Arnav hugged his injured sister with fear in his eyes.

His mind was so clouded by the scene he had just witnessed on the terrace of Shyam hugging Khushi and Khushi telling him to divorce Anjali.

Arnav was too shocked to confront them and walked away only to be met with the news of Anjali's accident.

Shyam like the shameless man he is rushed towards Anjali and pretended to be happy and concerned about her when in reality he was cursing his bad luck of his failed murder attempt and Anjali's good luck of surviving.

The revelation of Anjali's pregnancy sent a wave of happiness through the mansion and Arnav who wanted to murder Shyam for betraying his sister and yet pretending to be concern and happy with Anjali but he held back seeing his sister happy.

He turned and saw Khushi smiling and looking happy at the announcement.

"Was she genuinely happy or is she  just pretending? " Arnav thought staring at Khushi who felt a gaze on her and turned to find Arnav staring at her and she was confused as to why he was looking at her as if he was interrogating her with his eyes.

He turned his gaze away and back to his sister who was shedding tears of joy with Shyam and he wanted to yank him off her and he was about to do that when something stopped him.

Shyam glanced at Khushi who threw a disgusted look at him and more shocking and confusing was how Payal stood in front of Khushi shielding her as if Shyam gaze was a dagger ready to pierce Khushi and he also saw the disgusted look Buaji and Garima threw at Shyam.

"What the hell is going on? "

His thought was broken by Nani ushering everyone out of the room to give some privacy to the couple.

Arnav was determined to get to the bottom of this and pretended to be happy.

He excused himself to his room and straight to the bathroom and run the faucet, splashing water all over his face to calm himself down.

He stared in the mirror as the memory of the night his mother committed suicide came running back to him and a sudden migraine hit him and he stumbled and fell down.

For the first time in years tears streamed down Arnav's cheeks as the fear of his sister taking the same path couldn't leave him.

"No I can't let Di suffer because of Khushi and Shyam....... Khushi why did you do this...... I thought you were having feelings for me like I was beginning to accept my feelings towards you but you betrayed me...... You betrayed our family. " Arnav cried but the image of Payal shielding Khushi from Shyam's gaze flashed through his brain and he stopped crying and took off his shirt which was wet.

He slowly walked out of the bathroom and the thought of him misjudging Khushi in the past came running back to him.

"What if I'm wrong after exposing them?...... It will ruin Payal's life because I know she will rather leave Akash than marry into a family that accused her sister and he would lose Khushi forever." He whispered to himself as he sat on the bed and run his hand through his thick jetblack hair and pulled it frustrated but he stopped and his eyes widened in shock as he remembered Khushi's words the day Anjali questioned her about her fiance and the aftermath of her broken engagement.

"His name is Shyam. "

"He is a liar and a cheat..... All of you are the same. "

Those were Khushi's words and it hit Arnav and Arnav's thought started again.

"What if Shyam was the man Khushi was married to?.......Khushi had never met Shyam before because he always had some where to go immediately Khushi was to come to the house............ Her engagement was broken the next day after Shyam and Khushi met...... Shyam only started being around after her broken engagement." The epiphany hit Arnav so hard that his heartbeat could be heard pounding out of his chest. "Oh my God, Khushi was engaged to Shyam and she broke off the engagement after she discovered the truth....... That's why she wanted Shyam to divorce Di for her safety and not because she wanted to be with him like I thought. "

Arnav stood up abruptly and pulled his hair at how stupid he had been and his vile assumption of Khushi.

"Khushi and Shyam are not having an affair like I thought. " He cried out and it was immediately followed by crashing sound which made him jerk and he looked down to find shattered tea cup and black liquid on the floor and it looked like black coffee.

He lifted his head and found a scene that broke his heart.

It was Khushi staring at him in shock with tears in her eyes.

"Khushi? " Arnav whispered and moved to touch her but Khushi stepped backwards with repulsion in her eyes and Arnav cursed himself for that.

"You think I am having an affair with Shyam? " Khushi questioned hurt and she shook her head seeing Arnav bowing down his head in shame.

"I am sorry Khushi...... I saw you on the terrace with. " And he started confessing to what he saw.

Khushi was shocked that Arnav could think that low of her after everything that had been through over the past few weeks bonding during Payal and Akash's wedding preparation and rituals.

She turned and moved closer to the door and locked it and she stared at the soundproof button and turned it on.

She turned and walked towards Arnav not caring that she was standing on the broken glass which could hurt her.

Arnav was shocked seeing this and tried to grab her and pull her away from the broken pieces but she stopped him and yelled at him and Arnav knew better not to provoke her.

"Keep you fake concern to yourself....... For your kind information you only heard half of my conversation with that scumbag. " Khushi then revealed the rest and Arnav was shocked and felt like banging his head to the wall for doubting his Khushi. "Even if you heard or saw half of this how could you think that shallow of me........ I thought you trusted me but I was wrong....... I thought you have changed from that impulsive man you were before but then again I was wrong. " Arnav tried to retort but Khushi stopped him raising her hand at him. "No...... Today you will be keep quiet and listen while I do the talking........ If that man is in my life then it is all your fault. " Arnav stared at Khushi stunned and confused by her accusation. "If you hadn't released that video of me then Shyam wouldn't have come into my life. " Khushi cried out and revealed Payal's marriage breaking,her molestation, Shyam saving her, they having to move to Delhi because of that, Shashi's health getting worse due to his fall after the goons pushed him when he tried to save her, Shyam being a paid guest, her being forced to marry Shyam, the discovery of his relationship to the Raizada family and the rest of what happened after wards.

The ground slipped under Arnav's feet hearing the disaster and pain he unknowingly caused Khushi because of his anger and ego.

"As if that wasn't enough, you tortured me when I worked for you at AR and in this house....... I never wanted to work for your family or see you again but your sister and Mami showed up at my house and blackmailed me to train Lavanya or else she will have me arrested for not paying my debt to you and I couldn't let that happen because I was the only breadwinner because Payal was too depressed to work according to buaji and my mother....... The slave who only deserve love,care and kindness if she puts food on the table and fill their pockets. "

Arnav was shocked hearing his sister and aunt did this because he thought Khushi was a desperate for more money and that's why she accepted the job but it wasn't so and she only did that because his sister and aunt blackmailed her.

How could they be so heartless?.He was the one who was that way but his sister was an angel and he believed Khushi because she would never lie about something like that, in fact she is the only person in his entire life who had never lied to him or manipulated him to get her way.

"How could you reduce Lavanya worth as a woman by making me train her and allowing your family do that to her...... So what if she is not a traditional woman who cares..... She was marrying you not your family....... I can't believe an educated man like you could have allowed a woman to be so humiliated like that and because she loved you so much she allowed it...... I saw your hatred for how she dressed like me and made her felt like she wasn't a human being. "

Arnav shook his head hearing the accusation.

"I admit I was wrong to allow my family do that but I wasn't angry because I hated you seeing Lavanya dressed like you...... I was angry to see her trying to be like the woman I loved and I hate her for wanting to be like you because I never want two of you.... I only wanted one Khushi,the original one not a cosplay by another. "

Khushi was stunned hearing his confession.

"Yes I love you Khushi. " Arnav confessed as he sat on the bed. "No woman had ever made me feel the way you made me feel and it all started the day you fell into my arms...... You looked so innocent and beautiful in my arms and it scared me realising the effect you had on me...... I hurt you that night because you made me lose control of myself for the first time in fifteen years....... I thought I wouldn't meet you again but I was wrong when I again met you at the temple and you did something no one had ever done, that is challenge me....... I hated that you made me lose control of my senses and heart which won't stop beating each time you were near or around so in my impulsiveness, I shamelessly did what I did...... It was a week after the news was braodcasted that I felt guilty and called the new channel and paid them millions to apologize for what they did."

Khushi remembered her father had called a week later to tell them the news channel apologized.

"I was so shamed to face you so I gave money to the news channel to give to you. "

Khushi was stunned hearing the compensation Shashi rejected was from Arnav and not the news channel.

"That money was from you? " Khushi whispered shocked and Arnav nodded staring at her as he stood up and faced her.

"I thought that money was enough to make you and your family settle comfortably but I met you again riding some wretched scooter and when you showed up to the office I thought you were stalking me for more money which I didn't understand...... I gave the channel 10 crores to give to you but what did you do with that money? " Arnav asked confused as to what they did with so much money.

To him to was change money but he knew for Khushi is would have been life changing but seeing Khushi's shocked expression confused him and he realising something was wrong.

"The channel only offered babuji two crores but he rejected it because he said it could never compensate for the trauma I was put through because of the attack. "

Arnav was stunned by Khushi's confession and how honorable Shashi was at rejecting the money but he knew for sure Buaji and Garima would have been against it.

"So you treated me horribly because one you thought I was a gold digger and you were starting to have feelings for me. " Arnav was ashamed hearing the taunt in her tone.

He walked up to Khushi and held her hand looking straight into her eyes.

"Am sorry Khushi..... I know no amount of money and sorry will heal you from the trauma and pain I caused but I promise you I will prove not only my love but my regret to you. "

Khushi sighed and removed her hand from his and Arnav looked hurt but understood she didn't trust him.

"As much as I want you to prove to me how sorry you are, we have a bigger problem on  hand than what you feel for me or what I might me feeling for you. "

Arnav gritted his teeth and switched back to his angry self remembering what Shyam had done to both families.

"I once made the mistake of impulsively judging you and I won't do that again..... Di is spellbound by that bastard and we will need more than your testimony and that of your family to convince her...... Khushi for now I want you to pretend you don't know Shyam...... I need time to have a background check on him and how he met di....... I can't ask you to make you family react the same way because I know they will do anything to protect their Payal and if you had kept quiet all this time then it was because you were threatened"

Khushi looked at Arnav shocked and her cupped her face as tears streamed down her cheeks and he kissed them away.

"You are so lonely now that Shashiji is sick....... But I promise to fix all of this soon....... I will take you away far from her and we will start our own family away from everyone when all of this is done. "

Khushi smiled and hugged him and her reciprocated.

Khushi broke the hug looking shy and Arnav smirked and walked past her and kneeled picking up the broken glasses and placing them on the tray.

He handed it to Khushi and asked her to pretend like they discussed.

khushi nodded and walked to open the door when Arnav called out to her and she turned to face him.

"I love you. "

Khushi blushed and walked away leaving a smirking Arnav behind.

Arnav felt happy for finally getting to confess to Khushi but he knew he had a long road ahead because know he has to be careful and be very attentive when it comes to his sister and his love.

The realization that his sister was blind in Shyam's love so much that he has to gather more evidence against him to prove he is a fraud scared him but he wasn't going to give up.

He had to step up not to protect the two most important women in his life.

To be continued.

Precap: Khushi exposes the Gupta women.

Nk's reality check for Anjali.

Here is a new story filled with twist and turns.

Don't forget to hit the ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ button, comment and follow for more.

٩(ര̀ᴗര́)ᵇʸᵉ.

Xoxo xoxo.