Anjali laid in bed, staring at the roof, her thoughts all jumbled. Shyam had left her again and unknowingly she turned over and caressed the empty sheets beside her. How long was she going to pretend that everything is ok? How long was she going to live her life like this under the pretense that someday things will change? Would she ever be able to find peace for the remainder of her life?

Hell and heaven were both to be experienced on this earth, during this lifetime, her mom used to say, and she wondered if this was her hell. Her childhood had been nothing but perfect. They had a good family, maybe her parents worked too much and didn't pay as much attention to them but they had nonetheless provided her and Arnav with everything they could. Once they had passed away, Arnav had taken on the role of her father and life had kept going. Except for the hollowness that she would feel while thinking about her parents, nothing much else changed. Nani had supported them through the hard times and they were financially well enough that they didn't have to go through any difficulties along those lines.

Maybe this was her hell, being with a man that was responsible for the deaths of many out there and her not being able to do anything to stop it. How could she have been a fool to fall in love with a monster like that? She wasn't sure but now that she thought back, she wondered if she was ever in love with him? If she ever was, how did it turn into a loathing that had no return?

Every morning she woke up and wondered if this was going to be the day, the day she would receive the news of her husband not returning. Would she have to spend the rest of her life by herself? Arnav had Khushi and she couldn't be happier for her Chotte. Would it have been easier for her if she had decided to have a child? Would the child be able to replace the hollowness she felt all day, every day? She wasn't sure but for now all she knew was that the decision that she had made all those years back, was for good. There was no way she was going to have Shyam's child and the day she had found out about her husband's true face, she had made an appointment and got her tubes tied. Shyam had two ways of tying her down- through Arnav and a child. There wasn't much she could do about Arnav but there was no way she was going to bring an innocent life into this mess just so that Shyam could get the satisfaction of blackmailing her on that front.

The satisfaction that she had received when she had told Shyam what she had done, was priceless. The horror that she had seen that day on her husband's face had given her a satisfaction that she hadn't received in a while and seeing something die in his eyes that day had just confirmed that she had made the right choice. He was a monster that was responsible for many deaths out there, teenagers to adults and there was no way the guy deserved to have a child of his own but the only part that hurt her in the whole process was lying to her chotte. She had told Arnav that she had miscarried and that she couldn't have children and she whole heartedly wished she could have just told Arnav the truth that day but there was no way she was going to threaten his life. He was all she had and Shyam was not going to be able to take that away from her. She knew she was selfish. She should have reported him to the police the instant she had found out but she had no proof. Hearing her husband over the phone wasn't enough proof and the guy was too smart to leave any trail behind but she was waiting for the day she could get her hands on something, anything. But for now, she was going to be selfish, and she was going to do whatever she could to protect her family.

Turning back towards her side, she looked over at the clock- 3:26am. She had no idea where he was tonight and like every other night, she prayed- prayed that he would never return.

Afterall, Karma is a bitch.

************

In the wee hours of the morning, Karan unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside and like every other day, his eyes settled on the large picture hanging on the wall adjacent to him. It was his and Khushi's engagement picture. He was on his knees infront of her while she had her eyes tight shut, absolutely embarrassed by the crowd that had gathered around them. It had taken him two months to plan the whole thing- from the location to hiring a photographer that would be able to take a capture the moment of shock on her face and the photograpther had done it just right. Her eyes had rounded like saucers when he had kneeled down infront of her and noticing people starting to stop around them, she had shut her eyes tight, absolutely mortified.

His lips curled into a smile, remembering those times and the next instant his fist rammed into the wall, mad at himself, mad at the world and above all mad at the game destiny had played with him. Arnav had played with his and Khushi's emotions and he wasn't going to spare Arnav for that. He took Khushi away, his parents, his friends and all his family had separated themselves from him and there was no way he was going to let Arnav get away with it all.

Just about to step into the shower to cool his head, Karan turned the water on when he heard a beep and he ran towards his phone, hoping that Khushi had finally gotten some sense into her but he was wrong. He read over the message, twice before hurling his phone at the tiles in the bathroom and buried his head in his hands.

"You're running out of time to save your ladylove. Act fast or she might not get through the day"

He had to do something- and that too fast. Taking a quick shower, he walked out and stared at the suitcase that was lodged in his closet. Five million dollars was a large amount and he wondered how had Arnav arranged for the money so quickly and quietly and not inform the police in regards to it. Five million was enough to get him and Khushi on track once they moved away from here. He already had their flights booked for tomorrow morning and all he needed was for Khushi to message or call him to tell him where to pick her up from. After that, Arnav could burn in hell.

Afterall, Karma is a bitch.

*******

Shyam woke up startled and looked around the hotel room. Somehow he had fallen asleep on the chair, while waiting for Karan to get back to him but it didn't happen. Getting up, he paced the living room, hoping his plans wouldn't fail. Karan had been convinced and all that was left was Khushi to believe what Karan said and once that happened, they would both leave the city and settle down somewhere else- as if.

Karan had believed whatever Shyam had said blindly. Arnav's deception, getting money out of Arnav as he knew Arnav would give up everything to avoid any harm to Khushi's image, and above all, Karan had believed that Shyam would give him and khushi a chance to live. Oh just how dumb love could make someone, Shyam laughed out loud. Karan actually had believed that he was going to let them both live after they knew the full truth about him!

His plan was working so far and the only thing left was Khushi's decision now. Once Khushi walked out of that house and both her and Karan left the country, Shyam already had people waiting on the other end of the world to dispose of them. Unfortunately, even though they were both innocent, he wasn't going to risk his life and his business for two idiots.

Only one person had lived up to his trust till today and that was his wife- Anjali. No other person in his life was going to get a chance at life once they knew about the dangerous world he ran but he needed Anjali. She was the one that provided him with a home and the clean image. He was the Raizada's son-in-law and their family was known enough that nobody would suspect that something was brewing under the Raizada roof. Anjali had promised to keep her mouth shut, with her terms of course and that was good enough for him. She wanted her family's safety and he was more than willing to provide that until she kept her mouth shut. She was his ticket to enter Canada, where he was able to expand his business into. He had enough people working for him in India and now being able to take over North America wouldn't have happened without Anjali so the day she had found out about his deeds, he had entered into an agreement with her. Killing her wasn't an option as the first suspect for a dead married woman would be the husband and he wasn't going to risk doing that.

Until Anjali kept her mouth shut, everything was good. Arnav and Nani were safe and he wouldn't let anyone harm them. He was a good son-in-law that lived with them, who supported their precious doll. Anjali knew that if she gave anyone an inkling on what was happening in her world, they would all be dead. Shyam was a dangerous man and he didn't have hundreds of people working for him for no reason. If a day came when Anjali decided to open her mouth, hell was going to break lose. She had promised to live up to her side of the agreement and if she betrayed him, she knew the consequences.

Afterall, , Karma is a bitch.

***********

Arnav woke up the next morning, hearing faint noises coming from the kitchens. Giving Khushi a light kiss, he scrambled out of bed, his head heavy from all the thinking and he tiptoed into the kitchen to see Anjali making Prasad.

"Good morning di" he mumbled behind her, while yawning making Anjali jump in surprise.

"God! You scared me! Good morning Chotte" she smiled at him, while turning the stove on.

"What's cooking di?" he asked while he sat down on one of the bar stools across from her.

Pouring the flour into the oil, Anjali told him about the puja she was doing for the happiness in the house as it had been awhile since she had arranged something like that. She went on in details, telling him about what needed to be done, what Khushi had to do and Arnav needed to get and he realized that she skipped Shyam's name. As religious as his sister was, he couldn't imagine her doing a puja without him around especially if it was for everyone's well being. As she stirred the contents in the pot, Arnav observed his sister closely after what seemed like months. There were faint dark circles under her eyes but the foundation she was wearing covered it up quite decently, the twinkle in her eyes was missing and above all, she looked paler than usual.

"Everything ok di? You look a little pale" the words slipped out of his mouth before he could control them and the alarmed look on her face didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Everything's ok. Why would you ask? I am just a bit tired as I couldn't sleep properly last night" and before he could ask her what was wrong, her answer stunned him a little.

"I am so used to having your jeejaji beside me at night that whenever he isn't around, it's a bit weird" she replied and he noticed the slight redness starting to creep up on her cheeks. Was it possible for a woman to behave this way after knowing what a monster her husband was? Probably not.

"How come he travels out of town so much Di?" and when he looked up at his sister, he realized he had actually said the question out loud.

The slight alarmed look on her face was quickly replaced with a smile and he almost wondered if he imagined it. Turning the stove low, Anjali walked over to him and sat beside him on one of the chairs and explained to him the different kind of work Shyam did. Since he was a criminal lawyer, he worked with lawyers from bigger firms and since he was a one man business, he needed the extra advise and expertise from other lawyers in the field.

Somewhere along the explanation, he lost Anjali and wondered if his sister knew that her husband barely worked. She must check their bank accounts, if nothing else. Didnt she ever wonder how come her husband wasn't contributing any money into their account or did he have a separate account on his own? He was a criminal lawyer so money laundering wouldn't be an issue for him, Arnav realized faintly and perhaps the guy was too smart for his nave sister.

"You look tired chotte. Go back to sleep. It's only 6 o'clock" Anjali told him as she smoothed his hair off his forehead, like his mother used to when he was a kid. Getting up, he dropped a quick kiss on her head before he walked out of the kitchen, not noticing the tears that were starting to roll down her cheeks.

"I am sorry I have to lie chotte, but I have no other choice" she whispered behind his back. Her husband was going to pay for this, in this lifetime. Heaven and hell existed right here. He was killing people and he was going to have to deal with his share of hell soon.

Afterall, Karma is a bitch.

*****

Arnav slowly slipped back into bed and moved towards Khushi. She was lying on the edge of the bed and if he slightly pushed her, she would topple over. Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her against him and buried his face in her hair. His hand slowly circled her navel, moving lower to play with the waistband of her pants and she slightly groaned at the tickling feeling.

"Arnav sone do na" she mumbled as she turned around and buried her face in his chest. Grabbing his hand, she moved it off her waist and put it around her back to go back to sleep but the light kisses on her face told her that wasn't going to happen. Opening her eyes, she looked up at her husband and smiled.

"Did you go talk to Di?" she asked and when he looked surprised she told him that when she hadn't found him in bed, she had walked downstairs and seeing the siblings talking, she had walked back up and went to bed, not wanting to interrupt them.

"Ya. She didn't say much. I don't wanna talk about it. Come here" he whispered fiercely before his hand slid around her neck and his mouth crushed hers in a kiss that curled her toes. How long had it been since she had kissed him? It couldn't have been that long but it felt like ages since she had felt him against her, touching her and kissing her so passionately that she forgot anyone else even existed in the world.

"Arnav! It's six in the morning!" she moaned as she managed to pull her lips apart but it was useless as within a second, he pushed her back on the bed, and hovered over her.

"It's even better in the morning" he whispered dangerously before he tugged on her earlobe making her squirm underneath him.

"Let me make love to you" he barely managed to say before he pulled her t-shirt over her head. Taking her lips in his, he kissed her slowly this time, nibbling on her bottom lip and treating the top one just the same. His hand skimmed down her jaw line, over her collarbone and when she thought he was going to continue the path down her breast, his fingers moved to the side of her torso, while his thumb skimmed the bottom of her breast lightly. His eyes remained locked on her face, gazing her reaction, noticing her breath coming out in small puffs, her eyes starting rolling back in pleasure.

"You are so beautiful" he whispered as his lips moved to her chin, down her neck, lightly nipping the pulse that was beating out of control. His tongue caressed her collarbone, before placing butterfly kisses on it, moving lower towards her breast. His fingers traced the red lace that was barely holding onto her mounds and as much as he wanted to rip off all the clothing off her body and settle inside of her, he didn't. He was a man with patience, a heck of a lot of patience and his wife deserved it all. She didn't know how crazy she drove him and she would know soon enough, but for now, he didn't want to scare her. Her body wasn't used to this and it had only been a week since he had first made love to her. She needed more time to accustom herself to him and once she was there, he had every intention of driving her crazy till she begged him for mercy, time and time around.

His tongue replaced his hands and he traced the outline of the red lace while his other hand slowly masssaged her other mound, his thumb casually flicking across the tightened bud that was straining to be let out from the piece of lace covering it. His fingers moved up and slowly grasped the top of her bra and within a second, he pushed the lace down and his mouth closed over the bud, sucking on it, making it even tighter. His mouth moved to the other side before moving lower down her body and in a swift motion, he discarded her shorts and panties, leaving her all naked for his eyes to take in. Sitting above her, he discarded his own clothes before lowering himself over her, kissing her softly, nipping and sucking on her skin, a little too gently, making her squirm, hoping he would end the torture soon but he didn't.

"Patience, my love" he chuckled against her shoulder before his lips moved down in a flash and his teeth took hold of the soft skin under her right swell, biting on it and soothing it right after, causing her to moan out in pain and in pleasure at the same time.

"Let's teach you something today" he murmured against her skin and in a second, he flipped them around, with her laying sprawled over him, his amused eyes taking in her shocked ones. His hands traced her spine, moving lower before taking a hold of her hips, marveling at its smoothness. He breathed onto her ear as he moved his hand along the skin of her thigh, making her breathing quicken. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he lifted her up and settled her over himself. Adjusting their position, he moved slightly and she gasped, feeling his manhood nestled securely against her most sensitive flesh.

"First, kiss me" he whispered against her lips, once she straddled him properly. His grip on her hips tightened as she sat up, shook back her hair and leaned down to kiss him. She nibbled on his lower lip, then his upper, while her hands clutched his shoulders tightly, trying to control herself from not moving her hips.

"Now touch me" he whispered when her lips left his and she looked down at him, dazedly. Forgetting everything that had happened over the past twenty four hours, she focused on her husband. She traced the slight dent under his eyebrow, his nose, his eyes, the shadow of his beard and all the while his dark eyes remained locked on hers and instinctively, she moved her hips, causing him to groan and close his eyes in pleasure. She repeated the motion and not being able to take the sweet torture from his wife, he pulled her down and kissed her hard, moaning into her mouth while opening the hooks of her bra and discarding it in a flash. He needed to feel her against him, skin to skin and before he could even tell her what to do next, she sat back up and he hardly controlled the groan that ripped from his lips when she sheathed herself into him.