arshi -the bride [blog story] ch16 1 Jan 18 - Page 24

chapter 5 truth hurts

part 1

arnav stood like a statue not moving and not even baiting an eyelash. his fingers curved in a fist and anger filled his eyes. finally coming out of reverie he strided towards khushi who was busy playing with other kids of the village . she was jumping on her leg as she made it to the next box painted on the ground. putting her veil a little bit with her left hand and jumping in one leg than in two in the next box . she jumped in joy and happiness as won . it has been so long that she got to play like this . she used to play day and night in her home but from past few months that she now have been married her play time has went to zero.

when she was walking behind her husband like an obedient child , she had tripped a little due to a stupid stone in her way. when she had tried to get up she had felt a sharp pain shoot through her leg that's when a few of kids of her age or maybe less came to help her. the moment she think to look for arnav he had already disappeared. she has felt the panic run through her like a jolt of light she even tried to find him for a while with help of the kids but to no avail.

that was when kids had decided to play and after sulking for few minutes she has joined them too as her child heart swayed by this joyful distraction. she knew she was scared and her tiny head was running with alot of things that she cant word out but in that moment she had forgotten everything and let the happiness of playing with no barrier swayed her.

arnav pulled little khushi's wrist in anger making her wince and scream .her eyes welled up as the grip on her wrist tighten. arnav could not believe his eyes here he has been looking like mad for her , thinking that he has lost her. that he had become the reason of someone's death again , no that was not the time to go back in the happening of the past.he is strong he need to be. he cant let the guilt of past rule over him again lest it take shim back to those dark days.

'there is no point doing anything for you. you are better in the house burdened with responsibilities you dont deserve to study or have freedom. you are a stupid , ignorant child with no brain.' arnav kept on saying those hurtful words and dragging her with him not caring for her cries that had become louder with every second.few people have tried to stop him for making a child cry like this, not to scold her but arnav have give them one glare and everyone have let their matter be theirs.

'here i am doing so much for you and what i got in return is you ..you making go mad. playing with those kids while you should be in school right now.' arnav let all his anger out not stopping for a second as he dragged her.

khushi tried her best to free her hand from his tight grip but to no avail.her eyes puffed up from continues her cries muffled as took slow breaths as her small legs tried to kept pace with him . not able to take his hurtful words anymore she screamed at top of her voice .

'you are doing this for you ...no..not me ok'

arnav stopped in his tracks as her words hit his ears . words caring such a heavy truth from her sweet childish voice felt like something mild which might have been much stronger if women of arnav's age had thrown at him. but the inner meaning behind her words made arnav's anger, guilt , hurt and fault rise in a speed like no other. he left her wrist with a thrust making her fall on the ground wincing in pain.arnav felt the rage building inside him as his next words come in cold rage of a heartless man.

'you want to live in hell so be it.i am done helping you.' he turned his back to khushi .

'you are just like them all . you are bad , you are evil , you hurt me like them . you are not better , you never will be. ...just like them evil and bad' khushi yelled in between her sobs. from a normal eyes it would have felt like a scene of a stubborn child calling her guardian bad in childish anger that many kids do.

but to arnav it was like someone has passed poisonous arrow right throw his heart. he had given his everything to be better , to be different, to be stronger, to not to be like his family is but her words has turned all his work , his will into ashes.arnav let the tear fall from his eyes as he walked ahead leaving khushi alone , still crying lying on the ground.

khushi clenched her suit closer to herself as she remained seated her head on her knees. her tears no dried in oblivion , her throat parched, her eyes burning in pain. she again and again looked at the path that he had walked hours back still empty with no one coming. he has left her, here alone with no care in the world if she remain hungry or thirsty either she dies or someone kill her. her child brain looked here and there scared , huge trees surrounding her and sun going down . it must be late afternoon she thought. her stomach rumbled in hunger , her eyes shed silent tears of loneliness.he have gone home leaving her alone , her husband , her god as her mother said , he has left her to be get eaten by wild animals.

he dont remember how many hours passed as he remain seated at the turning end of the road , his back resting on the tree, his eyes blinked in silence as they looked ahead in nothingness. his mind gone numb as the horrible past made its existence felt in his memories. screams of agony getting louder and louder, his cries screeching on the wall that he had build to all those emotions.coming out of his thoughts , he moved to his left a little and his eyes landed on khushi who was now clenching her stomach with her hands. her cries have stopped hours back, he had listened to her walking a few steps back and forth trying to find the right way to home but she has sat dejected each time maybe because she didn't remember or maybe she felt safer here than his home , than in his presence.

khushi moved her body back and forth still clenching her grumbling stomach, her lips pouted . she should not have made him angry like that. he was wrong to drag her like that but she should not have behaved like him. he was angry so she should have been calm right.that what her mother did. she used to say you can extinguish a fire by water not by throwing more oil into it. she felt a strange movement beside her. she tightened the veil over head. if she will cover her no one will see her ,she will become invisible , she gulped in fear hoping her thoughts were true.

'ahhh... i think i will tell massi tom make gajar ka halwa ,its been so long i have eaten it. but she will put such a big plate of it . how would i eat it all alone.if i left it than she will be disappointed and sad'

'i will help you!' khushi jumped on her feet listening to arnav's voice .she patted her dress removing the dust.

'ok' arnav started walking in slow steps as she now matched with his steps , as they walked in dimming light of sun.

'what are you doing. walk fast otherwise there will be no hlawa by the time we reach there' khushi said to arnav impulsively as she walked so fast even leaving him behind looks like she just broke a social rule walking ahead of her husband. he chuckled as he matched with her steps.

their voices melt into the air as they walk having their short talk in between.

'you dont even know the way to her home in the village. slow down and follow me'

'i can smell the halwa . i following the smell so follow me, i do not know about reaching your massi's home but we sure will reach to gajar ka halwa'

the joy and innocence in her voice made arnav laugh as they walked together.

next part tomorrow.

chapter - 5 part 2

Truth hurts

arnav could not control his laugh as his two year old niece priya jumped from one place to another and kept on singing some gibberish song. his eyes travelled to ram and avani almost fighting each other's head off .they were twins of his massi's youngest son.when his cousin umesh urged him to eat more of the halwa , he tried eating without choking due to continuous laughing. this place , this home always made him feel so happy and unburdened. he was having dinner with all the male members of the family in the open baranda. it was getting late and they couldn't possibly would have travel back to their village before dark. walking back in night would have been dangerous and with khushi with him he didn't want to take the risk.

his eyes travelled to room on his left where all the womens of the family were having their dinner . he could hear all their laughs and continous talks . he was glad that he decided to bring khushi here. atleast maybe after meeting them she will feel that his family is not full of devil there are few incredible humans too.he will take khushi to school in the morning and get her admission there. leaving all his worries behind arnav laughed and enjoyed looking at his little niece pulling her grandfather's moustache as he gave her fake angry glare. family .. a real happy family. wasn't this he craved . just a normal family was it so hard to get.

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"your hairs have grown longer .you should cut it." massi moved her soft hand through arnav's hairs as he lay his head on her laps like a little child . khushi was sitting on the bunk beside his bunk where he was laying. khushi chuckled a little at massi's order.

"na.. i am thinking of growing it" arnav replied teasingly.

"and what for? are you becoming tarzan . you will doing ahoo...ahooo in the nights now" his massi's teasing reply made arnav chuckle still controlling his smile he replied.

"nah! i was thinking to play ravan in next ramleela or maybe become a saint.. baba" massi slapped lightly on his head while her mouth opened in oh! arnav and khushi laughed so much at that. his massi still holding that are you mad face. khushi's stomach were hurting so much from the laughs , she half fall down from her bunk making massi and arnav burst out laughing at her childish behaviour.while khushi sat back embarrassed tightening her veil over her head.

"you can't become a saint now. you are married"

"too bad" arnav replied still chuckling .

"khushi beta you can take off your veil here. it is necessary just in front of male elder members .make yourself comfortable." massi said in soft voice to khushi who turned her head to arnav and after a small pause said no. massi didn't force her more and said her to sleep as they hav eto wake up early in the morning. khushi was already in her half sleep laid down covering herself with the blanket to sleep.

arnav gulped down his guilt.she is still angry on him or maybe she fear his family too much.

"you are lucky arnav to have such a nice wife" massi's word made him look at her face who still look young not at all showing her real age.

"she is a child" arnav said and looked back at sleeping khushi.

"i am happy you acknowledge that fact " massi said with a small smile on her lips still passing her soft hands through his hairs. silence covered them for a while .arnav's voice came in a whisper.

"why couldn't god have made me your son"

"you are my son arnav, my smart , mischievous , kind , angry ,fun .my tiny ladoo" massi said in the most softest voice trying to control her tears from falling.

"they killed her too . how could they? why?" arnav looked at his massi's moist eyes . he questioned to her like a innocent child ask to his mother why this world is so cruel.massi cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"some questions don't have answers arnav. somethings are just like they are good or bad. you can only wish to devi maiyya to give them some sense of right. "

"you live in the same world as them still i dont see hint of fear in the eyes of women here. i dont hear the scream of baby girls burning in fire of selfishness. see, your had three daughter than you had sons but you didn't hurt them you raised them. your first grandchild was a girl and you celebrated her birth no less of your grandsons... i.. you didn't throw your daughter in pyre just because society deemed so...why can't" arnav whipped his tears and tried to control them from flowing..

"we are not rich enough to discriminate between a boy and a girl."

"and i am glad you are not." arnav said and hugged her tight .

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arnav's face turned pale on hearing that shyam bhai has get to know the truth. stupid priest he have told him to just get out of the village but that man didn't listen and now all his plan has gone down the drain.

arnav ran a frustrated hand through his hairs as he looked at the sun rising in front of him. aman put a comforting hand on his shoulder to make him relax, but to no avail he was feeling angry and frustrating . he is very sure now that his brother would have told them the truth till now.

his grandfather would be standing and waiting to execute his dreams while his brother would laugh at how stupid his plan was. how he is still stupid and young. arnav's anger was building with every passing second.

"i told that man to just get out of the village the moment i handed him the money. i even...ah! i should not have trusted that drunked man. but what was i to too .my family knows every person of the village only an unknown outsider could have fooled them well and i didn't have enough time to find someone trustworthy."

"arnav relax ,maybe we can talk to shyam bhai and make him understand calmly or find some other solution to make him stop" aman tried to calm arnav down.

"oh. you think he would have waited till now to tell them. no.. god! i should not have gone to far with that fake priest think. shouldn't have made it seem like i will have son and not my brother and to top it up i even said bad things to bhai. i dug my own grave"

"kya? you lied"

a soft innocent voice reached their ears . arnav closed his eyes , he knew who that was, he dont have the energy to deal with all this at a time.

aman looked at khushi with a guilty face as she kept on throwing her questions their way.

"so i am not having a son."

"why did you lied ji"

"you should not have lied like that"

"ENOUGH! i dont have time for this all ." arnav yelled making khushi shiver.

calming his breath arnav looked at her and said in a soft voice.

"khushi just dont tell anyone anything ok. i will handle this. now go fresh up we are going to school and than back home ok." khushi nodded not wanting to fight with him or make him angry

"arnav are you sure?" aman asked unsure

"i am not backing down now aman. i am a raizada and i know how to get what i want by hook or crook"

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i am sorry for one day delay. i was sick but here i am with update hope you like it. next chapter onwards the story will be posted only on the blog. i will post a small excerpt of the chapter on IF and complete chapter here.