Sometimes Hate is Enough

Chapter 38

Arnav

I settled down in my seat and irritatedly stared at the glass door of my cabin as I waited for her. Why did NK have to come now, of all times? Couldn't he have just waited a day?... Why isn't she coming?

I glanced at my watch before looking at the door again. She will come, won't she?

The door suddenly opened, and she walked in and stood opposite me with her bag in one hand and her laptop on the other. I never thought I would see her like this. She looked nothing like the old Khushi except for her face and the way she laughed.

My breath got caught as I looked up at her and found her already looking at me.

"You have something to say?" She asked.

I took a breath while nodding, then pointed at the chair next to her.

"Have... Have a seat!"

She stared at me for a second before pushing her hair away from her face. She then placed her bag and laptop on the other chair before sitting opposite me.

"Tea?" I asked as I reached for the intercom, but she just shook her head.

Should I put it plain and simple in front of her? Should I just say that I still love her? Or should I...

"I have somewhere to go. So if you'll just hurry a little!" She said.

"Oh, yes, of course!" I swallowed dryly. "I..." I paused.

Her shoulders slumped down as she silently sighed and looked down while mumbling under her breath.

Get over it!

"I wanted you to know that my feelings for you are still the same as they were seven years ago." She looked up at me with her eyes slightly wide and stared. "I still love you!"

She licked her lips as she nodded and said, "Okay. But I don't feel the same."

Now it was my turn to stare, as she calmly added, "I admit I once felt for you. Maybe not as deeply as you did, but it was seven years ago. And I have moved on from..."

"Then why didn't you admit it in Lucknow?" I interrupted her.

Her brows scrunched as she pressed her lips before she answered, "Because, like I had said that night, my hate... was stronger than the love I had felt for you."

My lips parted as I breathed heavily, and my throat tightened. I reached up to my throat and loosened my tie.

"You're lying!" I looked into her eyes as I came to a conclusion. "You love me. I can see it in your eyes."

She stared at me with her mouth slightly open. Admit it!

"I'm not the same Arnav I was before. I have changed. I..." I reached for her hand, but she snatched it away before her gaze hardened, and she stood up from her seat.

"You're right! You've changed. You've gone completely crazy." Her voice rose. "And I'm crazier because I came here to listen to your nonsense."

I also stood up from my chair and walked around the table to stand opposite her.

"Why are you pretending to hate me? Who are you trying to hide your true feelings from?" I asked, as I couldn't understand why she would do that. I knew she was the type to lie so that no one felt hurt, but...

"I'm not pretending to. I actually hate you. And there's nothing to hide when everyone knows how much I hate you and your family for constantly harassing me and my family." She yelled with her eyes wide and her brows furrowed.

"I can see it in your eyes that you love me. And you also said that you have feelings for me." I replied as I tried to make her understand and admit the truth.

She pushed her hands through her hair as she turned around from me.

"Khushi, please admit..."

"Stop making things in your head." She interrupted, shouting, and turned to face me again. Lights glittered in her welled-up eyes. Why is she crying?

"Just for once in your life, Mr. Raizada, listen to what is actually being said to you." She pointed a hand at herself. "I never said I still have feelings for you. All I said was that I used to have feelings for you, and most of them died the night you ruined my sister's wedding for the second time and tried to blackmail me into marrying you. And for the rest of the feeling that was left, it vanished like it was never there. So, for the sake of humanity, if you have any left, stop twisting my words and trying to manipulate me."

I clenched my jaws as I looked on my right and saw Suraj and Payal downstairs with Di, Avni, and Akash, then again turned back to her while pointing downstairs with a finger.

"Are you lying because of him?" I asked quietly.

She followed my finger that pointed downstairs at Suraj, then stared at it for some time. And my heart skipped a beat with fear as I saw the way she was looking at him. No... It c...

"No. I'm not lying because of him." She looked at me in the eyes. "I'm telling the truth because of him. Because he's the one I love."

My hand dropped to my side as I felt the punch of her words deep in my chest.

"So, please, stop trying to ruin my chance of being happy." She concluded, then wiped her tears before grabbing her things and rushing out.

I followed her with my eyes and turned on my right to look downstairs. His face suddenly turned concerned as he saw something ahead of him, then he said something to Payal as Khushi walked towards them. He extended his left hand at her while she grabbed it, like they had been doing this forever, and together they walked away, but Suraj gave a last glance right at me before leaving.