107. Saving Khushi Part 11

Part 11

 (Laxmiji: Heroine of the part)

Shyam looked around frantically, and stopped short.

All eyes followed his to the corner of the room where Laxmi was chewing on the last of his papers.

With a loud yelp, Shyam tossed his bag aside and ran to pull the papers out of the goat’s mouth.

Realising that her snack had caught the eye of a predator, Laxmi quickly rolled it in to a ball with her tongue and gulped it down.

Shyam came to a stop by her, his feet leaving skid marks on the floor. He clutched his hair in frustration and shouted, “You dumb goat! You…you…”

Laxmi bared her big teeth at Shyam. How dare he try to steal her food from her?

“You ate the papers? You…you ate my papers?” Shyam could not believe what had just happened before his eyes.

NK asked softly, “Your papers? Would these papers be the ones you stole from Nannav’s cabinet after opening it with a key you had made for that very purpose?”

All gasped.

Mr. Singhal’s phone beeped, and he went away to take the call in peace.

Shyam looked around like a trapped animal.

“You are adept at stealing too?” Mr. Sharma asked with a smile.

“He steals, Mr. Sharma. But he is not adept at it. The key got stuck and it is still there.” NK added with a shrug.

Mr. Sharma looked at Shyam with pseudo pity in his eyes.

“And he did not notice that I was recording the entire proceedings.” NK shook his head at Shyam’s folly.

Mr. Sharma had to look away to hide his laughter.

Shyam saw red.

“Your stupid goat ate my evidence, but the truth of the matter is that …” Shyam began.

Arnav held Khushi’s hand lightly. Mr. Singhal took his seat once more.

“The truth of the matter is that the wedding between your favourite Arnav and your sainted Khushi is only a contract marriage, not a real one.” Shyam announced, and looked around for exclamations and scandalised expressions from the family.

He was fated to be disappointed that day.

The Raizadas were too exhausted after the revelation of the true face of their jamai raja to react violently to the new piece of news.

Anjali was too broken about the state of her own marriage to weep over somebody else’s marriage or the lack of it.

The Guptas were too illiterate to understand what a contract marriage meant. They looked at Arnav and Khushi with mild curiosity.

Finally, Nani asked Arnav, “Chotey, is he speaking the truth? Or is it another one of his many lies?”

Arnav said softly, “Shyam caught hold of Khushi on our terrace on the night of Akash’s marriage. I watched and heard him declare his love to her, telling her that he was willing to leave Di for her. I caught him as soon as I could, and asked him about the state of affairs. He told me, bold as brass, that he & Khushi loved each other and that he meant to leave Di.”

All faces turned to him were pale, except for those of Mr. Singhal & Mr. Sharma. They were used to this and more in their line of business.

“I went to inform Di of Shyam’s truth, but she fainted, & we found out that she was pregnant.” Arnav said softly.

Nani buried her head in her hand.

“I had to keep her happy till she could deliver a healthy baby. I was foolish enough to believe Shyam when he said that Khushi was in love with him.”

The Guptas gasped.

“I thought that both of them were planning to destroy Di’s life. I had to keep Khushi away from Shyam, for the 6 months it would take Di to deliver. So I forced her in to a contract marriage for 6 months, threatening to break off Payal’s wedding with Akash.”

The Raizadas and the Guptas had their mouths open wide in shock.

“That is how we turned up married on Akash & Payal’s wedding night.” Arnav explained. “But after our marriage, I realised slowly that things were not as they seemed. I realised that Shyam had lied, that Khushi was a victim of his, just as Di was, and that she hated him from the bottom of her heart.” Arnav paused.

All the people in the room looked at Arnav & Khushi, silent.

Shyam grit his teeth, and then burst out, “Who saw their marriage? No one. And they were living in one room, like husband and wife…” he laughed madly.

“Chotey….?” both Anjali & Nani whispered at the same time.

Arnav asked softly, “Nani, am I just Aravind Malik’s son? Am I not Ratna Raizada’s son too?”

Nani & Mami nodded, tears in their eyes.

He turned to the Guptas. “Amma, Babuji, Buaji, I was brought up by my Di, Nani, & Mami. I was angry with Khushi, cruel to her at times… but I never forced myself on her or exercised my conjugal rights. We lived like two strangers under one roof.”

The Raizadas and the Guptas nodded.

But Shyam burst out laughing, fury making it sound like the cackles of a maniac. “Who will believe you, Saale sahab?”

“Anybody who knows Arnavji will.” Khushi spoke up. “He is not a cheap scoundrel like you.” She turned to look at the family. “Arnavji married me due to a misunderstanding, but by giving me the protection of his name, he saved me from the attacks of this…this…ghatiya person.”

All looked at each other. Anjali wept silently, her life in tatters.

Then Buaji asked the question that every one wanted to ask. She queried, “Bitwaa, when does the contract end? Oo kaa he, Khussi should not stay here after the six months are over…. She will not be your wife after that…”

Arnva said softly, “Buaji, don’t worry about the contract marriage. Khushi & I got married yesterday at Devi Maiyya’s temple…” He gave the details and passed the photos around. “We have registered our marriage.”

All looked at the photos, slackjawed. Shyam could not control his ire at the turn of events.

“I am sorry we couldn’t marry in your presence, but the situation was urgent … an emergency… When NK told me that Shyam had stolen a document from my cabinet, I knew it must be the contract marriage papers… So we had to act fast…” Arnav explained.

Buaji looked at Khushi’s face and asked her, “Titliyaa, did you marry Arnav Bitwaa because you wanted to marry him, Nandkisore? Or did you do it to defeat this…this man?” She pointed to Shyam who was quivering with anger.

“I wanted to marry Arnavji, Buaji.” Khushi’s conviction was obvious to every person in the room. “I…I like him… very much.” The blush on her face spoke of how much she cared for her husband.

“Aur Arnav Bitwaa…why did you marry Khussi?” Buaji was nothing if not thorough.

“I married her because I love her, very much. Because I don’t want to spend even a moment of my life without her. I… I would have proposed to her on Akash & Payal’s wedding day…but…” Arnav said softly.

The Raizadas and the Guptas sighed in relief.

Mr. Sharma said, “It is time for us to take Shyam Manohar Jha in to custody.” He stood up.

Arnav, Akash, & NK stood up with him. Mr. Singhal stood behind them.

Mr. Sharma approached Shyam.

Suddenly, Shyam pulled out a gun from his pocket, rushed to Anjali, pulled her up from her seat, locked his beefy arm around her neck, and held her at gunpoint.

Arnav, NK, & Akash leaped forward, only to be held in check by Shyam as he pressed the gun’s muzzle against Anjali’s forehead.

“Anjali Bitiyaa….” Nani, Amma, Mami, & Buaji gasped.

Anjali stared at her family with wide, shocked eyes. Who was this man with whom she had shared her life for the past 3 years?

“You will arrest me, will you?” he laughed like the mad man he was, taunting Arnav. “I will kill your precious Di…the witch…always whining, always complaining, always phoning to know where I am…checking on me….” He mimicked Anjali to perfection. “Shyamji, why is the balance in our account so low? Chotey paid in 2 lakhs just yesterday, didn’t he? Shyamji, why are the credit card bills so high? Shyamji, where are you? Shyamji, Shyamji, Shyamji….” He tightened his arm around Anjali’s neck.

She gasped.

Nani & the other ladies whimpered, “Anjali Bitiyaa…” 

“Di…”

Khushi looked helplessly at the scene that was unfolding in front of her eyes. She was in direct view of the rascal, and could not move  a finger without his noticing her. The same was the case with Arnavji, Nanheji, & Akash Jiju. Mr. Singhal & Mr. Sharma too were right in front of the devil.

Shyam muttered, “She is the spawn of the devil… wouldn’t die even after I cut the brake wires…” All stared at him in shock, their hearts in their mouths.

“The scorpion wouldn’t bite her…the ether in the perfume bottle didn’t burn her…” Shyam shouted his complaints to the sky. He rammed the gun against Anjali’s temple, hurting her.

“Shyam, your child, your rajkumari…” Arnav tried to appeal to his non-existent paternal instincts.

“Rajkumari!” Shyam spit on the ground. “Who wants the whelp?”

His eyes fell on Babuji in his wheelchair. “You old fool! You are responsible for all this. You! I should have killed you when I had the chance instead of just causing a stroke. I should have strangled you…But for you, I would have married Khushi, and no one would have been any the wiser….” His eyes spewed hatred at Babuji.

All stared at the evil man in their midst.

Payal was standing to Shyam’s left, slightly behind him. She looked at the small urn on a stand next to her and then at Akash. He was looking at her. With trembling hands, she lifted the urn and smashed it on the floor.

Shyam turned his head to look at her.

In that split second, Arnav, NK, & Akash leaped on him and knocked the gun out of Shyam’s hand.

Khushi picked it up from the ground.

Then it was  a free-for-all. Arnav freed his Di from the clutches of the villain, and handed her over to Nani & Mami. Meanwhile NK & Akash punched Shyam as though there were no tomorrow. Shyam tried to defend himself, putting his strong muscles and his experience in brawls to good use. 

But the boys, driven by the need to punish the rogue for the harm he had done to their Di & Khushiji, proved too strong for him. Buaji & Mami cheered them on.

Anjali collapsed sobbing on the sofa, hugging her Nani.

Arnav comforted her, making sure that she was fine. 

Khushi & Payal sat by her, rubbing her back, consoling her.

Once the boys were done, Arnav took over. He slapped Shyam silly.

Once the men were finished with Shyam, Mr. Sharma summoned the police men waiting outside the house. They led away a Shyam who had a bloody face,  a broken nose, a black eye, a broken arm, crushed ribs… He looked like a vagrant, like an unkempt beggar… as soiled outside as he was inside…

 Arnav carried Anjali up to her bedroom. All the family members followed her, except Amma & Babuji.

Anjali wept copiously as Arnav hugged her close, telling her without words that whatever happened, he would be there with her, always.

Rashmi's interpretation


Smita,

Here is the interpretation for Part 11.
This update is about the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. It is also being or manifesting the proof. In a word, EVIDENCE.
A panic stricken Shyam frantically looked around for the missing papers. For those papers were the proof, his trump card, based on which he was about to accuse Arnav and Khushi and pull them down from the moral high ground that they had taken up. The sight that met his gaze made his heart miss a beat and his blood run cold. Seeing his expression, all followed his gaze to the corner of the room only to see that Laxmi chewing on those papers. She was chewing the last of his papers with gusto for she had found it to make a delicious snack. As Shyam tossing his bag aside, ran up to her giving a loud yelp of alarm to pull out the remnants of the papers from her mouth, Laxmi realizing that she was soon to be deprived of her snack by the pursuer, quickly rolled it into a ball with her tongue and gobbled it up. Shyam came to a stop by her, his footwear making a squeaky squishy sound leaving the skid marks on the surface of the floor. Pulling his hair out in frustration, he shouted, at it as dumb goat and he just managed to stammer you... you... in anger that had reached it pinnacle! Laxmi bared her teeth wide demonstrating as though she was admonishing him for trying to steal its food! Addressing her, Shyam stuttered, she ate his papers, repeatedly, unable to believe what he witnessed with his own two eyes. But as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss, she with her doleful eyes looked at the ghar jamai as though saying et tu Brute, And you, Brutus, you are betraying and backstabbing, there is no end to your stupidity. Duh!

NK asked him softly, was he asking Laxmi about his papers? The very same papers, the one he stole from Nannav's cabinet after opening it with a duplicate key that he has got it done for that very purpose? His words had all gasp with shock! It was like an obvious slap on Shyam's face but Shyam was shameless and tried to ignore NK. As Mr.Singhal's phone beeped and went out to take his call in peace, Shyam who broke out in cold sweat time and again was asked by a smiling Mr.Sharma, so he was even adept at stealing too! NK, with a slight shrug and his lips curled in derision, responded that he breaks in and steals, there was no doubt about that but he is definitely not adept. That part was debatable as the key he used had got stuck and it is still there itself was a testimony. Shaking his head at the blunder Shyam had committed, thinking that even while thieving he was like a cat that licks the prohibited cream with its eyes closed thinking nobody would see it doing so, he said, Jijaji was not even aware that his moves were being recorded. Sharma who was looking at Shyam with pseudo-pity for his hotch-potch work till then, had to look away to hide his laughter. It was a sign that showed how inept they felt Shyam was! Shyam saw red and directed his anger on the only one who would not answer him back, may be just meh..., saying that their stupid dunce of a goat ate his evidence but the truth of the matter was... giving it a dramatic pause as he saw Mr.Singhal come in and take his seat, while Arnav clasped Khushi's hand. As though he was in a court room after deposing, placing his closing argument, he continued to suggest by repeating, that the truth of the matter was that the wedding between their Star Arnav and their Sainted Khushi was only a contract marriage, not a real one. Shyam pompously declared, and looked around for exclamations and scandalized expressions from the family.
But for Shyam it was a day of pit-falls and disappointments, and it continued to be so. It turned out to be a dud failing to detonate as the Raizadas' were too exhausted after the revelation of the true face of their jamai raja to react violently to the new piece of news. Anjali was too broken about the state of her own marriage to weep over somebody else's marriage or the lack of it.  For Guptas' with their simplicity and lack of education were unable to understand what a contract marriage meant. Their look at Arnav and Khushi was filled with mild curiosity. Finally, Nani not reposing her faith on Shyam's words asked Chotey, was he speaking the truth? Or was it another of his rigmarole adding to the rest of his rambling stories? It was an indication of how the information even if it was the truth when uttered by a man of stained character with tainted motives was difficult to believe. Only when it comes from the horse's mouth would it have any standing. Arnav in a soft voice that held utmost respect to his Nani who had taken the place of their mother after her daughter's untimely demise, told her that, Shyam had caught hold of Khushi on their terrace on the night of Akash's marriage. He was a witness, and had heard from the side lines Shyam declare his love to her, telling her that he was willing to leave Di for her. When he had cornered Shyam later, and asked him about the state of affairs, he had admitted with a swagger that, he and Khushi loved each other and that he meant to leave Di. It was a clear indicator for all that Shyam was playing Anjali for a fool while he was trying to sow wild oats.  All faces except for those of Mr. Singhal and Mr. Sharma that had turned towards him had lost its pallor. For Mr. Singhal and Mr. Sharma it was just a routine hearing as it was more or less similar to quite a few cases in their line of work, and were used to this. For them it was corroboration to the facts of many of his misdeeds that were apparent now.
Arnav continued to tell his Nani that he had gone to inform Di about it and as luck would have it she fainted and it was found that she was carrying. Hearing it, Nani buried her head in her hand. So he was not able to tell her anything and he had felt that it was his responsibility to keep her happy till she gave birth to a healthy baby. This was a clincher that made him take drastic decision. He admitted to being taken for a ride as he was foolish enough to believe Shyam's words of lies that Khushi was in love with him. This had Guptas' gasping at the mammoth misconception that Arnav had on Khushi. He conceded that he made a mistake in assuming that both of them were planning to destroy Di's life. In order to keep Khushi away from Shyam, for the next six months that it would take Di to deliver, he had forced Khushi in to a contract marriage for the same period with the sword on her head that, if not complied Payal's wedding with Akash would break-off. The Raizadas' and the Guptas' just stared with their mouth wide agape in shock at what they heard. He told them, that was how they had turned up married on the same night as Akash and Payal's wedding. After the marriage, he had slowly realized that things were not as they seemed. Reality was not what he had perceived it to be. He started getting and seeing indicators that Shyam had lied, it was only Shyam who had amorous intentions and Khushi was as much a victim as his Di was and she had hated even his shadow falling nearby. As Arnav paused, all looked silently at Arnav and Khushi. But Shyam, who was cheesed off, came down upon them like a ton of bricks, bursting out that when no one saw their marriage how could it be assumed that they had really married? They had been living together like a husband and wife in one room. He thought, now with no documentation of their marriage, he had them in a loop and could swing things his way. His legal brain had caught on that it was a hurried marriage with no witnesses to testify and the families who held moral high ground were bound to turn their back on the two love-birds. With these thoughts, he let out his mad laughter, lauding himself for his excellent work of exposing Arnav and Khushi from their perch.
His statement elicited a whispered query, Chotey..? from two people, Nani and Anjali, at the same time, their voice filled with pain and disbelief. Pain, they felt at the injustice meted to Khushi, and disbelief, at him following his father's footsteps which they could not comprehend as Arnav abhorring even to be under the shade of his father's surname, Malik, had changed into his mother's, Raizada. That being the testimony for his loathing towards his father and anything connected to him, they were at a loss to listen to him being accused of following his father's footsteps. Arnav asked his Nani softly yet confidently, does she consider him as just Aravind Malik's son? Does Ratna Raizada's blood too not run in his veins? Nani and Mami with tears welled eyes concurred, that he had more of his mother's traits than his father's. He turned to the Guptas' and addressing them as Amma, Babuji and Buaji, he told that he was brought up by his Di, Nani, and Mami. So that should be the cue to them for the upbringing he had irrespective of what was trying to be proved. He had been angry with Khushi, cruel to her at times too, but had never forced himself on her or exercised his conjugal rights. They had lived like two strangers under one roof.  The Raizadas' and the Guptas' nodded at this significant statement for they could hear the ring of sincerity in his voice. But  Shyam burst out laughing, fury making it sound like the cackles of a maniac and shrieked who would believe him, Saale Sahab? It was Khushi who gave him the fitting reply that, anybody who knows Arnavji will not have any problem with it. They would not seek any testimonial. Arnavji was not a cheap scoundrel like him and it was not fair to be tarred with the same brush. Turning towards the family she substantiated Arnav's statement by asserting that, Arnavji married her that way due to a misunderstanding, but by giving her the protection of his name, he had saved her from the attacks of this... this cheap, atrocious bummer, from a fate worse than death. All looked at each other while Anjali cried a river silently as her entire world and its beauty had come to an end and all she could see were the broken visages and dreams. She was made to face with the dissimilarity indices of her dream world with that of reality.
It was then, Buaji came up with a query that everyone wanted to ask, when does the contract end? The reason was that, Khussi would not be able to stay with him after that period as it would be inappropriate without being his legal wife. It was a clear sign that all had taken Arnav's words as truthful while Shyam's claims were brushed aside. Arnav in a soft voice asked Buaji, not to fret over the contract wedding as they had got married last evening at Devi Maiyya's temple and their marriage was already registered. He gave them the details and as proof, passed on the pictures taken then of all the rituals. All were stumped and in awe of how Arnav has got things done smoothly and corrected a folly. Shyam was left foaming at the mouth, at the turn of events that he least expected. Arnav explained that, he was really sorry to deprive them of a chance to be present at the wedding as desperate times called for desperate measures. When NK called and said that Shyam had ransacked his room and taken away a certain document from his filing cabinet, he knew that it must be the contract marriage papers making it a necessity to act quickly. Buaji addressing her Titliyaa asked, did she marry Arnav Bitwaa because she wanted to marry him, Nandkisore? Or did she do it to defeat this... this vile man? pointing to Shyam, who was seen quivering fitfully with anger. Buaji wanted confirmation from Khushi that she was not coerced once again. Khushi with conviction that was obvious to all in the room in her demeanor, her voice and her eyes told her that it was because she wanted to marry Arnavji and though embarrassed to say aloud, yet declared that she likes him very much and looked down at her lap. The rosy tints on her cheeks that were spreading its glow spoke how much she cared for her husband and were by themselves an affirmation of her feelings. Buaji convinced with her answer asked Arnav, why was it he married Khussi? Buaji's thorough investigation to assure herself and the rest that they were bound for the lifetime and not another contractual bond or to throw dust into Shyam's eyes, had Arnav answering her truthfully with confidence that he married her because he loved her very much and he does not have any inclination to spend a moment of his life without her by his side. He had planned to propose to her on Akash and Payal's wedding day, manifesting that his intentions all along had been pure and sincere, but everything had gone awry and things had taken a wrong turn. The Raizadas' and the Guptas' were a relieved lot.

As Mr. Sharma, the police officer stood up and told them that it was time to take Shyam Manohar Jha into their custody, Arnav, Akash and NK too stood up with him with Mr. Singhal standing behind them. When Mr. Sharma approached Shyam, with quick reflex and an unexpected move Shyam pulled out a gun from his pocket and rushed to Anjali. Pulling her up from her seat, locking his beefy arm around her neck, he held her at gunpoint. This act of his evinced an intention that he had harbored all along. It demonstrated the fact, he cared tuppence to his wife and she was his Rani Sahiba only till she could provide him all that he needed. As Arnav, NK and Akash leapt forward, they were held in check by Shyam who pressed the muzzle of his gun against Anjali's temple. This sudden act of deviousness had Nani, Amma, Mami and Buaji jump out of their skin and gasp Anjali Bitiyaa..., while Anjali scared stiff, stared at her family with wide, shocked eyes. Her mind started to swirl with the question as to who was this man with whom she had shared her life for the past 3 years. The man she had known seemed to be just a figment of her imagination. His insane laughter was accompanied by an equally insane babbling asking them, will they arrest him. With his eyes gone glassy, he taunted Arnav, he would kill his precious Di, the witch, who was always whining, always complaining, always calling him to check where he was! She had the audacity to keep checking on him! Mimicking Anjali to perfection he said, Shyamji, why is the balance in our account so low? Chotey credited two lakhs just yesterday, did not he? Shyamji, why are the credit card bills so high? Shyamji, where are you? Shyamji, Shyamji, Shyamji, her chanting was getting on his nerves! Saying so he tightened his arm around Anjali's neck making her gasp out for breath while the older ladies whimpered, Anjali Bitiyaa...Khushi called out Di... as she looked helplessly at the scene that was unfolding in front of her eyes. She noted that she was in direct view of the rascal, and could not move a finger without drawing his attention to her. The same was the case with Arnavji, Nanheji and Akash Jiju. Mr. Singhal and Mr. Sharma too were stuck right in front of the devil.
Shyam, who started to erupt like a volcano and spew out all the bitter venom that he had stored inside him muttered, that she was the spawn of the devil that would not die even after he cut the brake cables... All stared at him in shock, had their hearts in their mouths. From his demeanour, it was apparent that he was on a roll. Unmindful of the audience and taken in by insanity at the face of defeat of his entire well laid out devilish plans he babbled out, that neither the scorpion would bite her, nor the ether in the perfume bottle would set her aflame... It was like a smoking gun, a self attestation to his crime deeds statement. Shyam like a demented fool barked madly his complaints to the sky just like a coyote howling at the moon. He rammed the gun against Anjali's temple, hurting her. Arnav tried to reason out and appeal to his non-existent paternal instincts saying, his child, his rajkumari... But all he got for his attempt was a loopy laughter and a spat on the ground saying, who wanted that tyke? He laughed out loud looking at all and thinking how he had fooled them all. His insane laughter filled every nook and cranny of the house. As his eyes fell on Babuji in his wheelchair, he began to spew his hatred, calling him an old fool! He was the culprit who was responsible for all this. Boring him with his stare he spat out, you! He should have killed the old man when he had the chance instead of just causing a stroke. He should have sent him packing off the face of this earth, should have strangled him. But for the cunning old codger, he would have been married to Khushi with no one being any wiser. It was a testament on how much Shyam had pre-planned things and he was not averse to trampling others to gain his end. All stared at the evil man in their midst.
Payal, who was standing to the left of Shyam, slightly behind him looked at the small urn on a stand next to her and then at Akash. He was intently looking at her. Understanding what he was trying to convey that she better go for it without a care of it being a priceless artifact an indicator for he was with her. With trembling hands, she lifted the urn and smashed it on the floor. The noise was something that made all turn towards it and as Shyam turned his head to look at her, Arnav, NK and Akash pounced on him and knocked the gun out of Shyam's hand. It all happened within a fraction of a second before Shyam could even bat his eyelids. Quickly Khushi retrieved the gun from the ground and that heralded the free for all brawl. Arnav freeing his Di from the clutches of the thug, shoved her aside away from Shyam's reach making her land in the open arms of Nani and Mami. While Arnav took care of Anjali, Akash and NK who were pumped up by anger and derision, started a slug-fest with a difference. They made Shyam their punching bag, jabbing him left and right, tossing him to and fro showing their boxing prowess with utmost glee. Shyam who was first shocked recovered quickly to defend himself, making use of all his muscles and his experience in the street brawls, but even his beefy body and defense were not enough in front of the spirited punches of the brothers, driven by the need to punish the skunk who had tried his utmost to charm and to harm their Di and Khushiji. This testified the fact that Shyam had committed the unthinkable and had crossed his limits and the boundaries of their tolerance. Buaji and Mami were quite vociferous in their support, egging on the boys to go full zoom. Anjali collapsed on the sofa sobbing, hugging her Nani.
Arnav comforted her, making sure that she was fine. Khushi and Payal sat by her, rubbing her back, consoling her and showing their solidarity with her. Once his Di had been consoled a bit and the boys had exhausted themselves, Arnav took over. He treated Shyam to knuckle sandwiches, fist of fives, gave a thumper and topped it with a near throttle, for playing with the lives of two women in his life. That was an illustration he gave Shyam, the low scum, for messing the lives of his Di and his Khushi.  Once the men were finished with Shyam, Mr. Sharma summoned the police men waiting outside the house. They led away a Shyam, who was left with a bloody face, a broken nose, a black eye, a broken arm, a few crushed ribs, looking like a street bum involved in a bloody street brawl, an epitome of an unkempt tramp with no name, no one to claim, as soiled outside as he was inside.
Arnav carried Anjali up to her bedroom with all the family members trailing her, except Amma and Babuji. As Anjali wept, tears like liquid silver trickled and soon fell over her cheeks like a fretful stream, and Arnav hugged her close, telling her without words that whatever happens, he would always be there with her. It was apparent that even after all the turmoil Anjali still held the trophy, a proof that she was indeed a winner, with her family closing in on her, for blood is thicker than water and family is about faith, loyalty and who you love.
That is why this is titled EVIDENCE.

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our  wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion,  they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence"
                                          ~ John Adams
That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

 Part 12

Gela Gela (Adnan Sami)

The next three days were terrible for the Raizadas and the Guptas who were staying back in RM at Nani’s request. Day and night they hovered around Anjali’s room; the doctor visited her four times a day. Her mental state was unstable, her physical condition was even worse. Anjali cried day and night, choking over the spoons of soup or juice her sisters-in-law tried to ease down her sore throat.

On the third day, Anjali called Arnav, and whispered to him, her voice raspy after being choked by Shyam’s heavy arm.

“Chotey, I want a divorce. At the earliest. I don’t want my baby to be touched by the shadow of such a lowlife, a man who was willing to kill it for money....”

“Sshhh….I will take care of everything…” Arnav promised.

That evening, Mr. Roy, the lawyer came home to meet Arnav & Anjali.

Arnav & Akash helped Anjali down to the living room, and all the family members, including the Guptas gathered in the hall to give her moral support.

As Mr. Roy discussed the fine details of the divorce proceedings with them, Mr. Singhal called Arnav.

“Mr. Singhal?” Arnav asked, surprised.

“I need to see you immediately, Mr. Raizada. There is something you need to know. Urgently.” His tone was sombre.

“Come over. We are all at home.” Arnav said.

“Right now?” Mr. Singhal asked.

“Right now.” Arnav confirmed.

Mr. Singhal dropped in just as Mr. Roy was about to leave.

Arnav introduced the lawyer to the private detective.

Mr. Singhal’s face tightened. “Were you discussing getting a divorce?” he asked bluntly.

All looked at each other, surprised.

“Yes.” Arnav affirmed.

“Then can you stay to hear me for 5 minutes, Mr. Roy?” Mr. Singhal asked.

Mr. Roy looked at Arnav, surprised, and then nodded.

All, including Anjali, sat down to hear him.

Mr. Singhal looked in to Arnav’s eyes, his face serious.

“When I was gathering information about Shyam, I found out that he used to travel a lot. Sometimes Lucknow, sometimes Kanpur, sometimes Allahabad, sometimes Varanasi… I wondered why he was doing so. I thought he might have some family somewhere. So I asked my men to dig deep in to his past, dig out everything they could get… One of them called me here when we were tackling Shyam here, three days back… I went to check the details…and I am afraid the facts are bad…”

Every face was pale. Even Mr. Roy feared the worst.

Mr. Singhal said, “Shyam Manohar Jha married Anjali Raizada in 2010.”

Arnav nodded, his eyes firmly fixed on the detective’s face.

 

“But before that, in 2005 in Allahabad, he married Vimala Thripati, the daughter of Mr. Dayashankar Thripati, the lawyer under whom he trained.”

All gasped. Anjali’s eyes widened larger then saucers.

Arnav caught hold of her hand, comforting her silently. Bitterness filled his heart. Would this pain never end? Would the public humiliation of Di never end?

“Mr. Thripati died two months after the wedding, leaving behind a successful practice and not inconsiderable wealth. Shyam stole from the clients, sold his wife’s properties, made bad investments, and at the end of three years, turned his wife in to a pauper. He also gave her two sons.”

Anjali looked at Mr. Singhal’s kind eyes, not knowing what to do, what to say, what to understand…

“In 2008, he married Saraswati Mishra in Kanpur. She was the only daughter of her aged mother. He met her while fighting a case for them. He won the case, & married her in a small ceremony at her home, citing her mother’s illhealth as the reason for keeping it low profile. The mother died a week after the wedding, and Shyam lived off the money he got by selling her land and house. After turning her in to a pauper, he moved her and their three children, one daughter and two sons, in to a rented house.”

Tears filled the eyes of the ladies and trailed down their cheeks. Anjali alone remained dry-eyed, unable to take in the terrible things she was hearing.

“Then he married Anjali Raizada in 2010.” Mr. Singhal said with a sigh. “Only his marriage with Vimala Thripati is legal. Saraswati Mishra & Anjali Raizada are not his wives.” He put it as lightly as he could.

There was perfect silence in the hall.

Then Mr. Roy said, “We don’t have to get a divorce then.”

Arnav nodded.

“We can charge him for bigamy too.” the lawyer said.

Arnav nodded.

“I will hand over the proof.” Mr. Singhal promised.

Mr. Roy nodded and got up to leave. Arnav showed him out and returned to the hall to sit by his Di.

“The..the..scoundrel…” NK’s face was red with anger.

Akash’s fists were clenched.

“Kamina kahin ka! Travelling all over Uttar Pradesh to marry girls, Hello Hi Bye Bye!” Mami exclaimed, clutching Anjali’s hand.

Mr. Singhal continued, “The reason he travelled so frequently was to visit these women.”

Arnav nodded.

After a long moment of silence, Anjali finally asked, “The money…was he taking money from us…to give to..?”

Mr. Singhal smiled wryly. “I wish. Both Vimala Thripati and Saraswati Mishra have been beggared by Jha. They are struggling to make the ends meet. Vimala Thripati works at a stitching centre in Allahabad from morning to night daily, and Saraswati Mishra makes sweets at home. She walks along the streets of Kanpur, carrying her 2-year old daughter and the bag of sweets, knocking on every door to make a living…”

Anjali buried her head in her hand.

“The children….” she whispered.

“It is a hand-to-mouth existence for all 5 of them…” Mr. Singhal said softly. “And both of them don’t know about the other women…”

Anjali looked at the detective.

“They think that they are Mrs. Jha. Vimala has no idea about Saraswati or you. Saraswati has no knowledge of Vimala or you…” Mr. Singhal explained. “They married Jha in good faith… just as you did.”

“Chotey…” Anjali was at the end of her tether.

Mr. Singhal stood up to leave. Akash & NK showed him out.

Arnav carried his weeping sister up the steps to her bedroom. On the way up, she clutched her stomach in pain.

“Akash, get the car!” Arnav shouted. “NK, call the doctor and let her know that we are coming in!”

A few hours later, Anjali opened her eyes in the hospital and looked in to her brother’s tear-filled eyes.

The silent enquiry in her eyes forced him to say, “I am sorry, Di…The baby…”

Anjali looked at him for a long moment. Then a lone tear trailed down her cheek.

She said, “Chotey…atleast my child escaped…”

Arnav looked at her, a question in his moist eyes.

“It is better to die than to live as Shyam Manohar Jha’s son or daughter.” Her lips trembled, but her voice was firm.

Arnav lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it repeatedly.

They brought Anjali back to RM the next day. As she settled down in her bed, Arnav made to step away. She caught hold of his arm.

“Chotey…”

“Haan, Di?”

“Chotey…the children… the two poor women…” Anjali mumbled.

Arnav looked at her pale countenance with tender eyes.

“They shouldn’t starve…” Anjali whispered, exhausted.

“I will take care of them, Di.” Arnav promised.

Anjali let out a sigh of peace and slipped in to sleep.

A few hours later, Arnav looked at the weary faces around the bed.

“Why don’t we all get some sleep?” he asked. “The nurse is here to look after Di anyway.”

All nodded.

Nani said, “Chotey, I will sleep with Anjali Bitiyaa.”

He nodded, and gently shooed everyone out of Anjali’s room.

While Khushi had a shower, Arnav contacted the lawyer and set up a monthly income for Vimala & Saraswati.

When she came out in her blue salwar suit, a towel in her hands, Arnav went to wash away the grime and the bitterness of the day away from his body and mind.

When he emerged dressed in his white casuals, Khushi was not in the bedroom. The door to the poolside was open, and  a balmy breeze was ruffling the dull curtains of his room.

He walked out to see her standing by his recliner, looking at the stars.

He joined her silently, and looked up at the dark sky, lit by thousands of stars. They stood silent, side by side.

Then Khushi said softly, “Arnavji, remember… one night you asked me if your mother would be happy with you?”

He looked at her, silent, waiting.

Khushi smiled gently. “Your mother will be so proud of you today, so happy with you…”

Arnav looked at her smiling face.

He said in a pained voice, “I let her marry that…that…rat. I could not stop her from losing her baby… How can she be proud of me?” It was a cry from the heart. “She expected me to look after Di…”

“Di is not your puppet. Or a doll. She has a mind of her own. She fell in love with Shyamji. You didn’t force her to love him. She decided to marry him. You didn’t bind her hands and feet and force her to the mandap. He turned out to be  rotten, and she is facing the consequences of her actions with courage. She knows that she is responsible for her life and her decisions… She does not blame you for the tragedy in her life. Nor does anyone else.” Khushi said softly.

Arnav looked at her with hope in his eyes.

Khushi hugged him close to her, throwing her arms around his shoulders.

“You cannot control other people’s lives. You cannot live other people’s lives for them. You can only stand by and support them when things go horribly wrong. That is what you have done. That is why I said your mother will be very proud of you today…” she whispered in to his ears.

Arnav hugged her tight, his eyes shut tight to prevent the hot tears from leaking out.

“If you were my son, I would smother you with kisses today, bury you under my love… You dealt with the evil man effectively. You kept your family together. You took care of your Di. And you are going to help those poor women and their unfortunate children… What more can a good human being do in such a situation?”

“Khushi…” he whispered.

They remained locked in the tight embrace for long minutes, letting the moonlight fall on them like a blessing.

Then Khushi pulled away and yawned. “Arnavji, I am feeling so sleepy…”

Arnav smiled slightly to see her rubbing her eyes like a child. He bent and gathered her in to his arms and walked over to their bed.

He laid her softly on its warmth, and Khushi sighed in pleasure. As he made to leave her, Khushi pulled him close. Arnav got in to bed with her and cuddled close.

 Smita,

Here is the interpretation for Part 12.
This update is about a consoling aspect of a situation, SILVER LINING.
The three days following the arrest of Shyam Manohar Jha were the days that they would have loved to forget, would have loved to erase it irrevocably from their memory. The good side of the situation was Anjali was with them and they had the chance to strive to get her to live once more. The Raizadas' and Guptas' were under tremendous strain. Guptas' had stayed back at RM on Nani's request and all had hovered around Anjali worried over her state of health and that of her child. The doctor had taken to visit four times a day as she had found Anjali was mentally vulnerable and even smallest things had the possibility to trigger her into depression. While her mental state was delicate, her physical condition was much worse. Anjali was filled with uncontrollable tears making her tired and even choke over a spoonful of soup or juice that her sisters-in-law tried to feed her. On the third day, Anjali called out to Arnav and in a raspy murmur a result of the stranglehold of Shyam's beefy arm that had her nearly choking asked him, that she wants a divorce as soon as legally possible and she does not want her baby to be tainted by the shadow of such a scum in the murky pond, a man who was ready to kill it just for money! It showed her mood bullish, to take her life back into her hands, and a first step towards making a better future for her and her child. Arnav's promise to take care of her need made her relax. True to his word, that evening he had Mr. Roy come to their house, with Akash and Arnav bringing Anjali down the stairs to the living room where all the family and the Guptas' had gathered in support of her. As they thrashed out the finer details of the divorce proceedings with Mr. Roy, the family and especially Anjali was filled with great expectations of being relieved from the shackles of being bound to Shyam in matrimony. Arnav got a surprise call from Mr. Singhal, who asked for an urgent audience stating, that there were certain matters that he needed to address immediately. His somber tone made Arnav ask him to come over immediately as they were all at home. When Mr. Singhal asked him, did he mean, immediately as of now; he confirmed it to be so.
Mr. Singhal dropped in just as Mr. Roy was about to leave. As Arnav introduced the lawyer to the private detective, Mr. Singhal's face tightened and his face went grave and serious. He was forthright in asking, whether they were discussing of getting a divorce? His blunt query made all look at each other, surprised. When Arnav affirmed it to be so, Mr. Singhal asked Mr. Roy could he spare some time to hear what he had to say and it would take just five minutes. It was a hopeful query, so that it would make things clear and easier. Mr. Roy was surprised and looked at Arnav before consenting. All, including Anjali, sat down to hear him out. Mr. Singhal looked in to Arnav's eyes, his face serious and said that, when he was gathering information about Shyam, he came across the fact that Shyam used to travel a lot. Sometimes Lucknow, sometimes Kanpur, sometimes Allahabad, sometimes Varanasi. It had intrigued him and made him wonder why he was doing so. He thought Shyam might have some family hidden somewhere. So he had asked his men to dig deep in to his past, dig out everything they could get their hands on, irrespective of it being significant or otherwise, that could substantiate their case and one of them had called him when Shyam was being tackled here three days back. He had gone to verify the details unearthed and he was not happy with what he found and he regrets to be the bearer of the facts that are not really good to hear... and trailed off. It had every face going pale with even Mr. Roy fearing the worst. When Mr. Singhal stated, Shyam Manohar Jha married Anjali Raizada in 2010, Arnav nodded, his eyes firmly fixed on the detective's face. He told them, before that, in the year 2005, he had married Vimala Thripati, the daughter of Mr. Dayashankar Thripati, the lawyer under whom he had trained in Allahabad. It was like a bombshell exploding amidst, making all gathered gasp in shock, while Anjali's eyes widened like saucers unable to believe what she heard! Arnav caught hold of her hand, comforting her silently while bitterness was filling his heart. He wondered would this pain never end, would the public humiliation of Di never end, when would they be relieved of these nightmares? His heart twisted in pain for his Di who had placed her utmost trust in the devil with the mask of a man going by the name Shyam Manohar Jha.
Mr. Singhal continued with the saga of Shyam Manohar Jha and stated that, Mr. Thripati passed away two months after the wedding, leaving behind a successful practice and not inconsiderable wealth in the hands of Shyam. Not satisfied, Shyam stole from the clients, sold his wife's properties, made bad investments, and at the end of three years, had turned his wife in to a pauper, begetting two sons along the way. Anjali was stunned and just gazed at Mr. Singhal's kind eyes, not knowing what to do, what to say, what to understand. He narrated that it did not end there and he had found that in 2008, he had married a Saraswati Mishra in Kanpur. She was the only daughter of her aged mother. He met her while fighting a case for them. He won the case for them and married her in a small ceremony at her home, citing her mother's ill health as the reason for keeping it low profile. The mother had passed away within a week after the wedding and had thought that her daughter was in safe hands. Shyam had lived off the money he got by selling her land and her house. And after turning her in to a pauper, he moved her and their three children, one daughter and two sons, in to a rented house. His narration saw not a dry-eye among the ladies, for their cheeks was stained by tear flow. Only Anjali was dry-eyed, with the numbness that had crept into her from this disclosure, unable to take in the terrible things she was hearing of the man she thought was her husband.
Mr. Singhal, heaving a sigh told them, that only after that he had married, Anjali Raizada in 2010. So only his marriage with Vimala Thripati was legal. Saraswati Mishra and Anjali Raizada are not his legal wives. He put it as lightly as he could. Perfect silence reigned in the hall. Breaking the uneasy silence, Mr. Roy said, then, the divorce proceedings were not needed making Arnav nod in agreement. The lawyer sought and received consent to frame Shyam with bigamy as an additional charge in the charge-sheet and Mr. Singhal promised to hand over all the proof he had collected. As Mr. Roy nodded and got up to leave, Arnav escorted him out and returned to the hall to sit by his Di. The comforting prospect was at least his Di had him and her family with her for both moral as well as financial support, unlike the other two.  NK whose face was scrunched red with anger stuttered, the... the... scoundrel, anger that raged in him would have pulverized Shyam were he in front. Akash had his fist clenched tight that it had nearly drained the blood out of it and his sinews taunt with repressed anger. It was Mami, clutching Anjali's hand tightly, who gave vent to their collective anger spitting out, that mean scumbag, from yonder! Traipsing around all over Uttar Pradesh to marry girls and destroy the innocent lives! Mr. Singhal continued to enlighten them that, the reason he travelled so frequently was to visit these women. As Arnav nodded all went silent thinking about Shyam and such unadulterated debauchery. The solace they could derive now was the bigamous toad being the guest of the Government would not be spoiling any more innocent lives.
After a long moment of silence, Anjali asked whether the money that he took from them was given to them. Mr. Singhal's wry answer that he wished at least it was so, for both Vimala Thripati and Saraswati Mishra have been beggared by Jha and was in dire straits. They, in their penniless state, were struggling to make the ends meet. Vimala Thripati works at a stitching centre, in Allahabad from morning to night daily breaking her back, and Saraswati Mishra makes sweets at home and she trudges along hawking them in the streets of Kanpur, carrying her 2-year old daughter and the bag of sweets, knocking on every door to make a living... Anjali was overwrought by the hardship faced by these two women and their children, a price they had to pay for putting their trust on Shyam Manohar Jha. Her whispered, the innocent children, had Mr. Singhal inform her softly, that it was a hand-to-mouth existence for all five of them, and both the women are unaware about the other women in Mr. Jha's life. As Anjali looked at him seeking an explanation to his statement, the detective explained that, they think that they are Mrs. Jha. Vimala has no idea about Saraswati or her. Saraswati has no knowledge of Vimala or her either. They married Jha in good faith, just as she did. Anjali who was filled with pain sought solace from the only person she knew who would turn the world upside down for her if that meant it would restore her happiness called out a heart wrenching, Chotey... Her call was that, of a person who was at the end of her tether, of a person who was unable to see light at the end of the tunnel, and of a person who sought him to be the guiding light. As Mr. Singhal stood up to leave, Akash and NK went with him to the door. Arnav carried his weeping sister up the steps to her bedroom consoling her as well as self that they had each other in their lives, along with a big loving family, a blessing by itself. On the way up, she clutched her stomach in pain. Seeing her face scrunched up in pain and holding tightly on to her swelled up belly, Arnav shouted to Akash to get the car out and asked NK to call the doctor and inform her that they were coming over to the hospital and it was an emergency.
A few hours later, Anjali opened her eyes in the hospital and looked in to her brother's tear-filled eyes. Her silent enquiry in her eyes forced him to say, that he was sorry Di, the baby could not be saved. Anjali looked at him for a long moment and then a lone tear trailed down her cheek, as she said, Chotey... at least her child escaped... As Arnav looked at her with a stunned query in his moist eyes, with trembling lips but a decisive voice told him that, her child at least escaped the trauma and stigma of having Shyam Manohar Jha as its father and that was a break in the clouds. It was better off dying than living as Shyam Manohar Jha's, son or daughter. Arnav sensing her trauma and dilemma lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it repeatedly. For he knew, whatever she said just then was true, as she was trying to see the positive side and think positive but her pain at losing a part of her that she had nurtured so far was quite huge too. She had uttered these words suppressing her pain at the loss. Her dilemma arose from putting the child in danger and having made Shyam its father who never hesitated to squeeze the life of it. Her dilemma also arose from the knowledge that she had felt relieved at the child not being alive. She was guilt-ridden simultaneously for being a mother wishing that her child was better off dead. Arnav showed her how precious she was to him and it told her that he was with her and her thoughts were not askew. The child would definitely be better off dead than alive, without the stigma of being illegitimate and having a convict for a father. The bright side was after the downpour, it would not take long for the sun to shine in a blue sky and with it the optimism for a better life.
The next day saw Anjali getting discharged and being brought back to RM. As she settled down in her own bed, Arnav turned to step away. Catching his arm, she called out, Chotey, eliciting an immediate response asking her to tell what she wanted. Hesitantly she mumbled out to him what was in her mind, the children and the two poor women, they should not starve, making Arnav look at her pale face keenly but with tender eyes that admired her for showing concern about the other families that had become destitute due to their misfortune to have encountered with that heel, Shyam Manohar Jha. This was a silver lining for him as it comforted with the knowledge that she had not gone down the precipice as feared but was the sister of ASR, another ASR, who was willing to fight out and never succumb to self-pity, and give the rotten man an upper hand. Her sigh, that showed her state of health, as both physically as well mentally exhausted, made his admiration to her increase manifold, for thinking of those families, even when she was down in the dumps and made him promise that he would take care of them. Both felt for the two families, as they too had undergone the bitter experience of becoming orphans and destitute and had gone starving until their Nani and Mamaji had come to pick them up. His words, made Anjali let out a sigh of peace and slip into a much needed peaceful slumber with the thought at least those children could dream of making a rosy future for themselves and not just a life of penury.
It was a few hours later, Arnav looking at the weary faces around the bed asked, anyway why not all of them rest too when the nurse was present to look after Di? While all agreed, Nani informed him that she would rest beside Anjali Bitiyaa. He agreed that it was fine and gently led the rest out of Anjali's room. While Khushi had a shower, Arnav contacted the lawyer and set up a monthly income for Vimala and Saraswati at least making the lives of two ladies and their family enthused to look ahead with hope and enthusiasm. Once Khushi came out clad in her blue salwar suit, toweling her hair dry, Arnav went in to wash away the grime and the bitterness of the day from his mind and body. When he emerged dressed in his white casuals, Khushi was not in the bedroom. The door to the poolside was open, and a balmy breeze carrying the fragrance from the garden was ruffling the dull curtains of his room. He saw her standing by his outdoor chaise looking at the stars. He joined her silently, and looked up at the dark sky, lit by thousands of stars. They looked like millions of lamps lit to banish the darkness. They stood silent, side by side, watching the wondrous beauty of the nature, each immersed in their own thoughts. After a while, Khushi asked him softly, whether he remembers one night asking her if his mother would be happy with how he had turned out to be? He silently waited for her to continue. Khushi smiled and told him in a pride filled voice, that his mother would definitely be proud of him... and paused. Arnav looking at her smiling face, said in a voice laced with pain, that when he let Di marry that knave, and he could not stop her from losing her baby, how can his Mama be proud of him when all she had expected from him was to look after his Di? It was a cry that came from his heart, thinking himself to be a failure. It was a cry that showed how much weight he had been carrying on his shoulders. It was a cry that reached out to Khushi and made her resolve to make him see, the entire episode of Shyam Manohar Jha in their life, from a different angle. For Khushi, who used to be filled with Pollyannaism, was now not given to the blind and excessive optimism after the Shyam fiasco. But her nature was such that she could see things the way they were and imbibe only the positives from it.
In a soft voice that held a bit of a blunt edge in it still comforting and consoling his jarred nerves, she led him to a few home truths that Di was neither his puppet, nor a doll, for she has a mind of her own. She fell in love with Shyamji on her own and he had not coerced her to love him. She herself had decided to marry him and he had not bound her hands and feet and forced her to the mandap. When Shyam had turned up as the rotten apple, Di was facing the consequences of her actions with courage and conviction. She knows that she is responsible for her life and her decisions... She does not blame him for the tragedy in her life and no one else too holds him responsible at the turn of events. Her words were like the glimmer of hope leading him to the right path, just like the stars above guiding the sailors in the darkness of the night. Khushi hugging him close to her, looping her arms around his neck whispered into his ears, a solid piece of wisdom that was much beyond her years. She told him, that he cannot control other people's lives. He cannot live other people's lives for them. The bright side of it was he could be there and support them when things go horribly wrong. That was what he had done. That was why she said his mother will be very proud of him now. Arnav hugged her tight, his eyes shut tight to prevent the hot tears that were scalding his eyes, from leaking out. She continued to whisper that, if he were her son, she would smother him with kisses today, shower him with her admiration, and wrap him with her love, for he had dealt with the evil man effectively. He had kept his family together, took care of his Di and he was going to help those poor women and their unfortunate children. What more can a good human being do in such a situation? He had done everything that one could possibly conceive off. Using all the right words at the right time, Khushi made Arnav come to face that one could see a glass half filled, as either half empty or half full, all depending on one's perception of things. For in this instance, Anjali had a lucky escape from Shyam unlike the other two women. She asked him to look on the bright side, for things could have been much worse than they are.
Her bright outlook rubbed on Arnav and made him appreciate her efforts. His whispered, Khushi..., voiced out the plethora of emotions that erupted in him. Hope, understanding, peace, love, joy and above all his heartfelt thanks to one person who had a heart bigger than her size, that held space enough to forgive him, forget the past, help him out, be his lead light, bestow him with unconditional love and steer him towards positivity when he felt bogged down by negative forces. They remained locked in the tight embrace for long minutes, letting the moonlight shower on them like a blessing, assuaging their burnt hearts with its cool beams. When Khushi pulled away yawning that she was too sleepy for words, Arnav smiling slightly to see her rubbing her eyes like a child, wordlessly bent and gathered her in to his arms and headed to their bed. He laid her softly on its warmth, making Khushi stretch her weary limbs and sigh out in pleasure. As he turned to move away, feeling a slight tug from Khushi, Arnav got in to bed with her and cuddled close enthused by the prospect of having her in his life. It was a tug that told him, just as much as he needed her warmth and love, she too needed his. It was a tug that stated, she would be with him always and he never ever need to feel that he would be alone anymore. For it conveyed that at all the times, both good and bad, they were bound together and were with each other.  With her by his side, he could see that there is a positive and hopeful side to every situation and he felt how true is the adage, for every cloud has a silver lining.

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change"
                                             ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
That is why this is titled, SILVER LINING.
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us"
                                           ~ Helen Keller
That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Part 13

Khushi woke up, blinking her eyes at dawn. Dim light filtered in to the room, giving it a golden hue.

She turned her head to look at Arnavji’s dear face, relaxed in sleep. He looked younger, innocent, vulnerable… the frown lines on his face were invisible… He looked almost carefree. 

Khushi’s throat constricted with tears at the thought of the many burdens this man had to shoulder day in and day out.

She put out a tender hand to smooth away the strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead.

At her touch, his eyes flickered open and rested on her beautiful face.

“Khushi…” he whispered, his eyes melting with happiness as though he had just sighted his heart’s desire. A gentle smile stretched the sinfully delicious contours of his lips.

Khushi’s lips reciprocated.

He turned and lugged her in to his empty arms, holding her imprisoned against his hard chest.

“Arnavji…chodiye…” Khushi whispered, bashful.

“Khushi…we are husband and wife now.” Arnav smiled. “Even Laxmi can’t part us now.” He rubbed his strong nose against the patrician length of hers.

 She giggled.

 His smile widened.

 (Edited by Smitha Radhakrishnan, my generous friend)

He looked down at the fine features and the creamy skin of his wife, the twinkle in her eyes, the smile on her plump lips…

“Khushi, you like flowers, don’t you?” he whispered.

“J..j..i..i..” Khushi stammered.

He stretched his hand and pulled a red rose from the floral arrangement on the side table.

“Now tell me how you like this rose…” His wicked whisper sent a thrill down her spine.

He touched her forehead with the fragrant petals of the rose.

Her eyes fell shut in an avalanche of pleasure. Her lips parted to draw in air.

Arnav swallowed seeing her helpless surrender on her face. Gently, he moved the rose down the bridge of her nose to touch her lips.

Khushi trembled in his hold.

Arnav moved the soft petals along the curve of her lips, the scented petals kissing the pink folds of her lips as he wanted to do.

Khushi gasped for air.

He moved the rose to stroke her cheeks and the lobes of her ears, and travelled down her jawline to touch her pointed chin with his weapon of torture.

Khushi panted in the perfect silence of the room.

He moved the rose down the length of her neck. She struggled to swallow, her throat muscles protesting against the nervous movement.

He rested the lucky flower in the hollow at the base of her throat, and waited.

Khushi’s eyelashes lifted to find out the reason for the pause in the slow seduction of her senses. Her needy eyes looked in to his fiery, burning ones.

“Khushi…” His hot breath burned the skin of her throat as he threw the rose away and replaced it with his hard, passionate lips.

Smita,

Here is the interpretation for Part 13.

This update is about quality and condition of fervor, passion. That is why it is titled, INTENSITY.

When Khushi woke up blinking her eyes at dawn, gentle warm light glistening like golden threads was filtering into the room giving it a golden haze. Outside, sunbeams were flashing on the face of things like sudden smiling of divine delight. She turned her head to look at her Arnavji's face and it was relaxed and looking younger, innocent, vulnerable and downright carefree with the frown lines that had made its home on his forehead, vanished like the lost tribes. Khushi felt tearful at the thought, her man, who had to shoulder many a burden, day in and out without respite, always strained like a tight strung harp ready to burst out even with a light strum, hiding his caring self under the mask of ruthless ASR, when all the time he had just yearned was for someone to love him and someone to call as his own. Though a man of considerable wealth both money-wise and heart-wise, his simple requirement was love and companionship which he had not received and due to that, he had worn the mask of indifference and diffidence with a fierceness that bordered on extremity. She was fervently glad that she could reach out to him and he had felt that he could let her in and pervade his personal space that he had guarded dearly.  The magnitude of her feelings showed with the happiness she felt to be with him now, even though the path had been arduous and strewn with thorns. But, all that she had put behind her, with the misunderstandings resolved and the exit of Shyam from their lives, the dead past flew away like a flight of wild swans. Khushi dwelling in her potent sweet thoughts, as if in a dream, put out a tender hand, to smooth away the strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead.

Her touch brought him out of his sleep and his eyes flickered open to rest on her beautiful face. His utterance, Khushi..., brought out by a spin in quantum state of happiness of his heart, with his eyes glittering fresh like the first beam glittering on a sail, told her that he had just sighted his heart's desire. A gentle smile touched on the sinfully delicious contours of his lips, bringing in sweet thoughts in her. As her lips too stretched in a gentle, sweet and alluring smile, reminding him the ways she makes his day sweeter than honey and the honey-comb put together, he turned and took her into his empty arms, holding her tight against his hard chest, offering her great comfort to enjoy the plentitude and warmth of his love. Khushi's shy whisper, asking him to let her go, had Arnav's smile stretch out wide with happiness and enjoyment and fervidly say, that now they were married properly and were husband and wife in real sense, even Laxmi, who had a strong penchant for butting in, would not be able to do so. Saying so he rubbed his nose against her's making her giggle at his wit. She was tickled to think that her Arnavji had thought even Laxmiji as a rival to her affection!  Seeing her mindless giggle without a care, had his smile broaden, radiating vigour and abundance, for they were like summer's beam and summer's stream, his smile giving the warmth and her giggle gurgling like a brook.

He looked at the fine features and the creamy soft skin of his wife who had that heart stopping twinkle in her eyes. Her face was like the Milky Way in the sky, a meeting of gentle lights, and the smile on her plump lips attracted his eyes like a magnet towards it. Herding his thoughts as a collie dog herds the sheep; he whispered to her, she likes flowers does she not? her stammered, Ji, enhancing his cause. Stretching out, he took a red rose out of the floral arrangement by his bedside and whispered, to tell him how she likes that rose. His voice though a whisper, rose like a stream of rich perfumes pervading her senses and sending a potent thrill down her spine. He touched her forehead with the fragrant petals of the rose, making her shutter her eyes at the avalanche of pleasure he released on her. Her lips parted to draw in air. Arnav swallowed and was humbled to see the helpless surrender on her face. Her surrender, with love, faith and trust in him, shook his heart like a windy reed, swelled it and lifted it with gladness, making him feel just like golden boats on a sunny sea. Gently, he moved the rose down the bridge of her nose to touch her lips. Khushi trembled in his hold with her heart beating like the wild jungle drums sonorously.

Arnav moved the soft petals along the curve of her lips, the scented petals kissing the pink folds of her lips just as he wanted to do. These thoughts ran leaping through the green pastures of his mind like fawns at play. Khushi gasped for air feeling the passion of his play, for the waves were rolling in, long and lazy. He moved the rose to stroke her cheeks and the lobes of her ears, and travelled down her beautiful jaw line to touch her pointed chin with his weapon of torture. As he slowly went on touching her with the soft petals of the rose, Khushi panted in the perfect silence of the room, her senses swimming dizzy as clouds. He moved the rose down the length of her neck. She struggled to swallow, her muscles in throat sent out a silent protest against the nervous movement. Resting the lucky flower in the hollow at the base of her throat, he waited with a bated breath. Khushi's eyelashes lifted like a curved hand fan, to find out the reason for the pause in the slow seduction of her senses, with all her other thoughts vanished like vapor before the sun. As her needy eyes looked in to his fiery, burning ones, joy like sunshine, deep and broad, fell on his heart. Their minds rested upon the thought, as chasing butterflies might rest together on a flower. Gleaming like an unsteady sea, he breathed out, Khushi...; his hot breath burned the skin of her throat as he threw the rose away and replaced it with his hard, passionate lips with an unmatched kindled ardour. A storm shower of kisses moistly covered her face, closing her eyes while Khushi trembled in the throes of growing passion.

That is why it is titled, INTENSITY.

"Life wants each of us to live on the 'A Team'-
 Wider, ever more intense Acceptance of good in our lives.
 Wider, ever more intense Awareness of good in our lives.
 Wider, ever more intense Action for good in our lives"
                                   ~ Laura Teresa Marquez


That's it from me. Hope you enjoy it.

Part 14