As the sun started seeping into darkness, a car stopped in front a big, gigantic mansion lit with fairy lights and decorated with flowers of all kind but still had a negative kind of aura wrapped around it. Another car stopped behind it few seconds later.
As Khushi looked up and glanced at the mansion through her netted veil, she saw nothing but a house dripped in darkness and gloom. Screams of disappointment, pain and betrayal rang in her ears which this house had witnessed over decades.
Her gaze fell on the board pinned beside the entrance gate of the house. Shanti Van', it read. Her curiosity grew as the house's atmosphere was nowhere close to its name.
She halted in her thoughts as the door of the car she was sitting in, flew open and her husband whom she barely saw till now, stepped out and stormed inside the house not looking back even once. She sighed as a woman dressed in a fine pink saree opened the door for her and gestured her to come out with a smile.
As she stepped out managing her rather heavy dress with the help of the woman, she looked up at her gratefully and smiled.
"Hello Khushiji, I am Anjali, your sister-in-law." The woman introduced herself, her musical voice enchanting Khushi a little.
Khushi shook her head in acknowledgement before stepping towards the house along with her. She knew that with each step, she was starting a new phase of her life.
A phase which terrified her a lot, snatching her sleep for countless nights.
She stopped at the threshold of the house, looking up at the elder woman she knew before her marriage. She watched silently as Anjali stepped in, taking a plate from a servant and turned towards her to welcome her in house, performing the usual grihapravesh rituals with a smile.
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"Khushiji..."
Anjali hesitated, looking the woman sitting beneath the canopy of flowers, her dress's end flared around the decorated bed perfectly. The bride that had been chosen for her brother is beyond being just beautiful, innocence and naivety oozing from her nervous composure but she knew better than to think that all is perfectly well.
She knew her brother and his arrogance and knew the consequences of making him do something against his wish. She knew that the girl in front of her will be heartbroken and will be sole recipient of her brother's unadulterated hatred.
"I know you are nervous. And what I am going to say will only make you more nervous. But I won't give you any false hopes. My brother isn't happy with this marriage and with what I have gathered about you, I know you weren't too willing for this marriage. He is going to be very rude and harsh with you. But if he misbehaved with you, don't bear it silently. Feel free to shout and call anyone of us. As much as he is my brother and I love him, I won't let him do anything wrong with you."
Anjali watched intently as Khushi heard everything silently and shook her head not saying anything. Feeling totally helpless, Anjali turned and walked out of the room. She looked up when she saw HER.
Her grandmother, Devyani Singh Raizada who was behind all this, was watching her with a satisfaction shining on her face.
"Anjali Bitiya..."
"Stop it Dadi. I don't want to talk with you. Whatever you have done today has destroyed two lives, have you realized that?"
Not waiting for an answer, Anjali walked away angrily though the satisfaction, belief on Devyani Singh Raizada's face contradicted what she had said.
*********************
"GET UP."
Khushi immediately sat up, hearing rather harsh and rude voice shouting at her. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the man standing near the bed. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep.
Her husband, Arnav Singh Raizada was standing in front of her. Her husband is a very good looking man, she realised as her sleepy eyes trailed at his face carefully noting his chiseled face, his jaw clenched.
His sharp features were highlighted more by the unmistakable anger bubbling inside him. She sat still frozen with shock and a sudden realization that she was married to this sinfully good looking man.
She gasped when he came forward and grabbed her red bangles clad wrist in a tight grip, not caring if he was hurting her. He forced her to step down from bed.
Dragging her towards the door, he pushed her forward with such a force that Khushi staggered a bit losing her balance, before falling down on the floor outside their room.
She brought her hand forward to stop her head from getting hit on the floor and looked up in shock to see Arnav towering over her with disgust and hatred visible on his face.
"This is MY room and I won't let you live in here with me because I refuse to accept you as my wife."
She kept watching as Arnav closed the door not sparing her a glance. Silent sobs shook her body as tears trailed down from her face and pooled on the floor.
She knew the life that she had chosen for herself was difficult, but she wasn't expecting THIS from HER HUSBAND.
As I rushed from college to complete typing this chapter though i know it's not much long, i want special treatment from my readers for my work😳
Oh telling you all in advance, I am errr a bit busy next week due to some presentation, i may take more time in updating next chapter so hold on guys, i will be back soon with a new update 😃
Edit: Thank you all for such awesome comments my readers 🤗
Aditi 😳
Anupamaa
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