"Khushi kab tak khud ko iss taraah sazaa deti rahogi... Woh nahi Aane waale.. (How long are you going to punish yourself like this... He's not going to come)" Payal said desperately

Khushi didn't react or respond

"Khushi... Baat toh karo mujhse... Apni jiji se bhi naaraaz ho? (Khushi... Please talk to me... Are you angry with your sister too?)" Payal asked sadly

Still no reaction

"Khushi" Payal shook her hard

"Jiji.. Mere Arnavji, Kabhi apna waada nahi todenge. Woh.. Aaye the. Arnavji.. Aaye the jiji (My Arnavji would never break his promises. He did come. Arnavji did come jiji)" Khushi insisted

"Khushi.. He didn't. He was not there" Payal said

"Woh.. Aaye the jiji. Arnavji ne mujhse wada kia tha!!!

"Beta.. Woh wahaan nahi the! (Child.. He was not there)" Payal repeated

"Woh... Nahi aaye Jiji? (He.. didn't come Jiji?)" Khushi asked in a whisper

Payal sighed

"Ander Chalo Khushi (Come inside Khushi)" Payal said escorting her inside her room

"Baith Yahaan... Kyu nahi accept kar leti tu Khushi... Woh nahi aayenge. Kabhi nahi aayenge (Sit here... Why don't you accept it Khushi... He won't come. He will never come)" Payal said gently cupping her face

"Kyu Jiji... Kyu nahi aaye woh. Unhone waada kia tha mujhse.. (Why jiji... Why didn't he come. He had promised me..)" Khushi cried

"Khush..."

"Aap... Aap unko bolo na jiji ki mein unse bahut pyaar karti huin... Ki woh mere jeene ki wajaah hain... Unke bina nahi reh sakti mein... Jiji aap unse baat karoge na (You... You tell him jiji that I love him very much... That he's the reason of my living... I can't live without him... Jiji you'll talk to him right?)" Khushi cried holding Payal

Payal hugged her tightly

"Aise nahi hota Khushi... This is the truth.. The bitter truth of your life. (It doesn't work like that Khushi)" Payal sobbed

"Jiji... Ji-ji Aap un.. Unse.. Baat kar..oge.. Jiji (Jiji... You'll talk to him Jiji)" Khushi stuttered weakly and collapsed in Payal's embrace

"Khushi..." Payal whispered startled

She made her lie on the bed and covered her with a duvet.

"Kaash... Kaash mein kuch kar paati Khushi (I wish.. I wish I could do something Khushi)" Payal cried

She kissed her forehead

"Par Majboor huin... Chaah kar bhi kuch nahi kar paa rahi tere liye. Teri acchi behen nahi bann paa rahi. Arnavji what have you done!!! (But I am helpless... I can't do anything for you, Even if I want to. I am not able to become a good sister to you Khushi)" She added weeping hard.

Payal wiped her tears and got up to call Akash.

"Di... Please Leave me Alone"Arnav said

Anjali was standing at the door of his room with a saddened expression

"Chote.."

"I Just want to be left alone Di" Arnav said

"Why did you do this to yourself and Khushiji Chote... Clearly you're not happy with your decision." Anjali said whilst limping towards him

"Happy... Why should I not be happy Di... I am happy with my decision. And as far as Khushi is concerned... I don't think I've wronged her in any manner. What I have done is in the best interest of all of us Di" Arnav said

"Best interest of all of us... What best interests Chotte May I please know? Because your decision has cost three sleepless nights to your family" Anjali snapped

"Shaadi meri tooti hai... Aankhon se neend aapke udd gyi hai.. Kyu di? (My marriage has been called off... And you people have lost your sleep.. Why Di?)" Arnav asked

"Because... Chote we're your family" Anjali said astonished

Arnav let out a dry chuckle at that.

"I'm fine Di.. If that's what you're worried about" Arnav said

"I'm not worried for you Chote.. It's Khushi I'm concerned about... She was devastated Chote.. She didn't lose hope till the very last speck of fire died out. She didn't move from the Mandap till she lost consciousness. She refused to believe Dadi that You won't come after knowing the truth. She believed in you. Your promise... That you'll come.."

"What can I do if she was acting stubborn... For a change Dadi was right. I didn't come! I couldn't come after knowing the truth" Arnav said

"You... You are saying this Chote, You know what a broken marriage does to a girl. You've seen me suffer Haven't you Chote? How could you do this to her chote? You claimed to have loved her." Anjali said desperately

"I have never loved anyone more than my Mumma Di... And you know that. I couldn't marry the daughter of the woman who was responsible for mumma's leaving us.. Leaving me alone" Arnav said sternly

"She... Was a fool, That girl. She thought her love was strong enough... Strong enough to overcome the bitter past of yours. She thought her love would weigh more than your past. Such a fool she was... Wasn't she Arnav?" Anjali asked

"That she was. A fool, A fool who dared to love me.. I had never told her to get her hopes high. But she did. And now she's paying the price. I don't possess a heart Di.. I don't care about feelings... She does! Then be it. She thought love.. Love of all the things could weight more than my mother to me. You're right di. She was a fool. She should've known better than thinking that she.. A low class, Low standard girl could be more important to me than my mother." Arnav said

"She was right... You're a monster... Rakshas ho tum. Ek raakshas!!! (Monster you are... A monster)" Anjali said angrily

"Haan Di... Rakshas huin mein. Aur raakshas shaadi nahi karte. Ab agar aapka ho gaya ho toh please chali jaiye. (Yes Di.. I am a monster. And Monsters don't marry. Now if you're done here.. Then Please leave)" Arnav said coldly

"Chote..!?!" Anjali gasped baffled

"Meine kaha jaiye.. I am really not in the mood for all this discussion right now (I said Leave)" Arnav said

"What has gotten into you Arnav?" Anjali asked shocked

"This is the way I am Di... Nothing has gotten into me." Arnav answered flatly

"No.. You weren't like this Chote.. You were not this cold before" Anjali said

"Oh.. Then you must've mistook me for someone else Di.. I was always this cold" Arnav said

Anjali turned to leave the room

"Shut the door while going would you Di? And please don't disturb me hereafter with your not-so-important lectures. I wouldn't mind being left alone for a short while" Arnav said

Anjali nodded still not facing him

Arnav closed his eyes as he heard the door getting shut with a loud thud. Tears made their way down his cheeks, His fists unclenched.

The mask had fallen, There stood a defeated Arnav Singh Raizada, Who it seems had lost everything.

Could just one Truth do this to someone?

"Khushi" He whispered collapsing on his knees

My first story on the Remarriage Track

Very sudden Idea

What do you think has happened??

I don't know how this one came out

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Love
Vinny