(By Dhalia)
RUKO, Dadi's voice rang out loud and strong just as Khushi and Arnav were about to exchange garlands
Both were jolted out of the sweetest Rabba ve yet as they froze with horrified shock and swung around to stare at Dadi.
Dadi was in a flaming fury and she was glaring at a trembling and cowering Garima, who stood beside her wringing her hands, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Now what Dadi, said Arnav wearily, what is this new drama?
Drama, drama? Arnav, yes drama, but I am not the one who playing out this drama, it is this woman, this home wrecker who has been playing hide and seek with me for so long in an attempt to cover her up her unforgivable misdeeds....
Dadi, please, can we have this conversation later, we have a wedding going on and there are a lot of people here....we can sort this out later....
No Arnav, we cannot sort this out later....as it will be too late....once you get to know what I now know....you too will not wish to marry this girl....whom I have never liked....My eyes can never be cheated...she is just like her Maasi......a home wrecker.....
Dadi, please.....whatever you have to say....please speak clearly and stop beating around the bush...
As you wish Arnav, come let me introduce you to Garima....the woman who is responsible for seducing your father, breaking up your parents marriage, compelling your mother to commit suicide and shaming your father to take his life, leaving you both orphans and scarred for life.....
There was pin drop silence.
Arnav froze as the 14 years melted away and he was again witness to that horrific scene that had haunted
him all these years....his hands crushed the Jaymala he had held so reverently just a few minutes ago....no this could not be happening.....his mother, crying, his father pleading, the gun shot, the dead bodies, his sister's marriage broken....he closed his eyes in an attempt to wipe away the deeply embedded memories...
Humari baat to suniye Subhdraji, Garima pleaded softly
Dadi raised her hand, hume aapki koi jhoothi safai nahi sunni.....na hi tab suna tha...aur na ab sunenge....
Khushi's world came crashing down around, her amma....nahi nahi...this could not be true....darkness spread across her eyes and she held herself with sheer willpower, forcing herself to keep standing as the world spun alarmingly around.... she had thought her first wedding day had been the worst day of her life after her parents death...but this was even worse....to come so close to heaven and......
Shyam crossed his arms over his chest as he attempted to curb his self-satisfied smirk, wah kya baat hai....isse kehte saanp bhi mar gaya aur laathi bhi nahi tooti (snake died and yet stick did not break)...hume toh kuch karna hi nahi pada....humara waada tha saale sahib....ki aapko aur Khushi ko ek nahi hone doonga....how did you like my Brahmastra....now you will never be able to marry Khushi...neither will you be able to live in peace....this is what I wanted all along....I will be king of RM again and all of you will be my puppets...SMJ couldn't resist baring his fangs in a twisted evil grin at these pleasant thoughts...
Sumi, iih ka keh rahi hain aap...
Haan Devyani, hum theek keh rahe hain...Garima is the woman who was having an affair with my son, she is the one who is responsible for all the travails that this family has had to bear since that fateful night 14 years ago.....Khushi is just like her maasi....Garima destroyed your daughter's life and now Khushi is trying to destroy your grand-daughter's life....Khushi is the one who poisoned Anjali bitiya's married life and now Arnav is marrying her...he does not know what a ghatiya person she is just like her family......I will not let this happen....yeh shaadi nahi ho sakti....Nand Gopal ka lakh lakh shukar hai, that Damaadji introduced me to Garima before it was too late.....
Images continued to flash across Arnav's eyes, his parents' arguing, the gunshot, his Di crying, thrown out of Sheesh Mahal....then.....dropping Khushi from the first floor, Khushi wearing the red saree, Khushi seeking his comfort at the hospital, Lavanya's words when she was saying goodbye to him, Khushi at the Heer Ranjha play, a lifeless Khushi in his arms, his avowal to forget the past, Khushi bringing back Shyam, his promise to Khushi....
Arnav's head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes. Stop it Dadi....as I said...we will talk about this later....let us continue with the rituals....
Yeh kya ke rehe ho Arnav, what part did you not understand, yeh ladki kitni giri hui hai tumko samajh nahi aya abhi tak kya....what I saw in Garima's eyes that night....I have been seeing the same in Khushi's eyes since day one....and as head of the family I declare....yeh shaadi nahi ho sakti.....
Nahi Dadi....shayad aap bhool rahe hain.....Shaadi toh ho chuki....I am just completing the wedding formalities and rituals as per your desires....I have no problem in not continuing with the rest of the rituals if you don't want me to....but as I have said before.... Khushi is and will still remain my wife...and in fact I am not doing these rituals for you...but for Khushi...these are important to her and as the Shubh Muhurat may be over soon....let's get this over with....we can talk later.....so saying, Arnav turned and garlanded Khushi.
Khushi stood in shocked surprise and stared at Arnav dreading what she might find in his eyes....no Devi Maiyya no.....not that scathing disgust in his eyes....not again.....she would never be able to bear it....in her frozen state she could barely comprehend what his eyes were saying, as she trembled with the storm of emotions that lashed her..... the Jaymala swung dangerously as her cold nerveless fingers nearly dropped the heavy garland....
A pair of strong warm hands clasped her cold hands and gently brought them forward to help her garland him. Then he gently guided her towards the mandap and sat her down before sitting down himself. Nani came forward and indicated to the Panditji to start the rituals. Payal came and put her hand on Khushi's shoulder to calm her down and NK stood behind Arnav as the rituals started. Aakash brought Babuji over when it was time for kanyadan, while SMJ and Dadi looked on in impotent anger.
Garima kept weeping silently as Buaji alternately tried to support her and beg Nandkishore to manage everything....
When it was time to tie the mangalsutra and put the sindoor, Dadi again rushed forward and hissed, Arnav, don't act in haste and repent at leisure, this girl is characterless just like her maasi and I am warning you, don't....she tailed off and then walked off in a rage as Arnav raised his hand.
He then proceeded to smear vermillion on Khushi's hair parting and tied the mangalsutra seething with anger, very much reminiscent of the first time. Angry eyes clashed with apprehensive, unhappy liquid pools. His eyes softened as he shook his head and whispered.....Hamesha.......The dam broke and overflowed, Khushi shook and shivered uncontrollably.
The panditji intoned, the bride and groom stand up to take the pheras.
Obediently Arnav stood up, but Khushi was paralyzed and was unable to move, despite Payal's attempts to help her. Arnav bent down and tenderly lifted her and started the pheras with Khushi cradled in his arms.........there was not a dry eye in the whole of.........fandom (sorry couldn't resist that ).
By the time the rituals had finished, it was quite late and only family members were left. As the newly wedded couple walked towards Dadi to take her blessings...she stepped back, I don't accept Khushi as the bahu of this house.
Arnav: Why Dadi, what is your problem, I told you that we have been married for 6 months but you were the one who wanted all the rasams. I agreed to them and now you come up with new objections. Basically you don't like Khushi and it seems to me you came to RM with a preconceived notion about Khushi. In fact I wonder who fed you misinformation about Khushi, he turned and glared at SMJ lurking behind the other members of the family. And please don't comment about Khushi's character, I have known her for more than a year now of which 6 months are as my wife. I can safely say that I know her better than you could know her in the past month or so.
Dadi: Arnav, men are such fools and so gullible too, all it needs for a woman to ensnare a man is to look beautiful and speak a few sweet words.....that is all it takes to make men behave like idiots.....I am not one to be fooled so easily.....I can see in her eyes what I saw in Garima's eyes 14 years ago.....
Arnav (showing the hand): Please Dadi, don't start again. Please read my lips, I LOVE KHUSHI...SHE IS MY WIFE....and I will not hear one more word against her.....and I don't trust what you saw 14 years ago.....in fact I don't trust myself anymore.....what I saw 6 months ago, what I interpreted and what the truth actually was....werso very different. The way I have been fooled over the past 4 years has shaken my faith in my own powers of judgment.....I now wonder if what I saw and understood 14 years ago was right.....after all what goes on between a husband and wife is known only to them....how can a child judge what happened, who was right..... who was wrong.....
Dadi: Yes you were a child, I was not....and I am never wrong...I know Garima was wrong then and I know Khushi...
Arnav (the hand again): Please Dadi, don't drag Khushi into what happened 14 years ago....so what if you are right and Aunty did have an affair with Dad? Why are you blaming only Aunty, dad was also to blame....both of us are in the same boat....if Khushi is characterless because of her maasi...I am characterless because of dad......and why should Khushi and I pay for their mistakes....I grew up hating dad and hate has shaped my last 14 years....I have finally found love and have realized that Love is more powerful than Hate....
Dadi: Arnav, I don't believe this, it doesn't matter to you that Garima, your wife's maasi destroyed your family....
Arnav: You are right Dadi, suddenly the past doesn't matter anymore, I have lived there long enough and wished over and over again for it to change....but it didn't ....and no matter how much I wish...it won't....and I have had a glimpse of a beautiful future.....and I don't want to lose that....Also.....knowing Khushi and her family, their strong values and morals.....I cannot believe that aunty is guilty of what you are accusing her of...and if you say you see the same thing in both their eyes.....I can safely bet that .....that would be innocence.......in fact you didn't let her speak did you?.....just like what I did with Khushi......
Arnav went to Garima and said....Aunty please tell us your side of the story....
Garima, gulped, wiped her tears and nodded her head. Yes, Arnav bitwa...it is time for me to tell the truth....I tried several times but I couldn't gather the courage...the day I did gather courage...on the Godh bharai day....I heard you all talking and about wanting to forget the past....so I decided that perhaps that was for the best....but now I think it should come out in the open....even though I don't like to talk about that time....
Dadi: Obviously, she is going to spin some fake story......
Arnav: Please dadi, let her speak....
Garima: Some 14 years ago, I had gone to Sheesh Mahal to sell chikan kari sarees and.....and...as I was
leaving...I was suddenly pulled into one room by the younger Mr Malik...and...I was....ra...raped....She sank down near Shashee babua's chair and burst into tears.....everyone looked on in shock...she controlled herself and then went on....I went away....but I came back .......as I had found out I was pregnant....I could not find Mr Malik, but I met your father Arnav bitwa....and I was so desperate...that I told him what had happened and that "main unke bachche ki ma banne wali hoon". He was very kind to me and told me to come a few days later as there was a wedding on and that he would sort out things with his brother. But soon I got news of the double death and was horrified and went there....in the hope that the news was wrong...may be to talk to the father of my child....but he was very rude to me and threw me out and then Subhadraji heard him shouting....she also shouted at me....she wouldn't let me say anything......so I walked away....intending to end my life by jumping from a cliff.....but Shasheeji came and saved me......extracted my story....he sent me home......married me....,,,made me mother to his motherless daughter.....ready to accept my illegitimate child....but I lost that child to a miscarriage.....this is my story.....She straightened up.....wiped her tears and said firmly.......and that is the truth......believe it or not.....
Arnav came forward and touched her feet and then hugged her....I believe you..... Amma.....
