Chapter 3

piyaarshi

@piyaarshi

2. Revelation

It was a sunny afternoon in Delhi. If you stepped out you are definitely going to return with sweat. People preferred to stay indoors rather than getting a heat stroke.

Around 12 in the noon, Khushi opened her eyes. Realizing an unknown ceiling above her, she sat up immediately. Yellow, orange and red themed wall paper with mostly lamps all around. Seems like the person who owns the room loved light. Very subtle decorations around and a small mandir stand hung across one wall. Only thing familiar in that room was miniature Devi Maiyya's idol sitting peacefully in the wooden shelf.

Khushi looked at her left and right. Two doors but which one should she reach out to? Unable to decide, she opted for the third door. A glass door in front. As soon as she stepped out, the summer heat hit her hard.

"Kitni garmi hai yaha" she murmured and continued walking.
(It's so hot out here)

Green plants surrounding a beautiful pool, a tree standing tall near the staircase and lots of windows hitting the light reflecting from the pool water. She felt like she was trapped in a maze. A sparkling maze! Deciding to ask someone her way out she approached a figure standing with his back towards her.

"Excuse me. Can you please help me out with the main door? I think I might be lost and probably in a wrong place" she looked up at his back with hope.

Soon the hope was replaced by fear. The man who was calmly watering the shrubs turned around with the green can. He was the same person from last night.

Unable to gulp her fear she at once turned around and walked away without turning back. She couldn't figure out which glass door she had come out from. Deciding to go with her gut, she entered a room which was not the same one but felt similar somehow.

First thing she did was to catch her lost breaths. Then giving a strange look at the empty room she turned around but stopped by some giggles.

She saw two girls dancing on the bed. One of them looked like her but the other she couldn't figure out. She soon saw herself entering into the room and heard the dangling noise of the wind chimes. The bedsheet was now a weird combination of pink and grey. The off white walls had few golden stars just the way she liked. Turning back she saw herself talking to someone about her Salman Khan poster. Then she saw herself being dragged across the pool. She was in blue and red. The fairy lights complimented her looks but she looked sad. A man pulled her reminding her of the man from fashion show. She closed her eyes trying to recollect if it all linked to her but everything was blank. Hearing some noise she opened her eyes and saw her being thrown out of the glass door. Seeing herself cry there sitting alone among the plants, Khushi placed her hand on the glass door. The girl had so much pain in her eyes that Khushi couldn't stop her tears.



Out of nowhere he appeared in front of her. Not able realize if it was still a dream or reality, she looked at him with questions in her eyes.

But his eyes had only one thing. Anger! With one slide he opened the door and entered his room.

"How dare you enter my room?" he sounded like a predator on for his hunt.

Her breathing increased as he kept moving towards her. He looked at her disheveled self trying to cover her bare waist with her hand. The waist had net work but still she tried to cover it, that was the sign of naive Khushi. Open long hair which were dampened by the sweat, was a sign of her innocent beauty.

He noticed a sweat bead crawling on her neck. As he moved his thumb to trace it away, she moved back.

"You can't touch me"
With one harsh pull she came crashing into his chest. She struggled only to realize that her blouse was loose and was on the verge of slipping. She stopped struggling hard but still felt his breath over her face.

"Why? Only he can touch you now? Have you forgotten our relationship? Or do you want me to show it to you again?'

She kept scratching his hand on her nape but it seemed like it did nothing to him. At once she lifted her hand from her blouse and aimed at his face but he was quick enough to twist it behind her back.

"You need to keep your hands to yourself"
His lips moved closer to her face, he was raged by the thought of "him" touching her. How dare she let that happen? And how dare she jerk at his touch? He who is her husband! He had only one thing in his mind at that moment - she is mine.

Unfortunately no one was there to tell him that it was all his mind playing games inside his head. His focus was on her lips now and he just wanted to claim it. Feeling defeated she closed her eyes only to be opened by a knock at the door. She saw him inhaling a hot breath and felt his hold loosen around her.

"Chote? Khushi ji is inside huh?"
Khushi heard a woman's voice. Without replying, Arnav just opened the door and left space for Anjali to walk in.

"I thought so - I'll find you here since you were not my room" Anjali said walking towards Khushi. The confused and disheveled state of Khushi didn't go unnoticed by her. She picked up the dupatta from the couch and extended it to Khushi.

"How are you feeling Khushi ji?"

"Do you know me? How did I come here? Why am I here? Do you know him? And can you.. Can you please ask him to stay away from me?"
Khushi turned Anjali towards him and hid herself behind her clutching on to the silver dupatta around her now.

Anjali was not stupid to not analyse the situation here. But one thing she couldn't put a hand on was why did Khushi behave as if she didn't know anyone here. Anjali decided to make her comfortable first and then ask questions.

Turning around Anjali asked Khushi "do you not remember Khushi ji? Yesterday you were at the fashion show and then when I came to meet you at the backstage, you fainted?"

Khushi remembered in flashes - the ramp fall, the man no the monster, him misbehaving, her running away with the same silver dupatta which he had pulled down and then she hit someone. A woman in red saree asked her "Khushi ji what happened?"
Then everything went blank for Khushi.

Anjali was first shocked to see her Chote's Khushi walk on the ramp. But was even more shocked when Khushi slipped into his arms. Taking care of the guests and media, she decided to follow her Chote who apparently carried the woman with him to the backstage. By the time she reached, Khushi was almost trying her best to run towards her. When she asked Khushi about what happened, she noticed Khushi loose her balance and fall. Trying her best to support her, Anjali sat on the ground along with her fainted bhabhi.

Anjali noticed the tear drops on her cheek and immeditaly looked up at the worried face of Chote.
"What did you do to her Chote?"

And that's how Khushi was brought back to Raizada mansion until she woke up this morning only to face the beast once again.

(I hope I have not bored you guys. Please drop in a comment so I know you have read my chapter. Ask me questions and suggest me if you want improvements.)
- shikhapiya