SOLID SOUL - THREAD 2 - CHAPTER 30 / PAGE 49 - Page 26

CHAPTER XXVII

God, that sounded cheesy, thought Arnav. He knew that his monologue would get her all riled up and send her hackles up. And that would spark her off and would garner some reaction like it always did. He knew he had hurt her badly and it would take him over a lifetime administering damage control and build his relationship with her; provided she gave him that opening he was looking for. He wanted to glimpse that old Khushi who reacted instantaneously and continued to needle her.

ASR: Ab ...kya kehti ho? (Now what do you have to say?)

Khushi looked at ASR thoughtfully,

Khushi: Kuch nahi. Baath khatam ho gayee to hum chaltein hain sone, kal subah jaldi utna hai. (Nothing. If we are done talking, goodnight, I need to get up early in the morning. It is well past midnight you know.)

He could do nothing but watch his ploy sink before it was fully deployed, and his muse royally ascended the dozen and odd steps to lose herself in slumberland away from him. She turned from the landing and looked down at him,

Khushi: Chaliye, aap bhi so ja-e-e', kal kaam par bhi jana hai na? (You should get some sleep too. You do have to go to work tomorrow morning right?)

ASR: Yeah.

Well it was closing in on midnight, and he did not want to push Khushi more tonight with his defunct plans. His mind was racing with thoughts galore as he traced her steps to the upper floor to reach the guest bedroom allotted to him.

He looked around the room and thoughtfully looked at the huge queen bed. Well four years and plus, he was going to be the single occupant of this bed. Get a grip Raizada, this is not the time, he chided himself.

The crisp linen covers were yanked and he slid under the covers. With both his arms pillowed under his neck, he let his eyes wander around while his mind regrouped to rethink his strategy to deal with Khushi. If formulating a strategy was necessary, then he definitely needed to study her. And that definitely was not a chore but was a very pleasurable thing to do.

His cell phone beeped again hailing an arrival of an incoming text message. Gone were the days when his cell was switched to silent mode. A quick glance at the screen indicated that Akash along with Payal had headed to Lucknow for a few days. He should have informed them too, but when was he ever known as Mr. Sensitive. Well he was glad to share the same set of in-laws with his brother and he knew his brother and Payal would smooth any ruffled feathers far more effectively; leaving him to formulate the strategy.

A couple of hours later, he found himself very restless, tossing and turning. His mind was drawing a blank which made him more agitated; and falling asleep tonight seemed an anathema. And the warm glow of the night light emanating from the master bedroom across the corridor was a beacon beckoning him. Consequences be damned, tonight he was going to avail himself to that warmth.

The short trek to the room was completed in no time, but the tableau of the mother and children cocooned together stopped him in his tracks. The tear ducts in his eyes seemed to have a mind of their own. His eyes brimmed with tears and blurred the image.

There was no stopping now. He slipped in next to Khushi. Turning on to his right side, he aligned and spooned his body to Khushi's back. Without turning, a sleepy Khushi murmured groggily "So jao, kal jaldi utna hai sweetheart", (Go to sleep sweetheart, you have to wake up early)and used her left hand to stroke his hair. He knew that the endearment was not meant for him, but today that endearment was enough to soak his affection starved soul and with those words ringing in his ears, ASR let sleep overtake him.

INDIRA GANDHI INT.AL AIRPORT,

NEW DELHI

Flight No. 9W 2244 operated by JetKonnect backed out of its gate towards runway A16 with a pensive Payal on board. She had always been very content to go with the flow and avoid confrontations. At the Gupta residence, it was always Khushi who got into trouble, while she, was deemed as the sensible one. And she was happy to be the one following directions than making them, because she at first hand had seen the kinds of trouble Khushi had run into for making up her mind and acting upon it. In fact she had admired her sibling's trait to make decisions and act upon them. So when their financial situation at home was failing, Khushi decided not to pursue her education and help out at home and at the shop. While she went on to attain her under-graduation. An education that could have made her job-hunt process easier, had she put her mind to apply for one.

As they grew older, the scrapes that Khushi had gotten bigger and more complex, but none of them had disastrous effects. So six and a half years ago when her groom, Abhishek, and his family made eleventh hour dowry demands, it was Khushi who took it upon herself to question her to-be-BIL. But her run-on into ASR had dire effects. The immediate consequence of the night had been - jilted at alter by Abhishek. Her father's financial stability had weakened further due to the debts incurred to fund the marriage. Buaji and Amma been furious with Khushi and both had hurt Khushi by pointing out that she was not one of them. But no one had foreseen the catastrophic effects when the Lucknow Fashion Show faux pas was flashed every hour on all the TV channels. The press captions had been very cruel and Khushi was relegated as a scarlet woman out to pursue the likes of ASR. The paparazzi press mentality had added insult to injury and Khushi was subjected to eve teasing by all and sundry in broad daylight.

Coming to Delhi to escape the goons seemed the best thing. But it hadn't been easy for Khushi since was the primary bread-winner. To compound matters, ASR became her employer. ASR found new ways to take Khushi to task and had become the bane of her existence. She only had known what a devil incarnate ASR had been. Her single out of character outburst at ASR had been when Khushi was brought in a comatose state stood out in her mind. Khushi had resigned from her position at ASR at her and Buaji's behest. But income had to be augmented. So the venture to start a sweet meat shop right in Laxminagar was born. They had been pretty successful and had been generating income; however, stink created by Manorama Jha at the Raizada/Jha anniversary party sunk their emerging business. However, things had looked up when Shyam became a paying-guest and money from the rent did help.

Khushi was lassoed in by Anjaliji to teach Lavanya to become a "cultured" daughter-in-law. The training had to be imparted at the Raizada house. Verbal and mental abuse was hurled from another contender, Lavanya. The relocation of her parents from Lucknow after the loss of their shop seemed a good thing; since the whole family was together. But their happiness was short-lived with Babuji's almost fatal stroke. In the midst, Shyam's out of the blue proposal for Khushi was hailed as the best thing. A reluctant Khushi was coerced by Buaji and Amma to accept the proposal. She herself had convinced Khushi that marriage to Shyam would get her out of ASR's orbit. But Khushi had still not accepted, but on Diwali night six years ago, a distraught Khushi had given her consent and was engaged the same evening. Buaji could not stop regaling Khushi's luck to have landed Shyam's affections. Buaji firmly believed and opined on several occasions that Khushi would be a millstone around Shyam's neck with her erratic (sanki) behavior. Now on hindsight that was preposterous. Khushi had her own idiosyncrasies but she definitely was not a millstone.

Alas, even that was not meant to last. A few days later Khushi turned up at the doorstep married to ASR in her work clothes. No explanation was provided by either and remained an unsolved mystery. Buaji and Amma perceived the act as the ultimate betrayal of their trust. Amma's anger had culminated in a resounding slap against Khushi's cheek. The violence of the act had propelled Khushi into ASR's arms, and ASR chose not to react. All ties were severed with Khushi and the Raizadas. The next two years, no one bothered about Khushi's welfare or state of affairs.

Shyam continued to receive patronage from the Gupta matrons though his visits were significantly fewer. During his visits, he would definitely enquire about Khushi which only resulted in spewing of a lot of bile and venting against Khushi by Amma and Buaji. Babuji's health remained static for almost two years and one day, ASR's able assistant, Aman, along with a Dr. Nalini Singh, turned up at their doorstep and had taken Babuji to the hospital for a detox. A week later, a healthier Babuji was brought home. This time the doctors had provided more stringent directions pertaining to Babuji's care. So therefore, she had taken up her father's care and would not let Shyam handle her father despite loud protests from Buaji. Shyam's visits became even more sporadic, but Buaji elevated him to a demi-god status for his unending support.

Then one fine day, all the occupants of Gupta household were bundled and moved to Shantivan by a very forceful ASR. It seemed that she would get to meet Khushi after all, instead found herself experiencing the most dramatic event of her life. Her marriage to Akash brought on oh so suddenly by Manorama's goading. At that moment her priority had been to develop an iron constitution to withstand Manorama Raizada's ire. But the day had been far from over. The evening year marked the revelation of many blinding truths, starting with Shyam Manohar Jha's position in the Raizada house. The esteemed son-in-law of the house was proverbially caught with his foot in his mouth by the prodigal son, ASR. Right before all their eyes came crumbling down the Jha edifice, his duplicity, his murderous intentions and finally his exit from their lives. So it was not hard for the occupants of the room to figure out the reason behind Khushi's marriage.

She had shuddered to even think what ASR would have put her sister through. She had barely been 20. Just when she had thought that nothing could get any worse, it was disclosed that after surviving a suicide attempt, Khushi had discharged herself against medical advice and had been missing for over a fortnight. Her newly acquired brother-in-law, ASR, provided details of Khushi's life during the last two years. Since each one present in that room had been guilty of mistreating Khushi or betraying her, everyone was spared of the blame game. Well none of them could forget the debacle with Khushi, so the Raizadas had made her (Payal's) transition into their lives as seamless as possible. Her greatest ally was her silent BIL, and at times she felt sorry for him.

If that lesson was not enough to underline the unpredictability of life, four months later, Akash informed her that that there was a possibility that Khushi was no more. She was asked not to inform her parents. For the next four years, the Raizada brain and bucks could not locate Khushi's whereabouts. On 3^rd May 2016, the Railway Authorities brought in evidence and conveyed their condolences on the death of Khushi Gupta. The entire disposition of the house had changed that day. What little semblance of life and happiness existed in this Shantivan, was completely sucked out. She watched her brother-in-law become more reclusive, withdrawing himself completely from everyone. She had been grappling with herself to find a way to break the news to her family. She had been all set to go to Lucknow on May 7, 2016, and break the news to everyone at home. But Buaji turned up at home on the 6^th along with Akash for lunch. Half an hour before their arrival, she had watched her BIL run into the house at break neck speed and zip out fifteen minutes later. During lunch, the mystery of the remittances to Buaji's pension account was clarified by a jubilant Arnavji.

Buaji's purpose of the visit was to convey her thanks to Arnavbabua for making regular remittances to her pension account that helped the Guptas to run their household with ease during the last six years. The latest mail notification indicated that all the arrears were being credited to Buaji's account and future monthly (receivable) pension would also be remitted to the same account unless notified otherwise. And therefore, she was requesting Arnavbabua to stop the remittances moving forward. Arnav had supposed maybe Payal had extended her assistance and was negated by Akash. Only when Arnavji posed that possibility, she had been pondering about her lack of concern all these years. After eliminating all the possibilities, there seemed only one who could have made those remittances. KHUSHI.

The Raizada household had seen a flurry of activity that day and her BIL was unstoppable from May onwards. He lived and breathed his mission to find Khushi yet she marveled at his ability to keep abreast with the happenings at AR, considering the extensive size of the current AR holdings. The advent of August confirmed her pregnancy, but she wanted to ride through the first trimester before sharing the news with everyone. Arnavji had finally located Khushi in the US and flew out on September 1^st. Severe bouts of morning sickness that extended throughout the day compelled an early disclosure of the pregnancy to the family. Now almost a week later Arnavji had mailed pictures and recordings of Khushi and the children to Anjali and Akash. They had been forwarded to her and she had saved them both in her phone and on her l/top. From the time she had received them, she had been glued to them. She could not get enough of them. A phone to call to her home in Lucknow was not going to be enough. She had called her OB&G and requested permission to travel to Lucknow. For the first time she had told her husband (& not ask) of her preference to disclose the news and pictures in person to her parents versus communication over the wires. She had been pleasantly surprised of his acquiescing to her demands and choosing to accompany her on her journey.

Her recollection of the sequence of events did not boost her spirits, but it did definitely help her physical disposition as she had not thrown -up even once in the last two hours. She leaned her head back on her headrest and shut her eyes. Beside her Akash watched rivulets stream down his wife's shut eyes creases into her hair. Whatever she was recollecting was not pleasant and he knew it had to be about Khushi. Well he too had been a guilty party. He had never condoned his brother's behavior towards Khushi, but he had never openly condemned it either.

In fact he had preached on how their marriage was going to bring two families together. And that both he and she were going to acquire an additional family through this union. And that had been only gibberish talk. He knew how dire their financial condition had been, but had failed to even extend a gesture of a helping hand. How had he forgotten that Babuji completely relied on Amma and Buaji.

One of the earliest things that life had taught him was that there were two sides to a story. He had prided himself in looking at both sides before condemning anyone. To this day he could not fathom how one of the most important maxims of his life had flown right out of the window when Bhai had spouted the reason for his shot-gun wedding. If jijaji had given them no reason to distrust him, Khushi had given them ample instances of her integrity and loyalty. Not even for a second he had considered looking at things from Khushi's perspective. Of course his fierce loyalty to Di & Bhai and his romance icon, jijaji, had blinded his sensibilities. On hindsight, he was not sure now about the soundness of his relationship with his wife. Despite his loud proclaims of an equal relationship, what came to fore was that he pretty much had expected his wife to be loyal to his beliefs. So the tenacity of the relationship was never tested since Payal never let their arguments bud to major conflicts.

He had witnessed the show-down when Shyam's truth had been brought out by Bhai four years ago. He still seethed at the loss of opportunity to knock off Shyam's teeth for fooling them so easily. But he had made up in some ways to ensure that his family was safe. During these last four years he had been keeping close tabs on Shyam and the court case that was still pending till date. This was going to be his maiden visit to his in-laws' place and the same could be said for Payal too, because she had not returned to the house after moving to Delhi six and a half years ago. After this visit from Lucknow, he was seriously going to ask his in-laws to move to Delhi so that he could keep an eye on them. He was hoping Payal's pregnancy would be a great incentive.

All his planning came to an abrupt end, when he heard the hostess announced their arrival into Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport. He reached across the aisle and took hold of his wife's arm and threaded their fingers. He watched her open her eyes and turned her neck to look at him. He had been waking up every day looking into those limpid brown eyes that spoke volumes without uttering a single word. He just tightened his hold around her fingers assuring her of his support all the way.

CHAPTER XXVIII

Sector 1, 18^th Street,

HAZRATGANJ MARKET,

LUCKNOW, INDIA

It took almost two hours for the Raizadas to reach Gomti Sadan from the airport. The flight had arrived on time. By the time, they got out of the airport, it had been 12.30. The AR office car had been made available for airport pick-up and use during the course of their stay, courtesy of the ever-efficient, Aman. Akash led Payal into the vehicle and they soon drove towards a restaurant where Akash indulged his pregnant wife to an early lunch before proceeding to the Gupta residence.

Outside the Gupta residence stood the welcome cavalry.

The fore-ground was decorated with the customary Rangoli.

And the doorway was decorated with the traditional floral toran. Buaji knew that she adored marigold and mums. Dark green leaf garlands were interwoven between the flowers to provide color contrast and to bring out richness of the flowers.

Obviously the back-end of the courtyard still had the wash/dry lines that were housed high on the ceiling. There were six bed sheets that were drying on those lines behind Babuji. The room carried the fragrance from the incense that Amma may have burnt in the morning and detergent bringing back old memories.

The pair of bentwood rocking chairs was too tempting to let go. She plunked herself into one of them and started rocking herself.

She leaned to watch the end of the house that had led into the backyard. The aperture at one time used to scare her and Khushi, both, now looked very quaint.

Well obviously the money sent by Khushi had been put to very good use. Babuji must have received very good treatment over the last few years, he almost looked as good as new. Amma and Buaji also looked quite robust. She glanced at her father who was still on the phone indicated to her that he was almost done.

She acknowledged and suddenly on a whim started dialing her BIL's phone number. She just felt like chatting with her sister, but suddenly had to curtail her instincts. It was now past three in the afternoon, and Akash had been hesitant to call Bhai an hour ago assuming Arnavji may have retired for the day. So the same would apply to Khushi too. She just will have to wait another 6 hours before attempting to establish contact.

She suddenly realized the reason for the visit and stood upright. She gestured to her father that she would be back in two. Traversing back to the hallway she picked up her abandoned laptop bag; made a short detour into the kitchen, with little effort coerced the ladies and gestured them to join her and Babuji in the courtyard. Well here were the advantages of being pregnant.

Amma: Payalia...Chodo hume, chauke mein bahut kaam hai. Damadji aur tumko khana parosna hai.(Let me finish my work in the kitchen Payal. Lunch has to be served to you and Akash)

Payalia: Akashji humein khilakar laye. Ab baitiye humare saath, kuch dikhana hai aap sabko. (Don't worry, Akash fed me before we got home. Just sit and watch what I have to share with all of you.)

Babuji: Kaissi hai Payalia? Bitiya is halat main kya yeh pravas karna jaroori tha? (How are you, Payal? Was it necessary to make this journey at this time?)

Payal: Acchi hoon. Haan, jaroori tha. Hum aap sab logon ko kuch dikhana chahtein the. (I am good and yes, it was necessary for what I am going to share with all of you.)

Babuji looked at his first born. He never thought Payal had it in her to talk this authoritatively. Well wonders never cease.

Payal opened her laptop and moved to the folder that had all 35 pictures and 4 videos that Arnavji had transmitted the last few days.

Payal: Amma, Babuji, Buaji, dil thaam ke baiteiye and miliye Gupta parivaar ke pehle nathi aur nathin. Milye humare Khushi ke bacchon se. (Babuji, Amma, Buaji - brace yourselves to meet the first set of Gupta grandchildren, Khushi's children)

She watched eagerness tinged on their faces. And as the first set of images appeared on the screen, their expressions slowly turned to rapture and wonder.

Payal: Yeh hai

Buaji: Ruko... rukao isko Payalia, abbhayke abhi. Hai Re Nandakisore, ee babua aur uki nani to ghar aaye thee kuch hafte pahile, paani peene ke liye. Ee choti chiraiyya ka naam...Kiran. Yaad hai Garima. Sasibabua, tum kyon nahi bolte. Uke baad Arnavbabua pohne kiye rahe and Khusi ke barein mein pooche. Sanka devi aayee thi yahan, ika matbal. (Stop...Payal just stop. These children and their grandmother were here a few weeks ago. They stopped for a drink of water. Sasi, why don't you say something? Don't you remember after that Arnav called to for Khushi. That means Sanka devi was here that day)

Payal: Aap mile in bacchon ko? Kaun kaun aaya tha, aur kab? (You have met these children!!!! Who all had come? And when had come????)

Babuji: Kaisse milne aayegee Khussi. Itna ho jaane ke baad. (How would she, after all that has transpired?)

Buaji: Hai re Nandakishore...

Payal: Buaji kab aaye the yeh baache? (BUAJI... when did the children come here?)

Buaji: Shaant ho jao Payalia. Kuch pichle mahine, ek aurat in bacchon ko lekar ghar aayee, aur humse paani maange. Bus chaaron yahan par koi adha ghanta the. Par Khushi nazar nahi aayee. (Take it easy Payal. About two months ago, a woman came home with these children and asked for water. They were here for about 30 minutes, but did not see Khusi.)

Payal realized that there was no point being agitated, she let the slideshow continue.

And the senior Guptas treated themselves to pictures of Khushi and her kids. At the end of the cycle, not a single pair of eyes were dry.

Payal: Aap sabko acche lage na? (You liked it right?)

Buaji: Jeeyat raho Payalia, bahut acche hai. Par ek baat samaj nahi ayee, yeh bada ladka kaun hai aur w.oh kaisse Sankadevi ka hua. Hai re Nandkishore, parmeswari ne kya anarth kar rachaya? (Bless you my child, thanks for the pictures, but from how did this older boy land in our Sankadevi's care? I hope this parmeswari has not gotten into any more scrapes.)

Payal: Aissa to nahi lagta Buaji. Aur Arnavji ne ab tak aissa kuch nahi kaha hai. Maaf karna Buaji, ek baat bole, chota muh badi baat, Khushi aissa waissa kuch nahi karegi. Humein hai bharosa uspar. (I don't think she has gotten herself entangled in any scrapes. And Arnavji also has said anything either. Sorry to say Buaji, I trust Khushi to keep herself safe from predicaments.)

Shashi Gupta: Band karo jiji, humein apni bitiya par bharosa hai...(Stop jiji, I completely trust my daughter...)

Buaji: Lekin Babua wahi to keh rahe hain. Tumri Titaliya kissi par bhi bharosa karti hai. Aur uka fayda koi bhi uta sakta hai. Yaad nahi jab wo.h Preetika fail ho gayee aur uka jor se maar padi thi...yaad hai... apni Sankadevi kaisse bait kar royee uke saath. Sabke dukh su.kh mein barabar ki bhagedaar. (That is what I am trying to tell you. Our Titaliya tends to trust easily and people tend to take advantage of her. Don't you remember the incident when Preetika got spanked by her parents for failing her exams and our Titaliya sat along with her and cried buckets.)

Garima: Jiji teek kehti hai. Khussi ki...(Yes Jiji has right. Khussi does...)

Shashi: Shaant Garimaji, Shaant Jiji, hum maante hai ki Khussi bharosa karti hai lekin Jiji, per humri bitiya ne to us Shyambabu per khabhi bhi viswas nahi kiya tha, jab aapka viswas itna atal tha. Aur jaissa aapne abhi kaha, itna sab ho jaane ke baad, humain aap dono ki soch par bada ascharya hota hai. Aap to humri bitiya ko samajh hi nahi paye'. Wo.h kehte hain na - Doodh ka jala, cchaaj bhi foonkar foonkar peeta hai. Viswas karti hoti to aati na milne khatir, wo.h aayee nahi, ika matbal kaa hua. Kuch bolne ji jaroorat hai ka? (Both of you need to calm down. I agree that Khussi tends to trust people easily, but she never trusted your Shyambabu. After what all has transpired, I am surprised how you both view Khushi. It is obvious you never have understood her. Haven't you heard, once bitten twice shy. If she is the Khussi as you described her, then she should have come and met us. The fact that she did not come to visit us, says it all... right?)

Shashi: Koi ma.ane ya na ma.aane, humri bitiya bahot samajhdaar aur himmatwaali hai. Bilkul seedha chalegi. (My daughter is very wise and courageous. And she is straight as an arrow. )

Payal: Haan bilkul sola aane such kaha Babuji. (You are so right Babuji.)

3.30 am, Mason, Ohio, USA

ASR woke to a sharp jab to his gut and a knock to his jaw. By the time he was fully conscious, he found himself on the carpeted floor with a thud. While Khushi was thrashing violently on the bed muttering,

Khushi: Choona nahi...bilkul choona nahi. Cchodiye hame...maar doongi. Yeh choora dekh rahen hain aap. Cchodiya...Aapko aapki shaadi ka koi mahatva nahi, hame to hai. Devi Maiyya ki kasam, aur paas mat aana...nahi to ... (Don't touch me. Don't you dare come near me...I will kill you. You se this knife. Let me go, you may not value your marriage, I do. I swear if you come any closer...)

Khushi woke from her nightmare. She looked around the room to get her bearings. She looked to make sure that she had not disturbed her kids and then proceeded to get off the bed to find ASR fast asleep on the carpeted floor with his forearm covering across his forehead.

She ran to the bathroom freshened herself. On route stopping at the dresser, she helped herself to a glass of water from the carafe.

An alert ASR could do nothing but watch a wan looking Khushi pour a glass of water and return to the bed. She sat on the bed, hugging her knees she stared into nothing for a good half an hour. After a while she sat upright against the headboard rested her head and looked up while her right hand was rubbing her diaphragm area.

She hadn't had a nightmare in the last 3 years. They only resurrected bad memories that were best forgotten. She looked down at a slumbering ASR. She bent and gently nudged him and tried to wake him up in hushed voice,

Khushi: Suniye, (nudged him again).

A wide awake ASR had to pretend to rouse from his slumber,

ASR: Hm...

Khushi (chided): Aap yahan kya kar rahen hain? Please, Jaee-ye aur bed per ja kar so jaee-ye. Thodi der mein bacche utenge aur aapko yahan dekhenke to unke sawalon ka jawab dene mein mushkil ho jayegi. (What are doing here on the floor? Please go back to your bed. The children will wake up shortly and if they find you here, it will be awkward, and I will have tough time answering their questions.)

An affronted ASR begged to differ...AWKWARD, my foot! He had more right to stay there on the bed than anyone else. And after witnessing her nightmarish ordeal, the last thing he wanted to do was leave her alone. His brain overruled his heart and wisely ordered him not to pursue the matter. He attempted to walk nonchalantly across to his allotted room but turned right back to Khushi's consternation.

Khushi: Kya kar rahen hain aap? (What are you doing?)

Following the dictate of his dormant heart, ASR just lifted her into a fireman's lift, carried her across to his allotted room and dumped her unceremoniously on the bed and plopped himself two feet from her.

ASR: Baat samajh aayee ya aur kuch boloon. (Do I need to say more?)

A frightened and over-wrought Khushi felt trapped, she scuttled to the further edge of the bed against the headboard trying to run out of the room. And he simply would not have it. An equally fast ASR bodily blocked Khushi's flight and plastered her to his front. His arms enveloped around her to soothe her agitated movements.

Khushi: Cchoona nahi...bilku paas mat aana...humse door rahiye. (Let me go, dont come near me, stay away)

ASR: Sh...calm down.

His chest, ribs, back, shins took several jabs, cuffs and blows. Majority of them were puny and but a few did pack a punch. Before she could bodily harm either, he cuffed both her wrists in his left hand and backed her on the bed. As he slid on top of her, he watched her eyes widen with horror. She bucked furiously to dislodge him. She twisted her neck to bite his hand that held hers captive. It took all his strength to keep her immobile. Her immobility and helplessness made her more spirited and more single minded to free herself.

ASR: Listen to me Khushi, can you calm down? Dekho mujhe tumse sirf baat karni hai. Dammit tum mujhse kabse darni lagi? Khushi look at me.

No amount of platitudes could calm her. So he went ahead and did what he intended to do. Keeping her immobile, he used his right hand to uncover her midriff. The otherwise smooth abdomen area was marred by a vertical foot-long scar. He watched a helpless Khushi shut her eyes as tears disappear into her hair. He hated doing that to her, but that did not stop his palm glide over the scar tissue. He slid down her body to face her stomach area; releasing her hands he pushed his face against the scarred area and mouthed the words "SORRY KHUSHI, I AM SO SORRY".

Khushi tried unsuccessfully to yank his face away from her abdomen. His heartbroken apology opened the floodgates of her pent-up emotions. She cried silently but violently pinned against the mattress. ASR held his wife till the crying abated.

ASR: Khushi,...sorry...jo kuch bhi hua sab mere karan hua hai. Pata nahi kitne anginat zulm dhaye hain maine tumpar. Yeh janam to kya, mujhe phir se janam padega unka bhugtaan karne ke liye. (Khushi, I am sorry. I am the reason for all your grief. I am not sure if this one lifetime is going to be adequate for the atonement of my sins.)

ASR called her a couple of times, receiving no response, he looked up to find his wife fast asleep.