OS:END OF DAYS

The end of days.

The end of their life together...the day which she thought she should look forward to as an escape route from him...but now that it was here , she could not define why she felt like she was leaving herself behind here.

With him. Her husband.

Khushi would leave herself behind as there would be no more joy in her anymore... no khushi...would it be she who would step out of shantivan's palatial portals and out of the quarters which held the people whom she loved? Where he resided?

But she could not stay.

He had brought her back for the 10 days and kept her with him. But now contractually she had to go.

He had screamed again at her yesterday. An outburst in the ASR persona she knew so well. But strangely it was exposing arnav through it.

"arnavji the contract ended...i'll be leaving tomorrow."

"contract ,contract, contract!! Dammit khushi why will you let our marriage end like this? Kyun tum iss bloody contract ko nahi bhool pa rahi ho? Tum.."

She cut across him "bhool hi to gaye the hum, galti ho gayi. Par apne yaad dila diya."

And went back to packing.

The gifts of her in laws were to be left behind. The gifts he gave her...the bag she ruined, the saree, she was leaving them behind.

Her sindoor, his ma's bangles were being left behind. Her mangalsutra was being left behind.

"what are you doing khushi?"he had shouted furious when he saw them being removed from their designated places for 6 months as a mark of being mrs. Arnav singh raizada."how dare you remove them? They are yours...i gave them to you, we're married and anyway...di says that a married woman should not remove the auspicious signs of her suhaag. Par tum..."

"but its midnight arnavji...6 months are over...i am not married anymore to you. These are...should be your wife's. Ab ye mere nahi rahe"

He shook her roughly by her shoulders, his voice rough" khushi you know that main arnav singh raizada hoon. Agar main tumhe chahoon to tum kabhi bhi mujhse door nahi ja paaogi. Tumhe yahan rakhne ke liye main kuchbhi..."

"hamare gharwalo ko chot pohuchayenge na? You would hold the ones i love most as hostages? Mere amma bauji, buaji ko ghar se nikal denge...ya jiji ki shaadi tor denge? Ya phir hume ..."

"no khushi! i am not playing any games anymore. I don't want to harm any of your family...nahi tumhe. Hang it khushi...they are important to me. maine vo sab kyun kaha tha tumhe pata hain, pehle tumse shaadi karne ke liye aur phir next time tumhe ghar wapas lane ke liye. But khushi...i want you to stay here..."

"kyun arnavji? Contract to khatam ho gaya...ab kyun chahte hain aap ki hum aapke saath rahe?" she enquired.

"aur hamari shaadi? Vo khatam? hamara rishta? Kya yeh sab bhula dena tumhare liye itna easy hoga? His eyes were no more of ASR. Her arnavji was desperate. She saw it...but she had had enough.

"jo shuru hi nahi hua tha vo khatam kya hoga arnavji? Koi rishta nahi tha , ek contract marriage tha jo ab khatam ho gaya.aur..."

Arnav now moved in on her...his eyes...pleading almost "tum meri biwi ho khushi"

Raizada mansion watched in silence as khushi kumara gupta singh raizada...mrs. arnav singh raizada moved towards the door. "khush rahiyega aap sab" she smiled.

Anjali was crying..she knew her chhote loved this girl...nani was crying...maami was crying. Payal and aakash clung together. Buaji and amma stood waiting for their daughter...they would always take her in, thought arnav...like they had taken her in when she bad been orphaned.

Arnav stood clutching the railing looking down numb, as his love went away from him.

He had told them every thing yesterday...how he had forced her into a contract marriage ..how he threatened her with payal...and then with them...everything he had not wanted to..when he saw that he had no other means...to keep her back...he had hoped her family...in the name of honour may force her to carry on with the marriage especially since he had added at the end , eagerly...that he wanted her to be his wife forever. buaji and amma looked disbelivingly at him.

"nahi arnav babu...aap humari beti ko leke sauda kar chuke hain...hum sochat rahe ki aap ooka pyar karat ho...par aapko hum hamare beti naahi denge." Buaji calmly told him...her favourite daamadji...her arnav babua."madhumati abhi bhi apne bhatiji ko samhaal sakat hain...aapki kono jarurat nah ain."

Payal only said" chali jaao khushi...tum ne bahout dukh jhele humare liye...tumhe isse bahut behtar pati milna chahiye tha. Hame maaf kardo" she could not take anymore and ran away.

Khushi was going.

Her last words came hammering onto his senses.

"khushi mat jao...hum contract marriage nahi , kya hum normally nahi rah sakte? Tum meri biwi banke...mere saath..?"

"aapko hum jaise hazaron ladkiyan mil jayenge...humse behtar ladkiyan...di bhi khush rahegi.hume jaana hain" she said firmly.

"par tum meri parwa karti hon khushi...mujhse pyar karti hon...i know you do...stop lying to yourself and to me. Tumhe fark padta hain..."

"par aapko to in 10 din ke baad kya hota hain isse koi fark nahi padta hain na?waise bhi aapko to humse milna hi nahi chahiye tha..."

He made a last try."vo to maine gusse main keh diya tha. khushi mere paas wapas aa jao...you'll be my wife...mrs. arnav singh raizada...i will keep you happy forever , vada...anything you want will be yours...just stay back"

"khareedi huyi biwi?pyar bhi koi business deal hai kya?" she smiled and turned away.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arnav's hands jerked on the railing he made as if to stop her. Almost simultaneously as if she had felt him...from that distance...she turned back looking directly at him, and again smiled...a smile arnav knew would haunt him...because he had seen that same smile...bought it ordered it...but never had incited or caused it to break out. it was more pathetic than bleeding heart she was hiding. Their eyes spoke their last to each other.

tum nahi rah paaogi khushi. he thought, broken"i know i have sinned against you...bahut bura kiya...main bura hoon bahut...but iss bure aadmi se tum pyar karti ho. Tum wapas aaogi...mere paas ...mera pyar layega tumhe."

Kaash aap humara dil dekh lete arnavji...par apne ...sirf hume sone ki cage me bandh karne ki koshish ki...hume jaana hoga...aapse door...its too late.

Khushi gupta stepped out...she had ajob in a restaurant now...to support her family.

Khushi kumara gupta singh raizada remained behind...her heart after all was her husband's. And where your heart is there will your treasure be also.

have been off sometime now.how was it guys? pretty please read and review😆😳😳😳😳