Chapter 5

First published on 26/apr/2022

Title translation: Shall we slay you or... (leave you)?

--*--

It was the next day that Arnav had gone to the hospital to meet Shyam. He had thought that after being in this state, he would show some remorse, and that would make getting confession out of him easy, but as they kutte ki doom tedhi (dog's tail can never be straight),

"Sale sahab finally you came to meet me alone. I wanted to talk to you from the moment I got to know you married Khushiji. You did it for revenge right? Because I already told you about the love I and kh-"

"don't even dare to complete that sentence, Shyam." Arnav thundered and resorted to calling him Shyam instead of jijai. "I had spared your life until Di's baby is born but you've crossed all limits. You tried to harm Di and misbehave with my wife, now if you as much as think about my khushi again I will ensure you forget your own name, have no doubt."

By then Anjali and Mamiji too came in. But after last night, there was a change in their approach, as Mamiji was observing Shyam apprehensively while Anjali's eyes did not show the same worry as yesterday and that scared Shyam. He had lost the battle with Arnav, but he won't lose Anjali, his golden goose.

"Rani saheba, what happened? Why do you look so pale today? Is your health, ok?" he feigned concern

"I am ok Shyamji." Anjali smiled weakly but then once glance at her brother, and she remembered their conversation from yesterday and she decided to ask her husband, hoping he would prove her Chote wrong. "Shyamji, di-did you know kh-khushiji from before? I ma-mean are you the sa-same man she was-" she could not complete the sentence but seeing Shyam's fallen face, her worst fears started coming true "Please shyamji, tell me the truth."

Shyam knew he was in deep trouble, and at this time only his shrewdness could save him. he decided to set a trap to accuse khushi instead...

"No Rani saheba, aap ko behlaya ja raha hain (you're being misled), in fact Khushiji is not a good character girl, she has been trying to seduce me since lo-"

"ENOUGH Shyam! NOT.A. WORD.MORE." Arnav shouted to effectively shut the filth Shyam was uttering, "Don't think that it's only about cheating on Di, you've harassed my wife, and worst is you tried murders. Our car's break failure, ether on di's saree and what not. So just shut up and count your days, as the moment you get discharged, you'll be arrested."

At this point, Shyam was as white as ghost, and turned to Anjali who was still there motionless,

"Please rani saheba trust me I didn't cheat on you, I never got engaged with Khushi, nor do I have anything to do with your car's breaks or ether on your saree or bring that venomous scorpion." he desperately pled and when Anjali gasped, he asked "What happened?"

"He never spoke about any scorpion Shyamji" Anjali answered and Shyam realized his game is over...

Everyone took few moments to let everything sink in when Shyam again whispered, "You still can't prove anything."

--*--

Khushi too was at the same hospital, but she had refused to as much as see Shyam's face. She was only here to see if Arnav and Anjali got a confession out of Shyam, in any case she would go to police from here.

It was then, she spotted someone who could uplift her mood and give her strength even in his silence...her babuji. Immediately a smile formed on her lips as she ran to him, where Garima and buaji too had been standing near Shashi's wheelchair.

"Babuji! aap kaise hain (how are you)? I need you so much babuji. Please jaldi thik ho jaiye (get well soon)." she said with a mix of emotions, holding shashi's hands, who too had tears in his eyes at the sight of his darling daughter.

"Ae ladki(girl), stay away from him, he doesn't have anything to do with people who don't care about him and his family name." saying so buaji removed her hands from shashi's and started to push the wheelchair away while Garima too walked past her without a glance.

Khushi had never felt so lonely, so defeated before. She had taken a stand for herself like her babuji would have wanted, she was fighting her own battle like he had taught her, why was it so difficult to accept for her her buaji and amma?
But she won't cry, that's not what her babuji would like. She was stronger than that and maybe one day her amma and buaji too will see she wasn't wrong.

That was when a voice broke her reverie, a voice she was dying to hear since last many months...

"Kh-Khushi bitiya" Shashi Gupta called out as he was being wheeled away and Garima and buaji stopped in their tracks, shell shocked.

.

.

By the time Shashi was being checked by his doctor, Arnav too had joined Khushi, while Garima and buaji were too shocked to say a word. Shashi had taken Khushi's name...what did that mean?

"It's an exceptionally good news Mrs. Gupta. He is recovering and his speech is coming back too. He may take few more days to fully form proper sentences but there is substantial progress." doctor informed them and Khushi rushed to her babuji whose shaking hand caressed her face.

The emotional reunion of this father-daughter marked a new beginning in Khushi's life, as her support system was back with her, now she could take on the world without a single fear...

That also meant Garima, and Madhumati would soon get to know it was Shyam behind Shashi's this state, and not just that, Khushi had only been sacrificing her happiness for the sake of their family until now. She had agreed to marry shyam for them, she had agreed to keep quiet for Payal's sake and even her hasty marriage with Arnav had happened when shyam had harassed her on the night of payal's marriage and Arnav had witnessed that, only to misunderstand it. His original indecent proposal also had to do with that and saving Payal's marriage.
It's good that she didn't agree for any contract as Arnav's original proposal but dared to confront him and was finally taking his help to end shyam's chapter, that they felt both relived and ashamed.

Thank god she didn't get into any contract marriage, otherwise how would they forgive themselves?

.

.

Within next week, with the help Shashi Gupta's testimony and ASR's power to collect all proofs, Shyam had multiple charges filed against him, and a court case started which would ensure a lifetime imprisonment at the minimum.

--*--

It was first day after the court's hearing and barely 9-10 days after their eventful marriage that Arnav finally asked something he wanted to ask from a long time, from the time of Shyam's accident to be precise.

"Khushi?" he approached her, as she had just finished talking with her babuji. She had not spoken a word with her amma or buaji yet.

"That day on the stairs, I know Shyam's fall was an accident, but why really didn't you give him a hand? Not that I am complaining, just for the case's sake. I need to know and prepare as well, we'll also be questioned and asked to give statements." he asked and waited for her answer,

"hmm" she said, "I don't know. it's just happened extremely fast, so my reflex action didn't kick in and... somewhere...I froze because I was reminded of the time when I was falling like that... from your office." she answered looking at his face and he felt gut punched! damm him and his past!

"Khushi, I am so sor-" he tried to apologize again but she was done hearing that same word and moved away. Irritated, Arnav pulled her to himself a bit harshly as his usual way, "How many time i told you not to leave when I am say-Ouch" he shrieked as at that exact moment she had stomped on his foot with her high heeled sandals!

"Try to hurt me again, and I will not hesitate to do this to your other foot too." she hissed

"What? khushi, no, I didn't mean to hurt you." he said earnestly, as suddenly realizing what he did.

"You won't be able to even if you want." she said in a clipped tone. A warrior in her was awake!

"arre but I didn't want to, main tumhe kabhi hurt nahi karunga, jaan bujhkar to bilkul nahi..(I won't ever hurt you again, never knowingly)."

"aap kar bhi nahi sakte (You won't be able to any way)."

"arre lekin mujhe karna hi nahi hain (I don't want to do it)"***

"chaho bhi toh nahi kar sakte (even if you want, you can't harass me anymore)"***

"Are you trying to instigate me to hurt you?"*** "I know I've been a beast to you Khushi, but I am trying to change here. Will you be a little less difficult to me please? Look, I am repeating this again, I am sorry, but I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'll believe when I see it." she said dismissing the topic.

"Fine. fair enough. In any case, I think we have enough proofs to validate Shyam was harassing you that day as well." he said and she nodded. But he wanted to know something else too, "Khushi, what would you have done if I or Di or none of our family members believed you?" came a question in his amused tone this time,

"What do you mean what would have I done? I would have gone ahead and filed a police complaint. It was my mistake I did not do it all those months ago." she said shrugging her shoulders

"Woah! remind me to never irk you again!" he said laced with sarcasm

and got her witty reply "yeah and waise bhi you have completed your quota of torturing me."

--*--

Precap - "khushi won't go with you to Gupta house." Arnav told Payal and Garima which irked Khushi, as he didn't want her to leave him

"You can't tell me where I will go and where not," and turned to Payal and Garima, "but yes he is right, I won't come to your house where I was disowned. I will meet my babuji outside."

--*--

A/N: Does it feel like we are bringing a closure to the dreaded terrace scene? lmk :) Shyam's behind bars, her babuji is recovered and Arnav is reforming. Next chapter is closing few more loose ends and then ...lets see. Original plan is two more chapters to go, but lemme know if you want to see anything else, I'll try to include it.

Lastly, I will leave you with just one thought, being a strong woman doesn't always mean leaving the guy you love, it means a lot of things, one of them being standing up to him and bringing him on right path *conditions apply: not applicable in case of cheating and physical violence, in that case pls kick him where it hurts, tell him to go to hell and you move on ;)

***dialogues from Jab we met, they were so apt here.

p.s. To my dear silent stalkers (I've 200+ at the moment), i like that you love this story so much but pls make your presence felt by votes,reviews too. thanks.