Chapter 2

Leaning against the hospital wall, NK thinks back the last 12 hours.

*FLASHBACK*

Arnav runs out of the building after beating up the goons. He knew Khushi was outside. But what he sees shocked him to his core. It was Shyam, his jijaji standing outside with Khushi. They were talking something and Shyam was holding her arms.

Suddenly he was reminded of the day he saw them together on the terrace and on the fancy dress competition. His eyes went hard...

Shyam noticed Arnav first. He says: Thank you Khushiji. If you had not helped me by getting saale sahab's sign, we would have never succeeded to get saale sahab's property. Now that I have also signed the divorce paper just like you wanted, we can be together forever.

Khushi's back was to Arnav. So he could not see her surprised expression and her disgust/

Arnav's temper boil. He remembers how Khushi has asked for his sign in the papers the day he was kidnapped and how she stopped him from leaving in the airport until the last minute.

Arnav shouts: Khushi Kumari Gupta...

Khushi jerks at his voice and turns to him with a happy face but as soon as she turns the look on his face sinks her heart.

The goons come out limping but Shyam stops them with a signal...

Khushi (Worried): Arnavji... Are you okay?

Arnav (Mocking): Wow Khushi... what an amazing actress you are... I can't believe you stooped so low for money. I always knew you were a cheap gold digger but you were also a criminal, that came as a surprise...

Khushi was shocked: Arnavji... what are you saying?

Arnav (Mocking): I am saying what you are hearing, my dear... Now that our marriage is almost over, I will arrange for another free accommodation for you. It won't be as comfortable as Shantivan, but it will be free. You see Govt. has made places like that for people like you. It's called jail. You and your lover will both rot in there.

Khushi could not believe her ears. After everything they went through he still did not believe her. She could not think what to say... She slowly sinks down to the ground.

NK arrives there with police. The goons tries to run, but the police catches them.

Shyam gets worried. He says: Saale Sahab, this was all Khushiji's plan. I went along with it because I wanted to find out where you were hidden. If you send me to jail how will Rani saheba survive? Think about her unborn child. The scandal will kill her.

Arnav (Mocking): Don't worry jijaji... I will make sure nothing happens to Di. But since you love Khushi so much, you should be with her right?

NK was shocked as well: What are you saying Nannav?

Arnav (Mocking): NK, you did not know? My darling wife and my sister's husband were having an affair. They made me sign off my property to them and then kidnapped me. It was all a very well thought out plan.

Arnav turns to the inspector: Inspector, arrest this woman and this man too. They kidnapped me and kept me captive for 15 days and they tried to kill me today for my money. I want to press charges for attempt of murder and kidnapping.

The inspector arrests Shyam. He keeps on protesting. As some constables move to Khushi to arrest her, NK stops them. He shouts at Arnav: Nannav stop. Have you gone crazy? Why are you asking them to arrest Khushiji?

He goes to Khushi, sitting on the ground and shakes her: Khushiji, why are you not saying anything? Tell Nannav that we found him because of you. You took so many risks to save his life. Tell him...

Khushi looks up. Her beautiful eyes are red with unshed tears: No Nanheji. I won't say a word anymore. I'm done talking. I'm done explaining, I'm done killing myself for someone who can never see me more than a cheap gold digger. I'm done...

Khushi slowly gets up and looks at Arnav in the eye: Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada. You want to leave me right? Don't worry. I'm leaving you. I will never come back in your life.

Arnav feels as if something is not quite right here. His heart trembles in fear, but he ignores it thinking that she is acting again.

In the meanwhile, Shyam tricks the inspector and gets his hand on the revolver. He pushes the inspector and grabs Khushi. He holds the gun on Khushi's head: Saale sahab, did you really think you can catch me so easily? Tsk tsk... Now I will see who can stop me from going here. If you want to save her life, don't follow me.

Khushi still does not respond. As if she has become a stone.

NK shouts: Stop. Don't hurt her. (He turns to Shyam) Nannav, do something...

Arnav's heart beats faster in fear but he keeps his face straight and looks at Shyam and says: What makes you think jijaji that I will be interested in saving her life?

Shyam laughs out loud: Because my dear saale sahab, when you hear that everything you knew about Khushiji and I was a lie, you will care. You see, I told you a little lie when you caught me hugging Khushiji in the terrace that we were having an affair... Actually that day in the airport, poor innocent Khushiji asked me to come and tell you the truth which by the way her entire locality and her family knew. That I lied to them, stayed at their home as paying guest, got engaged to Khushiji. I was also going to marry her but fate she saw me at Shantivan. She broke the engagement then and there. But how could I let go of the woman I loved. So I tried to convince her of my love and she kept refusing me. I told her I loved her but she never believed me. But you see, you believed me more than her. So thank you for making my life easier. Because of you I met her in Lucknow and because of you, now she finally knows what you think of her.

Arnav feels as if his heart will explode from his chest. He remembers all incidents where he hurt her over and over and refused to believe her. He looks at Khushi with tearful eyes and sees she is looking like a stone. She is not listening to anyone nor is she responding to anything. He sends her a pleading glance trying to apologize to her silently, but Khushi does not look at him.

Shyam then raises his revolver and points out to Arnav: You are the only one standing between me and my Khushi. I'm sorry saale sahab, you will have to die.

Arnav is not scared to die, but he could have cut out his heart in exchange of one glance from his love. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her and to apologize for every mistakes he made.

Shyam's revolver goes off. Arnav and NK jerk in surprise. Arnav looks down but does not see any blood on him. Then he sees Khushi crumbling on the ground and Shyam is looking horrified at her...

Arnav screams: Khushi...

NK screams: Khushiji...

The inspector rushes to a shocked Shyam and arrests him.

Arnav runs to Khushi. He holds up her body on his lap and pats her cheek to wake her up. Red blood gushes through the wound on her chest and stains his vest and trouser...  He presses down on her wound trying to stop the bleeding but he could not seem to stop the gushing blood. He keeps chanting Khushi's name over and over...

NK runs to them and touches Khushi's arms gently. He was crying and says: Nannav, see what happened to Khushiji...

Arnav looks up to him with bloodshot eyes and shouts in guttural voice: Nothing will happen to her.

NK gets scared at Arnav's wild look. He calls 911.

Arnav keeps patting and shaking Khushi and chants her name. Khushi opens her eyes slowly and sees Arnav's face. She slowly raises her hand and touches his cheek.

Arnav jerks in surprise and looks at her: Khushi, please forgive me. Just hold on... hold on for me...

Khushi struggles to speak: Ar.. Arnavji... I (tried to swallow) always lov

And she becomes unconscious again. Her hand falls on the ground...

Arnav screams: Khushi...

He hugs her tight and chants her name.

NK feels helpless looking at them. His eyes get filled with tears.

The ambulance arrives.

*End of FLASHBACK*

He suddenly hears the Operation Theatre's door open and the doctor comes out...

NK rush to the doctor while Arnav struggles to stand up with sinking heart on his suddenly weak and trembling legs.

The doctor says: The bullet hit her heart. We tried our best to revive her. But I'm sorry. We could not save her.

NK can't believe his ears. He can't believe Khushiji, the person who embodied life, is no more...

Suddenly he hears a thud behind him. He turns and sees Arnav has collapsed on the floor on his knees. He is looking at the doctor with a dazed expression... His blood shot eyes has a wild look to them...

He runs to Arnav and shakes him: Arnav, Arnav...

Arnav's ears were buzzing. Everything seems to be a blur around him. He feels someone shaking him and calling his name but he could not feel anything. As if numbness has set in.

Suddenly his eyes sharpen. He gets up on his trembling legs and runs into the operation theatre. He sees his Khushi, lying on the OT table.

He slowly walks to her and holds her lifeless body in his arms. He hugs her to himself and says: Khushi, I know I am a bad person... I know I have never been good to you. So you are punishing me. It's okay. I will bear all punishment you want to give me. You don't want to see me? I will go away. I will take anything from you. Hate, accusation, abuse... anything. But I can't bear your silence. Don't punish me like this. If you die, I won't survive Khushi. Remember when I was leaving for London, you said that if I leave like this, you won't be able to breathe? I can't breathe without you Khushi. I can't live without you.

He looks at her hopefully, hoping to find a sign that she came back.

Then He tries threatning with a broken voice: Look Khushi, if you don't come back, I will throw out Payal. I will help mamiji to throw your sister out. We had a deal. There are still a couple of days left for our contract to end. You can't leave before then. If you do, it will mean you broke the deal. I will not spare your family as well... You know me. You better come back...

He tries cajoling: Khushi, remember how at buaji's place you wanted the left side of the bed and I said that's my side? I will let you have it. And I will let you take shower first every morning. You can take as much time as you need. I won't say anything. Oh and you can also wash your clothes in my pool and dry them there too... And if you want to wrap the whole house in Salman Khan's posters, I won't say anything. I will buy you all dvds of Salman Khan and watch them with you.  I will buy you as many jalebies you want... Just come back...

The nurses come in to take away Khushi. Arnav screams at them and clutch Khushi tight in his arms: No. She is mine. I won't let her go. You can't take her.

NK was watching this heart wrenching scene from the door. He wipes his tears and tries to hold back Arnav with six more spot boys while the nurses take Khushi away. Arnav keeps screaming Khushi's name until he faints.

When Arnav becomes conscious, he realizes he is in a hospital bed and his family & Guptas are around him. They were all crying. NK already told them everything.

At first he is confused, and then he remembers Khushi. He tries to get up but Anjali stops him. Arnav ignores her and grabs NK's shirt: NK, where is my Khushi? Where is she?

NK tells him tearfully: Arnav, she is no more. They took her to the morgue for post mortem.

Arnav screams: No no no...

Shantivan:

The entire Raizada family and Gupta family is sitting in front of Khushi's picture with a garland on it.

Everyone is weeping. Shantivan has become so silent since last few days that it feels like a tomb.

Arnav is sitting leaning against a pillar and staring at the picture with vacant eyes.

After he was told by NK that Khushi has been taken to Morgue until the time they handed a burning wood to do her last rite is like a blur to him.

He came back into his senses as he was setting fire on the woman he loves with all his being. He burned her laughter, burned her life, burned her soul, burned her dreams piece by piece... Burning her body was just a formality. He has burned her alive long back...

He remembers walking on the street like a zombie for hours after that. Eventually Aakash and Nk got worried and they brought him back after hours of searching.

He couldn't bear to look at her smiling picture adorned with garland anymore and he runs upstairs. He goes to their poolside and looks up at the sky and screams: Why? Why did you punish her? She believed in you. Then why did you take her away? Why did you not punish me instead? You have to bring her back. You have to... You have to... You have to...

Then he collapses on the cold ground beside the poolside where she once cried when she lost everything and cried and cried and cried.

Up in the sky, a star twinkles bright...