Khushi wandered back and forth in her room, worried. Anxiety ran as a blood in her veins. Her chest was uptight in fear. Momentarily, she stared at the bottle of sleeping pills kept at the table in her room by her bed side and thinking what shall really she be doing with them.
In her mind, she constructed tonnes of ideas and demolished that didn't actually worked. It only fuelled her anger and frustration.
"Khushi, find a good idea!" her mind screamed to her, pressurising her to the fullest to make decisions that could solve her problem and put her every nerve on ease.
What added more to her anxiety was, she didn't have much time left. 12 hours. That were going to decide her and Arnav's fate.
She calmed herself down and then automatically one idea was working for her, but she didn't know if she should go for it, or it would be successful.
Until now, she was so self absorbed that she forgot that she had her friends Savitri, and Mala in her room as well. Waiting for her to tell the two of them what she was thinking and they too get a chance to share their ideas.
She gave them a look of worry and look at them did nothing good to her. They were equally clueless as her.
"Savi, one thing we can do is make Rudra eat these sleeping pills. Later when he will not show up at the marriage, we will say that he doesn't want to get married..." Khushi explained.
"Just the way he destroyed the letters given to you!" Mala said. "And made up his own stories."
"Exactly!"
"Khushi, this was what we both had in our minds!" Savitri said.
"I don't know if it's going to work!" Khushi said unsured.
"Khushi, then why don't you simply talk to him once. He might understand it..." Savitri suggested.
Mala was shaking her head not agreeing to what her friend said. "Savi, that man is not going to listen a word. If he can try to almost kill Arnav babu to get married to Khushi, he can do anything. A simple talk won't work especially with him...And, Khushi, you don't worry. We promise we will do anything to get you married to Arnav babu."
Mala said walking over to her and side hugged her. "For the first time our sweet Khushi has fallen in love, how we can let just anyone to take her away. Especially, if it isn't the person she wants to be with. By the way, Khushi, if anyone like Rudra had been after me I would have immediately said yes. That's what I thought first, but now after I saw Arnav babu, and your love for each other I understand, what you was actually waiting for..."
Khushi smiled, Savitri too walked up to her friends and they gave each other a big hug.
"Khushi, after marriage you will leave us, we will really miss you!"
"And who said to you this? I will put this condition in front of Arnav ji, that I am not going to city with him leaving this village..."
"Hmm..." they both whispered. "And here we thought you can do anything for him..."
Khushi laughed, and for a moment she forgot every worry of her. "Well, I can do everything but this..." she said. And they three giggled.
"Now let's go and get Mehndi done..." Savitri said. "They are waiting for us..."
"Khushi, I will do your Mehndi, and will print Arnav babu's name. I bet you he will not be able to find it..."
"I think he knows his name is written on my heart..."
"Uh-oh!" they both shouldered her. "So this is so..." they teased her.
Khushi blushed...
***
Khushi's sister-in-laws, bhua ji, and along with their relatives who had come to attend her marriage, sat in a corridor waiting for her to get her Mehndi done.
Khushi was feeling once again nervous. She looked at her father, when bhua ji told her to sit. She had so much going on in her mind that she was having hard time to assort all the thoughts or even to put them stay.
A look at her father brought tears in her eyes. She had spent 23 years of her life with him. He is the one who gave her everything, never made her feel the need of her mother. He, along with her brothers, and sister-in-laws gave her so much love that today somewhere she was feeling she was betraying them. She can't cheat them. She guessed, she had betrayed them already by simply thinking she was going to get married to not to the person they wanted. However, it didn't mean that she gave up on Arnav. She knew Arnav can handle everything. He won't let her feel that she was cheating her family. And she also sort this in her head that she wasn't going to hurt anyone of her close ones. Arnav has still to tell them that he was still in love with their daughter. He wasn't cheating them or her, that made her see the rays of hope shinning at her.
She saw design Mala made on her hand. She then looked at the happy faces of her sister-in-laws, her brothers, her bhua ji.
She shut her eyes and hoped for the best. Best that was going to be good for everyone. Not just for her. Disappointment of one meant death to her.
I don't know what's written in my fate. I can't think of anything, so giving you all my worries to you, God.
***
"Khushi, I know you aren't happy with this marriage unfortunately, this is the truth that you have to accept that now Arnav can't be yours, because you are someone else's," Anjali said, keeping stone on her heart.
Khushi could all do art her best, right now, was smile. "You don't worry about me, bhabi. Take care of yourself and sweet little baby. I know whatever will happen, will happen for our good."
Bhua ji heard her saying this, she felt sorry for her, what else she could have done, anyways. She tried convincing her brother but his decision was a solid as a rock that wasn't going to melt to change. He thought he knew what was right for his daughter.
Khushi thought this was the longest night of her life, on the other side Arnav felt the same when his 4:30 flight got canceled and was rescheduled for 7:30am. He tried to call Khushi on Mala's phone, the only phone number that he got, alas! she had her phone on silent.
"Why it had happened when I needed to be at Khushi's place? Particularly, when it's more important then breathing," Arnav winced. Lavanya kept hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"ASR, we still got time. It's not going to take much longer," she said. "I believe, everything will be okay..."
***
"Bhai, that Arnav babu is coming back to Jagatpur," Ashok revealed.
Rudra angrily turned around away from the mirror, and held his collar.
"And this is you are telling me now?" he asked. Seeing raw anger in his made him gulp.
"Bhai, but the good news his flight got late...and he won't be able to get here on time!"
His anger vanished, and let go off his shoulder, and smiled. "Wasn't I telling you, fate is on my side?" he said, and turned back again to see himself in a mirror. "And by the way no power in the world can stop me from getting married to my Khushi today...Now what you are doing here? Just go and make sure he doesn't get here...Get security, kill him where ever you see him!"
***
She knew Arnav was going to be here in any moment, she took Mala's phone and called him to enquire where he was.
"Hello, Arnav ji, where are you?"
"Hey, Khushi, how are you?" he said, in a gloomy tone.
"Arnav ji, what happened?" she immediately asked, her heart beat went wild thinking of every worst scenario.
"Khushi, my flight is delayed. I am afraid I won't reach at your place before 12:00 in the afternoon," he told her in a fear.
"Don't worry, Arnav ji, I am waiting for you," she said. "I promise I will only be your bride!"
"Khushi, I promise I will keep up my promises too. I won't let you down!" he said.
Khushi saw herself in the mirror, her make up did nothing good to hide her worries, she wish it could have. Just so that she could feel little better. Now hearing he wasn't going to be here before eleven she was even more scared.
To see herself as a bride was her dream since childhood. Today, it was going to be fulfilled but not the way she wanted it. She realised life was not a fairytale. And anyways, none of the actual fairytales were as beautiful they seemed, they were all twisted one way or the other. Hers too was slowly taking twists...Then she put all her thoughts to the end before they wandered freely. She couldn't have let herself fall weak. She needed to put all the things in a right order, just the way she wanted. When it was about her whole life. And three lives were going to be ruined, not for anyone's good.
"Has Rudra come?"
"How come he would? He must be sleeping!" she said and laughed.
"Where is Savitri?"
"She is not back yet," she told her.
Khushi's world takes a drastic upside down turn when she hears drums beating.
"Baraat?" they both says to each other and rush to see out of the window. Rudra had come.
"How is it even possible?" Mala said. And see Savitri coming. "Savi, how is it even possible?"
"I don't know!" she too comes and stands at the window with her friends. "I went to his home and put sleeping pills in his water..."
"Hey devi maiyan!" Mala winced. "Savi, do you even know for what he was asking water for?"
"I am pretty sure to drink..."
"He could have asked to get it for someone else..."
"No! Crap! How could I be so stupid?"
Khushi's mind went numb when she looked at the clock, it was 10:30 am...She wished somehow some miracle happens and Arnav gets here before time.
***
"Arnav, how long it will get us to get to Khushi's place?" Lavanya asked.
"La, from here her house is one hour away. I guess we will get there soon," he said. He was driving as fast as he could.
"La, I am sorry, I know you are scared of fast cars but..."
"Don't worry ASR, I am fine...Right now it's really important for us to hurry."
"La, if we have thought before instead of taking a direct flight to Rajasthan, we could have been here much more faster...Then from there directly to here, things could have been lot more better...
"ASR, it happens, I tell you...When you need to get somewhere important, these hurdles do come in a way...Even Aman is behind us!" La said, looking behind. She screamed when Arnav immediately put his car to stop.
"ASR, what happen?" she asked, but when she saw men standing in their way with sticks and axes, and swords she gulped in fear.
Behind his, Aman's car stopped abruptly.
Arnav pressed the Bluetooth button to receive his call.
"Aman, we don't have an escape route from here, I am pretty sure these men are sent by Rudra. La is with us, we have to make sure they are safe."
"So what shall we do, sir?!"
"We are already late, 11:00 am. There Khushi must be waiting for me..."
Men approached them.
"ASR, they are coming here!" Lavanya said scared.
"La, stay calm...They won't be able to do anything...I am going out, as soon I do that sit behind the wheel..."
"ASR, please don't go out. They are way too many..."
"They are way too less for me, La! Don't worry. I am here. Just stay calm. Everything will be okay...Aman, come out."
"Yes, boss!" he said.
***
"Babu ji, please wait for few minutes, Arnav ji is coming. He will explain you everything. He and Lavanya aren't getting married. It was his grandma who wanted it to happen, not Arnav ji!"
Her father was mad now...
"Khushi, don't embarrass me in front of these many people. Everyone is waiting for you. What took him two weeks to get here? I gave you and him a chance...You might be proving you love him, but not him...If you have his number, just call him and tell him to leave this place before I throw him out of here...Get this in his and in your head clearly...I don't want any drama."
"Babu ji, I will never be happy with Rudra...I promise after this I won't ask for anything from you, just this time please listen."
"My decision is final. Now let's go downstairs..." he said.
"Please, babu ji!" she cried. But it went unheard.
***
Aman and Arnav didn't leave any stone unturned to fight with Rudra's men. Lavanya was finally able to breathe seeing both of them trashing the gang.
"Too sad that your boss only send rats!" Aman said, and punched in the man's face.
***
Khushi reluctantly sat beside Rudra. "What say, Khushi? Didn't I tell you, only you could be mine! And no Arnav can come and simply take you away..."
Khushi clenched her hands on her knees, as tears spilled down her eyes.
"Too bad your idea to make me sleep through this wedding day failed. What did you think you will send your friend at my place to mix few sleeping pills to mess everything up, and I will let it happen? Next time before doing anything of this sought do think twice, I have got not only one pair of eyes but hundred. Every time any idea comes into your mind to go against me, it will be killed. And God knows what Arnav must be going through...who knows he might never get here!"
"Hey, pandit, do you have anything to say that you are waiting to start the pheras?" Rudra asked.
"Rudra, son, I am warning you yet again, this time is not good for you to get married to her..."
"I am reminding you yet again if you didn't proceed I will take no time to end your game right here..."
He gulped.
"Please rise for pheras!" he said.
"Rise up, my beautiful Khushi..." he said.
Khushi's eyes were at the door, as any moment he would come, but not when she was all ready for the rounds around the sacred fire. Time was rushing as if it wanted her marriage with Rudra.
She rose up, and clenched the bottle of sleeping in her hand so that it goes unnoticed, that she had already consumed. She looked at her bhua ji through her veil who was also looking at her only.
***Flashback***
"Khushi, you have no other option. Take this!"
Khushi looked at her in shock. "Khushi, these are sleeping pills. Take five or six...It won't harm you, you will just pass out...I will get ved ji here, and he will make sure you are fine..."
[END OF FLASHBACK]
Khushi's head swirled, she knew pills were working. She hoped everything went well.
***
Arnav opened the car door and sat inside so did Aman, and they pulled out safely before the gang could stop them.
"That was a narrow escape!" Aman muttered.
***
Khushi lost her balance and her brother rushed in to catch her in his arms. "Khushi, you okay?"
She nodded and tried to stand on her feet. "I am okay, bhaiya!" she said. But her eyes were heavy, and her legs were wiggling. Bhua ji, hoped she hadn't consumed not many pills.
"Khushi, you need water?" her brother asked.
"I think she is fine!" Rudra said, thinking she was doing drama.. "Here we are getting late. Let's get done with pheras..."
Khushi's brother looked at him as there was none a sign of worries on his forehead.
Khushi's father came forward and asked his son to take Khushi inside her room.
"Babu ji, we will run out of time!" Rudra said. Mr. Gupta looked at him angry, but didn't say a word.
Khushi stood on her feet. "I am fine, babu ji!" she said. Even knowing she shouldn't be saying it. But she was afraid they might see the pills in her hand. That what made her realised she shouldn't have even taken such a step.
"Khushi!" everyone heard a loud call. Khushi's senses that was going numb immediately regained itself for a moment. She finally saw Arnav standing at the door. She slowly started to walk towards him forgetting there were hundreds of people around her, and just the way she walked gave no good indication to him that she was fine. Seeing blood and his messy condition she was afraid neither he had come from anywhere safe. She knew it must be Rudra's doing.
Arnav walked little faster to her, people automatically made a way for both of them. Khushi held him by his shoulder for a support. But only fell back, and finally her tries to keep the empty bottle out of her hand failed. He wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't fallen on his foot. He casually looked what slipped from her hand. As the bottle rolled, it was empty. To worst he thought it was a poison.
"Khushi, what did you do?"
"Nothing!" she said and smiled. "I am fine...I was waiting for you and I knew you would come."
"Then why did you do this, Khushi? Tell what did you have? Someone please call the doctor!" he shouted, helplessly, as if his own life was loosing. Khushi's family got alarmed and her brothers rushed to her.
"It was important, Arnav ji!" she said. "You are here I am happy...I don't want to loose you!"
"Khushi, you have me. But right now you need help..."
Rudra's blood boiled seeing him present to ruin his day.
"I have a car, we can take her to the dispensary!" Arnav said to Khushi's elder brother Soham.
Khushi refused to leave. Bhua ji came forward with a vermilion in her hand.
"Make her yours. Nobody will stop you!" Bhua ji said.
"Bhua ji, what are you doing?" Soham asked.
"Arnav, babua, do it!" Bhua ji said. Arnav saw Khushi and a smile on her face. She had waited for him, it clearly showed on her face.
"Please take her to the dispensary!" Arnav said. Soham didn't wait and took Khushi.
"I am not refusing to marry Khushi, auntie ji. It is the first thing I want to do. But not by a force or anything. I never got to talk to you as Khushi's family, therefore I want it now. Who is Thakur ji here?" he asked.
"I am Khushi's Bhua ji, and he is Khushi's father," she said gesturing towards Mr. Gupta.
Arnav folded his hand in front of him. "Uncle ji, I know you have many questions, but all I have to tell is that I love your daughter. And all the misunderstanding that you have, that is me and Lavanya (La, came forward, she was nervous seeing these many strangers eyeing her) are going to get married. We aren't. We are just friends...I have told her that I only want to get married to Khushi. She understands that. Please believe me I am not lying. I leave all the decisions up to you, I know you don't even know me properly but all I can say is you can trust me with your daughter. I think we have lot of time for this but right now Khushi's life is more important."
Mr. Gupta heard it all, but again he said not a word.
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr. Sarpanch spoke up. "Who is this fellow? And what drama really is going on?"
"He is Khushi's lover!" Rudra spoke without caring about her image in front of the village. "Babu ji, he doesn't care for Khushi at all..."
Anjali and her friends looked at him. "As if he cares for it," Mala taunted.
Mr. Gupta's hand clenched in a fist hearing Rudra's statement.
"I know!" he said to Rudra looking at Arnav. Rudra smirked.
