Akash, Nani, Anjali, Arjun, and Hari Prakash, paced
outside the maternity ward worriedly.
Arnav too stood there, angry, worried and confused,
all at the same time.
Khushi had fainted due to the unbearable pain in
her womb, and had been rushed to the hospital.
Then suddenly the doctor came out of the ward and
addressed the very worried Singh Raizada family.
"I had warned Mrs. Singh Raizada to not take
stress.
This is her first pregnancy, hence has to be
handled very carefully.
Though everything has been normal till now, stress
can prove to be very harmful in her condition.
Plz, take good care of her.
Somebody plz come with me, we need to discuss
the reports."
And with this, Akash and Nani followed her to her
cabin.
Arnav stood there rooted to the spot.
Mrs. Singh Raizada, the doctor
had addressed Khushi as Mrs. Singh Raizada.
BUT WHY??
And she was PREGNANT!
What the hell was going on
here!
But in all this commotion, he had not got the
opportunity to clear his doubts.
But he very soon will...
...
"Aaraam se Khushi bitiya.
Ab aap bas yahan par baithi rahiye, aur aaraam
kijiye.
Na aapko college jaane ki zaroorat hai, aur naahi
office.
Samjhi aap!
Aapke college ke notes aapki friend aapke liye roz
bhej diya karengi, humne unse baat karli hai.
Bus aap aaraam kijiye, aur apna aur humare hone
waale par-naati ya naatin ka khayaal rakhiye."
Nani maa said affectionately to Khushi while
settling her down in her bed in her new room.
Arnav was watching all this from the background.
After putting Khushi to sleep, everybody came out
of her room to let her rest in peace, only to be met with Arnav's questioning
gaze.
"Who is she?"
They all exchanged worried fearsome glances.
"Why did Akash address her as Bhabhi?
Why did the doctor call her Mrs. Singh Raizada?
Why is she pregnant?
And why the hell did no one tell me anything about
this before?"
They were all very afraid now.
What should they tell him?
A lot had happened now for them to be able to hide
anything further from Arnav.
And he was not a simpleton to be satisfied with
just any story!
If he sensed anything fishy about what they told
him, he'd know that they were lying.
And no one could get away from lying to Arnav Singh
Raizada.
"Won bhai... actually ... woh..."
"Stop stuttering and tell me the truth!
And don't you dare lie to me!!"
They couldn't tell him the truth at any cost!
The doctor had given them strict instructions that
his mind will not be able to process the truth.
It could have a very-very adverse effect on him.
He wasn't yet well enough to take so much pressure.
But truth was all that could quench him right now.
"Arnav bete chodiye na.
Hum... hum baad mein baat karenge..."
"Baad mein nahi Nani!
Mujhe sach abhi jaanna hai!"
...
"Kya sach jaana chahte hain aap!"
And everybody turned around to see Khushi standing
right behind them, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Yahi naa, ki main kaun hoon?
Main is ghar mein kya kar rahi hoon?
Mera pati kaun hai?
Is bacche ka baap kaun hai?..."
"Khushi bitiya..."
"Nahi Nani Ji!
Aaj main inhe inke saare sawaalon ke jawaab dena
chahti hoon!
"To suniye.
Main Khushi hoon.
Wahi Khushi jisse aap 3 saal pehle Lucknow mein
mile the.
Aur main is ghar mein isliye hoon kyun ki..."
Khushi paused at this, inhaling deeply
"Mere pati ka naam hai.."
"Bhabhi plz..."
"Don't interrupt her Akash!
Let her tell the truth!
Main bhi jaanna chahta hoon ki akhir yahan ho kya
raha hai!
Go on Mrs. Singh Raizada", Arnav
said sarcastically.
"Mere pati ka naam...
...
...
...
... ... ... Ddd... Dhruv...
Dhruv Singh Raizada hai!"
Everybody gasped at this, shocked with her answer.
"Aur yeh baccha bhi unhi ka hai!", Khushi
spoke as she closed her eyes in pain.
Uttering these two statements had been worse than
stabbing her self through the heart.
Calling herself somebody else's!
Calling the baby in her womb somebody else's!
But then this too she was doing for his sake.
He couldn't know the truth, and this was the only
thing she could have said to put an end to his questions.
Akash and Arjun could just not believe her quick
thinking and sighed in relief, while tears formed in Nani and Anjali's eyes.
Only a woman could understand the depth of Khushi's
pain at that moment.
How much she loved Arnav!
Arnav too was shocked with her explanation.
"But Dhruv is the youngest of all of us! He
couldn't have gotten married before me and Akash! When the hell did this happen?"
"Well as it turned out, he did get married
before the two of you!
And that is all you need to know!!
Not everybody in this house needs to give you an
account of their lives!
You are yet not the head of the house!!"
And having said this she turned around and marched
into her room, slamming the door behind her shut.
breaking down, which she did as soon as she found
the refuge of her room.
nice turn of events :-)
ReplyDeleterani-lucki