Betrayal and tears(Season 1) | ✔

Prologue

Concept credit: @ChasingDay

Thank you for allowing me to write this book, di! :)

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"ARNAVJI!"

Khushi's bloodcurdling scream reverberated in the corridor of the hospital, as the blood-soaked body of her husband disappeared behind the OT door. She took in a breath of angst as she slumped on the ground, her body racked with misfit sobs.

What just happened?

Her rattled mind asked, unable to comprehend how the day she expected to be the best day of her life turned to be so horrific and dreadful. It was only an hour ago that she was getting ready to surprise Arnav in his office and reward him for his heartwarming attempts to woo her back, after his unintentional lash out when Di had attempted suicide. She had planned on starting a new life with him, by clearing every issue once and for all.

But everything changed after one call. A call she got from Amanji, saying that Arnavji has met with an accident, a severe car crash.

She suppressed a shudder as his badly injured self flashed in her mind and pressing her folded hands against her mouth, she shook her head in utter disdain, heart breaking as she stuttered out.

"No..please no..Arnavji please..no..no..no.." 

Her words came out broken after their journey through her closing throat and she wailed louder, feeling her emotional pain manifesting into physical hurt, in her chest, in her throat, in her entire body. The different possible outcome of this situation jolted through her like lightning and she wailed louder, almost sprawling on the floor like shattered glass.

Seconds, then minutes, and then it felt like an eternity later when she felt a shaky hand attempting to caress her head and she looked up, scrunching her eyes to have a better view through the blur, only to see her sister's face.

"Jiji.." She breathed out, wrapping her arms around Payal at once, still crying unceasingly in her chest.

"Jiji, jiji Arnavji..Arnavji jiji.." She hiccuped, intensifying the pity as well as the rage in the pairs of eyes gawking at her.

Manorama wiped her face, her eyes turning enraged as they traveled from the OT to Khushi's crying form.

"Hello Hi Bye Bye, phati sari, why are you crying? This is all the doings of your cursed presence itself. It's you, who brought our Arnav bitwua to this state today. Now at least don't worsen the situation with your crocodile tears."

She spatted insensitively, not even trying to contain her bitterness at this delicate moment.

"Mamiji, don't say that.." Khushi croaked, unable to withstand the blame of hurting Arnav, something she is literally incapable of doing.

Because hurt afflicted on him, automatically pain her much more.

So much more..

"Zyada bholi banne ki zaroorat nahi hai. (There's no need to put this pretense of being innocent.)" Anjali limped forward, the resentment she had in herself since the day her husband was thrown out of the house because of Khushi, at last rolling out her mouth like venom, for said Khushi.

"Everyone here knows what you are. What you truly are. A bad omen, that is your identity and that is your nature. What have you even done till date except for breaking our family, huh? First you destroyed my husband's life and now, your evil eye has cast itself on our Chotte, isn't it?"

"Di please." Payal shakily pleaded, feeling her sister's cries intensifying at their malice, in response of which Anjali huffed and looked away in pure disgust.

Their accusations meanwhile jarred through Khushi, making it more and more difficult for her to gather herself against the waves of agony. She gasped for air, feeling light-headed when their words swirled in her already messed up mind.

Is that what she really is?

A bad omen? For everyone? For, for Arnavji?

The virulence of their attack grazed on her wounds and she closed her eyes, attempting to get away from the reach of their voice as soon as possible, before they crumble her down, completely.

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Khushi felt like she got her life back, at last, as she looked at Arnav through the transparent glass of his ward. He was shifted here after his successful surgery and the doctors have declared him out of danger just a few minutes ago, and she couldn't feel more relieved at that.

Her relieved eyes also held longing though, as she touched the barrier between them with her fingers; the barrier that allowed her only a view of him and nothing else and the barrier she was forbidden from crossing, by her sister-in-law and Mamiji.

She bit her lips, hard, when Arnav winced in his sleep and had to turn around so she doesn't end up reaching for him, knowing that that will only infuriate Anjali more. She cannot risk to have any more drama now. Today was enough of a shock for her.

She breathed out, leaning against the glass and closed her eyes, letting the calmness to sink in completely into her being. Her attempt was, however, interrupted by a soft call of her name and she opened her eyes, frowning as she saw Aman approaching.

"Amanji, you?" 

"Arnavji is still unconscious. You can come tomorrow if you want-"

"I needed to talk to you, Ma'am, not Sir." Aman intervened her statement, making her pause her hand in the air, which she lifted to point towards the ward.

Khushi looked at him confused, but nonetheless, signaled him to continue.

He sighed, glancing at her face once before looking down with another sigh.

"What is it?" Khushi asked, more perplexed at his weird actions. Her frown deepened when he took yet another deep inhale.

"Ma'am, actually, the officer who took Sir's car to inspect just called." 

"And?"

"And he said the reports have arrived."

"And?" Khushi's tone hinted irritation, for she was tired of his delayed responses, which somehow gave her a feeling of foreboding, something she absolutely hate, especially now. It creeped up her spine like a shard of ice, spreading through her the cold water of panic, and today was enough of a panic attack already. She couldn't afford more.

"And the reports have confirmed that the breaks of the car was tempered..." Aman paused, then looked down.

"..purposely."

He let out a final sigh, dropping the bomb on Khushi's head at last. He looked up, and as expected, Khushi's face was a portrait of horror.

"What?" She asked after a moment of shock, paying more attention to him this time, thinking that what she just heard might just be a delusion of her messed up self.

"It was a planned accident, to kill him." Aman's confirmation the next second, however, made her gasp, loud and she swiftly turned her petrified eyes to Arnav, gulping as the terrifying information sank deeper into her ears, into her brain, into her heart. 

Tears suddenly blurred her vision as she started processing those words and no sooner did that happen, her mind clicked another notch and she simply sagged behind, unable to take the burden of so many unsettled thoughts.

One of which was - was he still in danger?

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