The Bride

7. Truth is out.

arnav could not control his laugh  as his two year old niece  priya jumped from one place to another and kept on singing some gibberish song. his eyes travelled to ram and avani almost fighting each other's head off  .they were twins of his massi's youngest son.when his cousin umesh urged him to eat more of the halwa , he tried eating without choking due to continuous laughing. this place , this home always made him feel so happy and unburdened.  he was having dinner with all the male members of the family in the open baranda. it was getting late and they couldn't possibly  would have travel back to their village before dark. walking back  in night would have been dangerous and with khushi with him he didn't want to take the risk.

his eyes travelled to  room on his left  where all the womens of the family were having their dinner . he could hear all their laughs and  continous talks . he was glad that he decided to bring khushi here. atleast maybe after meeting them she will feel that his family is not full of devil there are few incredible humans too.he  will take khushi to school in the morning and get her admission there. leaving all his worries behind arnav laughed and enjoyed looking at his little niece pulling her grandfather's moustache  as  he gave her fake angry glare. family .. a real happy family. wasn't this he craved . just a normal family was it so hard to get.

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"your hairs have grown longer .you should cut it." massi moved her soft hand through arnav's hairs as he lay his head on her laps like a little child . khushi was sitting on the bunk beside  his bunk where he was laying. khushi chuckled a little at massi's order.

"na.. i am thinking of growing it" arnav replied teasingly.

"and what for? are you becoming tarzan . you will doing  ahoo...ahooo in the nights now" his massi's  teasing reply made arnav chuckle still controlling his smile he replied.

"nah! i was thinking to play ravan in next ramleela or maybe become a saint.. baba" massi slapped lightly on his head while her mouth opened in oh! arnav and khushi laughed so much at that. his massi  still holding that are you mad face. khushi's stomach were hurting so much from the laughs , she half fall down from her bunk making massi and arnav burst out laughing at her childish behaviour.while khushi sat back embarrassed tightening her veil over her head.

"you can't become a saint now. you are married"

"too bad" arnav replied still chuckling .

"khushi beta you can take off your veil here. it is  necessary just in front of male elder members .make yourself comfortable." massi said in soft voice to khushi who turned her head to arnav and after a small pause said no. massi didn't force her more and said her to sleep as they hav eto wake up early in the morning. khushi was already in her half sleep laid down covering herself with the blanket to sleep.

arnav gulped down his guilt.she is still angry on him or maybe she  fear his family too much.

"you are lucky arnav to have such a nice wife" massi's word made him look at her face who still look young not at all showing her real age.

"she is a child" arnav said and looked back at sleeping khushi.

"i am happy you acknowledge that fact " massi said with a small smile on her lips still passing her soft hands through his hairs. silence covered them for a while .arnav's voice came in a whisper.

"why couldn't god have made me your son"

"you are my son arnav, my smart , mischievous , kind , angry ,fun .my tiny ladoo" massi said in the most softest voice trying to control her tears from falling.

"they killed her too . how could they? why?" arnav looked at his massi's moist eyes . he questioned to her like a innocent child ask to his mother why this world is so cruel.massi cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"some questions don't have answers arnav. somethings are just like they are  good or bad. you can only wish to devi maiyya to give them some sense of right. "

"you live in the same world as them still i dont see hint of fear in the eyes of women here. i dont hear the scream of baby girls burning in fire of selfishness. see, your had three daughter than you had sons but you didn't hurt them you raised them. your first grandchild was a girl and you celebrated her birth no less of your grandsons... i.. you didn't throw your daughter in pyre just because society deemed so...why can't"  arnav whipped his tears and tried to control them from flowing..

"we are not rich enough to discriminate between  a boy and a girl."

"and i am glad you are not." arnav said and hugged her tight .

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arnav's face turned pale on hearing that shyam bhai has get to know the truth. stupid priest he have told him to just get out of the village but that man didn't listen and now all his plan has gone down the drain.

arnav ran a frustrated hand through his hairs as he looked at the sun rising in front of him. aman put a comforting hand on his shoulder to make him relax, but to no avail he was feeling angry and frustrating . he is very sure now that his brother would have told them the  truth till now.

his grandfather would be standing and waiting to execute his dreams while his brother would laugh at how stupid his plan was. how he  is still stupid and young. arnav's anger was building with every passing second.

"i told that man to just get out of the village the moment i handed him the money. i even...ah! i should not have trusted that drunked man. but what was i to too .my family knows every person of the village only an unknown outsider could have fooled them well and i didn't have enough time to find someone trustworthy."

"arnav relax ,maybe we can talk to shyam bhai and make him understand calmly or find some other solution to make him stop" aman tried to calm arnav down.

"oh. you think he would have waited till now to tell them. no.. god! i should not have gone to far with that fake priest think. shouldn't have made it seem like i will have son and not my brother and to top it up i even said bad things to bhai. i dug  my own grave"

"kya? you lied"

a soft innocent voice reached their ears . arnav closed his eyes , he knew who that was, he dont have the energy to deal with all this at a time.

aman looked at khushi with a guilty face  as she kept on throwing her questions their way.

"so i am not having a son."

"why did you lied ji"

"you should not have lied like that"

"ENOUGH! i dont have time for this all ." arnav yelled making khushi shiver.

calming his breath arnav looked at her and said in a soft voice.

"khushi just dont tell anyone anything ok. i will handle this. now go fresh up we are going to school and than back home ok."  khushi nodded not wanting to fight with him or make him angry

"arnav are you sure?" aman asked unsure

"i am not backing down now aman. i am a  raizada and i know how to get what i want by hook or crook"

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