Arhi FF: CheckMate! T3- Epilogue updated - Page 78

it took two  days to read all 74 chapters...i dono how i  missed to read this story so long😕

finally done😊 but this story going to end ?

u are continuing the story more than 1 year👍🏼

really  awesome 👏

written beautifully ❤️thanks a lot for pm😊

From the author's desk: Hello people, I have been telling some of you here, that a good story should not only have a good start and a plot, but should also end at the right time. Now I shall tell you all another fact- it should also have good readers like you all- who have been encouraging and motivating me all these days- Thanks a lot- I dont think the word thanks justifies how much gratitude I hold for all of you...

Here is the final update of this FF- It grown a bit long, I had tried to shorten it a bit, But this is all I could manage...

Happy reading. 

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Part 75 

As the next morning dawned, Kushi woke up to find Arnav already up and lost in thoughts. Kushi knew well enough about him to know that though Arnav had tried to put on that brave face the previous night, she knew how much hurt he was, She tried to console him too, but she knew that this was something that could linger in their hearts for a life time.

As she caressed his forehead  easing out the tensed lines there, he looked at her and smiled.

"Hi" he said as he caressed her hair lovingly

"Are you alright Arnavji? "

"I am alright" he told her.

"I will come too"

***

As Kushi guessed, Anjali and Ashok looked restless too. Anjali should have been up the whole night. She thought to herself. She found solace in her brother's arm as soon as she saw him. Kushi and Ashok, let the siblings have some time to themselves and came out.

"She was up the whole night, I tried hard to console her, But I suppose at times like this, she needs her brother the most" Ashok told Kushi, who nodded to him.

An Hour later, When Kushi went back to check if they would want to join the others for breakfast, they refused to do so. She too sat beside them trying to console Anjali as much as she could. Ashok joined her too. But Anjali couldn't let it go so easily, nor could Arnav, for that matter.

It was then they heard a knock at the door. They all turned to see Gayathri standing by the door.

"I know that I am not welcome here, But I couldn't help but force myself in" She told calmly

"Not at all Gayathri Maa, come in" Kushi told hastily. While Ashok gave her a friendly smile, the other two went back to their brooding self.

"Kushi, can you go down and fetch something for them to eat?" Gayathri asked her, to which she complied quickly.

"I don't need anything- I am not hungry" Arnav told Kushi quickly

"I am not hungry either" Anjali told immediately

Kushi stood there staring at the sibling pair sadly, as Ashok shook his head at her in empathy.

Gayathri smiled a little to herself

"I know you both have taken whatever was disclosed to you very extremely, I know it is something that is hard to digest, but it might not be as bad as you think"

All the four in the room stared at her, it was the way that she told, which had a tone of sadness in it which attracted them.

"Is there more than what we heard last night?" Anjali asked her at last.

"Yes, You both deserve to know the entire circumstances - I had asked your Dadi not to disclose this to you because I know how you both will be hurt, But it might not be that bad to digest this- if you know the entire truth and the circumstances which pushed all the three of us into this- it will make it easy for you to accept the truth."

Arnav looked at Gayathri for a while, he was not sure if he wanted to hear about that story from her, But Anjali looked at Gayathri hopefully, May be.. May be .. she would find some solace in the story'

"Your mother was properly married to your father- their wedding happened admist their parents and relatives in a grandeur ' unlike mine'" Gayathri started off "and ofcourse, Agrim did love Ratna, I am sure Agrim was a proper husband to her, and you both were born out of love"

Arnav looked on sardonically at Gayathri.

"But Dadi told that you were his legal wife?" Anjali asked her in a confused tone

"Yeah, I and Agrim were classmates at university, We were attracted to eachother right from the beginning, Initially I didn't know that he was a prince, But when I came to know, I was scared if this relationship of ours will end in a marriage. Agrim was persistent, and finally I accepted his proposal. But soon I started to realize that it was not that easy to convince his parents to make them accept a middle class girl as his wife- their bahu.

Agrim wanted to play it safe and asked me to marry him one fine day, Though I was little reluctant, he was persistent that it was the only way to convince his parents. I agreed- One of my biggest mistake in life. We both had a quiet registered wedding one day after college hours- and still continued with our daily routine. Agrim and my brother shared a good rapport- but still we didn't disclose our marital status to anybody.

Agrim took me home one day, as his love interest- but that meeting didn't go well- his Parents were not happy with me, they had just finalized Ratna for Agrim. Things went from worse to worser, I decided to call it quits. I told him that I wanted to move on- I didn't want to be the reason for the wedge between him and his parents. Agrim agreed to lay quiet for a short while, but I knew that he wouldn't let me go, I left the city silently one day- never to return back.

I think Agrim tried to locate me for a few days and then finally consented to marry Ratna. I used to hear from Ashu that they led a peaceful and happy life, I never returned to the city for almost 12 years. I had to come back when I mother suffered a paralytic attack, and I met him again after 14 years. He was then a father of 2 kids-you both were aged 13 and 9.

Though we felt awkward at first, I could sense that he was angry with me. I didn't mind much, I thought I had already left behind those dreams in life. I had to stay back for a few months for my mother's sake, and I didn't realize Ashu was playing with mine and Agrim's life for his benefits, He started creating situations for us to end up spending time together, due to which we both started to act civil to eachother. Agrim only wanted me to get married and move on in life. For some reason I couldn't, and he made me realize that I still hadn't left his thoughts behind. I hadn't moved on- But I was sure that my Agrim- the one that I married was still living with me in my dreams- the one who was now asking me to move on- was Solely Ratna's ' He was only asking me to move on due to guilt that he was the one who had forced love into my nave heart- he was the one who had been persistent to get married at that young age.

Ashu knew nothing of this secret, but he sensed that there was something going on between us. He started to spin wheels to use us for his benefit, I took up a job at Agrim's office after Ashu accidentally mentioned Agrim that I was searching for one and Agrim forced me to take it up. I couldn't refuse him.

Even then, I was very careful that our relationship was only at surface level- we were only Employer- employee and nothing more. But then everything went out of hand one day, My mother passed away.

I decided to go back to Mumbai. But I suppose we both got used to the companionship of the few days, which took us back to those days back at college. Agrim asked me to promise to move on- I refused. I told him it was my personal wish- he didn't push me much. I had put down my papers and was serving my notice period.

It was during one of those annual audits at office, I had to stay back until late at night along with two other staff- Agrim was there too, I asked Ashu to pick me up, but Ashu conveniently requested Agrim to drop me back. Our car broke down at the middle of the road, it was raining heavily, we didn't have much choice, and we went walking back to the office in the rain.

That day, I committed my second mistake and deadliest sin in life- something for which I could never forgive myself even today. Both of us were overcome by desire, I gave myself to him when he approached me. I should have stopped him- If I had pushed him away, if only I had slapped him that day- our lives would have been much better- I didn't do any of it, I only accepted his advances.

But after that night, I decided to go away from him ' and not to return back. I went away to Mumbai and then back to USA. I found out that I was pregnant with his baby. I decided not to disclose this to him and raise the child as a single parent.  No one knew about the child for two years. Ashu came to know about Dhruv when he visited me at US.

But fate didn't leave me on my own decisions, I had to come to India when Dhruv was 5 years old. But I never had hopes of meeting Agrim, for I was only going to be there in Mumbai for two days. I still didn't know how much Ashu had been playing in Agrim's life. He had in the meanwhile, successfully created a drift inbetween Agrim and Ajit.  He didn't tell Agrim where I was, for his own benefits, to have Agrim in his control. I didn't have any idea about this. When I landed in Mumbai, I let Ashu know that I was at India and told him not to tell anyone- specifically to Agrim.

But Ashu supposedly slipped this news to Agrim, who, I suppose was torn by guilt, he rushed to see me. He was shocked to find out that he had another son. Dhruv met his father for the first and last time that day. He wanted to take me back, he told me that Ratna knew about my affair with him at college and also our more recent encounter and she understands him well.

I told him that he was lucky to get a wife like that ' and to go back to her. He felt sorry for me- he was torn between his duties to Ratna and his guilt for me. I was ready to let him go- He was never mine, and I didn't want to possess him as well. I was quite an independent woman, and I intended to continue to be so.

Ashu had expected something else to happen out of our meeting, but didn't expect Agrim to return back for a normal life at Delhi. He confronted me. He started to plant ideas into me, asking me to threaten him for justice, he was surprised that I didn't want to do anything of that sort, it was then I started to notice that my brother was not what I had thought him to be.

When I came to know of his plans, I decided that it was highly possible for him to blackmail Agrim, I went to Delhi to meet him- legalize his marriage with Ratna- which was possible only if we applied for divorce. I reached Delhi, I didn't know it was your wedding day Anjali, or I wouldn't have chosen that day.

Agrim invited me in and I demanded a divorce from him. It was our bad luck that Ratna overheard our talks that day and mistook it as if I was asking for his divorce with her. It was then that I had to encounter dadi too, and she accused me that I was coming in between the husband and wife. Agrim told her that he was the one at fault and he had another son too. He also told Dadi and Ratna that I was his first wife- we got married at college. I was angry with Agrim for telling them this, I left the place, swearing never to see him again. But later, I came to know that Ratna had taken the extreme step-

Gayathri finished her story and remained calm, She was by the window, looking far away. Then she turned back to look at the siblings and their spouses staring at her in mute

I have never regretted anything like I regretted that day, I felt as if I could have done something and I was only late in doing what I could have done much earlier- in essence I could have saved an innocent life- Which I failed to do so" She told them in a constricted voice which displayed the pain and guilt that she had harbored all the while.

"You tried your best 'There was nothing you could have done better" Everyone turned to see Dadi standing at the door

"Maaji?" Gayathri started

"If there was anyone who should be blamed, I think it would be me and my mentality those days, I was brought up in a circumstance and culture which taught me that it was status which defined one's worthiness- I didn't even try to give my Son's love a chance- It was you who volunteered to move out of his life then, and later too when you discovered that you were going to have a baby, and for the third time when you asked him for a divorce. "

"But whatever I did was not enough to save Ratna- or Agrim- I was responsible in a way for orphaning these two"

"Haven't you paid enough for what you thought was your wrong?"

"Yes, But it wouldn't have been required at all ' If I had acted well in time."

It was Kushi who reacted first out of the four. She ran to Gayathri and embraced her in a hug

"No Gayathri Maa, You are one of the most selfless souls I have ever met' To give away a life and right which was rightfully yours just for the man you loved ' Papaji was not only lucky to have Maaji as his wife' he was lucky to have you too in his life" 

The two ladies stood there hugging eachother, as Gayathri finally started to cry, having let out everything that she harbored for all her life.

After a few minutes, Gayathri distangled herself from Kushi and came towards Anjali and Arnav.

"If you still think I was wrong, or was the reason for your mother's death, try and forgive me" She told earnestly. Arnav looked at her stone faced while Anjali who had been in a vulnerable state for a while, stood up and held Gayathri's hand.

"There is no need for an apology, You didn't owe us anything but still you went out of your way to see to that we were treated fairly- What else could one ask? I have heard motherhood is selfless- God has given me not one- but two to show me what selflessness means"

Kushi, Dadi and Ashok stood smiling as Anjali and Gayathri embraced eachother, showing their acceptance of eachother.

The other family members came in too, showing their approval and acceptance for Gayathri. Dadi had narrated the entire truth to the others already in the morning, when Gayathri had come to have a talk with the siblings.

As the mood slowly came back to normal in the RM household, celebrations of victory finally seemed appropriate. As everyone else moved out, Gayathri seemed reluctant to follow them. She looked at Arnav who still sat there in brooding silence. Kushi smiled back at her assuring her to go ahead and talk to him.

"Arnav, I know you were more attached to your mother than anyone else" Gayathri started "I haven't told you this story, in hope that you would forgive or accept me- It was only to help you understand that your mother was more of a wife to Agrim than me' I can never take her place- I would never try to' It was only because of fate and haste rush, I ended up as his first wife- and there was no significance to it ' what so ever"

Arnav who was staring at the floor all the while looked up at Gayathri for a moment before he stood up and walked away. Gayathri gazed at his retreating figure sadly.

"He will come over soon- Don't worry" Kushi consoled Gayathri to which she nodded sadly

"I wish I could call you Maaji" Kushi told Gayathri. This cheered her up a little

"What stops you now?" She smiled at the young girl

"Nothing, But I shall call you that, as soon as Arnavji addresses you as Maa"

"I don't want him to Kushi" Gayathri told her "I was not expecting them to call me that. I would be happy if they both could atleast understand that I was not at fault- nor was Agrim- I would be more at peace if they didn't have any bitterness for their father in their heart"

"KUSHI" Arnav' voice bellowed from somewhere outside.

"Don't worry Gayathri Maa, Di has already accepted you, it will not be long before Arnavji came over too" Kushi told Gayathri as they both heard Arnav yelling for her again.

Kushi shook her head in exasperation before excusing herself

***

The legalities to be followed to authorize officially that Arnav was the sole and rightful heir for the throne title were carried on promptly and Sid and La left to Mumbai after a couple of days.

Things slowly went back to normal at RM. But it took days and weeks for Arnav to turn civil towards Gayathri and Dhruv. Even Dhruv's admittance into his family was smoother than Arnav's acceptance for the new members. For Dhruv, all the members of the family helped him adapt to the affection that was showered on him, whereas, no one except Kushi or sometimes Anjali could even open the topic to Arnav- The family knew how sensitive he was to his mother, and Gayathri had requested everyone to not force him.

In the meanwhile, Anjali had been inquisitive about Shyam's story and finally came to know about it through Gayathri. Though it was something that Arnav dreaded to let her know, Gayathri's presence and her approach did help Anjali to react well to the news and take the whole thing in a positive way and not feel guilty about it.

Kushi didn't lose her hopes in making Arnav accept Gayathri. One night, in the privacy of their room, She tried to make him talk

"I never told you she is bad" Arnav told her, surprising her further.

"Then why do you still hold that grudge against her?" Kushi asked him "Why won't you accept her?"

"BECAUSE I CAN NEVER ACCEPT ANOTHER WOMAN AS MY MOTHER" he shouted at her

"But she didn't want you to accept her as you mother" Kushi replied back calmly, but Arnav had already left the place.

She came in to find him lying on the bed, feigning sleep. She knew he was hurt by the past, but was not ready to let go of it. She knew she could make him forget it, but it was not going to heal him, with every other incident which would remind him of the past, his wounds would open up- She realized that she had to make him accept the past as it is to enable him to let it go, that was the only way to heal him.

"Arnav ji" She called out slowly

He still kept his eyes closed as she put out her hand caressing his hair out of his forehead

"I know you are not sleeping yet- You cannot sleep without me"

He opened his eyes to glare at her.  She smiled at him

"I know you are at pain, May be it is a good idea to talk about it and let it go"

"There is nothing to talk about"

"There is, what is it that you are angry about? Are you still angry with Gayathri Maa and your father?" Kushi asked him "Do you think, at some point, Maaji was used? Not treated right?"

Kushi saw Arnav's face growing grim, She knew she was treading on his open wounds, she was hurting him immensely, But she knew this was the only way to make him let go of his past and admit to himself that nothing can be done to change the past and the only way was to accept it as it is. Minutes passed and Arnav maintained his silence. Kushi's hope began to falter, She couldn't bear to see his eyes in pain.

She stood up, checked Arush was tucked in well and then slipped into the bed beside

"Forget about it, let's sleep" she said as she hugged him more tighter than usual.

"Kushi, Do you think my father loved my mom lesser than he would have loved Gayathri?" Kushi looked up from where she had laid her head on his chest. Her heart constricted to see him like that, staring up at the ceiling.

"Let's not talk about it" she whispered

"You were the one who insisted that we should speak"

"I was wrong- I am sorry to have started all this "

"Its ok, I want to speak- Thinking back, I knew- I guessed ' My father tried to but he could never love my mom like he would have loved Gayathri." Arnav told her, lost in thoughts. "And it seems to me now that my Mom knew it all the while that she was always his second love. Though she didn't know she was his second wife too"

"Arnavji" Kushi called out in concern.

"But I think that's how it is" Arnav told her as he sat up.

Kushi sat up too.

"Arnavji, Do you know Krishna loved Radha, but Radha never got to live even a day as his wife- Only Rukmani got the right to be his wife' And even now- we only consider Rukmani as his wife'" Kushi told him, He only smiled at her sarcastically. She knew it hadn't worked out. He didn't have faith in this.

"You know what Kushi, You left me two years ago, but if you hadn't come back, I would have never opted to get remarried, because I knew I could never love another woman- I know I am incapable of falling in love with someone else other than you' But my father opted to marry again- in effect straining two lives"

"May be he was not in a position to decide like you were" Kushi told him "Ok, remember when you were engaged to La? What if circumstances forced you to marry her?"

"What are you trying to say Kushi" Arnav asked her annoyed

"I only want to tell you that you would have still tried to love her- give her what a wife deserves of you, even though your first love would have always remained me. " Kushi told him as he looked at her surprised.

"How do you know I was in love with you back then?"

"That's not the point, I only wanted to point out that Papaji was not at fault, he was a victim of circumstantial fate much like Gayathri Ma or Maaji were" Kushi told as her cheeks flushed red at his question.

"you are right" he told her at last amused by her flustered face. He slumped back to the pillow and pulled her towards him

"Let's sleep"

"But we aren't done talking, I was telling tha"

But he effectively shut her up with the best method known to him.

***

Kushi wasn't sure that the talk that night had any effect on Arnav's perspective of his father or Gayathri, but soon realised that he was behaving more civilized towards Gayathri. Arnav had warmed up to Dhruv more easily than he did towards Gayathri and when Dhruv expressed interest to pursue his studies which he had neglected for the major part of his life, the family happily supported him.

Soon after Dhruv left for his university at Lucknow, Gayathri announced that she wanted to go back to the ashram. Dadi was surprised. Everyone tried to make her stay back, but she was really serious about it.

"I can't stay here forever Kushi, I need to get back to Ashram" Gayathri told to Kushi as she pleaded her not to go.

"Why?" Everyone turned to look at Arnav as he descended the stairs.

"Arnavji!" Kushi started to say

"Ask your Maaji to stay put until her grandson's birthday" He told Kushi as he stared steadily at Gayathri. It took only seconds for Kushi to realize that he had addressed Gayathri as her Maaji.

"May be after that if she doesn't want to stay here at my house, she can shift back to my family home- Sheesh Mahal"

"Arnav" Gayathri whispered his name

"I have converted a part of Sheesh mahal  as a hotel, but the other half is still for use by the family" Arnav explained, without missing a beat "Renovations have started already and Dadi has consented to stay here after it is done, and it would be nice if you could stay there too"

"But ..But..you you'" Kushi kept stammering at him while he addressed Gayathri all the while

"Kushi.. when did you start stammering?" he asked her

"Did you call her my Maaji?" She asked him to which he only smiled at Kushi and then at Gayathri

"Stay back" he told her and it was all it took for her to embrace him and kiss him on his forehead.

***

Arush's birthday was celebrated at the privacy of the renovated Sheesh Mahal family home with all the grandeur that the little prince was worthy of.

When the busy day finally ended, Arush who had grown much attached to his Gayathri Dadi wanted to sleep with her. His Parents let him stay with his Dadi as both his Dadi and Badi Dadi will be staying back at Sheesh Mahal along with his Dhruv Chacha.

Kushi looked weary and Arnav volunteered to carry her up the stairs. But Kushi shrugged off the offer and dragged him away to the other side of the Sheesh Mahal.

"Kushi, where are you dragging me?"

"I want to see a place"

"Why do you want to tire yourself? You are already tired, I will give you a tour later tomorrow when you are fresh"

"No" Kushi told him "I want to see the place alone with you, just the two of us' "

Arnav realized that they had reached the hotel side of Sheesh Mahal.

"Kushi, this side has been converted into a hotel'"

"I know" she told as she pulled him towards the reception and dragged him beyond.

Arnav waved off the receptionist and the manager who offered to show them around. As they came to a juncture, Arnav amusedly watched Kushi as she looked here and there, and finally dragged him towards a direction.

"I think this is it" She said as she opened the door to the room.

Arnav realized it was the same room where he had met Kushi for the first time all those years back.

"This is the place we met for the first time'How much far have we come in life from that day to this' Do you remember that day Arnav ji?"

"Vaguely" Arnav said as she glared at him"Didn't you do a cat walk with a green lehenga and fall on me that day?"

"Hmm' Only that I never even imagined that I would end up marrying that man one day, and bear him his child' If I had known that he would only vaguely remember our first meeting, I would have probably not married him at all" Kushi told him

"Who said I didn't remember out first meeting?" Arnav asked her "I remember two things vividly out of it- the fear in your eyes- which I cannot bear to see another time' and"

"And?"

"And your lips, which I knew, never ceased to fascinate me ever since- which invoked in me a kind of passion that I had never ever felt before that moment..." he whispered to her as he leaned towards her lips, Kushi smiled before she leaned towards him too'As one pair captured the other, determined to show the other what the passion and fascination was all about, and the other was equally determined to show that the passion and fascination was two sided.

The End