IPKKND FF QUAGMIRE

Part 5

"I should appreciate you for the planning Payal. You sent her away to put the blame on us and make money out of it?" he wanted somehow to make her feel the insult she made out of his family a few minutes before.

"Khushi?! Are you fine? Why were you late? He did something right tell me"

"Jiji, I'm fine."

"Abhi let's go, we shouldn't stay here anymore ." Mrs. Sinha took the lead this time.

"One moment, when you are not interested anymore in the alliance I think it would be best if you return the jewelry and the money given by babuji till now, as it is you are very respectful people, it wouldn't look good if you run away with them. Isn't it?" It was Khushi this time, how dare they give importance to money than her sister and slyly trying to put blame on them and escape.

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Payal sat in her room looking at the screen saver on her mobile, it had her and Abhishek smiling to the camera on the day of engagement. Her eyes darted towards the ring finger which now is showing the mark of the previous owner. Unknowingly her eyes watered, true that she didn't have any feelings towards him but since the wedding got fixed, they spent maximum time together due to one or other occasion, in all this she weaved dreams of the future ahead with him, they shattered before they saw the light. She stood strong until she took the ring off her finger and threw it on his face. Everyone in the family and neighbors supported them but that moment she was like any other girl whose trust was broken, a girl whose wedding got cancelled at last moment, she locked herself in her room to get back to normalcy again, some me time to process the happenings of the day before she faces the world again.

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"Shashi, never ever feel that you are alone. We are all there for you. It's good Payal raised her voice against this otherwise she had to face the same trouble which my daughter faced."

"Yes Garima, it's good they showed their true faces now, imagine how it would have been if at all it happens after marriage. Our Payal will never be happy in that miser's house."

Khushi rushed behind her sister the moment Payal ran away, while the elders remained behind to manage the situation. All were supporting them but the pain that this incident will always remain as a scar in their daughter's life is not allowing them to be calm. There will be rumors for some time which cannot be avoided and Shashi was most affected as he failed in finding the perfect life partner for his princess.

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"Babuji, Jiji and I decided to go to the dargah, as it is what all bad has to happen have happened now to start everything fresh we want to take blessings."

"What fresh will you start Khushi? Payal will not go anywhere henceforth" Bau declared her ultimatum.

"But buaji what wrong did Jiji do? It was the mistake of Sinha's not her she will resume her job and before that, we will go to the dargah."

"Yes, Jiji you also come with us. Let us thank the Almighty for saving us from getting into this relation were in future it will only let our daughter face troubles." Shashi supported his daughter's, anything for his daughter to come out of grief.

"Shashi even you are on their side? I think no one is worried about the happenings of yesterday. fine, why should I keep worrying then, let's go."

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"Di? You are still here? I thought your tickets have been booked for early morning."

"Ha chotte they are, but I canceled them, I need to visit the dargah, after all, he fulfilled my wish which I asked many years back."

"Di?! He fulfilled? Seriously? Fine then, I will arrange the car you can go and praise him for all that he has showered on us."

"Chotte, you will never stop it will you?"

"You know that I will not."

"Okay but you and Akash are accompanying me and before you deny let me tell you this is final."

"Will I ever get a chance to deny you?"

"Never" Anjali smiled looking at the sulking face of her brother.

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Khushi after finishing the prayers asked Payal to look for bangles while she goes and ties the lock which fulfills the wishes. Bua wished to return back to the car once they were done offering the prayers so the elders left to wait in the car. She tied her's and saw that someone who just has passed her has dropped his key and called out to him to give it back and to her surprise, it was none other than the ASR.

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Arnav was irritated with the noise around him, above that his sister forced him to tie the lock while sits for some more time in the prayer hall. Akash rushed to a side as he got a call from the client and was nowhere to be seen. Muttering under his breath he tied it and started to go from there as early as possible but he was stopped by a voice from behind. And he turned around to see the girl in green from yesterday's mishap.

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"AAP!"

"YOU?"

"Your Key." She said forwarding the key which fell down from his pocket.

"Throw it away"

"Throw away? You are standing on the premises of dargah and you also tied the lock but you don't want to keep the blessings with you?"

"Blessings? When I don't believe in God, keeping a key in the name of blessings is far. In fact I don't think he exists"

"How can you say that? The luxury and success you are enjoying today are given by him and you deny his existence?"

"ASR writes his own destiny. If at all there is someone up there, then there will be no pain in this world."

"Hawww!" Khushi was left behind looking wide-eyed at the person who just showed his audacity which was due to his status in the society.

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"And you know what Jiji? He doesn't even believe in the almighty? How can someone be like that?"

"Khushi, it's his life, he gets to decide what, whom he should believe. Why are you worrying about it?"

"Ya, I know, that's why I just left it there otherwise I was ready to give him left, right and center for speaking all that yesterday and today. But I never thought that he will be like this"

"We can never know how a person is until we get to know them close enough to see their true intentions." Payal thoughts raced backed to he ex-fiance.

"But you tell me this, where did the pearl strings from your blouse go flying?"

"What? Show me. This is all because of him, he pushed me so hard, the blouse would have got stuck to some sharp object in the process."

"Khushi? You didn't even realize that it got torn?"

"What can I do Jiji? I was shocked and surprised at seeing him in front of me. Now leave about him let's go eat Golgappe." Pushing his image out of her thoughts she got ready to go with her sister to enjoy the delicacy.