Smitar's: Loving Khushi #2 LINK to#3 on Pg 1(13/8) - Page 82

Originally posted by: deepa.e

update smitar??

Hi rashmi :)

Just read interpretation!!!!

well i dont find a new word it dictionary so am not telling anything here :( sry for that!!!!

Originally posted by: rulama

What? 😲

Oh ho! I am not a lexicographer dear!😉

All those words are in the lexicon and in usage too dear!😆

Originally posted by: deepa.e

I can understand that!! but i don find proper words to praise your interpretations yaar!!

i don want to repeat those same words which i use everytime to tell u how it was!!

Like awesome, fantastic, fantabulos, marvelous, nice etc etc etc., so basically am out of words here!!

so i said am not telling anything here nu!!😃😃😃

Originally posted by: sayali_d23

Smita jii bahot din se maine koie uttpatang bat nahi kiye aap ke thread se... aur humse yeh bardasht nahi ho raha haine.. ...

Tohh hum yeh kehana chahate haine... Rishte maine toh hum aap ke story ke READER hote haine... Name haine Sayali...

IF ke Fan Fiction forum par... jab Rashu Smita ka story ka update post karati haine... toh ek reader laptop ke samne baithkar use read karate haine... use Sayali the reader kehate haine...

abb esae pehale ki u start hum chalte haine...

Originally posted by: rulama

Shahenshah Sayaali!

Missed you dear.

Missed your conversation and your shaayaris dear along with your chela's!!😉

Welcome back.🥳

🤗

Smita,😊

Here is the interpretation to Section 1 of Part 6.

This update is about something bitter, grievous, extremely unpleasant which is summed by the word WORMWOOD.

What exactly is wormwood?

There are no worms or wood involved in wormwood. This is a word of German origin. Wormwood is the term used for any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia, especially A. absinthium, a native to Europe, yielding a bitter extract used in making absinthe used in flavoring certain wines.

The word is also used to denote something that embitters, such as a painful experience.

After the fitful sleep, when Arnav got up it was morning and at once he was all alert. He realized his arms that had held Khushi all through his sleep was empty and she was not in bed. Getting to know that the time was half past eight from his cell phone, he thought she must be using the washroom as he looked at the closed door. He called Akash and spoke to Mami, Buaji, Akash and NK at the hospital. Everything seemed to be fine at that front and Di was still sleeping peacefully under sedation. Reaching with long strides when he pushed the door of his ensuite bathroom, it opened to reveal an empty room. It made him aware that it was the dawn of the day eight and he had just eight more days to get Khushi to change her mind. Not seeing her anywhere in the room he went rigid. Feeling a sudden sense of fear run through his nerves like the chill of an icy wind, he rushed down the steps to the living room and Khushi was not there too. He peeped into the kitchen only to find HP immersed in making tea. When Arnav asked, where Khushi was? HP was so startled that he literally jumped out of his skin and dropping the strainer stuttered that, Who... she... Khushi Bhabhi... he had not seen her that morning. When Arnav turned to leave, all set to go through every nook and cranny of the house to trace her out, he came face to face with his Nani. With a bright smile on her face she asked him, was he in search of Khushi Bitiyaa? Arnav reddened and said, yes, he was and did she see her? Nani adjusting her pallu on her head told him, that she had gone to the temple, the one near the big Banyan tree. Anjali Bitiyaa was still sleeping soundly and she had spoken to Akass Bitwaa. Arnav nodded and told her, that he had called him too. Nani cupping his face gently with her weathered hands comforted him saying, Anjali Bitiyaa would soon be in fine fettle. How can she not be, up and running, with brothers like him, Akass Bitwaa, and NK Bitwaa and sisters like Khussi Bitiyaa and Payal Bitiyaa? A bleak smile curled up on Arnav's lips as he nodded. Nani giving him her approval for his deeds told that he did the right thing by getting the Satan out of their house and Anjali Bitiyaa's life. He had them fooled so easily for such a long time! Arnav gave her just a nod, feeling the urgency to see Khushi. Eventhough Shyam was behind bars he needed to make sure that that she was fine with his eyes. Nani gave him her gentle knowing smile. He told her that later they could go to the hospital and volunteered to pick her. Nani refusing his offer told him, not to bother about her. He better see to his wife. She asked him to make sure that, she had her breakfast along with his and, she would take Payal Bitiyaa with her, availing the services of driver Mohan. It earned a grateful smile from Arnav for her understanding.

As Arnav took the steps two at a time to Devi Maiyya's temple his eager eyes went over the whole place with a fine tooth comb. There were pigeons, the bangle-seller, the devotees, the purohits.. but his mind registered none. His eyes were seeking one familiar figure, but she was missing among the praying crowd! It annoyed him that he could not find her. Feeling the stirrings of panic, he frantically searched around. He wondered had she already left. Just to make sure that he had not overlooked anywhere he walked around. That was when he saw the lonely figure sitting in the dark corner of the hall beside a purohit who was chanting in front of a havan kund. Khushi's willowy figure resplendent in pristine white, looked like a golden taper emitting its glow, reflecting the golden glow of the fire in front of her. Her hair was woven into a plait, face pale and drawn with hands folded in prayer and her eyes were closed in reverence. It made him grim to see Khushi all alone.

As he watched her, Arnav's mind was filled with many questions. Why was she conducting a pooja? How come she was alone? Why hadn't she taken Nani or Payal with her? Arnav looked at her silently, the very air around her was still, filled with her pain. In his quest for answers, his eyes found a small photo with a garland placed around it. He realized that with bitterness, he knew nothing about Khushi and it was her parents Barsi, the death anniversary and she all alone was performing the needful! His gaze leapt from the photo of a smiling couple to her blanched face. He felt his heart constrict for the eight year old child whose life had been blown to smithereens by her parents' death in the accident, leaving her still scared of darkness, needing the security of the stars hanging on her bed frame. He realized the need of her to have him in the same room at night and the feeling of security it brought with it as the reason for her snatching a look every now and then, of him sleeping on the chaise. He realized that his harsh demeanour and embittered behaviour had exacerbated her position and added to her personal demons that she had never shown to the outside world, camouflaging it successfully with her laughing countenance. He was disillusioned with his own behavior. The photo in the frame faded, as tears pooled in his eyes and the picture melded with the one of his parents, that he used to bring down to the hall every barsi, to be placed on the small podium and garlanded. He realized that she needed his support and security as much as he needed her. It was a grim reminder to him that he had been self-centered without even giving a thought to her need and her feelings. He walked to her in soft silent steps.

As he approached he heard the priest, having noted the mangalsutra and the sindoor on her, with compassionate eyes ask her, was she sure that her husband would not be joining her? For the priest, it was a rarity to see a lone person coming over to perform the barsi for their parents' as they would be usually accompanied by family members. Here was a girl, married by all appearance, clad in white, fighting back her tears that threatened to stream down her cheeks. Khushi grieved inside, felt her heart shorn into shreds at the thought of her husband! Arnavji's face appeared into her mind. How could she tell the purohit that her husband was not an ordinary husband but a contract one who would be holding that place in her life for just eight more days only, that the mangalsutra and the sindoor would adorn her only that many days more in her lifetime and like now, she would forever be alone till the time she would be joining her parents. That was the bitter truth but one she could not share. Images of her forced marriage flitted through her mind's eye. The dark night, Arnavji dragging her up the steps of the temple, dabbing the sindoor and tying the mangalsutra with hatred and contempt on his face as he looked at her. At times of anger his strident stance was the grim reality she had to face that kept popping up on her. Every time she forgot about it, it would pop up like jack in the box and she became the target, the most favoured punching bag, not just him but of each and everyone around her with an exception of her Babuji. All her good intentions were always misjudged and she was accused of being an opportunist and bad blood. She was left feeling a deep pit in the stomach. A gentle breeze swayed the curls that were resting on her cheek. Her heart picked up its beat. She could hear her pulses, flutter like a dove, sounding dhak dhak... dhak dhak... Quelling the longing giving herself a sharp chiding that, it was a waste of time longing for a man who was better off without her in his life. Khushi shut her eyes for a moment with her lashes like fans upon her cheek and her lips tremulous like brook water. Picking herself up from the desolation she was falling into, composing herself, with dim dried eyes that looked like an exhausted well she opened her mouth to tell that nobody would come. But the words stuck in her throat.

Arnav dressed in his white shirt and black trousers slid in beside her. As she stared speechless, her heart thumped and her eyes widened to hear Arnav ask the priest, shall we begin, stating that he was her husband. Purohit was one happy man and continued the havan. Khushi sat dumbfounded and was only able to stare at him, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her thoughts were that she might be hallucinating with the longing that had welled inside her. Arnav, feeling her gaze on him turned to see her addled up and her expression touched a tender chord in his heart. He was torn to see that she who gave so much to him unconditionally, expected very little in return. It was a bleak reminder to him of all the caustic words that he had used to accuse her to be, were in fact never true and were rebounding on his face. In the entire fiasco, she was the one who had shone out as the innocent but she was the one who was victimized the most. All she had sought through out her life was to be loved and all she got was disbelief and disenchantment. As she knew the entire household was concentrating on Anjali and her welfare, she did not want to divert their attention from it. And she had come over to pay her respects to her departed parents without even letting anyone know about it. It was her selfless nature that had made her do the barsi rituals quietly. It was a harsh reminder to him that he was not able to instill any feeling of being loved, wanted and security in her.Taking her dainty hand in his he pressed it gently conveying to her that he was with her and by her side. Khushi looked at her fingers that were held in a warm clasp, then turned to look at the purohit.

After completing the rituals, Khushi took her parents' photo and the prasad from the purohit and walked out of the hall with Arnav silently walking by her side. Giving him a side look she asked, how did he come to know? Arnav confessed, that Nani said she had gone to the temple and he had come to pick her up. She bit back the question she wanted to ask, why he had taken the effort, eventhough it was at the tip of her tongue. The fear, that the answer would make their shoddy and sullied contract marriage appear more lustrous and precious than a diamond to her and weaken her resolve to leave at the end of the eight days, made her keep silent. She thought it was better that she was not aware of his thoughts, as it was bound to eat into her resolve. Those words were the very ones that her heart was pounding to hear, but she would be unable to withstand his denial and placing the blame on her shoulders once more. She was disillusioned of him ever placing his trust in her. Hence her silence was a defence, against his probable attack that would occur in a fit of anger and to protect her heart from being shredded once more, whereas, Arnav waited to see if she would ask him why he had come to get her. He was treated to her silence that spoke volumes of how she thought of herself in her own eyes. A person not deserving anything good in her life and she had stoically accepted that as the fact the Fate had ordained for her.

As they reached Laxmi Nagar and he parked the car in front of Buaji's house, Khushi looked at him silently raising her eyebrow in a query. Arnav in a soft tone replied, that he thought that she might want to meet her Amma and Babuji and she must be hungry after the fast. It made Khushi teary and she looked away. Braving it up she asked, whether he had his breakfast? As Arnav sheepishly confessed, he had not as he wanted to pick her up, was treated to a fretting and fuming Khushi, who bristled that he has diabetes and how could he be careless as to miss his breakfast! What if his sugar level had fallen and had a fit of dizziness? Seeing her seething visage, Arnav was a happy man to know that she still cared for him and his health, even after all the injustice meted out to her, by him and his family. His resolve to make her stay with him, though earlier had received a dent by her silence, was now reinforced by her answer. With an added strength he told her smiling, that he needed her to take care of him. It made her look away release the seat belt and flee like a spirit into the house, with Arnav following behind. One fact that stood out was, come what may, her inherent nature of selfless caring, always stood intact and she would do the needful. It was a point that showed the dismal picture of the state he and the rest were in when compared to Khushi.

Amma who met them at the door hugged Khushi, tears streaming down their faces both remembering the departed souls on their Death Anniversary. The day was a bitter reminder of the tragedy that both Khushi and Garima had undergone. Khushi had lost her parents and Garima her sister and brother-in-law. They had overcome quite a tough time together as a family. Amma wiping her wet eyes told Arnav what a coincidence it was! Khushi's Babuji was asking her to call him. At Arnav's frown, Amma explained, that he wanted to speak to him. Telling her that he would meet him then itself, he accompanied Khushi to her Babuji's room. After Khushi took his blessings and held her Babuji in a tight hug, she went to the kitchen to assist her Amma prepare breakfast for Arnavji and herself.

Arnav meeting the eyes of the frail man in the wheel chair asked, whether there was anything that he could do for him? Khushi's father slurring and stumbling on words asked him, You... caught... Shyam... ? Arnav, who could understand affirmed it to be so. Babuji struggling to get coherent words told him, that he... tried... to... cheat us...PG in Jiji's house... sagai... Khussi... When Arnav said, he knew as Buaji, Amma and Khushi had explained everything, Babuji persisted and gasped out, I... found...out..., making Arnav stare at him. When Babuji whispered in a choked voice, I saw him... and... Anjali... Bitiyaa... in the... temple, Arnav's eyes widened. His sharp brain picked up what Babuji was trying to tell and he voiced it out for confirmation. You found out that he was already married. His statement received a nod from Babuji. This made Arnav speculate, that he must have asked him, and the reply he received, I... did... He... hit... me... made... me... with Babuji looking down at his form in the wheelchair, had him gasp at the implication. When Babuji with helpless eyes, continued with his disconnected words, He... threw... away... the medicine..., Arnav was introduced for the first time to the extent of viciousness that was in Shyam Manohar Jha, and it did nothing but aggravate his anger towards the scumbag.

The strong light thrown at the truth that was Shyam made him stagger at the realization and say, that was why you had a fit when you saw Di, when she had come with Payal's proposal. You realised that she was my sister.. Babuji's words What... could... I do...? My Khussi.., had Arnav nod and say that he need not worry about Shyam anymore as he was locked up in police custody. He promised that he would see that Khushi and Payal never have to deal with him ever again. He would see to it that he would never be troubled by Shyam again. His words of assurance made Babuji draw a sigh of relief. When Arnav asked whether Khushi, Payal, Amma and Buaji know about it? Babuji said, No... When... I... woke up... I couldn't... speak... That was the grim reality of that time. Hearing the story behind Babuji being confined to wheel chair and his paralysis, Arnav understood his helplessness at seeing his family come under the hypnotic talk of Shyam, watch with trepidation and unable to voice out his opposition to the engagement of Khushi with a base person as Shyam, even while that recreant was married to Anjali.

When Arnav asked him whether he would prefer to file a case against Shyam, Babuji's eager nod with his eyes glowing, made Arnav offer to send a police officer and his lawyer to him that day itself, who could take care of things. As Babuji expressed his appreciation and gratitude, Arnav bent his head in shame. He apologized saying, that he and his family had caused him and his family a lot of suffering and he would never be able to.. and was unable to complete it, overcome by the realization of the severity of the deeds of his family towards this family with simple values but large hearted enough to embrace others as their own. Babuji placing his weathered, shaky hand on Arnav's arm consoled him saying, You... are... our Damadji... and Payaliyaa's... Jetji... Whatever... happens... we... suffer... together...

When Arnav and Khushi returned to RM to freshen up before visiting Anjali, Arnav watched Khushi place her parents' picture in her cloth bag. As he called out to her, she looked at him enquiringly. He asked her, why does she want to hide her parents' picture in the bag? Why not hang it on the wall of their room? Then she could see them all the time. His query opened her Pandora's box of emotions that she had tried to quell and not dwell on. She thought dismally, where was her wall to hang her parents' photo? Anyway, in eight days time she would be vacating the place and her parents too would leave with her to dwell inside the cupboard at Buaji's house. And then only her Devi Maiyya knew whether she would have a roof on her head when all the mayhem over her contract marriage would break out. At least her parents had a space in the sky to shine at night. Seeing her silence, Arnav, holding out his hand, offered to hang it for her, but Khushi shook her head in negative. At Arnav's insistence, Khushi whispered, that it was a pointless exercise as in eight days time she would have to take it down anyway. Her embittered words made Arnav feel the heat of his deeds and the searing pain in his heart that would not subside. Reaching her in long strides and gathering her in his arms, he asked her softly, does she really think that he would let her go? Her words, that he won't have a choice as after eight days she would not be bound to him as their contract would become void, was like a knife-cut across the sinews and she moved out of his numbed arms. His whispered woe-struck words, will you let our marriage die Khushi? made her shrivel like a paper thrust into a flame but emit a bleak smile and say, that she won't have to as it will die under its own steam at the end of six-months, as he had ensured when she was made to sign the contract. Though it was meant to penalize her, the penalty fell like a thunderbolt from heaven that would lash at all in its path. It was a grim reminder for Arnav Singh Raizada, who had thought he had control over everything was now disillusioned with nothing under his control. His sister's marriage was over. His marriage was on the verge of breaking up and he had no foothold in it due to his self goal with the contract he had drafted for the wedding. His whole soul wavered and shook like a wind-swept leaf. Arnav stared at her, pain racking his body and soul, the pain reflected in her eyes as all she saw was a bleak and uncertain life ahead. Khushi finally asked him, was their marriage legal? And as Arnav replied, it was, she murmured, that it was good. As they had not married as per the rituals including any witnesses, at least it was legal. Then atleast, people with tongues like polar needles will not make a laughing stock out of her calling their marriage a live-in, like they mocked Lavanyaji. That was the harsh reality she had to face and she had resigned herself to it. For Khushi, her dream of getting married with all the rituals of a traditional marriage, that she had nurtured since her childhood, lay shattered on the ground and trampled by his anger. She was disillusioned with life and its goodness towards her. It was her City of Gandharvas. A man as bold as a hawk, who had married her defying her wishes, now with her words turned white as a chalk. Khushi consoling herself in a low voice sighed, that the sindoor and mangalsutra were hers to say at least till the 15^th. Though embittered, she had accepted what the Fate had dealt stoically. Seeing her face passionless, like those sculptor graved for niches in a temple, Arnav's heart wept with bitter tears. It was a bitter, grevious and an extremely unpleasant experience that was set to haunt both of them all through their life unless the direction of the wind changed.

That is why this update is called WORMWOOD.

"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him"

~ Aldous Huxley, Texts & Pretexts: An Anthology With Commentaries

That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

NOTE:

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