Talkatora Garden, New Delhi.
Anjali lazing in the garden watching children playing and adults lost in their conversations with happy smiles on their faces.
She inhaled the sweet fragrance of the flowers that filled the garden with the most refreshing and rejuvenating aroma.
"Anju? "
Anjali heard her name being called and she smiled and turned to find Dadi looking at her with a huge smile and teary eyes.
Anjali reciprocated her expression.
She was so happy seeing her after so many years and she hugged her and Dadi reciprocated both burst out in tears and Dadi broke the hug and stared at her from head to toe.
"You look so beautiful and different. " Dadi said and Anjali smiled through her tears.
"I do feel different. " Anjali replied as she led Dadi to an empty bench behind them and both sat down with Dadi holding her hand and kissing it.
Anjali knew she missed her just like she also does.
"Why didn't you want us to visit you in prison? " Dadi asked and Anjali sighed.
"Because I don't deserve it and it was for the best....... Khushi and Shashi may have forgiven me but I know chote hasn't and I know how horrible his temper is and he might say or do something stupid if I allowed anyone of you to visit me...... You all have been through a lot and I don't want to ruin it. " Anjali replied and Dadi nodded understanding her point of view.
"I know I made you hide the fact that I am already out of prison and it's killing you but it's for the best. "
Dadi smiled and nodded at her.
"How is everyone?.......... I saw the wedding pictures of chote and Aman and they looked so dashing and handsome in their sherwani."
Anjali complimented and Dadi laughed remembering something which confused Anjali. "Why are you laughing? "
"Arnav may have looked handsome in the sherwani but it took a lot of blackmail and conditions for him to wear it...... Could you believe he wanted to wear a suit to his traditional wedding? " Dadi revealed and Anjali laughed not surprised about Arnav's choice for his wedding. "He put forth a condition that he will only wear it if Khushi agrees to a five months honeymoon around the world and poor Khushi who wanted him in a sherwani had to agree but she uno reverse card him when she also vowed to wear one of her old Chamkili suit to the reception." Dadi laughed and Anjali gasped in shock.
"I can imagine the horrified face of chote. " Anjali said laughing and a laughing Dadi nodded and wiped her tears.
"It was so glorious to see him and A man cave into the one month honeymoon Khushi and Maithili agreed to...... It's been four years since the two men got married and they still haven't gotten out of their honeymoon phase yet. "
"That's what real love does to good people like them. " Dadi sensed the sadness in her voice and rubbed her hand and she smiled at her. "I could have found the best man who would have loved me genuinely if only I had been a strong independent woman but I was scared of being maltreated like Nani always did to Mami no matter how good she was...... All the horror stories I heard of women being mistreated in their husband's homes got to me and that's why I looked for a man like Shyam who was ready to stay with his in-laws and now look..... I am not only a widow but to secure that position and the position as a top priority of chote, I did the worst...... I tried to kill my niece and it's something I will never forgive myself for."
Dadi squeezed Anjali's hand and she smiled at her.
Dadi then reached out to her purse and took her phone and scrolled through it and gave it to her.
Tears of joy streamed down Anjali's face seeing her family.
Aman and Arnav wanted to protect the kids and never allow their pictures in public so seeing them for the first time in five years overwhelmed her.
The first collage was of her nieces Amaya Singh Raizada and Anaisha Singh Raizada.
Next was followed by Khushi and Arnav.
They looked so evergreen just like Aman and Maithili.
Everyone looked healthy and much younger and Anjali was so happy seeing this.
"Shashi is running for MP for Lucknow and by the polls and his contributions to the community, he is surely going to win...... Khushi, Maithili and Mami are always winning awards for the success of their restaurants and Manohar had combined his business with Aman and Arnav's business and now they are known as the RGC, Raizada Groups of Companies....... They are now into car dealerships, construction and fashion ...... And guess who is the manager for Shashi's campaigns." Dadi wiggled her eyes.
"You? " Anjali replied but she wasn't surprised hearing Shashi was leading the polls because Dadi played a huge part in their grandfather winning the election sit in Lucknow when they were young until he, unfortunately, died of a heart attack a year into his office.
Anjali was so proud of them and now her motivation to be independent has multiplied enormously.
"I know you won't agree with me and you want to be independent but you need help to do that and that's why they are here. " Dadi said and Anjali frowned looking confused and she followed Dadi's gaze to find the entire family behind her with smiles on their faces.
Anjali was shocked to see them but even more shocking was the smile on Arnav's face directed at her.
They all moved toward Anjali and Dadi and Maithili and Khushi pulled Anjali into a hug.
She reciprocated and cried, Mami also joined them followed by Aman and Manohar and Shashi who took turns to hug her.
"We are family and trust me..... No one hates you because you have proved you can change..... Who do you think was paying for your therapy? " Dadi said looking at Arnav and Anjali looked at him in shock and she remembered DR Sharma had only been there a few days after she went to prison. "Yes..... It's him..... Dr Sharma was hired to take care of you and she loved providing her service to the prisoners so she stayed...... He has been keeping tabs on you and paid for your protection in prison. "
"Why?.... Why did you do this after everything I did to you?...... I almost killed Anaisha..... I was the reason Khu..... "
Arnav cut her off by pulling her into a hug.
Anjali wailed out loud attracting the people at the park's attention but the family didn't care.
"It's all in the past Anjali. " Khushi said rubbing Anjali as she broke the hug and looked at Khushi.
"What you did triggered a lot of evil that was hidden in the family from both sides...... You helped put an evil woman away for good....... They say everything happens for a reason because Maithili and Aman would have never met if it hadn't been for you...... She would have still been in the abusive relationship she was with Samrat...... We wouldn't have been able to live the life we lived today if it hadn't been for your horrible decision..... Shyam would have found a way to hurt Khushi and Anaisha if she hadn't been away....... Everything you did was the result of what is here today. " Arnav said and Anjali bowed her head but Arnav lifted her chin and looked straight into her eyes. "I do admit I was furious and hated you but after Dr Sharma evaluated you..... I realised we including yourself are all responsible for your character development....... Arvind and Ratna pampered you way too much instead of empowering you to be a strong woman and it continued with Nani after their death....... I also contributed to it by making you dependent on me and not empowering you enough and all because I didn't want you to end up like Maa...... No matter what you want to be in life the people around you can influence your life and decisions without you realizing it no matter how strong and resistant you are..... Society influences us..... That's why we have to cultivate a good relationship and character for the next generation because they are the ones who can break that cycle of toxic behaviours....... I forgave you a long time ago and also have to forgive yourself first....... You have to start by being a good influence which you now are...... Understood. "
Anjali nodded and hugged Arnav who reciprocated.
He broke the hug and kissed her on the forehead and she wiped her tears as Khushi looked at them with tears in her eyes.
"Come on..... Let's go meet your nieces and get ready to perform your duties as an aunt. " Aman said and Anjali nodded and held Aman's hand and Arnav's hand.
"I failed as a sister but I promise to be the best aunt in the world. " Anjali vowed and they all smiled.
They all walked to a Cabana a few meters from where they were standing and Anaisha who was playing with her little cousin stopped and run up to Anjali and hugged her.
Anjali scooped her into her arms and kissed her all over her face making her giggle.
They heard Amaya babbling and reaching out to Anjali and she walked up to the nanny holding her and took her and showered her with kisses just like Anaisha.
Everyone stood back watching Anjali playing with them.
Not far away KARMA watched Anjali enjoying the fruit of her good deeds after paying for her bad deeds.
"I reward everyone according to their deeds....... Anjali was rewarded for her bad deeds and spent five years in prison for her crimes but her good deeds of change were rewarded with a happy family......... Payal was rewarded for her bad deeds by having to be tormented by Akash in a for of a woman for the rest of her life and I awarded Akash by turning him into a psycho who will torment Payal forever..... Garima got death as her karma for being selfish and is burning in hell....... Madhumati was rewarded with an eternal peace after death for her helping hand in making my work easy by helping me punish Payal....... Shyam died the most miserable because of his bad deeds and I rewarded him with death and an eternity in hell...... Nani was rewarded with having to lose her family and be forgotten by them forever and live and die alone........ Arnav, Aman, Mami, Manohar, Khushi, Dadi, Maithili, Shashi and the young generation got their good karma of happiness, prosperity, good health and wealth....... For people who keep doing bad things, I WILL BE THEIR WORST ENEMY. "
THE END.
I hope I did justice to the story, if not then sorry.
So the story has come to an end.
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