"Hum aap subse kuch baat karna chahte hai, kal iss ghar mein jo kuch bhi hua uske baad hum sab yeh natije per pouche hai ke Khushiji, aap ko is ghar ki bahu ke roop mein nahi swrikaar kiya jayega." Anjali looked directly at Khushi
Khushi shifted uncomfortably on her feet clutching at the sides of her lehenga. Tears threatened to spill over as she stood there disowned again by another family. She fought back tears as she thought how first her own parents left her, followed by her adoptive family whom she had loved more than her own, now her in-laws too didn't want her and in six months' time her husband would also cast her away. Her heart pounding fiercely against her chest and an emptiness swept over her stomach.
He looked up at his sister flabbergasted and then at Khushi. Her helplessness clawed at his heart. Her words from the night before spurred him to his feet. He knew what it felt like to be orphaned ' but he had his own family around, his sister, his grandmother, they were all his own flesh and blood. She didn't even have that.
Khushi had seen the emotions dance in Arnav's eyes. The hurt when his sister had spoken the words. It didn't make sense her mind raced. When he had himself denied her the status of his wife why was he hurt that his sister had voiced the same opinion? Her eyes followed his gaze as he took in the whole family, his family ' a family he had worked hard day in and day out to provide for their every happiness. She hated him for what he had done to her. But she knew also that there was a reason, a reason he had not yet revealed to her but there had to be one. Just as her own family had failed to understand her emotions, his were failing to understand his emotions. A pang hit her as she couldn't help but feel his pain.
"Theek hai Di. Agar yeh aapki faisla hai toh maine bhi apko kehdiya. Khushi aur mein iss ghar mein nahi rahenge." Their eyes imploring each other to understand what words could not speak. He then strode to khushi and peeled her hand away from her skirt and pulled her towards the door.
She glanced back at the people she had cared for and loved as her own family. She looked at Nani and saw pain mirrored in the aged eyes. The same woman that had once danced and sang to bring a smile to her face who had played childish games of making excuses just to bring Khushi into the house sat watching as she had been effectively ousted from the family.
She yanked her hand causing Arnav to halt and look at her questioningly.
"Bas. Bohut ho chukka." She glared at him
"Khushi chup chaap'"
"Nahi Arnavji. Chup rahke yeh sub problem hua hai" She yanked her had out of his grasp and ran back to Nani and collapsed at her feet. She put her head down in surrender in Nani's lap,
"maaf kar dijiye hume. Bohut bari galti hogayi humse. Hum jante hai ki hume ap subki dil dukhaye hai. Aap bade hai. Jo saza denge manzoor hai hume. Aap bus iss tarah humse roothiye mat. Ab aap hi humari parivaar hai, aap se bichad jayenge to kaha jayenge?" she cried into Nani's lap and slowly holding her ears she looked up to the older woman.
Nani looked away "Naniji, saza dijiye na? Khuch bhi, per humse muh mat pherna."
Arnav couldn't believe his eyes. This was the Khushi he had fallen hopelessly in love with. The Khushi that was as pure as morning dew. How could this same Khushi that cared so deeply for his family, that so easily sacrificed her own life for her sister, the Khushi that screamed at him about the importance of the mangalsutra and sindhoor, be the woman to break his sisters life? Something was amiss. His heart couldn't let him believe it.
Nani turned around slowly and looked at Khushi. "Aap ko saza to bhugatni hogi. Aapko bhi aur Chotey ko bhi" Khushi nodded and Nani looked at Chotey who stared back at her non-committedly.
"Aap dono ki yeh shaadi hum nahi mante. Agar aapko is ghar ki bahu banna hai to aap dono ko puri reet aur riwaz se sab ki samne shaadi karni hogi."
So this was their plan. What complete dramaqueens his entire family consisted of and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of how well Khushi fit into that picture. He looked up to his sister who was watching him with tears in her eyes, his heart breaking at the thought of what he was about to do, had he really thought of leaving her behind with that monster of a husband. What if Khushi hadn't stopped him, would he have broken his sisters heart? He took long strides towards Anjali and engulfed her in a tight hug.
"Hello Hi Bye-Bye, kanyadaan koun keriga eeka? Phatti sari ki toh family ne uka ekdum kickout kardiya" Mamiji made a low jibe at an already broken girl. Arnav's temper boiled up at his Mami's insensitivity, part of him hating that he was so affected by his inability to withstand any pain towards Khushi, yet somehow it felt strangely right to feel this way for her.
"Koi baat nahi ma, hum hai na. Ab hum to Khushi ki Jijaji hai. Aur Jijaji hone ke naate, Payal aur hum dono milke karenge Khushi ki kanyadaan, kyu Payal?" Akash took his wife by the hand, he had seen how hurt she was herself by the events that had transpired. He also knew that without Khushi, he probably wouldn't have been married to Payal, for left upto his brother, he would have still been negotiating business deals with her.
Arnav and Khushi gazed at each other momentarily. Her eyes beseeching him to reconsider everything he had done. How could she go through this a second time, this time a marriage with all the rituals knowing fully well that it meant nothing to him. Knowing fully well that it would leave her nowhere in 6 months, cast aside like a piece of unwanted clothing. She then watched her sister smile at Akash and she swallowed hard, she would go through it, for her sister, a thousand times over.
Book Talk
Anupamaa
166