Part 3:
Khushi entered the dining room area. Naniji, Akash, Payal, NK, Arnav, mamiji, mamaji and Anjaliji were present waiting on her only. Before she sat down, she announced, "Naniji, hume iss ke liye maaf kijiye par hume shaadi aaj hi karni hai."
"Aaj?" everyone asked, surprised.
Why was Arnav not surprised? He knew she'd pull an antic like this.
"Hume bata hi kyu rahi ho. Abhi shadi karke aa jati." he taunted.
For which he got a glare from not only Khushi but from everyone.
Naniji: "Chotey! Hume pata hai aapoko Khushi bitiya pasand naahi hai. Lekin uski vajah se aap ko kuch bhi bolne ka haq nahi hai." She turned to Khushi. "Bitiya, aaj hi kyu? Shadi toh ek hafte baad hai na? Aisa kya hua?"
K: "Naniji, kuch nai hua. Hum bas aaj hi shadi karna chahte hai. Panditji ne bhi kaha ki agar aaj shadi ho gayi, toh humari zindagi mai khushiya hi khusiya hogi."
Naniji: "Acha, aisa kaha? Aap chahte hai toh aaj hi kar dete hai. Lekin dhoom dhaam se nahi ho payegi."
K: "Chalega naniji. Humare sapne se zyada humari khushiya maiyne rakhti hi." She smiled at them and they smiled back. Anything for the well-being of the family.
She showed a winning smile to Arnav, for which he only glared back. He had thought he would stall the wedding. But that couldn't have been possible. He quickly made a new plan.
***
After lunch, he changed his voice and called from a private number to Khushi. "If you care for your bauji, you will not do this marriage. Seedhe seedhe purane kille pe dedh lakh lekar aa jana. Warna..." He cut the call and pretended to talk to his client.
As suspected, she rushed to his room to see if he was behind the call. Seeing him talking to one of the clients, she got scared for real. Before, she had thought it was only some random caller. Now she was scared for her father's life.
***
She reached the place with the money with secret help from Akaash. Akaash had promised to stall the wedding for a few minutes. Half hour the most. She reached there to see no one there. Just a sheet of paper. She found it odd to find a new looking paper there. She opened it to read, "Kaha tha na tumhe kisi aur ke saath nahi dekh sakta. Aab dekhta hu tumhari shaadi NK se kaise hoti hai."
she crumpled the paper, anger getting the best of her. Why couldn't he understand that she didn't have the same feelings for him? He had once ruined her sisters life and from that day on, they were sworn enemies. Nothing he will do now will change the fact that she hates him! She called for a rickshaw and was worried on reaching back home on time.
She couldn't let him win.
***
Arnav said to them. "We're waiting enough di. She cheated us all. She cheated NK. How do you explain the money in lakhs that is withdrawn to her name? She only cared about the money di."
"Wrong." A voice echoed from the back. It belonged to none other than Khushi. He was shocked seeing her there. He had made sure there were obstacles that would stall her behind. How in the world did she get here so fast? No idea. She just had.
"Arnav Singh Raizada, you're not as smart as you think you are. If all you care about is the money, then here you go." she slammed the bag in his hands on purpose. Turning to Anjali, she continued, "Di, someone played one disgusting prank on me. Someone who doesn't want this marriage to take place. They threatened me that bauji's life was in danger. I had to leave. I'm sorry..."
"That's fine khushiji. But then why did you bring the money back?"
"I told na. It was all just a set up to get me away from home so that marriage doesn't take place."
"Who did it?" Payal asked sternly.
"Arnav Singh Raizada." she said pointing her index finger at him.
The name rang as an echo in everyone's ears. His silence gave proof that he was guilty of the crime. Everyone shook their head, disgusted.
A tight slap from Akaash on Arnav's face. "Bhai, you're older than me. But how could you play such a game? You know how much these sisters care for their father! I feel ashamed to call you my brother."
Everyone else agreed. He took a step back surprised. His whole family was going against him without even listening to him. How worse could his life get? He left for his room and locked himself in.
Why isn't anyone ready to listen to me? Does no one care for me? What I did was only to get my love... My Khushi... Do I not deserve to be happy? He let himself drop on his bed, lost in hell. His whole life tearing apart in front of him. The great ASR is now a nobody to everybody.
A person who lost everything in a split of a second. Family... love... brother cum friend... Everything. All for just wanting to have his love? Was my love so wrong that it doesn't deserve an happy ending?
Eyes moist with tears... swollen... He wasn't in his head. Couldn't think anything right... He just wanted to punch everything and everyone...
***
Next morning, he came down the stairs to see Khushi with sindoor on her forehead.
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The End
xxx
Real Estate
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