Baatein kuch unkahee si

Part 14

Some days passed after arnav and khushi returned from nainital. This trip had drastically changed things between the two, though arnav still couldn't gather the courage to confess his feelings to khushi. Arnav had thought of various ways of bringing it up, but somehow or the other it never worked out.

 One morning, at the breakfast table, anjali said: pata hi nehi chala ki kaise yeh din beet gaye...ab to kuch hi dino mein hamara bachha is duniya mein aa jayega..(Never realised how these days passed)

Nani smiled and added: sach kahat ho aap bitiya..abhi abhi to humrey aakash bitwa aur chhotey ki shaadi hui thi aur dekhiye kal chhaye mahine purey ho jayenge.(You are right..look aakash and arnav had just got married and tomorrow they will complete six months)

Six months!!

While aakash and payal exchanged a smile, arnav and khushi looked at each other. Realisation dawned on them that there marriage was going to be officially over in two days. Khushi's face fell and she became extremely sad. She somehow controlled her tears looking down at her plate and thought: sirf ajka din..aur phir uske baad...(Only today and then..)

She couldn't control herself anymore and quickly went to the kitchen so that the others didn't get to see her crying.

Arnav looked at her. He could see the pain in her eyes. He got up and followed her.

Once in the kitchen, khushi broke down in tears and said: yeh hum kya soch rahe they...hum kaise bhul baithey ki hamari shaadi....hamari shaadi to sirf ek...(What was I thinking...how could I forget that our marriage was..)

Arnav heard everything. He felt a sharp pain in his heart seeing like that. Now that he was sure of his feelings towards her, he didn't care about the rest. But he also realised that this was not the right time to say those things to her. He wanted to make it special for her. Looking at her he promised to himself: khushi.. main janta hoon ki tum kya feel kar rahi ho..but don't worry main sab thik kar dunga...(I know what you are feeling...but don't worry..I will solve everything)

Khushi then wiped her tears and straightened her dress, preparing to go out, when arnav walked in and she banged against him. Arnav held her by her shoulders. She looked away as she didn't want arnav to see her tears.

Arnav lifted her face and looked at her straight. Khushi moved her eyeballs to avoid looking at him. He said softly: ro rahi thi?(Were you crying?)

Khushi hesitated and said: ne..nehi to..(No no)

Arnav: khushi jhoot mat bolo...tumhari ankhon mein saaf dikhta hai...(Don't lie..I can see it in your eyes)

She looked up and as soon as she met his eyes, she cried out . Arnav wrapped his arms around her, she at first kept her head on his chest and wept but soon realised that she was hugging arnav, she left him and ran out of the kitchen crying. Arnav tried to stop her, but before he could call out for her, khushi had already left from the place. But payal who was about to enter the kitchen saw this and stopped. She then saw arnav leave from there in haste. Payal understood that something was wrong between them. The entire day she tried talking to khushi about it but she kept avoiding her questions. But this sudden change in khushi was visible and it bothered payal a lot. Everyone in the house was busy planning a party for celebrating six months of togetherness of the two couples. Payal couldn't concentrate on anything as she kept looking at khushi, who seemed to be hiding something from here. She decided to talk to arnav when he came back from office.

After dinner, payal saw arnav going to his room. Others were still sitting in the living area.

Payal slowly went upstairs to arnav's room.

Payal:arnavji...kya hum aapse kuch baat kar saktey hai..(Arnavji..can I talk to you?)

Arnav got up and said: haan payal bolo..anything wrong?(Yes payal say..anything wrong?)

Payal: woh khushi...

Arnav looked worried: khushi..kya hua khushi ko? (Khushi..what happened to her?)

Payal: nehi woh khushi kuch pareshan lag rahi hai..subah se gumsum si hai...humne ussey baat karne ki koshish bhi ki...lekin woh kuch boli nehi aur...(She was looking worried..I tried talking to her..but she didn't say anything)

Arnav turned around and clenched his fist saying: meri wajah se...(Because of me)

Payal looked shocked: yeh aap kya...(What are you saying..)

Arnav: haan payal, khushi ki har aasu har dukh ka reason main hoon..(I am the reason for her tears..for her sorrows)

Woh isliye ro rahi hai kyunki...kyunki kal hamari shaadi khatam ho rahi hai... (She is crying because our marriage is getting over tomorrow)

Payal couldn't speak further.

Arnav: contract marriage ki thi humne..chhaye mahine ke liye...(We did a contract marriage...for 6 months)

Payal looked at him in disbelief: yeh aap kaisi baatein kar rahe hai...contract marriage...lekin kyun arnavji...aap aur khushi to... pyaar...(What are you saying..contract marriage..but why arnavji... You and khushi..love)

Arnav's eyes glistened with tears as he said: maine usey blackmail kiya tha... I threatened her ki main tumhari shaadi aakash ke sath hone nehi dunga...(I blackmailed her...I threatened her that I won't let aakash marry you)

A shocked payal asked him: kya!!! Aap khushi ke sath aisa kaise kar saktey hai... Aakhir aisi kaunsi majburi thi jo aapne khushi ke sath yeh sab kiya.. She demanded an answer raising her voice. Tears rolled down her eyes at the same time.(What!! How could you do this? What made you do something like this?)

Arnav punched the wall in pain and frustration and said: kyunki...kyunki maine usey..aur us shyaam ko ek sath...ek sath dekha tha...(Because..because I saw her with..shyaam)

Payal covered her mouth and said: kya!!!(What!!)

Arnav told the entire terrace scene to her...

Arnav:... aur di ki zindagi bachane ke liye maine khushi se shaadi ki...(And I married her to save di's life)

Payal sat down on the bed, her whole body was shaking at arnav's revelation.

With a lot of difficulty she managed to say: aapko andaaza bhi hai aapne kya kiya?? Ek khushi hai ki aapki khushi ke khatir...di ki zindagi ki khatir sabko kasam di thi ki hum log shyaamji ki karnaamey aaplogo se naa kahey..aur aapne khud hi...(Do you even know what you have done?here khushi made us promise that we shouldn't say anything to you all for the sake of your happiness and di's life)

Arnav was dumbfounded.

He stammered: matlab ki tum..tum shyaam ke baarey mein janti ho??(That means..you..you know about shyaam?)

Payal wiped her tears and stood up and said: sirf hum hi nehi..hum sab...(Not only me..all of us)

She narrated how they met shyaam in lucknow to how he had got engaged to khushi, and then when khushi came to know shyaam was anjali's husband she broke the engagement.

Arnav couldn't feel the ground under his feet. What had he done!!

Payal cried and said: khushi ke sath itna sab ho gaya aur hum sabne usey galat samjha...usne hamarey liye itni bari kurbani di....yeh sab aapki wajah se hua hai arnavji..aapki wajah se...hum aapko kabhi maaf nehi karenge...kabhi nehi...(So much happened with her and we all misunderstood her... And all this is because of you...only because of you..I will never forgive you)

She ran out of the room. Arnav called out: payal listen...

He hung his head down and then he heard the familiar jingle of khushi's anklet. He looked up and saw khushi standing. But he couldn't read her expressions. She looked shocked and tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her expressionless eyes pierced through his heart!