The Compensation Season 2

Burnt and cooled

Chapter 27

Burnt and cooled!

Jealousy, the eight lettered word sounds so simple but everybody knew it held power enough to destroy the whole world. It arises when you see something which was meant to be yours possessively in the hands of an insignificant another.

That word crept as a feeling through my veins when I saw my Khushi's delicate, milky white hands being swirled around by another not so pleasing hand. I clenched my fist as I felt the green slimy feeling creep into me as I could not even imagine Khushi's pretty hand in anybody else's hands except mine. I hated this feeling.

Suddenly the boy's hand slipped from Khushi's and she was turning around aimlessly. She was about to lose her balance when I came and held her as she clashed against my chest. This made me wonder, why does her little head always clash to everything?

She looked up into my eyes. I made her keep her hands on my shoulders  to show all the people here that she is mine. She shall do everything with me now, may it be walk or dance.

I held her tiny waist and moved a few steps and she matched my steps like if she was hypnotised by me. I felt proud about she walking with me matching my steps.

"Ooh Prince Charming and Princess Cinderella! " a girl said making Khushi shake out of her thoughts. I looked at the little cute girl. She looked like my Di with her big chubby cheeks. Even Khushi had big chubby cheeks, I liked those cheeks. I felt like pinching them as  they would turn rosy then, given Khushi's milky white skin colour.

"No! Barbie and Ken!" another girl argued with the first girl making me wonder, Who is Ken?

"No, little babies! They are like Romeo and Juliet !"a teenaged girl shrieked excitedly.

Main Badri ki dulhania

Tujhko bana kar ke

Le jayenge ho Badri ki dulhania

Rani bana kar ke

Le jayenge ho Badri ki dulhania

I have never heard this quirky song which was playing in the background and in any other situation you could be sure that I would have broken the goddamn phone from where this irritating music was blasting. But truth to be told, currently as the lyrics matched our situation, I felt quite happy that this song was playing. It gave me a positive vibe. Khushi freed her hands from my shoulder and stood a bit away from me shying to herself.

"Girls, those were all old era couples. This is our own prince Arnav Singh Raizada and princess Khushi Kumari Gupta." Di  said smiling towards us putting her hand over the girl's shoulder.

Di is such an old romantic, isn't she? What prince and princess in this century! Yet Khushi as my princess was a very nice idea. How about I get her a princess dress for our reception?

I noticed slight blush creeping into Khushi's beautiful cheeks which were partially covered by her brown wavy strands of hair which she almost immediately cast away.

"Ji, you here?" she questioned me and Di, showing us her innocent eyes.

"Yes, Khushi ji! We are here to celebrate your birthday with you and the kids and take their Annual routine health checkup. " Di smiled.

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I went into my room tired by the events that happened today. I was so happy this had been my best birthday ever. Di and Arnav ji had made my day by coming to the orphanage with me as a surprise. They had brought plenty of sweets, toys and clothes for the children to donate on my name. Di is so generous!

I remembered how Arnav ji had held my hand and made me cut the cake on Di's insistence. His touch had sent shivers down my spine. I felt electric!

"Khushi! Your Babu ji is asking for you, dear! " Amma cooed. She always would become so sweet when it would be my birthday.

I got up from my bed and went towards the hall following amma.

"Bitiya, you are back. How was your day?" Papa asked, keeping down some official documents.

" Yes babuji my day was marvellous today , Arnav ji and Anjali  ji too were there at the orphanage today! You should have come too , I had pretty much fun with the kids there!" I said sitting on the sofa beside his. Babu ji normally behaved very coldly with me due to his work pressure but he would always be all smiles to me on my birthdays.

" I am sorry, bitiya. We couldn't celebrate your birthday grandly. I and your Amma would have surely come had the bank not have called us urgently today for some legal work." Babuji sighed. Tension was clear on his forehead in the form of sweat droplets.

"What work, babuji?" I asked as I wanted to get rid of everything that made my parents tense.

" This bank account,  bitiya. I need this money from this fixed deposit I had made on your name. I wanted to remove all money from it to pay a part of your dowry but because the FD was made in your name and now you are an adult they are not allowing me access to break it. They don't trust me. After all, I am not your real father."He said rubbing his forehead.

My nose flared and cheeks became red. Dowry! Was it not wrong enough that they had forced my parents to get me married in their house that they were demanding dowry too?

"Babu ji, you are no less than my real father to me. And there isno need to give any dowry! I will..." I said angrily but Babu ji stopped me.

"Bitiya they are big people. We can't even harm their hair. The best thing to do is  keep shut. And please do not talk about this to them, promise me."Babu ji said.

"As you say, Babuji. Give me the bank papers. I will give consent to you accessing all my accounts." I sighed and took hold of all the papers he handed me and signed on each and every one of them without reading them. I wasn't in a state of mind to read them out.

"Thank you, bitiya. You don't know how much relieved I feel now! Ab mere kaleje ko thandak padi.( Now I felt better in my heart.)"

Babuji said, making me wince at how helpless he sounded.

I ran away to my room  to study, to distract myself from the hate which erupted in my mind after knowing this dowry drama.

You shall pay for this ASR. I don't need to apologize to you for anything. You don't deserve it.

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