The Bride

20. Holding you.

“I am sorry khushi. I didn't meant to get angry on you. You know how my situation is, I don't have a home, I don't have job, no money. I felt pressured and defeated.” he tried to explain.

“so than, you shouldn't have kidnapped me from wedding.” she yelled, tears still flowing relentlessly.

Everyone looked shocked. Myhra thought she is right this man is evil. This man has hurt khushi, kidnapped her.she needs to do something. He is clearly not a good person.

“I.. I don't know. I just. That man was so many years older than you.” arnav said trying to control his emotions and guilt.

“you are old too!”she yelled.

He moved closer towards her, his eyes showing his guilt.He hold khushi shoulder his hands.

“you only wanted to get rid of me. You never wanted me.you!”khushi cried, her body shook with the pain and hurt she felt.

Before arnav could say anything else. A huge wooden stick hit his head and few more on his arms and legs. He screamed in pain, as khushi felt shocked at what has happened.

Myhra and her friends attacked arnav while after getting over his initial shock, he tried to defend himself holding two wooden sticks on his hand as they tried to hit him again.

Zubia hit his legs making with another girl following suit. He fell to his knees by sudden attack form four sides.

Coming out of initial shock, khushi screamed to stop them. What are they doing. Why are they hurting him.

“please stop! Stop!” she screamed, tried to pulling back myhra and others from hurting him more. His head was red with blood.

“khushi, if he has kidnapped you, hurt you,if he is devil like you said he don't deserve to be saved.”jannat begam said keeping her hand on khushi’s head, who was crying uncontrollably, also trying to push myhra and others from attacking arnav.

“No! No! Don't hurt him please. What are you doing”khushi Said dry hiccups making it hard for her to speak clearly.

“myhra. Leave him.” jannat begam said in her stern voice. Myhra and other girls left him.

“Please Mr. Get out from here. We are not killers, but just because we are women does not mean we are weak.” janat begam said looking at him sternly at his eyes.

“ just because I am not raising my hand on you all doesn't mean I can't. It's just that I am here to take my wife without creating any ruckus and fights and I am not going without taking her with me” he said looking at her with determined gaze. He took out the knife from his back pocket held in front t of him.

Jannat begam tightened her hold on khushi’s hand. While she tried to break free.

“khushi, you are not in any way obliged to be with him” Jannat begam said. She knew how difficult it is for a woman to fall weak in front of a man. A woman always compromise fearing society’s reaction, fearing that she is going against code of woman, trying to live for herself.

“she is my wife. We got separated due to some reason,her parents tried to get her married to someone twenty years older than her. The moment I got to know about, it took her away with with her mother's permission” arnav clarified still holding the knife in his hand.

“khushi doesn't want to go with you.” jannat begam said. Though arnav’s explanation for once has threw her off. He came back to save his wife from getting into a much bigger hell . But that's doesn't clear him of his sins of leaving his wife and hurting her.