Betrayal - An Uncertain Future! Complete! Sequel Link on First Pg! - Page 25

Originally posted by: Arshika_arshi

when??? its been 24 days already and u told us to update it by 'next week' then.. :(

hope the 'soon' comes soon...

Originally posted by: Arshika_arshi

hope the 'soon' comes soon...

wow love Arnav and Nani who are with Khushi.. anjali poor girl doesn't know what she lost.. loved the update.. do continue soon.. 😊

Heyy dear... Read betrayal in one go... Must say interesting twist and turns and interesting story... Waiting eagerly to knw who betrayed Khushi nw??

Cmng to the parts... Well I really liked hw u showed that Khushi reacted and told Arnav the whole truth and even Arnav's dialogue and his confusion whom to believe was gud... So seeing his confusion Khushi decides she will prove that shyaam is a dhokebaaz and so Arnav told her to marry him... Finally they gr married...

OMG poor Khushi really feeling sad for her... Payal and her mom slapped her and nt only that her dad also told that she is an orphan...and everyone broke the ties with her... Uff yeh mamiji kabi mauka nai chodti taunt maarne ka!!

Arnav replied in a casual way??!!... Lol that was a shocker to me also hehehe:P
Shyaam uff I hate this man.. He brainwashed anjali and anji she believed him... Shyaam knows that anji trusts him blindly so he took d advantage of it...

Loved Arnav and khushi's convo in the room... I just hope Arnav remains the same with Khushi... He doesn't become the ASR to Khushi... So everyone trying to solve the reason behind arhi's wedding...

Ohoh... Anji and arnie fight... Anji ne Khushi pe ilzaam lagaya.. Anji is gng yo regret this and even Khushi k gharwaale b... So Arnav understood that shyaam has brianwashed anji... Well I guessed that Arnav and Khushi will leave d house...

Poor anji and everyone were in shock wen Arnav chose khushi.. Well smart move asr or rather smart move Kalpana :P sahi h Arnav ne shyaam ko anji se bandkar rakha h...

Hailaa nani supp arhi was lil surprise bt yes I loved it.. Love u naniji... N Nk too... Bt mami ne kasam dis isilie he culdnt go bt still I loved hw he stood up for Khushi... So Arnav Nani and Khushi has left d house and anji is feeling betrayed...

Waiting for the next part eagerly... Cont soon.. Have fun take care keep smiling and stay blessed...

CHAPTER 4 (B). THINGS GET WORSE!

"Bitwa! Hum ghar chodke toh chale aaye lekin hum jaayenge kahaan? (Bitwa! We may have left the house but where will we go?)", Naaniji breached the silence after they walked away from Shantivan.

"Hotel Naaniji! We may have come out of the house with nothing but only the clothes on our back but you are forgetting that I have the habit of carrying my mobile and credit cards with my wallet in my pocket." Saying this, Arnav pulled out the said items and waved in front of Naaniji. Naaniji felt relieved and that showed on her face. Arnav continued, "Chaliye Naaniji! We will get to a nice hotel and relax there! Abhi aage kya karna hai wahaan jaake sochenge! (We will think about what to do next after going there!)" Naaniji nodded and all three walked ahead with Arnav dragging a non responsive Khushi along with him.

Before they knew it they had caught a rickshaw and the rickshaw had brought them over to a hotel. Paying the rickshaw waala, Arnav, Khushi and Naaniji stepped into the Hotel. Soon, Arnav had a room booked but when he handed over his credit card for payment, his plan hit the first snag. His credit cards were not working. They had been cancelled.

"What the!", Arnav swallowed the rest of the swear words coming to his mind and growled at the receptionist, "What do you mean they are not working? Do you who I am? Arnav Singh Raizada hun main! Get that!"

"But I am sorry Sir! What can I do? My computer says that your cards cannot be accepted as they were cancelled.", the receptionist squeaked out.

Arnav was about to roar at the receptionist again when it struck him. Di! Shyam! Anyone of them could have gotten his cards cancelled. All they had to do was tell Aakash to cancel them and poor Aakash, he would never go against his Di or Jijaji. Arnav sighed. Why did he have to carry company owned cards? Why couldn't he... and Arnav stilled. His old bank account! He still had his personal bank account. He had kept some money in them for emergencies for days when his company was in financial deficiencies; that way he could still have money to take care of his family. Never thought I would use it for such a day! Arnav mused. Luckily, Arnav had stuffed a card for that account in his wallet, a card he never used but it was still there. He grinned as he went through his wallet and finally found it. With a smug smile he handed it to the receptionist who sighed in relief when it got accepted. She so did not want to get another scolding from Mr. Raizada.

Arnav sighed in relief. Atleast one problem is solved. But my credit card getting cancelled? This I did not expect. How could they? How could they do this to me? I was the foolish one here to keep all my money in the company accounts. I should have transferred them into mine ages ago. He sighed. Luckily, he had around two to three lakhs saved in his account. It was not much but it was enough to survive for next few months. By then, Di would have her kid and I could go back and throw Shyam out of the house. But till then, this money is enough for survival.

The receptionist handed Arnav his card back and the hotel key and fifteen minutes later the family of trio were in their hotel room, contemplating their fate. Arnav stood by the window looking out at the hustle bustle of Dilli. Dilli! This city keeps on moving. Here my life has been uprooted and turned upside down but the city continues to move. Wish I could jerk away all the things I went through and move on just like the city does!

Arnav turned around and smiled at his Naani. She was on the bed and already half asleep. Arnav looked at his watch and noticed that it was just 10 in the morning. Only three hours! Only three hours has passed since I woke up. The morning seems centuries ago! He took a deep breath as he looked at his Naani sadly. She must be so tired to be half asleep at 10 AM. What am I going to do next? Where am I going to take them? Arnav wondered. He needed to stay put somewhere till his Di delivers. He cannot live in Dilli anymore where everyone knew him as ASR, the business tycoon. It will not only be embarrassing but also bring out the family matters out in open. No! He need to go somewhere no one recognized him. But where? Mumbai? Calcutta? Or out of country? For the first time is his life, Arnav Singh Raizada was unsure of his next move, his future.

Arnav's eyes turned to his wife. Wife!! He still cannot believe he was married. Khushi was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her knees hugged to her chest and her eyes closed. From the moment he brought her into the room, she had taken the position and sat there unresponsive. Arnav walked towards her and kneeling beside her, he cupped her face. She opened her eyes at his touch and looking into her eyes he spoke, "Don't worry Khushi! Bahut jald sab theek hojaayega! (Pretty soon everything will be alright!) Ek baar Di ki delivery hone do (Lets Di's delivery happen) we will go back and tell Di the truth about Shyam. Then everything will be back to normal."

Khushi simply stared at Arnav and Arnav became worried, "Tum sun rahi ho na Khushi? (Are you listening Khushi?) Main hun tumhaare saath! I am right here with you! Everything will be fine!" Finally his words reached her brain, and she lunged towards him. Arnav, who was kneeling on the floor, almost fell back at the force of her hug but managed to balance himself. He felt rather than heard her cry and he rubbed her back trying to comfort her. After crying for few minutes, he pulled away and looked at her, "You ok?" Khushi nodded. Arnav stood up and walked towards the window.

Khushi wiped her face and looked around. Where are we? She had vague memories of Arnav bringing her and Naani to this room. She stood up and smiled when she saw Naani on the bed. Seeing Naani reminded her of her family. She sniffed slightly. How she wished she could go and hug her Amma! One hug from her and Khushi's sagging spirits would rise right away. She looked down sadly. And then her eyes widened and she looked up. Arre! Hum toh bhool hi gaye! Hum ghar se baahar nikaale gaye hain! Sheher se nahi! Aur Amma Bauji toh isi sheher mein hain! Hum abhi unse baat karte hain! Unse baat karenge toh sab theek ho jaayega! (I have forgotten! I have been thrown out of the house! Not out of the city! And Amma Bauji live in the same city. I will talk to them right away. Once I talk to them everything will be alright!) With cheer she took a step ahead. And then she frowned. Par kal ki harqat ke liye Amma humse naaraaz hogi na! (But after my actions yesterday Amma would be made at me, right?) Then Khushi huffed. Naaraaz hain toh kya hua! Hum unhein yun manaa lenge! (So what if she is angry? I will coax her to forgive me in a jiffy!) With a smile on her face she walked towards Arnav.

Arnav stared outside the window. He hoped Khushi and his Naani will be alright with this new life they had moved into. But then it is the matter of only few months. Ek baar Di ki delivery hogayi (Once Di's delivery happens) I can expose the rascal and get back into the house. Maybe I can spend the next few months collecting proofs against the man. But then where would I find the proofs? Arnav shook his head. It is going to be tough next few months.

In between such musings of Arnav, Khushi approached him. "Suniye! Kya humein aapka phone mil sakta hai? Ghar call lagaana! (Listen! Can I get your phone! I need to make a call to the house!)" Arnav was at first confused. Ghar? Did they not just leave their home? How can she think about calling Shantivan after what happened? But then it clicked to him that for Khushi ghar was not shantivan but her Buaji's house where she lived for so many months. He silently handed over his mobile and Khushi dialed the number to her house. After few minutes, Khushi frowned, "Arnavji! Number toh nahi lag raha! Not Allowed ka message aa raha hai! (Number is not connecting! It is saying Not Allowed!)"

Arnav was confused and grabbing the mobile from Khushi, he redialed the number. He was shocked to know that calling was not allowed on his phone. What the! Arnav thought for a while and his eyes widened. His number was registered on company's name. And the same person who cancelled his cards must have stopped his number too. "Dammit!", Arnav muttered. "Kya hua Arnavji?", Khushi was worried now. Arnav smiled at her not wanting to tell her about his cancelled cards or mobile. Knowing her, he was sure she will blame herself for this.

"Kuch nahi Khushi! Kuch technical problem hoga! (Nothing Khushi! Must be a technical problem!) You know what! Why don't you and I go and meet your family?", Arnav suggested. Khushi's face brightened up right away. "Haan! Arnavji! Chaliye!", Khushi was giddy with excitement. She could go and hug her family right away. After informing Naaniji where they were going, Arnav and Khushi walked out of the room to go to Buaji's house.

Meanwhile in Shantivan -

NK was roaming around the house confused about what happened in the morning. My mom used to say that her sister's family was all about unity and she used to sing praises about their love towards each other. I even saw that love and respect when I came here. Then what went wrong today that Nannav and Di behaved so enstranged? I so don't understand these people! Shaking his head at the Raizada family, NK walked along just to stop when he heard Shyam say something.

"Rani Sahiba! Kya baat hai? Aap badi muskura rahi hai! (What is the matter? You seem to be smiling a lot!)", Shyam said and NK blinked. Why was Di smiling after what happened in the morning. She should be either crying as she seems to love crying or she should be angry at her Chote! Why is she smiling? NK walked towards Shyam and Anjali's room, his curiosity getting the better of him. If anyone asked him, he would say that he was not eavesdropping; he was just passing by the room and heard the conversation in passing. Assuring his conscious that he was not eavesdropping, NK concentrated on Anjali's and Shyam's conversation.

"Hum muskura rahe hain kyunki humaare iss ladaai mein humaari ek aur jeet hui! (I am smiling because in the battle I am fighting I had another win!)", Anjali announced.

Shyam frowned, "Rani Sahiba! Kaisi ladaai? Kaisi jeet? (What battle? What win?)"

Anjali gave him a smirk, "Humaari aur Khushi ki ladaai! Humaare Chote ko apne jaal mein fasaaya na, ab hum dekhte hain kab tak woh Chote ke saath rehti hai! Agar saat din mein Chote aur Naaniji waapis iss ghar mein nahi aaye na, toh hum Anjali Raizada nahi! (The battle between me and Khushi! She seduced my brother, ain't she; now let's see how long she stays with my brother! If Chote and Naaniji did not come back in seven days, then I am not Anjali Raizada!)"

Behind the doors, NK rolled his eyes. Di was still harping about Khushi being a conniving girl. Seriously Di! Don't you see the nave and innocent nature of Khushiji? Shaking his head, NK went back to the conversation.

"Waise Rani Sahiba aapne aisa kiya kya? (By the way Rani Sahiba what exactly have you done?)", Shyam questioned and NK nodded. He also wanted to know what Anjali did now.

"Humne Aakash se kehke Chote ke credit cards cancel kardiye aur unke mobile number ko bhi bandh kar diya! (I ordered Aakash to cancel Chote's credit cards and even his mobile number!)", Anjali announced, "Ab dekhiyega Shyamji! Jab Khushi ko maaloom padega ki Chote ke paas kuch bhi paise nahi toh woh turant unhein chod degi aur Chote aur Naaniji ko waapis yahaan aana hi padega. Haina humaara plan perfect? (Now you will see Shyamji! The moment Khushi will come to know that Chote is penniless, she will drop him right away and Chote and Naaniji will have come back here! Isn't my plan perfect?)"

Anjali was so pleased with herself that she did not even notice the horror on Shyam's face but NK noticed it. Thinking that Shyam had good opinion of Khushi and was concerned for her, he dismissed it and focused on Anjali.

Anjali continued speaking, "Jaante hain abhi kiska phone aaya tha? Gulmohor Hotel ke manager ka! Keh rahe the ki koi humaare company ke cards ko use karne ki koshish kar rahe the wahaan room book karne ke liye! Pooch rahe the ki kahin fraud ka case toh nahi aur jisne us card ko istemaal kiya use arrest karne ki toh jaroorat nahi? (Do you know who called me now? Gulmohor Hotel's manager! They were saying that someone was trying to use our company cards to book a room there! They were asking if this was a case of fraud or something and does that man using the card needs to be arrested?)" She smiled smugly, "Humne of course manaa kar diya! Lekin yeh baat toh pakki hai ki ab Chote Hotel mein nahi ruk paayenge kyunki unke saare cards cancel hogaye aur unhein dar dar ki thokrein khaani padengi! Chalo! Khushi ko pata toh chalega ki Chote kangaal hain! Ab aayega asli mazaa! (I of course, refused! But one thing is true and that is Chote won't be able to stay in the Hotel as all his cards have been cancelled and now he would have to live on streets! Alteast Khushi will know that Arnav is bankrupt! Now the fun has begun!)"

Saying her piece, Anjali happily limped off and NK also moved away from there, absentmindedly noting the Hotel's name in his mind. Only Shyam was left in the room, brooding and unhappy.

"Rani Sahiba! Yeh aapne kya kiya? (Rani Sahiba! What have you done?)", Shyam growled as he paced the room, "Aapse bhale hi humne kahaa tha ki Khushiji ek dhokebaaz hai lekin sach toh yeh hai ki woh dil ki achchi bhi hai aur sachchi bhi hai! Aur woh shaadi jaise bandhan ko sabse jyaada ehmiyat deti hai aur isliye woh Chote ko nahi chodengi! Bas aapke iss decision ki wajah se Chote aapse aur door honge aur uski wajah se Khushiji humse door! Aapne theek nahi kiya Rani Sahiba! Theek nahi kiya! (I may have told you that Khushi is a fraud but the truth is that she is good person and truthful too! And for a bond like marriage she has the utmost respect and that is why she wont leave Chote! But because of your decision, Chote will go farther from you and Khushiji from me! You did not do right Rani Sahiba! Not right!)"

At Madhumati Bua's house...

Khushi and Arnav got down the rickshaw and Khushi almost jumped up and down, "Jaldi chaliye Arnavji! Chaliye na! (Faster Arnavji! Faster!)" Arnav shook his head, "Khushi! Calm down! Let me pay the rickshaw waala! Seriously woman!" He gave her a glare and Khushi shut up pouting with her arms folded against her chest. Arnav handed over the money. The moment he did that, Khushi grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the house eagerly, "Khushi! Calm down!"

They reached the porch and Arnav stopped making Khushi stop too. She turned and frowned at him. Arnav took a deep breath and spoke seriously, "Khushi! Are you sure you want to meet your family?" When Khushi continued to look puzzled, Arnav explained, "Kal Aunty ne tumhein thappad maara, Buaji ne itna kuch kahaa! Tumhein lagta hai they would have calmed down by now? (Yesterday Aunty slapped you; Buaji said so many things to you! Do you expect them to be calmed down by now?)"

Khushi huffed, "Arre! Calm down nahi hue toh calm down karwa denge. Hum Khushi hain! Hum kisi ko bhi manaa sakte hain aur kisi ka bhi dil jeet sakte hain! Aur waise bhi yeh humaara ghar hai! Aur koi humein nahi rok sakta yahaan aane se! (Arre! If they haven't calmed down then I will make them calm down! I am Khushi! I can coax anybody and can win anyone's heart! And by the way, this is my house! And no one can stop me from coming here!)" Arnav sighed softly. How easily you said that you could win over your family Khushi! Wish I had your confidence and happy go lucky nature to face mine!

What Arnav did not know was that Khushi was simply pretending to be happy. Inside, she was breaking up. The accusations that the Raizadas had lobbed at her were hurting her heart and all she wanted to do was sit and cry for a while. But she could not do that. She had to remain strong. Arnavji had just been separated from the one person he loved the most in the world and he needed her strength. He did not need her to breakdown too. Already she had hugged him and cried when he was the one who needed her support. She can't let that happen again. No! She had to remain strong! And that was why Khushi wanted to meet her family. Her Amma and Bauji were her pillars of strength, her only stability in life. She did not care who threw accusations at her, what insults were thrown at her. As long as her parents smiled at her and supported her, she was ready to face the world with big smile on her face. And that was why Khushi was so eager to enter the house. Because she wanted affirmation that even though her whole life had been turned upside down in one day, her strength, her family was still there for her.

Khushi reached the door of Buaji's house and she took a deep breath, praying to Devi Maiyya that all went well. She was about to push the door open when she heard something that made her take a sharp breath.

"Achcha hua gayi uu manhoos iss ghar se! (It is good that the ill-omen is out of the house!)", Buaji's voice echoed in the house. Khushi stood still as she noted the disgust in Buaji's voice.

"Haan Jiji! Warna pata nahi aur kitne din use jhelna padta! (Yes Jiji! Or else who knows till when we had to tolerate her!)" Amma commiserated.

Khushi frowned. Who are they talking about? Normally Khushi would have stepped in right away and asked them about whom they were talking about. But something stopped Khushi today from crossing the threshold of the house. Years later, Khushi would say that it was Devi Maiyya who stopped her from stepping in because Devi Maiyya wanted her to know the truth. But today Khushi remained still wondering why she is unable to take one step ahead, why her heart did not want to take another step.

"Khushi bitiya Khushi bitiya kehke hum toh thak gaye the! Achcha hua uu ki saadi hogayi warna pata nahi aur kitne din ee naatak karna padta! (I was tired of calling her Khushi Bitiya Khushi Bitiya! It is good that she has gotten herself married or who knows how long we had to keep up the drama!)", Buaji grumbled and Khushi took a step back in shock. They were talking about her! She was the manhoos! She was the one whom they were just tolerating. Devi Maiyya! Her eyes filled with tears but she was unable to run away or walk in. Her feet froze and she stood still in shock.

"Haan Jiji! Humaare dil mein toh uu ke liye sirf nafrat thi. Hum hi jaanat hai ki us nafrat ko andar dabaake ee pyaar ka naatak humne kaisan kiya! (Yes Jiji! For long, I had hatred for her in my heart. Only I know how I was suppressing the hatred and doing the drama of loving her!)", Amma mused and Khushi's mouth opened but no words came out of her. Her mother hated her! Never loved her! They were just tolerating her!

There was a silence for a while and Khushi felt Arnav come and stand behind her. But just as he opened his mouth to ask what stopped Khushi from walking in, Amma spoke up, "Par Jiji kahin uss manhoos ne humaari Paayal ki zindagi kharaab kardi toh? Aakhir dono ladkiyan ek hi ghar maa rehti hai! (But Jiji what if the ill-omened girl ruined Paayal's life? After all both the girls were in the same house!)"

Arnav's eyes widened in shock. Manhoos? Both girls in the same house? He looked at Khushi with wide eyes. Her mother and Aunt were talking about her, badmouthing her! With his jaw dropped open, Arnav stared at Khushi who kept her eyes steady on the door. Was she being abused till now and no one noticed her? Did they hate her and mistreated her and no one noticed it? No! He mentally shook his head. As far as he knew, there were no signs of abuse. Infact, her family seemed to love her unconditionally. Then why were they badmouthing her today?

Inside, Buaji started speaking, "Arre! Tum fikar na karo Garima! Humri Paayal bitiya badi sayaani hai! Uu wahaan sab kuch sambhaal legi! Aur waise bhi tum ee mat bhoolo ki Khushi ko hum dono ne aisan paala hai ki woh hum sabke liye jaan bhi dei sakat hai! Aur udhar uu jaake Paayaliya ka bhala hi karegi! Ulta agar Paayaliya se kuch galat hua toh uu Khushi toh uu galti ko bhi apne sar madhke duniya ke saamne Paayaliya ko nirdosh bataayegi! Ek taraf se achcha hua ki uu dono ek hi ghar ma hai! Humri Paayaliya ko Khushi khush rakhegi! (Arre! You don't worry Garima! Our Paayal Bitiya is very wise! She will handle everything! And you don't forget that we have raised Khushi in such a way that she will give her life for us! After going there, she will only do good for Paayaliya! Infact if Paayaliya did something wrong then Khushi will take the blame on herself and prove Paayaliya as innocent! In a way it is good that both girls are in same house! Khushi will keep our Paayaliya happy!)"

Arnav and Khushi were beyond shock now. They were happy that Khushi was in same house as Paayal just because Khushi would protect Paayal. Arnav's face was devoid of any emotions but inside his mind turmoil was going on. Isn't Paayal elder? Isn't she supposed to protect Khushi and not the other way around? What exactly is going on here?

Khushi felt her heart break. Her Aunt expected her to shield her sister? But then she is right, right? Her mind mused. Khushi would have done exactly what Buaji had cited as example. She would have taken the blame on her head to keep her sister safe. But then why did it hurt her so much? Her mind whispered. Because it proves that they don't love you. Tears fell down her cheek at this revelation but Khushi refused to believe it. It is said that denial is the first stage of acceptance and Khushi was going just through that. She refused to believe that her family did not love her. No! This was some mistake! Her parents loved her! Her mother must be just annoyed at her! Yes! That's all it is! Her mother and Aunt were annoyed at her decision to elope and that's why they were talking about her like this! Yes! That must be the case! Khushi consoled herself but she still could not take a step ahead and enter the house.

"Lekin Jiji! Humka ek baat ka bahut darr lag raha hai! (But Jiji! One matter is scaring me!)", Amma spoke up and Arnav sensed trepidation in her voice.

"Kis baat ka Garima? (What is it Garima?)", Buaji asked and Amma replied, "Agar uu Udayji waapis aagaye toh? (What if that Udayji came back?)"

Arnav frowned. Who was Udayji? And how is he related to Khushi?

Amma continued, "Aapko toh yaad hai na Jiiji! Inhonein Udayji se waada kiya tha! Uss waade ka kya Jiji? (You do remember Jiji? My husband had promised Udayji! What about that promise Jiji?)"

Buaji huffed, "Arre! Kaisan waada? Shashi babua ne sirf itna waada kiya tha ki uu Khushi ka khayaal rakhenge! Uski shaadi naahi hone denge aisan toh nahi kahaa tha na? Hogayi uski shaadi! Ab woh aur kisiki bhoj ban gayi! Ab uu jaane aur uska woh pati Arnav bitwa jaane! Humka usse ab kuchcho lena dena naahi! (Arre! What promise? Shashi Babua had made the promise of only taking care of Khushi! We won't get her married, he did not say anything like that, right? Now she is married! Now she is someone else's burden! Now it is her and her husband! We have got nothing to do with them!)"

Bhoj? Khushi thought as she stared at the door. She was a bhoj! A burden! That's all she was to her family! Khushi could not get past this news. Meanwhile Arnav was thinking about something else. Udayji? Promise? What the! Who is this Udayji? What if he is Khushi's father? Then where is he? Why did he leave Khushi with Guptas if he was alive?

"Waisan humka ek baat samajh nahi aati! (But I don't understand one thing!)", Amma mumbled, "Ee Khushi ne iss tarah jald baazi ma shaadi kyun ki? (Why did Khushi elope?)"

While Amma and Buaji were arguing and Arnav and Khushi stood outside hearing, in a wheelchair nearby Shashi Gupta watched his wife and sister, his body unmoving but his mind was awake and working and his heart shed tears. He knew his daughter! He knew his Khushi! She would never have married a man just like that unless it was for her family. Infact, Shashi was sure that Khushi in some roundabout way tried to help her family by marrying Arnav. If only Shashi could tell his family that!

"Arre! Tum ko ee jaanke ka karna hai! Gayi manhoos ghar se! Balaa tali! Ab chodo ee baat ko! (Arre! What are you going to do after knowing this answer! The ill omen has left the house! The bad luck has gone! Now stop this topic!)", Buaji growled.

Bala? Manhoos? Shashi would have slapped his sister if he could. If only he could speak! He could have defended his daughter. He would tell everyone how lucky Khushi was to his family. Once again Shashi raged at his helplessness.

"Nahi Jiji! Humka ee baat khaaye jaa rahi hai! Aap bhool rahi hain ki Khushi ko humne paala hai! Uu ke andar humaare sanskar hain! Aur usne bhaagke shaadi ki? Ee ummeed naahi thi humka usse! (No Jiji! It is eating me! You are forgetting that I raised Khushi! It is my culture in her! And she went and eloped? I so did not expect this from her!)", Garima's voice took on a tone of disgust.

Khushi closed her eyes. Even her own mother was disgusted by her. Arnav looked away from Khushi as finally guilt reared its head. His one condition of marrying her ultimately took away the pride her parents had for her. Now they were disgusted by her and it was all thanks to him. Arnav quieted his conscious trying to convince himself that her family already hated her and he did not do anything but took actions that ultimately brought truth in front of her. But still somewhere in his heart, a voice remained protesting; but atleast she had the illusion of a happy family. You broke that illusion, Arnav.

"Hum kah rahe haina! Ee tohaar galti na hai! (I am telling you, no? It is not your fault!)", Buaji spoke up, "Baat ee hai ki jaisan maa waisi beta! Khushi ki Amma ne bhi toh bhaag ke shaadi ki thi? (The truth is that like mother like daughter! Khushi's mother also had eloped right?)"

Khushi felt her heart jump out of her mouth. Her mother had eloped too. But her Amma Bauji had told her that they know nothing about her real parents. Then how did Buaji know this? Had they been lying to her till now?

Buaji continued, "Toh tumko kaahe taajjub ho raha hai ki Khushi ne bhi bhaag ke shaadi karli? Haayre Nandkisore! Ab humka pata chala ki Udayji Khushi ko Shashi babua ke paas kyun chod gaye! (Then why are you surprised that Khushi also eloped? Haayre Nandkisore! Now I know why Udayji left Khushi with Shashi Babua!)"

Khushi simply stood there in shock. Her brain had stopped processing the words and now she simply stared at the door. Arnav was totally confused now. I thought Khushi did not know who her parents were. But her adopted parents knew everything about her. Why didn't they tell her so? Why were they hiding her family's truth from her? Or maybe they wanted her to not be embarrassed by her parents' truth! After all, her mother did elope. Yes! That might be the case. But then if they lied to Khushi about not knowing her parents, what else have they lied about? Could it be that her real parents might have been alive? Its possible. Arnav shook his head. What a mess it is!

Arnav looked at Khushi and felt his heart go out to her. How must she be feeling? Her world had just turned upside down! He looked away as his mind wandered. But who was this Udayji? And what did he mean to Khushi? Might be her father! Yes! That might be possible. But if Khushi's mom eloped with this Uday fellow, then why did they leave their kid with Mr. Gupta? And most important of all, what happened to Khushi's mom? And where was she when her daughter was left with Paayal's mom? And where is this Udayji right now?

While Arnav speculated about the puzzle called Khushi's past, Amma started talking, "Kyun chod ke gaye honge Khushi ko yahaan Jiji? (Why he must have left her here Jiji?)"

Buaji huffed, "Arre! Tumko ka lagta hai koi insaan apni bachchi ko iss tarah kisi aur ke paas kaahe chod ke jaayega? Kaahe apne saath naahi le gaya? Arre! Uu toh Khushi aur uska Amma se nafrat karta hoga. Use Khushi nahi chaahiye hogi. Isliye toh usne Shashi babua ko har mahine paise bheje taaki babua Khushi ka khayaal rakh sake! Arre! Apni bachchi ko kisi aur ke haath mein de diya, aur use sambhaalne ke liye paise bhi bhej diye, iska matlab toh ee hi hua na ki uu Khushi se nafrat karta hai? Hum keh rahe hain! Udayji ne apna bojh humaare sar mad diya aur chale gaye apni zindagi jeene ke liye! Aur rahi baat Khushi ki Maa ki toh uu bhi apni bitiya se nafrat karti hogi jo itne saal na aayi apni bachchi ko lene ke liye! (Arre! Why do you think a person would leave his child with someone else? Why didn't he take her with him? Arre! He must hate Khushi and her Amma! He did not want Khushi. That is why he sends money every month here so that Babua would take good care of her. Arre! He handed his kid to someone, paid them money to raise her, it only means that he hates Khushi, right? I am telling you! Udayji dropped his burden on our head and he left to live his life! And as far as Khushi's Amma is concerned, she must hate her daughter too as she had yet to come to take her daughter away!)"

Khushi felt her knees go weak and she was about to collapse when Arnav noticing her movement grabbed her right away. She was awake with her eyes wide but Arnav realised that she was lost in her mind. What she heard had destroyed her life and had turned it upside down and inside out! And right now she had lost her ability to even think and retreated far into her mind.

Shashi wanted to stand up and shout. He wanted to tell his family that they had it all wrong. Udayji did not hate Khushi. Shashi still remembered the love in Udayji's eyes when he handed over Khushi to him. He was broken hearted at giving the girl away. How can that man hate little Khushi? He adored her. And the little girl had hugged Udayji so tightly. Their separation was so painful. No! Udayji did not hate Khushi! Shashi wanted to tell his family that Udayji had promised him that he or his son would come and take Khushi away. Something must have happened. That's why they have yet to come. But Shashi was sure that they would come one day. But he could not tell this to his family. Shashi once again cursed his helplessness.

While Khushi was busy collapsing in Arnav's arms, Amma continued to speak, "Hum soch rahe hain Jiji! Ki ab jo Khushi ki shaadi hui gayi hai, ka humko uu paise milte rahenge? Aakhir usi paise se inhonein Lucknow mein apnidukaan shuru ki thi. Aur usi paise se hi toh hum Paayal ki padhaai, Khushi ki padhaai karwa paaye the! Ab wahi paise inke dawaai lene mein kaam aayegi! Lekin agar uu paise band hogaye toh Jiji ghar kaise chalega? (I am thinking Jiji! Now that Khushi is married will we keep getting the money? After all with that money only, my husband started his shop in Lucknow! And with that money only Paayal and Khushi were able to study! Now that money can come use for the medicines too! But if that money stopped coming how will we manage the household?)"

Bua let out a chuckle, "Tumko ka lagta hai Garima, ki paise aane band ho jaayenge? Arre! Jo insaan pichle gyaarah saalon mein apni bachchi ko dekhne nahi aaya, use kaisan pata chalega ki Khushi ki shaadi hogayi hai? Uu toh bas paise bhejte rahega! Aur tum Shashi babua ka ilaaj un paison se karwaate rehna! Aur ab jo dono bitiya ghar se jaa chuki hai uss paise se hum aur tum bhi aaraam se rahenge! (What do you think Garima, that the money will stop coming? Arre! The person who did not come to see his child in last eleven years, how will he know that Khushi is married? He will keep on sending money! And with that money you continue taking care of Shashi's treatments! Now that both the girls have left the house, we will live comfortably with that money!)"

Shashi felt his blood boil. He knew that the only reason his family accepted Khushi was for the money as when Paayal was a kid they were going through poverty, but for them to talk so blatantly was disgusting for Shashi.

Arnav had enough. He did not want to stay here and listen to these people talk about money. Yes! He knew that there were money minded people in the world, but he did not expect the Guptas to be like that! He looked at Khushi, who had fainted by now, and Arnav felt pain for her. She did not deserve to go through all this. With one hand he supported her back and he placed his other hand under her knees. Slowly he lifted her up and with Khushi in his arms he walked away.

"Arre! Khushi bitiya ko kya hua? (Arre! What happened to Khushi bitiya?)", Naaniji exclaimed just as Arnav entered the hotel room with an unconscious Khushi in his arms. Arnav shook his head and placed Khushi on the bed.

"Is she alright?", came a voice and Arnav whipped his head around only to see NK standing there.

What are you doing here?", Arnav asked him.

"Arre! Uu sab baad mein! Pehle bataao Khushi bitiya ko kya hua hai? (Arre! We will talk later! First tell me what happened to Khushi bitiya?)", Naaniji reiterated.

Arnav took a deep breath and launched on to a monologue explaining exactly what he heard at Gupta's house. By the end of his monologue, Naaniji had her hand on her heart as she looked at Khushi with tear filled eyes and NK looked like he was about to get sick. Arnav turned around and looked at Khushi with sad eyes.

Arnav took a deep breath and then turned to NK, "So tell me! What are you doing here?" NK smiled and started to speak...

PRECAP:

NK gives the trio an offer that Arnav is unable to reject!

AUTHOR'S TRIVIA: READ IT! ITS IMPORTANT!

1. I know it would be clich for them to have no money or anything with them when they left the house as that's what happens in movies and all. But I am trying to keep this story as realistic as possible and I have yet to meet a man who does not put his wallet and his phone in his pocket the moment he is dressed up and ready. So I did the same for ASR.

2. Did anybody get this joke? Anjali says that if she did not bring her brother and granny back in seven days, then she wont be Anjali Raizada! The joke is she is not Anjali Raizada, she has been Anjali Jha for a while! Thought it would be funny to use that dialogue there!

3. When I was working on Anjali Shyam convo I had just watched the new show Gulmohor Grand the day before. So the name stuck and I used it as Gulmohor Hotel, the place where Arnav stays.

4. The reason Anjali assumes that Arnav is not living in the hotel is because she does not know that Arnav has his personal card too.

5. Garima and Buaji hating Khushi was one of the conditions given to me along with the concept!

6. Oh! And I could not add it anywhere in the dialogues between Garima and Bua as to why they hated Khushi so I will explain it here. It will be explained in detail in sequels. They hate Khushi because she is not their kid. That's all! Plus, Shashi never discloses why Khushi has to live with them. They know her family story but not why she had to live with this family. So they think why they should tolerate a person who has been rejected by her own family. But they remain sweet to Khushi because of Shashi and once Shashi fell ill they maintained their act to remain good in Raizada's eyes!

7. The story of Udayji and his family will be revealed in the sequel Love! You will also know why he left Khushi with Guptas.

Thanks for reading!

Take care and have fun,

Kalpana

wow!!! me first!!!
how stupid anjali can be!!! i cant believe it...NK is such a truely good friend and brother...but coming to khushi...i really felt sorry for her...hope with arnav beside her she will be able to come out of her grief...

and lastly...plz jaldi update dena...

Very very well written dear...