Chapter 65

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]

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Part 16

HP opened the door to Arnav.

He walked in to see Nani, Mami, Payal, NK, Di, & Akash in the living room.

"Chotey! Tum aa gaye!" Di limped towards him, and stopped short. "Khushiji kahan he?"

Nani, Mami, Payal, NK, & Akash who had followed Di stood still, scared at the look on Arnav's face.

"Chotey?" Nani murmured.

"I need to talk to you. Shall we sit down?"

Arnav walked to the living room and sat down. The others followed suit, sitting around him.

Finally Mami said, "Donon honeymoon pe gaye rahe, lekin ek hi wapis aaye, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Khussi missing hui gava kaa?"

"Khussi Bitiyaa theek to he naa, Chotey?" Nani asked tremulously.

"Khushi theek he. She is in Varanasi." Arnav said.

All gaped at him.

"Chotey...?" Anjali looked confounded.

"I forced her to marry me, both times. The first time, I threatened her. The second time, I used her love for me against her. So when she said she wanted to be free... for a while... I had to let her go." Arnav said.

All looked at each other, confused.

"I have a lot to tell you. It is a long story." Arnav began. He told his family about his & Khushi's relationship, his hatred, how he had punished her for breathing, for attracting his attention, her life in his office, her life in RM, Diwali night, Shyam, their contract marriage, how badly he had hurt her, how he had been kidnapped & how she had rescued him twice, how she had decided to leave him after his harsh words, how he had tried to stop her by bringing in the contract, how she had counted the days to the 15^th, how he had persuaded her to marry him for real...and ended his long tale by letting them know of Khushi's desire to go away from all of them, especially him. He also gave an account of where he had left her.

There was not a single dry eye in the room.

Arnav sighed, in a way relieved that all knew the whole truth.

"Chotey, you have behaved very, very badly with my Khussi Bitiyaa..." Nani declared.

Arnav nodded.

"Chotey, sometimes you are...you are too much. How did Khushiji put up with you?" Anjali buried her head in her hands.

"You have been the husband from hell, Nannav!" NK exclaimed.

Payal remained weeping silently.

"Arnav Bitwaa, you phooled (fooled) all of ujj, even your Manorama Baand Mami!" Mami said.

"Bhai, we never knew..." Akash sighed. "We had no idea..."

"I am sorry, Akash. The minute I found out about Shyam, I should have called you & NK aside and told you the truth. I should have taken your help. It would have helped us deal with Shyam in an effective manner. Khushi keeps telling me that I don't have to do everything alone, but I am so used to... She is right..." Arnav shook his head in disgust at his own blindness.

The ladies kept sniffing & wiping away tears that wouldn't stop. Nani, Anjali, & Mami made their views about the whole debacle clear, blaming Arnav squarely for his folly and cruelty.

"No body but my Khussi Bitiyaa would have tolerated you, Chotey! You are beyond hope. I am tired of you and your thoughtlessness. You never think how your actions affect others, how your words affect others." Nani said loud and clear.

"You are sensitive, you feel hurt when someone talks of our past and our parents, Chotey! Then how can you be so insensitive to the feelings of others, especially Khushiji?" Anjali asked, angry with her brother.

"Khussi did right. Let her go. She had no shanti in this shantivan, Saasummaa. Let her escape and live in peaces somewhere." Mami remarked.

Arnav looked at his hands, held locked between his spread knees. He deserved to hear every bit of this and more.

Finally, Payal asked the million dollar question that everyone was scared to ask, "Khushi... Arnavji, will Khushi ever come back?"

"She will." Arnav was definite on that point.

"Why should she, Nannav?" NK asked. "To be shouted at more by you?"

"Haan, Chotey, is there anything you have left to say to her? Any more insults and cutting words left?" Nani asked, her eyes glinting.

"She will come back, Nani, because she loves me more than her own life. And because I love her more than my own life." Arnav said.

The 4 ladies looked at each other, relief making them speechless for a moment.

"You love her?" NK asked, scratching his head. "Naniji, I thought being in love meant giving roses, going on dates, candlelight dinner, romantic walk in the rain... But Nannav shows his love by shouting at Khushiji, being angry with her..."

"Your Nannav is a specimen. So his love will also be special... filled with abuses and gaali! My poor Khussi Bitiyaa! I can understand that she wants to go far away from you, Chotey! But how could she leave us?" Nani wept.

Anjali & Mami nodded.

"Arnavji, she is happy?" Payal asked. "She is safe?"

Arnav noded.

"Amma, Babuji, Buaji... they don't know..." Payal paled further.

"I will talk to them. I am going to see them now." Arnav stood up to go to Laxmi Nagar.

Part 15: 91181218 Part 17: 91262280