Chapter Twenty Nine

Khushi looked at herself in the mirror. What Arnav had just done kept playing before her and she was still shocked by it.

I can't believe he did that, she said in her head. What is going on?! I'm so confused!

Khushi shut her eyes and calmed herself down.

Alright Kush, calm down, she pepped. Things will make sense soon. Right now, you are gonna go back to that room and continue to learn the steps. Okay? Good.

Khushi washed her face and wiped it clean with a paper towel. She headed back to the room and saw everyone else was there. Sani continued their lessons and before she even realized it, rehearsals was over. Khushi grabbed her stuff and was checking her phone, when Lavanya came up to her.

"Hi," Lavanya said softly.

Khushi looked up and saw a hopeful Lavanya. "Hi."

Lavanya sighed, her shoulders sagging. "You actually responded."

"I did."

Lavanya pursed her lips. "I... I don't know what to say..... I didn't expect you to respond."

Khushi put her phone away and looked at her. "Well I did."

Lavanya blinked a few times and then looked down. "Khushi have I-"

"You didn't do anything."

Lavanya looked back up at her. "But you've been avoiding me-"

"I know... and it's not fair on your part," Khushi said softly. "Like a good, caring best friend, you told me what you saw to protect me."

"Then why have you been avoiding me?"

Khushi looked at Aman, who was getting his stuff. Lavanya looked at him and then at Khushi.

"He's always around you," Khushi said. "Seeing you guys together..." Khushi looked down. "It would remind me of what I wanted with Arnav."

Lavanya bit her lip. "You could have said something you know."

"I-"

"What the fuck Khushi?!"

Khushi flinched.

"All this time I kept thinking you were mad at me for something I did, or if it was the whole Arnav thing! Bruh, you cudda said something!"

Khushi bit her lip. "You said bruh."

"Don't crack jokes Gupta," Lavanya said, pointing her finger at Khushi.

Khushi pursed her lips.

"I'm so mad at you!"

"Sorry-"

"You better be! Now buy me a large caramel latte so that I can forgive you!"

Khushi's lips twitched up. "Same ol', same ol'," she teased.

"Shut up. I haven't had one in so long!"

"Why," Khushi asked, hanging her bag on her shoulder.

"Aman keeps me away from fatty things," she said with a roll of his eyes.

Khushi chuckled. "That sounds like him."

"I believe I heard my name," Aman said as he came over, wrapping his arm around Lavanya's neck.

The girls smiled at him.

"And I believe you both are talking again."

They grinned. "We are," they both said together.

"Well then let's celebrate. Caramel lattes on me!"

"Now that's an offer I'll take," Lavanya said.

Khushi chuckled. "Same."

*~*

Khushi, Lavanya, and Aman were sitting at a booth in the cafe, Khushi sitting on one side while Lavanya and Aman sat at the other. Khushi had told Aman what she had told Lavanya.

"If that was the case, I wouldn't have minded spending less time with her," Aman said.

"No, that's not right," Khushi said.

"But you guys are best friends. I wouldn't have minded-"

"But I'd feel bad. And knowing her she would've broken up with you, and I couldn't let that happen."

"Khushi-"

"No La," Khushi said, cutting her off. "Its okay. Besides, I needed time to myself."

Lavanya and Aman nodded.

"Khushi," Lavanya began, "I feel like there's more to what I saw that evening with Arnav and Anisha."

"What makes you say that," she replied.

"Anisha... she's... there's something up with that chick."

"Why did you go after her during rehearsal," Aman asked.

"She was being a bitch and kept bumping into me during practice."

"I noticed. What happened when you followed her out?"

"I threatened her," Lavanya said proudly.

"You what," Aman asked, totally amused.

"I told her to watch out for her ass cause if she's hiding something, Khushi is gonna take out all that padding she's got stuffed in there.

Khushi back-washed her latte and broke into laughter.

 

"Dude, gross," Lavanya laughed.

Aman was laughing as well. The three laughed, envisioning an enraged Khushi attacking Anisha.

"Now that I'd pay to see," Aman said.

Khushi chuckled and wiped her mouth with a tissue. "Jesus Christ, I've missed you."

"Ditto," Lavanya smiled.

"Would you really do that though," Aman chuckled.

"No," Khushi said. "I'd pull the stuffing out of her bra as well."

All three broke into laughter once more, filled with joy. Unfortunately, there was one unfortunate soul who was at the counter, hearing it all.

Arnav.

The barista handed Arnav his coffee. "Anything else?"

"No," Arnav responded sadly.

Khushi had looked up then and saw Arnav at the counter. She could see the hint of sadness across his face. Lavanya and Aman had noticed Khushi was looking elsewhere and followed her line of gaze. They saw what she saw as well.

Arnav turned to leave when he caught them all looking at him. He quickly looked away and walked out.

"Aww," Lavanya said.

"I feel bad for him," Aman said.

Khushi looked at them. "I noticed you guys don't talk anymore. How come?"

Lavanya looked down and Aman rubbed her shoulder.

"Him and La got into a fight after she took you to La Roux - that's the name of the club."

"Oh...."

"Yeah," Lavanya said softly. "I've never seen him that angry before."

"Same," Aman said.

Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"Khushi," Lavanya said, breaking the silence, "I dunno why, but I have this feeling that Arnav is innocent."

Khushi looked at her. "Why?"

"I dunno, I just get the feeling he is."

"Well I'm positive," Aman said.

Khushi scrunched her eyebrows. "Positive?"

Aman leaned forward, folding his hands. "See, when Arnav came back from his first year, he told me all about you. He went on for hours and hours about you. It was obvious he liked you and when I asked, he admitted it. He had realized it before, but he just never said anything to you. When you left last year, he was beyond pissed. He was all like didn't she even think about me and what not. And when he found out when you were coming back, he went through the roof! Auntie was so confused and he told her about you-"

Khushi back-washed her latte again. "What," she coughed. 

"It's okay, auntie is really chill. From what she heard, she really liked you."

Khushi blushed, her eyes wide.

"Aww, you're blushing, " Lavanya teased.

Khushi frowned and Aman chuckled. 

"My point is," Aman continued, "is that I don't think Arnav did anything."

"But what about what I saw," Lavanya said. "I mean that's where the confusion begins. I saw her come out of his apartment. I saw Anisha pulling up her strap. It was already down when she came out of the apartment."

Aman was quiet for a moment."What if she did it cause she knew you were coming?"

Lavanya shook her head. "Nope, Arnav didn't know so she couldn't possibly. I didn't even know where they were until I asked around and Simon confirmed."

"Who," Khushi asked. 

"The guy who took your pic on his tablet when we went upstairs to the VIP."

Khushi remembered back to that day and nodded.

"So she didn't fake it," Aman said, more to himself. "But...."

"But," both ladies questioned.

"He wouldn't have done it. I don't think he did anything."

"But Aman-"

"He didn't do it La," he said, cutting her off. "He loves Khushi too much for that."

"Then what do you think," Khushi questioned. 

"I have a theory but... who knows if it's true. It's just a thought and it could be a piece to it."

Khushi nodded.

"La, you said that Simon told you that Arnav was drunk right?"

Lavanya nodded.

"Well... what if Anisha took advantage of that?"

Khushi's and Lavanya's eyes widened. They had never thought of it that way.

"What if Anisha got him drunk and then had them go up to his place? What if she convinced him into having sex with her?"

Khushi scrunched her eyebrows. "That's a possibility... unless..." and she gasped.

"What," Lavanya questioned.

Khushi glanced left to right, a thought going through her head. Unless... I shudda known!

"Well," Lavanya urged.

The corners of Khushi's lips lifted. "I shudda known all along," she grinned cunningly. 

Aman and Lavanya looked at each other in confusion.

"If there's one thing we've learned about Anisha in all these years, then what's that," Khushi asked Lavanya.

"That she's the biggest bitch in the world and that she's an idiot."

Aman chuckled and Khushi narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, yeah, besides that," Khushi said.

"Um..?"

"That she's always tried to get Arnav floating around her."

Lavanya's eyes widened. "You're right. The first time we ever met her, she was trying to grill you but failed miserably because we were with him and he was all over you."

"So she's jealous of you," Aman said. "So?"

"It's only a hunch," Khushi said.

"And," both Lavanya and Aman urged.

"What if she made it seem like they did something?"

Both Lavanya and Aman wondered for a moment. 

"You could be onto something," Aman said.

"Knowing that plastic bitch, she would do something like that, " Lavanya said.

Khushi sighed. "Arnav keeps telling me that he'll prove his innocence. As much as I feel that he's lying and all, why would someone wanna prove their self innocent when they're guilty of something like this?"

"Like anyone else whose guilty of anything," Aman said. "But you could be right Khushi. I have a feeling you're theory is correct."

"There's only one way to find out for sure," Lavanya said. "We have to know exactly what happened that night at the club."

"But how," Khushi said. "Only those who were there would know-"

"No. I remember Arnav telling me about the security cameras they have. There's security cameras all over the club floor. Also, each apartment has one...."

Lavanya's eyes widened. 

"What?"

"The cameras' recordings for his apartment are all found in-"

"In his apartment," Aman finished. 

"Which means-"

"Arnav has that tape. He has the proof! But if that's the case, why is he taking so long to prove it? Why not show it?"

Khushi bit her lip, her emotions getting the best of her. "Maybe because he isn't. Maybe he wants to tamper the evidence because he's guilty. He was just bullshitting everything all this time," she said, her voice a mere whisper. 

Lavanya looked at her best friend and saw the sorrow in her eyes. "Khushi," she cajoled, reaching out to hold her hand.

But Khushi withdrew her hand before she even could, and stood up. Without a word, she left, tears forming in her eyes. 

Lavanya tired to get up to follow her, but Aman held her back.

"Aman-"

"She needs to be alone now, babe. It's tough for her."

Lavanya looked down and Aman held her.

"What the hell did he do," Lavanya cried. "Why is he leading her on like this?"

Aman ran his hand over her back, trying to figure out the whole situation.

*~*

Khushi quickly walked home with tears in her eyes. They escaped now and then, and she would fiercely wipe them away. When she got home, her parents saw Khushi and her condition. 

"Khushi," Kinjal called out. "Baby, what's wrong?"

But Khushi ignored her and ran up to her room and locked the door behind her. Her parents came running behind and knocked on the door.

"Khushi," Karan called out. 

Khushi slid down the door and let the tears escape, her crying. 

Why did you give me hope, she exclaimed in her head. Why?!

While Khushi cried away, over at La Roux, Arnav was walking through his duplex apartment, wearing nothing but his black slacks. He went downstairs and went into the security room, which was below the staircase, next to the study. He looked at the multiple screens, displaying different angles of his apartment. He looked to the side and looked at a disk sitting on the desk, with a date and time range written on top of it. 

Arnav picked it up and his lips crooked up, forming a devilish smirk.

Gotcha.