"This is all because of you," he huffed.
"Situation is not to blame because of whom this happened, it is to pray for Khushi's well being!" Bhua ji taunted.
Rudra looked away in anger. "But she is fighting for her life because of him..."
"I do not believe so," she retorted. "It is because of you," she said without any regret. "She did not want to get married to you. Unfortunately, she had to take such a step."
"Could you please both stop arguing?" Mr. Gupta said, in a grief tone. "If you cannot, you may leave!"
Rudra's jaws tightened in anger, and he did leave. Bhua ji was thankful he left.
"I think you all should go home, me and jiji are here," Mr. Gupta said. "If there will be any need, we shall call you!"
"Babu ji, how would you both manage alone here. We are not leaving you or Khushi alone?"
"Please do not worry, I am here as well!" Arnav chimed in. Soham looked at his father, there was a sense of approval from his side too. Even though soham did not want to.
"Baba, we all will stay back here, and what shall we say the guests, anyway."
"You do not have to, just go back and attend them, marriage will happen today."
Everyone looked at him in shock.
Whatever happened in the past hour, had dented his image in front of his relatives and villagers, more than anything, his pride.
In front of his daughter's stubborness, he failed. This was something, he was not expecting from his own daughter.
What does not a parent do for their kids? They sacrifice their own needs to fulfill their children wants.
He was surprised, today nothing else mattered for his daughter, but a person who was not even in her life for more than few days, compares to years she had spent with him.
Choosing a life partner of your choice is not wrong, but she really did not wait for anything, she did not trust her father enough. This is what, it hurt him. May be before he had let this happen or tried to test her, he himself had apologised from Rudra's father that he cannot give his daughter to them.
But he still did. He knew she was going to eat those pills that his sister gave her, he changed it to nothing but a mere medicines that were not going to hurt her at all. Now she was sleeping, he knew his daughter was fine. Then why did he do it at first place. Why did he actually let her eat those pills thinking? There were reasons. As an outcome of this situation, he knew what really Khushi meant for Rudra...He knew as a father he kept no more importance in her life as he used to...He knew, Arnav was best for him...But above all, he thought his daughter would not do anything to hurt herself. There he felt, his daughter was grown up, she could decisions for herself.
He felt empty from within. Entirely. His daughter was his pride and somewhere his pride was shattered. He fell on the chair.
"Sir!" Arnav said, and ran over to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, and held him by his shoulders. Mr. Gupta's sons stopped when Arnav was already up to help their father. Mr. Gupta kept hand on his hand on his shoulder and nodded in an assurance. "I am fine, Son."
"Should I get water for you? Aman, please get a glass of water..."
Mr. Gupta shook his head. "I am really okay. Do not worry!"
In the past 23 years, he indulged himself so much in his family that he forget about his own feelings, but today. Today, it came all down to him with an overwhelmed force. He realised that the void in his life, without his wife was no one going to fill. Not his kids, not his daughter-in-laws, not his sister. Although, bhua ji had been his support system ever since the loss of his wife.
To some point Arnav tried to understand what he was going through. It was hard for him to keep himself in a place of a father, but he understood the pain and emotions as a human. If tomorrow, his daughter was going to give her life for a person, who all of sudden meant more than him, he would feel the same, what Mr. Gupta as a father was.
He sat in his knees. He started off. "I understand, Sir, what you are going through at a moment. What Khushi did was not at all appropriate, she should not have done anything of this sought, but that she did swayed in emotions. I would not blame her but myself, I should have made an effort to be here as soon as possible. Sir, please forgive me and Khushi, for hurting you. We two have really put you down, you can punish us in anyway, we would not mind."
Bhuaji had tears in her eyes, she was too feeling the guilt that she even asked Khushi to take such a step. She was so angry at that time, she forgot what would he as a father would go through. Even though motive was not wrong, but step. Even if it involved no harm to life, but values and sentiments.
***
"Khushi, how are you? May I know why did you take such a step?" he asked.
She smiled. "I promised that I will wait only for you!"
"Like this?"
She did not answer him, she looked around, and saw every member of her family had come to see her, but her father. "Where is babu ji?"
"He is at home, titliya, he had to go for some work," her bhua ji answered.
Her words did not go well with her emotions.
Then everything came down to her without anybody telling her the reason behind his absence.
"You have put him down, Khushi!" Her mind yelled to her. Loud enough to deafen her and made her feel sick.
"I want to see him," she said.
***
For the first time, she felt ashamed to even go in front of him.
"Babu ji?" she said. Her anklets tinkled, it did not sound cheerful, but sad.
She saw his hands making a vague quick try to wipe off the tears that he was now shedding in front of his wife's photo. Khushi's heart lacerated more in guilt.
"Khushi, what are you doing here? You need to be in the hospital taking rest," he said, turning around to face , in a loud cheerful voice, filled with concern.
"Let us go," he said.
Khushi stopped him, and herself knelt on her knees, and held her ears. "I am sorry, babu ji," she said, and burst into tears. "I am sorry for what I did in a haste!"
He was quite. She understood his silence. She had not given him any reason to say anything. She knew, after giving hurt a mere sorry does not fix everything, but she tried to lift off the weight of her shoulder.. "Babu ji, please forgive me, I forgot the values that you always taught me. I was so blind that I was only thinking about myself, even though I had no bad intentions of such! Please consider this as my last mistake and forgive me, please, babu ji!"
He saw a shadow outside the room." Come on in, Arnav," he said. Khushi looked up at him. Arnav wondered how did he knew he was outside. He walked inside the room.
Khushi got up the floor on her feet.
"Would you like to marry my daughter?" he asked.
Khushi looked at him in surprise. "Sir, I promise I will always keep your daughter happy."
"Can you marry her now? Right now? Without any ifs and buts?"
He nodded happily in a yes.
"Today, I give my daughter to you," he said.
In front of the guests and the whole village Mr. Gupta married off his daughter. May be yes, one day a daughter is meant to become someone else's.
Khushi all of sudden was feeling as if she was detached from her family. She no longer had any ties with every single membeer of her family. Her Anjali bhabi had tears of happiness in her eyes. She was not attached to her other three sister-in-laws, but they loved her as their sister. She wondered why she could not create a bond that she shares with Anjali with other three. Maybe she considered her a mother than a sister-in law.
Her marriage with Arnav was something she wanted, now it was happening, she had taken seven vows with him, he put mangalsutra in her neck and vermillion in her head. She was his. Completely. Then why did it feel as if...she was short of words.
In a crowd of hundred happy faces, there was one face on which no sign of happiness existed, her father's. Would she be forgiven for this act done in denial, or she would be able to forgive herself? She thought.
***
Note:
I hope you enjoyed the update...There are three or four updates more for this SS, then it is done, I want to keep it short! Without streching it unnecssarily.
THANK YOU FOR READING IT!
