Payal who was already holding back her tears and urge to scream for the past one hour finally entered her bedroom and screamed out in tears as the revelation from Khushi shattered her into pieces.

What kind of a sister was she?

She pride herself in being her mother and protector but she failed letting her emotions and people's taunts get to her to an extent that she neglected her responsibilities.

What kind of mother and sister was she?

When she always made it known Khushi wasn't only her sister but her first baby and she had ignored all the red flags about her sister marriage and martial life for the past three months.

She regretted taking Khushi's words as the truth and should have trust her instincts.

"Am so sorry Khushi..... I let you down in so many ways...... I am so sorry. " Payal cried out as she kneeled near her bed bawling her eyes out and that's how Akash found his beloved wife.

"Payal? " Akash rushed up to her throwing his bag and suit away not caring about the laptop in his bag.

He scooped her into his arms as Payal cried out loud, luckily, their room was soundproof, or else her screams would have shaken the mansion.

Akash was confused seeing his wife like this and an unknown fear engulfed him because he hadn't seen his wife this broken or cry like this since they met eight months ago.

He held her without saying a word and whispered sweet nothings into her ears until she calmed down and only hiccups and sniffing were heard.

He broke the hug,wiped her face with his hands and kissed her forehead.

"Payal baby, what's wrong? " He asked desperately but Payal cried in response and it made him angry. "Maa taunted you again, right? " Payal shook her head. "Dadi and Di said something to upset you? " She shook her head. "Is it about Babuji because I video-called his therapist and doctors at the rehabilitation center a few minutes ago..... Why did something happen? " Payal shook her head again and it confused him. "Then why is my love crying?....... Please speak up baby, you are scaring me. " Akash begged.

"Will you leave me if anyone in your family asks you to? " Payal asked staring up at her husband.

Akash was taken aback by her question and an uneasy feeling and fear engulfed him but it turned to anger knowing his mother in particular was behind this but he had had enough.

He stood up and placed Payal on the bed, walked into the walk-in closet and closed the door behind leaving a shocked and hurt Payal behind.

She started crying again and after a few minutes the door to the walk-in closet opened and Akash walked out with one suitcase  after the other confusing Payal.

Payal stood up confused staring at Akash who was moving in and out of the closet with suitcases and a total of seven suitcases were brought in the middle of the room.

"Akash? " She called out in a shaky voice and Akash stared at her and walked up to her, cupped her face, and kissed her forehead affectionately making Payal relief.

"I will rather die than lose you, Payal...... We are leaving her and away from my toxic mother and my insensitive family....... Papa loves you like his own and more than Anjali and he will understand when we tell him and I know he will support us...... Let's go from here. " Akash said sincerely and Payal smiled through her tears but shook her head again. "Don't worry about Khushi...... I know Bhai loves her and will come with us if we make him understand you can't go away from your first born and he will come with us because he loves her. " Akash teased not knowing how damaging his words were for Payal.

"No," Payal yelled and shoved his hands shocking him as she moved away from him and started crying again. "He doesn't love Khushi...... Your brother is abusing my baby....... He forced her to pretend they are happy in front of us but abuse her behind closed door. " Payal yelled out in pain as Akash was stunned and even though it was hard to believe that Arnav was capable of abuse, he knew Payal would never lie.

He moved closer to her and helped her sit on the bed and he kneeled on the floor.

"Payal..... What happened?....... Baby, please trust me........ Tell me everything." He asked and Payal sniffed and told him everything.

Flashback.

Payal was so happy that rushed to her room after coming back from having lunch and a hot love-making with Akash in his office at AR.

She marched up to Arnav and Khushi's room and knocked on the door and it opened surprising her and she entered but frowned seeing the room empty because she knew Khushi was home and didn't go shopping with Anjali, Nani, and Mami like she always does.

She called out to Khushi but got no response and was about to call her again when something caught her eye at the poolside.

It was Khushi sleeping by the pool and murmuring incoherently.

She smiled and shook her head at her silliness gently opened the French door and stepped out.

She kneeled to call Khushi but what she heard shocked her to her core.

"Arnavji....I swear to you, am not Shyam's mistress..... Believe me. " Khushi cried out shocking Payal as she watched tears stream down her cheeks but what followed next made her stumble and fall. "Please don't hurt Jiji..... I allowed you to force me into a six-month marriage so that Jiji's marriage doesn't fail..... I let you abuse me and call me all the worst names....... Please don't hurt Jiji and Akash bhai...... Please. " Khushi cried out and jerked out of her nightmare and started hyperventilating oblivious to Payal.

She pulled her knees towards her chest and started rocking back and forth as tears streamed down her face.

"You have to believe me Arnavji... I am innocent. " She cried out and Payal touched her shoulder and she flinched and shielded her face with her arms in defense, shivering vigorously which broke Payal's heart.

She was very familiar with signs of domestic abuse which she took a course on in her first year in college before dropping out due to financial difficulties and Khushi was exhibiting all the signs of an abused woman.

"Khushi? " She called out and Khushi frowned and slowly dropped her defense to find Payal looking at her in tears.

Khushi was shocked seeing her sister there left alone crying.

"Why didn't you tell me?..... Why did you hide your suffering from me? " Payal accused shocking Khushi. "I know I haven't been close to you like I used to after we got married but I always supported you against Amma when she called you a bad omen..... I always supported you against Mami..... So why did you hide the abuse Arnav has been putting you through? Payal cried out shaking a crying Khushi.

"Answer me Khushi and don't you dare lie to me. " Payal yelled out and Khushi stared at one out of the four people who had defended her and always stood by her side since she married that monster named Arnav Singh Raizada.

She knew she needed to speak to someone and the only person she fully trusted was Payal and it was going to hurt her but she had to know and she proceeded and told her everything not leaving a single detail.

To say Payal was shocked would be an understatement.

She slapped Khushi and she held her abused cheek looking shock that her sister had slapped her.

"You should have told me...... I would have called off the wedding if Akash had agreed but you made that monster hurt you to this extent all because of your selflessness.....How many times have I warned you against this selfless nature of yours..... Now see where it has gotten you. " Payal yelled at Khushi who flinched and started crying.

Payal felt horrible for making her cry and she pulled her into a hug feeling bad for shouting at her.

She pulled out of the hug and held her arms but Khushi flinched and Payal was shocked seeing the bruise on her arms.

She knew enough was enough and it was her turn to protect her baby sister.

She helped her stand up and moved to the bedroom and made her sit on the bed.

"Don't move. " She commanded and went downstairs and into the kitchen and warmed up some soup and asked Hari Prakash for some painkillers and sleeping tablets and moved to the room to find the bed empty.

She was about to call out to Khushi when she came out of the bathroom in a different clothing and sat on the bed Payal sat by her and quietly fed her and Khushi knew better not to protest and drank her soup and took the medicines like an obedient little girl.

Payal helped her onto the bed and gently covered her.

"Leave everything to me..... No more Khushi..... No more suffering in silence. " Payal whispered and Khushi nodded trusting Payal would get her out in a more mature way than she could.

Payal started singing her a lullaby and within a few minutes the drugs kicked in and Khushi fell asleep.

"How could someone hurt such an angel...... Only a devil like Arnav Singh Raizada will and I won't let you get away with it. " Payal gritted the words through her teeth in anger.

Flashback ends.

Akash was shocked by the revelation because he knew his brother was ruthless but never knew it was to the extent of abusing an angel like Khushi, physically, emotionally, and psychologically but he did and he will make him pay for bringing tears into the eyes of his love and little sister.

"I will make you pay for this. " Akash thought with determination.

To be continued.

I will be posting four updates this week.

Next Update will be tomorrow.

Precap:Akash gives the family a reality check

Don't forget to the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ button, comment, and follow for more.

٩(ര̀ᴗര́)ᵇʸᵉ.

Xoxo xoxo.