Chapter 6

"What's matter, chotey? What happened?" nani asked after coming to halt in front of them. She was joined by Anjali who glanced at Kushi and then at Arnav in confusion. "nani, we got married." His no nonsense voice immediately drew three pair of eyes towards him all as wide as saucers. "What?" Anjali gasped.

"I told that Kushi and I got married." He said in steady pace making sure that every word reached its destination. Kushi looked at him in disbelief with her jaws dropped down and then rolled her eyes to two people who were staring at her in more disbelief. Anjali gathered herself from shock and stuffed Arnav with series of questions.

"What? But why? What about Lavanya? I mean why didn't you tell us?"

"Sorry di. We had no time to inform you people." He replied calmly. "You had no time to inform us about your marriage!" nani shot back controlling her rising rage. Kushi closed her eyes shut as she figured what he is going to say next. "Yeah nani, you are right. We didn't have time. Kushi got pregnant and we had to do this." He said as if it was most expected thing on the earth.

Kushi didn't dare to open her eyes hearing huff and puff sounds. "kushiji is pregnant!" Anjali exclaimed. "With my child." Arnav completed the sentence in serious tone managing to earn a stunned look from his wife. "And di..." he waited until everyone's eye fell on him and said "what happened is happened. You cannot change what happened by this question and answer session, can you? So i would really appreciate it, if you both accept the truth and move on."

Nani snapped "oh, the truth! That is you got married because she is carrying your child." "yes." Came the reply from her grandson. Anjali retorted "you will do whatever you want and then you will expect us to keep quiet. What are ..." nani interrupted Anjali. "If chotey thinks that there is no necessity to explain things to us, then fine. He doesn't need to explain."

Kushi raised her head to take glimpse of the old lady, little stunned with her angry tone which was total opposite of her normal voice. She is stubborn as much as her grandson. Just one look and Kushi knew from where Arnav inherited all his qualities. "But nani we cannot..." Anjali tried to argue but she was again stopped by her grandmother.

Without breaking her eye lock with her grandson, nani spoke to Anjali "Anjali, if your brother had had little respect for us, then he would have never done this without telling us. I think its waste of time to talk with him."

"good." Arnav told turning to his sister "and di, I don't want any discussion regarding this matter in this house anymore." All three ladies watched his retreating back in seething anger as he climbed the stairs.

'Kushi Sorry for this, I promise I won't hurt you anymore.' He chanted to himself for hundredth time in past half an hour. He did it intentionally. He knew his grandmother and sister. It wouldn't have taken him much time to convince them and make them agree to this marriage.

But then, he wanted to maintain distance between Kushi and his family, at least until he finds out what were her real intentions. He really couldn't take the risk of allowing her to mingle with his family when mingling with his family was her next goal.

He had no option except this. Though it seems like everyone was hurt, the decision he had taken is best for everyone and he was sure of it. In fact, it's going to hurt him more because he is sure his nani will accept Kushi soon, after all she is carrying his child and it will be him who will get targeted.

He is not worried about it but what worries him is he has got only less time to figure out kushi's plan. He had collected every minute detail about Kushi and what she did in last three months. But none of them led him to any answer. He really couldn't pinpoint what she is up to.

Kushi rolled her eyes from vacant stair case to two people who were staring at her. Unable to meet their gazes, she lowered her head thinking what to tell them. She took some quick breaths and mustered some courage to apologize to them. But when she looked up, there was no one.

She felt like history is repeating itself and her past started to haunt her. No sooner she thinks she has everyone, she find herself left alone. After two months of solitude, she felt better after talking with Anjali and nani. And now she was again left alone in middle of nowhere.

"Kushi, are you okay?" she looked at her husband in astonishment. This was new to her because in her life no one has stood with her when she needed them the most. "Kushi!" he shook her shoulder concernedly. Her eyes filled with tears indicated her pain.

But in a second, it got replaced by indifference. "Your nani...i thought she is very nice..." she rolled her eyes careful not to spill her tears out. "But I should have expected it; after all she is your grandmother." She shook her head and then moved towards stairs not noticing the smile which flashed on her husband's face.

'She is the girl to die for.' He thought. She will not show her weakness to anyone, especially to her enemy. Her oozing confidence; her clear thinking; her measured deeds. 'Wild cat.' He smirked.

Preethi switched on the lights and felt terrible when the bright lights didn't gain any response from Kushi. She didn't even blink her eyes but kept on staring at ground. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and she rested her head on her knees. Preethi sat near Kushi and placed her hand on her shoulder. Kushi looked at her and gave a small smile which vanished in an instant. "maa."

Preethi gather some courage because she knew if she didn't talk with her now, then it will be too late. "Kushi, you are a brave girl. Forget what happened and move on, dear. Because how much you try you can never change your past but don't forget that your future is still in your hand. What happened is not a big deal and more importantly it's not your mistake." She squeezed her shoulder gently passing her warmth.

"I know maa. Actually i dont even regret what i did because i loved him. But i couldn't accept that the fact that there is nothing between us. I mean I felt him, maa. I could feel his presence. He made me feel the way i have never felt before in my life. There was something more, maa. I always felt it. But he said he never felt anything." Kushi tried to reason out.

Preethi looked at her daughter who had terribly fallen in love and her heart started to shrink more. She said "talk to him." Kushi turned to her mother, her eyes widen in shock of what she heard. "What?"

"You should talk to him." Preethi repeated again. "Seriously, maa? You want me to talk to the guy who treated me like a piece of s**t and threw me away. Seriously?" Kushi asked her mother, her voice filled with pure rage. Preethi replied "you told me that there was always something more between you two."

"no." Kushi nearly screamed. "i didn't mean it in that way. What i meant it is how stupid of me to think there was something when there was nothing in reality. How stupid of me to imagine things! How idiotic of me to live in dream world! That's what i meant. I am a fool."

"kushi, listen to me. I will talk to him." Her mother tried to defend but Kushi cut her off "are you saying that I should marry him just because I slept with him? How can you think that I will live with a guy who doesn't even love me? How miserable it will be? It will make my life more miserable than yours? What happened to you, maa? You are one who asked me to be always independent but now..."

This time her mother interrupted her "i didn't ask you to marry him. I just asked you to talk once. It's not going to do you any harm. What if he really loves you? What if what you felt is true? I mean what if he loves you but he hides it because of the anger on your father. I want you to talk with him once because I don't want you to regret it later." Preethi finished in firm voice.

She looked at her daughter who was lost in deep thoughts. Preethi still couldn't believe that Arnav did it. She had met Arnav once and found him quite trust worthy. Actually that was the day when Preethi was really happy after the day Kushi was born. She always never trusted her husband or her own son and was always worried about Kushi.

But when Kushi introduced Arnav to her, her inner intuitions told her that he was the guy for her daughter. There was something about him which assured her he will take care of Kushi through thick and thin. She felt relieved thinking her little treasure was in safe hands. But not even in her wildest dream she thought this will happen.

Kushi asked "maa, are you telling me that he wanted to take revenge on dad and chose to use me but in the process he really fell in love with me? Really?" Preethi stared at her as Kushi continued "

if it is true, then ask him to go to the hell, maa. Because I am not going to accept him even if he begs me. But again we are imaging things. I know him well; he will never come to me."

"i prefer to live alone than to chose him. I have seen you suffer because of dad. After seeing that, how can you expect me to take risk?" Kushi defended her views. "Don't compare him to your father. You don't know anything about your father. You also don't know what he did to Arnav!" Preethi snapped.

"I don't want to know. Whatever be the reason, it will never justify what he did to me! He had no right to spoil my life just because my father spoiled his. Tell me in which way it makes him different from dad?" Kushi snapped back.

Preethi held kushi's hand "you believe your mother know, Kushi. Go to Arnav. You will be thousand times safer and happier with him than with your father. He will take care of you in the way, you deserved to be. Don't ask me for proof. I don't have any. But I trust him."

"Stop it maa." Kushi shouted as she withdrew her hand from her mothers. "kus..." her mother tried to talk but Kushi didn't allow her "if you are going to talk about him, then just leave. LEAVE." Preethi stood up and started to move towards the door when she stopped and turned to look at her daughter.

She knew that this day will come; the day where her husband's sins is going to hurt her daughter. But she never imagined the day to be this worst. Kushi had really fallen for that guy and as a mother she knew that Kushi still loves him even though she denies it. She knew that her daughter can never hate Arnav even after the terrible things he had done.

She doesn't care about Arnav; why should she? All she cared was about her daughter. She knew that now Kushi won't let any other guy into her life, at least for some years. She badly wants her daughter to move on. But knowing her very well, she was sure Kushi won't move on. She lost her happiness to him and only he is capable of bringing it back. Preethi, somewhere inside her, deeply believed that Arnav will do anything for that.

Her mind knew that Kushi was right. No girl in the world wants to live with guy who broke her trust. But it was her stupid heart which believed miracle will happen. Her heart told her that if Kushi meets Arnav once, then everything would be fine. She knew that she is being stupid and unreasonable but then she is mother; a mother who wants nothing other than her daughter happiness.

And more importantly she couldn't just defy her inner instinct which told her Arnav is kushi's future. "Kushi." she waited until her daughter's head got raised and their gaze met. "If you want to do something for your mother, then think about talking to him. It's for your good." Kushi stared at the same spot even after her mother left the place.

Next morning, Kushi got up with an uneasy feeling and she knew reason for it. For the first time in her life, her mother argued with her. It was strange because all these years her mother never compelled her about anything. Her mother always told that she was her reason to live.

Her mother was only 22 years old when she came to know about her father's real face. She had tough choices to make and she chose her children and from that time, she lived for them. Suddenly Kushi felt terrible for speaking rudely to only person she loved the most. Her mother was already sick and she must also have been worried about her daughter's future and that must have prompted her to speak in that way never before.

Why didn't she understand that her mother must also be going through same and she is not the only one who is suffering? Kushi hated Arnav more for it. Kushi rushed to her mother's room feeling very sorry. "maa." She called seeing her mother's sleeping form. "maa, iam sorry." She stopped abruptly becoming aware that her mother is still sleeping.

"maa." She touched her mother's cold palm. "maa...maa" she called again and again; her voice raising with every word but they didn't manage to get any response from her mother's lifeless body.

"maaa..." Kushi jolted upright from the bed as her mother's memory haunted her sleep yet again. "Kushi." Arnav turned on the lights and noticed his anxious wife. "Kushi, what happened?" he asked concernedly moving towards her. Suddenly Kushi jerked back and said "no Arnav." Arnav's hand stopped in mid way and he looked at her in confusion until her red eyes met his.

"Don't touch me, Arnav." She said looking straight into his eyes, her voice filled with pure loathing. He froze as her cold words reached his ears. He gulped as she moved back drawing her legs up to her body and then resting her head on her knees, she started to sob silently. "maa, you asked me to do this and i did it. Now please come back to me. I can't live without you. Please."

Arnav looked at her in daze thinking does he really have to live to see this day? He stormed out of the room to the pool. He had never hated himself so much. Yes, he hated himself for doing this. What he had done to this poor girl? He looked at her petite form through French doors.

He knew she loved her mother very much. After coming to know that her mother died in cardiac arrest just one week after he had left Kushi, it didn't need expert mind to figure that he was the main reason for it. 'She must be feeling alone.' He thought and hell, what he had done again? Seclude her from his family when she needed them the most.

How selfish of him to do that? Why didn't he see behind the bravery mask she wore that she was really hurt? A husband was supposed to see his wife from heart and that was he promised to do a few hours back. How can he let his promise down just in few hours? If she wants to destroy him and his family, then he should have let her do it because he deserves it.

He deserves it and may be his family too deserves it for raising him up in this way he was. But he won't let his wife down this time. He won't let her feel alone when she really has a nice family. He will fix up everything he had broken with his hands. She needs his family's love and care and she will get it. He closed his eyes as memories resurfaced.

He couldn't take the hatred he saw in her eyes; the eyes which were used to be filled with love for him. He closed his eyes feeling the pain which flooded inside him. He looked at the shining sky "maa, you knew that this will happen. Then why did you let me to do it, maa? Why didn't you stop me? Why did you let me to hurt her? Why, maa?"

He asked his mother as tears flowed out of his eyes. "I can't see her like this, maa. Do something, please. It hurts maa, really hurts." After few hours, he stepped inside his room. She had fallen asleep while hugging her knees. He moved to her to make her lie properly. 'Don't touch me Arnav.' He stopped and looked at her tear stricken face.

How on earth he knew that his one moment of weakness will cause everyone so much pain. He hesitated and then made her to lie properly and covered her with blanket. He sat on the bed resting his head on head board as he waited for the sun to arise and end his, yet another, sleepless night.