Chapter 12

Living Room, Shaantivan:

ASR storms downstairs and furiously whispers: Khushi, come here…

Khushi got startled out of her childhood reminiscing.

She turns to ASR and whispers back with a frown: What?

ASR grits his teeth: Come here. I want to speak with you.

Khushi frowns and shakes her head: No, I’m busy.

ASR’s temper takes the size of a thunder storm: What did you say?

Khushi sniffs and turns to gaze at VJ again.

ASR storms to Khushi, pulls her by the hand off the couch and drags her to the poolside.

The poolside:

Arnav drags Khushi and growls at her: Who the hell is he?

Khushi pouts and says: That’s Big B.

Arnav frowns: Who?

Khushi explains excitedly: Well you see, his name is Vishal Jaiswal. Everyone calls him VJ. Now Vishal means Big and B is for…

Arnav shouts: Shut up. I don’t care if B is for freaking Teddy Bear… I want to know why you were fawning over him.

Khushi explains: I know him since my childhood and we practically grew up together. He used to get me sweets and take me around in his motorcycle. (Then frowns) And I was not fawning over him and even if I was, what’s it to you?

Arnav comes closer: You will stay away from him, do you understand?

Khushi growls back: No I don’t. Why would I stay away from him? He is my Big B…

Arnav replies sarcastically: Well, isn’t that cozy… My Big B, is it?

Khushi frowns: Of course, he is my Big B. I’m the only one who calls him that. Jiji calls him VJ bhaiyaa…

Arnav growls: And of course, you can’t call him VJ bhaiyaa. Because calling him brother would not suit your purpose.

Khushi gets frustrated: What purpose? And why would I call him VJ bhaiyaa? He was the one who asked me to call him Big B. So that’s what I always called him.

Arnav sneers: Oh, so that smartass neatly made up Big B for you and Bhaiyaa for Payal. Why that jerk…

Khushi growls: Don’t call my Big B jerk…

Arnav growls back: Try and stop me…

The air between them sizzles with current as they stare at each other furiously.

Living Room, Shaantivan:

VJ gets up from the couch with a scowl: Who is that jerk and why is he dragging my Chutki like that?

Anjali gets up and says: Urrmmm… VJ that is my brother, Arnav Singh Raizada, also known as ASR. He is errrmmm… Khushi’s husband.

VJ turns and looks at Anjali: What? Chutki didn’t get married. If she did, she’d invite me.

Anjali turns to Payal with a pleading look.

Payal clears her throat and tries to explain: VJ bhaiyaa, errmmm you see, we never got a chance to invite anyone to the wedding. Khushi actually married in secret on the day of my wedding. She and Arnavji went out without informing anyone and when they came back, they were married.

VJ stalks to Payal and asks: Payal, how long have you known Khushi?

Payal gets confused: What do you mean? I knew her since she was eight.

VJ nods: Correct. So tell me, what is Khushi’s most cherished dream? What did she dream about and talked about since she was a child?

Payal says: Well, she wanted to have a dream weddin… (She suddenly stops when she realizes what point VJ wanted to make)

VJ exclaims furiously: Exactly. All her life, this girl dreams of one thing… A dream wedding with each and every ritual where everyone she knows will be present. Didn’t it appear even a tiny bit odd when that same girl goes away without telling anyone and comes back married?

Payal stammers: Well, we thought maybe she fell in love with Arnavji and couldn’t wait any longer.

VJ shouts: Are you nuts? If she had said that she loves that guy who belongs to the same family that you got married into, do you think your parents would have objected? Would they deny sending their other daughter to the same home where they sent their elder daughter?

Payal dismayed: No. They wouldn’t have said no.

VJ exclaims: Exactly. So then why would Khushi not tell anyone and get married? Have you met any witness that the marriage actually happened? Is there any photograph of the wedding? What proof do you have that the marriage actually took place? Also, if Khushi was married, being the kind of traditional woman she is, why isn’t she wearing sindoor or mangalsutra?

Anjali intervenes: I can answer that VJ. Actually, a few weeks earlier, my brother got kidnapped and Khushi got shot while saving him. Even my brother was in coma for a few days. When she gained her consciousness, she forgot the past year of her life. She has partial amnesia.

VJ turns to Anjali and asks: Really? So Khushi lost her memory. But you all didn’t lose yours. So can I see the picture of her wedding? Any proof that it actually happened? I mean something that would explain why would a girl like Khushi would agree to a secret marriage?

Anjali tries to calm VJ: VJ, we asked Khushi why she got married like that when we would have agreed to it anyway. But she never answered our question.

Payal nodded: Yes, VJ bhaiyaa, even I asked Khushi. But she never told me anything either.

VJ looks at both of them and asks: Ok. So Khushi didn’t answer. Did you ask the other half the same question? Did you ask ASR, why he married her like that?

Everyone thinks dismayed that they never asked any question to Arnav whether the wedding actually took place or never bothered following up about why this wedding happened. They kept badgering Khushi and making her feel like the guilty party.

VJ looks at them in disgust: I can’t believe this. This man is obviously in a position of power in the household, so none of you opened your mouth against him. But kept asking Khushi all the questions who was obviously the weaker of the two. But you know what? Never mind. She was alone until now. But not anymore. Her Big B is here.

Then VJ storms to the poolside where Arnav and Khushi were still arguing. The rest of the family follows him anxiously.

He opens the poolside sliding door with a bang startling Arnav and Khushi: Chutki, pack your bags. You are coming with me.

Khushi gets scared at VJ’s tone: What happened Big B?

VJ growls: Do as I say Chutki.

Khushi nods her head and goes to her room.

ASR growls at him: How dare you? Who the hell are you to come here and demand to take her away?

VJ comes closer to ASR and growls: I’m her Big B. She knows me. Who the hell are you to her?

ASR growls back: I’m her husband.

VJ growls in answer: Oh yeah? Show me the proof of your marriage.

ASR grits his teeth: Don’t you dare try to remove her from my home.

VJ grits his teeth back: Oh, I dare anything Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada and I’m taking her away. If you have any proof of this marriage, come and show it to me. If not, then stay the hell away from my Chutki.

Khushi's Room, Shaantivan:

VJ storms behind Khushi to her room, pulls out a suitcase and starts throwing Khushi’s things in it.

Khushi is standing scared in the room wondering what is going on.

ASR storms inside and tries to stop VJ: Stop. I will destroy you if you dare to touch one more thing.

The family come running behind him.

VJ growls: I’d like to see you try. You know, I have a better solution. Let’s call the police and see whether they let a young woman stay in a stranger’s house whom she doesn’t remember or let her leave with a man she knew since childhood?

ASR turns to Payal: Payal, tell her that it’s her sister’s house and she can stay.

VJ turns to Payal: Payal, you can only stop Khushi if you have seen any proof that she has a right to be in this house. If you have no proof, then don’t ruin your sister’s life.

Payal looks at ASR with tear in her eyes: Arnavji, please give me a reason to stop VJ bhaiyaa. Please show me a picture or a document that says that she has a right to live here.

ASR’s eyes burn in pain and he looks away. The contract marriage that seemed like such a good idea on a vengeful mind is now a noose around his neck. The contract has expired long back and now he has no right to Khushi anymore.

Payal gasps realizing that there is no proof that Khushi was ever married to ASR.

She turns to VJ and tells him tearfully: Please take Khushi away VJ bhaiyaa.

VJ nods his head and takes the suitcase: Come Khushi.

Khushi tearfully looks at Payal: Jiji?

Payal gently holds her face in her palm and says: Go Khushi.

Khushi folds her hand looking at everyone and leaves with VJ.

Anjali turns to Arnav in tears and leaves the room followed by rest of the family members.

As everyone leaves, ASR falls down on his knees in grief by the poolside with only moon and stars as his silent witnesses.