Intertwined Fates -- An IPKKND FanFic

Setting Plans into Motion

She couldn't stop crying. Stupid, stupid Khushi.

Stupid for not staying miles away from this family.

Stupid for getting closer to him.

Stupid for falling in love with him.

Stupid for expecting him to feel the same.

Stupid for letting him break her heart.

Stupid for marrying him out of a twisted need for revenge.

Stupid for thinking she could protect her heart when she was so close to him.

Stupid for hurting him.

Stupid for sitting here and crying about it.

Stupid, stupid Khushi.

She heard the door to the room open and she was grateful that she had decided to hide. After shattering all his hopes for their relationship downstairs, it wouldn't be due for him to find her crying over him.

She heard the poolside door open, and close and then the bathroom door. "Khushi?" he called her softly.

Why was he looking for her? What was left to be said now?

She nearly answered, but then realized if she did that, he'd know where she was.

Why, she thought, quietly smacking her forehead, did I hide in his closet of all places?

Arnav sighed, not knowing whether to be relieved or not. Part of him didn't want to face her. It was painful to be rejected, and humiliating. Well, he thought with a twisted smile, at least she was getting her justice.

But another part of him wanted to see her, to beg her, to convince her to open her heart again. She'd taken that option away from him, however, by disappearing.

There was no way he was going back down to the party, so he might as well shower and change.

He opened his closet door to get an outfit, and to his utmost surprise, his wife fell out and into his arms. "What the--"

She looked up at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes. "Ummm--can you put me down?"

He blinked. At any other time, he would have teased her, but the vulnerability on her features held him back. Slowly letting her down, he asked, "Khushi, what were you doing--"

"Nothing," she mumbled, trying to walk past him.

He stepped in her way. She turned to the right, and he reached an arm out to block her. She turned to the left and he blocked her from there as well.

She raised a challenging eyebrow. "Are you trying to trap me? You know that never ends well for you, right?"

"I'll take the risk," he said evenly. "Why were you crying?"

"I wasn't crying."

"Don't lie."

"Leave me alone."

"I will. When you leave this house, I won't chase you, and I'll be damned before I even say your name again. But until then..." He stepped closer. "Until then, I'll do whatever I can to earn your forgiveness. I know I did wrong to you, Khushi, I won't deny it. But I'll make up for it. I'll make up for everything."

She wanted to believe him. She did. But her stupid heart, her fragile heart that desperately wanted to be his, was also terrified of him. So she said nothing, and he moved back, letting her escape.

***

Lavanya leaned back in her chair as she finished her report. Raju hadn't said a word in his interrogation, but that was no surprise. Even the lowest in rank of Daksh's men were unwavering in their loyalty to him, and this was his second in command. But it was shocking that he had risked Raju at all. In the past, he had taken great care to keep the man out of police hands, even if he'd gotten arrested himself.