Part 13

Khushi looked up at him with blur vision.  She knew he would believe his Jijaji.  She knew he would kill her now strangling her.  She tried to wipe off her tears to have a better vision.  Sham was standing out of reach of both of them.

“Khushi did this?” he looked at Khushi with disgust.  The words in the recently received email floated.  “How could he do this? He trapped us? He trapped her too?” he tried to bring under control his wandering mind.   

“Khu....!” he sensed the danger.  She was in danger.  He had to do something to protect her.  He looked at her and she  winced in fright.  “No!” she tried to say something and chocked.  Sham was standing apart with a smirk, behind ASR.  ASR took a step aggressively.  She was unable to move.  

 “How can a person stoop so low?” she couldn’t understand.  He was glaring at her.  She could see disgust.  She knew he believed his Jijaji and wouldn’t believe a word from her.  She was again doomed.  She held the pillar with wobbly knees with tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked at Sham with hatred.  

Arnav looked at her miserable state and held her hand.  She winced and shivered in the wintery cold.  “No!” she could only blurt again.  He didn’t react.  He looked at Sham.  Sham was looking at both of them.  “Saale Saab... I just came here to tell you the truth of this girl!” he said accusing her further.  Sham gazed back at her.  She gaped with open mouth.  He had nothing to ask her.  She had nothing to explain.  He took a deep breath gripped her wrist and said...

"Khushi.... " Paused to collect himself and said in a stern voice "Marry me!".... “What?” Sham’s mouth fell open in shock.  Khushi looked ghostly but ASR was firm enough. 

“Kyaa?” she blurted in shock.

“Yes, you heard it right.  Marry me! Right now, right here!” he ordered her dragging her further in the Mandir sanctum.  She lost all her energy.  He walked firmly without even looking at her condition.  She was dragged along.  “Why can’t he understand?” her heart cried out.  But she failed to understand that he had already understood the danger, Khushi was thrown in.  He had understood his Jijaji.  He had understood that this was the only solution to save both, his sister and Khushi from his Jijaji.  He was after all a quick decision maker.  He had made up his mind.

Far away from the trio, a person was standing in the darkness of the night watching the scene...

He took her inside the sanctum pushing the door with strength.  Sham gaped turning his face towards his direction and stood there not knowing what was going on.  

He raised a pinch of sindoor picking it up from the Thali infront of the idol and poured on her forehead and parting of her hair.  She was speechless gaping at him.  He looked around searching something.  And then leaving her hand for the first time,  He bent down to pick up the black thread lying at Devi Mayya’s feet.  Khushi’s knees gave way and she was collapsing on the floor.  He held her shoulders strongly and pulled her up.  Tying the black thread around her neck, he took a step back.  “You are a married woman now! Married to Arnav Singh Raizada!” he looked at his Jijaji with disgust who had turned into a statue in shock.  He turned to Khushi again still holding her.  “You are now married!” he declared.  Her throat went dry.  Her tears evaporated .. her breath stopped.. the time stopped for her.   She fell down on the floor in a heap.  Emptiness filled all over.  She was drained out, he had completed the hunt killing her soul completely.  Nothing was left in her.  She lost all her senses.  

... "Saale saab, what did you do? Why did you marry such a mean girl? We could have handled this together... there was no need to take such an extreme step.. this could have done away with some money... why marry this type of ..." Sham who came forward regaining after initial shock, was snapped.

“Shut up!” Arnav yelled! He bent down, held Khushi by shoulders. She felt the gentleness and assurance in his grip. She looked up.  He blinked. What she saw was a very stern face with fury in the eyes. She got up confused which one should she take for her... his gentleness or his iron face... He said "Chalo " He looked at Sham.  

“Umm Saale saab, I have a bike!” sham said.  He held Khushi’s hand and without even looking back at Devi Mayya started descending the stairs.  Khushi was dragged along.  Sham followed.  

“Umm.. I will reach ... on my bike!” Sham needed some time to rethink on his strategy.  Arnav didn’t react.  He had executed his flash decision and married Khushi.  Khushi was tied up in this relation forever.  He was not sure how he was going to safeguard both, his sister and his Khushi from the clutches of Sham, the conman.  

The person standing in the dark dialed a number. "Sir, " he called. "Sir, I think this girl is in a mess, she is in deep trouble... it looks like,... just now the person who came in the car married her." The person at the other end got up with a jerk. He was told "the girl came out with a man from her house and headed towards the temple. They had some conversation at the bottom of the stairs.. then the person dragged her to the top where another person was standing... they had some arguments ...and then the person in the car married this girl by putting sindoor on her forehead. And now he is taking her along...


"You might require backup. Call for backup and follow her. Do anything... but she should not be out of sight even for a second. " Sir told the man in the darkness. The man dialed a few times to get more people for his aid. He followed the white SUV in his black car parked in the darkness. The white SUV sped with a motorbike riding along.

Arnav opened the passenger door and pushed her inside.  Securing her seat belt, he closed the door securely and hopped into his seat from the other side.  He slammed the accelerator.  He glanced at Khushi who looked like a dead person.  He wanted to stop the car, hold her hand and assure her that she was safe with him, that he wanted to protect her, that he wanted her to be his wife.... He did nothing but raced away recklessly to Khushi’s fright.  Even her tears had left her.  She was dry, completely exhausted, and empty with no emotions.  The reality had not sinked in yet.  But realization had dawned upon ASR.
“What have I done? !ithout even asking her I took the decision for her life” he looked at her ghostly figure sitting next to him losing her senses.  She was hollow, from within, from her thoughts, from her mind.  She had lost everything.  Her Arnav ji, had not even asked her, her side.  He didn’t even asked her the truth.  He had believed his Jijaji conveniently to blame her again.  He had tied her up for her life.  She went cold, with her body and mind.  

He tried to touch her hand and was shocked to see her cold body, like a dead person.  “Khushi..!” he called out applying sudden breaks.  She bent forward as if  bumped on the dashboard like a lifeless doll.  He held her shoulder and brought her back.  The seat belt had saved her.  He stopped the vehicle.  She didn’t react, not looked at him.  She remained the same, lifeless doll.  He raced away with her again wishing to reach home in a jiffy.  

... he wanted to hold her.. reassure her.. tell her about his feelings... tell her how much he loved her... tell her not to worry and everything would be alright..." but he had no face to face her... he had not even asked for any explanation and had taken such a big decision. Protecting her from others was only on his mind, to keep her safe, to spend his entire life with her happily." He did not know how was he going to face his family members. What would he tell his di. How can he tell his di about sham's betrayal without shattering her and what justification can he offer for marrying Khushi.  He didn’t know how to convey this to her.   

He held her cold and numb hand.  She had gone beyond her senses to sense the warmth in his grip.  She went further cold.  He took his hand back feeling her wincing in disgust.  He looked at her lifeless face.  “Khushi...Get down! We reached!” he said opening the door of his car.  Khushi didn’t move an inch.  He came around and opened the car door for her.  He heard the bike stopping.  

“Chalo!” he helped her get down, almost lifting her in his arms.  She shuddered.  “She is mine! She is my wife now!” he held her wrist authoritatively and pulled along.  She walked behind lifelessly.