*None of my work can be copied without explicit written permission from me. It's not polite to steal ideas.*
Writer's note: Okay, this is going to spill over to another part I think 😆 but I don't see anyone complaining do I?
This is part 2! Arnav's perspective!
What does a man do when the broken shards of a tragic past make him bleed again in the present? What does he do when the truth threatens to destroy the happiness that he deserves? What does he do when his exterior of rigidness that he has built up so laboriously seems to crumble in front of his own eyes? What does he do when he has to choose between a burning hatred brimming inside him for the past 14 years for the woman who destroyed everything, and the undisputable love permeating his very soul in the last 14 months for the woman who had become his reason for living?
Arnav is breathing. Yes his mind can process that. What it can't process is the numbness slowly spreading in his body as anger builds up inside him. What it can't process is his stupidity to have trusted THAT woman blindly for so long. What it can't process is how long has he been standing still in his grandmother's room fighting the demons of his past. What it can't process is that there is a beautiful bride waiting for him downstairs to put a garland around his neck as his brothers playfully pick him up.
Arnav Singh Raizada clenches his fist, his jaw line as rigid as the decision now forming in his mind. He walks out of the room, his body reclaiming the sense of calm that had fled the moment Dadi had uttered those words to him. "Garima is the reason your mother ended her life... She is the woman who had the affair with your father... Knowing all this, will you still marry Khushi?" He walked down the stairs to the venue with bold, confident strides. He knows what he needs to do.
He looks at the members of his family, all looking at him with perplexed expressions, obviously ignorant about the proceedings of the evening. Anjali immediately starts asking him questions but he ignores her. His eyes seek out Garima, who is standing at the end of the room, trembling under his cold gaze. The whispered conversations are muted in the background, the social hyenas eagerly awaiting the next morsel of scandal. He slowly walks up to her.
"Aapko apni safai mein kuch kehna hai? (Do you have anything to say in your defence?)" he says bluntly, waves of hatred emanating from every inch of his body. Garima's eyes widen. Her gaze drifts to the face of Subhadra Devi whose face bears a blend of a look of maddening superiority and a gloating triumph. And suddenly, Garima knows the exact context of his question. She bows her head in defeat.
"Hum nahin jante the ki woh shaadi shuda hain,(I didn't know he was a married man,) Arnav bitwa -"
"Mujhe bete kehne ka haq maine tumko nahin diya hai (I've not given you the right to call me son)," Arnav seethes, his eyes blazing with rage. Garima stands rooted to the spot. "Aaj ke baad se, tumhara iss parivar se koi rishta nahin hai. Samjheen tum? (From today onwards, you don't have any ties to this family. Do you understand me?)" he glares. "Nikal jao iss ghar se (get out of this house)," he continues venomously. "I SAID, GET OUT!!" he yells.
Garima flinches at his outburst. She stares at Arnav for a moment and then, her head bowed in resignation, she slowly wheels her husband out of the Raizada House. The entire Raizada clan is shell shocked while observing this exchange. Finally Buaji and Payal find their feet and clamber towards Garima and Shashi, calling out to them to stop. Arnav stands rigidly still, observing the events with detached, expressionless eyes.
"Kisi aur ko bhi uss aurat ke saath jana hai, to ja sakta hai (anyone supporting this woman is welcome to leave as well)," he whispers but his words are loud enough to carry all through the house. Payal stops in her tracks. She knows this comment is directed towards her. Arnav doesn't spare another minute thinking of them and turns to his family.
He studies the face of each of his family members, a shocked Nani, a perplexed Anjali, a confused Mami, a hurt Aakash, a confused NK, a happy Dadi... He looks away from her, as the bile rises in his throat seeing her victorious stance. She may have been on his side and told him the truth, but that doesn't stop him feeling angry with her as well. His gaze unwittingly falls on the mandap. He stands still for a moment, as if his mind is slowly registering what he is seeing - the garland of flowers, kept on his wooden seat. A cold shiver runs down his spine.
"Khushi kahan hai? (Where is Khushi?)" his words are full of alarm. The joyful look fades from Dadi's face as disbelief replaces it. He was still asking for her? "Maine poocha, Khushi KAHAN HAI? (I asked where is Khushi?)" the tone of his voice changes to desperation, his eyes wandering around the hall searching for her.
"Khushi chali gai Arnav (Khushi left Arnav)," Dadi declares. "Aur jate jate, ye chod gayi. (And she left back these)" She holds up two kangans for him to see. Even in the distance, as the stones set in the beautiful kangans glint against the light, Arnav immediately recognizes them. The Raizada kangans; his mother's kangans... His feet suddenly feel liquid like and he staggers against one of the frames of the mandap to support his weight. Aakash and NK quickly rush to his side, taken aback at this sudden change in their brother's demeanor. Arnav reels with the impact of the realisation. Khushi chali gai...She left... Khushi left...
NEXT CHAPTER (click)
Edited by smitzy - 12 years ago
Cricket
Indian Mythology
10