Chapter 2
She didn't know how long she had slept. Walking up with a start, calling out his name. "Arnav!" she cried out in anguish, blinked as her eyes to clear her vision, tears running down her cheek, to see the face of the woman who had come to her aid. She wiped her cheeks and eyes trying to raise a smile on her lips but failings miserably. Pulling her knees up to her chest she just sat there.
"Khushi, that is your name you said." Malini inquired. Khushi only nodded her head.
"Khushi what pain you are going to must be very great, you cried throughout your sleep." Khushi didn't speak "have you lost someone you love."
"Everyone" whispered after a moment. Malini nodded thinking, then she asked "and this Arnav person? Is he your husband?". Malini words shook Khushi to her core and she broke into heartbreaking sobs she could not control. She had poured her heart out to Malini and told her everything that had happened to her. Her engagement to a man who she just found out was married to the sister of the man she loved, who was going to be engaged to another women, the tangled web of lies Shayam had weaved trapping Khushi, her family and Anjali in it. How in a moment of weakness and desperation she had given herself to the man she loved. And upon finding out the truth about the man she was to marry had run away from it all because she could not bear to hurt Anjali and Arnav. Knowing Arnav would never forgive her for being the reason for his sister's destruction. She told her everything about the mess her life had become. All because of one man's lying, cheating ways.
Malini listened to what Khushi had told her, she understood her intentions, and the sacrifice she had made to save Anjali's marriage and maybe her life as well she had only one question. "do you thing Anjali will be happy living with a man like that?"
Khushi sniffed " I don't know, all I know is Anjaliji loves her husband deeply, she has always been happy with him, until I came into their lives, I do not know why Shayamji did what he did, why he wanted to marry me when he was already married to Anjaliji, all I know if this truth came out it would destroy Anjaliji, it would break her heart." she gulped "Anjaliji like that, would destroy Arnav, he is already a hard man, if this would not break him it would harden his heart more and he would stop believing that there is any good in this world at all, I could not let that happen."
"Oh, so you did this for him, Ok, I get it you love him, but the question is does he love you" Malini asked looking kindly at Khushi. "You giving yourself to him and all."
Khushi felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Lowing her eyes she whispered. "I think so? I don't know he never said it in real words, I... his eyes, the way he looked at me" her eyes glazing over at the memory of his touch, his breath on her cheeks and lips. Her heart pounded and her body tingled at her memory of the taste of him and how he had looked at her with so much love when he had taken her. Taking a shuddering breath she shook her head to clear it, she could not think of all that now she had left it all behind and her eyes had filled with more tears at the thought.
Malini patted Khushi head running a soothing hand over her hair she said, "Beta, from what you have told me I can only conclude that this man loves you very much. Have you thought about what he will go through when he finds you gone. With no means to find you?"
"He loves his sister more, auntyji I have only just come into his life, She is his life." Khushi whispered.
"Dear, are you sure? A man's love for the woman he loves is different than the love he feels for his sister. A man will love his sister from his heart, but a woman he will love from the depths of his soul." She tried to explain, she could see Khushi was so young and surely lacking in experience. "Do you know what such kind of love can do to a man."
"Na," Khushi shook her head putting her hands to her forehead where an ache had started to begin, "No, all I know is I cannot face him with this. Not when it concerns Anjaliji." She said with more conviction "and if he loves me and we are meant to be together then Devi Maiya will find a way for him to find me." She took a deep shuddering breath hoping to ease the beginning of a headache. She said quietly, surrender in her tone. "all I know is that Love him with all my soul and will always love him. I cannot and will not destroy him just to have him. I cannot let my love be so selfish."
Malini had smiled. "Then we will leave it all in the hands of Devi Maiya, but my heart tells me that you will be united with your young man one day. God never lets the innocent pay for someone else sins."
With that Malini had taken Khushi into her heart and made her a part of her life. Given her a livelihood and taught her the ropes of the events management business that she ran in Udaipur. Khushi had put herself in Malini maa's hands. Following her every advise, being a fast learner she had learned every there was to learn about the business. How to create contacts and clients, and everything that an events management group needed to satisfy clients.
A month and a half later circumstances arose that had rocked Khushi world and pull the ground from under her feet again. She had only just begun to live her new life and her world had turned upside down again, she had had no idea what to do. Her actions six weeks back had had consequences she had not anticipated. But Malini maa had come to her rescue once again, she had devised a plan that would save Khushi reputation, as she was an unknown to the city of Udaipur.
Malini being a reserved person had very few friends. Being an orphan she had no immediate family, that hovered over, her husband had died a long time back and Malini had single handily handled her business and raised the only son Abay, who had expired 2 months early in cochin where he was working in a multinational company so Khushi had never met him. Abay had been Malini estrange son and they had not spoken in 6 years.
Malini had decided, that to the world Khushi was her widowed Daughter -in- law brought home after her sons death. It had all worked out well. That fateful day the two women had met Malini was returning from cochin, where she had been settling her sons affairs after the funeral. Khushi Kumair Gupta was being introduced to the word as Mrs. Khushi Mehta the wife of the late Abay Mehta, and as time passed people simply did not bother to ask any questions.
CHAPTER 3 (page 4) -
Edited by merrydock - 9 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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