The Guilty Ones

Chapter 05

Khushi woke up early in the morning. She felt a sudden pain around her neck. Everything that happened last night keeps playing back.

The way a random guy took her hostage, how he charged at ASR, how his knife hurt her throat and how she escaped. She fell onto ASR's arms and that was it. She couldn't remember anything after that. The last thing she remembered was staring into those hazel eyes.

She sat on the bed and turned her head around. She was in an unknown room, a mattress that is more comfortable than hers but not hers.

"Where am I?'

She murmured. But before she get off the bed the room opened and a middle-aged lady walked into the room with a tray.

"Excuse me, Where am I?"

"Mam, please, the doctor has advised you not to talk. You damaged your vocal cords after the incident and here you go"

She passed Khushi a notepad and a pen.

"Are you crazy? I am not a child to draw"

"This is not for you to draw. You can use this to communicate. Until the doctor advises you can talk, you should not. If your vocal cords get damaged again, you might lose your voice"

This time Khushi took a second before snapping back at the lady. She has also passed her the medical report from the doctor. Khushi read them all and understood it was best to follow the doctor's orders than to act on her own.

"Can you tell me where am I? She wrote and passed it to the lady.

"You are in Raizada mansion. My boss, Mr Arnav Singh Raizada bought you here last night"

"What? ASR bought me here?" Khushi wrote back

"You were unconscious when he bought you here. He then asked the doctor to check up on you and asked me to take care of you"

Khushi looked down at her clothes.

"Don't worry, I am the one who changed your clothes. Here, I bought you breakfast and something to wear. Have your breakfast, then you can take a shower. The washroom is through that door"

The lady gave her the tray full of food and kept some clothes on the bed before leaving the room.

Khushi had her breakfast first. She was starving. Then she took her bag out and turned on her phone to find 50 missed calls and more than 100 text messages from Akash.

"Akash, I am fine. Don't worry about me. The plan had a small glitch but it worked out in our favour. I am inside the Raizada mansion and so far everything is fine. Do not call me or text me unless I say so"

She then deleted the text from her phone, turned it off and put it back inside the bag before heading to have a shower. She may or may not be a suspect at this house but being vigilant is always better than nothing.

"Did you give her food and her medicine?"

"Yes, sir, and I gave her a notepad to communicate at well. At first, she was a little agitated but after reading the doctor's report she calmed down"

"Ok, keep an eye on her and keep me updated. I want to know her every move"

"Ok Sir"

"ASR, last night you were trying to join earth and sky to save this girl and now you are making her a suspect. I don't understand how your brain works"

"NK, last night my mind was here and there and I was not thinking straight"

"That's something new, ASR's mind wasn't working. Hats off to whoever this girl is"

"Shut up NK"

Arnav walked away and called the caretaker he appointed to keep an eye on Khushi.

"Rose, once she is ready bring her to my office. I think it's time we have a little chat"

"Ok Sir, I will"

Arnav went to his office and sat on his chair.

"Who is this girl, why did I act like that with her? I have never lost my mind like that. Last night all I could think of was to save her. NK is right, she is affecting me in a negative way. She is bringing out the things I buried years back. Sooner I figure out who she is and her real motive, I can set the records straight"

Arnav's chain of thoughts was broken by a knock on the door.

"Sir, she is here"

"Let herself in and you can leave Rose"

"Ok Sir"

She then walked towards Khushi who was standing at the end of the corridor and said,

"Sir is expecting you. Once you are inside, close the door. Then wait till he asks you to sit. Do not talk before he talks. In your case, do not write before he asks you anything. He might talk right away, maybe after 10 mins, or 15 mins but wait. Even if you have to wait there for the rest of your life do not jump the gun. Because if you do so, you'll be gone for sure, but our lives will be hell for at least a week or two"

Khushi node and walked towards the office. With each step, she took her heart started beating thousand times higher. She has faced and confronted a number of criminals in her life but this guy is something else. The confidence she had before washed away after their encounter last night.

She could still image those hazel eyes. They were captivating as if they are trying to tell her something. She remembered Akash's words,

"Last but not least do not fall for his looks"

She was so confident that day when she denied falling for him. But today she knew her confidence was shaken by those hazel eyes.

"Mom and Dad Khushi, remember you are an orphan today because of this guy's father. Each time those eyes mess with your path, remember your parents"

She advised herself before peeking through the office door.

Arnav saw the innocent face that was peeking through the door and gestured to come in. Khushi came in and closed the door behind her getting ready to face the most significant reality of her life. 

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