Part 1
Khushi stepped out of the room. She felt hungry and thought she should go to kitchen to make jalebis. Life now would be very tough for her but she had to try. She had to make her place in this home. She sat at the dining table eating jalebis when she suddenly realized that she was sitting on his chair. This is where he used to sit eating his dinner and watching her while she worked in the kitchen but she always ignored him. Her eyes turned moist. Just then her mother in law came out and saw her.
"How dare u come here and sit where he sat?? You have destroyed all the happiness of this house and u have the guts to just sit here calmly and eat?!! HP!..HP! Come here and throw this piece of trash out!! I don't want to see her face in my home!!" Manorama shouted.
Anjali came running out. "Mom! Mom please control yourself. Why are u shouting u know this will only make u sick" she said trying to calm her mother down.
"Throw her out she has sent my son to jail! How can she live here in luxury while my son…" manorama started crying. Hearing all this noise Mahindera Raizada came out.
"Control yourself mano. You know ur an asthma patient u will get sick"
"I don't want to see this woman's face ever..if u want me to be ok then throw her out! 5 years?? My god how will I live 5 years without my son??"
Khushi could not take it anymore. She went to her room but she could still hear her mother in law shouting. Tears started pouring from her eyes.
What will you do now Khushi? She asked herself. Where will you go when ur thrown out of here?? How will you live?
"Will you wait for me?" arnav's voice whispered in her memory
"What have you done Arnav Singh Raizada?" Khushi whispered.
Manorama aunty was still shouting. She cannot remain in this house only by the support of Mahindera uncle. He was the only one who has accepted her in this house.
FLASHBACK
Khushi was standing at the poolside lost in her thoughts. There was a strange sense of peace here which she did not have in any other part of the house even in her room. She has always loved plants. Back home her babuji used to tease her that she cared more for her plants than him. Ahh babuji..just thinking of him was enough to break this little wall of strength she has erected for herself. Suddenly she felt someone's arms encircling her from behind.
"My plants are luckier than me. At least they get your attention". Arnav nibbled playfully in her ear.
Khushi squirmed trying to get out of his hold.
"Arnav don't cross your limits" she warned.
"You are very cruel Khushi you don't let me be happy even for one minute" he said grumpily.
Khushi did not answer. She turned to go but Arnav held her hand.
"Why did you take off your ring?"
"Cause I wanted to".
"Hmm now I want to do something.." he smirked and looking in her eyes came forward. She could see all the love in the world shining in his eyes.
FLASHBACK ENDS
"Arnav!!" Khushi sat up. She looked around and realized that she had dozed off. Her eyes teared up.
"Why did you do this? You destroyed my life, my home, my family. My babuji..my babuji.." she started crying hysterically. "I can't forgive you even if I want to. Nothing is left for me. Why did I had to pay for your sins?"
Khushi remembered her early days in this house. Everyone hated her obviously. Firstly because she was arnav's wife who was an arrogant, rude, and cruel and devil may care person. Who thought that he could everything in life even if he has to snatch it from others. Everyone valued their respect so no one in the house talked to him except for his mother. And secondly because she had got married to him without anybody's permission and presence. They had eloped and Raizada family were strict in their morals so they did not accept her which was ironic, Khushi thought, as their son did not have any moral quality in himself. Fate had really played a cruel joke on her. She did not even want to get married to him and she had been paying for a crime she did not even want to commit. Khushi always had an ideal in her mind. Someone like her babuji, calm and collected and most of all respectful and Arnav Singh Raizada was far from it.
Someone knocked on the door and Khushi came out of her thoughts. It was HP.
"Khushi mam here is your dinner. Baray sahib is saying that till bari malkin does not get well you should stay in your room".
Khushi was silent. So she was bound now and that too in a home where she never wanted to come in the first place. Her self-respect had been shattered. How did it happen? She asked herself. How did I end up like this? Her life had changed the moment Arnav walked in her home and he…
No. Khushi stopped herself. She would not think about that night. And she would not spend the rest of her life feeling guilty for nothing. "I have spent the last two years trying to understand these people and make them accept me but not anymore. I won't let them rule my life. I will fulfill babuji's dreams. Mr Arnav singh Raizada you have already destroyed me enough. You are the cause of my father's death. I won't waste any more tears on you"
It was time to talk to Mahindera uncle.
"May I come in beta?" Khushi looked up. It was Mahindera uncle.
"Yes uncle please do. I was just coming to talk to u"
"Beta are u ok? Actually your aunty was not feeling well so I thought it better if you don't come in front of her. After all Arnav is her son."
Khushi wanted to say that she was someone's daughter too but held her tongue.
"Don't worry Khushi. I am sure that when Arnav comes back everything will be alright. He will make everything alright. So if u want anything do tell me ok?" saying this he got up to leave.
"One minute uncle" Khushi stopped him.
"Yes beta you wanted to say something?"
"Uncle I want to do a job. I have done M.Sc in physics and I always wanted to be a professor like my father."
"But Khushi.."
"Please uncle. I need to do this."
"Ok. I will talk to Arnav about it." He really pitied this girl whose life had been torn apart by his son's thoughtless action.
"Uncle I don't need his permission." Khushi said stubbornly.
"I know but he has given your responsibility to me and I promised him that I will take care of you and keep him informed about you."
"Ok.." Khushi thought it best to leave it like this.
When Mahindera came back to his room manorama was waiting for him.
"What happened? Did you tell her she has to go from here?"
"Manorama please be sensible. Where will she go?"
"She can go to her parents house."
"Her mother died when she was young and her father died of a heart attack before her wedding. She does not have a home."
"No relatives?" manorama pressed.
"No. What your son did with her after that no one wants to see her face." He said angrily.
"My Arnav did not do anything. Tell her to leave. I don't want her here."
"I will see what I can do" Mahindera said resignedly.
CID
723