CHAPTER 13: ON HIS DEMAND

 (TABLES TURNED TWISTED TRUTH)

 

***
NK was stopped from saying anything further when Arnav gave him a one cold stern look and NK  knew that he should shut up.

"Uh, Dhruv bhai can you just pass me lasagne?"

"Yeah, sure!" Dhruv replied and NK didn't dare to look at Arnav side instead he looked down in his plate which was already full, but in nervousness he had filled it more till the contents came out the plate.

"What are you doing, NK? Akaash asked.

 

"You know I am really hungry!"

 

"You are crazy!"

 

"Tell me something I don't know."

 

"Should I tell bhabi that you she doesn't know?" Dhruv jumped into the conversation.

 

By seeing them three brothers fighting Khushi remembered her fights with Aryan. She was really missing her brother. She was missing fights with him.

 

"How long you guys are here for?" Nani enquired.

"Since, our children are always caught up with work, I have decided that they can stay for a month or so and should take a break for a while," Mama Ji answered as he chewed his food.

"Thank you papa!" NK said as he jumped in excitement.

 

"It means, I can stay here and find a cool girlfriend for myself."

 

"What about that stela girl?"

 

"Dhruv Bhai sshh thora slowly baat karo!" (Dhruv bro speak slowly)

 

"Enough of talking now just eat your food!"

 

"Well Yeah, it's a great idea. These kids can also travel India?"

 

"What about Anjali Bitiya?" Mami ji said.

 

"Anjali? I have heard this name before, but when. May be saw it written somewhere, but where!?" Khushi asked herself as she dug into her memory.

"Anjali Singh Raizada," the name had suddenly popped in her mind.

"Didn't she read that name in the pamphlet at AR groups?  But what is relationship of Arnav ji with her and his family," she further thought.

"No compromise in her care, safety and security,"Arnav suddenly spoke, his tone of voice was although calm, but somewhere had stormy anger in it.

 

Khushi in a quick second, looked at him and he leered down in his plate, but anybody could have clearly told that there was a sudden change in his behaviour.

"Dadi is with her all the time," he ended his sentence, chewing his food harder.

"Yeah, that's why we able to come here," mama ji said.

"What are doctor's saying?"

"She is okay!" Dhruv replied, his voice broken.

There was a silence that had spread at the dinning area.

"Uh, Khushi bitiya you tell who is in your family, Arnav bitwa didn't tell much about you," mama ji said as he tried to divert the topic and everyone's mind.

 

 Khushi got nervous but more than that she was curious to know who was she? Not only Arnav, Dhruv or Nani were depressed, but almost everyone one was at the table.

"Yeah, bhabi I want to know about your family too," NK asked when Khushi didn't say anything, but his voice had no exciting tone or charm that is always there.

 

"Do you have any sister? If yes, I am pretty sure she would be just as pretty as you. Right?" NK added to cheer the gloomy atmosphere.

"You have nothing else to talk about?" Akaash slapped his shoulder in a playful manner. And he faked the pain.

"Tell us bhabi!"

Khushi gave him a frail smile and shook her head.

"You mean you have no sister or you have the sister, but not as pretty as you?"

"Very funny!" Dhruv said sarcastically. "It was right? Haha!" NK joked.

 

"I have no sister."

"Oh, so I have to keep looking for my dream girl," NK said as he felt really bad for himself.

"Okay, tell us about your family and when we will meet them."

Khushi didn't know but to say but she started off anyways.

"I have a brother and bhua ji. My fath...my father died in an accident last month," Khushi words choked in her throat.

Everyone looked at her side in pain.

"Oh sorry to hear that. And your mom?" came the sudden question from NK side but it was sympathy filled.

"She is no more!"words came out Khushi's mouth without her approval. Arnav looked at her in disbelief.

She only knew how bad she felt when she said her "mother is no more."

But what else she would have said anyways? Tell the whole family about her mother's rumours which she in no way wanted to believe? Even though she told a lie to the family, but it didn't mean in anyways that she had accepted the fact that her mother had runaway. In deep down in her heart she knew that her mother can't do anything such. She had left her status, money everything behind for her father, but still if someone say that her mother left his dad for money or she was a gold digger it was nothing, but wrong. Whether she had not seen her mother in the last 16 years of her life and the memories of her with her mom were almost like a forgotten dream, but she had full faith in her and she knew that she wouldn't have fell in love with his dad in first place knowing the fact that he wasn't as rich as her.

Sometimes what we see, hear is not always right. Khushi kept the spoon silently in the plate and was trying hard to have control over her impulses.

But all of sudden Arnav hammered down his spoon hard on the plate everyone's eyes fell at him. Khushi kind off jumped in her seat and Arnav didn't took much longer to egress from there. Khushi was too hysteric at Arnav's sudden outburst.

"Chote, what's the matter? Where are you going?" Nani ji shouted at his back, and as always he wasn't going to hear.

"I go and see him!" Lavanya said.

"No, bitiya!" Nani said to stop Lavanya from getting up from her seat,"you just sit down Khushi will go!"

Lavanya's sudden excitement turned into a rage when Nani stopped her and asked Khushi to go after Arnav.

"Can't you just see its because of her Arnav has left?" Mami twitted.

"Manorama!" Nani had finally raised her voice.

"What wrong I have said? He (Arnav) was silently eating his food then why did your son asked about her family?"

"What's even wrong in that if he asked?" Nani answered her back.

"Whatever! For everyone sitting here, I am always wrong. You just note my words this girl is not right. I don't think our Arnav bitwa is even happy with her. The day he had gotten married with her he has become so different."

"Stop, manorama!" Mama ji jolted in anger and got up from his seat.

"Don't scream, the girl whose dad died last month instead of mourning over his death she got married?" Mami ji said as she instantly got up from her seat right after mama ji did.

"See it has only been two hours since we have gotten here but this girl's presence has already started creating an agitation in our family."

Khushi was too embarrassed and felt extremely shameful standing in front of everyone. Tears streamed down over her cheeks. But there was no end to Lavanya's happiness, she was enjoying the dispute.

Mama ji was so angry at mami ji's behaviour and fowl words that he lifted his hand in the air to slap her, but Nani stopped him. Everyone got up from their seats.

"Yeah, just slap me why did you stop? You think I am wrong, you all wait and watch," Mami ji cried in agony.

 

"Where is bhabi?" Dhruv asked as he looked around and Khushi wasn't there.

"Couldn't you have just shut your mouth?" Mama Ji scolded mami.

"I said what was right!"

"Manorama stay in your limits you know nothing about her. And without knowing anything about others how could you even say such hurtful things to anyone?" Nani asked her.

Mami turned on her heels and left without answering.

"Khushi bitiya," Nani called but Khushi didn't respond.

"All of you see where is she?"

"Dhruv go and see if Khushi Bitiya has gone in her room?"

"Yes, Nani!" Dhruv ran to Arnav's room.

"Bhai!" Dhruv called and didn't care to knock on the door.

"Have you forgotten your manners?" Arnav snapped.

"I am sorry bhai, but is Khushi bhabi in the room?"

"No!"

"Bhai we don't know where is she?"

"Wasn't she at the dinning table few minutes ago," rather than asking he stated.

"She was but!"

"She must be somewhere here, where would she go?" Arnav said before Dhruv could finish his sentence.

"No, bhai mami ji said few hurtful words to her, that really hurt her. I am afraid if she took any wrong step."

Arnav threw the file, that was in his hand on the bed, and pushed Dhruv aside and went straight downstairs.

"Where is Khushi, Nani?" Arnav asked.

"I don't know chote," Nani replied in panic state.

"Sir, we just saw Mrs. Raizada going out of the house?" One of the security guard said.

"Why the heck you didn't stop her?" Arnav yelled.

"What sir we thought you must have known where she is going?"

"Has she taken the car?"

"No, sir!"

"Have you gone mad? Has anyone ever gone without their cars and drivers in this house?"

"We are sorry, sir!"

"Did anyone found her?" Arnav asked the family members and the security guards.

Everyone shook their head.

"This is all happening because of manorama neither she has opened her mouth nor Khushi bitiya has gone somewhere without saying anything," Nani said looking angrily at mamiji.

"I said nothing wrong!" Mami Ji retorted.

Mami's words hit Arnav like a bullet he would have answered her at the moment, but right now nothing mattered to him but Khushi. He left the house in search of her.

"Bhai, I go with you!" Dhruv said.

"No, there is no need of that. I will go by myself. You guys stay here."

"But bhai!"

One look, Dhruv knew that he should stay back.

***

Khushi's house, orphanage home, every street he searched for her, but she wasn't anywhere. He called her phone, but all he realized was that she had left her phone at home.

His mind was clogged with negative thoughts "I am afraid if she took any wrong step." Dhruv's word came into his mind.

 

 "No, Khushi can't do anything like that. I won't let anything happen to her," the grip of his hands on the steering tightened.

***

"Khushi you here? you said you were busy but how come you are here?" Rahul said. "But it's good I have found you here! I have to tell you something about your husband Mr. Raizada!"

 

Khushi immediately paid him her attention.

 

"Neither I want to talk nor listen anything related to him," Khushi said.

 

"No, Khushi please listen," Rahul screamed.

 

"So don't want you know who took your father's life and the reason why Aryan is in the hospital?"

 

"What?" Khushi asked in disbelief.

 

"Yes, Khushi."

 

"He is the one who was responsible for your dads death and Aryans critical condition. He was the one with whose car accident happened. It was his car with which your dads car crashed."

 

Khushi stood frozen there, her heart beat had stopped other moment she knew that she would collapse.

 

"Yes, Khushi remember one of eye witnessed said the car's plate no. was MBB X99. It's Arnav's car."

 

"No, he can't do that," Khushi said as she backed up until her back hit the wall.

 

"He did that!" Rahul said. "Then think why would he send Aryan to U.S. for his treatment? Why he would marry you all of sudden?"

 

"No, he hates me," Khushi snapped.

 

"Hates you?"

 

"Yes, he hates me for some reason and he forced me to marry him!"

 

"No, he doesn't hates you but me," Rahul shut his as he looked down.

 

"What are you saying, Rahul?"

 

"Yes, Khushi. I thought I would never ever tell you this, but he hated me because I loved you!"

 

"How do you know that?"

 

"I know because he came up to me few months ago and tried bribing me. He said he would gave me 3 million to leave you, however, I never listened him. He also warned me that if I didn't listen him he would take everything from me and here he did that, he has taken everything I had left with money, my house, even my job. But these were all materialistic things he took life of Shashi uncle and I didn't know that he could droop that low," Rahul said as he wept. "But I knew that my Khushi won't do anything such. I am sorry Khushi I thought you were a gold digger and married him for money," Rahul said and hugged Khushi.

 

Khushi was frozen, every part of her was dead. Rahul had hugged her but her arms had fallen on her sides.

 

***

"DM mandir(suddenly one place came into his mind) yes, that's the only place Khushi could go!" Arnav's heart filled with hope. He hoped that his guess was right. He accelerated his car and drove straight to DM mandir. But there were more than ten of them in which she would have gone? He went in each and everyone. But came empty handed. Now there was only one left his hope. The last temple where he stood.

 

"Khushi!" he screamed.

 

Rahul broke the hug immediately.

 

"Khushi he has come here! Please  lets go you don't have to live with that beast anymore," Rahul said as he tried to take her from there, but Khushi didn't move an inch.

 

"Please, Khushi!"

***

Arnav's heart beat increased with every step he took, he wanted to run to see if Khushi was there, but what if she won't be there?" He thought.

***

"Rahul you go!" Khushi said as she looked down on the floor.

 

"Please! He would kill you too Khushi you don't know him. Pandit Ji! One man is coming please don't tell him that you have seen both of us here please we beg you!"

 

***

Instead of taking one step forward he(Arnav) climbed two steps to climb up the 100 stair cases.

And his heart beat increased double the time per minute as he has just returned from a gym but it stopped all of sudden for a moment when he didn't find Khushi there too.

 

"Khushi," he screamed again.

"What happened child? Are you looking for someone?"

"Khushi, my wife pandit ji have you seen her? She was wearing royal blue sari and red wedding bangles."

"My son, so many people come here I don't remember everyone."

 

"But she must have come here few minutes ago not during rush hours."

"No, I haven't seen her."

"Please pandit ji try to remember. She is around 5'6", have long black hair and fair in colour. Wait I think I do have her picture," Arnav immediately said when he realized that there was a picture of her in their wedding article. He took out his phone and googled the article and luckily found it.

"Here, I am looking for her."

"No, my son as far as I know she didn't come here."

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes!"

 

"Thank you pandit Ji!" he said weakly.

"Don't worry she would be fine," Priest said and left.

***
"Where are you Khushi?" He said before leaving from there.

***
"Thank you pandit Ji!"

"Beta why did you ask me to tell him a lie?" priest asked Rahul. "Is everything alright between the two of you?"

"Everything is fine pandit Ji!"

"Thank you!" Rahul said.

***

"Let's go Khushi! Rahul said.

"I said you go from here!"

And without further protesting he left.

 

When Arnav was about to get into the car he saw Khushi's heels at the shoes rack.

 

He rushed back to the temple. And saw Khushi sitting her back had leaned against the pillar.

 

"Hello, Bhai did you get to know anything about Khushi?" Arnav's phone beeped and Akaash had texted him.

Arnav: "Yes!"

Akaash: "Thank God, is she fine?"

Arnav: "She is okay!"

Akaash: "Okay, please come home soon everybody is really worried about her."

Arnav: "You guys don't worry and go to sleep!"

Akaash: "But Bhai you are not lying right?"

Arnav: "Not at all!"

Arnav hung up the phone.

"Dadi, Bhai has found Khushi and he is getting Khushi back home. You should go to sleep!"

"No, bitwa I can't go to sleep until I see her here right in front of me."

"Well, I am just too tired I am going to sleep," mami Ji said.

"Yeah, you are not needed here anyways!" Mama Ji muttered.

And everyone else waited for Khushi and Arnav to come.

***

@ The DM Temple

 

"Khushi, what do you think you could hide somewhere here and I won't be able to find you? Why did you leave home? Are you crazy you know how scared I got? Do you even have idea like a mad person I looked for you. Do you even know how dangerous is for you to get out of the house at this time. What if anything would have happened to you?" Arnav for the first time had spoke his mind out.

 

But Khushi was not at all affected by his concerns.

 

"Thank God you are fine! Let's go home!"

 

"No!" She stated.

 

"Khushi I know you are mad but everyone is waiting for you!"

 

"I said, I won't go with you anywhere!" She yelled.

 

Now she was making him mad.

 

"One last time I am asking you!" Arnav warned her but in a calm voice.

 

"What would you do? What do you even think of me? Huh? You think you could treat me whatever way you like? No, Mr. Raizada I am not a doormat that anyone could step on me. You have left me of nowhere!" Khushi said as she raised her voice her anger was replaced by her shocked if by any chance her words could reach his deaf ears.

 

"You have ruined my life in every way. Are you happy now? Are you happy to see me broken? Are you happy with the fact that I have stopped living? You mentally hurt me I didn't say anything but you had no right to hurt other people. What family had done, what did lavanya ji did that you betrayed her and Rahul what was his mistake?" Arnav's blood boiled when Rahul's name left Khushi's mouth.

 

Anger all of sudden observed his calmness, blood flowed in his vessels with such a high speed as it felt that they would clasp any moment.

 

But more than him all the gates of Khushi's patience have been broken, but anyhow then also, till now she had tried to keep herself calm, but for how long? She really wished Arnav had left from because she wasn't ready to face him but she thanked DM now, that he had found her. How long would she tolerate this? Who gave Arnav right of even treat her like that? It was the time when it was relevant to say enough is enough. She didn't need any favour of almighty Arnav. She needed no money but the answers to the questions she had.

 

"Which home you want me to go to tell me? To your house? No, I feel trapped there, do you hear that I can't breathe in that house. It's worst than a jail."

 

"Khushi let's go home!" Arnav ignored all she said and took her wrist in his hand to take her from their.

 

But this time Khushi was determined. She gathered the energy and released her hand from his in one go and slapped him with the other. Arnav's hand clenched into a fist as he tried too muffle all his anger in his fist. Not only she had slapped in his face, but his unnecessarily ego.

 

"Enough is enough Arnav ji! Stop treating me like your doll," for the first time she had raised her voice ever and probably slapped someone in her life.

 

 Arnav couldn't able to control himself and held tightly by her arms.

But she was not gonna let him to dominate him this time either. She pushed his arms away from her.

 

"If so far you have thought that I am nothing but a weak woman then you were very wrong. If I was quite this long the only reason was because of my brother, my bhua ji and your family. For others you must be a powerful person, but for me you are nothing but more weaker than you anticipated me as. Tell me why are you doing so? Oh why would you tell me. I tell you the reason."

 

Arnav was just too shocked and eager to know what Khushi had to say.

 

"Don't look at me Mr. Raizada? I have come to know everything about you."

 

"Khushi!"

 

"Shut up!" Khushi screamed.

 

"You will listen me today, only me!  You have said enough. You are nothing but a murderer! You took the life of my dad. Weren't you the one at the night of accident who was driving instead of your driver. MBO X99 is the number of your car right? That you threw into the junk yard after the night of the accident.

 

Arnav stayed quite. "Why you don't have anything to say now? Because you are the one who killed my dad. You beast you took my father away from me. You could have saved them, but you chose not to. They stayed there for complete half an hour in pain fighting for every breath but you chose not to," Khushi said as she hit him in his chest.

 

 Khushi broke down but she shortly gathered herself.

 

"I always wondered why you were doing this to me. Why did you hate me? No, you didn't hate me but yourself Arnav Singh Raizada! You said you are not a tyrant. No you are not but you are even worse than that. Just because you are rich it doesn't mean that everything is in your hand. You rich people think that poor people are just like insects and you could smash them under your foot. But beware of God Mr. Raizada he is the supreme power, fear him. You must be thinking how come I know this, right? Mr. Raizada you can't hide black deed. Instead of regretting your actions, you used me. You used me for your own purpose."

 

The weather outside had changed. Winds had started howling, the sound of bells in the temple echoed in the long distance. Lightening thundered without any mercy in the sky.

 

 

"Now everything has made sense why did you send my brother to US for his treatment. Why were you ready to give me such a big amount for a year marriage? Because you wanted to make up for your mistake, you had bought me. You wanted me to bear your child so that you could mark me yours forever. Now I understood why just the second day after of marriage you added the clause "If you wish you could increase the time period of our marriage as long as you wish."

 

 "You never loved Lavanya ji, Were you blind to see that love in her eye? And that crazy girl thinks that I took her love from her, how wrong she is? You know what I don't feel bad for her instead I am happy that she didn't get you. She deserves so much better."

 

"What the heck you are talking about?"

 

"Telling you the truth Mr. Raizada. Acquainting you with the reality that you don't want to know by any means. Today, I have come to know why you hated me because I was going to get married to Rahul and you loved me. You couldn't able to see your love going to someone else. But did you even love me? I don't think so, you just wanted me. You were just possessive like a child for his toys and threw it when he grows up. Even you thought of doing that to me, right?"

 

"Khushi do you even have any idea what are you saying?"

 

"Yes! I am aware of what I am saying. Get out of here. I don't want to go anywhere with you. You are nothing but a stain on the well being Mr. Raizada you have no right to live in this world! Get out of here before I do anything. Go far away from here Mr. Raizada because you don't deserve anybody's kindness!" Khushi said as she pushed him away from him.

 

Arnav looked at her, she was out of breath. Her forehead had filled with beads of sweat. Her face had turned paler.

 

"Aaahh!" Khushi's head fell back and she screamed as pain in her womb shoot like a rocket.