Chapter Twenty Two

As the weeks passed, we continued with his schedule. Wake up, go to school, work, and then home. But one thing I've learned is that Arnav is a very hard-working man. He runs the company on his own, having no board men to depend on. He does his best to keep his company stable at the top and with the harsh attitude he can have, it is just a shocker that a man at his age is capable of being this successful.

But there was seriously nothing wrong at all. I thought when he was going to make me follow his schedule, he would show me some crazy stuff he would do, but he doesn't do anything out of the ordinary. Well, that is, if you count a young adult running his company ordinary.

It was the Friday and I was standing at the terrace, drinking hot cocoa, enjoying the breeze. Winter was ending and Spring would come soon. When Central Park is covered in snow, it is just beautiful!

But it seemed like Mother Nature just wanted to let it snow right before Winter ended.

Arnav had gone for a lunch meeting with the Japanese. The whole thing with the Malaysians was done with, and now Arnav was involved with the Japs.

It seems like he has a lot of interest with the Asians.

More interest in them than with me.... Ever since the revelation, Arnav has slowly pushed me away from him. At first I didn't realize because I was puzzled by his actions, but now its crystal clear.

But I won't break so easily.

The doors opened and in came Arnav in his black overcoat.

My goodness, did he look yummy or what? And especially with his snappy Armani suit beneath?

Drooling!

"Welcome home," I said as he took his overcoat off.

He smiled slightly, more like curved the corner of his lips slightly.

"How'd the lunch go?"

"Good. I think it's going somewhere. If it does then that's great."

I nodded and placed my mug down on the coffee table and picked up Arnav's overcoat and took his suit jacket, which he just took off. I turned to walk away, when Arnav spoke.

"You don't have to do that."

I looked at him. "But I want to."

Arnav just shrugged and sat down on the sofa and took his BlackBerry out, which was his work phone. Seriously, how many phones does a person need? Then again for a guy like Arnav... understandable.

"You know Arnav," I said as I stood there, "there's nothing wrong to it."

"Wrong to what," he asked, not looking up from his phone.

"Your life."

Arnav looked up at me.

"I mean, you're a big man, being in charge of his own corporation, but... I mean everything seems normal," I shrugged nonchalantly.

Arnav stood up. "That's because it's nothing," Arnav said as he came over to me.

"But i don't care. I accept you the way you are," I said, looking into his eyes.

"That's because you don't entirely know me like that."

"I don't care."

"But I do."

We just looked at each other for a moment, seconds passing us by. But Arnav broke the contact and looked away first. He sat me down on the sofa and sat down beside me.

"Khushi," he began, "you don't know me like that. You don't know anything about me, anything about my past."

"So?"

Arnav sighed and looked down and then back at me. "How about I start off telling you about my past relationships."

Past relationships?

"Khushi, I've had about 23 women in my life..."

My eyes widened.

"... and that's not including you."

Twenty three? That too without me? B-b-but... I mean, he didn't have physical- sexual, relationships... did he?

"And I've had sex with them," Arnav continued.

My lips parted.

"With each and every single one of them."

I closed my mouth and looked away at the coffee table.

All twenty three?

"I would have sex with them as a stress relief," Arnav said. "Whether or whether not they wanted to."

"But... isn't that rape," I asked, looking back at him.

"Well... they agreed to it. They knew what I wanted and what my conditions were, so they knew better."

"Oh," and i looked away again.

"And if they denied, then I would go to a club."

"Why?"

"For sex. I'd just go to a club, hire someone good looking off one of the poles and basically fuck."

I felt a lump in my throat, but I did my best to swallow it down. "That sounds kinda harsh," I managed to say.

"That's my point." He sighed slightly. "Khushi, this is my point - you don't know me like that. But... ever since you came into my life, I've changed. I stopped doing pot without even realizing it. I don't go to clubs and fuck with prostitutes. I don't even have sex as a stress relief."

"But that's the thing," I said, looking back at him. "You don't do any of those stuffs anymore. You're saying it yourself that you've changed. So why can't I love you?"

"Khushi..." Arnav looked away and sighed in frustration. "you just wouldn't understand how fucked up my life is."

"But I don't care!"

"But I do!"

Both of us just looked at each other, both of our chests heaving as we puffed. I can't believe Arnav is acting like this. I mean you're saying it yourself that you've changed so what else could there be? Yeah, I admit that what you did before was fucked and freaky, but seriously? I mean....

That's it. I've had it.