Khushi was quiet in the car, very unlike herself. Arnav kept looking at her and she was staring outside the window into the darkness. It was a beautiful full moon night and the stars were shining brightly. I should ask her about Shyam, beg her forgiveness for what I did to her, give her a chance to explain what happened. He looked at Khushi again and saw that she was wiping a tear off her face. Khushi was confused ' she didn't want to trust Shyam, but his words were echoing in her mind ' "saale saab ka pyaar sirf dikhawa hain (Arnav's love is just pretense)".. Don't trust him, Khushi.. Arnav loves you.. she closed her eyes.. she couldn't take it anymore. Should I ask him about it? She wiped a tear off her face and looked at Arnav. Their eyes met; his eyes were filled with concern for her.. and her eyes, Arnav noticed, were scared.
Arnav stopped the car on a riverbank. It was beautiful, the night was quiet, there were no houses in sight, just trees and a beautiful valley on the other side of the river, with mountains in the horizon. As they got out, two deer ran past them into the woods. Khushi hugged herself, as she felt a cold breeze on her. Arnav took a thermos and casserole from inside the car. He took out some plastic cups and a plate, put it on the hood of the car, poured hot tea into the cups and took out some pakoda from the casserole and put it on the plate. He took one pakoda and fed Khushi. She bit into it and then turned her face and stared into the horizon.
"Khushi.. main.. (Khushi. I)", Arnav started walking towards the river. "Main tumse kuch kehna chaahta hoon. Mujhe Shyam aur tumhare sagai ke baare main pata hain (I wanted to tell you something. I know about Shyam and your engagement)". Khushi was shocked, she held on to the car because she thought she will faint. He turned and walked towards her. "Par main tumhare mooh se sab sunna chahta hoon.. kya hua tha tumhare beech main.. sab sach batana.. no more secrets.. tell me dammit, batao (But I want to hear everything from you. What happened between you. Tell me the truth. No more secrets)". He grabbed her arms and shook her angrily. She stared at him, scared and tears rolled down her cheek. Arnav loosened his grip and took a step back. Khushi turned away from him. "Kya sunna chahte hain aap.. yeh ki aapke wajay se Shyamji humare zindagi main aaye the.. aur aap ke wajay se main sab sehti rahi.. aapse kuch nahi kaha.. sab sehti rahi kyunki Di maa banne wali thi (What do you want to hear? That Shyam came into my life because of you? That I suffered everything for you? I never told you anything. I suffered everything because Di was pregnant?)" She started from the beginning, how Shyam had saved her from the goons after they tried to attack her once the Lucknow fashion show footage was released, how he had gotten her the job in AR, how he moved into their house, how they got engaged, how she found out that he was Anjali's husband and how she broke off the engagement. Arnav's knees gave away and he sat down on the ground on his knees.. shocked at what he heard. He was the reason Shyam came into Khushi's life. He looked at her, she was leaning against the car and crying. He went up to her and took her in his arms. "Shhh.. Khushi, ro mat.. ab sab kuch theek hai.. main hoon na yahan tumhare saat (Khushi, dont cry. Everything is fine now. I am here with you)".
Khushi looked up, her eyes red and filled with anger. "Par aapko kaise pata chala..(but how did you find out?)" Arnav left her arms, shocked. Should I tell her the truth? What if she leaves me.. He turned around, unable to face her. Dammit, I told her earlier not to keep secrets from me and now I want to keep secrets from her? He closed his eyes and told her what had happened the night of the wedding. How he had decided to talk to her and followed her to the terrace and seen her with Shyam, what he had heard her say. Khushi was shocked and she leaned against the car unable to believe what she had heard. No wonder he thought she was having an affair with him. "Bas keejiye (Stop it)", she yelled. The world was quiet, except for the sound of the river. "Aur aapne ek baar bhi humaare bare main nahi socha.. jo hum aapke liye mehzooz kar rahi thi.. jo pyaar.. aur aapne Shyamji ki baat maan li ki main usse pyaar karti thi..(And you never wondered about me? What I felt for you? The love. and you believed Shyam when he said that I loved him?)" Arnav was shocked now, so she did know.. "Mujhe kaise pata chala, yeh poochna chahte hain na aap.. abhi abhi jab Shyamji ne mujhe bataya, mujhe vishwas hi nahi hua tha.. ki aap... aap to mujhse pyaar karte the na.. aur phir bhi kisi aur pe kaise vishwas kiya aapne.. (You are wondering how I got to know about this? When Shyam told me earlier today, I didnt believe it.. that you.. you loved me right? and still you trusted someone else?)"
She walked towards him and caught hold of his arms, shook him. His face had no expression. She put her head on his chest and started crying. Then she looked up at him, "aapko pata hain, uss din Shyamji se takraane ke baad main aapko dhoond rahi thi, aapko Shyamji ki bare main batane ke liye, par tab suna ki Di maa banne waali thi. tab humne faisla kiya ki hume aapko batana nahi chahiye.. uske pehle bhi hume batana chaahiye tha, par main aapko dhuk dena nahi chahti thi.. aapke di aapke zindagi hein.. main kaise (Do you know? That night after my confrontation with Shyam, I was looking for you to tell you about him. But then I heard that Di was pregnant. Then I decided that I wont tell you. I did try to tell you earlier, but then I didnt want to upset you because your Di was your life.. how could i?)" Tears rolled down Arnav's cheeks.. he couldn't believe it. She did it all for him, so that he didn't have to worry. She saved his sister's marriage and suffered everything and he.. what did he do? He forced her to marry him and then insulted her, gave her pain everyday. He stepped back, shocked. "Khushi, main.. main.. (Khushi.. I.. I)" He didn't know what to do. He walked to a nearby tree, started banging his fist on the bark and then put his head against the bank and started crying. "Khushi, main tumhare pyaar ki layak nahi hoon.. jo maine tumhare saat kiya..(Khushi.. I don't deserve your love.. what I did to you)" He turned and ran back to her, got on his knees, put his arms around her waist and cried with his face against her stomach. "Tum jo bhi saza dena chahti ho.. mujhe manzoor hain..(I am ok with any punishment that you want to give me)"
Khushi couldn't see him in such pain. "Main aapko kya saza doon Arnavji.. aapko saza aapka beta dega (What punishment could I give you, Arnav.. your child will punish you), ". She said, running her hands through his hair. Arnav confused, looked at her. She got down on her knees.. tears running down her cheeks. "Aapko pata hain, ki doctor ne aaj kya kaha.. ki main maa banne waali hoon (Do you know what the doctor told me today? that I am pregnant)". Arnav couldn't believe his ears. rabba ve. .His tear-covered face was filled with joy. He hugged her and kissed her face and her hair multiple times. He touched her tummy and then kissed her forehead. "Mujhe.. mujhe vishwas nahi ..(I.. I don't believe it)" He hugged her again.. "Khushi, " he said, sobbing as he hugged her.. "main tumse wada karta hoon ki main tumhe aur dukh nahi denge.. main tumhe hamesha pyar karoongi.. jo maine tumhare saat kiya, uske baad shaayad koyi mujhe maaf nahi kar sakte.. par tum Khushi (I promise you that I will never make you sad again.. I will always love you. After what I did to you, no one would forgive me.. but you, Khushi)", he couldn't believe that she had forgiven him. She wiped his tears, took his hands in her hands and put it against her chest. "Arnavji, main aapka dard samajh sakti hoon.. aapne jo kiya aapke di ke liye kiya.. main aapke jaga hoti toh main bhi aise hi karti.. aapse shaadi bhi apne jiji ke liye hi kiya tha na maine (Arnav, I can understand your pain. Whatever you did you did it for your di. If I was in your position, I would have done the same. I married you for my sister's sake too, remember?)". He remembered how he had forced her to marry him and he remembered how her family had disowned her after it happened. I have to clear Khushi's name, right now!!!
Arnav opened the door and asked her to get in. He got back in the car and started driving back to Delhi.
Part 12: Khushi's family learns the truth (https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/55887317)
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