Titaliya

Chapter 5

Payal stepped into the room. He remembered the first time he'd seen her with Akash. So frightened, so meek. It was a different woman that walked into his room and sat on his recliner, and she looked at him with a murderous glare. His laptop was open again. Her eyes widened as she saw the picture.

Akash sat next to her. Arnav's phone buzzed again. From the last two hours he'd been receiving proofs of Shyam's betrayal. Why hadn't he done this sooner? Arnav behaved as if no one took better care of his family. How could he be blind to Shyam for so long?

"Bhai, what is this? Why is Jeejaji in Laxmi Nagar?"

Payal suspected something like this would happen. Her Khushi should have told Anjali the truth the second she found out, instead of caring about the Raizadas. She had suffered under Shyam's gaze, avoided his advances, and for what?

"Do you want to tell him, Payal?" Arnav asked. Payal glared at him.

"Shyam Jha saved Khushi from some goons in Lucknow. When we came to Delhi, he stayed in Buaji's house as a paying guest. He never told us he was married. Buaji wanted to get him married to Khushi."

"Was he the one she was engaged to?"

"Yes," Payal breathed out. "She wanted to tell Anjaliji. But Khushi didn't think your sister could handle it. Then the preparations for our wedding started. And Anjaliji got pregnant. She was hoping Shyam would stop. We should have told everyone, we should have--"

Arnav kept waiting for Aman to call. She should've been found by now. He didn't want to rush into a police report, especially with the voice message she sent him. It was probably enough proof she left willingly. They weren't legally married, and he had no right over her.

"She sent me a voice message this morning," he said.

"Play it," Payal ordered. "Who knows? This might be the last time I hear my sister's voice."

They heard the voice message. Payal understood who Khushi had gone to immediately. She didn't blame her. Khushi would've lived the life of a princess if she'd gone with her Nani that day. Instead, because she wanted a Jeeji she became the daughter of a halwai.

"The call came from an untraceable number. I've had people searching everywhere, but they can't find her."

"Stop," Payal said. "She asked you to not destroy my marriage... You threatened to stop my wedding unless she married you? That's what you did, isn't it?"

Arnav looked away. His shame couldn't be put into words. If there was anyone he needed to apologize to after Khushi, it was Payal.

"I'm sorry, Payal."

"Will your sorry fix anything? Will it bring me back my sister?"

Khushi was gone for good. Sharda Nani would never let her return to their parents. She doubted Khushi would even want to, after going through so much.

Payal asked, "What are you going to do about Shyam?"

"Do you think he had something to do with this?" Akash asked.

Payal shook her head. She knew Khushi was safe. Sharda Nani was stern, but she was powerful enough to take Khushi away and protect her.

"No. I know where Khushi went," Payal answered. "She'll be safe there. Happy too, for the rest of her life."

"Where, Payalji?" Akash asked.

"I want to let her live in peace, Akashji. I'm not going to let your monster of a brother find out where she is."