SS- Punishment of Pretense
Payal was ready to go down to the "mandap". She sat nervously on the bed waiting for Khushi to come and pacify her. But for some odd reason her sister was missing for some time now. Last she had seen her coming down from the terrace and she looked disturbed. Payal had signaled Khushi to come into the room but khushi had signaled her back that she will be back in few minutes. After that there was no sign of Khushi.
----
Buaji walked into the room hurriedly and said "Payalia! Let's go let's go everything is ready" Payal just looked at her and quietly replied "but buaji Khushi is still not here and I can't go down without her." Buaji became emotional and said "areey baba both of you are mad girls, she must be hiding somewhere cause she can't tolerate herself separating from her jiji and you are here crying cause you can't stay away from her either" JuSt then Garima walked in and with a nervous look said "what happened? Why payalia is crying and where is this Khushi?" Payal's tears stared rolling down and with a shaky tone she replied "even I can't find Khushi, where has she vanished off?" Buaji just patted her head and said "ok ok garima you take Payal down and I will go look for that sanka devi happy?" Payal gave her a weak smile and walked off with her mom to the mandap.
---
The garland ceremony was about to start. Payal walked down with garima, Akash couldn't compose his smile, and he nervously looked down to control himself. Anjali was equally happy but she moved back towards nani and whispered "nani where is Chote? And why is Khushi not walking down with Payal?" Nani gave back a confused look to Anjali. Shyam who was behind them heard it all and couldn't control his anger. "Sale-sahab and khushiji are not here then where are they" he thought. He quietly excused him to look for them. He was afraid that his previous confrontation with Arnav may have put him in action.
---
Buaji was near the pool side thinking "where did this girl suddenly disappear?" She screamd out loud "eee sanka devi, khushiii?! Are you here?" but no response came. Buaji with a worried look left for the garland ceremony. Soon after that Anjali entered the pool side with her soft voice she yelled "Chote? Arnav? Are you in your room?" similarly she didn't get any response. Just as she was about to leave she got a flashback of her last conversation with Arnav. She had felt weak today which lead her to faint. Arnav had witnessed this, it made him shocked and concerned. He was about to take her to the doctor when she held his face and with tears in her eyes told him "I'm pregnant chote!" Arnav for some odd reason didn't seem very happy about this. He gave her a weak smile and hugged her. Anjali broke out of the hug and asked him "sorry chote you came here to say something? Tell me?" Arnav just shook his head and left the room saying he will see her later. With that her flashback ended. She thought again "what was chote trying to say before I fainted?"
---
Buaji walked towards garima and signaled her that Khushi was no where no to be found. Payal who was now sitting beside akash noticed it as well.
62