OS: Promise

"Listen to me Khushi," Arnav said to a retreating figure, "It's not what it looked like! I swear it was all a mistake!" She stopped and turned around, furious, "You're contradicting yourself Mr Raizada. First you say it's not what it looked like then you say it was a mistake. You're unbelievable!" Anger was resonating off her and she made no attempt to hide it. Guilty was written all over Arnav's face. He realised he contradicted himself but how else could he convince her that she was mistaken.

*****Flashback*****

The annual AR Group party was being hosted at Shanthivan by the Raizada family. Arnav had to reasons for hosting the party this year. One, it was another successful, profitable year for AR and today was the day he had found his reason for existence a year ago. The party had started an hour ago but there was still no sign of her and Arnav had begun to worry. He tried calling her but her phone was unreachable. He grabbed his car keys and bolted to the front door. He opened the door and there he stood mesmerised. She was wearing a red saree and her hair, long, thick and shniy, fell to her waist was blowing in the light breeze. She broke into a smile when she saw him standing at the door. "I was just about to come looking for you. Do you have any idea how worried I was? And why weren't you answering your phone? Why was it switched off?" Arnav asked her all in one breath, the worry clear on his face. Khushi stepped into the house and cupped Arnav's face in her petite hands smoothing away his worry lines, "You really shouldn't worry so much. It's not good for your health and I switched my phone off and left it at home because Ronit has been trying to call me since last night and I don't want to talk to him or see him." He could see so much love and care in her hazel eyes. He put his keys in his pocket and took her hands in his. "You're here now and that's all that matters," Arnav said as he led her into the party.

The party was in full swing but as soon as the two entered the room there was silence. Sonia Mathur had always had her eye Arnav. It didn't matter to her that he was her father's rival, she didn't care that who he was. All she knew was that she wanted him and she always gets what she wants. She turned to look in the same direction as all the other guests and saw everyone making way for the couple to walk through the room. Upon closer scrutiny she realised it was Arnav, but the girl? Something clicked inside Sonia's head, she realised that this was the girl everyone was talking about. She had to give Arnav credit. He was good at keeping his personal life out of the media but he was even better at keeping HER out of the limelight. Until word spread that she was going to be at the party no one knew who she was. Sonia guessed that was the reason Arnav had security outside to stop the media.  She notice someone walking towards them to meet them halfway and Arnav and his "girlfriend" picked up their pace because of her limp. They chatted for a few minutes and Arnav dispersed to talk to a few business associates and she stayed with the other lady. Arnav was alone and now was her time to make her move. She turned towards her friend to excuse herself amd looked around the room but he was out of sight. She looked around the room once more and noticed that Khushi was missing too. She sighed. She had patience. She could wait for the perfect opportunity.

Arnav had pulled Khushi away from the party and up to his room. He had a special surprise for her and now was the perfect time to deliver it. He backed her into the wall next to his cupboard step by step without once looking away from her. Khushi felt her back hit the wall and her breathing increased. It was beyond her understanding how after a year of being together he could still make her heart go dhak dhak. They shared an eyelock that seemed to last forever and Khushi didn't even realize that Arnav had pulled out a tiny blue velvet box out of his pocket. He opened the box and the small, glistening diamond caught Khushi's eye. She looked from the ring to Arnav, "Arnav, this..." He gave her a small smile, "Khushi Kumari Gupta, exactly one year ago on this day at this party I met a girl for the very first time. It was as if an angel had walked into my life and even though I might not have realized at first that she was the one I was waiting for I finally got it. Even if it did take me a while. I'm sorry for how I treated you before I got to know you, I'm sorry for any mistakes I've made over the past year and I'm sorry for ever thinking I could hate you. Khushi, I promise that I'll never hurt you, I promise I'll never give you a chance to cry and I promise I will always love you. Forever. Miss Gupta, will you marry me?" Khushi's eyes were watery, tears on the verge of overflowing with a huge smile on her face. She nodded, words evading her. Arnav slipped the ring on her finger and a tear escaped. He took her hand in his, entertwining their fingers making them one.. He wiped away the runaway tear with his other hand despite Khushi's attempts to stop him. "Why are you wiping them away? They're tears of happiness they're allowed to be here you don't have to chase them away," she said with a small smile on her face. "And I promised I'd never let you cry. Be it tears of happiness or otherwise," he rested his hand on her cheek. She placed her hand over his, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me Arnav. It didn't look that way when I met you at your office. I honestly thought to myself who would even want to date an arrogant jerk like you. How the hell did he have so many girlfriends? But even I had to succumb to the charm of Arnav Singh Raizada. I had never seen anyone who looked as handsome you.." She winked at him and slowly turned around putting his back against the wall. "I'm going to go and share this little piece of joy with my sister-in-law and I will see you downstairs in a few minutes," she smirked and left the room. Arnav watching her leave rubbed his hand through his hair and grinned like an idiot. He stepped out the room and closed the door behind him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

 Khushi had been downstairs for almost half an hour and there was still no sign of Arnav. She had told Di the good news and she was ecstatic. She couldn't wait to see her brother but she couldn't find him downstairs either. Khushi had told them that he would be coming downstairs but he still hadn't come. Khushi walked towards Arnav’s room and could hear voices wandering down the hall. “Oh come on ASR. Don’t play hard to get. It’s not like you don’t want me. I’ve seen you looking at me at the party.” The voice sounded familiar but Khushi just couldn’t place it. “Think what you like Sonia. It’s nothing like that. Just back off!” Khushi walked faster towards the room and stopped outside the closed doors. She opened the doors and the sight in front of her felt like daggers going through her heart. She knew Arnav saw her walk into the room but she couldn’t take any more of it. She stormed out of the room and down the hall to the back entrance of Shantivan, Arnav running after her.

*****End of Flashback*****

“People were right about you. I should have listened when everyone warned me but I ignored them thinking you’ve changed and you’re not the same guy you used to be. Looks like you love proving me wrong. You are exactly like you were when we first met. I can just see it ‘Delhi playboy, Arnav Singh Raizada, back in action. It’s not the first time I’ve seen you with her. I let it go every other time because I trusted you and you convinced me there was nothing going on, then I see you with her in your bedroom on your bed!” Khushi said enraged. She walked towards Arnav and pulled the ring off her finger. She took his hand and placed the ring on his palm. “Keep it for someone that is actually worth it. Someone you’ll actually love and whose promises you’ll never break Arnav. You’ll know who she is because you won’t be able to live without her,” he looked into her eyes and he his heart broke with every word. “Khushi...” his voice trailed off and she started walking away but stopped when he called her name. “You were the only one I ever loved Arnav. I can’t do it again. It’ll hurt too much,” A tear trickled down her cheek not going unseen. Arnav felt his heart shatter. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t let her go so easily. He was hers and only hers. The ring belonged on her finger. She was his life and he would die without her. There had to be a way to fix this but first he had to deal with the cause of all of this. He wasn’t going to let it go this time. She went too far and he lost everything he had because of her. This was the first and last time she was ever going to even think about him. Arnav walked towards the party where Sonia was fuming. She was expecting a reaction out of Arnav but she wasn’t prepared for the hurricane everyone knew as ASR. 

Part 2

Arnav walked into the party his eyes red with rage, singling one person out from the crowd. He walked determined to the left side of the room where she was standing talking to his di. He came up behind her, grabbed her by the elbow and spun her around on her heels. "ASR, what's..." He cut her off. " Don't you dare say my name and pretend that you care. You're a selfish little bitch that will do anything to get what you want and ignore the destruction you caused in the process. Who do you think you are? Your father is the businessman, you have no business interfering in anything! You shouldn't even have been here in the firstg place!" Arnav was shouting at the top of his voice not bothering about the rest of the guests that had turned all their attention to the scene in the middle of the room. Everyone was shocked to see this side of Arnav but he didn't care. He grabbed a hold of Sonia's wrist, his grip almost stopping the blood flow, and pulled her across the room dragging her up the stairs. Fear enclosing her. "Arnav! Where are you taking her? What are you doing? Arnav!" His sister sjouted after him but he carried on walking as if he hadn't heard. Everyone was left shocked at the scene they had witnessed. Anjali ended the party and the crowd dispersed. Aakash and Shyaam had decided to go upstairs to stop Arnav but Anjali knew it was pointless. “Don’t! You’ll only waste your time. He won’t listen. He’s too angry,” they stopped midway and turned back hearing Anjali. “He didn’t listen to Di so he won’t listen to anyone else. We all know that. Even then... let me go up and try. Maybe he’ll listen. In the mean time please can someone look for Khushi I haven’t seen her since she went upstairs again,” Jiya, Aakash’s sister chimed in. She left the rest of the family pacing downstairs while she cautiously walked upstairs praying Arnav wasn’t fuming.

 

Arnav dragged Sonia into his room and locked the door behind him. She looked at him and could see the rage building every second. Scared. Arnav started walking towards her and she stumbled backwards falling onto the bed. Fear took over her body and she froze. Arnav still walking towards her was too enraged to care about anything else. He had forgotten about the poolside door which was wide open and didn’t see his sister, Jiya, standing there. “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you think that just because you’re rich you can get everything you want, whenever you want and however you want?!” Arnav’s shouting with could be heard downstairs and it made everyone scared. “Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve caused? You knew she was there and you still didn’t stop!” he took a step closer to her with every word. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up twisting her arm behind her back, tightening his grip. Her back to him he pushed her up against the wall. “ASR, you’re hurting me. Please stop,” Sonia begged him. He didn’t care it still had no effect on him.

 

Jiya watched in horror as she saw what her brother was capable of. She had seen his anger and knew what he could out of rage but never thought he could go this far. She trembled at the thought of what he could to her. Jiya knew there was only one person who would be able to calm him down but no one knew where she was. Jiya dialled her number praying she would answer and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Khushi’s voice. She didn’t waste a second, “Khushi, you have to come home now! Please! I’m scared he’s doing to something he’s going to regret and you’re the only one who can stop him. He won’t listen to anyone else. Please...” she begged Khushi. There was silence on the other end, “Five minutes. Try to hold him off till then if you can.” Jiya prayed as she walked in Arnav’s room hoping she too wouldn’t become a victim of his rage. “Arnav, please let her go. Look, you don’t want to do anything that you’re going to regret later. Are you really going to take the risk of losing whatever you have over her?” Jiya asked calmly. Arnav turned to look at her and she could see the rage in his eyes but she also saw the pain that caused it. She was confused. What had happened? “I’ve already lost the one thing that meant the most to me. I have nothing else to lose,” he bellowed. “What does she have to do with anything? Why are you taking it out on her?” she asked angrily. Arnav glared at Jiya, “Because she’s the reason lost her. She’s the reason Khushi isn’t here right now! She’s the reason Khushi hates me!” A lone tear fell and Jiya looked at him in shock.

 

Khushi came rushing into Shantivan. “Khushi please stop him. He’s upstairs,” Anjali said and Khushi darted past her, up the stairs to his room. She tried to push open the door but it was locked. She ran outside and went in through the poolside door but froze when she heard what Arnav was saying. She walked towards him slowly, everything he said slowly sinking in. Her tears not finding refuge flowed down her cheeks.

 

“It’s not true Arnav. Why would she do that? You know how much she loves you.” Jiya tried to reason with him. “Because of her!” he roared, glaring at Sonia. She was crouched down on the floor with her hands wrapped around her legs. Jiya had managed to make him let go but he was going straight for her again. “She ruined everything I had. Of all people she knew about Khushi and she still...” he gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to let her go this time. She doesn’t deserve to be forgive,” Arnav was about to grab her by the hair when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The touch was hers. He knew it, yet he brushed her off remembering how she had left him standing alone. The ring in his hand. “Arnav, what are you doing? Please don’t do this!” his sister begged and pleaded but he still didn’t listen. She was standing next to Khushi who signalled her to stop. “Arnav...” she said softly. His hand froze mid air and he turned around to look at her. “Khushi,” he whispered. While Khushi had grabbed Arnav’s attention Jiya unlocked the door and signalled to Sonia to leave. She didn’t want to waste any time in case Arnav’s anger returned. She followed Sonia out the room and left the two alone.

 

“Let her go Arnav. There’s no point in trying to hurt her. You’re not going to get anything out of it. It’ll only hurt you more because you’ll regret what you did,” she said worry evident in her voice. Arnav grabbed her by the shoulders, “How can I let her go Khushi? She’s the reason you left me! She’s the reason I lost you! She’s the reason you hate me!” he yelled. A new stream of tears flowed as Khushi realized what he had said. She really had been mistaken. He had changed. It wasn’t his fault, he did nothing. She looked into his honey brown eyes, “Who said I hate you? I could never hate you Arnav,” he let go of her and she cupped his face in her tiny hands, “I love you too much to ever be able to hate you. I was wrong. You did change and I was stupid to believe you could have ever done anything to hurt me.” He took her hands in his and she saw the tears that escaped. “I’m sorry Arnav,” she said as she wiped away his tears.