Love - Its Complicated! 26th Mar: Chapter 10 (E) is up on Page 71! - Page 33

Originally posted by: anjs

very nice chapter...so Geet will hold Khushi back from going with Arnav i think...and this will force Arnav to confess his feelings...maybe propose her and marry again...

hope aisa hi ho...Khushi deserves a good ritual wala wedding...and ofcourse with Arnav only...

CHAPTER 9. THE EMOTIONAL TURMOIL

It was early in the morning when Maan came down for breakfast. The dining table was in the main hall adjacent to the stairs. Dressed in simple shirt and jeans he reached the dining table eagerly to have breakfast with his family only to stop short in surprise. Wait a minute! Why is no one sitting around the dining table? Where is my wife, son and sister? Maan blinked in surprise and looked around. That is when he noticed the other occupant in the living room. He smiled. There was his wife standing by the window. But what is she watching?

Maan neared his wife but Geet did not look away from what she was watching. What is so interesting outside that my wife has yet to notice me? He stood by her side and looked towards where Geet was looking. When he saw what she was seeing, he blinked back the tears. There was his son running around giggling while his little sister, Khushi searched for him blindfolded. For a second he felt as if he was transported to past and it was him and his Bua playing.

Maan felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Geet smiling at him.

"Are you seeing what I am seeing?", Geet asked, her eyes also moist.

Maan nodded, his throat was clogged with emotions and he could not speak. But Geet understood his emotions right away. She hugged him sideways and Maan put his arm around her shoulder. They turned back to the scene in front of them. Khushi had caught Vicky now and was swinging him round and round. The garden was filled with their laughter.

"They look so happy!", Maan finally whispered.

Geet frowned, "They don't just look happy Maan! They are happy!"

"My family is back together Geet! My family is finally together!", Maan spoke as a tear trickled down his cheek.

"Daadima would be so happy today.", Geet replied.

"Ya! It was her dream to see Vicky play with his Bua the way I did with mine!", Maan chuckled, "You know Geet, I feel like I am in past. And that is me running around with Nandy Bui!"

"What is with you Khurana boys and nicknaming their Buajis?", Geet looked at Maan with amusement, "You called your Buaji Nandy Bui! Vicky calls Khushi as Happy Bui! Can't you be normal being and call them Nandini Buaji and Khushi Buaji respectfully?"

Maan blinked for few seconds as if in thought and then shook his head, "Na! They are too childish to be called Buaji. Reminds me of those matchmakers type fat aunties who chatter too much!"

Geet laughed at his description and both turned back to their family playing in the garden. It was Vicky's turn to be blindfolded and was now searching for Khushi who laughed as she ran around.

"I swear Geet, main tere Babaji ki kasam khaata hun... (I swear Geet, I swear on your Babaji...)", Maan started to speak emotionally and Geet looked up at him alarmed. But Maan's eyes were fixated on Khushi. He continued to speak, "I won't let Khushi go through the pain her mother went through. I swear Geet, Khushi will never suffer like her mother. I will never let her know what pain is. I swear Geet! Teri Babaji di sau!"

"Tussi uski fikar mat karo! (Don't you worry!)", Geet huffed, "Khushi ka parivar is nothing like Nandini Buaji's family. They are not orthodox or so narrow minded as to kill a girl child. Arre! Arnavji loves his sister so much that I am sure, he would be one of those fathers who would want a girl child first!"

Maan shook his head, "Geet! You are so nave. Abuse is not just physical Geet. There are many other forms of abuse in the world Geet. You were abused too Geet. Remember?"

"What? I wasn't abused!", Geet huffed, little too defensively.

"No Geet! It was abuse. You were not physically abused Geet. But emotionally and mentally you were abused!", Maan informed her, "Geet! Physical abuse leaves only physical wound which heals pretty easily. But wound caused on the heart are never healed easily. Geet, mental and emotional abuse leaves a person's confidence destroyed. You were oppressed by your own family so much that you never once had the guts to go and tell your Daarji that you had no interest in marrying an old man. You were scared of your own grandfather. Who in the whole world is scared of their grandfather? People who are treated like this have no self esteem. If something bad happened with them, they would quietly take it as their fate instead of fighting it. Such people are put down so many times in their lives, that there have no self esteem. They have no value of their life when compared to their family. Such people would do anything to keep their family happy, even marry the person they are not interested in just to keep their family happy. Such people consider themselves not worth saving and sacrifice themselves blindly. Remember Geet, if at last moment you had not found a way of escaping you would have quietly married the man your family chose for you. The door being left open actually saved you because without escape route in front of you, you would not have even thought of leaving that old man at the altar!"

Geet looked to be lost in her thoughts after hearing Maan's thoughts about abuse and Maan let her be. She needed to acknowledge the fact that her family had abused her. Then only she can move on from the issue, Maan decided. But Maan did not know that Geet was not at all thinking about her own situation. She was lost in Khushi's problems. According to her source, aka Arnav's Naaniji, Khushi was forced to get engaged to some guy even if she did not want to by her adopted family. And Khushi had quietly caved into the pressure to make her family happy. Hey Babaji! I have to tell Maan about this. He has to know that not just Geet and Nandini but also Khushi was emotionally abused. If not abused, then atleast emotionally blackmailed. But how can I say it? Do I even have the right to interfere in a topic which is so private and painful to Khushi?

Nahi! Geet nodded. I have to tell Maan. If I tell him, then Maan might be able to devise some plan to bring Khushi's worth up in her eyes. In a perfect life, Khushi would have never had to take a decision under pressure. She could have rejected anyone she did not like. But because of her family's pressure she had said yes to getting engaged to someone she did not like. It was obvious that Khushi chose her family over her own happiness and that was wrong. No girl has to sacrifice herself at the altar of family! It was wrong! Geet felt tears run down her cheek as she remembered her own parents coaxing her into marrying the old man because he was Darji's friend. No! Khushi went through the same thing I went through and just like Maan today has made me strong with his words and calm assurance Khushi needs to be made strong too. Today I will die before I bow to family pressure and I will make sure Khushi is the same. When Maan and I done with her, she will be the most confident self assured girl you could have ever met!

Once Geet had made her decision, she simply turned to Maan and said, "Maan! I want to tell you something!" And just like that, Geet poured out everything she had learned about Khushi's dealing with her adopted family.

Maan's eyes widened as with horror he heard Geet's words. Geet also did not know much and warned Maan that what she heard was from third source and not totally reliable but she was sure that Khushi's family forced her to get engaged to a man she had no interested in and when Khushi chose Arnav as her life partner they abandoned her over it. Once Geet was finished, Maan remained stunned for few seconds. All he could think was that when Nandini had decided to marry the love of her life, Maan's father had abandoned her too. Maan cast a glance at his little sister who was still playing with his son and felt pain for her. She and her mother, both had been abandoned by their family for choosing their own life partners. They were right or not, that did not matter. What mattered was that their decision was not accepted by their family and parents who were supposed to support them abandoned them.

"Nahi! Main aisa Khushi ke saath nahi hone dunga! (No! I won't let such a thing happen to Khushi!)", Maan started shaking his head frantically, "Main Khushi ka saath kabhi nahi chodunga! Uska faisla bhale hi mujhe manzoor na ho, main uske saath hamesha khada rahunga! (I will never leave Khushi's side! I may not agree with her decision, but I will always stand by her!)"

Geet, seeing the turmoil on her husband's face hugged him tightly. For few minutes, Maan allowed Geet to comfort him and then he pulled away.

"Lekin Maan mujhe jo pata hai yeh sab Naaniji ne bataaya hai! (But Maan, what Naaniji told me is all I know!) I don't have first hand or second hand knowledge about this. We need to talk to Khushi to know the extent of hardship she suffered!" Geet told Maan. Maan nodded, "Tum sahi keh rahi ho Geet! (You are right Geet!) We will talk to Khushi later once we had our breakfast!" Geet bit her tongue and winced as she remembered that they were supposed to have breakfast.

"Hey Babaji! I forgot! I was supposed to call those two for breakfast. But they were having so much fun that I let them have fun for a while and then forgot! Hey Babaji!", Geet mumbled as she stormed outside to call Khushi and Vicky in. Maan chuckled and went to the dining table. He took his seat at the head of the table and waited for his family.

Khushi allowed Vicky to drag her in while adjusting her top again and again. As Khushi did not bring any clothes with her, Geet had lent her one of her clothes that she was supposed to wear till Arnav arrived. Once Arnav arrived, Geet was planning to give Khushi one of the designer sarees she bought few days but were still unused so that Khushi could wear something which was new and gifted by her maayka during pag phera. But till Arnav arrived, Khushi was stuck in Geet's normal clothes. Now if these clothes had been your regular salwar kameez, Khushi would have been fine. But Geet rarely wore Indian clothes in Australia as she stood out as a sore thumb in the society and parent meetings and all. So once Vicky joined school Geet stuck to western wear while wearing Saree to the parties. And hence, here was Khushi trying to pull her top down which only came below her hip while constantly touching the neck hoping to find a duppatta there. Hey Devi Maiyya! Yeh kya pehna diya! (What have you dressed me into?)

Geet looked behind her and chuckled when she noticed Khushi. The blue Short kurti that Geet lent her was actually the one with the longest length compared to her other clothes. Agar maine ise mera T-Shirt diya hota toh? (If I handed over my T-shirt, then?) Geet giggled as she imagined Khushi's horrified expression. Geet remembered how she was the same at one time! But time and exposure to the Australian culture had made her a bit bolder. Mind you, she still would scream running away if someone told her to wear the Little black dress but tops and jeans were usual staple for her.

Maan who was looking at the newspaper looked up and blinked again to confirm what he was seeing. For a second he felt he was in past where Nandy Bui was walking towards the table with little him holding her hand. He blinked back the tears from his eyes and welcomed his sister for the first time to have breakfast with him. First time it is, but it is not the last time, I swear!

As Khushi sat down by her brother, she smiled. This was her family, her real family and she was sitting with them and having breakfast. Hey Devi Maiyya! Hum aaj bahut khush hain! (I am so happy today!) She sat beside her brother with Geet sitting right across her and Vicky sitting on her other side. Soon Vicky was chattering as Geet served him and both ladies indulged him. Maan simply sat back and watched as three of his favorite people chattered amongst themselves. As he watched he wondered what happened to his Bui. Kya hogaya tha Bui ko? Where is she? But soon Vicky whined that his dad was not listening to him and Maan put his missing Bui's thoughts to the back of the mind and focused on his present family.

"Maan! What are you doing?", Geet spoke after few minutes and Maan frowned. What did I do?

Geet huffed, "O ho! Look at the time! You will be late to work! And you have not eaten a single morsel from your plate!"

Maan looked down at his plate and frowned. Geet was right! He was so lost in observing his happy family that he forgot about eating. He chuckled and started to eat.

"Today you are definitely gonna be late! You haven't even dressed up yet!", Geet fretted.

"Stop worrying Geet! I have already decided that I will be going late today!", Maan announced.

"Late? Why so?", Geet looked worriedly. Maan never skipped work or went late unless it was an emergency. Even Vicky's tantrum did not delay him till now. Ab kya hogaya? (Now what happened?)

"Just like that!", Maan shrugged. But Geet noticed him look at his little sister and she smirked. O ho! So brother wants to spend time with his sister more! Geet was not going to let go of this teasing opportunity!

"Rehne deejiye Maan! Don't lie to me! I know very well that you want to spend more time with Khushi and that is why you are going late!", Geet giggled. Khushi looked up after hearing her name.

Maan ignored both the ladies' glances and focused on his breakfast as if it was the most delicious dish in the world.

Geet giggled again, "Do you really think you ignoring me is going to stop me from teasing you?"

Maan looked up and glared at Geet but Geet was unfazed. She simply smirked, "Na ji na! Main nai chaddaangi aapko! (No way! I am not going to leave you!) So Maan, Khushi is going to stay here for a while you know. Not in our house but atleast in the city! So you don't need to be so desperate, you know!"

Maan huffed, "I am not being desperate!", he spat, "What is wrong with brother wanting to spend time with his sister?"

"Haan haan! Spend the time! Maine kab manaa kiya! (When did I refuse!) But there is no need to go in late you know!", Geet playfully looked at him.

"I am staying means I am staying. That is that!", Maan growled and Geet burst out laughing. She loved riling her husband. Khushi looked wide eyed at the husband wife duo. Bhabhi ko mazaa aa raha hai Bhai ko chidhaane mein! (Bhabhi is actually enjoying teasing Bhai!) Surprise gave way to amusement and her mind went to the day when she had sneakily kissed Arnav on the cheek to do the hisaab baraabar. Humne bhi toh kai khel khele Jiji ke shaadi mein Arnavji ke saath! (Even I played so many games with Arnavji during Jiji's marriage!) But as she thought of the rituals of the weddings and the interaction between her and Arnav her mind inadvertently took her to the almost contract marriage and how sinister Arnav had looked. Her smile turned into frown and she wondered is there any possibility for her and Arnav to have happily married life.

Suddenly, Vicky chirped in, "O ho! Mummy! O ho Daddy! You two have decided that Dad can go late. But I cannot be late na! I have to go to school and that also on time!" He turned to Khushi, "Happy Bui! Come on! Lets go to my room! You have to dress me up na!"

"Dress me up?", Maan mumbled amusedly as Vicky grabbed Khushi's hand and started to drag her.

Maan and Geet shared an amused glance and then Maan spoke up, "By the way, Vicky beta, for last three years whenever your Mummy and I tried to dress you up, you refused to allow us. You told us you were a big boy and big boy get dressed themselves. Now you want Khushi to dress you up! What happened to your big boy spirit young man?"

Geet chuckled while Khushi looked surprised and glanced at Vicky curiously.

Vicky stomped and then folding his arms against his chest he stared at Maan. Both Geet and Khushi's eyes widened because right at that moment Vicky looked just like Maan. Junior Maan glared at Senior Maan, "My big boy spirit is right here Dad! But you are forgetting. You two got to dress me up lots of time. But Happy Bui never got the chance! So today I want her to do it. She will make sure my collar is right, my buttons are rightly buttoned, my shoes laces are tied and my hair is made. That way she will get to live the moment of my childhood that she missed! What do you say Bui? Will you dress me up?"

Khushi blinked back the tears as she realised what her nephew wanted. Just when she thought he was just a kid, he went and did something that showed how smart and thoughtful her Bhatija was. She felt like the luckiest Bui in the world. She went on her knees and ruffled Vicky's hair, "Haan humaare Shehzaade! Aaj aapki Bui aapki har baat maanengi aur aapki har zidd poori karengi! (Yes my Prince! Today your Bui will agree with everything you say and will fulfill all your insistence!)"

"Sachchi?", Vicky asked and when Khushi nodded, the young boy let out a squeal and hugged his Bui tightly. Khushi felt the tears in her eyes drip down and when she looked up she saw the same thing happening to Maan and Geet too. Soon Vicky let go of her and off he went dragging his Bui with him.

Few minutes later, Vicky was ready and Khushi decided to go and inform her brother so that he could drop his kid to bus stop. Just as she was about to enter the room, she stilled at the scene in front of her. Her eyes widened and she resisted the urge to giggle. Her Bhaiyya and Bhabhi were romancing! He had his arms around her waist while her arms were around her neck. Both seemed to be talking quietly but going by the expressions on their faces it was obvious the talk was quite romantic. Oye hoye! Khushi wanted to desperately whistle and tease them. But then mischief gave way to happiness. Her Bhaiyya Bhabhi were so happy. Hey Devi Maiyya! Inhein humesha aise hi khush rakhna! (Hey Devi Maiyya! Please always keep them happy just like this!) As she prayed, she wondered if one day her and Arnav's relationship will be like this too? But the moment the question came to her mind, the memory of their first meet flashed through her brain. She took in a sharp breath as for a second she was thrown back into their moment. She felt the fear, the anger and the helplessness well through as Arnav grabbed her and ripped the pearl thread on her back. She gulped as she tried to forget the fear and get back to reality but the onslaught of memories continued. Another fear filled moment came to her mind as she was hanging from the first floor of Arnav's office and Arnav's hand being the only thing not letting her fall. She felt her breath quicken as she remembered his hand dropping her and for a second feeling like it was her last moment being alive. Khushi closed her eyes and did her best to get away from the memories. But just as she was able to shirk them off, one memory came to forefront. It was the memory of her marriage. She could almost feel the knife in her hand as Arnav tried to come close to her. She shuddered and had a bad urge to cry out in pain. But before she could do that, Maan spoke, "Arre! Khushi! Why are you standing there?"

Khushi opened her eyes and she smiled a little uncomfortably hoping that her family didn't notice her reactions and won't ask her questions. Luckily for her, neither Maan nor Geet noticed her expressions till now.

"Little Angel! Andar aao! Come on in!", Geet coaxed too and Khushi nodded. She entered the room and her brother pulled her into side hug.

"The beautiful women of my life are with me, what else do I want!", Maan commented as he pulled Geet close with his other hand. Khushi continued to smile.

"Sachchi Maan! There is a certain happiness in your face that was not there till Khushi came into our life. I am so glad we got to have our Little Angel back home!", Geet replied.

Khushi frowned, "Bhabhi! Hum ek sawaal poochein? (Bhabhi! May I ask you something?)" Geet nodded with a smile and Khushi continued, "Aap humein yeh ajeeb sa naam, Little Angel kyun bulaati hain? (Why do you call me by this weird name Little Angel?)"

Geet chuckled, "Tumhein yaad hai kal maine tumhein tumhaare Bhaiyya aur mere milne ki kahaani bataatyi thi? (Do you remember the story I told you yesterday about how your brother and I met?)" Khushi nodded. Geet continued, "Maine tumhein yeh toh bata diya ki tumhaare Bhaiyya aur main Hoshiarpur mein kaise mile the lekin yeh nahi bataaya ki tumhaare Bhaiyya Hoshiarpur mein aaye kyun the! (I told you the story how your brother and I met at Hoshiarpur but I didn't tell why your brother was in Hoshairpur at first place!)"

Khushi frowned in confusion and Geet grabbed her hands gently and led her to sit on the bed.

"Tum ho wajah meri zindagi mein Maan ke aane ki! (You are the reason behind Maan's arrival into my life!)", Geet explained and Khushi's eyes widened. She turned to look at her brother in confusion. Maan simply smiled.

"Maan India aaye tumhein aur Buaji ko dhundhne! Agar woh Hoshiarpur nahi aaye hote toh kabhi mujhe nahi bacha paate! Toh tumhaari wajah se Maan aur main mile hain! (Maan came to India to search for you and Buaji! If he hadn't come to Hoshiarpur, then he never would have saved me. So you are the reason Maan and I met that day!)", Geet explained. Khushi continued to frown though, "Lekin Little Angel kyun? (But why Little Angel?)"

Geet smiled, "Kyunki meri shaadi ke kuch dino pehle hum dono ek baar ek mandir mein mile the! (Because I met you few days before my wedding!)"

Khushi's eyes widened again, "Aap aur hum pehle mil chuke hain? (We have met earlier too?)"

Geet chuckled and nodded, "Aur tumne apne Honor Veerji se baat karte waqt humaara zikar bhi kiya! (And you talked about your Hono Veerji too!)"

Maan interrupted with a wide grin, "Infact, tumhi chaahti thi ki main Geet ko tumhaari Bhabhi banaaun! (Infact, you are the one who wanted Geet as your Bhabhi!)"

Khushi's jaw dropped open in surprise and then she giggled. She was matchmaking at such a young age! Hey Devi Maiyya!

Maan continued, "Aur kyunki yeh tumhaari dost thi, I felt personally responsible for her! Agar yeh aur koi hoti toh main shaayad ise yahaan Australia le nahi aata! Ispe itna bharosa nahi karta aur Daadima ko sambhaalne ke liye ise kabhi hire nahi karta! (And because she was your friend, I felt personally responsible for her! If she had been someone else, I would never have brought her to Australia! And I wouldn't have trusted her and hired her to take care of Daadima!)"

"Aur isliye tum meri Little Angel ho! (And that is why you are my Little Angel!)", Geet continued the narration, "Meri Nanhi Pari! Woh Pari jiski wajah se main aaj itni khush hun! (My Little Angel! That Angel because of whom I am so happy today!)" Saying this, Geet moved forward and hugged Khushi tightly. Khushi hugged back with smile on her face. She had saved her Bhabhi's life from pain and hurt! She was so thankful to Devi Maiyya that she had inadvertently been one of the reasons Geet's life was better today.

"Chalo! Its time for Vicky to go to school!", Maan said as he turned to walk out.

"Wait!", Geet called back, "Today his whole family will see him off at the bus stop!", Saying this, she wound Khushi's hand around her arm and stood up. Khushi followed suit and both ladies followed Maan to see Vicky off to school at the bus stop.

An hour passed and Khushi was seated in her room getting dressed. She smiled softly as she touched the Saree that her Bhabhi had gifted her. It was a bright red Saree with heavy work done on it. Khushi adjusted her pallu and reverently touched the intricate embroidery on the pallu. It was beautiful! Geet had told Khushi that she had bought it from a fashion show but never got the right occasion to wear it. As far as she was concerned, her Babaji wanted Khushi to have this Saree for pag phera and that is why Geet never got the right moment to wear it. Khushi looked away from her Saree to the jewelries in front of her. She had been beyond shocked when her Bhabhi had given her some heavy jewelries from the Locker. When Khushi tried to protest, Geet informed her that Daadima once had told her that she had them made for the daughter of the house when Maan was in his 20s. Geet had thought at that time that Daadima had it made it for any daughter Maan would have one day. It was only after Maan told her about Nandini that Geet realized that Daadima must have had it made for Nandini and Khushi. So Geet happily handed them over to Khushi.

Khushi was about to start wearing the jewelry when her Bhaiyya Bhabhi entered her room. She turned to look at them with a smile but her smile froze by Maan's words.

"Khushi! Mujhe sab kuch pata chal gaya hai!", Maan said. Khushi could only stare at him with wide eyes.

"I know everything Happy!", Maan whispered and the earrings that Khushi was holding in her hands fell down.

Kaise? Inhein kaise pata chala? (How? How did they know?) Khushi looked at Maan and Geet aghast. The vision in front of her blurred as her eyes teared up. How did they know? Inhein sab kuch pata chal gaya? (They know everything?) Her mind flashed to her impromptu marriage and then her in laws' treatment. Yeh kaise ho gaya? (How did this happen?)

"Mujhe vishwas nahi hota (I don't believe this), you were treated so badly!", Maan growled, "Mann toh karta hai ki... hai ki... (I feel like... I feel like...)" Maan slammed his fist on the wall. Khushi turned pale at his action and all she could think was Maan beating Arnav into pulp. Hey Devi Maiyya! Arnavji toh thode der mein aa rahe hain! Kahin Bhaiyya ne unhein... (Arnavji is coming in few minutes! What if Bhaiyya...) A vision flashed in front of her eyes. Maan thrashing Arnav. And then Arnav throwing Maan a punch. Khushi took in a sharp breath as she imagined them fighting. Nahi! Yeh hum nahi hone de sakte! Nahi! (No! I can't let this happen! No!) Khushi didn't know when she got up from her seat and grabbed Maan's arm shouting, "Nahi! Nahi!"

Maan frowned as Khushi grabbed his hands and started to babble, "Nahi! Nahi! Aap Arnavji ko nuksaan nahi pahuncha sakte! Nahi! (You cannot hurt Arnavji! No!)" Maan's eyes widened and he exchanged a worried glance with Geet. Both were thinking the same. Arnav? Why was she babbling about Arnav? As far as they were concerned, it was Khushi's adopted family that Maan wanted to harm. Why was she talking about Arnav? Khushi continued to babble, "Arnavji bure insaan nahi hai Bhaiyya! Woh bure nahi hai! (Arnavji is not a bad guy, Bhaiyya! He is not bad!)", Tears streamed down Khushi's eyes but she continued to beg her brother.

Now Maan was beyond shocked. Arnav bura nahi hai? What did she mean by that? He looked at Geet who looked horrified at him. Both were thinking the same. What did Arnav do that made Khushi think they will declare Arnav as bad person? Something else was going on here!

Khushi continued to plead in between her sobs, "Arnavji ne jo kuch bhi kiya us waqt unhein sahi laga isliye kiya! Warna woh humaare saath kabhi aisa nahi karte! Humse jabardasti shaadi karne ki kabhi koshish nahi karte! (Whatever Arnavji did, he did it because at that moment he thought he was doing the right thing! Or else he would have never done such a thing with me! He would have never tried to forcefully marry me!)"

Maan could not believe what he was hearing. Zabardasti ki shaadi? My sister was forced to marry Arnav? Arnav forced her to marry him?

Khush continued to spill the beans, "Woh aur unke ghar waale bahut achche hain! Lekin bas haalaat kuch aise ban gaye the! Bhaiyya! Hum aapke saamne haath jodte hain! Arnavji ko kuch mat keejiye... (He and his family are really good! Its just situation that became like this! Bhaiyya! I fold my hands in front of you! Don't do anything to Arnavji...)"

Khushi would have continued to babble if Geet hadn't asked outright, "Gharwaale? Gharwaalon ne kya kiya? Aur yeh zabardasti ki shaadi ka kya matlab hai? (Family? What did his family do? And what do you mean by forceful marriage?)"

Khushi froze. She looked from her Bhabhi to her Bhaiyya taking in their horrified expressions. That's when she realized that they didn't know anything. They were talking about something else and she had assumed things. And now because of her, the truth behind her marriage was going to come out. Hey Devi Maiyya!

Khuhsi stumbled back in shock. Maan raised his hand to grab her but Khushi continued to step back. She hit the wall and slid down. Hey Devi Maiyya! Yeh humne kya kar diya? Yeh humse kya hogaya? (What have I done? What has happened?)

Maan surged forward and went down on his knees in front of his sister. He grabbed her forearms tightly, "Khushi! What the hell were you blabbering right now? What did you mean by jabardasti ki shaadi?"

Khushi shook her head vigorously, "Kk...kkk... kuch nahi! Hum toh bas aise hi... (N.nnn...nothing! I was just...)"

"Jhoot mat bolo Khushi! (Don't lie Khushi!)", Geet spoke up as she kneeled by her Nanad too.

"Jhoot? Hum kahan jhoot bole? Aap baat ko kahaan se kahaan le jaa rahe ho! (Lie? When did I lie? You are the one taking the matter from here to there!)", Khushi's eyes wildly swung upon everywhere not meeting Maan or Geet's eyes.

"Khushi!", Maan growled as his hands tightened its grip. Khushi winced and Geet noticed it. She grabbed Maan's hands and when he looked at her, she glanced at his hands and then shook her head. Maan realized what he was doing and pulled away. He was hurting his sister in anger! How could he! Maan stood up and walked few steps away. He carded his fingers through his hair in frustration. Geet continued to look at Khushi who simply stared at a distance, the tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked. Suddenly Maan turned, "Khushi! Why are you lying to us? We are your family! We have every right to know the truth! Please let us know what is wrong! Humein bataaogi nahi toh hum use theek kaise karenge? (If you didn't tell us, then how will we make everything right?)"

Khushi finally looked up and Maan sucked in a sharp breath at the anguish in her eyes, "Kuch theek nahi ho sakta Bhaiyya! Kuch nahi! (Nothing can be made right! Nothing!)"

"Kyun nahi? I will sort out everything! Main tumhara bada Bhai hun! (I am your big brother!) Tell me what Arnav did! I will not spare him I swear!", Maan growled, his eyes wide and raging in anger, his body language aggressive. Khushi took in his pose and looked down sadly. Aur yahi toh hum nahi chaahte! Hum koi ladaai nahi chaahte humaari wajah se! Hum kisi ko takleef nahi dena chaahte! (And that's what I don't want! I don't want any fight happening on my behest! I don't want to trouble anyone!) She hugged her knees to her chest and placed her forehead on her arms. She closed her eyes hoping that everything would become right.

Geet sighed. It seems Maan's aggressive tactics are not working here. I will have to try some other way to make Khushi talk. She calmly got up and sat beside Khushi, adopting her pose but with her head up and looking at Maan. Maan who was standing by the door, with frustration on his face looked at Geet with hope. He was hoping that Geet would be able to get his little sister talking.

"Khushi!", a soft voice called upon her and Khushi looked up. She turned sideways and saw her Bhabhi looking at her calmly. Geet smiled gently, "Dekho! Tumhein kuch nahi bataana hai yeh hum samajh rahe hain! Lekin tumhein bhi humein samajhna hoga. Hum bas tumhein khush dekhna chaahte hain! Aur agar tu khush nahi hai toh hum uss situation ko theek karna chaahte hain! (Look! You don't want to tell us anything, we understand that! But you also have to understand us! We just want to see you happy! And if you are not happy, then we would like to fix the situation!)"

When Khushi remained unmoved, Geet tried another tactic, "Main tumhein ek kahaani sunaaun Khushi? (Can I tell you a story?)" Without waiting for Khushi to reply, Geet continued, "Ek mahal mein ek Rajkumari rehti thi, apne Bhai Raja, apni Ma Rajmata aur apne Bhatije Rajkumar ke saath! Ek din use pyaar hua lekin uske Bhai ko woh rishta manjoor nahi tha! Raja ko woh ladka ek aankh na bhaaya! Aur uska parivar toh bahut pichda hua laga! Lekin Rajkumari na maani! Lad padi Raja se! Aur ek din woh rajkumari ghar chodke chali gayi aur apne pyaar aur uske parivar ke saath ghar basa liya! Raja ne bhi usse saare naate tod diye! (In a Castle, there lived a Princess with her brother the King, her mother the Queen Mother and her nephew the Prince! One day she fell in love but her brother was not happy with this relationship. The King did not like boy at all! And the boy's family was old fashioned too! But Princess did not agree with him! She quarreled with him! And one day she left the house, broke all the bonds with her family and married the boy! The King also disowned her!)"

Maan looked at Geet with wide eyes. He knew exactly what story she was narrating. Khushi was curious now and was listening to Geet with concentration. Bhabhi humein yeh kahani kyun suna rahi hai? (Why is Bhabhi narrating this story to me?)

Geet didn't acknowledge either of their expressions and continued with the tale, "Kuch mahino baad uss rajkumari ko ladki hui aur woh bahut khush thi! Lekin tab use apne parivar ka sach maaloom pada! Uske pati ke parivar mein betiyon ko maar diya jaata tha! Mar gayi Rajkumari ki beti! Tab Rajkumari ko pata chala Raja kitna sahi tha! Lekin ab woh kis mooh se Raja ke paas jaati isliye woh chup chaap sab sehti rahi! Kuch mahino baad uski ek aur beti hui lekin use bhi maar diya gaya! Jab Rajkumari ko teesri beti hui tab Rajkumari ne uski jaan bachaane ki thaan li aur apni beti ko lekar bhaag gayi! (Few months later the Princess had a daughter and she was very happy! That's when she came to know the truth behind her new family! In her husband's family, girl child was always murdered! The Princess's daughter died! That's when Princess realized how right the King was! But now with what face would she go and face the King, so she quietly bore everything. Few months later, she had another daughter and this daughter was murdered too! When the Princess gave birth to third daughter, she decided to save the child's life and grabbing her daughter, she ran away!)"

There was silence in the room. Khushi looked at Geet in wonder wanting to know more about what happened to the Rajkumari. Geet turned towards Khushi and smiled at her, "Woh Rajkumari tumhaari Ma thi. Aur tum woh teesri beti ho! (That Princess was your mother and you are the third child!)" Khushi's eyes widened and she looked at Maan in shock. When her brother nodded his head, confirming the story, Khushi's eyes filled with tears again and started to flow down.

Geet spoke up, "Kal jab tum Maan ko mili, tab Maan ne kasam khaa li ki woh har mushkil se tumhein bachaayenge aur jab tumhein unki ki jaroorat woh tumhein sahaara bhi denge! (Yesterday when you met Maan, Maan swore at that time that he will keep you away from every type of trouble and whenever you need him, he will support you!)" Geet suddenly grabbed Khushi's hand and placed it on her head, "Tumhein meri kasam Khushi! Tumhein humein sach bataana hoga! (Swear upon me Khushi! You have let us know the truth!)" When Khushi started to shake her head, Geet continued, "Khushi! Hum tumhaare parivar waale hain! Tumhein har musibat se bachaana humaara kaam hai! Tumhein humse chupaane ki jaroorat nahi! Tumhein humaare saamne strong rehne ki jaroorat nahi! Parivar hoti hai tumhaare saath khade rehne ke liye aur tumhaara dard baantne ke liye! Nikaalo apne saare dard aur kardo apna dil halka! Humein banne do tumhaara sahaara aur tumhaari taaqat! Samet lene do humein tumhaare dard ko! Let it out Khushi! Let it out! (Khushi! We are your family! Saving you from trouble is our duty! You don't have to hide it from us! You don't have to remain strong in front of us! Family is there to stand with you and to share in your sorrows! Let all your pain out and let your heart be lightened! Let us become your support and your strength! Let us swallow your pain! Let it out Khushi! Let it out!)"

And with that Khushi broke down sobbing. She was tired. She was tired of being the strong one! Her whole life she was the strength on which others leaned upon. She was the shoulder to cry upon. Her family would lament at their fate and she was the one who would stand strong and cheer them up with her optimism. But she was tired! She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't bottle her feelings, her pain, her hurt and paste a smile on her face anymore. She lunged into Geet's arms and Geet hugged her and let her sob. For few seconds, Khushi's sobs echoed in the room and then inbetween the sobs she slowly started narrating the story. She told Maan and Geet about her's and Arnav's first meet and him insulting her. Maan took in a sharp breath at that and would have started raging in anger if it hadn't been for Geet's glare. She stopped him right away as she knew that if Maan gave in to his ranting right now, Khushi would shut up and lock down her emotions again. Bahut mushkil se Khushi apne dil ki baatein baahar zaahir kar rahi hain! Abhi ise rokenge toh yeh phir kabhi apne dil ka haal nahi bataayegi! (It took a lot for Khushi to let her feelings out! If we interrupted now, she will shut down and never let it out again!)

Khushi continued to narrate the story and it took all Maan and Geet's willpower not to react to Khushi's words. The way she met Arnav, the way her sister's wedding got cancelled, the way Arnav ruined her reputation in Lucknow, how Shyam entered her life, how she entered AR and then entered ASR's house Shantivan. From the first meet to marriage and them leaving the house and coming here, Khushi didn't leave anything out. As she finished her narration, she continued to sob on Geet's shoulders. She felt peace wash over her. She had let her family know! She was not hiding things from them and lying to them anymore! She had come clean! She felt lightness inside her and she let out a deep sigh of relief.

But Khushi didn't notice how Geet was looking at Maan in shock or Maan looking at Khushi and Geet with anger. And she also didn't know that right at that moment Arnav had arrived at the doors of Khurana Mansion. And she definitely didn't know that her life was going to turn upside down in next few minutes!

Next up, Aatli Baatli Phootli! The secret is out!

Arshi's marriage story and Arnav's treatment of her has come out in front of Maaneet!

OMG! Now what will happen to these newly married couple and their fledgling love?

For that you will have to wait for the next update!

Now before you kill me for this twist, remember love is not easy. There will be lots of twists and turns before Arshi get together!

Hope you remain with me throughout this journey where end result is a proper romance, proper proposal and typical Indian wedding for Arshi!

See you!

Thank you, take care and have fun,

Kalpana