FF: We are together#1- (Chap 1-22) - Page 53

Great Update!!!!

Before I start I would like to thank you all for you totally awesome comments and for being good patient readers who have waited long enough for my next update. Thankyou so much for all the love you have showered on me.🤗

So I wont take much of you time, after such a long break. Enjoy reading.😃

Payal clicked at the 'OPEN' button, and as the entire image came into focus, she stared at in bewilderment, the ground beneath her shifting, her heart beat almost stopping, she herself in a daze, unable to believe the contents of the picture. How could he do this to us? Itna bara vishvasghat? Why? He..he..is Anjali Di's husband..and to think he was going to marry my sister..ask her hand..betray..She felt a new kind of honour and thankfulness to Arnav for marrying Khushi. If it wouldn't have been for him Khushi would have been trapped in that snake's cage forever. Her life would be destroyed..but Anjali Di's life. Payal's voice become choky, her thought shaky, he had betrayed her..her husband was a womanizer. He was her husband. Shyam Ji was Anjali Di's husband.

Payal stared at the ceiling above her blankly, assuming that she just might find God there. But there was no God just a feeling of abandonment, a feeling of isolation. She knew this was something big to handle, and she wasn't use to it either. It was Khushi amongst the two who was the bolder and sharper one. In her chirpy behavior, she would keep everyone around her happy, but inside only Payal knew how heart broken she was. How she needed someone special in her life, someone special who would always make her day, little did she know that, that special could be Arnav, only that she knew too well, yes he was special to her, in every way she could define 'special'.

Kh: Jiji? What are you doing here?

Payal spinned around in utmost surprise, as Khushi's voice registered in her mind. The colour from her face had completely drained out, her movements tense, tears threatening to come out, Payal was a delirious state to look at it just then.

Kh: (out of concerned) Jiji what happened to you?

Pa: (stammering) Me..me..nothing.

Kh: Then why are you stammering? Jiji tell me what happened?

Pa: Khushi, it's..it's..nothing..(lowering her gaze) I am just worried about tomorrow.

Kh: (putting a hand on Payal's shoulder) Jiji..app bhi na..itni tension kyun lete hun..everything's going to be fine..and look around who's not trying to make it perfect for us? They all know how special tomorrow is for us.

Payal lowered her gaze, unable to maintain eye contact. Her eyes were swollen on the verge of letting tears escape, but she knew she had to hold them back just now. Crying was the last thing she could do right now.

Khushi looked at Payal, and for a moment she felt something more was wrong than tomorrow. Jiji was hiding something. But as fast as the thought had come it went away even more faster than that as she eyed her cellphone, that was still in Payal's hand, a feeling of confusion striking her.

Pa: Jiji? My cellphone? Is there a message on it?

Payal looked up at once as she heard the mention of Khushi's cellphone, the colour on her face now completely white. It seemed like nothing in her body could handle the state she was in, and it too was giving in to her distress.

Pa: No..erm..no..there isn't.

Kh: Oh..I thought I did hear the beep of a message.

Payal just stared at her blankly, her mind working slow enough to not process words at all. It was like she had been standing there stationary forever feeling like the most helpless person on Earth. She looked at the smiling Khushi in front of her. Could she spoil it for her? But even before the question came to her mind, she knew the answer. No, of course she couldn't. She wouldn't let that genuine smile on her face vanish like that. She couldn't let her past come in between. From the time, Khushi's parents had left, and she had joined the Gupta's she had never been so happy. The sparkle in her eyes was gone, nothing was there. She seems like the most lively person ever, but inside she cried everyday, crying out her pain, the pain that hurt her more than the cut with a steaming hot knife.

Her smile now had a different sort of charisma, a different sort of happiness and pleasure in it. She wouldn't let it spoil it for Khushi again. However bad Arnav was to everyone, she knew well, that he was the best for her, he in his anger would forget everyone if it was about Khushi, he genuinely loved her, cared for her, and that is just what Khushi needed, someone genuine, who wouldn't fake emotions, who would love her, and just not the idea of her.

Kh: (shaking Payal) Jiji? Jiji?

Pa: (out of her daze) Huh?..Huh..(looking at the cellphone) ..yeh..lo..tumhara..mobile.. humein..yahan mile thawn..hum tumhe hein dene aaa rahein thein.

Kh: (taking the mobile from Payal's hand) Acha Jiiji. Hum bhi aise hein lene ayein thein.

Outside someone called Khushi. As she went off out of the room for a last time she turned back again.

Kh: Jeeji aap paka theek hona?

Pa: (plastering a fake smile) Haan.haan. Hum theek hain.

Khushi smiled at her and went off smiling to herself. She was just too happy to care about something right now.

Payal looked at the retreating form of Khushi, and the tears that were since ages trying to stream down, finally took the chance, to break all barriers and poured down furiously from Payal's eyes. How? How? Why? Why to her? Why does God keep giving her such things why? How could he do this? Do this? How could Shyam ji betray them? No wonder Khushi told her that she didn't like the idea of Shyam at all. It was too far fetched, and Arnav had penetrated into her soul and mind, to such an extent that she wasn't willing to give anyone else the chance. Payal resented the idea at first, but now she knew why they all said 'jo hota hain sab ache key liye hota hain'.

Payal stumbled on to Khushi's bed, biting her lips in worry. She had to plan her next step carefully. Nobody, and that meant nobody, could know about this truth right now. Maybe later, which was eventually to happen, but not now. It would spoil it all for her, for them, for us, for everyone. But there was one truth that she couldn't run away from her, the truth of her own self being excessively emotive. With such a big secret kept in her heart, she couldn't act normal, normal was beyond limits, she couldn't even plaster a fake smile without arousing queries. She had to tell someone, someone, someone who would understand, someone who like her knew that they couldn't spoil this for Khushi right now. After a moment of thought, she realized who it was. The ultimate saviour, who she could rely on when the entire world left her.

__________________________________________________________

Arnav kept looking at the screen of his cellphone, waiting for Khushi's reply. Why the danmed is she not replying? Tired of waiting, he dialed the speed dial button on which Khushi's number was saved on.

Khushi's looked at her cellphone as it went on ringing. Arnav's name flashing on it. She picked it up, half expecting anything of concern that he might have called for.

Ar: Khushi?

Kh: Yeah?

Ar: Did you see it?

Kh: (confused) See what?

See what? Now what does that mean? She didn't see it at all. Why the hell does she not see that she is actually supposed to see?

Ar: (retorting) The message I just sent.

Kh: (getting even more confused) What message? I didn't get any message.

Ar: (surprised) You didn't get it? But I just sent it?

Kh: You did? I don't know. When?

Ar: Just some 15 minutes back or so.

Kh: Oh. I thought I did hear the beep of a message. But when I came to pick it, Jiji said there was no message.

Ar: Huh? Payal had your cellphone?

Kh: No it was in my room. She picked it up to give it to me.

Arnav had a blank expression on his face, unable to make any connection between the events that had just happened. He already couldn't understand how Jeeja ji and Khushi were related..and here there was a new complication. Payal had tampered with Khushi's cellphone and this was the only thing that he was dead sure about. He knew he had sent the message, and that had even reached Khushi. So he was right, there is something fishy about this whole affair. So Khushi and Jeeja ji are certainly related in someway that Payal knew.

Kh: (breaking the silience) Arnav?

Ar: Oh huh?

Kh: What was there in that message?

Arnav was about to tell her what there actually was in that message, but before he uttered even a single word, he thought better of it. If Payal was trying to hide this from Khushi, then that meant she wasn't supposed to know about it. He knew how Payal was, she always hid things from Khushi that would worry her, or spoil her happiness. And here he too wanted the same thing for her, if Payal wasn't telling her he wouldn't tell her anything either. Before talking to her, he had to confront Payal.

Kh: (breaking Arnav's stream of thoughts) What is in that message? Tell me.

Ar: Erm..nothing of much importance.

Kh: Sure? You are not hiding something from me are you?

Ar: (indignantly) No. Am not. I said na, there aint anything it in it of much importance.

Kh: Then why did you specially call me to check whether I had checked that message or not?

Arnav growled to himself. Urgh. Why the hell does she turn smart when she is not supposed too?

Ar: Khushi, I'll talk to you later. Bye.

Before Khushi could say something, the line got disconnected, leaving a irritated Khushi. Ohk, so what the hell is going on here? Why is everybody acting all weird? First Jiji, Now Arnav. What is it that they are hiding? Haye, Devi Maiyan why can you just not give a break to all these complication is my life?

__________________________________________

Anj: Oh..I haven't seen it. I'll ask Choote, maybe he might have seen it, he came in our room in the morning to get my set for repairing.

The color from her husband's face drained out. He came here? If he gets his hand on that picture, then it's all over. She cannot be his. She's mine. Khushi ji is mine.

Husband: (shell- shocked)Sale Sahab came here?

Anj: I just said that he did.

Husband: (changing his tone as he looked at Anjali's suspicious expression) I mean, I didt know at all if he even came here. He's light footed for a man of his age, who usually tend to be annoyingly noisy.

Anj: That's because he is Chottey, and everything that Chotte does nobody else can do.

Shyam: I agree. Saleh Saheb is some character.

Anj: (giggling) Yeh sab choorein. Ab uth gaye hain tou main nashta lein aoo?

Shyam nodded, as his loving wife went away to get breakfast.

Shyam: So Sale sahab took that picture. No. He couldn't. I know Arnav he's not nosy enough to check under my pillow. Then where the hell did that picture of my beautiful Khushi ji vanish into?

___________________________________________

Payal stood waiting on the door step of the one person she had been fond of, since the day she had first opened her eyes to this world. As the closed door opened, he stood their tall, long, smiling, gray and weather berated, however still as supportive as ever. A wall that everybody in the family could lean on. Shashi Gupta was one of those few people, who seldom interfered in family matters, or what the ladies in the house did. In fact he was amongst the first to accept Khushi's love for Arnav, and their desire to marry each other.

As Payal entered in his room, she silently closed the door behind, as her face once more turned pale. Shashi looked at her shy however bold daughter. But today, he noticed she looked different, like she use to when she was deeply troubled and come running over to him for help. He remembered how when anybody at school use to hit her, she'd come bruised home, and everybody instead of attending to her kneel, would scold her for not fighting against the abuse like Khushi did. That is when she came to him, and would hug him tight, pour her heart out to him.

Today, she looked the same state like she did back then, and this worried Shashi like anything. In the present circumstances it was unlikely for her to act like that, when everything was acting as he had always wanted for their daughters, and what his daughters always wanted for themselves.

Sh: Betya? What is that troubles you?

Payal looked up surprised at Shashi's question. How does he know it without me telling everytime? Everytime? Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of what she was to tell her father. It would shake him, more than it shook her, but she couldn't help it. She was doing it to prevent the worse. The bad was tolerable but, the worse nobody could handle.

Unable to control the rush of emotions inside her Payal ran to Shashi and wrapped herself around him. Shashi engulfed his daughter in a parental hug, however his worry now was extending limits. Why was she crying like this? What had happened? Did Aakash do some..no no he couldn't do anything that bad, not atleast now. If it would have been Khushi hugging him instead he wouldn't be too surprised because she considered him as his best friend, and would open up to him easily. But Payal was a little bit reserved and every attempt of her was carefully plotted, not lagging any understanding. But today, she had not uttered a word and hugged. Something was wrong. More wrong, than has ever happened.

Shashi gently pulled her away, and cupped Payal's tear strained face in his palms. Doing that, Payal looked up to meet her father's troubled eyes that questioned her to open up. To tell him what she had come to tell him. He patiently waited for her to say, but as if her mouth was in a lock, she wouldn't find the key, and kept shut.

Sh: Betya? Humein batao kya howa?

Pa: (between continuous sobs) Bauji..woh..woh..kyun howa yeh..kyun? Kyun kiya unhune yeh hamarein saath? Khushi k saath? Ab kya hoga jab sab ko yeh pata chalein ga?

Sh: (motioning her towards his bed) Betya phele tou tum bethwat jao and humein batao key aisa kya hoga jo tumhein itna pareshan karath hain?

Payal nodded, allowing Shashi to lead her to the bed, once they were seated Shashi once again repeated his question. This time Payal responded much more quicker than before.

Pa: Bauji..woh..Shyamji..woh Shyamji..

Sh: Haan..betya bolo..ka kiya Shyam ji nein..

Pa: Who Shyamji..woh..shaddi shuda hain..

Shashi inched backwards as he tried to register what Payal said. How did she know? How?

Sh: oo shaadi shuda hain? Tumko kaise pata betya?

Pa: Humne aun ki patni k saath aun ki tasveer dekhi.

Sh: Tasveer..kahan?

Pa: Khushi key mobile mein.

Shashi almost lost balance of the position he was sitting in. Khushi..Khushi..knew it too?

Sh: Khu..see? Oo ko bhi sab pata hain?

Pa: Kya matlab hain app ka? Kya sab pata hain? ..( a lump forming in her throat) App'ko phele sein hein pata thawn sab..?

Shashi hung his head low, in acceptance. He knew it all, before they all knew anything, everything about that pervert that he could know and how thankful he was when Khushi had declared her love for Arnav only he knew. It was a major factor in his acceptance of their love immediately.

Pa: How..Bauji..why..didnt you..you tell us? Keep..it within you..?

Sh: I knew..somehow..you all would know one day..I didn't want to tell you people then and spoil things..when I actually thought that he had left our live and we were now free.

Pa: left our life? What..Bauji do you not know who is his wife?

Sh: No betya..one day I heard him talking on the phone with his wife..and saying I love you to her..that is when I came to know he was married..and all. *pause* Wait..do you know who his wife is?

Payal just stared unable to make connection, and for a moment her mind and tongue had totally stop working. Not cooperating at all.

Sh: (more desperately) Betya? Do you know who is wife is?

Pa: (silently) Anjali ji.

Shashi at the moment felt like the bed he use to sleep on, was now coming to eat him, to gobble him up and take him away forever. Anjali ji? She..she..was..that pervert's wife? He cleared his mind, to join the pieces together. It had all happened so fast that he hadn't the time to pay attention to this Shyam issue. But now that their in laws were his in laws he was the man of concern. No wonder, for some reason or the other they had never been able to meet Anjali ji's husband, or as a matter of fact even see his picture. He seemed like an imaginary figure to Guptas, not existent, not seen by the real world, as to how the Raizada's took him. But at the end of the day, from all the world, it was least expected that it would be Shyam? Shyam?

Sh: Eee Khusee betya ko bhi pata hain?

Pa: Nahin. Is hein liye tou hum app key pass ayein hain..ais sein phele k who tasveer dekhti humne aus delete kar dein thein. Par hum kitne din yeh sach chupayein gey? Kab tak? Kabhi na kabhi tou ause pata chalein ga..aur phir..sab khatam hojaee ga..sab khatam hojae ga..sab kuch.

Sh: (regaining his own composure) Ais kuchun nahin hoga betya..oo sab sambhal lein gey.. hamri Khusee betya bohat mazboot hain..oo sab sambhal lein gey..

Pa: Aur ausko? Woh sab ko tou sambhal lein gey..par aus ko? Aus ko kaun sambhalein ga?

P.S: I hope this is good enough for the long wait I gave you people. All those who have read this a special note follows. I would really appreciate if I could get your feedbacks asap regarding this update and the note. Thanks.😊

Howdy guys!

So I am finally back!😃 As I promised I will update the very day my exams get finished and here I am, I have updated.😃 Thankyou people, for your cooperationa dnt he patience that you have shown, I really appreciate it.😳

Wow Awesome Update.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 Love this story.

I wish Payal and Arnav could talk to each other and figure it out, together. Arnav knows that Payal knows something and Payal knows that Arnav suspects something, so isn't it logical to talk to each other and work it out. Hmmm

good update.likd it..and write post-marriage in separate thread..love ur writing..a fab work.so go with the flow of story

Originally posted by: zafi

Yey Me first.😆

Wow Awesome Update.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 Love this story.

I wish Payal and Arnav could talk to each other and figure it out, together. Arnav knows that Payal knows something and Payal knows that Arnav suspects something, so isn't it logical to talk to each other and work it out. Hmmm

Ok write the POST Marriage on a separate thread. But don't forget to PM Me.😉

Thankyou so much.🤗

Originally posted by: sarach

good update.likd it..and write post-marriage in separate thread..love ur writing..a fab work.so go with the flow of story

Glad to know that you are back with the update..and this update was worth waiting...

Originally posted by: Kinha_Luvyou

Glad to know that you are back with the update..and this update was worth waiting...

Thanks alot dear.🤗

Awsm part !!!! Waited so long for it !!!! I think that u should write in a different thread !! Thnx for the pm !!! Update soon !!! ⭐️