It had been 3 weeks since the Diwali party and all the events that played out after it. Khushi had almost given up to her Bua's constant emotional blackmail the night of Diwali, but then she had told her family and Shyam that she needed a few more weeks to think about it. Wanting to seem caring and understanding in front of his dear Khushiji, Shyam agreed to this and convinced Bua that it was the best idea to let Khushi think for a while more. Shyam agreed to this for a few reasons. The first being that he could leave the Guptas for a couple of days and spend time with his wife so that there would be no suspicion as to why he was missing during the preparations of Arnav and Lavanya's engagement and he didn't want Khushi to think that he was the leech he is. One week ago, Khushi had followed her heart and declined the marriage proposal once and for all. Bua had stopped talking to her and Garima was quiet and a disappointed. Payal was internally happy that Khushi stood up for herself, but didn't show it due to Bua's anger. Shashi was the happiest of all, though he could not express it. Shyam was furious! "How could she reject me! Don't worry! I'll make you mine if it's the last thing I do! I will have you!" thought Shyam with a dirty expression on his face. One night Khushi came home from work at around 8. Payal, Buaji, Babuji, and Amma had told Khushi they would be attending wedding and they would be home late. Khushi was confused as to why the house was unlocked if they were all out. She walked in and to her surprise stood Shyam, his eyes full of lust. He looked like an animal that hadn't eaten in days. Khushi felt uncomfortable under his creepy gaze. She felt awkward with Shyam ever since she had said no to marriage. She tried to walk past him but he was too quick. He grabbed her arm ever so tight and slapped her hard across her cheek. Khushi held her cheek and looked up at Shyam with a hurt and confused look.
"Aap ko kya laga tha Khushiji? Ke aap hume reject kar ke chali jaongi? Haha'bilkul nahi! Voh hain na ke hum aap se bauhat pyaar karte hain. Aap ko choone ki maan karta hain! Aap itni aasaani se nahe jaa paonge!" Shyam taunted Khushi. His grip on her arm became tighter as he laughed. Khushi's eyes were filled with tears.
"Chodiye! Chodiye hume!" Khushi resisted, but it was to no avail. Shyam dragged Khushi into his her bedroom and pushed her onto the ground. Shyam fulfilled his promise to himself that night. He did not marry her, but he did have her. But Shyam underestimated the power of God and faith. Little did he know that by forcing himself on Khushi she was not taking her virginity, her purity or her innocence. He was giving these virtues away to another man in time. A man named Arnav Singh Raizada. This is God's game, and see how he has played. That night Raavan thought he made Sita his own, when in reality, he took the final step that lead Sita to Ram.
The next week Shyam told her Guptas he was leaving for a while due to some work. Khushi and the Gupta's "badnaami" was only increasing day by day as Shyam was still living with two unmarried women in the same house, and Bua left no stone unturned in torturing and emotionally blackmailing Khushi, telling her that she was the reason why her father was sick, she was the reason why they are facing so many financial issues, she was the reason why their reputation had been torn to shreads, and because she was not getting married to Shyam, that Payal's ruin reputation would make it impossible for her to find a decent groom. As if this wasn't enough, the events of a the night one week prior tortured Khushi to no end. She hadn't told anyone what happened, not even Payal. That night when Shyam was finished sucking the soul right out of her, she threatened Khushi. He told her that he was the one to tried to kill her father and if she was to tell a soul of what had happened, he would guiltlessly kill her whole family. At home she didn't have to pretend to be happy, but Raizada Mansion was another story. The torture didn't end there. For the past week, she had been preparing the house for Lavanya and Arnav's engagement along with the rest of the family. It hurt her to see Arnav with another woman, but she was strong and wore a fake smile every day.
(Back To The Present)'
Arnav stood at the Gupta's doorstep shocked at what he was hearing and seeing.
SLAP! The sound of Bua's tight slap across Khushi's cheek echoed through the house. Arnav's fists clenched with anger. No one noticed Arnav standing at the door.
"YEH KYA HAIN!!!! BHOLO!" Bua slapped Khushi one more time, holding what looked like a file in another hand.
"Buaji! Humari baat toh suniye!! Amma!! Jiji! Please, humari baat suniye!!" cried Khushi.
"Khushi, yeh sab kya hain! Jawab toh do!" cried Amma.
"Hum aap sab ko pehle batana chahti thi, per hum majboor the!" cried Khushi as the tears fell from her eyes. Arnav's fury grew. "Humari baat suniye!" exclaimed Khushi.
"Nahi suni koi tumhari baat! Pata nahi kaam ka bahana karke kaha jaati ho! Abhi abhi dekha humne! Kaise voh sasure Arnav Singh Raizada tumhe ghar tak chorne aaya tha! Hum sab janat hain permeshwari! Iss bache ka baap voh hi hain na! Voh Arnav Singh Raizada!? Bolo!" screamed Bua while pointed at the pregnancy reports in her hand.
Arnav was in complete shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. First, that Khushi was pregnant, and second, that her cow of a Bua thought that he was the father.
"Nahi Buaji! Iss mein Arnavji ki koi galati nahi hain!" explained Khushi.
"Arnav JI!" yelled Bua. "Vah! Tumhari jaise gandi larki toh humne aak tak nahi dekha! Apne boss ki saath'CHI!"
"Yeh bacha Arnavji ka nahi hain! Yeh baccha Shyam ka hain! Shyam ne humare saath zabardasti ki. Voh raat jab aap sab shaadi mein gaye, tab voh ghar pe the aur unho ne humare saath galat kiya'" Khushi lost control and dropped to her ground holding her face in her hands to hide the waterfall of tears. Arnav just stood there. He was frozen.
"Kya kaha tumne! Shyam babua? Tumhari himmat kaisi hui Shyam babua pe aisa inzaam lagane! Hum sab jaante hain! Tum jhoot bhol rahi ho! Agar aisa kuch hua, toh tum ne hume pehle kyun nahi bataya?" asked Bua.
"Inho ne kaha agar meine aap ko batane ki koshish ki toh voh aap ko marne ki koshish karegne, jaise Babuji ki saath kiya tha!" cried Khushi.
"Bas karo yeh naatak! Shyam babua ne humare liye kya kuch nahi kiya, aur tum ho ke unko kilaaf aise boh rahi ho! Sharam aani chayi tumko! Tumhe Shyam se shaadi nahi iss liye kyun ki tumhare pet mein kisi aur ka baacha para hai, aur ab tumhara paap ko chupana ke liye, tum keh rahi ho ke Shyam ne tumhare saath zabardasti ki? Aaj tumne yeh saabit kar diya ki tum humara parivaar ki beti nahi ho. Tum humara khoon nahi ho! Tum ek aanat ladki ho aur hamesha rehengi! Tumhari vaje se Payal ki shaadi toot gayi, humare paas paise nahi hain, Shashi babua bimaar pare hain aur humara itni badnaami hui hain! Nahi! Ab aur nahi! Nikal jao humare ghar se!" Bua yelled and grabbed Khushi's armed and began dragging her along the floor as Payal and Garima tried to hold her back and control Buaji. Shashi's eyes began to fill with tears as he witness the scene, and he couldn't even do anything about it. He prayed for his daughter, and then he saw Arnav. It was as if God has answered his prayers and send him there on his request. Bua continued to drag Khushi until she reached the doorstep and she throw Khushi back onto the ground. Khushi's head fell, not on the cold ground, but right onto a pair of black Hermes dress shoes. These shoes, she knew very well. She lifted her head up to see Arnav looking down at her. His eyes showed compassion, and at the same time, anger.
"TUM! Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho! Oh! Haan, tum yehi sune aaye ho na, ki tumhari iss ladki ki pet mein baacha hain ya nahi! Haan hai!! Yeh lo, pregnancy ki reports! Parlo! Tum dono ke paap ki nashaan ab iss ladki is pet mein para hain!" Bua yelled at Arnav as she forced the report into his hand with wallet. Payal and Amma were stunned to see Arnav here.
"Arnavji yahan? Kya saach mein yeh baccha inka hain'" Payal thought.
Arnav bent down and held Khushi's shoulders as he lifted her up so that she was standing. She was still crying profoundly.
"Chalo mere saath."Arnav told Khushi as he shot scathing looks at the three women and he held Khushi's shoulder to her support her as he lead her outside, leaving being her home forever. She looked back one last time, but all three of the women avoided her pleading eyes. She faced forward and walked to the car with Arnav. He opened her door for her and he too got into the car. He put on her seatbelt for her and handed her the wallet and the pregnancy reports. He drove off and Amma and Payal watched from the window and Buaji closed the door tightly. She was know absolutely sure that the child's father was no other than Arnav Singh Raizada.
Arnav pulled in past the gates of Shantivan and turned off the car he looked to his left and saw that Kushi was asleep. He tried waking her up, but was not moving. He walked to the other side of the car, opened the door, unclipped the seat belt and picked up her in her arms and began walking toward the front door. Khushi's loose hair blew with the wind. She had been leaving her hair down every since Diwali and it didn't go unnoticed by Arnav. He looked down at her in his arms. She looked so peaceful, so innocent, and so pure. How could her own family not believe her, Arnav thought. He rang the doorbell and a wide-eyed Anjali opened the door.
"Chotey! Khushi ko kya hua!" shrieked Anjali. Mama, Mami, Akash, Anjali, Nani, Lavanya, Om Prakash and Jai Prakash were shocked.
"ASR! What's going on? Chamkeeli ko kya hua?" asked Lavanya.
Arnav walked upstairs without answering any questions and rested Khushi's weak body on his bed. He called the doctor and the rest of the family joined Arnav and an unconscious Khushi in his bedroom.
"Chotey, bataye na kya hua? Aur Khushi ko toh ghar pe hona chahiye na?" asked a concerned Nani.
Arnav sighed and explained everything that happened to the family. He told them about how she was raped by someone whom her Buaji wanted her to marry, how she was pregnant, how they thought Arnav was the father, and how Buaji ruthlessly kicked her out.
Lavanya felt bad for Khushi, but somehow she felt jealous that someone thought that Arnav and Khushi were having an affair. She was jealous at the fact that her family would believe that Khushi was pregnant with her boyfriend's child. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was jealous at seeing Khushi in his arms, and Arnav caring so much for her.
"Hai Bhagwan. Yeh sab kya hain. Khushi bitiyan ki saath itni anyai kaise? Accha hua ke aap Khushi ko yahan laye hain Chotey. Iss sheher mein yeh aur kahan jaati. Ab aaj se Khushi bitiyan Shantivan mein hi rehengi," declared Nani.
"Aap ne bilkul thik kaha Nani," added Anjali.
"Hum bhi aap se bilkil agreementiya kare hain saasu-ma! Hume toh pehle se hi pata tha ke voh Bua kuch thik nahi hain!" said Mami.
'Bhai, aap ne doctor ko phone kiya?" asked Akash.
"Haan Akash, voh aati hi honga," replied Arnav.
Just then Om Prakash walked in with Dr. Patel. The doctor began the check up. "Mr. Raizada, vaise koi chinta ki baat toh nahi hain. In fact, achchi baat hain. Congratuations! Aap ki wife maa banne wali hain! She's pregnant! Mubarak ho!" exclaimed the doctor, but the smile on Dr. Patel's face quickly diminished as he saw the faces of Arnav and his family.
"Doctor, yeh meri wife nahi hain. Yeh ek family friend hain. Humare ghar mein rehti hain," corrected Arnav a bit embarrassed.
Lavanya was being put off by the minute. She couldn't believe the doctor thought Khushi was his wife.
He asked everyone to leave expect for one person. "Chotey, tum raho doctor ke saath," said Anjali. The family waited outside the room with looks of worry. Arnav looked worried at the doctor and said, "Doctor. Yeh keh rahi hain ki inka rape hua hain. I believe her, but inka family jo hain voh'Anyways, kya aap prove kar sakte hain ke in ke saath kisi ne zabardaasti ki hain?"
"Of course. Aap zaara uss taraf muriye." Arnav turned around and the doctor completed his check up of Khushi. Arnav went outside and soon the doctor joined them.
"Mr. Raizada, vaise toh official reports to mujhe kal lab mein banwana hoga, but I can assure you that she has definitely been raped. Her reproductive organs have been damaged and from the marks on her body, saaf nazar aa rahe hain ki is ladki ki saath zabardaasti ki hain kissi ne. Aise pregnancy ki cases main, miscarriage ka chances badta hain aur sometimes mother ko bhi damage ho sakta hain. Please aap inhe every 2 weeks hospital le aaye ga so we can avoid any dangerous situations. Meine kuch davai likhe hain. Khushi ko jald hosh aana chahiye. " The doctor informed the family and left. Akash left to medicine for Khushi and the rest of the family sat in the living room waiting for Khushi to wake up. Arnav told them that he would stay in his room to make sure he was there if Khushi woke up. Akash left the medicines in the room and everyone went to sleep except for Arnav who stayed awake to see a conscious Khushi.
Khushi was yet to wake up and Arnav leaned up against the headboard next to her. His eyes finally gave in as he closed them and drifted off to sleep.
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