"Kya happening now? Am I dreaming or kya? Bro is dancing with his biwi.. aye ayeee.. this is miracle!" Pinky widened her eyes.
"This is our bahu's magic.. I knew it from day one that Khushi is best for Chote.. I liked her in first meeting only.. and I can't fail to judge a person.." Dadi smiled.
"That's right.. Chote has really found someone who brings the Arnav inside him and not those girls who would be contended only knowing that they're ASR's wife.." said Maya.
Arnav held Khushi's hand and pulled her out of the crowd, to a corner. He smiled a little to her, his eyes were fixed on her hazel ones.
Khushi was also staring at him with a faint smile, "Did you enjoy it?"
"Yeah.. it was fun!" he said honestly, "Still I missed my mom in this crowd.. if she would have been here, then.. she would be managing everything, right from the food to dance.. no matter how much tired she would be, there would always be a smile on her face when I used to come to her to apply colors on her.."
"All these days I spent with you and your family.. you all are so open with me.. I mean, you share your past with me despite the fact that I'm just a stranger.. you took me to your Dadi's home, you gave me a place to stay, food to eat and a family that I would take to my heart forever.." Khushi said.
"Don't be emotional Khushi.. Anyone in my place would have done the same!" Arnav said noticing the change of expression on her face.
"No, they wouldn't Arnav ji.. You said right, this world is cruel only.." she said with moist eyes, "Not everyone is what they appear to be.. I thought so bad of you but now my opinion on you changed drastically.. and.."
"And?" he asked curiously.
"I didn't came to Chennai just like that.. I came because I felt suffocated in my own house with my own family.. A tragedy happened in my life that I needed sometime alone to compose myself. Even though I tried to be strong.. I couldn't..." she said with moist eyes.
Arnav cupped her face, "Batao mujhe.. what happened Khushi?"
"Woh.." Khushi cried, "Will you.. believe in me?"
"What do you think? I brought you here with me and told you everything about my life.. my past, my present, my likes and dislikes.. my family.. because you're just a stranger to me? Nahin.. because somewhere my heart trusted you.. I never share anything about myself with strangers Khushi.. if I shared with you.. then you must be someone special!.. and if I trust you to share my life with you, do you think I will not believe in your words? I was always here to hear about your problem.. I even asked you to say but you didn't.. I thought I shouldn't force you that's why I never talked about it.." Arnav frowned.
He walked to leave when Khushi held his hand sobbing, he turned back to her.
"Sorry.." she whispered with baby crying face.
"Straight to the point now.." he crossed his arms waiting for her to tell him everything.
"It all started one month ago when one fine day I went to my friend's wedding with Jiji, when we were returning there was no taxi or rickshaw that wanted to take us home, it was very late so we decided to walk till home.. We were chatting normally when I saw a car parked on the road, and there was a boy and a girl outside the car, that boy was forcing the girl to kiss him, and that girl was crying and shouting for help and everyone were watching it without saying anything, so I got angry.. I went there and slapped that boy and made him listen a lot, then we took that girl with us and dropped her home. I was proud of myself for standing for a woman, and Jiji also said that I did the right thing. I was happy, little did I know that that man wouldn't keep quiet after I insulted him. He was just quiet that day, but his silence destroyed my life..." Khushi said.
"What did he do with you?" Arnav asked clutching his fist, his eyes darkened. Even before knowing what that man did to Khushi, he wanted to kill that man.
"Two days later, that boy returned.. he came to my house and apologized for his misbehavior with that girl, I asked him to say sorry to that girl and not me.. but he said he already did it, now I had to forgive him only then he would be at peace.. I was not sure if he changed or not, my heart wasn't giving me good signs about him but Jiji convinced me to forgive him, and I did.. then he asked me to become his friend, everyday he would come to my house and talk with Amma and Bauji, he would take me to many places, buy me jalebi, take me to watch Salman ji's movies and so on.. I was never comfortable with him, but Amma and Bauji had started to like him.. they always convinced me to go with him.. I always made excuses that I was not feeling well or had to go outside with Jiji, but he always got a way to make me meet him.. then one day he came with marriage proposal, Amma and Bauji agreed for it without asking for my opinion on this.. I didn't want to marry him but they start shouting at me, reminding me that I'm an orphan, they have other responsibilities, they had Jiji's marriage to do also, and I should thank DM that I found a rich man to marry, who's ready to organize and do all the preparations by himself without asking for dowry.. I had to agree for it.. all functions went well and he seemed a good boy too, he was always gentle, romantic and caring towards me, Jiji convinced me to leave all doubts in my mind behind because he was really a good boy.. but when your heart doesn't agree, he doesn't agree for a reason.. and on our wedding day, his friend wanted to show our pictures to everyone to remember the good moments as a dedication to us, he switched on the TV and.. instead of our pictures, there were my pictures sleeping with another man.. trust me Arnav ji.. I never slept with any man.. it was all his trap to insult me.. all guest start gossiping and spreading this fake news to everyone in our neighborhood and he started insulting me and questioning my character.. he was faking innocence in front of everyone.. everyone started talking bad about me and my parents.. Amma and Bauji also believed in those fake pictures.. he broke the marriage and left from there.. Amma locked me in our house, but it was of no use.. our neighbors were making our life difficult.. Amma and Bauji were worried about Jiji's future, who would marry her after knowing about me?.. They decided to leave Lucknow and settle in Delhi in our Buaji's house.. but here also, Buaji doesn't let me live in peace, she's always taunting me, always reminding me of that man who destroyed my life.. always questioning my character.. always asking me who's going to marry me now? That I destroyed not only mine but Jiji's life also.. I couldn't bear it anymore, that's why I decided to run away for a while.. just land in some place where no one knows me and no one would judge me.." Khushi said.
Arnav just stare at her with mixed emotions running on him, he doesn't know how could that man revenge for something that he was wrong, how he could destroy her life like this just because she slapped him.
"Arnav ji.. do you believe me or you also think like others?" Khushi asked clutching his shirt and crying like baby.
"Who was that man who did this to you? I won't spare him.." Arnav said with dangerous voice.
"Shyam.." Khushi replied with low voice.
Arnav gasped with wide eyes, "What??"
