|| ArMu OS Her Mukhiji, His Gaurani||
"What are you trying to do, Di?" Aru asked sternly, storming into the guest room.
It had been just a few weeks ago but so much had happened since that it felt like forever ago that she'd had a similar confrontation with her sister.
"What are you talking about Aru? What am I trying to do?" Dharmi replied, not meeting Aru's gaze.
"You know very well what I'm talking about, Di! Why are you trying to get closer to Mukhiji?!" Aru minced no words as she flung the accusation at her sister.
The truth was she was hurt, upset, angry all because she now realized just how shallow her own sister was. But what threw her off the most was the possessiveness she felt for Mukhiji. She probably would've forgiven her sister for her wrongdoings and tried to cover them up again if it weren't for the fact that this time round, it involved Mukhiji, her Mukhiji. Her sister had caused so much heartache and shame for her parents multiple times, but she'd always tried to side with Dharmi di. Even this time, when she returned after Anshul ran away with all the money they got from selling Mukhiji's familial jewelry heirlooms, Aru had volunteered to talk it out with their parents so they'd accept Dharmi di back. But Dharmi had requested for some time to compose herself and process all she'd gone through and asked if she could stay. Knowing the fiasco she'd created at their wedding and unsure of how Mukhiji would react, Aru had left the decision to Mukhiji. Of course, being the sane, sensible and large hearted person he was, he had immediately told her that Dharmi could stay as long as she wanted.
The first time she'd noticed something strange in Dharmi Di's behavior was when the village ladies had come to inform about Karvachauth. They'd made snide comments about how Di had run away from the marriage but then they said that it all happened for the good or they wouldn't have gotten Aru for their mukhiyani who was a better fit as a wife for their Mukhiji anyways. While she seemed unfazed by their comments on her running away from the wedding, as soon as they mentioned about Aru being Mukhiyani and a better fit for Mukhiji, Dharmishta's face had darkened. Later that night, Aru found out that Dharmi had kept a fast too. She had been worried that Di was still fasting for Anshul but then it slipped from Dharmi's mouth that it was for someone else, before she corrected it saying it was for Ganeshji. Just as Mukhiji had been giving Aru water to break her fast, Dharmi Di had fainted, falling onto Mukhiji on the process. Then she'd been too worried to notice anything but looking back, Aru realized that Dharmi looked extremely disappointed that Aru had been the one to make her drink water, Mukhiji deliberately passing the copper pot with water to Aru asking her to help Dharmishta.
Later that night, when Mukhiji brought food for Aru to their room, Aru had spotted Dharmishta standing right outside their door. When Aru asked her about it, she claimed she came to ask Aru if she'd eaten but she beat a hasty retreat as if she'd been caught doing something wrong.
She was willing to ignore those things as mere coincidences but then she noticed a pattern. Di never woke up early. Never. But now she'd wake up early and be at the temple just as Mukhiji would be on his way out to go to Panchayat and she'd insist on giving him Prasad. She even tried to feed him a couple of times but he stopped her and took the Prasad in hand instead. She overheard her befriending Mastana and asking him about Mukhiji's likes and dislikes. She would ask Saanvi for the recipes to his favorite dishes and create kitchen disasters trying to cook them. She planted all kinds of random flowers and shrubs around the house, claiming she loved gardening. As her sister, Aru knew it wasn't true. The one incident that led to this confrontation they were about to have right now was one that happened just a little while ago.
Mukhiji had just gotten out of the shower and was searching for his kurta. After the incident where he'd taken the iron rods to his chest to save her, Aru had been the one helping him with his morning routine of getting ready. He'd called for Aru but Dharmishta, who'd been waiting right outside their room door had popped in and lied that Aru was busy. She'd offered to help him instead. Mukhi declined her offer of help and said he'd manage on his own or wait for Aru to come. Dharmishta had persisted and gone to the extent of saying that if she hadn't been misled by Ramiben, she'd be the one taking care of him anyways. That was when Aru walked into the room and Dharmi left in a hurry. Aru couldn't believe what she had just heard. She'd never been the possessive kind, always feeling more than happy to share or give away everything that was hers to her sister. But this time, it was different. It was Mukhiji they were talking about. Even if she overlooked the fact that Mukhiji was her husband (though she found it surprisingly difficult to overlook), he was still a human. And she would not let her sister take advantage of his niceness not again.
"There is nothing like that Aru. Do you not trust your Mukhiji?" Dharmi faked innocence as she asked. "I trust Mukhiji completely," Aru said, "its you who I don't trust." "Aru!" Dharmi exclaimed and immediately started crying, "I guess I deserve this. No one loves me. First Anshul cheated me and ran away and now my own sister doesn't trust me." "Di, for months after getting a legal divorce from Anshul, you followed him like a crazy woman, did things that a girl from a respectable family should never do and you labeled it all as your love for him. Then all of a sudden, you decided you wanted to marry Mukhiji. We came here, you went through all the rasams and then right before the start of the wedding, you not only ran away, but you also took the jewelry that has been in this family for generations! Please explain to me how you are the victim in all of this?" Aru pointed out to Dharmishta. "I just got carried away in Rami Ben's words Aru or you know I wouldn't ever do something like this," Dharmi said defensively. "You got carried away in Rami Ben's words? Seriously Di? What are you? Like 5 years old? That someone said, here take this jewelry and run away and you agreed?"
"Aru! You are talking to me like this? You've never talked to me like this before," Dharmi cried some more. "True. I've never talked to you like this before. I have always been protective about you and always covered up for your mistakes. That has been my greatest mistake. I was surprised when Mukhiji refused to believe Rami Ben's involvement in everything that happened in this house. But now I realize, I've been blinded by the same kind of sibling love as he. But not anymore. Someone needs to point out your mistakes to you Di and if it has to be me, then so be it," Aru replied.
"So much possessiveness for a man you don't even consider your husband? With whom you have just a namesake relationship of being husband and wife?" Dharmi asked angrily. "Why should it bother you so much Aru if I do try and get closer to Mukhiji? You were the one who told me that there was nothing between the two of you. You are living together but not as husband and wife and as soon as Mukhiji recovers, you will be on your way out of here." "What Mukhiji and I share, you will never understand Di. I agree, that we do not have a husband wife relationship between us, but what we do share is respect, for each other. And how Mukhiji and I handle our relationship, now or in the future should be none of your concern. That is something that stays between just the two of us. And I want you to respect that and keep your distance from Mukhiji and from our relationship. I will not let you use him or hurt him again. And I might be his wife for just namesake but always remember, before you get to Mukhiji, you will have to face me," Aru turned away from Dharmi, her anger still simmering. "And Di, I also want you to know that you are and will always be my sister. But just as I am your sister, I am also someone's wife, the Mukhiyani of this village that has accepted me with so much love and affection. I cannot let anyone's trust break, especially not on my watch. So it will be better for both of us if you respect your boundaries when it comes to Mukhiji and my relationship with him from now on."
As Aru headed towards the door, Dharmi felt venomous jealousy boil in her heart and she spat it out, Don't fly so high Aru. This position of being Mukhiyani was never rightfully yours. I was the one supposed to marry him. He said yes to marrying me willingly. You are just a replacement in my spot to save his family's honor. Somebody he would never have married willingly."
A strange sorrow settled in her heart at Dharmi's words. She was right. Mukhiji would never have chosen her for himself. But what also broke her heart was the amount of vice her sister carried in her heart.
"Dharmishta," Mukhiji's stern voice interrupted her thoughts and when Aru looked up, he was standing by the door. She quickly wiped the single tear that had rolled down her cheek.
Dharmi grew pale in panic. How could she save herself in this situation and get back into his graces? She wondered. Hopefully, he hadn't heard anything she'd said.
"I heard everything," he said, as if answering her thought. He stepped into the room and caught hold of Aru's hand. "Dharmi, you should be glad that you have a sister like Aru. She loves you so much. She went crazy worrying about you after you disappeared from the wedding. And instead, you are standing here spitting venom at her?"
"Mukhiji.. I.." Dharmi tried to say something but Mukhi raised his hand asking her to stop.
"I do not want to listen to anything. I am here just to clear a misunderstanding that you have," Mukhiji said as he looked towards Aru, her hand still firmly clasped in the warmth of his. "What you said is true. Had I been given the option of marrying Aru at the wedding mandap after you left, I would have said no."
Aru's heart sank.
"But its not because I was madly in love with you either. It is because I respect Aru as a person. I respect her dreams and ambitions. Tying her to me here would mean the end of her dreams and aspirations. But now, if I have the chance to choose who to marry, I would choose her a hundred times over and not even have to think twice about it. So it would be better if you take that thought out of your mind that somehow you are better suited for me and that you can get Aru's place in my life when she leaves. Because even after she leaves, there will be no one else in my life other than her. Anyone I marry can get the title of Mukhiyani. Its no big deal. But neither you, nor anyone else can be my Gaurani," Mukhi said firmly.
Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the room with a surprised Aru in tow.
***
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