Gupta house..
Arnav knocked the door reluctantly as he didn't know how Gupta would welcome him after six long years.

"Garima go and see who is it at the door.." he heard Buaji shouting.

"I'm just going.." Garima shouted back and rushed to open the door only to get shocked at the view, "Aap.."

"Can I come in?" Arnav asked.

"No, there's no place people like you here.." Garima sternly replied.

"I know you're angry with me.."

"Angry?! I didn't even wish to see your face again in my life.. Not for what you've done with me, but with my Khushi.. You destroyed her Arnav Singh Raizada.. you destroyed my daughter's life.. meri bachi (Garima let out a sob) what has she done to you? Why you always punished her for no fault of hers? What did she do to you to deserve this? To be abandoned on her marriage day? Do you even know what people spoke about her? They called her a curse! They blamed her for everything when reality was different.. If you had problem with me regarding your past, then you should have talked and solved the matter with me and not include my daughter in all this and spoil her life like you did.. Everything is over now.. There's nothing left to talk and you can leave!" Garima glared at him.

"If I've done wrong to Khushi, then you guys are not saint either.. Wasn't Khushi blamed by you all when Payal's marriage broke with that Abhishek? Weren't you guys who decided to hide Shyam's truth till Payal's marriage with Akash? Weren't you guys who didn't support your daughter when I married her? She has done everything for your happiness, but you all always loved and cared only for Payal.. Payal's happiness was what mattered for you all, never Khushi's! I was the who destroyed Khushi's life, but indirectly your selfishness destroyed Khushi's life too.." Arnav frowned.

Garima stood in silence-guilt for a while, Arnav sighed, "Can we talk? I seriously didn't came to fight with you.. I know I've done wrong to Khushi more than anyone here.. So please let me amend my mistakes!"

Garima nodded looking away and let him come inside. Arnav walked in and greeted Buaji who glared at him and taunted loudly, "Did you came to marry Titaliya? I'm sorry no one waits in mandap for six years!"

Arnav kept quiet and sat on the couch, while Buaji left from there angrily.

Garima sat with him and asked with emotionless look, "So tell me what you have to say?"

"You're not the woman my father was having an affair with.." Arnav said.

"No, I'm not.. If you had asked me that day, I would have explained you everything and all this wouldn't have happened.." Garima said.

"Your father was not a good man, he had affairs with other women and hide this from your mother.. I was.."

"I know.. I know everything.." Arnav said and placed his hand over Garima's, "I'm sorry for everything you went through.."

"You don't need to say sorry.. It wasn't your fault.." Garima shook her head wiping away her tears as once again she got reminded of that terrible and horrifying past of hers, then she looked at Arnav confused: How do you know about it if your Dadi lied to you about me?

"I will tell you.." he said staring at nothing in particular.

Flashback..
Arshi marriage day..

Arnav was getting ready happily on his room as finally today Khushi would be his wife.. Not his for sake of contract wife! He would finally love and take care of her as he had imagined before the terrace scene. He promised to himself to trust her more than himself and she promised to never leave his side.. He would finally get married to the woman he loves!

"I promise from now on you'll live the best moments of your life with me Khushi.." he whispered to himself smiling staring at his reflection on mirror.

"So you're sure that you will marry Khushi Kumari Gupta?" Dadi stood before him crossing her arms.

He turned to her, "Yes, I'm sure I will marry Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada!"

"Do you even know with whom are you getting married to?" Dadi asked.

"What kind of stupid question is this Dadi? Of course I know her.." Arnav frowned.

"No, you don't.." Dadi shook her head with mocking chuckle, "You don't.. You don't know anything Arnav.."

"You know what.. I've no time to listen your nonsense.. I'm getting late!" he said and walked to leave when Dadi threw the pictures on his feet.

Arnav bend to take hold of the pictures. He stare analyzing the pictures and looked at Dadi with confused expression, "She's Garima aunty.."

"With your father Arnav.." Dadi snatched the picture from his hand and clearly showed to him, placing it near his face, "See it clearly and with your own eyes.. the woman your father was having an affair with is no one other than the mother of your wife, Garima Gupta!"

Arnav looked at her shocked, "What?"

"Haan Arnav beta.. She's the one who had an affair with your father and caused your mother to commit suicide.." Dadi shed fake tears, "This woman destroyed our family.. our happiness.."

Arnav sat on his bed with a thud, tears flowing from his eyes he cupped his face shaking his head in no, "This is not possible.."

"It is Arnav beta.. she's the reason why you and Anjali are orphans today.. she destroyed our family.. our happiness.. she took away everything from us and left us in misery.." Dadi cried loudly.

"Will you be able to marry Khushi knowing that her mother did all this?" Dadi sat beside him, coming to the main point.

Khushi..

This name sent a shiver down his spine.. The woman who he loves immensely, the woman who brought happiness again in his life, the woman who changed ASR to Arnav again, the woman responsible for his heart beats! His love is bigger for her than his father's betrayal..

"It's not Khushi's fault if Garima aunty and my father had an affair.. I can't punish Khushi for what she hasn't done.. She has nothing to do with this.." Arnav stood up wiping away his tears.

Dadi saw all her plans getting flopped. She couldn't accept defeat this time, "Your mother loved you a lot.."

Arnav stopped on his tracks hearing another word that sends shivers down his spine.. Ma!

"You know when she was pregnant of you, doctor said that there will be complications on this pregnancy and they asked if something happens then they should save at least one person, your mother or you.. Your father chose your mother, but she fought with everyone in family to let you live.. she said she wouldn't kill her child.. she wanted her baby boy to live.. by God's grace during delivery nothing happened to you both.. we all were very happy when you came in this world.. but your mother was happiest, she kept staring at you smiling like crazy thanking God many times for keeping you alive, she used to feed you breast milk while singing lullaby for her Chote, she used to keep awake all night when you cried, she used to cry when you get hurt, she used to run behind you all day and never got tired of you.. she used to make your favorite dishes.. she used to pester your father to buy ice creams for you whenever you wanted it.. she dropped and pick you from school everyday.. she helped you in your homework .. she had patience to listen to you everyday.. she never scolded her Chote.. she always treated and handled you with care and love way more than Anjali.. because you were that son she was about to lose, somewhere the fear of losing you again was still there inside her. You were a miracle in her life Arnav!! That shameless woman (Garima) came and destroyed our happiness.. she had an affair with your father.. your father started spending more time outside, and you mother was left alone to handle you and Anjali.. still she never complained and loved you both immensely, never let you both know about her pain.. she endured your father's ignorance towards her only to keep a smile on your and Anjali's face.. Think Arnav.. Think about your mother's pain before reaching in mandap to the marry the daughter of the same woman responsible for your mother's state.. You always claim to love your mother, and hate your father to the core.. Is this the love you're talking about? Is this love that you're ready to forget your mother's pain to marry with the daughter of the WOMAN responsible for your mother's tears, your mother's pain, your mother's SUICIDE?" Dadi shouted.

Teri ungli pakad ke chalaa
Mamta ke aanchal mein palaa
Teri ungli pakad ke chalaa
Mamta ke aanchal mein palaa
Maa. o meri maa
Tu mera laadla
Maa. o meri maa
Main tera laadla

"Is this how you claim to love your mother?! You don't even know what your mother went through the day she got to know about their affair.. she was broken Arnav.. completely broken.. the same way you were broken when you thought Khushi was having an affair with Anjali's husband.. the same way she felt that sharp pain through her heart watching her husband with that Garima happy with each other after destroying her life.. She saw her family's happiness destroyed in a single moment because of a woman Garima Gupta.. she could do nothing to save her family.. she was totally weak that time.. she knew your father would never come back to her and she couldn't bear to see him with another woman.. she couldn't be alive to watch her kids upset and broken heart when they get to know the truth about their father affair with another woman.. she loved your father to the core.. she wouldn't be able to hear from his mouth that she doesn't mean anything to him now.. so in broken, weak and devastated state she hanged herself and ended her life.. She ended her life Arnav because of GARIMA.. And you want to keep a relationship with this same woman? Will you be able to face the reason of your mother's misery like nothing happened? Will you be able to accept that woman whose mother was responsible for your mother's suicide?" Dadi stood up and shook him vigorously as if trying to put some sense in his mind.

Arnav shut his eyes tightly crying, "No.."

"Then?" Dadi asked.

"But what's Khushi's fault in all this? I've always hurt her so much.. I can't break her heart this time.. she's waiting for me.. Ma knows how much I love Khushi.." Arnav said crying bitterly.

"Khushi!!! You clearly don't love your mother Arnav.. she was ready at any time to sacrifice her happiness and even her life for you and look at you.. Can you hear your mother's cries? Can you feel her pain? Can you hear it Arnav or you're just blind in Khushi's love? Is your love for Khushi greater than the love for your mother? Does your mother's pain means nothing to you? Does all that woman's sacrifice for her Chote's happiness went all in vain that her son doesn't even acknowledge her pain?" Dadi shouted.

"It's not.. true.. I love MA more than my life.. My mother is my everything.. I feel her pain.. I know what she went through that is why I hate my father.. That's why I became ASR and achieved all this success because she always wanted me to be a big business man.. I promised her that one day I will reach on top of the world and I did.. just for her.. Even though she isn't alive, I kept all my promise I made to her.. I love her.. I love her a lot.. You don't have any right to question my love for my mother!" Arnav shouted back with tears slipping automatically from his eyes.

"Despite all this, you're ready to give your mother's place to that woman who is responsible for the end of her life? You're ready to call her AMMA! Do you think your mother's soul will ever rest in peace knowing that not only her husband, but her dear son, the one she was ready to die just to let him breath in this world too accepted the woman who destroyed her family?" Dadi burst out angrily.

"Your mother's soul will never rest in peace Arnav.. that too surprisingly because of her Chote!" Dadi sighed sadly and left from there with a cunning smirk knowing that her job of playing with Arnav's emotions is done.

Arnav fell on knees crying bitterly, on one side was his love for his mother and the other his love for Khushi. He was torn between both and he was so confused what he would do.

There's a seven year old Arnav in him who loves his mother a lot and kept reminding him about the day he saw his mother lifeless in front of him and that too because of the same woman who's going to be his Sasu-Ma in few hours and there's a 27 year old ASR who found his peace, his happiness, his solace and on top of that, found himself in Khushi, the woman he loves more than himself now and who's going to be his wife in few hours.

What would he choose? His mother or his Khushi?

"Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh..." Arnav shouted crying and pulling his hair frustrated and devastated.

He stood up and walked with baby steps towards the door crying, his moments spent with his mother flashed in his mind.. and then the nightmare of his life, the most dreadful day of his life played in his mind when he held the door to open.. He shut his eyes tightly and his hand slipped away from the door knob.

"I'm sorry Khushi.. I will not be able to bring myself to you.. Mujhe maaf kar do (Forgive me)" he took steps back and fell on the floor crying over his fate.

Banke tera saaya main tujhko thaam lun
Uthke rab se pehle main tera naam lun
Banke tera saaya main tujhko thaam lun
Uthke rab se pehle main tera naam lun
Rakhun tujhe palkon tale
Pooja karun teri
Tere siwaa tu hi bataa
Kya zindagi meri
Main to tere sapno ke
Rang mein dhalaa

Teri ungli pakad ke chalaa
Mamta ke aanchal mein palaa
Maa. o meri maa
Tu mera laadla
Maa. o meri maa
Main tera laadla

Bachke apne ghar se
Sukh jaaega kahan
Badlega naseeba ik roz meri maa
Bachke apne ghar se
Sukh jaaega kahan
Badlega naseeba ik roz meri maa
Teri khusi meri khusi
Gum tera mera gum
Tere liye teri kasam
Lunga main sou janam
Tu nahin to duniya mein
Kuch nahin mera

Teri ungli pakad ke chalaa
Mamta ke aanchal mein palaa
Maa. o meri maa
Tu mera laadla
Maa. o meri maa
Main tera laadla.

Flashback ends..

"Phir? (Then?)" Garima asked with moist eyes.

"Then.." Arnav gulped down his tears but was interrupted by an angry voice.

"What are you doing here?" Payal shouted angrily at Arnav. She turned to Garima, "Amma how can you even let this man in? The same man who thought so bad about you.."

"Payal bitiya I was just talking with him.." Garima wiped away her tears turning to Payal.

"What now? Are you trying your cunning ways to blackmail my mother and get your wife back to you?" Payal asked sarcastically.

"No.." Arnav nodded sideways then looked at Garima gesturing her to explain Payal because he knew if he speak something then they will think against him also.

"Payal keep quiet please.." Garima tired to calm her.

"I'm seriously fed up now.. You came back now.. Everyone is behind you again.. and keeping aside my husband who has been taking care of our family when you abandoned everything here.." Payal said irritated.

Arnav noticed that she wasn't worried of what he would to her sister, she is just worried about Akash's place in the family.

It's my first time ever I cried writing my own story!