Dark Paradise Chapter Twenty Eight

Khushi tried to steady her trembling hands as she stared defiantly into Shyam's black eyes. He balled his hands into fists and strode forward, Khushi began to back away.
"Dekhiye, paas maat ao! Acha nahi hoga, mein kara hi hoon!" Khushi warned in a trembling voice, she wanted to be defiant and shout courageously but she couldn't, panic and fear had ebbed its way across her whole body. She had managed to say everything to Shyam this morning because she knew Arnav was upstairs, Di was around as were Jiji, Jijaji, Mamaji, Mamiji and Naniji. As of now there was no one, Khushi had foolishly given the servants the night off also. It was truly just her and the man whom she despised most. He cornered her by the stairs, slamming his arms against the wall, laying his palms flat on them blocking Khushi in. She looked around herself for a way out but found herself dumbstruck. Shyam smiled as he saw her eyes widen with shock. He watched as her breathing quickened, causing her body to quiver.
"Ab kya karogi Khushi? Arnav and you're pyaare family members aren't here to protect you." He said in a sickeningly sweet voice. Khushi had to stop herself from retching, it was the affect he had on her. How could one man be so cheap, so disgusting...so evil? Khushi looked away from him and he pulled her face back to look at hers. He tilted his head as he took in every facet of her. Her eyes, her lips, her flushed cheeks and then his eyes came across something he didn't like. Shyam freed one of his hands, grasped her mangulsutra and ripped it from neck. Khushi gasped aloud as she saw the black beads fall to the floor. She immediatley went to the ground to pick the small beads up, wiping away tears of shock and anger as she did so. This was such an inauspicious sign and considering she was near Shyam it could not be ignored. Shyam smiled as he watched Khushi flail on the ground trying to regroup these small beads. He began to tut, taunting Khushi.
"Yeh kya hua Khushi? Aapki shaadi itne kamzor thi? Bohut bhoora chalo aab hamare paas aon, hum abhi bhi tayaar hai." He said mockingly, holding his arms open. Khushi stood up and before she could think of whether it was a good idea or not Khushi made a run for it. Her legs weren't fast enough though, Shyam caught her and forcefully pushed her to the ground. Khushi felt a searing pain radiate across her body as she hit the ground, particularly in her legs. She attempted to compose herself and stand up but she fell to the ground again. She must have bruised a bone or sprained something because she couldn't get up. She began to slide away from him trying desperately not to cry in front of him as she knew that would only encourage him.

Shyam leant down and pulled Khushi's dupatta away and Khushi immediatley raised her hands to cover herself. "Yaad hain Khushi, it was me who had returned this to you from those evil men in Lucknow? I had saved you that day and you never even thought twice about giving yourself to someone else despite everything I'd done for us." He said as he screwed up the dupatta and threw it away. Khushi trembled at his words, too scared to speak up. He turned and bent down towards her raising his hand to wipe away her tears.
"Yeh kya Khushi, aap rori hoon?" He said softly but then he changed to angry again quickly as the bright red  sindoor caught Shyam's predatorial eye. He wiped it away violently, smearing red across Khushi's forehead.
"Aapne toh mere barein mein socha tak nahi jaab tumne yeh kadam uttaya tah." Shyam said as he shook her violently and Khushi bit her lips to suppress her cries. He held on tightly to Khushi.
"I did so much for you Khushi and it wasn't enough. I found you in Lucknow, then in Delhi, I moved into that small hole of a house to be close to you, I made the effort to get along with your family even your father and when he came to know of Rani Sahiba I put him in his state to protect you from the hurt he wished to cause you by telling you the truth." Shyam said feeling admirable about his actions. Khushi looked up in shock at Shyam, Babuji? Her Babuji was in a wheelchair, unable to speak or walk because of...Shyam? She felt sick. "Then when you broke off our engagement I tried to break my marriage but once again you didn't understand, I couldn't just divorce Anjali, I wouldn't get any money and how would I provide for you without her money? So I arranged her car accident lekin uski toh kismaat uchi thi joh bachgaye. Then if I tried anything else people would have become suspicious." Shaym said all this seeming logical to him, Khushi couldn't even comprehend what he was saying, was what he did to her father not enough that he tried to kill such a sweet and loving woman like Di?
"So then I thought I could deal with Rani Sahiba later once I got rid of her knight in shining armour, Arnav." He said and Khushi's heart stopped. "I arranged the accident." Shyam admitted bowing his head at that but then shaking Khushi to convince her of his innocence. "But I never meant to hurt you, it was just supposed to be Arnav, I never wanted to hurt you. Everything I've done Khushi was for you and its STILL NOT ENOUGH!" He shouted at her and she trembled more. "Lekin aab bohut hogaya, aaj raath tum meri hogi. Baas!" He said as he began to lean towards her. Khushi's gut retched and she more forcefully pulled away from him and struggled against his grip. Her breathing was extremely fast as the panic rose, He smiled and pulled his hand towards her face and pulled it closer to his. Shyam felt content once he had done this it would all be over, all would be right in the world. Shyam closed his eyes ready to experience what he'd been waiting so long for when he felt a searing pain against his jaw which sent him crashing against the ground. Khushi looked up to see Arnav and behind him the whole family who were comforting a very angry and upset Anjali. Khushi didn't know where to look, her state at that moment and everything Shyam had said, did they know? They must know why else would Anjali be so upset?

Arnav however was not upset, he was angry, angry he let this happen. He heard the snake's admission to stalking Khushi, to him hurting Khushi's Babuji, him hurting Di, him trying to kill Arnav but Khushi being the one who suffered. He heard it all, he knew something was wrong when Khushi didn't answer his phone a few minutes after they left, he was calling because someone at the party knew a doctor who could help Khushi's Babuji but he couldn't remember all the details of his illness, he rang Khushi and when she didn't pick up he left immediatley and the whole family followed. They entered the house just as Shyam was beginning to admit to his crimes, Akash called the Police immediately and used his phone to record Shyam's confession. The Police were on their way but from the state Khushi and Di were in, Arnav was in no mood to play nice. He grabbed Shyam and began to beat him mercilessly his rage completely unleashed today. He thought of every tear, every injury and every difficulty Di and Khushi had faced because of this man. He recalled how Shyam nearly got away with raping his wife and he couldn't handle it. Akash ran up to Arnav and stopped him as the Police came in and ushered Shyam out. Shyam was in a comatose state and unable to respond to what was going on but Anjali made no defence on his part. She wanted a divorce, she wanted nothing to do with this man, she would have her baby and raise it lovingly in this house with her family far away from that man. Arnav calmed down and turned to see Khushi on the floor. Her dupatta was strewn on the floor a few feet from her, her sindoor smeared across her forehead, her kajol smeared from her tears, her magulsutra was broken and the beads scattered across the floor. This was the state she was in now. Arnav recalled that night he went to the Mandhir and prayed for Khushi to become well again and the promise he made rang clear in his ears. " I promise you that if you make her well again I will do right by her. I will never hurt her or upset her. I will put her need above mine always." Right now she needed stabilty, she had needed protection and he hadn't given it to her and she needed to be happy...was he really the one who could give her all that. Payal lifted her sister up from the ground, both crying and they went to go get her cleaned up. Arnav had a lot of thinking to do now. Khushi and he loved each other, but they had married on the agreement that they were to bring out Shyam's truth only and then they would go back to their lives. Shyam was now exposed so where did that leave them? They were happy for a time but Arnav couldn't help but recall all the fights, harsh words and hurt they had caused each other over the space of their relationship from the first time he'd seen her. He also realised it was he who caused most of the hurt...Khushi deserved better. 


Khushi came out of the bathroom after showering, she washed away any traces Shyam had had on her life and now wanted to start afresh. She sat down at her vanity table and was about to put her sindoor in her parting when Arnav's voice stopped her. 
"You know, you can leave now if you want." He said and Khushi's hand froze as she took in his words. Her hands shook and the sindoor fell from her fingertips as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. "The deal was I would protect you from Shyam and we would expose him to Di. That's done now, so you can leave any time you want." He said and Khushi held back her tears. Was that it? Was that what this was to him? A deal? She knew at first it seemed like that but after all they'd shared. After all they'd been through. She gave him...everything. Now this was his polite way of saying "get out". Khushi composed herself, she wasn't going to break this time. If this was what he wanted then so be it. She went to the wardrobe, got out a suitcase and began packing her belongings. Arnav watched helplessly as he saw her throw in her sarees, suits, dresses, shoes, jewellery...everything into a black bag. He had decided to give her the decision to leave or not. He had hoped she'd chose not, but who could blame her for wanting to leave after everything? But he had hoped that despite everything, she'd want to stay...maybe this was it for the two of them. 


Read more of this here.