15

Sensitive content ahead. Reader's discretion is advised.

***********

Arnav

I hit the accelerator hard, speeding my car on the highway, not caring where I was going as long as it took me to the place which could lessen my guilt.

Khushi's tears, the anguish I saw on her face, her pain, the things she told me, everything was etched into my chest, making it harder even to breathe.

"You don't snatch the honor of the person you love."

Her words echo in my mind, conjuring the scenes where I did precisely that, no matter how much she cried and screamed.

Stopping the car, I open the door and climb down, my knees buckling as the extent of my mistakes hit me.

I slump on the floor, my knees hitting the ground as I cover my face with my hands.

"Why did I do it? How could I do it?"

Repeating those words, I cry, unable to believe how much of a monster I became because of one misunderstanding.

"You don't rape the person you love."

"ARRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!" I scream as those words hit me.

I cannot digest those words. Shaking my head, I stand up, my legs still wobbly, as I start pacing around.

"Not... rape... no.... no.... I am not...." I am unable to say that word aloud.

Say it, Arnav. Say the word. Say what you are—a rapist.

"No. I am not. I did everything because I thought she was at fault. It was a mistake. I am not that. I AM NOT," I continue to shout, wanting to justify my mistakes, hoping that the justification will lessen my culpability.

**********

Khushi

"Don't you dare say anything to any Rathore or Agarwal, Khushi. You have no idea what I am capable of," Niranjan glared at me, and I glared back, showing him that I was not afraid of him.

"I know exactly what you are capable of, Niranjan. You are a cunning, selfish man who can go to any extent to protect himself. But don't you dare think that I would ever be afraid of you or your empty threats. Because that is what they are. Empty threats."

"Khushi, you are playing with fire here. You don't--" Niranjan stopped speaking because Anjali entered the room then.

"Niranjan, Khushi, what are you two doing in Priya's room? Everyone is looking for you downstairs," Anjali said to us, and the way she was smiling made me think she did not hear anything.

"I came here to get Aashish's engagement ring which Priya had kept in the drawer," I replied to Anjali, not giving any explanation about what Niranjan was doing there. I wanted to see what excuse the slimeball would give to his wife because he sure as hell was not going to speak the truth.

Anjali looked at Niranjan and raised her eyebrows, waiting for his explanation.

"Umm, I got lost, Anjali. I was looking for the bathroom, but I stumbled inside this room instead. I was about to leave here to come down, but you entered the room before I could do that."

I rolled my eyes at his flimsy excuse, but Anjali smiled and nodded, apparently buying it.

I felt terrible for Anjali because she was so innocent and gullible, believing in all her husband's lies and even loving him when he does not deserve that love.

'I need to tell the truth to Anjali soon. But how?' I thought hard about what to do to bring Niranjan's truth in front of the entire family.

"How was I supposed to know that day was the beginning of my doom? How was I supposed to know about the evil plans laid against me to get rid of me and my truth?"

Lying on the bed, I stare at the ceiling, silent tears pouring out of my eyes.

Earlier, when Arnav told me he found out the truth, which cleared his misunderstanding about me, I felt a small amount of relief for a few seconds. Because after those few seconds, a thought popped into my mind.

It does not matter now.

It really does not matter to me if Arnav, his family, and Priya's parents know the truth because enough damage has already been done.

Everyone took everything from me, leaving only emptiness and immense pain within me.

If it had been some other time, if Arnav had not broken me, if I had even a fraction of affection left for any of these people, I would have jumped with joy, thanking the Gods above for finally making everyone see the truth. And I would have welcomed them back into my life with open arms.

But that can never happen now. Because along with disbelief from my so-called parents and Rathores, I also got immense hatred from everyone.

I agree Niranjan showed them the doctored evidence that night, which looked authentic. So, it was logical for everyone to misunderstand me based on that evidence.

But what was not ok was them shunning me in such a way that I was left broken with nothing to piece me back together.

Rathores did not know me well, so it was ok for them to believe in their son-in-law. But what was not ok was them pushing me towards Arnav, knowing very well what he would do to me. No one even came to intervene when Arnav forced himself on me most nights while we were in that mansion. Everyone turned deaf to my cries and screams. That was not ok.

And Agarwals, well, they believed a stranger over their daughter.

'Wrong, Khushi. Not their daughter. Their adopted daughter.' My mind corrects, and I nod.

That is the keyword. Adopted. That is why they did not believe me. Because no matter how much they said they loved Priya and me equally, they discriminated between us, be it intentionally or unintentionally.

"Because if it had been Priya instead of me, I am sure Mr. Satish Agarwal and Mrs. Amrita Agarwal would not have left their birth daughter alone to be punished in the Rathore mansion."

I wipe my tears and sit up on the bed, my heart racing as I think of that one person who first wronged me. The person who orchestrated everything. The person who decided to ruin me the day I set foot in the Rathore mansion.

My heart beats faster, and my hands feel clammy with sweat as that person's cunning laughter from that night rings in my ears.

I cover my ears and squeeze my eyes shut to block that voice.

"If that person came back," I whisper, my insides freezing in terror.

"I need to get out of here. This is the right time. It's midnight now, raining, and Arnav is not home either. If I can somehow distract the guards outside, I will be able to escape this prison."

With those words fueling my determination, I quietly leave the room.

Thankfully, there are no guards inside the home.

Arnav told me earlier I was free to do anything I wanted inside the house, and I would not be under anyone's scrutiny inside.

Coming back to the room, I search the wardrobe, which now contains the new dresses Arnav brought for me. Finding a black salwar suit, I quickly wear it and drape a black shawl over me, ensuring only my eyes are visible.

Then, barefoot, I walk out of the room and reach the house's main door.

Beside the main door, there is a window. So, I look out stealthily, making sure not to be seen by anyone outside.

I see three guards just outside the main door.

It will be impossible for me to escape with them there. I need to distract them.

I look around, thinking of what to do and how to escape, when my chain of thoughts gets broken by the beeping of the fire alarm.

As I look at the fire alarm, a smile curves my lips because an idea pops into my mind due to its beeping.

Immediately walking to the kitchen, I undrape the shawl from my body and turn on the gas.

After that, I bring my shawl closer to it, causing the shawl to set on fire. Continuing to hold the shawl in my hand, I watch it burn and see fumes coming off it.

This will not be enough.

I walk to the living room and stand directly under the fire alarm on the ceiling.

Putting the shawl that is on fire over the couch in front of me, I watch it burn, waiting for the fumes to intensify the beeping of the fire alarm.

It takes some time, but the beeping increases once the couch catches fire.

The guards immediately come in, and as soon as I see them, I start coughing.

One of them comes to me and takes me away from the fire while the other two walk around the house, probably looking for the fire extinguisher.

"Help...them," I say to the guard beside me, my voice hoarse due to the fumes.

"But, Ma'am--" He starts to say, but I interrupt him.

"If this continues--" I cough due to the irritation in my throat caused by the fumes. "--the whole house will catch fire."

Nodding at me, the guard goes to help the other two.

By now, almost half the living room has caught fire, and there are fumes everywhere, making it difficult to see across the room.

"This is your chance, Khushi," I whisper, and, turning around, I quickly run out of the main door.

When the water from the rainfall touches my hair, face, and body, I feel myself getting drenched in my freedom, which is just moments away.

I keep running, not looking back, wanting nothing but to escape this prison and Arnav.

'The luck must be on my side,' I think as I see the main gate in the courtyard wide open.

I run faster, almost tasting my freedom, almost escaping the monster who broke me.

I am just a few steps away from my freedom.

"Just a few--" I cannot complete the sentence, and my feet stop running when I feel someone grabbing my wrist tightly.

The way that hand feels against my wrist, I know who it is, but I refuse to believe it.

I refused to believe I was caught by the devil again when I was just moments away from escaping his prison.

With my heart beating in staccato, I look up, praying and hoping for it to be someone else other than him.

"Please." My body and voice freeze as I see Arnav standing in front of me and looking at me with nothing but rage in his eyes.

"Didn't I tell you earlier, Khushi? You won't be leaving me. Ever." Saying that, he tightens his hold on my wrist, making it throb in pain, and starts dragging me inside the prison, which I long to escape every waking second.