New Arshi SS: Marriage Last part- 01.10.16- Page 9

Khushi could clearly see the pain in his eyes. She had no reason to resist him. Anjali gave him the plate with roti. Arnav broke a piece and fed her. She ate it.

Nani: The work which we couldn't do since yesterday, chotte did it in a minute.

Dadi rolled her eyes.

She finished one roti. He was about to make her eat one more piece but she stopped him.

Khushi: I am done.

Arnav didn't force her. Arnav extended his hand to give the plate back to Anjali, but Khushi stopped him.

Khushi: Did you eat anything?

Arnav didn't reply. Khushi understood that even he hasn't eaten anything. She took the plate.

Arnav: Khushi I am not hungry.

Khushi(with moist eyes): For me.

He ate half roti and kept the plate aside.

Arnav: Take rest Khushi.

Khushi wasn't feeling well again. She held her stomach. Arnav got tensed.

Arnav: Khushi what happened?

Khushi: My stomach is paining. I feel nauseatic.

Arnav quickly carried her to the washroom, and she puked. Whatever she ate wasn't getting digested.

Arnav carried her back to the bed and placed her. He made her drink some water and a bit of lime juice. He fed her the tablet, and hugged her.

Arnav: Khushi, everything will be alright.

Saying that, he kissed her hair. Dadi got angry.

Dadi(murmured): Devyani, what is this? Arent they ashamed, they aren't even married..these kids..

Nani showed her palm to Dadi(just like Dadi shows) indicating her to stop. Arnav made Khushi lie on the bed and covered her with the blanket. She didn't leave his hand.

Nani: Chotte, i want you stay beside Khushi bitiya tonight. Take care of her.

Arnav nodded his head.

Dadi(whispered): Devyani, are you out of your mind? They are..

Nani didn't let her complete her statement. Nani gave deadly glares at her. They didn't want Arnav or Khushi to hear them.

Nani(softly but with anger): Not married? Enough Sumi, till today you kept humiliating Khushi bitiya, and we people saw that without arguing, but not today. Are you still concerned about the rituals? Cant you see them? How sad they are!!! They both need each other in this condition. To hell with your rituals and systems. Yes the truth is they are not married, but the biggest truth is they love each other. See them. From yesterday, we all tried to feed Khushi bitya, but she didn't eat, see it didn't take a minute for chotte to feed her. After chotte came, Khushi bitya has calmed down. For us, nothing is more than Khushi bitiya's health. So tonight, chotte will stay beside Khushi bitiya, and that's final.

****************

She went into sleep. How pale she looked. He remembered her words, the one who dies, becomes a star. Arnav looked at the sky, with the stars.

"you..lost..your baby"

The words were ringing in his ears.

"Arnavji, I am going to be a mother and you a father"

"I want a baby girl Khushi"

He was so excited to welcome his princess in this world.

"I lost her" he whispered softly, looking at the stars. He gulped his throat painfully. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder. Anjali came forward and saw her chotte.His face was covered with tears.

Anjali(whispered): Chotte..

She wiped his tears. Anjali's heart clenched when she saw her brother in such a deep pain. She gave him a hug, a tight hug. A lone tear escaped from her eye. She rubbed his back, and broke the hug.

Anjali: Chotte, no..stop crying.

She hushed him. She never saw her brother so weak.

Arnav: Di..i lost her. I lost my princess.

She wiped his tears and made him sit on the couch.

Anjali: Chotte, do you remember what I used to teach you?

Arnav just stared at her. Anjali tried to calm him.

Anjali: Chotte, forget your past and move on. I know you are very upset on losing your baby, so are we. But until when will you keep crying? You have to face the situation, chotte is you break down then who will console Khushiji?

She tried to feed some strength in him. He kept his head on her lap.

Arnav: Di why does it always happen to us?

Anjali caressed his hair and wiped her tears. She composed herself.

Anjali: No chotte, don't think like that. Everything will be alright. DM will bless you with all the happiness.

Dadi saw all this from outside and for the first time she felt very bad. She never saw her grandson so weak and pale. She walked back to her room.

Arnav was feeling a bit better now.

Arnav: Di how did this happen?

Anjali: Chotte, it was midnight and all of a sudden we heard Khushiji scream and when we came she was on the floor, she had slipped from the stairs, and we took her to the hospital.

Arnav shut his eyes in pain.

There was silence. A doubt raised on his mind.

Arnav: Then why did she puke today?

Anjali(frowning): I don't know chotte..yesterday she didn't, infact..(Anjali was a tubelight)..Chotte now I know, yesterday she just drank the juice given by mami, and it had the medicine, but today you fed her first and then she took the medicine, it means that she doesn't puke only when the medicine is in her body.

Arnav: But what is happening to her stomach?

Anjali: I don't know chotte..i think its good if we ask the doctor.

Khushi(murmuring): Arnavji..

Arnav and Anjali looked at Khushi. She was on the verge of getting up. Anjali went out of their room.

Arnav sat beside Khushi. She slowly opened her eyes.

Khushi(moist eyes): I am sorry.

Arnav kept his finger on her lips. They looked into each other's eyes. He helped her to sit. Arnav held her hand.

Arnav: Khushi, just tell me what happened that night?

Khushi(gulped her throat): I wasn't feeling well, I had severe stomach ache and I puked twice, the water jug was empty, so I went to fetch some water and I slipped in the stairs..and..we..

Khushi shut her eyes, tears escaped. He hugged her.

Khushi: Arnavji why always us? Why? Don't we deserve any happiness?

Arnav's hug became tighter. He caressed her hair.

Arnav: Khushi, what did you eat that night?

Khushi: Home- made food like roti, side dish, some fruits, and haldi milk which dadi gave me. But why are you asking me this?

Arnav frowned when she said "Haldi milk which dadi gave"

Arnav: Just simply.

*************

Arnav woke up quite early in the morning. He kissed his sleeping queen. She looked quite better today. He rubbed his eyes and got up from the bed. His heart ached when he saw the wallpaper of the baby on his mobile. He changed the wallpaper.

His mobile started ringing. It was from the hospital. They had called him to collect Khushi's blood reports. He quickly drove to the hospital.

The doctor handed him the report. She looked at his pale face. Her voice was cold and stern.

"When you didn't want the baby, why are you so pale and sad?"

What did she mean by that? Arnav's blood boiled in anger. How dare she say like that? He was desperately waiting for his princess and she? He gritted his teeth.

Arnav: Watch your tone. What do you mean by I didn't want the baby?

Doctor: Why did you take the risk of giving abortion pills? It could have risked your wife's life, you could have taken our suggestion and then proceed.

Arnav wasn't understanding what she said.

Arnav: Abortion pills? Are you nuts? Why would I do that? We wanted the baby, damn it.

He was damn furious at the doctor.

Doctor: Mr Raizada, in the beginning I thought that Khushi's baby died because of her accident(slipping from stairs), but then we came to know that there were no chances of survival of the baby, because we found these abortion drugs in her blood sample.

Arnav was shocked would be an understatement. How could this happen? It was bloody murder. The doctor excused herself.

"The haldi milk given by dadi" he swore that he wont leave dadi.

************

Arnav: DADI!!

His chest was moving up and down due to anger.

All came down, except Khushi(she was sleeping).

Akash: Bhai, what happened?

Dadi came to the hall.

Arnav: Good that you all came. Nani, I cannot tolerate this woman in my house anymore.

Arnav pointed towards Dadi.

Dadi: Arnav!! Is this the way to speak to elders? Behave yourself.

Arnav(gritting his teeth): Dadi, its better that you don't teach me manners. Because this time you have crossed all your limits.

Anjali: Chotte what are you speaking.

Arnav: It was not a miscarriage di, it was a murder.

All were shocked.

Arnav: This woman, killed my princess!! This woman.

Dadi: ARNAV!!!

Nani: Chotte you might have misunderstood.

Arnav showed the blood reports to Anjali.

Arnav: I have not misunderstood anything Nani. Ask her if she had given the haldi milk to Khushi on that day.

Dadi: Yes I had, but I gave it to Anjali also. Did anything happen to her?

Anjali: Yeah chotte Dadi is right, even I drank it, see I m alright.

Arnav(gritting his teeth): That's because she mixed the abortion pills only in Khushi's drink.

Nani: Chotte how can you be so sure?

Mami: Hello hi bye byewa..in this matterwa I agree with Arnav bitua. From the beginning only she had the problem with Arnav bitua's child, and all of a sudden she started caring for phati saree?

Arnav: You want more proof? Then listen, I saw this in your room today, Dadi.

Arnav showed her a strip of tablets, and he continued, "On searching the net I found that they are abortion pills"

All were shocked. "She killed our baby" he roared.

Arnav: Why dadi? Why so much of hatred for the baby?

Dadi: When you came to know the truth, then listen, yes I killed your baby. How could I let that illegitimate baby come in this world? It would be a shame for all of us!! It is a sin. You are not married. Tomorrow the society will make fun of us and your illegitimate..

Arnav: ENOUGH!!! DON'T YOU DARE CALL MY CHILD LIKE THAT!! WHATEVER IT WAS, IT WAS MY BABY DADI!! HOW COULD YOU KILL MY BABY? IT SHOWS HOW MUCH YOU LOVE ME.

Arnav was very hurt.

Dadi: No Arnav, I didn't kill the baby for that, I killed it because, its Khushi's child. That Khushi, who ruined your sister's life. She is the sole reason for damadji and Anjali's separation. How could I tolerate her happiness when our Anjali bitiya was in pain? Didn't you see your sister's pain? How could I let Khushi stay happy when your di wasn't? That's why I killed it. Khushi separated Anjali and damadji.

All could not believe their ears. Anjali was hell shocked.

Anjali: But why did you kill my chotte's baby?

Dadi: I did everything for you.

Anjali(crying); Stop it Dadi!! I was sad but that doesn't mean that you snatch others happiness. It was my chotte's child, my nephew/neice. I didn't ask you to destroy others happiness. Dadi, for me nothing is more important than my chotte's happiness. I am ashamed of you dadi.

Arnav: Dadi I never knew that you could stoop so low..

Arnav's eyes popped out when he saw Khushi standing on the steps, with a shocked face. Everyone's gaze shifted to Khushi. Khushi's face was white as ghost.

"How could I let Khushi stay happy when you di wasn't"

"Khushi separated Anjali and Damadji"

"I killed your baby"

Khushi remembered Arnav throwing Shyam out of the house. She remembered how Nani asked Khushi to stay away from Anjali.

She remembered how dadi accused her for Anjali's condition. She remembered how dadi took care of Anjali and blamed Khushi always. Dadi didn't even care for their baby.

Khushi's head started swinging and before she could fall down Arnav ran to her and caught her.

"Khushi" he whispered.

************

Khushi was lying on the bed. Everyone looked at her. She slowly opened her eyes. She was in a shocked state.

Mami: What is happening to this housewa?

Payal and Arnav helped Khushi to get up.

Arnav(held her hand): Khushi drink this water.

She refused him.

Khushi(softly): Arnavji..please bring Anjaliji's husband back to this house.

Everyone was shocked. Anjali's eyes became moist when she called her "Anjaliji" and not "Di". Even Arnav noticed that.

Arnav(whispered): Khushi?

Thank you for the likes comments and thankyous.

Katty