Khushi was still in shock at what happened. Her mind only kept playing and replaying all the sweetest moments she had spent with Arnav in the last few weeks. All the dreams of the life she wanted to build with Arnav seemed like nothing but a sweet forbidden dream now. She didn't dare ask Garima what the truth is, for she feared what the truth could do to her. She needed Arnav now, right now. She wanted to hug him and hide in his strong arms, she needed to hold his hands as she faces the world.
Everything felt empty without him and she knew he would be feeling the exact same way wherever he is, she wanted to hold him, hug him, comfort him, and hide him from all the pain and hurt that Dadi's words might have caused him.
Anjali and Payal kept patting her back and made her drink water, but she could not muster not a single word out of her mouth. She held her phone tight but didn't dare call him, she kept her eyes focused on the door entrance but didn't dare hope he would walk him from there.
"I want him. Only him.", she kept chanting in her head.
NK had been constantly trying Arnav's number and even informed the police to search for him. Aman, his manager who knew Arnav's in and out didn't know where he is either.
The phone in her hand buzzed and with one glance at it, Khushi finally let out a relieved breath she didn't know she had been holding on. Anjali who was sitting right beside her, saw the name flashing on the phone noticed the tears sliding down from Khushi's face and comforted her and answered the call for her, and put it on speaker.
"Khushi...I ..I am sorry. Woh, mein..I,", Arnav started and Khushi and Anjali burst out into loud sobs that worried Arnav.
"Where are you haan? I told you not to make me wait, not today!", Khushi yelled and Arnav smiled on the other side.
At least she didn't think he left her, she didn't think he didn't want to marry her. She didn't give in to Dadi's words.
"Khushi..I..I am sorry. I ...I met with a small accident.", he said and Khushi's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.
The fear that he left her was instantly replaced with fear for him.
"Where are you? What happened? When did this happen? Where did you get hurt?", she bombarded him with questions getting on her feet and pacing.
NK, Anjali who got worried seeing Khushi, took the phone from her.
"Dadi...she said all that. I promise it doesn't matter to me, Khushi. I was on my way to the wedding hall. Trust me. I was on my way but this happened. I am at Sunrise Hospitals – CP.", he informed in a rush.
"What? Okay, we will be there.", Khushi looked at Anjali and NK who nodded and NK already had keys in his hands.
"Jiji, you please look after Amma.", Khushi informed Payal and looked at Garima who folded her hands at Khushi in sorry Khushi didn't know what to say, but nodded her head in understanding and left.
x-
The moment when they looked at each other, they felt as if time froze and the earth stopped revolving. All that needs to be said was said through their eyes. They knew neither of them had given up on each other nor ever will.
Khushi was in Arnav's arms the next moment, hugging him tight and gently caressing the bandaged wound on his head.
"I am sorry.", Arnav whispered only for Khushi to put a finger on his lips from saying anything further. She got all the assurance she needed and all the warmth and peace he was missing since morning was back in his arms.
NK and Anjali took care of medical formalities while also informing the family of Arnav's whereabouts and the accident. Though they were worried, they were also relieved when Anjali herself told them that he is good and will be discharged soon.
x-
It was almost midnight by the time everyone reached Shantivan. Dadi was beyond pissed seeing Garima there but decided she will deal with her later in her own way now that the wedding was called off as she wished. Nani instructed Hari Prakash to serve everyone food from the morning. Nobody had any physical or mental energy to think of anything else. They have all been very hungry and stressed and exhausted with all that happened since morning. Seeing Arnav injured diverted all the attention from the called-off wedding to his accident.
He held Khushi's hand throughout and it didn't miss anyone's eye, especially not Dadi and Shyam's eyes, which were burning like a lava.
Garima was the first one to finish eating, barely having a few morsels of food, and went and sat by her husband's wheelchair and seeking strength from his kind and loving aura. He had always been her strength and now even in a wheelchair, he was the one she always reached out to, her one true love. He tried lifting his hand and she immediately held him and tears slid down her eyes, she wasn't strong enough and Khushi had to pay the price, but not anymore, she will at least fight her case.
"Chote, how are you feeling?", Nani asked as soon as she noticed everyone was finishing their dinner to which he replied with a simple better, and fine while holding Khushi's hand and asked her to put down the soup spoon she was feeding him.
"I want to get done with this once and for all.", he spoke aloud gathering everyone's attention and stood up.
"Dadi I have a few questions for you.", he said looking sharply at Dadi.
"Why is this girl and her filthy family still here?", Dadi yelled at the first opportunity finally letting out the anger she has been holding back ever since she stepped inside the house.
"Watch what you speak.", Arnav yelled at the top of his voice and everyone flinched putting down their spoons.
"Khushi is my wife and it is my family. It Is you who is an outsider here Subhadra Mallik.", he said and everyone gasped softly. Nani didn't want this to go this way.
"Chote, sit down.", Nani yelled and Arnav directed his glare towards her but sat down seeing her calm and cold composure, and smirked, for he knew his Nani.
"This is not what I have taught you. We do not speak that way. And You, Subhadra, you are in my house and it would be good if you remembered that and stop this name-calling. I will not tolerate that. Khushi Bitiya has done nothing wrong and I will not take one word against her. Period."
"Now, before anything, I wish we didn't have to do this in front of our children, but since the situation has already slipped our hands, let's be straightforward and discuss it like mature adults.", Nani declared and looked at everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
While Dadi huffed and puffed, Shyam shifted in his seat uncomfortably hoping they wouldn't discuss his issue like this, if people so much as opened their mouths, all his pandora's box will be opened.
"Garima Bitiya, is what is Subhadra telling true? You haven't said anything since morning? I want to hear your side of things.", Nani asked and Garima broke into a sob. She didn't ever expect a day would come when someone would ask her side of things. She only came from a society where girls and women were blamed and had to face consequences even when they are very much the victims.
She glanced at everyone at the table, everyone looking at her with expectant, supportive eyes.
She gulped the lump in her throat and started
"My sister, Khushi's mother, Sharanya Jiji, and her husband used to live in Ahmedabad. She was much older than me and she is the one I was the closest to ever since I was born. Every summer I used to visit them and return only at the start of August. Generally, Jiji and Jijaji used to come to pick me up and spend some time with our parents in Allahabad, and also drop me back in Allahabad to spend another week with us, but that year, Jijaji fractured his arm and Jiji couldn't leave him and come to drop me. My father fixed an alliance for me and wanted me back in Lucknow immediately as the groom's family wanted to see me, so they booked a ticket for me in the first-class coach and even sent one of Jijaji's workers with me, we started as planned, but that man, in the middle of the journey, well into the night, I felt someone touching me and I woke up only for that man to close my mouth and put something on my mouth, a stop arrived just then and he pulled me out of the train and started taking me somewhere. I was very scared. I kept crying and fighting, but he was strong and a few other men were waiting in the jeep outside of the station. It was then, your father saw this.", she said turning to Arnav and Anjali sitting beside each other.
Nani immediately reached out to her and comforted her and encouraged her to go forward.
Dadi on the other hand was flabbergasted by the turn of events, she knew by then already, Garima was not the woman whom she thought her to be. She remembered this event very well. This was well off before Arvind met that other woman. That photo was from a different event altogether and she deeply regretted everything she did. Tears of shame blurred her eyes so she sat in her own chair and listened.
"He was at the station waiting for his train or something, I didn't know. He saw these men carrying me forcefully and immediately reached the police and informed them. It took the police a few hours to reach and they rescued me. All because of your father.", she said breaking into a sob and Anjali remembered the time when her father returned home early from one of his business trips and told this event.
"I was so scared and shaken from this, he was the one who comforted me and took me to the hospital as they hit my head during the process, it took me a few days to heal, he was there throughout, in fact, he was the one who dropped me back to my home in Allahabad. I think this is the photo the police took after I recovered and wanted to put this in the news. I didn't want to, but the police said I have to do this for the case and also someone wanted to publish this for the awareness. You can see I have a bandage too to my head in that photo. I shouldn't have though. My parents, people in our neighborhood and everyone treated me differently. Everyone is treated as if it is my fault. So many rishtas from rich families was lined up for me, but suddenly nobody wanted to even visit our place, including the relatives, someone started the rumour that I fled, so much gossip.", she said crying and everyone felt extremely sorry for her.
"My mother died of a heart attack few months after that. We were just recovering from that, when Jiji and Jiaji's accident happened, killing them both. Khushi was just 7 years old then. My father aged decades in a matter of days and that was when Shashiji's Rishta came and we got married. He is the only one who I ever loved. He is my husband. I, I ..I was never involved with your father..", Garima said falling on her knees crying.
Arnav and Anjali reached to her and held her hand and gently wiped her tears and said,
"We never suspected you Amma.", Arnav said and Garima cried in his arms.
"We are so sorry that this happened with you Amma.", he said holding her hand and Khushi too hugged her tight. Payal, Akash, Manorama, Anjali all held each other too and comforted each other.
"I ...I am extremely sorry Garima Bitiya.", Dadi said loudly holding her hands solemnly in a namaste gathering everyone's attention.
"I misunderstood you for someone else. I remember this.", she said sharing a look with Anjali.
"It was the reason why Dadi declared I should be married off immediately.", Anjali said gritting her teeth Dadi nodded and hung her head low.
"You didn't even have proper information before making such vile accusations.", Arnav yelled and everyone flinched. His anger reached the peak hearing that.
"I am genuinely sorry Bitiya.", Dadi approached her regretfully, but Arnav stood up between them and didn't allow her to come closer.
"Sorry you are? Like hell you are sorry. You are never sorry Dadi. You never were, never will be. You know what, it was my mistake I let you come here, it was my mistake I gave you any importance and value to dictate my life. It was my mistake I gave any value to any of your values and opinions..You only know how to abandon, how to ruin things.. you..I wish you ..", Arnav would have said more, said something he would not actually regret saying, but Khushi would never want him to say, so she held his hand in a tight grip and nodded her head in a no.
Arnav was once again taken aback by her gesture. She was so kind, mature and more importantly, so respectful even after everything. Why is she like that, what was she made of?, he thought and his gaze shifted to Garima who was silently wiping her tears and looked at him, silently nodding her head in a no.
Arnav took a deep breath and turned back to Dadi who held her hands together in an apologetic namaste with her head hung low.
Nani too came forward and asked him to sit back.
"You have done enough Subadhra. I didn't ever expect this from you. You are no longer welcome in this house and you should return back to where you came from.", Nani said with a finality in her tone and Dadi looked at her in a shock that shocked everyone else.
"No,no, I ...I am really sorry. I ...I just want to be close my grandchildren. I ...I have been misguided..I ..I am really sorry.", Dadi said turning toward Anjali and Arnav who didn't even want to look at her.
"What do you mean misguided?", it was Manorama who asked looking at her sharply.
"Damadji...he gave me this photo and told me Garima Bitiya is that other woman...",she said and all the eyes turned to Shyam who was pissing in his pants with this turn of events.
"I ...I ..", Shyam tried saying something, but with all the eyes looking at him, he had no answers. Nani and Mamaji shared a look and Mamaji went away to make a call.
Anjali slowly got up from where she is with Arnav and Akash right behind her, went to where Shyam is and asked him, looking in the eye, "Did you ?"
"Ranisaheba ...I swear I didn't..", he said holding his throat, while Arnav and the rest of the family can see right through his lies, Anjali herself had a hard time believing his lies.
Before any of them can see it coming, Buaji reached for him in two strides and slapped him hard.
"One more lie, and I swear I will kill you right here. Arnav Babua, Khushi told me everything that happened when you went to Scotland, it was my mistake that I tried to hide this from everyone.", she said turning to everyone and told everyone how he hid his real identity and got engaged to Khushi and since then been behind Khushi.
Nani and the rest who already knew this in parts from Arnav now regretted not taking this more seriously. Anjali had tears in her eyes hearing the reason why Khushi hid the truth in the first place. She was very blinded in her love indeed but that ends now. She made a resolve to get rid of this snake from their lives.
"Do we have evidence against him? For ..for kidnapping you? I want him behind the bars immediately.", she asked turning to Arnav, who for the first time since the morning, smiled and took her in his arms.
"I have hired an investigator the very day I returned. I was going to show you all that once the wedding is over but with the miscarriage. I ...I couldn't Di.", he said and she nodded.
She felt very regretful for going behind his back for making him and Khushi bring Shyam back into the house. She felt like she was the reason behind all this mishap.
She turned to Khushi who was standing beside them and held both their hands in hers and apologized to which neither knew how to respond. Even Khushi who refuted any apologies in general felt Anjali was indeed wrong going behind Arnav and the rest of the family.
Shyam was thinking of ways how he could save himself now and was conjuring up a plan to run away as soon as possible, at least with Anjali's jewellery which were worth many millions when the doorbell rang and came in the police and cuffed his hands before he or anyone knew what was happening.
"Hey, what...what?", Shyam started yelling trying to pull his hands when two officers held him tight and Mamaji walked to the ACP and shook hands with him.
"Thank you for doing this on such a short notice.", Mamaji said and the ACP smiled and nodded. "No worries sir.If we don't help each other who will. MP saab told me to give special attention to your needs in regards to this case. We will take care of him now, you can come to the station and file the charges tomorrow when you are free.", the ACP said and Mamaji nodded and smiled and the officers started taking Shyam who was begging for any of the family to listen to him and when no one gave a damn, started yelling and cursing.
Once the police left with Shyam, Mamaji turned to the family where some were looking at him in shock and some with shock and some with relief.
"Chote, send over the files your investigator has to me and I will personally hire a top notch criminal lawyer to handle this case.", he instructed and Arnav simply nodded.
"Anjali bitiya, we need to file for your divorce. I believe that is what you want to too or is there something else? If you need anymore proofs...I guess Chote and his investigator can provide you with some.", he said to Anjali and she hung her head low and nodded.
"No Mamaji. That is what I want too. I want him out of my life. I am so sorry.", she said and looked at everyone, Akash held her by her shoulder and wiped her tears.
"We are all with you Di.", he said and Payal hugged her from the other side and Anjali smiled despite her tears.
Buaji and Nani reprimanded Garima for not revealing the truth earlier when Dadi was abusing her in the mandap.
Garima cried and said that she was scared of Shyam and that she suspected that Shyam was the one responsible for Shashi's state as he was well before Shyam entered their lives and also because she didn't know the cause and the story behind Arnav's parent's death, she thought maybe she was somehow responsible for that and even Dadi assumed she did indeed elope with Arnav's father like people thought. Her only proof then and now was the police file record that she can't show right now and prove her innocence.
Everyone understood her fears and emotions and soothed her.
HP and JP brought water for everyone and after another session of crying and reassuring each other, Nani said it was a long day and they had all gone through so much in such a short span of time and they all should rest and can decide on how to proceed with everything else later. Guptas tried saying they will go back to their house but Nani reproached them for even thinking of that, at this time of the night and asked HP to make arrangements for everyone to sleep.
Even Dadi was allowed to stay for the night but it was decided that she is no longer welcome to stay in Shantivan. Anjali was asked to sleep with Nani for tonight. And everyone retired to their rooms with tired bodies and multiple thoughts running in their minds.
.-~*~-.