FF: Keeping Khushi: Th 8 part 76 Pg 124 - Page 76

Originally posted by: B.S.I_Love_You

THTS WELL SAID AGAIN...😃 I UNDERSTAND WEN WOMEN LIKE AARTI ND HER MOTHER GO THRU THIS...THEY TEND TO HIDE THEMSELVES BEHIND OF A WALL...TAKING THEMSELVES AWAY FROM THE LIGHT...SUNLIGHT...LOVE HAPPINESS...CARE...BUT I WANT AARTI TO CUM OUTT OF THIS...ND I KNW MY FAV FAMILY..."THE RAIZADA'S WILL TAKE OVER FROM HERE...😃

I WANT AARTI TO FEEL GOOD ABUT HER LIFE...I AM WAITING FOR THE PART WHERE SHE REALIZES THT EACH MEMBER OF RAIZADA FAMILY IS OUT HERE...TO TAKE HER IN THRE ARMS FULL OF LOVE ND CARE...🤗

Originally posted by: rulama

I am sure Smita will give it. She has marked Aarti for NK and NK only! Aarti has to get the full warmth of Her Sunflower and the love of Raizada's, especially Kushi and her Baba, only then I think she'll be able to thaw. Why Kushi and Baba? Its because they had to go through a lot earlier in their lives. Kushi because not only she lost her parents but also had to battle her burns, taunts and definitely depression for which Baba's love was the antidote. See he calls her Taarva. That shows how he feels for her. She has taken the place of his daughter in his life. Just imagine which child of ten will be able to bring an alcoholic out from his stupor and addiction. She might not have done it intentionally but her presence was the stimulant for him. Why is it significant? Coz she is not his biological daughter. She has evoked such protective feeling in him by her sweet nature! Once Aarti comes across Kushi's story I am sure she'll think she is much better off!. For instance, Aarti now can wear any dress she wants. But can Kushi? Right now Aarti doesn't know everything about Kushi like Paayal. I am just waiting to see how Smita takes the story! After all its her story and we enjoy it!!😉

Originally posted by: B.S.I_Love_You

I am sure..Smitaji...will gv us tht part soon...full of warmth...love..smiles...happiness..care..for Aartiji...does Smita has anyother option...😉 i agree Aarti is unware of wht Khushi has gone thru...and still going thru actully...nd will go thru the physical pain all her life...😭...but like Khushi found her love...wch made all her Pain to reduce to nothing in front of Arnav's love nd care...Aarti too will find the same...😃...and BTW...even Arnav's father was no less in making thre life miserable...but he too has come strong out of it...i hope she learns tht tooo...tht wont lessen her pain...but hope she feels better...nd also tht she is not the only one who goes thru pain in life...!!!!!

Part 76

There was perfect silence in the room. You could hear a pin drop.

Then Naniji said, "Bitiyaa, whatever happened, all the terrible things, they were not your fault. Why should you punish yourself for the past?"

Buaji & Mami nodded.

Mami said, "Child ijj not the phather (father) of man, Aarti Bitiyaa! Man is the phather (father) of the child. You were a child. Your phather was a man. He made mistakes. Why should you pay for them, Hello Hi Bye Bye?"

"Haan, Bitiyaa!", Buaji said, wiping away her tears. "You deserve to be happy, Nandkisore! Your Amma deserves to be happy. Marry NK Babua, and live happily. He will look after you very well, never hurt you with a word or an action...", Buaji could not complete her sentence, tears stopping her from speaking.

All nodded.

Aarti swallowed with difficulty, taking care not to look at the Sunflower's face.

"He will look after your Amma as if she were his own.", Nani added.

Again, all nodded.

"Aarti Bitiyaa, I am not saiying (saying) thijj (this) because his parents are my rishtedaar. They are very good people, better than me. They will lub (love) you a lot.", Mami reassured her.

"Haan.", Nani said. "They are very, very nice people, very kind and jovial people. They will treat you as though you were Mahalaxmi."

Akash said, "Aartiji, I promise. You will never have to do everything alone anymore. We will all be with you."

All of them nodded.

"Haan, Aartiji. You are our sister. Your Amma is ours too. We will look after her.", said Payal softly.

Aarti sighed silently, unable to find words to stop them, to make them understand her plight.

"Marry me, Aarti.", NK said softly. "I promise you I will always look after Amma and never hurt you."

Aarti did not want to give the Sunflower a reply. She did not want to refuse him in front of his family. She couldn't accept him either. Nor could she pretend not to have seen the goodness in him.

"I know you won't." The admission alone cost her much.

All the Raizadas, Buaji, & NK looked at her with relief in their eyes. Aarti could read their thoughts, that half the battle was won. She sighed.

"Your life is changing, Aartiji!", said Khushi, smiling through her tears. "Now it is time for happiness. Don't be scared of the change. We will be there holding your hand."

All nodded, smiling at Aarti.

"The hair, the clothes, the work you do, all these don't matter to us. Your responsibilities are ours too. We will not let you leave us, Aartiji. We want you with us. We just want to be with you.", Khushi added. Payal seconded her statement. The entire family looked ready to carry Aarti and her mother off to their home...

Aarti looked down at her hands. She smiled wryly. How could she make them understand...?

Finally, Arnav Singh Raizada spoke.

He said, "Each time I met you, Aarti, I felt I knew you. As though you belonged with us. As though your rightful place was within the Raizada family..."

Aarti looked at him, her face expressionless.

His was equally so.

"I couldn't understand why you seemed so familiar, why sometimes looking at you was like looking at myself, as I was a few years back...Now, I realise why I felt so. Why my family recognised you and took you to heart..."

Aarti stared at him, waiting.

"Because you are wounded. Just as we all are."

Aarti frowned at him. The Raizadas & NK nodded. Buaji looked at Arnav and Aarti.

"Because you became an adult in your childhood. As I did."

Aarti stared at Arnav, unable to comprehend his meaning.

Arnav looked at his Nani, drawing Aarti's attention to her. "My Nani. She could be yours."

Aarti stared at him, perplexed, but careful not to show it on her face, long experience at hiding her feelings standing her in good stead. Was Arnav Singh Raizada trying to offer her his Nani in exchange for her nod for the marriage?

"My Nani married off her only daughter (as yours did) to a gentleman from a well-known family in Lucknow. My father, Arvind Mallik."

Aarti frowned.

"Yes, I changed my surname. Discarded his and took my mother's. That should tell you something about the high esteem in which I hold Arvind Mallik."

Aarti's eyes widened.

"Yes, he was a scoundrel. In every way possible. Wasted money as if the world was going to end in a day. Sold everything my mother owned to fund his extravagances. Bankrupted a thriving family business. Made my mother cry with his affairs and drinking."

Aarti swallowed, knowing very well what it must be taking Arnav Singh Raizada to let everyone see the pain in his heart. Nani & Mami wiped wet eyes. Akash and NK looked pale.

"I can forgive all that. If I try hard enough...", Arnav admitted. "But there are two things I will never forgive him for. One, he was driving when he crashed his car into a taxi, and killed my mother who was sitting beside him."

As Aarti watched, Khushiji caught hold of her husband's hand, and held it in her lap in between both of her hands.

"Two...", Arnav cleared his choked throat. "Two, he killed the taxi driver and a couple travelling in the taxi."

Aarti drew in a deep breath.

Arnav was not done yet. "And almost killed the 10-year old daughter of the couple. Her whole body burned...", Arnav stopped. He couldn't speak.

Khushi completed his statement. "I am that girl.", she smiled at Aarti.

Aarti stared at Arnav & Khushiji, unable to breathe properly at the very thought of a 10-year old battling burn injuries from the accident in which she lost her parents...

"He destroyed many lives, the lives of everyone who came close to him.", Arnav said softly. "Nani's, Nana's, Mamaji's, Mami's, Di's, Amma's, Khushi's parents', the taxi driver's, Khushi's, and mine. I was a teenager when I had to take on the responsibility of a wreck of a family business and huge debts..."

Aarti wished she could cry.

"When you tell us about your father and Shikha, we can understand you. We can read between the lines...", Arnav continued.

Nani & Mami nodded.

"Maybe, only we can understand you. Listening to you talk of your past was like returning to our past for us.", Arnav admitted.

Aarti could not speak.

All sat, silent, tired.

Then suggested Arnav, "Let's go forward, Aarti."

Aarti nodded. She was going forward. Forward and away.

"Marry NK. If he so much as harms a hair on your body, we promise to beat him to pulp.", Arnav smiled wryly.

Akash, Nani, Mami, & Buaji nodded vigorously.

Arnav added. "Your mother will get her family. And we will get both of you."

How Aarti wished she could cry! What curse was it that prevented her from letting all her pain flow away?

"Let's get married today, Aarti.", NK suggested. "A small ceremony with just family. We can leave tonight with Amma and Gopi Kakka on the trip you have planned. We can stay away from Delhi till Amma feels better, and then return here. What do you say to this plan?"