHAT THE..." Arnav just able to produce those words, he was too shocked after listening his family members assumption about him and Saina..

" Why are you so shock? They are right in their place to think like that.. Though their eyes opened very late but at least finally they are seeing.. Since the time Saina has entered in your life, you have forgot everything it seems.. No wonder why Khushiji did a DNA test." said clearly not giving any scope to Arnav for his self defense.

" You knew about the DNA test? How?" Arnav was shocked beyond imagination.. How much he has ignored about his surrounding?

"Off course I knew.. I was the one who accompanied Khushiji and collected the DNA report.." Karan said making Arnav weak in his knees.. That means there is some other reasons for Khushi to do the DNA test.. It's not lack of trust...

" So, that means, there is a strong reason for Khushi to do the DNA test, it's not just her lack of trust.." Arnav mumble while Karan chuckle a little..

" You surely did not understand Khushiji till today.. Questioning about her trust and love on you, is a sin, nothing else AR.. anyways, let me move forwards,,, where was I... yes... about the rumors... the media is speculating about the dates of your divorce with Khushiji and your second marriage with Saina Kapoor already.." the moment Karan paused and looked at Arnav, he felt pity looking at Arnav's while, pale face like a ghost..

"If he once used his sane brain while dealing with his personal relationship with Khushiji, this kind of problem never would have occurred. But AR and his twisted way.." Karan sigh internally..

" Don't be so shocked AR.. You are a public figure, your every move has been stalked.. After the comeback of Saina, after her joining in AR, you accompanying her in every party leaving Khushiji behind, attending HER son's father's day function, playing basket ball with HER forgetting Khushiji, going out with dinner dates along with her and Arshi only, those incidents were not enough that yesterday, you took Saina to Arshi's PTM, instead of Khushiji ? Great... Yesterday, someone has totally observed your every move and it was enough for the media to speculate.. Infact they had some close pictures of yours and Saina's to put the ghee on the fire... Rumors had spread in no time.. It takes real hard efforts of mine and our PR team, to not publish those gossips in the news papers... But for how long? And I also wonder, is it still a RUMOR or became truth actually?" The moment Karan stop Arnav had tears in his eyes.. He could not take it more.. Because he is now able to see the destruction of his life done by his own hand...

There was a pin drop silence until Karan speaks further, " This is a file which needs your special attention.. After all its content information about your ex girlfriend and present "rumored flame" Saina Kapoor.." with that Karan was about to leave the cabin and Arnav whispered, " You are leaving me?"

" No.. AR.. But I would have been happy, if I was able to leave you after whatever you have done to Khushiji this time... I am sorry to say but you have failed as a husband.. and the low blow was dragging Arshi in this mess.. I will be back till you read the file containing Saina's details.. I am going to accompany now Arshi who is in the next cabin.. Riya will leave and I will be there with Arshi till you complete reading the file.. She is really very sad today.." with that Karan left the cabin behind..

Arnav sat down perplexed trying to decipher Karan's words..

What did he just said about the rumors around regarding him and Saina being together as a couple? How rubbish.. and above all his family members, his di also enquired about his relationship with Saina.. and it seems that Khushi's DNA test is very natural against all the reactions.. After all she is the wife who has been going through all the heartbreak her husband is putting her...

Did Khushi heard about the rumors? May be yes, and how she is handling all those alone when her own Husband is staying away from her, forcing her believe on those utter lie.

And another thought knock down Arnav's already sinking soul.. He has been away from RM since yesterday.. He did not inform Khushi where he is and why ... even his family members also have no clear idea.. He had just informed that he will not return home today along with Arshi..

Besides Saina is not in RM...

Arnav pulled his hair in frustration...

Yesterday he and Arshi along with Saina went to PTM and after the bitter realization, Arnav along with Arshi spend the remaining day and that night in farmhouse, but before that he had dropped Saina at RM .. Then why Karan is telling his family is worried about his and Saina's whereabouts?

Arnav froze for a moment when realization sank upon him..

Did Saina not returned to RM or even worse did Saina say something to Khushi and then disappeared, like portraying that She is spending her nights with Arnav, Khushi husband who is deliberately ignoring her since the time Saina has entered back in his life...

Arnav gulp down his uneasiness.. No.. This cannot be true.. Saina cannot stoop so low.. She was once his classmate.. She can not deliberately breaks his happy household..

Arnav was so much in guilt and self loathing that he was spending his time in farmhouse with Arshi after coming from PTM yesterday.. He wanted to clear his thoughts before going to Khushi..

Surprisingly, This alone time really worked wonder to clear his confusion and rage.. Arshi too came out from the haze name " Saina aunty" and she was just asking about her "mom"..

But now when Arnav looks at those past weeks, specially yesterday whole day and night, he felt very wrong.. He is clearly unaware about what false news Saina had spread in his absence in RM, but Arnav is sure Saina had done something and that's why Khushi did not called him for once since yesterday .. Precisely, since the time he had left for attending the PTM tagging Saina with him...

Arnav did not want to assume things but the mere thought that Saina MIGHT had fill up Khushi's mind that she is going to spend her nights with Arnav, made him nauseated.. But he holds himself.. No this is not the time to sit and cry.. He has to act quickly.. and first thing is to remove the thorn name Saina from their life, from RM and AR.. With that thought Arnav finally open the file provided by Karan with a shivering hand.

And the content just blew up his mind..

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS?

In the file it was clearly written that....

Saina was staying at Mumbai in a colony after his boyfriend dumped her. She never went to states after completing her study.. She used to work here in India only. First at Bangaluru then at Manipal and latest at Mumbai.. She did not have a good career report.. Saina did lose her job mainly due to her unprofessional behaviour.. Besides, in one company in Manipal she tried to seduced the Married CEO of that company who had slammed a case against her... Saina had numerous boyfriend but her relationships did not stays long.. According to the report her last boyfriend dumped her due to her infidelity..

After that Saina maintain a low profile life in Mumbai and then she adopted a child from an orphanage suddenly.."

Wait what? Adopted child from orphanage?

And trained him in basket ball and....

Arnav sat on his leather chair with a thud.. His head was spinning...He could not able to read further.. Those information was enough to open his eyes that Saina was here in Delhi, in RM with a motive..

She has adopted a child and trained him in such a way so that everyone forced to believe that he is just like Arnav...

Arnav just recalled his own family members comments on the similarities between him and Mehul.. Their food habit, their hobby, way of dressing, talking.. so similar..

Heck.. how is that possible?? Arnav had his own child Arshi.. But she is a mixture of both him and Khushi.. So, how can Mehul only get his trait not his mother's? It's only possible if someone could train him to act like Arnav..

Another thought struck in Arnav's mind, why Mehul called himself as Mehul Roy, when his mother name is Saina Kapoor? Shit.. Why did not this thought came in his sharp brain?

"Because she was your classmate years ago and your ex girlfriend too.. You just TRUSTED on her." Arnav's brain reasoned and it stab him brutally that yes, he trusted Saina but did not able to trust on his own wife of 6 years in this whole fiasco..

Arnav closed the file and sat quietly.. The haze is now clear.. Saina Kapoor researched on her ex boyfriend of few months quiet a lot.. Then plan to trap him claiming of being his child's mother.. She planned everything for her secure future..

Arnav smiled ruefully.. Saina had just planned but may be she was not sure about the outcome.. But his ego, hidden pain and uncontrollable anger just made Saina plan smooth and she already achieved a lot...

Saina had earned a place in RM and RI..

Saina successfully made his family members almost to believe that Mehul is Arnav's son..

But Saina's master stroke was to make a distance between Arnav and Khushi and Khushi with Arshi...Making Khushi all alone, just like a withered flower..

That is why nowadays Saina ignore Mehul .. Arnav tried to remember when was the last time Saina took Mehul along with them at dinner? At the beginning using Mehul, Saina get close to Him and his family and now, she has discarded Mehul like a trash...

"Just like you did to Khushi... same pinch.."an inner voice whispered stabbing Arnav's whole being...

Another heart wrenching thought crossed in his mind, did Saina told Khushi directly or indirectly that Mehul is Arnav's son? Khushi knew that Arnav had a long list of girlfriends in past and she even saw in her own eyes, Kavya and him in live in relationship.. Then it was easy to believe that may be, may be Mehul is Arnav's son...

Arnav tried to not shout aloud but the immense pain on his chest which was just increasing.. How everything just messed up like this badly? How could not he saw the vile woman and her act she was playing since last one month? Above all, how could he hurt his Khushi using this woman?

Arnav did not remember how long he was sitting at the chair like a statue, but his reverie was broken when Karan entered in the cabin taking a sleeping Arshi along with him..

" AR, let's go.. I will drop you at RM.. Arshi is already asleep.. She is really missing Khushiji.. It's already 10 p.m." Karan said.

" I will not be able to face Khushi.. Not today atleast.. My guilt and realization eating me up.. Let me compose myself first Karan.. In this mental state , I will not able to face Khushi.. Today I will not return to RM but tomorrow early morning.. please drop me at my farmhouse..." Arnav said while his throat clogged with unshed tears..

" AR, you are again doing wrong.. Just go home.." Karan was cut off by the guilt ridden Arnav..

" I will not go to RM today.. Please understand ... I just.. cannot.." Arnav said looking at nothing in particular.. " I had already abandoned Khushi as a wife and Yesterday, I had indirectly snatched her rights as a mother too... I was abandoning her as a wife for so long and now... She is too broken Aman.. and yesterday, I got the glimpse.. She actually had gave up.. On our relationship.." Arnav said while finally tears started to rolled down from his eyes..

" and you will let her to do so..." Karan said in disbelief..

" No.. I will not but I need time.. Tonight let me gather myself first.. Let me realise the mistakes, infact the sins I have done on my Khushi.. Then.." Arnav said while looking at the photo frame of Khushi at his table..

Karan did not say anything for few moments.. "Okay, as you wish.. Now let's go.. I will have to go home after dropping you... By the way AR, what about Saina?"

Arnav gritted his teeth by the mere mention of his so called friend's or whatever's name.. " I will deal with her tomorrow.. Karan can you do me another favour? Will you find out where Saina is at present? Because she is not in RM I think..."

" Saina is in hotel blue moon.. Yesterday night she had checked in and today she came at work from there only.." Karan said while Arnav mumbled, "But she acted like she came from RM.."

" Lets go.." with that Arnav and Karan left the office premises.

End of flashback...

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Present time..

Late night..

Roy Farmhouse..

Tears were continuously flowing from Arnav's eyes while remembering how brutal he was with Khushi..

" I am sorry Khushi.. I just hope I did not lose you already.. Can not live without you.. please.. Just another night.. few hours.. tomorrow early morning I will be there with you.. Just hold on my love.. please, forgive me this last time" With that Arnav close his eyes when few more tear drops rolled down from his eyes..

" Please my love... stay for me..." that was the last thought before Arnav went to a disturbed sleep..

To be continued....

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Author note:

Waiting for your precious opinion..

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The number of Covid 19 infected population is just increasing irrespective of Lock down... Now as community spread already happened, so it's on our hands to keep ourselves safe and free of disease...

Once again...

It's my earnest request please, follow the safety measures..Help yourself and help the nation..

Be safe...keep everybody safe...Stay at home..

Pray for all...

Our unity can help us to overcome the situation...

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Love,

Mamree

04.06.2020