Not so innocent vixen - ArShi FF (completed)

s2 - chapter 5

In the following week, Khushi had put up a great show of behaving like a defeated soldier in front of Shyam, while Arnav and she tried to find any clues of Shyam's crimes from tracing the kidnappers to the legal documents, but he had wiped every trace. Arnav had already appointed a private detective but there was no luck so far on that front either. On the other hand Arnav's dadi's subtle remarks against Khushi, tested their patience and one fine day Khushi had enough.

"humein woh ladki zara bhi pasand nahi hain Arnav, aur uske liye tum damad ji se lad gaye the? ( I dont like that girl even a bit and for her you fought with our son-in-law)?" Subhadra Malik confronted Arnav that evening, even though she knew Khushi was nearby, in the earshot. Khushi took a deep breath, and came to stand besides Arnav. She already knew he would speak up in her defense but she had to tell him she got this. Khushi held his arm gently, and Arnav looked at her. She smiled at him, telling him she will answer dadi.

"Dadi ji, you are elder to us, you are my husband's grandmother, so I respect you. But sometimes even elders are blinded nai? Chota mooh badi baat dadiji but even after having so much experience of age you are not able to identify good from bad, that we are innocent and Shyam is the enemy. And I am afraid the day you realize this, it will be too late." Khushi completed with the same calm smile on her face.

Before Subhadra Malik could recover from that verbal dose, Arnav's sharp words hit her ears,

"Khushi is right about Shyam, Dadi. Although, one thing she has mistaken too is, she doesn't know you either." Arnav turned to Khushi at this, "Khushi, I know you respect elders but it should be a sound judgement too. My dadi has always let herself get blinded with ego and pride, she has always sided with wrong people, she always chose our enemies over me and Di, even 14 years back and I am not surprised today too. So don't keep any expectations from her." Arnav's lethal words shocked Khushi but more than that, dadi! And like always, she let herself believe that Khushi was the reason behind this too.

--*--

Khushi watched as Arnav carefully placed the revolver back inside the safe compartment in the locker of their almirah. The locker-in-locker had a digital key and only Khushi and he knew the code. In the past few days, Arnav had gotten themselves trained on how to operate the gun, however they needed to practice a bit more on aiming the bull's eye!

"Arnavji, we are stuck at step 2 and 3 for a week now! No proofs whatsoever. I am tired of waiting like this." she got on her side of the bed, dejected after another day of no success.

"hmm. Dadi's arrival complicated things. But I am not surprised, she is always been a bitter, egoistic and difficult woman, giving sympathies to criminals!" Arnav spat angrily. The way his dadi blamed Khushi today reminded him how she had blamed his maa for his father's suicide, totally ignoring that his maa was a victim herself and had lost her own life. That always made Arnav hate his dadi. He hadn't told Khushi about that dark memory of his past but Khushi had sensed something nevertheless.

"I am more sad because we couldn't even talk to Di yet, she is always with dadi..let's hope tomorrow we can. I will distract dadi and you go talk to Di." They had to talk to Anjali, if they needed information on Shyam, some inside secrets which only a wife would help to know, hoping Shyam didn't have any other 'wives' in hiding!

"you don't have to go in front of her, khushi, I will keep dadi engaged and you tell di everything."

"nahi Arnavji, Anjali Di will trust you more than me. and besides do you really think you can keep someone engaged with your 'talking skills'? That is still your wife's mastery! Admit it, you are married to a very clever girl!" Khushi boasted. But her mention of 'marriage' and 'wife' brought some bitter memories of their own, to surface.