22

Sensitive content ahead. Reader's discretion is advised.

***********

Anjali

Hanging up the phone, I leaned on the headboard of the bed. My lips curved into a smile as I recounted what Arnav had just told me.

"Men... stupid men. Why is it so easy to manipulate them?"

I chuckled as I recalled it was the same with my husband....oops, my ex-husband, Niranjan too.

He, too, so quickly believed me when I told him I loved him. Readily agreed to my plan when I told him I was doing everything out of my love for him. So easily trusted me when I told him I was throwing Khushi out of our lives so we could live happily together.

But little did he know I was not plucking Khushi out of our lives for him. It was for me. After all, she had discovered my truth, my other side which I have kept hidden from everyone except....

My chain of thoughts broke as someone knocked on the door.

Squeezing my eyes shut in irritation of being disturbed, I took a few breaths to calm myself down.

I had told the servants not to let anyone disturb me.

"Then who could it be knocking on my door?"

Climbing down from the bed, I limped towards the door and opened it, my eyes widening as I saw him standing on the threshold.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered and immediately pulled him inside the room.

Closing and locking the door, I looked at him, fisting my hands in anger. "I had told you never to return to this mansion."

"Relax, sweetheart. All the family members have gone to a wedding and will return late. No one will know I came here," he said, sitting on the couch and making himself comfortable.

"What about the servants? They might see you." I always plan and do things, careful never to get caught. So, him coming to the mansion just like that, without any pre-planning, made me anxious.

I was trying to curb my anxiety when I heard his laugh. "Don't tell me you don't know how to silence your servants, darling. After all, you have been doing that for years now. I had been living in the basement of this mansion for years, and no one knew. All because of your loyal servants and their efficiency in not letting anyone know."

"I was in a coma for the last few months. Arnav has hired new servants and bodyguards in that duration. I need to talk with them first and see who I can corrupt and fire those loyal to Arnav. That is why I restricted you from coming here. I cannot take any chance until I get everything sorted here." I tried to reason with him.

His reckless behavior sometimes makes me want to lash out at him and throw him out of my life. But I cannot do that. He knows too much about me, and I know too much about him. We have been partners in crimes in executing all our dirty deeds. And now, we are stuck with each other forever, whether we want it or not.

"Don't be like that, darling," he said, standing up from the couch and walking toward me. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

Taking down my sari's pallu, he began placing rough kisses on my neck.

"Ahh, please slow down." I, too, ran my hand over his back, pulling him closer to me.

Yes, he makes me mad, but at the same time, he ignites such animalistic craving within me that I can never resist the temptation.

"Your actions and words don't match, sweetheart." He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back, making me look at him.

"I just buried your dead husband's body. It had been rotting in our secret room for all these days. Don't you think we should celebrate? One more added to our list, baby." Leaning towards me, he licked my bottom lip.

I felt excitement course through me as I heard him.

This is what had brought us closer all those years back. Others might call it madness, but for us, it is our way of paying back for all the tortures that had been inflicted on us.

When the world did not let us be happy, why should we care about them? Why should we not snatch every shred of happiness from everyone?

"Mmm, let's celebrate then." I smiled at him, and taking his hand off my hair, I pushed him to the bed. We will be celebrating our thirtieth kill for hours tonight.

***********

Khushi

Standing in front of the window, I let my mind wander to what I heard in the morning. I had been in the bathroom while Arnav had been in the room.

Not wanting to face him, I had stayed inside even after I had finished showering.

I had kept my ears close to the door, keen to listen to Arnav's footsteps walking out of the room. But, instead of footsteps, I heard something else. Something that shook me as well as strengthened my resolve to get my revenge on Arnav and Anjali.

"I did what you had advised me to do, Anjali. But instead of fearing me, she has become rebellious. I don't think this would work," Arnav said, and I was frozen on the other side of the door inside the bathroom.

'It was Anjali who had encouraged Arnav to do all that so it would instill fear in me.' I felt my disgust and anger rise as that thought registered in my mind.

"Hmm, you are right. I guess it will take several more hits to break Khushi. And I intend on hitting until she succumbs and totally surrenders to me."

Arnav had walked away then, and I had come out of the bathroom only after I heard him drive out through the main gate.

I wiped my tears, the anger coursing through me as I recalled how Arnav had hurt me last night. How he had killed all of his humanity, so much so that he had not stopped even when I had let out blood-curdling screams and cries.

'And it was Anjali who had urged him to do so.'

I felt disdain for that woman rise by leaps and bounds when that thought entered my mind.

I know about her being a murderer. After all, I had witnessed her crime that one time.

But now, I know she is not only a cold-blooded murderer but also an unfeeling, unhinged woman. After all, being a woman, how could she advise her brother to rape another woman? How could she even think it, let alone suggest it?

How could she not think about how it would affect that other woman? How could she not realize how it would scar not only the body but also the soul of that woman?

I let out a small sob as I recalled how everything got destroyed.

That fateful night, when Niranjan had blamed everything on me. When he had accused me of trying to seduce him, I know it had been Anjali's plan. That night had been the beginning of my destruction.

That hellish wedding night when Arnav raped me for the first time. That night had been the first night when I started to break.

After that, I faced numerous tortures, numerous beatings, and marks on my body that sometimes made me think about why I was even alive. Just to bear all these tortures?

There had been a time when everything had become too much. So much so that I had been about to give up the fight and accept my fate of forever being abused by Arnav.

But I feel proud of myself now that I did not give up then. I agree; I had been broken, even pathetically scared from Arnav at some point in that time. But I encouraged myself to move forward. And I did.

I have risen from my fear now. And I won't give up. I will never give up and will not stop until I give Arnav and Anjali their due punishments.

I got startled out of my thoughts, and my body stiffened as I heard the room's door open.

Thinking it to be Arnav, I took a deep breath and braced myself for whatever he had in store for me tonight.

"Khushi," the person called my name, and I was shocked to hear him.

I still had my back facing him, but I could recognize his voice anywhere.

Immediately turning to him, I gave him a watery smile. "Vivansh, you are here, right? I am not imagining you, am I?"

"It is really me, Khushi," he replied, and my smile widened.

Seeing a familiar friendly face after everything that has happened to me in the last few months made the hope bud within me.

But after a few seconds, my smile faltered because, along with hope, there was some fear too.

I have been betrayed by many in the past few months, so I did not know if I should risk trusting Vivansh and face another betrayal.