Chapter 27

arshiforever123

@arshiforever123

Yaayyy finally!! Some information about Khushi!!! Its not much but at least you guys know something now...thank you so much for being patient with me...I know it was dragging a little at one point...but I hope this long update makes up a little for those previous ones. Anyways enjoyyy

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A Twist of Events Ch. 24

The drive to Lucknow was a long one, and an especially quiet one, with no constant musings or mutterings coming from his daughter. Arnav felt oddly irritable, as if he was forgetting something very important. He knew it was Shaila..that she had left such a huge imprint on his life in just the span of a week that it was difficult to be away from her.

He really needed to find Khushi fast. He missed her so badly; every fibre in his being ached for her. He wanted to hug her close all night, he wanted them to take care of Shaila together, to have other children, to grow old together. He wanted everything. Everything about Khushi, her craziness, her ferocity, her fire, her innocence, her bubbly nature. He just wanted her next to him, always and forever.

When he finally arrived at her house in Lucknow he didn't know what to do. So he stood, unsure of what to do at the front  of the repaired door - the one which he had so angrily broken down the last time he had entered- thank God for Aman he thought.  He knew that if he knocked, no one was going to open the door, the house was absolutely vacant.

Yet nonetheless, he still gave it a knock. And as expected, no one answered. Arnav didn't know why he had just done that and as he was pondering over it, a sweet, elderly woman, probably in her late 50's or early 60's came up to him. She had a warm smile on her face and was holding a basket of plucked flowers. She lay a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke,

"Hi beta...are you Arnav Singh Raizada by any chance?" she asked. Arnav was surprised, how did this lady know him, he had never seen her before in his life. Seeing the distraught look on his face, she quickly continued,

"My name is Sumaiya...better known as Sumi Chachi to people around here". Arnav stared at her, and unsure of what to do, gave her an awkward smile and nodded. She smiled back at him,

"Come beta...lets go inside to my house...Ill tell you what you came here to know" she said as she ushered him into a house just a few feet away from Khushi's. He realized a number of houses, though not joined, were indeed very close to each other.

He entered into a small living room and was led to a couch. Sumi took a seat next to him and called out,

"Arey Lani titli...LANI!" she shouted, and when no sound was heard, the old lady muttered something incoherent and excused herself.

A few minutes later, Sumi chachi returned to sit on the couch next to Arnav,

"Maf Karo beta...I was just calling my daughter to make us some tea " he nodded as she continued, "so...why are you here beta? In Luckow?"

"Umm..Sumi.. Chachi I came here to.." she interrupted him before he could finish

"I know who you are beta...your Khushi beti's patni aren't you?"

He nodded solemnly,

"how do you know?"

"Well ...Ill start from the beginning and tell you everything I know...she said that one day you'll come looking for her...and I had to prepare myself for that day. I guess that day is today."she paused and looked around "But where is my ShiShu pari?"

"Who?"Arnav asked confused. The older lady smiled and let out a soft chuckle,

"Shaila...I call her my ShiShu pari...when she was younger I used to call her by that name and she would always laugh so...it just stuck...and to her...Im her Chumi Chachi" she said. Arnav smiled warmly. Just then a voice was heard from across the living room and a thin, simply clothed girl who appeared to be in her 20's came through,

"You call her Shi- shu...I call her sushi...it sorta rhymes with Khushi...Khushi Sushi...Sushi Khushi" She said as she smilingly put a tray in front of them. She folded her hands and addressed Arnav,

"Namaste...Im Lani...Khushi's best friend" she said and began pouring tea into small cups."And Im guessing you're her husband...Arnav Singh Raizada? Am I right?" she inquired, "Theres no sugar in your cup." She said as she handed him a cup and looked at him with a knowing glint in her eyes. He took the cup and smiled. She continued, "You know Khush talked about you a lot. At first she only talked about you when she had her emotional breakdowns...but later as all three of us became closer, she talked more openly about you...we know a lot about the infamous Arnav Singh Raizada" she said as she winked, and gave him a smirk. Arnav felt bad when he heard her say emotional breakdowns. He knew he was the sole reason for those breakdowns. But..who was the three she mentioned?

"Uff...Lani...chup ho jao..." Sumi hushed her daughter light heartedly, and turned her attention towards Arnav, "Okay Arnav beta...let me begin...Lani and I were not the first to find Khushi...this part of the story is someone elses. Her name was Sunitra...but she liked to be called Sunny... she was Lani and Khushi's best friend. She lived in the house next door by herself as her parents disowned her after learning she wanted to be a dance major...they wanted her to major in medicine or nothing... She majored in Dance at Lucknow University. A while back, for one of her college projects, she had to go to Delhi." She paused and looked at the floor. "And that's...thats when she found Khushi beti...sitting on a bench near a pond in the middle of the night"

Arnav felt his heart shatter. What had he done? He had forced her to the streets. What was he thinking then? She had no money, no food, nowhere to go at that time. What had he done he thought agonizingly. Sumi continued, and a few sniffles could be heard coming from Lani.

"Sunny...having lived alone most of her life... decided to take Khushi in...she brought her home and took care of her. Khushi never said anything on that first few days. She just cried and clutched her belly repeatedly,we never knew why...but Sunny was very kind to her and very patient..she took care of Khushi like a sister...and that's when Lani and I come into the picture...we helped Sunny in healing Khushi"

Lani then continued after her mother,

"Sunny and I were already close friends..and Khushi who was our age...also became very close to us. We helped her a lot and a month or so later...she had gotten a lot better. Though she still had panic attacks, and breakdowns...we would always hear her say Arnav mujhe please mat choro..please...don't let me go in her nightmares every night. Sunny and I never knew what had happened...and we never once questioned her about it...waiting until she was ready to come to us herself...and it was only once her belly bump was visible that we found out something was verywrong. It took her a while..but she finally opened up to us one night...it ...it was the night we found out that Sunny ...Sunny was terminal and that she only had a few months to live..." she paused as tears choked her, "Khushi told us that...she was married...and we had already guessed by her nightmares that his name was Arnav...she told us that she had left the house...though she never did tell us the full reason for that" she said speculatively.

So...Khushi hadn't told these people that he had kicked her out? That his family had so mercilessly, without any proof shunned her. He felt terrible. He felt sick...sick at himself.

"A few months later ...S- Sunny had passed...and we realized that in her will...she had left the house to Khushi...it was a very sad time for us...and Khushi...already was already so depressed  from leaving y-you and then on top of that having even this new grief to carry...was...was too much for her...she..she was going to lose the baby...from stress and depression"

Arnavs heart missed a beat...

"D-did you...say...she was going to...to lose Shaila?" he stuttered, the fear of what could be, hitting him hard.

Sumi chachi...who was now crying, nodded,

"But...thankfully she didn't lose the baby...but she..she did have a premature birth..by 3 to  4 weeks..and that's why ShiShu has a heart problem"

Arnav though felt no better...he was basically the cause of Shaila's heart abnormality...he thought. Could this get any worse? Could he have possibly ruined her life more than he already had?

"Khushi...though at first...wouldn't even hold her daughter...she ...was scared...she was scared of the child.." Sumi chachi said. Arnav looked up in surprise,

"What...?"he whispered

"She...she said that her...her eyes...Shaila's eyes...reminded her too much of you...that she could never look in those eyes without feeling helpless...and even angry...they brought back...too many memories"

Yes. Yes he could hurt her more...make her feel repulse at her own daughter. Arnav was beyond words right now...he had no words to describe what he was going through.

"But Khushi is a strong girl. We...helped her overcome her fear...and eventually she could look in her daughters eyes...and could hold her ...and after that...that's just how its been...ShiShu helped Khushi a lot, she  has been getting stronger...and more independent. Shishu is like my own granddaughter to me..." Sumi chachi said.

Arnav tired to hold back his tears. He had made her go through so much. So freaking much. She couldn't look in her own daughter's eyes because they resembled his so much!

He realized that Khushi had refrained from telling them too much about her past, only having told them the necessary details.

"Khushi always insisted on getting a job and pay her own but ma and I...we were always against it, we would never let her...and she only reluctantly agreed because she was pregnant... I mean I have 5 elder, married brothers who all send home money for ma and I, babuji died a while ago, but his factory still earns money...we have more than enough to sustain us three...yet Khushi was adamant... and only month or so later after she had given birth, she decided to get a job...and this time no one could convince her against it. there was no stopping her..."

Arnav nodded, knowing Khushi had too much self respect and not earn for herself.After a long pause, Lani continued.

"W-where is Khushi now? She called us a while back saying she had left Lucknow with you to get Shushi's treatment...why isn't she here now?" she asked slightly worried

"that's what I came here for...she...she's gone and I need to find her...do you think you may know where she is?"

Lani stood up abruptly and shouted

"YOU!?! YOU LET HER GO?!? NO NO NO!!!! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!" she shouted.

To say Arnav was surprised would be an understatement; he was absolutely stupefied by her reaction.

"Lani sit down" Sumi said sternly, Lani obeyed reluctantly.

"How could you let her go?" she asked again.

"Why...whats the matter?" Arnav asked

"SHES IN DANGER!" Lani shouted again. Sumi put a hand on his shoulder, and spoke calmly,

"beta...Khushi isn't safe..you shouldn't have let her go"

Suddenly, Arnav began getting extremely worried, he spoke solemnly

"Chachi...I know that someone is after Khushi...I never knew it before but I have just worked it out. You have to tell me...who is after her..please"

Sumi chachi looked to the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

"Ma...tell him." Lani said seriously. Sumi sighed deeply and spoke,

"I- I don't know much...I don't know who they were or what they wanted...but  I knew they were after Khushi... a few times, after having gotten her job, some large men dressed in black came to her house...she would always usher us out and give Shaila to us...so we never really knew what it was about...But one day...the day after they had last come...Khushi declared she was going to Delhi...when asked why...she only replied to get Shishu's treatment done. She came back the same day, telling us we should be expecting her husband soon...and sure enough there you were...the next day...having stomped into the house. Lani and I...were forbidden to enter..so we stayed in our own house...just praying everything would go alright between you two. When you left that night, Khushi cried in my lap all night, saying she was sorry and that she had to leave ...that I would never see her again and that I should be expecting you at my doorstep inquiring about her in the near future...I got extremely worried and asked her why she was leaving all of a sudden...she wouldn't tell me...she just told me that shes doing it to protect you and though we never knew what really happened between you two... we knew that you were one the most important person in her life...and she loved you dearly...willing to give herself up for you...so when she called us the next day telling us she had reached Delhi and was with you...we...we were relieved...because at first we thought she was leaving with those men...but then we realized she was leaving with you...and that you would protect her...from whatever it was..." She stopped and looked at the floor, and continued in a more somber, disappointed tone, "but even you...you let her go...and she's not safe beta...she's not safe."

Arnav remembered Khushi coming to his office and handing him the file. How he had shouted at her, yet she had said nothing. The next day he had gone to Lucknow and that was when he had laid his eyes on Shaila, he remembered leaving after having slapped  Khushi for what she had said, and returning the next morning, breaking down the door because she wouldn't open it. He felt guilt seep into his veins, intoxicating his every fibre, every muscle, every bone. He knew he wasn't going be rid of this guilt for his entire life. It flowed within him, mixed within the continuous stream of his blood.

"Lani...where did you say Khushi worked?" Arnav asked speculatively.

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