The Bride

14. Guilt and Remarriage

It has been a very difficult week for arnav , at first khushi appeared out of nowhere making him scared of how he will be able to take care of her when he is barely able to keep himself fed. After a lot of thinking all night , he has decided that it was better if khushi go back to her house where she would be safe and well taken care of rather than having a vagabond life with him. After her initial resistance she has agreed but contrary  to arnav’s hope of feeling light and relaxed after her departure , he has felt sad , guilty and angry with himself. No matter how they had gotten married but he do care and feel responsible about her. He has felt somewhere relaxed and in peace when she has knocked on his door that night. His guilt has not yet subsided even after throwing himself in continuous labour work for the following days.he just hopes that this decision of his work out in khushi’s favour and she get all the happiness that she deserved which a poor and selfish man like him can't give her.

The second thing that made his life more difficult and his resolve to let go off khushi much stronger was when his boss gave him way less wages that he promised . arnav did fought for a fair price with the man but as all other workers did not support him it only let him to give up. After khushi’s sudden vanish taiji has asked for her whereabouts from all of arnav’s roommates  , all of his roommates denied seeing her leave. Arnav has felt vivek’s scrutinizing gaze  towards him as if he knew but how he can't possibly know.  He ignored talking to vivek all week scared that he won't be able to answer his questions relating to khushi and if he knew her.

Arnav sat on his bed folding and unfolding the small paper ,where his name was written in three different languages .khushi’s handwriting has improved he noted . that means she did managed to continuing her studies somehow.his mind's running with all the possibilities of different decisions he could have taken that day.

‘He could have let her stay with him’

‘But how she will live in a small room with three more man, it will be bad for her reputation and social suicide practically. From where he will bring money, there is barely any jobs in this area and if he decides to move to some other place with khushi . new place , new people where he dont know anyone so how will he get a job than household works plus his school exam fee than future college fees’.  

OR

He could have talk to khushi’s father about keeping her with them for a little while as he finds someway to earn more and steady money plus a good accomadation’

Shashi uncle would not have agreed especially because of what happened with his grandfather . also because no father would want their daughter to live with a man who can't even provide food even once a day.’

More questions start to haunt him which went hidden in some place of his mind due to the strenuous situation he was in.

‘She ranway but why?’

‘How did she even found him? It must have taken her months to even get close to a clue to find him. Not even aman knew where he was.’

‘Why was she wearing a bridal lehenga? Was she going to marry someone else.so.’

Arnav pinched the place between his nose and head as he tried to calm his mind down and forget about khushi.

“Arnav! Arnav!”  i jerk my head at vivek’s desperate calls as he come running with tension clearly visible on his face.

What happened to him. Vivek went to his village two days back to help in looking for a suitable bride for his uncle who has recently lost his wife in childbirth unluckily neither the mother nor the child survive. His uncle in his mid 40s already had three sons and two daughters so his remarriage doesn't sit well with arnav  and especially when he came to know that they are looking for young girl as bride.