*None of my work can be copied without explicit written permission from me. It's not polite to steal ideas.*
Writer's note: Heya people! How's everyone doing? I see from the comments that some new people have joined the readership of this FF. Thank you very much! I hope I see you hang around till the end 😊
I made a VM which shows the story till now. Especially the chapters 13, 14 and 15. It shows some spoilers for the upcoming chapters as well 😉 not EXACT spoilers but I picked up the scenes which were close. Please do let me know what you thought about the VM too.
Scroll down for the english version.
Enjoy!
Khushi and Payal are standing behind the sofa where Garima is seated. Both of them are staring at Arnav with dumbstruck expressions. Garima's eyes have widened in utter shock as she stares at Arnav kneeling before her. She steals her gaze to look at Nani to confirm what she heard was right. Nani smiles and nods at her reassuringly.
"Yii aap kaa kahat rahe Arnav bitwa-" Garima says but Arnav stops her.
"Aunty, kuch dino pehle maine kuch na kehne ki aur aapse baat na karne ki bahut badi galti ki thi. Ek aisi galti, jiski wajah se bahut logon ka dil toota tha," Arnav says and pauses to look back at the two sisters, his gaze lingering a little longer on Khushi. Then he looks back at Garima. "Par aaj hum sab ko, aapse us galti ke liye maafi maangni hai, aur khaas kar mujhe."
"Pehle aap zameen se uthiye aur kursi par baithiye," Garima gently holds Arnav's shoulders with both her hands and makes him sit on the seat next to her. She withdraws her hands from his arms but Arnav immediately holds them in his. Garima looks at him, unsure of where this was heading. Arnav bows his head and remains silent for a moment, thinking how best to frame the next words coming out of his mouth.
"Pichle 14 saalon se, humara poora parivar ek jhooth ko sach maan kar jeeta aaya hai. Wohi sach to aapko 14 saal pehle hi pata tha," Arnav pauses, "aur wohi sach jo aapne Khushi ko bhi bataya tha." Arnav's eyes meet Khushi's confused ones for a moment, and then he looks back at Garima. "Mujhe kehte hue sharam aati hai, ki mere hi parivar ki sabse badi member hote hue bhi, meri Dadi ne hum sab se na sirf aapka sach chupaya, par shaadi ki raat ko unhone aapke naam par mere dimag aur poison bhar diya." All three Gupta ladies let out audible gasps. Garima stares at Arnav, the meaning of his words seeping into her mind.
"Dadi apne bete ki galtiyon ko hamesha dabaye rakhna chahti thi," Arnav resumes. "Isiliye unhone hum sabse ye kaha ki aapne uss... uss insaan ko..." Garima understands that he is trying to refer to his father. "... aapne fasaya tha, kyunki aap unki daulat ke peeche padi thi." Khushi's eyes widen and her palm flies up to her open mouth in shock. Amma ki koi itni badnaami kaise kar sakta hai? But Garima just shakes her head sadly not at all looking surprised to hear Arnav's words.
"Woo 14 saal pehle bhi wohi sochat rahi, Arnav bitwa," Garima replies with sadness in her voice. Khushi takes in an impulsive step towards her mother to try to comfort her, but Payal holds her back and shakes her head. She knows this conversation needs to be completed between Arnav and their mother. Arnav lets out a sigh.
"Dadi ko kabhi apne bete ki galtiyan nazar hi nahi aayi. Na to uss time jab unhone aapse jhooth keh kar aapse relationship banana chaha, aur na hi ab, jab mujhe unke bete ki saari sachai ka pata chal gaya," Arnav stops again, the memory of reading the diary and realising his father's follies resurfacing in his mind. Wiping it off determinedly, he ploughs on, "uss insaan ne na sirf aapko dhoke mein rakha, par usne hi meri Maa ki jaan bhi li."
Arnav pauses for a moment as emotions take control over his carefully preserved calmness and he feels a lump in his throat. Garima sees the change in his demeanour, she sees his shoulders slump at the mention of his mother and she realises the pain he is in. She squeezes Arnav's hand comfortingly. Surprised at her action, he looks up at her face to find kind eyes looking back at him. "Hum kabhi nahin chahat the ki aapke pita aapki Maa se door ho jayen. Isiliye jis din woo hume apne parivar ke bare mein bataye rahe, hum unhe apni patni ke paas laut jaane ko kahe rahe. Hum kabhi nahin chahat the ki aapka parivar toot jaye, Arnav bitwa, humka maaf kar diyo." Garima whispers, a lone tear slowly flowing down her cheek.
Arnav gently wipes her tear and says, "aaj sirf hum aapse maafi maangne aaye hain, yaad hai na Aunty?" he says trying to make light of the situation and Garima sobs and chuckles slightly. Tears start flowing down Khushi's face too as she watches Arnav comfort her Amma as she poured out the agony of her past.
Arnav clears his throat, and his face becomes serious once more. "Main janta hun ki maine aapko bahut hurt kiya hai Aunty. Us raat aapko kuch kehne ka chance nahin diya. Dadi ke jhooth ko aankh band karke sach maan liya. In sab baton ke liye main aapse maafi to maangna chahta hun, par sabse important baat," Arnav pauses. Garima looks up at him inquisitively. "pichle 14 saalon tak maine aapse anjaane mein jitni nafrat ki hai, kya uske liye aap mujhe maaf karengi?" Arnav withdraws his hands from Garima's and folds them in front of her again in an apologetic stance. She grabs hold of Arnav's hands pulling them down.
"Arnav bitwa-"
"Hum sab aapse maafi maangna chahat rahe Garimaji," Nani speaks up and she too folds her hands. Garima shakes her head in protest that an elder like Nani was folding her hands in front of her. "Itne bade jhooth ko maan liyat rahe hum, par ek baar aapse safai nahin maangat rahe. Humka maaf kari den, Garimaji." Garima stretches another arm towards Naniji and pulls down her hands too.
"Humse maafi maang ke aap humka sharminda naahi karein Nani ji. Aap to humse kitni badi hain." Garima says to Nani.
"Par hum to aapse chote hain. Hum to aapse maafi maang sakte hain na Garima Aunty," Anjali too speaks up, hardly able to hold the flood of emotions inside her any longer. Garima looks at each of the apologetic faces of the three Raizadas and begins feeling overwhelmed. She holds her face in her hands and bursts into tears. Khushi and Payal rush to their mother in alarm, to try and comfort her, but before they can reach her Arnav places his arm over Garima's shoulders, supporting her frame as she slowly rocks back and forth. He knows it is the anguish of every bit of pain she had wrongly been subjected to that was finally finding its release. Aakash wordlessly walks to a tearful Payal and holds her comfortingly in his arms.
Khushi stands rooted to the spot feeling absolutely numb as she took in whatever was happening around her. She wanted to be angry at Arnav for making his mother cry, but when she sees how he was apologizing to Amma, her anger dies down. She just stands at a distance and lets Arnav comfort her mother. She feels a supportive arm around her shoulders too, and turns in surprise to find NK standing next to her. A small smile breaks through her tears. Her best friend was back to support her. Arnav still doesn't let go of his hold around Garima's frame. Everybody was either crying or comforting some who was crying. An excess of emotions was flooding the entire house.
Finally after a long moment, Garima's crying dies down, to get replaced by soft sobs. Then she withdraws herself from Arnav's half embrace and wipes her tears. "Dekho Arnav bitwa, tumne to saare ghar ko hi rula diya," Garima says. Arnav smiles warmly at her.
"Ab jis ghar mein itni saari auratein hon, wahan rona dhona to hoga hi," Arnav replies back jokingly. Garima and Nani choke on their tears as they start laughing and everyone joins in. Anjali slaps Arnav on the back for such a bad joke and he merely shrugs his shoulders in reply. Then he turns to Garima, his eyes looking at her beseechingly, "Aunty? Kya aapne mujhe maaf kiya?" he asks her pleadingly.
Garima turns to look at the grown man who suddenly resembles a small boy apologising for his mistake. She smiles at him and lightly caresses his cheek. "Hum aapko maaf kiye rahe, Arnav bitwa." An overjoyed Anjali hugs Garima tightly. Nani nods her head at Mami and points towards Aakash and Payal standing behind Garima. Mami walks towards the couple.
"Uh... khoon bhari tang?" Mami starts off but pauses when she sees Aakash's mouth form a straight line hearing his mother use that nick name for his wife. "Humra matbal, Payal?" Payal slowly raises her head which she had been resting on Aakash's chest and looks at her mother-in-law with surprised eyes. As long as she could remember, she had never been addressed by her as Payal.
"Haan Maaji?" Payal replies, uncertainty written all over her voice.
"Tumhe Shantivan se bye bye to bol diye the hum, par hum want karat hain, ki tum apne sasural wapis hello hi kar liyo," Mami says. Khushi gasps out in surprise. "Hey Devi Maiyya, ek hi din mein itna kuch?" she mutters to herself. Payal is standing in shock too as she realises that she's being asked to return to Shantivan by her own mother-in-law. She looks up at Aakash who smiles and nods encouragingly at her.
"Ji Maaji. Jaisa Aakash chahein," she mumbles in reply. Mamiji looks at Aakash already knowing his answer.
"Oh humra bitwa ghar ko return kar raha hai! Hello hi bye bye!" she exclaims happily and goes back to sit on the sofa. Payal looks back at Aakash, her eyes filled with love. He bends his head down to whisper in her ear, "Maine waada kiya tha na, ki ek din sab kuch theek ho jayega?" She smiles at her husband, feeling joyous at how everything did seem to work out. Suddenly she hears someone clearing his throat and sees Arnav standing in front of her. Aakash nods once at his brother and slowly disengages himself from Payal to go and sit next to Mamiji. Payal stares at Arnav as he stands awkwardly before her. She recognizes his expressions and his body language from the time when he had come for her shagun. She realises that he is trying to think of how to apologize to her.
"Hum jaante hain ki bhale hi pehle aap chahte the ki hum Shantivan na lautein, par baad mein aapne apna faisla badal diya tha," Payal speaks up before Arnav can. He stares at her in amazement for a moment, unable to say anything. He clears his throat again.
"Par us pehle decision ke liye, I'm sorry Payal," Arnav says earnestly.
"Haan, aapke gusse ke kisse bahut sune hain humne," Payal replies matter of factly, "aur khud dekhe bhi hain," she finishes, obviously referring to his outburst in the hospital yesterday when he had shouted at her. Arnav looks appropriately apologetic.
"Haan mujhse kisi ne kaha tha, ki gusse mein aakar main sochna band kar deta hun," he replies to Payal, but his eyes moves over to another direction. Payal follows his gaze and realises he's looking at Khushi. Payal realises he still hadn't apologised to his sister, the one person who had been hurt the most in this entire fiasco. She frowns at Arnav and wordlessly walks back towards the sitting room where everyone else was now talking about her Bauji's operation.
Khushi has been watching Arnav and her jeeji conversing from a distance, not able to hear their words, but her eyes were narrowing with every passing minute. Jeeji aur Laad Governer kab se itne ache dost ban gaye? She wonders. And everytime Arnav looks at her, she quickly diverts her gaze elsewhere, although, continuing to sneak glances at him from the corner of her eyes.
Arnav looks at Khushi who is again determinedly not looking at him. He takes one step towards her and she somehow senses it immediately. She finally faces him, staring at him in surprise. Arnav stops himself and goes on looking at her. The air between them is crackling with tension. He again takes another step tentatively towards her as if testing the ground between them. Easy, Arnav, he reminds himself, you don't want to scare her off or worse, piss her off. Khushi's eyes narrow as she sees him take another step towards her. She instantly takes a step back from him.
"Khusee, sabke liye kuch chai nashta ki vyavasta to karo bitiya," Garima's voice distracts Khushi. She tears her eyes away from Arnav. "Haan Amma, hum dekhte hain." Khushi replies and walks towards the kitchen, abruptly leaving the game of hide and seek her feet were playing with Arnav's. Arnav stands on the spot uncertainly, unable to make up his mind whether he should follow Khushi into the kitchen or go back to sit with everyone else.
"Agar Khushiji see baat karne ki soch rahe ho, to isse achha chauka nahin milega, Nannav mere bhai," NK's voice whispers excitedly from behind Arnav. He's obviously been watching Arnav and Khushi doing I-take-one-step-you-take-one-back tango in the house.
"Chauka nahin mauka, NK," Arnav automatically corrects him, but not turning around to look at him. Then as if suddenly making up his mind, he directs his feet towards the door leading to the kitchen where Khushi had disappeared just a few moments ago.
Khushi and Payal are standing behind the sofa where Garima is seated. Both of them are staring at Arnav with dumbstruck expressions. Garima's eyes have widened in utter shock as she stares at Arnav kneeling before her. She steals her gaze to look at Nani to confirm what she heard was right. Nani smiles and nods at her reassuringly.
"What are you doing Arnav bitwa-" Garima says but Arnav stops her.
"Aunty, a few days ago, I committed the biggest mistake of not talking to you and not allowing you to say anything. A mistake due to which a lot of hearts were broken," Arnav says and pauses to look back at the two sisters, his gaze lingering a little longer on Khushi. Then he looks back at Garima. "But today all of us want to apologize to you for that mistake, especially me."
"First you get up from the floor and sit on the chair," Garima gently holds Arnav's shoulders with both her hands and makes him sit on the seat next to her. She withdraws her hands from his arms but Arnav immediately holds them in his. Garima looks at him, unsure of where this was heading. Arnav bows his head and remains silent for a moment, thinking how best to frame the next words coming out of his mouth.
"For the last 14 years, our family has been believing in a lie as the truth. The same truth which you were privy to 14 years ago," Arnav pauses, "and the same truth that you told Khushi." Arnav's eyes meet Khushi's confused ones for a moment, and then he looks back at Garima. "I'm ashamed to say that despite being the eldest member of my family, Dadi not only fed us that lie but also tried to poison our minds on the night of my wedding." All three Gupta ladies let out audible gasps. Garima stares at Arnav, the meaning of his words seeping into her mind.
"Dadi always wanted to suppress the follies committed by her son ," Arnav resumes. "That is why she told all of us that that man... that man" Garima understands that he is trying to refer to his father. "... was lured into a trap by you because you wanted his wealth." Khushi's eyes widen and her palm flies up to her open mouth in shock. How can anyone lie about Amma like this? But Garima just shakes her head sadly not at all looking surprised to hear Arnav's words.
"She thought this way 14 years ago too, Arnav bitwa," Garima replies with sadness in her voice. Khushi takes in an impulsive step towards her mother to try to comfort her, but Payal holds her back and shakes her head. She knows this conversation needs to be completed between Arnav and their mother. Arnav lets out a sigh.
"Dadi could never see any wrongdoings of her son. Not at the time when he kept you in the dark while trying to build a relationship with you, and not now either when I have discovered all of my father's truths," Arnav stops again, the memory of reading the diary and realising his father's follies resurfacing in his mind. Wiping it off determinedly, he ploughs on, "That man not only kept you in the dark, he is the one responsible for my mother's death."
Arnav pauses for a moment as emotions take control over his carefully preserved calmness and he feels a lump in his throat. Garima sees the change in his demeanour, she sees his shoulders slump at the mention of his mother and she realises the pain he is in. She squeezes Arnav's hand comfortingly. Surprised at her action, he looks up at her face to find kind eyes looking back at him. "I never wanted that your father should separate from your mother. Which is why the day he told me about his family, I told him to return to his wife. I never intended for your family to break up, Arnav bitwa, please forgive me." Garima whispers, a lone tear slowly flowing down her cheek.
Arnav gently wipes her tear and says, "Today only we have come to apologize to you, you remember that Aunty?" he says trying to make light of the situation and Garima sobs and chuckles slightly. Tears start flowing down Khushi's face too as she watches Arnav comfort her Amma as she poured out the agony of her past.
Arnav clears his throat, and his face becomes serious once more. "I know I've hurt you a lot Aunty. I never gave you a chance to speak up that night. I blindly accepted the lies that Dadi fed me. I want to apologize to you for all this, but most importantly," Arnav pauses. Garima looks up at him inquisitively. "for the last 14 years, the hatred that brewed inside me for you unknowingly, can you please forgive me for that?" Arnav withdraws his hands from Garima's and folds them in front of her again in an apologetic stance. She grabs hold of Arnav's hands pulling them down.
"Arnav bitwa-"
"We all want to apologize to you, Garimaji," Nani speaks up and she too folds her hands. Garima shakes her head in protest that an elder like Nani was folding her hands in front of her. "We accepted such a big lie but never gave you a chance to explain things. Please forgive us, Garimaji." Garima stretches another arm towards Naniji and pulls down her hands too.
"Please don't embarrass me by asking for forgiveness Nani ji. You are so much older to me." Garima says to Nani.
"But we are younger than you aren't we? We can ask for your forgiveness right Aunty?" Anjali too speaks up, hardly able to hold the flood of emotions inside her any longer. Garima looks at each of the apologetic faces of the three Raizadas and begins feeling overwhelmed. She holds her face in her hands and bursts into tears. Khushi and Payal rush to their mother in alarm, to try and comfort her, but before they can reach her Arnav places his arm over Garima's shoulders, supporting her frame as she slowly rocks back and forth. He knows it is the anguish of every bit of pain she had wrongly been subjected to that was finally finding its release. Aakash wordlessly walks to a tearful Payal and holds her comfortingly in his arms.
Khushi stands rooted to the spot feeling absolutely numb as she took in whatever was happening around her. She wanted to be angry at Arnav for making his mother cry, but when she sees how he was apologizing to Amma, her anger dies down. She just stands at a distance and lets Arnav comfort her mother. She feels a supportive arm around her shoulders too, and turns in surprise to find NK standing next to her. A small smile breaks through her tears. Her best friend was back to support her. Arnav still doesn't let go of his hold around Garima's frame. Everybody was either crying or comforting some who was crying. An excess of emotions was flooding the entire house.
Finally after a long moment, Garima's crying dies down, to get replaced by soft sobs. Then she withdraws herself from Arnav's half embrace and wipes her tears. "Look Arnav bitwa, you've made the whole house cry," Garima says. Arnav smiles warmly at her.
"Now if there would be so many ladies in the house, tears would flow indefinitely," Arnav replies back jokingly. Garima and Nani choke on their tears as they start laughing and everyone joins in. Anjali slaps Arnav on the back for such a bad joke and he merely shrugs his shoulders in reply. Then he turns to Garima, his eyes looking at her beseechingly, "Aunty? Do you forgive me?" he asks her pleadingly.
Garima turns to look at the grown man who suddenly resembles a small boy apologising for his mistake. She smiles at him and lightly caresses his cheek. "I forgive you, Arnav bitwa." An overjoyed Anjali hugs Garima tightly. Nani nods her head at Mami and points towards Aakash and Payal standing behind Garima. Mami walks towards the couple.
"Uh... khoon bhari tang?" Mami starts off but pauses when she sees Aakash's mouth form a straight line hearing his mother use that nick name for his wife. "I mean to say, Payal?" Payal slowly raises her head which she had been resting on Aakash's chest and looks at her mother-in-law with surprised eyes. As long as she could remember, she had never been addressed by her as Payal.
"Yes Maaji?" Payal replies, uncertainty written all over her voice.
"I bid you bye bye from Shantivan, but I want you to wave Hello hi to that place again," Mami says. Khushi gasps out in surprise. "Hey Devi Maiyya, ek hi din mein itna kuch?" she mutters to herself. Payal is standing in shock too as she realises that she's being asked to return to Shantivan by her own mother-in-law. She looks up at Aakash who smiles and nods encouragingly at her.
"Okay Maaji. whatever Aakash decides," she mumbles in reply. Mamiji looks at Aakash already knowing his answer.
"Oh my son is returning home! Hello hi bye bye!" she exclaims happily and goes back to sit on the sofa. Payal looks back at Aakash, her eyes filled with love. He bends his head down to whisper in her ear, "I promised you didn't I, that everything will be alright one day?" She smiles at her husband, feeling joyous at how everything did seem to work out. Suddenly she hears someone clearing his throat and sees Arnav standing in front of her. Aakash nods once at his brother and slowly disengages himself from Payal to go and sit next to Mamiji. Payal stares at Arnav as he stands awkwardly before her. She recognizes his expressions and his body language from the time when he had come for her shagun. She realises that he is trying to think of how to apologize to her.
"I know that althought initially you didn't want me to return to Shantivan, later you changed that decision," Payal speaks up before Arnav can. He stares at her in amazement for a moment, unable to say anything. He clears his throat again.
"But for that first impulsive decision, I'm sorry Payal," Arnav says earnestly.
"Yes, I've heard many tales of your anger," Payal replies matter of factly, "and seen a few as well," she finishes, obviously referring to his outburst in the hospital yesterday when he had shouted at her. Arnav looks appropriately apologetic.
"Well, someone once told me that I stop thinking in my anger," he replies to Payal, but his eyes moves over to another direction. Payal follows his gaze and realises he's looking at Khushi. Payal realises he still hadn't apologised to his sister, the one person who had been hurt the most in this entire fiasco. She frowns at Arnav and wordlessly walks back towards the sitting room where everyone else was now talking about her Bauji's operation.
Khushi has been watching Arnav and her jeeji conversing from a distance, not able to hear their words, but her eyes were narrowing with every passing minute. Since when have Jeeji and Laad Governer become buddies?She wonders. And everytime Arnav looks at her, she quickly diverts her gaze elsewhere, although, continuing to sneak glances at him from the corner of her eyes.
Arnav looks at Khushi who is again determinedly not looking at him. He takes one step towards her and she somehow senses it immediately. She finally faces him, staring at him in surprise. Arnav stops himself and goes on looking at her. The air between them is crackling with tension. He again takes another step tentatively towards her as if testing the ground between them. Easy, Arnav, he reminds himself, you don't want to scare her off or worse, piss her off. Khushi's eyes narrow as she sees him take another step towards her. She instantly takes a step back from him.
"Khusee, please get some tea and snacks for everyone," Garima's voice distracts Khushi. She tears her eyes away from Arnav. "Haan Amma, hum dekhte hain." Khushi replies and walks towards the kitchen, abruptly leaving the game of hide and seek her feet were playing with Arnav's. Arnav stands on the spot uncertainly, unable to make up his mind whether he should follow Khushi into the kitchen or go back to sit with everyone else.
"If you want to speak to Khushiji, you won't find a better chauka (cricket terminology meaning four runs) than now, Nannav mere bhai," NK's voice whispers excitedly from behind Arnav. He's obviously been watching Arnav and Khushi doing I-take-one-step-you-take-one-back tango in the house.
"Mauka (chance) not chauka, NK," Arnav automatically corrects him, but not turning around to look at him. Then as if suddenly making up his mind, he directs his feet towards the door leading to the kitchen where Khushi had disappeared just a few moments ago.
, it was nice , however the sadist in me has fallen in love with your chapter 14, you have to out-do yourself ( which I am pretty sure you will !!!! 😉 ) for me to feel like that 😳...
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