SS: Living Without You - Page 19

Loved it... as always ur SS is a breath of fresh air...thanks for PM.. looking forward for the updates

loved it!!!thanks for the pm. continue soon and i hope it turns out to be an FF

What I look forward to from your work is the closure and completion you provide. You give us Khushi and Arnav retracing moments and this time with understanding. I felt that gratification in your wedding series--and I felt that here also.

OH man you always comes up with fantatcis writing. After burning in your love im loving this too. Pls continue and thanks for PM

Feeling bad for Khushi.. Great update..

awesome parts dear
plz continue soon

Part 3

Buaji opened the door, and almost fell on her back. A whirlwind named Khushi Kumari Gupta had thrown itself on her.

"Sanka Devi! You will kill me one day! Are you a girl or Toofan Mail?", she asked, panting, her hand on her ample chest.

Khushi hugged her mother, laughing and talking, excited.

"How did you come here? Did Arnav Bitwaa drop you?"

"Yes, Amma."

"Hai Re Nandkisore! Why didn't he come in? It has been so long since we saw him."

"Haan Jiji, it has been too long. How is Damadji?"

(Thanx, Shruti_P)

Khushi smiled. "He is perfectly fine. Busy, that's all."

"How is Anjali Bitiyaa?"

"She is much better, Buaji. She is going to get a divorce from Shyamji."

"Thank God, she is going to be rid of that rakshsas!"

Khushi smiled.

After hugging Babuji within an inch of his life, she said, "Amma, Buaji, I am a bit tired. Let me rest for a while."

She went to her room with her bags, and locked the room behind her. Amma and Buaji went to the kitchen to make all her favourite dishes.

But nobody had lunch that day.

"I need to speak to you about something..", Khushi said as her family gathered around the table.

Amma, Buaji, and Babuji looked anxiously at each other.

"Is Damadji alright?"

"Is his diabetes giving him any problems?"

"No, he is fine. Please... please forgive me. I have caused you a lot of trouble over the years. I... I just want to tell you that..." She looked at the anxious faces turned towards her. "I just want to tell you that my marriage is over..."

Without looking at the pain and shock on their faces, she continued in a hurry, "Shyamji was determined to kill Anjaliji to marry me. Arnavji didn't want that to happen. I didn't want that to happen. So we entered in to a contract..." Her voice gave way. Hours of crying into her pillow had taken their toll. ..."For six months. So that Shyamji would stop harassing me, chasing me, hurting me. So that he would return to Anjaliji and her baby..."

"Contract marriage...", whispered Buaji.

"For six months...", stammered Amma.

Seeing the devastation on their faces, she knew that she could never tell them that their Damadji hadn't been their Damadji, that he had blackmailed her into marrying him, that it had been a live-in warmed up to look like a marriage.

"We planned it together, Arnavji and me..", she smiled.

"You were living in one room...", Amma was horrified.

"You don't have to worry, Amma. Don't you know Arnavji? He was a perfect gentleman. In his room, I slept on the bed and he took the recliner. Here, we slept with a barrier between us." She smiled.

Buaji ran to get the red cloth she normally tied around her head when life got too bad.

Arnav sat at the dining table for lunch, letting the conversation between his Di, Nani, and Mami go by him. He was lost in his thoughts. The food lay untouched on his plate.

Nani teased him," Why Chotey? Are you finding it difficult to eat because Khushi Bitiyaa is not here to serve you?"

(Thanx, Illyria)

His spoon fell from his hand on to the table with a clatter.

Di said with a gentle smile, "She will be back in the evening, Chotey. Have your lunch."

Arnav wanted to tell his family the truth. That Khushi had left him. That his chest hurt. That he couldn't breathe. That he had hurt her in the worst way possible, stripping her of her dignity and self-worth. That he had denied her his trust, withheld it when most needed. He wanted to cry.

He was used to straight talking. Tact as a virtue was a total stranger to him.

"Khushi won't be coming back today."

Mamaji, Akash, Mami, Di, Payal, and Nani looked at each other and him.

"Did you have a phight with her, Bitwaa? Has she rootke gone to her maiikke?", Mami was the first to respond.

'No. I had a contract marriage with her. For 6 months. It was over last night. She has returned home..."

"Contract marriage?, Ooo Kaa Hei?" Again Mami was the first one to find her voice. "She was willing to stay in one room with you for 6 months... " Her voice trailed away.

Arnav stepped in. "She did it to save our family pain. She wanted to protect our family, our honour..."

He left the room.

Nani and Di settled down on either side of him. He was sitting on his bed, fingers clasped, elbows on his knees, head bowed.

"Chotey, is Khushiji alright?"

"No, she is not."

He told them everything that he had ever done to Khsuhi, starting with the photoshoot in Lucknow.

All three of them had tears in their eyes when they came to the end of the tale. Anjali was weeping, broken.

"Chotey! You have treated Khushi Bitiyaa very badly. You had no right to destroy her life and her self-respect.", Nani bit out, angry that her grandson could be so thoughtless, so cruel. "Did you...?"

"I slept on the recliner and Khushi used the bed."

"Thank God!", both the ladies exclaimed.

"Don't let the news of the live-in go out of this room. Mami... You know her. And Payal will feel hurt."

The ladies nodded.

A while later, Anjali said, "We as a family have harmed Khushiji beyond belief. I... my bad judgement should not destroy your and Khushiji's lives... Chotey! What do you want?"

"Haan, Chotey! What do you want?"

"Khushi, as my wife...", came his low, sure voice.

"It will be a difficult battle.", they warned him, hugging him from either side.

"I know. I have to win her trust and love. I am ready."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nani and Di jumped up in excitement. "Let's go to the Guptas and ask for her hand in marriage."

Nani kissed him on his forehead, and Di hugged him.

"Let's give the good news to Mama, Mami, Payal, & Akash."