A very very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the loving, caring, sacrificing & beautiful inside out mothers, around the world.

There is no role in a woman's life that is more essential then motherhood. No one can ever replace a mother's place in our life. Always love & cherish your mother because you are actually lucky that you have got God himself in the form of a mother in your life.

Here's a small tribute from me to all the mothers for their unconditional love they shower on their kids.

Hope you all would like my efforts.

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Garima saw Arnav climbing the stairs & going to his room leaving his newly wedded wife to face the wrath of both the families. His & his newly wedded wife's.

Her hand was still stinging due to the effect of the hard slap she had given to her daughter who had scandalously eloped with Arnav Singh Raizada & married him without informing anybody.

Upon asked Arnav had just announced that he & Khushi wanted to marry so they did. Nobody should have any objection in that.

Nobody dared to ask him anything more after that. But then the questions, glares & accusations were diverted to his wife, her daughter, who was just sobbing standing at the same place since an hour hearing all the accusations wordlessly.

But when her silence started pricking, Garima had shook her through her shoulders demanding answers.

I'm sorry amma were the only words that had came out of her daughter's mouth & a very angry & hurt mother had slapped her daughter hard, right across her face, making her land on her newly wedded husband's chest, who had immediately held her shoulders in reflex & had made her stand straight after a while.

Garima had expected him to say something or stop everybody from interrogating his wife but to her surprise, he had climbed the stairs silently & had shut himself in his room.

She saw her sister in law(buaji) accusing her daughter of being a bad blood & ruining their prestige in the society.

Her daughter was still listening everything without even raising her eyes, still sobbing.

Her red, swollen cheek gripped Garima's heart painfully & she cursed herself for being so harsh on her daughter.

Khushi, her niece, who had become her daughter the day her parents had left this world, was naughty yet obedient, childish yet intelligent, bit immature yet understanding since childhood. She has never done anything that would ruin her family's name or faith in her.

Though she was held responsible for the breaking of Payal's first marriage, but everybody knows that the main culprit was Arnav Singh Raizada for that & also whatever they had to face after that, but still it was her daughter Khushi, who had to bore the brunt & bear all the mishaps after that. Her motherly instincts say that today is no different. Arnav Singh Raizada is again responsible for today's unexpected, unbelievable eloped marriage of his, with her naive daughter, but again, she alone is bearing everybody's brunt.

No, she won't let the same thing repeat again as last time. Her daughter won't become a victim of Arnav Singh Raizada's misdeeds yet again.

She will find out the truth & save her daughter from this catastrophe.

Wiping her tears, Garima rushed towards her daughter who was hearing the cutting words from her buaji. Holding her hand, Garima pulled her with herself to a nearby room, surprising everyone standing there.

Buaji & Payal looked at each other shocked & somewhat scared of Garima's reactions, so they tried to stop her but Garima had locked the door as soon as she was inside the room with Khushi.

Amma... A scared Khushi called her mother in a pleading tone to have mercy & trust on her.

Gudiya... Garima had called her with this loving name to Khushi like after ages, surprising her & making her emotional amidst the painful situation.

Garima cupped Khushi's face, in her hands. Gudiya.. She called her again with all the love & caressed her cheek, she had slapped not so long ago.

Khushi stood all shocked, hearing her amma calling her with the name her parents & then her amma used to call, which she had stopped since 2-3 years as she believed that their gudiya is now a grown up girl & shouldn't be called gudiya anymore.

But today hearing that same endearment from her amma after years, all hell broke loose & she hugged her amma tight, crying her heart out.

Garima cried with her daughter, caressing her back, giving her the much needed warmth, support & assurance.

Garima slide down on the floor, taking her daughter along, who was clinging to her amma, crying hysterically as the happenings of past few hours were talking a toll on her.

Garima let her cry till her sobs subsided & turned into hiccups.

Gudiya... Why did u do this bitiya?? Garima asked Khushi politely, still keeping her in her warm embrace.

I... I didn't do it. He... he forced.... forced me. Khushi revealed. He... blackmailed me. Her sobs increased remembering the cruelty Arnav showed her in the temple by throwing the vermilion in her hair partition & choking her life by tieing the mangalsutra around her neck forcefully, without any emotion.

Garima's eyes turned wide & heart clenched in shock with the revelation.

He.. He forced you.. Blackmailed you?? She asked unbelievably.

Khushi nodded her head in her mother's chest, clinging more to her.

But why?? Garima asked, pulling her daughter back a bit.

I don't know amma. He.. He didn't tell me the reason. Khushi replied clutching her mother's hands, her face turned all red due to crying heavily.

Garima gulped awfully, seeing her daughter's condition.

But gudiya, what did he blackmailed you with?? Garima asked cupping her cheek with one hand. I mean why did you adhere to his words?? Why didn't you retort?? Garima asked softly.

He threatened me to break jiji's wedding.

Garima gasped palming her mouth.

Khushi nodded crying bitterly.

Then she told her mother everything that happened, which landed her into this forced contract marriage. By the end of her narration Khushi was crying hysterically, tears flowing from her eyes in an endless stream.

Garima wasn't able to believe what she heard. How can Arnav Singh Raizada be so cruel with her innocent, naive daughter?? Her heart was not able to believe that the man who had shown his softer side to them in past few days can be so cruel within such short span.

I asked him several times but he didn't tell me the reason. Just ordered me to bound to his words otherwise he would do what he threatened me with. I was scared amma, that what would happen if he really doesn't let jiji's marriage happen if I don't relent to him?? Khushi said looking at her mother's shocked face. Jiji's first marriage had already broken due to my foolishness. I didn't want the same thing to repeat. So I had no other option than to bend in front of him. Khushi hid herself back in her mother's bosoms & cried holding her tight. I'm sorry amma. I'm so sorry. But I was helpless in front of him. Khushi was still crying but now she was feeling lighter as the painful burden of past few hours had lessened as she had shared her agony with her amma.

But Garima's heart felt heavier than ever due to this unexpected turn of events occured today.

How can Arnav do any such thing with Khushi?? More than HOW, it was WHY that was piercing a mother's soul who had seen a shrewd, arrogant & calculative ASR changing into a soft & gentle person with her family, specially her daughter in past few days. May be nobody else, but she did noticed how his eyes & attitude used to soften up at Khushi's appearance. His actions too were completely opposite of what they were once, which forced her daughters to leave their city & settle in Delhi. But now he was very much understanding & supportive towards Khushi. May be whatever his eyes reflected past days wasn't love exactly but something akin to it for sure. Then what happened suddenly that all the softness & gentleness turned into hatred in just few hours & he turned my daughter's life upside down.

A person can become this cruel to somebody only if that person has harmed him or his family professionally or personally & my selfless gudiya can't do either to even a stranger, let alone to Arnav or his family. She isn't capable of harming him professionally & she loves his family, the Raizadas way too much to harm them in any way. Even the Raizadas adore her equally, except Manorama Raizada who is always bitter, but still, Khushi has always respected her. Each & every member of Arnav's family is.... Suddenly a realization hit Garima & her eyes widened shockingly.

Shyam.... Yes, Shyam... May be Arnav must have got to know about Shyam & Khushi. But neither Khushi or anybody else have told about Shyam's treachery to any of the Raizadas then how is it possible for Arnav to know?? Mused Garima.

Of course it's easily possible for the much resourceful ASR. Garima herself answered her own doubts. May be he got to know everything & the love he has for his dii must have gotten him angry on Khushi for hiding such big truth from him & his family.. Or may be he must have misunderstood my gudiya & wants to punish her otherwise why he would blackmail her to marry, that too for six months contract marriage?? Garima looked down at her daughter's tear streaken face. She was scared what if her doubts turn out to be true. She wiped her sweat beads formed on her face with one hand.

No. She won't let her daughter suffer due to some misunderstanding or for the crime she is not responsible for because it was her decision to not let the Raizadas know about Shyam to save her other daughter Payal's marriage from breaking yet again. Khushi had just adhered to her amma's decision & kept mum. But she won't let her Khushi suffer for Payal's happiness. True, she has always given more importance to Payal's happiness then Khushi's because she didn't want anybody to accuse her for loving her niece Khushi more than her step daughter Payal. She didn't want to lose her husband who had accepted her with her niece even after knowing her past. If that happened than where would have she gone with her niece as they had nobody else of their own?? So she had tried her best to prove herself a good MOTHER instead of a STEP MOTHER & in that process she had many times sidelined her niece's happiness. But this time she won't make any such mistake because it's the question of her Khushi's whole life. She knows how a misunderstanding or wrong assumptions can ruin a girls life. She herself has experienced it years back. She doesn't want same fate for her Khushi & for that she needs to find out the reason behind this sham marriage forced upon her daughter by Arnav Singh Raizada & she will definitely find out from the man himself. He will have to answer her, a MOTHER. Garima looked down determinedly at her despondent daughter's face.

Gudiya.. She raised Khushi's face & wiped the tear streaks with her saree pallu. I will be back in a while, till then you stay here only.

But amma... Where, Garima kept her hand on Khushi's mouth. Don't ask anything. You trust me na?? Garima asked tucking her hair strands properly. Khushi nodded. Then just stay here. I will be back in a while. Khushi nodded in affirmation. As it is, she was feeling too weak & exhausted to argue back.

Garima smiled at her daughter & kissed her forehead lovingly. Everything will be fine. I will make sure of it. Garima promised caressing Khushi's cheek affectionately & got up to seek answers from the man, who has reduced her daughter to such weak state within few hours.

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Arnav was standing in the middle of his room with his hands fisted tight. The scene of Khushi's mother slapping her was not leaving his mind & was piercing daggers at his heart. He wanted to shout at her mother, but he controlled himself as that would show Khushi his softer side for her again which he doesn't want as from now on, she will have to face the cruel ASR instead of gentle Arnavji of past days. That's her punishment for her shameless deeds. She will have to bear everything she is facing downstairs & much more in the coming six months from him. She deserves this. Every bit of it. He was busy cursing Khushi when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Thinking it to be Khushi he turned around arrogantly to give her earful from his side if she had got less from both the families downstairs. But to his surprise it wasn't Khushi whom he expected but it was her mother whom he didn't expected at all.

Aunty.. What are you... But before he could complete, he received a tight slap on his face. The intensity of this slap was way more painful than what Khushi received a while ago.

With his hand on his stinging cheek, Arnav looked shockingly at a furious Garima, who was now his mother in law as well.

How dare you Arnav Singh Raizada?? How dare you force my daughter in to a six months contract marriage?? Garima hollered gripping his lapels.

Arnav's eyes widened, shocked to the wits.

How do you know this?? He asked Garima.

Did Khushi revealed everything to everybody?? How dare she?? I had warned her not to say a word regarding this to anybody & she revealed it in front of everyone. He gritted angrily.

Garima was just looking at his face, hearing his monologue.

Damn. Even dii is there downstairs. What she must have felt?? How she must have taken it?? She is pregnant. It's not good for her & the baby to take so much of tension. I swear, I won't leave Khushi if anything happens to my dii or her baby. He was just blabbering in the fear of something happening to his dii, forgetting that Garima is standing in front of him listening to all his worries for his dii & his threats he was giving to his wife who was her daughter as well.

She was flabbergasted to see such opposite reaction from him for his dii & his wife.

He was about to run out of his room to see his dii but was stopped by Garima holding his elbow.

Aunty let me go. I want to see my dii whether she is fine or not. He tried to remove Garima's hand.

She is absolutely fine because she or anybody else except me doesn't know about your cruelty towards my daughter if that's what is bothering you. Supplied Garima angrily.

Arnav sighed in relief knowing that his dii is safe & sound & nobody knows about the contract marriage.

Garima felt like beating him black & blue for being so concerned for his dii & so heartless towards her daughter's pain.

But the same couldn't be said for your wife whom you left alone downstairs to face the accusations & questions of your & her family. Garima said coming in front of him. You had already shattered her with the forced marriage & the rest we all did by blaming her for the crime she isn't responsible for.

He didn't utter a word neither showed any remorse & that made Garima's blood boil.

How can you be so cruel, so insensitive towards my daughter that you blackmailed her, forced her into a six months contract marriage without giving her any reason. If that wasn't enough you threatened her to keep quiet in front of all?? Left her alone down there to face the terrible consequences. Garima accused him raging fire.

He still kept quiet & unaffected.

Now Garima had had enough. She wants answers & she would get by hook or crook.

What if same thing would have happened with your beloved dii?? Garima said & got the desired reaction as he looked furiously at her. What if your dii would have been forced by somebody into a contract marriage then how you must have felt Arnav Singh Raizada?? Garima bellowed pointing a finger at him.

Don't you dare say something like that for my dii. He shouted.

I can't even say something like that for your dii but you have actually done that with my daughter. What about that Arnav?? Garima shouted back at him.

Because a gold-digger, a home-wrecker & a characterless girl like your daughter deserves that only for betraying me & trying to break my dii's marriage. He let out the venom from his mouth shocking Garima that her doubts are gonna be proven true.

He was rewarded with another slap on his other cheek by Garima for hurling such abuses on her innocent daughter.

Arnav clenched his fists controlling his anger.

How dare you accuse my daughter with something she can't even think of doing?? Garima asked looking incredulously at him.

She did not only think, but she has done all of that with that bastard Shyam. She proved herself as a gold digger by alluring two men at a time, me & that bastard Shyam. She proved herself as a home wrecker by trying to ruin my sister's marriage by having an affair with her husband & by having an affair with a married man she proved that she doesn't have a character. He proved his accusations on Khushi.

Garima was just hearing him silently even though every fibre of her body was burning in rage hearing his cutting words for her daughter.

Seeing her not even flinching, Arnav told her everything he watched on the terrace, his confrontation with Shyam which made him force & blackmail Khushi for the contract marriage.

Just like you confronted Shyam, did you confront Khushi before acting impulsively on your assumptions & believing on the lies Shyam fed to you?? Garima asked calmly.

Arnav stood speechless hearing her question. Yes, he confronted only Shyam, not Khushi. But that doesn't make any difference as he had heard Khushi asking Shyam to leave his wife & that's enough of a proof of her betrayel. Yes that's it. He assured himself.

Seeing him lost, Garima asked further. Do you remember my Khushi was engaged to our paying guest named Shyam??

Arnav's eyes widened unbelievably.

Now did that ring a bell in your thick head Mr. Raizada?? Garima mocked him.

If not, then let me enlighten you. Garima told him everything that happened after he released the footage on TV till the day they came to know about Shyam's bigamy & their decision & reasons to not tell anything to anybody about Shyam.

Arnav was looking at Garima's face without blinking his eyes, as if he was electrocuted.

I can get whole of Laxminagar here to give testimony against your beloved jijaji & his treachery with my daughter & our family. Garima stated, folding her hands confidently under her bosoms.

Shall I?? She asked raising her eyebrows.

Arnav stumbled back in shock & landed on the bed behind him with thud. His head held in his hands.

How easily you believed whatever lies & filth your wastrel jijaji fed you against my Khushi?? If you had bothered to confront Khushi as well or had tried to find out the truth then my daughter wouldn't have been this shattered & broken today due to your recklessness. Garima said. Her voice shaking remembering her daughter's shattered form.

Arnav looked at Garima with regret & remorseful eyes. But he was too late for that.

You easily believed Shyam because he is your jijaji, your dii's husband so how can he be wrong?? My daughter was as it is, a cheap, poor, chit of a girl for you right from the beginning so how could you give her a leap of faith, confronting her was out of question. So accusing her & condemning her was easier for you.

Gold-digger, home-wrecker, characterless these words were still ringing in her ears he hurled on her daughter a while ago. She knows how these words affect a woman's heart, piercing her soul, shattering her world into pieces but those words don't leave her mind till the end of her life. She has experienced it years back when she was abused with same filthy names by a certain heartless Mallik woman & now this Raizada accused her daughter with the same devastating names. Although after getting a loving husband like Shashiji, she has forgotten the pain but still somewhere those names are still carved in her mind along with the painful memories attached with them. She doesn't want her daughter to go through that pain all her life. She won't suffer for this dumb Raizada's impulsiveness. She won't let her daughter stay in this sham of a marriage to save her other daughter & his dii's marriage.

I'm taking my daughter with me. She won't stay here with a monster like you. Garima declared with conviction.

Arnav stood up from his place immediately, alerted.

No.. No aunty. You can't take her. She is my wife.

Correction Garima interrupted. A contracted wife. She taunted.

Arnav gulped painfully.

I know aunty. I have erred. Terribly, horribly. I should have confronted Khushi. I should have tried to find the truth instead of believing Shyam's words. I accept my mistakes but the fact still remains that Khushi is my wife & she belongs to me. Arnav was almost pleading now.

Garima shook her head at him exasperatedly. I won't let her stay with you even a minute, forget about six months Arnav. My daughter is a human being, not a pawn to be played whenever & however you like Raizada. Garima scoffed breathing fire.

Seeing her not relenting, Arnav did what he is best at. He threatened her with what he threatened Khushi as well.

Ok aunty. If you want to take Khushi back then you will have to take Payal with you as well. Consider both the marriages as broken. He spat mercilessly thinking Garima would back out fearing for Payal's marriage. He was breaking from inside while uttering so but he has to in order to stop her from taking his wife away from him.

Garima didn't even flinched at that. In fact she smiled mockingly at him.

I expected something like that only from you Arnav. Garima exclaimed twitching her mouth.

Arnav frowned.

Okay. I will take both my daughters with me. She said shocking Arnav. If Aakash is a man enough then he won't let Payal go. But if he does then I would think both you Raizada brothers are spineless cowards & my daughters are better off from such cowards. Garima stated.

But before going away with my daughters, I would reveal about Shyam, your blackmail to my daughter & contract marriage as well, in front of your family & your dii. She is pregnant. You would be responsible whatever happens with her or her baby after knowing her husband's horrible truth. Garima said tilting her head, challenging him.

Arnav gasped.

No aunty. You can't do that. She would die. Arnav pleaded.

So?? Why should I care when you didn't care before ruining my daughter's life for your dii?? Garima said shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

Arnav couldn't believe that she is the same docile & gullible woman who used to stay mute most of the time & would get scared for smallest of the things, is now ready to risk her daughters' marriage & is threatening him as well.

You blackmailed my Khushi by using her sister as bait now I am blackmailing you by using your sister as bait Mr. Arnav Singh Raizada. If you dare to stop me from taking my Khushi with me or try to break Payal's marriage then I would reveal everything to your dii without thinking of its consequences. Now it's up to you to decide & I know, you will always choose your sister over everything. Garima said as matter of fact.

Arnav looked down in mute acceptance. He can't risk his dii's life. Not when there is another life breathing inside her.

Somewhere Garima had wished that he would choose Khushi for the emotions & feelings she had seen in his eyes in past few days. But he proved her wrong.

Sighing hard, Garima started to move out when Arnav called her.

Aunty...

Garima stopped & turned around to see Arnav standing with his hands joined to plead.

Please don't take Khushi away from me. I.... I love her aunty. He confessed.

No... you don't. Garima snapped.

I do aunty. I really do. Arnav confessed again & told her about his feelings for Khushi & his plans to confess her tonight, which was ruined by the scene he witnessed on the terrace.

Garima rushed to him furiously. If you had really loved her then you would have never doubted her. Would have never accused her. You would have given her a benefit of doubt. She shouted shaking him vigorously through his shoulders.

I'm sorry aunty. I'm really sorry. But my unbound anger & bitter experiences of past always get the worst out of me & the same happened this time as well. My mumma & dii always used to tell me that one day my anger will make me regret big time & today is that day. I'm extremely sorry for what I did with Khushi but believe me aunty, I really love her. If not for today's misunderstandings & my impulsiveness, I would have confessed my love to her by now. He said with utmost sincerity.

Garima left his shoulders & calmed down a bit because she could sense the truth in his eyes & voice which she had felt even before he himself did. But that doesn't mean he would be forgiven that easily. He will have to repent & earn his forgiveness from her daughter whom he has shattered. But there's one more truth to it that somewhere her daughter too loves this arrogant man. He is her first love & she knows the pain of losing our first love. It's terribly unbearable & she doesn't want her daughter to go through the same.

I'm not heartless like you Arnav Singh Raizada. I'm giving you a chance to mend your mistakes. Garima said & saw hope flickering in his eyes.

I will give you a chance to woo my daughter but before that you will have to bring Shyam's true face in front of your dii & family. Arnav's eyes widened How, that would be your look out. But believe me Arnav, your dii doesn't deserve that slimeball as a husband. Now she is pregnant as well. Her baby too doesn't deserve that pathetic excuse of a human being as it's father. They both are good off from such scoundrel.

But aunty... Arnav tried to voice his fears but Garima stopped him showing her hand.

A wife Anjali Jha, might not be able to bear her husband's betrayel & might be shattered. But the mother in her would definitely never want such piece of shit as a father for her child. So the mother in Anjali would definitely overcome this disgusting truth of her husband for the sake of her child. You just need to figure out how & when you bring out this truth in front of her. Believe me, she would be more than grateful to you for opening her eyes at right time. But if she gets to know later through somebody else then she might not be able to digest this fact that you hid such a big truth from her, regardless of whatever the reasons are. Garima said keeping her hand on his shoulder.

He looked in her experienced eyes with his moist ones.

Shyam has deceived Anjali & Khushi both. He deserves to be punished. Give him his due punishment then I will give you a chance to woo my daughter, but only if she wants. Until then she will not stay here. Neither you will try to talk to her nor meet her. I'm taking her back with me. I will see what I have to tell to my family. Your family would be your headache. But I hope you won't demean my daughter anymore to save yourself from your family's interrogation. Garima warned him not so subtly.

Arnav nodded with plethora of emotions in his eyes with remorse & regret being on top.

Giving one last look to a defeated Arnav Singh Raizada, Garima walked out of his room proudly, with her head held high for showing the great ASR what a MOTHER can do for her child.

The end.

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Kavita ❤️