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*CHAPTER 9*
Anjali knew her mother was in Mumbai, but this was unexpected.Seeing Garima and her mother together, Anjali knew that Chhotey knew everything now. But she did not understand..."Why not Chhotey? Khushiji is RIGHT THERE! I thought...we all had thought..."
"Di, that's not true..." He told Anjali about it all. "Oh no!" Anjali gasped.
"And I am sure you needn't be told the past story?" He asked bitterly.
"Chhotey, I am sorry. It's just that... I did not know Khushiji was Nimmi Aunty's daughter, till Garima Aunty met DAdi that night... I could not bring myself to tell you...You already hated Papa so much... And...Chhotey, I don't get why Khushiji tried to commit SUICIDE! She is just not that kind of person..." She said.
"I know" Arnav whispered, the same time as Garima said, "Even we don't understand..."
"Chhotey, does that mean that those two kids..." Anjali trailed off, pointing to Arshi and Navkush, who were now playing with Little Khushi. She knew the answer...she got it from the tears in her Chhotey's eyes.
Then, something struck Anjali. "But Aunty, " she said, turning to Garima. "Why did you all lie...? That Khushiji was-was d-dead?"
Garima looked away. "I don't know what happened...She had come back from the temple with her friend...That girl? I keep forgetting her name..." Garima muttered.
The trio looked at Garima. Girl? What girl? Anjali looked at Arnav questioningly. Arnav shook his head...Neither of them remembered seeing any girl with Khushi that day...the day they had last seen her...
-Nearly Six Years Back-
-After Anjali's delivery, in Lucknow-
"Don't worry Chhotey...She will be here..." Anjali assured her brother. She was trying to assure herself...The broken look her brother wore again was her fault. Though they were still not talking terms, they spoke a little...
Arnav's head was on the steering wheel of his SUV...Where else do I need to look for her? This is my last hope...! What if she wasn't here... And then, he felt it...
His head shot up instantly...Anjali was smiling with relief...He looked out of the window...There she was... In a blue sari, leaning against the temple pillar... She was looking about here and there anxiously... Her left hand was glued to her belly and her right hand was holding her cell phone, and a basket hanging from the crook of her elbow. She was dialling someone's number, and seemed frustrated...As he watched, she froze, and slowly turned around... They had an eyelock... Her face broke into a smile, and tears started streaking out of her beauiful hazel eyes... But suddenly, her eyes had grown wide after a little frown... as if she had just remembered something...Her beautiful features were contorted in hurt and pain... She closed her eyes, turned around and began walking away fast, and broke into a run...
Arnav was feeling as if he had been pushed off a cliff... WHY was she running from him...? Had what he had said hurt her soo much that she had turned her back on him...?
These questions were ringing in his mind, blocking out everything else... Anjali was too stunned to react as well...
Now that Arnav thought about it, she DID seemed to have been waiting for someone...And he now understood why her left hand was on her belly...She was carrying their kids the last time he had seen her... He told Anjali about this.
"But Chhotey, I still don't get the reason for her suicide, AND who that other 'GIRL' could have been." Anjali said.
Damn it! Arnav HAD to find out...He had a feeling that the solution of winning Khushi back, lay in the reason for her attempted suicide... But first...
"Aunty, PLEASE. GIVE me a chance to prove myself?" he begged Garima.
"WHY? So you can marry my daughter for six months again?" Garima asked, outraged.
Now it was Ratna's turn for a shock. "SIX months?! Chhotey, what is Garima talking about?"
Arnav flinched. He had told his mother everything... Their temple marriage...His suspicion...His kidnap...her rescuing him...EVERYTHNG till the last day he had seen Khushi... He just had not mentioned the CONTRACT marriage...
Anjali very slowly, told Ratna. Ratna was too stunned to react. Arnav turned to Garima again. "PLease Aunty..."
"I cannot forgive a Mallik...My sister...I would not insult my sister...The same way you wanted your sister protected..." Garima mumbled.
"Aunty, I am not a Mallik...I am a Raizada..." Arnav said sternly, surely.
Ratna spoke up. "No...You proved you are your father's blood...You could have ruined her life..." she said softly.
Anjali gasped, and Arnav was shattered to hear his mother say that. Garima turned, and began walking towards Khushi's boutique.
"Aunty, PLEASE. I cannot live without her..." He said softly enough for her to hear.
Those words...They were sincere, and though she did not want to admit it, Garima knew he meant it... She turned around and was a little taken aback to see Arnav kneeling on the sand, a dejected look on his face, as he watched his children playing. She looked at Ratna's sad face, gazing at her son...
"Ok Bitua..." Garima said. Arnav looked at her... 'Bitua'? That felt so good.
"Thank you SO much Aunty..." Arnav cried in relief, as Anjali hugged him.
"But, there are conditions." Garima said.
Arnav grew weary. "Yes?"
"We don't tell her all truth at once...Her nerves are weak at the moment... So, I will only allow attempts to try and MAKE her remember... Small details can be told to her, but the rest need to be remembered by themselves..."
Arnav smiled through tears in agreement, as his mind already started making plans. First, he needed to find out who 'that other girl' was...
PRECAP- Arnav felt something stirring inside him...something unknown, he did not know whether it was anger or pain... He watched with a breaking heart, as the man with the grey-striped tie entered Khushi's room and gazed at her sleeping form with love. He began to feel angry as he saw that man kiss her forehead. He couldn't take it anymore when the man grasped Khushi's hand, and she held onto it tightly, as a slow smile spread on her lips. She clasped his hand to her cheek, and continued to sleep.
Edited by Dynamix215 - 12 years ago
Cricket
Indian Mythology
376