Warrior - Chapter Forty Three

People never cease to amaze me.

There was a time where I thought I had heard it all - that I had seen it all... and yet, something new occurs, and again I'm left bewildered.

But this time, I felt more anger than I had ever before.

For a moment, I looked at the woman who is my newly wedded wife for about five days, who was very much enjoying herself as she ate one pani puri after the other. Every time she would prepare one of the puffs, a small look of concentration would cover her face, getting it to the right amount of spiciness with the right amount of tanginess, before she would put the whole thing in her mouth and scrunch up her face with enjoyment.

This look of happiness is definitely a new one I've ever seen on Khushi's face. Who would've thought that eating street food could bring so much joy to a person?

And yet what I heard just moments ago....

People really never ease to amaze me.

To think that Khushi would give up such happiness over what some fucking-!

Calm Raizada... calm down.

"Earth to Arnav!"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Khushi looking at me strangely.

"Fighting the urge to eat more," she smirked. "You can stare the puri down all you want, it won't tell you what to do."

I looked back down to see the empty shell in front of me.

"If it's that's hard for Mr. CEO to decide, I'll take it."

"Uh, be my guest."

"You sure?"

I slid my plate over to her. "Positive."

Khushi shrugged in return as she took the plate. "One too many for you, but one extra for me," and she began to prepare it.

She loves eating these things so much... and yet she was about to give it up just because of those fucking-!

The sound of my phone ringing filled the air. Taking it out of my pocket, I see that Aman is calling.

I wonder....

Getting up from my seat, I excused myself as I took the call. "Yeah Aman."

"Sir, I got all of the information as you requested," Aman responded.

Stepping out of the room, I made my way to the backyard, getting some privacy. "Good, have it sent to me immediately."

"I'm uploading the files right now to have it sent to you, but Sir...."

"...What?"

Aman let out a sigh. "When I was trying to get all of the information on Shyam Manohar Jha, I found out that he's been on good behavior, Sir."

No.

"It looks like his side is going to try and use this to their advantage, and try to get him out early."

"Not one fucking chance in hell," I gritted. "That motherfucker should stay in fucking jail for all eternity after the fucking shit he tried to pull! Who's trying to get him out?"

"His mother, Sir. Though I must admit, I highly doubt they'll let him out so easily. Even if he has been on good behavior, he hasn't even done half of his sentence. There is a possibility, however, that after he's completed two years, his family may try to get him out."

"We'll see about that."

There's not a fucking chance that man is getting out early, I'll make sure that never happens.

After seeing the way Khushi had reacted that night... all because of a nightmare....

Memories of that night flooded my mind, replaying every moment - the way Khushi had been hysterical, the way she had hidden behind my legs in fear... the way she had held onto me and had me sleep next to her.

That night, it was different. I knew what was going on, so I understood.

This morning, however... it was completely unexpected.

Sure, given the night prior to that one had been our wedding and we had gotten home so late, not to mention slept even later than that, left me somewhat sleep-deprived that it made it a little difficult for Khushi to wake me up at first. But last night was fine - if she had a bad dream, she could've easily woken me up.

So imagine my surprise when I found her asleep in my arms this morning.

True, we have slept together before- er, slept besides each other, rather. But that was different, in a way. ...well, really the only difference was that I was awake last time when she made me sleep next to her. This time she came to me while I was asleep, so....

Regardless of the differences, both times I found myself waking up holding her to me, Khushi's face buried in my chest. And both times she was in comfort. As for me, well... it felt foreign. I've never been so close to a woman like that before in my life, so it all felt rather strange.

Good, but strange.

Last time I was easily able to get out of bed and head to the gym. But this time was different. Unlike last time, where Khushi had first started out with a tight grip on my hand, only to eventually release me, this time it was the opposite. This time she started with a loose grip, only for it to tighten later.

When I awoke early this morning and let the shock of finding Khushi besides me subside, I thought that moving her back to her bed would be better so that way she'd have the comfort of her bed. So I picked her up and placed her back, but when I went to leave, I discovered that she had a tight grip on my shirt. I tried to release myself, but it threatened to wake her, and I didn't want that, especially after the past few wine-filled late nights. So it left me no choice and I laid besides her for a moment, only to fade into sleep; though I did wake up a few hours later, finding Khushi still asleep, buried in my chest, but with no grip on me.

She looked so at peace, fully contempt. And yet earlier....

I will never understand people - never. Why they constantly feel the need to ridicule is beyond me - especially with situations like this. It's really all I can think about as I laid on my bed, while Khushi had already fallen asleep. She may have easily been able to fall asleep, but all I could think of were the words she had said in the study earlier.

People are vile. People are cruel.

They are disgusting.

How anyone can try to justify attempted rape makes no sense to me at all. The fact that someone actually tried to justify that monster's actions, is beyond me. The fact that another woman tried to make Khushi's feelings mean nothing, just because her ex-husband hadn't actually raped her, is repulsive.

It's like with Ma all over again.

Even during Mom's time, the biggest enemy of all - asides from Dadaji and his shit - had been the women of society. They had been the ones to constantly point fingers and mutter about her, sometimes out loud on purpose. And now with Khushi, again, the women of society constantly pointed their fingers and muttered about her, even loudly on purpose. This story that Khushi has told me is proof of that - how Ma ever even first found out about Khushi is proof of that.

And the only thing I can wonder is why? Why do women constantly feel the need to put other women down? Why can't they just focus on themselves, why butt into other people's business and then try to make them feel bad for it?

Running my hand over my face, I let out a sigh, and looked over at Khushi.

No matter... because I'll always be there to protect the women in my life, no matter what.