Part 5

"What is this Khushi?!" She heard Payal shriek.

Yes!!!! Khushi thought. He was here and she had seen him. She was not losing her mind afterall.


"This?"

"Ouch. Jiji!" Khushi felt the pain in her left arm. "You are talking about this?"

"Then what do you think i'm talking about. Is this the problem Khushi? Is this why you have been up here so long?"

Khushi shook her head. This?! She wasn't talking about Arnavji then.

"What is this bruise Khushi? How did you get it. He gave it to you?"

"No. Arnavji was gentle in the dance."

"I know he was gentle. I mean Shyam. Did he come near you today Khushi? Has he been following you Khushi?"

Khushi shook her head though now her thoughts returned to the interaction with Shyam few hours ago. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Don't lie to me Khushi. I'm your sister, older sister. Did he follow you Khushi? Did he do this Khushi? Did he?" Payal shouted.

Khushi nodded. "Please jiji, drop it. Its your sangeet night. Please." She was getting worried. There were hardly few times when Payal would get angry. She had been angry before when she barred her from going to work for Arnav after the derelict guesthouse incident.

"Its my sangeet night, so what? We all thought that he will behave especially since we were not saying anything. But that did not mean that just because we are silent, he can do whatever he pleases."

"Jiji, please drop it." Khushi pleaded. She truly did not want a scene. Why did she forget about the bruise. Why did she not hide it?

"Maybe we need to tell Arnavji and Akashji the truth."

"No jiji. Please don't. This may affect your marriage. They may not believe us."

"I don't care Khushi. I already told you before, marriage should be formed on the foundation of honesty. And if it means us being honest and this marriage proposal faltering then so be it."

"No jiji. Not again please. Not because of me. I cannot be responsible again. Please." Khushi started crying. "We cant tell Arnavji, please. Farak nai padta, mere liye but uske liye, bohot farak padta hai. I have seen him when he thought he lost his sister, he was absolutely distraught. This will just destroy him. Please jiji. For me, for him don't tell him. Please."

"But we have to do something Khushi. What if he tries it again with you? What if this time he takes it a step further? Have you not thought about that?" Payal too was crying now.

Khushi shook her head. What could she do? She searched for answers. She searched for options. All options led to her heartbreaking.

If she told Arnav the truth, and he did not believe her, accusing her of being a gold digger and being of lower status. She would be shattered.
If she told Arnav the truth and he believed her, he would be shattered. She would then be shattered.
If she did not tell anyone and this continued and Shyam continued to torment her. She again would be broken. And worse, she saw pure evilness in his eyes and what if he got up to something evil? What if he hurt Anjali? That would destroy Arnav and directly her.
So there was only one option.

"I have to leave jiji. After the wedding, I'll leave." Khushi barely whispered.

"Leave to where?"

"I'll go back to Lucknow."

"And you don't think he will not follow you there? He met you in Lucknow and then followed us here and then managed to convince buaji to take him on as a paying guest. Do you know how he used to talk badly about the Raizada family, always wanting you to stay away from here? You don't think he is capable of tracking you in Lucknow?" Payal fumed.

A huge sense of dread overwhelmed Khushi. "I'll go somewhere else. I'll figure something out. It will be ok. Everything will be ok."

Everything except me. Khushi closed her eyes. Didn't she state earlier that she didn't want to make a scene. Then why now? She had to be strong for jiji and family. She had to be strong for Arnav. And she had to be strong for herself.

Khushi turned to face Payal. Gently, she ran her sari pallu over Payal's eyes and cheeks, wiping the tears and ensuring that her makeup remained unsmudged. "Jiji, I think you need to go downstairs. It is your sangeet night and the guest will be wondering where is the dulhan-to-be. I'm sure even jijaji would be worried now."

"But?"

Khushi grabbed Payal's hand in hers. "No buts jiji. We are Guptas and we are strong. And this is just another phase in our life and in mine. Soon like everything else, it will pass. But tonight, it is yours and jijaji's night. He loves you so much and I know you love him too. Please. Let's go down and celebrate tonight and our win. Afterall we Guptas beat the Raizadas. And soon you will be one of them too. So let's celebrate. And don't worry about Shyam. Devi mayaa will show us the way, she always does. And I will stay away from here as much as possible and only attend functions that are necessary. And even when I'm here, I wont go wondering alone. Okay?" Khushi smiled. "Now show me that lovely smile jiji."

"Okay." Payal managed a smile.

"Jiji, that's not a smile. Even laksmi can smile better than that. Show me the lovely set of teeth jiji. Come on. You dont want people to say that the Raizada bahu does not know how to smile, just like her jetji."

"He did smile today though."

Khushi thought how could she forget? He had the most gorgeous smile she had ever seen. And this was the second time he had laughed as well. The first when she had covered her face with besan and today when she had mocked him. She had to give it to him, he did have a good sense of humour. How shocking! She felt her chest tightened and her eyes welling up again. Not now Khushi. Not yet.

"Now go down and join the party. I will change immediately and be down."

Khushi and Payal walked to the door together.

"Khushi, lock the door once I have gone out and only open it when you are ready."

"Yes jiji." Khushi plastered a bigger smile. She watched as Payal walked out and then shut the door and locked it for the third time that hour. She made her way slowly to the bed and sat down. Her shoulders slacked and she began to sob.

She had no way out. She would have to go. There was no other option. She would have to leave her family and most importantly, she would have to leave him. Didn't she say farak nai padta, than why was her heart screaming in pain and her insides wailing in pain. She struggled to breath.

"Farak nai padta." She whispered, closing her eyes. Images of him holding her and twirling her around flashed pass.

"Farak nai padta." Images of their first meet, meeting at the darba.

"Farak nai padta." Images of him rescuing her from the speeding car in the rain, images of him fighting the goons for her. Her sobs increased to a higher pitch.

"Kya farak nai padta?" Images of her hugging him in the hospital. Images of them hugging as she tried to break his fall.

"Khushi, truthfully farak nai padta?" Images of him being poorly and him cutting himself. She gasp, struggling to breathe. Images of Diwali night - him guiding her out of the circle of the lamps, images of him putting on her payal and finally images of their near kiss. She blocked her eyes with her palms. "Haan farak padta hai" Images of them dancing. "Bohot farak padta hai" Her sobs returned with full vengence. "But what can I do?"