Part 52 After the wedding
After the wedding, Ratna made Khushi light a lamp in the pooja room as she became a daughter-in-law of the Raizada family. After lighting the lamp, Khushi prayed closing her eyes with joining hands. She opened her eyes and looked at Arnav. He smiled softly and she reciprocated it.
"We are leaving, Arvindji" Shashi said.
"What's so urgent, Shashiji?"
"Our duty finished. Khushi became your family now...!"
"You are also our family now Shashiji. We all became a family due to their wedding"
Shashi nodded yes.
"I want to go home because Akash is there to concentrate on. Don't know where is he and what is he doing" Shashi said worriedly.
"You are right. He must be distraught knowing about his friend's dirty game" Said Arvind.
Shashi was not sure about it. He didn't know how Akash would react to it. He might not believe Anirudh would do that.
"We are leaving..."
"No, without having dinner, we can't let you go. It's your daughter's wedding today. How could we send you on empty stomach?"
Arvind looked at Ratna who nodded yes and said,
"Haan, Guptaji, we will be satisfied if you have dinner with us. Your daughter and son-in-law will also be happy"
"Yes, uncle, please, have dinner with us" Arnav requested.
Shashi and Garima both them said OK at the same time as they didn't want to disappoint their son-in-law.
"See, Ratna, we requested them a lot and they didn't agree easily but agreed to their Damad immediately..." Arvind teased.
"Then what...? He is their son-in-law after all..." Ratna said and Arnav smiled.
"Not like that, Arvindji. We don't want to disappoint all of you... that's why" Shashi smiled.
"I will prepare dinner" Ratna went to the kitchen.
Aparna followed her to help her. Garima also went with them. Ratna always kept needed semi-cooked items stored in the fridge to make the work easier. It helped her now to serve them dinner quickly.
They ate all together.
"Bhai, don't you feed Bhai?" Aparna asked.
Arnav smiled looking at Khushi.
"Haan, Chotte... without feeding, your wedding will not be complete" Arvind laughed.
Taking a little bit of rotti, Arnav fed it to Khushi. She had it with a smile. They finished having dinner.
"Visit us often, Garimaji..." Ratna said.
"You too... Keep coming to our home"
"Sure"
Garima came to Khushi and hugged her emotionally.
"Be happy beta. You got the life you wished for. Live happily! Don't drag any problem and sort it out right away..."
Khushi nodded yes emotionally.
Guptas left RM.
In the meanwhile,
Akash was bewildered seeing the police in the office. He so up from his seat.
"Where is Anirudh?"
"He went to his house, sir," Akash said bewildered.
"Where is his house?"
"Nethaji Nagar, sir"
"Give us his address"
Taking a bit of paper, Akash wrote Anirudh's address.
"Why do you want to meet him, sir?" He asked extending the address paper to the inspector.
"We are not here MEET him but ARREST him," the inspector said which shocked Akash.
"Arrest? But why? What did he do?"
"He played in a girl's life by sending someone to separate her from her boyfriend..."
"No, no inspector, you must be mistaken. Anirudh would not have done such a low trick..." Akash stood for his friend unaware of the truth.
Cutting him,
"We have a proof. The man Anirudh sent became an approver and gave a statement. He accepted what he did..."
"But why did he do that?"
"Because he loves the girl"
Love? Akash was alarmed.
"Who is the girl?"
"Khushi Gupta..."
No need to say Akash was shocked.
"It can't be true..."
"I said the man sent by him became an approver... He is in our custody now. What else do you need?"
Akash was thunder-stuck. He thought Anirudh was a changed man. He didn't expect he would do such a cheap act. Without knowing the truth, he too argued with Shashi taking Arjun's side. He didn't know what Shashi was thinking about him. He might be thinking that he was the partner in crime of Anirudh.
The police left the place.
Akash called Anirudh. He attended the call.
"I never expected you would stoop so low, Anirudh" Akash sneered.
"What are you talking about?"
"Is that you who sent that B**** called Arjun to Khushi?"
Anirudh was stunned. How did Akash know that?
"I trusted your words and thought you changed your mind. Why are you troubling my sister by doing such cheap acts? I told you, she doesn't like you...! She spoke to me about it and I understood her feelings. I explained the same to you too. Then why are you torturing her?"
"Enough, Akash...! What the hell are you talking about? Why would I do that? It must be Arnav who should have told you that to degrade me" he tried to cover it up.
"No... he didn't say anything to me. In fact, I don't even talk to him"
"Then who blamed me for something I have not done?"
"The police...! They came here to arrest you. The so-called Arjun sent by you became an approver. He had stated what you want him to do"
Anirudh was horrified.
"Whaaaat? This is not true. Someone is framing me to degrade me"
"It was you who degraded yourself. I respect you a lot and was regretting for you but you won't deserve it. Your excuses will not work in the court" Akash disconnected the call wrathfully. He started the car and headed to GH.
RM
Aparna brought a casual dress that she bought in the shopping mall that evening.
"Bhabi, keep this... you will need this" she said.
"Thank you" Khushi took it from her smiling.
"Chotte, come with me..." Arvind walked to his room.
Arnav looked at Khushi and gestured to her *I will just come* she nodded ok.
"Chotte, you have passed the first test" Arvind laughed.
"What are you saying, Dad?"
"Even though you are coming to my room you are informing your wife"
Arnav walked with him smilingly. He saw Aparna taking Khushi to her room.
"Bhabi, come with me. I will show you something"
Arnav came to Arvind's room.
"Tell me, Dad"
"Chotte, your wedding happened unexpectedly after a lot of struggle. It would help if you understood Khushi's turmoil. She wanted this wedding to happen hurriedly because she didn't want to experience the same that happened in the previous birth. More than that, the trust she had in you. She believes you will understand her feelings..."
"I do, Dad"
"Yeah... let her know that. She should never repent for this marriage... that's the success of your wedding"
Arnav nodded yes.
"Now, you can go to your room"
"To tell me this only you brought me here?"
"Yeah... how could I tell this in front of Khushi?"
"So what if you tell this in front of Khushi? She would be happy knowing your moral support for her"
"Words can't be the real support. We will give our support by action in the upcoming days"
Arnav sighed with a smile.
"Go..."
Arnav nodded ok and left the place. He didn't see Khushi in the living room when he came out.
"Mom, where is Khushi? is she in Appu's room?" Arnav asked, looking here and there.
"She is in HER room"
"Her room? Which is her room?"
"Chotte, I don't know you are so blunt"
Arnav glared at her.
"Then what? You and she will be in the same room from here on. Then which will be her room?"
Arnav rolled his eyes.
"Why did she go to our room urgently? I would have taken her"
"You should not take her...!"
"Why?"
"It's like that... Now you can go"
"Where is Appu?"
"She went to her room to sleep"
"So soon?"
"We are tired due to the shopping, Chotte"
"Oh..."
Arnav went to his room. He saw Khushi sitting on his bed which was slightly decorated. He understood this was why his father took him to his room. Closing the door, he came to her. He sat next to her. Khushi looked at him. Arnav was about to smile, but he frowned, seeing her agitated.
"Khushi... are you alright?" he touched her cheek.
She clutched his hand and closed her eyes. Arnav understood what made her tense.
"Khushi... don't think about the previous one..."
In no time, she hugged him and panted hard.
"I can't avoid thinking about it, Arnav..."
Arnav touched her head.
"This is how we entered the room with a lot of dreams and expectations..."
"Shhh... This is not a lonely hut to burn us alive. We are in a safe place...! Be relaxed"
"Mmm... I'm in the safest place..." She buried her face in his chest.
Arnav smiled as he got what she meant. He embraced her lovingly and said,
"If you are tired, you can sleep"
She looked at him lifting her head and nodded no.
"I won't sleep until what we left unfinished"
Arnav gulped down hard understanding what she spoke about. they died together before they completed their first night...
At the same time, the police who went to arrest Anirudh were disappointed not to find him in his house. He escaped...!
To be continued...