There were questions in every eye, anger and disappointment on every face, yet one stood out, perfectly alone. As I glared back at him smirking at his defeat, his face mirrored the disappointment, disbelief, and helplessness I felt not too long ago. It brought a sense of tranquility in me knowing he had more hurdles to cross now before he could get his desire. As I shifted my gaze to a face I was expecting to exchange sorrowful messages with him, I saw nothing I imagined. I stood lost as I stared at her wet face, staring down at the ground. She closed her eyes now, clutching her skirt. "Shield her!" is what my heart shouted, screeching through every muscle and vein in my body. I finally shivered as my heart gave a loud thud before breaking again into another million pieces. Her Bua Ji slapped her. Did they think slapping her again and again would change what had happened? It was utter nonsense. Were they blind not to see her condition or deaf to not hear her quiet cries? I closed my fist as tightly as I could, trying to silent the cries my shattered heart gave. I looked away not being able to see her so lifeless on the floor. God damn it! Why was every one standing around like a statue watching her miserable like that. I searched the room, hoping to see one face that would finally step forward and console her. But no, they were all blinded by their disappointment too much to see her condition.
Bua Ji walked over with Kushi's Mother and started to rant some more verbal abuses at her, cursing their fate and her. I felt my body heat up in rage as Bua Ji pulled her up rashely from the floor and shook her like she was some sort of plastic bag she wanted to empty out. That was it! I had had enough of their melodramatic reactions. I could see every eye turn on me as I walked toward Bua Ji and a very still and quiet Kushi. I forced down Bua Ji's hand from Kushi's arm, my eyes looking into hers. I held Kushi's arm and moved her behind me. I could tell Nani Ji approaching me from the corner of my eye.
"Chotte, we have asked you more than enough, give us an explanation! Your silence is only worsening the situation"
"Why?" I yelled. I noticed how Bua Ji jolted at my scream, but Nani stood in her same posture, angry and disappointed.
"Would it change any of what has happened?" I questioned looking at Nani and then slowly shifting my gaze to others. "Kushi and I are married! Why? When? and How? I don't find it necessary to tell. I have made decisions for this house for years now, when none of those have ever been questioned, then why a decision I made on MY life? You all wanted me to get married, settle down and so I am today then why all this yelling and questioning?" I asked. There was complete silence now. Everyone looked at each other. I haden't anticipated such a response, but then also I didn't have the time to think about their reactions and words. All of this would not beat my intention to ensure my Sisters marriage at least till she gives birth. I turned my eyes towards Kushi's family, who were in complete disbelief. They would get use to me like this.
"You should be quite happy on the contrary," now speaking focusing on my message to them. Eyes were on me once again, again with hope I would divulge some detail to her family at the very least. But they were about to be proven wrong. "Both your daughters are wedded into one rich family at no additional cost to you," I could see the anger in Bua Ji's eyes, while her Mother remained quiet, impatience flashing from her face to hear more. "You would not have found a better groom, family or marriage package.."
"Chotte!" Dii screamed interrupting me. "What are you saying, at least consider who you are talking to," she said with a lot of pain and humiliation. She was another one to break my heart into millions of pieces. Her face, tears and words crushed me from the inside. I couldn't let it show though.
"I know who I am talking to. Kushi's parent," I said trying to sound confident and refusing to see any fault. "Tell me one reason why they should not be happy with this marriage?"
"It's not the marriage we are protesting to, it's the manner in which it was done and the time that we are refusing to accept it," Bua Ji finally said to me. "Had you once came to our house and asked us for Kushi's hand we would not have turned you down. Like you said, it was our good luck and our daughters good fortune to finds grooms as you and your brother. But we live in a society who we are answerable to, did both of you once think how we will face people? What we will say?"
"That is your choti soch that it matters to you so much what other people think, it is none of my concern," I said grinding my teeth. I couldn't erase the picture from my mind of her slapping and shaking Kushi.
"You are right, it must be our choti soch, but that's because no matter where our daughters reside, we still live in that society and class," she said sobbing now. I took a deep breath trying to maintain myself from exploding on her again. Society and people mattered so much to her that she would have shaken her daughter to death had I not intervened. I glared at her as Nani pacified her glaring at me.
Now it was time for Mami to rant. I rolled my eyes looking away.
"Hello Hi Bye Bye! Arnav Bitwa, whoott is dis joooke?"
"Mami!" I said in an annoyed tone. "Does this really look like a joke to you?" I asked. She gulped and backed off. Thank God. Who was next I thought as I examined every face, until finally landing on the one, who was huffing and puffing. I smirked at him again. It was all natural, I couldn't help it. His devastated state made me all the more happier and all this more worth while. His eyes weren't on me though, they were somewhere else. As I followed his gaze, my blood boiled seeing him stare at Kushi. Somehow more than before..Maybe'because she was mine now. But she was unresponsive, silent and still as ever. Before I could react, someone else did, finally! Payal moved forward and like a true sister, with utmost concern and love in her voice, gently asked Kushi if she was ok!
"Yes!" my heart yelled out, the broken pieces cutting me slowly now. There was someone out there with sensibility! Everyone now stared at the two now, as Payal lifted Kushi's chin.
"Kushi, please tell me, what is all this?" she asked.
I took a deep breath at the same question being repeated, but my heart was in rest knowing that Payal was at least gentle. No matter what Kushi had done to me and my Sister with that cheat, I could not deny myself at the very least, that her pain did have an affect on me. Kushi finally cried outloud and ran away. And that's all the peace my heart was destined to get before my broken heart started to attack again. I walked forward, drawing attention to myself.
"Granted we did not wed the most appropriate way, but it's time to look beyond that now and come to terms with the present." Those were my final words before I finally decided to walk away. I turned around reaching half way up, and glared at a snake I had up my sleeves all this time. He looked back with fuming eyes. I knew this was the start of it. He would attack, but I would be ready now. As I walked towards my room, I heard Dii call out. She tried to speed up to catch with me, in the process hurting herself. I stopped and immediately rushed to her side. I pitied the state life had brought me too. I had to hurt the very person who I wanted to shield from pain. I looked away as she tried looking into my eyes with hope and love.
"Chotte, will you also not tell me the reason for this sudden marriage?" she asked in a rightful tone. How could I deny her that right? I took a deep breath, trying to hold back my tears and pain. She held my face and forced me to look into her eyes, eyes that spoke motherly affection and concern. I closed both my fist very tightly and looked down. Soon enough I could feel her hands loosen and then they finally fell to her sides, disappointed. I turned around and started to walk away, when she made another attempt and grabbed me by my arm asking me the same question, again. With a heavy heart, that was aching, crying and dying every second, I forced her hand down and shut the door on her. I could tell her astonishment by her gasp. I backed up against my door, finally letting my tears free, hoping to aid my broken heart. I heard Akash nearing. It brought great relief to know he was by her side. As I slowly kneeled on the ground, feeling weak, my eyes spotted a lifeless Kushi sitting near the pool. I stood up. As I walked over to my glass door, every moment I spent with her flashed in front of my very eyes. Those moments that I had kept very close to my heart, reliving them in my dreams for the past few nights. But today those moments didn't bring me the happiness they did, today they ached and mocked me. I looked away for a second, trying to breath with the pain inside of me. It was getting hard, very hard. I was dying every moment and no matter how much I tried to put up the act of the angry, strong man, I was falling weak and from what it seemed, it was only moments before I broke down.
Why was I so broken though? Yes! Because my Sister had been cheated. But'.was that it? I had a plan to avenge the deception done to my Sister, then why was I not satisfied? Why was I restless? Why was each micropiece of my heart being broken into millions of pieces again and again? Why was my soul departing from me? Why? Why? Why? I banged my hand against the glass door, the loud thud bringing me out of my own thoughts. There it was, my answer to all my questions. The answer to all this misery. Kushi Kumari Gupta. She stood looking right back at me. I slided the glass door away and stepped out. It was all because of this one face, this one name, this one life.
Because of her my Sister was being cheated, because of her a house was going to break, a marriage was going to fail, because of her, I stood weak after fifteen years, and because of her Arnav who I caged fifteen years ago was out. But there was no remorse on her face, no fear, there was only'.pain'and questions. I looked away as her bleeding eyes looked at me helplessly, as if asking me what else would I make her do. I turned around not wanting to face her. Ah, darn, there it went again. The piercing. I held on to my heart, as somethingstabbed, cut and sliced through it. I felt her near and turned around, still not looking at her.
"You have tested me more than life has," she started weakly, her voice was so quiet, I had to put every ounce of my attention to hear her. "I don't know what I have done to deserve this, I thought you." and then there was silence. She leaned on me lifeless.
"Kushi?" I whispered. I separated her from myself only to see she had fallen unconscious. And there it was again, the stabbing, cutting and piercing. I scooped her up in my arms, like holding a petal from drowning. I laid her on my bed, her head resting on my palm.
It all seemed perfect. My heart was starting to mend quickly being near her. I could feel the pain silence away, and I could sense the gazillion pieces by now coming together. My soul stopped from departing and I was starting to feel complete again. I removed the garland from around her, and reached for a pillow to lay her on. It was far out of reach, I reached over her, leaning on her a little. There was a connection, as our hearts touched and spoke. I placed her head on the pillow and stared at her innocent face. How could she be deceiving? That sounded absurd. I could feel my brain powering off, and something stronger taking charge. I touched her cheeks, and noticed the inflammation around her eyes. I ran my fingers through the inflamed outline, my heart crying again. Tears shot through my eyes and landed on her face. I sat silently staring at her. Somehow it gave me reason, for everything. Those thought and unthought of. As my gaze studied her, it hit on something that lit up my face. All of a sudden. I couldn't keep my lips from smiling. The mangalsutr. It seemed like it was in the right place. I remembered back to how I filled her maang and tied that gem around her. Not for a second did I rethink. It felt right and it looked perfect resting on her like that. I admired the dark red outline that shined on her forhead. It made her look all the more beautiful and complete. Whatever the circumstances, and for however long, she was mine. She was Kushi Arnav Singh Raizada. Oh, how saying that to myself made everything so perfect inside of me again, and my heart so strong, like it was never even scratched. I moved my face closer to hers having no control and thought, and placed a kiss on her eyes. I loved her and no matter what it was going to do to me, it was one reality I was ready to live with. Her breath breezed through my face and I lost myself in her amazing scent. I rested my head next to hers, feeling so complete, and in peace.
But time nor fate was in my favor. I wasn't meant to have peace or be completed. I saw someone peak through my door and my blood boiled just knowing who it could be. I stood up in a rage. As I walked towards my door, I looked over my shoulder and cursed myself for falling in her flawless trap again. I opened the door, to shock the life out of that creep. He stood up, fixing his shirt, and looked around trying to maintain a confident posture. I was going the kill the ironing of his kurta today. I grabbed his collar and dragged him away from MY room. He called out, his voice screaming fear as he called out to me "Saale Saheb, humari baaht toh suniye!" Oh heck no was I going to listen to him. I dragged him up to the terrace and closed the door behind us. I pushed him back refusing to even stand within feets of his shadow. He glared at me like he would shoot me. Come on, I felt like yelling. Bring it on.
"Listen to me, once and for all, if I ever see you within 50 feet of my room, what I will do to you, you can not even imagine! Lay your dirty eyes off her, you pervert!" I said spitting venom through my eyes. I turned to leave, finding it difficult to look at his face any longer.
"What will you do Saale Saheb?" He said as I opened the door. I turned around and looked at him. How did he even have the audacity to question me like that. What I had done had proven I am capable of going to any length to defeat him.
"Do you really think you marrying her would make us stop loving each other?" I closed my fist, glaring at him furiously. "If my marriage couldn't stop us from falling in love, then how did you even think her marriage would stop us?"
I wasn't going to stick around and hear his rubbish any longer. I turned around once again but this time turned back around quite disturbed and taken aback with his behavior. He stood there laughing like a maniac, ranting on how I had made it easier for him to achieve his goal. My eyes came closer together as I pondered confused.
"We are much closer than we ever were. You can not take her away from me. I will never allow that. She belongs to me and only me and I will have her for myself only," he said in a challenging tone.
"She isn't a bloody toy that you can pick and put it in your pocket," I responded.
"Say whatever you want to say. I'm sure it probably helps you cope with your condition. She loves me and will come to me, wait and watch," he said, smirking.
For the first time, I clearly saw his unstable mind as he let his psychotic behavior out in the open. Was Kushi even in her sane mind to fall this guy I questioned myself? But wait, what if she is a victim just like my Sister? What if he has her trapped in his kind and humane behavior? She is so silly after all. Why did I not think of this before.
"What happened Saale Saheb, did reality numb you? Or have I made you speechless?"
"One thing only, say what you may, but don't ever forget, she is no more Kushi Kumari Gupta. She is now Kushi Arnav Singh Raizada (he jerked at the statement, bringing me some peace of mind). Don't you ever forget that. If I can go to any measures to protect my Sister, imagine what measures I would take to ensure my pride and respect stay intact? She is MY wife, Kushi Arnav Singh Raizada. Whatever you decide, keep that WELL in mind." I feel at ease saying that. I had the last smirk as he stood unconfident, lost while I walked away.
As I walked towards my room, I dwelled on the creature I had just witnessed. Someone who is far from being human. All of a sudden a sense of responsibility to protect Kushi as well fell upon me. Had she fallen in love with anyone else, I may have handed her to him with my own hands, but I wasn't ready to let her go into his hands. I brought her in as a punishment, and she will get that, but I can not sentence her this harsh punishment by giving her up to him. Death would be much easier for her. Along with Dii, I must protect Kushi as well. But how do I knock into her small brain what he actually is. I walked into my room to see Dii aiding an unconscious Kushi. There was my world, right in front of my eyes. The two women my life had started to revolve around. I was ready to go to any lengths to ensure both were far from his reach. I closed the door behind me, promising myself, come what may, six months from now these women will be strong and aware of his reality.
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That was 6 pages, so if you made it down here, give yourself a pat on the back🥳
And if you have a moment to spare, check out my first VM ever (am I advertising or what😆) It's only 1:05 and it's pretty crappy, but still it took me four hours to make it, so a little feedback would make me smile😉
https://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2792199
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Teesha
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