Roaming on the streets aimlessly without anybody to go to or have a shoulder to cry her misery out. She looked a mess with tears streaming down, walking down the streets at 12 in the night.

Anybody who looked at the girl would assume her as a beggar and homeless by her appearance.

"Kya se kya hogya hai humari zindigi ka. Kuch din phele hum kitne khush the, sab kuch tha aur aaj kuch bhi nhi. Ek insaan bhi nhi jise hum bataa sake ki humarre saath kya hua hai." (What has happened in my life. I was a happy girl few days back, i had everything but today I have nothing. Not even a person to tell about my condition and misery.)

"Kya galati thi humari Devi Mayia. Bachpan se hi aapne hume dukh diye hai par humara aap pr se vishwas nhi utha. Thak nhi jati aap apne bhakt ki pareksha le kr. Kabhi toh do pal khushi ke de de hume, Joh jeewan bhar hum yaad kre. Ab aage kya likha hai aapne humari jeevan mei. Isse bura kya hoga ab humare saath bta dijiye please." She fell on her knees and cried on her fate  (What is my mistake God? You have been hurting me since my childhood but my trust has never wavered from you.  Don't you get tired testing your devotee!! Give me few moments of happiness as well, so I could cherish them for life. Now what have you written in my life! What more is left for me to bear?)

Getting up she wandered around in the night like a ghost, not knowing what her fate will lead her too.

A car suddenly honked at her. She tried avoiding its noise from piercing her ear but then she knew that there is no reason left for her to live. Walking near her death she closed her eyes, untill everything blurred.

A series of gasps were heard and she was wrapped in the pair of arms. She knew this warmth. She kept crying till her heart felt light and eyes had no more tears to shed. The warmth and protection that only was felt in the arms of her brother.

"Bitiya." (Daughter) She could recognize this voice anytime and anywhere. She looked up to meet her father's swollen eyes. Rushing to him, she embraced him in a hug.

"Mujhe maaf kr de beta. Mei tujhe bachaa nhi ska us shaitaan se." He managed to whisper.(Please forgive me. I couldn't save you from that monster.)

"Is mei aapki koi galati nhi thi. Yeh humari kismat hai babuji." (It wasn't any of your fault. Its my fate.)

"Khushi." Her mother called but her heart denied to look up at her. She kept her face dugged in her father's embrace.

"Hume maaf kr de bitiya." (Please forgive me daughter.) She whispered amidst her cries.

"Jab voh ro ro kr maafi mangti rhi, tab kyu nhi maani us bchi ki baat. Aaj agar uske saath yeh sab hua hai toh uske jimedaar hum hai." (When she was begging for our forgiveness, why didn't you hear her that day? Whatever happened to her is all because of us.) Her father raised his voice at her.

"Aaee sankadevi, its enough. Stop telling lies to gain sympathy. I didn't knew you would stoop so low to get yourself raped just so that we could forgive you." Buaji reprimanded.

The Raizada's looked confused between Buaji and Khushi. While Khushi stiffened in her father's embrace. Slowly she looked up from him towards her Aunt.

"How can you Khushi! I haven't understood you yet. This is your real face or just a facade. The Khushi I knew as a child was so sensitive, humble, chirpy but nothing like you..."

"One more word and you would see my worst side." Shashi warned her sister.

"But-"

"Enough now. Isn't it enough that you said already. Do you really think about her such! Do you? She is the same girl who helped you forget about your own child's death! Weren't you the one who used say that she looks so familiar to your dead daughter!" Everyone gasped hearing about it.

Buaji looked away ashamed and in guilt.

"Weren't you the one who used to say that God returned you, your daughter back in Khushi's form?"

Khushi looked up at Buaji in tear stricken face. The tears wouldn't just stop.

"Forgive me daughter. I thought that you were just making up stories because you realized our worth and about your lies. But I was so wrong. It was me who needed to realize and open my eyes to see the gem I threw away from my life."

Khushi didn't speak anything and looked away. The soft side of her wanted to forgive everyone and move on but the selfish side of hers wanted to not forgive these people. She wanted to be selfish for the first time in life.

Minutes passed in silence. Everyone looked at the broken girl in pitty.

"Khushi, what happened after that?" Anjali asked out in curiosity.

"I was hit by that car. I fell unconscious but when I woke up almost a week later it was Aman Bhai whom I saw with me in the hospital." She sniffed.

Aman continued for her.

"That night I was late and driving with my mind off because we just had lost a deal. I wasn't focusing exactly on the road and that's when I hit her. I ran out to her and saw her state. She was bleeding from head and few bruises here and there. I immediately took her to hospital. Doctor's treated her, she was out of danger but went into coma. I knew nothing about her. Not even her name. When they asked me my relation with her, I just told her as my sister and then they told me about her rape. It felt like ground slipped beneath my feets." He wiped a lone tear that flowed down his cheek.

"I then knew why she wanted to die and what she was doing out in the late night. Seeing her vermilion in her partition and magalsutra, I knew she was married. I couldn't even contact police as I had said that I was her brother. I had no option but to take care of her. I secretly started my search to find about her but I knew nothing about her, not even her name. So I waited for her to get up."

"During my visits, I actually developed a sisterly feeling for her. Nearly a week later she woke up but what shocked me was when she muttered "Arnavji". "

Silence fell again. Arnav looked extremely amused and shocked. Khushi had her head resting in her father's lap. While the ladies cried bitterly and men's tried to hold their
tears back but failed.

Arnav looked at Khushi. He felt a pull on the strings of his heart. Something broke inside his heart seeing her.

"I did my investigations and knew she was the wife of my boss. But what surprised me was that he said report a missing case of his wife. Although he seemed distressed the past week but he wasn't that stressed losing his wife."

"I talked with her. She told me her name and whatever happened with her. I was surprised when she trusted me with her matter and told me everything. I told her about myself. She was surprised and asked to not disclose anything to him. Upon asking the reason, she broke down and narrated her story to me."