Part 7 Difference...
Khushi was horror-struck, seeing her brother Swaraj at the wrong time. Swaraj's visit was not new to her. He always visited her college to get money from Khushi for his alcohol expense. Now also he was there to get money only. Though Khushi never gave him the money he kept on nagging her. Sometimes, to avoid problems, Lavanya and Meena used to give him money.
Swaraj headed to Lavanya wrathfully. Khushi came in front of Lavanya and hid her behind her.
"Did your brother rape Khushi?" Swaraj asked Lavanya.
"No... he didn't... he is a mental patent. He just pounced on me" Khushi answered his question.
"Don't lie, Khushi. I heard what she said. She apologized to you for some red spots on your upper body"
"Bhai... I will tell you everything..." Lavanya pleaded.
"What do you want to tell? Will you be talking casually if I touch you like your brother touched my sister?" he cornered Lavanya.
Lavanya bowed down whereas Khushi gritted her teeth.
"Stop talking rubbish. Are you a mental patient like her brother? In fact, you are the one who is shouting like a maniac. Don't you think this is about my reputation? You yourself are leaking out something which should be kept secret." Khushi chided him.
"Yeah... you are right. This is not a matter to talk about here..."
He removed his mobile and dialed the GH landline number.
"Bhai, please don't tell Amma about it" Khushi pleaded.
"Why should not I tell Amma about it? Whom do you try to protect?" he asked looking at Lavanya.
At the same time, Garima attended the call. Before Garima said anything,
"What are you doing at home without even knowing what happened to your daughter?" he sneered.
Garima frowned. What he was talking about?
"Tell me the matter first and then shout," Garima said.
"Someone raped your daughter"
"Whaaaaat?"
"Yes, her friend Lavanya's brother is the one who did a great job and your daughter hid it from you in the process of saving her friend"
Garima was shaken to the root. Did Khushi get raped?
"Listen... I'm not going to leave this matter. Come to Shantivan if you are concerned about your daughter. I have already started" he started walking.
Khushi rolled her eyes. She looked at Lavanya whose hand was shivering.
"Lavanya, do you have money?" Khushi asked with regret.
Lavanya opened her clutch and removed a bunch of five hundred rupees notes. She extended it to Khushi. Khushi rushed behind her brother and stopped him clutching his shirt. He turned towards her with anger and his angry fled away seeing a bunch of money in her hand.
"Take this and leave," she said.
In no time, he snatched the money.
"I won't leave you," he said looking at Lavanya in a warning manner and walking away not because he didn't want to create a scene. He already ignited Garima and she will take care of the rest. He knew that. This money was something he could not get easily. As of now, that money was enough for him. He could drink alcohol peacefully for more than one month using this money. So, he left.
"Lavanya, please give me your phone," Khushi asked.
Lavanya extended her mobile. She dialed her home number but there was no response. Garima didn't attend the call. It seems she already left home. She should be going to RM. Khushi handed Lavanya's phone back to her.
"We should go to your house..." Khushi said.
Lavanya nodded yes and they walked. Khushi stopped and looked at Meena.
"Call me after reaching your native. Bye..." She said.
Meena nodded ok emotionally and surprisingly as well. It was only possible for Khushi to send off her friend even in this critical situation. Meena thought proudly.
Lavanya and Khushi headed to RM. When they entered the RM lane, they saw Garima getting down from the auto, in front of RM. Khushi got down from the car even before the car stopped. She rushed to Garima, shouting,
"Ammaaaaa"
Garima stopped and looked at her.
"What Swaraj told is true?" she asked furiously.
"No... he is a mentally ill patient. He gets attracted to women. He pounced on me. That's all..."
"Why didn't you tell me anything about it?"
"I don't think this is important"
"This is... Come..."
Clutching her hand, Garima dragged her inside RM. She was stunned, seeing the richness of the house. She knew Lavanya was a rich girl but she didn't know Lavanya was the richest. Garima's greedy mind calculated quickly. She came to the conclusion.
"Who is there?" Garima raised her voice and it echoed all over RM.
Raizadas rushed to the living room and got stuck, seeing Khushi with a woman.
"I'm Garima Gupta. Khushi's mother" She said running her eyes on Raizadas.
"Namaste... please come. We are about to come to your house to meet you" Nani said.
"Ohh... you are THINKING to meet me? (She asked sarcastically) Well... will you do the same if the victim is your daughter?"
Raizadas could not answer. Yes, they should have met Khushi's family immediately after what Khushi went through.
"How could you guys eat and sleep peacefully after ruining my daughter's life?" she asked gritting his teeth.
Anjali's eyes tear up hearing that. Lavanya rushed to Garima and clutched her hand.
"Aunty, please don't say like that. Khushi is my friend. I always want her happiness. The incident was unexpected. Please forgive us aunty" she pleaded.
"What will change if I forgive you? Will my daughter get what she lost?"
Lavanya was silent.
That's when they heard a weird sound coming from inside. Arnav was making a rough sound while hitting the grill gate. Garima understood who was making the noise and from where the sound was coming. She rushed in the direction and saw the crude person behind the grill gate.
Arnav as usual started groaning, seeing a woman.
"Oh... you are the one? Why are you shouting now? Do you want more women to quench your thirst? Are not you satisfied ruining my daughter's life? Mental..."
Arnav raised his voice, seeing a woman in front of him. He got irritated when she shouted at him. Climbing on the gate, he shook it, groaning like a beast.
Khushi could not stand her mother's behavior. There was no difference between Arnav and Garima as she was shouting equal to a mental disorder patient. Both were shouting at each other. Khushi walked to Garima.
"My stomach is burning. I curse you..." before Garima said anything, Khushi clutched her hand and stopped.
Arnav's facial expression changed, seeing Khushi. He got down from the grill gate slowly with an unnamed expression.
"Amma, please, stop shouting. It hurts..." Khushi pleaded.
"What can I do, Khushi? What I will do with you? Who will marry you? I understood why you didn't study well for the exam. I know you would not have written it well under this stress. How will you get a job?"
"We will talk about it later... come"
Khushi circled her shoulders and walked back. Khushi turned towards Arnav. He pulled his head behind the wall immediately.
In that, Anjali's eyes were only on Arnav. She noticed Arnav's changed behavior, after seeing Khushi. Arnav stopped shouting, seeing Khushi. His facial expression changed when he saw her. Not only that, when she came to Garima, he slowly got down from the grill gate looking at Khushi and hid behind the wall. Now also he was peeping from behind the wall and looking at her fearfully. Anjali didn't know the exact reason. But what she saw was true. Arnav fears Khushi. He got controlled, seeing her. He calmed down immediately seeing her. The man who always got attracted to women reacted differently seeing Khushi. What did that mean? Khushi was something different from the rest.
"you should not have come here, Khushi," Garima said.
She turned towards Nani.
"Why are you keeping such a dangerous man at your home? Why can't you send him to the mental hospital? How many lives are you guys going to ruin? My daughter came to your house to get a book to study. Was that a crime? You guys used my daughter as prey to your mental son. He raped my daughter... Will you do anything to a poor like us?"
Lavanya nodded no painfully whereas Khushi was shocked. Didn't she say, he didn't rape her? why the hell her mother was behaving low?
"One minute..."
Garima looked at Shyam who stopped her.
"We can understand your condition. You are not wrong. Anyone in your place will react the same. We are ready to do whatever you want. We will offer Khushi a good job or we will give you money if you want"
Khushi raised her head and glared at him.
"No no, please don't mistake me, Khushi. I don't know what else we can do. We can't think anything beyond this but we genuinely want to do something for you. Please accept the money. It will be helpful for your future" Shyam tried his level to console Garima.
Khushi was about to deny,
"How much will you give?" Garima asked, making Khushi shocked.
"Ten lakhs?" Shyam asked delightedly.
Garima's face lit immediately. She thought something and,
"I need twenty lakhs" Garima demanded.
"Oh, yes... sure..."
"Ammaaaa..." Khushi clutched Garima's hand gritting her teeth.
"I know what I'm doing. Be quiet. We can never get a good chance to earn money than this"
"EARN?" Khushi asked sorely.
In no time, Shyam removed the cheque book and was about to write the amount, he stopped hearing,
"I will give you fifty lakhs..."
Garima looked at Anjali who uttered that whereas Khushi was stunned.
"I will give you fifty lakhs if you get your daughter married to my brother" Anjali completed the sentence, making everyone shocked.
Khushi did nothing but observed her mother. Garima's facial expression scared Khushi like ever before. Garima looked at Khushi. She was looking at Garima loathly, tightening her jaws. Garima gulped down. She jerked when Anjali said,
"I'm even ready to give you ONE CRORE... What say?"
To be continued...