Chapter 13

The same night, Shaantivan:

That night, the house was as silent as a tomb. Not even the leaves were rustling, such eerie was the silence… As if some evil spirit has sucked out the life from a body, leaving a corpse in its wake.

No one came downstairs that night to eat the food Khushi had so painstakingly prepared to bring Anjali and VJ closer. The food just sat on the table, congealing and rotting like memories turning bitter.

Payal & Aakash’s Room, Shaantivan:

Payal was sitting still as a statue on the bed. Aakash has fallen silent after trying to make her talk for hours.

Suddenly, Payal turns to Aakash: Aakash?

Aakash gets startled out of his thoughts: Yes, Payal?

Payal says: You are the guy who always did the right thing, even when it was difficult. What will you do, if it turns out that your brother ruined my sister’s life? Would you leave Shaantivan with me? I won’t live under the same roof of the man who destroyed my sister’s happiness.

Aakash gets worried: Payal, I understand your pain. But we don’t know the truth yet. I’m sure bhai was just surprised by VJ’s claim. He must have some proof that he married Khushiji. Why else would he try so hard to keep her under the same roof? You know him. He doesn’t care about anyone, yet, he loves Khushiji. We all know that. Let’s go to bed tonight. I’m sure everything will be sorted tomorrow. We will get the proof and then we will go get Khushiji. VJ just can’t take away Raizada family’s eldest daughter-in-law like that.

Payal walks up to Aakash: That didn’t answer my question. If your brother has wronged my sister, will you walk out of Shaantivan with me or are you going to stand by your brother?

Aakash looks at Payal’s calm but deadly expression and slowly closes his eyes in pain: If my brother is responsible for your sister’s pain, I will walk out of Shaantivan with you. But I believe he has an explanation and I will ask him tomorrow.

Payal nodded: Good enough. Remember your promise tomorrow.

Then she lay down on bed and closed her eyes. But Aakash couldn’t sleep the rest of the night.

Mamiji’s Room, Shaantivan:

Mamiji was crying silently in bed.

Mamaji asks gently: Manorama, are you crying?

Mamiji nods tearfully.

Mamaji asks gently: But I thought you hated Khushi bitiya. You always wanted her to leave Shaantivan. Now that she is gone, you are crying for her. Why?

Mamiji turns to Mamaji: Yes, I wanted her gone. Because she reminded me too much of myself. The chirpy, odd, eccentric Lucknow girl that I had left behind to try to blend in this high society. And then there was Phatti Saree… She never blend in, never changed a hair; yet everything changed around her to fit her. She stayed who she was and yet everyone loved her. It made me feel like I was a failure. So I tried to show her that she was wrong. She can never fit in. But I knew that it wasn’t true. She showed me that you need to be true to yourself and then everything will change around you.

In a way, if I had a daughter, then I think I’d have liked her to be like Khushi.

Mamaji smiled painfully and hugged his Manorama closer: You are who you are Manorama and I don’t love you any less today than I did before. You never had to change.

Mamiji smiled painfully: I know. I wish I knew that when I first met Khushi. Our relationship would have been different now.

Mamaji smiles: It’s not too late to fix it yet.

Mamiji closes her eyes: I hope not.

Naniji’s Room, Shaantivan:

Anjali was lying on Naniji’s lap, crying: Why this happened now, Nani? Everything was going good. Chotey and Khushiji were getting closer. Why did VJ take away Khushiji like that?

Naniji caresses Anjali’s head slowly: But he was not wrong Anjali bitiya. He asked the questions today, we should have asked when they got married. We should have asked Chotey the reason behind their sudden marriage. But we all were scared of his temper, so we took it out on Khushi bitiya. We knew that this wedding couldn’t have happened that way without Chotey’s consent, but it could have happened with Khushi bitiya’s. But we all blamed her. It’s like we used that poor soul as the scape goat for our hurt feelings and took out our displeasure on her. I hope Chotey has some proof of his marriage that he can show to Vishal and bring Khushi bitiya home. This house is not a home without her.

Anjali nods: I will talk to Chotey tomorrow and ask him to bring Khushiji home.

VJ’s Home:

VJ brings Khushi inside and shows her the guest room: Chutki, this is your room. Go inside and freshen up. I will go get something to eat.

Khushi looks up at him with tear-filled eyes: Why Big B? Why did you bring me here like this? I didn’t even get to say good bye properly.

VJ puts down Khushi’s suitcase and walks over to her: Chutki, do you trust me?

Khushi looks at VJ and slowly nods.

VJ holds her face in his palm and says: Then trust me when I say that it’s for your own good. I will tell you everything very soon. But right now, don’t ask me any questions because I don’t have all the answers.

Khushi hesitates, then nods slowly.

VJ pretends to be cheered up: Awesome. Now, I don’t know about you. But I’m very hungry. So how about I order some food and have dinner?

Khushi tries to smile: Big B, I ate before you came to Shaantivan. So I’m not hungry. You eat dinner. I will give you company.

VJ grimaces: You know what? I am having a tummy ache. May be I should skip dinner tonight too. We will have a big breakfast tomorrow. Okay?

Khushi nods and then goes to her room.

VJ goes to his room after Khushi leaves and picks up his cell phone to dial a no.:

Hello?

Is this ADA?

I heard that you are the best detective agency in town.

My name is Vishal Jaiswal and I’d like to hire you.

Money is not a problem, but I want every single detail about a guy.

His name is Arnav Singh Raizada.

The poolside, Shaantivan:

Arnav was still sitting by the poolside when Naniji comes there with a glass of milk and some cookies: Arnav bitwa.

Arnav looks at Naniji and Naniji’s heart breaks at his pain: I brought you some milk. You can’t take medicine if you don’t eat.

Arnav shakes his head and then turns away.

Naniji calls him sternly: If you get sick, how will you bring Khushi bitiya back?

Arnav turns to Naniji then.

Naniji extends the tray and he takes the food and his medicines.

Naniji was about to leave when Arnav calls out: Nani?

Naniji turns: Yes?

Arnav asks: Will I ever get Khushi back?

Naniji replies: I don’t know Arnav bitwa. But I know this, that if you really love her, then you won’t give up until you do.

Then Naniji leaves his room.

After Naniji leaves, Arnav gets up from the poolside and picks up a phone to dial a no.:

Hello?

Hi, Angad…

This is Arnav Singh Raizada. I need you to find out everything, every dirt about a guy named Vishal Jaiswal and I need it by tomorrow morning.

Then he hangs up his phone: Mr. Vishal Jaiswal, you made a big mistake when you took what was mine. Now the battle is on…

Precap: The Clash of the Titans…